It's Monday, What Are You Reading (174)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next.

I am currently at my parents's house, staying with my mom while my dad is in Canada. It is amazing to me to see how well she is doing. She is almost back to her old self. She is able to walk without her walker inside their house and do a lot of the things she used to do. Yesterday she helped me do laundry and fold towels and we even baked a cake Friday evening. Now if I could only get her to sit down and rest! We did watch a couple of movies like Frozen and  The Book Thief (which she loved) but my mom has always kept herself busy so it is hard to get her to sit down sometimes. She is just so excited about all that she is able to do that she couldn't do a month ago.

I did manage to finish two books and I have a review written that will be posting later this week. I also filed my 1040 though I still have to file my state and local taxes. Nothing like waiting till the last minute! At least spring has finally made an appearance. My mom's daffodils are starting to come up and I'm sure we'll be seeing more buds before long.

Books read:

Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews

This was a fun contemporary romance set in Savannah. I enjoy Mary Kay Andrews's humorous writing and the way she adds details to the story through the setting and the character's career (this time as a wedding florist). 

Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan

This book appealed to me as a story about two very different sisters. I also enjoyed the setting in Jazz Age New York and the mystery surrounding their missing brother.

Currently reading:

A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch

I am still working my way through this one. I probably won't get through it this week.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This book has received a lot of buzz and so far I really like it. The main character is a grumpy widower with an attitude who runs a bookstore and how he begins to change for the better after the theft of a valuable book and the delivery of a big surprise...

What I plan to read next:

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

This is a book group selection for April. Both of my groups are reading the same book for once which will be a nice break for me! I also enjoy seeing how each group has a different opinion about the book and characters. My afternoon group is mostly retired seniors and my evening group is made up of people from their 20s-50s. People always bring their own life experiences into the discussion so every book group is different!