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.
A friend mentioned that she got some great new jigsaw puzzles via a local Facebook puzzle swap group… and it’s changed my life! Ha, well, nothing that dramatic… but I did join a swap group and traded five of my finished puzzles for five new ones this past week! Now I just need time to work on them.
I had a busy weekend, with lots of dancing, dinner out at a new-to-us restaurant, and a bit of time for some general tidying and organizing.
Bookish odds and ends:
Thought I’d share a few cute memes that made me smile this week…
… plus some book news that’s very exciting!
This is going to be a must-read for me!
What did I read during the last week?
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth: What a great read! Highly recommended. My review is here.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: There’s so much buzz about this book right now… and I found it a fairly dismal reading experience, even though it kind of all comes together by the end. My review is here.
We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune: A beautiful novella about love, living a good life, and the end of the world. My review is here.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: I didn’t expect this to be a book for me… and it was! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Review to follow later this week.
Pop culture & TV:
I’m almost done with the most recent season of Dark Winds. Just as excellent as I’d expected. If you’ve never checked it out… you really should!
Since I finished reading Margo’s Got Money Troubles over the weekend, I think my next move will be to check out the AppleTV adaptation. I’ve seen really positive reviews.
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club, #5) by Richard Osman: I’m happy to be returning to the Thursday Murder Club! Just getting started — these books are just so much fun.
Now playing via audiobook:
The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures, #2) by Katherine Rundell: Only a few chapters in so far. I really enjoyed the first book in this middle grade series, and I’m happy to finally be getting back to it.
Ongoing reads:
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s newest classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 7%. Coming up this week: Chapters 5 and 6.
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare: I’ll be seeing this play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this summer, and since I’ve never read it before, I decided now’s the time! I’m trying to read just one scene per day, taking my time with it since I have a few months yet. Progress so far: About to start Act II.
What will you be reading this week?
So many books, so little time…
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Love the memes, especially the last one😂 I can’t wait to read your review of Margo’s Got Money Troubles! Have a great week.
I relate to that meme so much!! Hope you have a good week!
I hope you enjoy The Poisoned King! I’m excited to see where the series goes!
Thanks! I loved the 1st book, excited to be getting back to that world!
A puzzle swapping group is such a great idea since people rarely redo them.
Thanks for sharing your week
I’ve had so many puzzles just sitting around my house, after binging on them during the pandemic. It’s so nice to be able to trade (and the people I’ve traded with so far have all been so nice!)
I saw that middle meme on Facebook the other day and it made me chuckle!
And I am beyond excited about the new Becky Chambers book – it instantly became one of my most anticipated releases of the year when I heard about it!
I love bookish memes – I always feel like they’re talking directly to me! The Becky Chambers book looks amazing, and honestly, I’ll read anything she writes!
A puzzle swap group sounds amazing! Do you send them in the post?
No, it’s all local, which is the great part! There’s a local Facebook group for puzzle swaps — people post what they have, and then if someone wants to trade, they just arrange to meet up. I’ve done two in-person swaps so far, and have also done two porch swaps (where they left the puzzle in a corner of their porch for me to pick up, and I left my puzzles there in the same place). Now I have all these new puzzles to do!