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.
Can you believe it's 2024?! We went over to a friends house for New Years Eve with my sister and her husband. It was nice since we had just got back into town. We had a beautiful Monday, New Year's Day here! My husband and I relaxed after getting back on Sunday from Central California, Sequoia National Forrest area with a bunch of family. It was sunny and we walked around the neighborhood and checked out a couple of ponds nearby.
Large pond in our neighborhood
Smaller pond
The smaller pond had a bunch of geese frolicking around, (not easy to see in this picture) even though it was cold.
I worked and have been trying to get through 2023 arcs.
Today we had our first snow of the season with some lightening and thunder tonight. We've been homebodies, sticking close to home. I've been doing a puzzle and listening to books. Tonight I'm making comfort food: Chicken noodle soup ladled over mashed potatoes.
First snow of the season
This 500 piece puzzle was a lot of fun!
Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)
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Tell Her Story by Margot Hunt (novella): 3.5 Stars
Drowning by T.J. Newman: 4.5 Stars
#CrimeTime by Jeneva Rose & Drew Pyne (novella): 3.5 Stars
Thanksgiving Blessing by Marta Perry: 3.5 Stars
The Fearless One by Lori Foster: 3.5 Stars
Always Only You by Chloe Liese: 4 Stars
We listened to Tell Her Story and Drowning on our way home on Sunday. Tell Her Story was good for the short length, read by Dakota Fanning. Drowning by T.J. Newman was excellent and made our car ride fly by! The story was riveting! #CrimeTime was another novella and it was hilarious even though it was a mystery/thriller, Chase was a wannabe-famous Tik Tocker and he was over-the-top funny! Thanksgiving Blessing was enjoyable with some niggles. Same with The Fearless One. This is my second time reading Always Only You. Berkley acquired the series and is re-releasing with beautiful new covers and bonus material.
Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)
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Yep, this is scary! I went through and downloaded a bunch of offers and was approved for my request of Cheater. I'm looking forward to all of these! Three are new-to-me-authors: Suzanne Allain, Rachel Linden, and Dana Mentink, but the rest are authors I've enjoyed in the past.
Instagram:
How was your week?
Sounds like you had a nice New Year. Those pictures of the ponds are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was nice and quiet. Thanks!
DeleteLooks beautiful there. And oh wow look at the snow! We had a little dusting here in december but not much. I remember we used to get so much more snow in winter!
ReplyDeleteAnyway happy new years! I love that puzzle. Those magazine covers are always so cool for the NYorker.
Yes we got a proper dusting and it's still on the ground. Lots of ice too. I'm loving those puzzles!
DeleteAwww I like that pond
ReplyDeleteThey're pretty, right?
DeleteOops. It looks like I'm a couple of books behind on Mary Balogh. I usually keep up with her novels. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love her stories!
DeleteThese pictures are gorgeous! And I have been very homebody too to be honest!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sophie. Yes, I like to be a homebody as much as possible!
DeleteYour neighborhood is lovely. Great pictures. Thunder snow, huh? I am not sure if I have ever experienced that. I am sure you will get all the books read. I enjoy Linden's books. They are the warm and fuzzy kind. Very me. Hope they are all hits.
ReplyDeleteI know, it was a strange weather combo. I'm glad we didn't lose power. I hope so too!
DeleteDrowning was a compelling read, I’m glad the audiobook was too.
ReplyDeleteI hope the snow remains light!
Wishing you a great reading week
It was good! It's not a heavy dropping, but it's not melting either. Thanks, you too!
DeleteWhat a lovely walk! And the snow is beautiful, too.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have a lot of books to choose from now!
It was beautiful! Thanks, I think I have an overabundance!
DeleteChicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes sound so good! Comfort foods are the best foods! I love your pictures. It's so nice to be out in nature. I should do that more often!
ReplyDeleteIt is a really good recipe! I love being outside when I can. It's such a destressor!
DeleteYou live in a beautiful area. You must be high enough elevation to get snow. We haven't had any yet and may or may not this year. I also loved Drowning.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Thanks! Our elevation isn't as high as you'd think. We're at 2,470 ft, but we're north enough where we get a fair amount of snow. I'm not a big fan of the snow, a little bit is okay here and there, but it's also problematic with the garden plants. I'm still trying to figure out what I can and can't plant and have it survive.
DeleteIt was good! Glad you enjoyed it, too!
Those nature pictures look nice.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
My Sundaypost
Looks like a beautiful place to relax a bit! Enjoy your new books!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Drowning...it's a very intense thriller. And that New Yorker puzzle is so great. Hope you have a great week...and happy reading all those books. :D
ReplyDeleteOoh, some lovely-looking new books there -- hope you enjoy them!
ReplyDeleteMy weekly roundup.
You live in such a beautiful area, Rachel! It sounds like you have had a great week. I was debating sitting down to do a puzzle myself and your photo may have sealed the deal! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteLove your pictures. I'm glad you had a nice NYE and NY. I hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeletehttps://jennielyse.com/sunday-news-50/
I'm glad you had a good time at Sequoia NP with family and the New Year's gathering. We had a quiet New Year's too.
ReplyDeleteI'll be curious to see your review for Drowning. Crime Time sounds fun.
Have a great week, Rachel!
It was so nice to have a quiet New Year's Eve! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed that too! posted my review for Drowning and Crimtime on Instagram and Goodreads. They were fun! Drowning was especially good! :)
DeleteThe New Yorker cover puzzles are my favorites! That one looks like fun and I prefer the 500 piece puzzles... the 1000 piece take forever to finish.
ReplyDeleteThey are fun, right? I'm enjoying the 500 piece puzzles a little more than the 1000 ones lately, too. I think I'll order more of them.
ReplyDeleteThat puzzle is beautiful. Drowning is on my TBR list.. good to hear you liked it so much.
ReplyDeleteI love that puzzle. I got a big puzzle board for Christmas so I'm looking forward to getting it set up.
ReplyDeleteWe had a very low key New Years here. I took advantage of the beautiful weather and got the lights off of the house. Now we just have to finish packing up the inside.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful way to welcome the new year! Definitely a quiet time for us as well but I don't mind. And, yay for new books. Can't wait to hear what you think of the Jayne Ann Krentz book. I used to love her books back when she wrote historical romances. I am not sure if she still does.
ReplyDeleteBig difference between your first and third pictures!
ReplyDeleteJill
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/
Happy New Year! Hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful photos! I am glad to see you liked Drowning. I would like to read that one, although it scares me a bit with the combined plane and water setting. I keep hearing great things about The Heiress. I look forward to your thoughts on it when you read it. Enjoy your new books and have a great week! Happy New Year, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely setting with the dock and the tall trees! So pastoral.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
Such a beautiful area you live in. We have a major cold front here this week and snow. I'm staying inside! It's freezing.
ReplyDelete