The past two weekends have been dedicated to home improvement projects which for me has been greatly satisfying with seeing the end results. Having little children in the house meant that my white walls were looking a bit dingy...but fresh coats of paint have made all of the difference! It has been tiring trying to get everything done within the weekend but so completely worth it! I'm super excited that we managed to get this all done before the holidays though and I cannot wait for my family to see it!
Reading has been going on as well but maybe a bit more slowly then I would like. I'm three books behind in my Goodreads' reading goal so I need to get moving if I am going to hit eighty books for the year. Quality versus quantity though, right?? I just need to keep telling myself that! Ha! I have also been planning on working on catching up on reviews as the end of the year is just right around the corner. And there are SO MANY books that I haven't shared my thoughts on yet! Yikes! Look for more reviews than usual from here on out as I work on catching up through my review backlog.
Here are the books that I have finished since my last Sunday post:
Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper was a cute read filled with a spooky atmosphere thanks to the setting. I liked this one as I read it but I just didn't quite fully connect like I had hoped to. It was a really fun read though and fit in perfectly with the spooky reading that I was doing for the month of October.
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur was a reread and one that I enjoyed just as much as the first time. This book was fast paced and intense which meant that I just flew through the pages. I'm eager to continue on with this series with a reread of the second book soon. This is definitely a series that I need to focus on catching up on!
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton was another great addition to this mystery series! I adore this series and Kinsey which means that these books have turned into comfort reading at this point. This book was just as good as I have come to expect even if we saw a different side of Kinsey as she was undercover for the majority of the book. Now I just need to get my hands on a copy of the next book in this series!
Hysteria by Megan Miranda was a book that I found myself completely absorbed in. Oh my goodness but this book had atmosphere in spades. I had a hard time putting it down, was completely sucked in, and was disappointed to see it end. That being said the ending was a bit of a let down in comparison with the first 3/4ths of the book. I will discuss it more in my review but overall this is an author that I will be reading more of!
Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson was also a reread as I went to read the second book in this series and realized I had forgotten key details from this book. Another fast-paced shifter read, this one was also worth the reread. I had almost forgotten how much the ending killed me....and as I already had let the second book go back to the library unread, I am now kicking myself yet again. LOL!
I'm now currently reading the following books:
All three are new books that I am just beginning this week. The Kill List is my current read on my ipad and a beginning to a new series I believe. It is in my quest to FINALLY read this book which has been on my TBR list for ages. And Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is for the reread (besides who doesn't need a little Harry Potter in their lives?) Lots of good reading ahead for me!
New Arrivals:
I have been trying to avoid NetGalley like the plague because I do not need to request any more books. Some weeks that works and sometimes I fail miserably. Here are the two books that I have added to my TBR soon list thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.
Plans for today involve cleaning, laundry, and working outside in the yard. Happy Sunday to me! I also plan on writing up some reviews for the coming week, blog hopping, and most importantly: The Walking Dead is on tonight! Woohoo! Maybe a little reading if I can find time. I'm off to get the day started.
Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!
Looks like a good Sunday! Your books look like fun... and eighty books. I wish I could get even close to that! :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Lots of great books in your haul. I can't believe you read all those with a renovation going on at your house. Ugh! I am so jealous. Those netgalley books look very tempting. I am trying to abstain from netgalkey and onlybgo on there to post promised reviews. I have about 8 I have yet to review on netgalley, 3 of them are already archived. No pressure though. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSam, you are so busy! I know the feeling. It's hard to fit reading in sometimes, especially when I have numerous house projects. I hope you can manage to get some reading in today--that's my goal, too!
ReplyDeleteWe've been doing home improvement stuff too. It feels like it will never get done, but I know when it does, it will be worth it. Good luck with yours.
ReplyDeleteI want to read Better Homes and Hauntings. That one looks really good.
Have a great week!
Wow, you read a lot of books despite your busy schedules. I hope I could do that like you. :)
ReplyDeleteThose books sound good! I'm looking forward to your reviews. Have a great week!
A fresh coat of paint makes such a difference! Hysteria looks interesting. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI love Sue Grafton's books...hope she'll be bringing out another one soon. The last one was "W."
ReplyDeleteLove the look of Her...checking it out.
Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
I had similar feelings about the Molly Harper book. Just read a few good novellas, then you'll be caught up. That totally counts! :D
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved IT. It's a few years since I first read it (must be due for a reread now), but I can still remember some scenes really vividly. Aside from the horror, I love the way King writes the friendship of the children, it's brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI really want to reread Harry Potter too :)
Congrats on getting all the home improvement done, Samantha! I'm sure it will make the Holidays even better.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that Molly Harper book yet, I think, I'm quite behind in that series. I have read and really enjoyed Hysteria, though. I hope you'll like all your new books.
Have a fantastic week.
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
Good for you getting painting done. A fresh coat of paint does wonders. Our home improvement has been cleaning stuff out and giving away and donating. Have a great reading week.
ReplyDeleteYou've been so productive lately! That's wonderful. There's so much we need to do around our house, but finding the time and energy can be tough.
ReplyDeleteMy reading has been so slow going lately. Barring any changes in my planned surgery next week, I will soon have a lot of reading time on my hands. I am looking forward to it. I just hope my mom, who is visiting, will let me read. Haha!
Well done on the home improvements! I've been doing some as well, though on my parents' house, not my own place. We're building a new fence! In very slow stages. I need to get a picture of it at some point, so everyone can praise me on the internet. :p
ReplyDeleteWow, sounds like you're having fun with all the improvements. =)
ReplyDeleteAlso, can I just say, I love the name of your blog! Hope you're having a lovely week and thanks for stopping by The Story Goes...
Yay home renos, hope that's going well! And definitely quality over quantity!
ReplyDeleteGreat haul! The Molly Harper book looks pretty awesome, and I love the cover of Hysteria. Hope you have an awesome week (:
Greg- I haven't hit 80 for a couple of years but I'm hoping to come really close this year! This was a really good number of books for me to have finished in two weeks :) Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteBlueKaren- I try really, really hard to stay away from NetGalley but it doesn't always work so well. I keep telling myself to only go there to submit my reviews but that doesn't work well either. LOL!
Suko- The reading time has definitely suffered from working around the house but it has been worth it! My house has never looked better in my opinion :)
Yvonne- Good luck with your home improvement projects as well! It isn't easy but you will love the results I am sure. You'll have to let me know if you read Better Homes and Hauntings- and your thoughts on it :)
Melody- I will admit that it doesn't feel like I read a lot. I haven't finished a book yet this week for instance (although I'm getting close).
Nise- Hysteria was sooo good! I can't wait to read more by this author! I just need to write up my thoughts on this one first :)
Laurel-Rain - I am a huge fan of the Sue Grafton series. Kinsey is one of my favorite mystery characters! I'm working my way slowly through these books just so that I have more to look forward to for longer. LOL!
Christy- The Harper book was spookier than I expected it to be. Have you read any others by her? I've also read the first book in her vampire series (of which the name escapes me). I'm definitely going to be reading more by her!
Pagesandtea- Oh my goodness, but It has me creeped out already!!! I'm reading it at work on my breaks and it is so hard to set it down! I just might have to transport it back and forth from work to home so that I can read it faster :)
Lexxie Lin- I loved Hysteria too! The ending was a bit of a disappointment for me but overall I couldn't get enough! I will be reading more by this author for sure!
Jan- I need to focus on getting rid of stuff as well. Especially in the basement storage room which is overflowing and needs organized. My next winter project for sure!
Wendy- I will be thinking good thoughts for your surgery! Get well fast! And enjoy all of that reading time...that part sounds delightful :)
Jenny- Ha! I will make sure to praise your fence building skills if you post pictures :) LOL!
Nobody- Thank you! My husband actually helped me with the name...before I changed it it was a generic Sam's Book Blog. I prefer this one much more :)
Cyn- I would recommend both of those books that you mentioned. But especially Hysteria as I had a very hard time setting that one down!!!