The Its Monday! What Are You Reading meme is hosted at Book Journey.
Life…
My husband and I spent the first weekend alone last week in over a decade when the three younger ones went camping with their cub pack and my oldest stayed the weekend at her grandmothers to go shoe shopping. Ah bliss!
And then the children came home with bags of muddy clothes, the dishwasher broke, which we can’t afford to replace, and I was volunteered to help cater for 120 (I made pumpkin soup, celery soup and pudding with butterscotch sauce). Still I managed to get plenty of reading done, though I’ve fallen behind on reviews.
I also managed to catch up with one of my favourite TV series Haven, with a little creative thinking since the new season isn’t available yet in Australia. It was inspired by Stephen King’s, The Colorado Kid. Have you ever seen it?
What I Read Last Week
Just Like Other Daughters by Colleen Faulkner
Seven Deadlies: A Cautionary Tale by Gigi Levangie
Ride Like Hell and You’ll Get There: Detours into Mayhem by Paul Carter
Someone Else’s Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
Coal Creek by Alex Miller
Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Dollar
The Good Boy by Theresa Schwehgal
New Posts
(click the titles to read my reviews)
Review: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert ★★★★
Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa ★★★1/2
Seven Sins in Seven Days Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Seven Deadlies by Gigi Levangie ★★★
Review: Just Like Other Daughters by Colleen Faulkner ★★★★
Review: Ride Like Hell and You’ll Get There: Detours into Mayhem by Paul Carter ★★★
Review: Coal Creek by Alex Miller ★★★
Stuff on Sundays: It’s Not You, it’s me…
What I Am Reading Today
Marian couldn’t see the woman’s eyes behind her glasses, and was filled with panic. That bosom was not for comfort. Not for Marian. She, Marian, was here so that this woman, this psychologist, could expose her failure to be a proper mother. Her son’s actions shatter Marian’s life. As the days pass she is haunted by layers of grief rising like the salt of the degraded earth. Marian’s everyday heroism, her earthy humour and innate honesty, sustain her as she confronts her own tragedy and sees beyond it to other moral dilemmas of white Australian life – racism, environmental damage. This novel has its roots in an ancient landscape – the dry farming country around Koikyennuruff (Stirling Ranges) in the south of Western Australia. It is the story of a journey from the country to the city and back again, a journey that will change Marian forever.
What I Plan To Read This Week
(click the covers to view at Goodreads)
When Patrick Cusimano’s alcoholic father kills a child in a hit-and-run, Patrick is faced with a terrible choice: turn his father in – destroying what’s left of his family in the process – or keep quiet. But can Patrick’s brother, Mike, live with the choice that was made that night? Layla Elshere was once a poster-girl for purity. But when her evangelical father forces her to spearhead a campaign against her school, it compels her to question everything she’s ever known. Now Layla is doing all she can to obliterate her past. Verna adores her older sister but as events begin to spiral, Verna must make the hardest choice possible; save the person she loves most in the world – or save herself.
**An American foreign-exchange student arrested for murder. A desperate father determined to win her freedom. The brilliant lawyer tasked with her prosecution. And the sphinx-like young man who happens to be her only alibi.** When Lily Hayes arrives in Buenos Aires for her semester abroad, she is enchanted by everything she encounters: the colourful buildings, the street food, the elusive guy next door. Her studious roommate, Katy, is a bit of a bore, but Lily hasn’t come to Argentina to hang out with other Americans. Five weeks later, Katy is found brutally murdered in their shared home, and Lily is the prime suspect. But who is Lily Hayes? It depends on who’s asking. As the case takes shape — revealing deceptions, secrets, and suspicious DNA — Lily appears alternately sinister and guileless through the eyes of those around her. With mordant wit and keen emotional insight, Jennifer duBois delivers a novel of propulsive psychological suspense and rare moral nuance. *Cartwheel* will keep you guessing until the final page, and its questions about how well we really know one another — and ourselves — will linger well beyond.
He asked the water to lift him, to carry him, to avenge him. He made his muscles shape his fury, made every stroke declare his hate. And the water obeyed; the water would give him his revenge. No one could beat him, no one came close. His whole life, Danny Kelly’s only wanted one thing: to win Olympic gold. Everything he’s ever done-every thought, every dream, every action-takes him closer to that moment of glory, of vindication, when the world will see him for what he is: the fastest, the strongest and the best. His life has been a preparation for that moment. His parents struggle to send him to the most prestigious private school with the finest swimming program; Danny loathes it there and is bullied and shunned as an outsider, but his coach is the best and knows Danny is, too, better than all those rich boys, those pretenders. Danny’s win-at-all-cost ferocity gradually wins favour with the coolest boys-he’s Barracuda, he’s the psycho, he’s everything they want to be but don’t have the guts to get there. He’s going to show them all. He would be first, everything would be alright when he came first, all would be put back in place. When he thought of being the best, only then did he feel calm. Should we teach our children to win, or should we teach them to live? How do we make and remake our lives? Can we atone for our past? Can we overcome shame? And what does it mean to be a good person?
It is the lives of the farmers, townspeople and soldiers training and working in Australia, for this cataclysmic international event that is taking place at a distance, that we explore. This is not the Western Front but a NSW farming community having to deal with the enemy. Many of the townspeople and soldiers have husbands, sons, brothers who are away at war, missing, imprisoned, or perhaps dead. The moral quandary they have is deciding how to treat these PoWs in their midst. Do they treat them with disdain, as the enemy? Or with respect and an element of care in the hope that their own loved ones on the other side of the world will be treated with the same care? Will keeping these PoWs alive in Australia keep their own people alive over there? Alice, a young woman living a dull life with her father-in-law on his farm as her husband of less than a year fights the grand war, begins a relationship with Giancarlo, the Italian immigrant from the PoW camp assigned to work on their farm. Giancarlo is bright and charming and gives an insight into the other side of the war, a war he did not willingly participate in, nor support. Alice discovers the world is much larger and more complex than she had been given to understand. The machinations of life in the PoW camp, the separate housing of Italians, Japanese and Koreans to accommodate all their different needs including different sporting fancies the concerts that take place are fascinating. But never more interesting than the lives, decision-making and relationships of those attempting to manage the camps.
While you are here…
Enter to win Seven Deadlies by Gigi Levangie (US & Canada only)
Thanks for stopping by, I’ll be along to visit you shortly!
You always amaze me the reading you get done. OMG cooking for 120, it sends me into fear and trembling – you made good choices for the menu.
I haven’t notice Haven on her in NZ. Although I do have an Australian programme I have recorded but not yet watched – A Place to Call Home. And Downton Abbey latest series has just started here too.
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I first discovered Haven at the DVD store, A Place to Call Home is great – hope you enjoy it,
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Haven is amazing – I love it. 🙂 TV shows are much more ‘universal’ now, aren’t they? You can read a synopsis of an episode on someone’s blog, buy the DVD set to play on a multiregion player etc. Good stuff! Now if only US shows were available in AUS at the same time! 🙂
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I know, the delay was just killing me!
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Lol. 🙂
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Yippee weekends without kids are always fun and appreciated when they come around once in a blue moon! I’m so behind on reading and reviews I wonder if I’ll ever catch up … life is just busy lol. Haven’t seen Haven but I do keep an eye out for new shows to watch. Loving season 4 of Downton and the new season of Teen Wolf and I’m quite taken with Blacklist. All great viewing for when I’m procrastinating on pinterest 😉
Have a great week and happy reading!
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Teen wolf is back on? when???
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Gosh, I don’t know how you still fit in so much reading when life’s that crazy!
Got Shame & the Captives on pre-order 🙂 can’t wait!
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I surprised myself this week Tien LOL
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What a weekend, Shelleyrae!
Pretty much all those to-read books are ones I really want to read too! Great to see Tsioklas has a new book out, and Keneally. Exciting stuff!
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I remember the years when we were always with the kids. Glad you got a chance to get away for a bit, even if you did return to disaster. It will all work out. Right?
Here’s my It’s Monday!
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It sounds a hectic week but still with lots of reading accomplished. Enjoy this week as well.
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Reading Cartwheel right nor for a tour. Looking forward to really getting into it.
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You had a wonderful reading week. May you continue to read like this!
Here is my post.
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Looks like you have some great reading ahead! Have a great week!
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Pumpkin soup sounds amazing!! Yum.
I love to watch Haven, its pretty good! To be honest, I can’t remember if it is like the book or not though. 🙂
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Wow, after your blissful weekend, you sure had to pay the price! Your disasters are the kinds that make good blog posts, though, so thanks for sharing! And doesn’t it help to vent?
I have Cartwheel on Sparky…and I have my eye on Seven Deadlies. Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
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Wow you got a lot of things done and did a ton of reading. That’s amazing. I couldn’t imagine cooking for 120 people, I can barely cook for my small family ha ha!
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Wow, that’s a lot! I’ve been wanting to check out Haven — I have the 1st two seasons on DVD, and still need to watch them! I’ll look forward to your upcoming book reviews — sounds like you have some great books coming up this week. Enjoy!
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Cartwheel looks interesting, hope you’re going to like that one.
Have a great week!
My Monday’s post!
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What an up and down weekend! Hope all is leveling out! I have yet to watch Haven. Hope this week is a bit smoother.
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Just added Cartwheel to my tbr =)
Happy reading and have an awesome week ❤
Here's our IMWAYR
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That are some interesting reads you got lined up for the week. Enjoy!
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Wonderful on your “alone” weekend. We all need that once in a while.
Looks like you have some good books for yourself.
Holy Toledo on how many books you read last week…I am lucky if I get ONE done. 🙂
Going to check out your review of The Signature of All Things. THANKS.
And…thanks for stopping by my blog. So nice to see a comment from you each week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
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I have Cartwheel on my TBR list so I will be interested to see what you think of that one. Loads of great books as always on your blog, thanks.
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I am totally blown away by how many books you read in a week!!! How do you do it? I’m lucky to finish one a week.
Thanks for your comment on my It’s Monday….. today. You must either be a night owl or work night shifts! Either way, wow!
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It’s impressive that you can get so much read in a week! I can do that during the summer, but usually only read one or so during the school year. Looks like you’ve got a lot of good books coming up this week. Enjoy!
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I love, love, love Haven! It’s one of my favorite shows! Have you read the Stephen King book? I haven’t, but I want to. Have a great week!
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Yeah for a weekend without kids! I’m sure it felt odd but lovely at the same time.
You have some dark books in this post :). ~ enjoy
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I’m having to keep a lookout for Haven. The book is one of Kings that I missed. I read The Dome, and I love the series and although it differs from the book it makes you want to see every episode. I’ll have to get The Colorado Kid now.
I read Tsioklas new book and I’m afraid I have nothing good to say about it. Sorry t be so negative, but that’s being honest.
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I’ll be interested to see what you think of Barracuda. I didn’t really enjoy his book The Slap.
It sounds like you had a lovely weekend sans kids! Those are hard to come by, but so nice!
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I didn’t read The Slap, but if Barracuda is anything to go by, I wouldn’t bother. Not my cup of tea at all.
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LOVE Haven! Cannot get enough of it! Have you read The Colorado Kid? It’s a quick read, and while there are a few characters who overlap, there’s not much of the show at all in that novella. Not bad, though, but when I first read The Colorado Kid, I was hoping for all of those odd, unusual happenings!
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