Sunday, October 22, 2017

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 had a most awesome Sunday last week. We had a little WLABB day (we missed you Amrutha and Marlon!). Me, Kiersten, and Noor all went and had a fabulous brunch together, and then did some shopping. Noor takes really great pictures, so I stole her Instagram of our food.

A post shared by Noor Azeem (@looonylovegood) on

Other than that, I just read and went to work, but here's some stuff I found web surfing.

I cannot lie, I got sort of emotional when I watched this Burger King PSA.


Swoon Reads books and I have a good relationship, so you know I downloaded the app.

And, I just wanted to share one of the many awesome posts from Princess Sassy Pants. I have followed this account on Facebook and Instagram for a quite a while, and am a huge fan.



On the Blog:
**The ARC giveaway for A Short History of the Girl Next Door is still open. 

STACKING THE SHELVES

I showed some self control, and did not buy any new books this week. I was so close about 8 times, but I resisted.


ARCs


What I Read Last Week

No five star reads this week, but I would say they were all solid reads. My normal complaint popped up a few times (the ending!), but I would say I throughly enjoyed every book.


  • The Final Score by Jaci Burton (audiobook): I am a fan of this series, and was really excited to see Nathan, who was a teen in the first book, make it to the NFL and get his romance. I like friends-to-more stories, and Nathan and Mia had great chemistry and a really wonderful friendship. 
  • Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis: This one was a surprise to me. It delivered a lot more than I expected, and I really liked the direction Davis took with the story. 
  • My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill: I thought this was adorable, and I really liked that there was more to the story than just the romance. ★ 1/2
  • Book of Lies by Teri Terry: I really enjoyed this eerie family drama, and was quite pleased with the ending Terry gave us. ★ 1/2
  • Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz: I did NOT judge this as a re-telling, but simply as the fun romance that it was. I totally shipped this couple, and thought de la Cruz gave me a great epilogue. ★ 1/2
  • Slap Shot by Kelly Jamieson: Hockey romances are my weakness, and this one was really good. It was fun, but had depth, and the whole dead wife angle managed to get some tears from me too. 
  • The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace: I have to say, Wallace's writing is exquisite, which really gave this book a magical quality. This book was an interesting tale, where stories from 12 generations of women are interwoven with flashbacks and current time chapters as Sorrow tries to remember her sister's final days. 
What I Am Currently Reading

I am about halfway through The House at 758, and I am slowly starting to put this puzzle together. Each small piece I pick up on seems to bring a few tears to my eyes. I have a feeling I will be sobbing when I get the full story. I really have not listened to much of Crazy Rich Asians, but what I have listened to so far has been pretty hilarious.


What I Plan to Read

I have some high hopes for my TBR this week, as it contains three of my Can't-Wait Wednesday picks. Fingers crossed I am not disappointed. And, obviously, I had to include a hockey romance, because I am utter trash for them.
























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

42 comments:

  1. I've heard great things about Hooking Up. I hope you'll enjoy it. Happy reading and have a wonderful week. 😁❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Hunting book is usually good for me, so I am looking forward to reading it.

      Delete
  2. That's like really good book that you read and good book haul too. I hope you enjoy all of your books. Happy reading!

    My STS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All my new books are 2018, so I have a while before I read them (I am still woking on my Oct releases -- shame!)

      Delete
  3. Oh nice new reads! They're new to me ones but I hope you enjoy them all!

    Here's my STS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I won't be reading them for a while, since they are 2018 releases, but I was excited to get them.

      Delete
  4. Wow, that brunch photo makes me so hungry! I'm glad to hear you had such a great week. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The food was so good, I already told Kiersten that we are going back there when I pick her up in May.

      Delete
  5. Those waffles look awesome :) my week was all work, except for Dewey's which was also mostly work, I guess, but in a good way :D have a great week!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cannot even describe how perfectly cooked they were. I have no idea what they did, but the bottom had this coating that made them even better than the looked, and the chicken was perfect.

      Delete
  6. Wow those waffles look awesome, and you are right she took a gorgeous photo!!! I had so much fun doing the foodie TTT this week. There were so many books I didn't realize or remember that they were food related. YUM!!

    I just finished Hooking Up by Helena Hunting, it was a sexy and fun read and I can't wait for you to review it.

    Have a great day and happy reading!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The waffles were amazing. I wish everyone could taste them. Glad to hear you like Hooking Up. I am a huge contemporary romance fan, so I have to include at least one each week. It's such a bonus to hear people saying good things about my pick!

      Delete
  7. First of all, your brunch looks delicious. Second, you had such an amazing book week. I'm counting the days for The Forgotten Book to be released. The summary is so intriguing that I can't wait to plunge into that world.

    Thank you for sharing the news about the Swoon Reads app. It's a publisher which so many books I adore and I didn't know about it.

    Happy readings! ;)
    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was pretty giddy when I got approved for The Forgotten Book. It looks so good! Right? I am a Swoon girl. The books always leave me happy, and now you can read the manuscripts on your phone.

      Delete
  8. You had an awesome reading week. I love the Princess Sassy Pants. Now I want waffles. LOL Hope the week ahead brings lots of smiles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, waffles, you and me both. Princess Sassy Pants has been delighting me for year. Love the art and the sentiment.

      Delete
  9. Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe looks fun. I'm a sucker for hockey romances, too, so I'll have to check out Slap Shot. Enjoy your books, and happy reading Sam! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought P&P&M was fun and cute. The negativity seemed to be about the way it was trying to interpret the original story, which I have not read, so that is probably why I was ok with it. I had never read any of Jamieson's books, but I really enjoyed Slap Shot. The heroine was great and I loved Max and all his struggles.

      Delete
  10. I enjoyed The Final Score by Jaci Burton and this week I got a paperback ARC of Shot on Gold! I was so happy!
    Those waffles look amazing!
    Hope you all have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am pretty excited that the next book is hockey. Hockey romances are my favorite! Can't wait to hear what you think about the next book.

      Delete
  11. mmmm....those waffles look delicious! Great books you got this week!

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those waffles were ah-mazing! I can't wait to eat them again.

      Delete
  12. I've been seeing My New crush Gave to Me quite a bit lately, it does look really cute, so I hope you end up enjoying it Sam! I'm glad to see that you've been having a good run with books lately too, I'm really fussy when it comes to neatly tied up endings, sometimes I just want to be left guessing and thinking about things. Those waffles look amazing by the way, you have me craving some now in the middle of the night! And I hope we both end up enjoying Hooking Up! I hope you have a great week! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pet peeve is the open ending. I need closure and resolution, and if I cannot have that, I need to be pointed in the right direction. I am the person who always wants an epilogue, so being such a big contemporary reader, I am often left a little frustrated with endings. The waffles were so good. I think the best I have ever had.

      Delete
  13. Your Sunday last week sounds like such fun!! Good job on not buying too many books. haha I'm really trying to get through more of my review books so I'm ahead on things again. Sigh.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny, for some reason an old Sunday Post (like Feb or Jan), popped to the top of the stats, and when I looked at it, I saw how it said I was working on July ARCs!!! Now I am happy to be reading during the release month.

      Delete
  14. YAY! I hope you love My New Crush Gave to Me! I thought it was the cutest thing. Sadly I didn't enjoy In Some Other Life. Actually I just read another Jessica Brody book today - The Chaos of Standing Still - and didn't enjoy that one a lot either. I think it's time for me and Jessica Brody to break up. :o I hope you enjoy all of your new books!

    Have a wonderful week, Sam. =)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am looking forward to New Crush, but I am enjoying In Some Other Life. I remember reading your review, but the cheating did not impact me in quite the same way. Once thing I will say, it's sort of long for a contemporary, but there have been a lot of parts I really liked.

      Delete
  15. That breakfast looks so yummy! And the pic is totally worth standing on a chair for! It's been awhile since I've read a Helena Hunting book so I'm curious to see ho that one is. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Noor will go to all lengths to get a great picture. 😄 Hunting has overall been good for me, some better than others, so I was curious about her new books.

      Delete
  16. The Burger King PSa brought me to tears, my daughter and I watched it together. I have a son who was bullied and it was horrible and hard for him move on from. So this close to home for us.

    Enjoy your new books. Happy reading.

    Thanks for stopping by my Sunday Post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made my co-worker watch the video with me, and we were both blubbering. It was a very powerful statement. I was relentlessly bullied in school, so I get really emotional, but I also speak up when I see such poor behavior in public. I think people are scared to get involved, but sometimes grown ups need to step up. ((HUGS)) to your son.

      Delete
  17. Your brunch looks divine! That BK video... wow. That was powerful. I wanted to cheer when the one woman took her tray over and spoke to the kids. She wasn't combative, just *there.* I'd like to think I would handle it the same way. I was bullied in jr. high and it was such a horrific experience. It made school hellish. My sister follow Princess Sassy Pants so I see what she shares on Facebook. So cute. :) I've read one by L.P. Dover and it was kind of middle of the road for me. Hope you enjoy the one you have coming up!

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It broke my heart how few people acted, but I loved that woman so much for how she handled it.i actually put the Dover aside. There is something about the writing that is not working for me. Sad to hear you were bullied, but glad to see you made it through that experience and turned out so awesome.

      Delete
  18. Good books and brunch and shopping? Seems like you had a good week. Those waffles look delicious, I am getting a bit hungry just looking at the picture. I saw Swoonreads had an app but I've not downloaded, I have to remember to get it as that would be so awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really want THOSE waffles again. So good. I have been really pleased with my Swoonreads books. I just finished My New Crush last night and it made me happy in that Dimple and Rishi way, which is a good thing.

      Delete
  19. The food looks so good... I have The Forgotten Book in my TRL too, I hope it's amazing :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Between the cover and synopsis, I have really high hopes for The Forgotten Book.

      Delete
  20. Replies
    1. They were the best. I am already planning on going back there when I pick Kiersten up in May.

      Delete