WEEKLY UPDATES: CHRISTMAS IS IN THE AIR…

On By Laurel-Rain SnowIn Weekly Updates

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 quick week.  Lots of reading, blogging, some errands, and even a bit of house cleaning, my least favorite activity.  FOUR books read and reviewed…and my challenge total:  103.  Somehow I’ve managed to adjust to the time change…although I was super tired for a few days, which doesn’t jibe with the idea that we were gaining an hour of sleep!

November is speeding by, with the weeks seeming to vanish without a trace.  I haven’t watched anything on Netflix this week, but I have been enjoying the Thursday night lineup on TV; those shows are already nearing winter finales.  How is that even possible?  My favorite daytime shows are keeping me glued to the screen with lots of cliffhangers on Fridays.  From General Hospital and the “two Jasons” to Will’s resurrection on DOOL...followed by the public revelation of the leader of the sex ring on Y & R.  Big Bad Dollar Bill has gone too far on B & B.

Yes…I am a soap addict.  LOL. 

The Christmas movies are reminding us that we will soon be hauling out the decorations, and I am caught up in the fairytale stories that sweep us away into the glitter of the holidays.

So…what else happened this week?  Let’s grab another cup of coffee and find out.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  All About the Clocks…& Books

Tuesday Potpourri:  From Fairytale Images to Russian Novels…

Tuesday Sparks:  “Even If It Kills Her”

Hump Day Potpourri:  Books, Books, & More Books…

Coffee Chat:  Past Journeys…and Looking Ahead

Keeping Track:  The Status of My TBR

Bookish Friday:  “The Cruelest Month”

Coffee Chat:  Tidbits, Chores, An Excerpt…

A Cozy Saturday…

Review:  Seven Days of Us (e-book), by Francesca HornakReview:  The One & Only, by Emily GiffinReview:  Cold as Ice (e-book, #6 Country Club Murders), by Julie MulhernReview:  The Last Mrs. Parrish (e-book), by Liv Constantine

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INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Two Purchased Books came in My Mailbox…and I received one NetGalley review book….Then I downloaded some books…

The Girls in the Picture (e-book), by Melanie Benjamin (NG – 1/16/18)

Purchased Books:

Every Breath You Take (Under Suspicion Series), by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke

What Happened, by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Downloads:

Bonfire (e-book), by Krysten Ritter

Dead of Winter (e-book), by Wendy Corsi Staub

Wonder Valley (e-book), by Ivy Pochoda

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  All the Best People (e-book), by Sonja Yoerg

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And then…some NetGalley books like…

Poison (e-book), by Galt Niederhoffer (NG – 11/21)

The Story of Arthur Truluv (e-book), by Elizabeth Berg (NG-11/21)

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That was my week…what did yours look like?  And…because I can’t resist, I’m sharing my comfort dessert from last Monday…

***

84 thoughts on “WEEKLY UPDATES: CHRISTMAS IS IN THE AIR…”

  1. Some great looking books this week. I can’t wait to read Poison. I’m a GH fan too and it’s kind of nuts right now. It’s the only soap I’ve stuck with over the years and I’ve been a huge fan since Rick Springfield was on it – guess I’m showing my age huh? Christmas is definitely in the air!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Barb, and I started watching GH in the 60s and remember Jessie Brewer and Dr. Hardy…LOL. Then I watched it only occasionally until the late 90s. I pretty much missed the 80s, although Rick Springfield has returned a few times.

      Enjoy your week!

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  3. Greg Hill

    Four books- nice! I unfortunately watched more Netflix than I read, but at least I caught up on a few shows. I need tp up my reading this week. I need to get to the latest two Country Club murders (I’m falling behind) and I kinda want to read Hillary’s book too.

    Dessert… yummy! 🙂

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  4. Time does seem to be speeding up as we get towards Christmas doesn’t it? I saw a sign saying 44 sleeps yesterday and had a panic! As always, a great mix of books on your,list this week – I would like to read Bonfire.

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Emma, and I started to feel panicky at the news of “44 sleeps.” Wow! Luckily, I don’t do a lot of decorating, and my miniature trees were packed away in bins fully loaded with their ornaments. They just need a fluff up and they’re good to go.

      I like Krysten Ritter’s acting (Breaking Bad, The Hero, Jessica Jones and many more), so I’m curious about her writing. Bonfire sounds good to me.

      Enjoy your week!

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  6. Christmas is in the air huh… I feel like it’s a little early for Christmas for me so far 🙂
    It was a quick week for me too! Didn’t read a lot. I don’t even know where the time went…
    Girls In The Picture looks like an interesting grab. I’ll check it out.
    Mmmm, what was the flavor of that lovely yellow ice cream? Super curious!
    Anyway, have a great week 🙂

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Evelina, and I do wish we could enjoy more of a celebration of Thanksgiving…I haven’t seen one movie or show about that holiday!

      The ice cream was vanilla, although I think it might have been French Vanilla. Delicious on the pie.

      I am definitely looking forward to Girls in the Picture…Melanie Benjamin is great at writing about historic events, and I love Old Hollywood stories.

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  7. You have a lovely lot of books there – and you are right about Christmas being in the air! I cannot believe how quickly it is closing. In the meantime, have a great week Laurel – that dessert looks delicious:)

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    1. Thanks, Sarah, I do love a good old apple pie a la mode!

      This is the first year I’ve actually been looking forward to Christmas this early…probably because the year, overall, has been so grim. We all could use some cheer.

      Enjoy your week!

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    1. Oh, so true, Deb! The days did drag in childhood, probably because others were in control of our lives. Now we get to choose (a little bit more), and “time flies when you’re having fun.” It must have something to do with age…LOL.

      I am trying to stay in the moment and savor the books, the movies, and each day. Enjoy your week!

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  12. Jenea

    Your desert looks sooo yummy!!! I have a copy of The Girls in the Picture, it sounds like it will be really good, I hope you enjoy it and all the other amazing books you received too. Happy reading.

    Jenea’s Book Obsession’s Sunday Post

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    1. Thanks, Jenea, I was really happy to get the approval for The Girls in the Picture, even though its release date isn’t until January. But…I can start reading it in late December!

      Enjoy your week! And the dessert was definitely yummy.

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  13. November is speeding by… can’t believe it’s nearly half over! I’m thinking about putting up our Christmas lights this week. It will be in the 40s on Wednesday (a nice break from last week’s cold), so that’s my plan. I’ll be interested in your thoughts on What Happened. It might still be too soon for me to read it.

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  14. I honestly thought they no longer showed daytime soaps, or maybe there are just less now? I was sad when they did away with the Soap channel, because I liked quite a few of the non-soap opera shows they aired. Seven Days of Us is on my TBR. Glad you liked it.

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    1. There are only four soaps left! After shutting down several, there was a brief time when two of the soaps (All My Children and One Life to Live) were shown online. But that didn’t last long.

      I miss Soap Net too!

      Thanks for stopping by, Sam.

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  15. I said the same thing! These past few months have been a blur. It was just a short while ago that school started back for the kiddies! Now Christmas is upon us and I don’t see shopping in my future just yet. I am truly a last minute shopper! Great books! I’m hoping to get a Kindle for Christmas, so I can read all ,my ebooks. Have a great week and happy reading!

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  17. Yvonne

    You know I’m a GH addict and I love our daily conversation 🙂 I haven’t watched Days in awhile, but I do know about Will coming back. I should get back involved in that one – especially with all my regular shows having their fall finales. I really can’t believe it’s already that time. I love the Thursday night shows too. You are handling the TV and reading much better than I am, though 🙂 Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne, and I’m striving for balance, but probably do a lot more TV watching than I should. I mean, shouldn’t I be out walking and exercising more? LOL.

      There have been years when I didn’t enjoy the stories on Days as much as I am loving them now. The new writers are doing a better job…I think.

      DVRs are great for helping us grab the shows so we can do other things…and watch them later.

      Have a great week!

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  18. katarguelles

    I can’t believe DOOL is still on tv. I loved that show but stopped watching when Marlena was possessed lol. I used to watch all of the soap operas. While in college there would always be a crowd of us watching in the student union, in between classes. This just brought back fun memories lol. I hope you enjoy your new books. Bonfire looks really good. Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy, and I have hated some of the crazy stories over the years. Now that there are only four soaps left, I think the writers are trying to do better with what they bring to us.

      Back in college, I used to arrange my classes so I could catch the soaps some of the time. When I was in college, we didn’t have VCRs/DVRs. LOL

      I lived just a few blocks from campus, so I could run home between classes.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Pat, and I’m happy that I have the decorations tucked away in the garage. Sometimes I dread hauling them inside, but maybe I’ll wait for one of the grandkids to do that part.

      Enjoy your week!

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  25. I haven’t watched a soap opera since college days. 🙂 We do watch, and tape for later replay, the holiday movies. Even my hubby enjoys those.
    You have some interesting new books with variety: Mary Higgins Clark, Hillary Clinton and Wendy Staub… Hope you enjoy your reading!

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  26. Some great books, I am really drawn to Girls in the Picture and I have Sonja Yoerg’s book on my radar. I’d be a soap opera addict too if I got into it, they sure capture a viewer and keep one watching.

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn, I am very excited about my new books, too, and I’m really enjoying Yoerg’s book…interesting layers.

      Enjoy your week, and thanks for hosting…and visiting. You are right; soaps are definitely addictive.

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  30. Kathy Martin

    I am not really a television watcher beyond The Voice and the Food Network. I don’t believe that I have ever seen even one episode of a soap opera. I like the way you are reading books you buy. I keep falling farther and farther behind on that goal. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. I didn’t read The Aviator’s Wife…I kept meaning to. I read her book Alice, I Have Been and Swans of Fifth Avenue, which was okay, but not wonderful. I like Old Hollywood stories, so I’m thinking this one will be good. Although come to think of it, some of those stories have disappointed me. LOL.

      Thanks for visiting, Elizabeth…enjoy your week.

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  37. Same here, Laurel. I can’t believe we now are in the middle of November. Time does FLY. And Christmas is nearing! While I love Christmas, I don’t want this year to end actually.

    Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new books and have a wonderful week. 😁❤️

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Geybie…and when a year flies by, sometimes it’s because the year was so good…that has not been the case with this year for me. Hope the New Year brings something better. Enjoy your week.

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  39. I used to watch Soap Operas back in my college days. Two Jasons on GH? I thought they killed him off. But then again, no one is ever really dead on a soap opera.

    I just finished listening to Hillary’s memoir. I liked it, but it made me angry that she stuck to conventional politics when her opponent was flinging mud.

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    1. Oh, yes, I sigh and wonder if we’ll ever find any kind of normalcy in this government, with ugly and dangerous people in charge!

      Thanks for stopping by, Leslie, and soap operas are a nice distraction (with their craziness!).

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  41. The Cue Card

    What Happened indeed. I’m still wondering how the populace voted for Trump; they apparently care about their pocketbooks and wall street but not their morals or conscience. If you find out anything interesting in Hillary’s book let me know, if it’s worth reading. I’m still too disgruntled. hmm

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