It’s Monday, what are you reading? (3)

Hosted at Book Journey.

Last week I finished reading:
The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy

Enjoyed this, but didn't love it quite as much as Love Begins in Winter, his second collection.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

I've been listening to this on audiobook for a couple weeks now (it's about 14 hours) and absolutely loving it. It's read by the author and she does an incredibly funny job; accents, special jokes and an interview exclusive to the audiobook included. I think this is definitely a book that is better on audio than it would be in print. I will have to see if any of Libba Bray's previous books are available on audio as well.

Possession by Elana Johnson

 Well, I finished it. Got to admit it is definitely not my favourite dystopia of the year, I just found the world-building weak and quite a bit of the story confusing. I'll have a full review up at some point.

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

I'd have thought it was impossible but Van Booy actually outdid his short story collections with this incredible debut novel. It was incredibly beautifully written and I only have one minor issue with it- which will be revealed in my upcoming review this Friday. But definitely pick this one up, Van Booy just keeps getting better.

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free by Marlisa Brown

I got pretty much what I expected out of this book, some helpful hints, some good reminders, some recipes I may try, and some new facts I'll use to impress my friends at parties (just kidding about that last one). It was a little heavy on the lists, many of which you could probably figure out by Googling, but still, it never hurts to be reminded that when on your gluten-free battle, you're not alone.

Paramita, Little Black by Suzanne Robertson

I was in the mood for a little poetry and this debut collection was in my Netgalley queue, plus the poet is Canadian, so I decided to try it out. It had its ups and downs but contained some lovely moments overall and was a respectable first collection. You can read my review of it here. Also, don't you hate when you can't find a high resolution book cover image? I can't even take my own picture since it was an egalley.

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley

I managed to get more reading done this week than I expected and I'm so glad I got a chance to pick up this riveting memoir, combined with scientific analysis in a blended way that I enjoyed far more than last time I experienced with the memoir Lonely by Emily White. I'll try to have a review up soon, but do you really need my praise, isn't that fantastic evil cupcake cover enough to get you to add it to your reading stack? (I know it's a stack, or even, as in my case, more like a landfill.)

The Zoo in Winter by Polina Barskova

I was in the mood for another collection of poetry so I picked up this, the first translation of a contemporary Russian poet. It's selected poems from a career of nearly twenty years, and although at times I felt a little too ignorant of its literary references, I enjoyed it overall.

What I plan to read this week:
Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast edited by Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane

I've been wanting to read this ever since I discovered Crozier earlier this year with her most recent collection of poetry, Small Mechanics, that I adored. The topic of addiction is fascinating to me but I'm trying not to buy too many books for space reasons and I was so ecstatic when I learned my university library had it. Now I've had it for a couple months and haven't read it yet, so when my reading schedule got a little more flexible I knew now was the time. I haven't heard of any of the authors included besides Crozier but I trust her taste and can't wait to dig in.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

I've heard that this book combines literary and young adult fiction into an incredibly powerful story, and if that's the case I expect to be as in love with the writing as I am with its cover.

Vital Signs by Tessa McWatt

I always love the chance to read a new Canadian author and this intense story will be my first by McWatt. It's a short book, under 200 pages, but with a very heavy topic about an aging married couple where the woman has a time-ticking aneurysm in her brain. This is another book with a very beautiful cover and I am curious to give it a try.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Even though I love the mermaid trend (especially when they are a bit darker, like in this book and Lost Voices by Sarah Porter) in theory, I haven't actually read one yet! This short read seems like a good place to start, plus it's always fun to read a book you know you'll be able to devour in one day.

The Diviner's Tale by Bradford Morrow

After finishing Beauty Queens I decided to go for a more serious audiobook. I was really interested in the creepy and mysterious premise but the book itself is paced pretty slowly which is probably exaggerated by the format. Still, I'm two thirds through and I feel like the story has hardly begun.

What are you reading this Monday?