It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Well last week was a very productive reading week. On the same day I finished Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart, and Cinnamon and Gunpowder. Charlotte Bronte will be one of the year's best for me, no doubt; Cinnamon I'd recommend as a literary beach read or prequel to Amitav Ghosh's Ibis Trilogy. And then since I had some extra reading time I started and finished The Core of the Sun, this month's Nordic Book Club selection, by Johanna Sinisalo, which I also enjoyed as a light read. I may even have some reviews this week!

On to the next step then.

I started Haldor Laxness's Independent People at the quilt retreat a week ago Saturday; I put it aside when I got home to finish Core but I'm taking it up again today. So far I'm enjoying it a lot. About a farming family in Iceland, it's a nice return to historical fiction.

I also started Emma Brockes' searing memoir She Left Me the Gun, about her mother's life in South Africa before she became a mother. It's very readable and I'm enjoying it a lot. I always enjoy reading about South Africa and this slice-of-life memoir is fascinating and dark.

As for a nonfiction book to read at the gym, I haven't decided yet. I've got just a few options! Kevin Birmingham's The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce's Ulysses is a strong candidate though. I'll keep you posted.

What are you reading today?