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.

A mostly quiet week, with some family gatherings and a catch-up with an old friend who I haven’t seen since pre-pandemic. I didn’t have quite as much reading time as I would have liked, but what I did read, I really enjoyed!

Next weekend, I’ll be heading back east again for another quick trip to see my dad, so my time online and on the blog will be really limited. (Now for the fun part — deciding what books to bring on the plane!)

Blogging.

So, this happened:

I finally got the 500 reviews badge on NetGalley! Good timing, since I’m make much more of an effort to scale back on requests and focus on casual/mood reading from among the (many, many) unread books on my shelves.

What did I read during the last week?

Lute by Jennifer Thorne: Haunting and beautiful. My review is here.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: A painfully frank memoir by a former child star. It’s powerful and difficult; worth listening to the audiobook version. My review is here.

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci: This is a mixed bag of geek-themed YA stories — some great, some so-so, some that fell completely flat. Overall, a fun book to pick up and read a bit of from time to time, but I personally would not want to read it straight through, start to finish. I ended up reading all but three of the stories, which for me — someone who does not generally enjoy short stories — feels like an accomplishment.

Pop culture & TV:

Last week, I watched the delightful Fire Island on Hulu, and loved its approach to retelling Pride and Prejudice! My thoughts are here.

Other than that, I’m just busy keeping up with all the various series I have on the go — The Handmaid’s Tale, Interview with the Vampire, House of the Dragon, Ghosts, Abbott Elementary, Survivor… all of a sudden, there’s too much to choose from!

Fresh Catch:

New books this week!

Can you tell that I had an Amazon giftcard burning a hole in my pocket?

Also, I ordered a signed copy of Mary Robinette Kowal’s new novel, The Spare Man, from her local bookstore, and it arrived over the weekend, along with fun swag:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Sentence by Louis Erdrich: My book group’s pick for October! I’ve hit a lull at about 35%, but need to push past it so I can finish on time for our discussion. I love the author’s writing, but haven’t focused enough to get completely absorbed just yet.

Now playing via audiobook:

Rules at the School by the Sea (School by the Sea, #2) by Jenny Colgan: After my last audiobook (I’m Glad My Mom Died — see comments up at the top), I needed something light and cheery, and Jenny Colgan books always fit the bill. It’s fun to continue on with the story from Welcome to the School by the Sea — just the sort of joyful, sweet listen I was in the mood for.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

My on-going reads are feeling like a LOT right now. As of this week, I have all of these in the works… plus whatever my current book and audiobook happen to be.

• Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. We’ve made it about halfway so far!
• A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: I read this last year for the first time, and I’m joining the many fans who make reading this book an annual tradition each October. So much fun!
• Persuasion by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. I’ve read this several times already, but I’m always up for another go! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week, so this will be on my ongoing reading pile for the next few months.

So many books, so little time…