Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.
**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.
And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.
When I talked about the lovely spring weather last week, I should have known. Yes, this week has also had great sunny days…and then yesterday came.
Wind that was so strong that I had to fight my way through it to run my simple errands. So strong that my (wait for it!) skylight cover came down in the kitchen…again! This time it didn’t break, and I put it back up. But now I am very leery of entering the kitchen. Eyes trained upwards, I slink along, hoping to get whatever I need—coffee, food, etc.—without angering the Skylight Gods. But to be fair, it’s the wind and rain that have been playing havoc here.
After living here for ten years, this year has been the first to bring down that stupid skylight cover THREE times now. Or has it been four times? I’m losing track. Is this a sign? That I should move?
Okay, let’s not be hasty, right? Meanwhile, the rest of my week was awesome. I actually read and reviewed FIVE books (one was pretty short); and I wrote eight blog posts. My total for the Read the Books You Buy Challenge – 36 books!
My coffee table book stack dwindled this week, after I had read a few…so naturally, I had to add to it with more books from the office. The migration pattern is this: books begin their stacked life on the trunk in my office, and then they move to the coffee table in the living room (or reading room). The unread books in this “new” stack start with America’s Queen, near the bottom, and move upwards to my Vine review book on top. Two books on this new shelf were on the previous one…they will surely get read very soon.
After not watching much Netflix this week, I suddenly found myself binge-watching #GIRLBOSS. I have always enjoyed the star, Britt Robertson. Expect to read that I’ve watched all of Season I by the end of the weekend. My favorite thing? The San Francisco setting. It takes me back to my younger days when I lived there.
So…enough, already. Let’s talk about last week.
LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:
Tuesday Sparks: “The Roanoke Girls”
Tuesday Potpourri: Books, Netflix, Etc.
Hump Day Reading: It’s Been a Pleasure!
Let’s Share Some Coffee & Photos…
Thursday Potpourri: Odd Tidbits, Etc.
A Bookworm’s Journey: Keeping Track…
Bookish Friday: “Sweet William”
How My Blogging Journey Began….
Review: The Housekeeper (e-book), by Suellen DaintyReview: The Princess Diarist, by Carrie FisherReview: I Found You, by Lisa JewellReview: Wait for the Rain (e-book), by Maria Murnane (Author Review RequestReview: Sweet William (e-book), by Beryl Bainbridge***
INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
Empty mailbox!
I downloaded two purchased books this week…I couldn’t resist.
The Red Hunter (e-book), by Lisa Unger
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The Affair (e-book), by Amanda Brooke
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WHAT’S NEXT?
Currently Reading: The Roanoke Girls (e-book), by Amy Engel.
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Then…should I be optimistic and list all the ones I WANT to read this week…or should I be realistic?
How about this one:
A Separation (e-book), by Katie Kitamura
This one has been resting on Pippa for a while…
A Mother’s Confession (e-book), by Kelly Rimmer
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Vivian in Red (e-book), by Kristina Riggle (because I love the author…and this cover!)
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Maybe this one from Amazon Vine: (at the top of my book stack)
What’s Become of Her, by Deb Caletti
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That was my week…a little sunshine, a scary wind, and lots of books and blog posts…so my optimism about next week stems from these happenings. What did your week look like?
Check out last weekend’s delicious soup with my trademark Pomegranate Martini.
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That pomegranate martini looks so good!! We had really bad storms withs lots of winds last night. Sunny now though 🙂 Wow that’s a lot of books read!!! Hope you are enjoying Roanoke Girls! Have a great week!
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Thanks, Grace, and I avoided the outdoors today, even though it’s sunny. Scary winds yesterday…still not over the trauma…LOL.
I love those pomegranate martinis…and I’m really caught up in The Roanoke Girls. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week. I just started watching #GIRLBOSS on Netflix!
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The skylight dropping sounds scary! Heaven knows I would be directly under it and it would fall on me. I hope this is the last time. Congrats on your reading progress! That is awesome! I’ve read a bunch this month, but I haven’t sat to write reviews.
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Oh, yes, I am terrified that it will fall on me! On one of the earlier drops, it almost did!
I hope this is another great reading week. Thanks for visiting, Charlie, and enjoy yours.
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Glad you had a good week other than the wind/ skylight cover! Yikes that would definitely make you nervous to go into the kitchen. We have skylights in the living room and I was always told it’s not IF they will leak, it’s WHEN. Thankfully they haven’t yet *knocks on wood* And we did heavy wind here too, in fact I was expecing part of my fence to come down it got so strong, but thankfully that didn’t happen…
I’ve been netflixing too, first Travelers and now Glitch. Both pretty interesting.
Mmm soup… 🙂
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I hate being afraid to go in the kitchen! It’s not as if I spend a lot of time there…just making coffee, pouring wine, and microwaving stuff…LOL. Oh, and blending smoothies.
But those are occasions when a falling skylight cover could be a problem. And leaking? I hadn’t even thought about that!
Thanks for stopping by, Greg, and I’m loving GIRLBOSS, which I wasn’t sure I would enjoy. The biggest draw for me was the SF setting.
Enjoy your week, and I always love soup!
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I’ll interested in hearing your thoughts on Red Hunter. I really enjoyed it. I have the Roanoke Girls to read, looking forward to it! Have a good – less windy – week!
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Thanks for visiting, Emma, and I love Unger’s books, so I’m eager to read Red Hunter. I’m loving The Roanoke Girls. Enjoy your week!
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I wish my week had been as productive as yours Laurel! I don’t think I read and reviewed that many books all month, never mind in one week! Annoying about your skylight.
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Thanks, Trish, I felt very productive, and even more…I enjoyed the books!
As for that stupid skylight cover, I have to wonder why it is so vulnerable this year, after ten years with no problems?
Thanks for stopping by.
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Oh my goodness – you don’t want to be entering your kitchen and dodging flying skylights! Hope the weather calms down a bit. Great reading week for you – have another great one. My Sunday Post –
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Thanks, Sarah, and I guess the skylight has been more of a problem this year because the weather has been more troublesome! I also noticed a tear in my patio umbrella…so the weather is raging and taking out its anger on my home!
I’m glad you could stop by, and I’m happy that the books were good. Enjoy your week.
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Thank you, Laurel. Hope this week the weather is kinder to your home!
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Don’t anger the Skylight Gods; those can be sometimes hard to fix. Argh. Hope it will get back secure. You have some good books. I look forward to hearing about The Roanoke Girls and A Separation (which I am on the wait list for). Enjoy your week. ps. San Fran is a such great city and luckily my sister lives in Marin so I can visit sometimes.
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I only lived in SF for a short time, in the 60s, but I “left my heart there”…LOL. My love of place was most fulfilled there…and in Sacramento, where I went next.
It is hard to live in a less special city after living in those places…sigh.
I must have a talk with those Skylight Gods…the only thing I can figure out is that the weather is more tempestuous this year, thus shaking things up more.
Thanks for stopping by, Susan, and have a great week.
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The change in weather sounds ghastly – I’m sorry that it’s damaged your skylight again. You must be fed up of that happening now. I hope it can be easily fixed. I adore the cover of Vivian in Red – it’s making me want a copy and I don’t even know what it’s about yet! I’m definitely going to go look it up though. Hope the week ahead is better and that you read some great books 🙂
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Thanks, Hayley, and luckily the skylight cover didn’t break this time, but the idea that it could come crashing down unexpectedly…well, that freaks me out a little bit. LOL.
I love Kristina Riggle’s books, so I had to have Vivian in Red…and I also love the era in which it is set.
Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting.
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I like the way your books ‘transition’ from one room to the next – mine do too. I also like the way they feature (electronically) as a backdrop to your meal (which looks yum BTW). The perfectly well-dressed table!
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Thanks, Clare, I’ve always felt a close kinship with books, so I definitely want them at my fingertips…and as a companion to my meals. Glad you could stop by, and have a great week.
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I am hoping to listen to the Roanoke Girls soon. Eep..we have had rain and strong winds for 4 days. I have the heat cranking! Hope the warmer weather returns.
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Thanks for visiting (and hosting), Kimberly, and let’s hope the weather calms down and we can rest assured that our houses won’t fall down around us. LOL.
Have a great week!
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The wind here was very strong here too this weekend. I told my daughter not to blow away, and she just laughed at me. I am so glad your skylight cover didn’t break this time!
Sounds like you had a great reading and blogging week, Laurel-Rain! I hope you have a wonderful week and may May be filled with great books and much reading time. 🙂
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Thanks, Wendy, it has been a delightful week, except for the windy weekend…and I’ve been loving Netflix today. Finished Girlboss.
I’m also grateful that the skylight cover was not damaged this time, and I managed to put it back up…My patio umbrella is torn, however, and I’m thinking I won’t buy another until the weather is calm.
Have a great week!
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36 books! That is awesome. I think I did maybe like 6-7 in total this month? And I feel accomplished xD
And how are you liking the Roanoke Girls?
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Thanks, Avalinah, I am loving The Roanoke Girls. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it grabbed me from the very beginning. Enjoy your week!
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You did really well with your reading and reviewing this week! You have many good books on your list, too. Vivian in Red looks really good and I love the cover. Have a great week!
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Thanks, Yvonne, I love the era in which Vivian in Red is set…and the author is a favorite. So I’m excited! Enjoy your week.
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You certainly keep the book industry alive. Hmm bad skylight. Me – I’d have it looked at so it is a little sturdier, I guess the summer is coming and hopefully the wind will stay away then. You must feel like chicken licken.
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Yes, I thought the last time the maintenance man replaced it, he set it in much tighter…he felt confident that it was secure. Well, we know that wasn’t exactly correct, was it? I wish there was another way to let light in, as I’m not feeling the whole skylight cover thing.
Thanks for visiting, Kathryn, and enjoy your week.
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It was super windy here too! But I guess not that bad! And The Roanoke Girls looks good 🙂
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Thanks for visiting, Melissa, and I’m loving The Roanoke Girls. Not loving the wind, though; I think it’s calmer today.
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Mmmm I want a pomegranate martini now. But yikes, the skylight cover falling sounds dangerous! Hopefully your weather will be less crazy this week!
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Thanks for visiting, Kristen, and I’m going to have to talk to maintenance about why it keeps falling! If it hit me, it could be dangerous.
I think I’ll have another martini…LOL.
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Be optimistic! Sorry about the skylight. I would be cautious too. Looking forward to Vivian in Red and just brought home The Red Hunter.
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Thanks, Nise, and I am trying to be optimistic….and will speak to maintenance again about securing it a little better. Enjoy your week!
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Oh, sorry to hear about the skylight issue! Hope they can get it right this time! My mailbox was empty as well. I don’t think we’ll have a problem finding something to read though, haha. Have a great week!
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Oh, I know, there are plenty of books on my Kindle and in the Cloud…and quite a few print books, too., Definitely no worries on finding something to read. Thanks for visiting, Mary, and I also hope they can secure the skylight cover…finally!
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I always love your food pics! That soup looks yummy. Enjoy your new books and congrats on doing so well with the Read the Books you buy challenge. I really need to work on doing that!
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Thanks, Denise, luckily I am looking forward to all the books on my TBR shelves…some more than others, of course. I love soup! Enjoy your week.
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Yeah, the wind was pretty crazy here too! Flooding too in several areas. I’m sorry to hear about your skylight. You had a great reading week though! Vivian in Red looks good. Enjoy your upcoming books!
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I am excited about Vivian in Red…it looks so good! And the author is a favorite. Enjoy your week, Laura. And I hope the maintenance staff can reassure me by securing the skylight cover…finally!
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April sure kept me busy. Saturday was my the junior to cadette bridging ceremony in San Francisco. My daughter and I are sore and sunburnt from our adventure but we had fun. Come see what I’m reading.
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Sounds like a great weekend, Sarah! Thanks for sharing…I always love going to SF. Enjoy your week!
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Pomegranate martini…nice.
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I agree, Joanne! Thanks for stopping by.
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Sorry to hear about that skylight 😦 We had really unusually strong winds this weekend, sent our trashcan flying but fortunately nothing too damaged.
The Red Hunter looks good, I have to say it has a really eye-catching cover!
Have a good reading week!
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Thanks, Kay, but at least this time, the skylight cover didn’t break. Scared the you-know-what out of me, though. Boom! LOL.
I am excited about The Red Hunter, too. Thanks for visiting.
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The winds around here have been crazy lately, too!! Such bizarre weather!
I’ve been seeing great reviews for The Red Hunter. I hope we both enjoy it!
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Thanks, Brandie, reading is the best when our favorite authors deliver books we are bound to love. Thanks for stopping by, and let’s hope the winds go away.
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I’m keen to give Girlboss a go, it sounds good, Still have a series hangover from 13 Reasons Why.
I have The Roanoke Girls on my mountain TBR pile, I hope to get to it soon!
Have a great week!
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I finished Girlboss…now I want another season! LOL. I am still slogging away on 13 Reasons Why.
Enjoy your week, Amanda; I loved The Roanoke Girls.
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I have my eye on The Red Hunter! Hope you like it.
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Me, too, Harvee…so far, Lisa Unger has never disappointed me.
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The Red Hunter looks good!
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Enjoy your week, Harvee!
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Our weather has been crazy – we had lots of rain last week and then it was blazing hot. It’s supposed to be in the 60s later this week.
Congratulations on an empty mailbox!
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Yes, the storms seem to reflect the general torrential atmosphere of the world right now…sigh. Thanks for visiting, Kathy, and let’s enjoy your books! I do like an empty mailbox now and then.
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We’ve been having bad storms too. I’ve had The Roanoke Girls on my list for a while. Maybe I should get around to it already!
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Thanks for stopping by, Candace, and I hope your storms lessen…enjoy your reading!
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That is frightening about the skylight…I have never heard of one falling down. Be careful.
Great reading week, Laurel.
I see you liked I FOUND YOU. VIVIAN IN RED has a gorgeous cover.
Have a great week, and thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
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Thanks, Elizabeth; the maintenance man is coming again tomorrow to see why it keeps falling down. Duh.
I did love I Found You, and I don’t know why it took me so long to read it!
Enjoy your week, and thanks for stopping by.
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Wind is scary. I grew up in Idaho and we got terrible wind storms all the time. Luckily we don’t get too much wind here in Portland, which is good because there are so many big trees and they come tumbling down in the wind. Looks like you had a great reading week last week, lots of four and five star ratings!
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Oh, I did have a good reading week, Heidi, and I know that the winds are much worse in other places, and I will try to cling to the idea of calmer days ahead. Enjoy your reading!
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We are getting a storm this afternoon with winds, here in Pa. Hope that you return to better weather. Your books look great.
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Storms are very frightening at times. I think winds, especially rainy, windy storms are the worst. Thanks for stopping by, Mary Ann.
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I loved A Separation, but do not go in thinking it’s like Gone Girl or a page turning thriller…despite the marketing drivel you may read! It’s a quite rumination on marriage..and I loved the writing!
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Yes, definitely. Thanks for stopping by, Sarah, and enjoy your week.
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Glad you are safe from the falling skylight! That would make me nervous especially when the wind blows!
You had a great reading/blogging week. Look at all those 5star titles. I’ll check a couple of those reviews.
Someday I’ll have to try a pomegranate martini. 🙂
Have a safe and Happy Reading week!
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Thanks, Martha, and maintenance is coming by again tomorrow to see if they can make that cover more secure. Here’s hoping.
I loved how great my reading felt this week.
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Ohh wow that is crazy with the skylight I would be so nervous of it falling again. The wind is never good!! Awesome reading 5 books in a week!! I love that you have a book progression of where they go I do the same thing! Have a great week!
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Definitely! I’m having maintenance staff check it again, to see if they can make it more secure. It has fallen down three times this year!
Thanks for stopping by, Kristyn, and I love the weeks with five books read. Enjoy your new week.
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We also had some warmer weather and then colder weather with wind the next day. Sorry to hear about your skylight that keeps falling down. I hope it stays up for now. It does sound like you had a good reading with getting 5 books read! I hope this week is a good one.
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Thanks, Lola, and the maintenance staff have taken some steps to make the cover more secure. Hope it works!
Loving my reading week so, far, too.
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Eep. I’m sorry! I’m only THREE weeks behind. My goodness. I had serious technical failures along with travelling!
I’ll catch up again properly this weekend!
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No worries, Di, hope your technical failures are behind you!
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