Saturday, January 2, 2016

This Week in Reading - January 3rd


It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Nothing!  I'm hoping this is a good omen for 2016 as I'm trying to clear out my old ARCs and my overflowing shelves to get everything at least mildly under control.  I don't intend to do a full ban but I'm hoping just to get less.

Full disclosure - I do have a book on it's way from paperbackswap and the urge to go to the used bookstore is hitting something fierce!

Currently:

Reading: The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames and On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander

Listening: I'm waiting to get Casino Royale by Ian Fleming from the library so I'm currently listening to podcasts.  I've gotten caught up on Super Serials which is still my favorite and have been listening to Avon on the Air, The Readers, and TV Crimes which is about bad TV and features Wil Wheaton.

Watching:  J and I finished Firefly this week and I had forgotten how much I loved that show.  In a way I'm glad it was cancelled way too early before it got messed up.  We watched the Kingsman: The Secret Service last night and it was okay though not quite what I expected.  I think next up we're going to watch the first season of Top Chef Masters on Hulu because it has Luido who was our favorite judge on The Taste.

Off the Blog:

Today is the last day of Christmas vacation for us.  J has been off since the Monday before Christmas and we have taken full advantage.  We've gotten a few projects done and we've stayed up way too late watching movies quite a few times.  But tomorrow he goes back to work, on Tuesday Emma leaves to go back to college, and on Wednesday Paul and the Tornado head back to school.  It will be part nice and part lonely to have the house to myself again.  I've enjoyed the lazy pace of the last 2 weeks and getting up on time is going to be really hard!
I'm going to be making some (small) changes on the blog.  I want to update my pages which I kind of stuck up there awhile ago and then proceeded to ignore.  I'm getting rid of few and adding an Agatha Christie page and an index.  I'm also planning on doing a Pinterest Project on the last Saturday of the month where I review the pins I completed for my 52 Pins in 52 Weeks personal challenge.  I've got a couple of ideas brewing but nothing else concrete yet but I'm definitely excited for the upcoming year!

On the Blog:

What Happened:



What's Coming Up:

Monday: Agatha Christie 101
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - 2016 Resolutions
Wednesday: Sea Glass Sunrise - Contemporary Romance Review
Thursday: On Thin Icing - Cozy Mystery Blog Tour Review
Friday: Linkups featuring excerpts from my first book of the year
Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

53 comments:

  1. Oh I'm jealous! I never get the house to myself (pout) :) You show good restraint with thise empty shelves... Me? I signed up for who knows how many challenges to help me go through my TBR pile but still managed to preorder a book ( (Mercury Striking) I have no self control especially when it comes to Zanetti :) I hope you enjoy your lovely me time while Tornado is at school and get tons of reading done :)

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    1. I didn't get the house to myself at all for a long time which definitely makes me appreciate it now! I'm definitely not expecting total restraint to last but it doesn't have to disappear completely! I'm hoping to get caught up a little this year!

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  2. I have a hard time resisting used bookstores myself. Especially a good one- i can spend a lot of time in there! Although there aren't too many good ones close to me anymore... I see Firefly is on Netflix and I've never seen the show, I may have to give it a try.

    It's always hard when vacation comes to an end, especially at the holidays. I traveled a bit to see family over Christmas and it was nice to hang out with relatives and watch movies til the wee hours. :) Goes by too fast! Enjoy your week. Christie 101 looks fun!

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    1. Firefly is definitely worth the watch. The premise is kind of weird but there are so many amazing moments!

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  3. There will be a mini-Bloggiesta in mid-January, so you can showcase your blog changes....

    Good luck resisting the books...Enjoy the New Year.

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    1. I definitely will keep bloggiesta in mind! I really want to make some progress!

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  4. Happy New year!! It sounds like you had a great week. I think the first week of the new year always feels a little strange.. Lonely perhaps because everyone is back to school or work, and everyone seems to have all these great new plans were they're excited about. It's definitely a strange week!

    I hope the week goes well for you!

    This is my first time on the Sunday Post so I look forward to visiting your blog more often. ;)

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    1. This is definitely a transition week! It is always good to get back to a routine though I do miss the lack of schedule during the holiday.

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  5. We all go back to normal on Monday here too. It has been nice to have everyone around but I guess that is how it goes. Have a great week and Happy New Year!!

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    1. I definitely have mixed feelings about getting back to routine. I like feeling like I'm getting stuff accomplished but sleeping late and staying up even later is pretty good!

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  6. Love the empty shelf picture. Gives me hope for mine - LOL! We loved Firefly too. And I agree, cancelled before they ruined it. Although I think I would have liked to have a few more episodes. Good luck with your week. My hubby goes back to work tomorrow and life will begin again in a normal way. I've been sick the whole time he's been home so it wasn't quite what I expected. He had fun though. I am feeling better now and will head off to my Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow and hope not to cough through it. :-)

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    1. I've heard some of the story ideas they had for Firefly and I'm glad several of them never got made! I would like more about Book though!

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  7. I was good about not grabbing any ARC's but I did get a few books this week. :) Sounds like you had a productive time with everyone on break.

    Enjoy your current reads,
    Stormi
    Week in Review

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    1. The strength will not continue but I'm hoping to at least get less books!

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  8. I have had two of my grandkids for a week (6 year old twins) and while I love it and look forward to it---I am TIRED! So having the house back to myself next weeks sounds heavenly. But at the same time, sad. I wish time didn't go so fast. I haven't done much reading at all this past week, except we did finish Charlotte's Web.

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    1. I'm the same way! I'll miss everyone but I like the quiet too. It is hard to read when things are in upheaval. Hopefully you'll be able to relax with a good book soon!

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  9. Stay away from the bookstore!!! I am trying to be good and not go near anything book related, I will see how long that lasts!

    Happy New Year and have a great 2016!

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    1. I held strong this weekend but yeah - we will see how long that lasts!

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  10. I've neglected super serials lately so I must go download the latest ones. I love them! Happy New Year Katherine.

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    1. I listened to a lot of older episodes when I was sick these past few weeks and really enjoyed them! I've got Princess Diaries and Pretty Little Liars to go.

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  11. I was supposed to get up at 7 today but just turned off the alarm. But I got up 45 minutes later and woke up the girls who are watching TV right now. I'm sad to see the end of winter break. It's been so nice. Gonna make pancakes.

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    1. Pancakes sound delicious! I haven't had them in far too long. The getting up earlier thing is definitely the hardest!

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  12. I get my Friday's alone back again now that the kids go back to school. Well sort of since my son has a few half days but he's rather quiet and keeps to himself.
    I also got no books this week. I also hope I can get to the books I already have. Now I just need to find time to read again, been so crazy around the house.

    Have a great week, Katherine! Happy Reading!

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    1. I'm really struggling getting back into reading as well. I'm thinking about doing a reread right now because everything is just kind of meh! Enjoy your Fridays!

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  13. High-five on no books! I hope we can both stick to the requesting fewer ARC's goal!
    Firefly!!!! Still one of my absolute favourite shows. I miss it. And now I need to do a re-watch. Maybe that will be the plan for today. Lol.
    I really enjoyed Kingsman. It was different than I thought it would be as well. But in a good way.
    That's awesome that J was off for the Christmas break with you and the kids. I'm sure you guys had a great time just hanging out and enjoying family time.

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    1. I loved rewatching Firefly! It may become a tradition! We had a really good break though we have no discipline when it comes to things like going to bed!

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  14. Definitely want to see Agatha Christie 101 as I am a fan!!I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Thanks! I love Agatha Christie! She's definitely one of my favorite writers!

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  15. I am pumped up about Downton Abbey tonight! And reading some cozies I started last year! Happy New Year!

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    1. Downton Abbey is a show I've somehow never watched but really want to. Hope you enjoy the season premiere!

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  16. Happy New Year! I know what you mean about having the house to yourself. I have been enjoying the company of my family (who are all introverts and understand the need for solitude and quiet time!) and it will be bittersweet to be home with only the cats for company during the day. That won't start for me until Jan. 11, though, so I have another week to enjoy the camaraderie. And of course, it will be so good to be home with my husband again!

    I know what you mean about the pull of the used bookstores... and for me, also the pull of the ebook bargains. I need to get more selective about what I buy this year.

    I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with your Agatha Christie page. And thanks for the reminder - I need to update some of my pages, too!

    Have a wonderful week and enjoy the peace and quiet as much as you can. :-)

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    1. It is nice to have family members who are introverts. My husband is and I think things go so much more smoothly when you have that in common. It is nice to have the house fully to yourself!

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  17. Yes, yes to a quit home once again, making it easier to grab a book, right? Kingsman wasn't what I expected either, but I still sort of enjoyed it. Yes, yes and more yes to reruns of Master Chef, Top Chef, and Chopped! (lol) I've got to turn in some library books tomorrow, only to pick up a pile more that are waiting for me on the shelves. Hugs..

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    1. I love all the shows you mentioned though Top Chef is a recent addition. I'm hoping to get back into the reading grove soon. I'm kind of out of sorts right now!

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  18. If books are used do they count as new? Just a thought. Sounds like you had a great break. Love Firefly too. Have watched it....well, let's just say a few times!

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    1. I love that justification! Used books don't count because they're not new!

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  19. Love that empty picture of the shelves! Ha we readers just love to go to libraries, book shops, used book stores, virtual book stores, other people's book shelves.... Now wanting to take a peek at your 52 pins into 52 weeks!

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    1. I'm looking forward to the 52 pins in 52 weeks. I tried to get a mix of stuff so hopefully it will be interesting.

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  20. Happy New Year!

    I'm trying to clear out the ARCs I already have to review before accepting new ones, but it doesn't seem to be working. Well, the year is only 3 days old but at least I haven't accepted any new requests in 2016 :)

    Have a great week!

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    1. Baby steps Yvonne! We will get our ARC piles down!

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  21. Yay for good starts! I haven't been able to squeeze in as much reading as I'd like, but isn't that always the way it goes? I think it will be easier once my houseguests are gone. I love having them here, but I do like my routine. We love Firefly too! We are about due for a re-watch, I think.

    It sounds like everyone in your house has enjoyed a nice break. I'm not especially excited to be getting back to work tomorrow after the long weekend. I know Mouse will not be happy. She's been off all week with my husband and our houseguests. Lucky girl. Getting back into her regular routine after a deviation is always difficult. She's been under the weather today though, so we'll see how she'd doing tonight and in the morning.

    I hope you have a great week, Katherine! Happy New Year!

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    1. I have till Wednesday to get the Tornado back on schedule and it is not going to be pretty! I loved rewatching Firefly! I think it may have to become a tradition!

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  22. I had high hopes for Kingsman but ended up kind of disappointed (except for the parts with Colin Firth, ha).
    I'm looking forward to transitioning out of holiday mode and getting back to regular schedule. Have a good week!

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    1. I'm glad I wasn't the only one disappointed with the Kingsman. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't for me.

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  23. Good for you on clearing those books already on your shelf. I could probably take a month (or two) and read what I already own. Ugh! The struggle is real.
    I am so excited for everyone here to go back to school/work. I don't get time off due to holidays at my job, I am the one who fills in for the regular folks. I can't wait for a quiet house.

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    1. I do love a quiet house though I will miss everyone! I definitely could spend a block of time just reading my own books but what's the fun in that!

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  24. The end of Christmas vacation is bittersweet. It is good to get back to a regular schedule but vacation is the ideal. I didn't get any extra time off this year but my daughter goes back to school on Tuesday and she is not ready. Congrats on having the willpower to resist adding books to your shelf. It seems like everyone is trying to catch up this year.

    Carole @ Carole's Random Life

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    1. Bittersweet is the perfect way to describe it! I think all of mine but my youngest (and my husband) are okay with getting back on schedule. My willpower will not last but I'm hoping to have a little this year!

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  25. Happy New Year!! The only 2016 ARCs I have are books I won and I've been resisting requesting new ARCs until I read what I have. But I have been buying a lot of ebooks this week (there were so many good sales lol). The holiday was nice and it is going to be hard to go back to work. I hope you have a great week =)

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    1. Great job on completely resisting ARCs! My goal is to go with less so I have some space to get to all my other books. It's a challenge!

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  26. Like the kids, I have been staying up late and sleeping in. Since the man came back home and went back to work, I get up when he comes home in the morning, spend a few minutes with him on the couch, and then go back to bed with him and get up somewhere around noon. I should be in bed asleep right now, and look at me. I am going to be crying tomorrow afternoon.

    I'm not on a full-out ban, but I am on a low-down on the download. I really don't buy books. I go crazy on NetGalley and with freebies. I look forward to your 52 Pins projects! I need to get cracking on some of those myself!

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  27. Starting watching something on Netflix that I really got hooked on - The Killing. I'm into the second season. It's an English remake (in Canada) by a Danish film company (original was Danish). Starts slow but then I had to binge watch. The acting is exceptional and there are more twists and turns than the Congo River.

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  28. No new books, well done! That's not easy. It's fun to stay up late and watch movies, isn't it? I wish I could but I'm a working girl these days. :D I'm looking forward to seeing your changes. Happy New Year!

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