"It's Monday, What Are You Reading?"


It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  It's always great to start off the week with my reading planned and knowing which books to look forward to!

Last week was a pretty busy one with kids soccer and gymnastics, field trips and gorgeous weather.  Not to mention the start of the Euro Cup (go Oranje!)  So I only read one book but I'm looking forward to getting back into things.

Last week I read:
Gold by Chris Cleave.  A story about Olympic cyclists, their friendship and rivalry, and life with a little bit of Star Wars thrown in.  Review to come soon.

Right now I am reading:
Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre.  Carmen's mother and stepfather were South American resistance fighters and Carmen recounts her childhood and how she decided to join the resistance herself.

Next I am going to read:
 Ru by Kim Thuy.  Follows the journey of a young woman from a palatial residence in Saigon, to a Malaysian refugee camp and onto a new life in Quebec where she must deal with her youngest son's autism.
The Red House by Mark Haddon.  Over the course of a week a man, his new wife and willful stepdaughter stay in the English countryside with his estranged sister, her husband and three children.  Long-held grudges, hopes and dreams all rise to the surface in this novel about the family dynamic.

What are you reading?

Comments

  1. Rebecca @ The Key to the GateJune 11, 2012 at 10:44 AM

    Looking forward to your review on Gold. My book group read Little Bee. Happy Reading!
    Rebecca @ The Key to the Gate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanJune 11, 2012 at 12:57 PM

      I haven't read Little Bee. I wanted to but never got around to it. Now that I've read Gold, I'll probably make an effort to pick it up now.

      Delete
  2. Kathy MartinJune 11, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    Looks like you have some very thought provoking books ahead. I hope you enjoy them all. My Monday Report is here. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanJune 11, 2012 at 12:58 PM

      Thanks! I've been in a "thought provoking" stretch lately!

      Delete
  3. The Brunette LibrarianJune 11, 2012 at 10:56 AM

    Something Fierce looks really cool! Kind of like "The Glass House" although that one isn't nearly as extreme. :)

    Happy reading this week!
    What are YOU reading @ The Brunette Librarian??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanJune 11, 2012 at 12:58 PM

      I haven't read The Glass House. I'll have to go check it out, I'm really enjoying Something Fierce.

      Delete
  4. LindseyJune 11, 2012 at 9:28 PM

    Gold sounds really good and Chris Cleave could not have picked a better time to publish the book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanJune 12, 2012 at 10:05 AM

      It really has me looking forward to the Olympics now, especially the cycling! Perfect timing.

      Delete
  5. Irene PalfyJune 12, 2012 at 1:09 AM

    Oh - I have to check out SOMETHING FIERCE! Thank you for spotlighting it!

    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the format of notes left in the guestbook,
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a typical Canadian novel.  But a
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t
Read more