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.

This week was the big annual fundraiser for the non-profit where I work, and it was a blast! I volunteered for the first couple of hours as a “greeter”, then got to kick back and enjoy the party with my friends and coworkers for the rest of the evening. It was a beautiful, fancy gala, gorgeous decor, delicious food and drinks… and of course, best of all, the event met (and I think exceeded) our fundraising goals!

Other than that — rain, rain, and more rain, so my outdoor time has been very limited. Always a downer! Still, I managed to get in some great reading and fun with family, so all in all, a pretty good week.

Also, I thought this was sweet:

I relate! Sometimes just being near my books makes me happy, even if I’m not actually reading at that moment.

What did I read during the last week?

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan: Absolutely loved this audiobook! My review is here.

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8) by Deanna Raybourn: An excellent new installment in a terrific series. My review is here.

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe: Silly, entertaining graphic novel about Greek gods as urban party people. A bit uneven (and I couldn’t always tell which character was which) — but I liked it enough to go grab the next volume from the library.

Lessons at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan: This 3rd book in the School by the Sea series is just so much fun! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Anyone else watching Daisy Jones & The Six? I’ve seen four of the six available episodes so far (and there are four more still to drop). It’s… mostly okay? I think rereading the book so recently was probably a mistake, since the show definitely pales by comparison. I’m not loving some of the changes from page to screen, and especially in the early episodes, casting a mid-30s actor as a character supposedly in his early 20s just doesn’t work. It’s getting better as it goes along, so I’ll stick with it to the end.

Fresh Catch:

A few new books this week:

The Mira Grant book is one I ordered ages ago from Subterranean Press — so happy it finally arrived! And I’m super excited for the ARC of Infinity Gate — I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far.

I also ended up buying this set — for some reason, I thought this was going to be a three-in-one volume, rather than a box set, but I’m still happy I have it:

Puzzle of the week:

A really good one!

I have one more Charley Harper puzzle to do (The Sierra Range), and five more unopened puzzles beyond that. I guess I’ll be keeping busy for a while!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Lone Women by Victor Lavalle: Really close to finishing! Can’t wait to see how the story gets resolved.

Once I finish, I’ll be bouncing between these three books:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: I’ve been very on-the-fence about reading this hyped-to-death book, but my library hold came in, so I guess it’s time!

Lore Olympus, volume 2 by Rachel Smythe: A fun diversion, and I need to see where the story goes.

The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger: I’ve read this one already, but my book group will be meeting to discuss it in a couple of weeks (plus we’ll be zooming with the author!), so I need a refresher.

Now playing via audiobook:

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice: It has literally been DECADES since I read (and re-read) this book, and after watching the TV version, I decided it’s time to go back to the source. I’ve only just started this audiobook, but I’m already hooked.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• 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. Coming up this week: Chapters 108 and 109 (of 155).
• A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week.

So many books, so little time…