Sunday, June 30, 2024

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

Happy Sunday! Can you believe this is the end of June? Funny how the month seemed to fly by but this past week felt like it lasted a year. I don't know why. I was terribly busy at work which usually makes time speed along, but it felt long. Maybe because I have worked so many four day weeks recently? 

Well, HA! Got another one this week. I am off Thursday for Independence Day. I am hoping to just stay home. It is supposed to be the hottest day of the week with rain in the forecast. I really don't want to hang out in someone's yard and have to be social. 

We finally got to see Beautiful. I though this production was just as good as the one I saw on Broadway. Every time I see one of these shows, I find myself singing the songs for days. Carole King has an incredible catalog, too. Lots of great songs to pick from. Since we changed tickets, I was not in my regular seat. I was up in a box seat. It was great! No one was in front of me which is a treat when you are as short as I am. 

On the Blog

  • Monday: Reviews - A Novel Love Story, The Year of What If
  • Tuesday: TTT - Anticipation
  • Wednesday: CWW - The Love of My After Life, Class Mom
  • Thursday: Reviews - Finding Mr. Write, Rules for Second Chances
  • Friday: Six Degrees of Separation - Just Some Stupid Love Story
  • Saturday: Sloth Goes Places - England

Let's Discuss

  • Kit wonders if you can match the book to the first line
  • Michele recommends how to get guys to read


Stacking the Shelves

Super slow week. I got lots of amazing library books, but my approvals have been frozen. I got two invites which I had already received, one of which I already downloaded. I was disappointed to see that a book I wanted to download had already been archived. I wasn't sure I would have the time to read it, but I ended up with a DNF. Well, when I clicked the widget, I found it was gone. So sad. 


Read Last Week

A few disappointments this week with two DNFs, but look at all those stars! Clare Pooley was the winner with How to Age Disgracefully. She has a knack from writing wonderful multigenerational stories, and this was such a fun romp, too. The backstories, antics, and found family were all highlights for me. 

Class Mom was also tons of fun as I expected. Higgins had me crying quite a bit. The Ex Vows had me in tears a few times as well, but it was also hilarious at times with the whole "wedding curse". Webber continues to dazzle me with her magical southern family stories. 

Find all my reviews on Goodreads

Books


Audiobooks


Currently Reading

I am excited to be starting the new Sawyer Bennett series. Nothing like a good family rivalry. I had my eye on Margo. I am seeing lots of good buzz for this book, too. Should be a good one. 


To Be Read



How was your week?
Let us know in the comments!

22 comments:

  1. Those 4-day-weeks have spoiled you LOL.

    Glad it was a quiet week with some highlights...and you can hole up with a good book on the 4th 😉.

    The first dog is probably my spirit animal 😂.

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    1. I love that first dog. I wish I had a dog to try that with. One of my dogs was very smart, the other was very heard strong though I loved them both.

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  2. So glad you had a great time seeing Beautiful! If only plays and musicals were a bit more affordable, I'd be seeing them ALL 😂 Anyway, so curious about Morbidly Yous; the title has me intrigued, so I'll be waiting for your thoughts! Have a great week, Sam!

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    1. We have a subscription at a local theatre, but due to proximity to the city, we get great shows with top caliber casts. For some, it's their stop before Broadway. I really have no desire to go into the city. It's reverting to how it was when I was younger which is not a good thing.

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  3. Enjoy your short week Sam! I hope you won't suffer from the heat though. And that video with the dogs made me smile, especially the last one!

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    1. It's horrendous out, but it's cool in my home. Hopefully the I don't get caught in another NJ Transit breakdown.

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  4. Love a 4 day week! It cooled a little bit here this week, but it is suppose to be hot again next week. Glad you enjoyed your show-and as another short person, not having someone in front of you is a huge boon!

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    1. I always like at least one day off a month, so it's great that we have a holiday in just about every month. The weather is miserable. I want to live in a bubble where the temperature stays between 55 - 75. That would make me happy.

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  5. It does seem like June went by so fast! I have no wish to sit in someone's backyard and try to make conversation either! Please, no one invite me, lol! I'm working July 4th anyhow, so it's not a possibility. We have some heat here, too. I'm not a fan of summer, but thankfully it goes away in the fall. It seemed like we had 9 months of summer when I lived in Southern California! No thanks! I can take it when I know there's an end date. Yes! Higgins' newest had me in tears, too! It was so good! Curious about that Courtney Walsh and How to Age Disgracefully. I'm going to look both up. Wondering which books were a DNF for you. Have a wonderful week, Sam!

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    1. Can I get the grilled hot dog without the conversation? I don't like talking about my DNFs because I only like to share the positives, but it was the new Amanda Sellet and A Special Place for Women. They were not working for me though Sellet's book got a starred review. Maybe it's me?

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  6. I hope you get your wish for the 4th! My husband already invited his parents over, so I will have to be social. And we'll probably be stuck in the house, too.

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    1. You have to be social and host -- my nightmare. The weather is supposed to be abysmal, but hopefully it's nice enough to get the grill going.

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  7. How exciting that you had box seats for Beautiful! I'm sure that was a great viewing experience!

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    1. Having no body to try and find a "window" through was the best!

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  8. It's wild that it's already 1 July but the last few days have passed by very slowly imho! I'm on leave tomorrow though so I'm excited about that :) Sorry to hear you had two DNFs this past week though! I hope you enjoy your short week and that you find great books to enjoy. Have a good one, Sam!

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    1. You are probably on your way, and I hope your travels are going well.

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  9. Wow! You did have lots of high stars. I definitely call that a win.

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    1. If nothing else, at least my reading is going well, right.

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  10. I loved that instagram video, that bulldog was a hoot. Lucky to have a four day week, when you're working. I often don't even realize it is a holiday being retired. I need to read or listen to the Clare Pooley book, I love multi-generational stories. I hope you are having a wonderful week, Sam.

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    1. I wish I had a dog to try it with. Four day week and two days work from home. I feel like I am on vacation without that three hour commute. It's be brutally hot, too. Pooley's books are so lovely and heartwarming. I adored all three.

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