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 hope everyone is doing well. The winter is really in full force here in the northeast. We had two snow storms which didn't do too much damage, but it's really cold. Waiting for the train in the morning when it's 16°F (-9°C) is no picnic. This week is supposed to warm up a bit which makes me happy. Until then, I will continue to sit on my heated blanket and keep myself cosy when I am home.
This was a short workweek due to the holiday on Monday. I went to the doctor for another injection in my foot. Yes, the saga continues. I think I am giving up after this though. I got a haircut as well.
My daughter sent me this message the other day. I had three library loans come through on the same day, and she pointed out how the title structure was so similar. I obviously have a "type".
On the Blog
- Monday: Reviews - The Bright Spot, Christmas in Peachtree Bluff
- Tuesday: TTT - Adventure Romance
- Wednesday: CWW - ASAP, Hooked on You
- Thursday: Reviews - A City Baker's Guide to Country Living, Talking at Night
- Friday: Spell the Month in Books - January 2024
- Saturday: Five on My TBR - Series to Read
Let's Discuss
- Carol asks - to track or not to track
- The Orangutan Librarian shares the best book beginnings
- Shannon rounded up some more unfortunate covers for great books
Stacking the Shelves
The beginning of the year always seems to arrive with so many great approvals. The three Netgalley books are all on my anticipating list, so it's fantastic to get approval for those.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
- Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
- The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
Invites
- Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco
- Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
Read Last Week
This was a great reading week. I got a five-star book, whoo hoo! I am actually not surprised because Falon Ballard writes books I love and adore. The warmth, the humor, the emotion - Right on Cue had the perfect blend, and I had so much fun reading it.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey - ★★★★ 1/2
- Return to Tradd Street by Karen White - ★★★★ 1/2
- Hooked on You by Kathleen Fuller - ★★★★
- Right on Cue by Falon Ballard - ★★★★★
- Happily Never After by Lynn Painter - ★★★★ 1/2
Audiobooks
- A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan - ★★★★
- Falling for Mr. Wrong by Inara Scott - ★★★★
Currently Reading
I am enjoying both my current reads. Sweeten the Deal is a lot of fun. I am hoping Shepherd keeps up this momentum. If so, it will a solid read for me. I agree with everyone who sees this as nod to Pretty Woman, just this time we have a sugar mama.
I had read McDowell's contemporaries, but wasn't sure about The Prince & the Apocalypse until it showed up on Angela's year end list. It's just was endearing as McDowell's other reads, but there's an end of the world plot.
- Sweeten the Deal by Katie Shepherd
- The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell (audiobook)
To Be Read
- Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan
- The Heirloom Inn by Olivia Miles
- One Moment by Becky Hunter
- Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Let us know in the comments!
A heated blanket sounds good about now, since it's 29 here this morning. Of course, by Thursday it's expected to be 80. Ha! Had to laugh at the library titles. Yes, I'd say you have a type. :) I have Expiration Dates coming up on my TBR as well. Hope we will both love it!
ReplyDeleteI have a nice heated throw (machine washable now!), and I drape it on my chair. Keeps me cozy while I read/work. I think by Thursday, it will be in the 50s here. I am ready. My nose hairs froze when I went to the market this morning. I am over winter. Can't wait to hear how Expiration Dates goes for you. I seem to lover Serles' books, even the ones that are polarizing.
DeleteHope you're staying warm! It's been awful here all week. We actually got stuck trying to get out of the subdivision. What a mess!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny about the books :)
EEEK! I know midwestern winters are NOT easy. You have it worst than me.
DeleteOh, so many great books in this post! I hope you continue to enjoy all your reads :) I also hope that weather warms up over there. I do miss cold weather but -9 definitely sounds too cold 😂 Have a great week ahead, Sam!
ReplyDeleteThe whole US (except south Florida) has been overly cold. My daughter experienced temperatures that felt like -32F (-36C) with the windchill. She said it was rough. They canceled school and everything.
DeleteOkay, you made me cry! Watching that woman find her dog was touching. I am so over winter! I tried to walk from my car to the building last weekend (just across the parking lot) without gloves and almost couldn't take it. You picked up some great reads this week! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWasn't that so moving? I was a mess, in a good way. It's brutal out in your part of the country. I was just talking to the kid about it (she's in Chicago). I draw the line at face-hurts cold.
DeleteI hope the foot shot is successful! Trends in publishing are so weird. I guess those types of titles are popular now. :)
ReplyDeleteThere are always title trends. I remember a big one with fantasy where all the books had the same structure for a while, but it was uncanny that I checked out three books in one day with the same structure.
Delete"Waiting for the train in the morning when it's 16°F (-9°C) is no picnic."
ReplyDelete😨🥶
I also read your comment above about the perceived temps your daughter experienced, and YIKES. It's been cold here as well for the past two days, but nothing of the sorts...
You know how NG asks you why you're requesting a certain book...they should probably add a "Title starts with the word LOVE" category 😂😉.
Chupeco's books are usually dark, and judging from the blurb, this one makes no exception. I hope it works for you.
The midwest definitely had it the worst. They canceled school in Chicago because it was so cold. Terrible. I actually do always check that "title" box when I request. Maybe there is something to that witchcraft. I am not going to download the Chupeco book. It's not for me, but I always like to share the invites even if I don't plan to read them. Maybe someone else will read about it and want to read it, you know?
DeleteOh, I get it now. It sounded so not your thing that I was wondering why you would read it...but I thought you were going for a drastic change of pace 😂.
DeleteYeah there is a definite trend in titles especially for that type of read for sure. It has been pretty crazy the weather but its winter, so its always going to push our boundaries lol Hope that shot helps you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
I know the winter just started, but I hope it ends soon
DeleteThat Instagram post! So happy the dog was alive! That is so cold! Especially waiting for a train in that weather! I think I'd buy some heated socks or something! I'd want to burrow under my heated blanket too. Sorry you are still having issues with your foot! Hopefully you get some warmer weather soon.
ReplyDeleteI was crying from that post. That's the stuff I like to find on my feed. The mornings have been tough. I thing tomorrow is the last cold morning (18), then it warms up to the 30s in the AM. I am happy about that.
DeleteIt's not quite cold enough here for a heated blanket but we don't get a lot of snow here.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. My old manager was in Arizona, and when it hit 60, she put on thermals with her heated blanket. It's get really hot by you. What do you feel is cold?
DeleteThat is hilarious about your library loan titles. I hope you love Hazelwood's. That one was a lot of fun for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it will finally warm up. We're getting the warmer weather here, too. I have never looked forward to 40s and 50s so much!
So weird with those titles. I usually enjoy Hazelwood's books, so I am sure it will be a good one. One more sub-freezing morning, and then, it will be decent.
DeleteI hear you on the cold temps. It snowed several times here this week and will be 16 degrees when my son goes out to catch the bus in the morning. We're all ready for spring, lol.
ReplyDeleteIt was 35 this afternoon and it felt balmy. Been a tough winter and we are only halfway through.
DeleteOMG this cold weather! I like cold better than hot weather, but this is too much! The poor baby can't go outside and play, lol. We walked around in the snow a little bit the other day, but it has just been too frigid. Glad you are enjoying Prince!!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I like medium weather. Not hot, not cold. Thirties in the morning isn't bad, but this has been awful. I am sure it's a bit too cold to play for long outside.
DeleteLast week was cold, although not snow storm cold, here in the UK. Then we had a storm yesterday which warmed things up and was wet and miserable and we have another one arriving tomorrow. I don't know if I actually want the cold weather back.
ReplyDeleteWe have some rain storms moving in that will warm things up. I am ok with that. We have had the kind of cold that your nose hairs freeze when you breathe. I hate that
DeleteIt was so cold here that I had tights under my pants and three or four layers of t-shirt/sweater etc!
ReplyDeleteI have a long coat I put on when it really cold. Because I am short, it goes all the way down to my feet. Very cozy.
DeleteThe weather has been brutal here too but at least we got past it and now we're above normal.
ReplyDeleteTHAT VIDEO....my heart dropped and I was tearing up. That was always my greatest fear when we lived in FL. Having one of my pets pulled away in a tornado.
That reel is the stuff I love on my feed. It was an emotional overload in the best way
DeleteYour library hold list is amazing! Hahaha. Gotta love love :)
ReplyDeleteThose were three books that all came available on the same day. Crazy!
Delete