Monday, June 28, 2010

It's Monday! What am I reading?

What? Monday already? Obviously, because it's time for the weekly "what am I reading" segment, hosted by Sheila at her wonderful blog Book Journey. Take a moment and go visit; she's an amazing person.

Extremely slow reading week for me - I managed to finish and review Deadwater
by Sean Burke, a very dark novel of crime fiction from Wales. I also finished Agatha Christie's collection of Jane Marple short stories called The Thirteen Problems.  That particular book has a story in it called "The Blue Geranium," which was the focus of Masterpiece Mystery yesterday evening. I will post a review of the book here shortly.

Currently I'm reading Douglas Brinkley's book The Great Deluge, about Hurricane Katrina. This August will mark the five-year anniversary of that unforgettable storm and its even more unforgettable aftermath.  And speaking of Katrina, you can enter to win a copy of Dave Eggers' most excellent book Zeitoun hereThe Great Deluge is the last of the planned reads for my little "watery titles" mini-challenge this month. This book will probably see me through until the end of the month, since it's huge.

 Next week begins a month of random crime reads, something easy prior to the August and September "she reads the Booker longlist" months, which I do every year. The longlist will be announced at the end of July, so it's just easy reading up until August 1.  On tap for next week: Peter Temple's Truth, Hakan Nesser's new book The Inspector and Silence, and one nonfiction, Murdering Stepmothers: The Execution of Martha Rendell, by Anna Haebich -- a book originally published in Australia. Of course, the verdict is still out as to whether or not I'll finish all of those, but if not, that's okay. I'm not in a hurry.

Time to go grab my coffee and read.

18 comments:

  1. I had a very slow reading week as well. I hope it gets better this week. The Great Deluge looks like a book worthy of notice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So far, it's excellent, and quite unusually, my husband has decided he wants to read it. He's more of a Harlan Coben kind of guy, so that's a huge deal!

    Thanks for coming by.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Am slowly working my way through 2666 & I mean slowly

    ReplyDelete
  4. Someday I'm actually going to finish it -- I lost it for a while after I'd started it (don't ask) and then was into something else, so it ended up in a stack next to the bed. We should trade reviews!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love crime fiction, and I think it's because I grew up on Nancy Drew and then Agatha Christie. I always thought I'd make a good detective. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you, Katie! I'll go say to you on your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I didn't get any reading done this week, but I did write a review for 'I am the Messenger' by Markus Zusak. I started 'Hunted by the Others' by Jess Haines last night... So far so good!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am the Messenger actually looks very good, and seems to be well liked. Thanks for the recommendation!

    happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hard to believe that Hurricane Katrina was already five years ago. The Great Deluge sounds like it would be an interesting read.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The Great Deluge is awesome. Long, but incredible. I can still remember sitting by the television (I lived in CA at the time) thinking that if reporters could get in, I just didn't understand how it could be that the government couldn't. And I told my husband last night that I just can't imagine anything on that scale hitting here (FL) because we'd be in huge trouble.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm also waiting for the Booker long list! This time, I'm hoping I can read through the books too, but I won't be starting till September, since I'll be busy with graduation and moving out in August. It will be exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Aths, that's so cool! I have yet to finish the entire list on time (my goal is always to do it before the winner's announced), but it's still the best two reading months of my year. Then it's October, and I read nothing but junk. LOL

    and congrats on your graduation!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like to do a lot of "easy reading" during the summer, too. Nothing forced or too serious. Probably the Katrina books would be a little too intense for me right now, although The Great Deluge does sound like a great read.
    Hope you enjoy all your reading this week!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you, Joy. Yep...it's a good book, but definitely intense.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I need to read The Great Deluge. I have friends that go every year and help out still with repairs form that hurricane. It is amazing to think that it has been five years.

    Have a wonderful week Nancy :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sheila, I drove through awhile back and it was still quite a mess in parts. Tell your friends "thank you" from me -- they're special people.

    You have a great week too!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I keep meaning to pick up some Agatha Christie's, I haven't read any in years but I do love her work. I'll have to make room for them!

    Have a great week :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Crystal - I don't know if you're a watcher of PBS, but on July 11th, Mystery will be showing Christie's Murder on the Orient Express with my favorite Poirot, David Suchet. He IS Poirot!

    ReplyDelete

Say what you will, but at least try to be nice about it.