SERENDIPITOUS HUMP DAY…

Welcome to my Hump Day World of Books and Disney Images.  I miss these little characters, so I am spotlighting them through photos.  Above, note that in my current header, I still have the little house-shaped frame with Pinocchio sitting nearby, while Disney characters and favorite books are taking up residence next to it in the banner.

Here’s how I showcase that frame these days:

Here is another view of it, a close-up with the dolls.

For those who visit my blogs, you know that I love quirky things that include dolls and fairy tale images.

My reading, however, is the thriller variety, although I am switching genres more lately.

My current read is The Daughter, by Jane Shemilt.

In the tradition of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Ruth Rendell, this compelling and clever psychological thriller spins the harrowing tale of a mother’s obsessive search for her missing daughter.

***

The book held me hostage until late last night.  I should be finishing it today.

What books, images, and trinkets intrigue you?  How are you spending your Hump Day?

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: READING, BLOGGING, & MOVIES

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 has flown by.  The three books that I read and reviewed were wonderfully suspenseful.  One was a NetGalley ARC, so now I am finished with my January review books.

Last Sunday, I saw The Post, with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks…and thoroughly enjoyed it.

On Netflix, I saw the movie Mudbound, based on the book by Hillary Jordan.  This weekend, I will binge-watch Season 4 of Grace & Frankie.

Let’s take a closer look at the week.  I’m grabbing more coffee.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Sparks:  Showcasing Connections…

Tuesday Sparks:  “Genuine Fraud”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Book Release Day, Plans, Tidbits…

Hump Day Reading…

Coffee Chat:  Books, Movies, & Thoughts…

Bookish Friday:  “Promise Not to Tell”

Review:  The Woman in the Window (e-book), by A. J. FinnReview:  Watch Me (e-book), by Jody Gehrman (NG – 1/23)Review:  Best Day Ever (e-book), by Kaira Rouda

***

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

No books in my physical mailbox…BUT I got two review ARCs from NetGalley…then I downloaded two purchases.

The Flight Attendant (e-book), by Chris Bohjalian -(NG – 3/13)

The Family Next Door (e-book), by Sally Hepworth – (NG-3/6)

***

Purchases:

Lie With Me (e-book), by Sabine Durrant

The Promise Between Us (e-book), by Barbara Claypole White

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

I’m currently reading two books: 

Seeing Red (e-book), by Sandra Brown;

Fire & Fury (e-book), by Michael Wolff

***

That was my week.  I’m probably going to be picking up other books to read…but haven’t decided which ones yet.  What did your week look like?  Here’s my delicious French Pot Roast dinner from the other night:

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS…

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.

 

The week was full of activities:  coffee with a friend on Monday; running around to complete and send out docs to finally relinquish my ownership of my time share; home to write some blog posts and read some books...total books read and reviewed:  Three.  Read the Books You Buy Challenge Total:  Purchased Books read so far in 2017 – 116.

On Thursday, I enjoyed some pampering at the nail salon, and changed up my color:

New episodes have arrived on Netflix for The Ranch.  I hope to settle in and binge-watch this weekend.  I did finish The Crown earlier this week.

What else?  Well, let’s grab some coffee and take a look.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Musing Mondays:  Experiencing My Reading…

Tuesday Sparks:  “Sing, Unburied, Sing”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Book Release Day, Tidbits, & Obsessions…

Curling up with Good Books…

Coffee Chat:  At Home and Abroad…

Thursday Sparks:  Forever Connected….

Bookish Friday:  “Snap Judgment”

A Morning of Coffee Mishaps…

Review:  Little Broken Things (e-book), by Nicole BaartReview:  A Season to Lie (e-book), by Emily LittlejohnReview:  A Hundred Small Lessons (e-book), by Ashley Hay

***

INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty mailbox!  But…I downloaded four (purchased) e-books:

If You Only Knew (e-book), by Kristan Higgins

Cruel Winter (e-book, County Cork Book 4), by Sheila Connolly

I Am Watching You (e-book), by Teresa Driscoll

These Violent Delights (e-book), by Victoria Namkung

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Sing, Unburied, Sing (e-book), by Jesmyn Ward

***

And then, more possibilities:

Snap Judgment (e-book, Samantha Brinkman Book 3), by Marcia Clark

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

***

That was last week…and a peek at next week.  What does yours look like?  Let’s hope you’ll settle in, enjoy the upcoming holidays, and savor something delicious.  I found a photo of last year’s Christmas cookies.

 

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: NOVEMBER IS COZY!

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.

 

A week of cooler weather, ongoing birthday celebrations, and Halloween…kept me busy.  I knew I wouldn’t have any Trick or Treaters…as I haven’t had them for the past ten years that I have lived here.  Instead I curled up on my sofa to read and watch movies.

I thought I would finish my fourth book of the week, but decided to write this post about the THREE I did read and review, bringing my challenge total to ONE-HUNDRED!

Because we change our clocks back on Sunday, and because I removed the batteries on this wall of clocks…

I knew that I needed a desktop style clock that actually works…so I ordered this one from Amazon.  It should arrive by 8 p.m. tonight…maybe not in time for the changeover, since arrival times are unpredictable.

I know where I’m going to set it…on this bookshelf, which faces my sofa…between some of my fairytale trinkets….

Let’s check in and see what I did last week; here is my morning of coffee, TV, and books:

 

***

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Rainy Day Excerpts:  “The Story of Arthur Truluv”

Tuesday Potpourri:  A Bookish Day…

An Amazing Week of Reading…

Let’s Curl up and Say Goodbye to October…

Coffee Chat:  The Holidays Are Coming!

Thursday Potpourri:  A Plethora of Celebrations…

Bookish Friday:  “Cold As Ice”

Review:  The Surrogate (e-book), by Louise JensenReview:  Y is for Yesterday (e-book), by Sue GraftonReview:  Unraveling Oliver (e-book), by Liz Nugent***

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Nothing came in my physical mailbox…but I received one NetGalley review book...and then downloaded three purchases…

Paper Ghosts (e-book), by Julie Heaberlin (NG – 5/15/18)

A gripping thriller about a man who may or may not have dementia—and who may or may not be a serial killer—from a master of twists and turns, in the tradition of Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn…

***

Purchased Downloads:

Play It As It Lays (e-book), by Joan Didion

Even If It Kills Her (e-book, A Bailey Weggins Mystery), by Kate White

Try Not To Breathe (e-book), by Holly Seddon

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Yesterday I started reading Seven Days of Us, by Francesca Hornak, and hoped to finish it before writing this post….I may still finish it today, but I didn’t want to rush.  I am savoring this dysfunctional family.

***

I also started reading The One and Only, by Emily Giffin, a book I purchased in April 2016 from the bargain table at Barnes & Noble.

***

Then I will follow my moods….

***

That was my week…what did yours look like?  On Wednesday, I celebrated my birthday again with a friend of many years…and had this delicious dessert, Pumpkin Cheesecake:

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: ANOTHER BIRTHDAY & GREAT READING…

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.

 

Every day this week was full of running around, errands, and finally, my birthday lunch on Wednesday with my daughter.  We had Mexican food, with the obligatory Margarita(s).  I forgot to photograph our food!

While the weather was cooler, there were some warm days midweek again!  My reading was good…THREE books read and reviewed, bringing my challenge total to 97!  Fewer blog posts…but let’s chalk it up to too much celebrating.

Today I enjoyed a Netflix documentary featuring Joan Didion:  The Center Will Not Hold.

Now that my birthday is over, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are waiting around the corner, I need to focus on more housework…just because I’m feeling the need to polish up the nest.

So…let’s grab another cup of coffee and chat about the week.

 

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Rainy Day Excerpts:  “Seven Days of Us”

A Week of Engaging Reads…

Thursday Potpourri:  Exploring My Archives…

Coffee Chat:  Another Year & More Adventures…

Facing Reality:  An Excerpt from “An Accidental Life”

Bookish Friday:  “Unraveling Oliver”

Review:  Odd Child Out (e-book), by Gilly MacmillanReview:  Then She Was Gone, by Lisa JewellReview:  White Bodies (e-book), by Jane Robins

***

INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

No books came to my physical mailbox…but I received TWO NetGalley review books.

Watch Me (e-book), by Jody Gehrman – (1/23/18)

The Good Liar (e-book), by Catherine McKenzie – (4/3/18)

Purchased Downloads:

The Cruelest Month (e-book), by Louise Penny (Gamache #3)

Merry & Bright (e-book), by Debbie Macomber

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Y Is for Yesterday (e-book), by Sue Grafton

The Surrogate (e-book), by Louise Jensen

And then…wherever my moods take me.

***

That was my week…another year older and still many more books to read.  What did yours look like?  Here is my birthday dessert:

***

HUMP DAY SERENDIPITY: COLLECTIONS, BOOKS, FAMILY…

Good morning!  It’s time to chat about Hump Day and enjoy the places where we love to curl up with our books, etc.  Above, I rearranged some things on my little table in my office, the one below my family wall of photos:  in addition to the Coca Cola lamp and the Minnie Mouse phone, I now have a cute mug that says “Bee Happy,” which I’ve had for a while, but it was previously in my bedroom.  And next to the phone is the new clock I ordered this week.  I did that after realizing I have NO CLOCKS in this room, since the one I had fell from the wall and broke.

I think the ghosts in my house were playing pranks on me!

Anyway, I love its colors.  It is a small clock, but it serves its purpose.  Here’s a close-up, from the product page:

***

I read until late last night…in my bedroom, where I could curl up with fluffy pillows.  I am reading Lie to Me, by J. T. Ellison, and I’m loving it.  My review will go up later today.

***

My TV watching last night was This Is Us, which I  really love, although sometimes I find the mother, portrayed by Mandy Moore, really annoying!  Especially in the episodes with her grown children.  She seems fake.  I don’t like Miguel, the guy she married after Jack, either.   Jack and Miguel were best friends.  It seems…wrong, somehow.  The kids seem to have problems with him, too.  I am curious about what will unfold.

I’ve also been watching several episodes of The Menendez Murders.  I love that Edie Falco is portraying Leslie Abramson, the boys’ attorney.  She has a rather harsh demeanor, but it works in this role, IMO.

Okay…enough said.  Back to reading.

***

After yesterday’s Release Day, I didn’t end up downloading any of the other books released yesterday.  Not yet, anyway.  Seven Days of Us was one of them, and it’s on my list…but the reviews were so mixed.  I will wait a while.

I might have to read it, though.  I love family dysfunction…in a movie or book.  Not in real life.  Maybe my reluctance to dig into this one is how close to home the themes feel to me.  My own family, and the in-laws I accrued over the years, were reminders of all that can be annoying about family.  LOL.

***

So…what does Hump Day bring to you?  Books, adventures, etc.?

***

HUMP DAY SERENDIPITY: CREATING MY “HAPPY MOMENTS”

It takes very little to make me happy.  Those moments can happen accidentally, almost, just like many things I write about on this blog.  Like creating a new blog header, (note the one I’ve captured on my iPhone above), and which graces my site today.

I say “today,” because I might find something else that excites me.

I am a fan of dolls, as you might notice, as well as Disney figurines.  I have cleared a few of these collections into bins in my garage…and bring them out occasionally.   Meanwhile, the fewer things I have to dust, the better.

Right now I’m at my computer, with my office TV playing in the background.

***

My recent Netflix viewing included a binge-watch of all seven seasons of Nurse Jackie.  Even though I had watched it all on Showtime as it played itself out, I really enjoyed seeing it all again, in a gulp.  There is something so captivating about the character of Jackie.  Even as I rooted for her, I knew it would not end well.  She kept reverting to type, making choices that led her down dark pathways…but even knowing how it would end, I couldn’t help holding my breath and hoping…

And I hated Kevin again, with his glaring, judgmental disapproval…even while I could feel his pain.

Edie Falco, who portrays Jackie, has been in a number of shows…and next week, will play an attorney in the new movie about the Menendez Murders.

***

Now that I’ve finished watching Nurse Jackie, I have turned to the new Seventh Season episodes of Offspring.

I like this Australian show, even though I am often frustrated by many of the characters, who behave rather stupidly.  LOL.  I can’t seem to stop, though.  I like the MC, Nina, whose daughter Zoe (pictured below) is delightful.  If Nina could manage how often she sees the rest of her family …I would like her more.  Just my opinion.

***

Currently, I’m reading Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf, a book that was the basis for an upcoming Netflix movie release starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford.  I love those two…and then discovered that there was a book behind the movie.  Thanks, Mary, at Book Fan.

***

This morning, aside from my blogging and background TV watching, I’m doing laundry…and making a list.  Off to the grocery store and mailbox later.  I received an e-mail that at least one of my new books has arrived.

What makes you happy?  Have you found ways to create your own happiness?

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: A COOLING TREND – THE 90S!

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.

The past week brought a cooling trend:  yes, down in the 90s, but better than triple digits.  Could we be on our way to fall?  Maybe not just yet, as the District Fair is coming in early October, and in all the years (46) that I’ve lived in these parts, it is always hot during the fair.  But knowing what to expect is better than not knowing.  I think.

It has been a week of reading, reviewing, and blogging.  Three books read, with my total for the Read the Books You Buy Challenge now at 80!

No Netflix viewing this week.  I did watch some old and favorite movies (feel good movies) like Julie and Julia.  I love that one!  I also watched Jackie again.  I guess I needed comfort viewing.  However, I also watched The Sinners, and the season finale episodes of The Fosters and The Bold Type.  Cliff hangers, of course.

I have a few movies still on the DVR for this weekend…and maybe I’ll see what I can find on Netflix.  Later in the month comes a movie starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford:  Our Souls at Night.  I can’t wait!

I’ve been seeing previews for this movie all week, so I must go to the neighborhood theater and see it!  Home Again, with Reese Witherspoon, etc.

Let’s grab some coffee and look back at the week.  The mug is a favorite, and reads:  Just for Today, Be Happy.  I like that sentiment.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

A Journey Through My Shelves…

Tuesday Excerpts:  “The Burning Girl”

A Week of Reading….

A Journey Through Some of My Treasures…

Thoughts on a Thursday….

Bookish Friday:  “I’ll Have What She’s Having”

Friday Potpourri:  Saying Goodbye to Summer….

Review:  The Truth We Bury (e-book), by Barbara Taylor SisselReview:  Lies She Told (e-book), by Cate Holahan – (NetGalley – 9/12)Review:  Z:  A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Anne Fowler

***

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

One Vine Review Book came in my mailbox!  And like a crazy person, I purchased five downloads.

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, by Agnes Martin-Lugand

***

Downloads:

The Heirs (e-book), by Susan Rieger

Lie to Me (e-book), by J. T. Ellison

Genuine Fraud (e-book), by E. Lockhart

The Summer That Made Us (e-book), by Robyn Carr

***

And the final download is a re-read…I used to have this book, and I think it went out the door during one of my purges.  Sigh.  This week, I watched the movie again (I have the DVD) starring Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley, and I always cry at the end…so I just had to read the book again.  I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it, but I like that it’s there, waiting.

House of Sand and Fog (e-book), by Andre Dubus III

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  The Burning Girl (e-book), by Claire Messud

***

Then I have another NetGalley review book to read this week:

The Best Kind of People (e-book), by Zoe Whittall (Release Date – 9/19)

And maybe this one:

I’ll Have What She’s Having (e-book), by Erin Carlson ( I love this cover, and I’m a big fan of Nora Ephron and these movies).

***

That’s my week.  What did yours look like?  I had a different kind of repast at Mimi’s one night this week.  Quiche says fall to me.  And, of course, I had my book companion.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: VISUALIZING FALL….

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.

Turning the calendars in my house to September was a cheery thing.  I love fall, and I am now visualizing it.  Isn’t visualizing a thing you want a good way to get it?   Or not, since it is still triple digits here.  But that’s okay, as I know that falling leaves signal the upcoming crispy season.  Now I’m also visualizing apples, pumpkins, and cooler weather.

My reading was all over the place this week, as I picked up print books from my nightstand, and then turned to my Kindle for more, a peripatetic cycle that finally led to the completion of three books.  My Read the Books You Buy Total:  78.

My purchased books for the month of August exceeded the numbers in previous months, totaling 17 books, my highest number since January when I bought 19 books!  I had been patting myself on the back for decreasing numbers in May, June, and July...but then I went wild.

Today I plan to curl up and read some of my books…and stay off the Amazon site.  LOL. 

On TV, I continued watching The Sinner; caught another show about Princess Diana; and started a new series on Netflix with Kathy Bates:  Disjointed.  I added a show called What Happened to Monday to my queue.  I may settle down with a few of these over the weekend.

Now…while we grab some coffee, let’s take a closer look at last week.

***

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Tuesday Excerpts:  “A Stranger in the House”

My Reading Week:  Current, Past, & Future…

Upcoming Events, Etc.

Wrapping up August!

Reprising a Review:  Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian

Coffee Chat:  Books, Movies, & Obsessions…

Bookish Friday:  “Y is for Yesterday”

Remembering Family & Friends…

Review:  The Good Daughter (e-book), by Karin SlaughterReview:  Home, by Harlan CobenReview:  Heartbreak Hotel (e-book), by Jonathan Kellerman***

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

I received ONE purchased book in my physical mailbox…and downloaded three e-books.

Did You See Melody?, by Sophie Hannah

Downloads:

My Absolute Darling (e-book), by Gabriel Tallent

The Burning Girl (e-book), by Claire Messud

I’ll Have What She’s Having (e-book), by Erin Carlson

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Z:  A Novel of Zelda, by Therese Anne Fowler

***

Then…

The Truth We Bury (e-book), by Barbara Taylor Sissel

Lies She Told (e-book), by Cate Holahan (NetGalley – 9/12)

***

That was my week…what did yours look like?  Check out my salad and margarita, from a few days ago….Pippa was enjoying the ambience of the restaurant.

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: FINDING MY CHRISTMAS SPIRIT….

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.

 

After numerous complaints about our long hot summer, I am finally enjoying fall (and winter?).  We have had 50s and 60s by day and 30s by night.  We have been visited by rainy days.  All good.

Meanwhile, curled up in my cozy home, I’ve read and reviewed THREE books this week…I didn’t think I would finish that third one, with its 400+ pages, but I did.   On my Read the Books You Buy Challenge, I’ve reached the number 92!  All week, I’ve been struggling to find a balance between reading and blogging:  with nine blog posts and three books read and reviewed, did I come close?

Last weekend, I binge-watched Gilmore Girls on Netflix...and then finally, at long last, watched the movie Me Before You, which had me in tears.  I read the book a few years ago, and I’d forgotten how emotional it was!

Even as recently as last Sunday, I thought I would forego the Christmas decorations, but come Monday, I found myself dragging the bins out of their hiding places and did a little bit.  Not as much as usual, but just enough to surround me with the Christmas spirit.  Here’s a peek:

 

 

There is another miniature tree on the other table…here’s the long view:

 

***

So…what else is happening?  Let’s grab some coffee and take a look.

 

***

As I see this close-up of the tree with the Christmas coffee mug…its overall “crookedness” embarrasses me.  But the sad little tree spends most of its days stuffed in a bin.  LOL

***

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri:  A Rainy Day of Reading, Etc.

Monday Potpourri:  Overcoming Holiday Reluctance…

Tuesday Potpourri:  “In Her Wake”

Hump Day Reading:  What’s On Your List This Week?

Monthly Wrap-Up:  Goodbye, November!

A Coffee Morning in December

Bookish Friday:  “The Other Widow”

Looking Back:  Finding Ways to “Chase Away the Blues”

Friday Potpourri:  Choices…

Review:  Echoes of Family (e-book), by Barbara Claypole WhiteReview:  While You Were Sleeping (e-book), by Kathryn CroftReview:  Sting (e-book), by Sandra Brown

***

INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

One book (purchased) arrived in my mailbox!  Five e-books were downloaded….

White Trash, by Nancy Isenberg

 

 

***

Downloads:

Never Alone (e-book), by Elizabeth Haynes

 

 

***

After You (e-book), by JoJo Moyes (I had to download this one after watching the movie Me Before You!)

 

 

***

Sweet Lamb of Heaven (e-book), by Lydia Millet

 

 

***

When All the Girls Have Gone (e-book), by Jayne Ann Krentz

 

 

***

The Bad Things (e-book), by Mary-Jane Riley

 

 

***

WHAT’S UP NEXT?

Currently Reading:  Little Deaths, by Emma Flint (Amazon Vine Review)

 

 

***

And then, maybe:

 

The Sleepwalker (e-book), by Chris Bohjalian (NetGalley – 1/10/17)

 

 

***

The 4th Man (e-book, short story), by Lisa Gardner (NetGalley – 1/3/17)

 

 

***

That’s it for my week.  What did yours look like?  Come on by and let’s chat.  Below, check out what my lunch looks like when I stay in.  Egg on Toast, wine, and books.  And a very messy coffee table, I see.

 

 

***