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!

I skipped last week’s Monday Check-in because I was away for a long weekend, attending a family wedding in Boston. The wedding was lovely, and we even had time to do a bit of daytripping while there too, including a trip to Salem.

Salem is such a weird, fun little town. So unbelievably kitschy… but then there’s also a beautiful little park that’s a memorial to the victims of the witch trials, which was really moving to see.

And now we’re home. For some reason, this trip really knocked me for a loop, and I came back exhausted — it took me a good three or four days to start feeling like myself again.

As always, I took full advantage of the long flights to fit in some quality reading time — always a plus!

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

A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: A great wrap-up to a terrific series. I’m just sorry to have reached the end! My review is here.

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca: A cute romance set in a ghost-filled town. My review is here.

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey: A 5-star read! A powerhouse start to a new sci-fi series. My review is here.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister: Historical fiction about real-life heiress, adventurer, and author Aimee Crocker. My review is here.

Moon-Madness and Other Fantasies by Aimee Crocker Gouraud: After reading a fictionalized version of Aimee Crocker’s life, I couldn’t resist reading her slim book of short stories — so interesting to see her imagination on the page!

Puzzle of the week:

I did a mystery puzzle! This was a super fun challenge — you can find out more about it here.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched such a silly movie on the plane — Mother of the Bride, with Brooke Shields and Miranda Cosgrove. It’s really ridiculous, but was a good way to pass the time!

On a much darker note… I’m watching Snowpiercer (the TV series), and have just started season 2. I’d never watched the movie, so I had no idea what to expect. Great cast, and it’s pretty compelling… but tons of blood and violence.

And in TV news, I was sad to see that Prime Video has cancelled My Lady Jane after just one season. What a letdown! The first season was very cute, and is still worth checking out.

Fresh Catch:

It always feel like a treat when book mail arrives! Here are my three new arrivals from the last two weeks.

I bought a copy of the Shel Silverstein book (actually, two copies — one for me and one for my daughter) after reading this tribute to the author in the New York Times, and realizing that this particular book was one I’d missed out on!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows: I decided to go for something light — I’m about halfway through this 3rd book in the Lady Janies series. (Note: You can read them in any order — each works as a stand-alone).

Now playing via audiobook:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: This is a re-read for me, and it’s so much fun! I wanted to revisit this adorable book before the sequel arrives in September.

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: 60%. Coming up this week: Chapter 16, “I Blame the Parents”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group has been reading and discussing two scenes per week — and today, we’ll be done! Coming up this week: Act V, scene 3.
• 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. This is a reread for me, and I just got a copy from the library. I’m still not sure exactly when I’ll start, but there’s plenty of time before the spin deadline of 9/22.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…