It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 3, 2024)

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.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

It is hard to believe that it is already June! The year is going by so fast. Our air conditioner has had its winter blanket removed but we haven't used it yet. I was tempted on Saturday when the temperature hit 76F. Highs this week should be upper 60s and low 70s with rain forecast for most days. I think we can put off air conditioning for a while yet. Not using the air conditioner and lots of sunny days let us build a cushion on our power bill since we are making much more electricity than we are using. Our cushion lets us keep low bills for electricity even in the months when our solar panels are covered with snow.

I've been doing lots of reading and listening. Good thing too! I have lots of review books on my July calendar which I am starting to read now. I have managed to build a cushion of scheduled posts. Thirty of them as of today. I wrote and posted my State of the Stack post on June 1. 

I'm entering into a stretch of reading review copies. I still have twelve to read that are being released in July. I should also finish the Heartstone trilogy from my TBR mountain. I'm listening to the Sparks & Bainbridge historical mysteries in preparation for the sixth in that series to be released on July 30. I do have the eARC for that one on my July stack. I had previously read each book as a review copy but, when the first four were on sale from Chirp, I decided to buy them to experience them as audiobooks. I don't yet have the fifth in audiobook and may be using an Audible credit for it if Chirp doesn't put it on sale before I want to read it. 

I've had a good reading year so far.

May Report

I read 40 books in May. Twenty-six of the books I read were from my own collection. Fourteen of the forty were Review copies. Twelve of my books were rereads often via audiobooks. Eighteen of the books I read were audiobooks for a total of almost 207 hours of listening. Even though 14 of the books I read were ones I'd owned for more than a year, I didn't manage to lower TBR mountain much. It still sits at 2503.

I added 42 books to my collection in May including 18 Review copies and six audiobooks. Thirty-six of the additions are still marked TBR which includes the Review copies. I took advantage of seven Kindle Daily Deals and five BookBub deals. Four of my new audiobooks were on sale at Chirp and another was a $1.99 add-on when I bought the Kindle copy. 

BTW: Does anyone else hate the way Blogger changed the way of adding links? It was so much easier before it changed.

Read Last Week

• In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook reread; mine since January 4) -- The first Claire Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery. Main characters are a female Anglican priest and a police chief. My review will be posted on June 25.
• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (mine since 11/24/2023) -- The second Thursday Murder Club mystery was as engaging as the first. Love the geriatric main characters! My review will be posted on June 25.
• Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt (Review; July 2) -- The latest Andy Carpenter mystery has Andy defending a man accused of murder. The case is a favor to Marcus Clark. My review will be posted on June 26.

• On Her Watch by Melinda Leigh (Mine) -- The 8th Bree Taggert mystery has her looking for a serial killer who targets young women. My review will be posted on June 29.
• Death on the Green by Catie Murphy (Audiobook; Mine since June 29, 2021) -- Second Megan Malone mystery. Megan is driving a pro golfer and his wife while he plays in a tournament in Ireland and stumbles upon a couple of dead bodies. Great characters and well-developed mystery. My review will be posted on June 27.
• Thornyhold by Mary Stewart (Audiobook; mine since 9/29/2023) -- Gothic historical mystery which takes place in rural England. Lush and lyrical and timeless. My review will be posted on June 27.

• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread) -- 4th in The Others series
• The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair (Audiobook Reread) -- First in the Sparks & Bainbridge historical mystery series. Great historical mystery with intriguing characters. My review will be posted on July 2.

Currently

• Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White (Mine since 9/7/2022)
• A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• The Burning by Linda Castillo (Review; July 9)
• Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White (Mine since 9/7/2022)
• One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Review; July 16)

• Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos (Review; July 16)
• Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts (Review; July 16)
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (Review; July 16)

Reviews Posted

• Banker by Dick Francis (Audiobook Reread)
• The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook reread)
• Don't Ask. Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa (Review copy)

• Smoke and Mirrors by M. E. Hilliard (Review copy)
• A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari (Review copy)
• Dead Tired by Kat Ailes (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni (Review; October 22)
• All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally (Review; November 12)
• The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot (Review; December 10)

Bought:

• The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis (Kindle)
• Desperate Choices by Kathy Ivan (BookBub, Free)
• The Danger by Dick Francis (BookBub, $1.99)

• The Next Always by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $1.99)
• War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (Kindle)
• Double Vision by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle)

What was your week like?