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.

Back to the daily grind! After traveling quite a bit in early July, this week was a return to work and normal routines. All in all, busy but not bad, and we had some lovely weather over the weekend. Highlights of the week included dinner with friends we hadn’t seen in a while, another dinner out for just me and my husband, and my daughter’s arrival yesterday for a week here, which I’m very happy about!

Bookish bits & bobs.

The biggest recent book news (in my opinion!) is the cover and synopsis reveal for Taylor Jenkins Reid’s next book, The Last Days of Vic & Coco, to be released March 2027:

A snippet from the synopsis:

Sharp, seductive, and electric, The Last Days of Vic & Coco is set in the sun-and-shadows world of long desert highways, seedy motels, and dive bars. It’s the story of two women living by their wits, making their own rules, and traveling light. Even though they want different things from life, they swear they will stick together. But can you ever really trust the promises of a hustler?

Who else is excited?

What did I read during the last week?

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: What a fun kick-off to a new series! My review is here.

Heartstopper, volume 6 by Alice Oseman: A wonderful end to a terrific graphic novel series — even though I’m sad that it’s over. See my link (under pop culture) for thoughts on the end of the Heartstopper era.

Pronoun Trouble by John McWhorter: An entertaining little linguistics book — perfect for word nerds. My quick take is here.

Not With a Bang by Temi Oh: An end-of-the-world novel that’s more about the family at its center than it is about the catastrophic events. Interesting yet uneven; my review is here.

Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood: I finished the audiobook yesterday! Such fun. Watch for my review later in the week.

Pop culture & TV:

The wonderful Netflix adaptation of the Heartstopper series ended this month with both a wrap-up movie and a behind-the-scenes short documentary. Check out my Heartstopper thoughts, here.

I didn’t have a whole lot of time to get involved in any other viewing, but I managed to squeeze in the first episode of AppleTV’s Star City, a spin-off of For All Mankind (series review) focusing on the early days of the space race from the Soviet perspective. As you might imagine, it’s fairly bleak, but I’m interested enough to want to keep going.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison: I really enjoyed this author’s previous book (The Other Side of Now), and I’m excited to be starting her new release.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren: This feels like a great mid-summer audiobook choice! I’m always happy to have a new Christina Lauren book to listen to.

Ongoing reads:

Just one at the moment:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 58%. Coming up this week: Volume 3, chapters 6 and 7.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

It’s been another whirlwind week! After just a few days back home from my Oregon roadtrip, I headed out of town again to join a friend at a folkdance retreat in New Mexico. It was fantastic to have the time with my friend, plus the dancing was amazing (but exhausting, between the heat and the elevation of the location). I’m so glad I went. Now, back to “regular” life for a while.

What did I read during the last week?

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett: A long, compelling, terrific historical novel. My review is here.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: The first in a new series by the author of the Thursday Murder Club books. Such fun! I’ll share a review later this week.

Before leaving for my dance event, I squeezed in two short audio listens:

Julia at the Drive-In by Rainbow Rowell: A sweet YA short story.

The Safe Room by Lisa Unger: Really good crime thriller — I would have like it as a full-length novel! Check out Yvonne’s review for more info.

Pop culture & TV:

None! Between traveling and other hecticness, my screen time has been non-existent. I’m sure I’ll get back to my various streaming obsessions this coming week.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw: This book is so good! It has a bit of a Brigadoon vibe — it’s lovely and mysterious and very atmospheric. I thought I might manage to finish it on the plane yesterday, before my Kindle decided to give me trouble…

Now playing via audiobook:

Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood: I’ll be starting this audiobook today. Really looking forward to it!

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: 55%. Coming up this week: Volume 3, chapters 4 and 5.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter: I haven’t touched this book in over a week, but hope to get back to it (and perhaps even finish) this week. Progress: 56%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

I’m back! My husband and I got back yesterday afternoon from a 10-day road trip through Northern California and Oregon. We had an amazing time! … and I was too exhausted to do much more than throw together a very quick Monday post before heading to bed.

Coming soon: I’m planning to share some trip highlights (hint: lots of waterfalls and Shakespeare!)

A programming note:

I’ll also be away for four days later this week for a friend event… and will most likely be offline the entire time. So — I probably won’t be back to my normal blogging and blog-hopping routine until next week!

What did I read during the last (two) week(s)?

I managed to finish two books prior to hitting the road:

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig: Lovely book, lots of food for thought. My review is here.

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan: It’s always great to have a new Jenny Colgan book to kick off the summer reading season! My review is here.

While on my trip, I read just one book… but at over 600 pages, getting through it felt like quite an accomplishment!

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett: It took me the full length of my trip, but I finally finished! Very good book. I’ll aim to post a review later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

Absolutely nothing! Other than catching some World Cup highlights (more for my husband than for me), we didn’t have much screen time at all while we were away.

Fresh Catch:

Two new books!

The final volume of Heartstopper arrived! I can’t wait to get started.

While in Ashland, Oregon, we saw an amazing production of Emma — and I just had to buy a copy of the play script. Of course, it won’t compare to seeing it on stage, but I’m eager to read it anyway.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: I don’t know how much time I’ll have to read in the next few days, but then I’ll be on a plane, and this seems like a great choice for in-flight reading.

Now playing via audiobook:

Julia at the Drive-In by Rainbow Rowell: A new Rainbow Rowell short story seems like the perfect listen for the first half of the week,

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: 52%. Coming up this week: Volume 3, chapters 2 and 3.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter: A really entertaining linguistics book! I do love this sort of thing. I’m taking a slow approach when it comes to this book, and haven’t touched it since before I went out of town. I’ve read 3 chapters so far. Progress: 56%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

Another busy week — but the sun finally came out over the weekend, and I was able to get outdoors to enjoy it.

My book group had a Zoom chat with author Marjan Kamali on Saturday, discussing her excellent novel The Lion Women of Tehran. She was very kind and gracious with her time, and the conversation was so interesting!

A programming note:

I’ll be away for about a week and a half starting later this week — my husband and I are heading out on a summer road trip to Ashland, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge, and various points in between! I expect to mainly be offline while we’ll traveling (maybe some random check-ins here and there). We’ll be on the go every day, but I do hope to be able to unwind each evening with some quiet reading time!

What did I read during the last week?

The Children by Melissa Albert: Chilling, compelling, terrific fantasy/horror. My review is here.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman: This book seems to have exploded on BookTok in the past year. I’m glad I decided to check it out — my review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished my For All Mankind binge! I loved seasons 1 and 2, thought season 3 was pretty good, mostly felt that season 4 sucked, and then like season 5 better than season 4. I’m glad to be done at this point. Despite the letdown of the last two seasons, I still intend to watch the 6th and final season whenever it’s released (most likely 2027). Meanwhile, I plan to check out the spin-off series Star City, which covers the space race from the Soviet perspective. I posted an overview about my experiences watching For All Mankind — check it out, here.

And now that my binge is over, I’m looking forward to catching up on other shows I’ve been wanting to watch. So many options!

Fresh Catch:

I try not to give in to the temptations of Prime Day… but couldn’t resist when there was a significant price drop on a book that’s been on my wish list for a long time:

I read The Women soon after it came out via the library, and have been wanting a copy of my own ever since.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig: I got a signed copy of this book at an author event in early June, and I managed to get through about half over the weekend. Hoping to finish before we hit the road!

Now playing via audiobook:

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan: Jenny Colgan audiobooks are always such great entertainment! I’d hoped to finish over the weekend, but ran out of time. Now my goal is to finish before I leave on my trip… and I think I’ll (maybe) manage just in time. Fingers crossed…

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: 46%. Coming up this week: Volume 2, chapters 10 and 11.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter: A really entertaining linguistics book! I do love this sort of thing. I’m reading it in bits and pieces, and this week read the 2nd chapter (called “Poor Little You”). Progress: 46%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

Do you ever have weeks where you feel like you’re just bad at reading? I know I’m not, really, but this past week, I was so busy and had so much going on that even when I had a few minutes to pick up a book, my concentration was not there. I made almost no progress in the ebook I was reading, despite being really interested and wanting to be able to get into it. Thank goodness for audiobooks! At least I’m able to listen during my daily commute.

Work was crazy (what else is new?)… but in real life, it was actually quite a good week! We had our adult kids in town, had a fun family dinner at home one night, then Father’s Day dinner out at a favorite restaurant. It’s always a treat to get to spend time together with our awesome kids and their wonderful spouses.

Random bookish stuff:

Both of these feel very specific to my life:

I feel seen.

What did I read during the last week?

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali: Beautiful story of women’s lives and friendship in 20th century Tehran. My review is here.

Time Loops and Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau: A very fun rom-com with a clever premise and great characters. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m midway through the 5th season of For All Mankind… and honestly, I about ready for this binge to be done. I loved seasons 1 – 3, but season 4 was such a disappointment. Season 5 is better, but I think overall the show has lost a lot of what made the early seasons so special. I’ll probably share a wrap-up post once I finish this season — and yes, despite not loving the show quite as much at this point, I’ll certainly be back for the sixth and final season whenever it drops (most likely sometime in 2027).

Fresh Catch:

After being fairly restrained about buying physical books lately, I splurged this week! I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and, well, here we are!

• This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews: Can’t wait to read this book!
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: I’ve been buying these special editions over the last few years — this is the last one I needed to have the full set!
• Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune: Read already… and loved.
• This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page: One of my favorite books of 2026.

Also this week:

A Goodreads giveaway! I was notified that I’d won a copy of The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline back in March, and it finally arrived this week. I’ve already read the book via NetGalley ARC, but I’m delighted to have a copy of my own — and getting a finished, lovely hardcover makes it worth the wait for my giveaway to get here.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Children by Melissa Albert: I started this book early in the week and had no time to really focus on it until the weekend… and then I got totally hooked! I have about 25% left to go, and wish I could just sit and read straight through to the end.

Now playing via audiobook:

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan: If it’s summer, it must be time for a new Jenny Colgan book! I always enjoy this author’s audiobooks. Just getting started.

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: 43%. Coming up this week: Volume 2, chapters 8 and 9.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter: A really entertaining grammar book! I do love this sort of thing. I’m reading it in bits and pieces, and have read the first chapter (all about “I” and “me”) so far. Progress: 25%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

I went to a great book event last week, featuring Matt Haig in conversation with Margaret Sexton Wilkerson (author of On the Rooftop). He was interesting, vulnerable, and funny, and very generous with his willingness to answer audience questions and spend time chatting to each person on the signing line. Yes, I got a book! I’m so glad I was able to attend.

Random bookish stuff:

Libro.fm is offering a BOGO sale, now through June 22. If you’re considering an audiobook membership, Libro is a great option, especially since purchases support the bookstore of your choice. And if you use their SWITCH promo, you’ll get six audiobooks instead of the standard three for a new subscription!

What did I read during the last week?

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James: A fun, sassy historical romance. I liked the light tone and the sense of humor — such a nice break from heavier reading. My review is here.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher: What a glorious fantasy! I’ve owned a copy for a year now, and I’m so glad I finally read it. My review is here.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare: Although I’ve seen several productions in the past, I’d never actually read the play. And now I’m super excited for my upcoming trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival next month — this is one of the plays I’ll be seeing.

Sadly, I had one DNF this week:

I hated doing it, but after reading about 25% of The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden, I had to face the fact that I wasn’t engaged or enjoying the reading experience. I’ve seen quite a few glowing reviews that mention struggling at the start of the book, so I was prepared to push through… and finally, after several days of making little progress, I decided to give myself permission to put the book aside. The setting and storytelling approach just didn’t pull me in. Very disappointing — I’ve loved so many of this author’s books. Still, this was the right decision for me this week, because slogging through this book was really dragging me down! Maybe I’ll pick it up again at some point — never say never!! — but for right now, I’m pretty sure this was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time.

Pop culture & TV:

Onward with For All Mankind! I’m almost finished with season 4, and then, just one more season to go (and then I’ll probably start the new spin-off, Star City). I hate to say it, but season 4, while good, isn’t thrilling me the way previous seasons did. Several contributing factors — the time jumps between seasons mean that by season 4, many of the characters I’d come to care about are no longer on the show. Also, this season is heavily focused on politics and labor issues, and lacks the more exciting space exploration elements of earlier seasons. Still, it’s never dull, and I may revise my opinion once I get through the last two episodes of the season — which, if previous season finales are anything to go by, should absolutely ratchet up the adrenaline levels.

I also actually went out to a movie! Something I rarely do these days, when everything is available to stream sooner or later and my couch is just so comfy. My husband and I went to see Disclosure Day over the weekend. It’s good! I intentionally didn’t watch trailers or read reviews ahead of time, so other than knowing the bare minimum (basically, something to do with aliens), I went in cold — and recommend doing the same, if you can. I enjoyed being surprised by the plot, and even some of the cast, and found it a really interesting and entertaining film.

Fresh Catch:

Here’s the new book I got at the book signing:

I’m looking forward to reading it! (Although I may end up saving it for vacation this summer…)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali: My book group book for June. I’m getting close to the end, and I’m loving it. A beautiful, powerful story. I’ll share a review later this week.

Now playing via audiobook:

Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau: I just listened to the first couple of chapters yesterday, and this seems like it’ll be a really cute story. I’ve enjoyed other books by this author — fingers crossed this one will be lots of fun!

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: 36%. Coming up this week: Volume 2, chapters 6 and 7.

Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words by John McWhorter: I picked up this book last year, because it really appeals to my inner grammar nerd. I’m planning to read it in small installments over the next few weeks. Just about to start.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

Oof. Last week at work was intense, and I felt like I barely came up for air. Maybe because of that, my reading was really scattered, and it wasn’t until the weekend that I felt like I had time to read more than a few pages in a sitting.

Luckily, the weekend ended up being pretty mellow, so I did a deep dive into a few different books, and also had time to make progress on some travel planning, get outdoors, and have a fun dinner out with my husband and son at a neighborhood pizza place.

Random bookish stuff:

I love my audiobooks, and love being able to borrow them from the library… and I’m so annoyed with the Hoopla app. Libby is my usual go-to for library audiobooks, but sometimes, what I want is only available on Hoopla. Its functionality is so wonky — each time I try to use it while driving, I have to start from scratch, reopen the app, select the audiobook, and hit resume. If I forget to do all this before starting my drive, I either have to do it while driving (unsafe!) or find a place to pull over. In contrast, Libby just picks right back up with a simple touch on my touchscreen. Argh. Hoopla, fix yourself!

In other bookish developments… I’m on the verge of being caught up on ARCs through the end of June, and that means I can indulge in much more spur-of-the-moment mood reading! I have one more ebook ARC that I’ll likely finish this week, and my remaining two ARCs for June are books that I prefer to experience via audio. My Kindle is beckoning me to just come choose random books from my library! How exciting!

What did I read during the last week?

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley: A funny, moving novel about long-term relationships and… alien abduction. Trust me, it’s a delight. My review is here.

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier: My most recent Classics Club Spin book. Absolutely gorgeous. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Continuing my For All Mankind binge! I cannot stop watching this show. I’m almost finished with season 3 — and then just two more seasons to go. The storytelling and characters are amazing, and there are moments that are so intense that I can barely breathe.

I was so sad to hear about the passing of Anthony Stewart Head, an amazing actor who’s had my heart ever since his Buffy days. RIP.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James: Such a fun read! I’ve never tried anything by this author until now. I could be wrong, but my sense is that this is the only one of her books with a more comedic tone — judging just by covers and synopses. Someone correct me if that’s not accurate! I’m very close to the end… just need a good solid hour of reading time today to finish.

So, what’ll I read next? Well, I think most likely I’ll turn to:

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden: I always love this author’s writing, and I’m really curious to see how this story plays out.

Now playing via audiobook:

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher: Finally! I’ve had a copy of this book on my shelves ever since its release, and I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to pick it up. The audiobook narration is terrific. I’m about halfway through, and I’m enjoying every moment.

Ongoing reads:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s newest classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 32%. Coming up this week: Volume 2, chapters 4 and 5.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare: I’m reading a little bit at a time; about to start Act IV.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, 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.

Life.

It’s June already! Bring on summer sunshine and blue skies!

I had a nice week last week — after a long holiday weekend, I took one more day off mid-week to spend time with an old friend visiting the area. It was lovely to reconnect and have time to catch up, and we also hit some local tourist spots and went to a beautiful Matisse exhibit.

Bookish odds and ends:

Each week, there seems to be some new and exciting book release news! Tor just shared this cover reveal and release date:

The Double Dorothy by Olivia Waite, 3rd installment in the Dorothy Gentleman series of sci-fi novellas, will be released in March 2027.

What did I read during the last week?

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan: Terrific summer fiction. My review is here.

Obstetrix by Naomi Kristzer: Chilling, tense story set in a near-future world. My review is here.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell: My book group’s pick for May. Highly recommended. My review is here.

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley: Finished Sunday afternoon — watch for my review later this week!

Pop culture & TV:

I’m completely hooked on For All Mankind! I’d originally thought I’d take a break after the first season… but once I got to the final episode, I couldn’t do anything but keep going. I’m just past the halfway point of season 2… and unless something really changes, I’m guessing I’ll want to binge straight through until I catch up with the newest season (#5)!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier: My newest Classics Club Spin book! Just getting started. I’m excited to have the spin as motivation to finally read this book.

Now playing via audiobook:

I have quite decided what I feel like listening to next… but I think it’ll be one of these two options:

Let’s see where my mood takes me!

Ongoing reads:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s newest classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 26%. Coming up this week: Volume 2, chapters 2 and 3.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare: I’m reading a little bit at a time; about to start Act II.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…