It's Monday what are you Reading?Still Life

Well I should be reading How to paint your house in on day>>> but I'm not.  It's been very warm and lovely and it's gardening time.... not much reading completed this week.
 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

Spent the week with Inspector Gamache. The man of my dreams, and he loves brioche.  I'd never read Louise Penny in order and decided this summer is the time to do this, so I started at the beginning, I'm sure I have many, but this one was in larger print, bravo, great to read with my sunglasses on.   So I enjoyed this one, I planted 3 pines in my front yard after reading "How the Light Gets in". they are getting REALLY tall, I may have to move the house. If not, I'll have to relocate the plants from beneath them, they don't get much sun anymore.   I'm thrilled to announce also, that Louise Penny is also a brilliant Canadian author, one more Maple Leaf in my reading log.

What's up next

Happy Reading

Sunday Salon...

Well it's Sunday, and winter has reared it's very white head, here in the GTA, not sure how cold it is, but it's white again, or more white I should say.  I've done fairly well with my reading this week, finished How the Light Gets In, Louise Penny.  In my effort to read more Canadian authors, I chose this book on the recommendation of Shonna of the Canadian Book Worm.  Thanks Shonna.  I read at the bottom of the book description this is the ninth Inspector Gamache mystery, where have I been?  I love Armand.  I know I have read Louise Penny before, not sure which one though, I enjoyed it obviously as much as this one.  This was a murder mystery, with historical implications, all tightly woven in a thriller.  I was trying to cast the part of Armand (Hollywood style) and could only come up with my all time fav  Gregory Peck, now that says a lot, because I normally would cast Tom Sellick or Aidan Quinn, but they don't have that wonderful Peck quality.  It would have to be a young Peck. Like the time of Atticus Finch.  Now of course I have to go and read Pierre Berton's the Dionne Years, I remember having this on our reading list in highschool, but it never arrived in time for us to complete it, quite a lot of controversy about this one.  As a matter of fact, I've now searched 3 different cities in their libraries and had no luck,  is it a "forbidden read"? The mystery continues... I'll be calling the library board in the a.m.  A five star read.

“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” —Leonard Cohen. ( Love Leonard Cohen even if he is a bit weird.)

The next reading adventure was all Trish's fault.  I'm not big on graphic novels and Jenners almost had me convinced, but when Trish said she enjoyed this one, I thought "o.k. time to stop being so old, and venture into a new reading experience".   So I chose to read Maus,1: A survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History.

I was not disappointed, and I can see the purpose for graphic novels, they offer an avenue to tell a story in a format perhaps more appealing to a younger reader. I'm not a younger reader, but found the book easy enough to read.  Love the language used, even if it was a little stereotypical. Now I suppose I'll have to read the second part.

A four star read.



Beyond my reading adventures, I'm well on my way to finishing and oak desk for my son, to replace the one he lost in our flood.  wish I could get new arms, that sanding really does shake things up on an old babe, like me.  Needless to say pictures will follow.  AND, I'm almost done with a little painted sign for a friends business, for her ladies room.  It's coming out pretty cool.

My sister Donna is coming along very slowly, (she thinks she's fine) THANK YOU LORD.  We did a small road trip with her on Friday.

It was a good news week here on other fronts as well, so once again, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, if good news is coming our way we can handle the shoveling

Up next in reading, hmm...Five Little Pigs, Agatha Christie (thanks Margaret Books Please)  

It's Monday What are You Reading?

It's Monday What Are You Reading?

It is Monday indeed, I've just finished reading Finding Nouf

I enjoyed this book, maybe not so much for the mystery, but for all the stuff I learned about Muslim women.  The story takes place in Saudi, in the midst of a wealthy family.  A young woman is gone missing, and later found dead.  The informal investigation that ensues is the storyline, but, in the process we are plunged into a world that is certainly unknown to me. I had to laugh a bit, since my one sister is reading a series set in Amish country, and I'm in Saudi.  Interesting and informative for certain.  I like a murder mystery that teaches me something.  Not a very long read, and certainly entertaining, if murder can be entertaining. 

Up Next:  The First Grave on the Right,  Darynda Jones.


Nothing in my mailbox this week.

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

The Glass Room... Ann Cleeves

I didn't write a real review of this great book when I read it, mostly because Margaret from Books Please did such a great job.  I must say this was a really good mystery, I truly didn't have a clue who dunit until the end.  I also like the investigative teams dynamics, and the mystery in some of their characters.

Certainly a candidate for the Best New Author to me.  Ann Cleeves does a outstanding job.

book description from Amazon.ca

This is the new novel in Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope crime series. DI Vera Stanhope is not one to make friends easily, but her hippy neighbours keep her well-supplied in homebrew and conversation so she has more tolerance for them than most. When one of them goes missing she feels duty-bound to find out what happened. But her path leads her to more than a missing friend...It's an easy job to track the young woman down to the Writer's House, a country retreat where aspiring authors gather to workshop and work through their novels. It gets complicated when a body is discovered and Vera's neighbour is found with a knife in her hand. Calling in the team, Vera knows that she should hand the case over to someone else. She's too close to the main suspect. But the investigation is too tempting and she's never been one to follow the rules. There seems to be no motive. No meaning to the crime. Then another body is found, and Vera suspects that someone is playing games with her. Somewhere there is a killer who has taken murder off the page and is making it real...

The Best of new Authors is hosted by Mysteries in Paradise

I will certainly be looking to read more of this authors works.

---

Sunday Salon... Snow day again...

from this 

to this in 90 min. 

Sunday Salon finds me looking out the window in a earnest attempt to participate in the Global Backyard Bird Count.  Not a single bird, it's so cold... maybe tomorrow? 

I finished Fatherland, Robert Harris this week, and remember how I said I was thinking of not voting ever again, no way, VOTE, make your voice heard or else... Fatherland was a wild ride, historical fiction of sorts, very unsettling, and to my surprise a quite believable storyline.  It's a murder mystery, set in post WWII (almost current time) Germany, the Nazi's were victorious in the WWII, Hitler is alive and celebrating his 75th birthday.  It's quite a scenario. Corruption, bribery, propaganda, and love all rolled into one.  Money and selfishness is also prime. Next up is Among Others, Jo Walton, Winner of the Nebula Award.  I'm not very far into it, it seems pretty good, this was a gift from my youngest son (the author) he thought I should read it.  Sometimes when it's his turn to pick up library books he's having to hide the titles, just in case someone thinks he's reading Maeve Binchy or something. He takes a not see through bag to carry these things home in. I on the other hand must look pretty out of mind when I'm picking up his anime movies.  Tomorrow is family day here in Ontario, I'm making a turkey dinner, I may be the only one eating it, but I just need some cranberry sauce, and mushroom gravy, and stuffing.  I'll be thinking of creative leftover ideas.  Turkey pot pie, turkey wraps, don't really like turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, hot turkey sandwiches... stir fry turkey... maybe I'll freeze a serving of turkey or two. 

Fatherland was a recommendation by Margaret at Books Please,  thanks Margaret.