It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 24, 2025)

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...

This was a mostly quiet week highlighted by the return of baseball and my beloved Atlanta Braves. I listed to yesterday's game on the radio and am going to watch today's on MLB.TV soon. I'm also watching this season of The Voice. Otherwise, the TV is off and I'm either reading or listening to my audiobook. 

The only bit of excitement was that my brother has tentatively bought a new car. Since his winter car is a 2003 Subaru Outback, this isn't much of a surprise. It is mechanically sound and gives him great visibility, but the body is rotting. My surprise came because he didn't dither. He is a noted shopper who looks everywhere and then really thinks about things before he commits. He looked for a new washing machine for a couple of months before he bought one. The new stove didn't take as long because our old stove wasn't working, and I was involved in the shopping. 

I think the final straw that made him shop harder was that the CD player quit working. He likes to drive around and listen to music for entertainment and relaxation. Being forced to listen to only the radio made his need for a new car more urgent. He found a 2018 Subaru Outback at our local Subaru dealer that was so new on the lot that the dealership hadn't done its inspections yet. Once they get the car ready, he'll give it a test drive. If he likes it, he'll buy it. If he doesn't, he'll get his deposit back. The final decision should happen later this week. It will be his third Outback if he ends up buying it. I'm only on my second Subaru with my Crosstrek.

This week will be punctuated with a trip to the clinic for bloodwork. This is something I do every three months. This blood draw will, I hope, include blood for the tests my Primary Care doctor wants before my annal wellness visit late in March. 

I should finish listening to Onyx Storm this week. I also have the remaining March review books on my stack and hope to read most of them. I'm behind on my Goodreads goal for the year by about three books. I need to spend more time reading than getting lost in Facebook Reels. 

Read Last Week

• White King by Juan Gomez-Jurado (Review; March 11) -- The third book in the Antonia Scott thriller series was filled with action and intriguing puzzles. My review will be posted on March 6.
• Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker (Review; March 18) -- This romance is about a young woman who agrees to step in for her lookalike - a leader of a small European country - who is threatened with assassination. Her handler happens to be her first love. My review will be posted on March 8.
• Seeing Further edited by Bill Bryson (Mine since January 27, 2025) -- A collection of essays about the contributions of the Royal Society, physics, cosmology and other sciences. Fascinating and very much over my head. Let me know how much I don't know about science. 

• Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Audiobook; Mine since February 13, 2025) -- This second book in the Empyrean series coincides with Violet's second year at the flyer academy. It is packed with action, romance, danger and revolution. My review will be posted on March 20.
• The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen (Review; March 18) -- This is the second adventure for the Martini Club - a group of retired spies - who hoped for a quiet retirement in Maine. It starts with a young summer girl disappearing which leads to a crime many years old. My review will be posted on March 11.
• The Library Game by Gigi Pandian (Review; March 18) -- This is the fourth case for Tempest Raj and her friends which has the elements of a locked room murder and other mysteries. My review will be posted on March 11.

Currently

• Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (Review; March 18)
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (Audiobook)
• Do I Know You? by Sadie Dingfelder (Mine since November 18, 2024; Nonfiction Slow and Steady Book)

Next Week

• A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (Review; March 18)
• Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove (Review; March 18)
• The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Mine since January 2, 2025)

• The Big Fix by Holly James (Review; March 25)
• The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (Review; March 26)
• Wordhunter by Stella Sands (Mine since January 6, 2025)

Reviews Posted

• One in Vermillion by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (Audiobook)
• Only Cold Depths by Jennifer Estep (Audiobook)
• A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (Review copy)

• I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (Review copy)
• The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp Audiobook)
• Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen (Kindle; Mine)

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

Review:

• Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney (Review; May 27)

Bought:

• Murder at Moot Point by Marlys Millhiser (Early Bird; $1.99)
• A Measure of Menace by Jennifer Ashley (Kindle, $2.99)
• The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver (BookBub; $3.99)

What was your week like?