Spring Into Horror Readathon 2018

I'm so ready for a readathon to keep my momentum going! This year, I'm going to try and read some "scary" books along with my regular TBR pile. 

TBR Pile:

• Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice 
• The Great Halifax Explosion by John Bacon 
• Alice in Zombieland by Gina Showalter 
• Parasite by Mira Grant 
• The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
• Jennifer Government by Max Barry 
• If These Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell 
• Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell 
• Penny Dreadful Volume 1 
• Revival Volume 8 

Watch list:

• The Girl with All the Gifts
• Life
• Train to Busan
• 10 Cloverfield Lane
• Get Out
• Miss Peregrine
• The Shape of Water
• Annihilation

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2018 Wrap-up

March's TBR Pile (15/16):

1. MVPA Book Club Selection: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (not pictured) ✓
2. TBR Pile: The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant ✓
3. Reading Assignment: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning ✓
4. Book of the Month Club (February): The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller ✓
5. Book of the Month Club (March): Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser ✓
6. Series Pick: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins ✓
7. Series Pick: Spirit Bound by Rachel Hawkins ✓
8. Series Pick: Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra by Anne Rice ✓
9. Comics Pick: The Wicked + the Divine Vol. 6 ✓
10. Comics Pick: One Week in the Library by W. Prince, John Amor, and Frazer Irving ✓
11. Romance Pick: A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh ✓
12. Classics Pick: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell ✓
13. Nonfiction Pick: The Words We Live By by Linda Monk
14. Carryover Pick: As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner ✓
15. Added: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal ✓
16. Added: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 4582 pages
Pages Remaining: 684,549 pages

Current Read - If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books bought/received (1) -- I picked up Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides based on the recommendation from a bookseller at my local independent bookstore.

April's TBR Pile:

1. MVPA Book Club Selection: The Radium Girls by Denise Kiernan (not pictured)
2. TBR Pile: Parasite by Mira Grant
3. TBR Pile: The Dress Lodger by Sherri Holman
4. Reading Assignment: The Words We Live By by Linda Monk (not pictured)
5. Book of the Month Club (April): TBD (not pictured)
6. Series Pick: If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell
7. Comics Pick: Revival Volume 8
8. Short Stories: The Emerald City by Jane Yolen
9. Romance Pick: Slightly Married by Mary Balogh
10. Romance Pick: Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
11. Romance Pick: Slightly Scandalous by Mary Balogh
12. Classics Pick: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
13. Nonfiction Pick: It’s All Relative by A.J. Jacobs
14. Nonfiction Pick: Lost San Francisco
15. Nonfiction Pick: Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area
16. Nonfiction Pick: Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman (not pictured)
17. Spring Into Horror Pick: Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice (not pictured)
18. SIH Pick: The Great Halifax Explosion by John Bacon
19. SIH Pick: Alice in Zombieland by Gina Showalter (not pictured)
20. SIH Pick: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
21. SIH Pick: Jennifer Government by Max Barry
22. SIH Pick: Dead Bold by Juliet Blackwell
23. SIH Pick: Penny Dreadful Volume 1
24. SIH Pick: The Worlds of Lore Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke (not pictured)

Movies watched

• Justice League -- Wow that was boring... 
• The Foreigner -- James Bond as a villain was the perfect choice. And Jackie Chan is amazing in this low-key roll. Really enjoyed this one!
• War Dogs -- Mediocre in my opinion. I realize that it's based off of a true story, but I just didn't find it super fascinating.
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi -- Oh so good! Star Wars isn't my number one fandom, but I do enjoy the movies. This one was just great.
• The Mummy -- We were bored. So much exposition.
• The Imitation Game -- We finally watched this one. So so good!
• Rubber -- That was one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen.
• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle -- Arthur and I watched this one. Pretty entertaining.
• Neighbors 2 -- Mediocre comedy. There were a few scenes but that's it.

TV Shows watched

• The Magicians S3 -- Love love loving this season! The departures from the books really do make sense and I love all the character growth.
• Another Period -- So dumb, but I love it!
• Happy S1 -- Such a strange show.
• Supernatural S3 -- Still working through this series a few episodes at a time.

Comments - Another awesome reading month! So excited that my momentum has continued through the early spring. On to April!

Next up on the TBR pile:

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Title: 84, Charing Cross Road

Author: Helene Hanff

Publisher: Grossman Publishers 1970 (Penguin Books 1990)

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 97

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Bookstore; I Love Libraries

This charming classic love story, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, at the time, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London at 84, Charing Cross Road. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship, captured so acutely in these letters, is one that has touched the hearts of thousands of readers around the world.

This book has been mentioned on Anne Bogel's podcast What Should I Read Next so many times, I had to add it to my library holds list. And I'm glad I did. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting, but was pleasantly surprised by the cute letters between Helene and the various people at the bookstore at 84 Charing Cross Road. Over the course of a few years, a relationship develops that I wasn't expecting but was delighted by. Such a slim little volume, but a great read. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

Title: Glamour in Glass

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Publisher: Tor 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 334

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Second in Series

Mary Robinette Kowal stunned readers with her charming first novel Shades of Milk and Honey, a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. Shades debuted to great acclaim and left readers eagerly awaiting its sequel. Glamour in Glass continues following the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.

In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent's concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon…to escaping it.

Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison . . . and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war.

A good second volume in this series. I don't think this will be one of those series that I rave about to everyone I meet, but I am enjoying myself. I love the mix of fantasy and Regency. I love the descriptions of using glamour and the results of the efforts. I enjoy the characters although both of the main characters can be trying at times. I did enjoy the moving of the setting to France. Interesting little volume. 

The Glamourist

• #1 Shades of Milk and Honey
• #2 Glamour in Glass
• #3 Without a Summer
• #4 Valour and Vanity
• #5 Of Noble Family

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I'm losing the never-ending battle of having a clean living room...  Guess I just need to kick everyone out of the house...
• Still in a weird reading rut. The last few books haven't been great. I'm really hoping this changes this coming week.
• Arthur's so excited to dye Easter eggs this week. I keep holding him off to keep them fresh. I think today's the day.
• Feeling a brain dump is needed.
• The downstairs closet needs to be cleaned out. Not looking forward to that task.
• I need to make a clothing-needed list for the boys. We just got their sandals for this year, but I'm sure they will need a few more things. 
• Debating about various local attraction memberships. Thinking we will drop Chabot when it runs out (May). The zoo has been renewed until April 2019. Should we replace Chabot with something else? Need to explore our options.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

Title: Not That I Could Tell

Author: Jessica Strawser

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 324

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Share-a-Tea

When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal.

By Monday morning, one of them is gone.

My Book of the Month selection for March. I picked this one as it was a read-alike to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I really loved that book and was hoping for an intriguing mystery with interesting characters. Unfortunately, this book lacked the hook that got me invested in the characters. For the most part, I just didn't care about them. I wanted to figure out what happened to Kristin, but wasn't perched on the edge of my seat with suspense. The plot line was okay. I was just really not connected to any of the characters. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Quentin: 17-18 Months

Quentin's official 18 month appointment isn't until the 30th of March. 

At the space museum

Fave Snack: popcorn

Playdate!

Likes: All the toys! (especially cars, trucks, etc). Snuggles, his Scout, music of basically any kind, wrestling with Arthur, tickles

Dislikes: Napping, not having all the toys, being told "no," being confined to the stroller

Sleeping: I get irrationally happy when Quentin takes a nap. At this point, it happens 2-3 times a week. That's it. The rest of the week he's up and running from 7am to 8pm. 

Eating: Starting to show more pickiness when it comes to food. He's enamored with throwing his food on the dining room floor. Ugh! He's still way more adventurous with food than Arthur, but I see it starting.

Playing: So much play! He loves to drive his cars all around the house (and sometimes on me). He loves to dance around to music. There's always lots of running and chasing in this house. And he's really gotten into climbing and slides at the park/indoor play place.

Milestones: Still no official English words although he is very good at communicating his needs and wants. Plus, he usually understands simple commands "go get your shoes," "put your plate on the island," "where's your bis (blanket)?" 

Out and About: Still trying to do two activities outside of the house every week. In the past two months, we've been to the Oakland Zoo, Bay Area Discovery Museum (twice!), Ardenwood Farm (baby goats!), Chabot Space and Science, Totland Park, Seven Seas Park, and Mel's Play Place.

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Seasonal Series Readathon - Spring

I came across the Seasonal Series readathon from another blog that I follow. I love this fun idea and think I will be adding this to my reading challenges.  It’s a three-month long readathon running from March 20th to June 20th. The trick is that most of the books are to be a part of a series. I definitely I have series just sitting in my house reading to read. 

Spring Tasks:

1. Take a walk while listening to an audiobook
2. Read a book while drinking lemonade
3. Read the first book in a series - If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell
4. Try to unhaul a book you’ve lost interest in
5. Read a book that’s been on your shelves way too long - Parasite by Mira Grant
6. Read with rain in the background -> real rain or sounds
7. Read a book with pink on the cover
8. Read a book from a middle grade series
9. Read a series with a new book coming out in 2018
10. Read a book of a series where the parents of the MC aren’t dead
11. Read a book with character growth
12. Read a book while eating chocolate
13. Free Space: read any book of a series - Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
14. Read a book where only the first book of a series is out
15. Read a book set in the real world
16. Read a book with a spring colors on the cover
17. Finish a duology
18. Use a flower as a bookmark
19. Read a book with great friendship
20. Read the last book in a series - A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell
21. Read a book while sitting outside
22. Read a book that is (partly) set in spring
23. Read a book with green on the cover
24. Read a book that includes an animal - Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell
25. Read a book under 300 pages 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday -- Bad Wolves "Zombie"

Such a great cover of one of my favorite songs. So sad that Dolores wasn't able to sing on the record before her death.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bloggiesta Spring 2018 - Finish Line

To Do:

• Life blog drafts March, April ✓
• Craft blog drafts March, April ✓
• Upload craft photos to Pinterest ✓
• Formulate TBR lists for April, May, and June ✓
• Fix author archives
• Fix title archives
• Check broken links
• Create headers for reoccurring topics ✓
• Update my potential blog posts file
• Check all my pages for relevancy/format ✓
• Create a photos page
• Curate a library books list for April, May, and June
• Draft check-in posts, seasonal posts ✓
• Look up upcoming Top Ten Tuesday topics ✓
• Look up upcoming readathons ✓
• Check TBR Pile page ✓
• Check Perpetual Reading Challenges page ✓

My to do list was quite ambitious considering how my week was anticipated to go. So, I'm going to say that what I did get done this week is great! I took care of a ton of those little behind the scenes tasks. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #9

As I look outside my window: It's overcast again. The rain seems be coming in a wave every couple of days this month. After a very warm and dry February, it's nice to see the hills so green for a time.

Right now I am: Curled up on the couch watching a very weird movie...

On my bedside table: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal; Revival Vol. 8

On my tv this week: We finished Happy S1 -- man that show as very violent and weird, but interesting. We also caught up with The Magicians S3, Another Period, and Superstore. Plus, we continued watching The Roosevelts. We're up to FDR getting elected President. 

Listening to: Basically just podcasts this week plus a little bit of the Singer-Songwriter radio channel on Apple Music. 

On the menu for this week: Last week's menu keep changing, so this week is all the leftover recipes from last week.

• Monday - Spicy Thai Noodles
• Tuesday - Leftovers
• Wednesday - Kale Caesar Pasta Salad
• Thursday - Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken
• Friday - Peanut Sauce Chicken and Broccoli
• Saturday - Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
• Sunday - Veggie Beef Soup

On my to do list: I still need to take care of Arthur's TK appointment. And I have a ton of little tiny errands and tasks to take care of. The usual.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Easter Egg Hunt at Mel's Play Place
• Tuesday - Errands, grocery
• Wednesday - Jelly Belly Factory visit; Quick and Easy Class
• Thursday - Home day?; DSP Class
• Friday - Quentin's 18 month doctor appointment
• Saturday - Playdate at our house
• Sunday - Home day

What I am creating: I finally finished my Week in the Life album, which means I can turn to my next unfinished project, my family 2017 Project Life album. I'm currently up to June. I'm hoping to knock out June and July this week. If I get those done, I can start working on the Spring Bingo make n takes and thank you cards, plus the rest of the April SSINK cards. 

My simple pleasures: Chocolate cake, comfy sweaters, sunshine, a nice walk

Looking around the house: Toys are everywhere!

From the camera: Hello otter! At the Oakland Zoo.

The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller

Title: The Philosopher's Flight

Author: Tom Miller

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 422

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Published in 2018; Share-A-Tea

Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy—an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. Though he dreams of fighting in the Great War as the first male in the elite US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service—a team of flying medics—Robert is resigned to mixing batches of philosophical chemicals and keeping the books for the family business in rural Montana, where his mother, a former soldier and vigilante, aids the locals.

When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable, unruly women. 

This was my Book of the Month selection for February, but I wasn't quite sure what I picked. Turns out, this is exactly the type of book that I enjoy reading. We're drawn into an alternate history where women (and a few men) have discovered and begun practicing a version of science/magic. This, of course, has impacted the course of history in very interesting ways. The book itself is set decades after the discovery of these powers and we connected to an unusual man who has the ability to do empirical philosophy. Obviously there is a fantastical element to the book. But really the book connects us to interesting characters that go on a journey of self-discovery. Slow-moving in certain parts, but overall a really entertaining read. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Title: Cranford

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Publisher: 1853

Genre: Classics

Pages: 257

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Movie I've Already Seen; A to Z - C

Cranford is an affectionate and often moving portrait of genteel poverty and intertwined lives in a nineteenth-century village. One of Elizabeth Gaskell's most beloved works, it centres on a community dominated by women and governed by old-fashioned ways. The formidable Miss Deborah Jenkyns and the kindly Miss Matty's days revolve around card games, tea, thriftiness and an endless appetite for scandal, until change comes into their world - whether it is the modern ideas of Captain Brown, a bank collapse, rumours of burglars or an unexpected reappearance from the past.

Classic that has been sitting on my shelf for too long. I enjoyed this one, but it's definitely not for everyone. I love how Gaskell has structured the book as more of vignettes than cohesive consecutive chapters. The reader gets little slices of life in Cranford filled with colorful characters and insights into relationships. I see this as a mix between Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. I'm not a huge fan of Dickens, but I adore Austen. This was a good mixture of the genres. While the book is very good, I loved the BBC miniseries starring Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty. She is a treasure! 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Videos for a Rainy Day

Definitely putting this one on our watch list.

Hmmm... We'll have to see

One of my favorite books... This one looks promising.

Aubrey Plaza is a treasure...

And I can't wait for Legion S2!

I loved the original. I have high hopes for this one...

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bloggiesta Spring 2018 - Update #2

To Do:

• Life blog drafts March, April ✓
• Craft blog drafts March, April ✓
• Upload craft photos to Pinterest
• Formulate TBR lists for April, May, and June
• Fix author archives
• Fix title archives
• Check broken links
• Create headers for reoccurring topics -- I created headers for my reading challenge check-ins, 52 weeks, videos, and odds and ends. The life blog ones are done. I'm toying with making a few for my craft blog, so keeping this goal open right now. 
• Update my potential blog posts file
• Check all my pages for relevancy/format ✓
• Create a photos page
• Curate a library books list for April, May, and June
• Draft check-in posts, seasonal posts ✓
• Look up upcoming Top Ten Tuesday topics ✓
• Look up upcoming readathons 
• Check TBR Pile page ✓
• Check Perpetual Reading Challenges page ✓

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Title: The Birth of Venus

Author: Sarah Dunant

Publisher: Random House 2003

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 426

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Pile; Popsugar - Set in a country that fascinates me; 

Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from northern Europe to decorate the chapel walls in the family’s Florentine palazzo. A child of the Renaissance, with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter’s abilities.

But their burgeoning relationship is interrupted when Alessandra’s parents arrange her marriage to a wealthy, much older man. Meanwhile, Florence is changing, increasingly subject to the growing suppression imposed by the fundamentalist monk Savonarola, who is seizing religious and political control. Alessandra and her native city are caught between the Medici state, with its love of luxury, learning, and dazzling art, and the hellfire preaching and increasing violence of Savonarola’s reactionary followers. Played out against this turbulent backdrop, Alessandra’s married life is a misery, except for the surprising freedom it allows her to pursue her powerful attraction to the young painter and his art.

Hmmm... So I think this is a perfectly fine book with a fine plot and gorgeous setting. I just couldn't find myself connecting to anything or anyone in the book. I finished it, hoping to make a connection t some point, but I just didn't. Possibly this book just wasn't for me. I must say that the setting in Florence is perfect! I usually love stories set in Italy. I just didn't love this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bloggiesta Spring 2018 - Update #1

To Do:

• Life blog drafts March, April ✓
• Craft blog drafts March, April
• Upload craft photos to Pinterest
• Formulate TBR lists for April, May, and June
• Fix author archives
• Fix title archives
• Check broken links
• Create headers for reoccurring topics -- I created headers for my reading challenge check-ins, 52 weeks, videos, and odds and ends. The life blog ones are done. I'm toying with making a few for my craft blog, so keeping this goal open right now. 
• Update my potential blog posts file
• Check all my pages for relevancy/format
• Create a photos page
• Curate a library books list for April, May, and June
• Draft check-in posts, seasonal posts
• Look up upcoming Top Ten Tuesday topics
• Look up upcoming readathons 
• Check TBR Pile page
• Check Perpetual Reading Challenges page

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List 2018

I almost completely forgot about this! Thankfully I remembered in just the nick of time. I've been thinking about the activities we want to do before the summer comes.

1. Have an Easter Egg Hunt
2. Dye Easter Eggs
3. Beach picnic
4. Ride the steam train at Tilden
5. See the baby goats/sheep/pigs at the farm
6. Go to the farmer's market
7. Make fun cupcakes
8. Make a fairy door
9. Have a cookout
10. Visit Happy Hallow
11. Create a gardening project for Arthur
12. Paint my nails a springy color
13. Play with sidewalk chalk
14. Go to a botanical garden
15. Visit five different parks
16. Fly a kite
17. Make strawberry shortcake
18. Have an ice cream sundae night
19. Visit Chabot twice before our membership runs out
20. Blow bubbles
21. Make a rainbow craft
22. Host a tea party
23. Make dirt pudding
24. Bake flower pot bread
25. Go berry picking

Next up on the TBR pile:

Top Ten Tuesday -- Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

I assign each Tuesday a topic and then post my top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join me and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

Let's see how I did with my Winter TBR pile: 6 out of 10 books reads. I will take it! 

1. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon ✓
2. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman ✓
3. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran ✓
4. No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor ✓
5. Tales from the 1001 Nights by Richard Burton ✓
6. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh ✓
7. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
8. A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom
9. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
10. Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Spring TBR:

1. A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell -- Really want to read the newest Witchcraft Mystery book. Love these cozy mysteries.
2. Rest of the Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh -- I've read the two prequels, now I would like to read the six main books. Would love to enjoy these and free up room on shelves.
3. Another romance series -- Really any series that's currently sitting in my unread piles.
4. Out of Africa by Isak Denison -- One of those classics that's been on my TBR list for a very long time.
5. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan -- A nonfiction pick I've been really excited to read.
6. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie -- Random read from my unread shelves.
7. Two Chronicles of St. Mary's books by Jodi Taylor -- Love this series! Haven't read a volume for awhile now. Really want to get this moving again.
8. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -- Keeps popping up on podcasts and blogs I follow. Guess I really need to read this soon.
9. Solaris by Stansilaw Lem -- Classic science fiction that I would like to get to.
10. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay -- Another big podcast and blog recommendation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - The Hamilton Polka

Love Weird Al and Hamilton! This is the perfect mash-up.