The Monday Agenda 9/15/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy ThompsonAnnihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy, #1)

The Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)Sway

Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs: Done! My review is here.

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer: Finished, barely. Weird and creepy — which I usually like — this one just didn’t work for me. I had to force myself to finish, and I’ll admit that I resorted to skimming for the last 40 pages or so. I won’t be reading the other two books in the trilogy.

The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede: Done! I wrote a wrap-up piece about the Frontier Magic trilogy; you can read it here.

Sway by Kat Spears: Done! My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

A Little Something Different

 

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

One that looks like total quirky fun:

Horrorstor: A Novel

Plus two more that seem like great escapist fiction:

The Moment of EverythingSeason of Storms

I’m not sure in what order I’ll feel like reading all of these, but as of now, these are the ones on the top of the pile!

Oh, and the kiddo and I need to figure out what to read next.

Ongoing book club reads:

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

 
 
 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

Want to join one or both of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

 

The Monday Agenda 9/8/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Museum of Extraordinary ThingsBig Little LiesFables, Vol. 20: Camelot (Fables, #20)

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman: I posted my Fields & Fantasies book club feature this past week — check it out here.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: Done! My review is here.

Fables, volume 20: Camelot: Done! I love the Fables series so, so much, and the latest volume definitely does not disappoint. Want to know more about Fables? Check out my recent post, all about why you need to be reading this amazing series.

Fresh Catch:

The newest Susanna Kearsley book (actually, a reissue of an older novel) was released this week!

Season of Storms

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy ThompsonAnnihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy, #1)Sway

Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs: I’m about halfway through this collection of stories from the world of Mercy Thompson.

Next up:

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (book 1 in the Southern Reach trilogy)

Sway by Kat Spears

The Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)Only a few chapters left in The Far West, book #3 in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic trilogy. The kiddo and I should be finishing up this week.

 

 

 

 

Pop culture goodness:

Outlander is just killing it, week after week. Brilliant production by Starz! Next week’s episode, “The Garrison Commander”, looks frighteningly intense:

And in other TV updates — I’m a little scared for the season premiere of Sons of Anarchy this week. I don’t know if I’m ready for the brutal violence that just has to be in store for the final season.

Ongoing book club reads:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)

With Outlander Book Club:

Classic Read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

In-depth re-read and discussion: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Now underway, and so much fun!

Want to join one or both of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

 

The Monday Agenda 9/1/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Museum of Extraordinary ThingsSix Feet Over ItBig Little Lies

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman: DNF. I read about 130 pages and just had to quit. The writing is lovely, but the plot simply wasn’t holding my attention in the slightest. But for a different viewpoint, check out the guest review to be posted here at Bookshelf Fantasies this week as part of our Fields & Fantasies book club.

Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo: Done! My review is here.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: I’ve read about 100 pages so far… and so far, so good.

Fresh Catch:

I’ve been wanting to give the Southern Reach trilogy a try, and lucky for me, the library had the first two books available:

Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy, #1)Authority (Southern Reach Trilogy, #2)

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Big Little LiesFables, Vol. 20: Camelot (Fables, #20)Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. If I keep up this pace, I’ll be done in the next few days. So long as the world doesn’t get in the way too much.

Fables, volume 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham: The new Fables arrives this week! I cannot wait to read this one… and I’m hoping against hope that somehow it will repair the gaping hole left in my chest after the last volume ripped my heart out.

Also due to arrive this week is Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs, a collection of stories from the world of Mercy Thompson.

The Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)The kiddo and I have passed the half-way point in The Far West, book #3 in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic trilogy. Things are heating up!

 

 

 

Elsewhere on the blog:

I finally faced up to the fact that my summer reading plans didn’t go exactly as expected. Here’s a salute to five books that I meant to read… but didn’t.

Pop culture goodness:

The Doctor is back! I went to a theater screening of the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who… and it was spectacular! I’m loving Peter Capaldi and his attack eyebrows. I have a good feeling about this season!

Ongoing book club reads:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)

With Outlander Book Club:

Classic Read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

In-depth re-read and discussion: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: We’re starting this week!

Want to join one or both of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

The Monday Agenda 8/25/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Geography of You and MeHotel on the Corner of Bitter and SweetCalifornia

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith: Done! My review is here.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: Done! My review is here.

California by Edan Lepucki: Done! I liked (but didn’t love) this very-hyped book. The ending seemed unfinished to me. Is there a sequel pending, or was it just supposed to be ominously open-ended? California was a quick and compelling read, but ultimately less satisfying than I’d hoped.

Fresh Catch:

I received this book for review, and I think it looks amazing!

Horrorstor: A Novel

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Museum of Extraordinary ThingsBig Little Lies

I’m having a hard time deciding what I really feel like reading this week. My immediate reading plans include:

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman: I actually started reading this one via ARC last week, but the formatting was so horrible that I had to quit. One library trip later, I’m ready to try again.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: I lucked out and snagged a copy at the library!

The Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)And in children’s lit, I’m continued onward with The Far West, book #3 in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic trilogy. The kiddo and I are both enjoying.

 

 

 

Ongoing book club reads:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)

With Outlander Book Club:

Classic Read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

In-depth re-read and discussion: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week starting September 2nd.

Want to join one or both of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

The Monday Agenda 8/18/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

My reading this past week had a very structural focus — I had a house, a hotel, and a museum on my reading list!

Henna HouseHotel on the Corner of Bitter and SweetThe Museum of Extraordinary Things

Henna House by Nomi Eve: Done! My review is here.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: Done! I just finished this lovely book late on Sunday. Review to follow.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman: Just getting started, still a long way to go!

The Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)My son and I read the first few chapters of The Far West, book #2 in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic trilogy.

 

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Museum of Extraordinary ThingsThe Geography of You and MeCalifornia

My immediate reading plans include:

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

California by Edan Lepucki

Pop-culture goodness:

Just eating up the new episodes of Outlander on TV! And absolutely thrilled that it’s been renewed for a 2nd season! Here’s the sneak peek at the next episode:

Ongoing book club reads:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)

With Outlander Book Club:

Classic Read (starting August 18th): The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

In-depth re-read and discussion: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week starting September 2nd.

Want to join one or both of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

And in real life:

We celebrated my little guy’s 12th birthday this week! At his request, we spent his birthday on a whitewater rafting adventure. He was thrilled, and we all had a blast. My baby is growing up! I’ll just be a shamelessly bragging mom for a minute and say that I’m so proud of my kiddo and the person he’s becoming. (Now if only I could get him to read once in a while… )

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

 

 

 

The Monday Agenda 8/11/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

LandlineJust Like the MoviesSince You've Been Gone

Landline by Rainbow Rowell: Done! My review is here.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fior: Done! My review is here.

Since You’ve Been Gone by Anouska Knight: Done! My review is here.

Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic, #2)The kiddo and I just finished up book #2 in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic trilogy, and can’t wait to dive into #3!

 

Fresh Catch:

Two of my pre-orders arrived this week:

The WraithSpike: Into The Light

Plus, two of my library holds came in as well:

The Geography of You and MeThe Far West (Frontier Magic, #3)

And then there are the two books I picked up at the neighborhood used book store:

Songs of Willow FrostUnbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

 

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Henna HouseHotel on the Corner of Bitter and SweetThe Museum of Extraordinary Things

I haven’t quite decided on the reading order yet, but the next three books on my reading agenda will be:

Henna House by Nomi Eve

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Pop-culture goodness:

Have I mentioned that I’m one of the moderators over at Outlander Book Club? Maybe one or two or five hundred times?? We were absolutely thrilled this week to see that the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly includes a two-page spread about how to go on an Outlander binge — and guess who’s listed (in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY!!) as one of the fansites?

EW OBC

You could probably hear me hyperventilating from clear across the country.

Upcoming book club reads:

I have a few book club picks coming up:

Fields & Fantasies:

Join us for a discussion of The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman at the end of August. You can read more about Fields & Fantasies here.

Outlander Book Club:

All are welcome to join in for any of the upcoming group reads at OBC:

Classics read: OBC will be reading and discussing The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy (one chapter per week) starting August 18th.

Book of the Month: The August BOTM pick is The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Discussion opens August 20th.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes re-read: We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week starting September 2nd.

Want to join in the fun for any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

 

The Monday Agenda 8/4/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)6990472Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)

I finally finished The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness! It felt like I was reading it forever. My review is here.

I read both If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, and loved them both. If there was any doubt (and there really wasn’t), it’s now official: I’ll happily read anything and everything that Gayle Forman decides to write!

Fresh Catch:

One new addition to my shelves this week:

The Unwritten, Vol. 9: The Unwritten Fables

It’s a Fables/Unwritten cross-over! I haven’t started the Unwritten series yet, but I do love everything related to Fables. It’s clear to me that I need a good week or two of undiluted graphic novel time!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

LandlineJust Like the MoviesSince You've Been Gone

After staring at it longingly from across the room for a few weeks, it’s finally time to read Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I’ve read about half so far — and like every other Rainbow Rowell book, it’s terrific.

Once I finish Landline, I think I’d better try to catch up on my backlog of ARCs. I intend to read Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore and Since You’ve Been Gone (don’t you love that cover?) by Anouska Knight, for starters.

Pop-culture goodness:

I had a blissfully fangirlish day this past week. On Wednesday, I took a day off work and headed downtown to a wonderful book signing/reading by Deborah Harkness. She was funny, smart (of course), gracious, and so friendly toward us all. What a pleasure!

From there, I hopped in my car and drove about an hour to get to the theater showing a preview screening of the first episode of Outlander. Arriving early, I had a great time hanging out with other fans for a couple of hours. The screening itself? What can I say? It was everything I’d hoped for. Amazing cast, beautiful settings, fantastic production… and so true to the book! Simply beautiful.

kilt drops

The first episode is available as a free preview via http://www.starz.com!

 

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

The Monday Agenda 7/28/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)

I am STILL reading The Book of Life, and getting frustrated by how long it’s taking me. Granted, I’ve had a crazy week with little to no reading time, but still. Argh. I did make the executive decision not to re-read Shadow of Night after all — thanks to a good, thorough synopsis via a wiki site, I managed to get myself up to speed enough to be able to enjoy The Book of Life and not get completely lost!

Fresh Catch:

Once again… no new books! I think I still have one or two in my house to read. Or a dozen or so. At the very least.

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)Landline6990472

Well, obviously, it’s all about The Book of Life right now. Deborah Harkness is doing an appearance at a local bookstore this week, and my goal is to have finished the book by the time I get in the signing line!

As soon as I finish The Book of Life, I’ll be starting Landline by Rainbow Rowell — which has been calling my name for a couple of weeks now…

… although I do also want to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman before the movie comes out!

Pop-culture goodness:

The big day is coming:

kilt drops

… and Starz has just released the opening credits sequence for Outlander, which left me absolutely teary-eyed and speechless. Check out how beautiful this is!

 

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

The Monday Agenda 7/21/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The CuriosityThe FeverThe Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)

The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan: Done! Check out my review and blog tour post from earlier today.

The Fever by Megan Abbott: Done! The Fever is the first book to be featured in the new Fields & Fantasies Book Club, co-hosted by yours truly and Diana of Strahbary’s Fields. Watch for our posts on July 31st!

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness: Just getting started… and realizing, after about 70 pages, that I really should have re-read the previous books first.

Fresh Catch:

I wasn’t going to pick up any new books this week… except I had a Groupon for a local used bookstore burning a hole in my pocket… so I came home with a bagful of books, including some Stephen King, Agatha Christie, and more! All sorts of goodies to dive into… eventually.

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2)The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)Landline

I’m forcing myself to slow down and back up — which means that I’m putting on the brakes and re-reading Shadow of Night before continuing with The Book of Life. Even though I’m impatient at the thought of taking this approach, I know that I’ll enjoy the end of the trilogy more this way.

In any case, I’m hoping to move quickly through Shadow of Night so I can also start The Book of Life this week. Wish me luck!

And if I need a little break from the world of vampires and witches, I can always switch over to Landline by Rainbow Rowell.

Pop-culture goodness:

In preparation for…

sassenach

… I finally started my Starz subscription… and have become obsessed with Black Sails. I watched all eight episodes of season 1 in the last few days. Avast, me hardies! Give me more pirates!

 

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

 

The Monday Agenda 7/14/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

Somehow or another, I totally lost track of the fact that I’ve been blogging away for two whole years now! Today is the official anniversary of my very first blog post. Wow, how time flies! I decided not to do a big post about it, but just to smile, read some of my older pieces, and enjoy the idea that I’m still having fun as a blogger! And reading some really awesome books along the way.

Back to the Monday Agenda post:

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Skin Game (The Dresden Files, #15)Close Your Eyes, Hold HandsThe Curiosity

Skin Game by Jim Butcher: Finished reading last week, but wrote a review this week. Check it out here. (And now I sadly face the fact that it’ll be another year before I get to read more Dresden!)

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian: Done! My review is here.

The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan: Reading now, about 1/3 left to go. Next week, I’ll be participating in the blog tour for this book’s paperback release, so be sure to check back for my post!

Fresh Catch:

I was delighted to receive my copy of this new release — although I might not have time to read it for another week or two:

Landline

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The FeverThe Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)

First up is The Fever by Megan Abbott, the July pick for the brand new Fields & Fantasies Book Club!

And then I need to clear the decks, because book #3 in Deborah Harkness’s All Souls trilogy arrives! I’m hoping that I actually remember enough of the first two books to enjoy the 3rd without requiring a rereading marathon.

Pop-culture goodness:

How’s everyone’s summer entertainment going so far? I’m loving the new season of Defiance on Syfy, have enjoyed watching Vicious on PBS, and I have to give The Leftovers a try as well. I haven’t seen many summer movies so far, but I did just see The Fault in Our Stars over the weekend, and damn — it made me cry, even though I was sure I’d remain dry-eyed since I already knew what would happen from reading the book. Nope. Waterworks. Very good adaptation — I’m glad I finally got a chance to see it.

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1