WEEKLY UPDATES: LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS…

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.

 

 

As I create this post today, a Hallmark Christmas movie plays in the background, and my coffee cup is brimming.  So good!

Christmas music, decorations, and shopping frenzy almost obliterate the crazy news that surrounds us in our world…but between those distractions and the books I’m reading, I am almost in a good place.  I read and reviewed three books this week and I wrote eight blog posts in addition to the reviews.  I was still reading the third book yesterday afternoon, but got my monthly wrap-up finished before the day was over.

I’ve been watching shows on Amazon Prime, including Vera, an Acorn TV offering.

I had lunch with my daughter on Thursday…and, again, I forgot to take a photo!  When I’m with someone, I am caught up in the conversation, etc.  But she and I shared a lovely BLT from Mad Duck.  It looked like this (I grabbed this photo from the website):

So…what else?  It has been raining here!  The downside, of course, is how slick the roads are.  There have been lots of accidents.

Now let’s grab more coffee and take a closer look at the week:

 

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  Books, Photos, Etc.

Serendipitous Moments:  First Books of the Year…

Rainy Day Excerpts:  “The Liar’s Wife”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Adding Books To My Shelves…

Engaging Reads…

Coffee Chat:  Post-Thanksgiving Activities…

Bookish Friday: “After Nightfall”

Gone November! Welcome to December…

Review:  Under My Skin (e-book), by Lisa UngerReview:  The Liar’s Wife (e-book), by Samantha HayesReview:  We Were Mothers (e-book), by Katie Sise

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INCOMING BOOKS- (Title/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty physical mailbox, but I did receive a library book in my inbox today!  And…I purchased four e-books.

I’ve Got My Eyes on You (e-book), by Mary Higgins Clark (Library Book)

Purchases:

Tear Me Apart (e-book), by J. T. Ellison

Sadie (e-book), by Courtney Summers

The Adults (e-book), by Caroline Hulse

Tell Me Lies (e-book), by Carola Lovering

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

After Nightfall (e-book), by A.J. Banner

And then, I have lists of books to pick from next…I will follow my moods.

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  I had this delicious cake and ice cream dessert a couple of weeks ago at Dai Bai Dang, my pre-movie special place.

 

***

71 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS…”

      4. I haven’t yet tried Agatha Raisin, although I scrolled past it last night. Instead, I watched an interesting movie with Brenda Blethyn called Belonging. I was hooked on it. Today I’ll try a few other things. Thanks, Patty.

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  3. Mmm I love a good BLT haha! Haven’t had one in ages either… *note to self* And yes a Christmas movie in the background sounds downright cozy and relaxing!

    Christmas music too!

    You look like you have some good thrillers lined up. After Nightfall, Tear Me Apart and I’ve Got My Eyes On You- those all look like fun, tense reads!

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    1. With all these delicious books tucked away inside Paige (my Kindle), I promptly took a long nap! But now I’m ready to resume After Nightfall, and the pages are flying by.

      I think it will be a great week! Thanks for stopping by, Greg.

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  5. That dessert looks delicious. Glad you enjoyed your time out with your daughter and were enjoying it far too much for a photo! Yes time to start on some Christmas movies I think. Must look up on netflix – have a couple marked.

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn, I do love our get-togethers, but my daughter is so busy that we seldom have a nice, leisurely lunch. She does my hair and sometimes we grab a quick bite afterwards.

      I have recorded a few of the Christmas movies…now to sit down and watch them. Enjoy your week!

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    1. Thanks, Kimberly, I’ve had my eye on Sadie for a while….and I kept hearing good things. I’m looking forward to it.

      I like what you said about Hallmark movies on your blog. So true…but also enjoyable, too. Have a great week!

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  7. It sounds like you had a great week blogging and reading! And I’ve been enjoying Christmas vibes too. Getting all the decorations out today and we’ll be getting our tree Tuesday, finally. I just watched ‘Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’ on Netgalley yesterday. It was just so bad I loved it. LOL!
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. Ha- thanks for stopping by, Charlie, and I do love capturing the moments. I developed the habit of photographing the food when my son and DIL were visiting from Europe, where they live. My DIL loved our restaurants so much and had to grab some shots to remember them. Now I’m also in the habit of remembering the moments.

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  10. Beware Of The Reader

    Well Laurel how you describe your writing moment is pure bliss indeed! And confession: I never take picture of what I am eating. I find it so weird! Except maybe if I had something truly astonishing or utterly beautiful LOL I see Sadie on your purchases and I hope you’ll love it as much as I did! Happy Sunday!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Sophie, and I am glad you enjoyed the “writing moment.” My food shots are a quirk that I picked up after my DIL grabbed shots of whatever she ate in the restaurants we visited. She and my son came to visit three years ago, and it was her first trip to the US.. They live in Prague.

      I hope to enjoy Sadie. Have a great week.

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    1. For years, I didn’t enjoy it much, Sarah; in fact, I resisted the Christmas decorating we used to do at the office in my years at a private children’s agency. But seeing the reactions of the kids changed things for me.

      However, I don’t do a lot of decorating at home. It is exhausting to bring everything out! LOL

      Enjoy your week.

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  15. I also have The Adults. I got it for review last month. Still haven’t read it though!
    This sandwich looks amazing! I am glad to hear you spent a nice time with your daughter and that you had a productive week.
    Have a lovely time in the week ahead! 🙂

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  16. Yvonne

    I have a Hallmark Christmas movie in the background right now too. They are so cute. Sounds like you had a great week and that dessert has me drooling. Your books all look intriguing. Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Susan, I hope the rain will help with the drought, but sadly we get just enough to make everything grow…and then the heat of summer turns it all into a fire hazard. Sigh.

      I am eager to read The Adults. Have a great week.

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  18. I’m starting to get into the Christmas festive mood. I helped my mom put out a few decorations at her house over the weekend. My daughter and son-in-law set up our tree today. Now I need to get the ornaments on the tree. Maybe tomorrow. Your new books look like fabulous reads!

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  20. StackingMy BookShelves

    I adored Sadie, I loved the podcast and West and just how it was so well written. It totally pulls your heartstrings. Enjoy your wonderful week. Glad you had lunch with your daughter and who doesn’t love a good old fashioned BLT every now and again?

    Mary

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  22. Christmas activities do help us make our way through all the nonsense going on in the country and the world right about now. I really need to watch Hallmark movies– I think that will lift my mood even more!
    I read the JT Ellison one and have Under My Skin still unread. The title After Nightfall looks really good- enjoy it! Have a great week ahead.

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  26. Mary Higgins Clark is an author I’d like to read more of.
    The amount of The Clockmaker’s Daughter I had read before returning it since there was a hold on it was good. I usually get a bit antsy when reading a historical fiction book and where there’s some kind of murder mystery of the past.

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  27. You always have the best looking food. I finally made the turkey wild rice soup. It turned out well. I try to make something at night and then we have leftovers for lunches or nights we don’t feel like cooking. I marinated and grill chicken drumsticks last night with steamed green beans. It’s 70 again today so I’m going to grill again – marinated salmon this time. It’s going to drop to 20 at night in a couple days so I’ve been raking leavings and grilling food while it’s so nice. I can at least listen to an audiobook while I do. Enjoy your books and find more good food for me this week! Anne – Books of My Heart

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  32. You always eat at the best places. You would love Portland dining. I hope the rain goes away soon for you. The sun is out here in Oregon today but it is really cold. I like the cold, brisk sunny weather. Have a lovely week. Can’t wait to read your thoughts on Sadie.

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