Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post. As usual, I'll be linking up to:
Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?
It's been another long week at work. On top of everything else, the auditors have been piling on with other unreasonable requests. I took me getting others involved for them to see that those deadlines were impossible and changing them. But it shouldn't have taken that. It just adds into the feeling that people don't listen to me in real life.
On top of that, I've been fighting a cold this week. It was pretty mild at the beginning, but the cough seems to be getting worse as the week goes along.
Between the two it was a fairly quiet week. I did finish decorating last Sunday. Gifts I've ordered for people have arrived, so now I need to get them all wrapped. I'm thinking Sunday I'll put on some Christmas movies and have a wrapping party.
Saturday night, I'm meeting a couple of friends for LA Zoo Lights. The one that organizes this says they've changed things up this year, and I'm anxious to see it since I've enjoyed it when we've gone in years past. We don't go every year, but it is fun when we do.
Pun of the Week:
This Past Week on the Blog:
This Coming Week on the Blog:
Book Haul:
Strap yourself in. This is going to take a while. Between sale books and ARCs I've been putting off getting, I have 9 books on my list this week. I might normally split this into two, but with Christmas coming, I want to clear off my Book Haul list now.
Let's start with the ARCs.
Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen is the second Lady Librarian Mystery. The first was an unexpected hit with me this last year, so I'm looking forward to returning to the characters. It's set in 1784 England and comes out in the second half of February.
Keeping the same location but moving forward about 100 years, we get Of Hoaxes and Homicide by Anastacia Hastings. Again, we have a second in the series, but in this case, the main character has taken over a newspaper advice column from her aunt. I love the premise, and the first was fun, so I'm anxious to see what happens in the second. This one comes out at the end of January.
Moving ahead to the present day and the USA, we get Dearly Deleted by Sarah E. Burr. This is the second Book Blogger Mystery (lots of seconds in series on my list this week), and it is set at Christmas. It comes out on Tuesday, and I had to squeeze it in since it fit the season.
Next up, we have another second in the series, this time Mushroom Capped by Cathy Wiley. I loved the first Fatal Food Festivals Mystery, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in this one. The book just came out, but I'll be reading it in early January.
My final ARC is Fatal First Edition, which is...the fourteenth Library Lover's Mystery from Jenn McKinlay. I had the break the second trend at some point, right? I love this series, and I'm looking forward to reading this one when it comes out in mid-February.
Let's move on to ebooks that I snagged while they were on sale.
Up first, Caleb Wygal put several of his Myrtle Beach Mysteries on sale, so I snagged number 4, Death on the Causeway. This now means I have three books in the series I've bought but haven't read. I need to get busy. This one isn't on sale any more.
Meanwhile, Lena Gregory put Murder a la Mode, the first in her Coffee and Cream Cafe, down to free for Kindle. I'd been eyeing that one, so I snapped it up. This one is still free as of Saturday afternoon, so if you are interesting, jump on it.
Another temporary sale was A Brush with Murder by Bailee Abbott. It's the first in a series I've been thinking about for a while, so snagged it when I saw it on sale.
My final book is The Burning Room by Michael Connelly. This is part of the Harry Bosch series. I got the audio version from my local library to listen to when traveling back from visiting my family for Christmas.
Not a physical book in the bunch. And I spent less than $5 on all of them. Can't complain too much about that, but I really need to pick up my reading speed to catch up on my TBR mountain range.
Speaking of which...
What I'm Currently Reading:
After that, I'll work on the novella anthology Irish Milkshake Murder with stories by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland. Obviously, this is themed around St. Patrick's Day, but it comes out 12/26, so I need to get to reading on it. I hope to have it finished before I leave for Christmas.
And that will be my last book of 2023. Not that I won't be reading, but I'll be reading books I'll count toward 2024.
I will probably take next Sunday off from these posts since I'll be out of town. I'll still have reviews posting that week. So have a wonderful couple of weeks and a Merry Christmas!
Ugh, I hear you about busy times at work! Hang in there...
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good Christmas and get plenty of books!
Here's my post.
Good for you for finding a path to challenge unreasonable expectations at work.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better soon!
Christmas movies and a wrapping party sound perfect for a Sunday in December.
Hope you're feeling better so you can enjoy all your festivities!
ReplyDeleteGood luck getting over your cold. I live in dread that I'll catch something before the holidays.
ReplyDeleteNice pun -- I was just thinking about that kind of elaborate joke. I used to know a lot of them, but I can't remember any except the now politically incorrect one about the Indian women.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I hope you feel better soon and enjoy the lights! I need to get to Denver someday to see the zoo lights there. That's the closest zoo to me, and I've heard the lights are cool.
ReplyDeleteIt's the worst when people think they know your job better than you. Glad you got that sorted out finally. I hope you enjoy the zoo lights with your friends! Sounds like it's going to be fun. I hope you share pictures!
ReplyDeleteOur local zoo is doing a holiday lights thing for the first time this year and I want to go. I am a sucker for holiday lights and I've heard good reviews of this one.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your work being so busy. That's good you and some other stepped up and let them know the deadlines were impossible. I agree it shouldn't have taken that, but it's good they changed the deadline now.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll recover from your cough soon. And that your visit to LA Zoo Lights was a fun one.
I also grabbed Murder a la Mode and A Brush with Murder this week. Both sound good!
I'm sorry your job has been so crazy. I'm also sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. I hope you are doing better. I read Murder a la Mode and really enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy your books and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteIt's frustrating when you are asked to do more than you can possibly do, and no one is listening. And having a cold on top of everything? Not good.
ReplyDeleteWhew! You have a lot of great books on your shelves! Fantastic.
I hope you're feeling better soon! Too much responsibility at work is the norm for where I work. Most people don't stay very long because if it. I'm starting my 7th year but I've started looking for another job. There have been 3 people quit in the last few months and I heard today that 2 more are going to give their notice. Very sad that management is so bad!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you had such a rough week. I hope work is better this week and you feel better soon. That is a cute pun of the week and perfect for the holiday season. :) Having a wrapping party with Christmas movies on in the background sounds good. Sometimes I like to listen to old movies on radio theater. YouTube has several of them that I've listened to. I went to something like Zoo Lights last year, except it was Garden Lights at a park. I really enjoyed it, but it was freezing cold. I really don't mind cold weather, I like it better than heat and humidity, but being out in it for a couple of hours was almost unbearable. I imagine this would not be an issue in California, though. Looks like you have a great book haul. I read and enjoyed A Brush with Murder earlier this year, in the spring. According to the library, it's still ready for me to pick up. LOL. It's the one book that simply won't leave my account for some reason. I'm about halfway done with Dearly Deleted and I'm enjoying it. Have a great week. :)
ReplyDeleteSame here with the cold that was slow coming on, so I was in denial for several days. Now the cough has kept me from sleeping for the past three nights. :(
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind in my review copies, and my reviews, I've been in denial about that too! Love the three-pun joke!
I love that cover for Mistletoe Lane so I'll be curious to see what you thought of it.
ReplyDeleteLA Zoo sounds neat.
Nine books is a nice haul, but it sounds like you got great deals! I hope you are feeling better soon and the cough goes away. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, enjoy your time away!
ReplyDeleteGreat haul Greg! That pun is a good one!
ReplyDeleteLove this week's pun. Hope the auditors leave you alone for a while. I've got a few hours of interviews coming up to fill a vacant position. Not how I planned to spend the week before Christmas. Enjoy your books. They look great!
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2023/12/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and_17.html
That’s an awful lot of books you’ve listed there. . hopefully you’ll get through them by the set deadlines.
ReplyDeleteBeing overwhelmed at work with a cold to keep you company is not the best feeling at this time of the year. Enjoy your break, come back refreshed.
We have an award winning Toledo Zoo lights but it's so cold, I'd rather look at pictures of the stunning displays. I'd go to the LAZoo lights tho. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon and have a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy whatever reading you can fit in.
ReplyDeleteMary @Bookfan
Wow, nice haul, Mark. Have a wonderful week ☕📚🎅🎄🍪🧁❄️☃️
ReplyDeleteCongrats on all your books and I hope work quiets down soon. I have a cold that won't let go and finally went to the doc and ended up on antibiotics for a sinus infection to boot. I LOVE the Library Lover's series and can't believe we are already at book #14. Hope it's a good one. Hope you have a great week and feel better.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the unreasonable deadlines at work and the cold. I hope both get better soon. Nice looking assortment of new books too. Come see my week here. Happy reading and happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteHope that cold is improving, sounds like you are endeavouring to meet tough deadlines at work and that can be stressful. Take care.
ReplyDeleteOh that pun made me groan/laugh. I do love a good pun! I really enjoyed the Donna Andrews books but then I always love her Christmas books. I really enjoyed all the blacksmithing - I feel like it's been awhile since that's really been featured. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteFun pun! You have a stressful job. Hope your cold is clearing up. My staff is doing a round of illnesses. Looks like a great book haul for you. I particularly like the two 2nd in series titles. I am tempted.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful visit with friends and a good week going into Christmas Eve and Christmas. Happy Reading!
I hope you're feeling better and zoo lights was fun!
ReplyDeleteJill
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/
ZooLights sounds like a lot of fun! I hope you're feeling better. My husband hates puns so that means I have to read him every one I come across. He actually laughed at yours in spite of himself! Enjoy your week and happy holidays!
ReplyDelete