I've been plowing through books of late. While lots of reading isn't unusual for me, I've probably read half a dozen in the past week or so, which is a pretty quick pace considering I have two small kids and just started back to work part time. One of those kids is breastfeeding, which still affords me quite a bit of seated reading time, so that helps. Right now I have a couple of nonfiction books going, as usual, but I've been reading novels back to back. I've gotten into one of my husband's favorite authors, James Lee Burke, and have read several of his books, two books by his daughter, and several other mysteries and thrillers in recent weeks.
But it's a different kind of book that I just finished last night, and I think it's one that will stick with me for a while. It's called The Post-Birthday World, by Lionel Shriver. Irina McGovern is forty-two, happily all-but-married to her longtime partner, Lawrence, when she meets a dashing friend for a traditional birthday dinner. In years past they've been a foursome, but Ramsey is now divorced and Lawrence is abroad. When Irina is seized by the urge to kiss Ramsey, she must decide whether to resist temptation and stick with steady-but-sometimes-stodgy Lawrence, or go for broke with sexy snooker pro Ramsey.
In alternating chapters, the rest of the novel shows where each potential choice leads. As in real life, both choices have their good and bad consequences. Some parts are like watching a train wreck, but overall this book shows the results of decisions many people face at one time or another. I couldn't put it down, and I suspect it will be some time before I can get it out of my head. It would be great for book-club discussions; I just wish I were still in one.
No knitting to report.
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