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.

A much mellower week… I was still busy with work, but I also had some good down-time over the weekend. It was gray and rainy, so I couldn’t get out much… but being stuck in the house with cups of tea, cozy socks, and good books was not bad at all.

Blogging.

I hesitate to say anything — don’t want to jinx it! — but the WordPress glitch that wouldn’t save new posts correctly seems to be fixed. I’m proceeding with cautious optimism. I’ve noticed that awkward workarounds haven’t been needed this past week. Maybe it’s actually fine now??

What did I read during the last week?

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: My book group’s January book. I enjoyed it, although not as much as some of this author’s other books. My review is here.

Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley: Last week’s audiobook. It was a very engaging listen with a unique premise. The ending was a bit unsatisfying, but otherwise, I really liked it. My review is here.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: Twisty, complicated, excellent read! Review to follow.

Pop culture & TV:

I gobbled up season 2 of XO Kitty on Netflix — just as cute and silly as the first season, and so much fun. Netflix hasn’t confirmed a season 3 yet… but they can’t really just end things that way, can they?

Fresh Catch:

I’m listening to this as an audiobook, but a quick peek at the library showed me that the physical book is filled with amazing illustrations, so I decided to treat myself to a hardcover copy of my own. It’s really fun to follow along and look at this edition while listening to the audio.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I finished The God of the Woods late Sunday, and while I haven’t picked up my next book yet, it’ll likely be one of these three:

• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
• Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
• Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

I have ARCs for these three February new releases, and I’m excited to read them all!

Now playing via audiobook:

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell: Not only is this a terrific middle-grade fantasy/adventure, but the audiobook is narrated by Samuel West (Siegfried from All Creatures Great and Small), and he’s amazing!

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 31%. Up next: Chapters 16 and 17.

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 a whirlwind of a week, with a particularly busy weekend — but busy for good reasons, which was nice! Dinner with friends at our house one night, barbecue at other friends’ house (at the end of a long, winding road through the woods) another day. Not much time to read, but other than than, a really great few days!

What did I read during the last week?

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: Another terrific audiobook from an author who was new to me just last year… and now I’ve read all her books! My review is here.

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: A 5-star read! Loved every moment. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished watching Deadloch on Prime… and if you haven’t seen it yet, definitely check it out! Just eight episodes, really entertaining and clever and funny. And apparently, there’s a season 2 on the way!

Fresh Catch:

I ordered hardcover editions of two books I’d already read and loved, and they both arrived this week!

I reached out via Kelley Armstrong’s website to see if there were any resources for getting signed books, and her assistant very kindly responded to say that there weren’t, but that she’d send me a couple of signed book plates, which also arrived this week! (And she threw in some bookmarks too — very sweet!)

The timing was perfect… and this makes me happy:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: My book group’s pick for January. As usual, I’m behind schedule. Our discussion is later this week.

Now playing via audiobook:

Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley: I have another day or two’s worth of listening left, and I’m really enjoying it.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 27%. Up next: Chapters 14 and 15.

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.

Hurray for long weekends! I’m so happy to have an extra day off — even if I am going to spend it running around on errands and taking care of the odds and ends I otherwise never seem to have time for.

This past week has been mostly work and projects at home, although I did get out to dance a few times, which always makes me happy.

In kitty news… Benji is ridiculously obsessed with this little bird toy, and we’re all ridiculously obsessed with watching him.

Goodreads and Kindle.

Will these sites never stop giving me (and all of us) headaches? Kindle now syncs with Goodreads challenges… but it doesn’t actually work correctly. When I finish reading a Kindle book, my Kindle marks it as read, and now adds it to my Goodreads challenge automatically — but meanwhile, it also gets added via Goodreads when I update the book there. This means that each book I finish ends up counted twice, and then I have to go back into the challenge and delete the duplicates.

Not the end of the world, but it’s annoying, and only started with the latest so-called improvement to Kindle functionality. Argh.

Blogging.

For those who chimed in last week about the WordPress bug causing copied posts to not save correctly… still not fixed. Even as I’m typing this post, I can see that the post title has already reverted itself back to the previous title.

Bookish love.

Stumbling across this meme made me unreasonable happy this week.

What did I read during the last week?

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: My first 5-star read of 2025! My review is here.

My Rosebud Boy by Rainbow Rowell: This is kind of like an AU fanfic… except it’s written by the author! This alternate-world story about Simon and Baz is sweet and romantic and lovely. Note: It was originally published in 2022 as part of a special limited offer, and has been next to impossible to track down. Someone shared a link to a PDF version with me, so I thought I’d pass it along: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dedpN_lSzLdP_K9PwZEjl215gNM9_hyN/view. (I’m wondering how legit it is to share the link, but since the book isn’t available for sale anywhere, it’s not depriving anyone of the income.)

Pop culture & TV:

Welp, that’s a wrap on season 7 of Outlander! The finale was well-done in many ways, yet the episode ends with a head-scratcher of a cliffhanger. Why, Outlander, why?

Has anyone else watched Deadloch (Prime Video)? I’ve watched three of the six episodes so far — really enjoyable. Check out the trailer!

On a lighter note, All Creatures Great and Small is back for a new season, and it’s just the bit of cheer and sweetness I needed!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: Loving it so far! I’d hoped to make more progress over the weekend, but life got busy. I should find time to finish either today or tomorrow.

Next up:

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: My book group’s pick for January. As usual, I’m behind schedule! Our discussion is later this week.

Now playing via audiobook:

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: I’ve loved every one of this author’s audiobooks, and this book is no exception. Getting close to the end!

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 24%. Up next: Chapters 12 and 13.

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 a return to busy-ness — work is back at full swing, and I’ve had lots of little errands and projects keeping me on the run outside of work. Thankfully, we had clear blue skies over the weekend, so I was able to enjoy a couple of long walks and some outdoor reading time. (Give me a comfy chair on the back porch, a big iced coffee, and a good book, and I’m a very happy camper.)

Reading habits.

Speaking of my reading life, I shared my annual post about series I plan (or hope) to read in 2025. You can check it out here — I’d love to hear reactions and recommendations!

Also, just a general observation: I’ve been realizing that I tend to read books in the romance genre via audiobook, much more so than any other genre. I guess I like light, upbeats listens, and save heavier topics or more complicated reading for print? This isn’t an absolute rule or anything, just a pattern I’ve noticed. (How about you? Do you gravitate toward certain formats for certain genres?)

Blogging.

A new weird bug has popped up for me in WordPress these past few weeks. To start a new post, I typically copy an existing post, then edit the title and go from there. As of about two weeks ago, after I edit the title and hit save, the post title reverts to the original title, although the post itself is saved as a new draft. I find that I have to exit the post and use the Quick Edit option to get the title to stick. The body of the post saves just fine; it’s just the title that refuses to stick. Anyone else experiencing this?

Little Free Library update.

Awwwww. I went out for a walk yesterday, and when I got back, I saw that my LFL was filled with new books — a whole slew of kids’ books, including a bunch of Raina Telgemeier books! It made me happy.

What did I read during the last week?

The Thorns Remain by JJA Harwood: Finished at the end of last week. Really good! My review is here.

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler: Like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form — sweet, predictable, cozy, guaranteed happy ending. (And yes, I enjoyed it!) My review is here.

The Apology by Jimin Han: My book group’s most recent discussion book — parts of the story really fascinated me, and then I lost interest during the second half. Still, there was a lot to discuss, and overall I’m glad I read it.

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava: A rom-com notable for its indigenous representation, but the office romance elements made me cringe. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I watched The Substance this past week. Whoa… so gross and disturbing, but also weird and bizarre and fascinating. I totally get all the buzz about Demi Moore — she’s phenomenal in this movie! It’s super gory (I watched certain scenes while peeking through my fingers), and definitely not for anyone squeamish, but it certainly had an impact. It’s been days, and I’m still thinking about it.

Fresh Catch:

My pretty new hardcover edition of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear arrived this week! This is the 10th book in the Wayward Children series, and it’s a great one! I reviewed it earlier this month; see my thoughts here.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: How could I resist a disco-themed vampire book?

Now playing via audiobook:

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: I’m planning to start this audiobook today! I loved the last two books by this author, and can’t wait to dive in.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 20%. Up next: Chapters 10 and 11.

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.

Happy New Year!

It’s the first Monday of the new year… so it’s back to work for most of us. Sigh… the holiday feeling had to end eventually! I hope everyone had a festive New Year celebration and found time to relax, enjoy, and read over the holidays!

At my house, we had out-of-town guests, including my daughter and her fiancé, and local friends threw them a shower while they were here. So lovely to have happy reasons to gather and celebrate!

Celebrating Hanukkah with our extended family was really terrific, with multiple days and nights of candles, singing, gifts, and games.

Little Free Library update:

My husband decided that my LFL wouldn’t stand up to another storm like the last one we had, and so he dug a hole, poured cement, and made my little library a whole lot more stable! It’s now back in business, and I’ve been happy to see more books coming and going.

Someone actually took the big, fat readers’ encyclopedia for Shakespeare and some acting-lesson books! (Although no one has grabbed the Insurance Law book that showed up recently… wonder why?) Meanwhile, I’m still weeding through some boxes of books that I had stored away, and I’ll be using them to restock over the coming weeks.

It’s so nice to have my LFL back!

What did I read during the last week?

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst: Sweet cozy fantasy. See below for the review link!

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune: My last book of 2024! I wrote a two-fer review post for this book plus The Spellshop; read it here.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children, #10) by Seanan McGuire: A brilliant addition to the ongoing Wayward Children series — I just loved this one. My review is here.

The Thorns Remain by JJA Harwood: Finished late Sunday; review to follow. This was a good one!

Pop culture & TV:

With so much going on, I’ve barely had time for TV — which is fine! I’ve been keeping up with new Outlander episodes, but that’s about it. This week’s was a doozy, and there’s just one more to go!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Apology by Jimin Han: My book group discussion of this book is later this week, and I’m late getting started! I’m hoping to finish in time for our get-together.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler: My listening time has been pretty limited lately, but I finally made progress over the weekend. This holiday romance is tugging at my heartstrings! I should be able to listen to the last few chapters by mid-week.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. We’re starting back up this week after a break for the holidays. Progress: 15%. Up next: Chapters 8 and 9.

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 Hanukkah! The holiday got off to a great start, with family time, menorah lighting, and a cutthroat dreidel competition. It’s been a blast… and the nice thing about an eight-day holiday is — it’s not over yet!

What did I read during the last week?

Between the holiday and family get-togethers, I didn’t actually get much time to read at all. Here’s what I finished this past week:

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot: Delightful Hanukkah-themed romance. My review is here.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for science fiction, but I found it a letdown. My review is here.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune: Another terrific audiobook by Carley Fortune! Finished late Sunday; review to follow.

Pop culture & TV:

Virgin River season 6 was actually fun! Yes, it’s exactly what you’d expect… but I’ve come to love the small town vibe, and the wedding felt like a huge payoff after all these seasons.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week. And based on my look back at my book buying during 2024, I really don’t need to buy any more books for a long, long time…

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst: I’m enjoying this cozy fantasy tale, but my reading time has been really scattered. Hoping to finish today or tomorrow!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler: My library hold finally came in! I’ll be starting this audiobook today (if I can squeeze in any listening time).

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week (except over the holidays). Progress: 15%. Currently on hold; resuming out group read on January 6th.

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 was… weird. I was exactly sick, but I wasn’t fine either. For about four or five days, I was dealing with dizziness and light-headedness. I still worked (from home), but didn’t feel steady enough to drive or go for walks. Very frustrating. And not only did I not really feel like myself, but my lack of driving and walking meant that I also didn’t listen to audiobooks!

Over the weekend, I did bounce back a bit — still not 100%, but I forced myself to try for a bit more activity, including wrapping gifts, getting the house ready for holiday guests, and even venturing out for mini-walks in between rain showers.

Luckily, I had excellent help while I wrapped gifts!

Little Free Library — not quite back in action…

The week before last, a major storm blew over my LFL, but we managed to put it back together and get it back up and running! It seems like it’s been busy — I keep discovering new books in it when I go out to check on it.

We’ve decided to get a new post and set it into the concrete of our driveway, rather than keeping it in its flowerpot. The current setup is pretty, but as the last storm showed, not stable enough! In fact, it’s starting to tip again, so with very sad feelings, we’re moving it inside for now, rather than risk further damage. The new post should arrive before New Year’s… fingers crossed that this will be a better solution.

What did I read during the last week?

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong: I absolutely loved this thriller, and since it’s the first in a seven book series, I’m excited to have so many more books to look forward to! My review is here.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: Sweet and whimsical and wonderful. My review is here.

Hogfather (Discworld, #20) by Terry Pratchett: Terry Pratchett’s writing is always a delight — but I found myself losing interest in the plot of Hogfather the farther along I read. Lots of fun little scenes and all the quirky humor you’d expect, but the story as a whole didn’t work for me. I thought this would be a good choice for the week leading up to the holidays. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to indulge in a Discworld book after all.

Pop culture & TV:

I think I’ve run out of things to say about Survivor. The season finale went exactly as expected… and just further demonstrates that the show really needs to rethink some of its structure. I’m tired of my favorite players going out at 4 or 5, and having an utterly boring set of finalists to choose from. (Online chatter shows that most people loved the outcome this season, so I’m an outlier on this.) Will I be back for another season? Well, probably. It’s become such a tradition chez moi… but it’s definitely treading and retreading the same old ground.

On the other hand…

A Man on the Inside was a delight! If you haven’t watched it yet, please go to Netflix ASAP and check it out! The show is funny and clever, but also very touching. Terrific cast, quick pace, and some lovely emotional moments. I’m so glad there will be a season 2!

Fresh Catch:

Two new books this week:

• The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: I just had to buy myself a copy of this book, after reading it earlier in the week and loving it!
• Schemes & Scandals by Kelley Armstrong: Beautiful hardcover edition of this Rip Through Time novella, from Subterranean Press .

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: I swore that I’d read this one before the end of the year. I’m just getting started, but at least I’ll meet my reading goal!

Now playing via audiobook:

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot: Such a terrific Hanukkah romance! Because of my health challenge this past week, I made only a teensy bit of progress — but one more good listening session should do it.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week (except over the holidays). Progress: 13%. Coming up this week: Chapters 7… and then a little break until after New Year.

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 finished my holiday shopping! Whew. Some items will be shipping across the country, and a whole bunch will be delivered here for when we have our family celebrations. I’m so glad to be done!

Meanwhile… earlier in the year, my daughter gifted me a scratch-off book poster, and I finally got it dry-mounted and put up on a wall. Here’s the before:

And here’s after I starting scratching:

It’s so cute!

A little tragedy for the Little Free Library:

Heavy rain and wind gusted in over the weekend, resulting in a mini-disaster…

My LFL blew over during the night! Fortunately, the library box itself isn’t damaged, but I woke up in the morning to see quite a mess out in front of my house. The bookmark holder was in the street and all the paper bookmarks were strewn across the sidewalk, soaking wet. The books themselves didn’t fare very well. Some books were completely saturated — it was painful to throw them in the recycling bin, but they just weren’t salvageable. Still, more than half of the books stayed inside the LFL when it toppled and just ended up damp, so I think they’ll be more or less fine once they dry out.

After debating whether to keep the LFL inside the garage for the rest of the rainy season, we decided to move it back outside, try to strengthen the supports around the post, and keep an eye on the weather for future storms! We’ll be more diligent about moving it under a shelter if the forecast looks iffy going forward… but meanwhile, it’s back out there and full of books.

What did I read during the last week?

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne: Dark and disturbing. My review is here.

Two holiday audio shorts: Booked for the Holidays by Liz Maverick and The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan. Check out my quick take, here.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall: Interesting concepts, but I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Well, that’s all for Yellowstone! I loved the first several seasons, but this last half-season leading up to Sunday’s series finale was uneven, to see the least. Still, the finale tied up all the story threads, and gave most characters a satisfying send off.

Survivor season 47 will be wrapping up this week. It’s not been great — anyone I was rooting for is already out, the final four are not particularly exciting, and unless something truly shocking happens, it’s easy to see who the winner will be. Yawn.

Fresh Catch:

I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much that I decided I needed a copy of my own, and was able to find a hardcover in nice condition on Ebay.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong: I’ve been wanting to read Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series, and I’ve finally started! I’m hooked, and can’t wait to see where the story goes. I have a feeling I’ll be speeding my way through the whole series.

Now playing via audiobook:

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot: More Hanukkah romance! I’m about halfway through, and it’s a lot of fun.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 9%. Coming up this week: Chapters 5 and 6.

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.

We’re having surprisingly sunny weather for early December, and it’s been glorious getting some outdoor time. There was that tsunami warning earlier in the week… no tsunami actually occurred, but it was certainly startling to get the VERY URGENT alert on my phone!

Somehow, I ended up super busy over the weekend, with errands and odd jobs around the house and a nice get-together with friends. I don’t regret any of it! But it does mean that a book I thought I’d finish in a day or two has been severely neglected…

What did I read during the last week?

The Return by Rachel Harrison: Deliciously creepy. My review is here.

The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady: Really enjoyable story of sisters breaking out of their comfort zones. My review is here.

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain: A terrific new Regency romance. My review is here.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell: A warm, lovely middle grade novel. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I saw Wicked this week! I had plans to see it a couple of weeks ago, but the person I was going with got sick — and we finally managed to find a new date that worked for us both. Overall, I really liked it… except it’s too long and drags a bit from time to time. Still, the musical numbers are great, and I’m glad I saw it!

On Netflix, I started watching A Man on the Inside, and it’s so much fun! Ted Danson is charming, and it’s a quick watch (just eight 30-minute episodes). I’ve watched four so far, and hope to finish today or tomorrow.

Fresh Catch:

My Black Friday gifts to myself arrived this week:

A lovely hardcover edition of Weyward, and the Puffin in Bloom edition of Sense and Sensibility. They’re both so pretty!

Little Free Library updates:

We had several people stop by and drop off various paperbacks this week — it’s nice to see the little library looking a bit fuller!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne: It took me a while to get into this book, probably because I was only able to read in little bits and pieces for the first few days after I started it — but once I really dug into it over the weekend, it started zooming by! As of writing this post late Sunday, I’m close to the end, and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

I haven’t quite decided what to tackle next, but I think it will be one of these three:

Now playing via audiobook:

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan: What a treat! A new holiday story from Jenny Colgan! It’s very short, so I should be finished later today.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 4%. Coming up this week: 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 hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! And just like that… it’s December! I made it through the long weekend without indulging in TOO much online shopping. Couldn’t resist a new tunnel for our kitty, though…

We had a small family gathering for Thanksgiving — just six of us — and it was really nice, then saw friends over the weekend, and had time to relax and unwind a bit too.

And now, back to the grind… and a busy upcoming week at work.

What did I read during the last week?

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff: Just as charming as everyone says! My review is here.

Coming Home by Brittney Griner: Powerful, must-read memoir. My review is here.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Sweet and heart-warming. My review is here.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston: Fun romance involving an avid reader who stumbles into her favorite fictional town. My review is here.

The Return by Rachel Harrison: SO creepy. Review to follow, later this week.

Pop culture & TV:

Another new episode of Outlander! These once-per-week shows just kill me… This season is very good so far, but I wish I could binge it all at once. As for the newest episode — man, this show is covering a lot of ground! So much happens in this 2nd episode. I’m so curious to see how far through the books they’ll be by the end of the season.

In other TV viewing, I finished A Body That Works on Netflix, an Israeli series about surrogacy. Lots of soapy drama, but some really strong episodes too.

And as cheesy as it can be, Dancing with the Stars was actually a lot of fun this season. I was happy with the top two finishers, and overall, really enjoyed following the show week after week.

Fresh Catch:

I gave in to temptation and ordered a few books on sale for Black Friday… but have to wait a week for them to arrive!

Little Free Library updates:

One new book showed up this week — The Color of Water by James McBride — plus I added a few more old paperbacks from my shelves.

Some of the books currently in my LFL have been there for weeks now. I’m always curious to see which books gets taken and which just stay and stay.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain: This author’s Regency romances are such fun! I’m happy to be starting her newest, due for release next week.

After that, I’ll be back to working my way through the stack of books that I meant to read earlier in the year. Top priority at the moment:

Now playing via audiobook:

The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady: I’m really close to the end! Enjoying it a lot — this author was new to me this year, and now I’m caught up!

Ongoing reads:

Starting this week! My book group’s newest classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Beginning today, we’ll be reading and discussing two chapters per week. I’m happy for the chance to reread this classic!

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…