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.
With retirement comes some changes. I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.
Other Than Reading...
With just four more student-contact days of this school year and my teaching career, this almost-last week was busy with school activities including getting a start on my report cards. Next Monday is the final teacher day. We have a district breakfast with awards and a general celebration for the end of the year. We also have work time to finish report cards, clean out desks, classrooms, and files, and close up for the summer. I hope to be out of there by noon so that I can get started on the last details at home that I need to accomplish before moving.
The painter came last week and the whole house is looking clean and fresh. The carpet cleaner is schedule for June 12 once the moving van has come and the house is empty. My realtor will let him in and check on his work since I'll already be at my new house. I'll be meeting with her on Tuesday to sign papers and hand over keys. I hope to have the house on the market soon. She also said something about wanting to measure rooms and take pictures. She'll probably have to wait until after the 8th for pictures because my stuff is piled in the middle of most of the rooms. The painter was kind enough to move furniture to more normal positions in the rooms I'm using. It was weird living with all the furniture pulled two feet away from the walls and bunched in the middle of the rooms all week.
I'm spending the Memorial Day weekend here at my new house where the carpenter has finished and installed all the new bookshelves I had him build. Once my brother gets home and I can get some batteries for my camera, I'll take a couple pictures of all the empty shelves. I can see that the kitchen/dining room lights have been installed along with my new vanity in the bathroom. I'm eager to chat with my brother to find out what non-visible things have been accomplished since I was last here.
My living room which will house my TBR piles:
My Library with shelves on three walls:
My spare bedroom:
I'm also moving five bookshelves that are about 4 feet wide and 7 feet tall that will find new homes in my brother's man cave. We should certainly have enough shelf space for our book collections. I'll be setting myself a goal of unpacking 6 - 10 boxes of books a day until everything is filled.
Read Last Week
The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May completes her historical fantasy trilogy that began with The Falconer. It was a satisfying conclusion with lots of action and great characters. My review will be posted on June 8.
Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance begins a new cozy series. The characters are quirky and the mystery was satisfying by providing a host of suspects. I liked Agnes's voice as she told the story about finding out who killed the first victim to keep herself and her great-aunt out of jail. My review will be posted on June 8.
Currently
- Come and Find Me by Hallie Ephron from my TBR mountain for my adult pick
- Want by Cindy Pon (June 13) from my review stack for my YA pick
From my YA Review Stack:
- We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan & Brian Conaghan (June 13)
- More of Me by Kathryn Evans (June 13)
- The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka (June 13)
- Indigo by Charlaine Harris et al. (June 20)
In the order I read them,
Say You're Sorry by Melinda Leigh
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis
Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
The Girl with the Ghost Machine by Lauren DeStefano
The Frog Princess Returns by E. D. Baker
Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost
Bought
Other by Karen Kincy - I know I read this one but don't seem to have a copy and I have books two and three on my TBR mountain. Besides, it was free for the Kindle.
Review Stack
City of Angels by Kristi Belcamino (May 18) - gift from the author after her publisher alerted her I had featured her book on Waiting on Wednesday - YA
More of Me by Kathryn Evans (June 13) - YA
The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka (June 13)
UNSUB by Meg Gardiner (June 27)
Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn (July 11)
Stolen Secrets by L. B. Schulman (Sept. 19) - YA