Sunday, November 26, 2017

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

Another fine week! I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My sister did a stupendous job cooking the turkey. It was browned to perfection and super juicy. Gold star! I have to train the new person at work this week, and although I am flattered that management thinks I am skilled enough for this task, it will greatly hinder my audiobook listening.

My sister's turkey

I am currently enjoying Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas, and am loving have FIVE new movies this week. Loving it! I am also trying to find what reading challenges I want to partake in next year. I considered the Pop Sugar Challenge for about a minute, but that list was really hard. I like something that I makes me feel a sense of accomplishment, you know what I mean? If you are considering any interesting challenges, let me know in the comments.

This came up on my Twitter feed, and reinforces my mistrust of TV. I think I was a fan of almost every show on the list, and now I will NEVER know what happened!!!
I know I am one of the only people around not watching this show, but I did check out the Stranger Things on Sesame Street.


On the Blog:
STACKING THE SHELVES

Bought/Free

I downloaded a bunch of free books, but still bought a few. Who can resist a great deal?

ARCs

Library

What I Read Last Week

I read some really great books last week! I would say Foolish Hearts was my top for the week, and I think that Emma Mills and I are a perfect match.
  • This is Not the End by Chandler Baker (audiobook): This book was a lot deeper than I expected, it had quite a twist, and took me through a wide range of emotions. 
  • Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills: This is going on my "makes me happy" list, because it made me so happy. I loved it from beginning to end, and am so excited to read the other Mills' books I have. 
  • Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm: Strohm is the master of the fun and witty rom-com. I swear! There were moments I felt like I was in Stars Hollow. That's how good the dialog was. ★ 1/2
  • R.I.P. Eliza Hart by Alyssa B. Sheinmel: This was such a raw and honest look at mental health, and Sheinmel presented it from all angles. She explored how it the person struggling is affected as well as how it affects those who love that person. ★ 1/2
  • The Heartbreak Cure by Amanda Ashby: This was a very sweet story about second chances, believing in yourself, and letting go of the past to look towards the future. ★ 1/2
  • A Crazy Kind of Love by Mary Ann Marlowe: This was a fun romance with low drama, which made me smile, laugh, and shed a few happy tears. Throughly enjoyed it, and will definitely read Marlowe's prior book. 

What I Am Currently Reading

I am currently reading So Over You. It's a second chance romance AND a hockey romance, so you know I am a happy camper. It's my first Meader book, and so far, so good. I am almost finished listening to Preservation. I was quite surprised by what Canterbary did here, and I know that she knows it, because she even has the siblings exclaiming their shock of who Canterbary matched Riley up with . Well played.

What I Plan to Read

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking this looks like my TBR from last week, but I had to make a few exchanges last week, and so this week I really plan on reading these books.








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

54 comments:

  1. Do you normally listen to audiobooks at work? What kind of job do you do? Cause I can't even listen to music in my job. I just work :D it takes a lot of thinking, what I do. So even music really really distracts me.
    Anyway, hope the training goes well and your new colleague is nice and friendly :) have a great week!

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    1. After 12 years having to perform like a trained monkey and unable to turn my back without chaos ensuing, it's quite a treat to have a quiet office job. I used to listen to music when I was programming too, so I guess I can multitask.

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  2. I hope your new colleague not only is pleasant to work with - but that they are also a quick study, then you can tuck back into reading:). Glad you had such a lovely Thanksgiving gathering and hope you have a good week. My Sunday Post - https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/sunday-post-26th-november-2017/

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    1. It's usually one full week, one-on-one, and then just checking up, until I have to teach her another function. So, not too much of an intrusion.

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  3. Ooh nice new reads! Totally new to me ones but I hope you will enjoy them all!

    And omg! The Sesame Street video was hilarious!! Still trying to finish up Season 2 myself, I am terrible with binge watching! Can't sit still long enough apparently! LOL!

    Here's my STS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. My daughter is a binge watcher and I don't know how she does it. I usually tag in for about 1 hour of TV per night, then I get bored. The folks on Sesame Street still got it. Forever in my heart.

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  4. Glad you had a good Thanksgiving!! I've tried the Pop Sugar Challenge the last two years and failed miserably!!! I think I will stick with some easier ones next year. Glad to see you got Law of Moses. Loved that one. Have a great week!

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    1. I OK with Pop Sugar, but when I reading the prompts for 2018 they were really tough. Law of Moses was free, and I have heard raves about it, so I why not!

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  5. So glad to hear you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Your sister's turkey looks amazing! I had been looking at that Popsugar challenge too but decided it was too complicated to keep up with, lol. I'm still looking for more manageable challenges though so let me know if you see anything good. The Caffeinated Reviewer is hosting a Take Control of Your TBR Pile challenge that sounds like it might be more up my alley. Details and signups begin at the end of January.

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    1. I saw the Take Control and I will definitely do The Debut Author Challenge and one of those A to Z challenges again. I was eyeing up COYER, but I am still looking for one with themes, but not as difficult as Pop Sugar.

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  6. Hooray for turkey success! I hosted for the first time this year and was nervous about the turkey. I didn't want it to be the one everyone remembered because Tanya botched the turkey. LOL Thankfully it turned out well. *big sigh of relief* Hope the training goes well... and quickly so you can get back to your audio books. :) It Ends With Us is one of those books that I just can't bring myself to review. I have so many feelings and just can't turn them into an articulate review so I've never reviewed it. (I'm actually mulling over a blog post on not reviewing certain books.) Hope you have a great week, Sam!

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    1. I can only imagine how much pressure there is to cook the turkey well. It's the focal point of the meal and can get dry really quickly. Glad your meal went well! I haven't been CoHo-ed in quite a while, so I was excited when the loan came through. I think I have been on the wait list for months, but you know, I have a million other books to read, so no harm, no foul.

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  7. I enjoyed It Ends with Us...and I'm eager to get my hands on Let Me Lie. I like Clare Mackintosh's books.

    Have a great week! That turkey is gorgeous.

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. I don't read a ton of thriller-suspense, but I really enjoyed both of Mackintosh's books. It's been quite a while since I read a CoHo book, and the time has come for her to gut me again.

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  8. That's great you had a nice Thanksgiving and your sister cooked the turkey well! I'm loving all the Hallmark films too - and there are some other channels doing a lot of great holiday themed films like Lifetime.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I saw that Lifetime had a bunch of holiday movies. I wonder how they are? I know what to expect from Hallmark and I trust them, so I give them my small amount of TV viewing time.

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  9. Glad to know you had a great Thanksgiving. I'm also looking for some reading challenges for next year so that I can decrease my TBR pile.

    I hate when a season ends with a cliffhanger and then the shows gets cancelled. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!!

    I hope you enjoy your new books. Happy readings!

    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

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    1. Not knowing how it ends is like a knife in my heart. I hate it! Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction is putting together a list, so will share it when I see it. I love reading challenges, but I want them to be fun and not painful to complete.

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  10. I almost grbbed Let Me Lie, but loved her last one on audio and decided to wait for it on audio. The Turkey looks yummy. Most our long running fav shows are ending in the next year, so I am trying to get my hubby into NetFlix so we can cut the noose called cable..lol Have a lovely week.

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    1. I cannot listen to mysteries on audio, so I was excited to get approved for Let Me Lie. I loved Mackintosh's last two books, and am eager to read it. I know my daughter only streams shows. It's kind of the way to go. One of my co-workers only streams as well.

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  11. Your turkey looks yummy! There are a few shows that we were waiting to come back on, and they've been cancelled. It's so frustrating too. We don't cable where we live, we have Netflix, and Hulu, so now I check and make sure how many seasons there is and if it still ongoing before we even start watching. :) Have a great week and enjoy your new books.

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    1. It's just such a let down to invest so much time and get involved in a show, just to have it end abruptly.

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  12. I'm happy to hear you had a lovely Thanksgiving, that turkey looks delicious ahah :)
    I hope you'll love Down and Across, it is one of my most anticipated reads for early 2018, I can't wait to read it :)
    Hope you'll have a lovely week! xx

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    1. Funny, I had totally forgotten about the First to Read program, and I saw a post from someone with a book they got through the program. I happened to go on right before the email went out and was able to reserve my copy with my points. Usually I am too late to get books from there, but I lucked out this time, and I am really interested in the book too. So, bonus!

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  13. That sounds like one tasty Turkey. Glad to hear you had a nice Thanksgiving.
    Good luck with training your new colleague at work. ;)
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. I hope my protege does me proud and catches on quickly.

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  14. That turkey looks amazing! Glad to heart your Thanksgiving went well. I wish I liked audiobooks more because I have the kind of office set up where I could listen to them easily, but I just can't get into them :( TV shows ended on major cliffhangers is one of my biggest pet peeves - I'm still not over how The Mysteries of Laura ended. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on Down and Across! Any book blurbed by Adam Silverais a book I need. Have a great week, Sam! :)

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    1. I cannot listen to all books on audio. I stick to contemporaries and primarily contemporary romances, because they are not as complicated or detailed as mysteries or SFF books.

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  15. I need a job where I can listen to audios! :) Good luck training the newbie! That Turkey looks great! I hate when they cancel a show with a cliffhanger! It makes me not even want to get invested in TV shows these days.

    Stormi
    Week in Reviews

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    1. I am pretty bitter about TV, and have not started any new shows this season. The only ones I will invest time in are sitcoms, because they don't have long term continuing storylines.

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  16. The Law of Moses looks awesome! And OMG I hate when shows end on cliffie's and we are left wondering what the heck happens next. It's so frustrating!! And wow that turkey looks delicious!
    Genesis @ <a href="http://lattenightsreviews.com/>Latte Nights Reviews</a>

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    1. I wish they let shows know they were being cancelled so they could wrap things up, or let them do a movie or something. I would be ok if they just wrote a short story and gave me an ending. I am a person who needs closure.

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  17. I have given up getting invested in TV shows. I hate cliffhangers.
    Now I am super interested in Preservation! It sounds interesting!! Have a great week!

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    1. Have you read the other Walsh books? They are all pretty great. I love series like this, where each sibling gets paired off. The family is really damaged too, due to their father and their mother's early death. I'm a fan. I think the first book is free on Amazon.

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  18. Mmm looks like a yummy turkey! Ours turned out pretty well too, although I do believe I will be tired of turkey soon lol. I'm not tired of the stuffing yet though. Nice to see that Hallmark is keeping the Christmas movies coming, I don't watch them much but it is nice to have them on once in a while, to get in the Christmas spirit.

    Stranger Things on Sesame Street?!? Wow. Cool. :)

    I need to get Let Me Lie and This Is Not The End.

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    1. Since we go to my sister's for the holidays, we don't have a ton of leftovers here (which is good). I think the allure of Thanksgiving is that we don't really eat turkey too often outside of that holiday. It makes the anticipation so much greater.

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  19. I hope you had a lovely long weekend! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I also loved Foolish Hearts! So happy to see that you enjoyed it. The book needs more love, in my opinion. :D Happy reading!

    Have a wonderful week, Sam. =)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. Foolish Hearts was so fabulous! I think the book will get a lot of love when it comes out. Mills has a good fanbase, and they seem very loyal.

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  20. I’m glad you had a good Thanksgiving. Hopefully the new person at work learns quickly. Have a great week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I am hoping it doesn't take the whole week. Fingers crossed.

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  21. That bird looks awesome. Glad you had a nice holiday. Looks like you got a bunch of books to keep you busy! Great haul.

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    1. I have so many books, and of course, all my library loans came through at the same time.

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  22. wow, what a great week-I like The Stocking Was Hung and the Jaci Burton book!! Have a great week!!
    https://httppopandbooks.blogspot.com/

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    1. I have read and enjoyed several Sivec books and am a HUGE Burton fan.

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  23. That series with no endings list just reopened the wounds these shows left me! Though, to me, the series the left me most intrigued and slightly traumatized with its cliffhanger "ending" was Kyle XY. It was the first unresolved series I unknowingly watched, it'll forever be in my heart :)

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    1. I am such a bitter TV viewer. I feel like the networks owe us something, even if it's just a YouTube of someone talking about how it would end, you know? Kyle was one of my faves! I seem to gravitate towards shows on ABC Family/Free Form, and oddly enough, I really like the SFF type shows, but they keep leaving me wondering how they ended. Stitchers is my most recent heartbreak from that channel, and of course, major cliffy!

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  24. I haven't watched Stranger Things either actually, I don't have much time to binge watch and spend that time watching The Walking Dead usually. One TV show I was pissed that they cancelled was Revolution. It was cancelled at the end of season two and no one knows what happened. I head they were going to make a few internet episodes to give fans closure but have never been able to find them.

    I'm still bitter.

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    1. I got sucked into Revolution too! I would take just about anything to get the closure I need. Web eps, short story, oral story on YouTube -- anything.

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  25. I listen to audiobooks at work too. Not everyday but for part of most days. I do watch Stranger Things but I am slow at TV so I am only on like episode #4 in season #1. That is a pretty turkey. I hope you had a great holiday!

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    1. I usually listen in the morning when things are quiet, people are just waking up, and it is usually slower with a lot less interaction. It has helped me keep up with my romances as I read the YA books for review.

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  26. Yay for being trusted to train someone. Boo for it meaning you can't listen to audiobooks. Hopefully whoever you're training will pick things up quick so you won't have to miss out on audiobooks for too long. I just had a look at the Popsugar reading challenge and you're right, it does look really hard. I made the mistake of doing that one a couple of years back and whilst I like being pushed to read different things that one took it a bit far. I do hope lots of reading challenges go up soon so I can start planning for next year. I have written my own reading challenge, it's basically a list of book prompts to help me pick up a few more books off of my shelves. Hopefully it will work otherwise I'm going to start writing out books I want to read and picking them out a jar.

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    1. My co-blogger did the jar thing, and it worked well for her. You should post your prompts. I love reading challenges, and am quite partial to the bingo style ones, but I also really like the year long ones. Prompts are good for me, but not when they are so difficult, that the challenge becomes a struggle.

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  27. I HATE that pitch was canceled. I LOVED that show and it seemed everyone else did too but I guess not :(( A Boy Like You by Ginger Scott is a book i'm wanting to read but haven't gotten to just yet. Same goes for It ends with us. Where is the time going?? lol!!! Great post as usual!

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    1. Pitch was so good. It was one of my faves last year, and my heart was broken. Can I tell you, I had no idea that was Mark Paul Gosselaar for more than half the season. Too many books, too little time. I turn around, and there are 50 more books I want to read, though probability is high I will read A Boy Like You since I own it.

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