My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
Happy birthday to my amazing, lovely, funny daughter! I wish I could be with her to celebrate… but here’s hoping our next visit isn’t too far in the future.
What did I read during the last week?
Shipped by Angie Hockman: Light romance with a fun setting. My review is here.
Getaway by Zoje Stage: Superb thriller set in the Grand Canyon. Gives me chills to even think about it! My review is here.
Witchmark by C. L. Polk: The first in a fantasy trilogy. My review is here.
Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire: The 7th book in the always terrific Wayward Children series. My review is here.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle: YA graphic novel – a fun, fast read.
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky: A brilliant blending of science fiction and fantasy. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
Nothing super special this week — just more episodes of the ongoing shows I’m currently watching (Claws, The Expanse, This Is Us, black-ish), and I watched a couple episodes of a few different streaming shows, including The Great, Station Eleven, and Ghosts (the British version).
Fresh Catch:
I didn’t buy books this week, but I did indulge myself with a little book-adjacent treat:
Yup, those are three Funko Pops characters from Pride & Prejudice & Zombies which, I’m not ashamed to say, is one of my very favorite Austen adaptations!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski: This is a re-read for me — I decided I wanted to get back into the Witcher series, but before I can move forward, I need a refresher on this book and the next.
Now playing via audiobook:
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood: Cute so far! And I really like that it’s about a woman pursuing a STEM career.
Ongoing reads:
One of my casual goals for 2022 is to spend some time with the pretty art books and coffee table books that I’ve picked up over the years. I have several that I’ve never done more than just glance at. This book is one that I bought more recently, after doing a series of jigsaw puzzles based on it. It looks lovely, so I think I’m going to keep it on my nightstand and look through it a few pages at a time over the next few weeks.
This week’s update: This book is organized by month, and so far I’ve read all of January! The illustrations are beautiful, and I’m enjoyed the diary entries about the natural world, but to be honest, there’s a bit too much poetry included. (I lack an appreciation for poetry, sad to say).
So many books, so little time…
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I love these Monday check ins, I find them insightful and interesting. Thank you x
Thank you so much! That’s very sweet. I really enjoy doing them — it’s a fun way to look back at the week. 🙂
The pictures of you and your daughter are beautiful! Happy Birthday to her. You read a lot of books last week! Hope you enjoy your upcoming reads too. 😉
Aw, thank you! (I miss her so much.) Last week’s reading was lots of fun (and it helped that three of the books were pretty short). Have a great week!
Happy birthday to your daughter! Those Funko Pops are so cute😁 Have a good week, Lisa.
Thanks, Tammy! Now I get to take my Funko Pops out of their boxes and decide what shelf they should live on. 🙂