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! I think the most thrilling thing is that there is a promise that it will be below 90 today. It has been a bit drier this week, but it was still hot, and I still hate summer.
I worked from home all last week in order to be available to help my mom. She was doing fine until PT on Monday. She pulled a muscle in her hip and was in a lot of pain. You know it's bad when mom has to cancel her plans for the mah jongg tournament. I hope she gets better this week because she hates being trapped at home.
I went back to the doctor on Thursday. More cortisone shots. Why do they hurt so much? This time, I wasn't passing out, but I thought I would when I saw my foot right after the injections. My goodness! It looked so scary, bubbly. Now, it's all black and blue. Those shots are no joke. At least since I am working from home, I don't have to worry about wearing shoes for the most part.
On the Blog
Let's Discuss
More of this, please!
Stacking the Shelves
It was a bonanza this week! Can you believe I maxed out my January 2024 ARCs aready?! Got some amazing approvals and great invites too. I am so out of the YA loop these days that I did not realize Erin Hahn had a new YA book coming out. I went and clicked that one immediately. I love her books! I already had When Grumpy Met Sunshine (looks so fun!), and You, Again was on my TBR. I am really considering downloading that one.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra
- Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden
- The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman
- Principles of (E)motion by Sara Read
Invites
- When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
- Come November by Scott Lord
- Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
- Not Your Crush's Cauldron by April Asher
- You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
Read Last Week
Such a strong finish for July. Look at all those stars! My favorite of the week was Charm City Rocks. It was such a sweet, mature romance. Lots of music and feel-good stuff. I read another "mature" romance last week that was also fantastic - Come as You Are. Another fun, fabulous, feel-good book.
I really enjoyed Beverly Bonnefinch Is Dead, but I was frustrated by the cover. I thought this was going to be a fun kind of book. NOPE! It was about a woman battling with her mental health who suffers great losses. It was pretty heavy and painful, but still great. In the end, it's hopeful, but still sad.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman - ★★★★★
- The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy - ★★★★
- The Year of Second Chances by Lara Avery - ★★★★ 1/2
- Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy - ★★★★ 1/2
- Beverly Bonnefinch Is Dead by Kristen Seeley - ★★★★ 1/2
Audiobooks
- Sweet Spot for Love by Aliya Burke - ★★★★
- Starry Night by Debbie Macomber - ★★★★
Currently Reading
My library loan for The House on Prytania came through. I am about three-quarters of the way through, and I really need to my suspicions confirmed.
I am finally reading an Elsie Silver book. I like that it's set in the horse racing world, and so far, so good.
- The House on Prytania by Karen White
- Off to the Races by Elsie Silver (audiobook)
To Be Read
- Escape to Starshine Cove by Debbie Johnson
- Riggs by Sawyer Bennett
- Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
- Love, Holly by Emily Stone
Let us know in the comments!
Anything below 90 is cause for celebration. I've never had to get a cortisone shot but I hear they're awful. My mom had to get a few and passed out at least once. Loved the feel-good story. That did my heart good. Ugh, those blasted illustrated covers can be so deceptive. Glad you are enjoying the Elsie Silver! I'm excited to try something from her.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing this morning! High 60s and dry. Had to wear a heavier sweater and my slippers as I read outside this morning. Ahhhhhh. I did better this time with the shots. No sweats or dry heaving like last time. LOL! I was crying when I watched that reel. There is some humanity still out there.
DeleteI hope you and your mom both heal quickly! It's supposed to rain here this week, and I'm ridiculously excited to NOT be sweaty. It's been in the 90s for weeks.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the summer has been up and down. June was on the cooler side, but when it's been hot, it's been HOT. You get such extreme weather where you are. I hope you get some good days.
DeleteIs your foot supposed to be black and blue because of the shots? It sounds scary. And you have to help your mom on top of that. I hope both of you can have a fast recovery!
ReplyDeleteGuess what? I'm not a fan of summer either...I think I've mentioned it one of two...hundred times on my blog 😅.
LOL, I have a January ARC in my queue too - The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland.
It's the shots. It's the way steroids have to go deep. Hurts to get them, hurts after for a few days. Seems endless too. Oh, well. Summer is the worst! Glad I know others who agree with me. Crazy how there are so many January approvals right now.
DeleteWait, TWO January ARCs - the other is the 9th Wayward Children book by Seanan McGuire!
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteI am so sorry to hear that your mom wasn't feeling well. And those shots sound horrible! I hope that you are both on the mend soon. I was excited to get a widget for the new Erin Hahn book. I haven't clicked it yet but I am sure that I will be adding it to my tbr! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe shots are horrible, but if they work, I will happy. I don't think I can do surgery again. I have many widgets sitting in my inbox, but that one, I clicked right away. No question, I want to read it.
DeleteOuch! that sounds awful. I hope your mom is feeling better soon. Had a similar thing with my mom this week, she went in for a pain shot but her sugar was too high. Turns out she forgot to take her insulin. Now she's in pain and has to wait weeks for the next shot.
ReplyDeleteI hope it stays a little cooler for you.
Oh, no! Your poor mom! I didn't know the pain shots affect ones sugar. I am happy to report that it is beautiful here right now. It's after noon and just above 70 and DRY.
DeleteThey won't give her a shot in her spine (it's considered a surgery, albeit minor) if her sugar is above a certain threshold. I should have specified that- it's a spinal shot. But thank you! I hope you're feeling better...
DeleteThe Year of Second Chances sounds so good, glad you enjoyed it! Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit a different grief story, and I thought it was well done
DeleteI hope you love The House on Prytania! That series is so good. I think I like it even more than the Tradd Street series. And I also hope you love Elsie Silver's book. I too am going to be reading Hahn's book. I got that invite as well. Yay! I hope your mom's hip and your foot feel better this week.
ReplyDeleteIt was good. I was half right. I really didn't see the other part coming. Very interesting. Now there's a real triangle as far as I am concerned too. Silver's book was good. I am assuming you have already read Hahn's book (LOL!)
DeleteSo sorry about your mum. The new YA books sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you. She is doing much better
DeleteOh wow, I really hope your mom is feeling better. The heat here has been miserable too. We've had Excessive Heat Warnings almost everyday this past week. I keep hoping for a big storm to cool things down but they keep missing us.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you will get some of this lovely weather from up here. It was a bit over 60 this morning, but I was able to sit outside all day yesterday, and there was even a breeze.
DeleteThe shots sound awful! I hope they end up working. I hope you and your mom recover quickly! Yes, I hate summers too! I don't do well in the heat. At least we're half way through, right? Looking forward to your thoughts on Prytania! When Grumpy Met Sunshine looks fun.
ReplyDeleteThe shots are terrible. I look like a junkie who shoots up in my foot. The holes and bruising. I won't be sad when summer ends. I loved Prytania. I was half right, but surprised by the other half. Cooper coming to town created an interesting dynamic too
DeleteDamn sam your foot surgery was no joke! I hope you won't suffer any longer! And I don't get approved for that many ARCs unfortunately...
ReplyDeleteMy foot surgery is a saga. It's such a common surgery, but it seems to have gone wrong this time.
DeleteFirst I have to say that I loved that video, so many wonderful people to help this man, that is a story to share for sure. I hope your foot recovers quickly as well as your mom's pulled muscle. It is frustrating that she was doing so well and not this set back. I really need to get to Summer Girl as I enjoyed the previous books even with the open door romance. I have both those Christmas books on my TBR and will continue to read one per week as we get closer to publication day. Have a wonderful week, Sam.
ReplyDeleteDid that video make your heart explode? I need reminders like that. That there are good people out there and humanity is not dead. Summer Girl was a solid addition to the series, and yeah, Kennedy always does open door. Honestly, I skim those parts.
DeleteOh yeah... Summer sucks. I'm gleeful that the UK is getting lots of rain whilst most of Europe have been having record breaking highs.
ReplyDeleteThe cortisol injections sound awful. My mum was getting them in her shoulder last year for a rotator cuff injury... They helped her so hopefully your foot feels a little better once the bruising fades.
I think my foot is hopeless, and I doubt I will let them cut it open again to look for scar tissue. It's frustrating.
DeleteThose shots are no joke my dad used to get the shots in his shoulder for bursitis and he said they were really painful. And then my husband had a few shots in his back when he had compression fractures in his spine.
ReplyDeleteSo painful. I have been icing my foot for a few days. That's gotta hurt in the back.
DeleteBelow 90 sounds like a dream! We have been consistently at 105+ all week. I hope you and your mom are feeling better! The January ARCs are rolling in, aren't they?! I'm trying to pace myself. Ha! I did accept Hahn's, as well. Love her books! And I'll be reading Stone's soon, too. Happy Reading!
ReplyDeleteIt's been really great here (knock on wood). Mom just found out it was not a pulled muscle, she broke a bone, but they are waiting to see if it heals on its own right now. It's a saga. I am almost finished with Stone's book. It's a moving story for sure. Themes of guilt and forgiveness are strong in it.
DeleteWe've had shorter heatwaves this summer but they haven't lasted long so it's been tolerable. However, they are predicting the 100's next week and for an extended time.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize those shots were so painful. Will you need many more?
Karen @For What It's Worth
Boo! Nobody needs weather like that. I don't think I can get shots forever, but I don't think I want them to open my foot again because every time we open it, we run the risk of scar tissue. So, you open it to clear it out just to have more form? I don't know.
Delete