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 spent much of the past week bouncing back from a bad cold and sinus infection. Blech. But, I’m happy to report that after several days of basically doing nothing but crashing, I’m feeling human again!

I did have a very nice Mother’s Day. None of my kids were around, but my husband and I drove down the coast a bit to a beautiful state park for a great hike, then stopped for lunch at a cute nearby town.

And now… back to work! Back to being super busy! But it’s good to feel like I have energy again (finally).

What did I read during the last week?

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle: Such a sweet, uplifting story! My review is here.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: A powerful, memorable story of war, bravery, and sacrifice. My review is here.

Elsewhere in book world:

I reviewed Overgrowth by Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) the week before last (review) — and this week, I was delighted/disturbed/intrigued to discover the author’s backstory and inspiration for this book. Read about it here.

Over at Pages Unbound, Krysta calls for more books to include recaps, and I’m 100% on board with this idea!

And elsewhere on the blog, I shared my 2nd Retail Therapy post, this time focusing on puzzles for book lovers. Now I’m itching to start a new puzzle!

Pop culture & TV:

I watched North of North on Netflix this week. Really fun! And easy to binge — eight 30-minute episodes… and done!

Fresh Catch:

I didn’t buy any new books this week, but I did swap out my black Kindle cover for a snazzy new green one, and I like it!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: The newest installment in an excellent series! I’m enjoying this one a lot — should be able to share a review in the next few days.

Now playing via audiobook:

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine: My listening time was really limited last week (another downside of being sick!), so I’m not quite done with this wilderness romance audiobook. It’s cute, if a tad predictable. I hope to finish in the next day or so.

Ongoing reads:

Two longer-term reading commitments right now:

• My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 90%. Up next: Chapters 44 and 45. Getting close to the end!
• New this week! We’re starting a group read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring. We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week, and should finish Fellowship by the end of July.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…