It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 4, 2016)

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...

Happy 4th of July to my fellow citizens of the USA!

I thought I'd take a quick look back at June before setting my sights on July. I read 30 books which was my goal - a book a day. I read 11,632 pages this month. It was month of big books. I read 2 with over 600 pages (Thank you, Sarah J. Maas), 1 with more than 500 pages, and 10 with more than 400 pages. Most of the adult books I read this month were from my review stack but I did get to read a few from my recent arrivals and one from deep in TBR mountain.

I have also begun house-hunting in Duluth for a retirement home. I have been pre-approved for a mortgage and have contacted a realtor. The first batch of houses she sent me to look at were misses. We've refined what I am looking for but what I am looking for just doesn't seem to be available now. Luckily, I have a year or two before I retire but interest rates are low now and it seems like a good time to buy if I can find something that will work for my brother and me.

Read Last Week

I began the week by reading two books from my review stack.

A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet was a great start to a new Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series. I really liked the characters and the world that the author created. My review for this August 2 release will be posted on July 30.

The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan is new mystery from Crooked Lane Books. It is about an insurance investigator looking into the disappearance of a recently insured wife while on a Bahamian cruise. It is also told in flashbacks that let us get to know the husband and wife and what they planned. It was nicely creepy. My review will be posted on August 4 for this August 9 release.

Currently

It is my goal to finish the Pink Carnation series this summer. I am up to book 6 of 12 this week with The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig. This one takes us to India in 1804 and is fascinating.

Next Week

While waiting for a trio of August review books to show up, I'll be reading the next two in the Pink Carnation series.

• The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
• The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

I also have two new arrivals to my review stack that are early August releases. I got both from NetGalley.

• Thrill Kill by Brian Thiem (August 9)
• The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox (August 16)

Reviews Posted

• The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
• Dick Francis's Damage by Felix Francis
• Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

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

This was interesting week that saw a number of books added to my review stacks. The only two that have arrived so far are:

• Thrill Kill by Brian Thiem (August 9)
• The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox (August 16)

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.