It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 23, 2014)

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.
Our cool and rainy weather has allowed for lots of reading time this week. I am settling into vacation mode and really enjoying my time off.
My goal of lowering my TBR mountain is suffering some setbacks though. I have read a number of books that were entertaining enough that I had to go to Amazon to buy the sequels. I put an asterisk in front of the titles that demanded that I buy sequels.

Read Last Week
Almost everything I read this week was from my TBR mountains.

Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh was an anthology containing four novellas. I am not a big fan of novellas which is why this book has been on my stack since Feb. 29, 2012. It did have nice romances. My review will be posted on July 17.

Starglass by Phoebe North had also been on my stack for a while. I got this science fiction story Dec. 9, 2013. I enjoyed it. I have not yet allowed myself to buy the sequel but I did add it to my wishlist. My review will be posted on July 17.

I read Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. While the characters were interesting, I don't think I would have bought Anna and the French Kiss if I had read this one first. I read Anna and then decided I had to have this one. My review will be posted on July 19.

I read *Hexed by Kevin Hearne and really enjoyed this second book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the next four books in the series. My review of Hexed will also be posted on July 19.

I read *Mercy Kill by Lori Armstrong and thought the characters were great, the setting was wonderful, and the mystery was compelling. This is another case where I just bought the other two books in the series after reading this one. My review will be posted on July 24.

I read The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett. I enjoyed this story of a girl with an unusual paranormal talent attending a boarding school for paranormals and solving a mystery. There is a sequel but it is on my wishlist. So far I've been able to resist hitting the one-click button. My review will be posted on July 24. 

I switched gears back to review books to read two that are being released on July 29.

Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara is a fantasy book and one in the Chronicles of Elantra series. I really enjoyed this eARC that I got from NetGalley. My review will be posted on July 26.

I got this Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen from Macmillan. This middle grade adventure story begins a trilogy. It is great at introducing the characters and setting up the story. However, it ends on a major cliffhanger. My review will be posted on July 26.

I pulled *The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg from my stack this week. This starts a new series for Evanovich but she hasn't lost the silliness and snappy one-liners of the Stephanie Plum series. This series pairs FBI Agent Kate O'Hare and con man Nick Fox as they go after criminals the FBI can't touch and use elaborate cons to get their man. My review will be posted on July 31.

Currently

I grabbed Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre from my review stack. I got this ARC from Macmillan. The book will be released on August 5. I have barely begun but, so far, suicidal Edie makes a deal with the devil of the "three wishes in return for three favors" variety and is determined to get revenge on the people whose torment made her suicidal in the first place.

Next Week
Here is what I have tentatively chosen to read next week. This summer books are subject to change if I get a better idea.

The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen (Mystery added to the stack on Feb. 3, 2014)

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (Mystery added to the stack on Oct. 5, 2010)

Melting the Ice by Jaci Burton (Romance added to the stack on March 3, 2014)

Frostborn by Lou Anders (Review book added to the stack on May 17, 2014. It's an August 5 release.)

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (Fantasy? added to the stack on Jan. 2, 2013)

Untold by Sarah Reese Brennan (Contemporary Paranormal added to the stack on Sept. 25, 2013)

Want to See What I Added to My Stacks This Week?

Come see what I got at Inside of a Dog and Ms. Martin Teaches Media.

I am writing this post on Sunday morning because I am so excited to be taking off at noon to attend the Fierce Reads event at The Red Balloon Bookshop this evening. I can't wait to meet YA authors Leigh Bardugo, Emmy Laybourne, Ava Dellaira, and Jennifer Matthieu. I have read all of their books in ARC form except the latest and final in Leigh Bardugo's trilogy. There were no ARCs for that one. I'll probably be throwing it in as an extra book to read this coming week.

I'll be buying finished and autographed copies of all the books to add to my High School Media Center collection. I'll also be taking pictures and getting autographs for my Author Memory Book.

What do you have planned for the coming week?