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.

It’s been a quiet week, but that’s okay! We had beautiful weather over the weekend, so my husband and I decided to go out and explore a hiking trail we’d never tried before. It was fairly short (2.5 miles), but with some nice changes in terrain and pretty views. Afterward, we headed to wander around a cute nearby town, and finished with dinner overlooking the beach and with a great view of the sunset. It was so nice to break out of the usual weekend routine of errands, household projects, and laundry!

What did I read during the last week?

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: Terrific historical fiction set in San Francisco’s Fillmore District during the 1950s. My review is here.

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: A powerful work of narrative non-fiction about the Titanic tragedy. My review is here.

Also, I read another story from Amazon’s Improbable Meet-Cute collection:

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren: A cute story about a misdirected email leading to a 10-year friendship and more. I really enjoyed it.

Pop culture & TV:

I ended up watching quite an assortment this week…

I finished the One Day series on Netflix. I was a little skeptical at first, but within the space of the very first episode, I really fell for the characters and the pace. This is a limited series — 14 half-hour episodes, and the story is done. The casting is very strong, and this is a much better adaptation than the 2011 movie.

Meanwhile, a group of us at work got together for a lunchtime viewing of Stamped From the Beginning (also on Netflix). Highly recommended.

Then, over the weekend, my husband and I ended up watching Eternal Memory, a very moving documentary (which we later discovered is nominated for an Oscar). Another one that I strongly recommend.

Fresh Catch:

I won a Goodreads giveaway! I got the notification yesterday — I’m looking forward to reading this, although it’s listed on Goodreads as #2 in a series and I haven’t read the first. (I’m guessing, based on the synopses for both books, that it’s only a loose connection… we shall see.)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Aftermarket Afterlife (Incryptids, #13) by Seanan McGuire: It’s always a treat when a new book in this series comes out!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon: I’m *this close* to the end! This has been a light, fun listen.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 44 and 45 (of 49). Progress: 84%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 59%.
• Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi: After watching the Netflix adaptation, I decided I should take the time to read the book. I’m pretty terrible at reading serious non-fiction, so I’m a bit on the fence about whether to commit. For now, I’m going to aim to read a couple of chapters per week — we’ll see how it goes. So far, I’ve only read the two prefaces and the introduction.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…