“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly event hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney to share with others what we’ve read the past week and planning to read next.

 

 

 

A very happy Year of the Sheep to one and all!

It’s very different celebrating the Lunar New Year here in the US, so very far from Singapore. Plus it’s not a holiday, the husband goes to work, Wee Reader goes to school. But I try to make some attempt to celebrate it, like putting up some lame decorations! Please note that the “fu” 福 character at the bottom of the lantern is intentionally upside down, as it means that 福 or good fortune arrives.

 

 

You know it’s Lunar New Year eve when the Chinese supermarket has people waiting in line to buy live fish at 930 on Wednesday morning. And those tanks were stuffed with fish!

 

New Year’s Eve is when we have ‘reunion dinner’ or 团圆饭 (tuan yuan fan). This used to mean a big hotpot dinner at my grandparents’ house when I was growing up, full of plates and plates of raw food to be dipped into the hot stock! But with just the four of us, I wanted to make sure the kids had something they really like eating – sushi! So not traditional, but fun to eat anyway.

 

 

It has been spring-like weather here in Northern California. While I like being able to take the kids out, and not have to wear winter coats, I keep wondering, as does everyone on the West Coast – where’s the rain!?!?! We need the rain!

 

Currently….

 

Reading:

A Chinese Life – Philippe Ôtié and Li Kunwu ; illustrated by Li Kunwu

Under a Silent Moon – Elizabeth Haynes
For an upcoming book tour

Showa: A History of Japan, 1926-1939 (Showa: A History of Japan #1) – Shigeru Mizuki

 

Watching:

Top Gear!

Listening:

Malaysian singer-songwriter Zee Avi

Browsing:

River City Reading makes some Tournament of Book predictions!

Buried in Print talks about some book awards lists like the CBC Bookie Awards

SO MANY good comics!!

I need to make this Apple Fritter Bread.

This diverse, gender-swap fantasy cast of LOTR is so much fun to read.

An important post by Andi at Estella’s Revenge about Getting Real

Eating:

I made a chocolate root beer bundt! It was too ugly to photograph but pretty yummy and moist.

Drinking:

Water

Cooking:

I always resort to some kind of noodle dish when lacking inspiration so that’s going to be one to eat this coming week.

And a pasta thingy, probably with sausage and broccoli. Ooh or maybe a carbonara.

Chicken stew

 

Looking forward to:

My mum’s arrival from Singapore on Monday!

 

Last week…

I read:

Station Eleven – Emily St John Mandel
Finally got hold of this book and proceeded to finish it in the next couple of days. I would have gobbled it down earlier but it felt like something that should be given enough time to digest.

Lots of comics!

I posted:

The Last Good Paradise

Happy Year of the Sheep! – a post on New Year books for kids and ‘sheep’ books for adults!

A non-runner reads Carrie Snyder’s Girl Runner – and loves it! Hope you read it too!