Sunday, August 18, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 19, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

On the Personal Side: I got out of the hospital Monday morning and have been gradually resuming my life. I have become a big fan of afternoon naps and have been learning how to do things when I have a 10-pound limit on what I can lift, push or pull. I will be very glad when that ends in just 4 more weeks!

I am feeling really good and gradually getting ready to begin my next school year. I have been spending a couple of hours a day at school trying to get organized. We are starting something new this year where we have late starts every Wednesday morning so that our professional learning teams can meet. However, the proposed schedules right now mean that I won't get a lunch break on Wednesdays during the second semester. I think that is a problem that both my elementary and secondary principals need to solve before school begins.

Last Week I read these books in this order:
I finished the 15th in the In Death series - Purity in Death - while waiting to be dismissed from the hospital. I love this series and, since they are re-reads, they make a great choice when looking for some reading to distract from real life. 

I read Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington which was a middle grade ARC my friend chose for me at ALA. I thought it was one of the best written books I have read this year. I also think it would be a great companion read to To Kill a Mockingbird. My review will be posted on August 22.
I read Biting Bad by Chloe Neill which is the latest in her Chicagoland Vampires series. It was entertaining. My review will be posted on August 28.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas was the one ARC I really wanted from ALA. I very thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to last year's amazing Throne of Glass. My review will be posted on August 24.
Since I finally caught up with old Amazon Vine books, I got a chance to choose some more. I picked Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich and thought it was an entertaining story that straddled the line between romance and chick lit. My review will be posted on August 31. 

I just finished Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst and hereby declare it the best book I have read so far in 2013. It was amazing, compelling and I literally couldn't put it down until I reached the final page. This one will be released on Sept. 3 and should be on every fantasy lovers wishlist. My review will be posted on August 29.

I have chosen these four review books for next week's reading:
The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton has been waiting on my Kindle since I got it through Minotaur's Early Review program a while ago. This thriller will be released on September 10.

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway was my second Amazon Vine pick this month. This steampunk mystery will be released on September 24.
My YA choices this week are Don't Look Now by Michelle Gagnon which will be released on August 27 and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black which will be released on September 3. I got both ARCs at ALA and was lucky enough to have Holly Black autograph hers. 

If I finish those, I have lots more books on both the review stack and the TBR mountain to choose from. Right now, I am not sure what I'll be picking. 

What do you have planned for this week?

17 comments:

  1. I hope you get your strength back before school starts. I retired from teaching last January. It is a time-consuming and grueling job.

    I hope they figure out your schedule too. No lunch isn't good.

    Looks like you have some good books lined up. I read Big Girl Panties. It was an ok read for me...too much romance. :)

    Have a great day, and have a great school year.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My It's Monday, What Are You Reading

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  2. Looks like you had a fantastic reading week! Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight are both on my TRB shelf! :) Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

    Ashley @ Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous

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  3. I can't wait for The Coldest in Coldtown to come out! I love Holly Black.

    I'm also excited that you liked Conjured so much, it's been on my radar and I think I'll definitely check it out when its released (on the same day as Black's book, I now realize)!

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  4. Hope you recover quickly. I really should start reading more Nora Roberts books. They always look so good. Have a great week with your books and I hope they will find you a proper lunch break!

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  5. So happy that you are doing much better! I too have become a fan of afternoon naps because unfortunately my daily meds make me drowsy. Then I get a second wind and stay up late reading :) So many good books! I am putting Conjured on my wishlist now because of your high recommendation. Other books of yours I will check out as well. I only read the first In Death book but so many bloggers recommend the series that I suppose I should start it up again---sooo many books in that series to catch up on. Enjoy your week.

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  6. I'm glad you're feeling better...and afternoon naps are probably the best thing, in addition to your exercises.

    You have some great looking books...I want to read Sure Signs of Crazy; and I need to pick up the next book in the J. D. Robb series. I'm way behind!

    Enjoy...and thanks for visiting my blog.

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  7. Very glad to read you are feeling better. Working in two schools is hard, I hope they can work your schedules out so you do get a lunchbreak, you need one after all!

    Have a great week & kind regards,

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  8. Continued good wishes on your recovery! You liked Big Girl Panties more than I did. Have a great week.

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  9. Glad to hear you are feeling better! I hope your recovery process is a quick one.

    I have to get back to the In Death series. I usually enjoy them. Have a great week!

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  10. So glad to hear you are feeling better! And I am a fan of afternoon naps as well - I was just thinking how I could use one. I have two weeks before I go back to work, I don't want to think about it! Lol.

    The Coldest Girl in Coldtown sounds good! And scary!

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  11. I hope you'll continue to feel better and better, build your strength back and just be in good health again, Kathy!

    How do they expect you to be able to work correctly if you have to do so on an empty stomach? I agree with you, they need to solve this problem before school starts again, so that things will be completely in order.

    You have still gotten quite a bit of reading done, though, I hope you'll enjoy your books, and that you'll have a great day.

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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  12. What?? No lunch?? Crazy!!

    Happy to see how much you liked Sure Signs of Crazy, Kathy.

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  13. I thought Crown of Midnight was great and I am looking forward to reading The Edge of Normal soon.

    I hope your lunch situation gets sorted out!

    Have a great week

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

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  14. I hope you have a quiet week with lots of time to focus on recovering!

    Sure Signs of Crazy looks interesting. Your comparison to To Kill a Mockingbird has me intrigued.

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  15. Take care of yourself - hope your recovery goes well.

    Is Stephanie Evanovich - any relation to Janet Evanovich? If so, hopefully the talent runs in the family.

    Good luck with the start of school, also. My first short week (two days) was very exhausting - I can be such a wimpy woman, but then I'm dealing with a deteriorating body and trying to keep working.... at least it's with kids. makes a huge difference, as I'm sure you'd agree, working in a school. :) Nothing quite like it.

    Take care

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  16. So glad to hear you are on the mend, continue to rest up while you can. Sarah Maas series is on my TBR stack and after such high praise I'm adding Conjured to my wishlist. Have a good week and happy reading :)

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  17. I'm so glad you're feeling better. Conjured does sound amazing!

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