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.

What did I read last week?

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian: My review is here.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant: My review is here.

Also posted last week:

My Fields & Fantasies book club discussion on Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, here.

Off-line:

Adventures in pop culture! After watching last week’s episode of Big Bang Theory with my son, and having him make fun of me for my fangirlish squealing when Nathan Fillion appeared, I decided it was about time to introduce the kiddo to the amazing world of Firefly! We’ve watched just one episode together, but he’s up for continuing. Dare I say it? We may have a new Browncoat on our hands.

My husband randomly decided that we should go see the 50 Shades movie. Um, sure, honey. I’d read the books (yup, all three); he hadn’t. I thought he at least was familiar with the storyline, but it turns out he wasn’t. His comment afterward? “I was expecting something fun and sexy — but that guy was just a sadist!” I started explaining the books to him, but in the end, didn’t feel like making the effort. Anyway, my mini-review of the movie: Not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. How’s that for a ringing endorsement?

Fresh Catch:

Here’s what came home from the library with me this past week – a big ol’ stack of YA books:

You’ll never catch me complaining that I have nothing to read!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’ve just started Lost & Found by Brooke Davis.

Now playing via audiobook:

I finished Blood Bound and immediately started Iron Kissed. Listening to the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs makes me go for much longer walks — I just don’t want to stop!

Reading with my kiddo:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: We considered a few different options for our new reading adventure, but for now, we’re giving Eragon a try. We’re still in the early chapters, but I like it so far. It’s interesting to note that the author wrote this in his teens. I’d say that the writing is quite skillful, although it does feel like he’s trying a bit too hard to use complicated vocabulary when simpler language might do.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month for February: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian. The discussion is now open (and quite enthusiastic).

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: Yo ho ho! My review is here.

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian: I have about 50 pages left, and it’s so hard to stop!

Off-line:

All of my library holds arrived at once, and now I’m swamped. Isn’t that the way it always works? Meanwhile, I’m watching a lot of TV, which means I’m forced to choose each night between going to bed at a reasonable hour or staying up to read. Guess which choice wins?

Fresh Catch:

The books I bought or borrowed this week…

I’ve decided that this is the year when I’ll finally read Middlemarch. Wish me luck!

I also picked up a copy of The Bear by Claire Cameron, which I’ve had on my wish-list for a while now.

And yes, I brought home a big stack of library books, which I really need to read before I touch anything else.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The next two books I plan to read are The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant and Lost & Found by Brooke Davis.

Now playing via audiobook:

For my listening pleasure, I’ve decided that I’m going to stick with re-reading the Mercy Thompson series for the time being. I finished Moon Called early last week and moved straight into the 2nd book in the series, Blood Bound. Apart from one character being portrayed with an accent that was pretty jarring at first, the narration of these books is terrific — and I love the series so much that it’s a real treat to revisit it from the beginning all over again.

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: My kiddo and I just finished the book over the weekend, and loved it! My review is here; I’ll see if I can get the boy to share some of his thoughts later on as well. We haven’t quite decided what’s next, but we have plenty of great options!

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month for February: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian. The discussion opens February 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder: My blog tour/review post is here.

War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen: My review is here.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: Finished! What an incredible book. Watch for a Fields & Fantasies post later this week!

Off-line:

Happy anniversary to us! My sweetie and I celebrated 17 years of wedded bliss this past weekend. ♥♥♥♥♥

Elsewhere on the blog:

Biz-speak clichés and jargon drove me crazy last week. My post about it is here — I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Fresh Catch:

A few new (used) books this week:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

It’s about time that I finally read Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. And I won’t even bother trying to hide the fact that I’m at least partially inspired by watching Black Sails on TV. (Not to mention my son’s habit of singing “What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor”, courtesy of Assassin’s Creed on his PlayStation).

I also plan to start The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian, the February Book of the Month for Outlander Book Club.

Now playing via audiobook:

I’m almost done with my re-read of the 1st Mercy Thompson book via audiobook (Moon Called by Patricia Briggs). I really do love this series! I might do a bit of series hopping — when I’m done with this Mercy book, I’m going to switch over to Furies of Calderon, the 1st Codex Alera book by Jim Butcher. I definitely do better with audiobooks when I’ve read them before!

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: We’re moving slowly, but still enjoying this one.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month for February: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian. The discussion opens February 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes:  My review is here.

Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder: I’m participating in the blog tour for this new release — my post will be up tomorrow!

Marly’s Ghost by David Levithan: My review is here.

And in graphic novels:

Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks: This is the second week in a row that I’ve read a graphic novel by Faith Erin Hicks. Guys, she’s amazing. Go read her stuff!

Off-line:

I’m still dealing with back issues, and after trips to my doctor, a chiropractor, and an acupuncturist, I’m not sure that I see any real improvement. Sigh. It just takes time, but I’m not a very patient patient.

And in book-related news, I was really shocked and saddened to hear that one of my favorite independent bookstores will be closing at the end of next month. Such a loss for the city! You can read about it here, if you’re interested.

Elsewhere on the blog:

I wrote a post about following other blogs and how to keep up with them all. You can read it here. I’m really loving all the insightful comments on the topic!

Fresh Catch:

Didn’t buy any books, didn’t borrow any books. How unusual!:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I have two very different books demanding my attention this week, War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I love going from one type of read to something completely different.

Now playing via audiobook:

I decided to do a Mercy Thompson reread via audiobook, and have just gotten started with Moon Called, the first book in the series by Patricia Briggs.

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: My son and I are really enjoying the story, the illustrations, and the crazy clues in this steam-punk adventure story.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month for February: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian. The discussion opens February 18th.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

Quite an interesting mix of books this past week:

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey:  My review is here.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: I’ve been talking about re-reading this book for years. I read it during high school (just like everyone else, probably)… and had only the vaguest memory of what it was actually about. Two-word review: Loved it! I’m so glad I finally picked it up off my shelf and gave myself the time and space to enjoy it. Incredibly moving story, beautiful writing… To Kill a Mockingbird is a modern classic for a reason. Not only am I thrilled to have read it again finally, but I’m also now super-charged by the idea of revisiting bunches of “required reading” books. I’ll be making a list shortly, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing it here on the blog once I do.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black: My review is here.

And in graphic novels:

The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks: Terrific. Faith Erin Hicks is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. I’ve read and loved two other of her books (Friends With Boys and The Adventures of Superhero Girl)… and I’m so excited that her next project, due out later in 2015, is a collaboration with Rainbow Rowell!

Off-line:

Ouch! I did something to my back this week… which totally put me off my game in terms of reading and reviewing. My concentration was completely shot, and I ended up sitting out my book group’s discussion because I couldn’t focus enough to contribute anything beyond “good book!”. But I’m feeling better now (thanks for asking!) and should be back to my bookish routines shortly.

Fresh Catch:

Two new books arrived this week:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

After reading a ton of YA fiction so far this month, I’m switching gears a bit and hoping to catch up with a few adult contemporary novels, starting with Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes.

Now playing via audiobook:

I’m actually in between audiobooks at the moment. I listened to an Outlander-related novella earlier in the week, started To Kill a Mockingbird on audio but got impatient with the pace and had to switch to print, and right now I’m waiting for one of my hold audiobooks to come in at the library. Normally, I’d be incredibly frustrated by having nothing to listen to, but since my exercise routine was disrupted this week because of my stupid back, I haven’t missed having an audiobook quite as much.

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: Good book! We’re at about the halfway point now. I really recommend picking up the first book The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Cavern, if you think you might enjoy a great adventure story with a Jules Verne-esque feel to it.

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month: Henna House by Nomi Eve. The discussion is up and running, and anyone can join in! Plus, author Nomi Eve will be answering questions for us this week.

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

Thanks to a bunch of my library holds coming in all at once, I was on a YA roll this past week:

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg: My review is here.

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally: My review is here.

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith: I didn’t write a review, because I just couldn’t figure out what I could possibly say about this weird but oddly wonderful book. It’s much more Grasshopper Jungle than Winger (both of which I loved), but really defies description. I love Andrew Smith’s off-beat way of looking at the world through a teenage boy’s eyes, and the language is remarkable. I’ll be featuring this book in my upcoming Thursday Quotables post later this week!

Bloggy updates:

For those who’ve been here before, you may notice that Bookshelf Fantasies has a new look! After a year and a half with the same layout, my eyes needed something new to stare at. What do you think? I’d love to hear some feedback — and if you have any suggestions for improvements, please let me know!

Also, I wrote a post this week about being fed up with badly formatted e-ARCs, and based on the comments, it sounds like I struck a nerve! You can read about it and add your thoughts here.

Fresh Catch:

One new release arrived this week that I’m really looking forward to reading, plus I treated myself to two more of the Classic Lines versions of Jane Austen books:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m so excited to finally be reading The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey! Now that I’ve reread The 5th Wave, I’m ready to go.

I’m still working my way through Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay — slowly. I’m picking it up and reading just one or two essays at a time when I’m in between other books, and it seems to be working for me.

Now playing via audiobook:

I finished the audiobook of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein over the weekend. Even though I’d read the book a couple of years ago, I still found myself moved to tears while listening (which was a bit embarrassing, considering I was out for a walk at the time). I highly recommend the audio version as a nice complement to the printed book. The two narrators are both fantastic, capturing different personalities and the deep emotions of this story magnificently.

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: Really enjoying this steampunk adventure tale!

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month: Henna House by Nomi Eve (discussion starts this Wednesday, January 21st).

Postponed until February: The next Fields & Fantasies Book Club pick is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. If you want more information or would like to join in, just let me know!

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, 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.

What did I read last week?

I ended up loving I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. My review is here.

Not so much with Perdita by Hilary Scharper. I tried to stick it out, but by the 25% mark, I realize that it just wasn’t happening for me. Sadly, this book is my first DNF of the year.

I had a great time doing some graphic novel catch-up. I adored The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks. Read about it here.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll was perfectly dark and disturbing and twisted. Perfect for when you want a creepy story or two before bedtime, so you can lie awake all night and listen to the wind.

Finally (!!!), my kiddo and I finished Talking to Dragons, the conclusion of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. Boy, was this series a mixed bag. I posted a series wrap-up here.

Fresh Catch:

My only NEW new book this week was Through the Woods — but I did come home with a big armful of books from the library, including a few novels…

… and a couple of graphic novels (by my super-favorite, Brian K. Vaughan):

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’ve started Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. I’m reading just a few essays at a time, so this one will be on my nightstand (and in my Monday Check-In posts!) for the next few weeks.

And just for fun, I’m reading The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg. I’ve read a couple of her more recent YA books, and always enjoy her smart, strong, and funny characters.

Now playing via audiobook:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: I’ve read the book, but I’m finding new shades and depths as I listen to the audiobook. I’m about halfway through, and I’m pretty blown away by the excellence of the narrator of part 1.

Reading with my kiddo:

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton’s Lair by S. S. Taylor: We’re so excited to start this one! The first Expeditioners book was great fun, and I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of #2 from Goodreads (thank you, Goodreads!).

Book club reading:

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. (One chapter per week)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

OBC Book of the Month: Henna House by Nomi Eve (discussion starts January 21st).

Fields & Fantasies Book Club pick for January: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Want to join any of the group reads? Let me know and I’ll provide the links!

So many book, so little time…