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.

What did I read last week?

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan: Done! My review is here.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: Done, just in time for my book group discussion later this week. Some brief thoughts on this lovely book are here.

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham: Done! Okay, I’ll admit that Aidan Turner was a big part of what drew me to the PBS airing of Poldark, but I ended up really loving the story itself, so I had to give the book a try… and really liked it! It’s my understanding that the 1st season of the TV show covers the first two books in the series, so clearly, I need to keep going! C’mere, book #2!

Off-line:

I just got back from a glorious 10-day trip to the Canadian Rockies. Mountains! Lakes! Incredible natural beauty! I’ll be sharing some highlights and photos in the next few days. Man, it’s hard to return to real life!

Fresh Catch:

A few new books came my way right before I left town:

And… I came home from my trip to find a library notice, saying that my request for Go Set A Watchman is ready for pick-up!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m just finishing up Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and will post some thoughts in the next few days.

With some trepidation, I’m about to start Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee. I’m almost tempted to pass it by, but I feel like I need to read it for myself to see what all the uproar is about.

Now playing via audiobook:

My year of Austen audiobooks continues! I finished Northanger Abbey while on vacation, and have just started Sense and Sensibility. I read all these books so many years ago; getting a refresher via audio is delightful.

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club. All three should last a good long while.

So many book, so little time…

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.

What did I read last week?

Second Life by S. J. Watson: I read this earlier, but just posted my review this past week. You can read it here.

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally: Done! A light and lovely contemporary YA novel. Check out my review here.

And in graphic novels:

Alex + Ada, volume 2 by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn: The second volume is just as good as the first! Maybe even better! I’m so happy my library had a copy available, and I read it the instant it arrived. Now I just have to wait for #3 to be released! If you like graphic novels, check out this terrific story about robots, A.I., and yes, love.

Mush! Sled Dogs with Issues by Glenn Eichler and Joe Infurnari: Wrapping up this weirdly random reading week, I read another graphic novel that caught my eye on my way out the door of the library. Mush! is an odd but endearing book about a team of sled dogs… and their power struggles, relationships, manipulations, and anxieties. All seen through the eyes of the dogs. Strange but really enjoyable.

Elsewhere on the blog:

I have another bit of travel coming up starting tomorrow, which got me thinking about travel guidebooks. In this age of online everything, are travel books just things of the past? My thoughts are here; come add yours!

Fresh Catch:

Despite hearing mixed reactions to the Austen Project, I’m eager to read some of the modern versions of Austen’s classics. This week, my copy of Emma arrived:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m leaving on a 10-day vacation, and while I don’t want to over-plan, I have a few books lined up that I’m really excited to read!

I’m in the middle of The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan, which I’m hoping to finish before I head of out town.

For my vacation reads, I’m starting with All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which my book group will be discussing at the end of the month.

Next, I can’t wait to read Poldark by Winston Graham… especially now that I have such lovely visuals from the BBC production to keep in my mind.

And of course, I’ll have my Kindle on hand, should I need even more bookish choices…

Now playing via audiobook:

I finished listening to A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, and absolutely loved it! The narrator makes the funny even funnier. I was surprised to realize I’d completely forgotten how the book ends (I read it when it first came out in 2006), so I’m happy I took the time for a refresher before the sequel arrives in August.

And continuing onward with my Jane Austen kick, I’ve started the audiobook of Northanger Abbey, narrated by Juliet Stevenson (who did such a fabulous job with Emma). Sadly, I won’t have time to listen to the whole thing before I head out of town, and as I don’t think my traveling companions will appreciate listening to Austen in the car, I suppose I’ll have to wait a few weeks to finish.

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club. All three should last a good long while.

Updated to add: It looks like Eldest will be on hold for a bit, as my kiddo is off to camp for three weeks… and left the book at home!

So many book, so little time…

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.

What did I read last week?

Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn: I loved this graphic novel! Just a really clever story about a lonely guy and a sentient AI android named Ada. I really can’t wait to see where this story goes next. Book #2 is next on my request list at the library!

Second Life by S. J. Watson: Finished right before the weekend. My thoughts will be posted on Wednesday, when I’m participating in the blog tour for this book.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf: Done! A really gorgeous book. Check out my review, here.

Elsewhere on the blog:

I thought a lot this week about the ways in which information about an author can impact how we respond to a book. I’d love to hear other opinions on the topic! My post is here.

I also finally got around to posting pictures from my Harry Potter adventures in Florida. Check ’em out, here.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

Looking forward to reading the sequel to After the Golden Age!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’ve read two books by Miranda Kenneally so far, and thought they were both terrific! I’m just getting started with her newest, but I have high hopes.

Now playing via audiobook:

I should be done with the audiobook of A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore this week. It’s making me laugh at the most awkward moments… and sometimes, that’s just what I need.

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club. All three should last a good long while.

So many book, so little time…

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.

What did I read last week?

Paper Towns by John Green: Read the week before, but I finally managed to post a brief review this past week. Interestingly, while I wasn’t crazy about the book, two of my book group’s members who work with teens felt the book was absolutely spot-on and really meaningful, so we’ve been having some great discussions.

Blue Stars by Emily Gray Tedrowe: Powerful and moving. My review is here.

Weightless by Sarah Bannon: A YA must-read. My review is here.

Hasn’t it seemed like I’ve been reading Eragon forever? Yeah, to me too. I finally finished, and wrote a slightly weird review, here.

Off-line:

I went to see Eddie Izzard perform as part of his Force Majeure tour on Friday, and he was brilliant!

Fresh Catch:

Woo hoo! All sorts of books came my way this week, some used, some new. Look at all the pretty:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’ve just started Second Life by S. J. Watson, and will be reviewing it for a blog tour post next week. I have high hopes, since I really enjoyed the author’s first book, Before I Go To Sleep.

Now playing via audiobook:

I finished listening to Dead Heat… and now I’m super-sad that I’ve run out of Patricia Briggs audiobooks!

Over the weekend, I started the audiobook of A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. I absolutely need a refresher before the sequel, Secondhand Souls, comes out in August.

Ongoing reads:

Now that we’ve finished Eragon, the kiddo and I are continuing onward with Eldest, the next in the series.

Plus, in ongoing reads, the Outlander Book Club’s group reads of A Breath of Snow and Ashes and North and South are moving forward! If anyone is interested in joining the fun, just let me know and I’ll send you the info.

So many book, so little time…

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.

I’m back! I was away last week, on a combination theme park vacation and visit to see family. I’ll share some Florida pics later this week… including all the latest from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley (via Universal). I had some days full of leisurely reading, and some days where I only managed to read a few pages before falling asleep. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

What did I read last week?

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave: Done! My review is here.

Alive by Chandler Baker: Done! My review is here.

After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn: Done! My review is here.

Paper Towns by John Green: Done! I read this one for an upcoming book group discussion, but will probably write up a mini-review to share later this week as well

Fresh Catch:

No new books! Sure, I may have placed an order or two, but since I’ve been away, nothing new has actually reached me yet.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Two books competing for my attention:

• The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
• Blue Stars by Emily Gray Tedrowe

Now playing via audiobook:

I didn’t do any audiobook listening while I was gone, so I still have about a week’s worth of Dead Heat to go… loving every minute.

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club!

So many book, so little time…

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.

I can practically taste summer! Can’t you?

What did I read last week?

The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy: Although I read this book a few weeks ago, I finally posted a review this past week.

The Day of Atonement by David Liss: Done! A great book club discussion book — my review is here.

I also finished…

Yes, I’ve read it about a thousand times already. I decided to reread Outlander this year in sync with the TV series, reading the chapters that more or less matched each week’s episode. And now I’m done! It’ll be a long Droughtlander until season 2 rolls around, I afraid.

Elsewhere on the blog:

I did some spring cleaning! I went through and spruced up my Book Blog Meme Directory page, updating links and archiving out-of-date listings. Want to know more? Check out my post about it, here.

I also wrote a post about one of my newer TV obsessions, Turn. Let me know if you’re a fan too!

Fresh Catch:

I picked up a copy of Chris Pavone’s latest, after really enjoying The Expats. And thanks to a book club book swap, I received two books that look they’ll be perfect summer reads.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m really enjoying Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave… and the wine country setting doesn’t hurt a bit!

Now playing via audiobook:

Will I ever get tired of Patricia Briggs? I think not.

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo, two with Outlander Book Club!

So many book, so little time…