It's Sunday Post time! This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.
Christmas in Eternity Springs by Emily March - I love this series and the previous book - Reunion Pass - was one of my favorites so I'm super excited to spend Christmas in Eternity Springs! (Publisher)
Without a Doubt by Nancy Cole Silverman - This series has been tempting me since the first book was published but somehow I haven't read any of them. So when the author approached me about reviewing the 3rd book AND that 3rd book featured jewel heists which is one of my favorite things there was no way I could resist! I'm really looking forward to starting this one! (Author)
So only two books this week! I do have a few requests pending on NetGalley and probably a pre-order or two that will be arriving here next week but I am trying to decrease the incoming books. I desperately need to make some progress on my shelves!
What I Got:
Without a Doubt by Nancy Cole Silverman - This series has been tempting me since the first book was published but somehow I haven't read any of them. So when the author approached me about reviewing the 3rd book AND that 3rd book featured jewel heists which is one of my favorite things there was no way I could resist! I'm really looking forward to starting this one! (Author)
So only two books this week! I do have a few requests pending on NetGalley and probably a pre-order or two that will be arriving here next week but I am trying to decrease the incoming books. I desperately need to make some progress on my shelves!
Currently:
Reading: Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten and Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Listening: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan. I was going to start the 3rd Flavia de Luce but then my hold came through on the first Percy Jackson so I started that one instead. I'm more than half way through and really loving it.
Watching: I'm desperately trying to catch up on all the season finales that I missed since we're coming up on season premiere time. Football season is starting which means Saturday and Thursday night here will be all football all the time. I like football and I get a little extra reading time in so it's my favorite times!
Off the Blog:
I'm still going to the gym regularly and still really enjoying it. I'm feeling better and my mood is definitely been better thanks to all those endorphins. The main problem is that come bedtime I'm TIRED which is seriously cutting down on my reading time! That and I'm still struggling to find a balance so that I can have gym time, house project time and blogging time but I feel like I'm making progress so I'll get there eventually.
The Tornado is still doing well in school - especially with math. This past week was his first week of spelling words and I had forgotten how much of a pain getting a small child to go over their spelling words was. I doubt he did well on his test on Friday so I'm betting when he gets the score it won't be as much of a problem. So far he does not like getting bad grades. They also did a round of all the drills this past week to get the kids used to the procedures. I'm used to fire drills and tornado drills but apparently they've added an intruder drill which is a little disturbing. The school is kept very secure and I'm glad that they have procedures for something bad happening but it's still just a little frightening to think about.
J's birthday was this week and we went out to dinner and then had cake. I got him a laptop of his own so we're not sharing computers and the Mary Roach book Packing for Mars thought that was kind of on impulse. He's been enjoying the laptop and the timing was good because the next day the SpaceX vehicle exploded on the launchpad so we watched the YouTube video of that followed by some explosions of vehicles J (he's an aerospace engineer) had actually worked on and then a few successful launches of his stuff. This is what space geeks do for fun!
The Tornado is still doing well in school - especially with math. This past week was his first week of spelling words and I had forgotten how much of a pain getting a small child to go over their spelling words was. I doubt he did well on his test on Friday so I'm betting when he gets the score it won't be as much of a problem. So far he does not like getting bad grades. They also did a round of all the drills this past week to get the kids used to the procedures. I'm used to fire drills and tornado drills but apparently they've added an intruder drill which is a little disturbing. The school is kept very secure and I'm glad that they have procedures for something bad happening but it's still just a little frightening to think about.
J's birthday was this week and we went out to dinner and then had cake. I got him a laptop of his own so we're not sharing computers and the Mary Roach book Packing for Mars thought that was kind of on impulse. He's been enjoying the laptop and the timing was good because the next day the SpaceX vehicle exploded on the launchpad so we watched the YouTube video of that followed by some explosions of vehicles J (he's an aerospace engineer) had actually worked on and then a few successful launches of his stuff. This is what space geeks do for fun!
On the Blog:
What Happened:
Monday: A Story to Kill - Cozy Mystery Review
Tuesday: Top Ten Loved and Hated Required Rating
Wednesday: Last Chance Rebel - Contemporary Romance Blog Tour Review + Giveaway
Thursday: The Beauty of the End - Mystery Review
Friday: Linkups with teasers from Pies and Prejudice
Saturday: Pancakes in Paris - Nonfiction Review
Tuesday: Top Ten Loved and Hated Required Rating
Wednesday: Last Chance Rebel - Contemporary Romance Blog Tour Review + Giveaway
Thursday: The Beauty of the End - Mystery Review
Friday: Linkups with teasers from Pies and Prejudice
Saturday: Pancakes in Paris - Nonfiction Review
What's Coming Up:
Monday: Every Frenchman Has One - A Memoir from Olivia de Havilland Review
Tuesday: Top Ten Things I've Learned from TV
Wednesday; Closed Casket - New Poirot Mystery Review
Thursday: Finding Libbie - Fiction Review
Friday: Linkups with Current Book
Saturday: Hometown Girl - Contemporary Romance-ish + Recipes
Have a great week and happy reading!
Christmas in Eternity Springs looks very tempting. I've never read the author, but I will be checking her out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog. Enjoy the week!
I think you will really likeEmily March! Her stories are great and I like how they always have a little bit of tragedy without getting overloaded.
DeleteChristmas in Eternity Springs- I always like all those Christmasy covers, I don't know why. they just look festive. Audio seems like it would be a good way to go with Riordan- if I could listen to audio without my attention wandering I would definitely try those that way! And yay for football season!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to watch those videos (not the explosions obviously but the successful launches) I bet that would be very fulfilling to see something you've worked on go up like that. Very nice. Have a great Labor Day weekend!
The explosion are pretty amazing though at the time it was so special! The Christmas covers always get me though it feels weird to be even THINKING about Christmas! I haven't even started thinking about Halloween!
DeleteI'm glad you're keeping up with your gym time! Though that does suck that it's cutting into your reading time. I'm sure you will find a balance soon, or maybe your body will just start getting used to working out more and not get as tired.
ReplyDeleteThat is scary that schools even *need* to have intruder drills in the first place, but better safe than sorry.
Have a great week!
I think the reason the drills are unsettling is just as you say - not that they do them but that they need to!
DeleteHow great that the Tornado is doing well (and enjoying?) school. Maths is a seriously good skill to have as well.... hope he continues with that.
ReplyDeleteAnd well done you - going to the gym regularly. I'm not getting there I'm afraid but have had a few things on this week!
He is enjoying it! It doesn't hurt that he really likes to be right! I really enjoy going to the gym though it's so easy to get out of the habit.
DeleteMe too for Christmas in Eternity Springs - I sure adore that series right from the get go. I finished Finding Libbie during the week. Hope the balance works out eventually and you get that reading time!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about Christmas in Eternity Springs! And I really need to catch up on the earlier books in the series. So far I'm enjoying Finding Libbie though I'm not very far into it.
DeleteSounds like you guys are getting into the fall season - football, TV premiere prep, spelling tests. Glad to know your little guy is enjoying his classes. Good for you for keeping up with your gym time. I suspect your tiredness will get better over time or you'll find other spots to include your reading. Always nice to hear what's going on in your world. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it's all a matter of figuring out the balance but I feel like I'm getting there! I am hoping I'll get used to all the exercise. I don't like crashing as soon as I get into bed!
DeleteI wonder if schools up here have intruder drills. I have never thought about it!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I never thought about them until he came home talking about them.
DeleteI tried to be good with my book grabbing this week as well...lol. I love Percy Jackson, I bet it's great on audio. I am currently working through the book form of The Battle of the Labyrinth. :)
ReplyDeleteStormi
Week in Review
I'm loving Percy on audio! The narrator is fantastic!
DeleteI have the same problem - I'm so tired when I go to bed I fall asleep in my books! I've done that all week :( but at least I know I'm getting a good night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteI know the lock down drills are scary to think about, but that your school has them is a really good thing. No one had died in a school fire since the 1950s because we all know what to do and have practiced it so much. But we have so many deaths because of intruders in schools, and part of that is teachers and students not knowing what to do. My school is very safety conscious and we all teach behind locked, closed doors. That way if someone was in the building we wouldn't have to waste precious seconds locking and closing our door. I had to talk to my Kinder kiddos the first week about what we do if we here the words lock down on the announcements. It scared them a little, especially the part that if I'm not there for some reason they have to close the door and quietly go to the bathroom and hide. But scaring them and us is better than not being safe. Anyway it's a good thing :) lol happy reading!
Oh I totally agree about preparation for everyone involved! His school is very security conscious too for which I am very grateful. The funny thing is he wasn't scared at all! He thought it was exciting and more fun then tornado drills!
DeleteThe lock down drills are scary, my daughter doesn't like them but I told her it will keep her safe and that is more important than anything.
ReplyDeleteI tend to fall asleep reading no matter what time it is. I am a very bad sleeper. I wish I had time to go to a gym or do some sort of exercise but I would never be able to function properly during the day. Maybe one day when the kids are a little older.
I hope you have a great week, Katherine! Happy Reading! ox
I wasn't able to get to the gym until this school year. When time is precious it's hard to give time to exercise!
DeleteCan't wait to see what you think of Before the Fall. I have it and need to start it. I am excited for football!! W have been watching the college stuff this weekend. Yay for the gym and Tornado doing well in school. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm about 100 pages in and loving Before the Fall so far! My team lost last night (War Eagle!) but they held their own so that was good!
DeleteI love the cover of Christmas in Eternity Springs. I hope you enjoy your new books! I'll be curious to hear how you find Before the Fall. I've heard such mixed reviews. I am glad you are keeping up with the gym, Katherine. Working out regularly has certainly improved my mood. I haven't been able to work out much this week though because of being sick, but I am anxious to start back up again.
ReplyDeleteI am glad Tornado is doing well in school. I was happy when the kindergarten teacher at Back to School Night told us spelling isn't going to matter much this year. Whew. She has to learn so much else as it is. Those intruder drills are scary, aren't they? I remember when a teacher friend was telling me about having the real thing when there was that terrorist attack in San Bernardino. her school was right down the street from where they got into a shoot out with police. Luckily, the kids at the time had no idea it was for real, but just the idea of having to do those drills . . .
Happy belated birthday to J. Sounds like you all had a nice time. :-)
I hope you have a wonderful week, Katherine!
Spelling words are definitely a new 1st grade thing. I'm definitely not loving them! So sorry to hear about you being ill. It's definitely hard to get a workout in when all you do is go back to bed. That's scary about your friend! I am glad to do the drills - I just wish it wasn't necessary.
DeleteI bet The Lightning Thief is great on audio. Riordan is a writer who is excellent when read aloud.
ReplyDeleteSo far it is excellent! I highly recommend the audio version.
DeleteOoooo. Christmas books already! I love it! I had my homeroom kids watching CNN Student News last week and they covered the explosion. I'm surprised this is the first time Tornado's school has been required to have an active shooter/intruder drill. Here we are required to have one per semester and have had to do this for several years. It is a little unsettling, but I have been in a lockdown before. It is extremely important for the kids to know what to do. As they get older, they want to ask a million "what if" questions. I always try to be very real and up front with them at the beginning of the year and I typically don't have any problems.
ReplyDeleteHe's only in first grade and the school he went to for kindergarten was really small and wasn't subjected to the same guidelines. The funny thing is he thought it was really fun - way more entertaining than the tornado drill the other day!
DeleteI can't wait to dive into Christmas in Eternity Springs! I received a copy from the publisher too. And oh, what fun!—you're listening to the first Percy Jackson book! The audio books are a great way to go with that series; the narrator does a great job capturing Percy's brand of adolescent snark.
ReplyDeleteIt is disconcerting, as a parent, to realize that your child's school is running intruder drills. Alas, this has been standard procedure for over 15 years where we live. When Robin started elementary school, her school did the usual tornado and fire drills, but also bomb drills (different from fire drills in that the students had to be evacuated even further from the school.) within a few years, they added shooter drills, which they euphemistically termed DEAR drills (for Drop Everything And Read — teachers crowded all the children into the coat and cubby nook, out of sight of the door, and read to them for the duration of the drill.) She was still in elementary school when the DC-area sniper attacks took place; one occurred in the nearest small city, about half an hour away. The schools were on lockdown for upwards of six weeks, until the snipers were finally caught. Buses took turns pulling up to the front door; kids were ushered inside quickly; classes housed in trailers were moved into the gym and even storage rooms; and recess was held in the classroom.
It is indeed unnerving to realize that this has become part of "normal" life… until I remember doing duck-and-cover drills in my elementary school in the Cold War (and Vietnam War) years of the late '60s and early '70s. I'm sure growing up under the vague but ever present threat of nuclear war affected me and my generation, but when I remember my childhood, those drills are pretty insignificant part of my memories. As Charlie said above, it's important for the kids to know what to do in the unlikely case that something something were to happen, but they will probably never need to put it into practice. And as long as the teacher, and you and J, approach the drills straightforwardly and matter-of-factly, the Tornado will probably take them in his stride and not be upset by them.
He's definitely not upset about them. Apparently it was fun and I am so glad they have a procedure in place and that the school is kept secure. I'm so excited about this new Emily March! I loved Reunion Pass!
DeleteThat's good; I'm glad it didn't phase him. :-)
DeleteI love the whole series—well, most of it, anyway. (I had a bit of a problem with one hero.) She writes such wonderful books; I've fallen in love with the town and the people.
I am so disheartened about the schools now having to have intruder drills. Children's lives should be able to be free of those kinds of thoughts. I am sorry you have to deal with this with The Tornado. I even remember hating going over spelling words myself! Ha ha. Yay for keeping up with the gym! I will continue to cheer you on. I am super curious about Every Frenchman Has One. I requested it on Netgalley, but they never went through with anotner round of approval/denials. I will be stopping by to read your review. I have a feeling your TTT is going to be anotner ferociously funny read. Ha ha. I am really looking forward to it. Have a spectacular week. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that he was completely I phased by it! I liked Every Frenchman has One. If you have a Blogging for Books account it still may be on there though it's a print copy.
DeleteI am glad to hear that about The Tornado. :)
DeleteI like how you're hitting the gym more often. I want to exercise 5x a week. Been dragging my heels a bit but need to buy those roller blades. I don't start my Zumba class til late Sept. Sad that an intruder drill has to be practiced, yeah? In SF, they practiced lockdown drills years ago. Glad your hubb had a good birthday. Was that really bad when the space vehicle exploded on the launchpad? I missed that in the news. My dad has a cousin who works for NASA.
ReplyDeleteI'm liking the gym but I'm almost afraid to miss a day because I might fall off the wagon! It's definitely not good when a vehicle explodes on a tower because not only is the vehicle destroyed but frequently so is the tower.
DeleteI need to get through some review books and start the Eternity Springs series - a few are on my kindle already! Have a great week and GFY on the exercise!
ReplyDeleteI love the Eternity Springs series though there are a number of earlier books that I still need to read!
DeleteChristmas books are starting to make an appearance already. That's great about the gym. Do you listen to audio books while working out? I don't like to, but I know others do. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI tried listening to an audio book and I do like getting in the time but o found I go much faster when I'm listening to music so I've switched. I compromise and listen to the audio on the way there and back!
DeleteHow cool that J is a space geek! I'm glad the Tornado is enjoying school so far, and curious as to how he responds to the spelling test results.
ReplyDeleteI passed on the tour for Eternity Springs but I'm looking forward to your stop and Lark's.
Good luck with the gym and happy reading!
He got a 92 on a math worksheet and was PISSED so I'm hoping if he does badly he will be wanting to study! And I'm hoping it'll remind me to actually have him go over them!
DeleteWould love to know your thoughts on After the Fall. I have it on my TBR list and actually bought it already...! I didn't go to gym ONCE last week. It was just hectic and crappy last week. But I did go this morning again. Happy reading this week!
ReplyDeleteI've just started back with Fitstep today after the summer break and oh my word... I'm really feeling it! That said, I'm delighted to notice that I'm losing weight I'd almost given up thinking was possible! Sad to think schools have now to practise these intruder lockdowns. But if it saves the children in the event of someone getting in, then it's got to be worthwhile and so long as the teachers are businesslike about the drill, they won't get too wound up about it. Have a great week:)
ReplyDeleteGood luck finding a gym/life/reading balance... I desperately need to work the gym into my routine. At least it's getting cooler so I can add the daily walks back in. Will look forward to your thoughts on Before the Fall.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to J! I always struggle to find a balance to fit everything in but it is great that you are enjoying the gym!
ReplyDelete