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.

How did it get to be March already? Wasn’t it just New Year’s Day a minute ago?

It’s been a busy week (the usual refrain), but I had some time for fun over the weekend, including dinner with friends and an extra opportunity to dance. (I’ve gotten into international folkdancing recently, and I’m loving it!)

What did I read during the last week?

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon: Silly small-town shenanigans — a very entertaining audiobook. My review is here.

Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire: The 13th book in the Incryptids series. Definitely not a place to jump in, but anyone who’s been reading the series will not be disappointed. My review is here.

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner: Another audiobook — the story held my attention, but I never quite managed to suspend my disbelief. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

All of a sudden, there’s so much to watch! Network series are back, including Ghosts, Abbott Elementary, and a new season of Survivor. All of which are making me happy.

Also…

Rick and Michonne are back on my TV screen! I was a devoted Walking Dead fan for many seasons, but finally gave it up after my two favorite characters departed the show. I never did end up watching the last two (or so) seasons. But now, Rick and Michonne are back in a limited series, The Ones Who Live, and I’m thrilled. I’ve only seen one episode so far (a 2nd just dropped), but I can’t even express how great it is to see these characters (and actors) once again.

My husband and I watched the first episode of the new Shogun, and it was intense and impressive. I’m sure we’ll continue.

I finally started Fellow Travelers, and I’m hooked. The acting is terrific, and the storyline (so far) is very intense. I’ve watched three of the eight episodes, and can’t wait to keep going.

Fresh Catch:

I treated myself to a signed copy of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden, and it arrived this week. I loved the book, and I’m so happy to have this beautiful edition for my shelves.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle: Interesting premise, and it’s going quickly so far. I haven’t made a ton of progress yet, but I’m definitely hooked.

Now playing via audiobook:

Alaska Traveler by Dana Stabenow: I’ve read a few of the pieces in this collection before, but when I saw that my library had the audiobook available, I couldn’t resist! Dana Stabenow is such a great writer, and she has terrific stories to tell.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 46 and 47 (of 49). Progress: 89%. Second to last week!
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 62%.
• Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising, #1) by Susan Cooper: I borrowed this audiobook from the library, and realized after listening to the first few chapters that I wasn’t absorbing it at all. Not sure if it was the narrator or something else, but in any case, I switched over to the ebook version and started again from the beginning. I’ll be dipping in and out of this book in between other books, but should wrap it up pretty quickly.

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 quiet week, but that’s okay! We had beautiful weather over the weekend, so my husband and I decided to go out and explore a hiking trail we’d never tried before. It was fairly short (2.5 miles), but with some nice changes in terrain and pretty views. Afterward, we headed to wander around a cute nearby town, and finished with dinner overlooking the beach and with a great view of the sunset. It was so nice to break out of the usual weekend routine of errands, household projects, and laundry!

What did I read during the last week?

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: Terrific historical fiction set in San Francisco’s Fillmore District during the 1950s. My review is here.

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: A powerful work of narrative non-fiction about the Titanic tragedy. My review is here.

Also, I read another story from Amazon’s Improbable Meet-Cute collection:

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren: A cute story about a misdirected email leading to a 10-year friendship and more. I really enjoyed it.

Pop culture & TV:

I ended up watching quite an assortment this week…

I finished the One Day series on Netflix. I was a little skeptical at first, but within the space of the very first episode, I really fell for the characters and the pace. This is a limited series — 14 half-hour episodes, and the story is done. The casting is very strong, and this is a much better adaptation than the 2011 movie.

Meanwhile, a group of us at work got together for a lunchtime viewing of Stamped From the Beginning (also on Netflix). Highly recommended.

Then, over the weekend, my husband and I ended up watching Eternal Memory, a very moving documentary (which we later discovered is nominated for an Oscar). Another one that I strongly recommend.

Fresh Catch:

I won a Goodreads giveaway! I got the notification yesterday — I’m looking forward to reading this, although it’s listed on Goodreads as #2 in a series and I haven’t read the first. (I’m guessing, based on the synopses for both books, that it’s only a loose connection… we shall see.)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Aftermarket Afterlife (Incryptids, #13) by Seanan McGuire: It’s always a treat when a new book in this series comes out!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon: I’m *this close* to the end! This has been a light, fun listen.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 44 and 45 (of 49). Progress: 84%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 59%.
• Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi: After watching the Netflix adaptation, I decided I should take the time to read the book. I’m pretty terrible at reading serious non-fiction, so I’m a bit on the fence about whether to commit. For now, I’m going to aim to read a couple of chapters per week — we’ll see how it goes. So far, I’ve only read the two prefaces and the introduction.

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 Presidents Day!

It’s so nice to get a day off… even when it’s rainy (for the 3rd day in a row) and I have nothing much planned. Sounds like a great excuse for curling up with a cozy throw blanket and a good book!

And while it was raining yesterday, I ended up goofing around with AI image generation, which gave me lots of weird results based on my prompts… but here’s one I ended up liking:

What did I read during the last week?

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden: Beautifully written and absolutely haunting. My review is here.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez: A captivating contemporary romance that blends humor with more serious issues. My review is here.

Death of an Eye by Dana Stabenow: I love the Kate Shugak series by this author, and was so happy to finally read the first in her Egyptian mystery series. My book group will be discussing this book in the coming week — can’t wait to hear what everyone else thought of it. My review is here.

Also, two shorter reads this past week:

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez: Part of the free Improbable Meet-Cute collection available via Amazon this month. A sweet, funny short story that helped me past my book hangover after I finished Yours Truly.

Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna: A contemporary graphic novel that retells the Jane Eyre story. The author was one of the writers/creators of a favorite show, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend — although based on that, I think I expected at least a smidge of humor. (There isn’t any, really). Still it’s an interesting take on the classic story. I picked it up on a whim while at the library, and finished it in one sitting.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 2 of The Bear! One episode in particular has Emmy-winner written all over it, but really, the entire series is just so good. Can’t wait for season 3!

I also started watching One Day on Netflix. I was hesitant — I read the book back when it came out, then saw the 2011 movie version. Do we really need another adaptation? I’m happy to report that based on the handful of episodes I’ve seen so far, the answer is yes — yes, we do need this limited series version. Well worth checking out!

Fresh Catch:

I treated the family to this beautiful new cookbook:

And before you ask — no, I don’t cook (at all!), but my husband does, and in any case, there are some gorgeous pictures in this cookbook, so I’m enjoying looking through it.

Puzzle of the week:

My son and his girlfriend were working on this Lego set last week:

… and that reminded me that I had a puzzle I hadn’t gotten around to tackling yet. And since it rained all day on Saturday, I had time to obsess over it and ended up doing a marathon puzzling session, finishing it in one day. So satisfying!

My lighting for photos leaves a lot to be desired, but trust me — it’s so pretty in person!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: I’m reading this for a book group discussion at work, and really like it so far.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon: Good, light, silly fun.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 42 and 43 (of 49). Progress: 81%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 56%. We’ve finally made it past the halfway point!
• A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: My new Classics Club Spin book! I haven’t started it yet — I’m listing it here as a placeholder for now. The target date for this spin is March 3rd, so there’s still plenty of time.

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 anniversary last week! 26 years married, 31 years together… still going strong. Since the actual date of our anniversary was midweek, I took a day off from work, and we headed out for a beautiful walk along the bay, then had lunch at a new spot that just opened nearby. On Friday night, we did a fancier celebration (fancy for us — basically, an event where I wore something other than jeans and even put on a hint of mascara!) — we had dinner at a favorite restaurant downtown, and enjoyed every bite.

Besides that…

Everyone in my city was basically glued to their TVs yesterday for the Super Bowl… and since I don’t care about sports (although, yes, I wish the 49ers had won), I took advantage of my “me time” to go get a massage. Ahhhh… bliss.

What did I read during the last week?

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond: I powered through to the end, but can’t say I enjoyed it. My review is here.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry: It’s really sad to listen to this memoir so soon after Matthew Perry’s death, but I admire his courage in sharing so much of his story. My thoughts are here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve been busy catching up on some series and doing random bits of other watching. I posted a wrap-up, here.

Fresh Catch:

My local bookstore sent out this cute collection to sponsors:

Puzzle of the week:

I always love these literary-themed puzzles from Laurence King! The World of King Arthur was pretty tricky and lots of fun.

BUT — there’s a piece missing! Only a fellow puzzle-lover can truly understand the suffering caused by not being able to place the final piece.

Update: Right before hitting “publish” on this post… I found the missing piece! All is well with the world.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden: I’m close to the end, and I’m loving it! After a couple of less than stellar recent reads in the past few weeks, it’s wonderful reading something that’s so captivating and well-written.

Now playing via audiobook:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez: I really enjoyed my first audiobook by this author, and I’m excited to be listening to another one! I’m at about 40%, and it’s great so far.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 40 and 41 (of 49). Progress: 76%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 49%.
• A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: My new Classics Club Spin book! I haven’t started it yet — I’m listing it here as a placeholder for now. The target date for this spin is March 3rd, so there’s still plenty of time.

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.

We had a group of friends over for breakfast this past weekend, including a friend’s adult kids (whom we hadn’t seen in ages). Such fun catching up.

Other than that, it’s been a mostly quiet week — work, errands, reading…

But I can always take a moment to appreciate kitty cuteness:

Blogging.

A low-key goal in January was to do some blog clean-up… and I did, a bit. I went through my Book Blog Meme Directory page and checked all the links, deleted the ones that are no longer active, and updated wherever needed. That actually felt like an accomplishment!

I’m considering whether to revamp my review indexes (although I suspect no one actually refers to them except me). Right now, I have alphabetical listings by author and by title, but I was thinking about combining into one master list by author, with titles either alphabetically or chronologically for each. (I don’t think this actually matters in the slightest, but if I ever have a day with literally nothing else to do, I might tackle it.)

What did I read during the last week?

The Women by Kristin Hannah. Powerful and unforgettable. My review is here.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez: Terrific audiobook. My review is here.

To Woo and To Wed (Regency Vows, #5) by Martha Waters: A very satisfying (and fun) conclusion to a terrific series. My review is here.

Read but not reviewed:

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher: I’ve loved just about everything I’ve read by this author so far, but What Feasts at Night was mainly a miss for me. It was fine; I’d give it a solid three stars. It simply didn’t make much of an impression, and I didn’t ever feel swept away by the story the way I usually do when reading a T. Kingfisher book.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched a couple of Oscar-nominated movies this week. First: Past Lives, nominated for Best Picture. It’s a quiet, lovely film, definitely not a typical Oscar-bait event film. I recommend it!

Second: Oppenheimer, which has “Oscar winner” written all over it. I was glad I watched at home vs at the movie theater (so nice be able to hit pause in the middle of a 3-hour movie to grab more snacks!). It really was a great movie, very powerful, and with an incredible cast.

As for other TV viewing, I bit the bullet and reactivated my Hulu account after a year without it, so now I’m busy catching up on a bunch of shows. This week, I watched season 3 of Reservation Dogs, which is excellent. I’m tempted to go back and watch the series from the beginning, to get the chance to view it as a whole.

Fresh Catch:

My hardcover of Heartsong arrived this week! I love this series so much, so I had to have the new edition as soon as it was released.

I also got an ARC in the mail for the upcoming new book in Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid series — yay!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond: Just getting started. I liked the author’s three most recent books, so I’m looking forward to diving in.

Now playing via audiobook:

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry: This is a sad, strange listening experience. I should finish in the next few days.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 38 and 39 (of 49). Progress: 73%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 46%.
• A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: My new Classics Club Spin book! I haven’t started it yet — I’m listing it here as a placeholder for now. The target date for this spin is March 3rd, so there’s still plenty of time.

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 busy week (as usual), but things finally… maybe… are starting to lighten up a bit at work.

On the homefront, we’ve had some nice family time, play time with the kitty, and even sunny weather!

Blogging.

I’ve been doing bits and pieces of clean-up behind the scenes on my blog, just tidying up some directories, trying to eliminate incorrect tags, etc.

One of my pages is my Book Blog Meme Directory, which I’ve let slip a bit — I realize that I haven’t gone through and checked the links and made updates in about a year. Which makes me wonder… should I even bother? I’m honestly not sure how useful it is at this point, so maybe it’s time to just deactivate it.

What did I read during the last week?

The Guncle by Steven Rowley: Loved this so much! My review is here.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: Very dark, very compelling. My review is here.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears: Honest and powerful. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 2 of Dark Winds. It was great! Can’t wait for season 3.

My husband and I are continuing our (very slow) watching of All the Light You Cannot See, and I also watched the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears (on Hulu).

I have a long list of series and movies to watch — the hard part is deciding where to start! And I’ve just reactivated my Hulu subscription after a year without it, so there’s plenty to choose from.

Meanwhile, with the Oscars coming soon, I’m trying to get through the handful of nominated movies and performances that interest me — I’m not planning to watch every single movie just for the sake of watching them, but there are a bunch I do want to see before the awards are given out. I got started over the weekend by watching Rustin (Netflix), and highly recommend it! It’s easy to see why Colman Domingo was nominated for Best Actor for this role.

Puzzle of the week:

I had fun with this one over the weekend:

I did get a little tired of all the sky and sea by the end… but otherwise, it was a good challenge!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Women by Kristin Hannah: I’m at about 50% at this point, and I’m very, very invested! I just wish I had a day to myself to do nothing but read. Hoping to wrap up in the next day or so.

Now playing via audiobook:

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez: I’ve never read anything by this author before, but after seeing so many great reviews over the last couple of years, I decided to give this book a try. I’m totally hooked! Can’t wait to see how it all works out.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 36 and 37 (of 49). Progress: 62%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. I’m enjoying the book, although reading at this pace makes it feel like it’ll take forever to finish. Progress: 43%.
• A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: My new Classics Club Spin book! I haven’t started it yet — I’m listing it here as a placeholder for now. The target date for this spin is March 3rd, so there’s still plenty of time.

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 rainy weekend. Why, weather gods, why? Don’t you know that weekends are my only time to get out and walk (and listen to audiobooks)??

Besides complaining about forces of nature…

It’s been a decent week, lots of intensity at work, but some quiet relaxing times at home. We had friends over for dinner on Friday, and it was loads of fun to kick back and catch up.

What did I read during the last week?

Clover Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey: Entertaining, but not amazing. A solid 3-star read. My review is here.

One Girl in All the World (In Every Generation, #2) by Kendare Blake: Book 2 in a new Buffy-verse trilogy. My review is here.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley: Beautiful, funny, and sad too. Review to follow later this week.

I also read two graphic novels:

The Princess & the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz: Cute, but I didn’t find it all that memorable.

Heartstopper, volume 5 by Alice Oseman: Sigh. I love this series so much. 5 stars for volume 5!

And finally, my first DNF of the year:

For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin: I read about 15%, and it wasn’t bad… but it also didn’t particularly grab me, so I decided to move on.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m finally watching season 2 of Dark Winds, and it is so good! I highly recommend the series (start with season 1, of course). I didn’t quite have time to finish the 2nd season, but hope to watch the last episode tonight.

Fresh Catch:

I treated myself to hardcover editions of the two Emily Wilde books:

Sadly, they arrived just a tiny bit dented on the upper edge… I’m deciding whether to pursue perfection and return them. (My family thinks I’m ridiculous… the dents really are tiny.)

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: My book group is discussing this book later in the week (it’s our January pick), but I got a late start. Fingers crossed that I’ll have time to finish before the deadline!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears: Patience pays off! My library hold finally came in. Just starting this audiobook today.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 34 and 35 (of 49). Progress: 60%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. I’m enjoying the book, although reading at this pace makes it feel like it’ll take forever to finish. Progress: 39%.
• A Night to Remember by Walter Lord: My new Classics Club Spin book! I haven’t started it yet — I’m listing it here as a placeholder for now. The target date for this spin is March 3rd, so there’s still plenty of time.

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 bet y’all can relate…

I had an hour left in the audiobook I’d been listening to all week — perfect for the walk I was planning for Saturday. And then it rained… and rained… and rained. As you might know about me, I really only listen to audiobooks while driving or walking; otherwise, I get easily distracted and miss pieces of the story. In any event, when there was a brief break in the weather, I headed out for a walk, only to have the rain start up again after 20 minutes… but by then I was committed!

I finished the book, and came home absolutely soaked, with a useless broken umbrella that snapped with the first gust of wind.

But hey! I finished the book, and that’s what mattered! I came home wet but happy, and felt perfectly content snuggling into dry clothes and making myself a hot cup of tea.

What did I read during the last week?

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett: Loved it! I think I’ll be spending my gift card balance on treating myself to hardcover editions of the two Emily Wilde books. My review is here.

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman: Such an enjoyable audiobook. My review is here.

The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka: Awww, cute owl! Kidding. This story of murderous owls trapping a group of adults and children inside a library is scary, powerful, and impossible to put down. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Crash Landing on You on Netflix… and I’m not over it! I think it’s going to take me a while before I’m recovered enough to start something new. I’ll write up some thoughts to share a bit later in the coming week.

Other than that, I’m enjoying the new season of All Creatures Great and Small, and my husband and I have just started All the Light We Cannot See — although he doesn’t like to binge, so despite there only being four episodes in all, it’ll probably take us weeks to finish.

Puzzle of the week:

It’s been a while, but I took out my puzzle table once again and did this very fun puzzle over the weekend! The puzzle was a Hanukkah gift, and I really had a good time with it:

Fresh Catch:

A few new books arrived this weeks — all books that I’d read as ARCs or library books, and loved enough to want my own copies.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Clover Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey: I haven’t gotten far enough to have an opinion yet, but it seems like it’ll be a light and breezy read.

Also, at some point this week, I need to start my book group’s January book, since our discussion is only a week away:

Now playing via audiobook:

The Guncle by Steven Rowley: I loved the last book I read by this author (The Celebrants), and this one is off to a great start.

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 32 and 33 (of 49). Progress: 57%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. We’re back starting today, after a two-week break for the holidays. Progress: 36%.

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.

Yet another ridiculously crazy workweek, during which I had my work projects on my brain pretty much every waking moment… which meant that my ability to relax and focus on books was… let’s say, strained and unreliable. I did manage to squeeze in some reading, but always in stolen moments and with my attention pretty scattered. Ugh… but at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and I should get past this intense project within a few more weeks.

Other than that… it’s been quiet at the house, after our various holiday visitors headed back to their own homes. I’m trying to do a bit of cleaning and reorganizing… and yes, I’m even attempting teeny little bits of organizing when it comes to my bookshelves!

In terms of reading plans — I spent most of November and December reading randomly, according to my mood in the moment, but now that it’s January, I have (virtual) stacks of ARCs waiting to be read. Somehow, without intending to, I committed to lots of ARCs for January, February, and March, so I’m going to try my best to stay on track!

Oh, and here’s a kitty picture, just because:

I call this one “Astronaut Kitty”… but really, it’s just Benjy’s new backpack carrier, which he seems to enjoy a lot on his outings.

What did I read during the last week?

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal: A fascinating story about mediums channeling the dead to support the British army during WWI. My review is here.

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler: The revival of the mammoth species is at the heart of this tightly written novella. My review is here.

Get Lucky by Katherine Center: A light, enjoyable audiobook listen. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m still watching Crash Landing on You on Netflix! Most episodes are about an hour and a half, so I’m only managing one per night. I have four left — it’s so good!

All Creatures Great and Small is back for a new season! It’s so nice to spend time with James, Helen, and the gang again.

It was very rainy over the weekend, and I was annoyed at being stuck indoors… and then decided to take my self to a movie. I ended up seeing The Color Purple, and I’m so glad I did. It’s really a terrific movie, and I appreciated the musical numbers much more than I did when I saw the stage version several years ago (which was in a theater with terrible acoustics). Has anyone else seen it yet? Here’s the trailer:

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett: The follow-up to last year’s big hit, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I’ve just passed the halfway point, and don’t want to put it down!

Now playing via audiobook:

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman: This is my second audiobook by this author, and I’m loving it. I just wish I had more listening time — dying to see where the story goes!

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 30 and 31 (of 49). Progress: 54%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. We’re back starting today, after a two-week break for the holidays. Progress: 34%.

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! Here’s to a year of joy, health, appreciation… and lots of lots of books!

My husband and I broke our annual tradition of staying home on New Year’s Eve — for the first time in many, many years, we actually went out to celebrate! We enjoyed a lovely meal at a favorite restaurant… although we still made it home in time to be cozied up in pajamas well before midnight.

Year in review:

My Goodreads challenge goal for 2023 was 150, and I made it to 178! (Actually, 179 — I finished one more graphic novel at the end of the day on 12/31, but didn’t bother updating my record for the year.)

Even though I exceeded my goal in 2023, I plan to keep the same number for my 2024 target. I like to make sure I have breathing space and ability to take my time with longer books, if I feel like it.

A few other statistics from this past year, according to Goodreads:

• Shortest book: The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman (36 pages)
• Longest book: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon (902 pages)
• Average book length: 316 pages
• Most shelved: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid — 2,782,872 people also shelved (!)
• Least shelved: The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh — 331 people also shelved (but I suspect the number is low only because it was released in late December)
• Average rating: 4.1 stars
• Number of 5-star reads: 60
• Star rating used most often: 4 stars
• Star rating used least often: 2 stars
• Star rating not used at all: 1 star
• DNFs: 4 (only counting those that I stuck with for more than a page or two)

I’ll share a small selection of my favorite books from 2023 for tomorrow’s Top Ten Tuesday post.

What did I read during the last week?

Emmett by L. C. Rosen: This contemporary, queer retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma is everything I’d hoped for, and more. Just loved it. My review is here.

The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh: A Judy Leigh audiobook is always a good time! My review is here.

Not the Ones Dead (Kate Shugak, #23) by Dana Stabenow: Can you believe that a 23-book series is still this good? I love these books – #23 is no exception. My review is here.

Ruined by Sarah Vaughn: A really enjoyable graphic novel! Highly recommended (and my final book of 2023).

Pop culture & TV:

My family went to see The Boys in the Boat on Christmas Day, and thought it was great! I really enjoyed the book when I read it several years ago. The movie can’t capture it all, but even so, it was very uplifting to experience.

We also went to the theater to see the touring production of Broadway’s The Lion King, and loved it! I’d seen it quite a while back, but seeing it again was just wonderful. I’d forgotten just how beautiful the staging, sets, costumes, and dancing all are.

I’m continuing my way through Crash Landing on You on Netflix. It’s so good! I’m not quite at the halfway point yet (I still have 9 episodes to go), but I’m so happy I decided to give it a try.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal: The only novel by this author that I haven’t read yet… so it’s about time!

Now playing via audiobook:

Get Lucky by Katherine Center: An earlier book by an author I always enjoy. Just getting started!

Ongoing reads:

My current longer-term reads:

• Outlander Book Club is doing a group re-read of Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2), reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 28 and 29 (of 49). Progress: 51%.
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read! We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 34%. (We’re taking a two-week break over the holidays, picking back up the week of January 8th.)

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…