Category: Sunday Post

Sunday Post | This Could Really Be A Good Life

Posted May 25, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 17 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

A Good, Good Life

Hey friends, I’ve missed you all since the week before! I’m still catching up from all I’ve missed; I’ve got a ton of laundry to do, work I haven’t done, and a couple weeks’ worth of blog visiting and commenting! Please bear with me while I get myself caught up!

As for my friend’s visit, it was awesome! We had lots of fun and did a lot of stuff (and I had to take a couple of days to rest from all the activity I was not used to!) – I took her to the zoo of course, and to the annual big book sale in Calgary, signed her up for our public library tour – she’s a friend from my online book club so she was thrilled with all the book-related activities, I promise!

She was also very happy to meet my cats, the pictures above were all taken by her. They had fun hanging out with her although they were wary at first. We also did some tarot readings, had long chats and some really big laughs, enjoyed a few meals together. It was a great time and I was sad when it was time for her to leave. There were tears! 😭

All the happy things:

  1. It was so nice to hang out with my friend! This is actually the first time we met in person after years of hanging out online, and it was just a joy!
  2. I grabbed lots of great books from the book sale!
  3. I have always loved the zoo and the library, but I have a new appreciation for them, and other local fixtures, after seeing them through a visitor’s eyes.
  4. There have been more walks around the neighborhood with the husband on nice days.
  5. And another dance party while cleaning the kitchen together!
  6. I made more cookies!

My book haul! There were several more, but these are the ones I’m excited about and I hope to read them sooner rather than later.

The Books

Books I read last (two) week(s):

  1. Funny Story by Emily Henry – I think this might have become my favorite of Emily Henry’s books. I loved the banter, and it made me laugh out loud several times. It was just so fun to read.
  2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – I loved this book but for very different reasons. It’s heavy and difficult to read emotionally, but it was very good, and I feel like this is one I’d come back to and find new things to take away.
  3. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Another favorite from TJR. One of my top TJR books is Malibu Rising, and we first meet Carrie Soto there in a cameo. We get to know her better in this book and I’m definitely a fan.
  4. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth – My book club buddies were talking about this book and I couldn’t resist buying into their hype. I’m glad I did because it was really good. I finished it very quickly.
  5. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears – I grew up with Britney and really enjoyed her music. It’s horrifying to find out all the ways she’s been used and exploited because of her success. I have so much respect for her strength. I know I couldn’t have handled half the things she went through.
  6. What Happened To Nina? by Dervla McTiernan – This had been on my radar for a while and I finally finished it. It’s such an interesting look at the things we’d do for our loved ones. How far would you go? I think the social horror aspect of it is what scares me most.
  7. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – Many of you recommended this book after I finished reading Clap When You Land, and I’m glad you did because it was so good. I loved Xiomara’s voice and listening to it on audio, narrated by the author, made it all the more powerful.
  8. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells – Just finished today! I’ve been waiting a long time for the audiobook and it’s worth the wait, but I feel so impatient to read them all, so now I have a dilemma – read them all quickly on ebook? Or wait for the audiobooks to be available, one by slow one? 😩

Books I’m reading:

  1. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley – On a physical copy. This is a reread. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite childhood authors but for some reason I only rated this one two stars at the time. My book buddies have told me unequivocally that I’m wrong and it’s great, so I’m trying it again. To be fair, it’s been so long I don’t remember anything about it at all, so I might agree with them and shake my head at my younger self’s bad take.
  2. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center – On ebook. I’ve been meaning to read it for months! It was on my TBR before The Bodyguard, but I finished that some time ago so I thought I should finally get to this.
  3. Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft – On audiobook. I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for this book on some subreddits and it came up recently while I was browsing Libby’s catalog, so I thought I’d read it. It’s been pretty eye-opening so far but I’m only 20% in.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

Finish all the books I’ve already started, but I think I also have to catch up on some book reviews, and updating my books read on Goodreads and The Storygraph. I feel like I’ve also lost sight of some of my reading challenges, so I’m going to try to get back on track and focus on the books I wanted to read.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Keeping Me Waiting, Anticipating

Posted May 11, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 11 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

The Day We Find Love Once Again

I won’t be doing a Sunday Post next week because a friend of mine will be visiting during the weekend and I probably won’t be able to get on the computer. The good news is that I’ll probably have a lot more to share on my Sunday Post the week after! I’ll miss you all next week though.

Last week was mostly uneventful except for a wonderful time spent downtown with the husband the one day the weather was nice. We visited a few old haunts, a bookshop, and tried a new restaurant. We got the chicken wings platter, a salad, and onion rings. Everything was delicious, but it was ridiculously overpriced and I’m not sure if it’s worth the price. It was still a very nice date, though!

I’m still getting used to the walking desk and being on the treadmill while I’m on the computer. I realized that I haven’t been spending as much time working on the computer because I’m trying to avoid the motion sickness, but it’s good because I still have to use the computer and it forces me to be more mindful of what I’m doing on the computer and how much time I spend on it while also getting in some exercise when I’m on it. Win-win-win, right?

All the happy things:

  1. So happy that the audiobook for Funny Story by Emily Henry is finally available to borrow! I have been waiting and anticipating so long!!
  2. Not sure if it counts because I was going to write it after the fact and not before, but I’m very happily anticipating my friend’s visit!
  3. I was able to spend some time crocheting and I finished a couple of small projects! They’re in the wash right now, but I’ll post pictures next week (the week after)!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – It’s a short book, but powerful, and painful at parts. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and I’m glad I finally did!
  2. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie – This is the second book in The First Law Trilogy, and it’s been such an immersive experience. I’d love to immediately move on to the third book but I’m waiting on my reading buddies to get their copies.

Books I’m reading:

  1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – I’m at 80% of the audiobook and really loving it. I haven’t read David Copperfield so I had no idea what to expect. I’m also looking forward to reading David Copperfield soon after.
  2. Funny Story by Emily Henry – I’ve got the ebook but I’ve been waiting for the audiobook because Julia Whelan narrates it and I love her! I finally got the audiobook today and I’ve started listening despite not having finished Demon Copperhead yet!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m not expecting to be able to read much this week since my friend will be visiting, but I’m hoping to finish Demon Copperhead and Funny Story for sure, and maybe a couple of shorter, easy reads. Any recommendations?

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | And I Would Walk 500 Miles

Posted May 4, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 27 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

And I Would Walk 500 More

Last week was a total contrast with the week before, weather-wise. The weather was so nice two weeks ago and I walked so much outside, but last week it rained/snowed pretty much the whole week and I didn’t go outside at all. I did manage to get some exercise indoors though. I paced while reading, and I set up my computer on my walking desk so I was doing blog stuff while on the treadmill too, which is great!

Except that I got a bit of motion sickness and I had to take a lot of breaks.

I had wanted to post more, write some book reviews, but didn’t feel up to it with the motion sickness. I also had a lot to catch up on with replying comments and visiting blogs, and I’m still catching up, but I think I’m getting better doing longer sessions on the treadmill/computer, and I’m sure it will get easier once I get used to it. It’s a chore setting up the computer, so I can’t just switch it out when I get tired of walking and want to sit. I mean, I can, but it’s a whole lot of work. And I want to get used to this because I think it’s better for my health in the long-term.

It’s getting better already, see! I’m writing this post while at my walking desk!

In other news, husband and I finished watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and I finished watching Blown Away. We are now watching Physical: 100 Season 2 together, and I’m continuing with my 911 watch.

I also got caught up on laundry, yayyy, but of course it never really ends. And I took a break on cooking last week and husband cooked instead. He sautéed some salmon belly which was simple, but oh so delicious!

All the happy things:

  1. We had our final check-in for The Count of Monte Cristo readalong and had a wonderful discussion that went almost 3 hours!
  2. I managed to finish The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie in time for the book discussion and we had another great discussion for it, plus, I ended up really loving it and now I’m obsessed and have started reading the next book!
  3. I organized my work space – cleared some old papers, threw away stuff I no longer needed. More to go, but it’s a great start.
  4. The bad weather didn’t get me down because I still managed to walk a lot – indoors, but it still counts! I’m getting into the habit of pacing while I read and walking on the treadmill while working on the computer, and honestly, it doesn’t come naturally and I get tired easily, but I’m looking at the long term benefits.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – I thought it was cool that a whole book was dedicated to the importance of having checklists. For the regular layperson like me, checklists are usually just part of the tools I use for convenience and keeping myself organized, and it has also saved me some stress many times, but in aviation, construction, and medicine, it can be the difference between life and death. I think checklists are worth implementing in any situation you can think of though, and I think the book is definitely worth reading.
  2. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton – I didn’t expect such a heavy subject matter, but I think it was an important story to tell and I appreciate the author being vulnerable and telling her story. It’s given me a different perspective about the oil sands industry, and about male-dominated industries in general.
  3. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel – This is my in-person bookclub’s BOTM for May, and I’d usually not read the BOTM so early, but I borrowed the book from the library before it was chosen for the BOTM, and I decided to just go ahead and finish it anyway. I might do a quick recap before the book discussion as a refresher.
  4. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie – I just finished this book yesterday and I loved it! It was the highlight of the week! I had such an immersive experience reading it, plus having discussions about it immediately after. I’m still processing, or rather, I’m still half in the world of the book and I’ve already started on the next book, so I feel like I’m still immersed. Totally leaning into it!

Books I’m reading:

  1. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie – Just started but already excited about reading more!
  2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – I’m reading this on audio. It’s only 3 hours and I’m already halfway through. It’s breaking my heart a little.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m so obsessed with The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie that I might try to finish the second and third books this week. Let’s see if I can do that!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | So Much Walking

Posted April 27, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 14 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

So Much Walking

Last week I found the perfect route to walk around my neighborhood, and as of this writing, I’ve walked it six times already! It also helps that the weather has been lovely. It looks like there’s going to be some rain this week, but I will do my best to go for walks when the weather is nice.

I also did a lot of cooking last week but forgot to take pictures except for a couple of them; steamed black bean pork ribs, and romaine lettuce cooked with fermented bean paste. They were both really yummy!

There was also miso soup, mapo tofu, gailan in oyster sauce, napa cabbage stir-fry, onion omelette, and I don’t remember what else. I’m so glad I’ve been walking a lot because I think I’d start putting on a lot of weight if I keep eating all these yummy food!

As for TV shows; we finally caved and resubscribed to Netflix again and we’ve been catching up on the shows we loved. I’m watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 6 with my husband, and Blown Away Season 4 on my own. I love both these series so much and I guess I couldn’t resist when there were new seasons!

This weekend I’ve got two book discussions! I just had my in-person book club meeting Saturday morning for The Kite Runner, and the final check-in for The Count of Monte Cristo is happening Sunday morning! The discussion for The Kite Runner gave me a lot to think about, the book is just really good, and one of the other book club members got me interested in reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns as well.

I’m also looking forward to the discussion of The Count of Monte Cristo – there’s already been some discussion in the chats that incited some passion, and I’m excited for more of the same for the live discussion!

Overall, I’ve been in a weird mood. I told my husband there were times last week when I felt proud and productive for all I’ve managed to get done – the walks for my health, the reading and book reviews, the cooking, etc. But then I look at the things I didn’t get done – the laundry, organizing my library, half-done projects, and so many things I initially planned for that I’m not even close to starting, and I feel… antsy. I want to get them all done, and I know I have to sort of pace myself, work on my time management and energy. I don’t know if I’ll have to give up on some stuff, but I prefer not to. I’m just taking things one at a time and focusing on the good stuff.

All the happy things:

  1. I managed to catch up with all my book reviews!!
  2. I’m truly estatic for my new walking route – it’s so conducive to audiobook listening and I’ve just loved my walks!
  3. I finally finished books that have been on my TBR for ages!
  4. Two book club discussions in a single weekend! (And another one to look forward to next weekend!)
  5. The food!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff – A 3-hour audiobook that went quickly, but what a joy to read! I feel like this is one I’d like to come back to over and over again.
  2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – So good, so heartwrenching, so many feels! It’s just so well-written!
  3. Slewfoot by Brom – It’s better than The Child Thief, and I love the illustrations, but at the end of the day, I don’t think this author is for me. I’m glad I got it read though!
  4. Blitz by Daniel O’Malley – I read this halfway and had to return it, and finally got it back again and finished it! I expected to see more of the characters we met in the first two books, but this story is about brand new characters and we don’t see much of the past characters. It’s still good as a story in itself though!
  5. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara – This has been on my TBR for years! I kept putting it off because of the dark subject matter and not being in the right frame of mind to go there. I finally decided to get it over with, and I’m so glad I did because it’s really worth reading!

Books I’m reading:

  1. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – A physician friend recommended this book to me more than 10 years ago, and I’m finally reading it now. I’m about 80% in.
  2. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton – This is a graphic novel, and I’m really interested in it because I live in the Oil Sands province. I’m about 100 pages in.
  3. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie – I’m only 2% in on this one, but I’m supposed to finish it in a week! 😭

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I meant to read The Blade Itself last week, but I got distracted by other books, and now I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish it in time for the discussion this upcoming weekend. It’s a longer book with a bigger cast of characters, I’ve been told, but I’ll try to finish it in time!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | The Zoo, Some Ghosts, A Date, and Always Books

Posted April 20, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 26 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

The Zoo, Some Ghosts, A Date, and Always Books

Last week was pretty fun! I managed to get to the zoo again, and it was great because the weather was nice. I went on the weekend and there was a lot of people so it was pretty lively. I wasn’t able to see the polar bears and the otters as much as I wanted because it was so crowded and everyone else were vying to see them. And they were mostly kids, or adults with kids, so I didn’t think it was a good idea to push them out of my way. 😂 I’m thinking I might try to go again on a weekday when there are fewer people around.

For food, I made some wontons and soy sauce chicken. They were both so yummy, but seriously, the wontons might be more work than they’re worth. I like them better fried and crispy so I might just do the fillings meatball style and leave off the wonton wrappers the next time I want wonton soup.

On Wednesday, we went to see the new Ghostbusters movie, which I loved because it’s a Ghostbusters movie, but some people have said it’s not that good and the storyline needs work. Thinking about it after, I agree it could’ve been better, but I still enjoyed it because it’s the Ghostbusters and I’m just easy to entertain.

We also finished watching Fallout Season 1. I love where it ended but I’m also very eagerly awaiting a Season 2 because there are still a lot of questions I need answered.

I haven’t had time to watch Renegade Nell or 911 since the last Sunday Post, but I’m not in a hurry either. There are a few movies I’d like to catch up on before getting into binge mode with another series, maybe. I’ve been trying to read Anna Karenina and I’m thinking of watching the movie first so that it might make it easier for me to follow the book. We’ll see.

All the happy things:

  1. I got to go to the zoo again!
  2. Movie and dating with the husband. We had lots of fun, it’s been a while since we spent the whole day out on a date. No special occasion, it was quite spontaneous.
  3. I managed to get a lot of reading done!
  4. I was able to go to the library twice this week and spend a couple of hours there each time for uninterrupted reading! I hope to do more of it next week.
  5. I might be getting better at this cooking thing.
  6. I’m up to date on my Goodreads and The Storygraph! Until I read more, that is.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent – I finished this last weekend after I published the Sunday Post, so I’m adding it for this weekend’s Sunday Post.
  2. The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden – I loved the Winternight series and while the subject matter for this one is completely different, I felt the same vibes. I love the otherworldly, mystical feel of it.
  3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – Finished! The check-in is next weekend but I didn’t want to wait. I figure it’s still going to be fresh in my mind when we get to the discussion, and I can’t wait to hear what everyone else thinks!
  4. Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham – This is a graphic novel. I picked it up Friday morning just to flip through the pages and see what it’s about and ended up finishing it in an hour or so. I enjoyed it very much!

Books I’m reading:

  1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – This is for my in-person book club’s BOTM. We’re meeting this upcoming weekend so I gotta get it read this week!
  2. Slewfoot by Brom – I got it on audiobook right after finishing The Count of Monte Cristo. I’ve been curious about it because I’ve heard good things, but I’ve read The Child Thief by the same author and really didn’t like it. I’m giving the author a second chance with this book and I’m managing my expectations. Hopefully I’ll end up liking it, but I’m also ready to DNF and move on, if not.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’m focusing on The Kite Runner, and after that I want to read The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie because it’s the BOTM for my online book club. I’m still unsure about Slewfoot, so the sooner I get into it or DNF, the faster I can move forward. I already have a couple of nonfiction audiobooks ready just in case I DNF. I’ve also got several reviews to write for the books I finished, and I need to update my reading challenges as well.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Kitchen Not So Confidential

Posted April 13, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 28 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Kitchen Not So Confidential

There’s been a lot of cooking this past week. There’s no special occasion or anything, I just felt like it and had the time, and maybe I’m also enjoying the cleaner kitchen and want to take advantage of that.

I made Butter Prawns, some random soups with everything thrown in, Braised Pork Belly with hard boiled eggs, napa cabbage stir fry, and other stuff I didn’t take pictures of. I’ve been eating well but I’m not sure if I can keep this up! I should probably try to get better at taking food pictures if I do!

I’ve finished watching 911: Lone Star and I was going to start watching the original 911, but a couple of other shows caught my eye so I’ll probably alternate when I have time. I started watching Renegade Nell on my own and I’m quite enjoying it even though I’m still not sure what the end game is and why Nell is special. My husband and I are watching Fallout together. Neither of us play the game but that’s not going to stop us enjoying the show. We’re only on the third episode at the moment. I’m really loving Lucy’s character. Not too sure about Maximus.

The weather has also been pretty nice and we took some walks around the neighborhood. That made me very happy and I hope the weather keeps getting better and we get to take more walks. It’s supposed to snow again later this week but I won’t mind it too much as long as I get to walk outside a little more.

All the happy things:

  1. All the food!
  2. The walks and the warmer weather!
  3. I bought a couple of organizers to organize my sticker collection and I love them!
  4. I bought a few skeins of yarn I’m excited to use, soon!
  5. Had a nice chat with a friend who made me feel encouraged about things I’ve been wanting to do
  6. Got started on organizing my closet

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett – I’m so happy I finally finished this book! I’ve been anticipating it so much. I think I like the characters we meet in the first book more than the ones here, but I like them too, and I’m glad we were able to see more of Poe. I’m looking forward to the next book too!
  2. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree – Another one I’ve been anticipating. I loved the first book, and I love this one too! I love that it’s so much more about bookshops and books. And I love Viv as ever. She’s someone I’d love to be friends with, and I love how her character is written so well that you just feel drawn to her the same way the people in the book are drawn to her.

Books I’m (still) reading:

  1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I meant to finish the rest of this book but was distracted by another audiobook. Plus the next check-in is still some weeks away so I’ve got time!
  2. Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent – I’m 65% in and enjoying it very much! I promise I’ll get back to The Count of Monte Cristo after I finish this!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’ll finish up my audiobooks of Daughter of No Worlds and The Count of Monte Cristo, and I’m starting a buddy read for The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden this week. If I can make it, I’d like to get started on The Kite Runner for my in-person book club before the week is out.

I’m also hoping to get caught up on my book reviews and update my books read on Goodreads and The Storygraph.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Reading is Better than Cleaning

Posted April 6, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 28 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Reading is Better than Cleaning

The “Spring Cleaning” has become more of a regular cleaning, which is fine. I’m good with it. I’m accepting it. Regular cleaning is good too.

Honestly, I’ve been spending a lot more time looking around the house, planning it in my head, and procrastinating, than actually cleaning. And consequentially, I haven’t had the peace of mind to read very much last week. Which I guess is good because I haven’t caught up with my book reviews either.

Why do I do this to myself?

I could’ve just read my books and let my house be a mess. Lesson learned. Next time whenever I think of cleaning, I’ll read instead. Remind me again if you ever hear me say I’m planning to clean.

(P.S. I’m not even going to mention that it snowed again.)

All the happy things:

  1. My husband is back home from his trip! Yay, I’ve missed him!
  2. My mother bought me some brand new clothes!
  3. I got some of my old favorite books out of storage and I can’t wait to revisit them again.
  4. I made cookies!
  5. Our next check-in for The Count of Monte Cristo readalong is tomorrow morning (Sunday morning, I’m writing this on Saturday), I’m so excited for the discussion!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt – I loved that it was about comedy and comedians, and of course, that it had a fake dating trope. I also love that it featured a deaf character and deaf-specific jokes. I listened on audio and it was just a fun read.
  2. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo – This book was one of the nominees for my in-person book club’s April BOTM. It didn’t win, but I was intrigued and it was available on audiobook so I decided to read it anyway. I’m glad I did, it was really good!
  3. The Way Forward by Yung Pueblo – I’ve been reading this on and off a few pages at a time because it makes me stop and think and reflect. I love the sentiments and it really resonates for me. I originally borrowed a library copy but now I feel like I want to buy my own copy so I can write in it and/or make notes.
  4. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal – (DNF) I was really excited for this because I’d heard so many good things about the author and her books, and it was supposed to be a buddy read, but I only got 22% in and I couldn’t keep going because it annoyed me so much. I felt there was a lot of telling instead of showing and the characters just didn’t connect for me. I’m pretty disappointed because I was looking forward to reading the author’s other books as well, but I don’t think I will now.

Books I’m (still) reading:

  1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I finished reading up to the assigned chapters for the discussion tomorrow. And then it’s all the way to the end after that. The next check-in is supposed to be the last. I’ve read this book many times already, but I’m loving it all over again with this readalong experience!
  2. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett – Finally getting back to Emily Wilde! I just started and I’m only on Chapter 2, but I’m hoping to spend the whole weekend binging if I can!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’ve got The Count of Monte Cristo on audio, and Emily Wilde on print. Hopefully I can finish them both this week.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Spring Cleaning, Sorta

Posted March 30, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 21 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Spring Cleaning, Sorta

I cannot believe it’s the end of March already! Where did the month go? I feel like I didn’t get much done this month, and I didn’t get a lot of books read either.

It’s the first week of Spring Break, and I’ve been taking it as an opportunity to do a little spring cleaning. See, when I imagined it in my head, I was all super-powered and I was able to clean and organize the whole house to make it look like one of those model homes. The reality though… I cleaned my kitchen. Only the kitchen. Ah well, better than nothing.

In regards to the weather, since everyone’s invested now; the beginning of the week started out promising. There was still snow on the ground but it was melting and the weather was getting warmer. Cut to Friday, and it’s snowing again. A lot.

Sigh… I am resigned to my fate and I have decided to embrace it.

All the happy things:

  1. I got the kitchen cleaned and somewhat organized!
  2. I signed up for a few buddy reads on my online book club, and I’m excited about those books!
  3. A friend from the USA may be visiting for a couple of days in May, and I’m excited to see her!
  4. My in-person book club met for the second time, and we had a great discussion about our book of the month, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
  5. We are talking about a road trip for the summer! Nothing’s confirmed, but it makes me happy to have that possibility.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – It took me the whole week to read this one. It’s dense, and a little bleak, but it’s really good and there’s so much to think about. This one took up a lot of my time and energy, so I didn’t get to read a lot of other books last week, but it’s for my book club and I’m glad I read it. I haven’t written a review because I wanted to have our book club discussion first, which happened this morning (at the time of writing). I’ll write a review soon!
  2. Bear by Marian Engel – This was a sort of gag buddy read for my online book club. It’s short and I managed to finish it in a couple of hours. It’s…interesting. Weird, confusing, and I’m still waiting on others to read it so we can talk about it.

Books I’m (still) reading:

  1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – The readalong is ongoing and the next check-in is Saturday. We’re reading Chapters 60-86 for this check-in. I’m currently at Ch 78.
  2. Blitz by Daniel O’Malley – I stopped at Chapter 19 (of about 30?) because the audiobook had expired and had to be returned. I have the physical book, so I’ll probably continue with it instead of waiting for the audiobook.
  3. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal – I just started this as a buddy read! I’m only a couple of chapters in.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’d like to finish Blitz and A Tempest of Tea this week. I’m losing a bit of momentum on Blitz to be honest, and I’m contemplating dnf-ing it. It’s not bad though, I’m enjoying the story, it’s just that I’m itching to read other lighter books at the moment, and there have been too many dense ones.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | You Know Nothing, Spring Snow

Posted March 23, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 26 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

You Know Nothing, Spring Snow

I am not happy that it’s snowing again, I just want to get that out of the way. I can’t believe how much I talk about and fixate on the weather, but I wouldn’t if it would only do what I want! Or maybe it’s time for me to toughen up and get friendly with Canadian weather.

One good thing about cold weather is having soups to warm you up! My husband made Bak Kut Teh and it was soooo good. The picture below is not the actual dish he made. I was too hungry and we weren’t thinking of plating for aesthetic purposes so we didn’t take pictures. It’s just a random picture taken off the internet for illustration purposes only.

Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese herbal pork soup/stew that’s sweet and savory. The main focus of it is the pork, but we often add tofu, different kinds of mushrooms, some vegetables, and we usually eat it with rice and garlic in soy sauce. The garlic is the best part for me!

I’ve often wondered if a vampire gave me the choice of eternal life but I’d have to give up garlic forever, would I do it? Such a dilemma; garlic vs. eternal life. What would you choose? 🧄or🧛‍♀️

On my husband reading The Count of Monte Cristo, he managed five chapters and decided it was too verbose for him right now, so he’s putting it aside. I can’t say I blame him; I tend to skip flowery descriptions most of the time and just focus on important events that happen in the book, but he likes to pay attention to details and there were just so much here.

On the bright side, he’s still open to taking recommendations from me and reading the books I love! He’s on The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher right now, because it’s the only one currently available from the library, but I hope to get him on the other Kingfisher books as well.

Unfortunately, a couple of days ago I somehow sprained my right shoulder. It hurts to move it or to spend too much time on the computer – I think because of the height of the table and the way my arm/elbow rests on the table and the position when using the mouse, so I have to take frequent breaks. Thank goodness I did most of my blog posts earlier in the week! I’ve been trying to rest it more, but it seems to be hurting more today than when it started. Hopefully it will get better soon.

All the happy things:

  1. I got more blog posts than usual up last week! A few reviews, and other fun memes.
  2. I finally got caught up with updating my books read on Goodreads and The Story Graph.
  3. My husband and I had a really fun night dancing and singing to music while he made Bak Kut Teh.
  4. The fact that he made Bak Kut Teh!
  5. I bought some new stickers for my journal!
  6. Tax is all done!
  7. My library had a webinar with Madeline Miller : On Retelling Greek Classics: An Exploration of the Modern Epics with Madeline Miller. We’re encouraged to share the link to the replay, so here it is if you’re interested.
  8. We watched The Greatest Night in Pop, and it was so amazing to see how it all came about. I loved it!

Books I read last week:

I did not finish a single book last week but I did finish a short story that Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl highly recommended; Signal Moon by Kate Quinn.

From the title and cover, I thought it might be some futuristic scifi story, but it wasn’t what I expected at all. I’d say it’s more of a historical fiction with paranormal elements, and I loved it. It’s short and sweet, and I thought it was perfect on its own, but it also made me really want to read Kate Quinn’s other books. I’ve never read any of her books before and I need to remedy that.

Other than that, I’ve been reading a few books;
The Count of Monte Cristo is still ongoing – the timeline is until the end of April and we have multiple check-ins,
Blitz by Daniel O’Malley – the final book in the Checquy Files, and
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – for my book club discussion next week.

They are all relatively thicker/denser books, so I can’t just breeze through them. I’ve been wanting to take a break and read something light, but I also feel like I don’t want to add another story into my mental space until I’ve finished at least one of these. I’ll probably take some time this weekend to make a dent in one or two of them.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

Working on Blitz, The Sparrow, and The Count of Monte Cristo!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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Sunday Post | Good Food, Good Week

Posted March 16, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 28 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Good Food, Good Week

I made dim sum from scratch last week! I made a bunch of siu mai and crispy wontons and they were delicious. My husband made stewed pork hock too for the first time and it was pretty good. There was no special occasion except to feed our cravings. It might have backfired because now I’m craving them even more!

I know the pictures are kind of brown, but we made veggie dishes too; we had steamed okra and shiitake mushrooms, I just didn’t take pictures of them because I was more excited about these ones! I’ll be sure to take better pictures next time.

We watched a couple of movies; Argylle and Ricky Stanicky. They were both really cheesy, but just so much fun! And coincidentally, John Cena acts in both of them. I promise we didn’t watch either shows just because of him, but his performance on Ricky Stanicky was really something. I especially loved him in his Britney Spears costume!

I am also taking a page out of several blogs I’ve seen do this happiness/gratitude list thing. I haven’t been mindful about all the good things happening in my life, so I’d like to start incorporating it into my weekly updates.

All the happy things:

  1. My husband finished The Storyteller by Dave Grohl! I’m so happy and I loved that we got to discuss it together!
  2. He asked for recommendations for his next book, and I said The Count of Monte Cristo, and he’s actually willing to give it a try! I’m so excited for him! And for me because then I’ll get to talk about it with him!
  3. We took a walk around the neighborhood because the weather was nice.
  4. I had some chocolate this week! Yum!
  5. My online bookclub is doing a readalong for The Count of Monte Cristo; we had a midpoint discussion for the book yesterday and it was fun!
  6. I made cookies!

Books I read last week:

I finished The Bodyguard by Katherine Center in two days! Yayy! So it did kind of get me out of my slump, and then I started reading The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo next. It completely lived up to expectations and more. I loved the story so much! I haven’t written reviews for either of these books yet, but I’ll do it soon!

The Count of Monte Cristo is ongoing because of the readalong, and I’m enjoying it more because of hearing other readers’ thoughts. I am also really enjoying Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday right now. As of this writing I am 72% in, but I’m sure that by the time you read this, I’d have finish the book because I fully intend on going back to reading it after I finish writing this post!

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I have the final book in The Checquy Files, Blitz by Daniel O’Malley, ready for me on audiobook, so I’ll be reading that. I also intend to start The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell before the end of the week for my book club’s BOTM.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

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