WEEKLY UPDATES: A BOOKISH WEEK…

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 week, and more good books to enjoy!  I read and reviewed three books, and wrote seven blog posts.  I also did some Netflix viewing (The Trial of the Chicago 7) and rearranged some more items in my entry way.  I am restlessly changing things up regularly.

My coffee grinder has given me some great brew all this week.  I love the scent of it, as well as the taste.

Speaking of the coffee, let’s grab a cup and take a closer look at the week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpt:  “The Lost for Words Bookshop”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Clicking on Bookmarked Titles…

WWW Post…

Another Neglected Book…

Coffee Chat:  Rediscoveries…

Bookish Friday:  “Invisible Girl”

Friday Potpourri:  Weekend Tidbits…

Review:  Remain Silent, by Susie SteinerReview:  Return to Virgin River, by Robyn CarrReview:  The Lost for Words Bookshop, by Stephanie Butland

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox!  I did download two e-books:

Sisters, by Daisy Johnson

The Sunday Girl, by Pip Drysdale

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Finally, I am reading Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell has a way of combining furiously twisty, utterly gripping plots with wonderfully rich characterization—she has such compassion for her characters, and we feel we know them utterly… A triumph!” —Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author

I am eager to follow these twisty plots!

***

That was my week.  Good reading, some productive blogging, and some mornings that I enjoyed in my apartment instead of the dining room.  I am sharing the rhubarb/strawberry pie I had a while ago, because we are having it again today!

***

 

 

COFFEE CHAT: REDISCOVERIES…

Good morning!  Let’s gather around with our caffeinated beverages to chat about our weeks, our books, and our perspectives.  Join our host at Bookishly Boisterous to see what others are sharing.

When I last posted a Coffee Chat, I was still struggling with the Block Editor.  While it still throws me for a loop or two, things are getting better.  I am finding ways to work around the challenges. 

• I will be so glad when 2020 is behind us!  Let’s hope we survive it, and that the election doesn’t bury us in more darkness.  Sigh.
• This week, I have read and reviewed two books so far:  Remain Silent, by Susie Steiner, and Return to Virgin River, by Robyn Carr.
• Then I started reading The Lost for Words Bookshop, by Stephanie Butland.
• On Thursdays, I participate in a Books from the Backlog event, and have rediscovered “forgotten” books, many of which I have since read.  Today I added another Robyn Carr to my device…from the backlog:  The Summer That Made Us.  I can’t believe I haven’t yet read it!  Do you ever rediscover books that are languishing on your shelves and wonder why?
• This week, I also rediscovered freshly ground coffee!  Yes, imagine that.  I inadvertently clicked on coffee beans in my Instacart order, and I was definitely surprised to see those beans when I opened the bag.  I immediately ordered a coffee grinder from Amazon…and it arrived the next day!

 

• I am now blissfully sipping on the best coffee ever!

• In the mood to celebrate fall, I retrieved my autumn wreath from my under-the-bed storage.  My granddaughter Fiona brought it to me last year:

• So, despite the very frightening world around us, I am finding things to savor and cherish.

***

How is your week going?  Are you rediscovering/recreating things that bring you joy?

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: PERMISSION TO “GO WITH THE FLOW”

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 actually read and reviewed THREE books this week.  I only wrote five six blog posts (I added another one today!), but that’s how it goes sometimes.  However, I very lazily slept in two days this week, not even going to the dining room until dinner!  I did get up and read, played on the computer, and enjoyed going with the flow.  It reminded me of my days before I moved into this residence. 

Then I realized something.  My life in retirement was supposed to be about doing what I want and when I want to do it.  No alarm clocks or schedules.  So having to get up at the beckoning sound on my phone, get dressed, and go OUT, even if it is just down the hall to the dining room…was starting to feel constrictive.  So I decided to give myself permission to do what I want at least two days a week. 

This morning I turned off the alarm, but decided to get up anyway an hour later.  So here I am, writing this post and actually ready to go to the dining room in 45 minutes.

Let’s grab some coffee…I haven’t had any yet!  And check out my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Confessions on the 7:45”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Adding to the Hoard…

Bookish Wednesday…

A Bookish Delight on the Backlog…

Bookish Friday:  “All the Best Lies”

Sunday Potpourri:  A Quest for Coffee…

Review:  The Library of Lost and Found, by Phaedra PatrickReview:  Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa UngerReview:  Rage, by Bob Woodward

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty mailbox…but I downloaded two e-books:

Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell

Return to Virgin River, by Robyn Carr

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Remain Silent, by Susie Steiner

I have enjoyed previous books in the series, so I bought this one in June.  Time to read it!  So far, so good.

An immigrant’s mysterious death sets off a chilling hunt for the truth in this gripping crime novel from the author of Missing, Presumed, featuring a “delightful protagonist who deserves a place alongside other beloved literary detectives” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

***

That was my week…better than usual, and I credit the more relaxed week with giving myself permission to “go with the flow” a little bit. My lunch reflected that attitude:

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER WEEK…

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.

It is Week Two of Block Editing, and I am finding my way…slowly.  As for my reading, not so great.  I read two books, and had mixed reactions.  But I did write nine posts:  I tell myself it is extra practice with this difficult editor.

We are allowed to go to the dining room for all of our meals now, and also attend activities.  Distanced and masked.  I don’t participate in many events, as I am not interested in a lot of things.  Not a bingo player, for example.  But there was a Happy Hour event yesterday…so I went to that.  Not very exciting, but then again, what can we expect?

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

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Life in Pieces”

Book Release Tuesday…

Book Release Day, Continued…

Playing Around with Headers…

Bookish Wednesday…

Another Backlog Book…

Coffee Chat:  Life’s Annoying Moments, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “The Library of Lost & Found”

Saturday Potpourri: Odds & Ends…

Review:  The Truth About Melody Browne, by Lisa JewellReview:  Life in Pieces, by Dawn O’Porter

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

One print book arrived from Amazon:

Notorious RBG, by Irin Carmon

Downloads:

Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa Unger

Troubles in Paradise, by Elin Hilderbrand

The Beach Club, by Elin Hilderbrand

***

CURRENTLY READING: After finishing my two books this week, I picked up a couple on my Kindle…and then settled on this one, a backlog book:

The Library of Lost and Found, by Phaedra Patrick

***

That was my week!  How did your week go?  Every day feels like a chore sometimes, but then something happens to brighten things up.  A conversation with another resident, a special menu in the dining room, or a good show on Amazon Prime or Netflix.  Sometimes it is a simple lunch of banana, cottage cheese, and wheat germ with a good cup of coffee.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: A GREAT WEEK…

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 week has slipped by, with some great books read!  I also enjoyed more blogging this week, which usually means that I have spent a lot of time on the computer. Some of that time I was glued to my laptop streaming shows.  I am now rewatching The Good Wife, a series I haven’t seen since it was on the networks a while ago.

I have also been online ordering things from Amazon, some practical things for the household and other items to spark some fun during my ongoing lockdown.

Here is a cute bag that reminds me of my more bohemian days:  It will arrive tomorrow.

Let’s take a closer look at my week…after another cup of coffee:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  Odds & Ends, Tidbits…

Tuesday Potpourri:  Hoarding More Books…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Three Perfect Liars”

Bookish Delights…

Hump Day Potpourri:  Reflections…

Another Book Hiding Out on My Shelves…

Bookish Friday:  “Unfollow Me”

Review:  Girls of Summer, by Nancy ThayerReview:  Little Disasters, by Sarah VaughanReview:  Unfollow Me, by Charlotte Duckworth

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty physical mailbox!  But I did download three e-books.

Monogamy, by Sue Miller

 

Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman

Custody, by Nancy Thayer (A reread)

***

CURRENTLY READING: 

Final Cut, by S.J. Watson

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  I am sharing a photo of a pleasant surprise I had for dessert this week:  Pumpkin pie a la mode…and wine!

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: COUNTING DOWN TO 2021…

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 almost September already?  I am definitely ready for 2020 to be over, since it has been the worst year ever, but slow it down, please!  There are things we need to fix before it is done.  Then we will happily greet 2021!

My reading this week has not been the greatest, but I did enjoy both books I read and reviewed.  No DNFs this week! 

This week took us back to the dining room on alternate days, and we are also now offered, starting next week, a chance to socialize with others who live here!  Masked and socially distanced, of course, but I can deal with that.

A hair stylist has been brought in to offer outdoor hair cutting, with safety precautions in place.  I am reluctant to trust my hair to someone whose work I don’t know…but I will watch what she does to the other brave people who step up.  LOL.

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

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Don’t Look for Me”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Changing Things Up…

Coffee Chat:  Reshaping My Routines…

Bookish Wednesday…

Backlog Books to BriHng Forward…

Bookish Friday:  “Little Disasters”

Saturday Potpourri:  Restless Energy…

Review:  He Started It, by Samantha DowningReview:  The Switch, by Beth O’Leary

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

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

Always Young and Restless, by Melody Thomas Scott

The renowned actress behind the character Nikki Newman of The Young and the Restless tells all in this scintillating memoir, divulging the insider details of her dramatic life and sixty-year career.

Downloads:

Heart Bones, by Colleen Hoover

Final Cut, by S.J. Watson

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Home Before Dark, by Riley Sager

In the latest thriller from New York Times bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like? In the absence of any good food photos to show, here are some memories from the past:  corn chowder and a margarita from Mimi’s.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: READING, BLOGGING, & BINGE-WATCHING…

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 week that seemed to go by too fast.  Here we are nearing the end of August, and with fall on the cusp.  I would love the kind of fall we used to enjoy, but those days are not in the cards for us.  Moving along a day at a time is the best we can do.

I only read two books this week.  I had read half of a book that I spent too much time on before DNF-ing it; I went on to read the two books that I enjoyed and reviewed, but I was still reading the second one today.  Spending too much time on a book that I wasn’t loving is something I need to correct.

I did find myself drawn more to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime; I got caught up bingeing a show that I had noticed in the past but had never watched:  Designated Survivor, a political show starring Kiefer Sutherland.  I am almost finished with it, and loving it.

I also watched the Democratic Convention this week…and I felt energized!

Since nobody in the residence has tested “positive” for two weeks, we were allowed to return to the dining room today.  The schedule will be every other day, and we’ll see how long it lasts this time!

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

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Silent Wife”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Adding to the Hoard…

WWW Wednesdays…

Bookish Friday:  “Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing”

Review:  Paris Never Leaves You, by Ellen FeldmanReview:  Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, by Allison Winn Scotch

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty physical mailbox…but I downloaded an ARC from NetGalley and three new e-books.

The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah – (NetGalley – Release Date 2/9/21)

From Kristin Hannah, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone, comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

***

New Downloads:

The Switch, by Beth O’Leary

***

Little Disasters, by Sarah Vaughan

***

When She Was Good, by Michael Robotham

***

CURRENTLY READING:  He Started It, by Samantha Downing

***

That was my week.  I spent a lot of time in my apartment, reading, blogging, binge-watching shows…and sipping coffee.  And photographing my surroundings, like my entry way with coffee on the table, on the left, and the long view that shows the cupboard, the table with shelves of unread print books beneath, and my pottery mail receptacle on the table in the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: THE BEAT GOES ON…

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 week, another handful of books, and a few blog posts.  The routine is our journey these days.  I watched some shows on Hulu and Amazon Prime:  Trust Me, Scott & Bailey, and Hidden.

I got my first “negative” test for COVID-19, and the plan is to test us all every two weeks.

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

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  Old & New Favorite Things…

Tuesday Potpourri:  Tidbits…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “Paris Never Leaves You”

Bookish Moments…

Another Treasure in the Backlog…

Bookish Friday:  “Imperfect Women”

Review:  My Pear-Shaped Life, by Carmel HarringtonReview: The End of Her, by Shari LapenaReview:  Imperfect Women, by Araminta Hall

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

One book came in my mailbox…and I downloaded one e-book

Finding Freedom:  Harry & Meghan, by Omid Scobie

***

Download: 

My Lies, Your Lies, by Susan Lewis

***

CURRENTLY READING:  The Dark Flood Rises, by Margaret Drabble, a book I purchased in April 2017.

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  At lunch I enjoyed a slice of rhubarb-strawberry pie.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: MOVING ALONG…

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 past week was pretty good, with three books read and reviewed.  I wrote seven blog posts, and one of them was my monthly wrap-up that spotlighted the great books of July…and shouted out that I read fourteen of them!  I hadn’t read that many since January.

It is Saturday morning, and as I sip my coffee and wait for the breakfast tray, I am grateful not to feel rushed to finish that fourth book by day’s end. 

I am still in lockdown, but I enjoyed a video chat with my granddaughter Fiona yesterday.  I am sad for her, though, as her jobs are in companies that are locked down…and yesterday the unemployment ran out!  However, she has a good attitude, and a safe place to stay in the meantime.

It is a good thing that I like hanging out in my apartment, and since we have “no place to go,” I dress up in my favorite things just for myself…and the staff. LOL.

Let’s grab some more coffee and look at last week’s events:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Night Swim”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Anticipation…

Enjoying Bookish Moments…

I Found Another Neglected Book!

Coffee Chat:  Books, Blogging, Etc.

Bookish Friday:  “Just Between Us”

July Was a Good Reading Month…

Review:  The Request, by David BellReview:  The Night Swim, by Megan Goldin – (NG-8/4/20)Review:  Friends & Strangers, by J. Courtney Sullivan

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty physical mailbox!  I did download two e-books.

His & Hers, by Alice Feeney

The End of Her, by Shari Lapena

***

CURRENTLY READING:  Until I Find You, by Rea Frey (NG – 8/11/20), my final August review book:

Celebrated author Rea Frey brings you her most explosive, emotional, taut domestic drama yet about the powerful bond between mothers and children…and how far one woman will go to bring her son home.

***

Then I hope to read a few more books on my shelves, including some neglected ones.  Well, I can imagine this happening, anyway.

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Here is yesterday’s breakfast tray: French toast, coffee, oatmeal, and the ever-present (lately) mimosa.  I had ordered a six-pack of Champagne splits a week ago, and finished the last one in the pack and didn’t order more.  Yet.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: SPINNING MY WHEELS…

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 we are, almost finished with July, and the week sped by like most of the weeks lately.  In fact, if the Pandemic would end this quickly, wouldn’t that be great? Reading and blogging have definitely helped me keep my mind away from the horrific events of 2020, and that has worked primarily because of the distractions of those activities.  I finished my third book of the week today, and it was my final NetGalley ARC for July.  But on the heels of that one come two books in early August (the 4th and the 11th).  So the stress continues.  When in this kind of situation, I ask myself “how did this happen?”  Usually it involves being unable to pass up a good book.

I will work harder to prevent that in the future!

Meanwhile, I have found time for shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I finished (and loved!) the second season of In the Dark.

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

***

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Summer Deal”

Bookish Delights…

Bookish Wednesday…

Plumbing the Depths of My TBR…

Bookish Friday:  “Girls of Summer”

Coffee Chat:  One Step Forward, Another Step Back…

Review:  The Girl from Widow Hills, by Megan MirandaReview:  The Safe Place, by Anna DownesReview:  Playing Nice, by J P Delaney – (NG-7/28/20)

***

INCOMING BOOKS:

Empty physical mailbox!  I did download two e-books.

He Started It, by Samantha Downing

The Lost and Found Bookshop, by Susan Wiggs

***

CURRENTLY READING:

The Request, by David Bell

 

Then I plan to start on my August ARCs.

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Here is one of my recent meals in the apartment, tuna salad with a dinner roll, and a glass of wine from my bottle.  The dining room offers sweet wine that is not very satisfying.  LOL.

***