I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.
I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.
What better way to spend a birthday than curled up on the couch reading while the rain falls outside? After several triple digit temperature days in a row, it was nice to get some cooler weather at the end of the week. The rain not only helped cool down the temperature outside, but it also helped the firefighters gain an upper hand on the nearby fires.
My husband and daughter had many surprises for me this weekend. There was cake, flowers, a Pink Drink, and then today we drove out to Los Angeles and visited the The Last Bookstore. It's toted as the largest new and used bookstore in California. There are comfy spots to sit and read or you can browse the many shelves of books and vinyl records. For the art lover, there's a few small galleries/shops upstairs not to mention book art throughout the store. Of course we bought some books while there. We visited Little Tokyo for a late lunch before heading home.
How was your week?
Read Recently
From Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews last week to the second and third books in the Hidden Legacy series, White Hot and Wildfire this week--a mix of urban fantasy and romance that really hit the reading spot. It is a promising sign my reading slump is well behind me. I also fit in the third and fourth volumes of Hotondoshindeiru's Uncle From Another World. I may have to steal the fifth volume from my daughter--she's been distracted by other books and hasn't finished it yet.
What did you recently finish reading?
Reading Now & Up Next
I am nearing the end of Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) by B. B. Alston and am just about to start reading September's TBR List Poll winner. Thank you to everyone who voted!
Thank you for voting! What are you reading right now?
My TBR List is hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).
New to the Shelves
Mouse and I added more books to our bookshelves recently. Let's take a look!
My Birthday Loot:
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
The Love Hypthesis by Ali Hazelwood
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rup Kaur
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Together in a Sudden Strangeness: America's Poets Respond to the Pandemic by Alice Quinn
Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories by Naomi Kritzer
Always Practice Safe Hex (Stay a Spell #4) by Juliette Cross
Fly Me to the Moon (Sylvia Stryker Space Case Mystery #1) by Diane Vallere
I'm Your Venus (Sylvia Stryker Space Case Mystery #2) by Diane Vallere
Saturn Night Fever (Sylvia Stryker Space Case Mystery #3) by Diane Vallere
Spiders From Mars (Sylvia Stryker Space Case Mystery #4) by Diane Vallere
Mouse's Unbirthday Loot:
Sourceline #1 by Sylvia Douyé, illustrated by Paola Antista
The Body Under the Piano (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #1) by Marthe Jocelyn
Salt Magic by Hope Larson, illustrated by Rebecca Mock
The Body Under the Piano (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #1) by Marthe Jocelyn
Salt Magic by Hope Larson, illustrated by Rebecca Mock
The Thief Queen's Daughter (The Lost Journals of Ven Polyheme #2) by Elizabeth Haydon
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Class is Not Dismissed (School of Fear #2) by Gitty Daneshvari
What new books made it onto your shelf recently?
I hope you have a great week and month of September! Let me know what you have been reading and watching!
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I enjoyed that series from Diane Vallere. Hope you do, too.
ReplyDeleteI almost stopped at The Last Bookstore after the LA Times Festival of Books this year, but I was tired and didn't feel like paying for parking and trying to find a place to park. I just wanted to get home. I still need to make it down there at some point.
Mark - I am glad to hear you enjoyed the Diane Vallere books. Cozy science fiction sounds like an interesting twist on the genre. I'm looking forward to reading the series.
DeleteI hope you get a chance to go to The Last Bookstore someday. I had not even heard of it until my husband told me we would be going as part of my birthday celebration. It was a nice surprise. :-)
That bookstore looks fabulous! And happy birthday!! Glad you got a cooldown out there. Sometimes rain is a nice change.
ReplyDeleteOoh yay for Roosevelt's! I think that's the one I voted for. :) And wow I love those covers of the sylvia stryker series. Fun!
Greg - Thank you! It's quite a bookstore--so many books and I just love the atmosphere and look of the store. It's pretty muggy out but the cooler temperatures are welcome.
DeleteThank you for voting! I'm looking forward to visiting with Maggie Hope again. It's been too long!
That looks like a terrific bookstore - much like Powell's Books in Portland - it just goes on forever and ever. You certainly got some great books - Underground Railroad by Winters is a book I really enjoyed. I have a Scalzi on my bookshelves that I haven't read yet.... I agree, it does seem like we have pretty similar taste in books. Enjoy the ones you have.
ReplyDeleteTerrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
Terrie - I told my husband and daughter that for my next birthday, they should take me to Powell's or The Strand. I am glad you enjoyed Underground Railroad. I really liked Winters' The Last Policeman trilogy and have been wanting to read something else by him. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteHappy Birthday 🎈 A what a special gift!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great reading week
Shelleyrae - Thank you!
DeleteThat bookstore seems amazing! Also I am happy that you guys got cooler temperatures!
ReplyDeleteSophie - The cooler weather has been so nice. I hear it's supposed to start getting warmer again--I hope not too much so! The bookstore really was amazing. I'm so glad we were able to go!
DeleteWhat a great birthday you had! That bookstore looks fantastic! I need to try that Pink Drink. :)
ReplyDeleteI probably enjoy the Pink Drink more than I should! It's a nice treat. :-)
DeleteLittle Tokyo and the bookstore sounds like the perfect birthday celebration.
ReplyDeleteHarvee - It was a really nice day. :-)
DeleteWell, now I have another bookstore destination to add to my list. The Last Bookstore looks like my kind of place. What a fantastic way to celebrate your birthday!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you were able to break your reading slump with the books you've been reading. And look at all those new arrivals. You have reminded me that I have a copy of Love Hypothesis that I've been waiting for just the right time to read...maybe this week.
I hope you do get a chance to go when you are in Los Angeles. I've been spoiled with books this birthday. :-) I hope we both enjoy The Love Hypothesis.
DeleteYour photos of the bookstore make it look quite remarkable! I thought the outdoor used bookstore in Ojai was the biggest but No Way!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - I loved it. Such a charming place. I haven't visited the outdoor bookstore in Ojai but I hope to someday.
DeleteWhat a birthday! I'm envious :-)
ReplyDeleteTina - It was a nice surprise. :-)
DeleteThe happiest of birthdays to you! I can see that you had a wonderful day and yes, curled up a with a book with the rain falling outside - does sound like the perfect way to celebrate your birthday.
ReplyDeleteWow that bookshop!! I guess you were on cloud 9 all the way.
I haven't read any of your books on display today, but The Mrs. Rooseveldt series does seem like fun. Will take a look.
Have a good week ahead and happy reading to you and Mouse!
Elza Reads
Mareli (& Elza) - Thank you! I love a rainy day when I can sit and read to my heart's content. The Maggie Hope mystery series is one of my favorites. I'm really enjoying this month's winner so far.
DeleteHappy Birthday! What a wonderful bookstore. It looks like the perfect place for a booklover to spend their birthday. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYvonne - Thank you!
DeleteHappy Birthday! That rain sounds amazing. And I'd love to visit that bookstore someday. I wish we had one as cool where I live. Have a great week! :D
ReplyDeleteLark - Thank you! I hope you are able to visit the bookstore.
DeleteHappy birthday! :D I'm glad your husband and daughter have spoiled you. And, reading on the couch while it's raining outside sounds like the perfect way to celebrate. <3
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday Post
Jenni Elyse - Thank you! It was a very nice surprise. :-)
DeleteHappy Birthday! Sounds like the welcome change in weather was a special birthday gift. Love the bookstore photos... one more bookish stop for my ever-growing list. Have a great week, Wendy.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn - Thank you! The cooler weather is very welcome. I hope it lasts but I imagine we're in for more hot weather still. I hope someday you can visit The Last Bookstore.
DeleteHappy birthday!! What a fabulous bookstore!! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend! Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteCindy - Thank you!
DeleteWhat a great birthday! Also reading the beginning trilogy of Hidden Legacy. Wildfire is a book of the decade to me. So awesome. Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Anne - Thank you! I really enjoyed Wildfire too.
DeleteHappy Birthday!! What a fabulous way to celebrate your birthday.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteOh, I need to go to the Last BookStore the next time I am down in LA.
ReplyDeleteI am ready for our weird weather to go away, too. It sounds like you had a fantastic birthday weekend! Happy birthday wishes to you :-)
Helen - I hope you do get a chance to visit The Last Bookstore.
DeleteThank you for the birthday wishes!
That bookshop display is gorgeous! And spending your birthday reading sounds amazing - belated happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteEustacia - Thank you! We had a very nice day. :-)
DeleteI listened to The Kaiju Preservation Society on audio with Wil Wheaton as narrator and I LOVED it! I also loved The Love Hypothesis. Funny side note, the Rupi Kaur book you got is one that I'm being asked to pull from my library due to images in it. It's crazy! Sounds like you had a nice birthday. Hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteLisa - I listened to Wil Wheaton narrate Red Shirts a few years ago and loved it. I am glad to hear you enjoyed Scalzi's The Kaiju Preservation Society. That's too funny about the Rupi Kaur book being pulled from the library shelves. I hadn't even noticed the artwork until your comment so I had to go see what the fuss might be about. I love her poetry.
DeleteNothing beats rainy day reading, happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteSarah - My favorite kind of day. :-) Thank you!
DeleteHappy Birthday! Glad you had a great one. The Last Bookstore looks like a dream come true! I enjoy reading when it's raining outside too, so much that I'll put rain ambience on Youtube sometimes on the tv while I read lol. Enjoy your books this week, I need to read Ilona Andrews.
ReplyDeleteNaida - Thank you. :-) I hadn't thought of putting on YouTube and reading to the rain on a non-rainy day. That's a great idea!
DeleteHappy birthday.
ReplyDeleteI love the bookstore pictures.
We were at 112 and then we got rain yesterday and now we're in the 80's. It's a nice break.
Mary - Thank you! The temperatures here dropped with the rain, The cooler weather has held so far, but I have a feeling it won't last.
DeleteI love that bookstore!! Love the pictures and so glad you had a good time there. Happy Belated Birthday!
ReplyDeleteKay - Thank you!
DeleteThat bookstore was stunning! I have The Love Hypothesis on my tbr, hopefully I get to it soon. I hope you're having a great week. I look forward to your next post.
ReplyDeleteJennifer - I hope I will get to The Love Hypothesis too. It seems to be well loved by many readers. Thank you for visiting!
DeleteSounds like the perfect birthday and the bookstore looks amazing! My husband is in southern California a pretty good bit for work and we've been talking about going with him. I am adding the bookstore to my visit list! I hope you are having a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - It was! I hope you are able to visit the bookstore one these days!
DeleteI'm glad the weather is getting cooler with the rain and also that you'd a wonderful birthday with your family, Wendy. I hope you enjoy all the books you've got there. :)
ReplyDeleteMelody - Thank you!
DeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Wendy. That bookstore looks amazing!
ReplyDelete