Sunday, June 12, 2016

This Week in Reading - June 12


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:

Death at the Day Lily Cafe by Wendy Sand Eckel - I actually have another book by this author but haven't read it but that didn't stop me from jumping at this when the publisher contacted me.  A foodie mystery with a touch of humor is right up my alley!  (Publisher)

Fearless by Kimberly Kincaid - I loved her Pine Mountain books and enjoyed the previous book in this series.  I've liked what I've seen of the hero in this book so I'm excited to see him get his own story.  (NetGalley)

The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr - There's kind of a Bernie Madoff feel to this one and I've always been fascinated by how his wife and family felt and what they knew so I was immediately interested in this book.  Plus I just want to read more Carr!  (Publisher)

Love Blooms on Main Street by Olivia Miles - I really enjoyed the previous books in this series so I'm looking forward to reading this one.  (Publisher)

Sunset in Central Park by Sarah Morgan - We're going to ignore the fact I haven't read the first book in the series - or the last book of the last series.  I still had to have this one!  (NetGalley)

Silk Stalkings by Dianne Vallere - I loved the previous book in this series and couldn't get my hands on this one fast enough.  Vallere is my go to author for a fun cozy read!  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading: Vacations Can Be Murder by Jane DiLucchio and The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

Listening: I'm still catching up on podcasts.  Right now I'm really enjoying Real Crime Profile where Jim Clemente (former FBI agent and Criminal Minds writer/producer talks about famous cases with other experts.

Watching: We finished the 2nd season of The Blacklist and are waiting for Netflix to get the 3rd season.  I'm hoping to get to the James Bond Live and Let Die movie but am not sure that's going to happen.  Other than that it's been a quiet TV week.

Off the Blog:

This week was pretty quiet.  The Tornado's summer camp started and he's been having such a good time.  I was so excited when his school announced that they were doing a 6 week camp because I knew all the people involved and it's a place he's already comfortable and I just knew he'd have a good time.  Last summer we didn't end up doing any camps or anything and mostly just spent lots of time together.  We did a lot of hiking and swimming and had a really good time but kind of got in our own little world and I think that contributed to the bit of separation anxiety he had at the beginning of school this year.  Since he's going to a new and bigger school in August I'm trying to minimize that as much as possible plus it's nice for him to have some structured time to play with other kids and for me to be able to complete a thought without having to answer 46 questions a minute.

Paul has an appointment with his recruiter this week to try and workout what date he's leaving for boot camp.  Waiting is just awful at the best of times and I think the waiting without any known date except a vague "maybe July" is driving him crazy.  I'm not super excited for him to go but it will be nice to have a date to plan around and I know he'll be relieved.  He is of course ready to get going.

I'm working getting caught up on blog stuff and blog visiting.  I think I've finally made the realization that I'm not going to be fully caught up until school starts back again but I am making a dent so I won't be so far behind.  If I haven't visited you in awhile I'm on my way!   I also have a few plans for updates that I'm looking forward to playing around with but those will most definitely not be happening until August.

Allergies are really driving me crazy right now.  I seem to go for a few days being fine and then all of a sudden I'm sneezing my head off, my eyes are swollen and I'm so itchy (and probably bitchy but that's another story).  I'm ready for whatever is blooming to go away but at least I do seem to be getting a break.  Since they're irritating my eyes it's making reading a little more difficult but I stumbled on 2 books I really enjoyed right in a row so that kept me from getting into a slump.

We're doing some home improvement around here and it's so exciting!  We've been working on building a wall and adding closets and other dry wall stuff that is all long term and tedious and frankly a little depressing.  So we decided to change focus and do a quick redo in the master bathroom and it's so fun to be making visible progress.  So far J has put in recessed lighting and we've replaced the faucets and bought a new light fixture.  Now J is painting which is really the fun part.  Is there anything that's more value than a coat of paint.  It's not that difficult or that expensive but just one coat makes everything look brand new.  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

What's Coming Up:

Monday: How Secrets Die - Blog Tour Mystery Review + Giveaway
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the 2nd Half of 2016
Wednesday: Only You - Contemporary Romance Review + Spotlight
Thursday: Vacation Can Be Murder - Mystery Review 
Friday: Friday Linkups with excerpts from current book
Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

30 comments:

  1. Good luck with the remodeling! That's always a good feeling when a project pays off. I had a pretty quiet TV week too- must be the summer slowdown. I watched a couple shows but other than that... not much. And I don't think I was on Netflix once... that's a miracle lol. I haven't seen Blacklist but I've heard it is good. And hope you get to your Bond film! :)

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  2. Home improvements can be exciting and stressful at the same time can't they?

    I'm glad Tornado is enjoying his camp - time with other kids his age wounds perfect... plus it must wear him out and help him sleep better?

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  3. Sounds your summer is off to a good start :-) That's great that Tornado is enjoying camp! And the home improvement sounds fun. I mean, it sounds like a lot of work lol, but I imagine it's worth it when you get to look at and use all the new stuff!

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  4. We are doing a little DIY too, we've just changed the tiles in our shower and are painting next. It's fun to see everything getting a little facelift! And allergies just suck. I hear you on that itch, urrgghh. The camp sounds great.

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  5. Hope the renovations go quickly. They seem to drag forever but they will finish!

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  6. Allergies are the worst. I hope it gets better soon.
    Good luck with the home improvement. It sounds like you’re getting some awesome new improvements. Some paint can definitely clean up a place.
    Have a great week and happy reading! ;)

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  7. You are making me feel guilty with the work you are doing on your house - we need to do so much and are doing nothing. I need to feel inspired. Summer is the ideal time to get started. Hope your remodelling goes well.

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  8. Ugh... I recall all too clearly how bad flower allergies can be - I used to suffer dreadfully at this time of year. And one of the huge benefits of getting older is that my hay fever has abated from bleeding hands, nosebleeds, temperatures, sore throat, earache and streaming, bloodshot eyes, to mildly irritated eyes when it rains after a dry spell. Hopefully yours might also ease up as you get older, too! Best of luck with your DIY project and delighted that Tornado is enjoying summer camp so much. Have a great week.

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  9. My kids start summer camp in July. Its only a couple of days a week but they love it. I think all of our allergies have made a reappearance here too. Good luck with all the work on the house! Have a great week!

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  10. It is great that you had two satisfying reads in a row, but bah to the allergies! I hope Paul's boot camp date gets settled. It !ust ne stressful having things up in tne air like that. I am going to thank you again gorthe peach pie recipe. I will be using it when peaches start to show up at the farmer's market. Have a wonderful week. :)

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  11. It's always fun to redecorate. Good luck with the remodeling! I hope you allergies get better. Mine have been unusually powerful this year. Sometimes even the medicine doesn't work. Hopefully Paul will learn his schedule. Not knowing and waiting are the worst. Especially when you're very excited to go off on a new adventure. I think the Tornado will benefit greatly from camp, and so will you. Playing with kids his own age will help his social emotional development. Plus, it'll give you a much needed break. Have a great week!

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  12. Allergies are kicking my butt this year too! Good luck with your remodeling. Great haul, you got some cool books!

    Stormi
    Week in Review

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  13. We still haven't got our summer weather yet, I guess I should be happy about that when people talk about how hot it is. School is still in for the kids here so our summer camps don't start for a few more weeks I'm glad Tornado is enjoying camp. Looks like you got some great books. Happy Reading
    My Weekly Recap

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  14. It's winter in SA, but I also have terrible allergies this whole week. Just hate it. Lovely to visit your blog once again. So nice and refreshing. Enjoy your week!

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  15. Home improvement projects are exciting, but can be stressful, too. They're much more fun when the results are easily apparent... our current project is replacing a couple of windows. Kind of boring and won't change the overall look or feel of anything. I'd much prefer a bathroom update!!

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  16. Summer camp sounds like a sanity saver ;) My little man has been underfoot since school let out. I enjoy it but there are days that I'd like to not have to lock myself in the bathroom for 5 minutes of me time. We're moving in 12 days though so I'm just hoping to get it all packed by then. Good luck with your remodel!
    My Sunday Post

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  17. I am writing The Life She Wants on my list...I have enjoyed two books by her so far, and have another on Pippa.

    So sorry about the allergies...I have them, too, and take some meds during the season, but they don't completely do away with the symptoms.

    I like those quick re-dos, which help us suffer through the long ones. Enjoy!

    Thanks for sharing...and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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  18. I wish our kids had a summer camp. At least for my daughter since my son has an extended school year. It's so nice to be in your own head for a bit. Just when I have a great idea someone asks me a questions and I lose it lol

    I am doing a bit of decorating in the fall to the living room. We need a lot of new stuff but also need to save some money to get the stuff we need. I want the space to be more comfy and living friendly. Not sure how to accomplish that but I am thinking :)

    I hope you have a great week Katherine! Happy Reading!!!

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  19. I really need to do some painting. Especially our bathroom... But I always seem to have so much going on and never get to it... (This could because while I like the end result, I hate painting. lol)

    Hope you have a great week!

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  20. What a great list of books. Some of those are on my wishlist and some I already have. Enjoy them!

    Have a great week and I hope your allergies are better!

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  21. I am glad Tornado is enjoying camp. It's fun for him and a nice break for you to get other much needed stuff done, no doubt. Mouse starts her new summer program in late July. She's excited and nervous. We'll have be learning a new routine. I'm most worried about having to pack her a lunch as we haven't had to do that before. She's such a picky eater. :-(

    I hope everything goes well for Paul with the recruiter. I can see why the waiting would be a bit frustrating. His start date will come all too soon, no doubt.

    I am glad your home improvement projects are going so well! I wish we had time to work on some here. We talk about it, but nothing ever comes of our talking. We're still recovering financially from when my husband was out of work too, which doesn't help.

    Sunset in Central Park sounds wonderful as do your other new books! I was going through my Kindle the other day and it was like being a bookstore. I forget which books I have on there. :-)

    Have a great week, Katherine!

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  22. Ooh, I got Death at the Day Lily Cafe and The Life She Wants, too! And you're reading The Language of Bees -- I can't wait to see what you think about it!

    I hope Paul gets his start date soon, although I'm sure as a parent, it's really hard to see your child go off to boot camp. (Harder than college, I suspect.) And it sounds like the Tornado is off to a great start for the summer! You're making good progress with your home improvement projects, too. Want to come do mine? ;-)

    Have a wonderful week, with lots of good reading and plenty of other things to do and enjoy!

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  23. I also received the Robyn Carr and Sarah Morgan books, so did a happy dance! I am planning to read the first one this week as I had bought it recently. Yay for both books. Hope those allergies go away.

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  24. Sounds like the Tornado is having fun! I finished a mystery, a historical novel, and the latest Clive Cussler (not up to his best) this week. Now I need to write reviews! Have a nice summery week!

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  25. Your summer sounds like it is going to be a busy one. A summer camp sounds like fun for the Tornado and its nice to keep the little ones busy. The home improvement project sounds fun and I would love to do somethings around our house. I hope your allergies go away and enjoy your week!

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  26. Ooh! It's nice to meet a fellow cozy mystery lover. Death at the Day Lily Café sounds like a lot of fun. I'll have to keep my eye out for that one when it's finally released. Have you ever read the Southern Sisters mystery series by Anne George? They are a lot of fun, too. ^-^

    You've got a lovely site and I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of Scarlet next week. Followed you via Bloglovin!

    Brittany @ Space Between the Spines

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  27. We're starting a reno next week - good luck to us all :) I'm hoping to get a review copy of the new Robyn Carr. Love her books.

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  28. Looks like you got some good mysteries to read! Hope your allergies will give you a break.
    Check out my Sunday Post

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  29. The first thing I did with the man was a home improvement project. We painted (and patched) his garage! It's always fun to see the changes. I hope the other remodel picks up once the bathroom is finished. How fun for Tornado! I know exactly what you mean about having time to finish a thought. Toward the end of school I couldn't seem to articulate anything.

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  30. LOL I've just accepted I'm going to be continuously behind on blog visits (and then will comment bomb yall to catch up). Yay on the Kincaid and Miles. Love them both :)

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