It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.
Books I Finished:
The Wife Upstairs was a fun read. I liked the way the author played with the Jane Eyre story and gave a modern twist to it. There were actually a few twists at the end that really surprised me. It was pretty great for this murder mystery fan who was also an English major.
The Family Upstairs was interesting. I went into it thinking it would be more of a thriller. It was not so much a thriller as a complicated look at a very unique set of people and a tragic story that happened as a result of their circumstances. I am not sure I liked the ending of this book, but it was an imaginative story and I enjoyed reading it.
I am continuing with reading through the list of Newbery Award titles from the last several years. I absolutely LOVED this one. I can see why it won the Newbery medal. The magic of the tiger stories was such a critical element in this book. The story of the family relationships and their different ways of coping with illness was heartbreaking but so real. I couldn’t help but draw some parallels in my mind to another favorite book, A Monster Calls. This book is now in my all-time favorite list also. So powerful. I highly recommend it.
I got this title in my Book of the Month subscription box. It is a fun cozy mystery that also explores the Filipino-American roots of the author. It was a fun and quick read.
Books I’m Reading:
I’ve heard great things about this book. I am excited to dive into it more. I just barely started it last night before bed.
In between books, I sometimes find that I need a little reading material for right before bed, but don’t always want to start a new book at that time. This has been a good book for those moments. It is actually quite an interesting story.
I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.
What’s Next:
I will probably continue with the next Charlotte Holmes book and with the two other Newbery books I have waiting for me on my Kindle. I also will probably try to pick up another of the books from my Book of the Month pile.
What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
Earl shared Arsenic and Adobo, too! It’s fun that you read two ‘upstairs’ books! I read a different book at bedtime, too, read Longitude a long while ago, remember it as fascinating. And, I loved When You Trap A Tiger, too, the magic in it is lovely. Thanks, Andrea, I enjoyed reading all your reviews. I have The Firekeeper’s Daughter, will get to it soon!
Can’t wait to read The Firekeeper’s Daughter which I keep saying every time someone reviews it but I still haven’t gotten around to it.
What a great set of books! I still haven’t had a chance to read When You Trap a Tiger, but it sounds excellent, and I hope to get to it this summer! It’s wonderful that it’s a new favorite of yours. And I’ve heard many good things about Firekeeper’s Daughter, so thanks for reminding me about it. Thanks for the great post!
I haven’t read The Family Upstairs, but I did read one of Lisa Jewell’s other books – Watching You. It did keep me engaged, but have yet to read any of her others.
I’m another English major/mystery fan. THE WIFE UPSTAIRS sounds like my cup of tea. I’m also intrigued by the Filipino-American mystery.
I’m impressed that you’re reading LES MIS. That’s one I want to tackle someday. I’m sure it will be very satisfying when you finish it.
I already have Arsenic and Adobo on my list because Earl shared it today. It sounds delightful. I read When You Trap a Tiger earlier this year. I don’t remember making the connection to A Monster Calls, but I certainly see the link now.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful books.
I hope you are enjoying Firekeeper’s Daughter! I thought it was brilliant, but I wish I had had more time to read it in a bigger gulp. It was broken up by school – I always wanted more time with it!