It’s Monday, what are you reading?—a weekly blog meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
On my drive out to Aspen a couple weeks ago, I started the audio for The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It’s a pretty long audio (18 hours!) and the drive from KC to Aspen was around 13 (didn’t listen on the way back). I have trouble listening to audiobooks in my day-to-day normal life—I find it hard to concentrate—so I picked up a paperback copy from the library to finish up. I still have just under 100 pages to go at this point, but I still feel immersed in the story. It’s got a little bit of everything: history, adventure, mystery, romance, humor, betrayal, coming-of-age… and BOOKS are the catalyst for it all! (Well, almost, sorta 😉 )
The Dinner by Hermon Koch is the second book I’m working on right now. I had a cold during my trip to Aspen (SUPER LAME) so I spent some time resting and trying to recuperate in my husband’s dorm. It’s a book that starts out normal enough—two couples meet at a restaurant for a five-course meal—but the conversation and atmosphere gets darker and more messed up with every chapter. Flashbacks fill in a lot of the reason for tension between the couples, including the reason they meet this night. The Dinner is one of the books I bought for Nick at the beginning of the festival, in case he wanted some entertainment, and figured I’d read it (and the three others) after he came home. Well, when I arrived in Aspen I asked how much reading he got in, and he said “eight pages.” “Well, it’s an eight-week festival, so that’s one page a week. Not bad!”*
*I’m the big reader nerd of the two of us, and to be fair the Aspen Summer Music Festival is really busy and packed with concerts and activities for the participants. I didn’t think he’d read four books!
What are you reading this week?
my little heart melodies 
Sorry about the cold, i hope you are feeling better :)Have a great reading week,
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
Thanks! I am feeling a lot better now 🙂 it was a short-lived cold, luckily. Hoping to squeeze in some good reading time this week! Have a good one!
I hope you know that Shadow of the Wind is a trilogy!!! So you’re hooked now. . . no excuses not to read the second and third books. . .
I’m reading The Middlesteins and finishing up a book of short stories.
Hahah yes, I saw that it’s the first of a trilogy… and I know I’m not really “into” series books…! Bah! Well, I want to do Atwood’s Maddaddam triology first, I loved Oryx and Crake more than Shadow. But it’s still good! I would not rule out finishing the trilogy in the future. But more seriously I need to catch up on my 2013 TBR Pile Challenge before anything else, I’m about 2 books behind there
Have a great week of reading!
Loved O&C!!! I’m just a huge Atwood fan in general. But I definitely need to pick up the others in that series.
I liked The Diner. Have a great week of reading.
Thanks! I’m in the home stretch, only about 30 pages to go. Have a great week & thanks for checking out my blog 🙂
Oh my goodness….Shadow of the Wind is one of my all-time favorite books. I loved it so much I “had” to go to Barcelona. 🙂 We did go and found all of the places in the book. It was such fun.
Have a great week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
Stupid summer colds 😦 They are the worst.
I’ve heard such crazy things about The Dinner. Can’t wait to hear your final thoughts.
I know, right?? And WHY do they always hit me while I’m on vacation!?! GRR! Anyway, I feel all recovered now 🙂
I only have like 30 pages to go of The Dinner, hoping to finish tonight!