It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 11, 2015)

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.

Other Than Reading...

This was another quiet week. The weather has been changeable. They threatened thunderstorms every day and most days we got at least one. The temperature has been fluctuating too. One day I turn on the air conditioner, the next day I need my furnace.

We are really counting down the days at school now. My elementary kids have only two weeks left and I'll miss my 4th graders on two of those days because of a music program and the final day activity day activities. With my schedule, it means I'll see each class only twice more.

My sixth graders at the middle school have an extra eight days. I'm still hoping to get a couple more projects done with them. They have a survey to make and administer. They need to update their mile run spreadsheets. And I'd like them to make a book trailer for a book they liked this year. I don't know if we will get to the trailer at all. To the best of my knowledge, they aren't going anywhere and should be in class each day.

I just have one more big meeting of the year. I am the Chair of our Continuing Education Committee. Teachers need to go through our committee to renew their teaching license each five years. There is always someone who has not yet started gathering their certificates of attendance and other proofs and who wants us to meet a special time to handle their requests. I have been sending out reminder emails so that doesn't happen this year.

I had two DNF books this week. Both were YA review titles. I hate abandoning books I said I would read but sometimes I just can't get into them. I abandoned Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer for a couple of reasons - time travel and four main characters I couldn't tell apart after reading 50 pages. I abandoned Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Sea by Jonathan David Kranz because it was just too "lyrical." I couldn't connect with either character and I really didn't understand what was happening in the story. I think I have learned to be wary when a book is described as "lyrical" and I know I have to be really selective if the book includes time travel.

Read Last Week

When I abandoned Proof of Forever, I picked up The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead. This book concludes her Bloodlines series and was a satisfying ending to that series. It was nice to see some resolution for most of the characters. Mead did leave herself some hanging plot threads in case she decides to return to the world. My review will be posted on May 30.

I also read Fountain of Secrets by Anita Clenney which is the second in her Relic Hunters series. This one had a complex plot and a sort of love triangle. It was action-packed but still slow-paced. A little too much time was spent on the relationships without coming to any kind of resolution. My review will be posted on June 4.

The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen was a YA Contemporary I got from Edelweiss. This story tells about four girls who band together to get revenge on the football team that has done them wrong. Along the way they become friends and find their own strengths. I enjoyed the story. My review will be posted on June 6.

I also had a chance to read The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston which starts a new series for her. This one is based on Norse mythology but has the same sort quirky characters I have enjoyed in her other books. My review will be posted on June 6.

I also read Blood Will Tell by April Henry. This was an excellent middle grade/young adult mystery that I got from Macmillan. It is the second book in a series and, not only was it exciting, it let me know more about the three main characters. My review will be posted on June 11.

Currently

I just started Clockwork Secrets by Dru Pagliassotti which finishes her Clockwork Heart series. I am enjoying the political intrigue, the steampunk world, and the relationship between the two main characters.

Next Week

Two recent arrivals are at the top of my To Read stack this week.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Day Shift by Charlaine Harris must be read now. I have been wanting to read them since I first heard about them. I ordered both of them a while ago and they arrived on their publication days.

I also have Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong on my Kindle. This is the second in a new series for her.

Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat is the only YA review book on the stack for this week. I got this YA contemporary from Edelweiss. It won't be releasing until mid-June.

Reviews Posted

• Heat of the Moment by Lauren Barnholdt
• Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
• The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman
• The Liar by Nora Roberts
• Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti
• Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

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

• Ms. Martin Teaches Media
• Inside of a Dog

I hope everyone has a great week filled with lots of good reading. Leave me a link and I'm come visit.