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 hope everyone had a great week.
I had a short work weed due, and I was kind of frustrated. I think I mentioned they were getting rid of our work stations and replacing them with laptops. My rollout day was Thursday. I was not at work Thursday, so now I have no idea how it all went. Maybe I will be able to do my work on Monday, maybe I won't
Thursday, I picked one of my aunts up from the airport, and we went to the wake for my aunt. It was a lot, and we didn't get home until late. Then we had to return to Brooklyn early on Friday for the funeral. My nerves cannot take riding in a car in Brooklyn. I don't know how people drive there. It's like running an obstacle course with all the double parked cars and people ignoring any and all traffic rules. Then we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in Staten Island which made the trip home more than double the amount of time it should have taken. Such a struggle. But, I am glad we were there for my uncle and cousins. My uncle impressed us all with a beautiful eulogy for my aunt. It was very sweet and touching, and so her.
I have no real plans with weekend. Just trying to catch up. I feel like I have been trying to catch up since my disaster trip home from Chicago. Fingers crossed I don't get any more curveballs in the near future.
On the Blog
- Monday: One Old, One New - At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities, South of the Buttonwood Tree
- Tuesday: TTT - The Hype is Real
- Wednesday: CWW - Bright Lights Big Christmas, The Midnight Library
- Thursday: Nutshell Reviews - Welcome to Beach Town, Charolette Illes is Not a Detective
- Friday: Discussion - Mid Year Freak Out - 2023
- Saturday: Sloth Goes Places - North Carolina
Let's Discuss
- Girl with Her Head in a Book tells us why she owns books
- Anne discusses where she posts reviews
- Davida talks HEAs
Stacking the Shelves
I received a slew of YA invites this week. I am so out of the loop with YA, I only recognized 3 or 4 names. I probably won't download as I am pretty full up with review books for this year, but I wanted to share them with you. I do have Three Holidays and a Wedding on my TBR, so I was excited to get the invite for that, and of course, it's great to get approved for books I request.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
- Take Two, Birdie Maxwell by Allison Winn Scotch
Invites
- Three Holidays and a Wedding by Marissa Stapley and Uzma Jalaluddin
- Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni
- The Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shah
- The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert
- Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer
- The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold
- Run and Hide by Don Brown
- Too Scared to Sleep by Andrew Duplessie
- All that Consumes Us by Erica Waters
- Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
Read Last Week
I had a truly magnificent reading week considering how hard it was to find some reading time. I didn't remember too much buzz for The Midnight Library, but WOW! What an incredible story. That one was tied with The Summer of Songbirds for my favorite of the week. Songbirds was such a lovely story of friendship and forgiveness and saving the things we love. It was so good. I had a bit of variety last week too - a sci-fi, enchanted realism, contemporary romance, paranormal mystery, and contemporary fiction.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - ★★★★★
- The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White - ★★★★ 1/2
- The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey - ★★★★★
- The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins - ★★★★
- The Boss Who Stole Christmas by Jana Aston - ★★★★
Currently Reading
I loved Nan Fischer's last release, this is different, but it's great too. There is a bit a mystery already, and I think there is a paranormal element too.
Sweet Spot for Love is really cute so far. I love the hero's interactions with the heroine's daughter. They made my heart get all warm.
- The Book of Silver Linings by Nan Fischer
- Sweet Spot for Love by Aliya Burke
To Be Read
Of course, seven holds came though this week. Thank goodness we can deliver later. I decided to read an extra ARC since I didn't get both read last week. If I stick to my TBR, I will be done with my August ARCs which is crazy to me. I feel like the year is flying!
- Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair
- The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
- My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
- Code Name Charming by Lucy Parker
Let us know in the comments!
I am again sorry for your loss Sam and I would have been a ball of nerves driving in such traffic! I hope you'll be able to catch up with everything next week and that your workstation will be ...working! I do work with a workstation and it doesn't give me problems if that can give you hope...
ReplyDeleteNY is horrendous to drive in. My dad drove a fire truck there for many years, so we let him be in charge.
DeleteI hope the move at work went smoothly...I used to be very nervous when part of my job equipment got changed while I wasn't there.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been doubly frustrating to have traffic issues while on your way to the funeral of a loved one...Again, I'm sorry your aunt passed on so prematurely and all of a sudden.
LOL, how come you hardly treated us with sloth clips before, now that I think of it?
I saw this sloth reel, and it made me smile. I wanted to share. Hope if made you smile, too. I start work early, that's why I am a bit nervous about tomorrow. Fingers crossed it all starts up without issue.
DeleteFunerals are stressful enough without having to deal with traffic and stuff, but I'm glad you got to be with your family. Fingers crossed for good luck this week!
ReplyDeleteNY is a nightmare. It's only wonderful to out-of-towners.
DeleteSorry to hear the commute to and from Brooklyn was so stressful. Sounds like everyone does their own thing and traffic rules be damned. Glad you're enjoying Sweet Spot. I love when a new partner connects with the child. All the feelings. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's antics that you see other places, but you see them A LOT in NY. Yes! The hero and kid being so sweet together always makes me melt
DeleteRiding in a car in Brooklyn sounds horrible. I hope you are having a relaxing weekend.
ReplyDeleteBeing in Brooklyn is a struggle. My dad was parking on Thursday when we were getting pizza. He like bumped the car behind us. The driver was in the car, but didn't even get out to check if there was damage. That's how often you get bumped in Brooklyn
DeleteI am so sorry for your family's loss. I couldn't imagine driving anywhere near New York (or being in the car while my husband drove - he's kind of crazy behind the wheel.) I hate major changes at work. I hope that all will go well for you on Monday. I can't wait to read The Fake Mate. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe Fake Mate sounds fun. I liked the author's last book, so I am hopeful it will also be great. I hate driving. Everyone is crazy on the road
DeleteHopefully all goes well at work with the new equipment. I'm not real good with change I don't like when it happens. I'm so sorry about your aunt.
ReplyDeleteI've been to New York once and my husband was driving, and it was a little crazy I'm glad I don't live there.
It's annoying because I was there on Wednesday when they were installing the other half of my team. I don't understand why they couldn't move me to that day. Such is life. Are you near where all the action is in Vegas? I could imagine it gets tough over there.
DeleteHope you have a nice relaxing weekend. I feel like I'm so behind on the latest young adult as well... it's funny, I look back and I used to read and review quite a bit, but lately I've been reading different stuff I suppose.
ReplyDeleteYou did have some nice variety! I think Vampire looks fun...
I am not sad about my changing reading taste, but it still astounds me how drastically it changed.
DeleteSame!!!
DeleteThe traffic is ridiculously stressful there. I had a friend who LOVED driving in NYC and traffic. Nice for us, but I don't know how she could handle it - never mind love it. Hope your week goes well.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
My dad drove a fire truck in Brooklyn for many years, so he is fearless. I want no part of driving there.
DeleteYeah they replaced our computers with laptops in the office too. The computer they use though have very fast processors so I get it as they take up less space but its definitely an adjustment haha I keep my at home station though up to scale though. Hope you learn to adjust soon though. I love seeing a Jana Aston on your list there. Her writing is just so entertaining to read. Hope you have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteI survived my first day. I have to give myself a few more minutes to shut down and pack up. I catch a bus and don't have any leeway there. We have to bring it to work every day. They put locks on the desks, so we could leave the laptop overnight, but if there is an issue, and I need to work from home, that's the only way I can work. No more remoting in from my own laptop. I will be bringing it back and forth each day. Aston's novellas have been lots of fun. I will definitely finish the holiday books.
DeleteThat traffic sounds terrible! So frustrating to just sit there even if you are listening to an audiobook, but I bet you couldn't do that with your aunt in the car. It was nice of you to give your support and go, though. Sorry again for your loss.
ReplyDeleteI was offered that Nan Fischer but wasn't sure I wanted it. I think I'll grab it. I also have My Roommate is a Vampire but haven't downloaded it yet. Hope we both love it! So happy to see you enjoyed The House on Royal Street!
I cannot listen to anything when I am in the car with my parents. It's very boring. I adored Fischer's last book, and this one was wonderful too. Not as much "magic", but a beautiful story nonetheless.
DeleteI'm sorry you have been having a tough time lately. I hope it gets better this week.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope things go up from here.
Delete