Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I worked my first 5-day week in over a month, and though work went smoothly, my commute was even more of a struggle than normal. One day I had to go west to Trenton in order to switch to the eastbound side and get my train home, because the trains were bypassing my stop. NJ Transit is the gift that keeps on giving.

I was really overwhelmed with my discussion post this week. It's so awesome to have so many interactions. So, thanks to all of you, who stopped by and weighed in on the topic. ❤️🌸🦄


On the Blog:

• Monday: In a Nutshell Reviews - Relative Strangers, As She Fades, Frat Girl
• Tuesday: Tell Me Something Tuesday - But Am I Rushing to Read it?
• Wednesday: Can't-Wait Wednesday - We Regret to Inform You by A.E. Kaplan
• Thursday: Discussion - Why Do You Review?
• Friday: Black Sheep Reviews - No Filter, Freefall Summer

On the Internet:

If beach reads are your thing⬇️

LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES is in some really great company (with many books on my own spring TBR!) ❤️☀️⛱https://t.co/I3niKpMeoe

— Jessica Pennington (@jessnpennington) March 22, 2018

• For those of us, who love books set in prep schools: 10 Prep School Page-Turners
• Do you bookstagram? Here is a list of 14 Essential Props Every Bookstagrammer Needs

And how about that Queen of Air and Darkness trailer?

STACKING THE SHELVES

Bought/Free

• Lucas by Jay McLean (free)
• Royally Matched by Emma Chase
• Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi Madsen (free)
• Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

Edelweiss/NetGalley

Macmillan really came through this week for me with two of my most anticipated reads. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I got those emails.

• My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
• Game of Secrets by Kim Foster
• How We Roll by Natasha Friend

What I Read Last Week

There is only one 5-star read in the bunch, and technically, I finished it last week (Saturday night), but I think Obsidio absolutely deserved it. The series was rock solid, and I will miss this world.

• Obsidio by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman: A fantastic ending to one of my favorite series. I was surprised by how emotional I was. I cried a whole slew of tears as I read this book, but I was really satisfied with the ending. ★★★★★
• Steal by Rachel Van Dyken (audiobook): This was quite the angsty second chance romance, but it also had a lot of fun moments mixed in with the pain of the past. If this was my last trip to Seaside, I would say it was a good one. ★★★ 1/2
• Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman: As I started reading this, I immediately got this Desperate Housewives vibe, and I loved it. Waxman did a great job weaving the lives of these neighbors together, and I adored the main narrator, Frances, so much. Her observations on parenthood and getting older were so relatable. The story was funny, witty, painful, and even touching. I will definitely read more by Waxman. ★★★ 1/2
• Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy: I love stories that bring us into fandoms, and this one was so much fun. McCarthy gave us a great cast and story which had romance, friendship, and family drama, all of which kept me flipping the pages. And the epilogue was all too fabulous. ★★★★
• The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding: What a wonderful and adorable story of first love! Spalding did such an amazing job capturing that sunshine feel of young long, and I really liked being able to see this romance unfold. ★★★★
• Bad at Love by Karina Halle (audiobook): A fun and sexy friends-to-more story, which had a bit of drama, but a ton of laughs. ★★★ 1/2
• Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion: It was easy to like both the main characters in this story, and their pain became my pain. Both were struggling in very different ways, and fate bringing them together helped them get on the right paths. The ending left me a little wanting, but it was satisfying. ★★★★
• Play by Kylie Scott (audiobook): I loved Mal in the first book, and was happy to get his story. He was dealing with some heavy personal issues, and was sort of losing his grip. Thank goodness he embarked on a fake relationship with Anne, because she ended up being his anchor.  A great fun, flirty, and heartfelt addition to the series. ★★★ 1/2
• Rebel with a Cupcake by Anna Mainwaring: This was a rather fun slice-of-life story starring a  plus-sized girl, with a plus-sized personality that won me over instantly. Jess' body confidence was slipping, and her struggle with body image is something I think a lot of people could relate to. Jess had this Georgia Nicholson vibe, which I loved, and I couldn't getting enough of her musings. ★★★ 1/2

What I Am Currently Reading

I started both books this morning, and so far, so good. Ledi, from A Princess in Theory, is so awesome. Every time she drops an MF, I get a grin on my face, and I the book keeps making Coming to America pop into my head, which I think is a good thing. Jacked Up takes us to a religious camp, where Nick is sent in order for him to deal with his sister's death. I am really eager to get more information regarding her death, and the guilt Nick is dealing with, which is manifesting itself in the form of Jack Kerouac.

• Jacked Up by Erica Sage
• A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole (audiobook)

What I Plan to Read

I have been wanting to read the Eleanor Ames series for a while, and when I got an ARC for the second book, I thought it was a sign. The Frontman is set in the 80s, my favorite era, and All Out of Pretty is another debut, which sounds promising.

• Chasing Truth by Julie Cross
• Hiding Lies by Julie Cross
• The Frontman by Ron Bahr
• All Out of Pretty by Ingrid Palmer

How was your week?

Let us know in the comments!