We Live and Breathe Books: Sundays with Sam

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! I love going on vacation, but it's hard catching up.

My trip was not what I thought it would be. I flew overnight to London, had no problem finding my daughter at Heathrow, took the train to our hotel - no issues. We spent the first day doing some of that popups down near the south bank of the river. We did Shrek and Paddington. Both were fun and cute. The next day, we took the train out to Wembley Park to see Starlight Express. The show has been updated quite a bit since I saw it in the 80s, but it was still super dynamic with all the skating.

In the meantime, I received an email that my cruise was being rerouted. Apparently, the weather was due to be so bad on the west coast of Europe that they sent us east. That's right, my British Isles cruise was now going to Norway. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to seeing baby Haggis and Stonehenge. It was frustrating because we didn't have time to research the ports of excursions either.

The first stop was in Haugesund. We visited a Viking museum and walked through a forest to an Iron Age farm, and then visited a very old church. The sites were interesting, but it was pouring. At least three people on our tour slipped down the hill as we were moving between the museum and the farm. I think it would have been better if it wasn't raining because the person taking us around the farm was so good at his job. I think he rushed because of the rain.

The next stop was Olden where we did a tour to the glacier and the glacier museum. It was raining again, but it did clear up, and our guide had the driver stop at a viewpoint in order for us to get some pictures of the glacier without the rain. We also went to a lunch buffet and had a chance to try some Norwegian food. It was all fantastic. Due to our guide and how beautiful this stop was, the trip was looking up.

The third port was Stavanger. We didn't see anything we especially wanted to do, so we just walked around a bit. Obviously, it was raining, as this was the theme of our trip, but my daughter was happy to sit outside the visitor center and get some free WiFi.

Our final stop was random. It's not part of DCL's Norwegian cruise, but we stopped in Bruges. We got there really early which turned out to be a blessing. It was a sunny day, the streets were empty, and we really got to enjoy how beautiful the city is. We only had three hours because the longer excursion was sold out, but we did visit the Frietmuseum where we learned a LOT about potatoes and Belgian fries. We got to eat some, too. We also made sure to taste a Belgian waffles (we split a caramel) and got a piece of chocolate. We are not big chocolate eaters, but it seemed we could not leave without at least a taste.

When I got to the port the next day, I discovered that my flight had been canceled. I had booked a direct flight to Newark with an aisle seat that was supposed to leave at 3:50 pm. They rebooked me for a 12:15 pm flight with a connection in DC, and I was stuck in a middle seat. Eight hours between TWO men. It was awful. By the time I got home, I had been awake for 25 hours, and I still went to the office the next day.

It wasn't the trip I booked, but I saw some great things, ate some great food, and spent time with my daughter. We are thinking of doing a US trip next year. The trip we had out eye on is already sold out, so still looking around.

Let's Discuss

Jen recommends some books to read for spooky season
The Orangutan Librarian shares some insights about working in a library
Briana explains why she is disillusioned with new releases

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Stacking the Shelves

I bought some books, got approvals, and some invites as well.

Netgalley/Edelweiss

No Matter What by Cara Bastone
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

Invites

The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk
Into the Midnight Wood by Alexandra McCollum
Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver
In Time With You by Kristin Dwyer
Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni
Lucky Girl by Allie Tagle-Dokus
Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
Joy to the Girls by Rachael Lippencott and Alyson Derrick

Purchased/Free

Who Loves You Best by Marilyn Simon Rothstein
Five Oaks by Julie Hensley
Unbearably Yours by Elodie Colliard
Snap by Susin Nielsen
All the Perfect Days by Michael Thompson

Read Last Week

These are all the books I have read since my last Sunday post (two weeks). I went heavy on my library loans when I was on vacation. I was not surprised that Ally Carter's newest rated high for me. I loved the previous book in this duet and was thrilled to be back in this world. I didn't realize it was connected to the last book. You don't have to read both, but it's a special treat if you do. I also adored Rachel Linden's new release. This came as no surprise to me because I am a big fan of her books with a touch of magic. The family focus was so lovely in this book, and I loved the Italian setting. My other five-star book surprised me. I have read Clare Gilmore's other books, and I liked them, but I LOVED Never Over. There was something about this second chance romance that just embedded itself in my heart. The hero was especially wonderful, and I had an incredible on tour and rooting for these two.

Find all my reviews on Goodreads

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