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 New Year to all who celebrate Rosh Hashanah! Wishing everyone a sweet, healthy, peaceful year to come.

I loved having a couple of days off from work last week. I spend one day visiting friends I hadn’t seen in a while, and another catching up on errands I never seem to have time for on weekends.

Meanwhile, we’ve been having a heatwave here in San Francisco. I went for walks at the beach to bask in our unusually sunny weather, then cooled off in the shade on my back porch with iced coffee and a good book or two. So nice!

Pango Books

I’m a Pango Ambassador! That means I get to share a discount code with my fellow booklovers. Use the code LISA252194 to get $5 off an order of $10 or more (applies to new Pango users only). Visit Pango Books to get started!

I’m also selling books on Pango — you can see my seller listings here.

What did I read during the last week?

Rough Pages by Lev AC Rosen: Terrific noir tale about a gay detective in 1950s San Francisco. My review is here.

Drop Dead by Lily Chu: Really fun audiobook about rival journalists unraveling a literary mystery. My review is here.

Constituent Service by John Scalzi: A fun (free) Audible Original, narrated by Amber Benson. A quick, laugh-out-loud listen.

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong: Excellent horror story, with lots of unexpected twists and scares. Stay tuned — I’ll have a review up later in the week.

In other bookish news, my book group had a Zoom chat with author Jennifer Ryan to discuss her newest novel, The Underground Library. Jennifer was warm and friendly and so interesting! We all really enjoyed it.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched the final episode of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, season 2. Overall, it’s been a good season, but I think the show tried to cram too much into the finale. There were characters included whom we hadn’t seen in weeks — I couldn’t even remember why some of them mattered! Still, it’s renewed my interest in the world of LOTR and makes me want to dig a little deeper while waiting for season 3 (although a renewal has not yet been confirmed).

Next up: I’m excited to watch season 3 of Heartstopper!

Fresh Catch:

I won a Goodreads giveaway! I haven’t received the book yet, but it’s always a thrill to get the email notification. I won a copy of We Would Never by Tova Mirvis. Looks good!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

D’Vaughn & Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins: I needed an LGBTQ+ romance for a reading challenge, and my daughter recommended this one! Just getting started.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez: The 2nd book in the Friend Zone trilogy. I’ve only listened to the first chapter so far, but since the story focuses on an important character from the first book, I’m eager to dive in and see what happens next.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 82%. Coming up this week: Chapter 23, “Burn this Letter”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Hilarious. Progress: 48%. Coming up this week: Chapters 13 and 14.
• A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: My annual October tradition. The book has a chapter per day for each day of the month. Progress: 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.

I’m back! I was mostly offline for the last two weeks while traveling to the East Coast and back. I spent four days in New York with my daughter and a bunch of friends, then a few more days in the general area visiting family. It was a terrific trip, but as usual, ended up with so much catching up to do at work and around the house once I got back.

One really amazing element of my trip: I had a meet-up with my book group friends! We’re an online book group, mostly connecting via chat and discussion threads, with occasional Zoom sessions too. While I’ve met a few people in-person over the years, this was the first chance we’ve all had to meet a member who lives in England — she had a port visit in NY while on a cruise, and we decided it was the perfect opportunity for a group gathering. It was lovely to meet everyone and spend the day together!

It was also great to get back home and feel appreciated — especially when I returned to the office and found that a wonderful work friend had gotten me a perfect booklover’s birthday gift!

Little Free Library update:

I’m having fun checking my Little Free Library inventory week over week, and it was interesting to see which books had been picked up while I was away! A couple of new books were added by visitors, and — bizarrely — also some audio cassettes, which appear to be recordings of poetry readings. Not quite sure what to do with those…

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan: A lovely escape to a picture-perfect Scottish village, and a charming storyline overall. My review is here.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan: Historical fiction set in London during WWII. My review is here.

Extinction by Douglas Preston: Sci-fi thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. My review is here.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea: The feel-good, must-read sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. My review is here.

Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz: I wanted to love this book — the synopsis grabbed me, and I even bought a hard copy (used, fortunately). But… I just did not enjoy it. Couldn’t relate to the characters or their relationship, and the writing itself irked me. I don’t even think I’m going to write a review for this one.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez: Contemporary romance filled with laughter and tears. My review is here.

Also read this week: A cute (new) short story set in the world of Abby Jimenez’s most recent novel, Just For the Summer:

Pop culture & TV:

While in New York with my daughter, we went to two Broadway musicals and loved them both! First, we saw Six, a pop music extravaganza starring the six wives of Henry VIII.

And here’s a clip via Facebook, showing the cast we actually saw: https://fb.watch/uVn0apRH0e/

Two nights later, we also saw Once Upon a Mattress, starring the always-excellent Sutton Foster. Such fun!

We also really enjoyed our visit to the Museum of Broadway. A must for theater fans!

Now that I’m back home, I’m catching up on the new season of Survivor… and then will dive back into Netflix to see what else I’ve missed.

Fresh Catch:

While in NY, we stopped by The Strand (awesome bookstore!) for a bit of browsing… and walked away with four new and used books, including one “blind date with a book”.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Rough Pages by Lev AC Rosen: I loved the first two books in this series, and I’m so excited to be starting the new one, just in time for its release this week!

Now playing via audiobook:

Drop Dead by Lily Chu: This author’s audiobooks are always a treat! I haven’t made much progress yet, but I’m enjoying it so far.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 80%. Coming up this week: Chapter 22, “Captain Marsal to the Rescue”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Hilarious. Progress: 38%. Coming up this week: Chapters 11 and 12.
• October starts tomorrow… and that means it’s time for the annual reading of A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny! There’s a chapter for each day of the month, and I’m looking forward to getting started.

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, followed by a fun, active Saturday and a hectic Sunday full of running around to take care of errands. Definitely not the mellow weekend I was hoping for!

I’m getting ready to head out of town later this week, for a combination of a friends-get-together and some family time. I may or may not be online; we’ll see how much downtime there is.

Now, for the trickiest parts — figuring out the weather and what to pack, and deciding on airplane books!

Giveaway update:

I ran a giveaway this past week, with a choice of ARCs as a prize. The giveaway ended yesterday and I notified the winner already… but I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the number of participants. Granted, I didn’t make a big effort to promote it, other than my blog post and some late-in-the-game social media posts. Still, it made me wonder — does anyone else regularly run giveaways, and do you find them worthwhile?

Little Free Library update:

My Little Free Library had its first visitors this week! I found that extraordinarily exciting… I suppose once it’s been there longer, I’ll calm down about it. I was so happy to come home from work midweek and see that someone had taken three books and left three other books! LFL in action!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer: A Jewish-themed romance with some good elements, but a cringey sense of humor. My review is here.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach: Contemporary fiction about a woman who accidentally gets involved in a stranger’s wedding. Lively, plenty to think about, and a lot of fun. My review is here.

In graphic novels:

I finished reading the Snowpiercer trilogy, then read the prequel volumes too. The artwork and storytelling in the original trilogy didn’t particularly work for me, but I wanted to see the basis for the TV series, which I love. (Only one episode left!!)

The two prequel volumes, which were released years after the original trilogy, were much more interesting to me, showing how the worldwide disaster came about and how Snowpiercer (the train) was conceived and created. I still don’t care for the style of the artwork, but the story was much more gripping, and I’m glad I read these. (Volume 2 — published in 2020 — promises a 3rd volume as a conclusion… but as of now, it doesn’t exist, and I can’t seem to find anything online to indicate that it will ever be released.)

Pop culture & TV:

Still watching season 2 of The Rings of Power. The last couple of episodes have had some great moments… but as a whole, this series often feels like it’s plodding along.

I finished Kaos (Netflix). It’s only eight episodes (no news yet as to whether there will be a second season), so it’s not a big commitment. I enjoyed it — there’s a lot of weirdness, but such a great cast, and never a dull moment.

And now I’m a bit at loose ends, not quite sure what I feel like starting next. I’m catching up on the Daryl Dixon series (spin-off of The Walking Dead), even though I never finished the final seasons of TWD. A new season of Survivor starts this week, and yes, despite how often I ridicule the show, I’ll be tuning in.

I’m on the fence about Dancing with the Stars — I don’t watch regularly, but if there’s a particular “star” who interests me, I may selectively watch. This time around, I’d love to see “pommel horse guy” (Stephen Nedoroscik) try ballroom, but I’m also a little disgusted by the show’s continuing to see anyone famous — including convicted criminals — as “stars”. (This season includes Anna Delvey… why??)

Fresh Catch:

Two new books this week! I’ve really cut down on the number of physical books, especially hardcovers, that I buy — but a new TJ Klune book is a must for my shelves!

And although I have an e-ARC and the audiobook for Jenny Colgan’s latest, I do keep paperback editions of all her books, and I love the cover of this one!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune: I really expected to have more time to read this weekend, but alas, it just didn’t work out that way! I’ve made very little progress… sigh. Still, the little bit I’ve read has been really good!

Now playing via audiobook:

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan: Same as with the book above — I’d hoped to finish over the weekend, but life got in the way! I have about an hour’s worth of listening still, and I’m really loving it.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 73%. Coming up this week: Chapter 20, “The Escape of the Whitehaven Three”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Such silly fun. Progress: 19%. Coming up this week: Chapters 7 and 8.

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 worked from home all of last week, mainly so I could be around to lend a hand as my husband bounced back from eye surgery. As of now, he’s back to his usual active self — driving, going to the gym, running around town — so apparently, my services are no longer needed!

We had a puppy visitor:

But the kitty was not impressed:

Bookish stuff:

I’m giving away some books! I’m trying to reorganize my shelves and weed out the books I no longer feel the need to keep — and that includes a bunch of ARCs that have come my way over the years. Feeling lucky? You can enter my Rafflercopter giveaway here.

And… drumroll, please…

I just set my up my very own Little Free Library! I’m so excited — I’ve been wanting one for years!

It’s only been one day, so I’m a little overeager still, and I keep checking to see if anyone has taken a book yet!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover: I read this the previous week, but just got around to posting a review, here.

And after the messy drama of the CoHo book, I needed some lighter reading — so my next three books were all contemporary romances that were sweet and enjoyable:

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine: Deliciously silly fun. My review is here.

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon: A great contemporary romance set in New Orleans… and with oodles of doggy cuteness. My review is here.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer: Romance between a self-described “Jewitch” and the man she thinks might possibly be a golem she created. Review to follow.

I also read a few (very different) graphic novels this week:

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang: Sweet YA graphic novel by the author of The Prince & the Dressmaker. It was an enjoyable read, but not something I found all that compelling.

Snowpiercer, volume 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette: It’s interesting to see the origin of the TV series (which I think is awesome). The artwork is not great, it’s very difficult to identify characters, and the storytelling is confusing… but I’m continuing the series anyway. (Fortunately, my library had volumes 1 – 3 available, so this is a low-commitment reading experiment).

Snowpiercer, volume 2: The Explorers: More of the same. The story goes in a different direction than the TV series, but it’s still hard to figure out who the characters are and what’s happening. There’s only one more book in the original trilogy, so I’ll at least read that one, and then see if I feel like reading the two-volume prequel as well.

Pop culture & TV:

I caught up with the available episodes of season 2 of The Rings of Power. This season has some good moments for sure… but overall, it’s so slow. Or is it just me?

Over on Netflix, I started watching Kaos, the new series about Greek gods in a modern setting. Anyone else watching this? It’s uneven, but really entertaining, and has a terrific cast.

Fresh Catch:

No new books!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach: My library hold for this book just came in, and I’m still in the early chapters. After a slow and somewhat depressing start, it seems to be be picking up.

Now playing via audiobook:

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan: This author’s audiobooks are always the best sort of escape! I’m still in the early chapters, but love getting swept away to Scotland…

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 69%. Coming up this week: Chapter 19, “In Sickness or in Health”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s classic read! Such silly fun. Progress: 13%. Coming up this week: Chapters 5 and 6.

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 took a few days off last week to help my husband after he had a procedure on one of his eyes — it went well, and mostly he’s just impatient to get back to normal routines (typical!). I’m glad it’s done, and now we wait to see if there’s improvement in his vision over the next few months.

Because of that, we didn’t have a big last hurrah for Labor Day weekend — just mellow times closer to home, with plenty of relaxing and long walks. And honestly, we needed the rest!

But, we did take in a few sights nearby, including spending a couple of hours at the arboretum, which was lovely!

Bookish stuff:

I’ve gotten more books posted for sale on Pango Books. I have a feeling I priced most of them too high… which may be an indication of my hesitancy about the whole thing. I’m not quite sure that I want to start buying packing material, bubble envelopes, etc if there isn’t a reasonable return to be made. In any case, I’ll keep an eye on it, and possibly do some price reductions over the next couple of weeks.

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir: Fabulous Icelandic horror story! My review is here.

Songs for the Broken-Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari: Beautiful, powerful story of mothers and daughters, grief, and connection. My review is here.

The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima: I’m grateful to the Classics Club Spin for getting me to finally reread this lovely book! Some thoughts, here.

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: I expected to love this book about — among other things — aliens, deals with the devil, violins, and donuts; instead, I liked it, but with reservations. My review is here.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover: Well, I read it. And now I can say that my (very brief) Colleen Hoover phase is done. I’ll post a review later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

I finally caught up to Snowpiercer! The show is in its 4th and final season, and I’ve made it through everything that’s aired so far. It feels weird to go from binging to having to wait a week in between each of the three final episodes, which is all that’s left.

Next up: I’m looking forward to starting the new episodes of The Rings of Power. Also, Kaos (Netflix) looks pretty awesome!

And in movie news…

November is a long way off… but now that I’ve seen the trailer for Wicked, I can’t wait! Have you seen it yet? What do you think?

Fresh Catch:

No new books!

Puzzle of the week:

I tried a puzzle from a new-to-me company this week, and ended up really enjoying it! The colors are gorgeous, the piece quality is nice and sharp, and the design provided a good challenge — I spent a few days on this puzzle, savoring the detail and the complexity.

Reverie Puzzles seem to have a beautiful selection of images to choose from. They’re a little pricier than the puzzles I usually buy, so I’ll be pretty choosy going forward, but this one felt like a nice little treat for myself (and I had a discount code!). Reverie puzzles do not appear to be available on Amazon; the Puzzledly site has a good selection of Reverie puzzles, and much more.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I finished a book late Sunday, and I’m not quite sure what I’ll feel like reading next. Options include two library books and an ARC for a book releasing later in September:

• My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
• Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang
• Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer

What to do… what to do…

Now playing via audiobook:

Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon: I really liked this author’s previous trilogy (The Boyfriend Project), and this new book seems really cute. I mean, the main character owns a doggie day care called Barkingham Palace — what’s not to like?

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 65%. Coming up this week: Chapter 18, “For Richer, For Poorer”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: My book group’s new classic read! Such silly fun. Progress: 8%. Coming up this week: Chapters 3 and 4.

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 a pretty quiet week, all in all. Lots of catching up at work, but some fun during my down time too, including dinner with good friends and a few opportunities to dance.

And reading, of course!

Bookish stuff:

I’m contemplating various approaches for downsizing my physical collection of books, mainly because I’m out of room yet again. I’m experimenting with listing books on Pango Books — just a few so far, and we’ll see how it goes.

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group finished this play last week. As always, it was a terrific experience delving into a classic with such a great bunch of people.

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows: The 3rd Lady Janies book was just as much fun as I’d expected! Can’t wait to continue onward with the series. My review is here.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: This audiobook was a reread for me… and just as lovely the second time around!

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover: Well, at least I can say that I’ve read a CoHo book! My review is here.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir: Short and creepy! I’ll post a review later this week.

I also read two graphic novels over the weekend:

• Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks: Cute and fun… and I needed a “Z” book for a reading challenge!
• Fangirl, volume 4 by Rainbow Rowell: The final volume of the manga version of Fangirl — it makes me want to go back and read the novel again!

Pop culture & TV:

I’m still watching Snowpiercer! I’ve made it a few episode into season 3 so far. The 4th and final season is now airing, and I should be able to catch up with “live” episodes before the finale. I’m finding the show pretty riveting — very dark and bloody, but such a good cast and interesting episodes!

As I mentioned last week, Prime Video has cancelled My Lady Jane after just one season — but apparently there’s a fan campaign to save it! If you’re interested, sign the petition here.

The new season of The Rings of Power starts later this week. I ended up really enjoying season 1, and season 2 looks great from the trailer!

Fresh Catch:

My set is complete!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Songs for the Broken-Hearted by Ayelet Tsabari: Just getting started!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima: My classics club spin book!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 61%. Coming up this week: Chapter 17, “For Better or For Worse”
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse: After wrapping up The Winter’s Tale last week, my book group is moving on to a new classic. This one should be fun! We’re just starting this week, and will be reading and discussing two chapters per week.

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!

I skipped last week’s Monday Check-in because I was away for a long weekend, attending a family wedding in Boston. The wedding was lovely, and we even had time to do a bit of daytripping while there too, including a trip to Salem.

Salem is such a weird, fun little town. So unbelievably kitschy… but then there’s also a beautiful little park that’s a memorial to the victims of the witch trials, which was really moving to see.

And now we’re home. For some reason, this trip really knocked me for a loop, and I came back exhausted — it took me a good three or four days to start feeling like myself again.

As always, I took full advantage of the long flights to fit in some quality reading time — always a plus!

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: A great wrap-up to a terrific series. I’m just sorry to have reached the end! My review is here.

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca: A cute romance set in a ghost-filled town. My review is here.

The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey: A 5-star read! A powerhouse start to a new sci-fi series. My review is here.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister: Historical fiction about real-life heiress, adventurer, and author Aimee Crocker. My review is here.

Moon-Madness and Other Fantasies by Aimee Crocker Gouraud: After reading a fictionalized version of Aimee Crocker’s life, I couldn’t resist reading her slim book of short stories — so interesting to see her imagination on the page!

Puzzle of the week:

I did a mystery puzzle! This was a super fun challenge — you can find out more about it here.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched such a silly movie on the plane — Mother of the Bride, with Brooke Shields and Miranda Cosgrove. It’s really ridiculous, but was a good way to pass the time!

On a much darker note… I’m watching Snowpiercer (the TV series), and have just started season 2. I’d never watched the movie, so I had no idea what to expect. Great cast, and it’s pretty compelling… but tons of blood and violence.

And in TV news, I was sad to see that Prime Video has cancelled My Lady Jane after just one season. What a letdown! The first season was very cute, and is still worth checking out.

Fresh Catch:

It always feel like a treat when book mail arrives! Here are my three new arrivals from the last two weeks.

I bought a copy of the Shel Silverstein book (actually, two copies — one for me and one for my daughter) after reading this tribute to the author in the New York Times, and realizing that this particular book was one I’d missed out on!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows: I decided to go for something light — I’m about halfway through this 3rd book in the Lady Janies series. (Note: You can read them in any order — each works as a stand-alone).

Now playing via audiobook:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: This is a re-read for me, and it’s so much fun! I wanted to revisit this adorable book before the sequel arrives in September.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 60%. Coming up this week: Chapter 16, “I Blame the Parents”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group has been reading and discussing two scenes per week — and today, we’ll be done! Coming up this week: Act V, scene 3.
• It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. This is a reread for me, and I just got a copy from the library. I’m still not sure exactly when I’ll start, but there’s plenty of time before the spin deadline of 9/22.

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.

Does every summer go by so quickly? I think so… but this one seems especially fast!

It’s been a good week. We thought my husband might have had COVID a few days ago, but his tests all came back negative and his symptoms resolved very quickly, so probably just some random virus. There are plenty going around!

We’re heading out of town later this week for a family wedding on the east coast. We’ll only be away for four days, but it should be awesome — all of the various adult children and their partners will be there, and of course, we’re excited for the wedding itself.

We had oodles of cuteness at our house this week — I must share a photo of our very special visitor!

My son’s friend’s new pup — super sweet and playful!

Blogging:

Why does WordPress keep doing things to irritate me?? All of a sudden, there’s AI commentary while writing, and I hate it (and can’t find a way to turn it off).

I appreciate when misspellings get that squiggly red underline in drafts, but I don’t want AI telling me when words are “unconfident” (green underline) or “complex” (gold underline). If I say “maybe” or “might”, it’s for a reason! And no, I don’t think “initial” is a word that should be simplified!

Argh. Anyone know how to turn this off?

What did I read during the last week?

A Sorceress Comes To Call by T. Kingfisher: Amazing fairy tale retelling with an undertone of horror. My review is here.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell: A sweet, quirky tale of lifelong friendship, love, and second chances. My review is here.

Miss Lattimore’s Letter by Suzanne Allain: An enjoyable Regency romance with a terrific lead character. My review is here.

Puzzle of the week:

Hurray, I got back to puzzling! This one was so much fun:

Yet another terrific, colorful puzzle from Eeboo — check out their selections here.

Pop culture & TV:

Really fun casting news about a favorite Emily Henry book: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tom-blyth-emily-bader-people-we-meet-on-vacation-emily-henry-netflix-1235965230/

In terms of my own pop culture consumption this past week…

I finished watching season 4 of The Boys. That was… something. Probably the grossest, most over-the-top thing on TV, but oddly fascinating too. Yes, I’ll be back for season 5!

I’ve been dipping in and out of watching the Olympics, mostly just checking out the highlight reels for the good stuff!

Has anyone watched Snowpiercer (the TV series)? I finally tried episode one last night, and liked it enough to want to keep going. What a weird concept.

And finally… I wrote up a Book vs TV comparison for two recent shows. Check it out, here.

Fresh Catch:

Two newly released books arrived this week:

I’ve read them both already, and I’m excited to have beautiful new editions for my shelves!

Also, after reading and loving The Lost Story, I couldn’t resist getting a signed copy of my very own:

Signed by the author and by the mapmaker (her husband)!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I haven’t quite decided which book to start next — both of my top choices are ARCs for books by authors I’ve enjoyed before:

• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister

I’m trying to tackle my August ARCs before moving on to book group books and mood reading, and if I can read both of these this week, I’ll be well on my way!

Now playing via audiobook:

A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: The 4th book in the terrific A Stitch in Time series! My listening time has been pretty limited this week, but I do expect to finish before heading out of town.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 51%. Coming up this week: Chapter 14, “The Spoils of War”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 41%. Coming up this week: Act IV, scenes 3 and 4.
• It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. This is a reread for me, and I just got a copy from the library. I’m still not sure exactly when I’ll start, but there’s plenty of time before the spin deadline of 9/22.

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 was my first week post-vacation, and I’m sure you can guess how I felt about that! That vacation mellowness goes away really quickly when you log back in to your work email and see 360 unread messages lying in wait…

But otherwise, it’s been a decent week. I played with my son’s cute kitty, so life is good.

What did I read during the last week?

I caught up on my review backlog for the books I read while away and shortly after returning:

Here are my review links:

• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer – review
• Until Next Summer by Ali Brady – review
• The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar – review
• The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls, #5) by Deborah Harkness – review

I also finished two more books this week:

• Against the Darkness (In Every Generation, #3) by Kendare Blake: The final volume in a terrific Buffyverse trilogy. My review is here.
• Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn: An audiobook reread! But which is better — the book or the TV series? Tune in later this week, when I’ll share some thoughts…

Pop culture & TV:

I’m sure everyone has seen this adorable safety video from British Airways by now… but just in case you’ve missed it:

In other pop culture moments…

My husband and I out got out to the theater over weekend! It was a small-scale production of Evita in a truly teeny space — but it was still really fun. Way back in my college days, one of my roommates played the Evita soundtrack non-stop (and loudly), so watching the show was both a great experience in and of itself, and also a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Other than that, I’m still making my way through season 4 of The Boys, which is just as gross and over-the-top as expected (and yet, I just can’t look away). I have three episodes left… and then I’ll need to find something nice and pleasant and gore-free to watch as a way of cleansing my brain.

Oh, and too good not to share — check out this new trailer for season three of Interview with the Vampire. Rock star Lestat — Can. Not. Wait.

Fresh Catch:

I had an Amazon gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and treated myself to a bunch of books!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher: I’m excited to be starting the newest from T. Kingfisher!

Now playing via audiobook:

A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: The 4th and final (I think?) book in the terrific A Stitch in Time series! I’ve only listened to the first couple of chapters, but I’m hooked already.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 44%. Coming up this week: Chapter 13, “Till Death Us Do Part”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 39%. Coming up this week: Act IV, scenes 1 and 2.
• It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. This is a reread for me, and I just got a copy from the library. I’m still not sure exactly when I’ll start, but there’s plenty of time before the spin deadline of 9/22.

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 spent the past week in beautiful Hawaii, enjoying sand, sun, gorgeous seas, delicious food, and utter relaxation.

I managed to fit in quite a lot of reading while we were there — bliss! It was hard to leave paradise behind and return home… vacations must eventually end, but since my husband stated mid-week “I could see coming back here every year”, we can start looking forward to the next time!

Blogging world:

I was offline all of last week, so I’ll have quite a bit of catching up to do on my blog. One thing I missed this week was the kick-off of the summer Classics Club Spin, a blogging event that I always enjoy. I didn’t get back in time to put up a pre-spin post before the results announcement — but since I already have a list from previous spins, I’m going to read the book that corresponds to the newest spin anyway! See my ongoing reads, below, to find out what it is.

What did I read during the last week?

I finished two books right before leaving on vacation:

• The Husbands by Holly Gamazio (review)
• The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest (review)

Also in the week before our trip, I listened to a bunch of audio shorts:

Check out my audiobook round-up post, here.

As for my vacation books:

I haven’t had time to write up my reactions to these books yet, but I should have reviews coming later this week:

• Cocktails & Chloroform (A Rip Through Time, #2.5) by Kelley Armstrong
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
• Until Next Summer by Ali Brady
• The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar

Pop culture & TV:

Nada! I didn’t turn on a TV or do any streaming during the past week! Of course, now that I’m back, there’s plenty to choose from. I’ll probably start with season 4 of The Boys. I’m preparing myself for all the over-the-top ickiness that show is sure to entail…

Fresh Catch:

One new book arrived for me this week — a lovely hardcover edition of The Black Bird Oracle.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness: I powered through about half of this book on the plane trip home, but haven’t had much reading time since. I love being back in the All Souls world!

Now playing via audiobook:

Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn: I had little moments on vacation where I need an audiobook, but didn’t want to have to concentrate too hard — so doing an audio reread of a favorite Bridgerton book seemed like an obvious choice! I’m enjoying this one quite a bit — should finish later this week.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 41%. Coming up this week: Chapter 12, “Angels of Mercy”
• The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Act III, scenes 1 and 2.
• It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. I read this book eons ago (i.e., for a high school literature class), and I’m eager to reread it. I’m not sure if I’ll start it right away, or wait until closer to the spin deadline of 9/22. Plenty of time to get it done!

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…