It looks like I’m still on a “just one book” kick. I sort of miss having several books in progress but I think with all the crafting stuff I have going on it’s probably best that I just stick with one book. Well, I say that now but let’s see how long this lasts.

I’ve just started The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar, which I won from a giveaway Serena hosted a while back. I had read The Space Between Us a few years ago and enjoyed discussing that novel with my book group so I was definitely looking forward to this book.

“A few days after Benny’s death, Ellie and Frank Benton broke into separate people. Although they didn’t know it then. At that time, all they could do was concentrate on getting through each bewildering day, fighting to suppress the ugly memories that burst to the surface like fish above water. On the day of the funeral, Frank urged himself to go up to Ellie and say something brave and consoling to her, something that would reassure her that he understood, that he did not blame her for what had happened. But he was felled by a clear, sharp thought: He didn’t know how.”

The story starts off with a couple who’ve lost their only child and after a year of mourning decide to relocate to India. The husband hopes he can forgive his wife as he blames her for the child’s death and the wife hopes that a new change of scenery may help to repair their marriage.

I’m really just getting into the story and already I can tell there will be a lot of emotional drama as the couple tries to navigate life in a new country, new customs and a new way of looking at one another.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

I know I’ve mentioned a few times that I’ve had new books arrive and I keep putting off the post and new books keep arriving (always a good problem to have) so here’s what I’ve gotten.

• Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. I have loved a couple of Tracy’s books so I’m very excited about this one which is about a middle-class spinster and fossile hunter.
• The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton. Another writer whose books I’ve greatly enjoyed. This book is set in the French countryside. Oh sounds lovely to me.
• Falling Home by Karen White. Thanks to a giveaway Melody hosted I finally get to read a book by an author who I know a lot of book bloggers have raved about. I can’t wait to finally read one of her books.
• The Neighbors Are Watching by Debra Ginsberg. A novel which explores the dark side of suburbia, where everyone has something to hide.
• Blood of My Brother by James LePore. This looks like it will be a suspenseful page-turner.
• Trades of the Flesh by Faye L. Booth. This one doesn’t come out in the States until March. It’s set in England in 1888 and a young women decides not to go into a workhouse but to work “the trade” – you can imagine what that is.
• A Thousand Darknesses by Ruth Franklin. I figure this will be a hard, but good, book to read as it’s about truth and lies in Holocaust fiction. What I can tell you right now though is that it’s got a wonderful cover. It’s very stark and fits the subject and the paper has this smooth, velvety texture. Very nice.
• From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus. Europa Editions is quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers. They publish many books in translation and their design and look is distinctive and quite beautiful. A great combination. This book is a multi-generational saga about love, lust and Sardinia.

I may have left off a few others but my home studio/library is a bit chaotic right now so let me get a bit more organized and I’ll report back. So, anyone want to give me an idea of where to start with these books?