Monday, July 12, 2010

It's Monday! What am I reading?

Where has July gone? Sheesh! The days are just whizzing by --  it's already Monday, and that means that once again it's time to mark my reading progress. I want to thank Sheila at her reading-packed blog Book Journey. Take a moment and go visit!

I promised myself it was only going to be light reading this month. 
 Last week I started two new crime fiction/mystery series. The first one featured Inspector Montalbano from Sicily in The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri.  Then it was off to France for the second, The Chalk Circle Man, by Fred Vargas.  Johan Theorin's book The Darkest Room was up next -- a most amazing and atmospheric novel, one of my favorites for 2010.  And an old favorite, Agatha Christie, made the list with A Caribbean Mystery.  Leaving Europe, I went off to Japan for The Master Key, which was written in the 1960s -- an oldie but still very much a goodie.   Read but not yet reviewed is Kraken, by China Mieville, which was at times laugh-out-loud funny. 

Currently I'm reading Badfellas by Tonino Benacquista, a finalist on the shortlist for the CWA International Dagger Award

In the reading plans for the week:  
Thirteen Hours, by Deon Meyer
The Strange Case of the Composer and His Judge, by Patricia Duncker
The Madonnas of Echo Park, by Brando Skyhorse
and whatever

so that's that. Happy reading



19 comments:

  1. The Darkest Room sounds really interesting and I've added it to my wish list. Thanks for sharing and have a great reading week!

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  2. I hope you do actually get to read it at some point. It's amazing. Thanks for coming by!

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  3. I'm sort of thinking of light reading for the rest of the summer, too. And Agatha Christie sounds like a great idea! Hope you enjoy all your reading this week.

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  4. The rest of the summer for me means the Booker Prize longlist announced at the end of this month, so July is the month of light reading. I see lots of Christie in this month's future.

    thanks for coming by!

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  5. I have heard good things about The Madonnas of Echo Park -- enjoy!

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  6. Oh good! I'd never heard of it before, actually. I belong to a first-editions book club at Book Passage and they sent it to me for this month. I lived near Los Angeles for a long time, so I'm eager to read it.

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  7. Thanks, Gautami! I'm keeping an eye on that book by Ken Scholes to see what you think of it!

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  8. Crime fiction is a genre I've only just begun to appreciate. 'The Madonnas of Echo Park' seems like an interesting read. Echo Park is in LA right?

    Have a wonderful reading week. Thanks for stopping by!
    Zee.

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  9. There's a lot to be said about crime fiction when it's well written -- my favorites are from outside the US for some reason.

    Echo Park is in LA, yes. Now I really can't wait to get to this book!

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  10. Thanks, Jennifer! The hardest part about following certain blogs (or visiting them) is that my TBR pile gets bigger and bigger each week!

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  11. I hope you enjoy your reads! I'm slowly working my way through Agatha Christie's books...I didn't get to see Suchet on the Orient but they do have it on the disc set coming out in August...I'm going to have to pre-order...I can't wait to see the Third Girl next week, we'll have to talk next Monday if you do watch it. =)

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  12. Heidi
    I'll definitely be watching it -- no doubt! I think I'll read Third Girl in the meantime so I'm ready. I hate seeing a movie first without reading the book, although in the case of a mystery, it backfires either way you do it!

    See you next Monday! LOL

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  13. You have some wonderful reads going on - I am reading these book titles and drooling a little bit! :D Enjoy your week (and I agree - what is happening to July? Everything is going too fast!)

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  14. That's pretty good going for light reading! :)

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  15. @crystal: I do tend to read books off the beaten path so it's very likely that they're not familiar!

    @Sheila: I drool over your lifestyle! Thanks for coming by.

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  16. Nikki-ann: those ARE light for me!

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  17. I love your Agatha Christie challenge! I have a whole bunch of them, I really want to read them, I should get to it :)

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  18. Crystal: I wish it was my challenge! It's actually from Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise who started it, and it's never too late to join.

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