Sunday, January 21, 2018

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I love a four day week, and the started all the perks of tax season at work. We had burritos, Chick-fil-a, hot cocoa happy hour, and kettle corn snacks this week. Tomorrow is Panera, and this girl always likes a free meal.

Some fun stuff I saw out there this week:





On the Blog:
STACKING THE SHELVES

I was really excited about some of the books I got from EW and NG this week. I got a few sequels  and some of my highly anticipated releases. So, yeah, this was me:


Library

ARCs












What I Read Last Week

It was a good reading week. Nothing blew me away, but plenty of my books made me happy. I found myself veering from my TBR, because I needed something fun and light to balance out the heavier reads.
  • Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin (audiobook): I shed quite a few tears in the early part of this book. Totally pulled at my heartstrings. I struggled a little with the love triangle, because it seemed so unfair, but overall, I did enjoy this second chance romance. ★★★ 1/2
  • The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith: This was a beautifully written book about something quite ugly. My heart broke over and over again as Brooke tried to hold onto the past with both hands. However, my heart was mended, when she ultimately found solace by letting go. ★★★★
  • Crazy Love by Kendra C. Highley: I read this after finishing two books involving abuse, so this light, fluffy, fun romance really hit the spot. I adored both the hero and heroine, and it left me in such a feel-good mood. ★★★★
  • American Panda by Gloria Chao: I found this quite a charming story of trying to maintain one's identity as cultures clash. The book was amusing, but also sometimes painful as Mei stopped trying to live the life her parents wanted for her and began making her own choices. ★★★★
  • The Wright Secret by K.A. Linde (audiobook): I am a fan of this series, and Linde delivered the story I expected for the hard-as-nails Morgan. What I loved the most, was how much Patrick changed in this book. He was a fabulous hero! I laughed, swooned, and smiled. ★★★★
  • Shoot the Moon by Kate Watson: I expected this sequel to be a sweet and frothy romance like its predecessor. It was not. This was the troubled child's story, and it was quite gritty. Watson gave us addiction, crooked politicians, and even the mob. I found it quite entertaining, and especially liked the exploration of Tate's addiction and the Bertram family dynamics. ★★★★
  • Seeing Stars by J. Sterling (audiobook): This was a fun one. I feel like mentioning one of my favorite things about this story would be a spoiler, so I won't, but I will say that Sterling gave us a hero I couldn't help but love. ★★★ 1/2
  • Checked by Cynthia Kadohata: This was a heartwarming story of growing up. It was quite interesting being in the head of a 12 year old elite athlete's head. This kid was wise beyond his years and had lots of series things he had to deal with. I especially loved Connor's relationship with his father and his dog. ★★★ 1/2



























What I Am Currently Reading

I was in the mood for a rom-com, and Penny Reid never disappoints. This book is sexy and fun and I am just plowing through it. I have not started Girls in the Moon, but I have wanted to read it for a while, and I love family-centric stories. I'm hoping this will live up to my expectations.


What I Plan to Read

I was pretty excited when my library loan came through for Far From the Tree. After reading all those amazing reviews I knew I had to read it. Bring on the tears!











How was your week?
Let us know in the comments!

49 comments:

  1. Gotta love 4 day work weeks. Only thing better is... uh, a 3 day work week. :) Yay for all the free treats at work! OMG, the little hedgehog in a sweater. Cuteness overload! Love seeing Far from the Tree. I am *not* a rereader but I'm considering rereading that one this year. I need to pick up The Last to Let Go at some point since I was so slayed by The Way I Used to Be a year or so ago.

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    1. The daily hedgehog picture is something I totally look forward to. I am really excited about Far From the Tree because I read everyone's awesome reviews. I am starting it right after I finish my current read. I must mentally prepare myself for the guy punch. The Last to Let Go has some really tough parts, but I though Smith did a good job addressing those questions/judgements that are often stated with respect to people living in abusive homes.

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  2. I miss four day work weeks. Hopefully one day I will enjoy them again one day (soon). I am always amazed at how much you read. WOW! I hope you enjoy all your new books especially Far From the Trees. Have a great week!

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    1. I used to be a teacher, so I was accustomed to even more days off. Now, I am off when the stock market is closed, which is fine by me. I read about 5 books a week. The rest are audiobooks. They are a great way to get to more books on my TBR, because I can listen and drive/clean/shop/etc.

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  3. Yay for 4 day work week. I love Chik-Fil-A!! I wish there was one closer to me. Lots of great books this week. Hope you enjoy Far From the Tree! Have a great week!

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    1. I live across the street from Woodbridge Mall, so I have that Chick-fil-a, a short drive to the one in Menlo Mall, and then they opened a free standing one in another part of town. We are Chick-fil-a-blessed in these parts.

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  4. OOoh nice new reads! Bruja Born sounds like an intriguing read! And I still need to read the first book before Tell Me No Lies...which the title is totally escaping me at the moment! Lol! Hope you enjoy the new reads!!

    Here's my STS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. I was excited to get both sequels, because I liked the first book in both series. Follow Me Back had such a dramatic ending, that I knew I had to read Tell Me No Lies.

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  5. Ahh you read so many books!! That's amazing! :D I'm so glad you enjoyed American Panda, I can't wait for that one. The Astonishing Color of After has such a beautiful cover! I'm really looking forward to that one. I hope you have another great week! <3

    ~ <a href="https://booksnacksblog.wordpress.com/>Analee</a>

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    1. I did like American Panda. I thought Mei was delightfully awkward, and her conflicted feelings were quite real.

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  6. WOW Sam! You've had a great week when it comes to books - both the ones you read and the new additions to your shelves.
    Free meals are the best :) I just love food!
    Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. The free food is awesome, but once tax season ends, those perks become rare. We seriously get withdrawal.

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  7. I love the look of The Last to Let Go. And I love your Introvert Charging Station.

    Enjoy the new week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. The Last to Let Go was very emotional. The flashbacks of the abuse were tough.

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  8. Lucky you with the 4 day work week. It was 5 for me since we don't get a lot of days off. Lots of great new books this week! I have my eye on a couple of them but didn't allow myself to add them to my pile until I get a bit more caught up. Enjoy all of your new books and have a great week!

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    1. We close with the stock market, so we get most federal holidays off. I have actually been showing restraint with my requests. I am trying to keep it to 15 review books per month (50/50).

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  9. Oh my, I am so jealous but also very happy that you got approved to read The Astonishing Color of After! This book is one of my most anticipated books of.. well, the next few months for sure, ahah. I can't wait to hear what you think of it :) I also can't wait to read American Panda, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
    I also LOVED Far from the tree,hope you'll love it :)
    Have a lovely week!! xx

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    1. I just got Color on Friday, and I was pretty excited. I love the cultural coming of age stories. Far From the Tree was one of my biggest regrets. I had passed on requesting it, and then everyone raved. I am really happy I have it now.

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  10. Free food!! I love when they feed us at work!
    Look at all those pretty books you got! Yay! And that hedgehog pic is too cute!
    Have a great week!

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    1. I never got treated like this when I was teaching, so I love it! Confession: I want a hedgehog so bad.

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  11. You always manage to get so many books read in a week. I used to push myself to read three to four books a week, now days it is more like two to three if I am having a good reading week. I am also desperately trying to cut back on my ARC intake, I really want to catch up this year. Hope you have a lovely week.

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    1. I have a 3+ hour commute, which I dedicate to reading. I also wake up by 3 am every day, and I read until I take my shower at 5:30, since everyone else is asleep and reading is quiet. Believe it or not, I have resisted many requests, but since I read a lot, I figure I can do 15 ARCs a month.

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  12. The free food sounds fantastic! Definitely a good perk. I've been craving a Chick fil A biscuit all day but of course it's Sunday so I'm out of luck. Panera is a pretty good option as well. You got some fantastic books and I've heard Penny Reid is absolutely amazing. I'd really like to try her this year. Have a great week!

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    1. Penny Reid is hilarious. She writes really quirky characters, and her banter is top notch. I think her first Knitting in the City book is free on Amazon.

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  13. I have barely been reading at all Sam, so I'm happy to see you get through so many great reads! I can understand you wanting some light fluffier reads, after the tough initial books that you had to go through, I don't think I've read a book which has made me cry in a while, so I might need to check out the ones you've mentioned. I'm also always on the lookout for new audiobooks, so thanks for the recs! I hope you enjoy the books that made it to your haul, it looks like you have some great books to look forward to!

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    1. I wasn't always so emotional, but once I became a mom, my heart became all soft. I cry when I read, watch TV, listen to music, watch/read the news. I just feel so much now.

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  14. OMG I love hedgehogs! A daily hedgehog sounds good to me. :D It looks like you went hard on Edelweiss/NetGalley! I hope you enjoy all of your new books!

    Have a wonderful week, Sam. =)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. When my requests pend for a long time, I just think I am going to get declined. So, I just request more books. I was surprised by some of my approvals, because Harlequin has NEVER approved me on NG. I also got rejected en masse by Penguin, so I didn't think I would get some of these. And, everybody could use a daily hedgehog.

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  15. 4 day work weeks are the best! And I can't wait to see what you think of Bruja Born. I just requested it as well but kind of doubt that I'll get approved since I'm sure it will be so popular.

    And OMG, that introvert charging station gif is perfect. I love it! :)

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    1. I like sibling series a lot, and the Brujas series is a little different since it's fantasy. I hope you get approved so we can compare notes.

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  16. Hot cocoa social sounds like fun! and the 4 day work week. :)

    I totally connect to that introvert charging station LOL.

    Hope you have a great week!

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    1. I saw that gif on Slothilda and I was like "YES".

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  17. Okay so I love quizzes and therefore this is my favorite Sunday Post of the week! I got the Sight gift (yay) and my replica was Emma Carstairs from The Infernal Devices. Hmmm... but okay! Oh and the introvert changing station- priceless! lol

    Winterfolk looks interesting, will have to check that out!

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    1. Epic Reads had all these great quizzes. I love Emma! I got Emika from Warcross. She's pretty awesome, so yay! And I was not surprised to see I had the naturalist gift. I love Slothilda so much.

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  18. Ooooh! All that work food does sound like a great perk! XD Free food is always great! Awesome reads this week! There are definitely some I'm going to have to check out.

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    1. I saw a news article, that said people who get free food at work are happier in their workplace. I will say, it's something to look forward to, and it makes me feel values, which I didn't feel when I was teaching.

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  19. That is a huge list for what you read last week. I'm kind of still slack-jawed about it. I love to read but I wish I had the time for that many books! I am eternally jealous. No, seriously. I am green right now. GREEN.
    Rebecca @ The Portsmouth Review

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    1. I have a long commute. Reading makes it tolerable. Three were audiobooks too, and those are great because I can listen to them as I do other things (chores, shopping, driving).

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  20. Yay on 4 day week!! It looks like you got some great books to read! I hope you enjoy them. I need to look out for the audio of Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin!!

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    1. I am surprised by how many things they changed for the movie. I liked Forever My Girl and have no idea why such big parts were altered for the film.

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  21. Oh my, a hedgehog in a jumper. I'm so excited for The Astonishing Color of After, it's one of my anticipated reads of 2018. Such an amazing week of books Sam, looking forward to seeing what you think of it <3

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    1. I just want a hedgehog so bad, so I can do stuff like that. Astonishing Color looks fantastic! I am such a fan of all the cultural coming-of-age books coming out.

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  22. Four day work weeks are the best! And the free lunches certainly don't hurt either. ;) American Panda sounds super cute, and I can't wait to hear what you think of Bruja Born. I loved Labyrinth Lost when I read it!

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    1. American Panda was very cute, but it also had some heartbreaking parts. I really enjoyed it. I was happy dancing when I saw Bruja Born available. I feel like I read Labyrinth a million years ago.

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  23. Is that. A hedgehog. In a tiny sweater. OMIGOSH I MELTED!!! I have to go follow them!!

    I have managed to read 7 books alread, BTW! Woot, I am so proud of myself, I am not even reading towards any specific big goal xD isn't is awesome when you keep momentum.

    I see you got some great books, so enjoy and have a great week :)

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    1. The daily hedgehog picture gives me a great start to my day. Seven is awesome and quite a feat considering all the other things you are doing. I read to keep sane on the commute. The worst day ever was when I dropped my Kindle and had nothing to read on the train ride home. (The best news was that it was found in the parking lot and returned to me the next day. )

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  24. So many amazing book! Hope you love them all!Yay for a 4day work week. My husband is in 6 day work weeks for the next 3 weeks. Ugh.... Thank you for stopping by My Sunday Post and for your kind words.

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  25. Oh wow, great haul. I hope you enjoy them all. I got 4 ARCs las week. So excited to start a new one. Happy reading and have a wonderful week. 😁❤️

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    1. Every time I get new ARCs, I always want to read them right away. It takes a lot of restraint to go according to publication date.

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