It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (November 23, 2015)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? was a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. She has decided to pass it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

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...

We had a cold, rainy, windy week this past week. Friday night we got our first snow of the season and Saturday morning snow was still coating the ground. It looks like our winter has finally arrived. This first snow is actually a little late for my part of Minnesota but I was grateful for every snow-free day. Other than the weather, it was a quiet week.

My big news is that the fences have disappeared from our Elementary parking lot. Getting from my car to the building has been like threading a maze since last May. One day when I got into the building I demanded a food reward since I felt like a rat who had successfully navigated an ever-changing maze. This means two things: first, winter is arriving and fences make snow removal very difficult, and, second, the construction project is finally reaching its finishing phase. Ideally the new parts of the building will be open and in use after our Christmas Break. Preschool will then be part of our Elementary and people will be back in their permanent locations. I'm excited to learn my way around our new building.

With Thanksgiving this upcoming week, I will get a couple of extra days off. I won't be traveling this year as my brother has to work every day that I would be able to spend with him. We are going to try to get together at Christmas but it will depend on his work schedule and the weather. I am a fair weather driver and have no desire to drive through a snowstorm or get stranded in Duluth when I should be back at work.

Read Last Week

I got The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons from the Kindle First program. This political thriller was full of action and tension. I enjoyed the main character who was determined to find out what happened to his childhood friend who disappeared ten years ago. New clues open up new lines of investigation but someone is willing to kill to keep the secret buried. My review will be posted on November 25.

Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels is also a thriller. Someone is mimicking the murders of the famous Scarecrow who is now securely imprisoned in a mental hospital. A cop new to homicide calls in the FBI profiler who caught the original killer despite the fact that he has left the FBI for teaching. This one was also a nail-biter. My review will be posted on December 12.

Currently

Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima just arrived this week. It will be released in December.

Next Week

The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag is a thriller that also arrived this week. It arrived just in time to fit into my reading plans as it will be released in mid-January.

The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain is also a thriller that will be released in mid-January.

Reviews Posted

• Rogue Winter Novellas by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot
• Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara
• Dangerous Games by Tess Diamond

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

All sorts of review books arrived at my house this week. Some were expected and some were a complete surprise.

Tess Diamond sent me her second book - Game of Lies. You might recall how annoyed I was at the very abrupt way the first book ended. Now, I will be able to continue the story. Or I will when I can fit this book into my schedule. December is already stuffed full.

Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels is one of two books that I received from Crooked Lane Books this week. This is a thriller that will be released in December. It is also the author's debut book.

Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima was my second book from Crooked Lane. This one will also be released in December.

I was surprised to receive an invitation to review The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag. I have read other books by the author and enjoy that they are set in my home state of Minnesota. I wasn't expecting to fit another book in my January calendar but made room for it.

Another unexpected but very welcome surprise was the email that gave me the link to Unholy Blue by Darby Kaye. I enjoyed the first book in this adult urban fantasy series as much as I enjoyed the author's YA and Middle Grade urban fantasies. I can't wait to read this January release.

I also chose Night Study by Maria V. Snyder from NetGalley. I have read all of this series and am eager to read this latest book. The only problem is that it is another review that I have to shoehorn into my full January calendar.

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