WEEKLY UPDATES: WELCOME, JUNE!

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.

 

Another week has flown by!  I read and reviewed four books, two of them NetGalley reviews, and my Read the Books You Buy total is now at 47.

The 90 – 100 degree heat has kept me indoors with the AC….which explains the four books read.

I’ve been watching Season 5 of House of Cards on Netflix, and The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.  Soon there will be another season of Orange Is the New Black.

I’m still watching (and loving) Season 3 of Better Call Saul, on AMC, but there are only three episodes left. Sigh.

I think the skin condition is ALMOST under control.

Finally my new little flat screen TV for the office arrived, and the Geek Squad set it up for me.   I like listening to it as background noise when I’m at my computer.

 

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What else happened this week?

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  A Week in Transition…

Overcoming the Past:  Excerpting “Embrace the Whirlwind”

Tuesday Sparks:  “Same Beach, Next Year”

Hump Day Sparks:  What a Reading Week!

Goodbye to May!  A Wrap-Up…

From the Interior:  My Thoughts…

Bookish Friday:  “One Good Thing”

Friday Potpourri:  The Mounting TBR Pile…

Review:  How It All Began (e-book), by Penelope LivelyReview:  The Breakdown (e-book), by B. A. Paris (NetGalley – 6/20)Review:  It’s Always the Husband (e-book), by Michele CampbellReview:  Beach House for Rent (e-book), by Mary Alice Monroe

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Two books came in my mailbox!  One for review, the other a purchase.  Then I downloaded (purchased) e-books.

The Beach Inn, by Joanne DeMaio (Author Review Request)

 

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Good Me, Bad Me, by Ali Land (Purchased)

 

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Downloads:

Watching the Detectives , Book 5 (e-book), by Julie Mulhern

 

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White Fur (e-book), by Jardine Libaire

 

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UP NEXT?  These two…and whatever else my mood dictates….

The Swallow’s Nest, by Emilie Richards (Author Review Request)

 

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One Good Thing (e-book), by Wendy Wax

 

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That was my week….what did yours look like?  Last night, I enjoyed one of my favorite soups at the neighborhood Elephant Bar.

 

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WEEKLY UPDATES: HOT DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

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.

 

Sunny days are here again….with temperatures from 93 – 99 (Today through Monday); and the books I’ve read this week were so enjoyable!  Only THREE, with one of them a review book, so my Read the Books You Buy Challenge total is now 43.

I’ve gone a little crazy with NetGalley requests lately, not really expecting to get them all right away, but the ones I received are spread out a little bit.  I have a total of EIGHT on my Kindle, with release dates in June, July, August, and September.

Netflix is bringing out new seasons for some favorites, like Season III of Bloodline this week.  I started watching Midsomer Murders, and I am still glued to an episode at a time of 13 Reasons Why.

On TV, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal had their season finales this week.  I am enjoying Season III of Better Call Saul.

So….that’s a peek at my week.  Let’s take a closer look…

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Sparks:  “The Red Hunter”

Hump Day Sparks:  Current, Past, & Future Reading

Coffee Morning:  Family Bonding…& Memories

Bookish Friday:  “The People at Number 9”

Hope:  More Important Than Ever….

Review:  The Night the Lights Went Out (e-book), by Karen WhiteReview:  The Widow of Wall Street (e-book), by Randy Susan MeyersReview:  He Said/She Said (e-book), by Erin Kelly (NetGalley – 6/6)

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

One purchased book was in my mailbox; my inbox brought two NetGalley review books; and I downloaded three e-books that I bought.

NetGalley Review Books:

Emma in the Night (e-book), by Wendy Walker (8/8/17)

 

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Beach House for Rent (e-book), by Mary Alice Monroe (6/20/17)

 

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Purchased Print Book: (Mailbox)

Dangerous Crossing, by Rachel Rhys

 

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Purchased Downloads:

Say You’re Sorry (e-book), by Melinda Leigh

 

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Same Beach, Next Year (e-book), by Dorothea Benton Frank

 

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It’s Always the Husband (e-book), by Michele Campbell

 

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WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Secrets in Summer, by Nancy Thayer (Amazon Vine Review)

 

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On My List:

Into the Water (e-book), by Paula Hawkins

 

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The Breakdown (e-book), by B. A. Paris (NetGalley – 6/20/17)

 

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  I had lunch at The Yard House with my daughter on Monday…but forgot to photograph it!  Instead, here is this lunch I had at home before heading to the salon on Wednesday.  Greek Yogurt, Ritz Crackers, and red wine.  Eating simple food while gazing at my growing book stack…again.

 

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WEEKLY UPDATES: A MOSTLY UNREMARKABLE WEEK….

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.

 

We had some rain this week, but on other days, the sun made an appearance.  Then the clouds hung overhead, like a foreshadowing of more rain to come.  I stayed in most of the time, though, but only read and reviewed THREE books this week, bringing my challenge total up to SIXTEEN.

I did manage one outing on Monday to the Passport Place, at the university,  where they now handle passport applications and renewals.  It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years already!  That day was so windy that I felt like I was flying across the parking lot.

I didn’t even connect to Netflix this week, but enjoyed the return of some of the shows I like:  The Fosters, Switched at Birth, and the TGIT lineup.

So…what next?  I must have done more this week, since I only read three books…but obviously the events were not that remarkable.   Oh, right, I did change up the theme, background, and header here…and the header over at Serendipity.  If that counts.

Grab some coffee…and a mimosa, and let’s chat.

 

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Potpourri:  “Things We Didn’t Say”

Hump Day Potpourri:  Bingeing on Coffee and Books….

Hump Day Sparks:  Impulse Reading…

Hump Day Obsessions:  From Blog Posts to Headers…

Bookish Thursday #40: (After a Short Break)…

Thursday Potpourri:  Distractions, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “Behind Her Eyes”

A Ditty Playing in My Head:  Monday’s Child, Etc.

Let’s Chat Over Coffee:  Family Moments…

Review:  Pretty Little World (e-book), by Melissa DePino, et. al.Review:  Behind Her Eyes (e-book), by Sarah PinboroughReview:  Things We Didn’t Say (e-book), by Kristina Riggle

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

My mailbox had TWO books I had purchased, and I downloaded ONE from Amazon.

The Girl:  A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski, by Samantha Geimer

 

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Z:  A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Anne Fowler

 

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Download:

The Fifth Letter (e-book), by Nicola Moriarty

 

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WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Currently Reading:  My Husband’s Wife (e-book), by Jane Corry

 

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Then, maybe….

The Best Awful, by Carrie Fisher

 

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The Vanishing Year (e-book), by Kate Moretti

 

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And…that was my week.  What did yours look like?  Here’s a dessert I enjoyed last weekend….Key Lime Pie and Coffee with Jameson…

 

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WEEKLY UPDATES: UNEXPECTED RAIN DAMAGE….

 

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.

 

This past week was one of pounding, windy rain that I do not love…it was great for reading, though, and I read and reviewed four books.  Now I have completed SIX books for my Read the Books You Buy Challenge.

Besides reading, I went out to get a wonderful massage on Wednesday; later I curled up with some shows on TV.  I watched This Is Us, Too Close to Home and even saw The Girl on the Train movie (again!) on Amazon Prime Videos.    I started viewing an Amazon Prime Series, Covert Affairs. 

Yesterday I went to the movies and saw 20th Century Women, starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig, etc.  I loved it!

 

Afterwards, I headed over to Yard House (again!) to use another of my gift cards from Christmas.  Here’s what I enjoyed, clam chowder and a Pomegranate Press:

 

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A great week, despite the rain…which had an unexpected result in my kitchen.  It dislodged the skylight cover, which came crashing down when I opened an upper cabinet…and didn’t realize it was hanging there, literally by a thread (or corner!). It broke, of course, and will be replaced on Monday.  It feels eerie in my kitchen, looking up at all the space between where the cover was…and the roof. 

Let’s see what else went on last week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

It’s a Wrap!  Mini-Bloggiesta Finish Line Post

Monday Potpourri:  A Reclusive Day…

Tuesday Sparks:  “The Vanishing Year”

Curl up…and Let’s Take a Look Back…

It’s Hump Day:  Let’s Talk About Our Reading…

Grab Some Coffee & Let’s Chat…

Thursday Potpourri:  Another Late Night…

Bookish Friday:  “The Dry”

Assessing My Progress:  Reading My Own Books…

Review:  The Stepmother (e-book), by Claire SeeberReview:  The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff (Amazon Vine Review)Review:  Always (e-book), by Sarah Jio – (NetGalley – 2/7/17)Review:  Never Alone (e-book), by Elizabeth Haynes

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Nothing came in my mailbox!  But I downloaded four e-books.

Idaho (e-book), by Emily Ruskovich

 

 

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Moral Defense (e-book, Book 2 – Samantha Brinkman), by Marcia Clark

 

 

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Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (e-book), by Kathleen Rooney

 

 

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The Futures (e-book), by Anna Pitoniak

 

 

 

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Sweet Lake, by Christine Nolfi (Author Review Request)

 

 

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And then…

The Marriage Lie (e-book), by Kimberly Belle

 

 

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Faultlines (e-book), by Barbara Taylor Sissel

 

 

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That was my week…what did yours look like?  I’m leaving you a parting glimpse of yesterday’s lunch, my delicious dessert:  chocolate mousse cake and coffee with Jameson:

 

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WEEKLY UPDATES: A RAINY WEEK….

 

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.

 

The mini-bloggiesta started yesterday.  Typically, I started working away on it earlier in the week.  I am impatient, and since I had my plans all ready to go…well, I had to do just that!  Here’s what I have done on my Serendipity blog (and Curl up and Read):  Mini-Bloggiesta!  January 13-15…Sign-up * Start.

My impatience could also be attributed to a very rainy week, and yes, I did some reading and movie watching…but I can never settle on just one thing.  I don’t have anything special going on Netflix…so there you have it.  The makings of misdeeds—if you can count STARTING EARLY as a misdeed.

The THREE books I read and reviewed were very engaging…and I now have FOUR books to add to my Read the Books You Buy Challenge – 2017.

I am happy that some of my favorite TV shows are back:  This Is Us...and another one that I haven’t seen much around the blogosphere, Tyler Perry’s Too Close to Home.  I started watching it because of Kelly Sullivan, who once was a favorite character that was “killed off” on General Hospital.  Just as Justin Hartley, on This Is Us, was a fan fave killed on Young & the Restless.  So…the “dead” soap stars find new life on nighttime.

Soon…(January 26), TGIT will be back!

Grab some coffee or a mimosa…and let’s chat about the past week. (Check out that mug for my “marital status”).  LOL

 

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG:

A Coffee Morning on Sunday:  Bloggiesta, Reading, & Changes…

Tuesday Potpourri:  “The Marriage Lie”

Hump Day Reading:  Glued to My Books…

Hump Day Potpourri:  Rain, Reading, & Blog Difficulties

A Journey:  Utilizing My One Word in My Daily Life….

Bookish Friday:  “The Stepmother”

Review:  The Woman in Cabin 10 (e-book), by Ruth WareReview:  The Other Widow (e-book), by Susan CrawfordReview:  Claiming Noah, by Amanda Ortlepp (Amazon Vine Review)

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INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

My mailbox brought me three books I had purchased over the holidays…and then I downloaded two books.  Yay, me!  So much for trying to curtail the book buying.

The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher

 

 

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Becoming Queen Victoria, by Kate Williams

 

 

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The Best Awful, by Carrie Fisher (Sequel to Postcards from the Edge)

 

 

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Downloads:

The Vanishing Year (e-book), by Kate Moretti

 

 

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The Dry (e-book), by Jane Harper

 

 

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WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Currently Reading:  The Stepmother (e-book), by Claire Seeber

 

 

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And then?

Always (e-book), by Sarah Jio (NetGalley – 2/7/17)

 

 

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The Orphan’s Tale, by Pam Jenoff (Amazon Vine)

 

 

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So that was my week…what did yours look like?  Since last week was rainy, I scarcely left the house…but here’s something I enjoyed the Saturday before….Elephant Bar’s Pomegranate Martini, with Mac & Cheese.

 

 

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WEEKLY UPDATES: WELCOME TO MY “NEW” VENUE!

 

 

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.

 

Welcome to our New Venue for the upcoming weeks (or months).  I do like moving events around to my various sites.  This blog was feeling “overlooked.”

Another week has flown by, but despite the fact that I had outings, including lunch at Pismo’s with a friend, I actually read more than usual.  FOUR books and one short story.  My Read the Books You Buy total is now 95!

I didn’t watch Netflix at all this week, but I did enjoy catching up on my DVR.  I deleted some of the recorded Christmas movies after watching for less than half an hour.  Why?  Well, I guess I was starting to get a sugar rush.  LOL.

I have a low tolerance for Christmas sentimentality, with all of it’s saccharine moments.  A little bit goes a long way.  I did enjoy the Dolly Parton Circle of Love movie, with that sweet little actress who plays “Faith” on The Young and the Restless. (Alyvia Alyn Lind).

Let’s take a look at the week….and enjoy caffeine while you read.

 

 

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Snow Sparks:  Musing About Libraries, Etc.

Tuesday Potpourri:  “The Bad Things”

My Book Journey:  A Dance!

Change of Venue for Weekly Updates…

Hump Day Reading:  Current, Past, & Future…

Bookish Thursday #39:  Serendipitous Moments

Bookish Friday:  “When All the Girls Have Gone”

Weekend Potpourri:  ‘Tis the Season…

My Interior World:  Upcoming Book Releases!

Review:  Little Deaths, by Emma Flint – (Amazon Vine)Review:  The 4th Man (e-book, short story), by Lisa Gardner (NetGalley – 1/3/17)Review:  In a Dark, Dark Wood (e-book), by Ruth WareReview:  In Her Wake (e-book), by Amanda JenningsReview:  When All the Girls Have Gone (e-book), by Jayne Ann Krentz

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Nothing in the mailbox!  Three purchased downloads, however.

The Woman in Cabin 10 (e-book), by Ruth Ware

 

 

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The Premonition (e-book, prequel to The Sleepwalker), by Chris Bohjalian

 

 

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Missing, Presumed (e-book), by Susie Steiner

 

 

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WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Currently Reading:  The Premonition (e-book, prequel), by Chris Bohjalian

 

 

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The Sleepwalker (e-book), by Chris Bohjalian (NetGalley – 1/10/17)

 

 

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Sweet Lamb of Heaven (e-book), by Lydia Millet

 

 

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That’s it for my week.  What did yours look like?  I have no lovely food to showcase this week…but here’s another glimpse of my Christmas decorations.  I found the red table runner and place mats in a drawer…I had forgotten about them!

 

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REVIEW: FAMILY TREE, BY SUSAN WIGGS

 

 

 

Growing up in Switchback, Vermont, Annie Rush had learned the love of cooking from her grandmother, and early on, she had a dream. Her childhood hobby, besides cooking, was taping herself cooking and talking about the process, as if on a TV show.

The family company, Sugar Rush, involved processing and distributing maple syrup.

Family Tree begins in LA, where Annie and her husband, Martin Harlow, produce a TV cooking show called The Key Ingredient. They have a beautiful home, and on the morning when we first meet Annie, she has just been interviewed by someone from People magazine.

And shortly afterwards, she discovers that she is pregnant.

Eager to share the news with Martin, she heads off to the lot, and approaches Martin’s trailer. In that moment, and in the subsequent ones, everything changes for Annie.

A year later, she is slowly coming out of a coma, with TBI, in a facility in Vermont. She has no memory, and it will take some time for her to piece together her life; it will take a while longer for her to realize how her fairytale story ended.

From there, our story sweeps back and forth, back to “then” and moving forward to “now,” pulling together the bits of the story of Annie’s life before college, and before she met Martin. Her love for her high school sweetheart Fletcher Wyndham seems destined to fail over and over again, as they constantly come up against bad timing.

The story captured my interest from the beginning, although I must admit that sometimes I wanted more time spent in the “now.” In the end, and somewhat predictably, we get a heartwarming resolution to the issues that interfered with Annie’s happiness, and we get to watch as she puts her new life together, “starting from scratch.” 4 stars.

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MY BOOKISH (AND NOT SO BOOKISH) THOUGHTS: NASHVILLE ENVY, ETC.

 

Here we are again, rambling on about our thoughts, our feelings, and our perspectives.  Join our host at Bookishly Boisterous, to see what others are chatting about.

How did we get to Thursday already?  Have I been a total slug, pissing away the days?  Well, I did finish reading and reviewing two books, but I should have been more productive on the blogs.

Why are some weeks like that?  I just didn’t feel much like posting anything.

I almost passed up today, too, but then I realized that, with nothing much to show for the week, I would, indeed, be more like a slug than not.

Do you ever get ready to post and realize that nothing much is coming to mind?  Today I was watching shows on my DVR, and I love Stalker, on Wednesday nights.  And The Mysteries of Laura.  And then I felt like posting.

Thursday night is actually the Big Night around here, with Grey’s Anatomy, The Slap (a new one!), and the series finale of Two-and-a-Half Men.  The favorite in the lineup:  How to Get Away with Murder.  Loving that show!

 

 

 

On Sunday, my daughter came to collect some of her things from my garage—Happy Days!—but she only took a couple of boxes….and then borrowed three pieces of my luggage, as she was headed to Nashville for some fun times, with one of her friends.  Her flight, after a layover in LA, got into Nashville at 5:23 a.m. today.  She texted me at every turn, so I didn’t sleep much, with the little text alert going off.

But I like knowing that she landed safely.  I love going to places that can only be reached by plane, but I hate flying!  What a conundrum for me.

 

 

 

Actually, it’s not the flying that worries me so much, but the take off and the landing…LOL.

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This Saturday, one of my granddaughter, Birthday Girl Fiona, is having an Open House to celebrate her 18th birthday.  Last weekend, her cousin Aubrey celebrated hers.  How did these adorable girls grow up so fast?  Here is a photo of the two of them (and one of Fiona’s brothers) a long time ago.

 

 

Fiona is the blonde…and Aubrey, the brunette.  Nowadays, however, Fiona is more likely to be a brunette or a redhead, since she likes changing up her look.

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Today I’m reading You Can Trust Me, by Sophie McKenzie, a new author to me.  I got it from Amazon Vine, and just started reading it last night.  So far, so good.  A suspicious death, a history of another suspicious death in the past.  And a marriage that may be on the skids.

 

 

 

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And now I want to finish watching Stalker, as one of Beth’s friends is in the trunk of her stalker’s car.  What will happen?

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What shows keep you glued to the TV (or DVR)?  What movies are you excited about this weekend?

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CHASING AWAY THE BLUES: SUNDAY & MONDAY ROUTINES

Let’s muse a bit about our lives, our books, etc.  Check in at Should Be Reading to see what others are pondering.

Last night, I was happily reading Lauren Carr’s new mystery, Three Days to Forever, and occasionally coming into my office to do something on one of my sites.

 

 

 

I don’t often write my thoughts about a book while reading it, but, as usual, this newest Mac Faraday adventure has so many complex layers that I’m taking notes.  Yes, just so I won’t forget any of the twists and turns.

As I have mentioned before, I tend to dream about the books I’m reading…after I finally go to sleep.  And I did just that.  But none of my dreams solved the mystery, so I’ll keep reading.

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In my office, I created a new header for my website:  Laurel-Rain Snow’s Creations.  I am always tweaking my headers and themes.  What do you think?

 

 

While I was there, I added a little something to my header here.  Can you see it?

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This week, I’ll also be reading After the Party, by Lisa Jewell.  I really loved her book “The House We Grew Up In.” (Click for my review).

 

 

Eleven years ago, Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary fell deeply in love. They thought it would be forever, that they’d found their happy ending. As everyone agreed, they were the perfect couple. Then two became four, and an apartment became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn’t quite so simple anymore. But through it all, Jem and Ralph still loved each other. Of course they did.

Now Jem is back at work part-time as a talent agent. Ralph, a successful painter, is struggling to come up with new, hopefully groundbreaking, work for his upcoming show. But the unimaginable has happened. Two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart. And in the chaos of family life, Jem feels like she’s losing herself, while Ralph, stuck on the sidelines, feels like he’s lost his muse altogether. Something has to change. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become momentarily distracted—but maybe it’s not too late to recapture happily ever after…

This could be the story of many relationships….

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Sundays are a great day for me.  I usually stay in, watching Netflix; I’m almost finished with Season 7, the last one, of Gilmore Girls.  I have a whole queue of movies and shows waiting for me.

I love my Sunday night shows, but my favorites (Madame Secretary, The Good Wife) are on hiatus.  Back on March 1.

So I get that restless feeling in the evening, as time marches on.  Reading in bed gives me a crick in my neck, and I keep getting up and moving around.

But now it’s Monday…and I LOVE Mondays these days.  No more blues here!

What about you?  What do you love (or hate) about Sundays and Mondays?

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