It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 6, 2024)

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 nice week even though it was cloudy and rainy all week. I played chauffeur for my brother who needed to drop his car off for some maintenance but otherwise stayed close to home. 

We tried a new recipe for a one-pan chicken and rice twice this week. The first time we used a pan with a glass lid that was apparently not oven safe since it shattered into shards when Bill went to take it out of the oven necessitating that the meal be thrown away. We settled for take-out Chinese that night for dinner. We tried the recipe again later in the week using our trusty Dutch oven and it turned out to be a recipe we enjoyed and added to our keeper collection. 

That was our only adventure in cooking. I did, however, also make a chicken and vegetables recipe that has been a family favorite since the 1980s since it came from a microwave cookbook with a 1979 copyright. We have made it many times over the years, and it is always a hit.

I received a gift from author Sarah Beth Durst this week too. She had emailed me asking if I would like a copy of her newest middle grade book. (She has me on her list when she has new releases.) I certainly said yes and greatly enjoyed Spy Ring when it arrived on Thursday. 

Otherwise, I finished my May review copies and set up my June calendar which will be filled with lots of the books I added to my TBR pile this year. Most of the June review books seem to be bunched for June 4 release which means they will be part of my May calendar. In fact, I plan to read them this coming week. 

I am gradually rebuilding my cushion on my calendar. I'm almost at three weeks ahead. I prepared my State of the Stack post and gathered statistics for my April reading this week too. 

April Report

I read 38 books in April. Twenty were mine and eighteen were review copies. Of the books that were mine, nine were from my TBR pile and eleven were rereads. Thirteen of my books were audiobooks for a total of 174.6 hours of listening. 

I added 25 books to my collection in April. Eight were review copies. Six were audiobooks including two from Chirp and one from Audible Plus. I used 3 Audible credits this month which brings my banked credits down to two. I added 11 Kindle books to my collection including two Kindle Daily Deals and five from BookBub. Four of my new Kindle copies were free. Nineteen of my new arrivals are still marked TBR. In my defense, eight marked TBR are also review books which will be read closer to their release dates. 

My total To Read stack which includes Rereads but not Review copies stands at 2522 today. 

Read Last Week

• Mind Games by Nora Roberts (Review; May 21) -- Another excellent standalone thriller filled with great relationships and a creepy psychic villain. My review will be posted on May 16.
• Toll of Honor by David Weber (Mine) -- This epic science fiction story revisits and expands on earlier events in the Honor Harrington universe. My review will be posted on May 18.
• Original Twin by Paula Gleeson (Review; June 1) -- Thriller about a young woman searching for her missing twin and learning more about her mother's past too. My review will be posted on May 21. 

• The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- This science fiction mystery combines a search for murdered people with a rogue EI (evolving intelligence) and visits a number of places on Raylicon. My review will be posted on May 23.
• If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (Review: May 28) -- Another excellent twisty thriller from a master. My review will be posted on May 22.
• Banker by Dick Francis (Audiobook Reread) -- Tim Ekaterin is a merchant banker who gets involved in a mystery when his bank loans a trainer multi-millions to invest in a stud. Great story. My review will be posted on May 28.

• All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath (Review; May 28) -- Cute historical romance between an uptight Navy officer and a free-spirit governess. My review will be posted on May 23.
• Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst -- Middle grade adventure combining a treasure hunt and American History. My review for this May 21 release will be posted on May 22. This book was an autographed gift from the author. 

Currently

• May Day by Jess Lourey (Mine since 2010)
• The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa (Review; June 4)
• Smoke and Mirrors by M. E. Hilliard (Review; June 4)
• A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets by Kate Khavari (Review; June 4)

• Dead Tired by Kat Ailes (Review; June 4)
• Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Boyle (Review; June 4)
• Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Review; June 4)

Reviews Posted

• Star Struck by Marjorie McCown (Review copy)
• People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle (Review copy)
• Undercity by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook)

• Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen (Audiobook)
• A Lonesome Place for Dying by Nolan Chase (Review copy)
• Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast (TBR Pile)

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

Review:

• Long Time Gone by Hannah Martian (Review; October 15)
• Burn This Night by Alex Kenna (Review; October 15)

• Buried Lies by Steven Tingle (Review; November 12)
• A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley (Review; November 19)

Bought:

• The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99)
• May Day by Jess Lourey (Kindle Daily Deal ($2.49), Audiobook ($1.99))
• The Murder Club by Alexandra Ivy (BookBub, $.99)

• The Body in the Bookcase by Katherine Hall Page (BookBub, $.99)
• Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst (Gift from the author & autographed too)

What was your week like?