The Sunday Post #331

April 02, 2023

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

The Sunday Post #331

On The Blog Recently

In My Reading Life

I have given up on Henry James. I attempted to read The Beast In The Jungle and The Jolly Corner. I made it about halfway through both of them. They're just so rambley! Why do these books have so many words when nothing is happening! I couldn't take it anymore. (My laptop is insisting that "rambley" is not a word, but I don't care. Henry James bored me so deeply that the English language doesn't have a word to describe it.)

[TAG1]

Then I read The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. This one went much better! It's historical fiction about Jo, a Chinese American teenager who lives in a tunnel under the house of a wealthy family. During the day, she works as a maid for a cruel woman. At night, she writes an advice column for a newspaper. Her column is the talk of Atlanta, but she worries she'll lose her job if anyone discovers she's Chinese. Her bosses don't even know her real identity.

I love how full Jo's life is. Most real humans have complicated lives, and Jo does too. We get to see her work multiple jobs and form relationships with many different people. She's interested in horses and the suffragist movement. She's trying to improve her English. She has a crush on a fellow journalist, but she can't let him know her identity. There's also family drama. It's a lot! (In a good way.) Jo's a fascinating character to read about because she has so much going on. I wanted her to succeed and have an awesome life.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and it got on my nerves. It sounded like the narrator was shouting the dialogue and whispering the exposition. I usually listen to audiobooks while walking to stores. I had to turn it up really loud to hear over traffic. Then the shouty parts exploded my ears. It was annoying.

If you love historical fiction, then this is a good one. It has a compelling character and a ton of entertaining plotlines. Just don't listen to the audiobook near traffic.

In The Rest Of My Life

Five things that made me happy last week:

I'm still playing The Sims 4. I made a vampire coven. They live underground on a tropical island. I don't understand how their underground house doesn't flood because it's literally right on the beach, but video games don't have to make sense. I'm having fun.
Who watched Love Is Blind on Netflix? It's my newest trashy reality TV obsession. Also, I'd love to date a guy with a wall between us. We could talk, and I wouldn't have to wear fancy pants. Dating in comfy pants is the dream.
I start working full time again on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to the stress that comes with being a park ranger, but I need those full-time + overtime paychecks. Summer is time to grind.
Going for walks. It's still snowy here, but I managed to get out of the house a few times and wander around.
Candy! The Easter candy is out. Watch me eat all of it.