WEEKLY UPDATES: LET’S IMMERSE OURSELVES IN 2016!

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn Weekly Updates

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Good morning! Today’s post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves, for weekly updates.

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

And let’s join Kathryn, our new leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at The Book Date.

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What a week!  There were some pretty big storms, beginning on Tuesday, and I made my way through the flooding streets to my youngest grandson’s 13th birthday party…it was just a small family gathering, but nice.  The power stayed on, thankfully.

I didn’t get as much reading done this week…three books read and reviewed, but they were each engaging and worth the read.

Next weekend, we are having another Bloggiesta event…a Mini-Bloggiesta, on 1/16 and 1/17.  Click the link for sign-ups!  Ole!

 

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On Thursday, I visited my daughter at her salon for my hair styling…and they offered a glass (or two) of Champagne to customers that day.  Yippee!

 

 

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LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Weekend Potpourri: The First of 2016

My Interior World: Finding My Balance

Here’s How I Chase Away the Blues….

Serendipitous Tuesday: “Flying Shoes”

Rainy Day Reading: Books & Movies

Curl up with “What Was Mine”

Bookish Friday: “A Long Time Gone”

Review:  The Black Widow (e-book), by Wendy Corsi Staub

Review:  The Swans of Fifth Avenue (e-book), by Melanie Benjamin (NetGalley – 1/26/16)

Review:  The Deep End (e-book, Country Club Murders #1), by Julie Mulhern

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AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

From Trish, at Between My Lines: A-Z Blogging Tips – B is for Balance

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INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

ONE review book in my mailbox…and two downloads I purchased.

The Good Liar, by Nicholas Searle (Amazon Vine)

 

 

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The Crossing Places (e-book), by Elly Griffiths

 

 

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Guaranteed to Bleed (e-book, Country Club Murders #2), by Julie Mulhern

 

 

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

Currently Reading:  The Opposite of Everyone, by Joshilyn Jackson

 

 

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Cherry, by Mary Karr

 

 

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Behind Closed Doors (e-book), by Elizabeth Haynes

 

 

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Secret Sisters (e-book), by Jayne Ann Krentz

 

 

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That was my week….what did yours look like?  Let’s all gather around with our caffeinated drinks or something more…and chat.

 

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106 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: LET’S IMMERSE OURSELVES IN 2016!”

      1. Hope you manage to do this. I had a good look through all my kindle and print books and spotted so many that I was excited about reading that it’s made me think about where I need to focus my attention this year. Hopefully it’ll help clear some of my TBR mountain too. Hope you have a good bookish week! 🙂

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    1. The year seemed to fly by, Annette, and here it is, with tax time looming again…LOL.

      Yes, the Champagne was nice…it hasn’t happened before for me there, but sometimes they have mimosas, which is kind of similar…LOL. Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. Glad the rain didn’t keep you from celebrating your grandson’s birthday. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Crossing Places. Hope you’re enjoying the weekend.

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    1. Thanks, Mary, I am really loving the Joshilyn Jackson book…I had almost forgotten how her writing pulls me into the story right away.

      I am eager to try Elly Griffiths, as I’ve been seeing her books everywhere. Enjoy your weekend, too.

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    1. Thanks, Grace, I loved the Champagne and hair styling…total pampering.

      The mug is one I got a few years ago at Barnes & Noble…and I found it stashed behind some other stuff in the cupboard when I was purging!

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  6. What a week you had! Our local region just went through some major flooding with 2 main highways being shut down. It was a mess! My immediate area was okay and I work 3 miles from my house so I was fine but I feel bad for everyone who had to deal with it.

    It looks like you picked up some new to me books. I have read Secret Sisters and really enjoyed that one. I look forward to all of your reviews!

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  8. Glad the rain wasn’t TOO bad although it sounds like you got drenched. We had a pretty easy week but the snow is coming tonight- lake effect and lots of it apparently, so it’s hibernation time LOL.

    Glad you liked The Deep End. I always smile when I see a review for that book as I enjoyed it so much. I can’t wait for the next one!

    Take care and have a nice week.

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  9. I love the look of some of your new books Laurel – in fact I need to make a note of quite a few of them!

    And your daughter’s salon looks beautiful. I used to go to a place that offered wine at evening appointments and it felt so decadent!

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    1. I love the ambience at the salon, and the people are so nice, helping out whenever anyone gets behind. The mimosas have been an occasional treat, but this was the first time I had Champagne there…LOL.

      Thanks for stopping by, Deborah, and I hope you enjoy the books you added to your list.

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  10. Fabulous books! I love Julie Mulhern, Elizabeth Haynes, Jayne Ann Krentz and I really want to read Elly Griffiths. She seems like an author I’d enjoy. Glad you weren’t washed away and had power for the birthday party! We had all our rain the week of Christmas but it was crazy! A glass of champagne sounds like a nice addition to getting your hair done! I wish my salon offered that. Have a great week!

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    1. Yes, it was lovely to have the Champagne…of course they don’t offer it every time, LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Katherine, and I am excited to be discovering new authors-to-me. Enjoy your week.

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  11. Some of the flooding has been awful, I hope you weren’t too hard hit Yay for champagne and pampering..i would endure going out in the cold for that!! Glad the reading was good, even if you didn’t get in as much as you would have liked.

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    1. Thanks, Kimberly, and it was a truly satisfying week of reading….and the flooding seems to dry up almost as fast as it arrives, which is not good for the drought…sigh. But easier to navigate the streets.

      I’m all for a day of pampering! Enjoy your week.

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  12. Sipping champagne while having your hair done sounds like the high life! And the floods have been awful here as well, lots of people were evacuated from their homes and your heart would go out to them. Thanks for including my blog post 😀
    I really like the look of Secret Sisters as it combines two of my fav themes – secrets and sisters!

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    1. Thanks, Trish, I love feeling spoiled once in a while…LOL. Our flooding mostly made it difficult to travel the streets, but now it’s better. I would hate having to evacuate….a few years ago, when living in a small town beneath the dam, we did have to evacuate for a few days. But the waters didn’t reach my house, which was on a hill.

      I hope to love Secret Sisters, too….and I always enjoy your posts, so you are welcome.

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  16. Literary Feline

    We were fortunate not to lose our power this past week either, although our neighbors across the park weren’t so lucky. I can see the sun now and some blue sky. Champagne and hairstyling! Sounds wonderful. I keep putting off getting my haircut. I’ve been hearing great things about Ellys Griffith. I haven’t read anything by her yet. I have The Opposite of Everyone and am looking forward to reading that one.

    I hope you have a great week! It’s about lunch time here. I imagine it’s time to think about what to eat . . .

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    1. I am lucky about the hair styling, as my daughter is my stylist….and she is zealous about scheduling me…she hated some of the styles I had before…LOL.

      Power outages are my least favorite thing…I’m sure nobody likes them. Thanks for stopping by, Wendy, and I hope you enjoy your week.

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  17. Wow, what a busy reading week! Thanks for sharing all the great books! Of course it makes my TBR list grow! And thanks for the reminder of Bloggiesta! I haven’t participated in the last year or two and I really need to do some blog maintenance. Have a great week!

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    1. Yes, it was the perfect amount to achieve a bit of balance for me. A day of pampering, with hair styling and Champagne…and I was a new “balanced” woman. LOL Thanks for stopping by, Laura, and enjoy your week.

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    1. Oh, you would love it, Nise…it helps to have my daughter there, which makes me feel like Queen for a Day…LOL.

      Thanks for the happy birthday to Noah…I still can’t believe he is a teenager now! Enjoy your week. Bloggiesta is the perfect time to catch up on things.

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  22. katarguelles

    We got a lot of rain too but it was nice to have dry days too. It is good to finally have some rain for this drought. I hope you enjoy all your new books and have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn, and I’m very glad to have some books to look forward to….plus, the pampering with hair styling and champagne was a nice way to make the week rosier…LOL.

      It seems like just the other day that my youngest grandson had his first birthday…..Have a great week!

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  28. Champagne and hairdo sounds like a good combination!
    I’m really intrigued by The Opposite of Everyone and the new Elizabeth Haynes. I’ve read two of her books, once I loved and the other not so much, but this one sounds like it could be my thing.
    Happy reading!

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    1. Yes, I stumbled upon Elizabeth Haynes with Into the Darkest Corner, and I’ve been a fan ever since. And Champagne was a wonderful touch that I needed that day….LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Marce, and have a great week.

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  36. Hopefully the rain will quiet down this week for you, I can totally relate after a month of record rain here in Oregon. We are getting some nicer, drier weather, which is a relief. Looks like you got some great books. I really want to read the Krentz one. Have wonderful week!

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  37. Kathy Martin

    I enjoyed Secret Sisters but it was a little different than her usual romantic suspense titles. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for visiting my blog. Happy reading!

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  38. Brandie

    Champagne?! I want to go to your salon! How fun!
    We had a lot of rain turned snow. Now the temps are negatives and I can’t get warm today!
    Sounds like a great time with family. 🙂 Enjoy your reads this week!

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    1. Thanks, Bea, and what I liked most about that number….they were each different from one another, but equally engaging. Of course, I love champagne at the hair dresser’s…and it’s also fun to go because my daughter is my stylist and we can catch up on gossip. LOL. My youngest grandson turning thirteen, however, makes me feel very old!

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  47. Teddyree

    With internet woes I couldn’t visit last week but you have a new blog look and I love it 🙂 Champers while getting your hair done … I like the sound of that! Have a great week and enjoy your new reads.

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  48. I’m glad the power stayed on for the birthday party, Laurel-Rain! It’s been raining a lot here, too, I was glad it was not raining just when I cycled to work and back again yesterday… No fun arriving at work drenched with rain water.
    I added your WOW book from last week to my kindle – What Was Mine – and I loved it, so thanks again for sharing it.
    Have a wonderful week and happy reading.

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