Tag Archives: book group books

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/6/2023

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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.

Still dealing with back pain, which sucks. Ugh. On the positive side, I had my first appointment with a new chiropractor, and while at first I thought it didn’t do anything for me (and walked out with just the same pain as I went in with), by that evening, I felt marginally better. Did it work? Or is it just coincidental timing? I have another appointment later this week… we shall see!

What did I read during the last week?

Backpacking Through Bedlam (InCryptids, #12) by Seanan McGuire: Another fun installment in a great urban fantasy series. My review is here.

The Highland Hens by Judy Leigh: Nice, but not much more than that. Still, I’ll continue trying this author’s books, since I liked the previous one I’d read by her very much. My review is here.

Lore Olympus (volume 1) by Rachel Smyth: Sometimes you just need a graphic novel about Greek gods, amirite? Lots of fun.

Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston: Read with a small group of coworkers in honor of Black History Month. We got together last week for a great discussion, and plan to follow up with a documentary viewing in a couple of weeks.

Pop culture & TV:

For whatever reason, I decided that now would be a good time to finally watch Sanditon, so I ended up watching all of seasons 1 and 2. (Season 3 — the final season — starts later this month). Friends, this show is so ridiculous. Yes, it’s taking a barely started Jane Austen story and continuing it past where she left off… but I tend to think she wouldn’t have approved of her characters having sex on a drawing room floor! Among other over-the-top developments…

But yes, I’ll watch season 3, just to see how it all works out!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week!

Puzzle of the week:

This week’s puzzle — another colorful one from Eeboo:

Green Kitchen by Eeboo
Available via the Eeboo website

I still have SEVEN jigsaw puzzles in my house that I haven’t opened yet. Which to start next???

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8) by Deanna Raybourn: Just getting started — I’m excited to see what’s next for the couple at the heart of this snarky Victorian mystery series.

Now playing via audiobook:

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan: I’m *this close* to finishing, and I’m loving it!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 104 and 105 (of 155).
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week. My turn to write one of the summaries this week…

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/27/2023

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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.

My book group did a Zoom with Charlaine Harris over the weekend, and it was such a blast! We’d just read An Easy Death as our book of the month, and she was kind enough to join us for an hour-long chat. What fun!

Other than that, it’s been a pretty quiet week. I’ve been dealing with some back pain, and ended up working from home a few days so I could pamper my back a bit, stay near my heating pad, and avoid getting in and out of the car.

Thankfully, I’m starting to feel better. Fingers crossed that it stays that way!

What did I read during the last week?

Mr & Mrs Witch by Gwenda Bond: This silly romance — basically, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but with witchcraft — was a great diversion this week. My review is here.

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris: It’s been a long time since I last read anything by this author, and I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. My review is here.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: I finished the audiobook last week, and loved it. My review is here.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee: I picked up this YA historical novel because I’ve been in a Titanic sort of mood (see below). My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I wrote a whole post about this… I saw Titanic in the theater last week, and then got a bit obsessed with the topic!

In home streaming… I decided to finally give Sanditon a try this week, and am pretty close to finishing season 1. It’s a bit weird and does NOT feel like a Jane Austen story, but still, it’s oddly entertaining, and I think I’ll keep going.

Fresh Catch:

No book purchases this week, but I did pick up a few library holds:

Puzzle of the week:

This week, a literary-themed puzzle!

These puzzles from Laurence King Publishing are so much fun — tons of detail, lots of characters, settings, and biographical elements, and a full-sized poster with a guide to all the people and places on the back. You can find it at Bookshop.org, here.

I’ve done a bunch of others from this series, including Shakespeare, Dracula, the Tudor world, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. They’re all terrific!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire: It’s #12 in the Incryptids series, which means a good time is pretty much guaranteed!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Highland Hens by Judy Leigh: I’ve gotten through slightly more than half of this audiobook — had hoped to make a lot more progress, but ended up with limited listening time this past week. I’m actually not that engaged so far, but let’s see if it picks up in the second half.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 102 and 103 (of 155).
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week.
  • Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston: I’m doing a buddy read of this book with a few coworkers, with a discussion scheduled for the end of this week. So far, I’m reading it in small sittings, but should be finished on time.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Book Review: An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose, #1) by Charlaine Harris

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Title: An Easy Death
Series: Gunnie Rose, #1
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Saga Press
Publication date: October 2, 2018
Length: 306 pages
Genre: Fantasy / speculative fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

In a fractured United States, a new world where magic is acknowledged but mistrusted, a young gunslinger named Lizbeth Rose takes a job offer from a pair of Russian wizards. Lizbeth Rose has a wildly fearsome reputation but these wizards are desperate. Searching the small border towns near Mexico, they’re trying to locate a low-level magic practitioner believed to be a direct descendant of Grigori Rasputin.

As the trio journey through an altered America—shattered into several countries after the assassination of Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Depression—they’re set on by enemies. It’s clear that a powerful force does not want them to succeed in their mission. Lizbeth Rose has never failed a client, but this job may stretch her to her deadly limits.

In this fantasy novel set in an alternate version of the United States, the US as we know it no longer exists. Instead, after the assassination of FDR prior to his inauguration, the country has split apart. What was once California is now the Holy Russian Empire, ruled by Tsar Alexei after settlement by the exiled Romanovs. The East Coast states have largely sworn allegiance back to the UK and are now Britannia, the South is Dixie, and the southern border of Canada has moved further south, now enclosing the Great Lakes territories and then some.

Meanwhile, the action of An Easy Death takes place in Texoma (our current Texas, more or less) and Mexico. It’s a lawless area, or so it would seem. There’s a very old West vibe here, jarred somewhat by the existence of trucks and cars, electricity, and even refrigerators (for those lucky enough to afford them). People like main character Lizbeth Rose earn a living as “gunnies”, hired gunslingers who provide a variety of protection services. In Gunnie Rose’s case, she works as part of a crew who specialize in helping folks cross the dangerous territory from Texoma into New America, through mostly empty lands ravaged by bandits and wild, vicious dogs.

After a job gone bad, Lizbeth is the last person left from her former crew. Shocked and in mourning, the last thing she wants is to have a couple of Russian wizards, known as grigoris, show upon her doorstep. They want to hire her to help them find a man whose blood could be key to keeping their tsar alive… but they have many enemies working against them, who almost immediately begin trying to kill them and their gunnie.

As the trio sets out into Mexico, they face trial after trial — the dangers of deserts and wild lands, plus the even greater threat posed by assassins and deadly wizards. Lizbeth is continually forced to think fast and shoot faster, all the while questioning whether her clients have told her the whole truth and wondering who the true enemy really is.

An Easy Death (which is what gunnies say to one another when heading out on a job, rather than, you know “good luck” or “see ya”) is a fast-paced adventure in a world that occasionally made my head swim, especially in the early chapters. In fact, I originally tried the audiobook, and just couldn’t wrap my head around the setting and situation. Fortunately, the print edition comes with a handy map, and that helped me settle in and start truly appreciating the story.

The world of Gunnie Rose

The world-building here is so creative. Situating a Western adventure in the mid-20th century leads to some weird moments of cognitive dissonance — and add to that the existence of magic and wizards, and well, it’s utterly odd but also utterly absorbing.

I could possibly have done with a little bit less time spent chasing or being chased through the desert, but that’s a minor quibble. As the first book in a series, An Easy Death does the heavy lifting of establishing a world, its politics and factions, and the various types of people who live in it.

Lizbeth is a terrific character, hard as nails, always heavily armed and excellent with her firepower, and with hidden depths that I think we’ll see more of as the series moves forward. As of now, there are four published works in the series, with a fifth scheduled for release in fall of 2023. I’m not quite ready to commit to the entire series just yet, but I do know that I’ll be looking for book #2 on my next library visit! I will definitely want to continue onward with the series and see where it all goes!

A Longer Fall – #2 in the Gunnie Rose series

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/20/2023

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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.

A busy workweek, but with a bit of fun too, including a family dinner out at a delicious new-to-us restaurant and a visit with some friends.

Plus, three-day weekend! I’ve been taking advantageous of the long weekend to read, do a bit of organizing around the house, and enjoy the sunshine..

What did I read during the last week?

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel: A 5-star read! My review is here.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I did an audiobook re-read in preparation for the upcoming new series on Prime Video. Just as amazing the 2nd time around! (My original review is here.)

An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose, #1) by Charlaine Harris: My book group’s pick for Febrary, and I actually finished in time! We have a Zoom scheduled with the author for next weekend, which is super exciting. The book was lots of fun — review to follow.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: I listened to the audiobook of this fascinating novella, and really enjoyed it. Review to follow.

Pop culture & TV:

Each season of Outlander features a slightly different version of the gorgeous theme song… and the new version for season 7 has just been released! With Sinéad O’Connor doing the vocals! Powerful, to say the least, and I’m completely fascinated by the little snippets we see in the video, trying to figure out just where in the big overarching plotlines of the series this upcoming season will focus. Check out the new music and title sequence:

Fresh Catch:

I had a store credit at a local bookstore, and finally had a chance to head over there this past weekend. Here’s what I got (and I still have a bit of a credit left over for my next visit).

Puzzle of the week:

It took me a while, but I finished a gorgeous puzzle this week:

So much fun! I loved all the details and colors.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Mr and Mrs Witch by Gwenda Bond: I was in the mood for something light and silly, and this upcoming new release seemed like a great choice! Just getting started…

Now playing via audiobook:

The Highland Hens by Judy Leigh: I’ve been wanting to check out more by this author since reading Heading Over the Hill last year, and I’ve heard good things about this one!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 102 and 103 (of 155).
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week.
  • Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston: I’m doing a buddy read of this book with a few coworkers, with the goal of getting back together to discuss in a couple of weeks. I’m going to read it in small sittings, I think, since I have so much else to read too.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/13/2023

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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.

This past week, my husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary! We were pretty low-key on our actual anniversary day, since it was mid-week (and who wants to go out for a romantic dinner on a Tuesday?) (Sorry, was that insensitive to Tuesdays?)

Flowers, cards, a home-made cake (notice our mad decorating skills)… and a special gift. You know it’s true love when someone (my husband) makes extensions to raise the heigh of your (my) puzzle table after hearing me complain about getting back pain from leaning over to finish my jigsaw puzzles. Is that sweet or what?

On a more traditionally romantic note, we did go out for a lovely dinner at a favorite restaurant on Friday. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, and great food and drinks!

An assortment of anniversary pix:

And now, back to books!

What did I read during the last week?

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth: Powerful novella retelling the classic story of Antigone with a dystopian twist. My review is here.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers: Terrific wrap-up to a wonderful series. My review is here.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black: A return to the world of the Folk of the Air trilogy. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I have two episodes left of the Prime Video series A League of Their Own. It’s good! And The Last of Us continues to blow me away, week after week.

I’m quitting two shows that are just plain terrible: The Mayfair Witches and Wolf Pack. The 2nd one was billed as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to TV — but she was only in each of the two episode I watched for about 5 minutes, and the show is just too awful to stick with. Sorry, SMG!

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week! I read Spelunking Through Hell when it was released last year, but held off on buying a physical copy of my own until it came out in paperback this month. Can’t wait for the next book in the series, due out in March!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel: I received this book as a gift from a visiting friend, and I’m so glad to finally be starting it.

Now playing via audiobook:

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I loved this book when I first read it (review), and I’m excited to be listening to the audiobook!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 100 and 101 (of 155).
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/6/2023

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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.

Today would have been the birthday of one of my best friends. She was taken from us much too soon, twelve years ago this spring. It’s always a bittersweet day for me, spent reminiscing and looking at photos of happy times together. An amazing woman and wonderful friend.

On a happier note, last week one of my online book group friends came to my town for a brief visit. While we’ve known each other for 10+ years, this was the first time we ever met in person! I took a day off so we could play tourist together, and it was wonderful.

What did I read during the last week?

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett: Charming story with really fun characters. My review is here.

Spare by Prince Harry: Listening to the audiobook was actually quite emotional. My review is here.

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison: A short novel set in the world of The Goblin Emperor, and a sequel to The Witness for the Dead. Fascinating, as expected. My review is here.

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth: A brief, biting novella inspired by Antigone. Definitely worth checking out! I’ll share a review later this week.

And… not quite a DNF — more of a putting aside…

Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri: This lovely hardcover book has a Shakespeare selection for each day of the year, and my intention was to keep up on a daily basis — but that hasn’t happened, and I’m already weeks behind. So, I’m declaring that intention null and void, and will instead leave the book on a coffee table, to be picked up on the random days when I feel like it. How’s that for a solution?

Pop culture & TV:

Last week’s The Last of Us was one of the best things I’ve seen on TV in a long, long time.

Besides that, I have a bunch of series I’m keeping up with, and just started watching the Amazon series version of A League of Their Own — really fun!

Fresh Catch:

My visiting friend gave me a lovely hardcover edition of this book while she was here:

This has been on my to-read list ever since it came out, so I’m super excited to have a copy of my own!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black: Just getting started! I’m excited to return to this world.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers: The 4th and final book in the Wayfarers series. I just started listening over the weekend, and it’s really good so far!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 98 and 99 (of 155).
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read, also two chapters per week.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/30/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

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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 a really busy workweek, and I’ve fallen asleep exhausted every night — so much so that I ended up restarting a book that I’d tried reading for three days. I kept reading it before bed, being too sleepy to absorb anything, and then feeling frustrated that the story wasn’t grabbing me. Fortunately, I decided to restart it over the weekend, during daylight hours when I had time and energy, and it hooked me right away!

Note to self: Stop starting new books at bedtime!!

What did I read during the last week?

I only managed to finish one book this past week, although I’m *this close* to the end of another one.

Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman: Silly entertainment, very easy to dash through. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

The Last of Us continues to be scary and pretty amazing. I just wish the whole season was available, instead of having to wait a week in between episodes. #tvbingeproblems

I finished season two of Hunters (Prime Video). It was… weird. Uneven. There’s one truly haunting episode, but so much is odd about the tone and overall plot. Now that it’s all done, I wish I had someone to talk about it with!

Puzzles of the week:

Another colorful puzzle from Eeboo! (This one is Copenhagen – 1,000 pieces)

Fresh Catch:

No new books!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett: After reading a bunch of rave reviews, I just had to give this one a try. Really enjoying it so far!

Now playing via audiobook:

Spare by Prince Harry: I continue to be surprised by just how good this is! I’m about halfway through. It’s fascinating and very moving (and I haven’t even gotten to the Meghan parts yet…)

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 96 and 97 (of 155).
  • Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri: Just what the title promises! Shakespeare selections for each day of the calendar. As of this week, I’m even further behind. I may just give up on trying to read one passage every day and pick it up at random from here on out. I’m giving myself one more week to decide!
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Audiobook Review: Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

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Title: Miss Austen
Author: Gill Hornby
Narrator:  Juliet Stevenson
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication date: January 23, 2020
Print length: 288 pages
Audio length: 10 hours, 56 minutes
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine.

What a lovely book! I have to admit that prior to reading Miss Austen, I’ve never really spent much time reading about Jane Austen’s life beyond the occasional article or Wikipedia page. I love her novels, but somehow never found myself wanting to look beyond into the author’s actual life.

In Miss Austen, we learn about Jane and the larger Austen family through the eyes of Jane’s older sister Cassandra. As the story begins, Cassandra journeys to Kintbury in 1840, ostensibly to help Isabella Fowle pack up the vicarage after her father’s death, but in reality, Cassandra has a different mission: She knows that Jane frequently wrote to Isabella’s mother Eliza, and she worries that unless she intervenes, potentially damaging personal correspondence of Jane’s may end up in the wrong hands, possibly tarnishing her public reputation.

Note: Throughout this book, lines from Hamilton kept popping into my head: Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Who gets to tell a person’s story, who decides what to keep private and what to make public — these questions are very relevant to Cassandra’s main plot arc in the 1840 chapters of the book.

Using a split timeline, we follow Cassandra’s quest as an older woman to retrieve Jane’s letters. Through flashback chapters, we also see Cassandra’s journey from young woman to older spinster, always with Jane first and foremost in her mind.

As a younger woman, Cassandra became engaged to Tom Fowle (Eliza’s brother). Over the moon in love, the two were eager to wed, but agreed that a long engagement would be prudent. However, tragedy prevents the marriage from taking place, and from that point forward, the course of Cassandra’s life is set.

As the years progress and the fortunes of the Austens rise and fall, we see Cassandra’s devotion to Jane, as she protects her, nurtures her, and cares for her during her spells of melancholy (which today would likely be diagnosed as depression). The sisters’ love is quite beautiful to read about, and eventually, they and their cousin Martha find happiness in their lives as three single women setting up a home together.

I won’t go into a ton of detail here, but suffice to say, the characters are well-drawn, and the circumstances of Jane and Cassandra’s life together invokes some sadness, even during their happier years. There were moments when I almost wished I wasn’t reading historical fiction about real people: Certain plot points had me practically begging for a different outcome, but knowing that key elements of the Austens’ lives really couldn’t be changed (you know, since they were real people!), it was frustratingly sad to see possible love and joy slip away time after time.

Still, I was also captivated by the sisters’ wit and humor, by the clever dialogue created for Jane, and by the family’s tradition of having Jane read her works in progress to the family each evening. Again, seeing how I’d never read an actual biography of Jane Austen, the depiction of her writing challenges and successes was quite informative, and based on what I’ve looked up since, largely sticks to the facts as they’re known.

I need to give a huge hurrah to the terrific audiobook narration by Juliet Stevenson. What a treat! A few years ago, I went on an Austen audiobook binge, and five of the six I listened to were narrated by Juliet Stevenson. She’s amazing. Having her narrate Miss Austen made this an especially delightful experience. Because I’m used to hearing her narrate Austen’s characters, it felt like slipping back into those worlds listening to her voice this story as well. And I had to chuckle when certain obnoxious family members (especially a self-satisfied sister-in-law) were voiced so similarly to particularly annoying Austen characters. (Mrs. Elton from Emma is one who came immediately to mind… which made me wonder, was that character perhaps inspired by Jane’s real family member?)

I’ve had my eye on Miss Austen since it came out in 2020, but hadn’t gotten around to it until my book group selected it for this month’s group read. So, once again, enormous gratitude to my book group for leading me to yet another terrific reading experience!

I very much enjoyed Miss Austen. Highly recommended for Jane Austen fans!

PS – Now that I’ve read Miss Austen, I’m much more interested in a good Jane Austen biography! Any recommendations?

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/23/2023

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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.

I feel like all I talk about in this “life” section lately is the weather — but that subject really has dominated every discussion in our area for the past few weeks! Fortunately, we’ve started drying out and had two straight days of sunshine over the weekend, so I was able to get out and enjoy long walks — bliss!

What did I read during the last week?

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie: Haunted house terror with plenty of twists, from an author who never disappoints. My review is here.

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby: My book group’s pick for January — so good! Review to follow.

Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander: Lovely, sad, and unexpected. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Ooooh, The Last of Us! I was hooked after just one episode! And then it got me thinking about how terrifying fungi can be, so I wrote a post about it.

I hadn’t realized that season two of Hunters had dropped (Prime Video), so I’ve been binge-watching over the past few days. Two episodes to go!

Puzzles of the week:

I finished this one mid-week — tons of tiny details made this one pretty tricky.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

This is so exciting — I won a giveaway from Tammy at Books, Bones & Buffy! Many thanks to Tammy!! I can’t wait to start — I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by this author so far.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman: A really fun read — I just started it Saturday night, and haven’t wanted to put it down! Hoping to finish later today.

Now playing via audiobook:

Spare by Prince Harry: After watching Harry & Meghan, not to mention season 5 of The Crown, there was no way I was going to miss out on this one! I’ve only just gotten started, but the initial chapters are surprisingly touching.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 94 and 95 (of 155).
  • Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri: Just what the title promises! Shakespeare selections for each day of the calendar. I’m way behind already (which is kind of ridiculous, since we’re only 3 weeks into the new year), but I’ll try to do a little catching up this week.
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: My book group’s new classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week, and I’m so excited! I’ve never read this book before — once again, I’m so glad that I have my book group to motivate me.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 1/16/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by

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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.

Rain, rain, rain, and more rain! I think the sun may actually shine a few days later this week… Fingers crossed for good weather — I desperately miss spending time outdoors!

What did I read during the last week?

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather: My Classics Club spin book! Finished at the end of the previous week, but it took me a bit to get a review together — see it here.

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire: The 8th book in the Wayward Children series. Loved it! My review is here.

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers: I finished the audiobook (#3 in the Wayfarers series) over the weekend. With each book, the series as a whole seems more and more brilliant. My review is here.

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish: A 3-star read. Some cute moments, but also far too many scenes that left me rolling my eyes. My review is here.

Plus, one DNF:

An Immense World by Ed Yong: I got up to page 120 or thereabouts, and that felt like enough. There are some really interesting stories about animal senses, but ultimately reading such a detailed science book just wasn’t for me.

Pop culture & TV:

I ended up watching The Witcher: Blood Origin (Netflix) this past week. Meh. Lots of action, but not terribly compelling as a whole. Maybe they tried to cram too much into four episodes?

Puzzles of the week:

I just started a new puzzle over the weekend:

As you can see, not too much progress yet. So much tiny little detail!! I have a feeling this one will take me a while.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

A few of us at work have been talking about possibly doing a group read of this book for Black History Month. Whether that actually happens or not, I do want to read it, so I bought myself a copy!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie: I’ve read about 25% so far, and I’m loving the set-up and early stages of the story.

Now playing via audiobook:

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby. My book group’s pick for January. I have a week to get it done before our discussion! The audiobook is narrated by the fabulous Juliet Stevenson, so I think this will be a fun one.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 92 and 93 (of 155).
  • Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri: Just what the title promises! Shakespeare selections for each day of the calendar. I fell behind this week, then read about five days’ worth over the weekend to catch up. Really enjoyable!
  • A Passage to India by E. M. Forster: This will be my book group’s new classic read. Starting today, we’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week. I’ve been wanting to read this one for years now, so I’m really excited that the group picked it.

So many books, so little time…

boy1