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 almost Passover! We’re doing a big family gathering at our house this year — the first out-of-towners arrived yesterday, and we have more coming over the next few days. We haven’t had a big seder in years. Should be fun!

What did I read during the last week?

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson: A contemporary romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet (without the tragic ending). My review is here.

Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9) by James S. A. Corey: It’s going to take me a while to recover from reaching the end of this outstanding series. My review is here.

Also in the world of the Expanse, I read the two novellas in the series that I hadn’t read yet: The Vital Abyss and The Sins of Our Fathers. Both excellent, of course.

Outlander!!

Another terrific episode! I can’t believe the season is almost over. Due to pandemic filming challenges, the current season (the 6th) is only eight episode, and this week was #6.

Pop culture & TV:

This week’s binge: Our Flag Means Death. You have to check it out!

I also caught up on Abbott Elementary, which totally deserves all the buzz it’s been getting.

Puzzle of the Week:

Whew! Finished my 2000 piece puzzle!

It was a good one, despite leading to some serious eye and back strain…

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond: After my intense sci-fi series reading last week, I thought I’d switch things up with a silly romance involving an escape room and a demon summoning!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk: Witchcraft and a novel of manners, narrated by a favorite (Moira Quirk, who does the audiobooks for the Custard Protocol series). Really enjoyable so far!

Ongoing reads:

These books will be on my plate for months to come:

• Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare: My book group’s newest classic read. We’ll be going at a pace of one scene per week — now underway.

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 April! It’s really starting to feel like spring. This has been another busy workweek, but I’ve managed to fit in some outdoor time, and even started thinking about doing a bit of traveling this summer.

I also got new glasses for the first time in six years! My vision hasn’t changed all that much, but I was tired of wearing the same frames for so long… now I just need to adjust to my new look.

What did I read during the last week?

To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters: The 3rd installment in a fun Regency romance series. My review is here.

Auberon by James S. A. Corey: A novella in the excellent Expanse series that fits in between the 8th and 9th books. Fascinating, as expected.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: A Cinderella retelling set in the world of a reality TV dating show. I listened to the audiobook, and it was a hoot. My review is here.

The Black Moth by Georgette Meyer: My Classics Club Spin book! My review is here.

Outlander!!

Even though I ended up not writing episode recaps this season, I’m going to leave Outlander here in my weekly check-in posts because I love it so much! This past weekend was episode #5. Awesome season.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Bridgerton season 2! It was terrific. I wrote up my thoughts, here.

Since then, I’ve been bouncing between a few different shows, not quite up for a full-on binge just yet — so I’ve sampled episodes of Our Flag Means Death, Abbott Elementary, and Shining Vale.

Puzzle of the Week:

I just started a new puzzle over the weekend, and since it’s 2000 pieces, it’ll take me a while. Here’s a shot of the work in progress:

… and what it’ll look like when I’m all done:

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey: This is the 9th and final book in the Expanse series, and I’m both super excited to be reading it and full of dread over reaching the end. I’m at about 30% right now.

Now playing via audiobook:

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson: A contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set amidst a gentrification battle in San Diego. Hopefully without the Shakespearean ending…

Ongoing reads:

These books will be on my plate for months to come:

• Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare: My book group’s newest classic read. We’ll be going at a pace of one scene per week, and this week is our kick-off.

So many books, so little time…

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

Life.

The sun finally came out on a day when I was home to enjoy it! Walking to the beach and then spending time with a book on my back porch felt like such a treat.

In weird blogging news, I’m suddenly getting way more views this week than I normally do, apparently for my reviews of Bridgerton books. I don’t know why, but I guess they’re popping up in Google searches this week, probably as people are looking for info on the book behind the new Bridgerton season? It’s weird, but I’ll take it!

What did I read during the last week?

Reputation by Lex Croucher: A light take on the Regency era, with lots of drinking and bad behavior. My review is here.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March. Some beautiful writing, but there was too much about the plot that didn’t really make sense to me for me to fully enjoy it.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth: A contemporary thriller with lots of surprises. Kept me turning the pages, but ultimately I felt let down by the ending. My review is here.

Outlander!!

Week #4! The 4th episode aired last night, and I thought it was excellent!

I’m loving this season!

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton season 2 is here! I couldn’t indulge in quite as intense a binge as I would have liked… but I’ve watched six episodes so far, and I can’t wait to watch the final two! I love the casting this season, but I do sort of miss the way the central romance unfolded in the book vs how it’s being developed on the show. Still, it’s so entertaining (and so pretty to look at!).

Puzzle of the Week:

This is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravenburger (called Quaint Cafe). As usual with my photos, it’s a lot cuter and more detailed than you can really tell from the picture. I gave in to my obsessive puzzle behavior and finished it within 24 hours. Fun!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters: The 3rd book in a very fun series — I’m about halfway done.

Now playing via audiobook:

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: This audiobook is sweet and funny, just what I needed!

Ongoing reads:

• Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
• The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer: I joined the Classics Club Spin for the very first time, and this is what my spin turned out to be. I’m reading this book in daily installments through the Serial Reader app, and really like it so far (although I’m already feeling impatient with this approach, and may end up sitting and reading straight through eventually).

So many books, so little time…

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

Life.

Another busy work week, but we’ve also squeezed in some fun, including two different dinners out for my husband’s upcoming birthday (first a “date night” dinner for the two of us at a favorite restaurant, then a family dinner for six with yummy food).

What did I read during the last week?

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai: I finished this audiobook at the end of last week. My 1.5 star rating is generous! My review is here.

Scorpica by G. R. Macallister: An impressive start to a new fantasy series. My review is here.

Outlander!!

Week #3! The 3rd episode aired last night, but since we were out for a while, I didn’t get to watch yet. Overall, this season is good! But I’m struggling a bit in terms of the storylines, because nothing pleasant happens in the 6th book, and the show is being very faithful to the big events.

I love the characters as much as ever, but these episodes can be really hard to watch.

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton! With season 2 coming later this week (yay!), I thought a re-watch of season 1 would be a perfect binge for this week. I’m loving it all over again!

Puzzle of the Week:

I finished this one mid-week — it was more challenging than I expected!

Fresh Catch:

Exciting new books! Although I’ll probably hold off a bit before starting any of them, considering how overloaded with ARCs I appear to be right now.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Reputation by Lex Croucher: I’m almost done! I had my doubts early on, but this close to the end, I’m eager to see how the plot wraps up.

Next up will be The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. A real change of pace, but I do always enjoy this author’s books.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March — I started last week, and have about an hour left to listen to.

Ongoing reads:

Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.

Aaaaaand…. I joined the Classics Club Spin for the very first time, and here’s what my spin turned out to be. I’m happy with the way the spin turned out! This is Georgette Heyer’s first novel, and while I’ve read several of her other books, this one will be new to me. Plus, it’s available via the Serial Reader app, so I’ll be reading it in 33 daily installments starting this week, which means I’ll be finished before the April 30th target date.

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 quieter week. Don’t get me wrong — work is still crazy busy. But, the weekend weather was nice, and I found time to get out for good walks and read in the sun. What could be better?

What did I read during the last week?

Tiamat’s Wrath (Expanse, #8) by James S. A. Corey: After finishing the 7th Expanse book, I had no choice but to continue straight ahead with #8. These books are just excellent! Since I didn’t write a review for #7 last week when I finished reading it, here are the links to reviews for both books:

• Persepolis Rising (Expanse, #7)
• Tiamat’s Wrath (Expanse, #8)

Last week, I finished reading The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough, and finally got around to writing a review. You can see it here.

And yesterday, I finished listening to the audiobook of The Marriage Game by Sara Desai. Review to come… but here’s a sneak peek: I was basically hate-listening by the time I go to the end. Ugggggh.

Outlander!!

Week #2! I’m already sad that this is going to be a shorter than usual season (only 8 episodes) due to COVID-related filming challenges… but I will say that so far, it’s terrific, despite my trepidations about this season’s plotlines. (Knowing approximately which book plots will be included this season fills me with dread — the books are excellent, but Very Bad Things happen).

I haven’t actually had a chance to watch episode 2 yet, but plan to do so tonight!

Pop culture & TV:

In an utterly silly development, my son and I realized that we can now access the reboot of iCarly, now that we’re signed up for Paramount+! We loved this when he was little, and it’s so much fun to go back to the show’s goofiness, even if it is a little weird to see the characters all grown up.

In other TV watching updates, I think it’s about time for me to do a re-watch of Bridgerton season 1. After all, season 2 drops in less than two weeks!

Puzzle of the Week:

A work in progress:

I’m actually farther along now, so close to being done! But it came down to finishing or going to sleep before midnight, and for once, I made the responsible adult choice.

Fresh Catch:

I picked up the graphic novel I had on hold at the library… only to discover that I was wrong about it being a graphic novel. It’s a YA novel… with, like, pages full of words! I’m sure it’s fine, but it’s not what I thought it would be, and I don’t think I care enough to read it. Sigh.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Scorpica by G. R. Macallister: Scorpica is author Greer Macallister’s first foray into fantasy writing, and it’s holding my interest so far. I mean, what’s not to like about a matriarchal society ruled by queens and protected by women warriors? I’ve only read about 25% so far, and I’m eager to see where the story goes.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March — I’m planning to start this audiobook today.

Ongoing reads:

Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.

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.

Aaaaaannnd… I’m back!

After a week back east visiting my dad and other relatives, I’m back in sunny San Francisco once again. The week flew by, and I managed not to freeze!

What did I read during the last week?

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon: Such a beautiful, moving story! Excellent historical fiction. I listened to the audiobook — my review is here.

Two more that I finished this past week — reviews to follow:

• The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough
• Persepolis Rising (Expanse, #7) by James S. A. Corey

Outlander!!

Outlander is back!

Buh-bye Droughtlander! Hello, Outlander season 6! The new season premiered last night, and… I did not watch it yet! Sadly, by the time my flight landed and I made it home, all I had the energy for was a quick bite to eat and then climbing into bed. Watching the 1st episode will be my treat tonight!

In terms of blogging about Outlander: For all of the previous seasons, I’ve written recap posts immediately after watching. For whatever reason, I’m not really feeling it this time around. It’s not that I’m not excited for the new season — I really, really am! I think I just have too much else going on right now to add another “homework” assignment on top of everything else.

We shall see. Inspiration may still hit me!

Pop culture & TV:

What, there’s something worth talking about besides Outlander?

1883 wrapped up this past week, and my heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces. Overall, I thought the show was incredibly well done — so much so that I may want to watch it again.

While at my sister’s house, we watched the first episode of Inventing Anna, and while I’ve read very mixed reviews, I think I’m interested enough to keep going.

Puzzle of the Week:

None! But now that I’m back home, it’s time to start a new one.

Fresh Catch:

I happened to wander into a used book store supporting a local library last week, and the nice lady volunteering there gave me a whole welcome spiel explaining all the good the money does — so I couldn’t walk out without buying something! Here’s what I picked up:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Tiamat’s Wrath (Expanse, #8) by James S. A. Corey: I had every intention of reading something light and cheerful next… and then I finished Persepolis Rising, and absolutely had to move straight ahead into the next book in the Expanse series. These books are so good!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai: This seems like it’ll be a lot of fun! I’ve only just started, but I already like the family dynamic (and the San Francisco setting)!

Ongoing reads:

Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.

So many books, so little time…