WEEKLY UPDATES: RAINY DAY READING & 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 month is almost half gone, and what do we have to show for it?  Well, there has been some reading…and some movie watching.  I read and reviewed three books, and one of them was a chunkster (600+ pages).  That book inspired some movie watching, as it was a biography of Jane Fonda.  I downloaded some of her old movies through Amazon Prime (Klute, Sunday in New York, and Barefoot in the Park), and brought some others to my bedroom, and they are waiting on this little table (below).

Speaking of Jane Fonda, Season 4 of Grace and Frankie is coming to Netflix on January 19.  Yay!  I love that show so much that I tend to binge-watch the whole new season in one day…which then means I’m waiting a while for what comes next.  Sigh.

Disjointed just released Season 2…and I saw Kathy Bates on The Talk yesterday.

For most of the week, I stayed home—trying to keep my eating out to a minimum—plus, the weather was in the 60s, with some rainy days.  On those kinds of days, I like to curl up on one of my sofas and read or watch movies.

Let’s grab some coffee and take a closer look at the week:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Rainy Day Excerpts:  “The Woman in the Window”

Tuesday Potpourri:  Books, Attitudes, & Acceptance…

Midweek Reading Picks…

Coffee Chat:  Books, Movies, Etc.

Thursday Potpourri:  A Mix of Young & Old, Home & Family…

Bookish Friday:  “Best Day Ever”

Friday Thoughts:  Books, Social Media, Etc.

Review:  I Am Watching You (e-book), by Teresa DriscollReview:  Jane Fonda:  The Private Life of a Public Woman, by Patricia BosworthReview:  Anatomy of a Scandal (e-book), by Sarah Vaughan – (NG – 1/23)

***

INCOMING BOOKS: (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

I received one purchased book in my mailbox and downloaded one NetGalley review book.  Then I bought four more e-books. 

Growing Up Fisher:  Musings, Memories, & Misadventures, by Joely Fisher

***

NetGalley Review Book:

Other People’s Houses (e-book), by Abbi Waxman – NG – 4/3/18

Purchased Downloads:

The Sixth Window (e-book), by Rachel Abbott

Just Between Us (e-book), by Rebecca Drake

Two Girls Down (e-book), by Louisa Luna

Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House (e-book), by Michael Wolff

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

I have one more January e-ARC to read (Watch Me, by Jody Gehrman)

But first, I’m reading The Woman in the Window, by A. J. Finn

And then I have a long list of possible reads.  I will follow my moods!

***

That was my week…what did yours look like?  I didn’t go out to eat this week, so I’m sharing a photo of my soup and margarita from a couple of weeks ago.  I’m thinking of having it later today or tomorrow.

 

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: COOLER DAYS & A LITTLE RAIN….

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.

My week was definitely cooler, with temperatures in the 80s….and even a couple of rainy days.  I curled up in my nest and read…but I still only read three books.  My total for the challenge this week is now up to 82...since one of the books I read was a NetGalley ARC.

What did I do instead of reading nonstop?  Well, I am binge-watching Nurse Jackie again…and some shows and movies on my DVR.  Now I’m also looking forward to the fall TV season...and my reading may drop even more.  Or not.  I’ll be continuing to read my NetGalley ARCs.  I have one more to read by the end of September, and have two more in October.  An author review book is headed my way, and I also have an Amazon Vine review book to devour.

I had lunch with my daughter on Thursday…and then had a manicure.  The first time I left the house this week!

Next week, remember that Bloggiesta is coming!  9/21 through 9/24.

Let’s look at my blogging/reading progress, while we sip some more coffee.  Here’s where I curled up to read this morning.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Monday Potpourri:  Weekend Stuff & Remembering 9/11

Tuesday Sparks:  “My Absolute Darling”

Creating Her Own Melodrama:  An Excerpt from “Web of Tyranny”

Hump Day Potpourri:  A Week of Reading…

Let’s Pour a Cup of Coffee…and Chat!

Bookish Friday:  “Little Fires Everywhere”

Friday Potpourri:  Searching for Memorabilia, Etc.

Review:  The Burning Girl (e-book), by Claire MessudReview:  The Best Kind of People (e-book), by Zoe Whittall – (NG – 9/19)Review:  A Stranger in the House (e-book), by Shari Lapena

***

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Nothing came in my physical mailbox…in my inbox came approval for a NetGalley ARC.  I also purchased three e-books.

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

***

Downloads:

Our Souls at Night (e-book), by Kent Haruf

Little Fires Everywhere (e-book), by Celeste Ng

When We Were Worthy (e-book), by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

***

WHAT’S NEXT?

Currently Reading:  The Blackbird Season (e-book), by Kate Moretti – (NG – 9/26)

***

And then….because the movie is coming to Netflix:

Our Souls at Night (e-book), by Kent Maruf

***

That was my week.  What did yours look like?  Here’s what I had to drink on Thursday while waiting for my daughter to show up for lunch.

***

HUMP DAY RAMBLINGS: PAST & PRESENT….

Good morning, and welcome to another Hump Day…the first one in March!

In honor of the new month, I peeked into the archives to see what I was doing a year ago.  Here’s that post:

 

Good morning, and welcome to my Hump Day Serendipitous Ramblings.

Except…it’s not Hump Day…not yet!

I did a makeover here, late last night while waiting to enter my link over at Bibliophile by the Sea, where I participate in Tuesday Intros.

My header (above), and the background that surrounds us, remind me of Spring.

Today is the first day since the weekend that hasn’t brought rain.  The sidewalks and my patio are dry, although the mess of leaves on the patio should draw me out there…to rake, sweep, or whatever.

But no, I’ll save that task for later.  This morning I’ve been visiting blogs, and thinking about the book I’m reading (No One Knows). And planning about the one to read next.

 

 

***

Should I read the older book that has been on Pippa for ages?  Or what about this one that I featured today in my Tuesday Intros:  Under the Influence, by Joyce Maynard.  I have wanted to get my hands on this one since I first heard about it.  I pre-ordered it in November!

 

 

***

Since it’s not raining, maybe I should go to the mall and check into some of the things I need, all that I’ve been postponing because the rain made me want to curl up here:

 

 

Tomorrow (the REAL Hump Day) I have an appointment for my annual physical, something I always dread, as I never know what the doctor will scold me about…or, I do, but I don’t want to hear it!

My granddaughter Fiona texted me about getting together tomorrow, so maybe with that to look forward to….

She has been posting on Facebook about her classes for her Medical Assistant’s certification…about blood draws, etc.  She looks a little scary here with her stethoscope and the scrubs…LOL.

 

***

So…it’s that kind of day.  Stuff to do, procrastination, and things to contemplate.  What does your Not Quite Hump Day look like?

***

As I ponder the actual day ahead of me, I take a page from last year’s book and ponder what to read next.  As I did back then, I look outside to see what is going on there.  No rain today!

Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble and did not find a book…I mostly shop on Amazon.  But I did buy a Vintage decorating magazine.  I love looking at the photos.

A difference from a year ago is here in my living room, (below).  Remember, I changed out the lamps.  The one on the left, in the foreground, once lived on my rolltop desk.  The one in the background used to be in the foreground.

 

***

Also, Fiona, always trying new things (and faces) is now in a different vocational program….she hasn’t settled on what career path to take.  But she just turned twenty…so let’s give her time!

Enjoy your March…and your Hump Day.  What are your plans, thoughts, reminiscences?

***

WEEKLY UPDATES: RAINY DAYS & BINGEING….

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 Book Date.

Rain has been a regular feature in my days this week, which has been an excellent backdrop to my reading.  I read and reviewed FIVE books, which is more than usual.  All were engaging, some more than others.

I also made it through Season 2 of Wentworth on Netflix, and can I say I am addicted?

Let’s grab some coffee and chat.

 

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Sunday Potpourri: Bingeing on Books

Rainy Day Reading: Monday Musings

Curl up with “The Empty House

Bloggiesta Finish Line

My Interior World Quandary

Hump Day Serendipity: “The Obsession”

Hump Day Potpourri: A Quest for Alice

Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts: “The Good Liar”

Bookish Friday: “The Good Liar”

Embellishing Her Life Experiences: An Excerpt from “Embrace the Whirlwind”

Review:  Missing Pieces (e-book), by Heather Gudenkauf (NetGalley – 2/2)

Review:  What Was Mine (e-book), by Helen Klein Ross

Review:  The Widow (e-book), by Fiona Barton – (NetGalley – 2/16)

Review:  Guaranteed to Bleed (e-book), by Julie Mulhern

Review:  The Good Liar, by Nicholas Searle (Amazon Vine)

***

INCOMING BOOKS (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon)

Empty mailbox!  But I downloaded two e-ARCs from NetGalley….

No One Knows (e-book), by J. T. Ellison (NetGalley – 3/22)

 

 

***

The Girls (e-book), by Lisa Jewell – (NetGalley – 6/7)

 

 

***

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

Summer Wind (e-book, Book 2), by Mary Alice Monroe

 

 

***

Just Say Yes (e-book), by Alyssa Goodnight

 

 

***

A Man Called Ove (e-book), by Fredrik Backman

 

 

***

That’s my week…what did yours look like?  Let’s chat…and grab a mimosa, perhaps….

 

***

WEEKLY SUNDAY/MONDAY UPDATES: RAINY DAYS

Good morning!  Today’s post will link up to Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post,  and Book Journey, for What Are You Reading?

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

Finally our drought-ridden Central Valley has had a bit of rain.  Those rainy days are always good for curling up to read…or watch movies.  Outdoors looks a little like this:

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOGS:

Thoughts from the Interior:  Intros/Teasers – “Cambridge”

Hump Day Potpourri:  Waiting Eagerly for “No Book but the World”

Creative Play & Bookish Moments

Saturday Potpourri:  Rainy Day Activities

Review:  Three Brothers, by Peter Ackroyd

Review:  Still Life with Bread Crumbs, by Anna Quindlen

Review:  The K-Frost Caper, by James Blakley

INCOMING BOOKS:  (Titles/Covers Linked to Amazon or Author’s Website)

I received two books in the mailbox!  One was a contest win from Book’d Out; and the other was a review book from the author.

1.  Seven Deadlies, by Gigi Levangie (from Book’d Out)

Twelve to Murder (A Mac Faraday Mystery), by Lauren Carr

And then I downloaded two e-books:  one, a purchase, and the other a freebie!

The Deepest Secret (e-book), by Carla Buckley

To Whom It May Concern:  A Memoir of a Foster Child (e-book), by Laurie Kast-Klein

 

UP THIS WEEK: (Covers/Titles Linked to Amazon)

Cambridge, by Susanna Kaysen (Currently Reading)

Glitter and Glue, by Kelly Corrigan

The Innocent Sleep, by Karen Perry

***

And that is what my past and future look like in terms of reading/blogging, etc.  I hope you’ll stop by with your favorite beverage…and chat.

LET’S GRAB SOME COFFEE AND CHAT!

TSS: WELCOME, DECEMBER! — DEC. 2

Welcome to the first Sunday Salon of December!

Today is a rainy one…in fact, the past couple of days have been wet.  A good day to curl up and read and watch movies, along with cups of tea.

The week has been a lot more productive than I anticipated.

Blogging Journey:

A LONG JOURNEY: EXCERPT FROM “MILES TO GO”

A SEASON OF CHANGE & GUILTY PLEASURES

COZY GIVEAWAY AT SOCRATES BOOK REVIEWS

DREAMS OF STARDUST:  AN EXCERPT FROM “CHASING STARDUST”

SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLE:  MOTHER/CHILD MOMENTS

NOVEMBER READING WRAP-UP

Reading:  (Click Titles/Covers for Reviews)

1.  Forgotten, by Sarah Jio

 

2.  The Turnaround, by George Pelecanos

3.  Kiss River, by Diane Chamberlain

 

A nice variety in my books this week.  And now I’m reading The Search, by Nora Roberts.  Mystery, murder, and dogs.

 

Earlier today, I also watched some movies….one was We Need to Talk About Kevin…a very weird flick.

Has anyone seen this?  Or read the book?  What were your thoughts?

Have a great day…and enjoy the new week (and new month!).

 

 

TSS: RAINY DAYS & STORMS AHEAD — OCT. 28

Welcome to another Sunday Salon event!

My week was not a good one, in terms of reading or blogging.  I seemed to have gone missing from my routines.  Could it have been because of my birthday?  Or because of my ongoing obsession with changing up my space?

For whatever reason, I was unplugged and disconnected from the usual events…except in a very minor way.

I did post a Blogoversary Winner, and also announced an upcoming event:  Bookshelf Clearing.

My Friday Potpourri post was all about tie-dye and beads.

On Saturday, my Sweet Saturday Sample was full of Whirling Thoughts.

And my nostalgia took me way into the past in my Saturday Snapshot.  Here’s a sample.  My older brother and me many years ago!

On the reading front, however, I seriously stumbled.  I finished two books this week.  I spent almost three days trying to read a third one, only to give up.  I don’t like giving up, but sometimes, when we don’t engage with the story or the characters, we just have to do it.

Here’s the Reading Week:

1.  An Order of Coffee & Tea (e-book), by Brian Spangler

2.   The Bodyguard (e-book), by Christy Tillery French

Still Reading:

Dead on Ice, by Lauren Carr

***

Today I’ll be reading some…and watching more movies on my new TV…love the bigger screen and Hi Definition!  What are the rest of you doing?   For those of you who are waiting out that storm, best wishes and stay safe!

TSS: RAINY DAYS & READING/MOVIE WATCHING — MARCH 18

Welcome to another Sunday Salon, our gathering place for chatting about our week in reading, blogging, etc.

This has been a rainy weekend, which has worked out perfectly for reading, blogging, and movie watching.

Today I cleared out my DVR of the movies I wanted to watch and set the recorder for some more.

Rainy Days

I had some fun with blog posts this week.  At An Interior Journey, I reviewed a movie I enjoyed.

My midweek post, Hump Day Potpourri:  Bookish Surprises & Treats was a nice way to break up the week.

Then I did someShuffling Things Around & Creative Makeovers.

Today’s post, Saturday Potpourri:  Irish Mementos, was a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

And now for the bookish moments:  click titles or book covers for my reviews….

1.  Outside the Lines, by Amy Hatvany

2.  The Accidental Feminist, by M. G. Lord

3.  What Happened to Hannah, by Mary Kay McComas

4.  Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman

***

And now I’m reading Blue Monday, by Nicci French, the first book in a new series featuring a London psychotherapist.

Have a happy weekend, whether you are enjoying rain or sunshine…or snow.

What are your favorite things to do when the weather is challenging?