Good morning! Today’s post will link up to Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post, Book Dragon’s Lair, for Mailbox Monday, and Book Journey, for What Are You Reading?
What a week! Many distractions, including renewing my driver’s license, which involved going into the DMV for the first time in many years, and taking a written exam! No worries…I passed. But I hate the process…I like the interim years when I just have to mail back the form.
I took out some of my anxiety on the furnishings…and rearranged some things.
I had a great day today, enjoying the fall breezes and luxuriating with my book at Barnes & Noble. Sometimes it feels good to take a break from reading at home.
LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:
Monday Potpourri: Slogging Through
Tuesday Sparks: Intros/Teasers – The Whole Golden World
Hump Day Potpourri: That Restless Feeling
Serendipitous Fridays: Book Beginnings & The Friday 56
Weekend Potpourri: Seasonal Touches & Bookish News
Review: Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan (Mt. TBR Challenge)
Review: Big Girl Panties, by Stephanie Evanovich
Read: The Thunderbird Conspiracy, by R. K. Price (Review will be up on 10/25 @ Rainy Days & Mondays)
INCOMING BOOKS: (Linked to Amazon)
I downloaded one e-book!
Thursday Morning Breakfast (and Murder) Club, by Liz Stauffer
UPCOMING WEEK ON THE BLOGS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
Sinnerman, by Jonathan M. Cook (Review & Guest Post on 10/16 and10/17 @ Rainy Days and Mondays)
The Whole Golden World, by Kristina Riggle (Amazon Vine Review)
Two Sisters, by Mary Hogan (Amazon Vine Review)
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (Mt. TBR Challenge)
Murder at Castle Rock (e-book), by Anne Marie Stoddard (Review book: still reading)
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You got a nice mix of books.
Renewing your license, not much fun, but at least it’s done for now. 🙂
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Thankfully, yes! And now I’m especially savoring my reading time. Glad you could stop by, Bea.
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I love your coffee cup!
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Thanks, Harvee….there are large plates, too, with that same scene on them. They make me feel cheerful. Enjoy your week!
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Such a fun mix of books you’re reading. It is fun to take a break from reading at home and relax in a new place for a bit. I dread the thought of having to renew my license. Our state has changed things so it’s like starting all over again no matter how long you’ve had your license.
Oh, I’m with Harvee. I love your coffee cup. I’m terrible about buy single cups just because they make me smile. Have a great Sunday.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
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I do have a collection of “single mugs,” but this one is actually part of a set that I kept forgetting to use because of my obsession with the Coca Cola dinnerware (which I gave to my daughter).
Thanks for stopping by, Mason…and I was terrified that somehow I would miss too many questions on the quiz…even though I studied all the practice exams online! But the thought of not being able to drive, after all these years, had me in knots!
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I enjoyed Eat Pray Love the movie, so I’m definitely interested in checking out the book. Can’t wait to see what you thought about it!
SP & STS
Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
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I am curious, since I did enjoy the movie…but some people didn’t like the book. Now I have waited such a long time to read it, too, so I’m hoping to like it.
Thanks for stopping by, Sandy, and enjoy your week.
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I don’t going to the DMV, I drove around for a week on an expired license last year. Forgot all about that it expired on my birthday. Opps. Out here is Tennessee go by your birthday and age. So it was just a reminder of how old I am. :Lol . Enjoy the new books. 🙂
Jenea @ Books Live Forever’s Sunday Post
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Knowing that I had to renew on or before my birthday this year was like an axe hanging over my head…especially once I got the notice that I also had to take the written exam. I haven’t had to do anything except paperwork for so many years that it was inevitable that the “reprieve” would end. Eventually we have to go in.
Thanks for stopping by, Jenea….enjoy your week.
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(Mind if I stick to tea? I love the smell of coffee, but it doesn’t agree with me.) You always review such interesting-looking books! The Whole Golden World looks good.
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Thanks, Lark…and I am loving The Whole Golden World. Almost finished, which tells you how much of a page turner it is. I really didn’t want to sleep last night.
And yes, of course you may stick to tea! LOL
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Nice haul! My fingers are itching to download Thursday Morning Breakfast and Murder Club. Hope you enjoy Eat, Pray, Love as much as I did. Great book and movie. Happy reading!
My Sunday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/10/sundays-weekly-book-recap-39.html
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Oh, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love….some readers didn’t. But isn’t that the way with anything even slightly unconventional? Like The Whole Golden World…I can see mixed reviews on it because of the controversial topic. Like Picoult’s books.
Thanks for visiting, Catherine, and enjoy your week.
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You had a very busy but productive week last week! I spent the day at the DMV the week before getting one child his license and the other her permit. Although I was there for longer than makes me happy, I’ve been congratulating myself on doing it all in one fell swoop so as to maximize my DMV day. 😉
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I like the way you think, Kristen…I always like “killing two birds with one stone.”
For my trip, I made an appointment at the least busy DMV office around, even though it meant driving miles more than I would like….and I was in and out in less than an hour!
Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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Hi Laurel-Rain,
I am hoping that by the time I need to renew my driving licence, the system may have changed and it will all happen automatically … don’t rate my chances much!
I love a good hot mug of black coffee, so your mug looks inviting as it is just about the right size and shape (I can’t stand really thick china). The tray is also delightful, much more so than the battered one I continue to use, although we do have plenty of nicer ones.
I love almost all your featured books this week, although if I have to be good and pick just one, it will have to be ‘Thursday Morning Breakfast Club’ and if I am not so good and allow myself two, ‘Murder At Castle Rock’, to go along with it! …. Good or Bad, I’ll let you decide which I have chosen!
Have a great week,
Yvonne
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Your choices do look good….and I, too, love the mug. My Coca Cola trays are starting to show wear, but I’ll keep using them. Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne, and I do like that we can sometimes go a few years before having to reappear at the DMV.
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I do enjoy hanging at Barnes & Noble sometimes and just reading… nice way to relax. Looking forward to your review of The Thunderbird Conspiracy, curious about that one.
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Thanks for stopping by, Greg…and I like the scent of coffee that gives the shop that extra ambience. Even though I use Starbucks at home, it isn’t quite the same.
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I never got around to reading eat pray love but I have heard great things about it. Happy reading
Michelle @ Book Briefs
My Sunday Post
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Mine has been sitting on my stacks for three years! Thanks for stopping by, Michelle, and enjoy your week.
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I love reading outside my home, you can really relax without jumping up and down to do something every few minutes.
Two Sisters looks good and your mug and tray are fab.
Happy reading 🙂
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Thanks, Michelle…I think reading at the coffee shop feels a little like being on vacation. Enjoy your week.
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The Whole Golden World and Two Sisters both look interesting and like the type of book I’d normally enjoy.
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I already finished The Whole Golden World…couldn’t put it down! Now I’m reading Two Sisters…enjoy your week, Shoshanah, and thanks for visiting.
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I have a couple years yet before I have to go in and renew. 🙂
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I wonder how many years I’ll get before it’s up for renewal again? Last time, it was a long period…thanks for visiting, Voracious Reader.
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I like to read at coffee shops too- somehow I get more reading done when I’m not distracted at home. Love the look of The Whole Golden World. Have a great week!
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Thanks, Lucy…and I think of reading outside the house as like a little vacation. As you said, no distractions. At home I am reminded of things that I need to do! lol
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It’s been a long time since I read at a coffee shop, but I used to love doing that. Enjoy your week!
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Thanks, Yvonne….I do more reading at B & N lately, since I live right around the corner from it. Hope you have a great week, too.
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Eat Pray looks good, hope you enjoy!
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So do I, Brandileigh….it has certainly taken me long enough to get to it! Have a great week.
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You had to take a quiz??? Glad you passed. I had to go renew my license in person when I turned 50, but did not have to take a quiz. Now I get 8 years of renewal by mail, unless I get in an accident. I have good intentions of reading away from home, but more often than not, I get distracted by people watching. Have a great week.
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Yes, I coasted for years renewing by mail, but I must have hit some pivotal decade (LOL); the test was short, but I was anxious anyway. There are practice tests online that I went over, but at the actual test, there were three questions that hadn’t shown up. So it’s probably better to also study the manual!
Luckily, I didn’t have to drive. I have a good driving record, but I’ll bet that will come up when I hit a really high age range.
Thanks for stopping by, Nise….and I also people watch, but usually when I am reading at an outdoor cafe.
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I liked Eat Pray Love — the book. I haven’t seen the movie, but you reminded me to put it in my queue. Thanks!
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Yes, I am eager to see how the book compares to the movie. Thanks for stopping by, Joy, and enjoy your week.
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I do so like your mix of genres. Enjoy them all.
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Thanks, Mystica…I do like to mix things up….less boredom, and the reads seem to go faster. Enjoy your week.
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I would hate to have to sit a written test again for my driver’s licence! Would need some heavy swotting. All books are unknown to me, they do look interesting.
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It really consumed my weeks before the test, because I was terrified. And I’m usually a good test taker…but the consequences are dire. Not driving? Unimaginable.
The online practice tests helped.
Thanks for stopping by, Kathryn, and enjoy your week.
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A written exam? Really? And that’s going to weed out those of us who can’t see as well as we used to and shouldn’t be driving?! I don’t think so!
Here’s my It’s Monday!
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Oh, I also had to take a visual exam….my bad! When I was there, I saw an elderly man with a cane, who had just taken a driving test. That’s probably what will happen next for me! lol
Thanks for visiting, Deb, and have a great week.
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I could not stand Eat Pray Love but I am giving The Signature of all Things a go this week
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I have read some negative reviews of Eat Pray Love…probably why it sat on my stack for so long! Thanks for stopping by, Shelleyrae…and enjoy your week.
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Exams, yuck. Enjoy your books – that Barnes and Noble looks fun to read and browse in!
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It is, Sam….and so cozy. It is sometimes hard to find a nice table, as many people have the same idea. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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I love the cover on Two SIsters – hope you enjoy all the books Laurel
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Thanks, Diane….I wasn’t sure I’d like Two Sisters, as I’d read a couple of negative reviews on Goodreads…but so far so good. Have a great week!
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I’ve had driver’s licenses in several different states and have only taken 1 written test. I wonder if I could pass one at this point. lol I can understand why you’re glad that’s over! Enjoy your new books!
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I wasn’t sure I would, Kathy, as it had been years…but they have practice tests online, which I used. There is also a manual which I didn’t look at, but probably should have, as some new laws have passed in recent years (about smoking in the car with minors). Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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I still need to read Eat, Pray, Love and I refuse to see the movie until I read it…hopefully one of these days! Two Sisters and The Whole Golden World both sound very interesting…I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts on them.
Have a great week!
~Kristin @ Always With a Book
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I LOVED The Whole Golden World and I’m enjoying Two Sisters so far.
I shouldn’t have seen the movie before reading the book…that is probably why the book sat on the stacks so long. I figured I already knew the book…lol. Thanks for visiting, Kristin, and enjoy your week.
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You’ve certainly been a busy reader! Enjoy your new book and have a great week! 🙂
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Thanks, Anna, and I hope you enjoy yours, too. Glad you could stop by.
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Hope you enjoy your new books!
Here is my post
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Thanks, Gautami…and I’m glad you could stop by. Enjoy your week!
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I can’t wait for your review of The Whole Golden World; it is on my wishlist-shortlist. I read a book by the author last year and enjoyed it. Glad you got over the DMV thing. Actually I don’t enjoy any government offices, including Social Security too. So much pressure, I feel like I’m back in school 🙂
Glad you had a good week. Don’t you love reading a book in a bookstore. Just something about that experience. Have fun this week with those interesting books!
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Thanks for visiting, Rita…I LOVED The Whole Golden World, and I reviewed it here on this blog….hope you enjoy it, too.
Yes, I am pretty disgusted with most “government” offices, etc., and hope that other issues get settled this week. I am worried about getting one of my checks if they don’t approve the debt ceiling in time.
I do love reading in the bookstore….although our old B & N was even better, with a loft-like cafe.
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Looks like a very good week for you. ENJOY this week too.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
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Thanks, Elizabeth…enjoy your week, and I’m glad you could stop by!
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Great week and great haul! I have to be honest, I didn’t really enjoy Eat, Pray, Love. I’ll be curious to see what you think of it. 🙂
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I have seen very mixed reactions to Eat, Pray, Love…I hope I don’t hate it, but I’m prepared. Thanks for stopping by, Chelsea.
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Because of my accident I no longer have to renew a driver’s license but to vote I need an ID Card and now I need to change the address on it which means another visit to the DMV 🙂
Happy Reading!!
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Good luck at the DMV, Lori….thanks for stopping by!
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I hope the downloaded book is a good one – love the title!
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Oh, so do I, Mary…I can read it for my Cozies Challenge…I need a couple more books to finish that one. Enjoy your week!
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I enjoyed Eat Pray Love and I liked the movie too, book won though lol. Two Sisters caught my eye, hope it’s a goodie. Have a great week and happy reading 🙂
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Oh, glad to hear it, Teddyree…I am amazed at some of the horribly negative reviews…but the larger numbers were positive. The negative ones were kind of mean, which turned me off. Thanks for stopping by, and I did enjoy Two Sisters. I wasn’t sure about that one in the beginning, but then I loved it.
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I did not make it through Eat, Pray, Love but I did enjoy the movie. I also have Gilbert’s new book on my wishlist. A written driving test would cause me a bit of stress after so many years. I’m glad it is behind you! Have a great week!
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That written test had me obsessing about all the ways I might mess up! Luckily, I also did some practice review tests…and passed. But I don’t like that kind of stress.
So far, I haven’t read much of Eat, Pray, Love…it doesn’t seem to fly by quickly. Maybe I’ll like it more later? Thanks for stopping by, Beth.
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I had to laugh when I saw Eat, Pray, Love for the Mt. TBR Challenge. I still have a copy sitting unread on my shelf too!
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Oh, I know, Leslie…I probably shouldn’t have seen the movie first…it then felt as though I didn’t need to read the book. Thanks for stopping by!
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