WEEKLY UPDATES: A GREAT WEEK!

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Good morning!  Today’s post will link up to Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post,  and Book Journey, for  Weekly Updates.

**Mailbox Monday is now hosted at the home site:  Mailbox Monday.

Good morning, Bloggers!  Grab some coffee (or a mimosa), and let’s talk about our weeks.

 

 

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Most of the week found me curled up and reading…and I did some blogging.  No movies, but I did enjoy watching my favorite TV shows, like The Good Wife, Stalker, Criminal Minds, and the lineup on Thursday:  Grey’s Anatomy, Mom, Two-and-a-Half Men, Parenthood, and How to Get Away with Murder.

It’s a good thing I have a DVR, since many of the shows are on at the same time.

Now that I’ve caught up on viewing, lets take a look at my week.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

From the Interior:  Reading Habits

Serendipitous Tuesday:  Intros/Teasers – “Five Days Left”

Waiting for “The First Wife,” a Thriller

My Bookish (and Not So Bookish) Thoughts:  Movies, Netflix, & More Books

Let’s Curl up with Book Beginnings/The Friday 56 – “The After Wife”

Creative Saturday:  It’s the Great Pumpkin!

Review:  Saving Grace, by Jane Green

Review:  Getting Even, by Sarah Rayner

Review:  The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion

Review:  Trail Mix (e-book), by Paulita Kincer

Review:  Five Days Left, by Julie Lawson Timmer

 

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

No review books came in the mailbox, but I did receive a book I purchased on Amazon.  I also downloaded FIVE e-books, as Sparky was pleading with me.

 

The Twilight Hour, by Nicci Gerrard

 

 

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From Goodreads:Eleanor Lee has lived a fiercely independent existence for over ninety years, but now it’s time to tidy her life away – books, photographs, paintings, letters – a lifetime of possessions all neatly boxed up for the last time. But amongst them there are some things that must be kept hidden. And, nearing blindness, Eleanor needs help to uncover them before her children and grandchildren do.

 

Downloads:

 

Lost Lake (e-book), by Sarah Addison Allen

 

 

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The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

 

That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

 

It’s a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing  Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

 

My Real Children (e-book), by Jo Walton

 

 

 

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It’s 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. “Confused today,” read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don’t seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev.

Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles?

 

 

The Comfort of Lies (e-book), by Randy Susan Meyers

 

 

 

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Five years ago, Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When she became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption.

Five years ago, Caroline, a dedicated pathologist, reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother.

Five years ago, Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him.

But when Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.

 

 

Ugly Love (e-book), by Colleen Hoover

 

 

 

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When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

 

Like Family:  Growing up in Other People’s Houses (e-book), by Paula McLain

 

 

 

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The first book by the author of the New York Times bestseller The Paris Wife is a powerful and haunting memoir of the years she and her two sisters spent as foster children. In the early 70s, after being abandoned by both parents, the girls were made wards of the Fresno County, California court and spent the next 14 years-in a series of adoptive homes. The dislocations, confusions, and odd pleasures of an unrooted life form the basis of one of the most compelling memoirs in recent years–a book the tradition of Jo Ann Beard’s Boys of My Youth and Mary Karr’sThe Liar’s Club.

*** I loved The Paris Wife, by this author, and selected this author’s journey through the foster care system, set in the city where I live and worked as a social worker.  The story will resonate with me.

 

 

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WHAT’S NEXT? (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

 

The Last Letter from Your Lover (e-book), by Jojo Moyes

 

 

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Into the Darkest Corner, by Elizabeth Haynes

 

 

 

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The After Wife, by Gigi Levangie Grazer

 

 

 

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Nora Roberts Land (e-book), by Ava Miles

 

 

 

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And that’s my week!  Past and upcoming, with all the delights you can find online and within the pages.  What was your week like?

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87 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: A GREAT WEEK!

  1. Can you believe I don’t have DVR? I should get it, especially since I’m watching TV more lately. Anyway I’ve been enjoying some shows and a few movies too lately… Lost Lake looks good, i remember seeing that one around a bit ago and always thought it sounded like a good read. Hope they’re all good ones, and have a nice week.

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    1. Thanks, Greg, and I have had a DVR for many years, but I recall that I was reluctant to get it. My daughter talked me into it…LOL. The new DVRs are better than the first ones they came out with…

      I think Lost Lake sounds good, too; I first read the author’s The Peach Keeper, and then I was sold and wanted more of her books.

      Like

  2. You’ve reminded me the next series of the Good Wife should be out on DVD soon. I came across this series while on a flight some years ago but it wasn’t available in the UK without a cable subscription so we have to rely on buying the series when they become available.

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    1. Oh, I hate when things are not available in some places….I would love to have the whole series on DVD. I have a few favorite shows that go back to the 80s…LOL. Does anyone remember Thirtysomething?

      Thanks for stopping by, Karen, and enjoy!

      Like

  3. Such a great selection of books! I haven’t read anything by Sarah Addison Allen yet but plan to soon, I love magical realism. And ohhhh Ugly Love, I plan to listen to that on audio soon. I just love everything by Colleen Hoover, she makes me feel every single emotion when I read her books.

    How do you fit in all those shows! I just watch one (an Irish crime fiction show which is fantastic!) but in general I just prefer to read in the evening. I do occasionally binge watch a show. I watched all of Game of Thrones in one weekend!

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    1. Oh, I think I am either reading or watching shows nonstop…my friends say I am now a hermit! LOL

      Sometimes it takes a while to watch everything…And this will be my first Colleen Hoover book…I have noticed her popularity, and although I don’t often read YA, I thought I’d give this one a whirl. Thanks for stopping by, Trish.

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  4. I don’t know what we’d do without DVR. It was a wonderful life enhancer during the recent election season. Just zipped right past all those terrible ads!
    I’m looking forward to your reviews. I hope you enjoy each one. Have a good week.

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    1. Oh, zipping through ads is my favorite thing! Sometimes when I watch a show online, though, I am dismayed that you can’t do any fast forwarding there!

      Thanks for stopping by, Mary, and enjoy your week, too.

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    1. I can’t wait to read The Twilight Hour, and at first I couldn’t find it on Amazon…it looked like it wasn’t available here, but then I found some sites where I could order it.

      And I am really loving TLLFYL. My first JoJo Moyes book was Me Before You; that one was good, but since then, I’ve enjoyed some of her others more.

      Thanks for stopping by, Catherine, and enjoy!

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  5. I just went back and read your post about reading habits. Like you, I did a purge last year but I still need to go back and do another one. I still have too many books. It’s good to have books on the shelves, sure, but if you’re not reading them – ever, then what’s the point of having them there?

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    1. Oh, I know…sigh. My resistance came from how much I love being surrounded by books…but how much is too much? Finding the balance is the key, I think. Thanks for stopping by, Bryan. Good luck with your next purge.

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  6. ondbookshelf

    I read Lost Lake, and the new one by Randy Susan Meyers. Liked them both, although didn’t love them. I’ve got The Last Letter From Your Lover on my tbr pile. Once I finished Me Before You I bought lots of Jo Jo Moyes books, so now I’m spacing them out 🙂

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    1. I have a few of hers still on Sparky…but I am mixing them up with other books. After reading Accidents of Marriage, I got more books by that author, too. I actually loved that one…something about it resonated with me.

      Thanks for visiting, Donna, and enjoy!

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  7. Into The Darkest Corner was a very thrilling read for me so I will be interested in hearing your thoughts when you finish! I’m working on bringing less books into my house and reading more off of my own shelves but it doesn’t always work the way I want it to 🙂 I hope you have a great week of reading! Happy Sunday!

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    1. I loved the Parenthood movie from years ago, so I was eager to see what Ron Howard would bring to the TV show. Loving it. This is the “farewell season.”

      Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne…and enjoy your books. I am also looking forward to Lost Lake.

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  8. swright9

    Oh my the Paula McLain memoir looks like a heartbreaker. Abandoned? How sad. I had a pretty good week: I saw the Interstellar movie and finished Mockingjay. Onwards now ….

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    1. I completely agree, and it feels like the story came chillingly close to home for me, as I was working as a social worker in Fresno County about the time she was in foster care there.

      I haven’t seen Mockingjay or Interstellar…not sure I want to…but I am looking forward to whatever new movies are coming. Thanks for stopping by, Susan.

      Like

    1. I can’t wait for tonight’s episode of The Good Wife…but then again, that’s how I feel every Sunday. I got Into the Darkest Corner at B & N, on the bargain table. Thanks for stopping by, Tracy.

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  9. I enjoyed The Twilight Hour more than I expected to… Keen to read the Elizabeth Haynes novel as am hearing good things about it!

    Am a fan of Criminal Minds and looking forward to How To Get Away With Murder which hasn’t started here in Australia yet.

    Deb

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  10. thebookdate

    The Nora Roberts Land looks interesting, I just clicked through to Amazon to have a look. Might give it a go. Will wait to see what you think. I loved Lost Lake, a little bit of magic I enjoy!

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  11. Oh, you watch Parenthood too. Joel and Julia are killing me this season! I really hope they reconcile.The Twilight Hour looks lovely. Hope you enjoy it! I’m a big Colleen Hoover fan and hope you enjoy Ugly Love. Happy reading!

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    1. Thanks, Lucy, and I’m sad that this is the “farewell season” for Parenthood, but the good news: they have to wrap up all those storylines. And I’m rooting for Joel and Julia, too.

      This will be my first foray into Colleen Hoover’s books. Glad you could stop by and that you enjoyed Ugly Love.

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  12. They keep advertising Stalker on tv here at the moment – I think it’s just starting on some channel I don’t have, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for the dvd. I quite like Dylan McDermott after seeing him on Hostages and American Horror Story.

    The Twilight Hour looks like a good read, and I’ve had to have a read of your Rosie Effect review as I finished the first book recently and found it really good. I must read the sequel soon.

    Have a great week!

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    1. I guess I’ll have to get an iPad someday! There are many things you can find there. Hope you get your DVR fixed, however…that is, if you do enjoy having it. LOL

      Thanks for visiting, Lucy, and enjoy your week.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah, and I stumbled upon the McLain memoir after reading an article in a magazine about Paula’s experiences in foster care. What struck me was that she was here, in our city, while I was working for the agency! I couldn’t pass it up.

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  13. Brandie

    I’m so happy to see Ugly Love on your list!! One of my favorite books of all time. 🙂 And Into the Darkest Corner is SO good. Hope you enjoy them both! Have a great week!

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  14. Your whole list looks interesting to me. I think you and I have similar interests in books and TV. I don’t have a DVR, so I must watch when a show is on or try to fit it in by watching online. I find it hard to read while the TV is on, so that is my excuse to not getting more books read…..my DH must have the TV on at all times! “sigh”

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  15. Pingback: Books That Caught Our Eye | Mailbox Monday

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