It's Monday 3/27! What Are You Reading?

Last week was a bit better for me, even though I was still mostly housebound (I can't wear shoes or walk much due to a painful medical condition with my feet). My husband was on a business trip and both sons were busy at college finishing up their work before spring break, so I enjoyed a few quiet days to myself. If you have to be stuck at home, it's nice to have some time to yourself to chill out and catch up...not to mention very little cooking or dishes! I only ran the dishwasher once all week.

I cleared stacks of papers off our coffee table and counters (finally), got some writing done, and generally caught up. And, although our weather continues to be unseasonably cold (40's with rain and fog this morning!), we did have a couple of days last week when it was warm enough that I could sit on the deck. I am really missing my daily walks, so that helped a lot. Now, one son is in the Outer Banks for spring break and the other is here at home for now but going camping locally with friends once the rain clears out for a couple of days.

As always, we all enjoyed our books last week, no matter where we were!

• I finished my next review book for Shelf Awareness, How To Be Human by Paula Cocozza (due out May 9). This novel is set in suburban London, about a woman recovering from a recent break-up who is fascinated by a fox in her backyard. Actually, "fascinated" doesn't really explain it - she falls in love with a fox. Yup. It's a pretty weird book, but I did end up enjoying it. It's well-written and takes an interesting look at human relationships (in addition to the less common fox-woman relationship).
• Now, I am reading a book for Boooktopia, an awesome annual event in Vermont, where book lovers get together with authors for an intimate weekend of discussing and celebrating books - so much fun! My mom and I went two years ago and are going again the first week of May. So, in preparation, I am reading Books for Living by Will Schwalbe. I haven't read his first book yet, The End of Your Life Book Club, but I REALLY want to, and I can't wait to meet the author. I just started this one, but it is already wonderful. It's a book celebrating books - what's not to like?
• On audio, I am listening to another Booktopia book, The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck, another of the authors who will be at the event. This novel is about widowed women living in a castle in Germany with their children after WWII ends. I'm enjoying it.
• My husband, Ken, finished another of my review books (he is really benefiting from my new job!), Marshall's Law by Ben Sanders, which looks like part of a thriller series - right up his alley! He enjoyed it.
• Now, Ken is reading another review book, The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger. As best as we can remember, he and I have only read one other Unger novel. She's a thriller writer who is somewhat local and sets most of her novels in and near Baltimore, and we enjoyed the first one we read.
• Jamie, 22, is reading The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin, book 2 in the Dreamblood series. He loved book 1, The Killing Moon, a few years ago and is happy to have finally gotten to book 2 (which we gave to him for Christmas last year). I doubt he'll have much reading time in a beach house with 11 other young adults on spring break this week!

Last week's blog posts:

 TV Tuesday: Lilyhammer - warm, funny show about a NY mobster in Norway

Fiction Review: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen - remarkable award-winning novel about Vietnamese spy/refugee in 1970's

Fiction Review: Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson - vivid story of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970's

Saturday Snapshot: National Parks of Colorado - highlights of a wonderful trip!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

What are you and your family reading this week?   

Enjoying some much-appreciated time on the back deck last week!