Reading Update: It's Monday and Summer At Last!

Sunlight and Shadow, Winslow Homer

Summer is finally here, ya'll !  And we've been having such gorgeous summer weather, these last few days. Hard to believe we were nearly under water just a couple of weeks back. But the flooding is over -- at least in this part of Texas -- and Mother Nature has smiled upon us for this first day of my favorite season of the year. I know I shouldn't get used to it, though. In Texas, if you blink for a second, you can open your eyes to a completely new weather system. So just because it's sunny and warm and lovely at the moment, that doesn't mean it's gonna be that way five minutes from now. So I'm enjoying it while I can!

Generally, summer is a good reading season for me -- I tend to slow down during the spring and then get back on track when the warm weather returns. And I'm hoping that holds true again this year because I really haven't done much reading in June -- finished two short books, but haven't posted any reviews.

See a synopsis at GoodReads

See a synopsis at GoodReads

Both of those were enjoyable reads, and I really do intend to get some brief reviews up this week. I'm finding that if I don't post at least a few words about a book, I might not remember it six months from now. (It's a senior thing -- you'll understand if, like me, you're drifting into your Golden Years.)

I'm still reading the third book I've been working on this month --

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke -- for the Once Upon a Time X challenge, which officially ends tomorrow. It's taken me two months to get through just half the book, and I'm not sure the nearly 600-page length is the only thing slowing me down. For some reason, it just hasn't grabbed my interest the way I was expecting it to. Not that I dislike it -- but I keep finding reasons to go read something else, and that's been a problem. But I'm determined to finish it up this week.

So, other than Inkheart, what am I reading this week? I have no idea! But I have a small stack of ARCs of books coming out (or already issued) this summer, and I really should be choosing my reading matter from said stack:

• The Girls, by Emma Cline (Random House, June 14)
• Vinegar Girl, by Anne Tyler (Hogarth, June 21) 
• The Invoice, by Jonas Karlsson (Hogarth, July 12)
• Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch (Crown, August 2)
• The Book That Matters Most, by Ann Hood (W.W. Norton, August 9)
• When the Music's Over, by Peter Robinson (William Morrow, August 9)

So I have lots to choose from, and a nice variety of things bookish. Just need to make myself sit down and read !

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now 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.