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 busy week, with gorgeous weather showing up just in time for the weekend! We had friends over for brunch, and we took our overstuffed selves out for a great walk by the beach. Good company, great views… such a nice day.

Blogging etc.

I’ll be offline for about 10 days starting tomorrow, as we’ll be busy with some family events and visits. I may pop by here and there, but I don’t actually expect to do any blogging, posting, or visiting of other sites for the time being.

What did I read during the last week?

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain: A terrifically entertaining Regency story of women’s empowerment (and yes, romance). My review is here.

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstong: This audiobook was a reread for me, but enough time had passed that I didn’t remember a ton of the details. It was still great the 2nd time around! My review from my first read is here.

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon: We’ve reached the end! My book group has been reading and discussing this book for the past six months, and we’ve finally gotten to the end of our journey. Such a great experience sharing this reread with everyone! We haven’t quite decided what our next big Outlander-related group read will be.

Disappearance of a Scribe (Eye of Isis, #2) by Dana Stabenow: An absorbing mystery set in Cleopatra’s Alexandria. My review is here.

Ballgowns & Butterflies (A Stitch in Time, #1.5) by Kelley Armstrong: After enjoying the audiobook for A Stitch in Time, I couldn’t resist listening to this novella as well, which takes place a few months after the first novel. A sweet holiday-themed treat.

Pop culture & TV:

I made it through the end of Fellow Travelers! All in all, an excellent series. There’s a time jump that I wasn’t expecting that kicks in as of the sixth episode and it took me a beat or two to adjust, but that’s okay. Fabulous acting and storytelling all the way through.

I’m curious: Has anyone read the book this series was adapted from? I’m really curious about how it compares and whether it’s worth reading.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week — a paperback that I first heard about via The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean: My book group’s pick for March. Just getting started.

Now playing via audiobook:

I don’t think I’m going to have much audiobook time this coming week, but if I do, I’ll probably squeeze in one (or both) of these novellas.

Ongoing reads:

Now that we’ve wrapped up Dragonfly in Amber, my book group has just one longer-term read in the works right now:

• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 68%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…