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 had a nice week made better with my daughter visiting.
Last Sunday, the family went for fondue. It was delicious, as always. Had to deal with shore traffic as we headed back north, but avoided the bulk of it by getting off the highway.
Tuesday, Kiersten and I went to a show at PNC Arts Center. I haven't been there since before the pandemic, and it's a venue I enjoy for outdoor shows. They have covered seating and general admission on the grass. I felt sorry for the GA crowd as it rained, a LOT. I was a little frustrated in the beginning of the show. The Getup Kids and The Starting Line played, but the mix was terrible. I had to press my earplugs in really hard to try and hear the keyboard/melody. It improved by the time New Found Glory came on, and they were amazing as always. We stayed for part of The All-American Rejects who sounded great. I had never seen them before, though I did own their music back in the day.
I worked from home on Friday because I was driving the kid to the airport, and I felt like I won the WFH lottery. I was out on the patio reading at the time I would be leaving for the train, and the sky just opened up and it poured. It was quite a storm, and I was grateful not to have to be out in it. I always feel like I chose wisely when I WFH and there is weather or train issues.
Not doing much this weekend. Catching up with chores and all the stuff I didn't do when the kid was here. Though I took the day after the show off (Wednesday) and ran a bunch of errands. It's so much easier shopping during the week. I went to the mall, got my shampoo bars from Lush, and some stuff from Sephora. I have been out of fragrance for quite a while which made me sad, but I needed to do the smell tests. The descriptions online are great and all, but I don't necessarily know what those things smell like together, you know? I ended up with Coconut Sun which reminds me of Beach Walk by Replica which I like. I am not a flowery fan. I like clean or warm/spicy scents, and this fit the bill.
On the Blog
- Monday: #AmReading - Beverly Bonnefinche Is Dead, The Summer I Found Myself
- Tuesday: TTT - Here Comes the Bride
- Wednesday: CWW - Love Interest, One True Loves
- Thursday: Isn't It Romantic? - Escape to Starshine Cover, Riggs
- Friday: Six Degrees of Separation - Come As You Are
- Saturday: Sloth Goes Places - Colorado
Let's Discuss
- AJ Reflects on her book buying ban
Stacking the Shelves
I got an obnoxious number of approvals this week. It forced me to give feedback for several DNFed ARCs so I could keep my ratio at 95%. I always feel bad when I don't enjoy an ARC, and I hate to give negative feedback. It had to be done.
So many 2024 books, and I am super excited about them. I was a bit frustrated that S&S did not have a send to kindle option for the Painter book, but it's Painter, so I will suck it up and read on my Fire.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
- Welcome Home, Caroline Kline by Courtney Preiss
- The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
- Betting on You by Lynn Painter
- Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
- The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski
- Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne, Anthony Ladonne
Invites
- Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher
- The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
- The Way I Am Now by Amber Smith
- The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne
Read Last Week
Solid reading week. It started with my favorite book of the week, One True Loves. I cried so much, but it went in the direction I hoped for, and TJR did a beautiful job selling it to me. Ally Carter's new book was a close second. It was action packed and fast paced, but also a lot of fun. I had a great time reading it.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid - ★★★★★
- Blonde Identity by Ally Carter - ★★★★ 1/2
- Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan - ★★★★
- The Beginning of Everything by Jackie Fraser - ★★★★
- The Chase by Victoria Denault - ★★★★
Audiobooks
- The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney - ★★★★
Currently Reading
I was a bit worried about Tom Lake as it is about a family forced home to the family farm during the pandemic, but Pratchet is gentle with her mentions of it. The writing is quite lovely, and I am already looking into Pratchet's back list.
Cannon is another Pittsburg Titians book, and it's great as expected.
To Be Read
- The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
- Perfect Distraction by Allison Ashley
- The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy
- The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary
Let us know in the comments!
Omg, that sounds like a great concert! I would've loved to see New Found Glory and All American Rejects back when I was an "emo kid" and proper obsessed with them. 😂 I think that's one thing I miss about living in Asia and it's that concerts are so rare! Looks like you also had a great reading week and have lots of new books to look forward to. I've not heard of many of these titles but the covers are gorgeous 😍 I hope you have an awesome week ahead, Sam!
ReplyDeleteI will forever be an emo kid. But seriously, I was thinking how I saw NFG for the first time in the late 90s (97 or 98). They were so young and called A New Found Glory back then. They were the opening for MXPX and were pelted with trash. The lead singer came up to the bar area, and my friend and I talked to him, saying that we liked the show. I have been a fan from the start. You have local bands that do shows, no?
DeleteWhat a week you have had there. I love seeing that Sawyer Bennett in your currently reading queue. I really need to get back to that author for sure. Hope you are able to get caught up on all the home stuff. Looks like you have some great books lined up for the week and hope those are wins for you!
ReplyDeleteI will forever read Bennett's hockey books. They are faves of mine
DeleteSounds like the concert was fun. It's been raining here on and off for the last 2 days pretty much all last night and all today so far because of hurricane Hillary.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think of you all experiencing a hurricane out there. Hope it's not too bad, and that you and your family are safe.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a good week. I also got Betting on You and was sad it wasn't send to Kindle. But The Way I Am Now wasn't either. I read it on my computer because that was worth it for me like Betting on You was. You're going to love that book along with The Way I Used to Be. They are very emotional but good.
ReplyDeleteI am not really interesting in the Amber Smith books, but I always feel flattered when I get an invite. I can't read on the computer, but I have the NG shelf app on my Fire. It's heavier than my Oasis, so I don't really love reading on it, but it will have to do
DeleteSounds like you had a wonderful visit with your daughter. Fondue and concerts! Yay on missing out on bad weather by working at home. Fridays are usually a crazy day with traffic anyhow, but putting weather in the mix just ups the unpleasantness of trying to commute.
ReplyDeleteI hate giving negative feedback or DNF, but what can you do. We're supposed to be honest, and not every book will work for every reader.
You have a colorful assortment of book covers! I like the look of the new Hogle and Bastone book! So pretty. I wouldn't have thought that was a Lauren Layne book by the cover, but I like that one too. Interesting that she co-wrote it with her husband. I just check out the description. Looking forward to your thoughts!
I was pretty excited to get the approvals for the Hogle and Bastone books. Both sound wonderful, and I have had great experiences in the past with both authors. I was surprised to see LL wrote a book with her husband, but I am overjoyed we are getting more LL. She had me nervous with some comments in one of her newsletters. I thought we would have no new books from her ever again.
DeleteI love a good outdoor show. I've been caught in the rain a few times though. And WFH is so nice when the weather is bad...
ReplyDeleteWe used to do a lot of multi-day fests and outdoor shows in the summer, and I always seemed to get stuck in the rain UNTIL I purchased rain boots. Being prepared scares the weather away
DeleteAw so glad you had your daughter home, though I am sorry she had to leave again. The concert sounds very fun! I am jealous that you have a Lush nearby- I can never get any of the fresh stuff because they don't ship it! I want to read One True Loves, or maybe watch the movie? The trailer for the movie made me cry tbh so I know I will cry either way. OMG The Face on the Milk Carton is SUCH a throwback! I remember reading that one when I was probably 10 or so. I saw Funeral Ladies when I was looking for pretty covers for this month, it looks really cute! Also, I am going to use Ready or Not because that cover is gorgeous! I am also really curious about the sequel to The Way I Used to Be- I remember liking it but it was SO long ago. I will probably wait to hear your thoughts! Hope you enjoy all of these, and have a good week ahead!
ReplyDeleteMy kid has been leaving for over a decade. Never get used to it. We are lucky to have a Lush at the mall. I thought I like getting stuff in person (I'm old!). Ready or Not is a beautiful cover. I thinks it's the pretty hues they used. I am not reading much YA these days, so I probably will pass on the Smith books (I never read the first one), but it's always flattering to be invited to read.
DeleteI've got Tom Lake on hold, and I'm really looking forward to finally reading her work. As for the week, it has been one filled with gentle reminders that I'm not as young as I used to be lol. After my husband's health scare in June, we both committed to taking better care of ourselves. I've fallen into a solid routine of a better diet an doing about 2.5 miles each morning on the trails by our house. Would you believe diet and exercise work?! I'm down 20 lbs so far! This week, though, an old college knee injury started causing pain again. The advice from my doctor: Slow things down and rest in between. You aren't a 20 year old anymore!
ReplyDeleteTom Lake was really good. There was one part I was not crazy about and didn't feel fit the character when it happened, but overall, a great book. I hope you enjoy it. WOW! Good for you putting in the work and seeing results. Your doctor threw some shade there. LOL
DeleteSo glad you got some time with the kid and enjoyed (at least in part) the concert. I'm so jealous to hear about the rain you got. And I love seeing all the new additions to your shelf. I am looking forward to several of them!
ReplyDeleteThe show was a good time overall, but it would have been nice to hear the music better. So much rain last week, but it's been dry right now.
DeleteI can see that you had a great time with your daughter! And yes poor people from the GA!!
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to have her home
DeleteReading outside when you'd normally be on your commute - what a good feeling. :) I don't enjoy floral scents either. I go for fruity or spicy. Back when we were teenagers, my younger sister practically bathed in Tea Rose perfume and I was asphyxiated each time I walked into our shared bathroom. lol
ReplyDeleteI am about the spice for sure. I remember how popular Tea Rose was. I was in to Obsession, Poison, and you know I had me some Love's Baby Soft. LOL!
Delete"I was out on the patio reading at the time I would be leaving for the train, and the sky just opened up and it poured."
ReplyDeleteThat was overdue luck...since your commutes are always so eventful.
Glad you managed to enjoy some live music with the kid!
I always feel like a winner when something goes wrong on my WFH day. It was uneventful this week, though I think Monday is forecast to be the hottest day of the week.
DeleteIt sounds like it was an amazing week with your daughter. It's wonderful when you can enjoy things together, like concerts. I understand that feeling of going out to shop on the weekend when you are used to the weekdays where it is not as busy. It sounds like you have some great books coming up to read Sam. I hope you had a great week.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually get to shop during the week. That's a treat for me. I always have to run errands on the weekend.
DeleteCan you believe that I've never had fondue??!! We could really use some rain here and I enjoyed looking at your concert fun on IG.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
Really? When I was a kid in the 70s, my mom had fondue parties. It was a thing. Maybe it was east coast thing?
DeleteI was on the east coast (RI) and I remember fondue but I've never had it!
Delete