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.

The super annoying late summer cold that’s been going around finally caught up to me. (Cue the sneezing and coughing…) I ended up staying home for most of the week, still able to work but trying not to share my germs with all my nice coworkers. My symptoms finally eased up over the weekend, with time to get out and be a bit more active. On the plus side, all that time stuck in the house left me with plenty of time to read, which I’ll never complain about.

Bookish bits & bobs:

Awesome new book announcement this week!

Tor Publishing has announced the publication of Tamsyn Muir’s new novel, Floralinda, coming in July 2027. According to Tor:

The novel is a massive expansion of Muir’s 2019 short fiction Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower, previously published by Subterranean Press.

Well… I happened to have LOVED the Princess Floralinda novella (read more about it here), so yup, I’m totally down for reading a full-length version of her story!

What did I read during the last week?

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows: An incredibly fun, off-the-wall alternate history mash-up involving Mary Shelley, Ada Lovelace, and a very inquisitive automaton. My review is here.

Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison: Terrific new horror novel about a woman stuck in a time loop at a very deadly wedding. My review is here.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier: My most recent Classics Club Spin book — my 2nd du Maurier in a row! Loved it. My review is here.

We Chase Shadows (We Solve Murders, #2) by Richard Osman: Another fun entry in a fast-paced caper series. My review is here.

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie: Finished late Sunday. This book just stomped all over my heart — incredible. Watch for my review later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve mainly been in the mood for comedies and light viewing lately, and finally got around to watching season 2 of The Four Seasons on Netflix. It was… okay. Talented cast, of course, and some funny moments, but also a lot of marital strife and mid-life angst. I liked it well enough to want to see the next season, whenever it comes out, but there weren’t quite as many laughs as I’d hoped for.

Over the weekend, I started the new Little House on the Prairie series on Netflix. The two episodes I’ve watched so far were good, but left me with the overall impression that Charles Ingalls makes spectacularly bad decisions on behalf of his family — and granted, it’s been a long, long time, but I don’t remember feeling that way about the original TV series at all. I’ll keep watching — I do like the storytelling approach, and the young actors are all quite good.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, #1) by Jodi Taylor: I’ve been talking about reading this book (and series) for such a long time! Now feels like a good opportunity to finally jump in. Just starting today — fingers crossed that I’ll like it as much as I expect to!

Now playing via audiobook:

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher: Being stuck at home most of the week, I really didn’t get much audiobook time, so I’m still in the early chapters of this book. I’m glad to be back in the world of Swordheart, and look forward to powering through a lot more of the story in the week to come.

Ongoing reads:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 80%. Coming up this week: Volume 4, chapters 5 and 6.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…