It's Monday, What Are You Reading (97)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next.


Thanks for all the kind words this past week as I took a bit of a break from blogging to help my wrist heal. I am still wearing a wrist brace but I am feeling much better. At least my neck and back are not hurting much anymore and I am getting more sleep which is a huge improvement. I still need to take it easy this week which means devoting more of my free time to reading rather than using the computer. Too bad I can't blog from my iPhone-much less strain on the wrist!

Books read:

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

I really enjoyed this book but I'm glad I watched the movie first. I think the movie is fairly faithful to the book but I appreciated the story more having watched the movie already. This is the February pick for my evening book discussion group. I look forward to my meeting Tuesday night to see what everyone else thought.

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

This is a book I hadn't heard of till I got it through Amazon Vine.  I loved all the cupcake descriptions though it made me hungry and I wish there were recipes included!

The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes

I really enjoyed this guide to the show and the historical information it draws on. Both entertaining and informative!

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

At first I worried that I wouldn't like this book because of the main characters but they both grew on me and I ended up loving How to Save a Life. 

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

I liked Midnight in Austenland though at times I did get a bit annoyed with both the protagonist and the mystery (probably because of the reminders of Northanger Abbey, my least favorite Austen novel). The romance though is really good if a little rushed. 

Books reviewed:

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Currently reading:

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

This is the February pick for my afternoon book discussion group. I have already heard from two book group members that they loved the book. I struggled with it at first but now I am really getting into the story and hopefully I will get it done in time!

What I plan to read next:

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

This book sounds similar to Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson. I came across it on a list of books similar to Downton Abbey so I had to give it a try. It isn't set in the same time period (it takes place a few decades later during WWII) but it is about a young woman who becomes a housemaid.

The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig

I usually enjoy this series but I have my doubts about the love interest as it is that poet Augustus Whittlesby. I had doubts about The Mischief of the Mistletoe though because Turnip was the love interest and I still really liked that one.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I hope to finally read the book that everyone in the YA world was raving about last year.  I need to return it to the library in a couple of weeks so I need to start it soon!

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

I really liked The Peach Keeper and I am trying to listen to this on audio. I like the story but it isn't easy to listen to the narration in my car because I keep missing things. I am trying to get a paper copy to read from the library instead...

The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

I am a big fan of this series and I hope to read this book in the next month sometime. 

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

I've had this for review since last May and haven't finished it yet so I am adding it to my t0-read-soon pile. I've read a few chapters and so far Cora reminds me of an American version of Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey.

So that's my reading plan for the moment. 

What have you been reading lately? Have you read any of the books on my list?