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.

Happy New Year – Shana Tovah to all who celebrated over the weekend! We had a lovely dinner with friends, who did an amazing job hosting a very large crowd and making it all feel special.

Other than that, it’s been another busy week, but I fit in a couple more walks than I usually have time for, did some great outdoor dancing, and enjoyed time with family too.

A programming note.

I’m heading out of town for several days at the end of the week and will be mainly offline while I’m away. Hopefully, I’ll have lots of reviews to share by the time I’m back! As of now, I’m thinking I’ll pre-write and schedule next week’s TTT post, but that’s probably about it until I get home.

Bookish bits & bobs:

Random items to share!

Seen on my drive to work one day last week:

This is so relatable:

And in actual books news… I was thrilled to come across the announcement for Kristin Hannah’s upcoming new book! The Fire will be published in May 2027; see more about it here.

What did I read during the last week?

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie: One of the best books I’ve read in 2026. I posted a review this past week; see it here.

Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, #1) by Jodi Taylor: I’m so happy to have finally started this series! My review is here.

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher: Loved this follow-up to Swordheart! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished watching Little House on the Prairie (Netflix), and mainly liked it, although it definitely doesn’t feel like the Little House from my childhood! I don’t expect to have time to get involved with anything new this week before we head out of town — but with the Emmy awards Monday night and a new season of Dancing with the Stars kicking off, I’ll have plenty to watch in any case.

Fresh Catch:

I treated myself to two new books this week:

I also received an advance copy of the upcoming new October Daye book — can’t wait to start it!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher: This book wasn’t on my reading radar at all, but after seeing a New York Times book column proclaiming this the “Best Book Our Fantasy Columnist Has Read All Year”, I just had to check it out.

Now playing via audiobook:

Well… I finished Daggerbound on Sunday, and haven’t had a chance yet to start something new. I’m not sure what I feel like listening to next, especially since I may not have much listening time on my trip. I’ll probably go with something relatively short for starters, most likely one of the above

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: 83%. Coming up this week: Volume 4, chapters 7 and 8.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…