Weekly Mewsings: My Week in Reading

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 catching up on the laundry as I type this, listening to the occasional flyovers of planes from the airshow nearby. The weather has been very pleasant as of late, low 80F's with a nice breeze. 

What have you been up to this weekend and past week?  

A person can get a lot of reading in while sitting in the hospital waiting room. My mom had cataract surgery earlier in the week, and I was able to lose myself in The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz during that time. I had taken a couple days off work because of the surgery and my mom's follow-up appointment the next day so was able to fit in quite a bit of reading. The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay was the selection for my Diverse Romance book club, which met this past Thursday. Everyone enjoyed the book and we had a good discussion about different dating and courting traditions in various cultures. We always begin each meeting with a thumb up, down, or middle along with a one word description. I admit I am not the most creative in picking one word, but I felt "romantic" summed it up well, not only about the book as a whole, but also about the Filipino tradition of the five stages of courting. 

This past week I also finished reading my daughter's recommended pick for me, a middle grade paranormal contemporary novel, The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts. It is one of her favorite books that she had read a couple or so years ago. I can definitely see why. I liked it too! It is one of those books I (and Mouse) wish had a sequel. 

Last night I finished Steel's Edge, the fourth book in the Edge series by Ilona Andrews. Richard hadn't been my favorite character in the previous two books, but I really came to like him in this one. And I adored Charlotte. I think she's my favorite heroine among all of them in the four books. 

During the week, I also fit in the audiobook Against the Loveless World, written and narrated by Susan Abulhawa. I have a print copy but wasn't sure I would be able to read it in time for tomorrow's book club meeting, so decided to listen to the audiobook instead. It isn't an easy read, given everything Nahr goes through. The author spares no details. It was a heartbreaking novel about a Palestinian woman as she slowly becomes radicalized due to her life experiences and search for a better life for her family. I look forward to the book club discussion. 

I currently am reading three books. I am continuing to follow along with my daughter's Language Arts class reading of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I am also reading two more of April's book club reads: Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #1) by Tamsyn Muir for the Science Fiction/Fantasy book club, and All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers for the Mystery book club. I am a little skeptical I will get them both read in time, but I will do my best. 

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List was the idea of Michelle at Because Reading, and while Michelle has not been hosting this monthly event for some time now, it's one of my favorite traditions that I cannot bring myself to give up. It's just too much fun! The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile 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).

Thank you to everyone who voted in this month's TBR List Poll! I have been unable to pin down exactly what I am in the mood to read this month, and so book club picks and the TBR poll are proving to be especially helpful right now. All of the books I choose for the monthly polls are books I have on hand that I want to read, and these three are no different. 

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1) by Stephanie Burgis came in with five (5) votes while The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens earned seven (7). Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller won with eleven (11) votes. I look forward to starting Kirsten Miller's book soon! 

Thank you  again to everyone for voting in this month's TBR List poll! 

What are you reading next? 

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz, who shares three good things in her Sunday Salon posts, I thought I would try to do the same. With all the worries and stressors in life, I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. My mom's surgery went well!

2. It's been nice enough in the evenings to open the windows for a little while before I go to sleep, and I have been enjoying the scent of the orange blossoms from the nearby orange groves.

3. I had forgotten how good a Strawberry Banana Julius is from Dairy Queen until I had one last weekend. Yum!

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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© 2025, 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.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Six Days in Bombay / Another Fine Mess / One Death at a Time

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings 

to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Here are three upcoming releases that caught my attention and immediately ended up on my wish list I am looking forward to reading all of them. 

Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi

Release Date: April 15, 2025 by MIRA

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist, this sweeping novel follows a young Anglo-Indian nurse who embarks on a journey from her home in Bombay, through Prague, Florence, Paris, and London, to uncover a mystery and prove her innocence after a famous painter dies in her care.

When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and Sona is excited to spend time with the worldly woman who shares her half-Indian identity, even if that's where their similarities end. Sona is enraptured by Mira's stories of her travels, and shocked by accounts of the many lovers she's left scattered through Europe. Over the course of a week, Mira befriends Sona, seeing in her something bigger than the small life she's living with her mother. Mira is released from the hospital just in time to attend a lavish engagement party where all of Bombay society. But the next day, Mira is readmitted to the hospital in worse condition than before, and when she dies under mysterious circumstances, Sona immediately falls under suspicion.

Before leaving the hospital in disgrace, Sona is given a note Mira left for her, along with her four favorite paintings. But how could she have known to leave a note if she didn't know she was going to die? The note sends Sona on a mission to deliver three of the paintings—the first to Petra, Mira's childhood friend and first love in Prague; the second to her art dealer Josephine in Paris; the third to her first painting tutor, Paolo, with whom both Mira and her mother had affairs. As Sona uncovers Mira's history, she learns that the charming facade she'd come to know was only one part of a complicated and sometimes cruel woman. But can she discover what really happened to Mira and exonerate herself?

Along the way, Sona also comes to terms with her own complex history and the English father who deserted her and her mother in India so many years ago. In the end, she'll discover that we are all made up of pieces, and only by seeing the world do we learn to see ourselves. [from the Publisher]

This sounds so good! Everything about it appeals to me.

Another Fine Mess (Bless Your Heart #2) by Lindy Ryan 

Release Date: April 15, 2025 by Minotaur Books 

Another Fine Mess is a horror novel that combines mystery, humor, and heart. It follows the Evans women, who have kept the undead from rising in their southeast Texas town for over a century. However, the dead sometimes rise too quickly. In Another Fine Mess, Lenore Evans, Luna, and the new sheriff must uncover what threatens everything they love.  [from the Publisher]

I still need to read the first book, which I hope to do soon. A combination of "mystery, humor and heart" in a horror novel seems too good to miss!

One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman
Release Date: April 15, 2025 by Berkley

A cranky former actress teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor to solve the murder that threatens to send her back to prison in this dazzling new mystery novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

When Julia Mann, a bad-tempered ex-actress and professional thorn in the side of authority, runs into Natasha Mason at an AA meeting, it’s anything but a meet-cute. Julia just found a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops say she did it (she already went to jail for murder once, so now they think she’s making a habit of it). Mason is eager to clear Julia’s name and help keep her sober, but all Julia wants is for Mason to leave her alone.

As their investigation ranges from the Hollywood Hills to the world of burlesque to the country clubs of Palm Springs, this unconventional team realizes their shared love of sarcasm and poor life choices are proving to be a powerful combination. Will secrets from their past trip them up, or will their team of showgirls, cat burglars, and Hollywood agents help them stay one step ahead? Are dead piranhas, false noses, and a giant martini glass important clues or simply your typical day in Los Angeles? And will they manage to solve the crime before they kill each other, or worse, fall off the wagon? Trying to keep it simple and take it easy is one thing—trying to find a murderer before they kill again is a whole other program. [from the Publisher]

This seems a bit of a departure from Abbi Waxman's other novels, one of which I read and enjoyed immensely, and I am all in! I love a good cozy mystery.  

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

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© 2025, 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.

Weekly Mews: Springing into April with a Look Back On My March Reading (Please Vote in My April TBR Poll!)

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.  

This past week was a rollercoaster, and I am relieved the weekend is finally here.

Books Read in March

March was an exceptional reading month even if an abysmal blogging month. I was able to fit in ten books again (will I be able to keep this up?!), with only one DNF. I have had very little computer time and am behind on my reviews. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to visit and comment on the posts. I hope to be able to reciprocate more this month. 

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews is my favorite in the Edge series yet. While I enjoyed the first two books, this one felt more like what I have come to enjoy and love about their books. Haunting and Homicide was a fun cozy paranormal mystery that was especially timely given my family's recent enjoyment of going on ghost tours--and I just love a good story involving ghosts! With the Epic musical soundtrack on repeat in our house (thanks to Mouse), it put me in the mood to pull Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths off my TBR shelf to read, my third nonfiction book of the year. I loved it!

March's TBR List Poll Winner, Spellshop, was just as good as everyone said it would be. This cozy fantasy was like a big warm hug. I want a sentient plant! I decided to go ahead and read the second place book, The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love, and it was delightfully funny and charming--I need more of that in my life. 

March's book club reads were all winners. I re-read (via audio this time) The Truth According to Ember for my Diverse Romance book club--and it was just as good the second time around. Everyone in the book club enjoyed it. Since I was unable to attend the Cellar Door Book Club in March because it fell on my daughter's birthday, I decided to give the Science Fiction/Fantasy book club a try and joined them in reading Thistlefoot. We had a great discussion about Nethercott's novel, a Baba Yaga re-imagining. After a slow start, I did end up enjoying Ida, in Love and in Trouble, which I read for my Historical Fiction book club. I ended up missing the meeting unfortunately, but I am glad I was able to read the book. My Mystery book club's selection Murder by Degrees was enjoyed by all, including me. I love a good historical mystery! Although not a book club pick, I checked out the audiobook of Before I Go, after learning the second book in the series (trilogy?) will be the May selection for the Diverse Romance book club. I knew going in that the books can be read as standalones but the temptation to start with the first book was strong. When I first put it on hold through the library, there was a 30 day wait, so I was surprised when it was available only a couple days later. 

The Fate's Edge (The Edge #3) by Ilona Andrews

Ida, In Love and in Trouble by Veronica Chambers

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji

Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery #1) by Amber Burke

Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic #1) by India Holton

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes

Before I Go (Skyland #1) by Kennedy Ryan

Format pie chart from Storygraph

Of the books I read in March, two were audiobooks and the rest were an equal mix of e-books and physical copies.

Rating Scale: 5 Paws=Outstanding; 4 Paws=Very Good; 3 Paws=Good; 2 Paws=Okay; 1 Paw=Didn't Like

Except for the one book I was unable to finish (therefore not rated), the books I read in March were all four paws and above. Two books earned my five paw rating. I may not have been sure GennaRose Nethercott's Thistlefoot would be among my top rated when I first began reading, but by the end there was no doubt it would be with the beautiful writing, clever plotting, and complex characters, many of whom I came to really care about. My other five paw book in March was Before I Go. Kennedy Ryan's novel was very much about the feelings for me, and that, along with the sensitivity and compassion with which the author approaches her characters and their story, won me completely over. 

My March 2025 Reading Moods (according to Storygraph)

Let's take a look at how I did with my March Chapter Break Bookish Bingo card. I did not manage to fill out all the spots like last month, but I think I did fairly good at filling out the card; I filled 21 spots, 22 if you count the free space! 

What was your favorite book read in March? Have you made progress with your reading challenges? Did you have a good reading month?

I finished reading A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher most recently and am now reading Steel's Edge (The Edge #4) by Ilona Andrews. I also started The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts, which my daughter recommended. She read it a couple or so years ago and it's one of her favorites--so I feel honored that she's finally letting me read it. I get it. It can be hard to let someone close to you read a book you love--what if they hate it? Speaking of Mouse, she's reading S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders with her class, and I dug out my old mass market paperback copy with its yellowing pages and am tempted to read along too. I haven't read the novel since I was in high school, but I remember it fondly. 

I also really need to start this month's book club reads. I had hoped to start a couple of them earlier in the week, but it was not meant to be.

The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by Melissa de la Cruz

All the Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Gideon the Ninth by Tasmin Muir

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List is hosted by Michelle at Because Reading. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile 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).  

Please help me select my next read! I really struggled with coming up with three books for this month's poll. I am not sure what I am in the mood for. Here are three I pulled randomly from my TBR shelves. 

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1) by Stephanie Burgis

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other? [Publisher's Summary]

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens

After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too. [Publisher's Summary]

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change, brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.

Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.

But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution is wrapped in the cover of The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette. A jacket that belongs to Our Confederate Heroes ends up on Beloved. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever. 

[Publisher's Summary]

Thank you for voting!

New to my bookshelves:

Upcoming Book Club Books

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King

Norwegian Night (Sigrid Ødegård #1) by Derek B. Miller

This Could Be Us (Skyland #2) by Kennedy Ryan

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

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

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz, who shares three good things in her Sunday Salon posts, I thought I would try to do the same. With all the worries and stressors in life, I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. My mom's Masquers Theatre Club put on an original melodrama play called Three Sheets to the West this weekend that had all of us in the audience laughing and cheering (and booing at the evil Mayor). All of the cast, including my mom, did a great job!

2. Waking up naturally on a Saturday morning; no alarm clock and no where to be. 

3. Hot chocolate and chocolate chip croissants--thanks to my husband for surprising me with breakfast earlier this week! 

What have you been up to this past week? 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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© 2025, 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.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Matchmaker / Happy Land / The Geographer's Map to Romance

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings 

to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Here are three upcoming releases that caught my attention and immediately ended up on my wish list I am looking forward to reading all of them. 

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed
Release Date: April 8, 2025 by Bantam

A society matchmaker realizes she’s in danger when her clients' weddings are sabotaged in increasingly disturbing ways—an utterly original mystery from New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed.

Nura Khan is a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta and business has never been better. Her exclusive clientele benefits from her impeccable track record. And while a single thirty-one-year-old matchmaker would normally raise some perfectly threaded eyebrows in the community, Nura's childhood best friend Azar is willing to double as her pretend fiancé at her clients’ weddings—as long as Nura is able to hide that her feelings for him might not be so pretend.

But Nura quickly learns that all that glitters isn’t gold. While it’s not uncommon to get the occasional hate mail from rejected prospective clients, after a couple’s carefully constructed wedding implodes, Nura is blindsided by a cascading chain of increasingly terrifying events and realizes someone is taking things too far. With Azar by her side, Nura embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that threatens not only her safety but everything she's worked so hard to build. [from the Publisher]

There's something about novels featuring matchmakers that draws me to them. This one sounds like it will be an entertaining mystery with a fake-dating romance twist!

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Release Date: April 8, 2025 by Berkley

"It's time we name our kingdom!" he shouted over the wind. "I say we call this place Happy Land. If this ain't the land of happy people, then where is it? Why not create our heaven right here on earth?"

In the hills of Appalachia, there once existed a land ruled by a king and queen. Inspired by memories of African kingdoms, a community of formerly enslaved men and women grasped freedom on mountain land they owned. But freedom doesn't always last forever . . .

Today, after years of silence, Nikki has been summoned to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother. But instead of revealing answers about their recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki a shocking story about her great-great-great grandmother, Queen Luella, and the very land they stand on. Land Mother Rita insists must be protected at all costs.

As Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, she comes to realise how much of her identity is rooted in this family land, and how much they stand to lose if it, like so much else, is taken from them. It's time to reclaim what's theirs. [from the Publisher]

I enjoy multi-generational stories and the setting particularly appeals to me. Inspired by true events too! I want to know more!

The Geographer's Map to Romance (Love's Academic #2) by India Holton
Release Date: April 8, 2025 by Berkley

Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her--except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either--except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart. [from the Publisher]

All of India Holton's books sound like fun, and this one sounds like it will be too!

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

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© 2025, 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.

Weekly Mewsings: Spring Break

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.  

Spring Break is winding down for us. Mouse wanted to do an unofficial bookstore crawl during Spring Break, and so we visited several of the independent bookstores in and around town in addition to the local Barnes and Noble throughout her time off. That was a lot of fun! We also spent a couple days in San Diego just to get away. We went on a ghost tour that took us inside a few of the well known haunts in San Diego--we all enjoyed it immensely. We also spent a day at Balboa Park, visiting the botanical gardens and a couple of the museums there. No vacation is complete without a bookstore visit, and we stopped in at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, which my husband and daughter had to drag me out of--but not without books, of course! I think we all needed the break and a chance to recharge. 

The above photo is of the backside of the Villa Montezuma in San Diego, built (1887) and once owned by pianist, spiritualist and author Jesse Shepard (aka Francis Grierson). Although we weren't allowed to take photos inside, we did get to visit the music room. It's a beautiful house with an interesting history. The below photo is of the front, including the stained glass windows attached to the music room.

We also had the chance to tour the Davis-Horton House (below), which is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the area, particularly popular among ghost and paranormal activity hunters. Alas, there were no ghost sightings while we were there, but we enjoyed hearing about the house's history.

Outside the Davis-Horton House

Inside the Davis-Horton House

Dante, one of your tour hosts, explaining the use of an 

antique picnic basket at the Davis-Horton House

On the ghost tour, we had the chance to go into the present day Horton Grand Hotel in the Gaslamp District, where two of the rooms are said to be haunted, both having been built on properties that had been a brothel run by the famous Ida Bailey and also Wyatt Earp's Seven Buckets of Blood gambling hall. And we visited the well-known haunted Whaley House in Old Town San Diego, which has quite a history. The tour ended with a visit to a seemingly small graveyard in Old Town, which turns out not to be so small--when you think of all the bodies still buried under the sidewalks and paved street.

I am most familiar with Balboa Park because of our many visits to the San Diego Zoo. We have never really taken the time to explore the other features the park has to offer on those visits, so this time decided to make that our focus. The park has eighteen museums, including the gardens and exhibits. We did not come close to visiting them all, but we enjoyed what we did see and would like to go back someday to see more. Here are some photos my husband and daughter took of our visit to Balboa Park: 

Outside the  Casa del Prado

Outside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Inside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Inside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Lily pond outside the botanical building

Museum of Us

California Tower of the Museum of Us

Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park

Even amidst moments of personal joy, the weight of events and news in the U.S. and around the world is always there. Americans may not feel the repercussions now, but we surely will even as some already are.

What have you been up to? I hope you are well!

At the moment, I am juggling three books. Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes is my latest nonfiction book (I have talked about it so much that my husband wants to read it). I am also reading A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher--I really do not like Evangeline. My current audiobook is Before I Go by Kennedy Ryan, which is the first book in the Skyland series. My diverse romance book club will be reading the second book of the series in May. While Ryan's books are part of a series, they can be read as stand alone novels (each book features a different couple), but my library had a copy so I thought I would give it a try. I am loving it to far!

What are you reading right now? Is it something you would recommend?

Where I share what everyone else in my family is reading

~ Mouse's Current Reads ~

The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Nekokurage, Natsu Hyuuga, Itsuki Nanao

Sixteen Souls (#1) by Rosie Talbot

The False Prince (Ascendance #1) by Jennifer A. Nielson

~ Anjin's Current Reads ~

Too Many Losing Heroines, Vol. 3 by Takibi Amamori, illustrated by Imigimuru (light novel)

Uncle from Another World, Vol. 11 by Hotondoshindeiru, translated by Christina Rose

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Vol. 1 by Izumi Tsubaki, translated by Leighann Harvey

Mouse wanted to do our very own personal bookstore crawl during her Spring Break, and so we visited several of the new and used independent bookstores (in addition to the local Barnes and Noble). These are the books I picked up: 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (#3) by Heather Fawcett

Oathbound (Legendborn Cycle #3) by Tracy Deonn

Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space edited by Zoraida Córdova

Tea You at the Altar (Tomes & Tea #3) by Rebecca Thorne

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

The Undetectables (#1) by Courtney Smyth 

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What new books did you add to your shelf this week? 

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz - With all the worries and stressors in life, 

I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. Mouse has had an awesome birthday month! 

2. Anjin and I attended Mouse's band competition a couple of weeks ago, and her middle school band received an unanimous superior for both their band performance and their sight reading test, which is the highest rating. They truly did sound good and Mouse enjoyed the experience. 

3. Many thanks to my mom for taking care of the cats while we were away!  

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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