My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

This past week was focused on catching up — it was my first week back after two weeks away from work… and let’s just say, it was a lot!

Apart from that, it was good to be back home, get a little time each evening to chill (and read), and spend time with family. Unfortunately, we’re having a very typical San Francisco July — grey skies and drizzle every day! Nothing can keep me down, though. I’m still squeezing in as much outdoor time as I can, even if that means getting cold and damp.

What did I read during the last week?

A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2) by Kelley Armstrong: I finished this while away the previous week, but just posted my review, here. I love this series! Can’t wait to keep going.

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst: This book is sweet and cozy, but light on actual plot. I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to. My review is here.

The Auctioneer by Joan Samson: A 1970s horror classic — no gore, but filled with terrible dread that builds and builds. My review is here.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien: Ta-da! My book group’s reading journey through Fellowship wrapped up last week! It was such a treat reading and discussing this book with the group. We’ll be starting The Two Towers in mid-August.

Pop culture & TV:

I’m loving my free trial of AppleTV+! I was skeptical about Ted Lasso — could it really be worth all that buzz? And why would I — someone who really has no interest in sports — even care? Well, I stand corrected. I care! I binged season 1 of Ted Lasso this past week and immediately started season 2.

My son and I also watched the first episode of Murderbot, and it was… okay. We’re very much on the fence about continuing. After Ted Lasso, I think I’ll try Severance next, and meanwhile have some non-Apple catching up to do, including The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Gilded Age.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week:

A gently used copy of a super cute little book that’s a great gift for booklovers!

As for e-books… I simply couldn’t resist when I saw price drops for Georgette Heyer books, and added a whole bunch more to my Kindle library. Now to find time to read them…

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill: My book group book for July. And yes, I’m late! I made a lot of progress over the weekend, and hope to finish today or tomorrow.

Next up — I haven’t quite decided, but it’s between an ARC, the next in a series, or a recent Kindle addition:

Now playing via audiobook:

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman: I just need one more hour-long walk — hopefuly today! — and I’ll be done! Watch for my review later this week.

Next up — the final book in a series that’s been terrific so far:

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments (current and coming up):

• Villette by Charlotte Brontë: Group classic read, two chapters per week. Progress: 23%. Up next: Chapters 13 and 14.
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: My new Classics Club spin book! I’m putting it here as a reminder to myself to make time for it this summer — the target date to finish this spin challenge is August 24th. This week’s update: Still haven’t started this one! I need to get moving…
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s shared reading journey, coming up in August.

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 just returned from a two-week, 2500-mile road trip — from home in San Francisco, through Oregon and Washington to Vancouver, Victoria, the Olympic Peninsula, and back home again. It was fantastic — I’ll aim to share more about it later in the week, once I have a chance to catch my breath.

Meanwhile… I’m home, catching up on laundry and household odds and ends, acclimating to being back in the fog, and getting ready to dive back into the usual workweek routines.

But hey! Let’s talk about the important stuff… like what I read and listened to while I was away.

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

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: This story of a songwriter and a former boy band bad-boy who somehow mind-meld and create a song together — while falling in love — just did not work for me. I liked the setting (a charming Outer Banks island) and the main character’s family dynamics, but the love story was a dud. The mind-to-mind connection was awkward, and I know we’re supposed to accept that it’s a special magical gift, but I didn’t buy it, and didn’t buy the two of them as a couple. I loved this author’s previous contemporary romances, but this one did not live up to expectations. Consider this my mini-review! I’d give it 2.5 stars.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Powerful historical fiction focused on women astronauts in the 1980s space shuttle era. Highly recommended! My review is here.

Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong: I was ready to get back to this series, but decided I needed a refresher before continuing, so… I re-read book #1, City of the Lost (here’s my review from last year) and then raced my way through book #2, A Darkness Absolute. Looks for my review of book #2 later this week — it was terrific!

In terms of audio…

My husband is not an audiobook listener, but he said he’d give it a try for the road trip. It was not a particularly successful experiment — he mainly dozed off every time we started listening! After a while, he told me to go ahead and listen as much as I wanted, and he read his own book on his Kindle, and we both ended up happy! Still, I kept it to a minimum (we mostly just chatted, enjoyed the scenery, and listened to random music). Here’s what I did listen to during our trip:

Mercy Thompson: Moon Called (Graphic Audio) by Patricia Briggs: I adore the Mercy Thompson series, and I’d been curious about the graphic audio version, which present the story with a full cast and sound effects. It’s abridged from the original, and some of the sound effects (panting whenever a character runs, lots of snarling from the werewolves) could be a bit over the top. Overall, it was a fun listen, although it could be hard to tell what was going on during action sequences. I enjoyed this as a way to revisit the story, but would absolute recommend reading the full book or listening to the unabridged audiobook if you’re checking out Moon Called for the first time. Listening to this book (the first in the Mercy Thompson series) made me want to keep going — but probably not with the graphic audio versions.

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian: This short story (1 hour, 16 minutes) is a tense, suspenseful tale that’s completely engaging, and it absolutely held my attention and kept me guessing. Which isn’t really a surprise — this author is a favorite, and his thrillers are always excellent.

Pop culture & TV:

Nothing! We never turned on a TV during our trip. I’ve only been back one day, and so far, the only viewing I’ve done is a re-watch of the pilot episode of Black Sails. I loved the series back when it aired (2014 – 2017). My son has decided to watch it, and I may join him, so I thought going back to the beginning would be a good idea.

I had to replace my iPhone last month, and the new phone came with an offer for three free months of AppleTV+… so I just signed up, and I’m getting my watching queue in order. So far, I know I want to check out Ted Lasso, Severance, Murderbot, and possibly Shrinking and The Buccaneers. Any other recommendations?

Blogging collaboration:

While I was away, Carol at Reading Ladies Book Club published her annual summer reading collaboration, which I was delighted to participate in. Check it out here!

Fresh Catch:

A few orders I’d placed earlier arrived this week. What fun to come home and get to enjoy a bit of unboxing!

While passing through Portland, I absolutely had to stop by Powell’s (fulfilling a bookish bucket list dream!), and treated myself to a paperback copy of Green Rider, which is the first book in a series I want to start this year.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst: I’m at about 35%. I really enjoyed the first book in this series (The Spellshop), but this book hasn’t quite grabbed me yet. I’m holding out hope that it’ll pick up in the 2nd half.

Now playing via audiobook:

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman: This author’s previous two books were a lot of fun, and I’m happy to be starting this new one!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s shared reading journey, two chapters per week. We’ll be finishing this week! Progress: 93%. This week’s chapters: Fellowship, Book 2, Chapters 9 and 10.
• Villette by Charlotte Brontë: Group classic read, two chapters per week. Progress: 20%. Up next: Chapters 11 and 12.
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: My new Classics Club spin book! I’m putting it here as a reminder to myself to make time for it this summer — the target date to finish this spin challenge is August 24th

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.

After a great weekend — dancing, outdoor time, and getting to spend time with a book group friend visiting the area — I’m gearing up for a busy few days at work (yay for four-day workweeks!) and then a road trip. I’ll be mainly offline for the next two weeks while doing some family traveling, but the trip itself should be fairly low-key, so I may pop by here and there.

Still, after Friday, don’t expect to see many (or possibly, any) new posts from me for a while!

What did I read during the last week?

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: The only book I reviewed this week! It’s a good one, with a story within a story. My review is here.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab: Finished late Sunday, and loved it! Review to follow in the next few days.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale this past week. Not every season of the series was great, but taken as a whole, I have to say that bringing Margaret Atwood’s vision to life and expanding the story in the way the Hulu version did is really an amazing achievement. Overall, the series was excellent and thought-provoking, and I thought this final season was incredibly well-done. I’m glad I came back to it and finished!

After that, I turned to the new season of The Bear, even though season 3 was not especially enjoyable. So far, season 4 seems better — I still have about half to go.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week! I really haven’t bought physical books in a while… and my bookshelves are thanking me. I need to do a bit more culling and donating before I add any more new books to my shelves.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: I’m just getting started. This is my final ARC from June, and I’m trying to get as caught up as possible before diving into my stack of pending July books!

Next up: I’m trying to make a (very) loose plan for what I hope to read while on my trip for the next couple of weeks. Top choices at the moment are:

Totally subject to change, of course — we’ll see where my mood takes me in the moment, and also, how much reading time I actually end up with!

Now playing via audiobook:

Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady: I’ve loved everything by this author duo so far, but I’m not entirely sold on this audiobook yet. I’m racing the clock to finish — I’m trying to wrap it all up by Thursday, because after that I’ll be in the car with my husband every day, and I just don’t think he’ll be into my audiobooks!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s shared reading journey, two chapters per week. Progress: 66%. Up next: Fellowship, Book 2, Chapters 3 and 4.
• Villette by Charlotte Brontë: Group classic read, two chapters per week. Progress: 9%. Up next: Chapters 5 and 6.
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: My new Classics Club spin book! I’m putting it here as a reminder to myself to make time for it this summer.

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.

This past week felt a bit calmer, and also gave me more time to relax. My team at work had a “wellness day” outing that included a picnic and hanging out in a beautiful park, which we all really needed. Plus, a day off for Juneteenth and a weekend without too many plans both provided time to chill, read, walk, see a few friends, and just feel like the days had a bit less pressure.

Looking for suggestions!

My husband and I have a road trip coming up next month, and I’m looking for ideas for what we might enjoy listening to together. I’m an audiobook fanatic, but he is not. However, he’s enjoyed radio plays in the past, and is open to the idea of trying audiobooks for bits and pieces of the trip. I was thinking of possibilities like one of Stephen Fry’s Greek mythology books, or a BBC full-cast presentation. I think anything with multiple narrators, and preferably sound effects or music, might appeal to him. He doesn’t particularly enjoy sci-fi or fantasy, so that rules out a lot of what I’ve come across. If you have any brilliant ideas, please let me know!

What did I read during the last week?

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown: Highly recommended! I finished reading it late last week — here’s my review.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson: This second-chance love story set at sea just wasn’t my cup of tea. My review is here.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner: On the other hand, I adored this terrific story about former rock star sisters with a complicated relationship. Excellent audiobook! My review is here.

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick: I did not read the synopsis carefully enough, and went into this book with incorrect expectations, which may at least partially explain why it felt like a letdown. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I went to an actual movie theater (!!) and saw a terrific movie, The Life of Chuck, which is an adaptation of a Stephen King story from his If It Bleeds collection. I loved the story back when I read it, and I thought the movie version was excellent. (Reviews are very mixed — and I’ll echo the recommendation from several of the movie’s actors: This is a movie best seen knowing nothing at all about it!).

Still, no harm in checking out the trailer, which doesn’t actually give much away:

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab: I’m skipping right past a couple of ARCs on my to-read list to get to this book, because I just want to!

Now playing via audiobook:

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: It’s always special when an author I enjoy has an audiobook narrated by one of my favorite audiobook narrators (Julia Whelan). I’m really liking this one so far. I’m at about 30%, and should finish by next weekend.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s shared reading journey, two chapters per week. Progress: 54%. Up next: We’re starting book 2 of Fellowship, Chapters 1 and 2.
• Villette by Charlotte Brontë: Group classic read, two chapters per week. Progress: 4%. Up next: Chapters 3 and 4.
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: My new Classics Club spin book! I’m putting it here as a reminder to myself to make time for it this summer.

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 an intense week of catching up, following being away for two weeks. As my husband likes to remind me, is it really a vacation if all the work from the time away is still waiting for you when you get back? Sigh…

Meanwhile, we had some decent weather over the weekend, and I’m trying to get back into my routine of long weekend walks and reading outdoors!

Little Free Library updates:

When I got back from vacation, my LFL was kind of overflowing, with lots of books shoved in any which way — including some interesting looking fiction and non-fiction, but also ESL textbooks, random picture books, and a few how-to guides that looked really obsolete. I started neatening up, but didn’t get very far… and then a few days ago, I discovered that sometime overnight someone came by, removed a lot of extraneous, battered books, and left the rest looking neat and tidy!

On the other hand… I have a cute little bookmark holder that I keep stocked with free bookmarks that I’ve picked up at bookstores and other places. I added a whole bunch earlier in the week… and Friday morning when I went to straighten up the LFL, I saw that ALL of the bookmarks (about 20, I think) had disappeared overnight. I have mixed feelings: They’re there to take, so that’s fine — but still, why would someone take them all at once? That doesn’t feel particularly neighborly or in the spirit of things. Makes me feel less inclined to offer bookmarks if people are going to grab them all and not leave any for other folks.

What did I read during the last week?

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison: A surprise treat! I didn’t know what to expect from this Sliding Doors-esque novel, but ended really enjoying it. My review is here.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown: Finished late Sunday. Terrific thriller! Review to follow later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

Apart from a few random YouTube clips and short videos, I really haven’t watched anything this week. For whatever reason, I’ve been more in the mood to sit and read at night rather than turning on the TV or seeing what’s streaming.

I did enjoy the Hamilton 10th anniversary performance at the Tonys:

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson: After an intense thriller, something light seems like the right choice for my next read! I’ll be starting this one later today — I have a good feeling about it, since I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous books.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennnifer Weiner: This audiobook is on the longer side (15+ hours), and I’m approaching the 75% mark. Totally loving this listen!

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s newest reading journey, two chapters per week. Progress: 43%. Up next: Chapters 11 and 12. (So happy that we finally got to Aragorn’s introduction this past week!)
• Villette by Charlotte Brontë: New book group classic read, starting this week!
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell: My new Classics Club spin book! I’m putting it here as a reminder to myself to make time for it this summer.

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 away for the past two weeks — partially for vacation time in Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park, but mainly for my daughter’s wedding!

The wedding was beautiful, and so perfectly suited to my daughter and her husband! It was down to earth and full of love, and simply wonderful. Plus, it gave me the chance to see family and friends from far away, which was a lovely bonus.

It’s hard to get back to real life and the daily routine!

What did I read during the last week?

Once I got home (and finished unpacking), I posted a wrap-up of everything I read and listened to over the past few weeks. I finished a long-term book group book (Mansfield Park), read a few novels, and listened to a lot of audio shorts! My wrap-up post is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Not a thing! I haven’t watched any TV or movies for the past two weeks! I’m sure I have a lot of catching up to do.

Fresh Catch:

I made a total impulse buy at a Boulder bookstore! I wandered in just to browse, and the cover of this book caught my eye right away. I’d never heard of it before, but it sounds great, and I couldn’t resist.

The table centerpieces at the wedding were piles of books tied with twine, which guests could then take home at the end of the night. I grabbed this one — so pretty!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison: I needed something light for the plane ride home, and this was a great choice! I’m about halfway through. Very enjoyable.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennnifer Weiner: My library hold just came in! I’m excited to be starting this audiobook — I always enjoy this author’s stories and characters.

Ongoing reads:

One longer-term reading commitment right now (but another will be starting next week!):

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s newest reading journey, two chapters per week. (I missed a bit while I was away — struggling to catch up!) Progress: 36%. Up next: Chapters 9 and 10.

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’ll be heading out of town on Friday for the lead-up to a wedding at the end of the month, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’ll share more once I’m back. Meanwhile, I expect my blogging and overall online activity to be at a minimum. After the wedding, my husband and I will be spending another week in the area to relax and enjoy a bit, so I won’t be fully back and active until the 2nd week of June.

What did I read during the last week?

Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: Terrific addition to an excellent series. My review is here.

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine: This audiobook seemed like it would be fun, but it just did not work for me. My review is here.

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan: I feel like this author doesn’t get nearly as much attention as she deserves! Her fourth adult novel is fantastic, which isn’t surprpising, considering how much I loved all the others. My review is here.

Also read (but not reviewed):

Human Resources by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Since HR is my field in the non-book-world, I just couldn’t resist. At first, I thought this was a novella and almost bought it for my Kindle, but then realized that it’s a short story, and is available to read online via Tor, here.

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli: This might look like middle grade fiction, but it’s really pretty dark — and yet, I’m not sure that it would gain much traction in today’s YA market either. This retelling of Rapunzel has some very interesting elements and is a quick read. I picked it up because I needed a “Z” book for a challenge! I’m glad I read it — I’d give it a solid 3 – 3.5 stars.

Elsewhere in book world:

TJ Klune’s next book has a cover and release date! Read about it here.

Carol at Reading Ladies shared a hint about how to hide spoilers in blog posts. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me (I’d have to upgrade my WordPress plan to be able to use the plug-in), but I still think it’s worth knowing about! Here’s the link to the instructions she shared.

Pop culture & TV:

This week’s Netflix binge: Four Seasons. Just my speed right now — eight 30-minute episodes. Terrific cast, and lots of fun. And yay — it’s official! There’s going to be a season 2.

Fresh Catch:

Two newly published graphic novels this week!

Song of the Lioness, Book 1 (Alanna): I’m excited to see how this story works in graphic novel form.

Saga, volume 12: This is a great series… but I have to admit that I don’t remember a thing about what happened in the last one or two volumes, and may have to do a reread before starting this new one.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce: My book group’s book for May. We’ve read some great books already this year, and I’ve heard some really good things about this one, so I’m happy to be starting it!

Now playing via audiobook:

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune: Amazing to think that I only came across Carley Fortune’s books last year — she’s now a favorite author! I’m loving this newest book.

Ongoing reads:

Two longer-term reading commitments right now:

• My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 92%. Up next: Chapters 46 and 47. We’ll be done next week!
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien: My book group’s newest reading journey, two chapters per week. Progress: 16%. Up next: 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.

I spent much of the past week bouncing back from a bad cold and sinus infection. Blech. But, I’m happy to report that after several days of basically doing nothing but crashing, I’m feeling human again!

I did have a very nice Mother’s Day. None of my kids were around, but my husband and I drove down the coast a bit to a beautiful state park for a great hike, then stopped for lunch at a cute nearby town.

And now… back to work! Back to being super busy! But it’s good to feel like I have energy again (finally).

What did I read during the last week?

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle: Such a sweet, uplifting story! My review is here.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: A powerful, memorable story of war, bravery, and sacrifice. My review is here.

Elsewhere in book world:

I reviewed Overgrowth by Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) the week before last (review) — and this week, I was delighted/disturbed/intrigued to discover the author’s backstory and inspiration for this book. Read about it here.

Over at Pages Unbound, Krysta calls for more books to include recaps, and I’m 100% on board with this idea!

And elsewhere on the blog, I shared my 2nd Retail Therapy post, this time focusing on puzzles for book lovers. Now I’m itching to start a new puzzle!

Pop culture & TV:

I watched North of North on Netflix this week. Really fun! And easy to binge — eight 30-minute episodes… and done!

Fresh Catch:

I didn’t buy any new books this week, but I did swap out my black Kindle cover for a snazzy new green one, and I like it!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: The newest installment in an excellent series! I’m enjoying this one a lot — should be able to share a review in the next few days.

Now playing via audiobook:

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine: My listening time was really limited last week (another downside of being sick!), so I’m not quite done with this wilderness romance audiobook. It’s cute, if a tad predictable. I hope to finish in the next day or so.

Ongoing reads:

Two longer-term reading commitments right now:

• My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 90%. Up next: Chapters 44 and 45. Getting close to the end!
• New this week! We’re starting a group read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring. We’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week, and should finish Fellowship by the end of July.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…