Camels, What Are You Reading?, and ROW80

You know how sometimes you think it's one day but it's really another? The best, of course, if you work regular hours, is thinking it's Thursday and then finding out it's Friday.

Yesterday I knew it was Wednesday, but I was so busy thinking of all the catching up I have to do on blog comments that I forgot to put up a new post!

So let's pretend it's Wednesday on the blog for a few minutes...

In honour of that, I'm taking a tip from author Linda Grimes, who also forgot to post yesterday, but got hers up before midnight. If you haven't visited her blog before (and why not?!), you should know that she shares a camel with us every hump day, and sometimes more often.

Yesterday she also shared a photo of crocuses, but we won't get into that here, mostly because Montreal is in the midst of another snowstorm and I've basically forgotten what the word spring even means.

I found a public domain image of a camel in Turkey! (I do have a photo somewhere of myself sitting on a camel in Turkey, but it's on a different computer.)

Look at his jaunty cap!

Also this week, Nathan Bransford asks, what are you reading?

I'm in the middle of two books:

Notwithstanding, by Louis de Bernières


I'm enjoying the stories and I agree with de Bernières that a lot of the charm has vanished from English villages, but the book overall doesn't have the striking impact of Birds Without Wings. In a way, James Herriott's books are even more emotionally satisfying, but maybe that's not a fair comparison, since he was writing from within a certain time, as it were, while de Bernières is evoking characters and tales based on childhood memories.

I thought I'd blogged about Birds Without Wings before, but I don't think I have. Searching for it led me to this post I'd written for the Turkish Muse blog, on My Favourite Thing About Turkey.


The Mapmaker's Daughter by Laurel Corona


I was originally interested in reading this book because it's set close to the time period of my own story, Out of the Water. Now I'm invested in the story for its own sake, following the adventures of this young girl in 15th Century Spain and Portugal, "who makes the decision to live openly in the faith and experiences both the brutalities and joys of Jewish life over the course of her long life."

Ah, my own stories, you ask? I know there are only a couple of weeks left in this round of ROW80, but I haven't gotten much done on my goals this week. Been keeping up with the monthly writers' exercise on the Forum, though! And hope to comment on all of your blogs before the weekend is out!

What are you reading this week?

Have you ever ridden a camel?

Comments

Linda G. said…
LOVE the Turkish camels. Especially the one with the hat. ;)
Deniz Bevan said…
Yes, he's great!
Nick Wilford said…
Yes, I have ridden a camel in Tunisia. Fun, but must have been hard going on certain areas when that was their main form of transport!
I haven't been able to read as much fiction/creative nonfiction as I'd like this week, because I'm immersed in scholarly research for my dissertation. But I'd MUCH rather be reading fiction/creative nonfiction.
I've been so busy working on my latest manuscript that I forgot what I was reading last...
Unknown said…
That camel looks better in a hat than I do! :)
S.P. Bowers said…
Never ridden a camel. Not sure I want to try. I've been reading some of the books I picked up at our library sale.
Bish Denham said…
I love camels, and those are just darling! I'm finishing up Gilded by Christina Farley. It's a story that takes place in Korea.
Mark Koopmans said…
I'm reading (or re-reading) the Commitments by Roddy Doyle. It's hilarious, but definitely full of Dublin potty-mouths :)

PS... saw your comments over at mine and sending you huge congrats... and I am *so* happy for you guys :)

(But, seriously... do get some sleep before the bundle of joy announces his/her presence to the world :)

GOOD LUCK!!! and yahhy :)
Camels have two humps. Guess it would sound weird to say "Happy Hump Hump Day"...

that or perverse.

Those two books look good. Really trying to finish some of the books in my stack... It gets crazy sometimes.

I hear you about the writing though. It's always in flux. Sometimes you get a lot done, sometimes a little. And sometimes you miss Wednesdays. :-D
Zan Marie said…
Great pic, Deniz! I'm reading Sue Monk Kidd's THE INVENTION OF WINGS. It's a good one. Historical women's fiction about a famous woman abolitionist and early feminist.
Hi Deniz - I've never ridden a camel - I've ridden an elephant .. does that count!

Did I catch what Mark referred to .. congratulations is that is the case - wonderful news ..

Re the books - I love your choices - I wish I was a reader .. it's something I must develop ...

Time - can someone conjure time please?! Snow - still .. Spring will come .. all the best and cheers Hilary
Kelly Steel said…
Ha! Love the cap on it's head!
Jemi Fraser said…
Great camel pic!! I haven't ridden one yet - one day!

I hate when I get my days mixed up but it rarely happens the way you said - I usually think it's Friday and get sad when I find out it's only Wednesday :)
Denise Covey said…
I'm always reading lots of books. Roland's is one and I'm just starting the new Paullina Simons. And yes, I have ridden a camel to the highest point of the Sahara in Morocco to watch to sunset - one of my most memorable travel moments.
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks all!
That sounds amazing, Denise!
And wow, an elephant, Hilary, that would be fun!

Thanks Mark and Hilary :-)