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, and if you live anywhere near me, I hope you are staying warm. I saw a weather report for 0-6 inches of snow. That's quite a helpful forecast (NOT), but at least I am enjoying a three-day weekend and will not have to deal with the weather until Tuesday. This week is supposed to be brutal. Because of the holiday, I have to go into the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and look at that! Those are the coldest days. Mother nature really has it in for me. Glad to see the temperatures creeping above freezing towards the end of the week though. I hate winter.
On the Blog
Let's Discuss
- Dini shares February's Let's Talk Bookish topics AND a special announcement
- Sophie teaches us about painted book edges
- Shannon has a really dumb bookish complaint
Stacking the Shelves
It such an exciting week. I got approvals for books by three authors I adore, and look! Two books with cats on the covers. I am telling you, they know how to make me read Asian Lit.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- The Curious Kitten at Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi
- Maid For Each Other by Lynn Painter
- Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson
- Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore
Purchased
- The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister
- The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin
Read Last Week
It was a strong reading week. I would say I had two favorites. Higgins managed to hit me in the feels with Anything For You, and it was weird because this is a standard contemporary romance, but there was something about the way these two loved each other but kept breaking up. The hero especially touched my heart. One could only hope to be loved the way he loved that heroine.
And I loved the new Linda Holmes book. It was about a person who worked in audio, podcasts specifically. That stuff was really interesting, but there was also a fun storyline and a romantic pairing I loved. It was also packed with humor which is what really put it over the top for me.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan - ★★★★
- Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction by Shannon Richard - ★★★★ 1/2
- Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa - ★★★★ 1/2
- Back After This by Linda Holmes - ★★★★ 1/2
- The Grump Whisperer by Katy James - ★★★★
Audiobooks
- Anything for You by Kristan Higgins - ★★★★ 1/2
Currently Reading
I have not started my book yet, but I did start listening to The Truth According to Us. It's an epistolary historical which is pretty amusing so far. I picked it for a reading challenge and was overjoyed to find it was set in West Virginia. You don't understand, this is a state I am scrambling to find in December for my Literary Escapes. It's exciting to accidentally find a book for that state.
- You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
- The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
To Be Read
- Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters
- The Memo by Rachel Dodes
- The Curious Kitten at Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi
- The Crescent Moon Tea Room by Stacy Sivinski
Let us know in the comments!
"I have to go into the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and look at that! Those are the coldest days."
ReplyDeleteJust your luck...I hope at least you won't have problems with your commute!
"I have a cleaning service coming twice a month to clean for my parents. They came for the first time, and my mother felt the need to explain that she is just getting too old to do it herself. Is it normal to feel guilty for having a service?"
I think it's a thing about the women from our mums' generation. They took pride in keeping the house clean, and see needing help as a failure. Also, they're afraid to be judged for not doing it themselves. My mum is almost 87, chock- full of health-related problems, and yet I can't convince her to call someone to clean up. She says she needs to, she will, but then she's like "I need to tidy up the place before they come because I'm ashamed of the state of the house", and I'm like, "Are you even making sense? that's exactly why you would call them - you can't do it by yourself anymore...it's not like they expect to come and clean what's already been cleaned". But, you can't win this war...
I love Honkerella 😂. And I did shed a tear for the dogs, especially the one who "massaged" his owner's chest with his paws and kept the blood flowing. Who knows if he'd seen the maneuver somewhere and understood what it meant, or he intuitively realised that it was the right thing to do. Either way, amazing.
If we are being honest, my dad did most of the heavy housework my whole life. Because he was a shift worker, he would have more days off and was just home more. OMG! My mother was cleaning for days before they came. What am I paying for? Those dog stories were amazing. I was so emotional. This is what need on the internet.
DeleteOof, sorry to hear that the days you have to go out are going to be the coldest days. I hope the weather forecast is wrong and that it's not too brutal! Those photos are cute :) Honkerella is a fun name! I love Alicia Thompson's book covers—the old graphic style is always so eye-catching. It looks like you're in for some great reads. Have a good (and warm) week ahead, Sam!
ReplyDeleteThe weather has not been kind. I like Thompson's covers too, and I like that they have a similar feel.
DeleteIt’s adorable that your daughter dresses her goose! I had no idea this was a thing either. The cat books look cozy. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteIt must be a young people thing (she is turning 30). I used to be up on all the current things when I was a teacher, but now, I never know what is going on.
DeleteStay warm Sam! I hope the cold won't disturb your train service! And that video about rescuer dogs made me smile! I needed that!
ReplyDeleteIf the train has issues, I will go home or call out. This weather is pretty serious. Those dogs are incredible. I cried so much.
DeleteHow cute about the goose, I didn't know that was a thing.
ReplyDeleteRight? Young people have some interesting hobbies these days.
DeleteWhat a bummer that you have to go into work when it's going to be so cold! Hope you get some nicer weather! There's no shame in having a cleaning service. I'm happy you're able to help your parents out in that way. I'm thinking of downloading Get Lost With You. Hope it's good!
ReplyDeleteIt's winter, still, so cold. Get Lost With You was cute. I have enjoyed Sullivan's low drama/angst books.
DeleteIt's super cold here too. I'm not impressed. And "0-6 inches of snow" is not a forecast. That's not even a guess!! Useless! I know dressing up the goose is its on subculture! People really get into it!
ReplyDeleteGoose dressing is one interesting subculture. I find it funny and pricy. Those clothes are not cheap.
DeleteI loved that instagram video. Such wonderful dog heroes. I know it is cold all over. My family is freezing at home. It is even cold here in Florida today. I know it is relative, but it is in the 50s and it was in the 80s last week. Porch Geese are big in my area. They dress them up and they guard the front door. Most people bring them in during the winter though. I just checked and I have The Truth According to Us on my shelf. It would not only give me West Virginia, but I have to read an epistolary book for another challenge. Thanks, Sam.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a moving video. My heart! It's below zero by my daughter. She is just staying inside. Chicago never seems to escape the polar vortices. Honkerella lives in my daughter's apartment where she is kept warm and dry. It feels good to get West Virginia out of the way this early, and the book is interesting. I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteThis weather is brutal. We kept Henry home yesterday so we didn't have to drive in the snow! My sister got a cleaning person last year, and she's the type that will tidy up before they come over, ha!
ReplyDeleteOur snow as all cleared but it was so cold. I was frozen by the time the train came. OMG! Why do people clean for their cleaners?????
DeleteI went from a tropical vacation last week to a snowstorm this week. We aren't used to this weather in South Texas!
ReplyDeleteAs for guilt about a cleaning service, I think part of it is generational. We have a service come in once a month, and it is a lifesaver. I think it is great that I can support a small local business, and my house is clean!
The south is getting some very rude weather this week. It was 5 degrees this morning, so I opted to work from home. I was an ice pop by the time the train came yesterday and it was like 12 or so. I like your view of a cleaning service. See, helping a small business - no guilt.
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