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.
My husband and I got away for a quick weekend escape to Mendocino, about three hours up the California coast from where we live. It’s a beautiful location, and we enjoyed the coastal views, cute towns, and laid back vibes.
What did I read during the last week?
Where The Girls Were by Kate Schatz: Powerful historical fiction. My review is here.
Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens: Fun, upbeat audiobook! My review is here.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute: My book group’s pick for February. I’ll be sharing my thoughts a bit later in the week — stay tuned.
Puzzle of the week:
It actually took me about two weeks…
The puzzle is by Cobble Hill, has so many pretty details, and is good, sturdy quality. You can find it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OGhFPo
As usual, the kitty supervised my work and kept the box safe.
Pop culture & TV:
After being away for the weekend, I managed to squeeze in the first two episodes of the 2nd half of the new Bridgerton season on Sunday (season 4, episodes 5 and 6). Can’t wait to watch the remaining two!
Fresh Catch:
No new physical books this week… but I did grab a few ebooks with price drops. Who can resist?
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
First Sign of Danger (Haven’s Rock, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: The newest Haven’s Rock book! I picked it up over the weekend, and read about half all in one sitting. It’s just as good as I’d expected… although it makes me sad to think I’ll be all caught up after this one!
Now playing via audiobook:
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page: I started this audiobook Sunday afternoon, and although I haven’t gotten very far, I’m loving it already.
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 84%. Coming up this week: Chapters 27 & 28.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 77%.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.
Title: Is She Really Going Out With Him? Author: Sophie Cousens Narrators: Kerry Gilbert Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date: November 19, 2024 Print length: 368 pages Audio length: 11 hours 42 minutes Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.
From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?
In this feel-good romance, 37-year-old Anna is trying to bounce back from divorce — which is especially hard now that her ex has moved his much younger girlfriend into his home, yet can’t be bothered to do the kids’ laundry or make sure their homework is done when they’re with him. What’s more, Anna’s career as a columnist is at risk when Bath Living is acquired by someone more focused on profits than on great writing. Anna’s new publisher wants her column to be edgier and more personal, and she just doesn’t know if she has it in her. But, her annoying (and attractive) coworker seems to be angling for her column space, and she’s determined not to let him win… so she pitches one last desperate idea for a new dating-themed column.
After trying online dating, with the expected awful results, Anna wonders if it’s possible to find romance in real life anymore. Her kids are eager to set her up, and a concept is born: Anna will go on seven dates, with people selected by the kiddos. What could possibly go wrong?
From a fishing trip with a painful ending to a Regency encounter to a setup with the grumpy widower next door, Anna goes on a series of dates — some ending with awkwardness, one proving that you should never meet your idols, and one that results in an ill-advised tattoo. None are exactly successful, but they do make for entertaining column material.
Meanwhile, the office rivalry with Will goes from barely tolerating each other as coworkers to something much more NSFW… but Anna doesn’t see a future with Will, who seems to be destined for jetsetting career success while she is firmly tied to her roots in Bath. But they do have undeniable chemistry, so even as she continues to date according to her kids’ whims, she can’t help but wonder if there’s any possible scenario where she and Will could actually have more than casual hook-ups.
Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a charming look at the ups and downs of reentering the dating scene after marriage, with an engaging, bright main character who’s a delight to get to know. A devoted mother, Anna struggles to balance her home and work commitments, and can’t imagine ever putting herself first… but through the dating experiment, she’s reminded of experiences that bring her joy, such a rediscovering her creative, artistic side and finding an upbeat, life-affirming new friend when she least expects it.
One of the many pleasures of this book is seeing Anna coming out of her dates with new connections — not in terms of romantic partners, but finding people to engage with outside of her worlds of home and office, and finding ways to break out of her routine in a way that benefits all the people in her life.
Of course, the romantic storyline is important too, and while I was initially skeptical about reading yet another enemies-to-lovers story arc, this is a good one! There are plenty of reasons why Will and Anna shouldn’t work, and while it’s clear from the start that their pairing is the book’s endgame, it’s quite fun to see the ups and downs along their path to figuring it all out.
The less said about the 3rd act break up, the better: It’s one of my least favorite tropes — the old “breaking up with you for your own good”, with a smattering of “pretending never to have cared so it’ll be easier for you to walk away”. Fortunately, this part flies by pretty quickly and honesty prevails, but still… this was the only part of the book that annoyed me.
The audiobook narration by Kerry Gilbert is light and whimsical, with the humor very well captured by her character voices and delivery. I enjoyed the listening experience very much — it kept me engaged and entertained.
All in all, Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a lot of fun, and I look forward to trying more by this author.
Any favorites to recommend?
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Title: Where the Girls Were Author: Kate Schatz Publisher: The Dial Press Publication date: March 3, 2026 Length: 368 pages Genre: Historical fiction Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
In this electrifying and heartfelt historical coming-of-age novel, set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.
It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully-planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.
Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family’s shining star to their embarrassing secret. Sent to a home for unwed mothers, Baker finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with a group of pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she reckons with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the “girls who went away.”
Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society’s expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.
Where the Girls Were is a powerful look at the changing world of young women in the late 1960s, centered on high school senior Baker — the bright, ambitious daughter of a suburban family that hides financial woes behind a veneer of pool parties and social engagements and neighborhood clubs. Baker is her parents’ pride and joy — until she ends up pregnant after her first sexual encounters with a hippie named Wiley.
Devastated and in denial, Baker first attempts to access an abortion through an underground provider, but is scared off before she can go through with it. When she finally confesses to her parents, her mother secures her a spot at a home for unwed mothers in San Francisco, where she’ll stay for the remainder of her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Baker’s family concocts a cover story for her: She’ll be spending a semester in Paris, before returning in the spring to start at Stanford.
At the home, Baker is surrounded by other pregnant teens, all with their own stories to tell. The girls are not allowed outside except for supervised walks — for which they put on fake wedding rings, so as not to scandalize the neighbors. The longer Baker stays at the home, the more she comes to understand about her limited choices, and how little control she has over her own body or decisions about her baby.
“We can tell you’re confused. But let me remind you: you got yourself into this situation. We are helping you out of it. Do you realize how lucky you are to be here?”
Where the Girls Were offers a spot-on depiction of the convergence of 1950s morality and 1960s rebellion. Baker’s world is full of political unrest and anti-war protests and the “turn on, tune in, drop out” mentality, but the free love vibe doesn’t last once pregnancy roles around. And how free can these girls truly be without safe access to either birth control or abortion rights? Baker and the other girls at the home have their choices taken away from them by their families, who seem to value appearance and saving face much more than the feelings or well-beings of their daughters.
Because what she realizes as she talks to the other girls is that she’s not as isolated as she’d believed. She’s not the only one to feel this, to have this happen. Other girls are angry and ashamed. Other girls are embarrassed. Other girls are full of rage. Other girls know how she feels, even if they don’t talk much.
I found Where the Girls Were to be a compelling, moving read, with a realistic depiction of the era and with a main character to truly care about. We get to really know Baker and understand her struggles and her inner life. Seeing her navigate life in the home and figure out how to stand up to those who try to manipulate her is quite inspiring.
At the same time, it’s shocking to see how little information even a well-educated girl like Baker has. Yes, she knows the basics about how pregnancies come about, but she has no information about pregnancy itself — how it progresses, what to expect, what labor entails — not to mention a very fundamental lack of knowledge about how to avoid pregnancy other than being a “good girl”.
Two very minor quibbles to note: First, I wish the ending had been a little less ambiguous. I can understand why the author chose to leave the story where it ends, but I would have appreciated a more definite wrap-up. (Not going into details here in order to avoid spoiling anything…) Second (and this is largely my own reading pet peeve, not necessarily a flaw in the book), I tend not to like when books introduce a large group of characters at once. Here, Baker meets all the girls at the home in one big round of introductions, and perhaps as a result, all but a few particular girls seem to blend together. I wished for a bit more to distinguish some of the girls who figured more as background characters.
Those quibbles aside, I enjoyed this book very much, and strongly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, women’s history, and/or fiction set during the 1960s. The story and main character are both terrific and make a big impression.
Reading note: This is actually my 2nd book within a year about a home for unmarried pregnant girls set during roughly the same time period. The other, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, is a horror novel, but the two books share many of the same themes and feature girls in similar circumstances. Really interesting to compare and contrast!
For further reading: In the author’s notes, she references a non-fiction book, The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade by Ann Fessler. Sounds fascinating! I’ve added this to my TBR, and hope to track down a copy. Find out more, here.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Quotes From/About Books, with the prompt: Share book quotes you love, quotes about being a reader, etc.
I last did a TTT post about favorite book-related quotes in 2020 (here)… and the quotes I highlighted are still favorites! So, instead of repeating myself, I thought I’d do a slightly different spin on the topic and share some selections that I highlighted during my Kindle reading this past year. Most are rather silly… and I’m having fun revisiting them!
1: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
“You know why no one has killed me yet?”
“Why?”
“Because I never kill anyone,” says Viktor. “Honestly, once you start, that’s it, you have to keep killing.”
“That’s like lip salve,” says Pauline. “Once you start using it, your lips dry out, and so you have to keep using it.”
2: The Lark series by E. Nesbit
Life is a lark—all the parts of it, I mean, that are generally treated seriously: money, and worries about money, and not being sure what’s going to happen. Looked at rightly, all that’s an adventure, a lark. As long as you have enough to eat and to wear and a roof to sleep under, the whole thing’s a lark. Life is a lark for us, and we must treat it as such.
3: A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse
I don’t know what your experience has been, but mine is that proposing’s a thing that simply isn’t within the scope of a man who isn’t moderately woozled.
4: Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
She has not run down the stairs like this since she was a teenager, when your heart reaches the front door before your feet.
5: Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong
“Please tell me you’re serious. The hockey star you kissed in high school is now suggesting fake dating? After a meet-cute reunion on live TV? Can I book you guys a hotel room with only one bed?”
6: Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
Then I sat and thought of Mina and had a nice, self-indulgent cry. Sometimes a girl finds herself alone at the feet of an unknown land, covered in grime, having just decapitated a stranger, and it’s all too much.
7: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
As the cauldron bubbled an eldritch voice shrieked: “When shall we three meet again?”
There was a pause. Finally another voice said, in far more ordinary tones: “Well, I can do next Tuesday.”
8: Miss Lattimore’s Letter by Suzanne Allain
By the end of the morning, a morning spent in traversing the room back and forth in earnest conversation, the two young ladies were quite pleased at having made the acquaintance of someone who seemed destined to become a friend. They even had that most important characteristic of all in common: they counted the same books among their favorites.
9: We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft
When she smiles at me, I see her fangs have sprouted for the first time. They’re adorable!
10: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
So. Her husband-to-be was a philanderer. A smooth operator. A debaucher. A rake. A frisker. (Jane became something of a walking thesaurus when she was upset, a side effect of too much reading.)
Do you have any favorite quotes from books you’ve read recently?
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 weekend was busy, in all sorts of awesome ways.
On Friday, we had a family dinner out at a new-to-me restaurant that had a great ambience and delicious food. (House-made churros for dessert – yum!). Saturday, we started with the bar mitzvah of the son of a very dear friend, then had a really fun dance event that evening. And yesterday, the weather finally cleared and I was able to squeeze in some reading on the back porch plus an outdoor dance session.
What did I read during the last week?
Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: Terrific addition to a favorite series! Each book is just so good. My review is here.
Where The Girls Were by Kate Schatz: Powerful historical fiction set in 1968 San Francisco. Stay tuned — I’ll be sharing a review later this week.
Pop culture & TV:
I finished season 4 of The Morning Show this past week, which means I’m all caught up. This past season was bananas! Not exactly believable… but still, I’ll be back for more whenever a new season is ready.
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week, but I finally decided to upgrade from my wired headphones. After a bunch of research, I decided on the Shokz OpenFit 2 earbuds. I’ve only had them for a day at this point, but my first outing with them, listening to an audiobook, was a good experience. I just need to adjust to the various controls. I’d been looking for earbuds that sit over/outside the ear, and so far, I like the fit.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute: My book group’s book for February! I read this book a long, long time ago, and I’m happy to have a reason to revisit it.
Now playing via audiobook:
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens: It’s been a mostly rainy week… which really limited my audiobook time, since I tend to do most of my listening while out for long walks. I still have a few more hours to go with this audiobook. Really fun so far!
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 77%. Coming up this week: Chapters 25 & 26.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 75%.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.
I participated in Birthstone Books Covers for the first time in August, and now I’m hooked! Leslie at Books Are the New Black hosts this fun monthly meme — and since I love anything related to spotlighting amazing book covers, I just had to jump in.
The rules are simple:
Mention the creator (Leslie @Books Are The New Black ) and link back so she can see your post! Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone. HAVE FUN!
Amethysts are among my favorite gems, although — alas — I don’t believe I actually have any amethyst jewelry. The color is so pretty!
Amethyst was prized by ancient civilizations and was closely associated with spirituality, faith, and wisdom. The color purple has long been associated with royalty and the aristocracy. It is the birthstone for February. The color of amethyst ranges from light to intense purple. The lighter lilac or lavender variety is often called Rose de France amethyst. The most prized amethyst is transparent and exhibits an intense, uniform, purple color with red flashes.
Title: Cold as Hell Series: Haven’s Rock, #3 Author: Kelley Armstrong Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication date: February 18, 2025 Length: 341 pages Genre: Thriller/mystery Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
SPOILERS AHOY: Even the synopsis for this book is spoilery, so if you prefer to know nothing in advance, skip the details below!
New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven’s Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Butler hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.
Haven’s Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they’ve settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven’s Rock.
When one of the town’s residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she’s dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She’s saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven’s Rock, covering the forest. It’s there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman’s last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust—and who they can’t—in their seemingly safe haven.
Is it enough for me to review Cold as Hell by saying THIS IS ANOTHER EXCELLENT HAVEN’S ROCK STORY and just leave it at that?
No?
Okay, then… As I’ve said repeatedly, I’m a big fan of pretty much everything I’ve read by Kelley Armstrong, fell head over heels for her Rockton series, and am now tearing my way through the Rockton spin-off series, Haven’s Rock. This 3rd Haven’s Rock book is just as terrific as all the rest, and its particularly high stakes had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
As I do whenever I discuss these books, I’ll provide a summary of the premise in a tiny little nutshell:
Husband/wife, sheriff/detective team Eric and Casey now have their first set of residents in their secret little town of Haven’s Rock, a remote place deep in the Yukon wilderness, where people needing safety and anonymity can hide away for a few years. There are rules, of course — no cell phones, no contact with the outside world, do your share of work, and stay out of the forest! That last piece can be hardest to enforce. For newcomers, the dangers of being outside town limits aren’t necessarily as obvious as they should be, which is why Eric and Casey have their hands full keeping people safe.
In Cold as Hell, several months have past since the events of the previous book, The Boy Who Cried Bear. It’s March, still a very cold time in the Yukon wilderness, but there are signs that spring may be poking its head out in the coming months. The town is functioning well, with some more recent arrivals bringing the total population up to about seventy, including staff, individual residents, and a small number of couples and families.
I’ll add ONE MORE SPOILER ALERT at this point. While I won’t give away secrets related to the central mystery plot of Cold as Hell, the status of some of the main characters will be a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t gotten to this point in the series yet. You have been warned! Ready?
OK, the big development here is that Casey is about eight months pregnant. It hasn’t been easy — due to the attack she survived in her teens, doctors have never been sure that she’d be able to get pregnant, and if she did, whether she could carry a pregnancy to term. She’s had a couple of scares, but at this point, she’s approaching what would be considered a safe delivery date. While Casey’s physician sister April is now a resident of the town and available to provide care if needed, the plan is for Casey and Eric to fly to White Horse — where the region’s major medical center is located — well in advance of her due date.
Casey and Eric should know by now that their plans never seem to go exactly as intended. When one town resident is roofied and then rescued from an attempted kidnapping and assault, tracking down the perpetrator is the most urgent priority. And when this crime is followed by another resident going missing during a blizzard, only to be found frozen to death outside the town limits, a full-scale murder investigation is required. With Casey under strict orders to limit physical exertion, there’s only so much she can take on, and she finds herself frustrated by not being able to fulfill her responsibilities as town detective, even though she’s well aware that her and her baby’s well-being have to come first.
The murder in Cold as Hell is particularly horrific, as are the details we later learn about other crimes the perpetrator may have committed. Meanwhile, Casey’s investigation is fascinating. As she herself acknowledges, this is essentially a locked-room mystery: Given the town’s isolation as well as the recent blizzard, the only real answer is that the murderer is someone living within Haven’s Rock — possibly a close friend or ally. With fingers pointing in both expected and unexpected directions, and the very strong possibility that the killer could strike again, Casey and Eric have to work around the clock to solve the case, while making sure that she doesn’t overdo anything and put herself at risk.
The mystery is incredibly well structured and plotted, with the myriad twists and turns that are hallmarks of this series. Nothing is obvious, and when the answers finally come, they’re all most too much to take in… not that the plot isn’t believable, just that the resolution isn’t one I ever saw coming.
I did have a bit of a quibble with a plot decision, which — I get it! — may feel necessary in terms of ratcheting up the stakes and the excitement, but which left me totally appalled at the characters’ decision-making. FURTHER SPOILER ALERT: Just when I was thinking to myself that this would be the rare book in the series where Casey herself wasn’t in direct physical danger because of her investigation… she’s back in danger! Casey and Eric had already left town to get her situated nearer to medical care… and then they go back to Haven’s Rock when a scary new fact comes to light about the case! Again, I do get that for drama’s sake, you really can’t beat having the pregnant lady rushing (or waddling) back into danger… but Eric could have gone without her! Is it really believable that she’d rush out into the wilderness to chase further clues and hide the fact that she’s going into labor so as not to interrupt the tracking? Noooooo…. but I loved the book anyway.
OK, wrapping this all up. Cold as Hell blew me away! I was completely absorbed by the crime/thriller aspects, and just as drawn in by Casey and Eric’s personal story. Plus, it’s always good spending time in Haven’s Rock, even if it’s just to see how everyone is staying busy these days (although daily life in Haven’s Rock is never ordinary or without fresh surprises). Kelley Armstrong has built a well-developed little world in this series, and each book provides fresh insight into what the experience of actually living there might feel like.
Book #4, First Sign of Danger, is being released this week! I plan to dive in ASAP… but then I’ll be caught up, and I’m feeling torn about that. On the one hand, I’ve loved every moment of exploring the world of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock books… but on the other hand, I know I’ll hate the moment when I realize that there are no further books in the series for me to read — presumably, until another new installment gets released next year.
Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books for Armchair Travelers. It’s always fun to “visit” new places via fiction, and this week, I’m spotlighting a few of my favorites.
My top ten are:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Armchair Travel Destination: Scotland
The Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery
Armchair Travel Destination: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Armchair Travel Destination: Bath, UK
My Italian Bullozer by Alexander McCall Smith
Armchair Travel Destination: Tuscany
How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Armchair Travel Destination: Antarctica
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Armchair Travel Destination: Australia
Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra
Armchair Travel Destination: Mackinac Island, Michigan
TheKate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow
Armchair Travel Destination: Alaska
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
Armchair Travel Destination: Florida Keys
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina
Armchair Travel Destination: Japan
Where has your reading taken you to? Any favorite books that help you feel like you’ve been to new destinations?
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.
Long weekend! It’s so nice to get the extra day to read, relax, putter around, and do whatever I feel like!
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t entirely cooperate. Why does it have to rain on my days off? I felt a little deprived of my usual outdoor weekend fun, but managed to stay busy and entertained anyway.
Bookish bits & bobs:
I know AI is a hot topic, and I tend to avoid “real world” issues on my blog for the most part… but I found this New York Times article — about a so-called author who pumps out hundreds of books per year using AI — particularly disturbing.
And on a different topic — the blog bots are more intense than ever! I had a day this past week with (supposedly) over 4,000 views. That’s insane. And there’s no discernible pattern or reason for these weird spikes.
Onward…
What did I read during the last week?
I started the week with two different books that just didn’t work particularly well for me: Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean and Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. I wrote a two-fer post, here, with my thoughts.
Fortunately, I had a much better time with…
An Offer from a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3) by Julia Quinn: A reread for me via audiobook, while I wait for the 2nd half of the Netflix season to become available. So much fun!
Also read:
Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen by Kate Evans: Such a lovely book! I enjoyed taking my time and savoring this unique approach to Jane Austen’s life and literature. Highly recommended for Austen fans!
Pop culture & TV:
I finished the 3rd season of The Morning Show this past week. I wasn’t sure I’d be into it… and it totally sucked me in. I’d planned to hold off on starting season 4, but after the super dramatic events at the end of season 3, I’m not sure I can wait!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong: After reading a couple of books this week that I didn’t especially enjoy, I decided a reading mood reset was needed! So, I headed back to a series I know I love — and as expected, I’m hooked.
Now playing via audiobook:
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens: Just started over the weekend! So far, so good, and it seems like this will be lots of fun.
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 70%. Coming up this week: Chapters 23 & 24.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books continues! Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 73%.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: My newest Classics Club Spin book! I’m really happy with this spin result. Leaving it here as a reminder to start it in the next few weeks.
Bookshelf Fantasies 