It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 3, 2025)

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...

We had a nice week to end January. We had our January thaw with one day reaching a high of 42 degrees and most of the rest of the week with highs in the 30s. Then the snow rolled in for the weekend. My brother says there is about 8 inches of the fluffy stuff in our driveway. He's out snowblowing before he has to get ready for work.

Snow meant chili was on the menu. My brother made the chili, and I made the cornbread. I also made a crockpot casserole this week using frozen meatballs which had been in the freezer for quite a while and other things in the refrigerator that needed using. I was inspired by a recipe I saw while watching Reels this week. It turned out pretty well. 

This was another massive week for my TBR pile. BookBub and BookPerks had lots of good deals. I added quite a few books that were the first books in series that I haven't read. Not that I need any more unfinished series on my stack, but I was curious about them. I even got the first Hercule Poirot. I don't think I've ever read any of the Hercule Poirot mysteries. 

I also added four more review copies to my stack including Nora Roberts' 2025 standalone which I was invited to read. 

I filled out my March calendar and discovered that it will be mostly full of review copies even though I'm starting reading March releases for posting the last week of February. I have only four spots for books from my TBR pile and I've chosen three of them. With so many review copies, I only have room for six audiobooks, and I've already read and scheduled the reviews for two of them. 

January Report

Despite what my Goodreads Challenge says, I read 32 books in January. Twenty were mine and twelve were review copies. Of the twenty that were mine, ten were from the TBR pile and ten were rereads. Also, sixteen of the twenty were audiobooks. Mysteries and Romance dominated my reading this month with many books being both. 

I added 89 books to my LibraryThing account in January. Twenty-nine of the additions were review copies. Seven were audiobooks. Six of the audiobooks were from Chirp. BookBub emails led to 26, BookPerks emails led to eight, and I took advantage of one Kindle Daily Deal. I did not buy any print books in January. I have only read one of my January additions so far, but the two I'm currently reading were purchased in January.

With these new additions, my TBR collection rose to 2585 which does not include review copies. My total collection, not including Review copies, numbers 7038.

Here is my State of the Stack post as of February 1.

Read Last Week

• The Dead Letter Delivery by C. J. Archer (Mine since March 8, 2024) -- Fourth in the Glass Library series. This is a combination of fantasy, historical fiction and alternate history. My review will be posted on February 13.
• Born in Fire by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since November 12, 2024) -- This is contemporary romance by a master of the genre and is the first in a trilogy. My review will be posted on February 27.
• My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh (Mine since February 12, 2024) -- Contemporary romance that is also a sports romance. Fun story. My review will be posted on February 15.

• Born in Ice by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since November 12, 2024) -- Second in the Concannon Sisters trilogy. Great romance. My review will be posted on March 6.
• A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (Review; February 25) -- Second Dr. Julia Grey historical mystery. My review will be posted on February 18.
• Born in Shame by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since November 12, 2024) -- Finale of the Concannon Sisters trilogy. My review will be posted on March 20.

• I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (Review; February 25) -- Third Emily Dickinson mystery. My review will be posted on February 19.
• The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp Audiobook; Mine since July 24, 2023) -- Contemporary romance by a favorite author. I originally read this one before 2008. My review will be posted on February 22.

Currently

• Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen (Mine since January 25, 2025)
• Seeing Further edited by Bill Bryson (Mine since January 27, 2025) -- I'm making this history of science book my "slow and steady" read. I plan to read a chapter a day. I'm at 17% before today's chapter.

Next Week

• The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig (Review; March 4)
• Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (Review; March 4)
• In the Woods by Tana French (Mine since October 17, 2022)

• Deadly Games by Sally Rigby (Kindle; Mine since November 11, 2022-also in Audible Plus catalog)
• The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (Review; March 11)
• Shadow Beasts by Nellie H. Steele (Audiobook; Mine since January 19, 2025)

Reviews Posted

• Of Murder and Men by Lynn Cahoon (Audiobook)
• Death Echo by Elizabeth Lowell (Mine)
• Bonded in Death by J. D. Robb (Review copy)

• Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose (Audiobook)
• An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair (Review copy)
• Change of Heart by Cristina LePort, MD (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts (Review; May 27)
• He's to Die For by Erin Dunn (Review; June 3)

• Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (Review; July 15)
• A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (Review; September 16)

Bought:

Audiobooks

• Revenge at Ravenswick by Kelly Oliver (Kindle for $2.99, Chirp audiobook for $.99)
• Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (BookBub for $1.99; Audiobook Add-On for $3.99)

• Pretty Dead Things by Lilian West (Chirp Audiobook, $3.99)
• The Chickasaw Nations Mysteries - Books 1 - 4 by Kris Lackey (Chirp Audiobook, $3.99)

BookBub

• Murder by Lamplight by Patrice McDonough (BookBub, $1.99) -- keeper copy of a book I reviewed
• The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (BookBub, $2.99) -- the first Spenser mystery
• Desert Heat by J. A. Jance (BookBub, $1.99) -- the first Joanna Brady mystery

• Crown of Vengeance by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory (BookBub, $1.99) -- first in a trilogy
• Treasures Lost, Treasures Found by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $1.99) -- a Nora Robets for which I don't have a print copy
• The Enforcer's Gamble by Vivian Arend (BookBub, $.99) -- a paranormal romance

• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (BookBub, $1.99) -- I keep seeing this one around
• Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower (BookBub, $.99) -- I enjoy the author and this is first in a series I haven't started yet
• Quicksilver by Amanda Quick (BookBub, $1.99) -- Kindle copy of a book in my keeper collection

BookPerks

• Seeing Further edited by Bill Bryson (BookPerks, $1.99) -- Chosen for my "slow and steady" read because I'm fascinated by the history of science
• Killing Orders by Sara Paretsky (BookPerks, $1.99) -- Early book in the V. I. Warshawski series

• Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman (BookPerks, $1.99) -- First in a series that I haven't started.
• The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (BookPerks, $1.99) -- First Hercule Poirot
• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (BookPerks, $1.99) -- Heard about this book and wanted to try it.

• Silent Evidence by Clea Koff (BookPerks, $.99)
• The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan (BookPerks, $2.99) -- addition to Quinn & Acosta series

Kindle & Kindle Daily Deal

• My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh (Kindle, $4.99) -- bought because I liked My Phony Valentine
• The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99) -- next in the Brighton Murders

What was your week like?