Unraveled Wednesday: 7/2/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with SiPs, just a bit further along than last week. I finished one of the blue and green striped socks (except for kitchenering the toe), and the heel flap has been knit, the heel turned, and gusset stitches picked up on the rainbow sock. All that remains is knitting down the foot. (Oh, and knitting the second sock in each pair.) I'm not setting any speed records for knitting socks, but that's okay because I'm not even a contestant in the race. 

I read two books this week. Julie Chan Is Dead earned three stars — not because it’s perfect, but because it kept me company during a heat wave that turned my kitchen into a sauna (blanching and freezing snow peas in an 88-degree kitchen is no joke). Julie Chan Is Dead starts strong, with an intriguing if far-fetched setup and an engaging first half that held my attention. Zhang has a sharp sense of pacing and tone early on, and the premise felt fresh.

Unfortunately, once the story shifts to a private island, things begin to unravel. The plot veers into the ludicrous — not necessarily in a fun, campy way, but in a “wait, what is happening?” sort of way. The audiobook didn’t help matters either; Yu-Li Alice Shen narrates the entire book in a breathless, high-energy tone that might suit a thriller or action-packed drama, but here it just wore thin and made the more surreal or absurd elements (and there were plenty) feel even more exaggerated.

Still, despite its flaws, the book entertained me when I needed distraction most — and for that, it earns its stars. Recommended for an unhinged summer read when you're stuck inside and forced to boil vegetables (definitely a niche book)!

A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko is a deeply immersive account of a truly epic and ill-advised journey across the length of the Grand Canyon—a hike so grueling and dangerous it’s rarely completed. Fedarko’s lyrical writing and obvious reverence for the Canyon make this a compelling read, especially for lovers of wild places and armchair adventurers.

That said, like the hike itself, the book went on a bit too long. The narrative sometimes loses momentum under the weight of Fedarko’s personal backstory. While his reflections help explain his fascination and obsession with the Canyon and his need to test himself against it, trimming some of those tangents might have allowed the central story to breathe more naturally and move at a better pace.

Still, this is a book packed with tension, awe, and hard-earned insight. Fedarko doesn’t shy away from the physical, mental, and emotional toll of the journey, and the lessons are clear: prepare obsessively, listen to those with more experience, and maybe, just maybe, don’t hike into the Grand Canyon unless you’re truly ready for what it asks of you.

A bit indulgent in places, but overall a gripping, humbling read about pushing limits—and learning how to judge when you’ve gone too far, hopefully before you die.

What are you making and reading this week?