The Sunday Post #64 (Is This Thing On? Edition)

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

It has been a bit since my last post!  I unintentionally took a blogging break for the entirety of September.  This year has just been so unexpected in so many ways.  School started back up for my kids - all three were signed up to do the hybrid process which is a mixture of in class and remote learning.  My youngest two kiddos made it three days in person (so like a week and a half total) before the school moved to online only.  My oldest is a senior this year and has been doing doing his school's version of the hybrid school year the entire time.  I'm SO thankful that I already worked from home, that my kids are old enough that they don't need my constant help and attention because wow.....I feel for the parents where this isn't the case.  And still my time has been taken up with helping with schoolwork and assisting with technical issues when needed.  Something had to give and both blogging and reading took the hit.  I managed to read three books in total in September.  Definitely not my best month numbers wise.  There were some positives in there of course too but I think that mostly explains why I've been so absent here.  Honestly, it remains to be seen how much free time I will have but I'm really focusing on getting in more reading time this month because I NEED it!  Reading is a stress reliever for me - in October I'm hoping to prioritize reading a lot more (and scrolling on my phone a lot less).

That was a long winded explanation to why I haven't been blogging but I was reading some really great things in August before I hit my slump.  I have some really great books I want to share my thoughts on with all of you.  And prior to all of this, I was doing decent at just keeping up with reviews so that is something that I would like to work on catching back up on.  I'm currently in the midst of reading two books:

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howell Hall is my current print read.  Last year I read and loved her book They All Fall Down which if you haven't read yet - I definitely recommend!  This is her newest release and so far I'm intrigued.  Nothing seems to be what it seems and I'm HERE for it.  On my e-reader, I've just begun reading Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell.  I haven't read a historical romance in forever it feels like, I saw an amazing review for this one on Instagram, and it releases later this month so I just knew that I needed to give this one a go.  It will be the perfect break from all of the scary, dark, thrilling reads that I'm hoping to get to in October.  My library stack is absolutely overflowing with books perfect for fall reading!  

I may still be a sporadic blogger these next few weeks but I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing of blogging on a regular basis again.  I'm hoping to get a few reviews scheduled and then I can work on additional content once I've played catch-up a bit.  Tell me in the comments what book or books that you've been loving lately!  Not that I need to add to my TBR list any more than I already have but....that's just what I do.  Read and add more books than I can possibly read to my never-ending TBR list!

Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #63 (A Reading Update)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

What a weird time this has been.  I was going to post last week but my anxiety was a bit high and I just wasn't feeling up to it.  I just want to say that I'm here if any of you need to talk.  I'm an introvert who already works from home - honestly not a ton in my day to day life has changed besides my kids are home with me all day instead of being in school.  And I'm still experiencing anxiety so I'm sure it is that much harder for many of you.  I don't want to go on and on but if you need me, know that I am here and will listen.

My reading mood has been all over the place because of all of this.  I managed to grab a nice stack of books from my local library before it closed.  I've got more than enough books on my own shelves as well as on my e-reader.  But my reading mood has still been all over (evidenced by the fact that I'm currently in the middle of four separate books.  I've only finished one book this week as my husband and I have been rewatching The Walking Dead instead.  I think we are up to season three currently.  I forgot how much I loved the earlier seasons and being able to binge watch a bunch of episodes at once.  I'm participating this week in the #laidbackreadathon that is being hosted on Instagram.  I'm hoping to finish at least three of the books that I'm currently in the middle of before the month ends.

Last week I finished the following book:

Shatter the Night by Emily Littlejohn is the 4th book in one of my favorite mystery series.  It was another solid and atmospheric addition to this series.  The author has a way with words that I just love so much!  I'll be sharing my full thoughts soon but check this series out if you haven't already!

I'm currently reading the following four books:

Promises in Death by J.D. Robb is one of my current print reads and the 2nd book that I'm reading for the #20backlistin2020 reading challenge that I'm participating in.  This series is comfort reading for me which is why I picked it up.

You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer is also one of my current print reads and is a review copy.  This book is really good so far but VERY emotional.  It keeps making me tear up so I have to take a break while reading it.

To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters is one of my current e-reads and a review copy courtesy of NetGalley.  This has been a fun read so far and I've been enjoying it.  This one releases next month so I would love to finish it before that date.

What It Seems by Emily Bleeker is my 2nd read on my e-reader and is also courtesy of NetGalley.  I've just barely begun this one so I don't have much to report on it yet.

My goal this week is just to continue on and keep reading.  Reading is a stress reliever for me so I need to make sure that I'm making it a priority.  I would really, really love to finish three of these at least.  That would help finish out my reading month strong for sure!  I hope that you all are doing well.  Let me know what you are reading in the comments!

Happy Sunday!  Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #62 (The Germs Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday everyone!  It's a gloomy day here with rain, sleet, and the possibility of snow as well later this afternoon.  It has been a hectic couple of weeks which helps to explain the lack of posts.  My youngest came down with pneumonia first (and my husband was sick at the same time).  I then came down with some sort of virus the following week.  My oldest son tested positive for influenza the week after.  Germs, germs, germs I tell you!  I didn't even open a book the week I was sick because basically all I did was cough.  It was rough but we all (fingers crossed) seem to be on the mend now with it passing my daughter by completely and thankfully!

In bookish news, I finished my first five star read of the year this weekend which was VERY exciting.  I'm currently ahead on my Goodreads challenge which means that I'm off to a solid start.  There are a ton of books that are on my radar that I really, really want to read.  It's just finding the time that is the hardest sometimes.  I'm already starting to fall a bit behind on reviews so that is something I'm planning on working on later today.  I would love to get a couple of reviews scheduled out but I'm also wanting to curl up with a book - we will see which one ends up winning out.

So far this month I have finished the following two books:

The Third To Die by Allison Brennan was an enjoyable and suspenseful read with a hint of a romance.  I really liked this one although there were times that it felt like I was missing backstory (despite this being the 1st book in the series).  I'm curious if this book relates to any of her other books or series which might explain the missing pieces more.  I should be sharing my full thoughts on this one later this week.

In The Dark by Loreth Anne White was my first five star read of 2020!  It was SO GOOD you guys!  I'm not sure why I haven't heard more about this author or this book because I have all of the feelings.      I saw a review of this book on Instagram and was instantly intrigued.  I went ahead and requested it from the library, and I'm thrilled that I did!  Expect a full gushing review of this one but to just tease you a bit - this book is based off of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  That's all I needed to hear before I knew that this was going to be a must read for me!

I'm now currently reading the following two books:

Egg Drop Dead is my current kindle read courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.  This is the 5th book in the Noodle Shop cozy mystery series.  I'm not too far in yet but I'm already enjoying myself. This is a delightful cozy mystery series and this book releases later this month.  In print, I'm getting ready to begin reading The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda which is a review copy courtesy of the publisher.  This isn't my typical sort of read but I really want to push my reading boundaries and genres this year so I'm looking forward to reading it!  It sounds like it might be heartbreaking but I'm ready for it!

My plans for today are pretty open other than I'm planning on cooking breakfast for dinner.  I would like to write up a few reviews like I said previously.  I would like to also read my book for awhile.  I also need to get everything taken care of to start off the week on the right foot.  Honestly, I might end up doing a mix of all three and call it a successful day!  I hope you all are enjoying a good book or two to start off your week as well.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #61 (A Reading Update)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday!  It finally feels like winter is here with our 1st winter storm of 2020.  I'm writing this post on Saturday afternoon  with the snow coming down and the wind blowing.  It's the perfect type of weather to curl up with a book and just read.

It felt like a much busier week than I expected it to be (but maybe that's because it was just the 1st full week of work in a couple of weeks).  The kids are all back in school, softball and baseball practices, football lifting, and basketball all started back up this week.  No wonder I was so tired now that I list all of that stuff out for all of you.  This is actually still our "down time" when it comes to sports - it will get REALLY crazy come this spring so I'm trying to enjoy the nights I have at home as much as possible.  There isn't much else to update you with - I finished my first book of the year and took the week off of posting on Bookstagram.  I didn't read much at all during the week which was a bit disappointing because I was trying to unofficially participate in the Bout of Books read-a-thon.  I'm hoping to be more successful in reading this coming week instead now.

The first book that I finished in 2020 was:

Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis was a fun and solid way to begin my 2020 reading year.  I've actually already written up my thoughts on this one - my review is scheduled to be posted on the 14th so keep an eye out for it!  I really enjoyed it though and because it is part of a series I have now added the previous books to my TBR list.

I'm currently reading the following books:

I don't usually read three books at once but that's just the way things turned out.  I've been reading The Hollows by Jess Montgomery which is courtesy of the publisher as part of an upcoming TLC book tour.  I'm enjoying it so far but this isn't a book that you want to rush through - instead it is one that I'm taking my time with.  Because of that (and my reading mood), I decided to pick up Six Years by Harlan Coben off of my own shelves.  With the winter storm that we were supposed to be getting this weekend, I decided a needed a fast paced page turner so I finally picked this one up.  It's definitely keeping me turning the pages so I'm thinking it was a good choice.  Finally on my e-reader I'm currently reading How To Claim An Undead Soul by Hailey Edwards.  I read the 1st book in this series two years back and am glad to be finally continuing on (although I'm really not that far into it yet).

It's going to be my reading goal of the week to finish at least two of these books.  I don't have any other plans for the weekend besides working on my out of control laundry piles.  My youngest has baseball practice and a basketball game tomorrow but he isn't feeling well so it remains to be seen if he will go to either.  If not, we will be in hibernation mode all weekend long which is just GLORIOUS!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #60 (Reading Rambles Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday readers!  I took a much needed blogging break (and even a bit of a bookstagramming break off and on) this past month.  Yesterday I started scheduling out posts for the new year though with two reviews written and scheduled.  I'm pretty impressed with myself on that one LOL!  I have lots of goals and reading plans for my 2020 reading year but I'm going to save that for another post.  I do hope to blog more consistently in the new year which means I need to get back in the habit of blogging and writing up posts on a more regular basis.  And scheduling out reviews because let's face it - they don't get done otherwise.

What else is new around here?  I signed up for Kindle Unlimited recently - honestly I'll probably only keep it for the three months where it is .99 rather than $9.99.  I mean I already have a ridiculous number of books on my e-reader so I can't see keeping this for longer than that.  I'm just excited to use this to read some books that are on my TBR list that I can't get from my library system.  I'm looking for authors to check out though so if you have any suggestions for me, definitely leave them in the comments.  I also put the call out on Twitter and Bookstagram in the hopes of getting some great suggestions.

In reading news, I'm currently reading the following books:

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison is my current e-book read thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  I'm reading this one as part of a blog tour set up by the publisher.  I'm only about 40% in so far but I'm enjoying it.  I think that I'm going to really focus on this one and hopefully it will end up being my last read of the new year.

Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis is a review copy courtesy of the publisher and my current print read.  I've only just started this one but am already really enjoying it.  You know a book is going to be good when you find yourself grinning at it while reading and laughing out loud.  There is a very good chance that this one is going to roll over into the new year but I'm okay with that!

My plans for today are the usual for Sundays and that means laundry, laundry, laundry.  I would love to get another review written up and scheduled.  It's also the last Bears game of the season so I will be curled up watching that while also reading my book.  I am also hoping to get started on my top reads list for the new year because it's about that time!  (Side note: who else LOVES this time of year with all of the best of lists - my library holds list would be 100% full if I wasn't working my hardest at self control!)

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov. 25th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

Happy Monday folks!  It's the week of Thanksgiving AND I have the week off of work which is pretty exciting!  We are staying home all week so it's officially a staycation and I couldn't be more here for that.  I have hopes for lots of reading and relaxing throughout the week.  In honesty, I'm hoping though to get some work done around the house, spends lots of time with my family, and get the Christmas decorations up.  It will be a low key week here which is exactly what I've been looking forward to.  Last week I hit my Goodreads goal of 60 books finished for the year.  It was strangely satisfying watching Goodread's celebrate my accomplishment with virtual confetti.  Has it always done that?  Maybe I've never paid attention until now.....but it was delightful all the same.

I'm actually having a really great month of reading in November compared to last month.  I've already finished six books so far so I'm pretty proud of that number.  I would love to finish two more books this week but time will tell.  I've been thinking a lot lately about blogging and the new year.  What is that going to look like for me?  Keep doing what I'm doing which is mainly just reviews and sporadic reading updates?  Maybe come up with a few fresh post ideas for the new year?  I haven't quite figured it out yet but I have been thinking about it.  Let me ask all of you:  what types of posts do you prefer to read on blogs?  Do you even read book review posts?  Is there something that you wish I did differently here or did more of?  I love reading updates myself.  I love informal talks about the books people have been reading and what their thoughts are as they are reading.  I don't read a lot of reviews myself.  These three things make me think that I need to change the way I'm doing things here and try something different.  But I like being able to go back and read my thoughts on books which is why I've kept writing reviews for so long.  It's something to ponder....

Last week I finished up Lock Every Door by Riley Sager.  I've already written up my thoughts on it and my review will post this week (tomorrow actually).  It was SO good and completely creeped me out!  I only have one more book of Sager's to catch up on which I plan on reading in the new year.  I'm now currently reading the following two books:

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny is the second book from her Three Pines series which I checked out from my local library.  I'm taking my time with this book and just enjoying visiting Three Pines once again.  The author writes beautifully and I find myself wishing that this was a really village readers could visit.  I'm curious to see where the book is going as there are hints of dark things to come but so far the murder hasn't yet happened.

Husband Material by Emily Belden is a review copy courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley that I'm reading on my e-reader.  It's the perfect change of pace from the mysteries and thrillers that I've been reading lately.  I wasn't sure if this was going to be the book for me based off of the first chapter.  I kept going though and now I'm about 25% in and really enjoying it.

I would love to finish reading both of these books this week so that will be my reading goals.  I do think in the new year I'm going to work on participating in more read-a-thons, buddy reads, and group reads.  I've always enjoyed myself when I do participate in these type of things but I don't do it very often.  I think it will motivate me to also keep working on stretching my reading boundaries in the new year! I'm off to work on my laundry piles for a bit.

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Salon (Evening Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

I'm posting a bit later than I usually do today but I was in the mood to chat with all of you.  The end of the year is rapidly approaching which is always a busy but fun time.  I'm already thinking about my reading year so far (I'm currently four books from my Goodread's goal for the year), the books that I'm anticipating in 2020, and what blogging will look like for me in the new year.  I've come to understand that I blog when I can.  This comes in waves - sometimes I'm more active and am able to get posts scheduled ahead of time.  Other times are more like today where I'm writing this post before dinner (so basically by the seat of my pants) but still want to share.  I would love to keep up with my posts more in the new year but time will tell if that actually happens or not. 

In other news, I have some new book mail to share with all of you.  I would love to get better about posting my book mail on a more consistent basis so this is also something I'm going to work towards in the new year. 

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt sounds like a SUPER creepy read!  I'm so excited to give it a try - honestly it just sounds like a book that should be read during this time of year with the long, dark nights.  I may end up giving myself nightmares with this one but still can't wait to check it out!

Life and Limb by Jennifer Roberson is a fantasy type of read (I believe).  As I just finished, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (and LOVED it), I'm absolutely there for this one!  I just cannot wait to check it out and see what new world this author has created.  I'm really in the fantasy mood now so I don't think I'll be waiting too long to read this one!

All The Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen is one of my most anticipated reads for 2020!  I have loved BOTH of the previous two books in this series.  The author isn't afraid to take chances with her books and the main characters are ones that just love to read about.  I have very high hopes for this one - honestly, it doesn't release until February but I'm pretty sure I will be reading this one next month at the latest.

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler isn't my typical sort of read which is why I'm so excited to read it!  I've realized lately that I need to push myself once in awhile to read more than just mysteries and thrillers all of the time.  This book also doesn't release until 2020 but I'm really looking forward to it as well.  I do plan on really working on stretching my reading boundaries in the new year however that looks!

I'm currently reading the following two books:

The Cost of Honor by Diana Munoz Stewart is a the third book in a romantic suspense series where I just recently read and enjoyed the second book not that long ago.  I'm about 100 pages in and enjoying this one as well.  It's a pretty fast read so I'm hoping to finish it this week.

Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan is my current read for #NetGalleyNovember.  I've got a ridiculous number of review copies courtesy of both NetGalley and Edelweiss.  I'm working on focusing on reading a few of them this month.  This is my second book for this "challenge" so I already feel like I've been successful with it so far.  I would love to finish this one as well this week so that's my reading goals for the week.

As we are into the evening already, I don't really have any plans of the day to share.  I have been working diligently on my laundry piles this weekend and still really haven't made that much of a dent.  I'll continue on with that this week as well.  I also went to my youngest son's basketball game today which was fun.  It's always fun to watch at this age as they are still learning so much!  I'm off to curl up with one of my books and maybe a little Harry Potter movie to end my day.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #58 (Fall Reading Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Happy Sunday everyone!  Fall weather has hit here and I'm enjoying every minute of it.  I'm actually typing this up on Saturday afternoon with the windows open, a blanket covering me to keep the chill off, and the sound of rain which is the absolute icing on the cake.  This is my absolute favorite time of the year for a reason.  I am one of those rare birds that enjoys all four seasons (yes, even the snow and cold) but fall has always been my favorite.

I haven't finished a single book this week.  I'm in the middle of four books currently which is absolutely unheard of for me.  In reality that looks like me with bookmarks in three books and actually reading the fourth one on a continual basis.  I always want to read all of the books, but lately I REALLY WANT TO READ ALL OF THE BOOKS!  It's kind of affecting my focus because it just feels like I want to read everything and right this second.  So basically that seems to have led to me starting multiple things and finishing none of them this week.  I need to do better next week!  When I get like this, I usually try to slow down reading which seems like the opposite of what one would want to do.  But I don't want to race through books....so I'm really working on just enjoying that one book that I'm focusing on and then I can do the same thing with one of the other books I have currently going.  That's the plan anyways!

I've also been very blessed this week with book mail thanks to publishers.  I've gotten out of the habit of sharing about the books I receive for review on here but I would like to change that.  I'm hoping that by sharing it will also keep me accountable to share my thoughts on these books after finishing.  I can always use the gentle push especially when it comes to writing up my thoughts.  With that being said, I'm planning on sharing my thoughts on at least two books this week (not in this pile) that I received for review but haven't yet shared my thoughts on.  Maybe three if I'm feeling extra motivated (I'm woefully behind on reviews in general).  Anyways, these books all hit my mailbox this week so hence one of the reasons why I'm feeling the need to read ALL of the books.  Let's move on though to what I'm currently reading.

I currently have bookmarks in the following books:

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller is the book I'm really actually reading.  It is absolutely delightful!  I'm just a little over halfway through this one (I'm reading it on my e-reader) and you guys I swear I'm reading it with a smile on my face half of the time.  If you enjoyed A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn, then I really think that you will enjoy this one as well.  I haven't seen this one much on bookstagram yet which is just a shame because it really is a delight so far!

Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard is a print copy of a book that is due to release in December if I'm correct.  The ONLY reason that I'm not reading this one right this second is because of the above book and it will be what I'm diving into exclusively next if I'm honest.  I'm such a sucker for women detective fiction so this is kind of already my jam.

Death Masks by Jim Butcher should really need no explanation.  I NEEDED some Harry Dresden in my life and purposefully read the first few pages so that it wouldn't end up going back to the library unread.  It has been at least a year since I read the fourth book in this series so it is definitely time to dive back into Harry's world!

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag has been all over the bookstagram world lately so of course I requested it from the library.  I probably wouldn't have started this one but another bookstagrammer was reading it and I decided to just add one more to the pile and read it with her.  It's actually due back to the library soon though so if I can't renew I will just let it go back and get to it another time.

Whew!  That's a lot.  Plans for Sunday include laundry and reading.  The Walking Dead returns this weekend which I'm pretty pumped about.  We will be watching football and just basically being as lazy as possible while also preparing for the upcoming week.  That's my plan anyways - we will see what actually happens!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 29th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

Happy Monday everyone!  It has been a very busy summer which means I've been much quieter on the blog than I would have liked.  I would like to say that's going to change but honestly some years are just like this.  We will have to see as the upcoming school year is coming at a very rapid rate.  This means we have coming up physicals, school supply shopping, and school registrations just to name a few.  It's a busy time of the year but really when isn't it?  Softball and baseball season are officially over but we are now gearing up for tryouts for next year.  My son's is over already (he made the same team again) but my daughter's is in another week.  On top of that, football season is really gearing up which is exciting.  I love this time of year though because it means fall is just around the corner!  I've had a pretty good month of reading in July - I've already finished six books.  Five or six books seems to be my average for this year when I was looking at my reading dates on Goodreads.  This meant that I was perpetually behind on my Goodreads goal of reading 80 books this year - I went ahead and dropped that number down to 60 which seems much more doable.  I've read 80 books in a year before but this year most likely wasn't going to be that year with my current reading pace.  Not much else new going on - still working lots of hours at work and still completely behind on book reviews.

My reading updates have been too irregular to be able to really share everything that I've read since my last reading update.  Instead, these are the books that I finished this past week:

Three Strikes by Kate Kessler is the third book in her Audrey Harte mystery series.  I loved the beginning two books in this series but didn't enjoy this one quite as much.  It was still a really good read but not a five star read like the previous two had been.  I'll share my full thoughts eventually but suffice it to say that you would really want to read this series in order so start with book one if at all possible.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is a book that I read for an upcoming blog tour so I will be sharing my full thoughts then.  I will say that I really enjoyed my time with this book despite a lack of likable characters.  It was a compelling read and I'll be watching to see what this author comes up with next!

I'm currently reading the following books:

I haven't yet started The Cutting Room by Ashley Dyer is going to be my next print read.  I haven't yet started it yet as I just finished The Escape Room earlier this morning (I'm writing this on Sunday).  Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is my current book on my e-reader that I'm reading as part of NetGalley's reviewathon.  I am always so hopelessly behind on my NetGalley review copies so I'm trying to use this #reviewathon as the extra push that I need to clear some of them out.  This book published back in January so that should show you how behind I really am (and how much I need this challenge).

I would love to finish both of these this week but we will see as we have a lot going on.  I'm going to really focus on getting some more reviews written though because I hate being this far behind.  Tell me what books you have been reading and loving lately!

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #57 (Spoiler Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Good morning everyone!  I hope you've all been well and are enjoying the warmer weather!  While summer is probably my least favorite season - I am appreciating the warmer weather after all of the rain that we were getting there for awhile.  It's another busy weekend over here but I've been mulling some thoughts over for awhile now and wanted to get everyone's opinion.

Okay so here's the deal.  Last week (or the week before) I started reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen which is the second book in a mystery series.  According to Goodreads, I finished reading the first book back in December of 2017.  So it had been awhile and honestly when I started this book and the author referred to events that had happened in book one....well, I was a bit lost.  I couldn't remember the ending of that first book and how everything went down.  I ended up searching Goodread's reviews for spoilers so I could refresh myself on that first book.  Honestly, this isn't the first time that's happened especially as I read so many different series.  I also try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible which means I don't end up giving a lot of details on the plot.  Here's where I need your opinion.  I'm thinking that I'm going to change the way that I write my reviews of books.  I'm going to write up my thoughts like I normally do - and then in a marked paragraph I'm going to discuss my thoughts with spoilers and as many details as I like.  I'm thinking that I will post this paragraph at the very end so that those who don't want to see spoilers can just read my thoughts and skip that section.  The only times that I won't do this is if I'm reading/reviewing a book as part of a blog tour.  Blog tour books are for people to actually visit my blog and read my thoughts on the book so I don't feel like I should include spoilers in that kind of post.  But I want to really be able to remember what I read so for other books, why shouldn't I discuss everything or anything I want to?  What are your feelings on all of this?  How do you remember the details from all of the books that you read?  Or don't you....I sure don't!

Reading wise, I'm chugging right along at about the same reading pace as I have been all year.  I have a bunch of books that I need to write up my thoughts on so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on the above.  My review copies have really been stacking up lately so I'm trying to focus almost entirely on them in June.  I did this in April and felt like it helped make the stack a bit more manageable.  That hasn't stopped me from putting WAY too many books on hold at the library or checking too many out.  Because some things never change and I AM a mood reader through and through.  In the past week (or so), I've finished the following two books:

Deadly Obsession by April Hunt - This is the beginning to a new romantic suspense series and I really enjoyed it.  I love romantic suspenses but there is a fine line between what works for me in this genre and what doesn't.  I'm hoping to write up my thoughts on this one soon but I will definitely say that I'm planning on reading more in this series!

Summer on Mirror Lake by JoAnn Ross - This is a small town contemporary romance that I read for an upcoming TLC book tour.  My thoughts on this one will be up later this week.  I will admit that I'm confused on if this is a part of a series or not - I need to research that further.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of but I found it an enjoyable read perfect for summertime.

I'm now currently reading the following:

I'm also reading this for an upcoming TLC book tour later this month.  It has been awhile since I read one of this author's books but I'm really enjoying it so far!  I'm sensing a need for a thriller or mystery next after these three books.  I'm also considering starting Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land to read alongside my current book.  We are into June already and I have yet to pick up any nonfiction - I REALLY wanted to read more nonfiction this year so this is something I need to focus on more.  Especially as I'm constantly adding nonfiction books to my TBR list but then never reading them.  I don't usually read two print books at once but I'm thinking I might change things up a bit with a nonfiction book instead of my usual e-book.

I'm writing this early because plans for today include baseball games.  If we aren't at the fields all day then I'm going to work on laundry and getting the house ready for the week.  I've been watching the Harry Potter movies this weekend as my husband and daughter are away at a softball tournament.  I'm not a huge television nut but I always love marathoning the Harry Potter movies (and not feeling bad when I make my husband watch them for the umpteenth time)!  I'm off to enjoy my Sunday and this beautiful weather!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #56 (Catch-Up Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Good morning everyone!  Happy Mother's Day to those who are mothers in whatever form that takes.  If you haven't noticed I've been hitting you guys with lots of reviews (for me at least) this week.  I didn't realize how far behind I was starting to get so I'm working on catching up with reviews.  I'm hoping to post at least two more this week.  May has started off as a strong reading month for me.  I've finished three books already which I feel like is better than previous months so far this year.  Hopefully I can keep up the reading pace!

Life has been pretty busy otherwise.  We are at either a baseball or softball tournament every weekend (or both more often than not).  During the week there are practices and league games as well as a multitude of other things.  Thankfully, we are getting down to the end of the school year.  My kids are more than ready to be done with school and for summer break to begin.  I'm just enjoying it all because it always goes by so fast.  Not much else new otherwise.  I'm just going to share the books I've finished in May since it has been awhile since my last reading update.  I've actually been pretty spotty on my posting this year - if you want to hear my thoughts on books more consistently check out my Instagram account (@samsbooks1020).  I am on there more often talking books then anywhere else.

In May I have finished the following books:

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen was such an enjoyable read - I actually posted my thoughts on this one earlier this week.  Check them out here if you are interested.  I'm really looking forward to checking out more by this author as I enjoyed this one so much.

The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman was another really great read.  I plan on posting my thoughts on this one later this week.  It was the perfect reminder of why I enjoy Goodman's books so much. I really need to catch up with the rest of her backlist!  She has such a way with creating these suspenseful and tense books that I can't get enough of.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse is a book that I just finished last night between innings during my daughter's softball game.  It was really good and left me very excited to read the next book in the series which just recently released.  I hope that we will continue to learn more details about this new world as the series goes on.  I really enjoyed it and will be sharing my full thoughts on this one as well in the near future.

I'm now currently reading the following books:

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is my current read on my e-reader.  I'm reading it as part of a blog tour later this month.  I'm enjoying it so far and am about 29% into it so hopefully I will get some quality reading time with it this week.  In print I'm getting ready to begin reading The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair.  This is the beginning to a new historical mystery series that releases next month.  I've been in the mood for a historical mystery so I'm planning on diving into this one later this afternoon.

Plans for today are pretty much nothing besides relaxing and enjoying a quiet Sunday.  My husband is cooking an early lunch/late breakfast for me and then I may roll my lazy self out of bed.  Or not - it has been such a busy few weeks that I may just sit here all day.  LOL!  I would love to get a few of those reviews I've been talking about written.  And maybe a load of laundry or two if I'm motivated at all.  The kids do need clean clothes this week at some point.  Ha!  I hope that you all have a wonderful, relaxing day as well.  Take care of yourself in whatever form or shape that takes!!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!