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.

I’m back! My husband and I spent the past week in beautiful Hawaii, enjoying sand, sun, gorgeous seas, delicious food, and utter relaxation.

I managed to fit in quite a lot of reading while we were there — bliss! It was hard to leave paradise behind and return home… vacations must eventually end, but since my husband stated mid-week “I could see coming back here every year”, we can start looking forward to the next time!

Blogging world:

I was offline all of last week, so I’ll have quite a bit of catching up to do on my blog. One thing I missed this week was the kick-off of the summer Classics Club Spin, a blogging event that I always enjoy. I didn’t get back in time to put up a pre-spin post before the results announcement — but since I already have a list from previous spins, I’m going to read the book that corresponds to the newest spin anyway! See my ongoing reads, below, to find out what it is.

What did I read during the last week?

I finished two books right before leaving on vacation:

• The Husbands by Holly Gamazio (review)
• The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest (review)

Also in the week before our trip, I listened to a bunch of audio shorts:

Check out my audiobook round-up post, here.

As for my vacation books:

I haven’t had time to write up my reactions to these books yet, but I should have reviews coming later this week:

• Cocktails & Chloroform (A Rip Through Time, #2.5) by Kelley Armstrong
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
• Until Next Summer by Ali Brady
• The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

Pop culture & TV:

Nada! I didn’t turn on a TV or do any streaming during the past week! Of course, now that I’m back, there’s plenty to choose from. I’ll probably start with season 4 of The Boys. I’m preparing myself for all the over-the-top ickiness that show is sure to entail…

Fresh Catch:

One new book arrived for me this week — a lovely hardcover edition of The Black Bird Oracle.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness: I powered through about half of this book on the plane trip home, but haven’t had much reading time since. I love being back in the All Souls world!

Now playing via audiobook:

Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn: I had little moments on vacation where I need an audiobook, but didn’t want to have to concentrate too hard — so doing an audio reread of a favorite Bridgerton book seemed like an obvious choice! I’m enjoying this one quite a bit — should finish later this week.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 41%. Coming up this week: Chapter 12, “Angels of Mercy”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Act III, scenes 1 and 2.
• It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. I read this book eons ago (i.e., for a high school literature class), and I’m eager to reread it. I’m not sure if I’ll start it right away, or wait until closer to the spin deadline of 9/22. Plenty of time to get it done!

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…