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! It's feeling like fall again, so I am quite happy. Last week felt so off. I went into the office on Monday and Wednesday, working from home on Friday. I had off Tuesday and Thursday, and with my daughter visiting, it was such a non-routine week for me. It was nice though. Tuesday, we went to the Melting Pot. I finally got to try the Oktoberfest. It was very yummy. My birthday was low key since the kid had to fly out that night. We got Chinese takeout and Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. That is some rich cheesecake. I could only eat a small piece. So many tasty layers.
My daughter brought me mooncakes as she always does for my birthday, but this year, she got me the limited edition ones where a bunch of Chicago bakers contribute a modern mooncake. They were really good. When they were confirming the delivery, my daughter mentioned how I had just mentioned how much I loved the Hello Kitty mooncake, and they included one for free for me. So sweet!
Speaking of birthdays. I knew Twitter did the balloons, but did you all know about this? Google does it too!
On the Blog
- Monday: Isn't It Romantic - A Winter in New York, Talulah's Back in Town
- Tuesday: TTT - Bookish Ways I Waste Time
- Wednesday: CWW - Maybe Once Maybe Twice, The Sweet Gum Tree
- Thursday: One Old, One New - The Mike Gayle Edition
- Friday: Five Star Friday - September 2023
- Saturday: Five on My TBR - Murder
'Alright, Meryl Streep, get up" pic.twitter.com/vQg3bQXKoI
— Paul Bronks (@SlenderSherbet) March 11, 2023
Stacking the Shelves
I got approvals for two books from authors I adore! I was surprised to see a little amateur sleuth book coming from Freya Sampson, but my track record with her books is so good. I am sure I will love it. I also got approved for another Lynn Painter book, and she never lets me down.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson
- Happily Never After by Lynn Painter
Invites
- The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan
- Kindling by Traci Chee
- Darker by Four by June CL Tan
- Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
Read Last Week
I read some great books this week. I did have a DNF, but everything else was so wonderful. I had replaced my DNF book with an ARC I had the wrong date for, and I was so glad. Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was really good. I was one of the readers who enjoyed Greenberg's last book despite the fact that we were lied to about it being a romance. So, I was worried about this book, but it was so well done.
My throwback book, The Sweet Gum Tree, was also a hit. So emotional!
But my favorite of the week was Emergency Contact. Lauren Layne is a favorite author of mine, and this book was classic Layne with some holiday flair. It was an interesting romance, in that the hero and heroine had divorced four years prior. It was such a zany journey too. Think - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. As they struggled to get to Christmas, they reflected on their past and what went wrong, realizing they still loved each other. My sappy heart ate that up.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allard - ★★★★ 1/2
- The Christmas Orphan's Club by Becca Freeman - ★★★★
- Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Allison Rose Greenberg - ★★★★ 1/2
- Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne, Anthony Ledonne - ★★★★★
- Guy's Girl by Emma Noyes - ★★★★
Currently Reading
With my daughter visiting, I did not really get to listen to my audiobook, but it is very good. Amazing Grace Adams is excellent. I like these stories about middle aged women who are waging a comeback. The timeline is non-linear, so I am forced to wait for the full story but absolutely enjoying the journey.
- Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood
- The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (audiobook)
To Be Read
- Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
- Prince Not Quite Charming by Liz Talley
- Sister of the Bride by Lauren Morrill
- The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins
Let us know in the comments!
Maybe a low-key birthday, but a tasty one LOL. Happy belated!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Roberta!
DeleteHappy belated birthday! I'm glad you got to spend it with your daughter and good food. I haven't had a mooncake before. I'm going to have to try one. There's a little bakery near the Barnes and Noble that does them, so I need to make an afternoon of it or something. I am so happy you loved Layne's book! I also got Painter's book and can't wait to read it. Enjoy your week and all of your reads.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Get your mooncakes fast because they are usually only available in the fall for the mid-autumn festival.
DeleteHappy birthday! I'm glad you got your mooncakes. They look so yummy!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicole! My daughter always gets me mooncakes, but these are something special, not the mass produced ones (which are good too, but not like these)
DeleteI'm glad you had a great birthday! The weather this week was so weird, right? We had to keep the AC on at night. I'm glad it's finally cooling down again.
ReplyDeleteThe weather was weird, but I am happy right now. I struggle because I love being able to still sit on the patio, but I don't want it to be in the 80s. Low 70s, high 60s is nice for daytime.
DeleteHappy birthday Sam! And I have never tried moon cake! Also that video with the cat had me cackling!
ReplyDeleteI love Mooncakes. The ones my daughter got me are so interesting too. I love the traditional ones, but it's fun to see all the creativity here. We went to China Town in Chicago, and a bakery there had mooncakes in the summer. I kind of like that you can really only get them this time of year for the moon festival. It keeps them special for me
DeleteHappy birthday to you! Chinese sounds wonderful. Sounds like you had a lovely visit. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Greg! We have a place in town we like. Always up for some tofu and brocc
DeleteHappy Birthday! I did not know that Google did that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary! The google thing was a fun surprise
DeleteHappy to hear your birthday was fun and low-key. How nice they included a Hello Kitty moon cake. I was curious about the new Lauren Layne as it was a joint story with her husband.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to pick the parts Layne's husband wrote, but it was pretty seamless. I loved it, but I always love her books.
DeleteSo glad you got to spend your special day with your daughter! I have a hold on Wreck the Halls and can't wait. I've been reading lots of fallish books lately, and now I'm starting to crave some Christmas books already. I have sprinkled some in throughout the year, but I'm hitting the point where I want to read a bunch.
ReplyDeleteI am almost done with Wreck. I am entertained, but I can't stop hearing that Woody Woodpecker "If Woody had gone to the police..." It's not super Christmasy, but it's an interesting twist on reality show stories
DeleteI don't remember Google giving me birthday balloons last month. I feel so cheated. :) You have me considering pushing The Sweet Gum Tree up from the tail end of my TBR where it has languished for years. Glad the LL book was such a hit for you!
ReplyDeleteDo you have your birthday in your Google account? I was surprised by it. I think you would like Sweet Gum. It has that level of drama that was really popular at that time. I think the kinship developed between these characters will touch your heart too
DeleteGreat post, Sam. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit with your daughter and those Moon Cakes. I don't remember Google every giving me birthday balloons, but I will watch when my birthday rolls around. I don't think I am familiar with Lauren Layne, but will see if my library gets this one when it comes out. Have a wonderful week, Sam.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the balloons from Google are new? I don't recall ever seeing them before. I have read 30+ Lauren Layne books. She reminds me a lot of Jill Shalvis. Her books are always light on drama, heavy on friendship/family, and humor.
DeleteWhat a lovely birthday! I've never had mooncakes. I'll have to try them! Happy reading, Sam!
ReplyDeleteThe ones my daughter got me this year are very unique. It's a fundraiser done by bakers in Chicago, and they were delicious.
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