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 leader in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, at Book Date.
Another week of blogging and reading, and a lovely surprise came yesterday when I Skyped for an hour-and-a-half with my eldest son in Prague. Usually we chat for an hour, at least, but this lengthy conversation was so much fun. And he had the video on, so I could see the apartment he and Gabi have chosen. They hope to eventually get a house as lovely as the cottage they had in Berlin, but in time.
You just can’t catch up in e-mails and text messages like you can with a real conversation. Okay, it would be more fun in the same room, sitting around with drinks and food and watching Netflix…but it works!
My reading went completely off track this week, but in a good way. I grabbed only one of my listed books, but three more were added. Books on my shelves that I had hoped to read next week, perhaps. I have finished reading and reviewing three of them, and I’m now
almostfinished with the fourth one. I now have completed 42 books for the Read the Books You Buy Challenge.Today I am eagerly awaiting the mail for my new carpet cover…the one currently under my desk chair is falling apart! However, the Post Office is only open until two…and I suspect that they won’t have it ready by the time they close. But I’m still crossing my fingers.
LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:
Sunday Potpourri: Unexpected Happenings
Tuesday Sparks: Excerpting “The Melody Lingers On”
Let’s Curl up with My Book Buying/Reading
Hump Day Reading: Current, Past, & Future Picks
Bookish Thursday #22: Serendipitous Moments
My Interior World: Checking My Balance
Bookish Friday: “Mystic Summer”
Saturday Sparks: My Family & My Nest
Review: All Is Not Forgotten (e-book), by Wendy Walker (NG-7/12)
Review: Dear Carolina (e-book), by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Review: Paris Runaway (e-book), by Paulita Kincer (Author Review Request)
Review: Death at Breakfast (e-book), by Beth Gutcheon
***
AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE:
Check out Kimberly’s Caffeinated Confessions: Why I Never Change My Original Rating of a Book.
***
INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
One lovely review book came in the mailbox…from Vine. Then I received a download from NetGalley. Yay! Then I got my Kindle First freebie from Prime…and could not stop there. I purchased three downloads.
Falling, by Jane Green (Amazon Vine)
***
Leave Me (e-book), by Gayle Forman (NetGalley – 9/6)
***
Kindle Prime:
Everything We Keep (e-book), by Kerry Lonsdale
***
Purchases:
The Girl You Lost (e-book), by Kathryn Croft
***
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake (e-book), by Amy E. Reichert
***
They May Not Mean To, But They Do (e-book), by Cathleen Schine
***
WHAT’S UP NEXT? (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)
I still plan to read Flight Patterns...soon. And I started My Husband’s Wives yesterday, only to set it aside for Death at Breakfast…
So, it will be another week dictated by my moods.
***
Let’s grab some coffee and chat about books. What did your week look like?
***
The Girl You Lost gets my vote but the others look interesting too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Cleo, I have been eager to read this one after enjoying The Girl with No Past. Have a great week!
LikeLike
Most of these books are on my list! Good picks. Happy Reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Heather, and I hope to find just the right mix to suit my moods this week. Enjoy your reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How nice you got to Skype with your son! I’ve only used Skype a few times but it is nice to be able to talk face to face- definitely better than just email or whatever. If you can’t be together it’s the next best thing. And my reading was off track this week too- I just didn’t make time for it. I did finish a book though, so not a total loss. 🙂
I also got sucked back into Netflix… finished up Marcella and started a few new. Just when I get caught up they add more shows!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t really landed on anything new on Netflix since I finished Marcella….I start a series and then get distracted.
Skype is challenging with the nine-hour time difference, so it was a rare event that happens too seldom.
Thanks for stopping by, Greg, and I hope to finally discover another Netflix series this weekend…hopefully.
LikeLike
Death at Breakfast has a great cover. Hope you enjoy all your goodies and are having a great weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sherry, I am feeling grateful…and planning a quiet day today.
LikeLike
Great book haul. It’s awesome that you got to talk to your son. I love being able to see people when I talk to them. It’s more personal than email or the phone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, AJ…although I seldom turn on the webcam on my end, as I’m up early and not looking my best…lol.
I love hearing his voice and seeing him, though.
I am loving the book haul…and thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
You can’t beat Skype or FaceTime for keeping in touch with family – my husband is from the states so we do this regularly” I even do my meetings this way now…so much better than teleconferences. I will definitely be buying the new Kathryn Croft book, can’t wait for your review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Emma, I’ve never done Facetime…something to consider, I guess. Enjoy your week, and I’m looking forward to the Croft book, too.
LikeLike
Yes sometimes texts and emails aren’t enough. That is great you got to skype for so long! I am really interested to see what you think of Falling. I have Leave Me and am excited for it. Have a great week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am excited about both Falling and Leave Me. I’m glad they are review books, since I’ll need to read them soon. Yay! Thanks for stopping by, Grace, and enjoy your week. I definitely enjoyed my Skype time.
LikeLike
That is great you were able to Skype with your son. My parents live 2 hours away but we talk FaceTime on my iPhone and it is nice to see each other as if we were in the same room. I hope you enjoy The Coincidence of Coconut Cake because I loved it. Have a great week and happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
When my son and DIL were here last summer, my DIL frequently spent time Skyping with her family in the Czech Republic.
I hope to love The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, too…if I can stop drooling over the coconut! lol
Thanks for visiting…and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
Nice collection of books this week. It must be so nice to talk to your son. I completely agree that you can’t connect in texts and emails the same way you can in a person to person conversation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Whitney, and it is such a rare event to Skype with my son lately, due to his schedule and the nine hour time difference.
I plan to enjoy all of these books! Have a great week.
LikeLike
Isn’t Skype wonderful!? And great book haul! Looks like you have a lot to enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, it is, Samantha! When I first got it, there was no video…now it is just like being in the room with the person.
I am loving the book haul! Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting.
LikeLike
I love Skype/FaceTime. They are so handy. My son stayed with my parents Friday night for our anniversary and we FaceTimed. He loves it 🙂
You picked up some good books this week. Hope you enjoy!
Here’s my Sunday Post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lillian, I do love my book haul, too…and so enjoyed my Skype time. Have a great week!
LikeLike
My goodness what a great haul! You clearly have had a great week – and I know what you mean about the joy of skyping – I regularly talk to my mother and sister via skype and it keeps us in close touch. Yes, I think you’d love Woman of the Hour, too. It’s not any kind of thriller, but an ensemble piece about all the happenings at the studio and Liz’s efforts to keep on top of it. I loved it. Jane has a lovely, fluid writing style that made it very easy to read:). I shall be reviewing it tomorrow. Have a great week, Laurel and many thanks for swinging by:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sarah, and I’ll check out your review. I do enjoy Skyping…and wish I could do more of it, but time differences and schedules make it a rare treat.
Enjoy your week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You, too, Laurel:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: SUNDAY POTPOURRI: NEW THINGS, CREEPY VISITORS…. | POTPOURRI
When my oldest daughter was in London, we skyped all the time…that really is the next best thing to being there! Now we just talk and text between visits. They May Not Mean To, But They Do looks like a great book. I just got it from the library, but may save it until after our trip. If I start it and get into it, I may have to purchase the ebook instead… trying to avoid spending money on books (other than daily deals) lately. Have a great week 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, JoAnn, my son in Europe is the only one I Skype with…I wish I could do it with my youngest son, but he hasn’t set up his Skype, and even though I showed him how (imagine an oldie like me showing a younger person something about technology!), he has never done it. He is a little weird about webcams…lol
I like the look of Cathleen Schine’s new book. Enjoy your vacation!
LikeLike
I’m crazy about books with pictures of food on the cover. Yum! Coconut cake!
http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/07/childrens-books-set-in-paris-definitive.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! And I love coconut, even coconut ice cream, so I’ve been drooling over this one, Deb. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
All those books look so good. The Jane Green book is on my radar but not sure when I’ll get to it. Have a great week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne, and even contemplating when we’ll get to a book is delightful. Enjoy!
LikeLike
It’s nice to be able to be connect with your son via Skype! It’s a great tool. I hope he’s enjoying life in Prague. I’ve heard of the Cathleen Schine book. Have you read her before? Supposed to be funny I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I love Skyping with my son….and he’s enjoying Prague.
I have enjoyed some Schine books, but my favorite was probably The Love Letter. There was a movie made from that one starring Ellen DeGeneres.
Thanks for stopping by, Susan.
LikeLike
You got some great looking books this week. I hope you enjoy them all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a feeling I will be delighted by these books, Stormi. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
So many fun looking summer reads. I hope you enjoy all of them. Doing good at writing the reviews too. I’m slowly but surely catching up on mine. yeah, right! LOL
My Sunday Post
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Laura, and I do enjoy keeping busy with things I love, like reading, blogging, and movies.
LikeLike
I’ve been a very mood-driven reader lately; sometimes you just have to go with the flow. You do have some nice looking books, lots of lovely choices. And how nice you got to have such a lengthy Skype chat with your son, it must have been wonderful. Have a good week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, instead of sticking to a list, as if it owns me, I’m happily following my moods….and that seems to be working. Thanks for visiting, Bea.
LikeLike
You got some great books this week! And you’re right about how much better Skyping is than just emailing or texting. Glad you got to do that!
Check out my Sunday Post
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Buffy, I was very happy to Skype with him, especially since it had been a while, between our schedules and the time difference. Enjoy your week!
LikeLike
I’m noting some titles from your reads. Hope I get lucky at Netgalley!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far, I’m lucky at NetGalley…but in the beginning, it was hit or miss. Thanks for visiting, Mystica.
LikeLike
I’m reading “Everything We Keep” right now. I’m not too far into it, but I’m enjoying it so far.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I’m glad to hear that, Melinda, as I never know with those free books! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
I definitely agree, Skype is so much better than email & text. We love to use it to get in touch with the family since we live away from most of them.
I see you have Leave Me on your list, I look forward to hearing what you think of it. I’ve enjoyed the author’s ya novels (the ones I have read, anyway!) and I look forward to reading this one too. Have a great week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t read much from Gayle Forman, but I always love adult books over YA…so I’m hoping to enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by, Kay, and enjoy your week. Here’s to the fun of Skype!
LikeLike
Sounds like you had a great time talking to your son!
Enjoy your reads, I’m looking forward to Leave Me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sam, it was a wonderfully long and chatty conversation. I am also looking forward to Leave Me….glad you could stop by, and have a great week!
LikeLike
Glad you got to Skype with your son and have a longer chat. It is so nice to have that modern technology that lets people keep in touch more these days.
Leave Me is on my TBR list. I am also curious about that Jane Green book. What a striking cover!
I am definitely a mood reader though sometimes my reading is dictated by review books and deadlines.
I loved The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and hope you’ll enjoy it too. Lots of mouthwatering food descriptions so I recommend having some snacks on hand while you read 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Christina, it was a wonderful conversation.
I am also mindful of deadlines, and try to get to those first. Like homework…LOL. Thanks for stopping by, and hopefully our moods will draw me to some good books this week.
LikeLike
Your post office is only open until 2:00? I bet that Skype visit with your son was a lot of fun! I wish Skype had been around when we lived in France. Your new books look great, especially Leave Me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s only open until 2 on Saturdays…how I wish it would have been delivered on Friday! Well, I guess I’ll get it today. Sometimes my post office doesn’t deliver things on time, though, and I may have to put on my “demanding voice,” and then they go and look in the back and find whatever it is…sigh.
I also love my Skype…even though it’s hard for us to work in our conversations, due to schedules and time differences.
Thanks for stopping by, Kathy, and let’s enjoy our weeks!
LikeLike
Ooo Death at Breakfast looks really good. That cover is awesome. How cool your son in in Prague! I am glad you got to enjoy such a great conversation with him. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Erin, I loved every minute of it! I get to vicariously experience all the European countries he has lived in since the mid-1990s, from England and Ireland, to Prague, with a few years in Berlin.
Enjoy your week!
LikeLike
I’m so excited for Leave Me by Forman! Can’t wait to read your review of it. 🙂 Here’s my IMWAYR this week – https://goo.gl/TdWQdB
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Areli….I am excited to start reading it, hopefully soon. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So great that you got to Skype with the Berliner son, who now has to have a new name when visiting!
I like all the titles you listed this week and perhaps would like to pick up Leave Me and Everything We Keep. Have a wonderful week now that the heat spell has broken somewhat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, he is now the Praguelodyte…lol. He has a blog to that effect, I think, although mostly he uses his name as a photographer.
Thanks for visiting, Rita, and I’m excited to read Forman’s first adult book, and I’ve heard good things about Everything We Keep.
LikeLike
I’ve used Skype but we prefer Facetime. My mom was in Rome this summer and used Facetime every week to catch up and reception was great. Same thing with my sister in Zurich. Thank goodness for these tech features that make communication so much easier. Enjoy your new books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’ve noticed Facetime accessibility on my iPhone, but haven’t used it. I’m so behind the times! lol.
Thanks for stopping by, Laura, and I do enjoy tech features. Usually I have to have instructions from my grandchildren. Enjoy your week!
LikeLike
You are doing so well on the Read What You Buy challenge. I am reading more than usual from my TBR mountain because I’m trying to be much more selective when accepting review books. Come see my reading week here. Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Kathy, and my goal is to accept more review books that I would otherwise have purchased. That way, I will get to read books I enjoy without buying them.
So far, that hasn’t cut into my book buying that much…lol.
LikeLike
I live in a different city from my parents for the first time in my life, and Skype has been a big part of our lives for the past year! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t it great? Thanks for stopping by, Jane.
LikeLike
The coconut cake one definitely has my attention, but that might just be because of the fun title and yummy-looking cover.
You’re doing waaay better than I am when it comes to actually reading what you buy. Great job!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Mia….I am trying, but I know I buy more books than anyone could hope to read within a short period of time. I should make a rule of thumb: buy no more books than you can read in a month. I think I’ve done that, sort of, but then there’s the backlog. LOL
LikeLike
I keep seeing Falling everywhere; I love Jane Green so it’s definitely one I want to read.
Great job on your ‘Read the Books You Buy challenge’! I intended to complete a similar challenge this year and have failed miserably! Have a great week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Jane Green, too; and I’m very pleased to be making progress on my challenge. Thanks for visiting, Denise, and enjoy your week.
LikeLike
Soooo many good books on your list. I hope you enjoy them all. Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Susan, I plan to do just that!
LikeLike
Pingback: Books That Caught Our Eye | Mailbox Monday