It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 6, 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...

There wasn't much other than reading this past week. I was reassured when I got the paperwork about my Teacher Retirement Association pension and my new Medicare and supplemental insurance papers. I hadn't heard anything since I filled out the applications earlier this year and was starting to get a little worried.  My official Medicare card arrived this week and my first TRA pension check was deposited in my bank account.  I also got the cards to go with my new insurance this week. Now all I need is my new contract at work. This is a negotiations year in Minnesota so I don't think I'll have a new contract until we settle.

My brother and I did go out on his day off this week to try to find the restaurant that is supposed to have "the best burgers in Duluth." After a couple of Google searches, one to find the name of the restaurant and the second to find driving directions to it, we went out to lunch at the Breeze Inn. The burgers were really good. I had a Lucy Melt with Swiss cheese inside and out of my burger which was served on grilled marble rye bread. My brother had a Sweet Chili Bacon Cheeseburger. We both had the sweet potato fries. All of it was very good and we wouldn't hesitate to go there again.

It is hard to believe that June is over already. I had an excellent reading month. I finished 40 books in June. Twenty were from my TBR mountain and the other 20 were review books. Nineteen were YA books and the rest from my adult section. Eleven of the books fit into the Mystery/Thriller genre and another 12 were Fantasy. I didn't have any books that I abandoned unfinished this month. I have reviews and other associated posts scheduled through August 6 for both blogs with a couple of reviews that will show up later than that also scheduled.

Read Last Week

The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison is the 12th book in her Rachel Morgan/Hollows series. This one had been on TBR mountain for a year but I had no trouble catching up to the story. This one was an entertaining and exciting read for fantasy fans. My review will be posted on August 5.

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson is the first in her Gaslight Mysteries series. I enjoyed this historical mystery which really gave me a feel for New York City in 1895. My review will be posted on August 6.

I wanted to finish reading the Mercy Gunderson thrillers this week. I had read the second book in the series last year and, after reading it, wanted to finish the series. I bought the other two books and put them on TBR mountain.

I read No Mercy by Lori Armstrong which was the first in the series and introduced Mercy who is an Army sniper on medical leave when she returns home to the family ranch in South Dakota. Mercy is a fascinating character. My review will be posted on August 8.

After finishing No Mercy, I decided that I had to read Merciless by Lori Armstrong despite the fact that I had already decided what I was going to be reading in August. This third in the Mercy Gunderson series was also an excellent thriller. My review will be posted on September 5.

I recently got a copy of Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong. It will be released on August 18. I really enjoyed this third book in the Cainsville series. I like the characters, especially Olivia and Gabriel, and thought the story was fast-paced. My review will be posted on August 13.

I read Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey which I purchased on December 10, 1997. This book tells about the early days on Pern when the final Earth artifacts are wearing out and the genetically engineered dragons are getting ready to face their first Thread fall. I liked seeing the beginnings of some of the things that are important plot points in later books in this extensive series. My review will be posted on August 15.

I have been shopping on Amazon for years but was surprised that I could look back at my orders all the way to 1997. I placed my first order in October and did three more before the end of the year. I was heavily into fantasy then. All fourteen books were fantasy or science fiction.

Currently

I've had What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris on my Kindle since July 17, 2009. I think it is about time I read this historical mystery which is the first book in a ten book series.

Next Week

I'm combining new and old this week.

I've had Skinwalker by Faith Hunter on my Kindle since July 14, 2009. This story begins an urban fantasy series.

Broken Play by Samantha Kane is a new arrival on my TBR mountain. This review book will be released on September 1. I am a big fan of sports romances and can't wait to read this one.

I also chose two more books that I have had for a while. These have been on my physical TBR mountain as opposed to my Kindle TBR mountain.

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett arrived on my stack on March 23, 2012. It is an urban fantasy that begins a series. I also have the second book in the series on TBR mountain.

Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine is not the first book in a series. It is, in fact, the last book in The Weather Warden series. I got it on August 6, 2010.

Reviews Posted

• Minutes to Kill by Melinda Leigh
• Hell or High Water by Julie Ann Walker
• Gone for You by Jayne Frost

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

I got Made in America by Bill Bryson when it was a Kindle Daily Deal. I don't read much nonfiction but have enjoyed other books by this author. I paid $1.99 and see that it is listed for $10.99 today.

I got a review copy of Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong from NetGalley this week. It is a collection of stories from all of her worlds. I have never read anything by the author that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to this September 15 release.

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.