WEEKLY UPDATES: A BALANCED WEEK…

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn weekly updates

Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

**Mailbox Monday is hosted at the home site: Mailbox Monday.

And let’s join Kathryn, our leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.

 

The week was pretty good, with two books read and reviewed…and six blog posts.  I even had some balance.  I got out of the house, did some more shopping, and now I’m planning for a family lunch at a neighborhood restaurant later today.  Son #2 and his girlfriend have spent the week in Napa…and will pass through our city on the way home.  We will gather the local relatives…and enjoy some visiting.  Here’s a glimpse of an evening of fun in their past week:

After finishing Season II of Marcella on Netflix (which had a startling conclusion!), I began watching #5 of The Ranch...and finished it.  I always ask myself why I’m bothering with the show, as I don’t like the attitudes of the characters, or the way they talk.  I guess they are sort of funny…but they are also very crude and definitely not PC.  So I’m done with them…for now.  LOL.

Now…let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at my week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Rainy Day Excerpts:  “Educated”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Books, Connections, Etc.

Hump Day Reading…

Thursday Potpourri:  A Journey of Ups and Downs…

Coffee Chat:  Cozy Surroundings & Erratic Reading…

Bookish Friday:  “Best Beach Ever”

Review:  Nothing Forgotten, by Jessica Levine (Author Review Request)Review:  The House Swap (e-book), by Rebecca Fleet

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

My mailbox held one author review book; my inbox contained the links to download two library books; and I gave in and purchased one e-book.

The Season of Silver Linings (A Sweet Lake Novel #3), by Christine Nolfi (For Review)

Library Books:

Surprise Me (e-book), by Sophie Kinsella

Love & Ruin (e-book), by Paula McLain

Purchased Download:

The Ever After (e-book), by Sarah Pekkanen

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading a NetGalley ARC releasing on June 26: Before and Again, by Barbara Delinsky, about a woman in hiding finding the courage to face the world again.

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I need to start reading my new stack of library books…I got a slew of them at once!  Maybe next I’ll pick up Educated, by Tara Westover…

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Check out this delicious cake…and enjoy your upcoming week.

 

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71 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: A BALANCED WEEK…”

    1. Thanks for visiting, Patty, and I recalled that you liked both books.

      I don’t know what the occasion was…my son just texted the photos, but I’m guessing some great dinner evening. She looks like a character from a romance novel, doesn’t she?

      Today will be the first time I meet her…and maybe I’ll ask about the occasion. LOL

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  2. Aww nice pic. 🙂 I hope you enjoy your family lunch! And wasn’t Marcella a trip? I think my jaw hit the floor at that ending. Lol about The Ranch…

    Love & Ruin and The Ever After both look nice.

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend. 🙂 Mmm cake…

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    1. Thanks, Greg, and my jaw hit the floor, too, with Marcella. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

      I can’t stand the Rooster character on The Ranch. He was supposed to be gone by now, because of his behavior IRL. I think we’ve seen the last of him. Lol.

      Enjoy your week.

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  3. Ah a balanced week! As I read the title of the post I imagined a tightrope walker but ahem I don’t think that’s what you were about to reveal! It was a nice varied week so yay for that especially the relatives visit. I think the Barbara D book sounds like my kind of read. i am booked in at the library for it once it arrives. I think! I did renege on a few reserves and bought them instead but not that one I believe. I want to read Educated too sometime but will wait to see what you say.

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    1. Thanks, Lexxie, I love the dress, too! She looks like she stepped out of a romance novel, doesn’t she?

      I’m loving a week that isn’t too stressed, but with enough going on to keep me interested. Enjoy your week, too.

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Jenea, and I loved Marcella…The Ranch had some annoying characters, LOL, but for some reason, I kept watching.

      We had a great lunch, with lots of conversation. Enjoy your week.

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  9. That sounds like a wonderful week to me. I finally did some reviews for books I’ve read for the last few weeks, and that makes me happy. I’m also celebrating ten years as a blogger with a list of my 100 best reads ever.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Mary, and while everyone except my oldest son (he lives in Prague) has settled in California (for now), the state covers a lot of territory…so we don’t see each other as often as we like. In between, there is Skype, FB, and text messages. Enjoy your week!

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  12. Nice week you had! Beautiful pic of your son and his GF too!

    I read and enjoyed Educated, but I guess you have to be in the mood before starting that type of book.

    I used to watch first season of Marcella, then lost track of it. Did you ever watch Goliath? Season 2 just started– it’s based and filmed in Santa Monica by the pier.

    I’m looking forward to reading Before and Again and the Ever After, when I can pick them up. Enjoy!

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    1. I loved Season I of Goliath….and now I’m going to check out Season II! Thanks. I loved the setting and the storyline.

      I’m enjoying Before and Again…and had a great lunch with family yesterday. Thanks for visiting, Rita, and have a great week.

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    1. Thanks, Anne, so glad you are not unaware of Netflix…LOL. I remember when it first came out, and it was all about requesting DVDs to watch. Then the streaming service hooked me, and now I’m a hopeless addict. LOL. But I haven’t seen Stranger Things.

      Thanks for visiting, and have a great week.

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  15. Beautiful photo of your son and his girlfriend. I hope. Your celebration today is lovely.

    The Ever After should be good. Wonder why the two authors didn’t do another book together?

    I enjoyed Before and Again even though I keep calling the title: Before and AFTER. LOL!!

    Have a wonderful week, Laurel.

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    1. Thanks, Elizabeth, we had a wonderful get-together.

      I read and loved a book called Before and After, by Rosellen Brown (and saw the movie), so that title sticks in my mind too.

      I’m loving it! Enjoy your week!

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  16. Yvonne

    What a beautiful picture of your son with his girlfriend. I hope you had fun today. Your desserts always leave me craving them. LOL

    I think I only made it through 1 or 2 seasons of The Ranch. I wasn’t thrilled with it either 🙂

    Hope you have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne, I originally watched The Ranch because I like Debra Winger and Sam Elliott, but I’ve never liked Danny Masterson or Ashton Kutcher. LOL. Unfortunately, they appear more often in the show than the others.

      We had a great time at lunch, and I was delighted to finally meet Brett’s girlfriend, who takes such gorgeous pictures. Enjoy your week!

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  17. What a great picture of son #2 and girlfriend! I absolutely love her dress! The Nolfi book looks really good and she’s an author I keep meaning to read but it keeps not happening. Hopefully soon though! I’m not quite sure what that dessert is in that last photo but I want it! It looks heavenly. Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Katherine, and I also loved the picture and her dress!

      Nolfi’s Sweet Lake series is one I’m enjoying, so I’m eager to dive into this newest one.

      The dessert is a plain cake with ice cream, but it manages to be delicious. Enjoy your week.

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  19. What a lovely pic of your son and his girlfriend – her dress is to die for! I hope you have a lovely family get-together:). I like the look of Before and Again – I hope you have a great week, Laurel.

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  23. That yellow dress is striking! What a lovely couple and picture!

    I also got Surprise Me from the library this week! I’m listening to it on audiobook and I’m not really far into it, but I usually really enjoy Sophie Kinsella. Hope you do too. Have a great week and happy reading 🙂

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Kay, and while I’m loving how quickly the library books are showing up, I am starting to panic a little. LOL. I hope I can read them all before I have to return them. I have five right now.

      Enjoy your week!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy, I am glad that my son regularly sends photos, and that they “dress up” for them. Now that we’ve met her, we will hopefully see the two of them regularly.

      Enjoy your week, and I am excited about the Pekkanen book.

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  26. Susie | Novel Visits

    You have a couple of books coming up that I really enjoyed: Love & Ruin and Educated were both wonderful. (In very different ways, of course!)

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  27. I like that pic of your son and his girlfriend. They look so happy! I’ve been binge-watching SUITS which is so unlike me as I’m not much of a TV viewer but lately it’s been good to escape into a witty series. I also love all of your book covers this week. Looks like you have some great reading in store for you.

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  28. Beth F

    Wow on the photo of your son and his girlfriend. It’s beautiful!

    I’ll have to add Marcella to my list. I gave up on the Ranch early on.

    You listed a few books I have my eye on. Hope they’re great.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Candace, and I love the photo, too. My son and his GF are very photogenic, IMO.

      I loved Marcella, and Season II had a startling ending…so there has to be another season, right?

      The Ranch has so many annoying characters, and then there are the issues that should be addressed. I am done, now, especially since the furor over Danny Masterson and the rape allegations…and he was still in the cast for the fifth season. That was not supposed to happen! I saw a bit of furor about that online.

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    1. Thanks, Megan, I’m eager to read the Kinsella book.

      I love the dress, too! I think it’s amazing that the dress matched the waiting area of the restaurant where they had dinner.

      Enjoy your week.

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