Monday 16 January 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 This is a book meme by Sheila of Book Journey. A fun way for everyone to share their reading week.

I managed to slow my reading down a little last week. I have been mainly having a clear out and working on some unfinished craft projects. So not quite as much reading done as the week before.

Last week I read;


Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. A lovely story of the ladies of Cranford. I could have read more and more of this. This was my chosen classic this month and the first book for the Mixing it up challenge.


Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. I read this for Shakespeare month. I was surprised by how much I loved it. Very funny and engaging.


King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard. A great adventure story with quite a lot packed in to 200 pages. I read this for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen challenge.

Just now I am reading;

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck. I picked this book for the classics challenge. I picked it up last night only meaning to get started. Next thing I know it's midnight and I'm 1/3 of the way through. Needless to say I am loving it.

Next I plan to read;

Hamlet by William Shakespear. Again this is for Shakespeare month. This is the last book I have for this challenge. Although I might go out and get a few others since I am reading them faster than I expected and very much enjoying them.


Audition by Ryu Murakami. This will be my first non challenge book this month. This has been sitting on my tbr pile for a while now and I feel like reading some contemporary fiction for a change.

I also found I had two copies of my favourite book The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I have decided to give one of them away. You can sign up for that just by leaving a comment here.

How has your reading book week been? Any possible favourites for 2012 in there?

22 comments:

  1. Lots & lots of classics! Yeah! I love classics? Have you read Wives and Daughters? Love that one!

    Here's my post; http://samjaymc.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-are-you-reading-26.html

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    1. I haven't read Wives and Daughters. Cranford was my first by Gaskell. I will definitely be reading her back list.

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  2. I remember reading Steinbeck's book and loving it. I think I was 13 or 14. I was going through a serious Bteinbeck/Arthurian stage, reading Of Mice and Men and The Once and Future King. As a result, I often find myself wanting to read one when I read the other so if I were to pick up The Grapes of Wrath now, odds are I would soon afterwards be reaching for some Arthurian book I have not yet read or want to reread.

    I'm reading . . . too many books. LOL!
    New Spring by Robert Jordan
    Why Buffy Matter by Rhonda Wilcox
    The Art of Gravity by Jay Rogoff
    Original Yoga by Richard Rosen
    The Drawing Mind by Deborah Putnoi
    My Business is to Create by Eric G Wilson

    And that doesn't even include my "morning" books which includes the Rig Veda and more. Oh, and that doesn't include the pile of graphic novels I have sitting near my comfortable chair which I am also reading bit by bit. I could list more, at least ten more books. But I think this list should suffice.

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    1. Wow Satia, I honestly don't know how you manage it. One or two books and then books for uni is about the most I can manage.

      It's funny how reading a book by one author puts you in the mood to read a specific type of book after. I would always follow a Murakami with a John Irving. I don't know why. I stopped it years ago but at the start it was always one and then the other. I did find out later that Murakami was a huge fan of John Irving.

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  3. You have some really interesting titles here... the King Solomon and King Arthur ones fascinate me.

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    1. I can highly recommend them. Especially the King Arthur.

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  4. Great list of classics. I have been meaning to revisit Shakespeare. I think I would like it a lot more now than I did when I was high school and college.

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    1. I certainly enjoy it more than I did at school. It's different when you can take your own view on things. Makes it more interesting.

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  5. Funny, a whole lists of classics and then a Japanese book! Have fun reading these. I actually would like to read Ryu Murakami some time, too.

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    1. I know, lol. I was actually tempted to pick another classic but decided to at least attempt to mix it up a little. Plus I do like Ryu Murakami. He is completely different to Haruki (although I think he admires him). They are good but a little violent.

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  6. I haven't read any of those.............yet, I am reading Left Neglected by Lisa Genova.

    I'm your newest follower.

    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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    1. Thank you so much for following Lainy. Will come along and visit your blog. I'm afraid I don't know that book although the authors name sounds familiar.

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  7. The film of Audition gave me the heebiejeebies! Will be looking out for your thoughts on the book. I love Shakespeare's comedies but I'm not a fan of reading plays, I'd rather have them acted out for me either on stage or the screen.

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    1. I didn't think I would be able to get into the swing of reading them for that reason too. I'm enjoying them though. I wonder if it will be the same with plays by others. Will have to give it a go.

      I haven't seen the Audition but I imagine it would be pretty horrific.

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  8. Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare comedy.

    With the three day weekend, I had a chance to finish a bunch of books I've been working on the last month. Please come see what I'm reading.

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  9. A pretty heavy reading week :) Congrats on reading the classics! Love some Shakespeare and when its his comedies he's a genius!

    http://brunettelibrarian.blogspot.com

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    1. It honestly didn't feel like heavy reading. They were all actually light compared to most classics. I am enjoying the classics but think I am going to have to mix it up a little so that I don't over do them.

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  10. Does that edition have any of the other short stories included in it that were used for the BBC miniseries? My copy I got before the miniseries, and I wouldn't mind finding those other two stories. I highly recommend North and South as well.

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    1. I didn't watch the mini series so I honestly don't know. I imagine if it did it would have said, it didn't. Your best bet would be to try to get a hold of a copy with the TV cover. As much as I hate those covers I think they are the most likely to have the extras from the miniseries. I will definitely be reading more by her.

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  11. I haven't read this one by John Steinbeck though I did read some others in school
    Have a great reading week!

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out
    www.bookdout.wordpress.com

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    1. I highly recommend it if you like King Arthur stories. It's nothing like his other books.

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