Monday Memes

It’s Monday, What are you reading?

Hosted by Sheila at One Person’s Journey through a World of Books.

KEY:
E– E-book Challenge
G – 2012 Genre Challenge
BFF – Bookie Friends’ Favourites Challenge
BL – Bucket List Challenge
S – Off The Shelf Challenge
AZ – A-Z Challenge
C – Classics Challenge
R – Review for author or publisher
K – Reading for Kindle Klub Book Group

Lew Wallace – Ben-Hur (K/C)
I’ll be starting this e-book this week and reading it for discussion with the rest of Kindle Klub this month…

Georgette Heyer – Regency Buck
I’ve borrowed this one from a colleague. Stephen Fry once mentioned on a TV programme that The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer was one of his favourite books, and I resolved I would give it a try. My colleague offered to loan me this one as she’s just finished reading it, so I couldn’t refuse! I’ll get to the other one another time and see if I agree with Mr Fry!

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Cover Crazy

Hosted by The Book Worms

What I love:
I just love the highly stylised illustration which is mostly taken up by the sea with the ship just peeking out from behind a rising wave on the horizon. The muted colours are beautiful and work well with the stark black silhouettes of the birds, the ship, and the lone figure on the prow. For once I love that the title is front and foremost, enclosed in a bold circle with a plain font, and the author’s name almost sinking into the water.

Synopsis:

Citizens of our beloved Democratic Republic of North Korea! Imagine the life of an orphan boy plucked from nowhere to be trained as a tunnel assassin, a kidnapper, a spy.

He has no father but the State, no sweetheart but Sun Moon, the greatest opera star who ever lived, whose face is tattooed on his chest.

Imagine he lives in our very own country, a model of exemplary Communism. A nation that is the envy of the world, especially the Americans. Where the only stories people need to hear are those blasting out of loudspeakers to the glory of our dear Leader, Kim Jong il.

Dry your eyes now, comrades! Prepare to hear the Greatest North Korean Love Story Ever Told.

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Musing Mondays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

When you walk into a bookstore — any bookstore — what’s the first section you head toward (what draws you)?

I always go to bookstores with a specific purchase in mind, so I head straight to the department where I think it will be shelved. I’m afraid I rarely shop in bookstores because I can usually get books cheaper online or at non-genre-divided discount shops like The Works or one of the pound shops, but if I have book vouchers to spend, I go straight to the book shop (usually Waterstones, as it’s the biggest one we have in Aberdeen) with my Most Wanted list, and search appropriately.