2018

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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! And finally starting to feel human again after a nasty, nasty week of jetlag. Want to know where I’ve been? Check out my vacation post, here.

What did I read during the last week?

First of all, I read a WHOLE BUNCH of books on vacation — you can see my wrap-up post here.

And since I’ve been back, I managed to finish two terrific books:

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce: Captivating historical fiction by a debut author. My review is here.

Robots vs Fairies editied by Dominik Parisien & Navah Wolfe: A sci-fi/fantasy collection, including works by some favorite authors. My thoughts are here.

And, in book group news — we finished our group read of Lord John and the Haunted Soldier by Diana Gabaldon. Another outstanding adventure!

Fresh Catch:

New books arrived this week:

The Dreamers is a Goodreads giveaway! After entering these for years, I finally won something… and it’s something I’m really excited to read!

I also treated myself to a little something from Out of Print — they were offering mystery grab bags for $40, and I couldn’t resist… and I’m thrilled with what I ended up getting:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Scythe by Neal Shusterman: Ssh, don’t tell — I stole my son’s required summer reading book!

Now playing via audiobook:

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce: It’s been at least 15 years since I read the Alanna quartet, and I’ve always meant to go back and read more of the Tortall books — but first I need to remember the basics. So, it’s back to the beginning I go! I’m enjoying the audiobook so far — we’ll see if I stick with the audio format for the whole series.

Ongoing reads:

Book group reads:

Classic read: My book group’s current classic read is Middlemarch by George Eliot. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week… and we have a long way still to go.
We’re continuing our way through all of Diana Gabaldon’s Lord John stories, currently on week 2 (of 3) focused on The Custom of the Army. Always great to revisit a favorite character.

So many books, so little time…

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11Jun2018

The Monday Check-In ~ 6/11/2018

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

I’m heading off on a journey this week, so this may be my last reliable post for a few weeks. Between some vacation-y travels and visits to family, I’ll be on the go for about three weeks. I’ll pop in when I can, but if you don’t see me around the blogosphere much — now you know why!

What did I read during the last week?

Dietland by Sarai Walker: An interesting read, but a little scattered and messy as well. It’s a great story, and I’m actually really enjoying the new AMC TV series adaptation.

Texts From Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg: Clever and funny. My thoughts are here.

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer: Because I can’t seem to get enough Georgette Heyer. My review is here.

Quidditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling: I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Andrew Lincoln (who does an amazing job). My review is here.

And, in book group news — we finished our group read of Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade! While I’ve read the book before, reading and discussing it with the group over the last several months has been a fun and eye-opening experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fresh Catch:

New books arrived this week:

I treated myself to a non-fiction guide to the world of Georgette Heyer, which looks like it’ll be so handy. I also finally gave in and bought myself copies of Mira Grant’s Parasitology books, so now I have zero excuses left for not reading these.

What will I be reading during the coming week?