Monday, December 7, 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 7, 2015)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? was a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. She has decided to pass it on to 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.

Other Than Reading... 

This was another quiet week with lovely weather for December in Minnesota. We are expecting temperatures in the 40s which began on Friday to continue for the next week. Needless to say, we haven't any snow. My cross-country skiing friends are lamenting but I like being snow-free. Big, puffy flakes on Christmas Eve would be enough for me.

Our contract negotiators had a mediation session on Thursday and have come to a tentative contract agreement. We'll see it and be voting early next week. Our health insurance costs have caused our members with family insurance to take a pay cut of about $400 a month. I can see why they want a good settlement. I'm not on the school district insurance any more since I reached Medicare age. I wasn't feeling their pain.

On the blogging front, I got the Macmillan Spring 2016 catalog and requested 11 ARCs. They say that they fill requests on a first come, first served basis. We'll see how many I get when I request on the first day they are available. I concentrated on mysteries and middle grade books this time.

Read Last Week
I read two January releases from my review stack this week.

Unholy Blue by Darby Kaye is an excellent urban fantasy. It is the second book in the Bannerman Boru series. This one is about building a relationship between two strong, stubborn adults along with fighting all sorts of legendary creatures. My review will be posted on January 16.

The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain was a tense, gritty thriller with all characters colored in shades of gray. The hero was an abused child currently suffering from depression after the death of his wife and child who is forced back into life when a friend dies on his front lawn. My review will be posted on January 14.

Currently
I am currently reading Night Study by Maria V. Snyder. I love her study series.

Next Week
I plan to read two books this week that have been on my TBR mountain for years.

Sweet and Deadly by Charlaine Harris was added to my stack on February 19, 2008 and She's No Angel by Leslie Kelly was added the same day.

Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
Gail Carriger recommended Ridiculous by D. L. Carter and, since it was an inexpensive ebook and I love Carriger's books, I added it to my stack.

Grave Danger by Rachel Grant was a thriller that caught my eye when I got my daily email about ebook bargains.

I also got End Game by Tess Diamond from the author so that I can find out how things work out in this thriller trilogy that has major cliffhanger endings to each of the first two books. These are novella length books. I hope to read it really soon.

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

19 comments:

  1. Mysteries and middle grade - I like your requesting preferences!

    Reading With Jade

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  2. One of my Minnesota cousins decided on a wedding in the Bahamas to shave a little winter off her year. So, of course, it's been mild... Have a good reading week!

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  3. Now I see why my list was new to you--we seem to have rather different preferences. :)

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  4. That Sarah Cain book sounds interesting...I'm going to check that one out! We've been pretty mild here, too, in NY - frost in the mornings, but then up to the 50s during the day. I wouldn't mind a white Christmas either :) Have a great week!!!

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  5. You have an eclectic mix of books too. I hope you get the ARCs you requested from MacMillan. Enjoy your reading week!

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  6. Love seeing all the different books on your list today. It reminded me that I have not read a Jayne Ann Krentz book in awhile. I used to read her quite a a bit. Happy reading!

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  7. Hooray for reading books that have been on our shelves for years. I love that feeling! (And I'm sure the books don't mind getting a little love as well.)

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  8. This weather is crazy. I hope we have White Christmas!!

    Have a great week. You can find mine here: http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2015/12/07/29200/

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  9. As always a rich variety of books. One thing I do not miss about teaching is those meetings around trying to sort pay claims!

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  10. Yay Night Study!! I LOVE Maria's books! Hope you're enjoying it!

    Here's my Monday Wrap-Up

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  11. I hope you're able to get all of the ARCs your little heart desires ;) Have a great week!

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  12. Nice books!! I just bought my first 3 Charlaine Harris's books! And also, my daughter's name is Melinda Lee!!LOL Thanks for stopping by!!

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  13. You are really on top of your review copies. I hope you get all of the ones you requested.

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  14. Your books look so good. The 8th Circle has my interest. Have a great week!

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  15. Glad you are enjoying nice, if cool, weather. I picked Night Study up but don't plan to read it until January. Good for you getting in some of the TBRs. Ridiculous has been on my shelf since 2012 so I will move it up to read. The Swat series looks good.
    I hope the negotiations go well for everyone. There is always a balance to find.
    Have a great week!

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  16. I love the Study series too, hope this one's a winner! I swear I'm cutting back on review copies next year, just not enough hours in the day lol. Have a great week and enjoy the milder weather.

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  17. It's been a bit muggy here with big rain coming Thursday. I hope everything goes well for your teachers. They make little as it is and trying to provide for their families while dealing with cost of living is stressful, not to mention being in a profession that is your shadow 10 months of every year.

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  18. I love that feeling of finally reading the books that have been sitting on your shelf for years. Have a great week!

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