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Saturday, January 7, 2017

This Week in Reading - January 8




















It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.  I'm also linking up with Kathryn over at The Book Date for What Are You Reading?

What I Got:

Death in the Abstract by Emily Barnes - I saw some good reviews for the first book in the series and thought this cozy mystery about a retired police chief turned artist who moves from Minnesota to New Mexico (NetGalley)

Close to Home and Home at Last by Lily Everett - I really enjoyed the first book in the Sanctuary Bay series and so I jumped at the chance to review these two newest books in the series! (Publisher)

Somebody Like You by Donna Alward - I love Alward's Jewell Cove series so I'm excited about this book in a new series.  (Publisher)

Sold to Miss Seeton by Hamilton Crane - I'm going to be honest here - I requested this one by mistake thinking it was another series but luckily this one looks really fun so I'm looking forward to reading it (NetGalley)

A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders - The publisher described this as Agatha Christie meets Bridget Jones.  How on earth am I supposed to resist that?  (Publisher)

Any Day Now by Robyn Carr - This is the 2nd in the Sullivan Bay series and it sounds amazing.  I love books about people looking for their place in the world.  I haven't read the first one but this doesn't come out until April so I'm thinking I should be able to get to it before than.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading: Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury and Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

Listening:  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce.  It's a different author from the first book (Ian Fleming) but David Tennant is the narrator so I'm guaranteed to enjoy it!

Watching:  We've been watching Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency from BBC America.  I'm hoping to read the book later this year.  J has read it and says that while the show is very different from the book the feel is about the same.  They definitely have Douglas Adams' style of humor down!  We're also watching Top Chef and enjoying it.  I'm loving seeing the bits of Charleston which is one of my favorite cities.

Off the Blog:

School started back this week and J went back to work so the world went back to normal and we got back onto our usual routine - for 2 days that is.  And then Thursday night because of frigid temperatures and chances of ice and snow state wide a state of emergency was declared by the governor which meant no school on Friday.  Now I'm sure this seems silly to everyone who gets a foot of snow in November but you have to remember we may be get a couple of inches of snow every few years tops and I'm in the northern part of the state!  We have no idea what to do with the white stuff and because it's such a nonissue most of the time we don't have the equipment to deal with it either.  Plus, if we do get anything it's always just solid ice which is no fun.  So anyway, on Friday the Tornado stayed home and basically he and I stayed in our pajamas and played video games most of the day.  Not exactly what I had intended to do but not such a bad day!

I'm planning on heading down to Mississippi to stay with my grandparents for a few days at the end of the week.  The Tornado has Monday off for MLK day and I realized that the Friday before is my Grandfather's 93rd birthday so I think we're leaving Thursday.  I'm looking forward to seeing them and spending some time there though my blog visiting will be a little spotty!

So far this year is off to a great reading start!  I've read 2 books and almost finished with 2 more and have really enjoyed them all!  One of my goals this year is to clear out some of the giant backlog of review books and 2 reviews coming out this week are for books that actually came out a few months ago so I'm feeling pretty good about that one so far!  I've also going to try and set aside the first Monday of every month (except for February which will be the 2nd because I already have a blog tour on the 1st) for a Middle Grade review.  I love middle grade fiction but it's a genre that I seriously neglected last year.

The Tornado had his birthday a few days after Christmas and is somehow SEVEN!  How did this happen??  Seven sounds like such a big number and it doesn't seem like that long ago that he was a baby.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Teetotaled - 1920s Cozy Mystery Review
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - 2016 Releases I Meant to Read But Didn't
Wednesday: Miracle on 5th Avenue - Contemporary Romance Review
Thursday: Dead and Breakfast - Cozy Mystery Review
Friday:  Friday Linkups with current book
Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

35 comments:

  1. Your reading is off to a racing start! Have a great week :)

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  2. I can relate to how challenging it is to deal with snow when it's a rare thing...I have lived in a valley without snow, except on a couple of occasions over the past 50 years! It was a tricky time.

    We are actually very close to the mountains, if we want to see the snow...and that's good enough for me.

    I like the look of your books...Death in the Abstract sounds like one I'd enjoy. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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  3. A Cast of Vultures! What a title. And Kingsbury caught my eye- I've read a few of her Pennyfoot Hotel Christmas mysteries and LOVED them. very comfort reading. :) And I didn't know there was a BBC adaptation. I love the BBC...

    Sorry to hear about the weather- we have blowing and drifting snow here and it's about 10 degrees (can I have your weather??) but I know how it in the south where it's rare. Glad you had a good day in spite of it. :)

    Happy birthday to the Tornado!

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  4. Great week you had! I hope you have a fun time in Mississippi!

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays!

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  5. We had school start again this week. It was hard to get back into our morning routine. I am jealous of your weather. I miss snow and we don't get much here, especially when I think of our years in upstate New York,

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  6. I hope you have a good time at your grandparents. Your reading is definitely of to a good start. I have two read as well and am half way though a third. Have a great week.

    Megan @ reading away the days

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  7. I totally get what you’re saying. We also don’t get much snow most years. Yesterday we had a little and the whole country was a mess. A lot of accidents, people driving like they don’t know what they’re doing. It’s a little bit funny to me really!
    Looks like you’ve got some great new reads.
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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  8. I completely understand about the snow/ice thing. Our area of Central Texas gets snow every few years and ice a bit more often. The ice is awful. No one knows how to drive on it. And no equipment for clearing. School 'snow days' happen every couple of years. We had really low temps this weekend. It was 16 at our house and that is not at all usual. Not quite so cold this morning, but this next week will see us rebound into the upper '70's. Welcome to crazy weather! Hope you have a good time with your grandparents!

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  9. I love David Tennant so a book narrated by him would certainly be enjoyable. Did you see him in the series Broadchurch? We have watched two seasons, love it.
    About the snow and ice- I get you about not knowing how to drive in because we don't get it much around these parts either. When I was growing up in Pennsylvania it was expected and you get used to it but yeah, down here, look out! By the way, great start to you reading for 2017!

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  10. I couldn't imagine living where there is no snow. We were supposed to get like 16 inches overnight and today. Not sure how much we got in the end because I don't exactly go out and measure. lol

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  11. Wow what a great reading start to the year! I have been enjoying Top Chef and Last Chance Kitchen this year. Ugh we just got the snow yesterday and I hate it. Hope you have a great visit with the Grandparents and a great week!

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  12. We got about 5 inches here yesterday and it looks really nice but will be gone by Wednesday because the temp can't seem to stay at winter for long.
    Pj's playing video games sounds like a lot of fun!

    7 does sound like a big age. After November of this year I will no longer have any single digit kids in the house. My daughter will be 10 and son 12. Even the cat is 15...however the dog is 6 so I'll have one :)

    Have a great week, Katherine! Happy Reading! ox

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  13. I'm with you on the weather! I live in Dallas so when we get hit "bad" - our sense not notherners sense of bad - we just shut down. Unfortunately the snow we got was in the afternoon and not THAT bad so we didn't shut down. Which means idiots took to the roads and I had to navigate my way home from work with them. Fun.

    Wow 93! That's so awesome and how cool that Tornado gets to spend that time. I had a great grandmother that lived to be 97 and I know I look back very happy I got to spend time with her. And 7! I know after 93 it so small, but I feel like just yesterday you were talking about Tornado starting Kinder! They do grow so fast, don't they?! Have a great week!

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  14. You peaked my curiosity with those cozies so I had to go and look for book ones as I can't just jump into a series. That Miss Seeton one has been around a long time!! I got book one for .99 to give it a try. :)

    I feel sorry for those with a ton of snow and cold but I am still complaining about how cold I am...lol. I almost think I could handle some snow if it would stay in the high thirties and not this down to 0 crap...lol. I mean if it's going to be freezing there should be some snow involved...lol.

    Sounds like you did great with your reading, I see you have Dead and Breakfast coming up for review, I am reading that one now. I hope you enjoyed it! :)

    Happy reading!
    Stormi
    Week in Review

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  15. I know what you mean about the snow thing... we get so much of it and there is so much snow removal equipment here that life returns to normal very quickly even after a foot or more. Hope you get back on a normal schedule next week and enjoy the visit with your grandparents!

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  16. Ha, your snow incident reminds me of how folks in SoCal respond to rain! The news station here actually posts viewer's pics or video of rain on tv because it's rare and exciting, except this winter we're getting way more than usual-- having lived in FL where it rains so often, we just laugh. I've driven through tropical storms without batting an eye, but don't do well on snow at all.

    So many good request books! I like the sound of the one where he moved from Minnesota to New Mexico, a fish out of water mystery, nice! Enjoy your pile of books!

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  17. Oh I love when David Tennant narrates! I am loving the new cozies you have acquired. Seven? How do they grow so fast? The Princess will be two and oh my it seems like yesterday! Hope you have a wonderful week and the reading streak continues!

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  18. Looks like you got some great books onto your reading pile. Donna Alward I'd like to sample but not even looking as I want to clear what I have first. Loved the snow story and how you spent the day. Will be interested to see your middle grade books, I like the thought of it although again, its time that is the factor. Hope trip to your grandfather goes well.

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  19. Yay for good reads! Hope you have a fun trip home :D And I hear ya on the weather. NC is the same way. We got an inch here and things are shut down for the duration. lol

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  20. Well done on the reading front!

    I hope you enjoy your visit to your grandparents. Only one of mine lived past 70 (which is scary) so I lost them a long long time ago and kinda wish I'd had longer with them!

    I had to laugh at you requesting a book from NG by mistake as I did that exact same thing last week and as soon as I clicked I couldn't work out how to 'undo' it. It got approved and I had to leave a comment for the publisher saying that it was really not my sort of book and I'd requested it in error. Oops!

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  21. I'm glad you're safe and warm despite the big snow drifts. Do your schools have to make up the snow days taken or they should already be built in yeah?

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  22. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency sounds interesting to me, but we haven't watched any of it yet.
    I don't think it is silly at all to be super cautious of the snow in areas where it isn't the usual. I am from Upstate New York, but now that I live in the south it is different. Like you said, our road crews are not equipped with sand, salt, manpower, or plows, and the drivers aren't only not trained to drive with it, but usually have ill equipped tires.
    I hope you enjoy the visit with your grandparents.

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  23. We don't get snow but it's always a good idea to be careful. It sounds like you had a fun day at home with the Tornado. I hope you have a safe trip when visiting your grandfather and I hope he is doing well. You are on a great start for your reading this year. I've so far finished one book and close to finishing two more. I hope you have a great week!

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  24. I agree about the weather shut down. I have seen snow less than five times in my life where we are. We have had school cancelled more for flooding and iced roads because we don't have the equipment to handle those either. Those days can be enjoyable to stay home in the pjs! I enjoy reading MG. Good luck with your trip!

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  25. We have closed down school for ice! We are not good at driving in that kind of weather.

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  26. Great haul this week! That Chitty Chitty Bang Bang book sounds cute! Haha! Enjoy your time with your grandparents and have a great week :D

    Here's my Weekly Recap

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  27. Oh wow, a state wide shut down? That must have been very exciting! Have a good week, and happy reading! :)

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  28. I'm actually really wishing for snow over here. Colorado usually has way more snow by now and we just aren't getting any. Time sure does fly when it comes to kids. My nephew just turned 5 and my cousin 9. I just don't know where those years went!

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  29. I wish babies were babies a little longer. It seems once they hit school age the years get shorter. It's wonderful that you are going down to see your grandparents. I am going to be chipping away at back reviews this year, too. I did my start-up post for 52 Pins last week. I am so execited. I did my first pin yesterday, it was making the little origami lucky stars that Cait from Paper Fury makes for her IG book photos. I am not going to tell you if I was successful or not. Ha ha. It will be a surprise. Have a wonderful week. :)

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  30. I can relate with your sense of shock over your seven-year-old. My grandson turned seven in November - and he's suddenly all boy with every scrap of the 'little' gone... When did THAT happen?? I hope you have a lovely visit with your grandparents and that your grandfather's birthday goes off well. Congratulations on a strong start to your reading:).

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  31. We also had a snow day but it was Saturday. Soccer was canceled and THAT WAS GOOD! good stuff! mom is exhausted. Glad you and tornado played video games! I love when I get to play VG with my son! I can believe tornado is SEVEN! he was FOUR when I first started visiting your blog. OMG Time flies! Hope he had a great time. Enjoy Mississippi!

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  32. It sounds like the new year is getting off to a solid start for you reading wise. I'm also super excited about your new middle grade reviews coming up each month.

    Ah, I hope you have a lovely time in Mississippi!

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  33. I'm working on clearing my backlog of review books too. Some of which I read but never wrote the reviews for. I'm determined to revisit them and write the review (thankfully I have notes!).

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  34. Yikes, that's crazy about the weather. I don't think it sounds silly since I don't even get snow lol. And that's even worse if it's really just ice. But a pajama video game day sounds awesome! Have fun visiting your grandparents :-)

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  35. Snow is a normal thing here in Pennsylvania, but I am sure it does get challenging when a warm place gets some. Solid ice is really bad news.

    Hope all is good and you have been having a good week.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My It's Monday, What Are You Reading

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