Hey there! Welcome to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading!
I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Fair warning… this meme tends to add to your reading list!
Another fairly quiet weekend that allowed me a little audio time and a little book time. This week I managed to post:
12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northop
Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
Librarian For A Day Experience
Summer-Cation! Join in the on-line fun planned for next Friday!
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
This week I have a few commitments throughout the week and then a weekend get away next weekend that I am rather excited about. 🙂 With that said, here is the plan for the listening and reading this week:
For My Ears:
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
I just received this one in the mail this past week and it is really catching my attention.
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
Well, here is the thing. I needed another audio from audible.com. My audio books on my phone have all been listened to. When I haven’t heard of or seen on a blog anything that has really grabbed me… I go to Google. This time I google “Best narrated audio books” and this one comes up on the list. By sheer MASSIVENESS I have shied away from these books although I have been slowly collecting them from the library sales as they intrigue me. SO… we will see.
For My Eyes:
When Lily’s fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the town’s most vicious racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
Yes, there are books that even avid readers like myself miss reading. This is the book club that my book club chose for our March read. Oddly, I think only one or two of us have read it. So… in honor of my friend Amanda who is a bee keeper…. here we go 🙂
Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery. Without quite realizing it, they were shaping today’s tastes and culture, the way we eat now. The conversations among this group were chronicled by M.F.K. Fisher in journals and letters—some of which were later discovered by Luke Barr, her great-nephew. In Provence, 1970, he captures this seminal season, set against a stunning backdrop in cinematic scope—complete with gossip, drama, and contemporary relevance.
Most times, when books arrive to review they go to my review shelf to be picked off at a later date. OCCASIONALLY… a book will not make it to the shelf as I do want it to get lost int he shuffle so it will take an honorary spot on the table in the library and it will wait to be picked up. This is one of those books.
Feels like a solid plan to me. 🙂 I am curious what you are reading this week and what you read this past week. I pick up so many book ideas from all of you! Please add your What Are You Reading post to where it says “click here” below.
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Sounds like a busy week for you! Have a good one!
Thanks 🙂
You’ve never read The Secret Life of Bees? It’s gonna knock your socks off!
Bee free as this moment 🙂 I need to get on it.
loved the bees ! watched the movie while in scotland and totally moving – could try that for your group finale =) a group watch .. enjoy however !
I haven’t seen the movie either… that’s my reward after I read the book. I have allof these internal rules 🙂
My reading is going whatever catches my eye in the Melbourne library! looking forward to the library as much as meeting up with family.
Nice! I will be at our library tomorrow… we will see what I bring home 😉
The Mind Readers Series by Lori Brighton. The first book was free on Pixel of Ink. 🙂
What a great title! Enjoy!
I am loving the Game of Throne series on audio. I did have the books in print available if I needed to refer to them. For the first book, the family trees helped tremendously! Have a great week.
PS: I like your header!
Good to know – I think I have the first book… I will set up a map 🙂
Thanks about the header, I just tweaked it a bit 🙂
Hope you’ll enjoy Bees! Such a gem. I’m in the middle of a new mystery series and so far so good!
I am excited to get reading Bees 😀 Enjoy your books!
Provence looks so good, adding this to my list!
Fitness… We have a color run coming to my town this summer. Have you do this? I’m excited to be joining the club.
Yes! I have participated in the color run for the past two years – a lot of fun! The end of March we are doing a Glow run in the dark.. kind of excited about that one too 🙂
Man, that Winner’s Curse cover is gorgeous. It has a 4.36 rating on Goodreads. Added that to my to-read list.
Nice! I just received it in the mail and it is pulling me in!
I’m thinking Game of Thrones passed me by. At some time I think I either need to watch the TV series or read the books, maybe 2015 will be the time for me to do that.
I will see how it goes… if I get hooked… I am just going to keep on going 😀
Hope you enjoy Game of Thrones on audio. Seems like a good way to experience that series. There are lots of nuances that are not in the show. Provence 1970 sounds good too.
Like your Summer- cation idea, that should be fun!
HI Greg and thanks 🙂 I am excited to give GOT a try 😀
An eclectic mix! I’m sure you’ll enjoy A Game of Thrones, which I did, even though I have no desire to ever read another book in the series. Happy reading!
OOh interesting… I am wondering if the same would happen to me.
Very nice mix of books, Sheila, both audio and to read. I hope you’ll enjoy them. Provence 1970 seems very interesting, and I hadn’t heard of it before, so thanks for sharing.
Have a great Monday, and happy reading.
I am excited to read Providence!
It’s Monday, and I just finished reading Julian Barnes’s The Lemon Table.
Now I will be starting Roger’s Version, by John Updike.
The Lemon Table…. sounds incredible, hope it was 😀
Loved Secret Life of Bees! Keep hearing about her new one..must get to it at some stage!
My friends book club is reading the new one now.
I’ve heard mixed thoughts on The Winner’s Curse, it’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on that one.
Happy Reading!
🙂
I amin the early stages so I am liking it so far but curious where it will go.
I’ve had The Secret Life Of Bees on my bookshelf for ages, hope you love it, might be just the inspiration I need to pick it up. The Winner’s Curse is new to me, I’m curious. Have a wonderful week and happy reading.
New header … I like 🙂
PS have a great weekend getaway!
I thought it was on my shelf but it is not. Now I am in the stage of trying to find a copy! Not sure if I want to do it on audio and all the copies from the library are currently checked out (probably because my book club are reading them 😀 )
I definitely need to check out Summer-cation. Please, oh please, take me away from this cold!
I hope you join us for a little fun in the sun 😀
I had never read Secret Life of Bees, but I picked it up on audio – and it was really good! Now I want to see the movie – I’m like you, I won’t see a movie if I haven’t read the book yet. I also just finished listening to The Invention of Wings also by Sue Monk Kidd – another outstanding audio.
Have a great week!
~Kristin @ Always With a Book
I dont know if I have time for audio… maybe I do… I will have to look at it again 🙂
I LOVED The Secret Life of Bees. Your book club will love it too.
ENJOY!!
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
I enjoyed the secret lie of bees a lot, but sometimes it bordered a bit on the super-natural which I don’t tend to like. However, especially the relationship between the sisters was brilliantly described. You’ll love it.
I’m reading “The Killing” by David Hewson which everybody but me either seems to have read or watched the TV series and “The fault in our stars” by John Green. How do you manage to read so many books in one week?
These all look so great! Enjoy The Secret Life of Bees, with its journey into the “mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household.” And I like how the blurb mentioned two other favorites of mine: The Help and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. (Congrats, Beth Hoffman!).
The Winner’s Curse sounds really good. I will be waiting to see what you think!
Ooo the Provence book looks good!!! Have a great week!
I’ve been reading A Game of Thrones, etc. with a read-a-long at Tor.com…for years… We’ve only been doing a chapter or two per week, but still this series is huge. My only advice, don’t get too attached to characters. The series is about upheaval and upheaval is what us poor readers get.
I have heard really good things about the George R.R. Martin on audio. I hope you enjoy!
The Secret Life of Bees is a great movie too. You should totally watch it!
I liked The Winner’s Curse and loved The Secret Life of Bees. I recently read her new one, The Invention of Wings which I also thought was excellent. I liked A Game of Thrones too though I agree that the size of the books is a little daunting. I found this book to be very readable though. I just haven’t picked up the sequels yet…
I am currently reading Mambo in Chinatown, the second book by Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation. I am enjoying it, especially the descriptions of ballroom dancing. That is on my bucket list!
Heres mine: http://myownlittleworldinabook.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading.html
Ah your lucky! I want to read The Winner’s Circle!! I bet it’s really cool in audio!
http://www.booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-74/
Happy reading,
Stormi
I loved The Secret Life of Bees (the movie is really good, too) and look forward to reading The Invention of Wings. 🙂
Wow, with all the reading you do, it’s amazing you missed The Secret Life of Bees. It’s an amazing book – hope you like it.
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
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