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.

Once again, the week just flew by! Work has been intense and busy… ’nuff said about that.

Outside of work, I managed to fit in some good outdoor time on our surprisingly sunny November days this week. A couple of walks, some outdoor dancing — just what I needed!

What did I read during the last week?

Villette by Charlotte Bronte: This was a group read with my book group, and all I can say is — thank goodness that’s over with! Such a frustrating book, although it had its more interesting moments.

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding: A really fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice! My review is here.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix: Wow! Fantastic horror with a lot to say, and utterly compelling storytelling. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I know I’ve mentioned before that I watch Dancing with the Stars, partially because it reminds me of my dad, but also just because I do enjoy watching dance performances. It can be really fun to see people with little to no dance experience learn and grow from episode to episode. That said, this season is making me especially annoyed. There’s a clear favorite to win (Whitney, dancing with awesome pro Mark) who get top scores every week… but – but – BUT she is someone who has a competitive dance background and was a dance major in college. How is that fair against people who either literally never danced before or had some sort of injury that affected their ability to dance or any of the other (much more compelling) backstories of other contestants? It feels rigged… plus I can’t stand how heavily audience voting counts, making the results pretty much a popularity contest from week to week.

Argh. So why, you may ask, do I keep watching? Easy — the dancing can be so much fun! I like many of the so-called “stars” this season, and the pros are always amazing. But if Whitney and Mark win, I may start throwing things!

Other than that, I’ve been casting around for a new show to try, and just started The Morning Show over the weekend. It’s good! I know I’m a few years behind — I’m excited to see what all the buzz is about.

Fresh Catch:

I received an Amazon gift card last week, and treated myself to these three books:

I’ve already read The Everlasting (review), and loved it so much that I needed my own copy. Alchemy and a Cup of Tea is the 4th (final?) book in the Tomes & Tea series, and since I have the other three, I thought I should round out the collection. I was really on the fence about The Rose Field, but I’ve decided to bite the bullet and read it (after I do a re-read of The Secret Commonwealth).

All in all, I’m happy to have all three of these to add to my shelves!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: This is a BIG book, and it requires a lot of concentration, so I haven’t made quite as much progress as I’d hoped. (I realized that I can’t stay up late reading in bed with this book, because my tired brain doesn’t absorb it well enough!) I’m fascinated by what I’ve read so far, and I’m happy that I’m finally reading this book after planning to get to it for years now.

Now playing via audiobook:

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman: After reading My Friends last month (amazing!), I decided to try to catch up on this author’s earlier books that I hadn’t read yet. I’ve gotten about halfway through this audiobook, and I’m finding it sweet so far.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments (current and coming up):

• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien: Another book group read, continuing our LOTR adventure. Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 55%.
• My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m leaving it here as a reminder to myself. The goal is to complete our spin books by December 21st, so I still have time.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…