Facebook link

Reading:
This past week wasn’t a week that I spent much time reading, which disappointed me.  I did finish one book, Calico Joe by John Grisham, an ARC from Doubleday which I did enjoy and started Darkroom by Joshua Graham, also an ARC, for Partners In Crime Tours.  I just didn’t seem to have the time to pick up a book.  I was on a roll reading 2-3 books a week and was hoping for the same this past week but RL , Partners In Crime Tours and blogging kept me busy.   By the time I did pick up up my current read, it was right before going to bed but sleep took over after reading for approximately an hour.  It just wasn’t a productive week but I hope to rectify that this week because I don’t want to get into that type of routine.

Blogging:
Something very exciting, which I also felt it an honor, did happen to me this past week, It falls under both categories of reading/blogging, but will tell you about it here.  I received an email a couple of weeks ago from the V.P. of Marketing at Doubleday asking if I would read and review Calico Joe by John Grisham (see above).  I was a bit skeptical since I thought it was going to be about baseball, which I am not one that follows sports.  To my surprise it was much more than just baseball.  You can see my review here.  I finished the book in 2 days, wrote and posted my review and then sent the link to the contact person.  Right after posting my review, I went out and was gone most of the day.  When I arrived home and checked my email,  much to my surprise, I had received a response from the person who requested that I read the book.  He thanked me and then went on to say that he had posted my review on John Grisham’s FB page.  My review!!!  Me!!  Just your average blogger/avid reader from the smallest state, my review on the page of one of the great authors of our time.  I was definitely doing the happy dance, I was so thrilled, excited, overwhelmed and humbled.  Then I couldn’t believe how many hits it received.  Again me!!!  Me who didn’t even know this world existed until 2 years ago.  I never ever thought that could happen to me!!  Needless to say, I started texting my sons, family and friends to share my news.  My phenomenal sons were so happy for me, they even went to the site to see my name and texted me back with “Awesome, Mom” and “Wow..that’s great”.  That definitely was the highlight of my week!!

Real Life:
Boring…the usual daily household chores…laundry, grocery shopping, appointments, etc.  And on Wednesday, another day of working with an estate liquidation woman at my Mother’s house.  More progress made, but not done yet.  And on Thursday attended a Family and Friends afternoon at the assisted living my sister resides at.  She is severely handicapped but it is such a comfort to see how well she is doing after losing our Mom in September and her being “on her own”.  She didn’t stop talking telling me everything she is involved with, what she did and what committees she’s on.  I really am so proud of her.  I now call her the “social butterfly” and she laughs because every time I try to call her, she is never in her, as I call it, “her apartment”.  My Mom had told her that I would be in charge, even though my sister is older than me, and she knows that she is to call me at least every other day, which she does, except her “social life”  usually lasts after my bedtime lol.  Good for you Sis!!!

And that was my week.  How was your’s?

Facebook link

Another week has flown by!!!    And it was a busy one for me on all fronts, as I recall and will now share what happened.

Reading:
I finished 3 books this week, The Good Father by Noah Hawley and one that has been sitting on my “requested review shelf” for quite some time, The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins and, White Elephants by Chynna Laird.   All great reads.   All with a similar theme and that is relationship dynamics.  I have noticed that lately, instead of my usual suspense/mysteries that I enjoy, I am reading books, which fictionalize kinship connections that are profound.   Maybe it’s due to the time and place that I am in my real life.   But on an overall reading productivity, I hope I don’t jinx myself, but I finally feel that I am back to my regular pace of reading and am finally making some progress with my back log or it could be that all 3 books were excellent.  I just hope that this stride continues.

Blogging:  
I wrote up 2 reviews, hosted 2 Guest Authors, posted 3 giveaways and picked winners for 2 books.   I drafted some posts for future guests and giveaways.  I don’t know about you, but I like to prepare some posts way in advance, just in case real life interferes.  This way I don’t scramble at the last minute trying to pull it all together.  I am getting a bit more comfortable with WordPress, I still have a lot to learn, but it is getting a bit easier since I made the switch.   I also had a lot of work to do with Partners In Crime Tours,  with 2 current tours still in progress and 3 more gearing up for kick off.

Real Life:  
The weather here in New England has been spring like and I’m loving it.  Have the windows opened,  my daffodils  are sprouting and checking the calendar and counting the weeks until my husband and I go on vacation!!   I have already started my mental list on packing, the most important items to pack for me, which books will be coming along.   I have a couple in mind but not going to say until the time gets closer.

I am still in the process of breaking down my Mom’s house, which is hard both physically and emotionally.   I always come away with an array of feelings during this process from sadness to missing my Mom and seeing my childhood home dismantled to relief that I am getting close to being done, to put it on the market.   Trying to accomplish this has been an overwhelming mammoth undertaking, especially due to my own physical limitations and being the sole person responsible.  But I am trying to be optimistic that, with the help of a fantastic estate woman now helping me, we are nearing the end.  During this process, I have also learned a lot more about my Mom that I didn’t know, which makes it so much harder, because now I have so many questions that will not get answers.  Have you been in this position?  Would love to know and share to see how you handled it.  Did you have the same emotions?

How was your week?  Would love to hear!!!

Facebook link

I am so excited.  Ever since I started blogging and seeing this weekly meme, I have wanted to participate.   But whenever I visited the blog to sign up it stated that it was not accepting new members.  But because of a post on Lori’s blog, Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book , that stated there was now a group on FB, I joined.  From what I have read at other blogs, I am to summarize my past week.  So here goes my first Sunday Salon posting:

Reading:
It was another good week, at least for me, finishing 2 books!!!    I finished All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard and The Ninth Step by Barbara Taylor Sissel, both being a 4/5 rating.  I just hope that this pace continues  Because last year, with RL issues taking priority,  I was lucky if I read a book in a month putting me even further behind in my “requested reviews reading schedule.  

Blogging:
The majority of my time is spent on the computer.  This week I hosted 2 guest authors and 3 giveaways.  Preparing the posts for these,  takes time.   I like doing them way in advance just in case RL interferes, I don’t have to scramble at the last minute.   I do the same with my daily memes, using my cheat sheets, I set up the post and then plug in whatever is needed for that day.  I find it a lot easier in the long run.

Plus the work I do for Partners In Crime.  At the end of the month, I will be working  5 tours.  We are always looking for hosts/reviewers, so if anyone is interested in joining our group, email me and I will provide you with the details.

Real life:
This past week my baby turned 26!!   26??!!  How fast the time has gone by.  My husband’s uncle once said, as he snapped his fingers, that is how fast  your life goes by.  I wish we could go back in time, because when both my sons were toddlers,  those were the happiest years of my life.  

How was your week?