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.

I’ve been playing catch-up all week, but finally got time over the weekend to pause, take a deep breath, and even relax a bit!

What did I read during the last week?

Two of these are books I finished last week — but now I’ve found time to write reviews, so I’m including them again:

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: A spur-of-the-moment borrow from the library — such adorable fun! My review is here.

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean: Such a happy follow-up to Tokyo Ever After (which I loved). I’ll be posting a review later this week as part of the blog tour for this book’s release — stay tuned!

Pop culture & TV:

My son and I finished Moon Knight , which was consistently fun but also consistently confusing. I finally got around to watching the final batch of Grace & Frankie episodes. It’s been a fun show to watch, but it felt like it was time for it to end.

And, oh boy, The Boys is back, crazy and out-of-line as ever.

Puzzle of the week:

It’s another fun “world of” puzzle from Laurence King Publishing:

This one is The World of Charles Dickens — as with the other puzzles in the series, it has a ton of tiny details, including people and places from his novels. There’s a poster included that identifies who’s who, which is super helpful to refer to once the puzzle is done. This one was a bit more challenging than some of the others. All those roofs and windows!!

In case you’re interested, here’s the product image and purchase link:

Fresh Catch:

This hardcover (which I preordered ages ago) arrived this week:

(Yes, I already finished the audiobook… but I really needed a hard copy too!)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jenny Ryan: I’d planned to start this a week ago… better late than never!

Now playing via audiobook:

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow: The second Fractured Fables book (A Mirror Mended) will be out mid-June, so this felt like the right time for a re-read of book #1. I read the print edition when it was released last year, and I’m enjoying the audiobook so far!

Ongoing reads:

These books will be on my plate for months to come:

• Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading one scene per week — now in the middle of Act III.

So many books, so little time…