My Library Runneth Over

There are times when I’m deeply focused on a particular book and I read it in the morning when I wake up, just before I go to sleep, and in every bit of time I can steal in between. Then there are times like now, when I can’t seem to settle on one book, so I have several very different books going at once and I go back and forth between them depending on my changing mood. A few pages of a political book before bed. An hour listening to a genealogical memoir while I’m driving. An essay during a break from work. It’s a chaotic approach to reading, I’ll grant you, but it gets it done.
Here’s a look at the odd assortment of books and audiobooks I’m reading now:
The Almost Legendary Morris Sisters by Julie Klam
This is a perfect follow-up to the genealogical course I took earlier this year. Julie Klam details her experience tracking a set of fascinating sisters that she was distantly related to—only to find out that much of what she was told about them wasn’t accurate. Klam’s story has me itching to try harder to track one of my own distant relatives who was the subject of some amazing (and possibly untrue) stories.
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
I don’t find Lord Peter Wimsey a very fascinating sleuth, but I love the Harriet Vane character that Sayers introduces in this book (and who features in all the subsequent Wimsey stories). But what I’m most interested in is the extremely well-plotted mystery Sayers crafted in this tale.
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
The author is also an actress (I only recognize her from her brief appearances in Downton Abbey) and she brings that inside knowledge to this Hollywood mystery. It feels a little draggy and there have been several points where I’m screaming at the main character when she’s ignoring obviously key clues, but it’s a mostly fun read.
Rage by Bob Woodward
Apparently, I can’t let go of my outrage over the Trump years so I’m still re-hashing the horrors with political books like this. This could be termed a masochistic read.
Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion
I’ve been reading this slowly, essay by essay, for several months. Didion is high on my list of favorite writers, so any collection of hers is something to savor.
Finding Meaning by David Kessler
This is something I’m reading because of a project I’m working on related to memorial gardens. Kessler proposes that there is a sixth stage of grief (meaning) beyond the five (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) that Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote about decades ago. The way things are going, we should all be learning how to better handle grief.
What are you reading?