Thursday, July 3, 2008

Booking Through Thursday



It’s a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so let’s keep today’s question simple–What are you reading? Anything special? Any particularly juicy summer reading?

I'm reading Pravda, by Edward Docx, and Fatelessness, by Imre Keretsz, and A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz. A Voyage Long and Strange is about some forgotten or lesser-known stories from early American history; the first chapter was about the Viking explorations and settlements in northern Canada. It's very well-written- very engaging and fun. I gave a copy of it to my father in law for Father's Day and I'm actually really enjoying it myself!

Fatelessness is a Holocaust novel set mainly in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It's good but difficult- grim and intense. Pravda is a modern-day family-suspense drama set mainly in St. Petersburg. It's awesome so far. Densely written, good characters and an intriguing plot. It's been long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and deservingly so, I think. I'm about 15 chapters in and it's about 50 chapters long, so I do still have a way to go. But they're short chapters!

But it's not all about the grim and difficult. I'm reading volume 3 of Happy Mania, my chick-lit manga series, and just got volume 1 of Absolute Boyfriend, which if anything is even fluffier. Because you can't be so serious all the time.

What are you reading this weekend?

11 comments:

joanna said...

Thanks for the ideas, I've added Pravda and A Voyage Long and Strange to my wishlist, both sound excellent! :-)

S. Krishna said...

I think I'm going to have to add Pravda to my TBR list!

SmilingSally said...

From that list of three, I'll choose fluffy!

Anonymous said...

In summer, I'm so busy outside that I try to keep the books short -- even if the topics are someewhat weighty. I'm on the last 40 pages of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and next up is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Still looking for a western-ish book for a late-July trip to Colorado.

Anonymous said...

My dad's side of the family is coming over tomorrow. There are seven kids in his family plus other friends. It will be a mad house.

gautami tripathy said...

I am kind of taken in by Canadian challenge. So I am look out for Canaian books. This sounds good.

And do read The i Tetralogy by Mathias B. Freese.. It is about the Holocaust and a very difficult read. But also a must read.

Julia said...

I should add Pravda and the Happy Mania to my TBR list! I think they are the one I be interested in :)

Happy BTT and have a good weekend ahead!

Anonymous said...

Pravda sounds like something I would like! I'll have to add it to my never-ending list. =)

Marie Cloutier said...

gautami, it's just the first chapter that's about Canada. the rest of the book is about american history. :-)

Ruth said...

Fluff is definitely good, and I could use some right about now. I'm reading a memoir by Susanna Barlow called What Peace There May Be. It's about her years growing up in a polygamous family -- she was the 23rd child of 46 -- and while it's well-written and easy to read, the subject matter can get pretty intense at times.

Marie Cloutier said...

Ruth, I agree. I read a lot of heavy things and I think it's good to balance it out. :-)