A Blogging Dead Spot

I'm in one of those dead spots right now where I'm smack dab in the middle of three or four books without much of a chance that I'll finish even one of them in the next two or three days. That's the kiss of death for a blogger like me who has already skipped posting anything for a couple of days and shoots for four or five new posts per week. And it seems like I'm more easily distracted by shiny new books this week than I usually am. Throw in the fact that I've been writing a few reviews that I can't post right now because the books don't publish for another two or three months (no way I could resist reading them early), and there's not been much happening on Book Chase this week.

I guess the good news is that I'm reading two of the best books I've read all year: Ann Patchett's The Dutch House and The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger. Ann Patchett has been a favorite of mine for a few years now, but The Gifted School is the first thing from Holsinger that I've ever read. I suppose that's not too surprising, however, considering that this is only Holsinger's third novel. Too, I'm nearing the end of The Hanging Valley, Peter Robinson's fourth Inspector Banks novel (1992), a series I've enjoyed catching up on. 

From book jacket: "At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to build an immense real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves."

Beautifully written.

From the book jacket: "Good schools, stately homes, safe neighborhoods, all set against a beautiful landscape. What else could a family want? It was with high hopes for the future that four young couples separately chose Crystal, Colorado, as the place to raise their children over a decade ago. Finding one another as friends further buoyed them over the ensuing years, as they juggled the stresses of parenthood, careers, and marriage. Even now, as the kids head for middle school, their individual interests and abilities becoming more and more distinct, the groups of families remain tight. But then an exclusive new school is introduced into the mix - an elite new standard to meet - it represents, at long last, one pressure too many."

This one is billed as satire, and maybe it is, but it is also a damning look at American parents and the way they compete with each other through their children.

I am loving both of these. Unfortunately, I'm fighting library due dates on both of them, so I'm reading as fast as I can, but I find myself at the same time suddenly being overly distracted by sports, podcasts, and technology advancements (I bought a pair of the new Apple AirPods Pro that are absolutely stunning). Even turning back the clocks an hour tonight is not going to help me very much, I'm afraid.      (#firstworldproblems)