Saturday, December 13, 2014

This Week in Reading - December 14


It's Sunday Post time which means time to link up with the awesome Kimba over at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer to talk about all that's been on this past week and what's coming up.

What I Got:

This was not a silent week but not too bad. I got some books but several of the reviews aren't for April or May so I'm calling it good!

The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham - Allingham is one of the classic mystery authors I haven't read much from.  This one has been on my TBR for awhile so I was excited to see it on NetGalley.  (For Review)

With Vics You Get Egg Roll by Diane Vallere -  I really enjoyed the 2nd book in the Mad for Mod series so I'm excited to see what Madison gets up to in this 3rd entry.  I'm hoping it will push me to read the 1st book that I bought right after I read the 2nd. (For Review)

Criminal Confections by Colette London - It's a murder mystery involving chocolate.  How could I pass that up? (For Review)

The City of Blood by Frederique Molay -  With all the cozies and holiday romances I'm looking for something with a little more grit to it so I figure this thriller set in Paris will be perfect.  (For Review)

Blue Ribbon Baking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson - The title makes me cringe a bit since sometimes TV makes it look like all Southerners are rednecks (we're not if you're wondering) but I loved Francine on The Great American Bake-Off last summer and am looking forward to trying out some of her recipes.  (For Review)

Currently:

Reading:  I'm not feeling super motivated when it comes to reading though I've been enjoying All He Wants for Christmas by Lisa Plumley.  I'm starting to overdose a bit on Christmas stories but I only have a couple more to go.

Listening:  Still listening to Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag.  It's good but long.

Watching:  I really loved The Librarians last week and am looking forward to tonight's episode.  It's like a middle grade adventure book in TV form for adults.  Not the most believable but so much fun!  Also, thanks to a comment by Nelle from Nelle's Nightstand over at Herding Cats and Burning Soup I discovered Hallmark's TV movie Christmas with Holly which is based on one of my favorite Lisa Kleypas books - Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.  Which led me to discover Debbie Macomber's Mr. Miracle starring Rob Morrow who I kind of love.  Needless to say I'm planning on watching some cheesy Hallmark movies!

Off the Blog:

So I'm not as behind as I was last week which is nice.  I've still got tons to do but I have lists so everything is good!  Most of the shopping is done so now it's just extras and candy and the stuff that needs to be made.
Emma had her final ACT yesterday.  So fingers crossed.  Her score is good but she's competitive and wants a few more points.
Eleanor was in town this weekend to decorate the Christmas tree. It was a lot of fun though we have a prelit tree and a few sections decided to randomly not light up.  We were in a time crunch so we just added a few strings to make up for it but now we have to decide if we are going to fix it or replace it. 
It's ridiculously hard to get a decent picture of all 4.  The Tornado is so excited he can barely stand it, Emma is hiding and judging from Paul's expression Eleanor is teasing him about something.  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Saturday:Epic Tomatoes - Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday: The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog - Review
Tuesday:  Top Ten Books of 2014
Wednesday: TBD - review
Thursday: TBD - review
Friday: regular link ups
Saturday: TBD - something food related 

32 comments:

  1. My friend Elizabeth loves Hallmark's cheesy movies and she's been in heaven with all of their Christmas movies. :D

    I got Criminal Confections also, for a tour. Like you said, a mystery with chocolate was hard to resist! : D

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    1. I haven't watched too many of these but these are fun!
      I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't resist murder and chocolate!

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  2. I love those cheesy Christmas Hallmark movies, they are such a fun way to sit down, chill out and I come away with a big grin on my face. Love them!
    Enjoy your books, The Crime at Black Dudley looks interesting.

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    1. I haven't watched very many in awhile but I'm looking forward to these!

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  3. We had shopping to do but went out and got some of it done today, so that's good. We're closer to being done now. :) We watched The Librarians too and liked it- it's a little silly but I actually liked that about it. I think it will be fun.

    The Crime at Black Dudley looks good, I had not heard of that one but the blurb got me interested, I'll have to look for that one.

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    1. I definitely enjoyed the silliness in The Librarians. I think it has a lot of potential. I'm excited about the Allingham book! It's been on my TBR forever!

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  4. I used to read Margery Allingham years ago :) Congratulations for finally taking that hard picture, I'm a mom too, I can relate ! Enjoy your week ;)

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    1. It's impossible to get them all to cooperate! I figure when we are looking at them in a few years it will definitely show who we were!

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  5. Yeah, we had to decide about the tree too. My husband found the bulbs, but they are not LED so they burn out more easily. I think we might get a new one after the holiday. It won't be at Frontgate though - even at discount their prices are silly.

    I have had a stomach bug so did not go out yesterday. And, depending on how I feel today may not go out at all. my post: http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/2014/12/easy-like-sunday-morning.html

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    1. So sorry to hear you've been sick! Hope you're feeling better.

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  6. Criminal Confections sounds good, Katherine - you can't really go wrong with chocolate, right?
    I have the same problem when trying to take pictures of the kids - someone is always either looking the other way, or is seemingly angry at on of their siblings.
    I hope you'll enjoy your new books, and that you'll be able to finish your final things without stressing about it.

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Definitely can't go wrong with chocolate! It's always a challenge getting them all to behave in one picture!

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  7. Love the photo! Getting a perfect shot of all the kids is just about impossible... at least in my experience. My final list of tasks is ready to be tackled, too. Such a relief. Have a great week, Katherine.

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    1. I'm getting there! Slowly but surely. It's always a challenge to get a decent picture but I try to remind myself that this will show who they were at these ages more than a perfectly posed pic!

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  8. I enjoy the Hallmark movies. Helps get me in the mood and lets me escape for a bit. My tree did the same thing so I did like you and just added some lights. I just hope no more burn out because it'll be hard to put on another strand with all of the ornaments on it! LOL
    Here's my Sunday Post - http://fuonlyknew.com/2014/12/14/whats-new-on-my-bookshelf-89-and-the-sunday-post/

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    1. I know! It's hard to decide if we should get another tree or just keep going with the extra lights though that can only go on for so long!

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  9. That is a cute picture! I only have 2 kids but still have a hard time getting a nice picture with them. I have to start watching some of the Christmas movies. I'm taking a break from reading so it will be a nice change to just relax with a movie. Have a great week!!

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    1. I do love to relax with a movie sometimes! My brain needs a break from the books every once in awhile!

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  10. I love Hallmark movies, but if they are on the Hallmark Channel, which I don't get, I am sad...missing them. Sometimes they show on one of the networks.

    Your four look good in the photo...I have four kids, now grown, but yes, one or more of them was always pulling some antic. But looking back, those photos are the most fun.

    Enjoy your reading and family time, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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  11. Exactly WHEN do you find time to read? With four kids - charming by the way - and one of them a tornado, you must not sleep!

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  12. Those Hallmark movies always look so good and I never get a chance to watch them.

    Love the pic of your kids...very cute.

    Have a great week!

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  13. Sounds like you had a great week. I cannot help watching the Hallmark movies. So glad your shopping is about done. Fingers crossed for your daughter! Criminal Confections by Colette London sounds good..and yeah there are times I might commit a crime over chocolate..hehe

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  14. Do I dare confess that I have never watched a Hallmark movie, cheesy or otherwise? I think I'm sadly depraved, *cough* I mean deprived. I must look some up on NetFlix and correct this at once! Really, any pic of the kids is a great pic. Especially when there are more than two to get together. We have 6 and when they were younger it was nigh impossible. So, some pretty funny pictures. :D

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  15. Awww adorable picture! I'm glad you're pretty much caught up. I'm pretty much there too. But I'm sure there's something missing.
    See this weeks haul is justifiable. If they're not released for a few months than you have time to get them read and reviewed. Totally alright and not stressful. :)
    Have a good week!
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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  16. I haven't watched The Librarians yet. Well, I watched the 1st in the three 'prequel' shows, but that's it.

    Haha - it's hard enough to get my one son to take a photo, so I can just imagine four. It's still a great picture, though. :)

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  17. LOL I think the picture is fabulous! What a group :D

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  18. The Crime seems interesting-- hope that you end up loving it. Have a great Sunday and upcoming week.

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  19. I'd love to see The Librarians but will have to wait for it to hit Netflix or something. But I might check out those Hallmark movies, if they're on Netflix! I enjoyed Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.

    It may be hard to get a good picture of all four kids but you can sure tell they love each other - even with the teasing! Have a blessed and joyful week as you get ready for Christmas!

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  20. Adorable kids, even the older ones! Thanks for the tip about the Hallmark Channel holiday movies.
    I think Dave Barry is a funny genius so hoping you enjoyed his Christmas book, which I didn't read. I just used to read his newspaper column when I lived in FL. Thanks!

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  21. Cute photo! Especially the little boy :) Awesome books you got there BTW :)

    WeeklyWrap@EverythingNyze

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  22. What a nice, eclectic mix of books. Hope you enjoy them.

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  23. What a great family shot! Have a great holiday with that bunch. :)

    Also, murder mystery with chocolate?! I'm sold.

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