It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 20, 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.

I had a great reading week. My post-conference break let me read a couple of extra days. It was wonderfully relaxing to not be travelling for eight hours over the break. I got some organizing done at home too. Reluctantly, I packed away the summer clothes and hauled out my winter wardrobe. No more capris until May, I'm afraid. I didn't tackle my cupboard reorganization project though. It's too daunting a task. ;-)

Next week we begin with a teacher in-service day. Luckily, it is being hosted by my school district. So I don't have to drive to one of the neighboring schools to start my Monday. Unfortunately the offerings don't seem to have much that is relevant to a Media Specialist but, with enough Diet Pepsi, I can survive a few irrelevant hours.

Tuesday night a friend and I are driving up to the Cities to meet author Kendare Blake at the Red Balloon. At least this time, I know that my tires are in fine shape. I haven't read Blake's books because I'm not a big fan of horror but I do know that many of my students enjoy them. I'll be eager to get our books autographed and get her latest for our collection.

I suppose I'll also be spending a good part of next week watching the World Series. My team didn't make it but I'll still watch. I think I'll be rooting for Kansas City since they haven't been to the World Series for so long.

Read Last Week

Last week I read two middle grade books from my stack that, coincidentally, both had main characters named Jax.

The Secret Box by Whitaker Ringwald tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Jax who has an adventure when she tries to find out about a birthday present that her mother has taken away from her. Her journey leads her to ancient evils, dastardly villains, and a relative she didn't know she had. My review will be posted on Nov. 8.

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni tells the story of 13-year-old Jax who is an orphan living with a guardian he doesn't really know when he wakes up one morning to discover that he is living in the eighth day - a day between Wednesday and Thursday. There he encounters others like himself, members of the Kin who want to eradicate humanity, and a young girl who holds the spell keeping the Kin confined. My review will be posted on Nov. 13.

I have the sequels to each of this stories on my review stack and can't wait until they get to the top of the list.

I started Deeper than the Grave by Tina Whittle which was on my review stack but then decided that I needed to read the first book in the series to really appreciate it.

The Dangerous Edge of Things by Tina Whittle introduces Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver. Tai is new new owner of a gun shop in Atlanta. Trey Seaver works for a security firm. When Tai discovers a corpse in front of her brother's house, Trey is assigned to protect her. I especially enjoyed the character development in this story. My review will be posted on Nov. 6. 

Deeper than the Grave by Tina Whittle is the couple's 4th adventure. This time Tai discovers a skeleton when looking for a missing one after a tornado. Unfortunately, the one she finds isn't a civil war soldier but of much more recent vintage. I really enjoyed this story. The mystery was compelling and so was the relationship between Tai and Trey. My review will be posted on Nov. 8.

I finished two more mysteries from my review stack.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni is for a blog tour. I thought this thriller about a woman trying to find out what happened when her younger sister disappeared twenty years earlier. She has become a homicide detective and puts her skills to use when her sister's body is found in a shallow grave. This one deals with police cover ups and trial procedures and also features a new romance with a childhood friend. My review will be posted on November 13.

Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger was very different from My Sister's Grave. This one was a cozy where two elderly ladies living in a Jewish retirement home investigate the death of another of the residents. It was filled with Yiddish expressions and lots of humor. The narrator plays the role of Dr. Watson to her friend's Sherlock Holmes. It was a fun story. My review will be posted on November 15.

I got a chance to choose something from my TBR stack this week. Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer was a contemporary YA thriller similar to Ally Carter's Heist Society but with less humor and more emotional impact. I really liked it. My review will be posted on November 15.

Currently

I am currently reading A Call to Duty by David Weber and Timothy Zahn. This is the newest science fiction novel in the Honorverse but it takes place well before the events of the rest of the series. I am enjoying it so far. 

Next Week

I have a small gap in my blog calendars without review books. I am able to look at my TBR mountain for most of next week's choices.

Unbinding by Eileen Weeks is the most recent in her urban fantasy series. I enjoy the World of the Lupi books and am eager to read this one despite the fact that it isn't about the main characters in the series.

Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey continues the story of Mags who is a new Herald in the early days of the Collegium. I enjoyed the trilogy where he became a Herald. This one should be interesting too.

I have heard great things about Afterworlds by Scott Westfeld and am taking this opportunity to fit it into my reading schedule.

On the Edge by Allison van Diepen is a YA contemporary that is my last November review book. 

Reviews Posted

• Clariel by Garth Nix
• Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis
• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
• Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs
• Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen
• Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• Inside of a Dog
• Ms. Martin Teaches Media

What are your plans for the week? Leave me a link and I'll be sure to visit.