It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 26, 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...

I had a nice week. It was sunny most days even though the temperatures were chilly. I was out of the house for grocery shopping and my bi-monthly blood draw. Otherwise, I was home reading, listening to audiobooks, and watching Braves baseball. 

My cable provider offers some streaming services as part of my monthly bill, and I managed to figure out how to add Disney+ and Paramount+ to my Amazon Fire device. Now, we have to figure out how to add them to my brother's smart TV as he is much more likely to watch movies than I am. I can't remember the last time I actually watched a movie. I think my hearing loss is substantial enough that I have trouble understanding the dialog on movie soundtracks, but not substantial enough that I feel like I need hearing aids. But since they were already paid for, I felt like I had to add them. 

This week I'll be out of the house a bit more. I have a DEXA scan on Wednesday and am lucky that my brother can be my driver. The test is at the downtown campus of my health provider which is a construction mess since the new hospital was built, and the old one is being demolished. He's a much braver driver than I am. Thursday I have a haircut scheduled which I'll drive to since my stylist is in the Mall. Maybe I'll finally give Chick-fil-a a try if the lines aren't too long. It just opened a couple of months ago and has been very popular. It was built in the Mall parking lot which makes it handy. 

Since it is the final week of May, I'll have my monthly summing up to do. I'll be working on my State of the Stack post, summing things up on my Google spreadsheet Reading Log, and adding a June collection on my LibraryThing. I've given up keeping track of this year's reading on Goodreads but do still post my reviews there. 

My current read - the last releasing on June 10 - is a long, detailed fantasy which I am reading slowly in order to keep track of the worldbuilding and the characters. I'll probably be reading a few chapters, switching to something less demanding, and switching back to the fantasy. 

Last week I tried the same technique with one of my review books that wasn't really grabbing my attention. However, I found that the next review book on my stack was too similar to the one I was struggling with in that both were contemporary, first-person, multi-viewpoint books. I needed something really different and looked through my collection. I found a Meg Langslow mystery that had been sitting in my Chirp collection since 2022 which provided a nice palate cleanser. Please note that both review books were great stories once I really got into them, but they were not working at all well for reading at the same time. 

Read Last Week

• Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (Review, June 10) -- Mary joins her Uncle Jake in a search for the Irish Crown Jewels. My review will be posted on June 3.
• Captivated by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since May 12) -- Classic Nora Roberts paranormal romance. My review will be posted on June 10.
• Devoted in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- 41st book in the In Death series

• A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari (Review, June 10) -- Historical mystery; fourth in the Saffron Everliegh mysteries. My review will be posted on June 4. 
• Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- 42nd in the In Death series.
• Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett (Review, June 10) -- Contemporary psychological thriller told from two viewpoints. My review will be posted on June 5.

• Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since May 10, 2022) -- 19th in the Meg Langslow series. Humorous Halloween mystery. My review will be posted on June 5.
• Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West (Review, June 10) -- Contemporary mystery/romance/friendship story told from multiple viewpoints. My review will be posted on June 7.
• Apprentice in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- 43rd in the In Death series

Currently

• The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott (Review, June 10)
• Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)

Next Week

• The Journal of a Thousand Years by C. J. Archer (Mine since March 17)
• A Novel Murder by E. C. Nevin (Review, June 17)
• Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis (Mine since April 23)

• Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath (Review, June 24)
• Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (Review, June 24)
• The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard (Review, June 24)

Reviews Posted

• Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts (Review copy)
• The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson (Review copy)
• Tell Me by Anne Frasier (Mine, Audiobook)

• Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines (Review copy)
• Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney (Review copy)
• A Deadly Discovery by Ciar Byrnes (Mine)

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

Review:

• Claws Out by Cate Conte (Review, August 26)
• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (October 14)
• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (Review, November 18)

Bought:

• Don't Tell by Karen Rose (BookBub, $.99)
• The Librarian by Judith A. Barrett (BookBub, Free)

• The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Kindle, $.99)
• Inspector Alan Grant: The Full Collection by Josephine Tey (Chirp Audiobook, $3.99)

What was your week like?