Monday, June 3, 2013

It's Monday 6/3! What Are You Reading?


Chaotic and busy here last week!  My college son came home from school, along with all of his friends, old and new. Our house has been filled with college kids all week (not that I mind). My high school son has final exams this week and is still trying to finish up make-up work from his last surgery by the end of the week...when he will have yet another (hopefully last) knee surgery. So, busy, busy here and no more alone time for mom!

And it's June already! So, be sure to check out my annual Big Book Summer Challenge so you can enjoy a book-ish summer. It's super low-key - you only have to read one (or more) books of 400 pages or more by September to participate. So join the fun!

I did a lot of blogging here last week due to Armchair BEA...but then had no time for writing reviews! Anyway, we all had a good reading week:
  • I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (my second time) for my online family book group this month . It was just as amazing as I remembered - I cried as I read the last pages last night. It counts as my first Big Book of the summer
  • I am still listening to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne on audio (almost done now).  It's been weird reading/listening to two different books about children set during the Holocaust at the same time. This one is also excellent, told from the unique point of view of a young boy who is completely ignorant of the horrors that are going on around him.
  • Today, I will start Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall for my local library's book discussion next week.
  • My husband, Ken, finished reading A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin, book 3 in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.  Woohoo!  He deserves a round of applause for that one at 1200 pages! That's HIS first Big Book of the Summer.
  • He took my advice and is now reading The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson which blew me away. He says he's having trouble getting into it, so I hope he likes it.
  • Jamie, 18, is thrilled to be home for the summer and to finally have some time for fun reading! He finished Book 3 in the Heroes of Olympus, The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan. He and a college friend were reading the series together, and they both loved it!
  • Jamie is now reading The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller. He says it's great so far!
No reviews last week but lots of posts about books and more:

Armchair BEA Posts:
Snapshot Saturday - my purple irises.
Weekend Cooking - feeding hungry college students and a couple of Rachael Ray recipes.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.)   

8 comments:

Hannahlily said...

The Book Thief is SO good. Have you read Zusak's I Am the Messenger? I think I like that book even better! I picked up the first book in The Song of Ice and Fire series but I put it back as it intimidated me so much! I am very intrigued by it, though.

D.C. Rush said...

Very nice books. Please check out our three children's books at www.dcrushbooks.com

http://dcrushbooks.blogspot.com/

Roses said...

The Book Thief is one of the next books on my pile to read. I'm reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares.

Sue Jackson said...

Hanna -

I have not read I Am he Messenger yet but would love to - thanks for the tip!

Sue

Sue Jackson said...

Rose -

I just read Brave New World last year for the first time and loved it!

Hope you enjoy The Book Thief -

Sue

Unknown said...

Sue, I love your idea of a summer reading challenge based on big books. I am in! Blood Red Road has been sitting on my TBR pile for two years and it looks amazing but I have never cracked it open. Thanks for the motivation. I always read the Harry Potter series in July as an tribute to one of the greatest series ever written.

Sue Jackson said...

Julee -

Great! I'd love for you to join in the fun! Blood Red Road was one of my Big Books last summer - it's actually a pretty quick read for something that long.

Put up a kick-off post and come back to post your link!

Sue

Jamie E. said...

I still want to read the Book Thief. Hope you enjoyed it. Your husband is tackling a series I still need to get to. Hope he likes it. :)
here is my Monday post