It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme sponsored by Sheila at Book Journey.  Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist.  It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next.  Join up with us and discover what good books other people  are reading.

This has been a quiet week, which allowed me to catch up and finish several books that I had started. I’m looking forward to more good reading this week!

I finished…

Sword of Glory by Peter Danielson – In book VIII of the Children of the Lion, everything that could go wrong, does. Kamose is turning out to be worse than the wrongful pharaoh he is trying to overthrow. Members of an evil cult have influenced him and infiltrated all levels of the army. Riki quits the army in disgust and cannot overcome his grief over the loss of Teti–one of many plague victims. Seth sets out on a journey to discover the secret of his heritage, but is seduced by glittering temptations. Joseph’s descendents are enslaved and threatened. Will anyone–Baliniri, Mara, Miriam–be able to stand against the forces of evil long enough to ensure the safety of the foretold deliverer?

The New Geography of Jobs by Enrico Moretti – Moretti takes the long view of economics, looking at and describing trends that have developed over the past decades rather than the latest cycle of recession and growth. He describes a shift in the drivers of our economy from a manufacturing base to an innovation base. The internet didn’t do away with the need for proximity, but rather intensified it as he describes how various innovation hubs developed in particular locations. The good news for those areas are that they have the potential for continued growth, while the bad news for the rest of the country is continued decline. There are no easy answers to the growing divide he describes in detail, but understanding long-term causes as opposed to short term results is a start.

Elements of Style by William Strunk and EB White – I am amazed at how modern the wisdom contained in this slim little volume remains. This is a book to read slowly, to savor and chew on the writing advice and then strive to incorporate it into my own writing. I suspect I will refer back to it more than once as I continue writing. From the lucid explanations of grammar to the illustrations of style, I have much to learn.

The Deliverer by Peter Danielson – In Book IX, Moses has been groomed as a Prince of Egypt, to one day take over from the evil Amasis. Baliniri sends him as the head of an army to quash a rebellion in Nubia and continue his education. The mission also serves to keep Moses safe from the dangers lurking in the court at Thebes. Meanwhile, the Haibiru (the Hebrew descendents of Jacob) suffer in slavery and wait for their promised deliverer. What will happen when Moses learns of his true identity? All the way through the ninth book in this series, I have not been disappointed. The action is nonstop, but it is the characters I enjoy the most. Each generation of the Children of the Lion is filled with fascinating individuals who meet their destiny.

I’m currently reading…

The Exodus by Peter Danielson – Now it is time for Moses to fulfill his destiny–even though it is not at all what he imagined. The evil Apedemek has taken control over Kamose (poor guy can’t catch a break to just be himself) and even more evil spreads throughout Egypt.

By the Book: Writers on Literature and the LIterary Life from The New York Times Book Review edited by Pamela Paul – I’m still enjoying these interviews. Reading them makes me even more curious about other people’s reading lives, not just famous authors, but the people I interact with throughout my days and weeks. How many good books could I discover?

Coming up…

Who am I kidding? I had plans to pace myself through the Children of the Lion series, but now that I’m halfway through with it, there’s no slowing me down through the last half of the nineteen books. I also plan to pick up Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott to read again. I may not be able to join in the online discussion, but following their reading plan gives me a reason to revisit old writing favorites and discover new one.

What have you been reading this week?