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
Thank heavens for three day weekends! I am so tired, and struggling to keep up with everything. I am happy to say I have no plans for the holiday, and therefore, can use the day to catch up on things. Sorry if anyone is feeling ignored. It's not personal. It really is me, not you.
I saw that two more bloggers made the move from Blogger to WordPress. I poked around the interface, and tried to import my site. There is just something about the look that I didn't like. I have seen it with the free WordPress blogs I follow, and I would love to host with Nose Gaze, but I am too poor. <-- If I opted for burial, this would go on my tombstone.
This seems really appealing to me, so I totally understand why the dog comes back for more.
Linda, a stray dog in Turkey, comes to the same car wash a couple times a week to use the automatic petting machine— Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) January 9, 2020
(thepetcollective) pic.twitter.com/Itfre8vR7N
I had to double take this one. Man, perspective is everything.
obsessed with this picture of a seal looking up pic.twitter.com/nv7AdLWuil— David East (@davideastUK) January 11, 2020
Who did it better? I am picking the guy on the right.
— In Otter News (@Otter_News) January 13, 2020
Let's Discuss!
- AJ shared her goals with us, and as always, she made me laugh (thank you, AJ!)
- Gayathri suggests some ways to improve engagement on reviews
- Catherine talks about Jane Austen on fake friends
On the Blog:
- Monday: Blog Tour - Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson
- Tuesday: TTT - Best Debuts of 2019
- Wednesday: CWW - The Moment of Truth, A Season of Daring Greatly
- Thursday: Blog Tour - Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff
- Friday: Discussion - Still Gonna Read It
STACKING THE SHELVES
I was really excited about my Abrams approvals this week, as both were anticipated releases for me. I got a bunch of widgets in my email, but I am still on the fence about the books. I get so many widgets for adult books, but never for YA, and, you know, this is pretty much a YA blog, but, whatever. Anyone have any thoughts on any of these books:
- The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson
- The Wrong Mr. Darcy by Evelyn Lozada
- The Book of Us by Andrea Michael
- To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
- Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday
- Boys Don't Knit (in Public) by T.S. Easton
- The Summer of Impossibilities by Rachael Allen
- Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer
What I Read Last Week
It was solid reading week. I didn't DNF anything, but I also didn't get nay 5-star reads. In fact, I have had none all month. Both Authenticity Project and What Kind of Girl stood out, but didn't quite get the extra half or whole star. Still, all were great books.
Books
- Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun - ★★★★ review
- The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley - ★★★★1/2 review
- What Kind of Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel - ★★★★
- If You Only Knew by Prerna Pickett - ★★★★
- A Season of Daring Greatly by Ellen Emerson White - ★★★★ review
Audiobooks
- The Second Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - ★★★★ review
- Stay with Me by J Lynn - ★★★ 1/2 review
- Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares - ★★★★ review
What I Am Currently Reading
I have been listening to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, and this is a gift we don't get too often with contemporary books. Getting to see these women grow up over the course of several books. I cringe at some of their choices, but mistakes are all part of the journey.
- The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
- Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares (audiobook)
What I Plan to Read
I am finishing up the last of my February ARCS, and reading two backlist books this month. One is for my Keyword Challenge (Six). The other is a shelf book. Even I am impressed by all of this.
- Miss You Love You Hate You Bye by Abby Sher
- The Opposite of Falling Apart by Micah Good
- Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards
- Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat
How was your week?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
Now that's a dog that knows what it likes. :)
ReplyDeleteLong weekends are the best, for sure. There's just something about that extra day. And it snowed here too- not a lot, but enough to make everything a mess. Plus it's the wet heavy stuff that just is such a pain. Oh, well...
Have a great long weekend!
The snow turned to rain last night, thank goodness! That would have been quite a bit of snow otherwise. Whew! Be careful shoveling. Don't need to be messing with, what sounds like, widow making snow. Enjoy the weekend, yourself!
DeleteWordpress scares me. It doesn't feel like something I'd adapt to very well and I'd 100% want one that was ad free (thus not free to use) and that is a commitment... I don't need anymore financial commitments when I'm trying to save. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you don't need to go out while it's snowing and you're feeling so tired. I wish you luck with hibernating and catching up over the next few days!
I'm so envious of the 3 day weekend in January! Our next public holiday isn't until Easter (and I have no idea if that's March or April this year).
I was playing around on there, and it's not easy to use. It's only $48 a year for ad free and $18 per year for the domain, which isn't too bad, but I didn't like the way my posts looked after the import, and I didn't have the right frame of mind to start digging for how to use their editor. I go straight into the HTML on blogger, because WYSIWYG editors annoy me. I tried.
DeleteI hibernate like it's a sport. I do so little every weekend. Just chores and blogging, mostly. That's a long stretch to the next holiday. We have President's day next month, and then Easter in April, but I have a day off in March for a concert. One day a month keeps me sane.
Ooh, The Wrong Mr. Darcy sounds intriguing! I’m gonna go check it out!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, three day weekends are the absolute best! ❤️
The book sounds pretty good, but I wasn't wowed by the authors' last book. So, I am scared to take it for review.
DeleteI wish I had MLK day off! My husband will be home so I am more than a little upset about having to go in to work tomorrow. I love staying in to read when the weather is gross. I hate getting out in the stuff!
ReplyDeleteI wish that I had set my blog up on Wordpress originally. But hey, I had no idea what I was doing (and still don't). I just cannot justify spending money on the blog when I am trying to put two kids in college. Not when I don't have to. I have thought about messing around with the free Wordpress blogs but haven't actually done it.
I hope you have a great week and enjoy all of your new books!
I work for a brokerage firm. I get all stock market holidays. When my daughter and her friends started this blog, Blogger was the place to do it. It powered by Google and is FAR easier to use. I looked into Nose Gaze's services, and though $20 a month is not make it or break it level, I still am so cheap. Like, I bring my lunch to work every day and won't even buy a cup of coffee or anything. If you try WP, let me know how it goes. I was not that wowed with my experience.
DeleteI regret going with Blogger now, but my previous blog was on Wordpress, and it wasn’t the most user-friendly thing back in 2010. I don’t know how much that has changed. Enjoy your 3-day weekend. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I know my daughter did her research, when she started this blog, and Blogger still is better, even if WP is more popular. I just wanted to see how the designing a page in WP would be, and I did not enjoy the experience. It now comes down to how much money do I want to spend or if I care to do it all. It's a cycle with me, considering jumping platforms.
DeleteIt turned cold here this morning and I just found out my heater isn't working. Yikes! Someone should be out to look at it shortly. Good thing as we are in for a very cold week. Stay toasty:)
ReplyDeleteOh no! Stay warm and I hope what ever is wrong with the heater is quick and easy (and cheap or free) to repair.
DeleteBusy weeks always make us feel so tired and it is difficult to get motivated to do anything but flop in front of the TV! Hopefully you'll have a calmer week to come!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really busy, other than spending 12.5 hours doing something associated with work, but gotta earn a paycheck, right?
DeleteBwahahaha yes we should really do like that dog Sam! And how so you are too poor? Nose Graze is not so expensive...and maybe she can have a sale???? Anyway enjoy your three days weekend!
ReplyDeleteI can almost feel that brush on my back. I looked at pricing, and it's actually less than it was back when my daughter first looked. I am considering it. I need to check out the demo and see how the interface is, because I did not enjoy my walk around WP.
DeleteSeems like everyone is getting sick this week! I've avoided it thus far and am crossing my fingers that is stays this way. I wish I had Monday off. I used to but after my company was bought out we lost a lot of those holidays and now have to work them. It sucksssss especially since "select" branches get to keep them. It bites big time. I wanted that day to read! Lol.
ReplyDeleteNice new reads! Totally new to me ones as usual, but I hope you enjoy them all!
Here's my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I am glad to report, I am not sick, and I hope to keep it that way. My sister tested positive for the flu last week, so I guess it's good I don't spend too much time with her. Days off are always great. I get all the stock market holidays, since we rely on them for our business, but I don't get all bank holidays.
DeleteYay for an extra day to just do all the back burner things. Love the dog and car wash. I go with otter as cuter, too. :)
ReplyDeleteNice haul, the Wrong Mr. Darcy looks good.
That five-star read will come and be even sweeter for the longer wait.
Have a great day off and rest of the week, Sam!
I tend to waste a lot of time, when I have three day weekends, because I always think I'll do it later. The otter is definitely cuter. Whoever found those two pictures and put them together is brilliant. Love it! Mr. Darcy sounds good, but I am worried because I didn't like the author's last book, so I have yet to click the widget.
DeleteI love being on blogger. It's perfect for a hobby blog!
ReplyDeleteBlogger is definitely much easier to use, but there's a perception, that if you use free WP you are more serious about blogger, than someone who uses free Blogger. 🙄 Every once in a while I let that noise get in my head.
DeleteI hope your 3 day weekend is good to you. I appreciate your thoughts on WordPress. Thank you. It's something for me to consider. You received some great books. Enjoy.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thanks! Glad you found the info helpful
Delete"Sorry if anyone is feeling ignored. It's not personal."
ReplyDeleteAre you JOKING? You even comment on reviews of books out of your preferred genres, for goodness' sake.
"I would love to host with Nose Gaze, but I am too poor. <-- If I opted for burial, this would go on my tombstone."
😂
I'm proud to be a Blogspot blogger. And being "serious" as a blogger doesn't equate to using a platform or another. No one ever will be able to convince me of that.
I hope the little "weather" you had left your corner of the world and you're going back to work with no snow and less cold!
I comment, because I want my homies to know that someone is reading their reviews. There is nothing worse, than spending time writing a review, which is a difficult task, and believing that no one has read it.
DeleteI agree, that my platform does not define me, but I hate the perception others have. It's a cycle I go through. I did buy a domain (very cheap), so I got rid of the subdomain. Looks more legit, no?
Yesterday, it snowed, rained, and sleeted. It was a mess. I stayed warm and cozy indoors. The forecast for the daytime is not bad, but it's so cold in the morning. The new bus driver has been on time, so that's a blessing.
It looks like you got some great reads this week!
ReplyDeleteWe haven't gotten snow, but it is really cold here as well. I spend most of my time at home wrapped in a blanket and wishing I had a laptop so I could just stay in bed to work on the blog.
I use a self-hosted Wordpress platform, which I've had for several years. When I blogged on the free Wordpress platform, there were a lot of limitations in both look and custom-ability.
That's what I am hearing about free WP. I don't really like change much, and I wasn't that impressed by what I saw. My mother got me a space heater, because I am always so cold. I put it on, when I read, so I don't have to wrap myself up in my heated blanket.
DeleteI'm envious of your three-day weekened. I hope you enjoy the time off. :) I have had my eye on The Wrong Mr. Darcy because of the P&P connection but I've not read any reviews for it yet so fingers crossed it's a good one.
ReplyDeleteI had DNFed the authors' last book, but if someone else had read it, and liked it, I would consider it. I am trying not to just click the widgets, and getting myself committed to books I am unsure about.
DeleteI'm with you on moving to Wordpress. I know everyone is going that way but I can't imagine paying to host my blog after so many years on Blogger for free! That's quite a few 4 star reads! I love it when I enjoy everything!
ReplyDeleteI think I struggle with the idea of paying each month. I mean, it's only $20 with Nose Gaze, and they do the import and everything for you, and I can buy the ultimate blogger plugin for only $35, but I worry more about the interface. I don't know how it compares, and if I move and pay, and then it's all complicated, I would be mad at myself. Right now, I just go into the HTML and do what I need to do. I refuse to struggle with the editors. Not sure if I would still be able to do that if I move.
DeleteI wish I would've started the blog on Wordpress. We tried to switch over a couple of years back but we dropped it because it just seemed too complicated. More time and hassle than I'm willing to invest for a hobby. Yay for a 3-day weekend! I don't get tomorrow off, but I'll appreciate the lighter traffic going in. :)
ReplyDeleteThe import was easy. I was not a fan of the editor and the way the pages looked. If I go, I know I wouldn't be doing free WP. It gave me a headache. That is one of the perks of having to work on a holiday - lighter traffic. I remember how dead the train station was between Christmas and New Year. I had to work, but a LOT of people were able to use time off.
DeleteThree day weekends are the best; especially with the cold chilly weather. I've thought about moving from blogger to wordpress, but it seems like a lot of hassle to learn a new system, not to mention the extra time and money to set up. The Summer of Impossibilities sounds so good! I can't wait to see what you end up thinking about it. I put in my request, and am hoping I'll get approved. Great job on being done with your February ARCS. I still have two more January ARCS to read! Have a wonderful week Sam :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
They have free WP, which is what I was playing around with, and lots of people use, but I was not a fan of the editor, themes, etc. When I started with Blogger, I didn't have to YouTube or read anything. It was very intuitive, and I had a page up and going within minutes. After an import, I spent way too much time trying to figure out how to fix the page, which looked awful, and I just started looking into services. I have had good experiences with Rachael Allen, and her new book sounds wonderful.
DeleteDon't worry, we are all busy people and I don't feel ignored at all, at least. I hope you are able to rest, recover and recuperate on your three day weekend! Also, don't worry about not moving your blog if you don't want to. I made the leap some years ago now... maybe 3. But it is up to you whatever you want to do. I will still be here reading your blog ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know at least one person will be here with me. Thanks! I like three day weekends, but never use them well. I always tell myself, "tomorrow". At least I am pretty caught up on blog stuff. Today, is chore day.
DeleteI'm really excited to have today off, too! Sometimes you just need a day. Hope it's productive for you!
ReplyDeleteWell, so far, I have done the laundry and cleaning. Now, I just need to get motivated to brave the cold and do my food shopping.
DeleteI love long weekends!! Its the best feeling. I couldn't get into blogger when I was setting my blog. I tried both, but wordpress felt more workable for me. I do host with Nose Graze! Its expensive, but I love it. I get access to all her themes and plug ins as part of the service.
ReplyDeleteI heard it's night and day between free WP and self hosted, and Nose Gaze's services are great. I saw it's $20 a month, which isn't terrible. I am just curious about what it's like to draft a post. It's so easy on Blogger.
DeleteThree day weekend? Man, I'm jealous. I could do with one of those. Thankfully, I have a few days booked off the end of the week but it's for house related things which is boring! I can't wait to have a day for myself. I hope you enjoy your day off even if the weather has turned cold for you.
ReplyDeleteAnd bloggers are moving to Wordpress again? I mean, I would if I could afford to be self hosted but money! I can't even be bothered to looking to get my own site address, I just don't have the time or the money right now. If you ever do make the leap (you might win the lottery or something) then let me know how it goes. I looked into it once and then got scared off from the work involved.
I need a day off every month, just to catch up. I am not a huge fan of the 3-day weekend, unless I have plans, because I tend to waste the time, but I am so tired, I don't care. Don't you all get a lot of paid time off in England? I remember the guys from my training program having 5-weeks, while we only had 2 in the US offices.
DeleteAfter my test drive, it would have to be self hosted WP for me. I was not thrilled with my free WP experience. I could probably do the $20 a month with Nose Gaze, but I want to see a demo of the design interface. Blogger is really easy to work with and I usually just go in and do the HTML myself. It comes down to what I want to spend that $20 on, and is it really worth it, if I am not looking to monetize the blog?
I hope you were able to do as little as possible on Monday, Sam, and just enjoy the day off. And not get out in the weather! I love Armentrout’s Wait For Me series but Stay With Me is probably my least favorite of them all. I just never connected much with Calla or Jax.
ReplyDeleteTanya, I do as little as possible every weekend. I think because Stay with Me was not set at school, it was missing some of that friend action, though they did pop up every once in a while. I liked Calla and Jax enough, but JLA heaped some serious OTT drama on them
Delete