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.

Another busy week, followed by a fun, active Saturday and a hectic Sunday full of running around to take care of errands. Definitely not the mellow weekend I was hoping for!

I’m getting ready to head out of town later this week, for a combination of a friends-get-together and some family time. I may or may not be online; we’ll see how much downtime there is.

Now, for the trickiest parts — figuring out the weather and what to pack, and deciding on airplane books!

Giveaway update:

I ran a giveaway this past week, with a choice of ARCs as a prize. The giveaway ended yesterday and I notified the winner already… but I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the number of participants. Granted, I didn’t make a big effort to promote it, other than my blog post and some late-in-the-game social media posts. Still, it made me wonder — does anyone else regularly run giveaways, and do you find them worthwhile?

Little Free Library update:

My Little Free Library had its first visitors this week! I found that extraordinarily exciting… I suppose once it’s been there longer, I’ll calm down about it. I was so happy to come home from work midweek and see that someone had taken three books and left three other books! LFL in action!

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

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer: A Jewish-themed romance with some good elements, but a cringey sense of humor. My review is here.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach: Contemporary fiction about a woman who accidentally gets involved in a stranger’s wedding. Lively, plenty to think about, and a lot of fun. My review is here.

In graphic novels:

I finished reading the Snowpiercer trilogy, then read the prequel volumes too. The artwork and storytelling in the original trilogy didn’t particularly work for me, but I wanted to see the basis for the TV series, which I love. (Only one episode left!!)

The two prequel volumes, which were released years after the original trilogy, were much more interesting to me, showing how the worldwide disaster came about and how Snowpiercer (the train) was conceived and created. I still don’t care for the style of the artwork, but the story was much more gripping, and I’m glad I read these. (Volume 2 — published in 2020 — promises a 3rd volume as a conclusion… but as of now, it doesn’t exist, and I can’t seem to find anything online to indicate that it will ever be released.)

Pop culture & TV:

Still watching season 2 of The Rings of Power. The last couple of episodes have had some great moments… but as a whole, this series often feels like it’s plodding along.

I finished Kaos (Netflix). It’s only eight episodes (no news yet as to whether there will be a second season), so it’s not a big commitment. I enjoyed it — there’s a lot of weirdness, but such a great cast, and never a dull moment.

And now I’m a bit at loose ends, not quite sure what I feel like starting next. I’m catching up on the Daryl Dixon series (spin-off of The Walking Dead), even though I never finished the final seasons of TWD. A new season of Survivor starts this week, and yes, despite how often I ridicule the show, I’ll be tuning in.

I’m on the fence about Dancing with the Stars — I don’t watch regularly, but if there’s a particular “star” who interests me, I may selectively watch. This time around, I’d love to see “pommel horse guy” (Stephen Nedoroscik) try ballroom, but I’m also a little disgusted by the show’s continuing to see anyone famous — including convicted criminals — as “stars”. (This season includes Anna Delvey… why??)

Fresh Catch:

Two new books this week! I’ve really cut down on the number of physical books, especially hardcovers, that I buy — but a new TJ Klune book is a must for my shelves!

And although I have an e-ARC and the audiobook for Jenny Colgan’s latest, I do keep paperback editions of all her books, and I love the cover of this one!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune: I really expected to have more time to read this weekend, but alas, it just didn’t work out that way! I’ve made very little progress… sigh. Still, the little bit I’ve read has been really good!

Now playing via audiobook:

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan: Same as with the book above — I’d hoped to finish over the weekend, but life got in the way! I have about an hour’s worth of listening still, and I’m really loving it.

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: 73%. Coming up this week: Chapter 20, “The Escape of the Whitehaven Three”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Such silly fun. Progress: 19%. Coming up this week: Chapters 7 and 8.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…