The Monday Agenda 11/24/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

martiangillespiesjackson

The Martian by Andy Weir: Done! My review is here.

Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney: Done! Stay tuned for the Fields & Fantasies Book Club discussion post, coming up on 11/30.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson: Done! Amazing audiobook listen! I really, really recommend giving it a try.

Fresh Catch:

A couple of books came my way… and they’re on my reading agenda, coming right up!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

serenityrevival

My two new book arrivals!

I’m so excited to read the newest Serenity graphic novel! Plus, I’m planning to settle in with some Stephen King reading over Thanksgiving weekend. Let’s give thanks for an amazing and prolific writer!

Elsewhere on the blog:

I wrote a post about my Adventures in Audio. Yes, I’m finally a believer in the glory of audiobooks!

Ongoing reads:

Shared with the kiddo:

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3) by Patricia C. Wrede: It’s getting better, but still not as much fun as the previous two books in the series.

Now playing via audiobook:

fair game

Just starting: Book #3 in the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs, Fair Game. Last Charles and Anna story until the new book (Dead Heat) comes out in the spring.

Book club reading:

scarletABOSAAme before you

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!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Outlander Book Club’s book-of-the-month for November.

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

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Mapmaker’s Children

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

The Mapmaker's Children: A Novel

The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy
(to be released May 5, 2015)

When Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, realizes that her artistic talents may be able to help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the Underground Railroad’s leading mapmakers, taking her cues from the slave code quilts and hiding her maps within her paintings. She boldly embraces this calling after being told the shocking news that she can’t bear children, but as the country steers toward bloody civil war, Sarah faces difficult sacrifices that could put all she loves in peril.

Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, moves to an old house in the suburbs and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an Underground Railroad doll with an extraordinary past of secret messages, danger and deliverance.

Ingeniously plotted to a riveting end, Sarah and Eden’s woven lives connect the past to the present, forcing each of them to define courage, family, love, and legacy in a new way.

I’m always a fan of great historical fiction, and this one sounds fascinating!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

The Monday Agenda 11/17/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

me before youmartian

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Done! My review is here.

The Martian by Andy Weir: Just getting started.

Earlier last week, I spent a good chunk of time binge-reading The Unwritten series by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Wanna know my post-binge thoughts? Check ’em out here.

unwritten collage

Fresh Catch:

I came across someone just GIVING AWAY books (don’t you love that?), and here’s what I got:

nightmaresglory light

The Jason Segel book is brand new and signed, and that makes me really happy. Can’t wait to read it!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

gillespiesrevival

I plan to start the week with Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney (the November book for Fields & Fantasies!).

And… I’m expecting my copy of Stephen King’s Revival any day now – and as soon as it arrives, I’m jumping in.

I’m also really tempted to go straight to more Jojo Moyes, but I’m forcing myself to read other things… for now.

Ongoing reads:

Shared with the kiddo:

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #3) by Patricia C. Wrede: It’s getting better, but still not as much fun as the previous two books in the series.

Now playing via audiobook:

hunting groundjackson

Just finished: I’ve decided to re-read (re-listen?) to the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs. I just finished up book #2, Hunting Ground, and loved it even more the 2nd time around. Can’t get enough of Charles and Anna!

Just starting: I’ve decided to give Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle a try, even though it breaks with my usual routine of only listening to the audio version of books I’ve read before. This is one that’s new to me… so we’ll see if I can keep my mind from wandering enough to actually absorb what’s going on.

Book club reading:

scarletABOSAAme before you

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!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Outlander Book Club’s book-of-the-month for November.

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

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Porcupine of Truth

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

The Porcupine of Truth

The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
(to be released May 26, 2015)

The author of OPENLY STRAIGHT returns with an epic road trip involving family history, gay history, the girlfriend our hero can’t have, the grandfather he never knew, and the Porcupine of Truth.

Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn’t really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who’s long held a secret regarding Carson’s grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson’s dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the “Porcupine of Truth” in all of their lives.

Openly Straight was one of my very favorite books of 2013, and I am so excited that this talented author has a new book coming out in 2015! Sign me up!

PS – If you’re interested, check out my review of Openly Straight, here.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

The Monday Agenda 11/10/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Lizzy and JaneUssearching for dragons

Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay: Done! My review is here.

Us by David Nicholls: Done! Loved it. Watch for my blog tour post coming up on 11/21!

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: My son and I finished up the 2nd book in the Enchanted Forest series, and really enjoyed it. Here’s my Goodreads post with my initial reaction.

And also… I dove back into The Unwritten series, re-reading volumes 1 and 2 and then continuing on with 3 and 4. I feel an obsession coming on!

unwritten1_4

Fresh Catch:

I didn’t buy or borrow any new books this week, but I did receive this one — my first ever win via Goodreads First Reads!

The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton's Lair (The Expeditioners, #2)

Signed and everything! My kiddo and I loved the 1st book in this series, and we’re really excited to get a copy of #2 for our very own.

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

A book club pick, and then we’ll see. I find myself not really feeling like doing a whole lot of planning this week. Maybe because I’ll end up just wanting to continue reading every volume of The Unwritten series until I’m all caught up!

But assuming I stick to my agenda, here are the books coming up next for me:

me before youmartiangillespies

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The Martian by Andy Weir

Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney (the November book for Fields & Fantasies!)

Pop culture goodness:

Is anyone else watching Jane the Virgin? I’ve just inhaled the first four episodes, and I think it’s kinda hilarious.

Ongoing reads:

Shared with the kiddo:

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: We’ve just started the 3rd book in the Enchanted Forest series. My reaction after just one chapter? Too many talking cats, not enough dragons. In fact, no dragons. Sigh. I’ll need to keep reminding myself that it’s only the first chapter, and hope for a quick improvement.

Now playing via audiobook:

hunting groundI’m working my way through a re-read (re-listen?) of the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs. I just finished up Cry Wolf over the weekend, and now I’m moving on to Hunting Ground. I adore the characters and the stories as a whole, and listening to the audiobooks is a treat.

Book club reading:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)me before you

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!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Outlander Book Club’s book-of-the-month for November.

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

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

 

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: A Murder of Magpies

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

A Murder of Magpies

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders
(to be released February 24, 2015)

A whip-smart, impeccably crafted debut mystery that takes readers on a whirlwind tour of London and Paris with an unforgettably original new heroine

It’s just another day at the office for London book editor Samantha “Sam” Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with gossipy author Kit Lowell, whose new book will dish the juicy dirt on a recent fashion industry scandal. Little does she know the trouble Kit’s book will cause—before it even goes to print. When police Inspector Field turns up at the venerable offices of Timmins & Ross, asking questions about a package addressed to Sam, she knows something is wrong. Now Sam’s nine-to-five life is turned upside down as she finds herself propelled into a criminal investigation. Someone doesn’t want Kit’s manuscript published and unless Sam can put the pieces together in time, they’ll do anything to stop it.

With this deliciously funny debut novel, acclaimed author Judith Flanders introduces readers to an enormously enjoyable, too-clever-for-her-own-good new amateur sleuth, as well Sam’s Goth assistant, her effortlessly glamorous mother, and the handsome Inspector Field. A tremendously entertaining read, this page-turning novel from a bright new crime fiction talent is impossible to put down.

Does it make me sound completely shallow if I say that I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the cover? I mean, is that cute or what? This sounds like a really fun read, and since I just got a copy via NetGalley, I can happily pencil it in on my reading calendar for early 2015!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

The Monday Agenda 11/3/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

My spooky, creepy, icky Halloween reading included:

RoomsHornsBrood

Rooms by Lauren Oliver: Done! My review is here.

Horns by Joe Hill: Check out my Fields & Fantasies Book Club post from last Friday, here.

Brood by Chase Novak: Done! My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

So many books arrived this week!

pile 1102

 

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

After so many horror-ific Halloween picks, it’s time for a change of pace!

Lizzy and JaneUs

This week, I’m looking forward to:

Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay

Us by David Nicholls

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo:

Dragons 2

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: Almost done! Should be wrapping up in the next few days — and then the big question will be, do we move onto book #3 in the Enchanted Forest series or start something completely new?

Now playing via audiobook:

cry wolfI’ve developed a fondness for listening to audiobooks while I drive or exercise. (Sadly, I do a lot more of the former than the latter.) I’ve found, though, that my mind constantly wanders, no matter how many times I remind myself to focus on the story. My solution is to listen to books that I’ve read before, for a couple of reasons. One, if I get distracted by traffic or random seagulls (it happens), I won’t have missed essential information. Two, I find that if it’s a book I’ve enjoyed, revisiting it via audio only enhances the overall experience. I’ve been working my way through the Outlander audiobooks, but decided to take a bit of a break. My newest audiobook is Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, part of the amazing Alpha & Omega series. There’s a new Alpha & Omega novel coming out in the spring, so I thought I’d get ready by giving a listen to the previous books and reacquainting myself with Charles and Anna.

Book club reading:

The Scarlet PimpernelA Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)me before you

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!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: Outlander Book Club’s book-of-the-month for November.

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

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Girl on the Train

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

The Girl on the Train: A Novel

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
(to be released January 27, 2015)

A debut psychological thriller about a woman who becomes emotionally entangled in a murder investigation because of something she witnesses on her daily commute.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and every night. Every day she rattles over the same track junctions, flashes past the same stretch of cozy suburban homes. And every day she stops at the same signal and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof deck, living the perfect life that Rachel craves for herself—a lifestyle she recently lost. She looks forward to observing this household every morning, even makes up names and narratives for its residents. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden, and soon after, the woman who lived there disappears.

Unable to keep this information to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and in the process is drawn into the lives of the couple she thought of as Jason and Jess but whose names—she has learned from the news—are really Megan and Scott Hipwell.

But the police accuse Rachel of being unreliable, and it’s true that her memories can’t always be trusted. Plus there are the stories that her ex-husband’s new wife has been spreading about her. By the time Megan’s body is found, Rachel is in over her head, intricately entangled in the details of the investigation, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she put others in danger? Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

I just entered a giveaway for this book, and I really hope I get a copy!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

The Monday Agenda 10/27/2014

MondayAgendaNot a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

IRL:

I skipped the Monday Agenda last week — did you miss me? I spent a few days traveling to see family, and got to spend my dad’s 83rd birthday with him! All that travel was very good for reading. Many hours on planes = many hours with books, despite the highly (ahem) *energetic* children who all seemed to be clustered around my row on the plane.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Night of a Thousand StarsHornsSilkworm

The Ship of Bridesunwritten

Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn: I posted my review and blog tour feature earlier in the week. Check it out here.

Horns by Joe Hill: Loved it! My Fields & Fantasies Book Club post is coming later this week. And now, I’m dying to see the movie!

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith: Done! My review is here.

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes: Done! My review is here.

The Unwritten by Mike Carey: I’m hooked. I read volumes 1 & 2 during my travels. Note to graphic novel readers: People do indeed look at you funny on airplanes when they see you reading “comic books”. But who cares? I loved the first two volumes, and can’t wait to continue!

 

Fresh Catch:

Don’t you love it when you stumble across Kindle price drops? (It’s the little things that make me happy.) Here are a few titles I scooped up for my Kindle this week:

NogginStation ElevenThe Ghost Bride

 

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Since it’s the last week of October, I figured I’d stick with spookiness and horror to kick off the week… but if there’s time, I’ll throw in some lighter fare as well.

BroodRoomsLizzy and Jane

Brood by Chase Novak

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay

(And I have a sneaking suspicion that I may take a detour and dive into volume 3 of The Unwritten.)

 

Ongoing reads:

One with the kiddo:

Dragons 2

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: We’ve read about 1/2 of book #2 in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. A very different feel than book 1, but we’re liking it all the same!

And two book club picks:

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Classic read: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

 

 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6)A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon: Reading and discussing two chapters per week, from now through the end of 2015!

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

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

Happy reading!

boy1

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: I Was Here

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

i was here

I Was Here by Gayle Forman
(to be released January 27, 2015)

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

So far, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Gayle Forman, and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on her upcoming new release!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays? Come join me for my regular weekly feature, Thursday Quotables. You can find out more here — come play!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!