Weekend Book Friends #8

Posted September 11, 2020 by elzaread in Weekend Book Friends / 34 Comments

Greetings! We’ve been absent from our regular Friday Post for the last couple of weeks. We were being sociable. Can you believe it! The Lock Down restrictions are now on level 2 here in South Africa and our numbers are lower. Here in our little coastal town, just about nothing. We still wear our masks and keep social distancing in public places, but at least we can visit each other. It’s marvelous!

Today is cold and rainy, just the perfect day to snuggle up with a book, a cat and some chocolates. And of course to pay a visit all our regular Weekend Book Friends.

Let’s see what book companion we will invite with.

I’m halfway done with Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout and I’m sure somewhere, someone, has already used this book for a weekly feature. It’s just too good not to be show-cased over and over again.

 


Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition – its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires.
At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.
As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life – sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty.

 

Book Beginnings

 

For our first stop, we will pay a visit to Gilion over at Rose City Reader to share our Book Beginnings.  Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions. Hashtags are the one thing I do know on social media, so simply #bookbeginnings so we can find each other.

Olive Kitteridge opens with:
“For many years Henry Kitteridge was a pharmacist in the next town over, driving every morning on snowy roads, or rainy roads, or summertime roads, when the wild raspberries shot their new growth in brambles along the last section of town before he turned off to where the wider road led to the pharmacy”
 
Conversational tones in novels also grabs my attention.

The Friday 56

Next we will pay a visit to Freda over at Freda’s voice who hosts the Friday 56. Don’t show up empty handed though!

  • Grab a book (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading)
  • Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader
  • Find a sentence or two (your other Friday activities might determine this)
  • Post it!
  • Remember to post your link on Freda’s Voice and to visit the other guys in the linky.
  • And  last but not least, don’t forget to list the title of the book and the author as well.
Lets’ see what happens on 56 % of Olive Kitteridge: 
“For Olive there was more than an inner silent groan of disappointment. There was an almost desperate urge to leave, and yet she could not, of course, having trespassed, having written Louise back, having asked to visit.”
 
I really enjoy this book. I sip it like a nice cup of tea.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted by Ramblings of a coffee addicted writer and he guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name.

This week’s question: Do you read books by authors from outside your country? Any book recommendations? Also, if non-US/UK, could you name one author/book from your country? (submitted by Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)

 

I’m from the most Southern part of Africa, the beautiful country of South Africa. My native tongue is not English. I speak one of the indigenous languages of our rainbow country, called Afrikaans. I read a lot of Afrikaans books and also a large number of English books by South African authors. But if you take my average reading percentage, I still read more books by authors from across our borders. Playing on the blogosphere does of course impact this tremendously! I do plan on doing a reading challenge next year called Around the world in 80 books where I hope to read books from different countries/states/nationalities.

 

I will recommend the following authors from South Africa:

Friday Face-off

Our last stop for today, is Friday Face-off, a weekly feature where we share different book covers of the same title. This fun-filled meme was originally started by Books by Proxy, but the beautiful Lynn over at Lynn’s Books is our current host and she will determine the themes for every week’s covers. You can choose your own book. Today’s theme is:
A cover with a pattern on 
 
When I hear the word pattern, I immediately think of knitting, crocheting, tapestries and of course quilting. So what better book to use for this week’s prompt than: 
 

 

I haven’t read this book, but I did see the movie years ago. I loved it! I’m glad I stumbled on this one, I do want to read this. That’s the magic of all these weekly features. All the new and forgotten books magically appears!
My favorite cover might not be the popular choice and some might find it rather boring, but I’ve always loved an embossed pattern.

 

 I wonder if the cover is printed with the embossed grooves? Does anyone know? Most probably not, as this is the hardcover copy.

 

Let us know what you will be reading this weekend. Have you read Olive Kitteridge or How to make an American Quilt? 
Remember to add your links to all our weekend friends.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Lots of love,
Mareli  
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34 responses to “Weekend Book Friends #8”

  1. Literary Feline

    I am glad to hear you've entered phase two and some of the restrictions have lifted. I know that must be a relief.

    I like the sound of Olive Kitteridge. I have a copy on my TBR shelf, but I have yet to read it. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

    Most of the books I read are set in the U.S., followed by England, most likely. I do enjoy reading books set in other countries and learning about other cultures and traditions. Thank you for the list of author recommendations! I will definitely be looking into them. I have heard of a couple of them, but haven't tried their work yet.

    • Elza Reads

      I am so glad that you are eager to try some South African authors. We do have a few really great ones.

      Thanks for stopping by and I do hope you have a good week!

  2. Katherine P

    I think socializing (safely of course!) is a lovely reason to have a missed post or two! Glad the numbers are dropping in your area and the restrictions are lifting. I have never read Olive Kittridge but I've read other books by the author and enjoyed them so I think I should give it a try. I've also never read a South African author so I'm making a note of your list so I can try at least one of them!

    • Elza Reads

      Hi Katherine! From what I know about your reading preferences, you will really love Sally Andrew's books. Do try to get hold of it!

      I think you might also enjoy Olive Kitteridge.

      I want to try to do the Friday Fives this Friday, will see how my week plays out.

      Have a blessed week!

  4. Becki

    Olive sounds like an interesting character 🙂 I'm in Michigan – it feels like it'll be a while before we have any restrictions lifted. Too many people are just ignoring them and keeping the rest of us at risk. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your week!

  5. Lynn

    Ahh, we have friends from South Africa who love a good braai and we hope to travel with them around the country. I love Lauren Beukes so will have to look at some of the other authors on your list.
    FFO – love your choice, I wonder if the hardback cover actually felt like it had raised edges – that would be pretty awesome.
    Lynn 😀

    • Elza Reads

      Hi there Lynn! South Africans are very hospitable people, so I believe you enjoy having a braai with your friends. I do hope that you will also get a chance to travel through our beautiful country.

      Hope you will have a wonderful week!

    • Elza Reads

      Hi there Anne! We have a few really strong and note worthy authors from South Africa. Hope you will find a few that tickle your fancy.

      Thanks for the visit!

  10. Louise H

    i have read a couple of SA indie published authors. Very often they use American versions of words, so it's very difficult to tell sometimes.

    • Elza Reads

      Hi Louise! Would love to know which indie authors you enjoy! I know JT Lawrence and Jo McGregor publish self.
      Glad our SA authors get some scope!

  11. Ashley Sapp

    That's my favorite cover for How to Make an American Quilt too. Sometimes simpler is better.
    I'm gonna check out those South African authors. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! 😀

    • Elza Reads

      Hi Catherine, I'm so glad you are all telling me about the television adaptation. I didn't even know about it! But I will make sure to get my hands on it.

      Happy weekend!

  15. Deb Nance at Readerbuzz

    It's fun that you visited so many different spots with this single post. Olive feels very much like a real person to me; I think she lives in my little town, and that I once taught school with her. I almost feel like crying when I see her life, and the ways she fell short with others. Glad you are enjoying this book, too. One of my friends said she liked the new sequel, Olive, Again, even more.

    • Elza Reads

      Hi Deb! It was you who inspired me to read Olive and I also enjoy it tremendously. I've worked with an Olive before… It's not easy…. Especially not in our profession.
      I will definitely read the sequel as well.

      Hope you will have a wonderful weekend!

  16. Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews

    Hi Mareli,

    Wow! What a wonderfully busy and interesting post, I didn't know where to start first 🙂

    I have to agree with your choice of cover for 'How To Make An American Quilt', although I was quite taken by any of the three on the top row! Probably not a book I would read myself though and I never saw the film version either.

    I also enjoy reading books by authors from all over the world. You mention Deon Meyer and I have read and reviewed a couple of his books. Australian author Dean Mayes is amazing too, try reading 'Gifts Of The Peramank' and you will see what I mean!

    It's strange how both our books this week feature insights into the human condition, although the authors deal with things in a completely different way. I enjoyed your extracts and might well consider 'Olive Kitteridge' for my own list.

    Thanks for sharing and have a peaceful weekend 🙂

    Yvonne xx

    • Elza Reads

      Hi Yvonne! So glad that I could color your Friday in.
      I will have a look at your reviews for Deon Meyer. Love his books. And yes, I will search for Dean Mayes. If you like it, I will most probably do as well.

      Enjoy a lovely weekend and I hope it's filled with books. I'm reading at the moment, surrounded by my cats and dogs. Life is good!