It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Since my last update, I've finished exactly NO books. Summer stagnation has got me. Also, a few minor medical surprises have been taking up a lot more time than I'd expected.

So this post will be nice and short: no books finished, no reviews posted. Several books started, though — this week I'm hoping to finish at least these two:

The Man in the White Linen Suit, by David Handler

The Patience of a Dead Man, by Michael Clark

After that, I have a few more ARCs I should get to as soon as possible:

What Rose Forgot, by Nevada Barr

Pursuit, by Joyce Carol Oates

The Shape of Night, by Tess Gerritsen

That's definitely enough to keep me busy for the rest of August — and at the rate I read, probably into September as well. That's if I can stay AWAY from the doctor's office for a while. (Fingers crossed.) So, now it's back to the books....

Happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Book Beginnings: The Potted Gardener

The Potted Gardener: An Agatha Raisin Mystery, by M.C. Beaton (first published 1994). This is the book's first sentence:

A mild, damp winter was edging towards spring when Agatha Raisin motored slowly homeward to the village of Carsely after a long holiday.

About the Book:

Agatha Raisin has a crush on her neighbor, handsome ex-military officer James Lacey. In order to endear herself to him, she takes up one of his interests — gardening, hoping to participate with him in the prestigious Carsely Horticultural Contest. But as the contest approaches, villagers' gardens are being mysteriously uprooted, plants poisoned and burned. When the prime suspect in these malicious acts turns up dead, Agatha must turn amateur sleuth once more to solve the murder mystery. 

Initial Thoughts:

Not a really scintillating beginning, is it? That's OK, though, because these Agatha Raisin cozies (this is number three in the long-running series) tend to move really fast. So I know something interesting — and probably hilarious — is coming very soon. Just what I need right now.

Happy Friday, everyone! And happy reading! And have a lovely weekend.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Reading Update: Almost August

Not sure how this happened, but July is nearly outta here! I had about a dozen books I was hoping to read this summer, and so far I'm a little off track. (As usual!) But even though this month has been really busy, I have managed to get a few books read in the last couple of weeks.

Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner
(which I actually started in June, so I guess it's not technically a July read) 

Recursion, by Blake Crouch (a very fast read)

Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman
(another quick read, although I still have a teensy bit to finish up tonight)

This week I'll be finishing up that last one, and trying to get some reviews posted on the blog — I've really been neglecting reviews this year. Then I hope to start a couple of others on my summer list:

We Were Killers Once, by Becky Masterman

(the fourth book in her Brigid Quinn mystery series)

Fake Like Me, by Barbara Bourland
(by another new-to-me author, creating a lot of buzz)

Anyway, that is the plan. So... back to the books.

Happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Book Beginnings: Lady in the Lake

Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman (William Morrow, July 2019). This is the book's first sentence:

I saw you once.

About the Book:

Lady in the Lake is "a novel set in 1960s Baltimore that combines modern psychological insights with elements of classic noir, about a middle-aged housewife turned aspiring reporter who pursues the murder of a forgotten young woman."

Initial Thoughts:

Well, that's short and sweet, right? Peek-a-boo! Right away I'm wondering who saw who, especially since this opening section is printed in italics. Who's talking here? And who's getting looked at?

Actually, my first thought about this book was that it might have something to do with Raymond Chandler's classic Philip Marlowe novel with the same title (The Lady in the Lake, first published 1943). Since I'm just starting this new one, I haven't answered that question yet.

This will be my first Laura Lippman book, but I've got several of her earlier works on my "want to read" list. So far, this one is definitely holding my interest, and as soon as I get back from the super market run today, I'll get stuck back into it.

Happy Friday and happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely weekend.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Midsummer Reading Update

Well, maybe not officially midsummer, but suddenly it's the middle of July! Can you believe that? Generally, my reading slows down a bit during the summer, but this year I seem to be slower than ever. And what with all the Wimbledon tennis to watch the last couple of weeks, I find I'm still reading the same couple of books I was reading at the end of June....

Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner

and...

Recursion, by Blake Crouch

I'm enjoying both of those, but for some reason I can't seem to keep reading either one long enough to finish. Hoping to get through them this week so I can start this one (a "win" from a GoodReads giveaway):

Curtains for Romeo, by Jessa Archer

That's the plan, anyway. So...back to the books.

Happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Book Beginnings: Old Baggage

Old Baggage: A Novel, by Lissa Evans (Harper Perennial, 2018). These are the book's opening lines:

Part I

1928

Mattie always carried a club in her handbag — just a small one, of polished ash. That was the most infuriating aspect of the whole episode: she'd actually been armed when it happened.

************

About the Book:

Matilda "Mattie" Simpkin is a woman with a thrilling past and a chafingly uneventful present. During the Women’s Suffrage Campaign she was a militant. Jailed five times, she marched, sang, gave speeches, smashed windows and heckled Winston Churchill, and nothing – nothing – since then has had the same depth, the same excitement. 

Now in middle age, she is still looking for a fresh mold into which to pour her energies. But what starts as a brilliantly idealistic plan is derailed by a connection with Mattie’s militant past, one which begins to threaten every principle that she stands for. (--excerpted from publisher's description)

Initial Thoughts:

I love a woman who can take care of herself! And Mattie Simpkin certainly seems to fit that description.

Lissa Evans is a new author for me, and so far I'm really loving her novel. Hoping to finish it up later on tonight.

Happy Friday and happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely weekend.

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday.  As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Didn't finish any books last week. I was involved in a poetry-reading get together this weekend, and I ended up spending a great deal of last week tracking down some poems to read. It was fun, but unfortunately cut into my overall reading time a bit more than I'd expected. By the way, if you're looking for poetry to read aloud, a couple of good online resources are:

• The Poetry Foundation
• Poetry Out Loud

So this week I'm pretty much still reading what I had going last week....mainly:

Recursion, by Blake Crouch

The Patience of a Dead Man, by Michael Clark

The Last Romantics, by Tara Conklin

Three very different books — a nice variety. That's probably more than I'll likely get through, but it's good to have goals. Right?

Happy reading, everyone! And have a lovely week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.