Sunday, February 11, 2018

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

Not much to say about this week. We got free lunch and breakfast twice at work, but my favorite thing was the extra jeans day we had to celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win. I work close to Philly, so it was a big deal. I was happy that they were happy.

I am so jealous of everyone at ALA. I hope to someday attend, but both locations this year were too far for me. *sad face* They are giving out some awesome books. So, if you were there, you were terribly lucky.

BUT, WLABB finally reached 400 followers on Bloglovin'. I was really happy about that.


Riveted has been revealing covers for later 2018 Simon Teen releases, and I know I was excited. And then there was this awesome announcement:
And if you're interested, you can read an excerpt for Love & Luck
And did you see this!!!!
Yeah, I am 28 years old based on this quiz (I am totally not 28), which guesses your age based on your taste in books.

On the Blog:
STACKING THE SHELVES

There were a LOT of really good sales this week, so I nabbed to Swoon Reads titles and the next Game On book. My free romance read this month is a Penny Reid book, and since I have been skipping around the series, I hadn't read this one yet, so I was excited.

Bought/Free

My streak continues! I got approved for another one of my Can't-Wait Wednesday picks. I am sticking with my theory, that you ask and the universe answers. I got a ton of great romance this week too, and it seems appropriate as this is the month of love. Is anyone else getting "wish" books they didn't wish for? I know, at times, I can click a lot on NG, but it just doesn't sound like the kind of book I would read. I don't know.

ARCs

My two Goodreads giveaway books came this week. Both look great, but I am most excited about Kissing Games, because I had read and loved the first book so much. The print is painfully small in this book, so I may have to suck it up and wear my reading glasses. ðŸ™„

Won
A post shared by Sam Kozbial (@kozbisa) on

What I Read Last Week

I went hard on the audiobooks this week. All three were so much fun, I just found myself listening to them for longer and longer periods of time. A nice mix of books this week, but my favorite was an oldie: Flipped.
  • After the Kiss by Lauren Layne (audiobook): I have had a lot of success with Lauren Layne books, and I absolutely loved this one too. I laughed so much, and absolutely adored these two together. I will definitely continue this series. ★★★★
  • Flipped by Wendell Van Draanen: This book was really popular when my daughter was in middle school, and I am sure we owned it at one point, but I had never read it. Well, I am glad I finally did, because this was all sorts of wonderful adorableness. It was a total feel-fest, and I was able to forgive the ending, because the rest of the book was so fabulous. I am going to be watching the film though, because I know they will give me a real ending. ★★★★ 1/2
  • Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson (audiobook): I have read quite a few Gibson books, but only one from this series. After seeing Nereyda talking about this book, I thought I would give it a try. It was like a check list of things I love - hockey, second chance romance, cute little kid. This winning combination had me smiling and laughing and there was a bunch of swooning too. ★★★★
  • Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella: I am a total Kinsella fangirl, and was very excited to read this book. I can say, she did not disappoint me. This book had a lot of Kinsella's signature elements: humor, warmth, quirky characters, but it was also a little heavier than her other books, which, well surprised me. In the end, I was left with a smile and warm heart, so, Kinsella did her job. ★★★★ 
  • Dear Isaac Newton, You're Ruining My Life by Rachel Hruza: This was a charming middle grades tale about a girl who's life was thrown out of balance, when she had to start wearing a back brace. Keeping this secret took it's toll on her, but it also helped her grow and see people and herself in a new way. ★★★ 1/2
  • Reed by Sawyer Bennett (audiobook): I love me some Cold Fury men, and this one was such a delight. I think this was the lowest drama Cold Fury book ever. It was mostly fun and sexy and I absolutely love the hero and heroine. I liked the BIG way Bennett introduced the next book in the series too. I am so ready for Marek's story. ★★★★
  • Dealing Double by Tamra Baumann: Baumann always delivers a good rom-com. This one made me smile and laugh, and I was really happy to see Jake get his HEA. ★★★★
  • The Precious Dreadful by Steven Parlato: I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one, but I enjoyed what I got. This was a mystery with a paranormal touch, but what really won me over was the main character, Teddi. I immediately fell in love with her, and was totally invested in her story's outcome. ★★★★




























What I Am Currently Reading

I am currently reading a #2017Throwback book, Moxie. This was one of my anticipated reads last year, and I am happy to finally be getting to it. I am in the middle of listening to another Rachel Gibson book. Me + Hockey + Romance is always good.

What I Plan to Read

I am really excited to finally read Flight Season. Marquardt bowled me over with The Radius of Us and I am excited to see what she has in store for me in her new book. I am hearing a lot of great buzz for Where I Live and that has me thinking it will be a fabulous read for me.









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

46 comments:

  1. Congrats on the followers! And I hear you on ALA- I hope to go one year too. I considered going to NOLA this June but it's so far for me. And there's a Love and Gelato sequel coming? YES!!

    I thought Queens of Geek was pretty good, and Flipped just looks cute.
    Where I Live does look good.

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    1. Both ALA locations were so far away, though, both were places I would someday like to visit, but you know, money.

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  2. Yay for getting stuff at work. And awesome on reaching 400 followers on bloglovin, that is exciting. It sucks you can't go to ALA but when it's far to get to there's not much you can do but sit and be a little jealous on social media. I can't believe there's a sequel to Love & Gelato when I've not even read that yet. I also did that quiz and I'm 28 which I'm a little offended by since I'm actually 26, I don't need a quiz ageing me when I already act like a grandma in her 20s.

    You've read and gotten so many good books this week! I got a lot of romance too and I do think it's because it's Valentine's and so my brain is convinced it should be craving romance. I am happy you're reading Moxie. It's a girl power book for me. I didn't love everything about it but what I did love was the strong feminist message.

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    1. I mean, they keep showing pictures of the KWest book 😭, and I don't want to go to BEA because of the way they raised the prices so much for bloggers. Wow! You got a higher shelf-age, and I am almost the same age as my child.

      I have been very lucky with romance approvals considering I have a YA blog, but hey, I'm not complaining. I love to read my romances. Moxie is fabulous. I have about 50 pages left (it takes me longer to read physical books).

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  3. Free food? That sounds awesome! =P Also, congratulations on reaching 400 followers on Bloglovin.

    I'm dying to read Moxie. I hope you enjoy your new books Sam.

    Happy readings! ;)
    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

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    1. I love Mathieu and this book has a great message, which is also really timely. I worked in a high school for 12 years, so I really understand a lot of the things the character is sharing with us.

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  4. Oh sounds like a good week at work with free food and jeans days!! Congrats on 400. Looks like a lot of great books you got this week and a lot of great books read. Have a great week!

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    1. I must say, they do treat us well at my job, and after being treated like garbage as an educator for over a decade, it is a really welcomed change of pace.

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  5. OOoh nice new reads! Some totally new to me ones here! I hope you enjoy each and every one of them!

    Here's my STS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  6. 400! Awesome!! Congratulations!!
    Oh, you're totally 28 inside xD I don't even doubt it, from how much I know you :D your heart is definitely 28!
    And I bet it would peg me as 40 xD in fact, let me do the quiz :D I'm just so curious... Oh! The link doens't work :( well now I'm just curious about myself xD

    Oh, that's an awesome win, congrats :)

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    1. Glad I copied the link from the BuzzFeed "copy link" icon. I went old school and updated it (I test it too. Thanks for letting me know)

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  7. I wish we had dress-down days at work! I'm really looking forward to Surprise Me, Sophie Kinsella is such a great author!

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    1. I want jeans every day at work. We don't have clients on-site, so why not? I absolutely love Kinsella! She is one of my faves, and never fails to make me smile.

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  8. 400 seems a mighty number from where I stand. Congrats. Your stacks are HUGE and I am jelly already! Great week <3

    Gayathri @ Elgee Writes

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    1. it's been a slow climb, but I am pretty happy with WLABB's growth over the past year. Sometimes I do a little happy dance when I get a new ARC approval. I feel really lucky.

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  9. Ahhh congratulations on 400 followers on bloglovin', what an amazing accomplishment <3
    I saw the news about this new Raven Boys short story and I AM EXCITED, I can't wait to read it!
    I hope you will love Queens of Geek, I LOVED this book so much when I read it! :D
    Have a lovely week! xx

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    1. I have been wanting to read Queens of Geek, but I have very strict book buying rules (because I have SOOOO many books to read), but the price was right. I am excited to read it, and more Raven Boys? Yes, please!

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  10. Thanks for the heads-up on the Raven Cycle short story! 😱

    I love the covers of the Love and Gelato books. 📚

    Have a fabulous week and congratulations on your Bloglovin' followers! 💜


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    1. My relationship with Twitter is improving as I mute/unfollow more people, and it is a good place to get bookish info. That's where I get a lot of good info (like Stiefvater's announcement). Thanks! The growth is slow, but I am really happy about it.

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  11. Jeans, followers and approvals yeah for an awesome week!! Congrats :)

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  12. It is always excited to hit a milestone with followers. I am able to wear jeans to work every day...which is one of the reasons that I haven't looked for anything else :) Lots of new books this week! I haven't had a book show up on my shelf that I didn't wish for...at least I don't think so. I always just assume that I must have clicked the button. Have a great week!

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    1. My goal is to find a job where I either get to wear jeans every day or I can work from home.

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  13. Congrats on 400! OMG you read so many books this week! That's amazing!

    Also, holy guacamole! I got "22" on the quiz and I'm 22!!! That's probably the third time Buzzfeed has been correct (out of like 4579843579485 quizzes I've taken). LOL!

    I hope you enjoy all of your new books! Have a fantastic week, Sam. =)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. A lot of people were getting good results from that quiz. I am just an anomaly.

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  14. Congrats on the 400 followers! Hope you have a lovely weekend!

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays and Cover Spotlight!

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  15. Congrats on 400 bloglovin followers. That is pretty amazing! ALA was way too far away for me to consider. I also missed Winter Institute this year which would have been nice since it is run by American Booksellers Association and was probably full of awesome things I need to know. I will be going to BookExpoAmerica this year. That's in New York, so it's not too far from me. Are you going?
    You always get so much read, I am so envious. You got some good looking books this week. Congrats on your Goodreads wins!
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. I usually go to BookCon and have been to BEA, but they hiked that price up a lot after Chicago, and I won't know if my daughter will be able to go with me, because it's so close to the end of grad school, and who knows where she will be working/living. I want to go to something this year though.

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  16. I'm so excited Opal!!!! I got 22 - definitely older than that but I'll take it! :)

    By the way, I think Throw Your Arm Across Your Eyes and Scream by Christian McKay Heidicker looks awesome!

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    1. I had no idea we would be getting more Raven Cycle stories, so I was overjoyed!

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  17. I did ALA for the first time last year, and I'd love to go again. I hope you can make it sometime. New Orleans this summer would be great, but sigh...too far away. I do want to visit NOLA at some point!!

    Oh wow, that's awesome David Arnold's book was optioned!! I saw the cover/summary but didn't see that part.

    I'm SO excited about that Raven Cycle short story - so much love for Adam and Ronan. :)

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I am excited to revisit the Raven Cycle world, and what a better pair to do it with. I loved Arnold's last two books and cried when I was rejected for the DRC for his newest book, but I am still really excited to read it.

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  18. So many awesome books you got!!! Yay! And congrats on 400 BL followers! Super awesome :)

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    1. Yes, the book gods were good to me once again, and I finally broke 400 on BL. I hope to get to 500 this year, but I won't hold my breath.

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  19. Congrats on reaching 400 followers on Bloglovin'! I can't wait to see what you think of Moxie since that is still on my TBR as well. And a big yay for extra jeans days at work. Somehow that just always makes my work days better. Hope you have a great week!

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    1. Moxie lived up to all the hype and raves. I loved it!

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  20. Talk about a great week! I've been really, really interested in Moxie, it sounds so, so fabulous and I hope you love it! I haven't yet gotten around to Love & Gelato but I'm excited for Love & Luck already! AND ALSO thank you for bringing Opal on my radar, I can't imagine how I missed it but I'm so stoked! MORE RONAN OMG YES PLEASE! OH, and I'm a huge SOphie Kinsella fan too and I can't wait to pick Surprise Me up!
    Hope you have an even better week ahead! <3

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    1. Moxie totally lived up to the hype. So glad I finally read it. I know! More Ronan!!!! I love this fangirl moment we are having (sorry it took so long to respond, I just found this comment in my spam - I have no idea why)

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  21. Thanks for reminding me about Love and Luck! I saw that tweet from EW and forgot to add the book to my tbr! The Art of French Kissing looks really cute! Can't wait to hear how it is. :)

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    1. The Art of French Kissing caught my eye and sounds fun. I haven't read anything from the author, but I am interested.

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  22. Congrats on 400 followers! Also, yay on double jeans day! I need to read Love and Gelato ASAP! Have a great week!

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    1. I was hoping they would do some sort of jeans thing for Valentine's day, but it's not looking good, BUT they are giving us some kind of surprise. So, I have that to look forward to.

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  23. Free breakfast, free Lucy, extra jeans day... sweet! I’ve had zero appetite lately from being sick so the free meals would have been lost on me but the extra jeans day would be awesome. Ugh, printed books with small print... something that never used to be an issue for me. Hope it works okay with your reading glasses. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I used to be so anti-audio book. LOL

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    1. I hate being sick! I hope you are feeling better, but hey, no appetite would be good for me. I could stand to diet. I never thought I would like audiobooks, but it was because I needed to find the ones that worked for me and I didn't realize when I would be able to listen to them.

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