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.

It’s been another busy week (what else is new?) — followed by a really enjoyable weekend. We had friends and family over for a nice dinner on Friday. Saturday was a double-stuffed dancing day — first, a couple of hours of dancing in the park with my small dance group, then a once-a-month dance party that night, which is always a great time. (I happened to have my phone in my leggings pocket all day… and according to my tracking app, I danced the equivalent of 6.7 miles on Saturday!)

Sunday was truly a day of rest — no plans, so I was able to get out for a much needed walk (accompanied by a terrific audiobook), organize a bit around the house, and catch up on my book group book for October.

Bookish bits & bobs:

I spent most of the week reading a big, chunky sci-fi novel (As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers), but had so little time each day that I was only at 50% by the time the weekend rolled around… and at that point realized that I absolutely needed to start my book group book, since I’m the person responsible for the discussion this time around. I hate putting down a book I’m enjoying in order to start something else, but in this case, I had no choice! Looking forward to getting back to the other book this week (and I hope re-entering that world won’t feel too jarring.)

Random things that amused me this week:

Seen while out running errands mid-week… happy Heated Rivalry Halloween!

What did I read during the last week?

Well Versed (Well Met, #5) by Jen DeLuca: A trip to the Ren Faire is always a delight! My review is here.

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow: I bought a copy back when this book came out earlier in the year, then held off until now to read it so I’d have it fresh in my mind for my book group discussion this week. A fun detective story with a wild west setting that I wasn’t particularly familiar with — I’m glad to have finally read it! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Dancing with the Stars check-in: Oh, the drama! Social feeds are going a bit insane this week after one pro faces a one-week suspension over a (now deleted) post that some viewed as threatening toward a DWTS judge. Fans are irate! (IMHO, his post was inappropriate, but not actually a threat — just an ill-advised attempt at snark that backfired). Anyhoo… all my faves (Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech, Julia Stiles, and Tatyana Ali) are still in the competition, so yay!

In other viewing, I finally started season 4 of Ted Lasso, and have gotten through about half the episodes. I like it – -maybe not as much as previous seasons, but that’s okay. It’s nice to have a bit of cheerful viewing to look forward to.

Fresh Catch:

The new Queen of Nothing special edition arrived this week!

My photos do not do it justice! It’s a velvety black edition with a box and beautiful inside illustrations. And now I have all three books from the series! I sense a re-read in my near future…

I indulged during Amazon’s big sale days last week and used some credits to buy hardcovers that had been on my wishlist for a while:

All three are books that I read within the past year, and loved! In case anyone wants to know more, here are the reviews I posted:

• The Children by Melissa Albert
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman
• Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers: I’m happy to be getting back to this book! As I mentioned, I had to pause for a few days, just past the 50% point, but now I’m diving back in (and hoping to have more time to really focus on it than I did last week).

Now playing via audiobook:

The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty: I’m absolutely loving this book! It’s on the longer side… I started listening last Monday, and should be able to finish within the next few days.

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: 97%. Coming up this week: Volume 4, chapters 17 and 18. Just three chapters left!

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…