It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 26, 2021)

 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.

Other Than Reading...

This was a nice week. The weather wasn't good though. Between the haze from very distant forest fires and general cloudiness, we didn't make much solar power. The temperatures were warm and the humidity high which made staying inside in the central air conditioning the best choice. We did actually get some rain when a line of severe thunderstorms rolled through of Friday night. We only got half an inch of rain which didn't do much to relieve our very dry conditions. We are 2 and 1/4 inches below average for the month with no additional rain in the forecast. 

A friend visited for the first time in almost a year. It was great to catch up on her life as we listened to audiobooks and I played computer games while she crocheted some cute animals. We got out to dinner twice while she was here. We went to Texas Roadhouse on the day she arrived and had leftovers for the next day. We also took my brother and went to Bridgeman's one evening which also yielded leftovers that are still in my refrigerator. On the night in between our restaurant trips, m brother and I cooked with him making his famous meatloaf and me contributing potatoes with cheese sauce. I think those leftovers will be our dinner again tonight. 

My friend and I didn't do much outdoor walking but did go shopping one afternoon which gave me some steps. She'd run out of one of the colors of yarn she needed for her project and also the energy drink that she always has by her side. We found the yarn but not the energy drink. It reminded me of earlier in the pandemic when I couldn't find Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi anywhere. 

The books I have listed as Next Week's are review books that will fill out my calendar until the end of September. I have one more review book to read for my August calendar. Then only the Monday posts will be unfinished. With 46 scheduled posts, I am taking the time to reread in audio format. Any that I haven't previously reviewed will be scheduled for sometime in October. I currently only have 5 review books being released in October which leaves lots of spaces to fill on my calendar.

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.)

• Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber (Review; August 31) -- This is the fifth Verity Kent mystery and concerns going home and finally dealing with the death of her brother. There is a mystery that grew out of one the missions she did during the war and which are still secret from her family. My review will be posted on August 24.
• Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer (Review; August 31) -- This YA is a new Enola Holmes adventure which has great worldbuilding and interesting characters. My review will be posted on August 25.
• Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston (Review; August 31) -- This funny paranormal romance is the fourth in the Honey Badger Chronicles. The characters are so over-the-top that this was just so much fun to read. My review will be posted on August 26.

• Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick (Mine; Audiobook) -- This was billed as the 3rd in the Ladies of Lantern Street trilogy but was actually a historical romantic suspense title with no hint of the paranormal. It was a reread and, though entertaining, I don't plan to review it again, but here is my review from 2014.
• The Vanishing by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook Reread) -- This is the first in the Fogg Lake trilogy which is contemporary paranormal romantic suspense. I enjoyed this the first time I read it and enjoyed it just as much as an audiobook. Here's my original review.
• All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook Reread) -- This is the second in the Fog Lake trilogy and is also contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense. Here's my original review.

• Penric's Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Audiobook) -- This is the first in the series of novellas Bujold began as her retirement project. It takes place in the World of the Five Gods and introduces Penric and Desdemona - a demon who is sharing his body. 
• A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander (Mine since 2010) -- This is a historical mystery which also includes some romance. It is the third in the series. I liked the characters and the setting. My review of the audiobook version which I just bought will be posted on August 28.

Currently

• Striking Range by Margaret Mizushima (Review; September 7)
• Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh (Audiobook Reread) - I first read and reviewed this one in 2010.

Next Week

• Designs on the Dead by Emilia Bernhard (Review; September 7)
• A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann (Review; September 7)
• Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black (Review; September 7)

• Crooked in His Ways by S. M. Goodwin (Review; September 7)
• When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting (Review; September 21)
• Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh (Review; September 28)

Reviews Posted

• Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
• A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

• Part-Time Gods by Rachel Aaron
• The Bookman's Promise by John Dunning

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

Review:

• Desolation Canyon by P. J. Tracy (January 18)

Audiobooks:

• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (Kindle and Audiobook)
• All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz (Kindle and Audiobook)
• A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander (Kindle and Audiobook)

• Tinker by Wen Spencer (Audiobook since I already own the Kindle)
• Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer (Audiobook since I already own the Kindle)
• Crime and Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett (Kindle Daily Deal and Audiobook)

• A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (Kindle and Audiobook)
• A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer (Kindle and Audiobook)
• A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (Kindle Daily Deal and Audiobook)

Free Kindle:

• Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders (free from Tor.com)
• The White Magic Five and Dime by Steve Hockensmith

• Blood in the Bayou by C. M. Sutter
• Hidden Valley by Annie Seaton

What was your week like?