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.

I still haven’t figured out why iTunes on my computer has quit talking with Apple and my iPod, but I found a workaround by transferring the next book I want to listen to to my phone. At least Android seems to be immune for the time from whatever ails the others. It took a while to find the right app to play it, and it’s not as convenient as my iPod since I haven’t figured out how to fast forward within a section, but I’m back to listening to books.

Blogs I posted this week:

•  Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer

I finished…

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The Mission Song by John le Carre  – It took me a little while to get into this one. Salvo is an aloof narrator. Even though it is in first person, it’s hard to get inside his thoughts, much less his feelings. But as I drew near the end, I had a hard time putting the book down. Salvo is asked to translate for a secretive deal that supposedly will bring peace and stability and even prosperity to his home country of the Congo, but he discovers that there are secrets behind the secrets and once again his homeland is about to be pillaged and thrown into war. As he tries to stop the events that he played a small part in setting in motion, he discovers that no one is willing to listen, much less act.

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The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson – I heard so many good things about this book when it first came out. I finally bought it for my nephew’s birthday present. Of course I head to read it, and it was so much fun. There are capers and cons (named after Star Wars and Star Trek and history and music and baseball). There are a gang of friends who sometimes quarrel, but come together to outwit the school bully who is planning to steal the election. There’s even a little bit of romance (but not too much). So what do they do? Steal it back, of course.

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Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee – Despite the controversy surrounding the publication of the lost manuscript, I knew I wanted to read it. How could I join in the conversation if I didn’t read it for myself. In some ways, I found it a bit disorienting. The switch between the present narrative and the flashbacks sometimes threw me off balance along with the disjointed thoughts of Jean Louise. Of course, Jean Louise (aka Scout) was thrown off balance as she confronted the changes and secrets from her past.

I’m currently reading…

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What Have You Lost edited by Naomi Shihab Nye – I think I read one or two poems this week. I need to get back in the habit–or find a way to make it routine so I don’t let the day get away from me before I read another poem. I like the idea of reading a poem a day, but I sometimes forget to sit down and open the book as I get busy.

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Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan – I’m reading another spy story. I do like those. I like the main character/narrator in this one. Serena Frome loves to read, but ends up studying mathematics at Cambridge. She has an affair with an older history professor who grooms her reading in politcs and history and steers her toward a career with M15. In the 1970’s, the options are limited for young women in the service, but Serena continues on anyway. I’m just getting to the part where she goes on her first assignment outside of clerical work.

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Soul Feast by Marjorie Thompson – I’m reading this with a study group from my church. My favorite part of the book is the wide margins for writing reflections as I read. In addition to reflecting on the journal questions scattered through the margins, I have plenty of reaction to much of what I’m reading. I’m trying to be selective in my underlining, but there are so many thoughts I want too come back to that the pages are filling up. This will be a book I will come back to again and again. I’m glad to have a record of my thinking from my first time through it. I’m also looking forward to discussing it with others.

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The Living by Matt de la Pena – Now that I finally figured out how to transfer the Sync YA books to my phone and listen, I picked this one. It’s my first book by de la Pena and I really like it. I’m eager to continue since I’m at the point where everything that could go wrong has–a deadly disease, massive earthquakes and tsunamis, and a sinking ship. I don’t think there will be many characters left among the living for long.

Coming up…

I’m enjoying the books I’m reading now, and have a few in bag to finish. There are even more waiting on my Kindle and phone. The hard part will be deciding which to start on next. I also need to catch up on reviewing what I’ve finished recently.

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.