Tag: Cyrus Winters

WWW Wednesday: April 7th 2021

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

It looks like my infection is gone. The medication that the Dr prescribed to me is working (knock on wood). So I am doing a cautious yay!!

Miss R got braces on her upper teeth last week. I have had a lot of people (in real life) question why I chose braces at 7. Here’s my answer: When she got her teeth pulled back in August (she had two extra teeth that needed to come out), the oral surgeon pulled 7 extra teeth. When her orthodontist found out, he was upset because the oral surgeon didn’t consult him before hand. The result of the extra teeth being pulled was her adult teeth shifted on top. She had a huge gap and a top tooth that was coming in sideways. Plus, the way the teeth shifted, her other adult teeth couldn’t come through. So, she needed to get braces to A) turn the sideways tooth and B ) push together the teeth and to make room so her other teeth can come in. She will only have them on for 6 months but still. If the oral surgeon just pulled the teeth that he was supposed to, then this mess wouldn’t have happened.

Miss B got selected to join The Beta Club. I am so proud of her. For those of you who are new to the blog, Miss B has ADHD, GAD, and a non specific math learning disability. When we moved, Miss B was found to have a kindergarten math level in 4th grade. Thanks to a school with a great special ed program (they call it Exception Children here) and teachers that were willing to help (unlike her previous school), she is almost up to grade level. She is super excited (as is her EC teacher) and there is an induction ceremony in a couple of weeks. If she keeps her grades up, she gets to wear a special cord with her graduation gown. So, yes, I am very proud of her!!

There is nothing new going on with Mr. Z. He’s not going back to school next week (I gave him the choice) and he is pretty pumped to be doing his school work without interruptions from his sisters.

I have gotten sucked into the world of The Magicians. I am at the end of Season 1 (there are 4 seasons) and am in shock. Unfortunately, I will not be watching it until next week (when BK is traveling for work). I also have been watching a lot of YouTube with Miss R. She watches this one YouTuber, Gloom, who is freaking hilarious. She is among the very few YouTubers that I can watch without wanting to poke my eardrums out.

I made Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken last night. It was eh. The chicken was dry (it almost always is when I cook chicken in the crockpot). But the taste was fantastic!! I will not be making this again. Dry chicken doesn’t do it for me when I eat.

Blog

I did nothing to my blog last week. Nada. I wasn’t feeling it (plus, I got busy). I plan on doing more work on it this year.

Reading

I actually got through 95% of the books from last weeks WWW. I surprised myself with that. I also had one book come off hold from the library, with 2 more looking like they will come off within the next couple of weeks.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

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It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.

This book was OK until the last chapters. Then it did a total 180 (that didn’t make sense). I was left with a WTH feeling after reading it.

What I am currently reading:

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Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

I am enjoying this book. What I am enjoying is that this isn’t your typical fairytale retelling. It is a darker retelling (much darker than the original one). I can’t wait to see what Fable has in store for Brie. I also can’t wait to see if Brie takes her own destiny in her hands.

What books I think I’ll read next:

The first two books, I will definitely read. One is a library book and the other an ARC that I need to read. I am iffy about the other 4 books. I have 2 books that are on hold at the library that could come off hold. If that happens, then I will read those first.

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Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.

2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.
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For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down… and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek to attend a memorial for the victims of the highway, but it might as well be one week for the amount of pain that Beth is still dealing with after her sister, Amber, was murdered the previous summer. Beth has quit university, is lying to her parents, and popping pills like Tic Tacs. Maybe this will finally bring her peace.

When she gets a job at a local diner where Amber once worked, she connects with people who knew her sister. Beth wants to find who killed her sister and put her own life back together, but as she gets closer to the truth, she learns that there is more than one person lying in Cold Creek.
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Could finding love be his greatest scandal of all?

The Duke of Griffin has never lived down his reputation as one of the Rakes of St. James. Now rumors are swirling that his twin sisters may bear the brunt of his past follies. Hiring a competent chaperone is the only thing Griffin has on his mind–until he meets the lovely and intriguing Miss Esmeralda Swift. In ways he could never have expected, she arouses more than just his curiosity.

Esmeralda Swift considered herself too sensible to ever fall for a scoundrel, but that was before she met the irresistibly seductive Duke of Griffin. His employment offer proves too tempting for her to resist. She can’t afford to be distracted by his devilish charms because the stakes are so high for his sisters’ debut Season. . .unless one of London’s most notorious rakes has had a change of heart and is ready to make Esmeralda his bride?
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Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
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What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

WWW Wednesday: March 31st 2021

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

So, I still have that flipping bladder infection. Cue in long, frustrated scream. If this new round of antibiotics don’t work, then off I go to a specialist. I am not very happy and very frustrated.

My garden is doing well. Nothing has sprouted yet (knock on wood). My bird feeders, though, are a whole different story. I am getting a ton of birds….and squirrels. I ended up getting a squirrels feeder, hoping that it would keep them out of my feeders. Nope. Instead, I have a heavily pregnant squirrel using my deck feeder as her personal buffet. I have named her Mama and can’t wait to see the babies!! I also have an opossum visiting. I caught it on camera sitting on my back deck. I think it was debating on going after the suet feeder….lol. I don’t mind them. They keep the ticks and bugs down in the yard. Plus, they eat mice and rats, which make them my best friends (I have a mice/rat phobia).

I made the decision last week to send Miss R back to school 4 days a week. I had noticed that she wasn’t as into her virtual lessons as she was. Plus, it seemed that she was missing out when there was a substitute. So, after talking with BK, I decided to send her back after Easter break. After getting the OK from the teacher/principal, I told her. It was like someone flipped a switch. She has been so excited to do her schoolwork and all she talks about is going back to school.

I made the non refundable deposit for Miss B’s driving school. It took me and the instructor about a week of going back and forth before we finally connected. So, for a week in July, she will be going to driving school, 9-5. Then she will start driving (6 hours on the road). She is super nervous but also excited.

I am still watching The Magicians. I was a little iffy about it for the first couple of episodes but I have gotten into it. Unfortunately, Miss B has decided to watch Criminal Minds by herself. She says its because she wants to “absorb the episodes.” Don’t ask me to translate….lol. BK and I have started watching The Irregulars. I really like it even though I got freaked out by the first episode.

I made Slow-Cooker Sesame Chicken with Cashews this past week. It was alright. The kids weren’t crazy about it. It tasted fine but the chicken was dry. So, I will not be making this again.

Blog

I changed my theme for the blog. I had Rosalie originally but changed to Independent Publisher 2. I am liking this theme a whole lot better than the Rosalie one. There were a lot more options for customization.

I started going through my posts again. I am slowly, but surely, updating links/covers/blurbs or just taking posts down for books that aren’t even on Goodreads/Amazon anymore. Its tedious, but needs to be done.

I am not sure if I like the new changes that WordPress pushed through earlier this week. I am used to having the admin page open up to a different window, not having it all on one page. But, I will get used to it. I don’t have a choice.

Reading

I didn’t do so great reading since last week’s WWW. I think I read 2 books between Thursday and yesterday? I was stuck on a book that I got from the library. I thought that I was going to love it. Instead, I was “eh” about it and it took me 3 days to finish. So disappointing when that happens.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

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When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

I was so disappointed by this book. I had seen a couple of reviews by people that had loved it and thought to myself “Well, this seems like something I would like to read.” It is a favorite genre with a twist. Plus, having a POC as a main character for that era was brilliant. Then I read the book and cringed. I couldn’t get into the romance between Patience and Busick. The plotline bored me. I called the ending. It was a relief when the book ended.

What I am currently reading:

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It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

Words can’t begin to describe how much I am enjoying this book. Olive McCormick (aka Olive Shines) is unusual for the era that book is set in. She is a strong woman who is living her life the way she wants. I am about 20% into the book and so much has happened. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the book will be like!!

What books I think I’ll read next:

I was pretty set with the books I had on the list for next week. It was going to be a repeat of last week’s books. Then, last night, a library book came off hold, unexpectedly. So, I had to tweak things a little bit. The library book is first and then the books from my TBR.

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After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?
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A lightless tower maze…

…Four powerless teens. Or are they?

Each child in Valkryion has one chance to prove their magical prowess or they must face the most feared abomination ever created: the Depths.

A group of teens find themselves cast into the lightless labyrinth meant to channel the hidden potential in their Signets and lynths.

The one rule for those downcast is simple – descend further into the Depths to try to escape while mastering the environment to defeat all that stands in their path. With descent comes more challenges and enemies intended to either make the teens more powerful or snap them from existence.

Rules are meant to be broken, but can the teens break free from contained chaos?

Magic. Awe. Discovery. Wonder.

Enter the Depths NOW.
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How far will a man go to protect his family? Mason Seaforth is about to find out.

Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant. wakes up the morning of his 20th wedding anniversary to find that his wife, Sami has disappeared. A search of Sami’s computer uncovers a past she has buried for more than 20 years.

Together with their strong-willed friend, Marcie Kane, Mason leads an investigation that takes them from the home he and Sami share in Gulfport, Florida to a casino in Gatineau, Quebec. As he and Marcie close in on Sami’s whereabouts, so do Aaron Marshall and his enforcer, Greg Johnson, AKA, “The Force” – deadly serious men willing to kill the entire Seaforth family to protect Sami’s secrets.

Action-packed crime thriller with suspenseful storytelling and a surpising twist.

Mason is thrust into a race against Marshall and Johnson, thrown into a life that is meant for other people. He must put his quiet job on hold and quickly learn how to handle a Glock 17. Each decision he needs to make is deadlier than the last, and one wrong move could result in the death of his family.
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It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.
Book Cover
Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

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 organize 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 at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now:

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When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

I am about halfway through A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby and I am not sure about how I feel about. I am loving the story but the characters, I am “eh” about. The romance I am a little “eh” about too. I am hoping that the second half of the book makes me settle on if I like it or dislike it. I don’t like being up in the air about a genre that I usually love.

What I plan on reading this week:

On last week’s WWW, I made an ambitious goal to read five books by next Wednesday. Well, it didn’t quite happen. Without getting into it, my weekend was very full. Plus, we had some severe thunderstorms come through the area (at night). Miss R is terrified of them and ended sleeping in my bed Saturday and Sunday night. And since I read at night, it didn’t happen. I am hoping to read at least three of these books this week.

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It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.
Book Cover
A lightless tower maze…

…Four powerless teens. Or are they?

Each child in Valkryion has one chance to prove their magical prowess or they must face the most feared abomination ever created: the Depths.

A group of teens find themselves cast into the lightless labyrinth meant to channel the hidden potential in their Signets and lynths.

The one rule for those downcast is simple – descend further into the Depths to try to escape while mastering the environment to defeat all that stands in their path. With descent comes more challenges and enemies intended to either make the teens more powerful or snap them from existence.

Rules are meant to be broken, but can the teens break free from contained chaos?

Magic. Awe. Discovery. Wonder.

Enter the Depths NOW.
Book Cover
How far will a man go to protect his family? Mason Seaforth is about to find out.

Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant. wakes up the morning of his 20th wedding anniversary to find that his wife, Sami has disappeared. A search of Sami’s computer uncovers a past she has buried for more than 20 years.

Together with their strong-willed friend, Marcie Kane, Mason leads an investigation that takes them from the home he and Sami share in Gulfport, Florida to a casino in Gatineau, Quebec. As he and Marcie close in on Sami’s whereabouts, so do Aaron Marshall and his enforcer, Greg Johnson, AKA, “The Force” – deadly serious men willing to kill the entire Seaforth family to protect Sami’s secrets.

Action-packed crime thriller with suspenseful storytelling and a surpising twist.

Mason is thrust into a race against Marshall and Johnson, thrown into a life that is meant for other people. He must put his quiet job on hold and quickly learn how to handle a Glock 17. Each decision he needs to make is deadlier than the last, and one wrong move could result in the death of his family.
Book Cover
It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.
Book Cover
Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

So here are my books that I am reading/plan on reading this week. Have you read any of these books? Let me know!!!

WWW Wednesday: March 24th 2021

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments
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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal

My bladder infection still isn’t going away. It has been better (I feel 100% better than I did last week) but it hasn’t gone away. I do have a Drs appointment tomorrow and I will be letting her know then.

I do have news other than my health. I got my Covid shot on Saturday. Shots for people in group 4 (high risk medical, people in group homes/jails, and other public servants) opened up on Wednesday. Since I have an autoimmune disease and I am obese, I qualified (the only time being fat worked for me….lol). I started trying Wednesday and kept missing the appointment window. I ended up lucking out on Friday and got my shot on Saturday. My arm hurt like heck on Sunday and I was super tired. But, by Monday, I was back to myself.

I started planting on Sunday (fun thing to do with a sore arm). BK built me a raised planter box on Saturday. I was thrilled about that because now I don’t have to worry about groundhogs or rabbits getting into my vegetables. I do have to worry about the stray cat we are trying to adopt using it as a litter box (so far, he’s been avoiding it). I planted in that 2 types of peppers and 2 types of lettuce. On our deck, in planters, we went nuts. We planted two types of tomatoes (beefsteak and grape), catnip (we plant every year), cat grass (2 containers), chives, dill, sage, cilantro, rosemary, basil, parsely, two types of blueberry bushes (they are made for planters), a starter kit for jumbo water melons, jalapenos, and sweet peas (Miss R wanted them). I also have sunflowers to grow on the fence in the backyard. Keeping my fingers crossed for no frost or colder weather.

The school district has decided to let grades 6-12 go back to school 4 days a week. I was emailed and called by both the middle and high school (plus the district itself). Miss B is super excited because she’s going all the time. Mr. Z has opted to stay home and finish out the year (he is going back in the fall). Miss R is jealous because she wants to go back full time (I opted to keep her home and finish out the school year. It ends the end of May).

Miss R is starting Drivers Ed in July. I am still in shock that she will be driving soon. BK and I are discussing what type of car to get her. He wants a beater and I want something that is a little more reliable. We’ll see what the compromise is….lol.

BK started traveling for work again. He has flights booked out unto the end of April. This week was the first time he has been away from home in a year. Put it this way, he came home from NYC right before they shut it down and he hasn’t been out since. I do have mixed emotions about it. But I figure we are both halfway protected (he got his first shot when Group 3 opened up).

Since BK has started traveling, I have started watching shows that I like. I am still watching Expedition Unknown (I am fascinated with it). I also have started watching The Magicians and resumed watching Bridgerton on Netflix. On top of that, Miss B and I are watching Criminal Minds together. Since she wants to be in law enforcement (she is leaning towards being a federal agent), I felt that Criminal Minds would be a great show for her to watch. She is fascinated with what they do. If I knew it wouldn’t be too much for her, I would have her watch Mindhunters too. But it is too much for even me to watch at some points.

I made 5 Ingredient Slow-Cooker Balsamic Chicken for supper on Monday. It was freaking delicious. The kids were iffy about it (of course). I had to serve the chicken next to the pasta and then had to put the tomatoes on the side too. They also didn’t want anything to do with the Balsamic Vinaigrette. But, they ate it!! That’s all I can ask for….lol.

Blog

I posted 2 reviews last week!! I couldn’t even believe it when I posted them…lol. I haven’t been working on updating my old posts either. I am hoping to start doing that maybe by the end of this week.

Reading:

Well, I have offically gotten over my reading slump. I have read 5 books since last week’s WWW. Yay me!!!!

I have fallen way behind in all of my reading challenges. So, I am working to catch up.

I am in the middle of going through my Goodreads shelves and adding any books that are in series to my Want to Read shelf. I won’t lie, it is a huge undertaking but I am chipping away at it.

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A Thriller That Won’t Let Go
Gino Cataldi is a man hanging on by a thread. Cancer took his wife, and drugs put his son in rehab. All he has left is his badge. 

When a teenage girl is kidnapped it brings back nightmares from the worst case he ever worked—the one that tore his life to shreds and forced him out of Philadelphia.

Gino doesn’t want this case but he knows he has to take it. Not just to save the girl, but to earn redemption for what went wrong in Philly. 


What do you do when you’ve lost everything?

Gino—a cop who pushes the limits of the law…
Lonny—a good man struggling to feed his family…
Scott—a biotech executive who has everything a man could want…
A band of ruthless kidnappers…

They all come together in a thriller you won’t be able to forget.

Everyone has decisions to make. This one could cost Gino his badge—and a young girl her life.

I won’t lie and say that this was one of my favorite books to read (it wasn’t). But it did have an appeal. It was gritty. It wasn’t a pretty book to read. There were a couple of twists that took me by surprise and the end wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

What I am currently reading:

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It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

I am pretty excited to read The Show Girl. I have read books by Nicola Harrison before and have enjoyed them. I didn’t get that far into The Show Girl….just the first couple of pages. So far, I like it.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am pretty excited to read all of these books. They have all been on my TBR since 2018 and have just sat there for 3 long years. The book I am most excited to read is You Won’t Find Him. I am hoping to get to all of these books this week.

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A lightless tower maze…

…Four powerless teens. Or are they?

Each child in Valkryion has one chance to prove their magical prowess or they must face the most feared abomination ever created: the Depths.

A group of teens find themselves cast into the lightless labyrinth meant to channel the hidden potential in their Signets and lynths.

The one rule for those downcast is simple – descend further into the Depths to try to escape while mastering the environment to defeat all that stands in their path. With descent comes more challenges and enemies intended to either make the teens more powerful or snap them from existence.

Rules are meant to be broken, but can the teens break free from contained chaos?

Magic. Awe. Discovery. Wonder.

Enter the Depths NOW.
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How far will a man go to protect his family? Mason Seaforth is about to find out.

Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant. wakes up the morning of his 20th wedding anniversary to find that his wife, Sami has disappeared. A search of Sami’s computer uncovers a past she has buried for more than 20 years.

Together with their strong-willed friend, Marcie Kane, Mason leads an investigation that takes them from the home he and Sami share in Gulfport, Florida to a casino in Gatineau, Quebec. As he and Marcie close in on Sami’s whereabouts, so do Aaron Marshall and his enforcer, Greg Johnson, AKA, “The Force” – deadly serious men willing to kill the entire Seaforth family to protect Sami’s secrets.

Action-packed crime thriller with suspenseful storytelling and a surpising twist.

Mason is thrust into a race against Marshall and Johnson, thrown into a life that is meant for other people. He must put his quiet job on hold and quickly learn how to handle a Glock 17. Each decision he needs to make is deadlier than the last, and one wrong move could result in the death of his family.
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It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.
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Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?