It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
January 16, 2012 53 Comments
“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney to share with others what you’ve read the past week and planning to read next.
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I read 6 books in the last week
Some short ones (one very short one) and one I gave up on after 200 pages. I’m playing a game with one of the groups on Shelfari, and that started Saturday. I hope to keep reading a lot, I’m in a winning mood! 🙂
![De camping [The Camping] by Karin Kuipers](https://leeswammes.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/camping.jpg "De camping [The Camping] by Karin Kuipers")
Vanished by Liza Marklund. Murders at Stockholm’s port, and one surviving woman. Journalist Annika Bengtzon investigates and gets into dangerous situations. 4.5/5
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson (Not finished). A man with Jewish friends considers becoming Jewish himself. 2/5
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. One of two laborers who travel together, always gets into trouble because of him limited intellectual capabilities. 5/5
The End of Alice by A. M. Homes. A paedophile in prison fantasises about a female paedophile that he corresponds with. 4/5
De camping [The Camping] by Karin Kuiper. At a camping in France, Dutch-owned with mainly Dutch guests, the owners are struggling more and more with keeping the camping and their marriage running. 3.5/5
Vette pech [Fat Luck] by Larissa Verhoeff. Memoir about a woman of size who tries to lose some kilos. 4/5
Currently Reading
11/22/64 by Stephen King. A man goes back in time to try and prevent the Kennedy assassination. I’m reading this as a judge for the Indie Lit Awards
Life’s a Beach by Claire Cook. No idea yet, just started. I’m reading this for the game on Shelfari (3rd book since Saturday).
Other news
Click on the orange links to go to the blog post.
**** Giveaway! For one US reader I’ve got a copy of The Discovery of Jeanne Baret. Check HERE to enter the giveaway. ****
Here is the shortlist for the Speculative Fiction genre (that I’ll be judging for) for the Indie Lit Awards.
Reviews:
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by Glynis Ridley. A woman travels around the world dressed as a man, in the 1760s. She is the assistant of a botanist, who voyages by ship for two years trying to discover new plants in the many exotic countries they pass. 5/5 (giveaway)
The Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds. 1950s USA, a 12-year old girl falls in love with a man that comes to work for her father. But he is more interested in her mother. 5/5
The Rise and Fall of a Domestic Diva by Sarah May. Several families in the same street in London all have similar issues to deal with: how to get their children into the top school in the neighbourhood, how to pretend to have more money than they really have (so they can buy the same brands as the neighbours) and how to keep their marriage together. 4/5
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That’s it! What are YOU reading this week?
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The End of Alice has possibly the strangest premise I’ve ever heard of!
Stephanie, I agree. It’s odd and disturbing. Not a book for the faint-hearted.
Today will start book 3 of 1q84, although I originally bought hardcopies, I’m reading it on my Kindle.
Parrish, with big books like that, the e-reader is such a relief! I’m reading a big, big, copy of the new Stephen King book, and I need a crane to move it from one place in the house to another.
I hope you’re enjoying the Stephen King book. As I’ve said, I loved it.
The End of Alice sounds creepy. Not so creepy that I wouldn’t read it though.
Leslie, unfortunately, I’m not allowed to discuss my Indie Lit Award reads, so I’ll talk about that after the winner has been announced in March.
*The End of Alice* was creepy, but once I got through the first distasteful bit (when I considered giving up), I was OK. Not that I got used to it, but it was bearable. And it wasn’t like that the whole time, luckily.
I’ve got a review copy of Vanished here and I will be reading it within the next two weeks or so.
I enjoyed it a lot, Marleen. Hope you do too. But if you enjoyed *The Bomber* I think you’ll be fine.
Judith, the only other book by Marklund I’ve read is the one she wrote with James Patterson (The Postcard Killer or something like that) which I enjoyed well enough. I do have a copy of Red Wolf by her here but I haven’t read that yet. It does seem to be the sort of book I would enjoy though, so I’m not worried about reading or reviewing it.
I was going to say the same thing as Stephanie – The End of Alice does sound creepy! And how exciting to be judging for the Indie Lit awards – I’ve read a few from the spec. fiction category and want to read the ones I haven’t gotten to yet.
The Spec Fic books all look good, don’t they,Tanya. Hope you get round to reading them.
I wish I had 1Q84 on my Kindle. What an enormous book!
Good luck with all your reading.
Here is my It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? I hope you will stop by!
I think Kindle is ideal for books ‘of a certain size’, Debbie. 🙂
Well done on all the books, Judith. I’m reading the Stephen King book as well at the moment and, at half way through, am really enjoying it. I’m looking forward to your review!
My review of the King book will be in 2 months’ time, Joanna. I’m not allowed to discuss it at the moment. So, looking forward to your review first! 🙂
I finished Revealing Eden last night, and I am now reading Papinette. I might also pick up the school of essential ingredients next to Papinette. Not sure yet. I was already glad that I read 4 books in January 😉
I’ve got The School of Essential Ingredients too! It seems like a nice read. I hope to get round to it some time. {sigh}
I can’t wait to read the Stephen King book. Hope you enjoy it!
“Everyone” seems to be reading Stephen King at the moment, Curlygeek. Hopefully you too, soon.
Judith, you had a awesome week for reading! Hope you are enjoying 11/22/63 — loved it.
Diane, my reading has been quick and good this week and the week before it. Just lucky, I guess.
We are in sync yet again. I just started reading 11/22/63 a couple of days ago. I’m about 60 or so pages into it. I’m finding it a little slow, but I’m sure it will pick up. I hope you’re enjoying it.
Funny, Kristi! Hope you’ll enjoy 11/22/63 better as you get a bit further.
Interesting looking reads Judith – I enjoyed that Claire Cook one last summer.
It’s a fun book, and perfectly fine to read in the winter, I find, Sheila. 🙂
I see several that intrigue me, like Starlite Drive-in and The Rise and Fall of a Domestic Diva….Loved Life’s a Beach, and 11/22/63 is patiently waiting on my coffee table.
Thanks for sharing.
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I think Th Starlite Drive-in is just the book for you, Laurel-Rain.
Great reading week for you! I’ve got 11/22/63 waiting for me as well.
Thanks, Nise’. Hope you’re reading a good book right now, too.
Great reads! One of these days I will read a Liza Marklund book. It looks like you enjoyed it!
Dixie, yes, I love Liza Marklund’s books. But then I’m a bit of a Scandophile. That helps.
Great list of books! Seeing this makes me wish I could read SO much faster! I had an iffy reaction to Of Mice and Men. Well-written, but I also wanted to throw it under a garbage truck.
Andi, I’m a fast reader most of the time, although some more literary books can slow me down a lot. What a pity you didn’t like *Of Mice and Men*. I loved it! I like Steinbeck’s style and topics.
I want to read every book. I am having trouble accessing my shelfari account and it is driving me nuts. All of the sudden my shelf isn’t linked to my Amazon account and it wants me to start over. Waiting patiently for some kind of response.
Have a great week!!
Dollycas, what a pity about your Shelfari account. Mine wasn’t linked to Amazon because I didn’t want to, but at some point it wouldn’t let me log in anymore if I didn’t. But I haven’t heard of the opposite problem. Hope it gets solved soon. I use Shelfari almost daily myself.
Good luck with your Indie Lit awards. I do want to read this one by King but have been put off a little because of my disappointment with Under the Dome.
I love Steinbeck. He was such a talented writer. I think I need to go back and revisit some of his shorter stories.
I recently read Duma Key by King and I was underwhelmed. But that was a ghost-y type story and this is time travelling. I loved The Stand (which is post-apocalyptic) and I think as long as it’s not ghosts etc. I like his work. But we’ll see if that’s also true for 11/22/63.
I am planning on getting round to Vanished this week.
Great! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Ellie.
You have a nice mixed selection of reads here. Enjoy them all.
Thanks, Mystica.
I’ve been curious about The Finkler Question, but I know it’s had a lot of very mixed reviews.
Happy reading this week!
JLS, I found The Finkler Question too boring. Next week is my book group meeting about the book. I wonder what they’ll all think of it.
Of Mice and Men is one of my favorite books ever. I can’t wait to read your thoughts on the King book, though I know it won’t be until after the awards are over. Happy reading!
Vasilly, I love Steinbeck’s books! My favorite still is *East of Eden*, but I thought *Of Mice and Men* was good too.
Wow you sure have been busy! Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath were two of my favourite novels I read at school
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
I’m a Steinbeck fan too, Shelleyrae!
Wow, 6! I thought I was good, finishing 3 – well done! A pity that The Finkler Question wasn’t that good.
Sam, nah, *The Finkler Question* was too boring for me.
Vette Pech… daar heb ik toevallig gisteren ook wat over gehoord. Mijn moeder wilde hem gaan kopen want het leek haar wel wat.
Ik ben helaas nog in hetzelfde boek bezig als vorige week want ik heb weer erg weinig gelezen!
Vette Pech is een leuk boekje, leest snel weg. Jij moet wel iets meer doorlezen hoor! 🙂
I’m also reading 11/22/63 now and it’s off to a good start. Now I just need time to settle down with it 😀
It’s a big book, Teacher! Hope you’ll enjoy it all the way.