Pages

Sunday, November 17, 2019

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

All I remember about this week is that I was really, really cold. The bus stop was brutal. I was lucky enough to earn a "jeans week", and I gladly used it this week. Dress pants are too thin for this weather.

I saw a post calling for people to watch 26 Hallmark movies in two weeks and reviews them. You could earn $1000 for doing it. If I didn't struggle so hard with my book reviews, I would burn a few vacation days doing that. You all know I love my Hallmark movies, but 26 reviews! That could actually leave me incapacitated.

I did some online shopping, and I didn't want to mention this until it came, just incase it sucked, but it's awesome and I love it and now I have a hedgehog sweater!!!

I have been trying to get some Christmas shopping done. It's hard, when everyone you buy for is an adult, because they kind of just go out and buy the stuff they want. I am struggling with what to get my daughter now too. When we saw each other more, I always knew what she wanted, but now? I have no clue. The struggle is real. I feel a gift card purchase in my future.







Let's Discuss!
  • The Orangutan Librarian wrote this great post on warnings
  • Sophia gave me some ideas on how to cope with character deaths
  • Jen discussed some controversial book review words


On the Blog:
  • Monday: Isn't It Romantic? - Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Not the Girl You Marry
  • Tuesday: TTT - Recent Retellings
  • Wednesday: CWW - Lucky Caller, The Distance from A to Z
  • Thursday: Discussion - The Old and the New
  • Friday: Blog Tour - When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis

STACKING THE SHELVES

Edelweiss/NetGalley


What I Read Last Week

My top read of the week was a library book - Our Wayward Fate. I loved the characters, the romance, and the way Chao wove the Chinese legend into the story. I tore through this book and throughly enjoyed it.

Books


Audiobooks

What I Am Currently Reading



What I Plan to Read

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

63 comments:

  1. $1000 for 26 reviews? Hmm... that would be interesting! And oh my gosh that salmon crosswalk? That's like something out of a movie. Never seen that before!

    Christmas shopping! Wow, it's that time isn't it? *hides*

    Just breathe looks good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My co-worker was trying to talk me into doing it, since I am such a Hallmarkie, but 26 reviews. I was having an anxiety attack just thinking about it.

      Delete
  2. Oh wow, 26 movies?! I cracked up at the salmon crosswalk -- I didn't know that was possible!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The salmon thing was one of the oddest things I have ever seen. I went to a salmon hatchery when I was in Alaska, but that! That was quite a sight. I wanted to know more about where it was filmed.

      Delete
  3. Cute hedgehog sweater! I just treated myself to a dinosaur book bag which is coming this week. My excuse for buying it is that I might need a bag to carry books in on a trip to charity shops or some book store next year...I love the arrival of packages in the post!

    The way I struggle with book reviews, I can't imagine doing 26 film reviews in one go!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You absolutely need a new bag to carry your books. Enjoy! Right? Just thinking about having 26 reviews to write had me overwhelmed.

      Delete
  4. We Met in December looks so cute!
    As for work pants, you should put thick tights or thermals underneath! That's what I did in US a lot.
    That's a cute sweater! 😍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tights and thermals are great, when I am outside, but once I am in the office, it's oppressive. The fabric doesn't breathe and then it's, you know, tight. We Met in December is another bang-my-head-against-the-wall type romance, where the hero and heroine take forever to get together, but hey, I signed up for this.

      Delete
  5. Haha, I love the hedgehog sweater! Waiting for public transport in a snowstorm is awful. It’s so cold, and everything is delayed. Waiting on train platforms in all kinds of weather was basically my whole undergrad college experience.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have way crazier weather in your neck of the woods. It's just been cold here. If there had been any significant precipitation, I would have called out. I am actually saving 3 sick/1 personal day just in case there is "weather". I work 40 miles from my home, and I almost stuck down there once time, when it snowed.

      Delete
  6. I don't understand how your office dress code works...first off, I thought you didn't have interaction with customers, and even if you have...why grant you a "jeans week" once in a while?

    I thought salmons only sailed up-river, not through roads LOL. How do they know there's more water (and enough of it to swim into) on the other side?

    The hedgehog sweater is cute, but now we want to see a sloth one πŸ˜‚ πŸ˜‰.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have NO clients on site. That's why it bugs me that we cannot just wear jeans all the time. But, you know banking, old school rules. I am curious as to where that video was filmed. Was it near a river or a hatchery? Because, it looked like they were getting a LOT of rain, and maybe there was overflow. My daughter has a sloth Christmas sweater, which definitely qualifies in the ugly sweater category.

      Delete
    2. Ok. I googled. The video was filmed in Washington state, and apparently, it happens every year during the heavy rains. Look at that!

      Delete
  7. Wow, $1,000 to review Hallmark movies. That is seriously tempting but I agree that 26 would be a tall order. Jeans days are the best. We recently implemented a more casual dress policy at my company and I can now wear jeans almost every day. It makes mornings so much easier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are "business casual", which have men wearing shirts, ties, dress pants, but women are all over the place. I play it safe with dark dress pants and a nice top, but the women are all over the place. A lot of them wear leggings, which are not pants. I'm just saying. My dream is to have a 30-minute or under commute and wear jeans every day.

      Delete
  8. I don't think I could watch 26 Hallmark movies in a week. That is a neat idea though. I love the sweater! I generally just give money to my oldest daughter and I feel like every day is like Christmas for youngest since I am constantly buying stuff for her. I will probably only buy a couple of gifts for the kids in the family. I hope you have a good week and enjoy your new books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, it would be 2 weeks to get it all accomplished, but still, that's a lot. I used to buy my daughter stuff all the time, when she was home too, but now I never know what to get her. I found one thing, which is more tradition than anything else, but I think the rest will be gift cards, unless I can find out which Cutco knives she wants.

      Delete
  9. Bwahahah salmon crossing the road! Incredible. And that dog seems so happy in the snow! Mine loves the snow Sam but I can't find her in our garden as she is small and white! It's becoming colder here too but I suspect not as much as around NY! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wasn't it crazy! And, I googled it. It happens often, when they have heavy rains. My dog hated snow, and would never go out in it. It's good your pup enjoys it.

      Delete
  10. I'm always feeling cold, so this time of the year is very hard. We are going through a cold wave and no matter how many jackets I put on, I always feel cold. Your hedgehog sweater is so cute!!! *.*

    Happy readings! ;)
    TΓ’nia @MyLovelySecret

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am known for wearing a sweater over my sweater, and right now, I am sitting on a heated blanket with two pairs of sock and my slippers on my feet. But, I don't want summer. Summer is miserable and oppressive. I just want to be warm.

      Delete
  11. My office is freezing so I wear fleece lined leggings under my dress pants every day. It makes everything 1000x better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know I would be warmer outside, but I feel so constricted with all the layers. As it is, I cannot bend my arms, when my coat is on.

      Delete
  12. That salmon video is incredible! Loved the hopping dog video too. Tis the time of year to be cold (until May for me).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hate the cold, and yet, I was born and bred in the northeast. My daughter got all hardy after four years in Syracuse, but I cannot even withstand a NJ winter after almost 50 years.

      Delete
  13. My work itself is pretty cold, so I'm always trying to figure out what to wear. LOL Yay for a jeans week though - that probably helped keep you a bit more warm. If you need Christmas gift idea help, let me know!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always have a sweater for work, because it's a desk job AND it's freezing where I sit. Right now, it's a cardigan over a pullover over a long sleeve shirt. I feel like the little brother in A Christmas Story.

      Delete
  14. I actually figured out how to comment on blogspot posts on my tablet! Yay! It’s been really cold here too! I loved that salmon crossing video and your sweater! So cute. I have Just Breathe to read too, I hope we love it. ♥️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah for solving the blogspot problem. I only ever login from my computer, so I had no idea how to fix it. Glad you figured it out. I am starting Just Breathe tonight. I feel good about it since I have lived other books by McGovern

      Delete
  15. That sweater is so cute!! I agree that Christmas shopping for adults is hard - we usually end up just exchanging gift cards!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wasn't sure if it would be as good in person, but it's even better than I thought. The thing about adults with jobs is that they buy themselves stuff they want. So hard.

      Delete
  16. The hedgehog sweater is too adorable for words! Love it! :) I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet. I need to get on it but I'm trying to get past Thanksgiving first. We host it at our house so there's plenty to do. I plan on starting Blitzed later Sunday so finger crossed that I enjoy it. And The One For You won't be too far behind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love how it's a hedgehog in a sweater on a hedgehog sweater. I don't really need to get many gifts, but I hate going out, so I order online, and I need to make sure I have enough time to return it, should it not be as good in person. The One For You will probably be towards the end of the week, since it's my longest book, but I am looking forward to it.

      Delete
  17. Watching 26 movies in two weeks would be crazy!! I can understand why you'd be tempted, though. :-)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I could do the watching part, but reviews too. Nope!

      Delete
  18. I wish I had seen the Hallmark thing... my mom has pretty much been watching Hallmark Christmas movies since I got here in July... almost non-stop. She's seen them all multiple times and could probably easily review them all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I watch Hallmark movies every weekend. It's the one program I don't miss. They are always HEA feel-goods

      Delete
  19. $1000 is not bad, but 26 Hallmark movies is a bit much even for me. LOL. I'm also struggling with what to get my family for X-Mas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish we just stopped the gift giving and simply spent time together. I have been lobbying for holiday outings in place of gifts, but I always seem to lose.

      Delete
  20. There would be absolutely no chance of me watching 26 romance movies, they would all start to blend into one another and send me batshit. That jumper is absolutely adorable! I bought a Christmas top for the first time ever the other day. My Christmas day is usually spent mostly in the kitchen as I cook for everyone and sick of my clothes being stained and having to soak them on top of everything else that day. I'd be wearing tiny festive hedgehog every day of the year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never buy holiday clothing, but I could not resist a hedgehog in a sweater on a sweater. Oh, I plan to wear that top outside of the holiday and even to work. It's actually quite nice in person.

      Delete
  21. That sweater is so cute πŸ’“ And 26 movies?? I'd take that challenge lol. I'm a movie enthusiast and no lies, I could seriously marathon movies if they're right up my alley. I just need food and the bathroom near me πŸ˜‚

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I could watch the movies just fine, but the reviews? Ugh. I am a little sick just thinking about writing that many all at once.

      Delete
  22. I could definitely watch and review 26 Hallmark movies for $1000!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! I don't think I could do the reviewing portion, unless I had all 26 reviews sounding alike.

      Delete
  23. that salmon crossing is wild.....when do you go without running over one of them. LOL
    sherry @ fundinmental

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought that was a most wild spectacle, and apparently it happens often, when they are hit with heavy rain.

      Delete
  24. Everywhere seems to have gotten cold. What is with the weather? I've invested in a fluffy scarf and dug out my woolly gloves. Waiting for trains has not been fun. I definitely know what you mean about Christmas shopping as well. Why do adults buy the things they want? Why can they not be considerate and give you a list of the things they've put off buying for a month so they can actually have gifts they really want? I hate buying gift cards, though. I become really determined to buy good gifts because I love the feeling when you get it right and you see the smile on someone's face as they open it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The fun of buying a gift, for me, is correctly finding something the person will love based on my observations. I think I got my mom good gifts and my dad likes scratch-offs, yep, that's what we give him for all occasions, but I don't spend as much time with my daughter any more and I hardly see my sister's children, so how am I supposed to know what to get them?

      Delete
  25. Im jealous of all you people who can do Christmas shopping in November. My brain just got doesn't compute and I end up waiting until the second week of December.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hate going to the store, so I order a bit early online incase it's awful in person and needs to be returned.

      Delete
  26. I could get into watching all of those movies, but not reviewing them. LOL And I love that sweater!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same. The watching is fun. Trying to distill my feelings into a few paragraphs, while keeping it sort of unique would be really tough

      Delete
  27. I grabbed We Met In December recently and hope to read it this December. :) Otherwise, I'll end up ignoring it until this time next year. :/

    I hope you manage to overcome the holiday shopping conundrums! I'm like that every single year with my mum, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law and I put it down to them living so far away and thus me not being exposed to the little hint comments but I'm in the same position with my husband because he just doesn't give anything away about stuff he'd like and if he needs something he'll buy it. *sigh*

    I adore the simplicity of shopping for my kid and I'll enjoy that simplicity while it lasts! lol They grow up so quickly.
    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had started the book, and was not in the mood, but I finished the audiobook today and really enjoyed We Met in December. Right. It's hard to buy for people you don't get to spend a lot of time with. I usually get to observe and I can normally pick up on the things they like, but the kid is over 700 miles away. I got nothing. It definitely was easier, when she was younger. I was with her all the time AND she made me lists.

      Delete
  28. I saw that about the Hallmark movies too! Haha! I definitely don't have the attention span for that. And I LOVE THE PIGGY! I hope you enjoy your new reads. I love the cover for I, Cosmo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The watching would be no problem, but I have been putting off my book reviews lately, so I worry about that part. Little pigs are too adorable. They remind me of summers visiting my aunt, when she was raising pigs.

      Delete
  29. I hope you manage to stay warm on your long journey to and from work! And yes, jeans are a must when it gets too cold!! I have seen people doing the challenge and I would love to win the money but unfortunately I am not too great with sitting through films alone and doubt I could find people to join me for all 26 days ahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was snowing and raining and so cold today, and my dress pants left me with icicle legs.

      Delete
  30. Your hedgehog sweater is so cute! What an amazing find! And my little dogs love the snow and I always say they hop like bunny rabbits in it. But that dog looks like he has pogo sticks on his feet, so funny!!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am debuting my hedgehog sweater for our team holiday luncheon tomorrow. I am very excited about it. My last dog hated the snow. She refused to even step in it. You get a lot of snow by you, no? I guess your dogs would have to adapt.

      Delete
    2. Happy wearing hedgehog sweater day ♥! I'm by Lake Tahoe so we got at least a few hundred inches of snow each winter. So you kinda have to love it if you live here. If not then it's a very very very long winter lol!

      Delete
    3. I thought I remembered seeing pictures you posted of walls of snow.

      Delete