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 ran errands all weekend, took care of some scheduled car maintenance, and even found time to go to a farmers’ market!

As of next weekend, I’m heading off on a mini-vacation with my husband, doing a Northern California/Oregon road trip for a week. We plan to keep it pretty mellow, with some walks in the Redwoods and a stop at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

I will be basically off-line while I’m away, so as of a week from now, you won’t be hearing much from me!

What did I read during the last week?

New reviews:

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean: I loved it! My review is here.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan: A heart-warming story of women during wartime. My review is here.

Audiobook rereads:

I listened to audiobook versions of two books I read (and loved) last year, in preparation for their sequels, both arriving this coming week. Check out my original reviews of A Spindle Splintered and The Witness for the Dead.

Also this week:

Himawari House by Harmony Becker: This is a graphic novel that I grabbed on a whim while at the library. I liked a lot about it, but the art style was often confusing. Still, worth checking out!

Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes: Another library book — I grabbed this new fantasy anthology specifically to read its stories by Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs, and once I’d done that, I returned the book. The stories were entertaining enough, fitting into the authors’ established fictional worlds without being super dramatic. A nice afternoon’s read.

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi : DNFd at 25%. The story seemed promising, but the author uses footnotes constantly, and at least in e-book format, it’s incredibly disruptive and made it impossible to establish a reading flow. I didn’t care enough to force my way through it, although based on the premise, it could be a good read. Maybe if I come across a print version at some point down the road…

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve just started watching The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem on Netflix:

I’ve only seen two episodes, but I like it so far. (Watching with my husband, who does not like to binge, so it make take a while to get through all 10 episodes.) I read the book several years ago and really liked it. I’m not sure why the trailer is set to Scarborough Fair, though…

Coming up this week, I plan to start watching Becoming Elizabeth on Starz. Looks like they’re releasing one episode per week, which can be frustrating in this age of binges. Still, it looks really good! Has anyone tried it yet?

Fresh Catch:

Three new books this week:

Classics Club Spin!

It’s time for a new Classics Club Spin! This is my 2nd time participating, and while it’s a fun challenge, at the moment I’m not entirely thrilled about my selection: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. See here for my list; I’ll let y’all know how the book goes!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Book of Night by Holly Black: I bought this book as soon as it was released (early May), and I’m just now sitting down to read it. I’ve only gotten about 20% into it so far, but I’m certainly intrigued to see where the story goes. Very dark and grim!

Now playing via audiobook:

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur: I was looking for a light romance for my next audiobook, and this one seemed like a good choice for Pride-month listening! Plus, it’s a spin on Pride and Prejudice (I didn’t know that when I started it), and that’s always fun.

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…