Sunday Post: Early Start to Summer & June TBR List Poll

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The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to 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. 

Summer weather has made its appearance. Triple digits no less. We are doing what we can to stay cool. I wanted to jump in the pool with Mouse on Friday during her swim lesson. The water looked so inviting. Instead I spent a little time with my current book in the shade, which was no hardship at all. Free reading time is something to take full advantage of, after all. I only wish the lesson had been a little longer . . .

How are you on this fine (hot) weekend? What are you up to? Are you reading anything worthwhile? Please share!

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you reply to every comment on your posts? (submitted by Elizabeth) 

I do! I may not be able to reply right away, but I make an effort to reply to every comment. I also try to visit the blogs of those who leave me comments (if the commenter has one--or if I can find a link to that person's blog, which I am not always able to do, sadly). I appreciate every comment I receive--and am so grateful to all of you who take the time to leave me one.

What I Am Reading: May turned out to be a good reading month, both in quality and quantity. I read seven books and listened to one:

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (audio)
Charming by Elliott James
June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
The Shadow Revolution by Clay and Susan Griffith
Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

I ended up reading all of my May TBR List books, not just the winner. I couldn't help myself. I was in the mood for urban fantasy. I hope to post the reviews soon. Of all my May reads, John Scalzi's Redshirts is my favorite--it was quite a ride. If I had to pick a print book though, it would be June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore.

I have now read six books for Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge. If I remember right, I only committed to read one. I've also officially read two books for the What's In a Name Reading Challenge. I would say that's not too shabby.

I finished reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman just a half hour before this posting. Gaiman is one of those authors I intend to read everything he writes. Fortunately, I have a number of his books still to get to. I am not ready yet to start on another book. My thoughts are still too filled with the story of the Marquis de Carbasas, Door, Richard Mayhew, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar.

What I Am Watching: I have been watching Jessica Jones on Netflix. My husband had talked me into reading the first Alias graphic novel when it came out, which is what the show is based on. I liked it, but never read beyond that first issue. I am enjoying the television show quite a bit. Jessica is a former superhero turned private investigator. The show is gritty and dark, and I am hooked. Not to mention David Tennant is in it.  Have any of you seen it?

Around the Blogosphere:

• Choose Your Own Comment Adventure! (2) - Leafing Through Life's Megan came up with this fun idea of posting about going on a commenting adventure. I may have to take her up on her offer to play along!
• Searching Images For Your Website Don’t Steal Them - Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Kimberly, talks offers some great resources for finding images for your blog. I imagine some people may not realize they are stealing images by using just any ol' image they find. And so this is a good reminder.
• June Movie Watch-a-thon Choices Stacy from Stacy's Books has started a Monthly Movie Watch-a-Thon for us movie lovers! Will you be taking part?
• Thursday Thoughts, May 12th - Diversity Rachel from R Squared: Reading + Rachel asks what diversity in reading actually means and how do you really know you are reading books that quality as diverse.

What's Going On Off the Blog: Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone. The unofficial beginning of summer. We spent the long weekend with my in-laws. Mouse was thrilled to be able to use their pool. And it renewed my interest in wishing we had one. Why do they have to be so expensive?!  She was also very excited to see her grandparents and uncle again, of course. She got to play Pathfinder Adventure with her uncle and dad, and we spent a morning at the park.

Playing at the Park

This is the last weekend of soccer for Mouse--at least with her current class. I think she would like to keep going this summer, if she could, but my husband and I are thinking a break is in order--to stay out of the heat and maybe free up our weekends to do a day trip now and then.

My family is known to extend birthdays for awhile, and with my husband's birthday this coming week, Mouse, Anjin and I had lunch at Farrell's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour. It's always great fun.

The work week was busy. We are getting a new phone system in at work later this month, and everyone has to undergo extensive training in how to use it. Some of it is very basic--and repetitive--but I am sure we will appreciate the training when the new phones are in place.

This Past Week In Reading Mews:

• Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/24/2016) (Teaser for The Shadow Revolution & Ten (or so) Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed
• Bookish Thoughts: A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi
• Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/31/2016) (Teaser from Salvage the Bones & Top Ten Books you should read if you are stuck at home alone on a stormy summer night)
• Bookish Thoughts: June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Help me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme 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 Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 

With just six more months to meet my goal for the What's In a Name Reading Challenge, I thought I would enlist your help in meeting at least one of the requirements. My choices this week all fall under the "title with a profession in it." Each of these book offers a little something different--Science Fiction, Historical Romance and a Mystery--and all are on my TBR List calling my name. Which one do you think I should read? 

Admiral by Sean Danker 

From Goodreads:  

“I was on a dead ship on an unknown planet with three trainees freshly graduated into the Imperial Service. I tried to look on the bright side.”

He is the last to wake. The label on his sleeper pad identifies him as an admiral of the Evagardian Empire—a surprise as much to him as to the three recent recruits now under his command. He wears no uniform, and he is ignorant of military protocol, but the ship’s records confirm he is their superior officer. 

Whether he is an Evagardian admiral or a spy will be of little consequence if the crew members all end up dead. They are marooned on a strange world, their ship’s systems are failing one by one—and they are not alone.

Within a Captain's Hold by Lisa A. Olech

From Goodreads: 

Captain Jaxon Steele is a tall, sun-bronzed, fierce-fighting Pirate King. He and the notorious crew of the Scarlet Night are both feared and respected for their ruthless reputation. The Captain’s only love is the open sea and the ship he calls home. When it comes to women, he has three rules: never sleep with another’s wife, don’t take virgins into bed, and most importantly, never bring a woman aboard—that brings the worst luck of all.

Annalise Gatherone has to leave London—tonight! Usually her only concern is the color of her latest gown, but now she’s choosing between life and death. Desperate to escape the clutches of an evil Duke, she stows away aboard the Scarlet Night, hoping she’s bound for Port St. Maria. Winning Captain Steele's affections, she just might sneak by unharmed. But when her plans are altered in ways she never imagined, she must batten down the hatches for a journey into unknown waters…

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

From Goodreads:

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?



I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.