It's Monday 10/9! What Are You Reading?

Last week was another busy one, with my husband's birthday & dinner out, an unexpected evening out with friends for dinner and a new musical based on Something Wicked This Way Comes (which was amazing!), and a family dinner here for my husband's birthday on Friday. Then, I was completely wiped out! But that's OK - it was a nice, quiet weekend, so I had time to rest and recover and even got a bunch of things done online that I'd been putting off (the upside of being stuck on the couch). I was also discharged from PT last week after two months, so that was a relief. My arm & shoulder aren't back to 100% yet (maybe about 75%), but I'm on my way and will continue to work on it at home. Getting rid of those 2-3 PT visits a week will free up some time for me!

As always, we are all enjoying our books. Here's what we've been reading this past week:

• I finished In a Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry, an author I met at Booktopia in May. I bought this literary suspense novel for my husband, and he liked it. It's the story of a reporter in Lake Placid, NY, who is present when a body is found encased in the frozen lake, and it turns out to be a man she knows. It's a slow, dark burn with plenty of tension and suspense, as she works on a series of articles about the dead man while how he died remains a mystery (until the very end). A perfect fit for me for the R.I.P. Challenge - creepy & suspenseful but not scary or gory.
• Next, I was very excited to read the latest novel by best-selling author Andy Weir (who wrote The Martian): Artemis. It is due out on November 17, and I am reviewing it for Shelf Awareness and just finished it last night. Artemis is the name of the first city on the moon, and the story follows a young woman, Jazz, who is a small-time smuggler but gets involved in some serious criminal activity that is way over her head. It's basically a caper story that takes place on the moon, with Weir's signature blend of science, suspense, and plenty of humor. I really enjoyed it.
• I finished listening to a middle-grade sci fi thriller, Horizon, by renowned author Scott Westerfeld. This is book 1 of a new series that starts with a group of kids on their way to a robot competition in Japan when their plane crashes. Nothing about the crash or their surroundings afterward seems quite right. It combines sci fi elements with mystery and survival adventure. Believe it or not, I think this might be the first Westerfeld novel I have read! I enjoyed it and have downloaded book 2 (a good sign as I don't always continue with series after book 1).
• My husband, Ken, is reading Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone, a historical thriller set in NYC in 1899. He says it is very good so far and that I will like it, too!
• Jamie, 23, finally finished a whopping epic fantasy, Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight, book 1 of The Duelists trilogy, and enjoyed it. He says it's similar to the Three Musketeers, with elements of steampunk and fantasy/magic mixed in. 
• Now, Jamie has returned to The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, an epic fantasy that was recommended by our friends at Northshire Bookstore in Vermont. We gave book 1, The Blade Itself, to Jamie for his birthday in August, and he raced through it in just a few days! He was thrilled to find books 2 & 3 at his favorite used bookstore, so now he is reading book 2, Before They Are Hanged. Score one for mom and dad (and Northshire) for a good birthday gift!

Last week's blog posts:

TV Tuesday: The Killing, a dark Netflix show about homicide detectives on a case in Seattle

Fiction Review: Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson - warm, funny story of an unusual little boy and his caretaker

Fiction Review: Exposed by Lisa Scottoline - exciting legal thriller

2017 Big Book Summer Giveaway Winner! - Congratulations, Cheriee!

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?  

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