It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last week I read:

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - Olive's story is told through short stories about her neighbours and friends. I liked this approach and the uniqueness of each character and his or her own story. Though Olive is a cranky, resentful old bugger I got to like her, too.

Now I am reading:

Garou by Leonie Swann - It is the second book of the Sheep Detectives series. The first is a crime novel, the second book is a thriller. And I love it! It's funny and as witty as sheep can be.

Coming up:

Faithful Place by Tana French - I already delayed reading it far too long. I am going to read it next. I swear.

Great House by Nicole Krauss - In March my shelfari group and I are going to read books about books and Great House is about a writer and her desk. When she has to give it back, she is not able to write anymore.

More news:

Starting this weekend Care from Lit in the Last Frontier is hosting a nice challenge about reading what you want, tracking your page count and thus accomplishing the IditaRod 2012, the famous Alaskan dog sled race, whilst reading. Check it out here.

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post a few weeks ago I read:

The Gathering by Anne Enright (click here for review) - A somewhat dark and melancholic view on the protagonist's emotions and thoughts due to the loss of her suicidal and alcoholic brother. This book was awarded the Man Booker Prize 2007.

Room by Emma Donoghue (click here for review) - A new favorite of mine. Five year old Jack and his mother are captured in Room. Their daily routine is somewhat bizarre as Jack is not aware of the existence of a world outside of Room.

The Rain Before it Falls by Jonathan Coe (click here for review) - How Imogen was blinded was a secret until now, but Rosamond is going to lift it with great empathy, also describing wonderful moments of Imogen's life, trying to rouse apprehension for an incomprehensible deed. A very enjoyable read.

Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins - My first audio book and I loved it, though I didn't like the third part as much as the other Hunger Games parts.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides - Insights on a marriage plot (as often spun in Jane Austen books)as it could have worked in the '80s. Unfortunately I couldn't connect to this time period that much and didn't get all the references.

A Thousand Days in Venice by Malena de Blasi - The memoir of an American woman who moved to Venice to follow her love, giving up her whole privileged and established life in the US. Didn't hold my interest.

Now I am reading:

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which I think is adorable. The reader gets to know Olive through bits and pieces told through the stories of her neighbours and friends. I like this concept and though Olive Kitteridge is not the friendly, happy teacher woman from next door I like her too.

I plan on reading:

Whatever strikes my fancy or hopefully a book from my tbr challenge list (have a look here). I also have Great House by Nicole Krauss from the library, which, of course, I want to read before I have to return it.

It's Monday is hosted by Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post a couple of weeks ago I read:
Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith - All in all it was not really my cup of tea as I would have hoped for more plot and mystery, be it strange or not.

Child 44 and The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith - Child 44 is a thriller unlike any I have read so far, because of the very different setting, where every move you make is overseen which is nightmarish in its own.

Cain by José Saramago (yet to be reviewed) - An irascible God sends Cain out in the world to witness the heavenly punishments. Mostly witty and entertaining.

Now I am reading:
The Gathering by Anne Enright - When a brother and son dies, an Irish family gathers to, mourn the dead. Life comes apart at the seams and perspective might change. Not always for the better.

I'm listening to:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - my first audiobook and me likes it.

Coming up:
I still have Faithful place by Tana French and Room by Emma Donoghue high on my list. But as always those are subject to change. Becuase I am a moody reader. I like to make plans but nearly never am I able to stick to them.

It's Monday is hosted by Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post in Mid-November I finished reading:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - Thomas Cromwell gets Henry VIII his divorce and the opportunity to marry Anne Boleyn.
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby - Duncan is a big fan of Tucker Crowe's music. He does not think that Annie, his girl friend, is able to build a proper opinion about Tucker's music. She decides to write a review and gets in contact with the musician herself.

Both books will be reviewed soon.

Now I am reading Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith. I got it from the author as review copy and so far I enjoy the book. I am curious about it and am excited to take it up again.

Next I will read some books belonging to series. I want to read Faithful Place by Tana French, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.

It's Monday is hosted by Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post I read:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (click for review)
The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (click for review)
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (will review tomorrow)
Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki (will review this week)
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (click for review)

Now I am reding Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which won the Booker Prize in 2009. I am a little obsessed with reading the Booker Winners as a personal challenge. So far I like the book but I'm sure it will still take me some time to finish as it is a real chunk. My edition has over 650 pages.

As soon as I have finished Wolf Hall, I plan on reading Juliet, Nacked by Nick Hornby. I adore Hornby and make sure to read his newest books occasionally.

After that (or even before) I'll be reading Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith, who was so kind to send me the book for review. Thank you, Helen.

Have you read or plan on any of those? Did you enjoy them?

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

During my last post I read and reviewed:

Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky (click for review) - a suitcase first opened in the 90s revealed Némirovsky's unfinished master piece.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (review one click away)- story about an old Ukrainian immigrant marrying a thirty year old woman, wanting his money and a visum.
The Likeness by Tana French (click for review) - a psychological thriller featuring the detectives from the Dublin murder squat.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (clicky clicky)- revealing the life of maids during segregation in the 1960s.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - soon to be reviewed.

Now I'm reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, which is a page turner at first but somehow slows down a bit now. Although it is amazing how the HeLa cells improoved the research on cancer and cells in general, I can't stand to read on every page how important the cells were. I'd like even more about Henrietta and her family.

I plan on reading The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver this month. I'll pick up which ever book I fancy reading next.

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from The Book Journey.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last week I posted a review of The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff, which you can read here.

And as I plan a trip to Lisbon I posted a list of sites, which helped me getting some insider information on the city. You can read the post here.

Last week I finshed reading Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky. I will post a review this week. Unfortunately I made no progress on reading The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto last week, which I will try to finish this week.

I also plan on reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka this week. After that I will probably pick up The Gathering by Anne Enright or The Likeness by Tana French.

Have you read or plan on reading any of my books? Did you like them?

And as for the weekend: It was fantabulous. We had a treasure hunt I organized for my friend's birthday. Everybody had fun and as for a treasure there were two birthday cakes I made. For ten people you better have two cakes, right?

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from BookJourney.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post tthree weeks ago I read and reviewed:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins which I couldn't put down and whole heartedly gave five stars - see my review here.
The Giver by Lois Lowry which was not my cup of tea - see my review here.
I also read The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff which I'm going to review this week.

I am reading Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky now. Let's say that the writing is beautiful, the story so true it hardly can be called a novel and the characters are diverse and lovely. I am also reading The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto, where there is not much action going on but deep thinking.

After those two I'll probably pick up A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. I read that it is humorous. Have you read it?

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from BookJourney.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Since my last Monday post two weeks ago I read and reviewed:

Miss Timmins' School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy - a very versatile book about life teaching lessons and a mysterious murder - see my review here.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave - the story of a Nigerian refugee girl and a British woman, whose life changes dramatically one day at a Nigerian beach - see my review here.

I also have read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Giver by Lois Lowry. For both books reviews are coming shortly.

Now I'm reading The Monsters of Templeton. I already read the first chapter about Willie coming home and a big, dead monster floating atop of Templeton's lake. Let's say I am hooked and looking forward to my cozy reading time before I go to sleep.

After The Monsters of Templeton I want to read Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky for Paris in July. Another big chunk. For more information about the event, click the button in the right sidebar.

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from BookJourney.

It's Monday!

It's Monday is hosted by Sheila from Book Journey.

Last week I finished reading Miss Timmin's School for Girls, which I'm going to review this week. I will also review The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera this week.

I have written a review of Consolation by Anna Gavalda, which you can view here. I have read this book for Paris in July, but I'm sorry to say that it wasn't my cup of tea. The story lacked a somewhat twisted plot or the kind of wit Gavalda produced in Hunting and Gathering (aslo known as Ensemble, c'est tout).

I am now reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave. After that I'm going to read the Giver by Lois Lowry. I heard people rave abou this one for too long. Finally, I want to read for myself.

What else? My mother is coming back from Taiwan on Wednesday. I am curious to know what she picked up in the various bookshops at the aiports spending the last money in foreign currencies.

It's Monday!

Last week I finished reading Consolation by Anna Gavalda. I will hold back the review for the grand Paris in July event. For more information click the button in the right sidebar.

I also finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, which I'm going to review this week.

I am reading Miss Timmin's School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy, which I got as ebook via NetGalley from the publisher.

Next up is definitely Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

Also I have a giveaway running. I am participating in the Giveaway Blog Hop hosted by Leeswammes. If you like to enter and for more information, go here.

By the way I can't believe this is already summer reading we are talking about here. Though I'm not going on vacation till September, I always tend to think I will get espacially much reading done in summer. I should have learned by now, that this was never the case. Sigh.

It's Monday!

Last week I finished reading Consolation by Anna Gavalda which I will review next week as part of my Paris in July contribution. It's not too late to join in the fun. I reviewed Atonement by Ian McEwan last week and wrote a post about the new books I got via NetGalley here.
Now I am still reading Miss Timmin's School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, which I hope to finish both this week.


Coming up next will be Little Bee by Chris Cleave to be followed by another Jane Austen book. I will either read Northanger Abbey or Persuasion. Which one did you like best? I haven't read either and would love a little help deciding which one to pick. Thanks.


It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by Sheila from Book Journey.

It's Monday! Again.

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you've read the past week and planning to read next.

Last week I reviewed:
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

Last week I finished:
Atonement by Ian McEwan which I'm going to review this week. Stay tuned.

I am reading:
Consolation by Anna Gavalda this fabulous French writer I raved about here.

What's up next?
I decided to join Netgalley.com and requested some review copies. One I'm going to read soon is Miss Timmin's School for Girls. Another will be The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto for the JLC 5. Besides I borroughed The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera from the library.

It's Monday and my first giveaway!

Dear readers, followers, fellow bloggers,

I'm going to host my first giveway! The occasion is my one-year blogoversary next week. I decided to give away the first book I reviewed on this blog about one year ago. This book is Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.



It's an international giveaway. You can win this book by simply posting a comment stating that you want it. Please leave me a possibility of how to reach you like an email address or link back to your blog. I will pull the winner one week from today, on Monday 30th of May. Please make sure you are going to respond within 48 hours. Once I got in contact with the winner I will put the book in the mail. I cannot be hold responsible in case of loss.

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you've read the past week and planning to read next.

I finally finished reading The Devil in the White City which I'm going to review this week. I started The World without Us by Alan Weisman.

In the mail I received an English version of my favorite book The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, which I plan on reading in English the first time soon.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you've read the past week and planning to read next.

Last week I posted a review of Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. After reading March this book was yet another great reading experience.

Unfortunately I did not finish one book last week. That means I'm still reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I couldn't quite get into the book at first but now it takes on.

Next book up is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. As I got it from the library I want to read it before it's due. I picked it because I pledged to read more non-fiction this year. That's why I made May my planned non-fiction month. After reading Weisman's book I finally want to get to Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff.

It's Tuesday! What am I reading?

I missed the Monday meme hosted by Book Journey. But I like it to keep you all updated on my reading. Here it is:

I reviewed The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall last week.

I finished reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, which I enjoyed reading and will review this week. As I read some books in the last time for which I didn't care now finally a book I liked.

I started reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and am curious to find out more. It's about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the man who killed its visitors.

Next up is The World without Us by Alan Weisman. Another non-fiction about the world as it would look like without any human presence.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Book Journey to share with others what you've read the past week and planning to read next.

Since my last Monday post I posted reviews of The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, which I loved, and White Oleander by Janet Fitch, for which I didn't care much.

At the moment I'm about to finish The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall. Next up is Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I'm really looking forward to the Geraldine Brooks book as I loved her book March very much.

What I had been up to on the weekend: Traditionally we have a bonfire in the night from 30th April to 1st of May called Walpurgis Night, which we celebrated in the garden of close friends including a barbecue. On Sunday we went to the park and had ice cream and one or two games of Speedminton, with our skins warmed by the sun.