State of the Stack (June 1, 2026)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.

1. Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley (May 26)
2. Skyring Water by Louis L'Amour & Beau L'Amour (May 27)
3. A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (May 28)
4. Beach Thriller by Jamie Day (June 2)
5. A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari (June 3)
6. Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd (June 9)
7. The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (June 9)
8. Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 10)
9. Restless Bones by Gillian French (June 11)
10. A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (June 18)
11. Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (June 23)
12. The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson (June 24)
13. Enter the Nightmare by Jane Castle (June 25)

DNF

1.  Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn (May 5)
2. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (May 6)
3. The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher (May 7)
4. An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (May 12)
5. Storm Warning by James Byrne (May 19)
6. Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney (May 19)
7. Ode to the Bones by Carlolyn Haines (May 20)
8. The Final Target by Nora Roberts (May 21)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (July 14)
2. Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter (July 14)
3. The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (July 28)
4. The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (August 11)
5. Murder at Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 11)
6. Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R. King (September 8)
7. Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 8)
8. Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
9. The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 29)
10. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
11. Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)
12. The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke (October 20)
13. Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)
14. A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
15. Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
16. Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)

All TBR Review Books

July

• Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (July 7)
• The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (July 7)
• Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7)

• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (July 14)

• The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (July 14)
• Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter (July 14)

• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli (July 21)
• Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (July 21)
• Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman (July 21)

• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (July 28)
  
• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (July 28)
• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (July 28)

• Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28)
• The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (July 28)

August

• Probable Caws by Donna Andrews (August 4)
• (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall (August 4)
• Death on the Books by Victoria Gilbert (August 4)

• Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4)
• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 11)
• A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (August 4)

• Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (August 11)
• The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (August 11)
• Murder at Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 11)

• For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 18)
• Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (August 18)

September 

• The Oxford Guide to Scandals & Lies by Kate Westbury (September 1)
• The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (September 8)
• Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (September 8)

• Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 8)
• Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R. King (September 11)
• I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (September 15)

• A Field Guide to Death & Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (September 15)
• Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (September 22)
• The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (September 29)

• Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 29)

October

• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
• Please Enjoy your Stay by Tara Goedjen (October 13)
• Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)

• The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke (October 20)
• Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)

November

• A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
• Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)

it's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 1, 2026)

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...

Happy June 1! We are in a weather sweet spot in Duluth. It is too warm to run the furnace but too cool to need the air conditioner and it is sunny. This means we are producing a lot more energy with our solar panels than we are using which is building up a nice amount of credit to use during our snowy winters. I have been enjoying having the windows open to enjoy the breezes and air out our winter-stale house. 

This was a nice week for reading. I finished all of my June review books, caught up with the Elemental Masters series, and chipped away at my 2026 TBR pile. I did add one review copy which led to buying the three previous books in the series which were on sale at Amazon for $2.99 each. 

I also finished all the draft posts on my July calendar. After I finish and schedule this post, I'll write my State of the Stack post which tracks my progress with review books. 

I have a medical test on Wednesday which should take about an hour, but otherwise my week is free of appointments. I hope to spend a lot of time reading and watching Braves baseball. They are doing amazingly well so far this year.

May Reading

I read 34 books in May. Twenty-two were mine and twelve were review copies. Of the books that were mine, seventeen were audiobooks. Also, 14 were from my TBR pile and 8 were rereads. 

I added 34 books to my LibraryThing account in May. Included were 7 new audiobooks and 16 new review copies. Twelve of the new additions (not including the review copies) are still on the TBR pile. They are also on my calendar for reading this year. 

So far in 2026, I have read 169 books including 65 review copies and 84 audiobooks. I have added 144 items to my LibraryThing account including 77 review copies and 38 audiobooks. I have 20 books from 2026 still on the TBR pile. I currently have 46 review copies pending for reading nearer their publication dates which extend out into November. 

Read Last Week

• A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, Mine since May 10) -- Collection of Liaden Universe stories. My review will be posted on June 17.
• Death by the Book by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook, Mine since April 8) -- Second Mercy McCarthy cozy mystery set in Ireland. My review will be posted on June 25.

• The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley (Kindle, Mine since November 18, 2025) -- Gaslight fantasy from the Elemental Masters series. My review will be posted on June 19.
• Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook, Mine since May 25) -- Third Mercy McCarthy cozy mystery set in Ireland. My review will be posted on June 26.
• Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- Inspired by reading A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6.

• Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (Review, June 30) -- 16th Mike Bowditch mystery. My review will be posted on June 23.
• The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson (Review, June 30) -- Entertaining domestic thriller with a lot of gaslighting going on. My review will be posted on June 24.

Currently

• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread)
• Diviner's Bow by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (Review, July 7)
• Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy (Audiobook, Mine since April 8)
• The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (Review, July 7)

• Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (Review, July 7)
• Murder on the Clock by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook, Mine since April 8)
• See How They Hide by Allison Brennan (Kindle, Mine since December 31, 2025)

Reviews Posted

• The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Smoke in Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley (Review copy)

• Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg (Prime Reading)
• Skyring Water by Louis L'Amour & Beau L'Amour (Review copy)
• A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (Review Copy)

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

Review:

• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29)

Bought:

• The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Kindle, $2.99)
• The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves (Kindle, $2.99)

• The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves (Kindle, $2.99)
• Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook, $4.82)

What was your week like?