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.

Not that I expect anyone but me to notice… but yes, I skipped a week last week! This is my first Monday post since 5/6, and that’s because my husband and I took a quick trip to New York last weekend for a family graduation.

And while the graduation was the prompt for the weekend, we decided to make a mini-vacation out of it. We stayed in the city, did a ton of walking around Central Park, mid-town, and elsewhere, saw an amazing show, visited with various family members, and all in all, just lived it up!

Of course, the flying and overall hectic pace meant I was exhausted by the time I got home (and went straight back to work) — but it was worth it!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

With flights and some random moments of down time, I did manage to do quite a bit of reading (yay!). Here’s what I finished reading over the last two weeks:

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren: A total blast. My review is here.

The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry: A haunted house story with an unusual setup and main character. My review is here.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean: A dark, disturbing thriller with plenty of twists. My review is here.

Where Have All the Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan: A backlist book by a favorite author which shows (sadly) that some books just don’t stand the test of time. My review is here.

Howards End by E. M. Forster: My Classics Club Spin book for spring! Loved it. Check out my reaction, here.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina: My book group’s book for May. Lovely and moving. Review to follow.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath: A cute Regency romance between a busy naval officer and the governess he hires to care for his nieces and nephew. My review is here.

And, from the prior week — a review for a book read earlier but not yet shared:

Disturbing the Dead (A Rip Through Time, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: Another excellent installment in a favorite series. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton is back! I don’t really understand why Netflix is releasing season 3 in two parts — I’ve already devoured the four episodes released this past week. and it’s frustrating to have to wait a few more weeks for more. Still… loving Penelope in the spotlight!

On a different pop culture note, my weekend in New York included a night on Broadway! We went to see & Juliet, and absolutely loved it. What a great production — so upbeat and entertaining! Highly recommended if you find yourself in New York, dying for a musical!

Fresh Catch:

Since I was away… no new books! (Okay, yes, I did grab a few deals for my Kindle, but no physical books purchased in the last two weeks)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate: Just getting started — seems like this will be interesting and intense.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest: This audiobook popped up when I was browsing my library’s app, and since it was available right away, I decided to give it a try. Pretty fun so far, especially since book lovers are at the heart of the story.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 91%.
• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 11%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…