It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
March 11, 2013 34 Comments
“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney to share with others what we’ve read the past week and are planning to read next.
*****
The week
Last Friday was my book group meeting. I baked a delicious lemon cake but two of my friends also showed up with (shop-bought) lemon cakes, which was an amazing coincidence! We discussed The Untold Story by Monica Ali, although to be fair, we more discussed other topics that interested us.
I also had a fun time at the dentist’s (NOT). I came in with toothache and left after an unexpected root canal treatment that took the best part of 1.5 hours. At least I can eat and drink without severe pains now!
Then I developed a back ache (was it that dentist’s chair?) so I haven’t been able to do much walking – it ruined my “fitness” schedule. It’s getting a bit better now so I hope to be back on the road pavement and paths again soon.
Later this week, I’ll be out for a walk & diner with an author and his publisher (together with a new friend of mine). I read the author’s book, enjoyed it, entered a competition, and won. The walk is around Amsterdam visiting the places that are mentioned in the book. I think this will be a bit scary, but foremost a lot of fun.
*****
Books I finished in the last week: 5
Click on the blue links to see my review
The First Book of Calamity Leek by Paula Lichtarowicz. Brilliant but strange story about a girl who lives in a kind of farm with her 12 “sisters”. Outside the wall are injuns and demonmales. It takes a long time before you know what’s going on. And is this historical or modern fiction, fantasy or post-apocalyptic SF? 5 stars.
De vergelding [The Retalliation] by Jan Brokken. [Dutch] Non-fiction about a small Dutch town in WWII where seven men where killed by the Germans after one soldier is lethally wounded through what may have been sabotage. 4 stars
The Double by Jose Saramago. A fun story about a man who discovers that there is someone in his home town who looks (and talks) identical to himself. 4 stars
Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes. Thriller about a woman whose past as a pole dancer in a shady club comes back to haunt her. 4 stars
Maar buiten is het feest [But Outside It’s Party-Time] by Arthur Japin. [Dutch] A woman recalls how she was abused by her stepfather and now tries to stop the same fate from happening to her niece. 4 stars
.
Books I’m reading and planning to read
Other Reviews
![De toeschouwer [The Observer]](https://leeswammes.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/toeschouwer.jpg "De toeschouwer [The Observer]")
De toeschouwer [The Observer] by Charlotte Link. Thriller about a man who observes people in his street. When one of them is the victim of a crime, he is immediately suspect. 5 stars
Various Pets Alive and Dead by Marina Lewycka. With strongly left-wing parents, a man is scared to tell his parents of his banker’s job with fat bonuses. 4.5 stars
And finally
Curious to see which new books I got recently? Check it HERE.
*****
That’s it!
What are you reading this week?
About Judith
Leeswammes' Blog 
You have a nice mixed selection of genres. Enjoy them all.
Thanks, Mystaica.
On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 10:40 AM, Leeswammes' Blog
I hope your back improves so you can enjoy your walk and dinner Judith – enjoy.
Thanks, Jo. It’s slowly getting better.
On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 10:52 AM, Leeswammes' Blog
I just finished There Was an Old Woman and liked it a lot. (no review yet) enjoy all of your new books
That’s good to know, Diana. I hope to read *There Was an Old Woman* later this month.
Hope you recover from everything in time for your walk!!
Enjoy your reads this week.
Thanks, Ciska!
Mmmmm lemon cake!! Were you reading the Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by any chance? I am sorry to hear about your pains, those two are never fun. 😦
Your walk around Amsterdam sounds awesome!
I loved Elizabeth Haynes’ book Into the Darkest Corner, I will have to check out Dark Tide. And I am seriously curious now about The First Book of Calamity Leek.
No, we didn’t read that book, Erin! I do want to red it some time. Dark Tide isn’t quite as good as Darkest Corner, I thought, but I still enjoyed it. That Calamity Leek book is fantastic!
I hurt my back this week too. I slipped and wrenched it trying to keep my balance. I hope you enjoy your reading this week!
Hope your back is better soon, Shelleyrae. It’s so easy to get back ache and always when you least think about it, of course. I know not to wear heels, that’s an obvious cause of back ache for me. But sometimes it’s just a small movement that does it.
Oh, I empathize about those root canals!! For awhile, it seemed like every time I went to the dentist, I got one. Ugh!
Backaches plague me, too, even when not in the dentist’s chair….more exercise needed for me!
I looked at your acquisitions…and hope you love There Was an Old Woman as much as I did.
Have a great week! Here’s MY MONDAY MEMES POST
I hope I don’t follow in your footsteps, dentist-wise, Laurel-Rain. It’s no fun, a root canal thing.
Good to hear that you loved *There Was an Old Woman*. Sounds like it’s getting some blogger love.
Oh my goodness Judith, it sounds like you are falling apart! Isn’t that the pits? I hope your teeth/back are feeling better now 🙂
Happy happy reading!
Thanks, Jennifer. It’s a bit much. Luckily I can still type. 🙂
Quite a mixed bag, Judith, but that makes reading all the more fun, I usually think!
Have a great reading week, (and I am sorry to hear about the dentist, that does not sound very nice)
kind regards,
Thanks, Bettina!
Well I definitely feel your pain about hurting your back. I hope it feels better soon. On the plus side, reading doesn’t hurt anything except maybe your eyes 🙂
You hurt your back not so long ago, didn’t you, Suzanne. I did mention I knew what you felt. Maybe I shouldn’t have… Reading with back ache is very well possible so I’m fine, really.
Absolutely no doubts that your cake was better than the ones from the shop 🙂 Hope you feel better soon, and in the case of your back hopefully sooner than that if you’ve the walk to go on (well done on winning!)
I’m being very careful to let my back recover, Charlie. I *will* go on that walk! 🙂
Jealous of your walk with the author, missed out going for a drink with a favourite poet due to other commitments last year. Would have been fun a few glasses of a favourite malt & talking c&£# about poetry 🙂
Gary, what a pity you missed out on a drink with a favorite poet! The author is not a favorite – I have only read one book by him, but it will still be nice to meet and talk about his book.
Here’s hoping you have a painless week!
Thanks, Vasilly!
I love the sound of The First Book of Calamity Leek. I am going to look for it but doesn’t look like it is available in the US yet. I need to read more of Saramago at some point.
Athira, maybe you can get *The First Book of Calamity Leek* via bookdepository? Try both .com and .co.uk.
I’m excited to read MWF seeks BFF. I hope your back feels better ASAP!
My back is gradually getting better, Lindsey. MWF Seeking BFF is fun to read, but a little tiresome as well. Goes on a bit.
Ugh, hope that tooth is feeling better. I had several do that within a year or so. I blamed it on all the fillings being the same age and not that I was getting old!
MWF Seeking BFF was a favorite of mine. I even joined Girlfriend Circles because of that book. And so far it has been a good experience. We’re even thinking of starting a book club.
So sorry to hear about your back Judith. I noticed the Books you have finished last week seems to have a dark cover theme! All round, you had a good week!
Oh my, I’m so sorry to hear about your dentist trip! I am getting to the point that I may need a vallium just to go in for the cleaning, I get so incredibly nervous when I’m there!
I understand about things getting in the way of your fitness schedule…I’ve been sick for 2 weeks now and it’s really messing with mine too!
Hope you are better soon, Crystal. I still haven’t gone back to my walking routine as I fear my back may play up again.