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 Hanukkah! We celebrated the first night last night with friends and family (and latkes!), and I have a few more Hanukkah events and small gatherings coming up this week.

Wishing joy and light to all who celebrate. Hanukkah is a time for finding light in dark times… something we really need right now.
What did I read during the last week?




The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage: I loved this book! This was a spur-of-the-moment library borrow that worked out perfectly for me. My review is here.
Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding: The 3rd in a series of Austen retellings, and it’s a delight! Here’s hoping the authors will continue with the remaining Austen novels. My review is here.
Kirkyards and Kindness (A Rip Through Time, #4.5) by Kelley Armstrong: A warm-hearted novella set in the world of a favorite series. My review is here.
The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman, illustrated by Maurice Sendak: I borrowed this book from the library in order to finish up one of my 2025 reading challenges. How weird to realize that I’ve never read the original story, despite having seen the ballet umpteen-million times! Now that I’ve read the book, I can see why. It’s such an odd tale, and I don’t think my kids would have enjoyed it at all as a read-aloud. This edition has Maurice Sendak’s illustrations, which are always wonderful.
Blog posts:
Beyond the usual book reviews and weekly/monthly posts, I also shared two discussion posts — one about whether reviewers have any obligation to research the books they review, and the other about Goodreads’s new approach to pre-publication reviews. If you’re interested, please check out the posts and share your thoughts!
Pop culture & TV:
I finished season 2 of A Man on the Inside on Netflix. Sweet and kind and funny, and what a great cast!
I’m on the fence about what to start next. I could dive into season 2 of The Morning Show or start one of the other AppleTV shows that I’ve had my eye on — but there are also a bunch of series on Netflix to catch up on as well. Meanwhile, I’m just waiting for my son to commit to a day to watch The Two Towers with me!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week… and it seems like pre-holiday deals have already ended, by and large. I notice that a few of the books I’d been keeping an eye on as potential treats have higher prices now than they did at the beginning of the month!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher: I haven’t made a ton of progress yet, but I like what I’ve read so far!
Now playing via audiobook:

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Before this audiobook, I’d only read this author’s Aunties and Vera Wong books — and this one is completely different from those! I’m about halfway through this terrific story, and I’m loving it so far.
Ongoing reads:


My longer-term reading commitments:
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 16%. Coming up this week: Chapters 8 and 9.
- The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: Coming soon! My book group will be continuing our LOTR reading journey starting early January.
What will you be reading this week?
So many books, so little time…
















































