Showing posts with label Stacking the Shelves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stacking the Shelves. Show all posts

Monday, September 28, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 28, 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...

And the end of September arrives! The baseball regular season ends later today. Luckily, my Atlanta Braves have made it to the post-season which means I will have more baseball to watch before games begin again next March. 

Besides going crazy at Audible and buying eleven new audiobooks, the week was quiet. I bought the whole A Natural History of Dragons series by Marie Brennan after beginning the first and really enjoying the audiobook. I also bought the books that were missing from my collection of the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold since I have been thinking hard about a reread of that series. I once had them all by\ut some were Audible Plus copies that are no longer offered there. 

The main part of the reason that I bought so many is that I'm taking part in the Audible Rewards program. One of the deals was spent $40 and get $10. Only, I didn't activate that offer before I bought the Marie Brennan books which means they didn't count. So, I bought the missing Vorkosigan audiobooks so that I could get my $10 off on the 5th Marie Brennan title. 

I did add three more review copies including one this morning that made its way to my Currently Reading pile and caused a rearrangement of my calendar. My total stack of review books now numbers 37. Five are on my Next Week stack and two are on Currently reading. 

My brother works days Monday through Thursday this week which means I'm in charge of dinner. I put a pork roast, sauerkraut, and potatoes in the crockpot this morning even though this is his day off and he could cook since I have doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. That should give us leftovers for at least one more meal one of those days. And there is always pizza if a better idea doesn't emerge. 

With this week's additions my 2026 TBR stack has ballooned to 26 books. None of the Bujold books are on the calendar yet but all the others are. 

Read Last Week
  • Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (Review, October 13) -- 34th in the Andy Carpenter contemporary mystery series. My review will be posted on October 8.
  • Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjens (Review, October 13) -- Spooky and twisty thriller set in an Austrian castle turned boutique hotel. My review will be posted on October 8.
  • The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (Review, October 20) -- Holiday enemies to lovers romance. My review will be posted on October 13.
  • A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since September 24) -- First in a five-book historical fantasy series. Excellent. My review will be posted on October 23.
  • The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews (Audiobook, mine since September 3) -- First in a new urban fantasy series. My review will be posted on November 10.
  • Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (Audiobook, mine since November 1, 2025) -- 19th in the Mary Russell historical mystery series. My review will be posted on October 27.
  • Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis (Kindle and Audiobook, Mine since September 22) -- Second book in the Queens of Villainy romantasy series. My review will be posted on October 20.
  • Late for the Wedding by Amanda Quick (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since September 19) -- Final book in the Lake and March historical romance series. My review will be posted on October 16.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?
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Monday, September 21, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 21, 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...

This was another nice quiet week. Fall weather has arrived with high temperatures ranging from 57 to 70. We also received .8 inches of rain this week which did little to relieve our state of extreme drought. It is currently 55 degrees and cloudy but with no rain in the forecast. Leaves are just starting to turn. I can see one gorgeous red-leafed something out my patio window but most of the leaves I see are still green.

My week of cooking didn't really turn out to really be my week since my brother made a big pot of chili on Sunday which was his day off. I did make an excellent lentil soup and a chicken pot pie with a biscuit topping. We still have leftovers of both. I think he's planning to make Shrimp Lo Mein for dinner today which will leave even more leftovers. I have the making for a homemade pizza which might be lunch today. 

I added two new review copies to my stack this week and read three leaving my TBR review stack at 38. I also couldn't resist a number of book deals this week and added 10 books to my 2026 TBR pile. I've already read one and am currently reading a second. All the rest of the new additions are on my 2026 calendar. I currently have 23 TBR books on my 2026 stack with this week's additions. 

This week everything I read was reviewed and scheduled on my blog. However, I've been skipping around a bit with audiobooks, so the reviews are not the next ones on my calendar. I have a bunch of review copies on my calendar but have been fitting in the audiobooks for a change of pace. After my current audiobook, I have only one more on my October calendar to go along with the 15 Kindle books (mostly review copies) that I still need to read for my October calendar. Of those 15, only one has the possibility of reading it as an audiobook which I haven't yet purchased. I might find myself getting further ahead and further out of balance by listening to some audiobooks on my November calendar. 

Read Last Week
  • The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oaks (Kindle, Mine since July 20) -- Historical Fantasy. It was nice. My review will be posted on October 3.
  • The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since June 14) -- Third in a historical mystery series. My review will be posted on October 13.
  • Jay to the World by Donna Andrews (Review, October 13) -- Andrews' annual humorous Christmas mystery. My review will be posted on October 6.
  • Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, Mine since December 3, 2025) -- Contemporary romantic suspense. My review will be posted on October 20.
  • Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks (Review, October 13) -- Romantasy, sort of. Interesting premise. My review will be posted on October 6.
  • Don't Look Back by Amanda Quick (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 13 & September 16) -- Second book in the Marsh & Lake historical mystery trilogy. My review will be posted on October 9.
  • Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since March 7, 2025) -- Contemporary romantic suspense with a paranormal element. My review will be posted on October 15.
  • Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey (Review, October 13) -- Funny mystery that contains ALL the romance tropes. My review will be posted on October 7.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:

New Audiobooks:
New Kindle:
What was your week like?
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Monday, September 7, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 7, 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...

This was a quiet week. School started for Minnesota K-12 students and the colleges had move-in days. We finally got some rain which came with thunderstorms. Looks like the Labor Day weekend will be nice for those camping or otherwise celebrating though. 

By accepting one new review copy and reading three already on my stack, I've finally managed to get the stack under 40 books. I have 39 current review copies with a few scheduled for reading this week. I did turn down three email requests. Two were for books with short turnarounds and didn't sound interesting enough to rework my calendar for. The third was for a book I already had on my stack. 

This week should be a quiet one. I do have a dentist appointment on Thursday but no other appointments. I should be able to fit a lot of reading in around watching my Atlanta Braves play baseball. 

August Report 

I read 34 books in August. Twenty-three were mine and eleven were review copies. Of the 23 that were mine, all were audiobooks with Kindle copies too. Eleven were from my TBR pile while twelve were rereads. I spent 257 hours listening to audiobooks in August. 

I added 32 books to my LibraryThing account in August. Twelve were new review copies. Ten were audiobooks most with accompanying Kindle copies. I used four Audible credits. Nine of my new additions are still on my TBR pile. 

Thus far in 2026, I have added 248 books to my LibraryThing collection including 118 review copies and 75 audiobooks. For the year through August, I have read 275 books including 107 review copies and 146 audiobooks. 

I still have 19 2026 additions on my TBR pile. Of the 19, four are audiobooks and fifteen are Kindle copies. I may add the audiobooks for the ones that are currently only Kindle copies when their spots come up on my calendar since I really enjoy audiobooks. 

Read Last Week
  • Encore in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
  • Payback in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
  • The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 29) -- Latest in the Lady Sherlock Historical Mystery series. My review will be posted on September 29)
  • Cursed City by Kate Golden (Review, September 29) -- Second book in the Harker Academy Urban Fantasy series. My review will be posted on September 23.
  • Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick (Audiobook, Mine since August 19) -- Historical mystery/romance set in the Victorian Era. My review will be posted on September 25.
  • Random in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?
Posted by at 6 comments:
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Monday, August 31, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 31, 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...

This was a mixed week. Weather cycled from warm and sunny to cool and rainy. My dentist appointment turned weird when I swallowed my new crown. Now, I have to wait until they make it again and reschedule my appointment. In my defense, I was gagging and my dentist dropped the crown onto my tongue. 

My visit with my friend went well. We are going to call these visits "bookcations" because we both get lots of reading done. We finished the last two audiobooks in The Others series and have to look for something different to read on her next visit. We also went out to eat and did a lot of talking. She told me about her newest thing. She creates blind date with a book packages with books she wants to get rid of and sells them at local farmer's markets and craft fairs. She also showed me some cute bees that she's crocheting for craft fairs too. 

I did manage to read three of my September 29 review copies early in the week and started the last two of that group. Cursed City is 528 pages long; I've been reading 10% or so and then switching to another book for some variety. I put them on hold while my friend is here so that we can listen together. Since I didn't add any review copies this week, the stack now numbers 41.

I hope to finish the rest of September's books this week since I'll be doing my State of the Stack post. I also need to set up LibraryThing for September by adding a September collection. And I need to do some spreadsheet things for my monthly report. The way my calendar fell out this month my State of the Stack post will go live on Monday which is only the 31st, but I already have two posted scheduled for September 1.

Read Last Week
  • The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29) -- Fourth in the Matthew Venn mystery series. My review will be posted on September 22. 
  • The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (Review, September 29) -- New entry to the Truly Devious YA mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
  • Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29) -- New entry in the Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

Bought:


What was your week like?
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