Good morning! Today’s post will link up to Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post, and Book Journey, for Weekly Updates.
**Mailbox Monday is now hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.
Grab some coffee (or a pot of tea!), and let’s talk about our weeks.
I had a nice quiet New Year’s, and today went shopping with Fiona, my granddaughter, to get a new iPhone. I have moved on up technologically…LOL
Here’s what is happening in my Blog World:
LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:
A Quiet New Year’s Eve: Another Way to Chase Away the Blues
Creative Tuesday: Intros – “One Step Too Far”
Monthly Wrap-Up: Goodbye to 2014
New Year’s Eve Thoughts: On Book Buying, Purging, & a Clean Slate
My First Book of the Year: 2015
I Couldn’t Help Myself: Book Buying Already!
Friday Potpourri: Book Beginnings/Friday 56 – “The Cinderella Murder”
Come Monday, I’ll Be Ready for a New Week
Bookish Saturdays: Planning My Reads
Review: The Matchmaker (e-book), by Elin Hilderbrand
Review: Lillian on Life, by Alison Jean Lester
Review: Everything I Never Told You (e-book), by Celeste Ng
Review: The Cinderella Murder, by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke (First Book of the Year)
Review: One Step Too Far, by Tina Seskis
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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
There were no books in my mailbox!
But I downloaded three e-books for Sparky.
Watermelon (e-book), by Marian Keyes
February the fifteenth is a very special day for me. It is the day I gave birth to my first child. It is also the day my husband left me…I can only assume the two events weren’t entirely unrelated.
Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to their first baby, James informs her that he’s leaving her. Claire is left with a newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a postpartum body that she can hardly bear to look at.
She decides to go home to Dublin. And there, sheltered by the love of a quirky family, she gets better. So much so, in fact, that when James slithers back into her life, he’s in for a bit of a surprise.
Garden Spells (e-book), by Sarah Addison Allen
In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.…
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.
When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other.
Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own….
Last Night at the Viper Room (e-book), by Gavin Edwards
Acclaimed author and journalist Gavin Edwards vividly recounts the life and tragic death of acclaimed actor River Phoenix—a teen idol on the fast track to Hollywood royalty who died of a drug overdose in front of West Hollywood’s storied club, the Viper Room, at the age of 23.
Last Night at the Viper Room explores the young star’s life, including his childhood in Venezuela growing up under the aegis of the cultish Children of God. Putting him at the center of a new generation of leading men emerging in the early 1990s— including Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprio—Gavin Edwards traces the Academy Award nominee’s meteoric rise, couches him in an examination of the 1990s, and illuminates his lasting legacy on Hollywood and popular culture itself.
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WHAT’S UP NEXT? (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
Currently Reading: I Love You More (e-book), by Jennifer Murphy
A Small Indiscretion, by Jan Ellison (Vine review)
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RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS 
You have a great line-up of books! I have been wanting to try a Marian Keyes book and this is first in a series, so good choice. I also want to pick up The Matchmaker (love Hilderbrand!) and Garden Spells (I thought I read this one last year, but I didn’t, oops).
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I am very excited about these, too, Rita….and I decided to get Garden Spells because I’ve pre-ordered First Frost, and there are characters from Garden Spells in that book.
I also love getting a book that is first in a series. Thanks for visiting.
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Garden Spells is one of my favorite Allen books and Watermelon cracks me up. I love keeping up with technology…good for you!
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Thanks, Kimba, and I am looking forward to both those books. As for technology, I was so happy to have my teenage granddaughter Fiona with me to help select it, and she did a little “training session” with me afterwards…LOL.
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Garden Spells has been on my TBR for a while. Love the premise for Watermelon. Sounds like a great book.
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I like the sound of them both, too, Cynthia, and thanks for stopping by!
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I will be interested in your thoughts on Garden Spells. Enjoy your new iPhone!
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Thanks, Pat, I am eager to read Garden Spells, I have heard such good things…and as for my iPhone, I’d better think of a name for it, so I can feel more “connected.” LOL
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Garden Spells was a magical book for me. The next couple of SAA’s books were not so well-received by my brain. Commented on your NYE post! Good tips!
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I have heard many good things about Garden Spells, so I’m eager to dive in. Thanks for stopping by, Steph, and enjoy the New Year.
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I’ve read a few Marian Keyes books and enjoyed them. It’s on my list to read all the novels she’s published.
My recap: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2015/01/weekly-book-recap-92.html
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This will be my first by this author, but I loved the sound of it. Enjoy your week, Catherine, and thanks for visiting.
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Have fun with your new iPhone!
I’ve had Watermelon on my TBR for a long time…way back when I used to read physical books. LOL I should get it for my Kindle. I Love You More looks really good. Enjoy! Have a great week!
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I do enjoy my Kindle…and it is so easy to carry around the “library” that way…LOL.
Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne, and I look forward to Watermelon, and I Love You More is an interesting story.
The iPhone will take some getting used to, but it’s fun so far.
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Watermelon sounds amazing, Laurel-Rain! I love that the MC had some help from her loving but quirky family to help her when her husband left her the day their daughter was born – and that he’ll have to grovel a lot if he’s going to win her back. Definitely adding that one to my TBR.
Have fun with your new iPhone! I love mine so much 🙂
This year, I am doing several challenges, just to help motivate me to read the books I own, and also to clear out my e-reader a little better.
Thanks for stopping by earlier. Happy reading 🙂
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Definitely a story that drew me in, Lexxie….thanks for stopping by, and the iPhone will take some getting used to, but I have my trusty trainer Fiona, my teenaged granddaughter…LOL.
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No challenges? Wow. 🙂
I have no challenges planned either and doubt I will join in any. I did well without any for the last few years and just reading whatever comes my way.
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I definitely like the idea of reading whatever comes my way. Thanks for stopping by, Bryan, and enjoy!
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My mother loved I Love You More… could not put it down! I’ve been meaning to read it ever since. Hope you enjoy it, too.
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Oh, so do I, JoAnn…loving it so far. Thanks for stopping by.
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Happy New Year, Laurel! Looks like you’re getting your reading off to a fine start.
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Thanks, Joy, I like getting a running start on the reading. Glad you could stop by.
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Your ebooks all sound fascinating! Enjoy! And happy new year!
Readerbuzz.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Deb, I hope you enjoy your new year, too!
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Watermelon sounds good, hope you enjoy. Happy 2015!
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Thanks, Brandi, I am looking forward to it.
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I like the sound of Garden Spells. Nice books this week. Looks like you have a great start for a brand new year.
Here’s my Sunday Post – http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/01/04/whats-new-on-my-bookshelf-91-and-the-sunday-post/
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I think so, too, Laura…glad you could stop by, and enjoy your new year.
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I have Garden Spells somewhere on one of my unorganized book shelves! I really do want to read that.
No challenges for me this year either. I do plan on participating in short-term events like RIP or read-alongs or the readathons. I look at the Goodreads challenge as more of a goal, which I set at 100 books per year. Because listen to so much audio, two books a week is achievable.
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Yes, that’s how I see the Goodreads Challenge, too…a goal. I am definitely looking forward to a more relaxed year…and to enjoying my books, like Garden Spells. Thanks for stopping by, Leslie.
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I’m hoping to get to Marian Keyes and Garden Spells this year. Both have been on my wishlist for far too long. I kind of went overboard on challenge signups this year even though I really intended to only do a couple. I do intend to be more organized about them this year though! Have a great week and enjoy your new books!
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Thanks, Katherine, and I am very happy not to have challenges ahead of me. Just a few goals, and some relaxed reading. Glad you could stop by.
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I like how you spend the holidays, some time with families as well as time spent watching shows. Hope you had a great New Year, and I like your movie choices. Urban Cowbo… 🙂
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Ah, yes, sometimes the oldies are the goodies, and I’m talking about movies, not my family…LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Greg, and enjoy the New Year.
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I’ve just finished First Frost so I smiled at your buying Garden Spells before reading First Frost. I enjoyed both. Enjoy that iPhone, wonderful technology!
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Thanks, Kathryn…I am still figuring out some features on the phone…I must name it soon, so I won’t take my frustration out on the device…LOL.
I am glad that I found out about Garden Spells, as First Frost is coming soon! Thanks for stopping by.
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I’ve heard good things about Garden Spells. Hope you like all the books you’ve downloaded. I stopped joining challenges because it put too much pressure on me. I miss them though. Isn’t that ironic?
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Oh, I know, Laura…I do get tempted, as it’s fun having all these challenges to meet…but the pressure mounts, and that’s not fun. Thanks for stopping by, and I am looking forward to all the new books.
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Garden Spells was my first SAA and probably still my favorite. Enjoy!!
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Oh, I have only read The Peach Keeper, and have Lost Lake waiting on Sparky. Looking forward to Garden Spells. Thanks for stopping by, Stacy.
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Your books are always intriguing. I like them 🙂
WeeklyWrap@EverythingNyze
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Thanks, Nyze, glad to be of service! LOL. Hope you enjoy your week….
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I enjoy Lisa Scottoline’s work so hope to read Betrayed!
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Oh, so do I, Deborah, and what I like most about her books is how they are a nice range of mysteries, series books, and books about family.
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Happy New Year! That’s a great selection of books, the Marian Keyes one sounds great. She’s an author I’ve not read yet but I keep meaning to.
Good luck with your reading challenge too.
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Thanks, pagesandtea, and I hope you enjoy your week. This will be my first by Marian Keyes.
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You’ve certainly been busy, I’m impressed by how much blog writing you’ve achieved in just a week! Some interesting books on your list, I’ve only heard of a couple. I’ve yet to read anything by Sarah Addison Allen (I’ve got one of her books and it seems like everyone I know loves her stuff).
Happy new year!
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Thanks, Shannon, the blog posts just seemed to flow this week…the New Year?
I read my first SAA book this year and I’m looking forward to many more. Glad you could stop by.
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Congrats on the new iPhone! I hope you love Watermelon – I thought it was hilarious and sweet.
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Oh, I like a good laugh, and the blurb hinted at some sadness, too, but laughter rules! Thanks for stopping by, Sam, and I’ll enjoy my iPhone more when I figure out how to do everything…LOL.
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Enjoy getting to know the iPhone. They are amazing little machines 🙂
I did the same thing with the Goodreads challenge last year and again this year – 100 books even though I read more I don’t need added pressure. I do one other challenge: The Finish the Series challenge. There’s a Goodreads page for it.
Have a good week, Laurel.
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Thanks, Mary, and I think it’s good to step back from things now and then, like challenges. Lowering my numbers on the Goodreads one seemed a way to go.
I hope that my iPhone and I get acquainted soon, because I will enjoy it more after we are “friends.”
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I’m an apple girl, enjoy your new iPhone 🙂 Loved Garden Spells and I’m hoping to enjoy First Frost just as much. I’m wishing now that I had lowered the Goodreads challenge a little, good idea having less pressure. Have a great week and happy reading 🙂
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Thanks, Teddyree, and I hope you enjoy your new week, too.
I am struggling a little with some of the iPhone features…but I’m going to my daughter’s house tonight. She is hard to pin down, so busy all the time, but maybe she can give me another lesson.
Fiona did well with it, but she had to go home. If she moved in, it would be better…LOL.
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Garden Spells has a gorgeous cover. I hope you enjoy your reads this week.
Take a look at what I’m reading this week.
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Oh, I love that cover, too, Majanka…thanks for stopping by!
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Anxious to see what you think of Watermelon. I read it in 2012, just after I retired. I also want to read Garden Spells. I really liked Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. I would not have picked up Last Night at the Viper Room until I read the blurb. Now I want to read it. Thanks for sharing your busy week.
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Yes, that blurb won me over, too, Judy…and I am eager to read Watermelon and Garden Spells. Enjoy your week!
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The title/cover of Watermelon made me giggle. I’ve been wanting to read Garden Spells for a while. Happy New Year!
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Yes, definitely an intriguing cover. And I remember being intrigued by Garden Spells when I first heard of it…so now I’m glad to have it. Thanks for stopping by, Kathy, and enjoy your New Year, too.
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slow mailbox weeks are always good for catching up.
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Totally! I ordered two more Vine books, so next week will have at least two! Maybe that will be enough…
Thanks for stopping by, Serena.
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I have been in some challenges in Goodread but I have not updated them much in the past year. I am enjoying my own pace to update them and work on them if I ever do. I am in the Goodreads Challenge like the last couple of years since 2012. I am working on a challenge that I want to host this year on my Blog. I sure hope you enjoy your week. If you have the time, would you please vote in my poll: https://plus.google.com/106671740027571728549/posts/M84EfC14FiT to help me out with getting the word out and the votes so I can be ready to work on the Level Banners this month. Thanks, My Monday Mailbox post is up as well.
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Thanks for stopping by, Lindsay, and sometimes I like having personal goals rather than participating in challenges…but the Goodreads one is easy, and they keep track of the books for me. LOL.
Not that I need that, since I also track and link to my reviews on one of my blogs.
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Nice mix of books! I was thinking of picking up Garden Spells to read before First Frost. Happy New Year!
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Thanks, Lucy, and I need to put Garden Spells in my reading queue pronto, as First Frost is one I will be getting soon. Glad you could visit today.
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I am not into challenges of any kind…every day is a challenge sometimes! A fun challenge but a challenge nevertheless!
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Definitely! And right now I am challenged by my new iPhone…lol. Thanks for stopping by, Patty.
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Garden Spells looks good. It is disappointing when no books come, but sometimes it is good. 🙂
I received Betrayed in my mailbox.
ENJOY all your books and your reading week.
Trying out my new WordPress commenting. Keeping my fingers crossed. 🙂
Happy Reading!!
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
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Thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth, and the commenting is working perfectly! Enjoy your week, and I am excited about both Garden Spells and Betrayed.
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Yeah that it worked.
How is your iPhone? 🙂
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I am so glad! And as for the phone, which I am calling Phoebe, I think I’ll keep it…LOL. I was frustrated for a while…and then I ordered a stylus (actually, a set of them), so I’m hoping the texting will be easier. I have big thumbs and fingers…LOL.
I have been using the camera and sending photos to family members, for practice.
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Yeah on the stylus. That does help. I love how you name your devices. 🙂
Great news all around.
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Yeah no Challenges for me either, but perhaps the Goodreads Challenge / tracker. I don’t like pressure either. It seems you’re off to great new year Laurel. Enjoy your new reads.
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Thanks, Susan, I am very happy about my start for the New Year. Enjoy your week….
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Happy New Year!! Thank you for stopping by for a visit! You have been a busy lady!!
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Thanks for returning the visit, Lori, and I guess the week did get busy!
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I think I’ll be re-reading Garden Spells before I get around to reading First Frost. Enjoy your week!
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Thanks, Jen, and I am eager to read both SAA books.
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I chuckled at your failure of not buying books. I know I would fail at that challenge too! Have fun with your new iPhone. I need to upgrade mine, but know that it will require lots of learning. Have a great week.
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I am slowly learning how to navigate “Phoebe,” or iPhoebe, which is what I’ve named the phone. It took me four years to upgrade…LOL. Thanks for visiting, Nise, and I am not sticking to the “not buying” thing at all.
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I love Sarah Allen Addison and Marian Keyes – great picks! There have been some great prices on Kindle books at Amazon US over the holidays, I was so disappointed I couldn’t take advantage of any of them since Australians don’t get the same pricing structure 😦
I hope you have a great week – and enjoy your new iphone!
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I have read one book by SAA so far, and had another on Sparky, before I downloaded Garden Spells. This will be my first Marian Keyes.
Enjoy your week, and thanks for stopping by, Shelleyrae.
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Awesome week you had! Happy New Year’s to you too! Here’s my Sunday Post:
http://rabbitearsblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/the-sunday-post-meme-8/
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Thanks for stopping by, Rabbitearsblog, and I hope you have a great New Year too!
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I loved Garden Spells (and anything by that author). I hope you enjoy it! Also, I’ve found that quiet holidays are often the best holidays. It was just me and my husband for Christmas this year. It was nice. We stayed in our PJs all day and loafed around on the couch.
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I love staying in PJs all day! I try to do that every once in a while, even when it’s not a holiday…LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Jessica.
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