Sunday, June 29, 2014

Sunday Salon - Right Now (6/29/14)

Time: 10:32 am

Place: In the living room

Listening to: nothing at the moment

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I'll probably grab something to eat in the next bit.

Watching: August: Osage County

Reading: I am going to work a bunch of books this afternoon.

Making: Going to make a double batch of chili tomorrow afternoon

Planning: Other than watch oodles of FIFA World Cup this coming week, nothing really.

Feeling: Still a little groggy; haven't really been sleeping well this week.

Loving: That I can read lots this week and that I'll see some family members on Canada Day.

Wanting: To have decent night's sleep

Thinking: Of when I'll get to my book reviews (maybe post some this afternoon)

Looking forward to: Spending some time in the sun and working on my suntan.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon: 
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• The Remains of the Day
• His Majesty's Hope

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
• Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
• Levels of Life
• The Rosie Project
• Summerhouse with Swimming Pool

Sunday, June 22, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 23)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

Books finished in the last couple of weeks:
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Books reviews posted:
Seems I have hit a bit of a slump when it comes to posting reviews!  I will try to get a couple of done and posted this coming week (not promising anything).

Books I hope to finish this week:
• The Remains of the Day
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Summer House with Swimming Pool

Books I would like to work on:
• Speaking from among the Bones
• The Light between Oceans
• His Majesty's Hope
• The Rosie Project
and maybe a few others

Happy reading!

Mailbox Monday (June 23)


Mailbox Monday is a place for readers to share the books that came into their homes during the past week.  After being hosted at a number of blogs over the past few years, it has gone back to its home base, the aptly named, Mailbox Monday.

Purchased an ebook that was mentioned on a podcast that I listen to.  Basically its four individuals who discuss a couple of books that they have read each month and record the session that they discuss the two books that they have selected.  One of the books that was selected for July I was able to get through the library and the other I purchased as an ebook:

I hadn't heard of this book prior to the podcast episode in which they selected the book.  If you are interested in hearing what they thought of the book, you can subscribe to Hear...Read This! through iTunes.  The book is a short book; its about 100 pages.  The other book that was selected was Levels of Life by Julian Barnes.

Sunday Salon - Right Now (6/22/14)

Time: 9:54 am

Place: In the living room

Listening to: Adventures with Words podcast (episode 100)

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I'll probably grab something to eat in the next bit.

Watching: FIFA World Cup 2014 Belgium vs Russia (its half time and 0-0)

Reading: I am going to start the day with His Majesty's Hope and read a couple others throughout the day.

Making: Nothing; I am planning to spend the day with my left foot up (it is still bothering me from my sprain back in November from time to time and I would like to rest it as much as possible this coming week).

Planning: Other than watch oodles of FIFA World Cup this coming week, nothing really.

Feeling: I am slowly waking up

Loving: That I can read lots this week

Wanting: To feel at peace with certain things

Thinking: Nothing at the moment that is significant.

Looking forward to: Seeing who my favourite team drafts at the NHL entry draft this coming Friday and if they will hire a new head coach this coming week.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon:
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
The Remains of the Day (do have to finish it for my book club meeting)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Friday, June 20, 2014

Write On Review-a-thon Sign up


Write On Review-a-Thon


Since I have quite a number of book reviews that still need to be worked on, I figure that I will work on them during this review-a-thon next Friday and Saturday.  I might even get some reviews posted.  Forgot to mention that this is my sign up post...

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday - Books on my Summer TBR





I realize that I am a little late with this, but I thought that better late than never and since my summer basically started last Friday (circumstances at work forced an early summer vacation).

So here are my top ten books on my summer TBR list:
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt : I have been wanting to read this book since it came out last fall and I hope to get some time to read it in the coming days.

• Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley : I usually read this series in the fall, but I figure with the time I have, I can read this one.

• Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood : Looks at the lives of each of Ernest Hemmingway's wives.  Was interested after I heard the author interviewed on You Wrote the Book this past spring.  If you have read The Paris Wife and you liked it, you'll probably enjoy this one.

• The Vactioners by Emma Straub : Seems the it book of this summer season; looks promising.

• Runaway and Dear Life by Alice Munro : I bought Runaway and got Dear Life as a gift this past winter, with the thought that I would read them during the winter, but like The Goldfinch, it was set aside for other reads.

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood : I have had a copy of this book for a number of years and have wanted to read it.  Not a big fan of dystopic fiction (a Russian literature course in which I read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin made me have a strong dislike for dystopic literature), but being a fan of some of her other books, with Alias Grace being my favourite, I am going to give it a go.

• The Girl who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor : Bought this book through Bookbub for a couple of bucks; looks like a nice beach read.

• Outlander by Diana




Saturday, June 14, 2014

Sunday Salon: Paper books vs E-books

I realize debating this topic is basically is going to be a rehash of what most people are probably either thinking or have said in the past.

I love books and I love to read.  There was a time in my life in which I wouldn't think of possibly reading off of an electronic device and thought the idea abhorrent.  It wasn't that I didn't think that reading an e-book as disgusting or contemptible, its just that I didn't see any reason to engage in it and I just liked holding a paper book.

Before I go on, I will not be referring to paper books as a physical books for the simple reason that I think that a physical book can also be an e-book.  Its just that the delivery is different than a paper book; it still has the same aspects as a paper book (a cover, a copyright page, a table of contents, "pages", etc.), but comes in different format.  Enough of what I think of what a physical book should constitute and back to the topic.

Anyways, it wasn't until a few years ago when I received a Kobo Vox for Christmas that my view on e-books changed and I quite embraced it and was reading a lot on my tablet.  It wasn't until a few months later that I realized that I would need an e-ink device to enjoy reading in the wonderful sunshine.   Eventually I purchase a Kobo Touch and could read in the sunshine.

But most of my reading has and still is done with paper books.  Its not that I don't like reading on my Touch, its just that the vast majority of my vast library collection (its over 200 books) is in paper format and that is how I get most of my library books.

And honestly I am getting tired of the debate between paper books and e-books.  I realize that there is a segment of the reading population that prefers to read paper copies of books and the more power to them, but to those that think that somehow they are somehow superior because they only read paper copies and think e-books somehow beneath them, well, its almost like telling people that YA should only be read by young adults and not adults or that somehow reading fantasy or sci-fi or romance or graphic novels is somehow is lesser than reading literary fiction.

I personally don't care how a person reads, whether it be on their phone or through a dedicated e-reader or a tablet or a paper copy, just that they are reading something.  With the rates of reading declining, we as readers shouldn't be squabbling about how or what people are reading.  Sure I would prefer somebody read a book over a magazine or a newspaper, but who is to say that the article that they are reading won't put a thought into their head to research the topic that they are reading about and find a book on the topic that they are reading about or are intrigued by the books that are listed in the magazine or newspaper.

I would like to think that there were debates over how one should read when there was a shift from scrolls to individual pages that were bound up together.  Sure the shift from paper books to e-books is a more dramatic shift, but I don't think Shakespeare is going read any different if it is on an e-book than in a paper format.  And probably Shakespeare would embrace the new format and wouldn't see what all the fuss was about.

Before I forget, I want to wish dads everywhere a Happy Father's Day.  I hope you have a wonderful day!


This is a photo of my dad enjoying The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a few years ago.  And if you are wondering, he's already shaved and hasn't had the beard for quite sometime.  And yes, I do realize that it is a paper book that my dad is reading...

Books finished last week:
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
• The Rosie Project

Sunday, June 8, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 9)


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

Books finished this week:
• The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

Book reviews posted:
Hope to post a couple this coming week. 

Books I hope to finish this week:
• Fangirl

 Books I hope to work on this week:
• His Majesty's Hope 
• Speaking from among the Bones
• The Remains of the Day
The Count of Monte Cristo
• War & Peace
• The Woman in White



Happy reading! 

Mailbox Monday (June 9)


Mailbox Monday is a place for readers to share the books that came into their homes during the past week.  After being hosted at a number of blogs over the past few years, it has gone back to its home base, the aptly named, Mailbox Monday.

 I pre-ordered a couple of books that I had heard about through a couple of the podcasts that I subscribe to and sounded like something that I would like to read.


I don't know in what order I heard about each of the books, but I am pretty sure I heard about Mrs. Hemingway first through You Wrote the Book!  But in any case they seemed like books that were perfect for summer reading.  Both of the covers just evoke summer and I am looking forward to reading them.

Happy reading.

Sunday Salon - Right now (6/8/2014)

I realize that this is later than I normally would do my Sunday Salon but due to being generally lazy this morning and some fine weather outside, I delayed it.  So here we go....

Time: 4:24 pm
 
Place: In the living room
 
Listening to: The History of England Podcast (Episode 99)
 
Eating: Just had a couple pieces of fruit (yummy!) and glass of pink lemonade
 
Watching: Last nights Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final; will be watching the Red Sox/Tigers game in about 30 min.
 
Reading: Fangirl

Making: Nothing
 
Planning: At this point I can't really plan anything at the moment because if I do, I get worried and if one gets worried, one gets anxious, especially with stuff at work up in the air at the moment (no, its nothing bad; I just don't want to get into it)
 
Feeling: A little tired, but sort of a good tired
 
Loving: That there is less than three weeks left of work before summer vacation starts...
 
Wanting: Not to worry about stuff going on work that is basically beyond my control
 
Thinking: How lucky I have been to have had such wonderful weather this last week!  It feels like summer!

Looking forward to: Seeing my parents at the end of the week.  Even though I call and text them on a regular basis, it will be nice to see them again.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon but not reviewed:
• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell
• A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
• The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
• Fangirl (I can't seem to get into it)

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Summer Reading List 2014



As the days get longer and warmer, the more I start think about what I would like to read in the coming months. I find that my reads get longer during the summer months and that I also like books that have got some "meat" on them, even though having a fun read is also nice to have. Last summer I was lucky to find some reads I really enjoyed and I hope that I will do so this coming summer, but since I finished A Clash of Kings recently, I will not be reading another of George R. R. Martin's books this coming summer; one of his books a year is enough, at least for me.  But never fear there will be chunkster or two on the list.  So without further adieu, here it is...

Summer reading list:
1) The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt:  I bought this book at Christmas off a gift card from my sister with the intent that I would read it during the winter and spring, but other books got in the way and I didn't get around to it.  So hopefully during the summer I'll get to it.

2) Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley: The fifth book in the Flavia de Luce series and this should keep me happy for a bit.

3) Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood: Looks at the lives of each of Ernest Hemmingway's wives.  Was interested after I heard the author interviewed on You Wrote the Book this past spring.  If you have read The Paris Wife and you liked it, you'll probably enjoy this one.

4) The Vactioners by Emma Straub: Heard about this book through the Book Riot podcast and was interested enough in the premise that I pre-ordered this book along with Mrs. Hemmingway and was greatly surprised to see it arrive yesterday afternoon.  Both of these books are under 300 pages, so they should be quick reads.

5) Runaway and Dear Life by Alice Munro: I bought Runaway and got Dear Life as a gift this past winter, with the thought that I would read them during the winter, but like The Goldfinch, it was set aside for other reads.

6) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood:  I have had a copy of this book for a number of years and have wanted to read it.  Not a big fan of dystopic fiction (a Russian literature course in which I read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin made me have a strong dislike for dystopic literature), but being a fan of some of her other books, with Alias Grace being my favourite, I am going to give it a go.

7) The Girl who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor: Bought this as an ebook a week ago through book bub (cost me about $2, compared to probably about $10-12) and am seeing this as one of my lighter reads...

8) Outlander by Diana





Sunday, June 1, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 2)






It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme that is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey, in which we share what we've read and reviewed and what we plan on reading in the coming week.

Books finished this week:
• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell
• A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Book reviews posted:
Still working on them; probably going to post a bunch of them by the weekend (I will have something up).

Books I hope to finish this week:

• The Enchanted

Books I hope to work on this week:
• His Majesty's Hope 
• Speaking from among the Bones
• The Remains of the Day
The Count of Monte Cristo
• War & Peace
• The Woman in White



Happy reading! 

What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akkad

 Title: What Strange Paradise ( Bookshop.org ) Author: Omar El Akkad Published: 2022 (first published 2021) Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Li...