To celebrate the end of of this 3-day weekend, here’s a picture of George stretched out very, very long. I have no idea what that thing is in the bottom of the picture. But George has become a very long, skinny drink of water in the last few weeks. Once he grows into his legs and tail he’s going to be a very big boy.

Have you seen the #Hamilfilm this weekend? We saw the play in the theater, in Chicago, but long after the original cast had left – and from slightly obstructed seats. So we’re looking forward to seeing all the parts we missed sometime this weekend. Along with a viewing of one of my favorite movies, 1776. As I was talking with a friend today, I realized that there is a similarity beyond the time period. Both plays, and both movies, rely on the music to tell the story. The sets were minimal, and so was the spoken dialog. It’s the music that moves, and the music that sticks in the mind long after the show is over.

Speaking of things that stick in the mind, this past week The Angel of the Crows really knocked me for a marvelous reading loop. If you like historical fantasy, or urban fantasy, or Sherlock Holmes, or wingfic, or Katherine Addison or Sarah Monette, this book is well and truly awesome. As was The Lost Princess Returns, but Lost Princess is the culmination of a long and deeply involved – and involving – series, while Angel is either an opening number or complete in itself. I sincerely hope it is an opening act, I’d love to see more in this world. And from this author.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Star Spangled Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the June of Books Giveaway Hop is Carl
The winner of the Daddy Shark Giveaway Hop is Jenness
The winner of the Gift Card Giveaway Hop is Molli

Blog Recap:

A Review: The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
A- Review: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
Star Spangled Giveaway Hop
A+ Review: The Lost Princess Returns by Jeffe Kennedy
C Review: The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham
Stacking the Shelves (399)

Coming This Week:

A Cruel Deception by Charles Todd (review)
Witchmark by C.L. Polk (review)
Claim of Eon by Anna Hackett (review)
Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees (review)
Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson (review)

I caught George napping at my feet this morning. He’d made a little nest for himself on the couch and was just peeking over the top. Until he fell asleep. And it’s a bit of a lazy Sunday so I was very tempted to join him in that nap!

It has been a long week in America. I desperately want this to be the end of the long dark night, but I fear that it is not. Concentrating on anything, even on reading, is difficult. Sometimes just sitting and petting the cats is the only option for sanity. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the June of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Movie Night Giveaway Hop is Breanne

Blog Recap:

June of Books Giveaway Hop
B+ Review: The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton
A- Review: Hell Squad: Tane by Anna Hackett
A Review: Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King
B+ Review: Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
Stacking the Shelves (395)

Coming This Week:

Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer (review)
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho (review)
A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Witherspoon (review)
Automatic Reload by Ferret Steinmetz (review)
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (review)

The world is having a really crappy time right now. A kitten picture will not solve anything, unfortunately, but hopefully it will make you smile for a second or two. George’s antics certainly make us smile!

There’s a bird’s nest in the eaves on our front porch just outside my office. Galen went out to take a picture of the nest while George was peering through the window. Supervising. Who could resist that concerned little face?

Speaking of resistance being futile, I couldn’t resist being part of the To Sleep in a Sea of Stars excerpt tour this week. Partially because I was just thrilled to be asked. And also because it gave me a couple of days to just chill and not have to have a review ready. I am very happy when I get a guest contribution from Amy Daltry or Galen – who was responsible for this Monday’s Memorial Day post, but for the most part Reading Reality is a one-woman band, with yours truly being the one beating all the instruments. It’s lovely to get a couple of days off to just read whatever the heck I want to, even if its something that really can’t be reviewed. With the week we’ve all just had, a complete escape was a relief. The only problem is that the world is still the mess it is when I come back to it. It’s starting to look like the future that science fiction warned us about, and I really wish it hadn’t been so damn accurate!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Movie Night Giveaway Hop (ENDS TONIGHT!!!)

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop is Ann B.

Blog Recap:

Memorial Day 2020
B+ Review: Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson
Spotlight + Excerpt: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
B Review: Out of Body by Jeffrey Ford
Spotlight + Complete Excerpt: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Stacking the Shelves (394)

Coming This Week:

June of Books Giveaway Hop
The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton (blog tour review)
Hell Squad: Tane by Anna Hackett (review)
Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman (blog tour review)
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (review)

I just discovered the notice that the last of the events we were planning to travel to this summer has been cancelled. I was expecting it, but as the event was in late August I still had a bit of hope. C’est la vie, and it’s better not to travel and gather if one wants to continue to vie! So color me a bit disappointed but not terribly surprised. George the kitten (see yesterday’s STS post for cute kitten George picture), along with his big brothers and sister, will be more than happy to take up my time by playing with me. Or the other way around.

And there are always plenty of books to read. This was a good week, two giveaways for you and three Grade A books for me!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Movie Night Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Mother May I? Giveaway Hop is Kim

Blog Recap:

A Review: The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold
Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop
A Review: This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf
A+ Review: The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
Movie Night Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (392)

Coming This Week:

The Secrets of Bones by Kylie Logan (review)
Tomb of Gods by Brian Moreland (review)
Westside Saints by W.M. Akers (review)
The Ghosts of Sherwood by Carrie Vaughn (review)
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (review)

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there. Even those of us who are, as a friend puts it, “weird giant mama” to one or more felines. Or canines. Or pets of any kind.

And a special shout out to all those moms out there, and it is mostly but not exclusively moms, who have found themselves becoming instant teachers to suddenly homeschooled children who have loads of time on their hands. Every day you manage not to pull your hair out with everything going on is a GREAT day.

If you do manage to grab a few minutes to put your feet up with a cup of tea or a glass of wine – or something stronger – maybe you can find a few good things to read from the daily pages of Reading Reality. Here’s whats coming up next!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Mother May I Giveaway Hop (ends FRIDAY!)
Gift Basket from the author of Mousse and Murder

Winner Announcements:

The winner of The Ingredients of You and Me is Danielle

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: Dali Summer by T.J. Brown
B+ Review: Close Up by Amanda Quick
A+ Review: Network Effect by Martha Wells
B Review: Jack by Connie Willis
B+ Review: Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (391)

Coming This Week:

The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold (review)
Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop
This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf (blog tour review)
The Last Emperox by John Scalzi (review)
Movie Night Giveaway Hop

Welcome to yet another Sunday in “Quarantineville”. Which has been going on long enough now that it kind of feels like normal. And something not too different from this might be for the foreseeable future. We’re not ready to “reopen” the states. There aren’t nearly enough tests. All of the usual childcare options are still closed, leaving mothers with both young children and jobs in a terrible fix. And people don’t feel safe, and probably won’t for a long time.

Be careful out there people, and buckle up. The next several months are going to be a very bumpy ride!

Meanwhile, I have Murderbot on Wednesday! That’s definitely something to look forward to!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Mother May I Giveaway Hop
The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci
Her Seafaring Scoundrel by Sophie Barnes

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop is Roy
The winner of the Rain, Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop is Shelly

Blog Recap:

B Review: Her Seafaring Scoundrel by Sophie Barnes + Giveaway
A- Review: The Lost Boys of London by Mary Lawrence
A- Review: The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci + Giveaway
B Review: The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick
Mother May I Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (390)

Coming This Week:

Dali Summer by T.J. Brown (blog tour review)
Close Up by Amanda Quick (blog tour review)
Network Effect by Martha Wells (review)
Jack by Connie Willis (review)
Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan (blog tour review)

This coming week is National Library Week, which may feel a bit ironic as most libraries are closed this week – and have been for the past few weeks and probably will continue to be – because of COVID19. Which does not mean that you can’t still visit your local library in the virtual space, even if it doesn’t currently have services available in non-virtual spaces. Libraries should be closed right now. There is no such thing as social distancing in a busy library. More likely, people would be cheek-by-jowl, practically on top of each other (occasionally actually on top of each other but that’s a whole other story). There are very few public libraries where people sit in discrete spaces while reading. Usually people are close to each other, occupying all the tables and chairs, gathering for events, and coming to the library staff for help on a regular basis.

But libraries have plenty of ebooks and eaudiobooks, fascinating databases and oodles of virtual services, all online and available to you! Remember that when you can’t get away from where you are, books are a great way to get away, at least inside your head, from where you are.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop
$10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 Book in the Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr is Beth
The winner of the Worth Melting For Giveaway Hop is Monique

Blog Recap:

A Guest Review by Amy: PsyTek by Melanie Yaun
Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop
A Review: One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry
Something to Marble At Giveaway Hop
A++ Review: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Stacking the Shelves (388)

Coming This Week:

Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson (review)
Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai (review)
Mission: Her Shield by Anna Hackett (review)
And They Called It Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton (review)
Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (review)

Anyone who has ever believed that cats are aloof and not affectionate has not spent an hour trying to distract a cat who is screaming “I want daddy! Where’s my daddy?” at the top of her little kitty lungs, as well as basically trying to drag her secondary human around the house in the hopes of finding her primary human RIGHT MEOW! (If you’re wondering, Galen is outside mowing the lawn while the sun is shining, because it’s supposed to rain yet again today.)

I hope that wherever you are, you are safe, healthy and not completely stir-crazy yet. And that you are able to maintain yourself, your family and your health insurance in this continuing crisis. We are ALL in this together, no matter how far apart we need to physically be.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Snow Much Fun Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Leaping Leprechauns Giveaway Hop is Elizabeth H.

Blog Recap:

Snow Much Fun Giveaway Hop
A- Review: Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights edited by Patrick Weekes
B+ Review: The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne
B+ Review: Battle Bond by Lindsay Buroker
A+ Review: Knight of the Silver Circle by Duncan M. Hamilton
Stacking the Shelves (384)

Coming This Week:

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (review)
Hearts of Oak by Eddie Robson (review)
Paladin by Anna Hackett (review)
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (review)
Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown (review)