COFFEE CHAT: A PLETHORA OF GOOD THINGS…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat in which we share some bookish (and not so bookish) thoughts.

Mother’s Day weekend was nice and quiet.  We had plans for wine tasting, but then postponed them in favor of a lunch on Tuesday…which turned out to be an awesome get-together with my daughter and my two “other daughters,” who had lived with us on and off in their teenage years.  We went to a new-to-me place…and I forgot to photograph the food!  Our venue was a neighborhood BBQ place, and I inhaled the smoky scent all through the afternoon…even after I left.  LOL.  In fact, I think I still smell it on my skin!  But I did grab a shot of this trio of “daughters:”  L to R – Monica, Heather, & Jessica.

• I got the usual text messages from the grown kids who live elsewhere, and really enjoyed this one from Son #2, who lives in LA;  he shared some glitzy moments with his significant other, before and during their Jazz Night in Hollywood:

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of days before his adult evening, he had driven to Berkeley with his kids, since his oldest son (and my oldest grandchild) just graduated from UC Berkeley.  Here is Alec with his dad:

• These are the moments I live for!  When I go into my kitchen, I still recall when that oldest grandson was a cute baby, as depicted on this mug (front and center):

• Among the photos Brett texted was an extra that he threw in…Alec as a small child;  he had added this message to the photo:

• Lately I’ve been scrolling more obsessively through my photos, especially some from the past.  I can’t believe how quickly time has flown!
• But…meanwhile, some bookish thoughts:  I have only finished one book this week so far:  The Garden of Small Beginnings, by Abbi Waxman (click for review).  Currently, I’m reading Every Note Played, by Lisa Genova, a library book: “Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.” 
• I am writing this on Wednesday, and tonight I plan to watch another episode from The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.
• On Netflix, I watched Our Souls at Night again…I love seeing Jane Fonda and Robert Redford together…sigh.
• This weekend, I am very excited about going to the movies, where Book Club will be playing, with a great cast of some of my favorites:

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What a plethora of good things to anticipate!  How is your week shaping up?  Meanwhile, I’ve been diligent about my daily workouts while watching movies:

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COFFEE CHAT: BOOKS, MOVIES, ETC.

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, featuring our bookish and not so bookish thoughts, hosted by Bookishly Boisterous.

The weather has turned mild again, with 70-something temperatures.  No rain for several days, but while we had the rain, I found my reading mojo again…and so far this week, I’ve read and reviewed three books and I’m well into my fourth.  Two were NetGalley ARCs:  The Good Liar, by Catherine McKenzie and Other People’s Houses, by Abbi Waxman; (click for my reviews).  The third was a library book:  Map of the Heart, by Susan Wiggs (click for my review).

• Now I’m reading and loving another library book:  Her Every Fear, by Peter Swanson.
• I’m slowly learning the ins and outs of navigating Libby @Overdrive.  Figuring out how long I have to wait for each book.  So far, I’ve already downloaded three books as “loans.”
• Son #2 took a road trip this week with his three kids, Alec, Aubrey, & Aaron; here’s a shot of them at the Grand Canyon…beautiful setting!

• Here are Brett and two of the kids taking selfies:

 

• I thought my youngest grandson (age 15) would be spending the weekend, but he’s going to his dad’s instead.  That works, as now I won’t have to scramble to arrange activities during the Easter weekend.
• Speaking of Easter, I loved finding adorable photos of my great-grandniece, Margaret, who looks ready for spring in this one:

• And doesn’t she look grown up in this shot?  Is that hot chocolate?

• I am eager to see Chappaquiddick, when it comes to the neighborhood theater.

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How is your week shaping up?  Do you have plans for the weekend?

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A BLISSFUL FRIDAY…WITH COFFEE & BOOKS

Good morning!  Let’s grab some coffee and chat.  I am a big fan of coffee, and in my quest to find the perfect pot of coffee, I sometimes go astray.

The last bag of coffee that I purchased was not my favorite:  it was a milder flavor, and didn’t quite do it for me.  I accidentally picked up the wrong kind!  Then I found a rich and dark blend, and I’m enjoying the first pot of that this morning.  Yum!  Usually I only  feel this burst of flavor when I go to Barnes & Noble to read and sip their coffee, where I order it with two shots of Espresso.  But I’m too lazy to get dressed and go there on most mornings.

I might go this afternoon, though.  I’m feeling a little stir crazy. 

Last night I finished reading Two Girls Down, by Louisa Luna…my third book of the week.  (Click for my review).

Next I plan to start reading one of my March NetGalley ARCs:  The Flight Attendant, by Chris Bohjalian. (Release Date – 3/13).

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest Room, a powerful story about the ways an entire life can change in one night: A flight attendant wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man – and no idea what happened.

I loved The Guest Room!  It was also a NetGalley ARC…click for my review.

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I’ve been waiting for this book for months!  I have loved several books by this author, and the anticipation has been palpable.

So…imagine me curling up with Pippa, my Kindle…another cup of coffee…and bliss.

How is your day shaping up for you?

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COFFEE CHAT: APPOINTMENTS, OUTINGS, & BOOKISH THINGS…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, featuring our bookish and not so bookish thoughts, hosted by Bookishly Boisterous.

Another week with some reading, some blogging (Bloggiesta!), and a few appointments.  Those are annoying, usually, except I did have a hair appointment today and my daughter did something fun with my silvering hair.

• I read and reviewed The Almost Sisters, by Joshilyn Jackson (click for review), and I was kicking myself for letting it languish on Pippa for so many months!
• I’m reading (and loving) Promise Not to Tell, by Jayne Ann Krentz; I hope to finish it tomorrow…but if I don’t, no worries.  I am taking a more laid-back attitude this year.
• However, despite that vow, I did read and review thirteen books in January, and not surprisingly, seven of them were mysteries/thrillers/cozies. 
• I now have eight e-ARCs on my list…how did I get so many all of a sudden?  Some were offered to me without request, which is a good thing…I guess.  Luckily, the dates are spread out a little, but four of them will be released in March.
• I hope to read Exposed, by Lisa Scottoline, in the next week or so…I have her newest book from NetGalley and want to catch up a bit.  Plus, I’ve had the book since August 2017.
• Yesterday, my granddaughter Fiona called and asked if we could hang out…so, of course, I said yes.  We went to dinner at Mimi’s and had salmon and salad…which was delicious.

• Has anyone read this book?  I’m eagerly waiting for it:  Release Date – April 3, 2018;  an electric, multilayered novel about ambition, power, friendship, and mentorship, and the romantic ideals we all follow deep into adulthood, not just about who we want to be with, but who we want to be.

• Aubrey, my other granddaughter, is back in San Diego, after her semester in Prague.  Below, she shared one of the photos she took just before she left.  To me, it looks like a cabin you might find in a mystery novel.

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So….that is my week so far.  What are you reading or blogging about?

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COFFEE CHAT: GOING WITH THE FLOW…

It is wonderful to enjoy a cup of coffee on a normal, post-holiday morning!   Today we’ll chat about bookish and not-so-bookish thoughts, along with other whimsical things; to see what others are chatting about, check in over at Bookishly Boisterous.

The New Year’s Day started off with my First Book of the Year post.

A few days before, I chatted about my One Word for the Year:  CONNECT.

After staying up past midnight on New Year’s Eve, the next day found me surprisingly eager to do a little blog visiting…and then I swept through my rooms, scooping up the decorations and storing them in their bins.  I did a little cleaning up, too. I could feel the rooms perking up with pleasure at the attention.

Now I’m more than ready to tackle the New Year, and some of my reading goals include following my moods a lot more.   Let’s see how that goes for a while, anyway.

• I finished reading my First Book, and here’s my review of it:  Every Breath You Take, by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke.
• After finishing that book, I read and reviewed Be Frank With Me, by Julia Claiborne Johnson.  I bought the book in March 2016, and since I was obviously slow to read it,  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
• Now I’m reading (and loving) Eaves of Destruction, by Kate Carlisle.  I feel as though I’m watching the scenes and characters from the Hallmark Channel, which is where I first learned of the book.
• I’m also reading (more slowly) Jane Fonda:  The Private Life of a Public Woman, by Patricia Bosworth; when I went to the Amazon page, I saw that I had purchased it in September 2015.  Wow!  It is long past due for me to read this one.

• Many miles away, my granddaughter Aubrey is finishing up her Prague semester and enjoying a few more visits to surrounding countries.  I especially love this photo, which I call Standing Tall in Nuremberg, Germany:

• Because I’ve watched half of Season One of Fuller House, on Netflix, I recorded a few episodes of Full House on the New Year’s Day marathon, hoping to feel a stronger connection to the characters.  I haven’t tested it yet, though.
• Has anyone been watching the Final Season of Major Crimes?  I didn’t think I would love this show so much, as I was a big fan of The Closer…and this show sort of took its place.  But now I’ll be sorry to see Major Crimes end.
• This week has felt very short,  because of the holiday…and also because the days have been crammed with post-holiday errands and activities.
• So…what next?  Out of restlessness, I did some blog header changes:

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I’m eager to turn 2018 into a year of CONNECTIONS and a year of Going with the Flow.

What will your New Year look like?

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COFFEE CHAT: BOOKS, MOVIES, & VICARIOUS TRAVELS

Good morning!  Let’s have another cup of coffee and chat.  Connect with other friends over at Bookishly Boisterous.

The sofa (above) is the one in my office, where I have been hanging out lately.  There is a nice TV in the room now…and my laptop, too, of course (below).

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• While I have been nesting in my cozy spots, my second son Brett has been in Spain, Ibiza, and now Prague…where his daughter Aubrey will be attending a semester of college.  Here are some of my family members in Prague:

• My vicarious travels are working for me…so far.  But even though I’m not headed to far off places any time soon, my third son has tempted me with these beach photos near where they live, in the northern part of the state.

• Meanwhile, back at home, where the temperatures are in the 80s this week, I have finished reading and reviewing two books.  Click my titles for the reviews:  The Blackbird Season, by Kate Moretti and Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruff.
• My next read?  I’m leaning toward my Amazon Vine Review Book:   Happy People Read and Drink Coffee.

• What else is happening here?  I finished binge-watching Nurse Jackie, and wrote some thoughts about it over at Hump Day Serendipity:  Creating My “Happy Moments.”
• Bloggiesta has begun….and I had already started ahead of time, as usual.  Check out what I’ve done here…
• I also watched Season 7 of Offspring....
• Now I’m ready for the Netflix movie based on Our Souls at Night, with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford….coming September 29!

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Now I’m ready to cozy up with books and movies…but first, I’m going to visit some blogs and chat.

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THOUGHTS ON A THURSDAY….

Good morning!  Let’s have a little chat over coffee.  Today I brought one of my favorite Mary Engelbreit mugs, which reads:  Just for Today, Be Happy.  My motto for today.  Join up with Christine, at Bookishly Boisterous, to see what others are chatting about.

• Sometimes the simplest things can make me happy.  Like going to a sale at a favorite shop and loading up on cute PJs.  Yes, I love lounging around in them, and my “old” ones were getting a little faded and ratty…sigh.  Now I have several, with big Tees on top that say things like “No Coffee, No Talkie” and “Dear Coffee, Thanks a Latte.”
• After curbing my book buying impulses a little in May, June, and July, I went nuts in August and bought 17 books!
• I am making progress whittling away at my stacks, and have currently finished 79 purchased books this year.  Some of them were bought in the last half of 2016…but still, purchased books moving off the TBR.
• Some might say STOP BUYING SO MANY.  That will be something to work on…later.
• The book buying, the PJ buying, the focus on BEING HAPPY…all of it is to distract me from the horrible things going on in the world around us.  If I can’t change it, or control it, I can try to focus on other things.  Like creating new blog headers.  I took a shot of my new one over at Serendipity.
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• So far this week, I’ve read two books:  The Truth We Bury, by Barbara Taylor Sissel, and Lies She Told, by Cate Holahan, a riveting NetGalley review book coming out next Tuesday. (Click titles for my reviews).
• Now I’m back to reading Z:  A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, which is moving along slowly, since I keep stopping to move on over to other books.  Having more than one going at a time is not my favorite way to read…but I’m doing it mostly when I have print books to read, but prefer to take my e-books when I go out.
• Sometimes I think I should stop reading ARCS, as even though I love them, the deadlines add pressure…and I start to visualize myself back at the job.  LOL.
• Nevertheless, I ordered a new Vine review book, coming later this week.  The deadlines are more fluid there.  Happy People Read and Drink Coffee sounds like fun to me.

So…that’s my week so far.  Come on by, and let’s chat!

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COFFEE CHAT: BOOKS, MOVIES, & OBSESSIONS….

Welcome to another Coffee Chat!  Let’s hop on over to Bookishly Boisterous, and link up.

• Today (August 31), is my DIL’s birthday, exactly one week after her husband’s (my youngest son).
• A year ago, my granddaughter and I traveled to the northernmost part of the state to visit them and celebrate on their birthdays.  (Below), see the beauty we enjoyed during that trip.

• This week, I’ve been catching up on my reading.  I finished a print volume that was sitting on my nightstand, as it was too hefty to take with me when I went out.  (Home, by Harlan Coben – click for my review).  Two other books I finished were, of course, Kindle books:  (After She Fell and The Good Daughter).  When I think of how I resisted the Kindle!  Now I can’t imagine life without it.
• However, occasionally I find hardcover books on the bargain table…and some books I want are not available in the e-book format.  I’m still waiting for my copy of Did You See Melody?, by Sophie Hannah.  I think it must be coming by pony express!  Oops, I just checked the tracking number, and it arrived today!  Yay!

• Because Bloggiesta is coming (Sept. 21-24), I’ve been working on my Curl up and Read blog.  New theme, header, and background…so far.  I tend to get carried away.
• My DVR is primed to record two favorite shows tonight:  Younger and The Sinner.  Plus, the movie Jackie.  America’s Queen, one of the books I’m reading (in print format) is about Jackie.
• See (below), another bookshelf is filling up with recent hardcover purchases.  To the right, in the hallway, you can see my shelves of DVDs.

• It may be time to do another purge!
• It’s not that I’m resisting the purge, but the last time I did major culling, it was two years ago, and I literally took away hundreds of books.  I had empty bookshelves in the garage, some of which I’ve given away, too.
• I do want to continue surrounding myself with shelves of books…so I just have to decide when I have too many.
• I’ve never been good at deciding the difference between collecting my books…and hoarding them.  I tell myself that, as long as they look nice on the shelves, I’m okay.  LOL.

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So…things to think about.  What are you reading, pondering, or enjoying this week?

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