It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 17, 2018)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by 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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

This past week was lovely. The days were bright and sunny and the temperatures were running about 20 degrees warmer than usual. I thought it was great but snowmobilers and skiiers aren't particularly happy.

I had a great reading week and enjoyed all of the review books that I read. I have made a good start to my January reviews. I also got out and exercised at Curves every day this week. I didn't do much other walking but still hit at least 5000 steps a day.

My brother and I got our Christmas present from our California cousins. They always sent us a gift package from Omaha Steaks. We send them a variety of local smoked fish from Northern Waters Smokehouse here in Duluth. We decided to try some of the salmon (which was probably left from last year's gift box since we seldom eat salmon) by making a sheet pan dinner with salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted green beans. We learned that we needed to partially cook the green beans since they were still quite crunchy. I had the leftover salmon on Saturday and made the potatoes and green beans on a sheet pan. This time the green beans were great. We both liked the convenience of a sheet pan dinner and are looking for other recipes to try.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is only 10 days away. My brother got his schedule to learn that he's working until 10 PM on Christmas Eve. This works out fine since we don't travel or do anything special on Christmas Eve. Our celebration is all on Christmas Day.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven - Epic fantasy/romance. My review will be posted on Dec. 20.
• The Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal - a favorite author. My review will be posted on Dec. 22. 
• Wildcard by Marie Lu - YA science fiction/thriller. My review will be posted on Dec. 26.

• Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop - Dark epic fantasy the begins the Black Jewels series. My review will be posted on Dec. 27.
• The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn - a post-apocalyptic mystery. My review will be posted on Dec. 29.
• Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden (Jan. 8) - a YA story of a young black girl who remakes herself to gain a better future in the 1880s in Washington, DC. My review will be posted on Jan. 1.

• The Hangman's Secret by Laura Joh Rowland (Jan. 8) - a Victorian mystery starring a female photographer, a noble homosexual, and a street urchin who solve mysteries. My review will be posted on Jan. 2.
• The Au Pair by Emma Rous (Jan. 8) - A story told in two interwoven timelines about a young woman trying to solve the mystery of her identity and the au pair who has the answers but desperately doesn't want to share them. My review will be posted on Jan. 3.

Currently

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye (Jan. 8) - Review book from Edelweiss about a white gun moll from the East Coast finding refuge in a hotel for blacks in Portland (I think) in 1921. So far, I'm drowning in period slang and trying to keep the past and the now sections of the story straight.

Next Week

• This Promise of Change by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy (Jan. 8) - YA nonfiction about the Civil Rights movement.
• Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz (Jan. 8) - Romantic suspense from one of my favorite authors.
• Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (Jan. 15) - Middle grade fantasy

• Tear It Down by Nick Petrie (Jan. 15) - thriller from Edelweiss from an author new to me
• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (Jan. 15) - YA fantasy from an author I've enjoyed in the past.
• A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot (Jan. 15) - latest in the Mercy Kilpatrick series of thrillers

Reviews Posted

• Murder at Half Moon Gate by Andrea Penrose - historical mystery
• Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal by Forthright - fantasy
• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - post-apocalyptic paranormal

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

Free Kindle Books:

• Luna:New Moon by Ian McDonald - science fiction free from Tor.com
• Ready to Were by Robyn Peterman - I couldn't resist that title
• Party to a Murder by Lorelei Bell - YA Mystery

Since I have to wait until March for a new book by Anne Bishop, I decided to read her earlier series. I enjoyed Daughter of the Blood and bought the next two in the Black Jewels series.

• Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
• Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop

What was your week like?