Monday Musings

My week: Just another blur of a week here! Saturday we took Alohi to her weekly puppy playtime and signed her up for some training classes that begin next week. And she had her first trip inside Lowe's!

Did you do anything for Easter? Usually we at least make a ham and some yummy sides (and up until last year I made Jarrod color eggs with me) but Easter totally snuck up on me this year and we didn't do anything Easter-y at all. We did take a couple fun pictures of Alohi in an Easter hat during her first trip to Petco when she was just eight weeks old and teeny-tiny (she had her four-month birthday yesterday; where does the time go?!), which I had planned all along to save and share for Easter. Meet Alohi-Bunny!

Reading: I finished and enjoyed the Australian mystery novel "The Dry" (review) and I was excited to see that it's going to be a series! The main character was a dynamic detective I could get behind and I'm looking forward to having a new series to keep up with! (I'm good at reading newer series as the books come out, but I have a terrible time reading all the books in older series.)

After that I read "Swimming Lessons" by Claire Fuller. I really liked Fuller's first book, "Our Endless Numbered Days," and while the plot of her new novel is very different it's just about as dark. Don't be fooled by the cheerful cover -- it's mostly about the inner workings of a failing marriage, which doesn't sound like something I'd normally pick up but Fuller is a talented writer and it definitely held my interest.

Then I plowed through the psychological thriller "Gone Without A Trace," which releases tomorrow. I saw going in that it had mixed reviews and, since thrillers have not been my thing lately, I would've skipped it if I hadn't committed months ago to reading an ARC. Sadly, this book continued my downhill streak with thrillers and -- unless you really, really enjoy the genre -- I wouldn't recommend it. (Uninspired writing, formulaic plot, predictable, weird...)

Yesterday I started the first book in the graphic novel series "March," about the civil rights movement, by Congressman John Lewis. It's a super-short book and I should be done quickly; then it's on to "Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid, a new book I've been looking forward to for a while!

Crafting: I didn't do any knitting this week, but I did start on a project for work, a wreath made out of paper leaves.

Watching: We finally watched "Moana" and it was so cute! Definitely fun to see while living in Hawaii. We also watched this week's "Designated Survivor" and an "Elementary" from a couple weeks ago. And while Jarrod was at his Saturday-night poker game, Alohi got her first introduction to Harry Potter! I've been craving a Potter movie and I chose "Half-Blood Prince" because I've seen most of the others more recently. If Alohi were under the Sorting Hat, I'm 100% positive she'd be put in Gryffindor!

I'm excited to start watching "The White Princess" on Starz, based on Philippa Gregory's book. I haven't read the novel (I haven't picked up anything by her in a few years) but I loooooved "The White Queen" miniseries and I'm excited to watch the sequel.

Listening to: "In Cold Blood" by alt-J.

Blogging:
Monday Musings
10 Of The Most Unique Books I've Read
New Release: Sputnik's Children by Terri Favro
Book Review: The Dry by Jane Harper

Looking forward to: Beginning an embroidery project! The three kits I mentioned on my MM post last week arrived and I'm excited to choose one and get started.

*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?