Printer’s Row Lit Fest and Summer Reading

Last weekend I got to experience the Printer’s Row Lit Fest here in Chicago. It is the biggest book fair in the midwest. I signed up to volunteer, although I did more shopping than volunteering! It really was a great festival with more books than I could have imagined. There were all sorts of author events, readings, and music. I was just a “greeter” this year, which wasn’t a very demanding job, but next year maybe I’ll take on a more active role.

I bought a handful of used books while there including:

• Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
• A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
• Personal Injuries by Scott Turow
• Love Walked In by Maria de Santos
• Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler
• Empire Falls by Richard Russo

I’m really looking forward to diving into some of these this week. I’m going on a cruise with my entire family, 18 of us. It will be busy and we will be doing lots of the excursions, but hopefully there will also be some time for some quality reading, preferably by the pool! There is also a beautiful two story library on board that I’m looking forward to checking out!

I’ve been reading a decent amount since school ended, but I really want to make it a goal to read at least a book a week this summer, but hopefully more. I have so many books sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read. In addition to the ones listed above, I also have Old Filth by Jane Gardam, The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian, Innocent by Scott Turow, The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen, and Columbine by David Cullen. Not to mention I still have to buy and read The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson. There have just been too many good book sales lately!

Ah, so much reading to do, so little time. I probably won’t update for over a week since I’ll be cruising, but I hope to have many reviews to write when I return home!

Limitations

Book: Limitations

Author: Scott Turow

Short Summary:
Judge George Mason, who has appeared in other Turow books, is the judge on a rape case involving several men. The rape happened a few years ago, but evidence has just arisen. This case stirs up some old memories for George that make him start to questions himself and his abilities as a judge. Meanwhile, he is getting threatening emails and text messages from an unknown perpetrator. Turow leaves the reader pondering the limitations of the law and the limitations of the people who are meant to uphold it.

My Thoughts:
I liked this book, didn’t love it. I listened to this one and it was short and to the point, yet moved slightly slowly. There are times when I crave a good legal thriller, but this book spent much more times outside the courtroom than in. I could have used more courtroom scenes that pulled me in. Turow’s Presumed Innocent were full of them and I was left wanting more out of this one.

I love the title of this books. The story dealt with the statutes of limitations according to the law, but it dove into the limitations we as humans feel to live to their full potential.

Many of the characters from Turow’s previous books make an appearance in this book. It’s always fun to see the return of a character you got to know so intimately in the past. Rusty Sabich from Presumed Innocent makes a brief appearance, which got me looking forward to the sequel of that book titled Innocent, coming out later this year.

If you like books dealing with the moral implications of the law at a relatively slow pace, you will enjoy this one. If you want more action and intense courtroom drama try one of Turow’s earlier works.

My Rating: 3.25/5 stars

April in Review

May already? Wow. First I want to apologize for being MIA lately. I had a computer malfunction last weekend. I’m back up and running, but things are a little tricky and I’m working out some kinks.

That being said, April was a pretty good month. I started doing Soundtrack Saturday and Sunday and hope to continue that. I am such a music lover and the idea from alita.reads is a great one! I got through 6 books, 4 read, 2 audio, and 1 movie based on a book. Here is what I read:

• Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
• Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
• City of Thieves by David Benioff (audio version)
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• Limitations by Scott Turow (audio version)

In April I also got to go see Billy Elliot the musical and Ben Folds, my all time favorite musician!

My favorite book of the month was Let the Great World Spin, but Ella Minnow Pea comes in a close second. Very different books, but both great.

I am currently reading The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson and Mudbound by Hilary Jordan. I am listening to Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian. All of them are great so far.

May is my last month of school, and I really don’t have much planned for the summer except a one week cruise with the family. I’m hoping to fit in a ton of reading during this summer, maybe fitting in some big ones like Beach Music or Pillars of the Earth. We shall see.

I hope everyone had a great month!