It's Monday, What Are You Reading (200)

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.

Happy New Year! I hope your 2015 is off to a great start. I feel like I'm not ready for a new year yet. I haven't figured out my reading goals either. I know there are a lot of reading challenges out there and last year I didn't participate in anything except the Goodreads challenge. This year I was hoping to join something but I don't know what yet. Any suggestions?

I have decided to sign up for Fit Readers (formerly Book Blog Walkers) after being inspired by the participation of other book bloggers like Kristin and Teddyree. I live a very sedentary life and after a few years of maintaining my weight I gained more than I wanted to in 2014 through a combination of bad eating habits and lack of exercise. I worked really hard to lose the extra pounds I gained in college so I don't want to see them come back! 

Speaking of sedentary I think I spent most of yesterday sitting and reading. I finished one book and started two more. With bad weather on the way I may get more reading time this week. I've also been binge watching Season 4 of Downton Abbey since Season 5 is starting. 

Books reviewed:

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Books read:

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

I liked this sequel to Garden Spells. It was fun to revisit the characters and see how they've grown from the first book.

The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig

Not quite as good of a mystery as I'd hoped but The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla was an enjoyable story because of Sally. I am tired of the ongoing modern story with Eloise and Colin. I skipped those parts and then went back to read them after reading the historical part.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

I kind of loved this book. I read some reviews that said it was derivative of Outlander or that the book became a "bodice ripper" with historical information thrown in here or there but I didn't find that to be the case at least not for me. I liked the setting of Scotland during WWII and the tie in with the Loch Ness monster.

Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

Another fun Lady Georgiana mystery but I am kind of sad that I have to wait awhile for the next book. I liked the Hollywood setting but the resolution of the mystery kind of came out of nowhere. I prefer mysteries where the reader has a chance of guessing the killer but with this one I saw nothing that pointed to the killer.

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with All Fall Down. It is a good book but it is very different from her other series--much darker without the humor that usually lightened the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society books.

Currently reading:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

This book was recommended by The Eclectic Reader. After seeing her review I ordered it for the library and I've finally got it in my hands. So far I really like it. It is a retelling of Rapunzel along with the historical story of the fairy tale's author, Charlotte Rose de la Force. 

Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

I am reading this one after reading Sheila's really positive review of it earlier this week. I saw that it was available from the library as an e-book so I checked it out. I love that it is set in a bookstore and involves children's literature and Margaret Wise Brown.

What I might read next:

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after she wakes. In this case Aurora has to figure out how to save her kingdom.

 

Love Lucy by April Lindner

Another retelling this time, a contemporary take on E.M. Forster's A Room With a View set in modern Italy. I haven't read the original though I have watched a film version.

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

I started reading this tearjerker but decided to put it aside to read other lighter things first. It is the story of a young woman in her 20s who has already battled breast cancer once and survived only to find out right before her 4th year of being cancer free that it is back and stage 4.  She decides that before she dies she wants to find a new wife for her husband because he'll be lost without her.

The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag

This book is being compared to Sarah Addison Allen's novels and I've read some positive reviews so I wanted to give it a try.