WEEKLY UPDATES: NOTES FROM ISOLATION…

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.

 

Good morning!  It is time for more Notes from Isolation.  During this past week, we had scheduled outdoor walks for twenty minutes each day!  Just to mark the occasion, I went to my favorite store (Amazon) and ordered a new denim jacket to wear in celebration.

Shopping, movie bingeing, and a little reading have marked the days.  I spent last Sunday reading a book that I eventually DNFed…sad, but true…and then went on to read and review two books.  Then yesterday, I discovered two Kindle book versions of classic tomes my mother had in her childhood, and which I still have.  I read and reviewed one of them! Cornelli, by Johanna Spyri, the author who gave us Heidi.

I  also wrote eight blog posts!

I am still loving Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu, and finally got into Ozark’s Third Season.  I enjoyed a movie with Helen Mirren, The Good Liar, which was based on a book I enjoyed of the same title. I read it in 2016, but only gave it 3.5 stars.  I liked the movie better, probably because of Helen Mirren.

Now I’m loving my second cup of coffee…so grab yours and I’ll take you to details about the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Monday Morning Coffee, Etc.

Bringing Disney Images Back To My Blogs…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Sea Glass Cottage”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Blissful Tuesday…

Goodbye to March!

Coffee Chat:  A Day at a Time…

Six Years Ago…

Bookish Friday:  “Separation Anxiety”

Review:  The Operator, by Gretchen BergReview:  Follow Me, by Kathleen BarberReview:  Cornelli, by Johanna Spyri

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox!  I did download two e-books, however, and some books I’ve ordered from Amazon are headed my way.

Separation Anxiety, by Laura Zigman

Safe House, by Jo Jakeman

***

CURRENTLY  READING:  The Watergate Girl, by Jill Wine-Banks, my fourth book in my Nonfiction Reading Challenge…

It was a time, much like today, when Americans feared for the future of their democracy, and women stood up for equal treatment. At the crossroads of the Watergate scandal and the women’s movement was a young lawyer named Jill Wine Volner (as she was then known), barely thirty years old and the only woman on the team that prosecuted the highest-ranking White House officials. Called “the mini-skirted lawyer” by the press, she fought to receive the respect accorded her male counterparts—and prevailed.

In The Watergate Girl, Jill Wine-Banks opens a window on this troubled time in American history. It is impossible to read about the crimes of Richard Nixon and the people around him without drawing parallels to today’s headlines. The book is also the story of a young woman who sought to make her professional mark while trapped in a failing marriage, buffeted by sexist preconceptions, and harboring secrets of her own. Her house was burgled, her phones were tapped, and even her office garbage was rifled through.

At once a cautionary tale and an inspiration for those who believe in the power of justice and the rule of law, The Watergate Girl is a revelation about our country, our politics, and who we are as a society.

***

That was my week…what did yours look like?  Are you also “sheltering in place”?  How are you doing?  I have no recent treats to share, but just as a reminder of what normal looked like, here is one of my favorites.  I took granddaughter Fiona and her boyfriend Dylan out to celebrate her birthday.  That was in February…such a long time ago!

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WEEKLY UPDATES: NOT YET STIFLED BY THE ISOLATION…

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 Week Two of our Lockdown comes to an end, I realize that I am coping better than I could have imagined.  Being an introvert helps.  Plus finding great things to read and watch, along with my urge to rearrange my space.  All good.  My choices of books this week helped, as well, and I ended up reading three.  Which puts me right on target with my Goodreads Challenge.

I am still loving Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu, and the fact that new episodes show up regularly (Wednesdays).

Last night I found Season III of Ozark, a show that isn’t quite as fascinating now…but I’ll keep watching for a while.

Let’s grab some more coffee (and thankfully, I still have some!), and take a closer look at my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Heaven Adjacent”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Inspiration!

Hump Day Reading:  WWW Post

Coffee Chat:  Week Two in Lockdown…

Bookish Friday:  “Follow Me”

Review:  And They Called It Camelot, by Stephanie Marie ThorntonReview:  Wallis in Love, by Andrew MortonReview:  Heaven Adjacent, by Catherine Ryan Hyde

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox!  But I did download two purchased e-books.

The Sea Glass Cottage, by RaeAnne Thayne

Follow Me, by Kathleen Barber

***

CURRENTLY READING:

Been There, Married That, by Gigi Levangie

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And, since I’m following my whims lately, I think I’ll also pick up a book on my nightstand:   The Operator, by Gretchen Berg

***

That was my week.  I feel very grateful to have all the books I could possibly read…now I just need other things that I can only get in the shops. Someday!  Stay indoors and stay safe!  Here is an apple tart I enjoyed a few weeks ago.

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WEEKLY UPDATES: REJUVENATION…

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.

A week of lockdown has had some good moments.  More reading, of course (three books read and reviewed), and some good viewing on Hulu.  I finished the three available episodes of Little Fires Everywhere.  Plus, as with most bookish people, my alone time is rejuvenating.

With meals delivered to my apartment, I am looking around and changing a few things…again. The bookshelves that were in my entry way were problematic when staff kept coming in, sometimes two or three at a time, and some of them bumped into the bookshelves, disrupting my nice arrangement!  So here is what I did today:  I moved the shelves to a corner across the room…completely opposite from the entry way.

I hope to continue enjoying this solitude, with more reading; it helps ward off the anxiety over the virus.  I have also learned to avoid the White House briefings everyday, which do nothing to make me feel better.

Let’s grab some more coffee and take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Been There, Married That”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Books & More Books…

Coffee Chat:  Our “New Normal”

Bookish Friday:  “Cross Her Heart”

Saturday Potpourri:  Coping…

Review:  The Other Mrs., by Mary KubicaReview:  Eight Perfect Murders, by Peter SwansonReview:  The Missing Sister, by Elle Marr

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty physical mailbox!  But I did purchase a download.

Cross Her Heart, by Melinda Leigh ( Bree Taggert -#1)

***

CURRENTLY READING: 

And They Called It Camelot, by Stephanie Marie Thornton

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Check out my Saturday morning breakfast on a tray: Simple, but something I can eat at the computer.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: ANOTHER WEEK, MORE CHANGES…

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.

 

This week, I was determined to lighten up my reading, hoping to distract myself in a pleasant way.  I knew that I would also want some kind of mystery to read, too.  I succeeded on both counts…but it took all week to read and review two books.  Not that unusual lately, however.

I wrote only four blog posts, a definitely underwhelming event.

Around the residence, there have been daily changes in our routines and limitations, so I holed up part of the time in my apartment rearranging the furniture.  The space is small, but I had been thinking of how I wanted my space to look.  I moved the computer from the back wall next to the TV…to a corner by the window.  And rearranged the other furniture around it.

So while I was rearranging things and reading my books, I could almost forget about how isolated I am feeling right now.  Blogging and reading do help.  Then I watched the new Little Women movie on Amazon Prime.

Amazon packages continue to arrive regularly.  Let’s take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Eight Perfect Murders”

Tuesday Potpourri:  New Books & a New Look…

A Bookish Hump Day…

Bookish Friday:  “The Sea of Lost Girls”

Review:  Coconut Layer Cake Murder, by Joanne FlukeReview:  Pretty as a Picture, by Elizabeth Little

INCOMING BOOKS:

I received four books in my physical mailbox…and downloaded one purchased e-book.

And They Called It Camelot, by Stephanie Marie Thornton

A Good Neighborhood, by Therese Anne Fowler

My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Operator, by Gretchen Berg

***

Download:

The Sea of Lost Girls, by Carol Goodman

***

CURRENTLY READING:

For a few weeks, I have been reading Wallis in Love, by Andrew Morton.  Since I only pick it up between my other books, I am only about halfway finished.  But I’m enjoying it.

This week I also want to read The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica.

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  I have no goodies to share this week, but I think fondly of this pumpkin pie and ice cream treat I had a while ago.

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WEEKLY UPDATES: IN SEARCH OF MY HAPPY PLACE…

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.

I am writing this on Sunday morning, much later than usual.  The past week has been tense and ridden with various anxieties, understandable given the potential of the looming coronavirus.  The residential facility where I live clamped down with rather restrictive changes that impacted our daily lives and left more fear in its wake.  Meant to protect us, the new “rules” simply left some of us more riddled with fear.  The dining room, once a happy place, was stripped down to basics, leaving a cheerless and intense environment.  Paranoia showed its face and some of us, me included, just wanted to hide away in our individual apartments.  I started to feel “imprisoned.”

Meanwhile, my reading fell off.  However, I finished two books and wrote five blog posts.  And ordered more things from Amazon.  LOL.

I did “escape” for a few hours on Saturday to do some shopping and have lunch at Mimi’s, where nobody around me seemed fearful or guarded.  Then I returned to dinner in the communal dining room and wanted t0 scream.  I couldn’t stand being there and I felt annoyed by everyone.

I will stay in my apartment all day today, retreating and trying to find my happy place in my interior world.

Let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at my week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Goodbye to February

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Pretty As a Picture”

Tuesday Potpourri:  New & Upcoming Releases…

Coffee Chat:  Stay Safe!

Bookish Friday:  “The Missing Sister”

Review:  When You See Me, by Lisa Gardner Review:  The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian – (NG-3/17/20)

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

One book came in my physical mailbox, and I received one NetGalley ARC in my inbox.

Then, of course, I had to download one new release…and an Amazon Prime freebie.

MAILBOX:

Life and Other Inconveniences, by Kristan Higgins

NetGalley ARC:

Playing Nice, by J. P. Delaney – (7/28/20)

***

FREEBIE:

The Missing Sister, by Elle Marr

***

PURCHASED DOWNLOAD:

Eight Perfect Murders, by Peter Swanson

***

CURRENTLY READING:

I desperately need something light and fluffy right now!  But I also want the quick gratification of a thriller…so here’s what I have chosen:

Coconut Layer Cake Murder, by Joanne Fluke

And…

Pretty as a Picture, by Elizabeth Little

***

That was my week, with all its angst and some cozy moments, too, like my escape yesterday, during which I enjoyed this delicious dessert:

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: CELEBRATING EACH DAY…

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.

 

Another great week!  Not a lot of reading…only two books read and reviewed.  And only five blog posts.  But I had a lot of fun celebrating the friends that gather around our dining table.  Conversation, a little wine, and a lot of laughter.

Today I also had a celebration of my own:  a mani-pedi, lunch with some friends in the old neighborhood restaurant I enjoy visiting, and ending the day in the dining room again, around that big table.

Let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Other Mrs.”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Wishing & Waiting…

Hump Day Reading…

Coffee Chat:  February Is Winding Down…

Bookish Friday:  “All the Best Lies”

Review:  Dead to Her, by Sarah PinboroughReview:  The Housekeeper, by Natalie Barelli

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Two books came in my physical mailbox…while two more came from NetGalley.  Additionally, I downloaded two purchased e-books.

The Girl in White Gloves, by Kerri Maher

The Watergate Girl, by Jill Wine-Banks

***

NetGalley ARCs:

What You Wish For, by Katherine Center (Release Date: 7/14/20)

Until I Find You, by Rea Frey (Release Date:  8/11/20)

***

Purchased Downloads:

Coconut Layer Cake Murder, by Joanne Fluke

Pretty as a Picture, by Elizabeth Little

***

CURRENTLY READING: 

When You See Me (Detective D.D. Warren book), by Lisa Gardner

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Here is today’s delicious dessert, one I have enjoyed and shared in the past:

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WEEKLY UPDATES: GREAT BOOKS & GOOD FOOD…

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.

Another great reading/blogging week, with three books read and reviewed and five blog posts written. My bookshelves are filling up…and I am happily arranging/rearranging the books.

On Netflix, I have been watching What If...and grabbing the occasional Prime movie. 

Today I celebrated granddaughter Fiona’s 23rd birthday at California Pizza Kitchen…

...after which they took me to the grocery store.  My fridge is now stocked up again.

Let’s grab some coffee/tea and take a closer look at my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Red Lotus”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Book Love…

My WWW Post…

Coffee Chat:  Celebrations, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “Dead to Her”

Review:  You Are Not Alone, by Greer Hendricks/Sarah Pekkanen – (NG-3/3/20)Review:  Perfect Little Children, by Sophie HannahReview:  The Wives, by Tarryn Fisher

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

One book purchased as a replacement copy came in my physical mailbox…and I received a review ARC from NetGalley.  Then I downloaded one purchase.

White Oleander, by Janet Fitch (replacement copy, Oprah’s Book Club)

 

Big Summer (e-book), by Jennifer Weiner – (NG-5/19/20)

***

Purchased Download:

The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Dead to Her, by Sarah Pinborough

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Today I celebrated lunch with Birthday Girl Fiona and her boyfriend Dylan (above), and I had my favorite Baked Potato Soup.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: SLEEPLESS ON A SATURDAY, ETC.

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.

Here I am at 4:13 a.m…. and SLEEPLESS ON SATURDAY.  Yes, I had to take a jab at that “Sleepless in Seattle” movie title, one of my favorite Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan flicks.  Why am I wide awake when I should still be curled up in my bed?  I am not quite sure, but I suspect that my thoughts are still caught up in recent political events that are disturbing to me…and upcoming primary elections that might (hopefully) right some of the wrongs.  I have a growing file here on my desk with primary election information and my official ballot that recently arrived in my mailbox.  So...instead of tossing and turning, I am writing this post about my week and the great books I enjoyed.

I actually read three books again this week, all of which were really awesome.  My mailbox was overflowing with new books (both physical and one NetGalley ARC), and I downloaded some purchases, too.

In the residence, our dining room table is overflowing with people who want to join us.  Why?  I suspect that our chatter and laughter are a draw.  Good, right?  We have had some lively conversations, not always agreeable, but there is nothing passive about us, that’s for sure.  I am reminded (almost) of the days in the university student union.  Hmm.

Anyway…let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Perfect Little Children”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Book Acquisitions…

Curled up with Books on a Hump Day…

Bookish Friday:  “The Janes”

Review:  Losing You, by Nicci FrenchReview:  American Dirt, by Jeanine CumminsReview:  Becoming, by Michelle Obama

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Two books arrived in my physical mailbox (my bookshelf for print books is growing!); and I received one NetGalley ARC.  Of course I also had to download three purchases.

FROM MY AMAZON MAILBOX:

The Housekeeper, by Natalie Barelli

Catch and Kill, by Ronan Farrow

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NetGalley:

Don’t Look for Me, by Wendy Walker – (9/15/20)

***

Purchased Downloads:

Dead to Her, by Sarah Pinborough

Been There, Married That, by Gigi Levangie

All the Best Lies, by Joanna Schaffhausen

***

CURRENTLY READING:  I just started reading the NetGalley ARC:   You Are Not Alone, by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen (3/3/20)

Shay Miller wants to find love, but it eludes her. She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end. She wants to belong, but her life is increasingly lonely.

Until Shay meets the Moore sisters. Cassandra and Jane live a life of glamorous perfection, and always get what they desire. When they invite Shay into their circle, everything seems to get better.

Shay would die for them to like her.
She may have to.

***

That was my week.  Was yours exciting/adventurous/content?  Let’s take a peek at this delicious treat I recently enjoyed: (I think I have shared this before…but we had it again!).

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: REGULAR BLOGGING/READING/& VIEWING…

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.

Today I had a shopping adventure and bought two pairs of new pants, followed by lunch and a margarita in the same shopping center.  Now I’m back in my apartment, pounding out my updates.  I only read and reviewed two books this week, but wrote eight blog posts.  I am very happy that the Impeachment Hearing is over, even though the results didn’t turn out the way I had hoped.  I knew they wouldn’t, of course.  But I will put it all behind me.  And I’m glad that regular TV shows are back!

To soothe myself during these frustrating times, I watched Dirty John and The Laundromat on Netflix.

As I type, my desk lamp is on and my wicker chair is positioned correctly…it is so much more comfy!  Here is what my desk/chair looked like, before (left) and after (right).

Grab some coffee or tea, and let’s take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sparking Some Fun on a Saturday…

Revisiting the Past Sparks Memories…

Sparking Some Memories:  Redux…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “When You See Me”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Filling My Shelves…

Hump Day Reading:  WWW

Coffee Chat:  Collections, Books, & My Interiors…

Bookish Friday:  “American Dirt”

Review:  The Country Guesthouse, by Robyn CarrReview:  Deep State, by Chris Hauty

INCOMING BOOKS:

Three books arrived in my physical mailbox…and I downloaded two e-books.

Blind Spot, by Sue Miller

The Wives, by Tarryn Fisher

Lost in the Forest, by Sue Miller (Purchased as a Replacement Copy)

***

Downloads:

Perfect Little Children, by Sophie Hannah

The Janes, by Louisa Luna

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Losing You, by Nicci French

***

That was my week….what did yours look like?  Today I had a delicious lunch of soup and a margarita after my shopping adventure, and enjoyed this dessert:

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: WHEW! WHERE DID THE MONTH GO?

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.

 

How is it possible that another week has flown by?  And that we are now in February?  As I sit here at 6:30 on a Saturday morning, I am also wondering why I am not yet comfortable working on my computer in my office nook.  Then I look up at my desk…and notice that I have another lamp I can turn on that will illuminate the keyboard more completely!  Duh.  In all of these months (eight, now!) I have had the overhead light on, but not the lamp.  Of course I have other issues with my computer, with the mouse and my cursor.  But having more light should be an immediate “go to” solution for some of my problems.  LOL.

Meanwhile…this week brought some good books for reading and to fill my shelves.  I completed a book for my Nonfiction Book Challenge…and read/reviewed three books in all.  I finished 14 books for January.

Two books came in my mailbox, I received a NetGalley ARC…and I downloaded one new one.  I also got another cute mug:

Now I need another beverage (coffee, tea?) while we look at the details of my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “All the Little Liars”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Adding To My Shelves…

Hump Day Reading/WWW

Coffee Chat:  Good Things in Unexpected Places…

Bookish Friday:  “Deep State”

January Wrap-Up:  Now Let’s Curl up with February Books…

Review:  America’s Reluctant Prince, by Steven M. GillonReview:  The Vanishing, by Jayne Ann KrentzReview:  All the Little Liars, by Charlaine Harris

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Two books arrived in my mailbox…and I downloaded a NetGalley ARC.  I also purchased a new e-book.

Physical Mailbox:

Guilt by Association, by Marcia Clark

Losing You, by Nicci French

***

NetGalley ARC:  Release Date – 5/19/20

On Ocean Boulevard (e-book), by Mary Alice Monroe

***

Purchased e-book:

When You See Me (e-book), by Lisa Gardner

***

CURRENTLY READING: 

The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan’s Crossing #5), by Robyn Carr

I am also reading from Becoming, by Michelle Obama…

***

That was my week…whew!  It flew by, and I did get a few things done.  I didn’t get out to CPK this week…but I might go today, after a mani.  I would like to eat this:

***