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 weekend was busy, in all sorts of awesome ways.

On Friday, we had a family dinner out at a new-to-me restaurant that had a great ambience and delicious food. (House-made churros for dessert – yum!). Saturday, we started with the bar mitzvah of the son of a very dear friend, then had a really fun dance event that evening. And yesterday, the weather finally cleared and I was able to squeeze in some reading on the back porch plus an outdoor dance session.

What did I read during the last week?

Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: Terrific addition to a favorite series! Each book is just so good. My review is here.

Where The Girls Were by Kate Schatz: Powerful historical fiction set in 1968 San Francisco. Stay tuned — I’ll be sharing a review later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 4 of The Morning Show this past week, which means I’m all caught up. This past season was bananas! Not exactly believable… but still, I’ll be back for more whenever a new season is ready.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week, but I finally decided to upgrade from my wired headphones. After a bunch of research, I decided on the Shokz OpenFit 2 earbuds. I’ve only had them for a day at this point, but my first outing with them, listening to an audiobook, was a good experience. I just need to adjust to the various controls. I’d been looking for earbuds that sit over/outside the ear, and so far, I like the fit.

Find on Amazon: https://amzn.to/46PBEkK

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute: My book group’s book for February! I read this book a long, long time ago, and I’m happy to have a reason to revisit it.

Now playing via audiobook:

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens: It’s been a mostly rainy week… which really limited my audiobook time, since I tend to do most of my listening while out for long walks. I still have a few more hours to go with this audiobook. Really fun so far!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 77%. Coming up this week: Chapters 25 & 26.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 75%.
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.

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.

Long weekend! It’s so nice to get the extra day to read, relax, putter around, and do whatever I feel like!

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t entirely cooperate. Why does it have to rain on my days off? I felt a little deprived of my usual outdoor weekend fun, but managed to stay busy and entertained anyway.

Bookish bits & bobs:

I know AI is a hot topic, and I tend to avoid “real world” issues on my blog for the most part… but I found this New York Times article — about a so-called author who pumps out hundreds of books per year using AI — particularly disturbing.

On the other hand, John Scalzi’s recent blog post about AI is a nice palate cleanser!

And on a different topic — the blog bots are more intense than ever! I had a day this past week with (supposedly) over 4,000 views. That’s insane. And there’s no discernible pattern or reason for these weird spikes.

Onward…

What did I read during the last week?

I started the week with two different books that just didn’t work particularly well for me: Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean and Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. I wrote a two-fer post, here, with my thoughts.

Fortunately, I had a much better time with…

An Offer from a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3) by Julia Quinn: A reread for me via audiobook, while I wait for the 2nd half of the Netflix season to become available. So much fun!

Also read:

Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen by Kate Evans: Such a lovely book! I enjoyed taking my time and savoring this unique approach to Jane Austen’s life and literature. Highly recommended for Austen fans!

Pop culture & TV:

I finished the 3rd season of The Morning Show this past week. I wasn’t sure I’d be into it… and it totally sucked me in. I’d planned to hold off on starting season 4, but after the super dramatic events at the end of season 3, I’m not sure I can wait!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: After reading a couple of books this week that I didn’t especially enjoy, I decided a reading mood reset was needed! So, I headed back to a series I know I love — and as expected, I’m hooked.

Now playing via audiobook:

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens: Just started over the weekend! So far, so good, and it seems like this will be lots of fun.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 70%. Coming up this week: Chapters 23 & 24.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 73%.
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.

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.

My husband and I celebrated our 28th anniversary this weekend! We had a lovely dinner at a favorite restaurant, where they went out of their way to make it special.

I was going to start a new puzzle this week… but that would mean putting away the old one, which would mean disturbing a very important member of the household.

Bookish bits & bobs:

I finished a challenge this week!

If you’d like to hear more about it, check out my post. I ended up enjoying this challenge so much that I’ve decided to start another one for 2026, with a little more of a low-key vibe. Instead of making it a decade-by-decade challenge, my 2026 challenge will be purely a numbers game — I’m challenging myself to read 15 (or more) books published in the 20th century. I’ve got more than enough on my TBR, and I’m hoping this challenge will continue providing me with that extra bit of motivation to actually pick up these books and read them!

In affiliate/discount news, Libro.fm is now offering an annual plan, with big discounts on access to audiobooks. For a limited time, they’re offering a bonus credit for people who sign up. Check it out, here. (And good news — Libro.fm purchases support your local bookstores!)

And for a general blogging update — the bots strike again! For no apparent reason, this blog had 2,440 views last Wednesday! Believe me, that is many, MANY times more than the norm. I have no idea why there was this strange spike in views on that particular days… just chalk it up to another day of online weirdness.

What did I read during the last week?

The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2) by Kelley Armstrong: I love this fictional world so much! My review is here.

The Lark by E. Nesbit: Absolutely delightful! My review is here.

The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club, #3) by Richard Osman: Such fun! Watch for my review later in the week.

Pop culture & TV:

I went to an actual movie theater last week! My son finally convinced me to go see the lastest Avatar movie with him. It was… an Avatar movie. We enjoyed it, but it was just what you’d expect it to be. Long movie, good visuals, big battle scenes.

TV-wise, I haven’t picked up anything new — just watching a bit more of The Morning Show (season 3) and waiting each week for new episodes of Shrinking and All Creatures Great and Small.

Fresh Catch:

One new book!

I’d been wanting a copy of my own ever since borrowing this book from the library and loving it — and happened to find a good deal at just the right time.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean: Just getting started — I’ve really enjoyed other books by this author, so I have high hopes for this one!

I’ve also started a new library book:

Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen by Kate Evans: I keep wanting to call this a graphic novel… but it’s an unconventional biography in graphic novel style. I’m taking a slow reading approach to this book, reading one small section at a time. Really entertaining so far, with great illustrations.

Now playing via audiobook:

An Offer from a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3) by Julia Quinn: Yes, I read this book during my original Bridgertons binge a few years ago! But with a month to wait in between halves of the latest Netflix season, it felt like a good time to revisit the story.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 61%. Coming up this week: Chapters 21 & 22.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 71%.
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.

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’ve had a busy yet mostly uneventful week! Work, work, work… but at least my household bounced back from our various sniffles of the week before. It was a nice cheery weekend with good enough weather to be outdoors — so really, what more could I ask for?

Bits & bobs from the universe of books:

Sharing a few things that caught my eye this week…

First, a really exciting announcement:

Author Audrey Niffenegger’s follow-up to The Time Traveler’s Wife will be published this fall! This book will focus on Alba, Henry and Clare’s daughter. It sounds amazing! For more, check out this Guardian article or view info via the publisher.

On another bookish note, I enjoyed this article via Reactor about feeling guilty (or not) about our TBR piles. I particularly loved this little parenthetical aside, which makes me feel infinitely better about my Kindle library:

(A small caveat: I am not talking about ebooks, because those don’t exist unless I’m reading them. Out of sight, out of mind. I used to feel bad about this, and avoided buying them, but that’s silly. As Delilah S. Dawson pointed out on Bluesky just yesterday, “If you buy an e-book while it’s on sale, you never have to read it. If you have $2 to spare & want to help that particular author, you can just chuck the book into the oubliette of your TBR.” They still sold a book! No one ever has to know what you did with it.)

Wow! To me, that feels so empowering. Like, okay, I bought a whole bunch of ebooks because they had price drops… and then I used to feel bad about not reading them, but now I can reframe these purchases as supporting authors! That’s fantastic.

Finally, maybe everyone but me is already aware of this… but I stumbled across romance.io this week, and while I don’t need yet another site for tracking my reading, this is the only site I’ve found so far that has a ratings scale related to steaminess. As someone who’s picky about how much steam/spice I want in my reading (mild is okay, open door/extreme closeup is not!), this could really save me a lot of irritation and grumpiness down the road!

What did I read during the last week?

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon: My book group’s January pick. Captivating historical fiction about a real-life heroine of WWII. My review is here.

Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra: A sweet contemporary romance inspired by Anne of Green Gables. My review is here.

The Names by Florence Knapp: I really didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. I’m so glad I gave it a try. Really a great read. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton is back! But… Netflix’s decision to release the new 4th season in two parts is really annoying. I already binged all four available episodes… and it feels like such a letdown to have to wait a month for the second half of the season. Arrrgh. Still, I did enjoy the episodes that I saw! There’s a nice Upstairs, Downstairs feel to the storytelling that hasn’t been a focus in previous seasons, and I do like the way the central romance is unfolding so far.

Also great: Violet’s garden is blooming! (IYKYK) And Penelope in a pirate costume is everything:

Over on AppleTV, the first episode of Shrinking season 3 dropped, and it’s great. I have a hard time with one-episode-per-week schedules, though — bingeing has ruined me for weekly TV.

And I finally watched Kpop Demon Hunters! It was really good! Although I’ll have this song in my head on a loop now…

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2) by Kelley Armstrong: Back to Haven’s Rock! This series is so good. I couldn’t wait any longer!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Lark by E. Nesbit: I decided to read/listen to The Lark as part of my 20th Century Decades Challenge, and I’m so glad I did! I’m really liking it so far.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 55%. Coming up this week: Chapters 19 & 20.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 70%.

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.

Sadly, winter sniffles caught up with my household this past week — just enough to keep us housebound and force us to cancel some plans, but fortunately, not bad enough to cause any real problems!

The upside for me was lots more reading time than I might otherwise have had… although on the negative side of the scale, barely leaving the house meant that I barely listened to audiobooks, so I’m way behind where I thought I’d be.

Puzzle of the week:

Being home all week gave me extra time for puzzling — yet another silver lining! This week’s puzzle was from Cobble Hill. I loved the intricate design, and it was nice to shift to another puzzle company after doing a bunch of Ravensburger puzzles, to get to enjoy different shapes and connections.

As always, my puzzle photos are never good enough to really show how pretty they are in person… so here’s what it’s supposed to look like:

Affiliate purchase link: Amazon

This puzzle is hereby approved by our kitty. Or anyway, the puzzle box gets the stamp of approval!

What did I read during the last week?

For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd: Free via Amazon’s Prime Reading program. This short fiction with a unique time travel twist packs a surprisingly powerful emotional punch. I’m so glad I read it! And now, I’m eager to try more by this author.

107 Days by Kamala Harris: I found this political memoir to be informative, but of course also quite a bittersweet experience. My review is here.

Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong: I wasn’t at all surprised to find that I loved this book! A great start to a spin-off from one of my favorite series (the Rockton books). My review is here.

The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club, #2) by Richard Osman: Just as much fun as the first book! I’m eager for more. My review is here.

A Jane Austen Year: Celebrating 250 Year of Jane Austen: I also thoroughly enjoyed leafing through this gorgeous coffee table book! I took a slow, leisurely approach, and loved it — find out more here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m slowly working my way through a selection of Oscar-nominated movies and roles. This week, I watched One Battle After Another. I can see why it’s getting so much buzz! It’s action-packed and, on the surface, not something I would typically gravitate toward, but there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye, and the individual performances are terrific.

After that, I finally sat down to watch Frankenstein on Netflix. What a gorgeous production! It’s visually stunning and so well done. Honestly, Oscar Isaac was robbed by not being nominated for the best actor Oscar for this film, and same goes for a lack of a best director nomination for Guillermo del Toro.

I’m certainly not trying to watch ALL the nominated performances — there are plenty that just don’t interest me. Besides these two, I’ve also seen Sinners (which was excellent). Hamnet is high on my list of movies to watch, but I’m waiting for streaming, so it might be a while. Same for Marty Supreme. And I still need to watch KPop Demon Hunters!

How about you? Have you seen any of the other nominated movies or performances? Any you’d particularly recommend?

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon: My book group’s January pick. My library hold came in later than I’d hoped, so I’m behind… but made good progress over the weekend.

Now playing via audiobook:

Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra: I missed out on most of my usual audiobook time this past week, so I really only got to start this one a couple of days ago. I like it so far!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 51%. Coming up this week: Chapters 17 & 18.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 68%.

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 at work… but at least that was balanced by a really nice weekend, which included two opportunities to dance, a couple of nice long walks, and time to read!

With a day off today, I’ll be devoting the afternoon to watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the big screen. My son and I have tickets already. 3.75 hours — here we go!

What did I read during the last week?

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart: A terrific 1960s-era suspense novel! I’m so glad I finally read it — now I’m eager to read more by this author. My review is here.

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart: Smart, snappy, fast-moving sci-fi adventure! I do wish this book had been a stand-alone rather than the start of a series — that unresolved ending will make me batty until the 2nd book is released. My review is here.

I also read two graphic novels that I picked up at the library on a whim:

Fangs was pretty charming and funny, and super quick. Sunhead was fairly “meh”, but then again, it’s very clearly aimed for young readers, and the appeal was mostly lost on me. I suppose I’m glad that I gave these both a try — and I’m also glad that they both were fast reads.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m all caught up on Shrinking! I finished season two this past week, and really enjoyed it… and now I’m eagerly awaiting the start of season 3 at the end of January.

I tend not to go to many new movies in theaters these days, and even though there are a few I’d like to see (including some of the movies getting lots of awards buzz), I mostly hold off and wait for streaming. This week, I finally watched Sinners, and was blown away. Besides the sheer entertainment value, there so much more going on beneath the surface. After watching the movie, I fell down a fascinating rabbit hole of reading articles and discussions about the movie’s themes. I think this is one that will need rewatching!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong: Yay! I’m starting the Haven’s Rock series, my #1 priority series to read in 2026. This series is a spin-off from the author’s Rockton series, which I loved. I started this book late Sunday, and I’m already hooked.

Now playing via audiobook:

107 Days by Kamala Harris: I’d hoped to have more listening time this week, but even so, I expect to finish within the next day or so. Really interesting audiobook, and I’m enjoying having Kamala Harris herself as the narrator.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 43%. Coming up this week: Chapters 15 & 16.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 66%.

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.

Back to work this past week… and it was a full-steam-ahead sort of experience. Everyone was back, my inbox was inundated, and it was all just sort of non-stop. Sigh… feeling nostalgic already for the slower pace of the holiday break.

Anyway…

My book group zoomed on Saturday with author Fiona Davis. She was interesting and gracious, and we had such a good time.

We had friends over for dinner Saturday evening, and on Sunday, I danced with a small group in a local park, then treated myself to a nice manicure at a new-to-me nail spa!

All in all, quite a lovely weekend.

What did I read during the last week?

I feel like I just haven’t had much reading time — but that’s at least partially due to the fact that my two ongoing book group reads have started up again. I finished one print book and one audiobook this week:

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman: This was an impulse borrow from the library, and I’m glad I decided to read it! An absolute page-turner. My review is here.

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover: I couldn’t quite work up the motivation to write a review of this romance audiobook. I enjoyed parts of it (especially the setting in Estes Park, Colorado — one of my favorite destinations!), but the characters’ backstories ended up feeling overly muddled, and the 3rd act break-up was entirely predictable. My rating is 3.25 stars.

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve been continuing Shrinking, and I’m now about halfway through season 2. It’s really good! In a way, I’m glad that I’m late to the party with this show, since a new season will be dropping at the end of January, and that means I won’t have long to wait.

I watched the new Netflix movie People We Meet on Vacation (adapted from the Emily Henry novel of the same title). It was… okay. Some cute elements, but missing the spark of the novel. My daughter and I were discussing why these adaptations of romance novels that we love never seem to really work. Her theory is that the screen versions miss the characters’ internal reflections and experiences, so that the focus is very much surface level. I think she’s probably right — what do you think?

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

I’ve been looking for a nice edition of Moby Dick for years now, ever since reading it via Serial Reader. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous blue/green colors on this cover!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart: I’m trying to wrap up the 20th century decades challenge that I started for myself on StoryGraph last year. One of my remaining decades is the 1960s, and this 1961 novel fits! Plus, I’ve had a couple of Mary Stewart books on my TBR for a while now. I’ve read about 25% so far, and I like it!

Now playing via audiobook:

107 Days by Kamala Harris: My library hold finally came in! I’m just getting started, and what I’ve heard so far is very compelling..

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 35%. Coming up this week: Chapters 13 & 14.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 64%.

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.

Happy New Year! It’s the first Monday of 2026… which means it’s time to return to a normal routine after a few quieter weeks.

While I worked part of last week, I also enjoyed a few days off, with plenty of reading time, family time, and time to be free and unscheduled!

Sigh. It’s hard to think about going back to the daily grind.

Year-end wrap-up and looking forward:

I share my usual batch of end-of-year and beginning-of-year posts, including:

• A salute to my unread books from 2025
• A check-in on my 2025 series reading
• My reading wrap-up for 2025
• Reading goals for 2026
• My series priorities for 2026

What did I read during the last week?

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench: I loved this audiobook! It was a wonderful listen, and it also inspired me to plan to read some new-to-me Shakespeare plays in the coming year. My review is here.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: Such a beautiful, heart-warming novel! My review is here.

Puzzle time!

A couple of weeks ago, I started a puzzle created from a family photo, which was really fun… until I got all the faces and interesting bits done, and was left with hundreds of pieces that were just grass and leaves. I tried to power through, until our kitty managed to pull the whole thing off my puzzle table. Annoying… but it also gave me an excuse for calling it a day!

Moving on, I pulled out a puzzle I bought a while ago but hadn’t unboxed, and had a wonderful time with it. I loved the colors and design, as well as the quality of the pieces. This time around, I took defensive measures to keep the kitty away!

Ravensburger: Riverside Town **
**Amazon affiliate link: Links to purchase site; I may earn a small commission at no cost to you

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Pluribus, and really liked it! Can’t wait to see where the story goes whenever a new season drops.

After that, I started Shrinking. I haven’t gotten very far, but I like what I’ve seen.

I also watched a movie that left me with very mixed feelings — All of You on AppleTV. It’s well acted and the stars have great chemistry — but (spoiler alert!) a large part of the plot includes cheating, which I did not expect and which I would typically not choose to watch.

Fresh Catch:

A batch of new books this week:

I’ve now officially used up all gift cards and credits! I treated myself to the Harper Muse Classic edition of Sense and Sensibility, leaving me with just one more Jane Austen novel to add to the collection down the road. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous hardcover of The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty — fingers crossed that I’ll love the story as much as I love the cover design! Inspired by the Judi Dench audiobook that I finished last week, I ordered copies of two Shakespeare plays that I’ve never read and that I look forward to exploring.

Two library holds came in over the weekend, and while I was there, I grabbed two graphic novels that caught my eye. I’m happy with my library haul!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman: I borrowed this book from the library after reading this article on what to read after finishing Pluribus. Totally an impulse borrow, and I’m really curious to see how it all works out.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover: Thanks to days of never-ending rain, I haven’t been able to get out for my usual walks, which means I haven’t had nearly enough time for audiobooks. I like this one so far, and hope to make good progress this week during my daily commutes.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments — starting back up this week after a holiday break!

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Chapters 11 & 12.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books starts up again this week, as we begin The Return of the King. Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 62%.

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.

The clock is ticking… it’s almost 2026! I have no plans for New Years, other than enjoying a day off from work and doing whatever I end up feeling like.

It’s been a good week, with family time and a few fun get-togethers with different groups of people. I’ve enjoyed the relaxed vibe of this end-of-year time — just wish it could last longer!

Blog posts:

I shared some thoughts on audiobooks, and what I think could make them better. Check it out here — I’d love to hear what you think! Also new this week: the first of my traditional year-in-review posts, this one about my series reading in 2025.

What did I read during the last week?

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire: Another terrific addition to a great series. My review is here.

A Damsel in Distress by P .G. Wodehouse: A delightfully silly story. My review is here.

3 Days 9 Months 27 Years by John Scalzi: An excellent short story with a twisty approach to time travel.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis: My book group pick for December — finished just under the wire! I couldn’t put it down. Review to follow later in the week.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 2 of The Morning Show! Geez, that series is all over the place. Some characters are just so messy… and the pandemic is still recent enough that watching it on TV isn’t exactly entertainment. Still, I’m interested enough to keep going and see what happens next.

Meanwhile, I’ve watched 5 episodes of Pluribus. It’s so weird, and so hard not to binge straight through!

Fresh Catch:

Three new books this week:

I treated myself to copies of an Austen-related book and the Judi Dench book that’s my current audio listen, and received an early copy of the new Wayward Children book from the publisher.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: This book was recommended by an author whose books I love, and it feels like the right time of year to give it a try! I’ve only just started, but hope to have quite a bit of reading time this week to sit and enjoy it.

Now playing via audiobook:

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench: I’ve had limited listening time this past week, but that’s okay — I’m really savoring this audiobook. It’s Judi Dench in conversation about the various Shakespeare roles she’s played throughout her career. Wonderful.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 29%. Taking a break this week — we’ll pick up our group read again next week.
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: Coming soon! My book group will be continuing our LOTR reading journey starting early January.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

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.

Welp, that’s another Hanukkah come and gone! It’s always a bit weird when Hanukkah finishes before Christmas. We’re done with our holiday, and everyone else is still building up the excitement for theirs! In any case… wishing all who celebrate a very merry Christmas!

This past week was pretty fun, with a few Hanukkah get-togethers with family and friends, plus a work lunch with my team that was great.

I haven’t done a jigsaw puzzle in many months — but one of my Hanukkah presents was a puzzle of a photo from my daughter’s wedding, and I decided to start it over the weekend.

It’s kind of hilarious to put people’s faces together. So far, there are just two issues: 1) There are a LOT of trees and a TON of grass in the picture, and 2) our cat really likes hanging out on the puzzle table and trying to swipe pieces when my back is turned. He’s giving me an annoyed face right now because I took back the bits he was playing with. So… wish me luck!

What did I read during the last week?

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher: Really enjoyable folk/fantasy tale with an amazing desert setting. My review is here.

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Absolutely gorgeous story. My review is here.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: Lovely epistolary novel. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Very underwhelmed by the Survivor finale, and by season 49 as a whole. Why do I keep watching? I do think I’ll stick with it for season 50, coming in February, which will be bringing back a bunch of fan favorite players — but unless they really do something to change up the format, I may be done after that.

And now, it’s back to The Morning Show! I’ve started season 2, which so far is set during early 2020 with the pandemic unfolding in the background. I’ll be interested to see where the story arc goes this season.

Besides that, I have my eye on a few other series on Netflix and AppleTV… and still need to make time for the 2nd Lord of the Rings movie!

Fresh Catch:

One new book!

I stumbled across this book while looking up something else Austen-related, and I couldn’t resist! There’s an entry for every day — I’m looking forward to making this book a daily habit in 2026.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire: It’s great to return to the world of the Wayward Children series! I’m almost done — can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Now playing via audiobook:

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench: I haven’t gotten very far, but this audiobook is delightful! It’s basically Judi Dench in conversation about the various Shakespeare roles she’s played throughout her career. It’s entertaining and also teaching me so much!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 24%. Coming up this week: Chapter 10 (and then we’re taking a small break until after the new year).
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: Coming soon! My book group will be continuing our LOTR reading journey starting early January.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…