What I Got:
I'm not sure I want to admit to what all I ended up with. I got a few at the beginning of the week and than NetGalley decided to give me a Thanksgiving present and approve all my pending requests. It got a bit out of control but Thanksgiving isn't exactly a day for moderation so I guess that extended to books as well. Unless otherwise noted the books are from NetGalley.
A Taste of Merlot by Heather Heyford - it's an heiress whose trying to get out from under her family's shadow and become a jewelry designer and the son of a jewelry store chain owner. It looks really cute. I'm assuming with the title that there's wine involved.
Finding Hope by Stacy Finz - I really enjoyed the first one in this series and spent the whole book hoping that the second book would be Clay's story. I was thrilled when I got to the end and the preview said it was for Clay's story!
Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiafalo - There's mothers and daughters and generations and a family mystery. Also, it looks like some of this takes place on an exotic Mediterranean Island. Oh and there's an old diary. I love old diaries!
Twisted Threads by Lea Wait - This is a cozy with a family mystery. It's the first in a needlepoint series. This is for a blog tour in January.
Broken Bonds by Karen Harper - I read the first one of this and didn't love it but I think it had more to do with my mood than the actual book. I'm hoping to give Harper another (and fair) chance.
If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries - I love Sabrina Jeffries and I've really enjoyed this series. Plus this is a character whose story I've really been wanting to learn so I'm really excited about this one!
Full Tilt by Rick Mofina - This thriller involves another family mystery but this time it's much darker. There's also a serial killer. It kind of sounds like a book version of Criminal Minds which I'm all about right now.
Echo Lake by Carla Neggers - I've really enjoyed this series and am looking forward to a revisit. This is a nice small town series that it's too fluffy or weirdly dark. I recommend starting at the beginning partly oo you can get to know the characters and partly because the second book is really fun.
Dogwood Hill by Sherryl Woods - another small town and another author I really enjoy.
Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn - a novella featuring Lady Julia Grey and her husband Nicholas Brisbane. I read a novella from this series this summer and really loved it.
Make My Wish Come True by Fiona Harper - It's like that movie with Kate Winslet and Jude Law called The Holiday except the sisters are switching Christmases. One stays home and does the regular stuff while the other jets off to some warm and inviting island. I'm assuming hijinks and craziness occur.
Christmas at Carriage Hill by Carla Neggers - this is a sweet novella and I've already read it so it doesn't count right?
How We Fall by Kate Brauning - I won this in a giveaway hosted by Alison over at Hardcovers and Heroines. There's not much better than checking your email in the morning to discover a giveaway win! This completely made my week!
So that's what happened this week. I will be taking a break from book acquiring for awhile!
Currently:
Reading: Still reading The Big Four by Agatha Christie. I haven't made much progress on it lately. The same goes with Yes Please by Amy Poehler which is fantastic but with all the holiday stuff I've been distracted. Also,We'll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn for a blog tour this week.
Listening: Still listening to Secrets of the Grave by Tami Hoag. I like it though I think it might be a better read than listen.
Watching: I'm so excited about The Taste which starts on Thursday! I'm glad they're keeping Marcus Sameulsson because I love him and Nigella. They kind of tone Bordain down a bit! I enjoyed Major Crimes last week and I'm loving the direction Stalker is heading in! So glad they seem to have dealt with Jack's personal issues. I've been watching Criminal Minds on Netflix and that's almost done which is probably best because I'm getting a bit paranoid. What should my next Netflix show be? Anything I must watch?
Listening: Still listening to Secrets of the Grave by Tami Hoag. I like it though I think it might be a better read than listen.
Watching: I'm so excited about The Taste which starts on Thursday! I'm glad they're keeping Marcus Sameulsson because I love him and Nigella. They kind of tone Bordain down a bit! I enjoyed Major Crimes last week and I'm loving the direction Stalker is heading in! So glad they seem to have dealt with Jack's personal issues. I've been watching Criminal Minds on Netflix and that's almost done which is probably best because I'm getting a bit paranoid. What should my next Netflix show be? Anything I must watch?
Off the Blog:
Whew! I'm about done for! We always do 2 days of Thanksgiving which always seems like a good idea until the day after. We spend Thanksgiving day with my family, Friday with J's family and that way we get to see everyone and not have to shove down 2 meals in one day. We had a really good time Friday, had a big lunch because Eleanor had to get back to the town her school is in for work and then later on J, me, J's brother and his wife went shopping and then met up with Paul and his girlfriend and ate at the restaurant where Emma works. It worked out even better because she finished her shift while we were there and was able to join us. Of course, today I'm worn out, overfull and feeling not so great. I really just want to go to bed. Thankfully the Tornado has been outside "helping" J in the yard most of the day so I've gotten some rest. Emma worked her first Black Friday shift - going in Thursday night at 10PM and got off work at 4AM. Yet still when she got off work last night she ended up going right back out with friends. The energy teenagers have is pretty amazing.
I'm working on Christmas lists and getting organized for Christmas but I'm not ready! I'm hoping to get Christmas decorations up by the end of the week. Speaking of getting organized I'm planning on getting some blogwork done. I want to figure out what challenges I want to participate in next year and try to be a bit more organized about them. There's so many great ones it's hard to just pick a few when I want to do them all!
I'm working on Christmas lists and getting organized for Christmas but I'm not ready! I'm hoping to get Christmas decorations up by the end of the week. Speaking of getting organized I'm planning on getting some blogwork done. I want to figure out what challenges I want to participate in next year and try to be a bit more organized about them. There's so many great ones it's hard to just pick a few when I want to do them all!
On the Blog:
What Happened Last Week:
Monday: Even in Death - Review
Tuesday: The Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR
Wednesday: Cowboys for Christmas - Review
Thursday: The House on Blackberry Hill - review (where I suffer from some serious house envy)
Coming Up:
Monday: Christmas at Carriage Hill - Review
Tuesday: The Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2015
Wednesday: We'll Always Have Paris - Review/Blog Tour
Thursday: TBD
Friday: Linkups with whatever book I'm reading
Saturday: Cookbook Challenge Linkup with The Magnolia Street Bakery Book
Happy Reading!
You weren't kidding about that huge book haul! Wow! Enjoy...and relax a bit after your exhausting holidays...LOL.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
It got a bit out of control but I'm excited!
DeleteThanksgiving can be a bit much... and you're right, it's not much for moderation. I could barely move on Thanksgiving day, but a few hours later we were all eating again. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never had Netflix although I'd like to, I'll probably be addicted to a bunch of shows once we do...
Netflix is so addicting! My to watch list is almost as long as my to read list!
DeleteLol, Thanksgiving reminds me of Mubarak when it comes to food - I get sugar overload every time. :)
ReplyDeleteYou got so many books this week! I hope you will like them all.
I'll have to look up Mubarek. I'm definitely in sugar overload!
DeleteTalk about a great Thanksgiving present! Those are a lot of books! I hope you'll enjoy reading them all. I'm starting to work on my Christmas list as well and even though tomorrow would be the 1st of December, already(!), I am still not ready as well. :) Thanks for sharing and for stopping by my Sunday Post! Have a great week ahead!
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with these books but Broken Bonds has a good cover. I hope you enjoy your new books! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSP & STS
Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
Wow, what a huge haul! Happy reading :)
ReplyDeleteCora @ Tea Party Princess
Lovely batch of new books there. Looks like some good ones to curl up with.
ReplyDeleteIt also sounds like you had a busy, yet lovely Thanksgiving.
Happy reading.
Here's my post - http://fuonlyknew.com/2014/11/30/whats-new-on-my-bookshelf-87-and-the-sunday-post/
Thanksgiving is hard to do with company, and family and food and shopping. It's just hard not to have downtime. But, you do not lack for something to read at least!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Don't you love when all the sudden you get approvals for books you requested months ago? I sure don't...I'm obviously over the book and also have a had approvals since than that I'm trying to get through.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely sounds like your Thanksgiving was exhausting. Hope you can get some rest today.
Black Friday has definitely migrated up here too. I sure as hell would never be caught in the crowds that go to the actual shops. But I take a look at the online deals. And now with Cyber Monday it seems like there's deals galore up to Christmas.
Happy reading!
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
So far I am doing two challenges next year Series Enders and Audiobook. I will probably add a few more. Hope you get your lists organized and decorations up. This week I will be deep cleaning and preparing for the big party next Sunday. As for TV, we are catching up on shows and excited about the Library beginning next weekend.
ReplyDeleteSo many great books! A Taste of Merlot has my interest. Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI love going on Netflix binges. I have so many shows saved on my DVR right now and I have to clear out those before I start a Netflix binge again.
Hope you have a great week!
Holy cow, did NetGalley show you the love, or what!? I'm still waiting for them to OK me for Dogwood Hill (don't you love how the cover has a dogwood, but not a hill in sight?) but like you, I've got Twisted Threads.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the challenges for next year. I want to do some, but I don't want to take on too many. I'll probably repeat the Cruisin' Through the Cozies challenge, because I'll be reading some cozy mysteries regardless. But I need to think about the others.
Enjoy putting up your decorations and getting Christmas organized. I need to do more Christmas shopping still, and I haven't done a thing about decorations. Maybe this afternoon!
Wow! You won the Net Galley jackpot this week. All I got from Net Galley was a denial this week. I am feeling a bit unloved. :)
ReplyDeleteWe split Thanksgiving into two days in our family as well. I like that I don't have to run from one house to another but I am not sure that I like how busy the whole weekend becomes. It is nice to spend time with everyone.
I absolutely refuse to think about Christmas yet. I am not ready!
Sounds like your Thanksgiving and plans for the week parallel mine - my daughter and her husband are home here and they like to eat. I'll bet I gained 5lbs despite my good intentions. How old is the Tornado?
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a book haul :) well done you. You know, I've never actually read Agatha Christie which is a shame really. But I do have a few classics on my Kindle somewhere.
ReplyDeleteOh I have Bonfire Night on my kindle to read, I liked the sound of it!
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow, look at those books! Several are ones I've had my eye on. I'm *trying* to cut back on my year-long challenges next though I'll continue my monthly and seasonal ones. That said, I'd like one that focuses on freebies. I know The Book Vixen has one, are there others?
ReplyDeleteWow you got a lot of books! I really like Sherryl Woods Chesapeake Shores series but I am behind. I stopped at book 2 but I do want to read the rest of the books. I tried to stay away from Netgalley but I did request some 2015 ARCs (lets see if I get approved lol). I'm already think of next years challenges and posts. I like your Friday Linkups so I might participate in those.
ReplyDeleteI worked in the mall during college so I hated the holiday hours. But being young does help surviving those shifts! It is nice you were able to spend time with all your family.
Have a great week and enjoy all your new books!
Great book haul! I am so glad that Major Crimes is back on!! I also love Stalker and glad they have toned down Jack's personal issues a bit.I need to do a binge on Criminal minds as I have watched it off and on for years but never from beginning to end (I have been keeping up with it pretty good the last couple of years). If you like a sci-fi type mystery I recommend Haven on netflix..though you will get done and want the next season..lol. I do believe there is three or four seasons on now but it's still also in a new season on SyFy. Some of my favorite things to watch are the British Crime shows..Jack Taylor (though it's Irish), Midsomer Murders, etc. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your reads and thanks for stopping by my blog! :)
I've been waiting for NetGalley for ages and they eventually approved seven of my requests so that's a lot. Lol! Enjoy your books ♥
ReplyDeleteWeeklyWrap@EverythingNyze
wow you got a lot of books indeed! I liek the cover for A Taste of Merlot. Here in the Netherlands Christmas always last two days, which can be handy. It sounds like you had a fun and busy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI already signed-up for 3 challenged for next year, I hope I can keep it at that, because if I sign-up for many more I am afraid I can't keep up, but there are some great challenges out there indeed!
Wow, that's a great book haul! I thought about getting the Carla Neggers' book. I'm in the mood for Christmas stories. =)
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! lots of books this week. I hope you enjoy them and the rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteSharon :)