If it wasn’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done. Or at least it certainly seems that way. We’re off for the American Library Association Annual Conference at the end of the week and it feels like there are suddenly a million-and-one things to do before we go. Only because there probably are.

The cats are NOT going to be best pleased. They never are when their human servitors abscond from their duties for any length of time longer than a catnap. Come to think of it, not even then. We’re obviously supposed to be at their beck and call even when they’re sleeping!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Hello Summer Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of Summer on Mirror Lake is Rita W.
The winner of the Fantastic Father Giveaway Hop is Lisa W.

Blog Recap:

A- Review: Wrath of the Goddess by Lauren Dane
B Review: Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan
A- Review: The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery
A- Review: Finder by Suzanne Palmer
Hello Summer Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (344)

Coming This Week:

The Women’s War by Jenna Glass (review)
Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter (blog tour review)
Hell Squad: Dom by Anna Hackett (review)
Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford (blog tour review)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz (review)

This has been the drippiest, rainiest, gloomiest weekend ever. You’d think it wasn’t summer around here, but it is. At least it’s cool. But wet. Very, very wet.

It’s terrific reading weather. Every cloud has a silver lining! (p.s. I’m expecting the little old guy with the animals trailing behind him in pairs to march by any minute now!)

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Fantastic Father Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!)
Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross
The Alchemist of Lost Souls by Mary Lawrence

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Life’s A Beach Giveaway Hop is Danielle

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: The Alchemist of Lost Souls by Mary Lawrence + Giveaway
A Review: The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair
Spotlight + Excerpt: The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery
B+ Review: Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross + Giveaway
A- Review: The Summer Country by Lauren Willig
Stacking the Shelves (343)

Coming This Week:

Wrath of the Goddess by Lauren Dane (review)
Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan (blog tour review)
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery (blog tour review)
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz (review)
Hello Summer Giveaway Hop

This was certainly the week that was. Was what, I’m not sure, but was. It’s amazing how fast those 3-day weekends whiz by.

It is definitely summer here in Atlanta. It also seems to be summer on Reading Reality, as I have 3 books with “Summer” in the title scheduled this week! Serendipity reigns supreme!

Speaking of reigning, I have a kitten curled between my feet again. This seems to be one of her new rituals. As soon as I pull my chair up to my desk, she settles in between my feet – and usually ON my feet as well. It’s adorable. She’s adorable. But I’m afraid to move…guess I’ll just get more bloggy stuff done today!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!)
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Fantastic Father Giveaway Hop
Tempest by Beverly Jenkins
The Four Hundred Series by Joanna Shupe

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the May of Books Giveaway Hop is Theresa
The winner of the You May Win Giveaway Hop is Kristen
The winner of the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop is Delia

Blog Recap:

Memorial Day 2019
Fantastic Father Giveaway Hop
B+ Review: Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank
A+ Review: Rebel by Beverly Jenkins + Giveaway
B- Review: The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (342)

Coming This Week:

The Alchemist of Lost Souls by Mary Lawrence (blog tour review)
The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair (blog tour review)
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery (tour spotlight + excerpt)
Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross (blog tour review)
The Summer Country by Lauren Willig (blog tour review)

I’ve just noticed that Amy almost took over the blog this week. Maybe I should just let her do that sometime and see what shenanigans happen?

I did read some really long, involved, complicated and interesting books this week, that will show up on the blog eventually. But big books take big time, even for me, so I really appreciate Amy pinch hitting for me!

Tomorrow’s Memorial Day Holiday helps too! If you’re in the U.S. and have the three-day weekend, welcome to the unofficial start of summer. I don’t know about where you are, but here in Atlanta summer has arrived with a vengeance. It’s in the 90s, and it’s going to be in the 90s all week with no rain or cooling in sight.

As I type this today there is a kitten snoozing under my chair. I’m kind of afraid to move for fear that I’ll either step on her, roll the chair over her, or just plain wake her up. She’s only quiet and not totally intrusive when she’s sleeping. She’s adorable but extremely bouncy and pouncy when awake!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the May of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the You May Win Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Life is a Beach Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the May Flowers Giveaway Hop is Heather

Blog Recap:

D+ Guest Review by Amy: Sworn to Forget by Maria Imbalzano
Life is a Beach Giveaway Hop
B Review: No Saving Throw by Kristin McFarland
B Review: Mission: Her Safety by Anna Hackett
A Guest Review by Amy: Finding Kat by Kimberley O’Malley
Stacking the Shelves (341)

Coming This Week:

Fantastic Father Giveaway Hop
Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank (blog tour review)
Rebel by Beverly Jenkins (blog tour review)
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (blog tour review)

I seem to be getting a slow start on this rainy Sunday here in Atlanta. It’s just the sort of day that’s tailor made for curling up with a good book and a sleepy kitty. And the cats all agree!

Current Giveaways:

Paperback set of A Duke Changes Everything and Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the May of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the May Flowers Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr is Linda

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: Pets in Space Sampler by S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Tiffany Roberts, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Donna McDonald, Cassandra Chandler and Alexis Glynn Latner
A Review: Westside by W.M. Akers
B+ Review: Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle + Giveaway
A- Review: The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan
May Flowers Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (339)

Coming This Week:

Shadowblade by Anna Kashina (review)
The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning (blog tour review)
Love In Bloom Giveaway Hop
You May Win Giveaway Hop
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms (blog tour review)

It’s been kind of a dark and stormy weekend here in the Atlanta area, which makes it a perfect weekend to stay in and READ! Of course, I do tend to think that all weekends are perfect weekends to read.

We did see Avengers: Endgame last Sunday and it was AWESOME! Not perfect, but terrific all the same. It’s amazing how fast those three hours go by – even without a bathroom break. If you haven’t seen it yet I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I will give you two tips. Number one, bring tissues, you’ll need them. Number two, in spite of the way that Marvel has trained us over the past 22 movies, there are no end trailer features or Easter Eggs. When the credits begin, the movie is over. That’s a good thing, because you will need to make tracks to the nearest facilities!

Current Giveaways:

The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the May Of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop is Gina
The winner of the Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop is Angela

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: The View from Alameda Island by Robyn Carr + Giveaway
A- Guest Review by Amy: Autumn Bones by Jacqueline Carey
May of Books Giveaway Hop
B Review: Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus: Beginnings by Lydia Sherrer
A- Review: Tightrope by Amanda Quick + Excerpt
Stacking the Shelves (338)

Coming This Week:

Pets in Space Sampler by S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Tiffany Roberts, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Donna McDonald, Cassandra Chandler and Alexis Glynn Latner (review)
Westside by W.M. Akers (blog tour review)
Anything but a Duke by Christy Carlyle (blog tour review)
The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan (blog tour review)
May Flowers Giveaway Hop

It’s both Passover and Easter Sunday today, so HAPPY whatever you celebrate in this Spring season!

I’m trying to figure out what to say about either last week or this coming week, and for some reason I’m drawing a blank. At least I didn’t do an actual blank and just leave the “XXX” from the template in this space!

The upcoming week feels like a relatively quiet week, at least at the moment. No blog hops, no new tours, no new giveaways. It feels a bit anticlimactic. But fear not, the next several weeks have bloghops and tour reviews galore!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Worth Melting For Giveaway Hop is Jen B.
The winner of the Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop is Lisa

Blog Recap:

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop
A- Review: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
B+ Review: Winds of Marque by Bennett R. Coles
B+ Review: Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
Stacking the Shelves (336)

Coming This Week:

Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (review)
Heart of Eon by Anna Hackett (review)
Pirate’s Pleasure by Lisa Kessler (review)
The Fire by John A. Heldt (review)
Under the Table by Stephanie Evanovich (review)

Now I know that the Blogo-Birthday Giveaway Celebration is REALLY over. All of the rafflecopters have ended, and it’s time to announce the winners for all the giveaways. I’d like to thank everyone who participated, and everyone who reads and follows Reading Reality. You all make it a blast!

Both of the remaining giveaways end early this week, but fear not! I have new ones starting on the very same days!

I was clearly not as awake as I thought on Saturday. I prepped my Stacking the Shelves post but forgot to publish it! It was THAT kind of week! Now that the taxes are done for the year, hopefully this week will be a bit less fraught.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Worth Melting For Giveaway Hop (ends TOMORROW!)
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop (ends TUESDAY!)

Winner Announcements:

The winner of any book in the Leaphorn Chee and Manuelito series by Anne and Tony Hillerman is Danielle.
The winner of any book in the either Pitt series by Anne Perry is Helen.
The winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card is Cali.
The winner of the $25 Book(s) is Laura.

Blog Recap:

A Review: Who Slays the Wicked by C.S. Harris
B- Review: A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian
B Review: Arsenic and Old Books by Miranda James
A+ Review: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
A+ Review: Doctor Who: Scratchman by Tom Baker
Stacking the Shelves (335)

Coming This Week:

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (review)
The Winds of Marque by Bennett R. Coles (review)
Old Baggage by Lissa Evans (review)

This week contains the EIGHTH anniversary of the start of Reading Reality. My first post was published on April 4, 2011. It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight years. It feels like yesterday! April 5 is my birthday, so when those days rolled around in 2012, it seemed as if they were meant to be celebrated together. Hence, Blogo-Birthday!

I will be giving stuff away every day this week – so stop by every day to see what’s on tap!

Current Giveaways:

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne
Paperback set of the Diamonds in the Rough series by Sophie Barnes

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop is Brenda E.

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick + Giveaway
B Review: The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne + Giveaway
A+ Guest Review by Amy: Stardance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson
B Review: The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes + Giveaway
B+ Review: If This Goes On edited by Cat Rambo
Stacking the Shelves (333)

Coming This Week:

Worth Melting For Giveaway Hop
Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop
Triple Jeopardy by Anne Perry (review + giveaway)
EIGHTH ANNUAL BLOGO-BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!
The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman (review + giveaway)