“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.

 

 

Well, here in the US at least! Happy Labour Day!

Our plan for Monday includes a ride on a vintage steam train with some friends.

And we had a pretty great weekend.

We drove out to the city on Saturday – always fun for the kids to go across the Bay Bridge, see the old bridge and then the city skyline. Then to the California Academy of Sciences. My mum has been wanting to visit and we finally did!

The kids loved the aquariums, waving to the scuba divers cleaning the walkthrough tunnel. The earthquake simulator had them grinning – and me a little bit terrified of an actual huge quake happening! We’ve had a few tremors here recently – I’ve been shaken awake a few times in the past few months! And it was a good reminder of the importance of a ready bag. Which of course we don’t have…

 

With Mooncake Festival coming soon, we’re setting out to try different types of mooncakes. These are Taiwanese-style green bean mooncakes. The pastry is a flaky sort. It’s pretty good!

 

 

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

The Italian Girl – Iris Murdoch

I had randomly picked this off the library shelves during a wander, not knowing much other than its author. But it turns out it may be somewhat RIP-ish, staring with a funeral and all. We shall see… anything by Murdoch is of course beautifully written!

The Fifth Season – NK Jemisin

Jemisin is always amazing.

Watching:

I watched Seeking a Friend for the End of the World on Netflix the other day. It was a cute story, but I didn’t buy two things: that the world was ending (other than the rioting  , it seemed like a regular day); and the Keira Knightley- Steve Carrell thing. And yes, that was a big thing. It was a 3-star movie for me. As in, eh it was ok, good thing I watched it on Netflix and could do other things while watching it.

Also watching Angel Season 3 and Carrie Diaries Season 2.

Listening:

Elle King

Eating:

Taiwanese-style green bean mooncake. Mid-autumn Festival is September 27 everyone! Eat a mooncake! Drink some tea! Play with lanterns and sparklers! Or at least go outside and appreciate the moon.

Drinking:

Jasmine tea.

Cooking:

Fried beehoon (vermicelli) with French beans, carrots and tofu.

Mac and cheese. I’ve been saying I’ll make this for ages. I suppose I ought to!

Bak kut teh or pork rib soup. We even bought from frozen youtiao or dough fritters to eat with it!

Browsing:

Buried in Print has an amazing list of books she recommends for Diversiverse

How to Tell if you’re in an Elena Ferrante novel (The Toast)

Guiltless Reading has a monster list of bookish links

From We Need Diverse Diverse Books (LitHub):

We hope to hold literature to a higher standard. Yet I know a Korean-American author who was told that an editor could not buy his book because the house already had a Korean writer. This was echoed by journalist Sharline Chiang, who had a book rejected because the editor said they “already [had] a China book,” one that happened to be “about growing up during the Cultural Revolution” when Chiang’s was about an Asian American writing about Beijing in 1999 and 2000. Author May-Lee Chai told me that an agent rejected her first novel because the writing was “nothing like Amy Tan.”

Recipes that use Milo! It’s a chocolate-y malted drink in case you’re wondering..

Last week:

I read:

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant (Delilah Dirk #1) – Tony Cliff
I so need to post about all the amazing comics I”ve read recently. This was one of them!

The Snow Kimono – Mark Henshaw

A beautiful, puzzling read. It was kind of like reading something by a Japanese writer.

Showa 1944-1953: A History of Japan (Showa: A History of Japan #3) – Shigeru Mizuki, Zack Davisson

This is the third book of the series, and its the final years of the Pacific War. Devastating.

  

The Good House – Tananarive Due

For RIP X 

What are you reading this week?