Sunday, December 13, 2020

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

Another week in the books. I love using my vacation to have every Thursday off, but it is no fun coming back to the work that piled up while I was gone. Oh, well. This week I went to the dentist, and the streak continues! No cavities. I would like to attribute it to my toothbrush, but that's a new thing. Does anyone use a Sonicare toothbrush? It was really weird at first, but I think it works well. 

Hmmm, what else? The dress I ordered for my daughter's doll for Christmas came. This is the doll my daughter has had since she was 3 months old, and she brings her on trips and everything. I had the dolls cloth body repaired about 20 years ago (she flew cross country to a doll hospital in Oregon), but she is starting to age. I cannot find the college pic, but my child has posed with Nee Nee many times, including all her graduation photos. The funny thing was, that Kiersten was telling me the clothes had to be something besides a romper. It was no easy task, but I was happy with the dress I found. 










Let's Discuss!
  • The Quiet Pond posted some tips for reviewing, when you feel out of your depth
  • Nyx talks dos and don'ts of book endings
  • Charlotte shared the results of the Alternative Choice Awards 2020


On the Blog:
  • Monday: One Old, One New - In the Penalty Box, Being Sloane Jacobs
  • Tuesday: TTT - Tis the Season
  • Wednesday: CWW - Much Ado About You, Stealing Home
  • Thursday: #Amreading YA - Be Dazzled, Girl at Heart


STACKING THE SHELVES

I cannot tell you how shocked I was to receive an approval for the new Kasie West. RH does not really approve many of my requests. Mostly, they reject immediately or just let them linger in limbo for eternity. I swear! My jaw hit the floor when I got that email, so that was a highlight this week. I also accidentally requested an audiobook on EW. I had seen someone mention something about audiobooks there on Twitter, but I just did not check. I don't really like to review audiobooks, because I don't pay as close attention to them as I do when I am reading. I will have to try harder with that title. Take some notes. 

Edelweiss/NetGalley
What I Read Last Week

My biggest accomplishment this week was finishing my Fifty States reading challenge. The middle gets almost no love, and it was tough finishing those last few states, but I did it! I had two favorites this week. The Cousins and This Will Be Funny Someday. McManus' books always work for me, and this one was all about family secrets. Henry is another author I really enjoy reading. Her books always give me a lot to think about. 

Books

Audiobooks


What I Am Currently Reading

I have not started Shine (at this time), so not much to say about it, but I am really enjoying The Ex Talk. I guess that's not a surprise given how much I have enjoyed RLS's YA books. 



What I Plan to Read

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

35 comments:

  1. Those long weekends are nice! And oh that's cool you guys have had the doll that long! Wow. I think that's awesome.

    The Cousins was fun. Yay for Little House books too.

    Love that cover of New Years Kiss.

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    1. I don't do long weekends, I work on Friday. It seems weird to have too many days off in a row without anything to do. I do like the four day work weeks though

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    2. Oh. I always liked 4 day weeks. :)

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  2. It’s cool that the doll has survived for so long. I still have a teddy bear that was given to me by the hospital when I was born. It survived my childhood, but I don’t think it will survive Baby Brooklyn’s. She plays with it a lot.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Her eyes are crooked, but it's only because she has been so loved. Awww. It's nice to still have something. I have my Rocky Raccoon, which I got when I was 4. He was dropped into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, ears chewed off by a neighbors dog, and saved from the trash. I think it's wonderful you niece is playing with your doll. Soon it will become "real"

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  3. Oh wow! That's amazing her doll has hold up so well over the years! I tried using one of those motor toohbrushes before, but it was a hassle. My bathroom is small as it is, there's no room to leave the toothbrush charging all the time. So the days I had to charge it I wasn't able to brush my teeth since it took 24 hours to charge again. Granted, I did pull out a regular old toothbrush to clean my teeth, but as nice as they are it's just not possible for me to use it with my current bathroom.

    Nice new reads! Those are all new to me ones but I hope you enjoy them all!


    Thanks for visiting my StS!

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. The sonicare holds the charge for quite a while. The base is very small, and I only take it out when it needs to be charged. I also have space issues.

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  4. I so love that your daughter, being an adult and all, still loves posiing in pictures with her doll! There is hope for me at 50 when I make my funko pops. I don't feel so alone LOL

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    1. When all the kids were moving on to Barbies and whatnot, mine still loved her babies and her stuffed animals. It's not called playing any longer. It's collecting. So you're fine.

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  5. Congrats on finishing the 50 States challenge! I can definitely see how some states would be harder than others to get.

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    1. So hard. The Dakotas were really tough. I sort of want books I am kind of interested in too, which probably made it harder. I am sure I could have found some non-fiction to fit the state.

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  6. One of the reasons I love Christmas break so much at my company is that pretty much EVERYONE is off so you don't have all that work piled up when you get back from the time off... There's no one around to chase you, to need things, or to know if something has went wrong! It gets a bit manic once everyone starts picking things back up but for a blissful few days after returning to work all is calm, lol.

    I like the cover for New Year's Kiss! I definitely need to know more about that one. :)

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    1. I work for a brokerage firm, so we can't all go on vacation at the same time, though I like the idea of it. I saw low ratings for New Year's Kiss, but the criticism was that it was like a Hallmark movie, so I bought it.

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  7. Wow, I can't believe your daughter has had her doll for that long! Congrats on no cavities. I use a Sonicare and I think it really helps! No cavities for me last time either, although I did have a relapse with an old root canal, but that's a tooth that's had problems since I cracked it when I was 10 yrs old. Had to have dental surgery last month. No fun.

    I need to request The Cousins at my library!

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    1. I have had my Rocky for over 44 years, though she is a bigger clinger to things than I am. Ouch! I never had any dental work, so the dentist is one place I never mind going.

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  8. Wow. That's impressive that doll is in one piece! Very cool. You have inspired me to read Stealing Home. I had forgotten about that one! I want to start it this week.

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    1. Her eyes a bit wonky, but that second cloth body she got 20 years ago has held up. Stealing Home was fun. I really adored the hero. I hope you like it.

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  9. I am actually really curious about those sonic toothbrushes, but I am sensitive so I am nervous to try it out. And wow ...look at all the book you got read. That is amazing.

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    1. It doesn't spin, it wiggles, and I think the bristles are really soft.

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  10. I love that your daughter still has her doll! My daughter has a pink doggy stuffed animal that she got when she was 6 months old and still sleeps with when she is home. I never thought to include him in her graduation photos though. You read so many books this week! I wish I had your superpower :) I hope you enjoy your new books and have a great week!

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    1. I still have a doll from when I was 4. We are sentimental saps in this house. That was all Kiersten's idea. When she was younger, Nee Nee was in all the posed photos (outside of school). I think it's a sweet tradition.

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  11. I think it's adorable that Kiersten poses with her doll for so many occasions. So sweet!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Yes. We have a treasure trove of photos featuring Nee Nee and Sloth

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  12. Yay for long weekends and no cavities! Oh yes, I love my Sonicare toothbrush too! And also that's so adorable you found a dress to go with your daughter's doll, I'm sure she'll love it ♥!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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    1. It's not easy finding doll clothing. It was easier when she was younger.

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  13. I love the Nee Nee tradition!

    I'm reading The Cousins now and I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it. Can't wait to read The Ex Talk.

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    1. Yeah, when your kid's a closet sap. I hope you enjoy The Cousins. McManus never disappoints me. The Ex Talk had me feeling a lot and I really enjoyed it. I am so glad Solomon decided to give rom-coms a try, because both The Ex Talk and Today Tonight Tomorrow were spectacular for me.

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  14. I love Kiersten's long history with Nee Nee. What a special connection to her childhood (well, babyhood, I guess). I still have a bear from when I was 4 or 5 years old. When I first met my husband I showed him Ted (I was such a creative child when it came to names) and the big whole in Ted's neck. On his next visit my husband brought sutures and stitched up Ted's neck. I knew he was a keeper. :)

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    1. She still has her first blanket too, because I am nicer than my mother and let her keep stuff. I have to post a picture of my Rocky (he's about 45 years old and looking rough). A teddy named Ted and like the movie.

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  15. That doll story is too cute.

    And yay for getting approved! A Christmas miricle.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  16. The pictures of your daughter are adorable. She has taken good care of her doll.

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    1. She was a cutie (still is). The dolls cloth body was replaced about 20 years ago, when her arms and legs was falling off, and her eyes are crooked now, but that just shows how well loved she is.

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  17. "This week I went to the dentist, and the streak continues! No cavities."
    Yay!

    "The dress I ordered for my daughter's doll for Christmas came. This is the doll my daughter has had since she was 3 months old".
    LOL, I didn't know you could order doll dresses! Are they tailor-made? I love the pic of a young Kiersten - she looks a lot like you in that one!

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    1. I order from Götz. People always think my daughter resembles me until they see her father. I don't see much of myself in her at all.

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