Sunday, December 29, 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


I know not everyone is a fan of year-end lists, but I love them. I have been having a great time participating in Top 10 of 2019, because it is just about fangirling and making lists, which is something I LOVE to do. Are any of you doing any year-end things for your blogs?

I often takes my "burn" vacation days in the middle of the week, but for some reason, when there is a holiday involved, it throws me off. Maybe it was having my daughter home for so long, or being social on a weekday, but I was just out of sorts all week.

Anyhow, it was a decent, low-key holiday. My daughter got me fun llama slipper socks to match her's and $100 Amazon gift card, which I will horde forever, because I am so cheap. My mom got me a bunch of stuff, but I really liked the blanket she got me. Do you see the theme? I am forever trying to get warm. I really should live in another part of the country.

I started getting Kiersten a yearly sloth, and she seemed to really like the newest edition. She named him Monsieur Rond (Mr. Round). He wonderfully plump and squishy.


I am trying to rest, because I have been feeling miserable since my I had an asthma attack on Monday. It's related to me running in the cold to the bus, and it was my fault it happened, but why did it have to become a thing? Like, drowning in my own mucus and coughing for over an hour was punishment enough. I don't know if you can tell, that I hate being sick, but I did buy as many cold remedies as possible today. It won't last forever, right?



Let's Discuss!
  • Dani wonders who's responsible for you being spoiled
  • Shannon talks about birds and books
  • Kathryn shares what she'd like her reading to be in 2020

On the Blog:

STACKING THE SHELVES

This time of year can be a real downer, because nobody is approving any of my ARC requests. I am so tempted to download some pre-approvals, but I am attempting to keep my monthly number of ARCs lower this year, but my finger is super itchy. I, however, did purchase two books. I saw a couple of good reviews for Comeback, and it was on sale for $0.99, so, why not! I have had Frankie on my TBR for eternity, and Kelly singing Plozza's praises convinced me to finally one-click.

Bought



What I Read Last Week

My reading week started with a solid touchdown (hee, hee), but then I had three DNFs, but I also had hit after hit. Contemporary romance books were very good to me.

Books

Audiobooks


What I Am Currently Reading



What I Plan to Read

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

44 comments:

  1. I too am always seeking to get or stay warm and Arizona is looking really good this time of year. I spent this past week sick and feeling out of it, which made cooking and cleaning for Christmas extra fun. I was so happy to be given a physical ARC of Tweet Cute from Wednesday Books and immediately read it and loved it. I hope you feel well for the start of 2020.

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    1. You are a super woman pushing through and making Christmas happen. Moms. I am about 70% through, and really loving Tweet Cute. I knew it would be a good fit for me. I mean, it has Cute in the title.

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  2. Your furry family are so cute! I can't be without my furry monkeys-they are like my kids!

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    1. That's my daughter's family. She has always adored dolls, and she takes a small group of them, who she calls "the squad", whenever she travels.

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  3. Glad you had a nice holiday! Bummer about the cold though. I hope you have a speedy recovery asap!

    Nice new reads too. New to me ones but I hope you enjoy them both!

    Here’s my StS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. The holiday is pretty much a non-event, but at least I get a day off.

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  4. Haha, look at the fluffy sloth. I also got an Amazon gift card that I will hoard for most of the year. I hope you feel better soon. Have a great week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I just can't bring myself to splurge on full price books. I will probably have some balance until next Christmas

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  5. I am sorry you got that asthma attack Sam! My last one was when I was 15 so nearly 35 years ago and I still recall it! But yes you should really live in another partof the country. It's also weird as your ancestores came from somewhere in East or North Europe if I racall (vaguely)....places where the cold and snow are kings! Now on another note that pup swimming is too funny!

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    1. Since I stopped teaching, I haven't needed a rescue inhaler (the building was killing me), and then I was having an anxiety attack on top of it. The people at the train station in my presence seemed stressed. I am pretty much all western European - dad's from Germany, and mom's family was from Ireland and Germany. Not hot places at all, but I still hate the cold.

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  6. Ugh, I hope you're feeling better soon! This weather isn't helping - it's not exactly cold, but the raw, rainy weather is awful.

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    1. I ok with this weather. It's been pretty mild during the day. Unfortunately, I am outdoors more in the morning, when it's still cold. BOO!

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  7. I am so sorry that you haven't been feeling well, Sam! An asthma attack doesn't sound like fun. I only worked Monday and Friday this past week which really threw me off. All day Friday, I kept thinking that it was Monday. I guess I have another week of confusion to look forward to. I am glad you had a nice Christmas. I am really happy to see how much you liked Almost Just Friends and I look forward to your thoughts on Tweet Cute.

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    1. Abbreviated work weeks are nice, because you get a little break, but also get me off schedule. I feel like this week won't be as confusing, because I am not doing anything for the holiday. It's just another day off for me. I LOVED Almost Just Friends. That series gets better and better with every book.

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  8. I adore the sloth tradition.

    I can't wait for next year when Christmas is on a Friday. Having a holiday in the middle of the week really messed with me.

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    1. OMG, and she was so cute with him. I found her cuddling him in her sleep. Never too old. It's Friday next year? I had no idea 2020 was a leap year.

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  9. Holidays in the middle of the week are so weird. I'm all out of sorts as well. I'm sorry about the asthma attack, and I hope you start feeling better soon! My house is falling sick, and I need them to KEEP IT AWAY. lol I feel like you should get accepted for pretty much alllll the ARCs, because you're a super fast reader and write awesome reviews. I mean, what else do they want??

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It's the worst, when one person gets sick, it's almost inevitable that everyone else will catch it. I hope you get enough R&R to keep it away. They want reach, and I am a small blogger. It's all good though. I get a lot of approvals, and I eventually read most of my rejections.

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  10. I hope you feel better soon. And love those puppy videos. Just what I needed:)

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    1. Wrinkly puppies with short little tails are too cute!

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  11. Sorry to hear about the asthma attack- how awful. I got skipped over but my mom and sister, as well as one of my daughters, has it. I hope you're feeling better.

    That second video cracked me up so much. :)

    The holidays always seems to screw me up time- wise. My schedule gets all out of whack haha! Glad you had a nice holiday, and hope your New Year starts out great!

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    1. Those little dogs are too cute. I wish I could reach through the screen and hug them.

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  12. Oh no, I'm so sorry about the asthma attack! My brother had asthma as a kid and I know how scary that can be. I hope you're feeling better! I hope you enjoy all your upcoming reads. I have high hopes for Hand on the Wall!

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    1. My asthma was terrible, when I was younger, but they thought I grew out of it. When I was teaching, I went to the allergist, and they said I was actually in breathing distress. I guess I got used to breathing poorly? I haven't needed a rescue inhaler since I got out of that building, but I brought it upon myself running in the cold. I trust Johnson will deliver a great finale, and cannot wait to see what Stevie and the gang find out

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  13. Sorry you've been sick---I hope you feel completely better soon!! I had asthma when I was a kid, but I haven't had an attack in many years. I know it's no fun, though!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I feel like garbage, and it's cold and raining, and I really don't want to do today. --sigh-- Same. My asthma was bad when I was younger, came back when I was teaching, and I have not really had any problems since I left teaching, but, you know, exercise/cold induced.

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  14. That's terrible about your asthma attack. I really hope that you're feeling better soon. I am glad to hear you had a nice Christmas though. That sloth tradition is the cutest. :)

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    1. My daughter had been getting rid of dolls over the years, because she simply had no place to keep them, but she enjoys getting a new sloth every year. I try to keep them small, but sometimes they are larger than I anticipate.

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  15. FRAAAAANKIE! I'm absolutely thrilled you're taking a chance on Frankie, both Frankie and also Tin Heart are beautiful reads. I can't wait to see what you think of it! Gosh Sam, that sounds like an awfully nasty asthma attack, how are you feeling now darling? I'm an asthmatic too and mine effects me most during the winter months as well, the cold feels as though it steals my breath and I'm usually on antibiotics at least once during the season for bronchitis. Have you been able to see a doctor as yet? I hope you're feeling better soon Sam and take good care of yourself!

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    1. I loved Tin Hearts so much, and really want to read more of Plozza's books. Frankie sounds like a winner for me, and I don't anticipate it ever going on sale, so, I took the plunge. I feel better than I did the other day, but still not 100%. No more running outside in the cold for me. LOL. I used to get bronchitis and sinus infections all the time, when I was teaching. I swear, the building was trying to kill me, and I taught chemistry. The exposure to the chemicals in a room that was fitted with safety equipment in the 1950s wasn't doing me any favors. This was just a head cold, thank goodness. A little rattling on the chords, but no sign of infection. I lazed about all weekend, and drank lots of water.

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  16. I hope you have overcome your asthma attack by now! Gah, what's with holidays and getting sick? Why are the two things so often related? I mean, these are usually the coldest days of the year, but as for me, I got sick BEFORE the cold kicked in. Like you, I don't actually celebrate Christmas, but it seems so unfair that people get to have fun and go on holidays and stuff on those days, and one is home and sick. Though I can't complain too much, because it wasn't anywhere near as severe as usual for me.

    I actually love it when we have mid-week holidays - especially two days of them like in this case (we celebrate Boxing Day as well). Anything to break the extra-boring, dreadful working week...plus my boss always goes away on the 26th and doesn't come back until Jan. 2nd, so I do as I please at work 😈.

    I guess we'll get the chance to talk again via Twitter before the 1st, but have a wonderful 2020!

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    1. I understand why other people get sick during the holidays. Lots of hustle and bustle and stress, but that's not my situation. I did celebrate Christmas, it's just a lot more low key than it was when I was younger. Even though my sister would not be with us this year, my dad still made the sauerbraten, white cabbage, and potato dumplings (they were extra amazing this year). I like a day off in the middle of the week, but when you throw in going out, it just confuses my schedule. Stop! You know I will "chat" with you before the year ends.

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  17. I love year end lists, too. Everyone is so excited about the books. :)

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    1. I am looking at all these lists seeing who agrees with me, and what books I missed.

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  18. I love Top Ten lists (and really lists of any kind), so I'm having fun reading through yours and everyone else's. I'm going to do an end-of-the-year book survey along with posting stats either tomorrow or on New Year's. It's always fun for me to look back at what I've read in the past year and think about what I want to read and blog about in the new year.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. The fun for me is looking back at what I read, and remembering how all those books made me feel. I actually shed a few tears making my lists, because some books just made me feel so much.

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  19. I hope you're getting over your sickness. I hate the cold. Kevin keeps going outside here (WA) and saying how gorgeous it is and I step outside and feel assaulted by wind and dankness. It's going to take me awhile to adapt lol I do love being able to wear warm sweater though. And Kevin got me a heated vest for Christmas!

    Happy new Year Sam!

    Karen @ For What It's worth

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    1. When my friend moved from Jacksonville to Issaquah, she, surprisingly, embraced the weather too. It's a lot nicer in the PNW than in NJ. Heated vest! OMG! I need to go find out more about such things.

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  20. Monsieur Rond looks adorable, and I love the puppy videos! Comeback has been on my radar. I look forward to your thoughts on it!

    I hope you feel better soon!

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    1. I was so happy with that doll, because I ordered him online, and wasn't sure how he would look in person. But, he was cute and so fat, and my daughter loves fat dolls. I kept seeing the Comeback, and it was less than $1. Sounds like something I would like

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  21. I am glad you had such a good holiday and that amazon giftcard is a golden gift. Don't hoard it too long hehe :D Also I usually struggle to make the time for the end of lists to be posted on my blog but this year I did it and I was so happy to have them posted and to read everyone elses!

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    1. You never know what gems you missed. I actually found a few books to check out via some year end lists.

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  22. I hope you're feeling better!! I'm such a list maker, too. I am having such a hard time deciding on my 2019 faves, though. I'm working on narrowing it down to put a post together soon.

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    1. I was feeling a lot better by Tuesday, but you know, head colds linger so long. It is hard to decide, and the more books I read, the harder the choices get. That's why I tried to not repeat selections, but rather, feature as many different books as I could think of on each list. They may have belonged on multiple lists, but really, I want to spread the love.

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