The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.
It's been a quieter week. I went in an extra day at work because we were real busy at the hospital.
It's been hot the last couple of days, but we still haven't had to turn on the air conditioner. I went on three runs this week and have been in the garden constantly. Planting, watering, weeding.
Wild garden daisies
My zucchini plant is producing so we've been using our zucchini recipes. My favorite is battered air fryer zucchini (recipe HERE) rounds with ranch dip. I substitute heavy cream for the milk and set the oven to air fry at the same temp. Delicious!
My husband and I went to lunch in town yesterday, explored some shops, and did some did some wine tasting at a local wine tasting room. A fun day.
Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)
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I had a great reading week with one 5 star, one 4.5 star and two 4 star reads. Love, Theoretically is my favorite Ali Hazelwood to date. The Island Villa was an emotional journey of a mother and her two daughters mending fences and finding happiness. The Sweetheart List was a sweet, low drama romance. I picked up Sworn to Silence, the first in the Kate Burkholder mysteries because I grabbed her latest through a "read now" Netgalley offer and wanted to at least get to the first book in the series. I think I'll manage to read a few more before tackling the latest. It was riveting mystery, but boy was it brutal and tough to stomach in parts! Still, I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
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Four library lend audios and two review copies. Pray For Silence is the second in the Kate Burkholder series. I'm currently listening to A Rip Through Time and had the my hold of the second one, The Poisoner's Ring come through a few days ago. Need to listen to both before my library lend expires. I have a print copy of A Love Catastrophe, but requested a library audio and it came through this week. Vanishing Edge was on sale at Chirp, but it was available through my library so I borrowed it instead. I've got a lot to get through before they expire!
Instagram:
My current giveaway.
How was your week?
Ooh wine tasting sounds fun. We have some nice wineries north of us where we go for vacation but haven't been up that way yet this year. And mm those zucchini rounds sound delish.
ReplyDeleteWe're pretty fortunate our area has quite a few wineries and Napa/Sonoma is only two hours away, because we love wine. The wineries are also usually beautiful, so it's more than just tasting. I try to visit wineries in whatever state I visit. Oregon and Washington have really nice regions, too. Didn't know you had some in your neck of the woods, Greg, but yay! I linked the recipe for the zucchini just now. Should've done it last night. :)
DeleteI love the beauty of the wineries sometimes more than the tastings! :) If you're ever in Michigan the wineries on the Old Mission peninsula are nice. I highly recommend a day trip on Old mission if you're in Traverse City.
DeleteHere's one of the wineries out there.
http://www.chateauchantal.com/
Same here! I just looked the winery up and the location is beautiful! I'd go there for that reason alone! Of course tasting wine would be a definite draw too, lol! Thanks for the recommend! :)
DeleteI love the photos of the flowers! Have a great week :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maree! I'm enjoying the flowers so much. You too! :)
DeleteThat butterfly picture is great.
ReplyDeleteI think I have the Vanishing Edge on my Kindle app. No idea when I will get to it, but I want to.
Thanks! The butterflies have been flying around a lot. I hope we both love Vanishing Edge. I have to get to it soon because it's a library lend.
DeleteMy daughter and I were just talking about how much we wanted zucchini blossoms -- so yummy, but it's not easy to get the blossoms if you don't grow zucchini (which we don't). The Morgan book is calling to me. I love stories like that
ReplyDeleteI never considered using the zucchini blossoms! I wonder how you cook them. I'll have to look that up since I have a lot. It was a good one, Sam! I think you'd like it.
DeleteHooray for a quieter week... even with the extra work. The air fryer zucchini sounds divine. Do you have a recipe to share? I enjoyed The Sweetheart List. I've only read three by Shalvis but it was my favorite to date.
ReplyDeleteYes! I've linked it above, but here it is:
Deletehttps://skinnyms.com/oven-baked-zucchini-chips/#wprm-recipe-container-529183
I substitute heavy cream for the milk and set the oven to air fry instead at the same temp.
Oops, sorry! Somehow I overlooked that you'd already linked it. I'm definitely going to make these!
DeleteGreat flower photos! Enjoy the zucchini! I might check out the Kate Burkholder series.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love zucchini. I thought the first book was really good and another blogger just reassured me the first one is the most brutal so I'm happy about that.
DeleteLove Theoretically is my next read!!! Also I admire you for running three times a week Rachel!
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it as much as I did, Sophie! It was so good. Thanks! I try to keep active. I love getting outside. :)
DeleteWe are always on the lookout for flowers that attract butterflies. But I think our weather might be too hot for Dahlias. Our air conditioner has been running most days since the beginning of May.
ReplyDeleteThe Island Villa looks delightful, but I haven't been too successful lately with my preferred summer light reads. I blame it on this heat.
Try a butterfly bush, Deb. They're pretty with conical shaped purple flowers. I think they do well in the heat, too. The Island Villa was really good! I think it would be a perfect summer read with the Greek island of Corfu as the setting, the sparkling blue waters of the sea cooling you down, mentally at least, lol! :)
DeleteBeautiful flowers. Regine
ReplyDeleteThank you, Regine!
DeleteI could never live with AC haha but maybe we get more hot in Utah than you do. Although our temps aren't bad right now, I think the long wet winter has really helped with that. Love your photos you shared there. I haven't heard of Ashley Munoz but that one just looks so interesting!
ReplyDeleteI can't live without air conditioning either! Especially after hitting 50 yrs old, but we've been having milder weather so far this year and our house it pretty shaded so even when we do have higher temps it has to be blazing hot for us to need the A/C. So far it hasn't been quite that hot. I hope that Munoz is good. It looks and sounds good! :)
DeleteI returned to work this week after my husband being in the hospital the week prior. It was good to be back, but my mind couldn't help but worry about him. He's home for the next few weeks as we both adjust to his chronic illness. So far the transition has been okay, but we just keep taking things a day at a time. I'm finding a lot of refuge in my flowerbeds and potted plants. It feels good to be outside tending to everything, even though the Texas heat is now in full summer mode.
ReplyDeleteTaking one day at a time is a good plan. I too find respite in the garden. Being outside and seeing all the flowers grow is relaxing. I'm happy you're finding solace in the garden, too, Ethan. I hope all goes well with your husband's health!
DeleteIt's funny because I love wine tastings, but don't like wine, lol. I enjoy trying to see if I can taste what they say you are supposed to taste in the little sips. But when I thought I liked a wine one time, and bought a bottle and took it home, it turns out drinking a whole glass is different than having a sip. I also loved the new Ali Hazelwood book, and the new Helena Hunting one. Hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteLisa Loves Literature
It's funny how a wine can taste wonderful in the winery and then you get it home and it's not as good as you though. I love the whole experience, though, not just tasting. The wineries are usually set somewhere beautiful. Happy to hear you enjoyed Love, Theoretically too and A Love Catastrophe! I'm looking forward to that one soon. Thank you! I hope you also have a good week!
DeleteYou already have zucchini? That's amazing. My zucchini plants are growing, but just barely starting to blossom. And Sworn to Silence was a tough one...more brutal than any of her later ones in the series. I'm looking forward to reading her latest which comes out at the end of July. Hope you have a good week! :D
ReplyDeleteYes, I bought a plant and then also planted some seeds. The plant already has zucchini and the ones from seed will be soon. I started them pretty early. I'm happy to hear that about the Kate Burkholder series! Thanks for telling me, because I was a little wary. You, too, Lark! :)
DeleteI am reading many of the same books. I also want to read the Linda Castillo series but haven't started it yet. I have library books I have put off a week at a time for a year now. But it's a juggle with all the things I really want to read. Our weather is heating up. Thankfully this week looks rainy which will help the plants.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
It is a struggle to get to read the library lends. Usually I can't do it unless it's an audio. Our weather is cooling down this week. Today was quite a bit cooler than the rest of the week. Strange weather! Yes, I'd welcome some rain so I don't have to go out and water! Can't wait until my husband gets a watering system done. It'll be a while because it's a big job.
DeleteI LOVED love, theoretically! It was so good!
ReplyDeleteIt was! Thrilled to hear you loved it too, Sam!
DeleteLove Theoretically was *chef's kiss* and I also enjoyed The Love Catastrophe. I'm not so patiently waiting my turn on the library hold for The Sweetheart List. Hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteYes! It was so good! Happy to hear you enjoyed A Love Catastrophe too! I hope you enjoy The Sweetheart List as much as I did. You, too! :)
DeletePretty flowers. It was quiet here too.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I yearn for quiet! :)
DeleteThanks, Vicky!
ReplyDeleteNice that you've had a quiet week with time in the garden and the trip to town. Pretty butterfly picture. Great reading week too with a five and four and a half star read in the bunch. I still need to read Poisoner's Ring.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week, Rachel!
Yes! I love quiet weeks! I will need to get to Poisoner's Ring sooner rather than later because it's a library lend. Hope we both love it. You too, Sophia!
DeleteOooh! Your flowers look beautiful! Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Sunday Post
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Thanks, Ronyell! You too!
DeleteI love dahlias too! I already decided I need way more in my garden next year. Especially those huge ones!
ReplyDeleteI love the dinner plate Dahlias!
DeleteWine tasting sounds fun. I ordered Sworn to Silence from Thrift Books a few weeks ago, and they sent me a JD Robb book instead.
ReplyDeleteJill
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/
Oh, that's a bummer! Hope you get Sworn to Silence.
DeleteThe zucchini chips & dip sound so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Enjoy your new books!
ReplyDeleteLove those photos as always :D
ReplyDeleteWe had some warm weather too, and did turn it on. We are so used to the cold lol