It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #MondayBlogs

by Donna Huber

I feel like I have reading ADD as I can't seem to settle on one book long enough to finish them. I'm currently working on 5 books! They are all good and I'm enjoying them, but I just can't seem to sit down and commit to just one of them. Since it might be a while before I get to the reviews, I thought I would share my current reading list.

Audiobook:

Amazon recently added a selection of audiobooks that are free to stream to Prime members. While I've never used my free ebook offer through Prime, I quickly jumped on Audible to see what was available. There were several books that piqued by interest and I chose a cozy mystery that in some ways reminds me of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series.

What it's about: Meet Agatha Raisin, high-flying public relations boss turned village sleuth. After her many years of bullying and cajoling others, her early retirement to a picture-perfect village in the Cotswolds is a dream come true.

Buy Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death at Amazon

In paperback:

With the release of a new Harry Potter book, I decided to re-read the entire series. I'm up to book 4 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I once read an interview with Rowling where she said something along the lines that if she could go back she would probably cut more out of book 4 as there is so much going on. In the movie version, a whole lot was taken out including the subplot of freeing house elves. I'm looking forward to seeing what details I have forgotten over the years.

What it's about: Harry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.

Buy Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at Amazon

During Armchair BEA I won The Confirmation in one of the blogger giveaways. It is pretty interesting. Though it is the least one I pick up, whenever I do I immediately get sucked into the story. I'm still in the 'get to know' stage, I think this is going to be a great suspense story when I get to the meat of the book.

What it's about: Newly elected U.S. president Bob Long is weighing reports of nuclear weapons in Iran when he learns Justice Peter Corbin Franklin, 86-year-old liberal conscience of the Supreme Court, has suffered a massive stroke. With pressing same-sex marriage and abortion laws as well as a huge antitrust case on the court's docket, the door is open for Long to appoint a conservative replacement, repaying the twenty-one million evangelicals who voted for him.

But it won't be that easy. Long suffers a series of political missteps while his court nominee, Marco Diaz, endures vicious character accusations in the media for his religious beliefs and rumors of a tragic past.

Meanwhile, terrorists in Iran have hijacked more nuclear materials and are threatening to bomb a major city if the U.S. or Israel attacks. Chaos reigns in the nation's capitol . . .

Buy The Confirmation at Amazon

Even with the other books I'm reading for fun, I'm still trying to make it through my pile of review copies. One of those books that I've been looking forward to is Unlocking Worlds: A Reading Companion for Book Lovers. I love the cover. It isn't really the kind of book you read straight through as it is mostly comprised of book reviews. Sally Allen is a faculty member of Post University and has taught courses in writing and literature. She discusses some of her favorite books and why they have made her list of "good literature". I enjoy reading what she thought of books I have also read and enjoyed as well as books that I have wanted to read. There are other books that I have never heard of (or the author) and those are a mix bag - occasionally I think I want to read the book she's discussing and other times I struggle to get through the passage because I have no interest in the book.

What it's about: Award-winning writer and teacher Sally Allen knows that good books don’t just draw us in; they talk to us, shape us, and transport us to times, places, and minds different from our own. In Unlocking Worlds: A Reading Companion for Book Lovers, Allen deftly weaves personal stories with fifteen thematized, annotated, and illustrated reading lists for what to read next. By sharing some of the treasures in her library and the secret lives they reveal, she gives us permission to embrace the shameless book lover inside each of us. Unlocking Worlds is a testament to how reading passionately—and compassionately—can unlock the world beyond our backyard. Celebrating books and those who read them, Allen shows how the solitary act of reading can be a powerful thread that creates community and connection. Thought-provoking and eloquent, Unlocking Worlds: A Reading Companion for Book Lovers is a must-have for anyone who can’t leave the house without a book in hand.

Buy Unlocking Worlds at Amazon

eBook:

On my eReader, I have another treat in The Hitwoman Under Pressure. I can't believe it is book 15 in the series and I haven't grown bored with the series either. Even though I feel the series is drawing close to the end, I'm enjoying every moment and will be sadden when I have to say goodbye to Maggie and the rest of this fun crew of characters.

What it's about: Maggie Lee's dedication to her family knows no limits.

Even though her life is in chaos, she'll take any chance to repair her fractured family.

All she has do is:
Get out of the loony bin
Eliminate the killer who’s hunting her sister
Make sure her family doesn’t go off the rails (yup, this one’s the toughest)

Thankfully she’s got the help of an ex-lover, a conman, and a sexy sailor, along with her psychic friend, her loyal, but bickering, pets, and her favorite mob boss.

If only she could rely on them to help her stop the man who wants her sister dead. With two hitmen already killed for going after him, Maggie could use all the help she can get.

Maggie’s skills (and sanity) are put to the test and the stakes have never been higher.

Buy The Hitwoman Under Pressure at Amazon

Donna Huber, founder & publisher. Donna is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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