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
Happy Sunday! Today is my father's birthday, and we are so happy to celebrate him! I took him out for steak yesterday. He got the 25 ounce Kansas City Strip with roasted shiitake mushrooms and truffle parmesan fries. We were all happy with our meal, and it's nice to have a "fancy" sort of place a LOT closer than our other options. Today, per dad's choice, we will have a Carvel cake.
I know I have mentioned it before, but I hate the time change. It takes me a week or so to adjust, and with my sleep patterns being so delicate, I don't need this sort of disruption. Almost makes me want to more to Arizona so I could avoid all this nonsense. I took tomorrow off in order to try and adjust. I don't have big plans other than getting my flu shot. Whoo hoo!
On the Blog
- Monday: Isn't It Romantic - The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch, Sister of the Bride
- Tuesday: TTT - A Paranormal Presence
- Wednesday: CWW - The Talk of Coyote Canyon, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
- Thursday: #AmReading - The Good Part, How to Stop Time
- Friday: Five Star Friday - October 2023
- Saturday: Sloth Goes Places - Vermont
Let's Discuss
- AJ shared some portal fantasies
- Shannon muses about review
- Author Hailey Alcaraz defends the unlikable FMC
Stacking the Shelves
I am still going to feature my Goodreads win even if I no longer have the book. I got a few invites. I may download the Mangle book because I have enjoyed her other books, and I am intrigued by the Perrin book too. The comps for Mayluna are interesting (Daisy Jones, The Light We Lost). I am going to keep an eye on reviews before I may any decisions.
Free
- A Longtime (and at one point illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison
Won
- Sideline Confidential by Brooke Bentley
Invites
- Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle
- How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
- Mayluna by Kelley McNeil
Read Last Week
I had a DNF this week, but that was the only hiccup. Everything else I read was great. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was sweet, adorable, and the pick me up I needed. The Second Chance Year was another great time loop type story. I really liked the way the author used this second time around to give the character a new perspective on things. If I had to choose between the three 4.5 star books, Penelope in Retrograde would be my favorite. Adams is new-to-me, but I am sure I will check out more of her books. This one was hilarious and sweet too. I had a great time reading it.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan - ★★★★
- The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane - ★★★★ 1/2
- Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Adams - ★★★★ 1/2
- The Second Chance Year by Melissa Weisner - ★★★★ 1/2
- Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotungo - ★★★★
Audiobooks
- Desire or Defense by Leah Brunner - ★★★★
Currently Reading
I am not too far in this version of The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, but I have high hopes. Lau's books are always a lot of fun, and so is Thanksgiving.
- The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs
- A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau (audiobook)
To Be Read
- Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Nobel
- The Bloom Girls by Amy Pine
- The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
- The Fariytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra
Let us know in the comments!
There's more than one book titled The Twelve Dogs of Christmas?! Both of them look adorable! 😍 It looks like you had a fun time celebrating your dad's birthday (happy bday to him!) and that steak looks so good! Looks like a yummy place! Sorry to hear about the Goodreads Giveaway book—I think I probably would've had a panic myself. I do hope that the book will make its way back to you somehow. 🤞🏽 Have a great week ahead, Sam!
ReplyDeleteYes. I have read The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by both Susan Wiggs and Lizzie Shane. Who knew, right? Dad loves steak, so I take him to expensive steakhouses for occasions. It's hard to buy gifts when people have been alive for that long, you know? I have won ebooks before, but they usually came across as gifts. This showed a gift card charge and my name. It was confusing, and now I am sad.
DeleteYour dad's pics are nice and amusing...especially the one with the giant cup LOL.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the book. They should have sent that email in advance...but at least you get to read it all the same!
Those cats LOL I loved the ones vs. the tiger, the cow and the dog 🤣.
That's dad eating halo halo. It was so good. That whole book thing was just confusing, and I am so suspect of everything these days. Sad world that I have to think like that. Cats are badass.
DeleteHappy Birthday to your dad! And that's indeed sad for your Goodreads giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am bummed about the book
DeleteHappy birthday to your dad!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The Fake Mate, so I hope you do.
South Dakota: Black Hills by Nora Roberts, Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
I have family in North Dakota, but I don't know that I've ever read a book set there. I would probably Google books set in North Dakota. Goodreads has to have a list.
Thanks for the recs. I wasn't that dazzled by the Nora Roberts book I read, but I will keep Dear Daughter on the list. I have googled. It's about having access to some of the books. I don't want to buy books. I did buy Sweet Gum Tree, but it was cheap.
DeleteHappy birthday to your dad! Glad he enjoyed his special dinner. Love the pics! I don't think Daylight Savings Time affects me too much, and now with Henry we are just always up early.
ReplyDeleteI have been up since midnight, and I will have to push through to try and stay awake later tonight to get my clock straight. Time changes kill me, but I have sleep issues.
DeleteThat sounds like a fabulous steak. And oh no- so sorry t ohear about the book! You never know these days though...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it terrible that I immediately think to change my password and cancel the order? This is a sad state of affairs. Dad said the steak was great, so was the service, and the place was beautiful.
DeleteHappy Birthday to your dad, Sam. Mexico doesn't do daylight saving time, so I had no issue last night as I had been using that time. I love books about dogs and Christmas. I read another one by a different author, so I have two more to read. Have a great week, Sam.
ReplyDeleteWait! Another book called the Twelve Dogs of Christmas? I am going to start collecting them. I wish the US would get rid of DST. It's terrible for me
DeleteI just did a quick search on Goodreads and found 9 of them. The one I read was by David Rosenfelt and it was a mystery.
DeleteHe does all the punny cozy mysteries. I love the titles of his books
DeleteHappy birthday to your dad! Love all the photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe fancy steak house sounds delicious! Happy your father had a nice birthday dinner and cake! I am not too bothered by this time change, it's the one in the Spring that gets me. I hate having to get in earlier I was actually looking forward to this one because I hate going to work when it's dark outside in the morning. I does get dark earlier, which is a bummer, but I'm home by then. It feels like winter is fast approaching with the changes in time and weather! Not sure I'm ready, lol!
ReplyDeleteYou had two Twelve Dog Days of Christmas? Popular title. I have an offer for How to Solve a Murder as well. I think I'm going to grab it. Bummer about your Goodreads win.
It's dark when I leave and now it will be dark when I get home. I just don't see the necessity to change the clocks. We have electricity. One Dogs book was from a few years ago by Lizzie Shane, the other is a new release by Susan Wiggs, and both feature 12 dogs.
DeleteWow, that is a big steak! Happy birthday to your dad! That is too bad that you lost the book that you won. I sometimes panic when I see purchases made since I get all of the emails even when my daughter or husband make the purchase. I hope that you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThat's why I checked with my daughter first. I thought that maybe she bought the book. Easy come, easy god.
DeleteHappy Birthday to your Dad! The time change is killing me this week too. I really wish we would do away with the spring forward/fall back nonsense. That's such a bummer about your giveaway win. I could see myself doing the same thing though. There are way too many scammers out there.
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible that we have been conditioned to think everything is a scam. Makes me sad. Good luck adjusting to the time change
DeleteSo glad you had a nice celebration with your dad. Bummer on returning the win, though.
ReplyDeleteI was so sad and pathetic. I feel bad too. I have not idea how it works with the author.
DeleteHappy Birthday to your Dad! I can possibly one up your Amazon story. I've actually ordered and started reading a book I had already read lol.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! I started reading a book I had already read once, but I have not double purchased yet.
DeleteHappy Birthday to your dad!! I know it's not really very funny, but I had a chuckle that you returned your Giveaway book. That is something I would definitely do. Ha! Yay for Penelope! I also got an invite to Mangle's book. Not sure if I'm gonna accept yet. Happy reading, Sam!
ReplyDeleteI am kicking myself about that book. My paranoia got the best of me. I used to trust more.
Delete