WWW Wednesday, 2-December-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: Is anyone surprised I haven’t touched Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono? Because I’m not. As the weather gets nasty, maybe I’ll stay in and read during my lunch breaks.
My buddy and I meet tomorrow to talk about The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger so I’ll be pushing forward with this one again soon!
I started Golden Glow by Kaitlin Sandeno and Dan D’Addona over the weekend. Too early to say so far what I think, but I love a good sports biography so I’m just excited to be back to the topic.
I’ve finally started A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger! This is a long audiobook and I know I’m in for the long haul so I’m strapping down, determined to finish this during December to complete my reading challenge.

Recently finished: I finished Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood over the weekend and even had time to review it. My review was posted yesterday. I gave the book Three out of Five Stars.
I finished The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown just in time! It was a bit of a race but I was ready for our book club discussion on Monday. I’ll likely post a review and a book club reflection next week or soon after.

Reading next: It’s hard to say. Maybe it’s best that I don’t? I don’t have a plan and with me being so early in my books, it’s hard to predict what I’ll want to pick up next. I’ll stay quiet here this week.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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Book Review: Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood

I was given this book as a Christmas gift years ago. I’m embarrassed about how long it’s taken to read it. Nothing like a global pandemic to get you through the stack on your shelf, am I right?

Cover image via Amazon

Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting edited by Ann Hood

Summary from Amazon:

Why does knitting occupy a place in the hearts of so many writers? What’s so magical and transformative about yarn and needles? How does knitting help us get through life-changing events and inspire joy? In Knitting Yarns, twenty-seven writers tell stories about how knitting healed, challenged, or helped them to grow. Barbara Kingsolver describes sheering a sheep for yarn. Elizabeth Berg writes about her frustration at failing to knit. Ann Patchett traces her life through her knitting, writing about the scarf that knits together the women she’s loved and lost. Knitting a Christmas gift for his blind aunt helped Andre Dubus III knit an understanding with his girlfriend. Kaylie Jones finds the woman who used knitting to help raise her in France and heals old wounds. Sue Grafton writes about her passion for knitting. Also included are five original knitting patterns created by Helen Bingham.

Poignant, funny, and moving, Knitting Yarns is sure to delight knitting enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike.

I’ve posted before about knitting so most of you likely aren’t surprised that I’d be given a book about knitters writing. This was a fun gift and I’m really touched by the friend who gave it to me. There were several authors in here that I’ve read before including Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett. Most of the writers were new to me. I enjoyed the story by Taylor Polites so much that I added his novel to my TBR! I’m not usually a fan of collected short stories or essays but the short nature helped me while I was having trouble concentrating. 

I felt the writers portrayed their relationship with knitting in a very accurate way. Knitting is a very solitary act but it’s part of a community that grows as you want. The people you knit with are in it with you, but the people you knit for are the ones who really know you love them. I give knitted gifts a lot and it’s amazing to see how much that care and love affects people.

My favorite story in the collection was Knitting in Kathmandu by Jessi Hempel. It was such an emotional story about self-discovery and chance. I looked up Hempel’s biography in the back of the book and was sad to see she hadn’t published any novels. I really enjoyed her writing.

Ann Hood
Image via Amazon

Like many of the people in the story, I’m a ‘bad knitter.’ I make mostly blankets and other flat objects that don’t have to worry about double-pointed needles or measuring for fit. I want to make socks and a sweater eventually, but that seems far down the road now.

I was overwhelmed by the patterns in the book. I’m a bad knitter, these patterns seem overly complicated! I’ve only read a graph pattern once and it took me four tries to get it right. As nice as it is to have those patterns, I’m not sure I’ll ever use them. Even the one for the dog sweater.

A lot of these stories confirmed what I already know; knitting is something you do because you love. I make blankets for friends that I love, I’ve made coffee cozies for people I love, and I make scarves for people I want to stay warm through the winter. It seems I’m not alone.

Writer’s Takeaway: Some of the stories didn’t seem as put together as others and focused on unconnected bits of story rather than a single tale that involved knitting or did not. I found these harder to follow. It seemed that the writer was being included not because they had something meaningful to say, but because their name on the byline would help sell the book. I found that a bit disappointing. Many of the lesser-known authors had amazing tales to share.

I enjoyed this book and I’m thankful to the friend who bought it for me years ago. Three out of Five Stars.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Related Posts: 
Knitting Yarns | Flextiles 
Words on Knitting | Knit’n Needle 

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WWW Wednesday, 25-November-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: This has been a week of no change. I still haven’t opened Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono. I guess it didn’t grab me in the first few pages and I haven’t given it a fair try again since.
I keep moving forward with Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood but I’m not near finishing it yet. If I’m optimistic, next week?
I’ve finished our next section in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and we’ll pick up and talk about it again after the holiday. I’m liking it OK so far. I’m not won over, but I’m not disliking it either.
I’m now in a race to finish The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. My book club meets on Monday so I’ll be pushing to finish it this weekend!

Recently finished: I’ve got a better feeling about next week. Fingers are crossed.

Reading next: I honestly can’t wait to start A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger. I’m optimistic I’ll have it started next week. I really want to finish the reading challenge!
I’ll probably need a physical book next. Reading during quarantine has been a great time to get through signed books that I don’t want leaving my house. The next one on my list is the last of my backlog. I guess I’ve got to get to some author events as soon as I can! The book is Golden Glow by Kaitlin Sandeno and Dan D’Addona. I love my swimming books, so I’m pumped to get to this.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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WWW Wednesday, 18-November-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: Again, no progress with Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono, sorry to say. I hoped to get back to reading during lunch, but I turned to outdoor walks instead which has been lovely and I’m not sure I’ll change it, to be honest.
I got through one or two essays in Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood before putting it aside again to return to my Buddy Read
I’m about through the next section of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for my Buddy Read and we meet again tomorrow to talk about it. This is going faster than our past reads, I think because my Buddy is enjoying it so much. I’m not complaining!
I’m enjoying The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown and almost wishing I had a commute to help me enjoy it! Well, I’m not wishing too hard for that.

Recently finished: Nothing this week. I’m optimistic about next week but it honestly doesn’t look that good, either.

Reading next: I’m excited to start A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger so I’m hopeful it will be soon! It’s the last book to finish my challenge, which is making me all the more eager to start it.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Join my email list

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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WWW Wednesday, 11-November-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I haven’t opened Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono, sorry to say. It’s been a crazy week with the US election going on and I spent my free time refreshing news websites instead of reading this. I hope I can get back to it this week with a winner declared.
I put Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood aside for now. I’ll get back to it soon.
I started my buddy read again! We missed each other a lot during my move and we’re both glad to be reading again. We decided to read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I never read this in high school and I’ve been told that’s nearly a reader’s crime. I’m hoping to rectify it soon.
I began a new audiobook for my book club, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. So far, it’s reminding me of Erik Larson and I’m happy about that!

Recently finished: I was able to finish The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and even managed to write my review of it already! It posted yesterday so please go check it out and let me know what you think. I gave the book Four out of Five Stars.

I posted my review of Running with a Police Escort by Jill Grunenwald on Thursday of last week. I gave the book Four out of Five Stars. Each time I think about it, I think about going for a run. That’s good, right?
I also got to my review of The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer this week. I’m killing it with reviews! The post went up on Monday so, again, let me know what you think! I gave the book Four out of Five Stars (I’m seeing a trend).

Reading next: It’s got to be A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger next. I can’t wait to get to this one and finish my reading challenge!

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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WWW Wednesday, 4-November-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I’ve been making steady progress with The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare on audio. Without commuting, I’m getting creative with my listening time and have utilized going to the gym to get a lot in. I should have this book wrapped up next week.
I surprised myself by finishing my ebook! I grabbed Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono for my next read. I like the idea of teaching creative thinking and I wonder if it will help me with writing at all.
I pushed to finish my physical book as well and was able to start Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood on Friday. It’s a nice collection of essays and while it’s not overly gripping, I’m moving forward through it well. With the cooler weather, I’m thinking more about knitting and this has gotten me in the mood for it.

Recently finished: My final push to finish Running with a Police Escort by Jill Grunenwald was successful! Hearing Grunenwald’s story was good for me right now as I feel a drop off in running coming with the winter months. I’ll probably switch to swimming, but her motivation will carry over and I hope I can keep it up. My review for the book will be up tomorrow.
I got caught up in The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer and finished that on Friday as well. It was a good day for me! I was a bit disappointed in the ending which seemed to fall a bit flat, but it was a fun ride along the way. Meltzer is a good place for me to turn when I need a book to pick me up. My review will be up early next week.

Reading next: I still plan to read A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger but it doesn’t look like it will be my next audiobook due to some book club demands.
My book club decided on reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. I can’t believe I haven’t read this one yet after all the good press it’s gotten. I’m excited to dive in soon and see what the hype is about.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Join my email list

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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WWW Wednesday, 28-October-2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I made an effort to make some progress on Running with a Police Escort by Jill Grunenwald this week and it’s gone well! I’m getting closer to the end and I’m optimistic I’ll finish this one in November. Fingers crossed!
I’m moving quickly through The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer and think I can finish it within a week. The short chapters make it easy to think ‘Just one more’ a few times before turning in for the night. My husband is usually snoring before I put it down.
I was able to start a new audiobook over the weekend and snagged a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. It’s not terribly long and I’m hoping I can finish it in a week or two. It looks like I was the only person not to read this as a child so I’m glad I’m finally catching up!

Recently finished: I finished The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre while I was cooking dinner one night. It felt so good to finish a book with my house in boxes all around me! At least one thing was done. I was able to post my review on Monday so please go check that out. I gave the book Three out of Five Stars.

I also posted my review for Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni on Thursday. I liked this book but it wasn’t a good fit for reading right before bed. I ended up giving it Three out of Five Stars.

Reading next: I’m looking to finish up my reading challenge with my next audiobook. Some detailed Googling led me to A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger. I don’t know much about it except the setting but I’m so pumped to finish the challenge that I’ll jump in with two feet.
I’ll likely need another physical book soon. This may sound crazy, but I haven’t made it to our new library to get a library card yet, so I’ll be taking from my personal stash for at least one more book. Next on my list is Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood. A friend of mine bought this for me years and years ago and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to get to it.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Join my email list

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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