It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
May 28, 2012 39 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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Today’s a day off, and then it’s only a few more weeks before sumer holidays start. We are having summer weather at the moment, and I’ve been spending a lot of time reading in the garden.
This week, it’s book group on Friday (we’re reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett) and Saturday I plan to go to a literary festival.
LAST WEEK’S BIG NEWS: The announcement of the 5th Literary Giveaway Blog Hop. Over 50 participants signed up already; this is one not to miss. Participants can sign up now for the hop, which will take place in late June.
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Books I finished this week: 5
Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster. A man goes missing, leaving a pram with his tiny daughter on the doorstep of his cottage in a remote Yorkshire village. A year later, his wife returns with their baby daughter to clear the cottage and discovers what happened to him. Spooky cottage! 4 stars
The Unseen by Katherine Webb. It’s 1911 and the wife of a vicar becomes worried when a young man, believing in faeries, convinces her husband to accept him in their household to investigate faerie sightings further. A maid, who has recently arrived from London, sees through him straight away. 4 stars
The Submission by Amy Waldman. Out of 5,000 designs, a memorial is to be chosen for the site of the Twin Towers. The jury’s favorite design turns out come from a Muslim architect. Discussions and demonstrations ensue. 4.5 stars
The Rock Star in Seat 3A by Jill Kargman. A woman meets her favorite rock star and becomes involved with him. A fantasy comes true! 2.5 stars
De noodkreet in de fles [The Cry for Help in a Bottle] by Jussi Adler-Olsen. Book 3 in the Department Q series about a policeman and his immigrant cleaner who helps him solve cold cases. 5 stars
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Books I’m reading
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Reviews and other news
![Perfecte Stilte [Perfect Silence] by Thomas Verbogt](https://leeswammes.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/stilte.jpg?w=96&h=150 "Perfecte Stilte [Perfect Silence] by Thomas Verbogt")
The Snow Whale by John Minichillo. A really good story about a man who discovers he has Inuit DNA and decides to claim his right to kill a whale by joining his tribe in Alaska. 4.5 stars
The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen. A slave girl is bought into freedom and educated at a prestigious girl school in the North of the USA, then later goes back to the South pretending to still be a slave to spy on Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederates, during the civil war. 4 stars
The Magician King by Lev Grossman. The second book in a fantasy series, reminded me of Narnia. 4 stars
Perfecte stilte [Perfect Silence] by Thomas Verbogt. A Dutch book about a middle-aged man who has still not come to terms with the suicide of his best friend when they were teenagers. 4.5 stars
—> If you’re a book blogger, don’t forget to sign up for the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop!
That’s it!
What are you reading this week?
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Beneath the Shadows sounds good. I like spooky reads! 🙂
It is very spooky – cottage in Yorkshire with creaking floorboards and strange neighbours…. It’s great!
I decided against reading the BEA excerpts – i would just get to jealous that I couldn’t be there! have fun at the literary festival!
Shelleyrae, the BEA excerpts have links to Netgalley so you can order the whole books! I’m just not sure whether they’ll accept non-USA people – probably depends on the publisher.
So far, I’ve requested 3 of them but haven’t been accepted or declined yet.
I have gone back to reading one at a time! your list is impressive.
Thanks, Mystica. It’s been such nice weather here that I’ve been out in the garden, reading, a lot. At the expensive of some of my chores, of course. Also, we had a couple of long weekends, which meant extra reading time.
I thank you for letting us know about the upcoming Literary Blog Hop. I have already signed up!
I’d love to have you stop by my
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Thanks for signing up, Debnance.
The Devotion of Suspect X sounds like a real mystery novel..hope you enjoy! Here is my meme: http://vidya-booksaremagic.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-monday-what-are-you-reading_28.html
Great books! The cover for The Unseen is beautiful. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Liz, yes of course the cover attracted me to The Unseen (I’m that shallow) but it was a nice book.
I’m reading Conversations with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in between pages of 1Q84 🙂
Snowfeathers, sounds like a book you have to devour slowly. Hope you’re enjoying it.
Looks like you enjoyed most of your books last week which is great! And Beneath the Shadows looks like one I might add to my reading pile.
Tanya, Beneath the Shadows is a great read if you like a good thriller where floorboards creak, people may not be what they seem, etc. I loved it.
Okay, now I’m adding Beneath the Shadows to my list…it does sound tempting!
And The Submission is on my list…enjoy your week!
Here’s MY MONDAY MEMES POST
I loved *Beneath the Shadows*, Laurel-Rain. Hope you will too (I’m quite certain you will).
Thanks for visiting my Monday Report. You read an interesting selection of books that are new to me. I am glad that you enjoyed most of them. Have a great week!
Thanks, Kathy.
You had a great reading week! I am curious about that BEA Buzz book…that I would like to get my hands on 🙂
Try Netgalley, Sheila (publisher is Publisher’s Lunch) or just google the words. It’s full of interesting new book-excerpts. I have noted down several books for my wishlist (or hopefully review list) already and I’m not halfway yet. 🙂
I just finished Beneath the Shadows. Great concept but I didn’t love it. Glad to hear you did though!
Curlygeek, I felt a bit manipulated at times, but overall, I loved *Beneath the Shadows*.
Looks like a great week ahead. Signed up for the hop!!!
Happy Reading!!
Thanks for signing up, Lori! Great to have you.
Looks like some good reading. Too bad that the Rock Star in 3A didn’t work out — that could be a fun, light travel book but I think I’ll skip it.
Joy’s Book Blog
Indeed, Joy, it was a bit disappointing.
All this summer weather is helping the reading along nicely. Am amazed at how much I got through last week.
Same here! I’m actually working on the tbr now, have only very few review books left. Feels liberating. 🙂
The weather has turned again, Ellie – so maybe I’ll read a bit less this week.
At the moment it’s Easter Rabbit by Joseph Young.
Hope it’s enjoyable, Gary.
You have some nice choices here. I just wish I read faster so I could add them to my list! Beneath the Shadows sounds creepy good.
I know, Leslie – even I, the pretty fast reader, needs to be very careful what I put on my wishlist as it’s no use: I’ll never read them all.
You did get some good reading done. Several creepy sounding books and Submission sounds particularly interesting!
Happy reading this week.
Thanks, Martha. It was a good week.
Mary Bowser looks good – A very different concept but it looks good. 🙂
What are YOU reading??
I think Mary Bowser was a good read, Brunette. I liked it that it was based on historical facts.
Interesting selection of books. My favorite read last week was Amulet 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi. Please come see what else I’m reading.