I just had the nicest week off. My husband worked each day so I had lots of time to myself. I decided to clean one room each day then do my own things: read, craft, walk, photography. Although, I should put "read" at the bottom of the list since I didn't do very much.
As always, I'm enjoying this newest edition of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. There is just something so soothing about these books. They're simple but deep and the characters...ah! the characters are wonderful!
Back to school tomorrow. I begin each block with about 20 minutes of silent reading. I can't tell you how many kids have admitted that, because they were forced to read, they finally completed a book on their own. And their teacher gets to read, too! It's a win-win for everyone!
Ah! School vaction! I so need this! After two weekends in a row with Kylie, I'm enjoying a quiet and lazy time. I read all yesterday afternoon and finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, finally!
I really enjoyed this book. It's almost like it was two books in one. There was the outer story of how business reporter Mikael Blomkvist is convicted of libel and then there is the inner story of how he solves the mystery of a 30-year-old dissappearance/murder.
What really mkaes this novel stand out, though, are the characters. Blomkvist is flawed but ethical. I like that he's not perfect. Then there is the girl with the dragon tatto, Lisbeth Salander. She's a genius when it comes to computer hacking and Blomkvist hires her to help him solve the mystery. She's tough and brusque and will do anything to protect herself; she's had to do just that since she was a teenager.
Now, I'll have to begin a new book but it will take me a day or two. I spent such a long time with these two poeple that they feel like friends and it will take me a while to let them go.
I can't believe I'm still reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm enjoying it but just can't seem to find time to read. I'm only about a third of the way through.
We went to Portland last weekend with Kylie so no reading got done, that's for sure. Lots of fun, though.
And this week there's the Olympics!
Oh, well, I'll keep plugging away.
I'm having a Kylie weekend so not much reading is getting done. All she wants to do is play school and I love it!
I finished this book on Friday and liked the little twist on his normal format. This one is narrated by a newspaper reporter who is "commissioned" by the killer to tell his story.
It kept me interested until the very end when it seemed a bit rushed and anti-climactic. Other than that, though, it was a pretty good quick read. (Even though it took me a week! But that was my fault, not the book's. We started a new semester at school and I've been busy with that and extra tired at night.)
I hear the pitter patter of little feet so it's back to playing school again!
I finished this novel this afternoon. It was a weird one but I liked it. It starts out innocently enough. In the early 1900s Ralph Truitt wants a wife so he places an ad in a newspaper. Catherine Land answers that ad and agrees to move to Wisconsin be his wife.
What isn't obvious, at first, is the secret agenda they both have. And that's what makes this book fascinating. That and its sensuality. Phew! I needed a cold shower after some of the scenes.
The writing is spare but beautiful. Simple but rich. Stark but warm.
From the deep freeze to rain! That's what is heading our way. I saw a ribbon of pink like a baby's blanket on the shoulders of the mountains this morning before the clouds covered everything.
I finished this book last night and enjoyed it as I have the other Alex Cross novels. Yes, they are predictable and formulaic but I just love his family. They make Alex so human and give the book a heart.
In this one, Alex's niece is killed and he's determined to find her killer. Unfortunately, some powerful players in Washington, DC, don't want him to. Of course, that doesn't stop Alex.
The short chapters and crisp writing make this a winner.
I finished this book last Monday and even made a couple of the recipes on my day off: Meatloaf and Creamy Rosemary Potatoes. Both were yummy!
I plan on trying more this week.
And rereading parts of the book since I gulped it the first time.
This cookbook is like a delicious meal!
I'm also still reading the poems in It's Not You, It's Me: Poems of Breakup. I like to do one or two a day so they have time to percolate in my brain a bit.
And I'm up to chapter 5 of Nikon D60 for Dummies and am learning so much!
Happy Sunday!
As a participant in Sunday Scribblings, I was curious about this book written by one of the moderators. Now, normally, I don't read fantasy novels very often. Heck, I haven't even read Harry Potter! But, I figured I'd give this one a try since I enjoy reading her writing on her blog.
And I was not disappointed in the writing. Laini Taylor has a sassy style that is refreshing and quirky. Her descriptions are gorgeous and easily accessible for a young adult for which this is written.
It contains three stories of first kisses. I really got into the first two but the last one was just a little too out there for my tastes. I did read all of it, and, even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I still appreciated the wonderful writing.
So, if you enjoy this genre, pick this up; you'll love it.
And if you'd like to see the cutest baby, check out The Journals of Laini Taylor to see a video of her little girl, Clementine.
