It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 21, 2020)

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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading... 

I was out of the house only once last week. I had to play chauffeur for my brother on Monday when he had a follow-up with his eye doctor after his cataract surgery. He said it would only take 15 minutes but, since the temperature was only 6 degrees above zero, I decided I'd rather go back home and wait until his appointment was over instead of sitting in the car waiting for him. Good thing I did! His appointment took well over an hour. It is only a ten minute drive from our house to his doctor. 

I spent the rest of the week reading and listening to audiobooks. I polished off a number of novellas this week which ballooned the total of books read. I also baked bread twice this week. Neither time was I really happy with the results. I think I might have some bad yeast. The bread tastes fine but it just isn't raising as much as I hoped or wanted. 

I still haven't hauled out the Christmas tree or done any decorating and may not unless we do it today (Saturday). Bill works a forty-hour week before having Christmas Day and Dec. 26 off. We have figured out what we'll be cooking and he's done the grocery shopping already. Since he works until 5:30 Sunday - Wednesday, I have to do the planning and cooking for dinners and right now I have no idea except Papa Murphy's pizza on $10 Tuesday. Thursday he works until 8:30 so I don't have to plan for dinner. Hopefully, we'll have leftovers. 

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C. M. Waggoner (Review; Jan. 12) -- Entertaining historical fantasy with lots of magic, romance, and mystery. My review will be posted on Jan. 9.
• Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook) -- I decided that I wanted to listen to this favorite series and was surprised that I already owned it through my Audible subscription even though I long-since got rid of the cassette tape version. This is space opera and romance and is one of the first books by this prolific author. My review will be posted on Jan. 14.
• No Holding Back by Lori Foster (Review; Jan. 12) -- This contemporary romantic suspense title begins a new series for this author. The characters were larger than life; the suspense was intense and so was the romance. My review will be posted on Jan. 16.

• Below the Bones by Kendra Elliot (Mine) -- This novella is 5th in the Widow's Island series and stars Cate Wilde and her boyfriend Henry. Cate's former FBI and her past seems to be catching up to her when three bodies of murdered young women are found buried on the island which look to have been murdered by a serial killer Cate already caught. My review will be posted on Jan. 21.
• A Broken Bone by Melinda Leigh (Mine) -- This novella is the 6th in the Widow's Island series and stars Tessa Black and her boyfriend Logan Wilde. They are investigating the murder of a young man who was in a foster home on the island. Everyone thought he ran away until his murdered body was discovered in an abandoned house. My review will be posted on Jan. 21.

• Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; audiobook) -- This is the direct sequel to SHARDS OF HONOR and continues the story of Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan. I don't plan to review this one at this time. 
• Masquerade in Lodi by Lois McMaster Bujold (mine) -- This is a new Penric adventure. Bujold is writing novellas in her retirement. I enjoyed this both because I love Bujold's writing and like stories about Penric and his demon Des but don't plan to review it.

• Old Bones by Aaron Elkins (Mine; Audiobook) -- This is the fourth mystery starring Forensic Anthropologist Gideon Oliver. He's in France at a conference when he's called in to identify some bones buried in a cellar. There's lots of family drama with ties back to World War II and an old-fashioned feel to this story. My review will be posted on Jan.19.
• The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; audiobook) -- This is the first of many adventures starring Miles Naismith Vorkosigan who is Cordelia and Aral's son. In this one he heads out into space after failing to be admitted to the Imperial Service Academy and finds himself the head of a mercenary space fleet. I don't plan to review this at this time.
• Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery (Mine) - I've had the Fool's Gold romance series on my TBR mountain for a number of years and finally decided to read it. After reading and holding just a few pages of the paperback, I bought a Kindle copy. This is a very nice romance between a woman who wants a home and a man who wants to prove himself which might necessitate his leaving Fool's Gold. My review will be posted on Jan. 20.

Currently

• The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Audiobook) -- reread this time in audio of a favorite series.
• Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (Mine) - This fantasy is a Kindle First title that I've had since October.

Next Week

• Legacy of Lies by Robert Bailey (Audible Daily Deal)
• Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen (Review; Feb. 2) -- arrived Friday via email request
• Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (Review; Feb. 2)

• Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (Mine; Audible Daily Deal) - I've heard about this series and wanted to give it a try.
• Hide in Place by Emilya Naymark (Review; Feb. 9)

Reviews Posted

• At All Costs by David Weber
• A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber

• Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara
• The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

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

Bought:

• Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery (Kindle)

Review:

• Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh (Feb. 23)
• Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (March 9)
• Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen (Feb. 2)

What was your week like?