The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #26

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

This first full week of January has been crazy busy and super stressful. I am still coughing from when I was in North Carolina, and it’s driving me batty actually.

Monday was the first day back to work since the holidays. It was uneventful, but I was exhausted when I got home. My son’s college friends came down to south Jersey to hangout with him.

The kids do not drive (this is a long story that no one cares to hear, lol) so I have to drive them places. They both had a passport appointment on Tuesday (because a vacation may be in the near-ish future). They both had a dentist appointment Wednesday for a regular check up. And my daughter had a dermatologist appointment on Thursday. So after work I had to come home, change and get them to where they needed to be.

Friday I went to work like normal. Ran a quick errand afterwards, then I finally got a chance to put my feet up and relax when I got home.

Saturday we went to my husband’s parents place to do the family Christmas thing with his side. We had a very nice time there!

I straightened up the house all morning while the boys went to church (I didn’t go because I am still coughing like a champ). My daughter slept in, but I like cleaning while no one is under foot lol.

Currently:

My progress in The Shadow of What Was Lost mostly halted, for no real reason other than I haven’t had a real chance to sit down and pick it up. I am enjoying the book though. I want to finish this trilogy this year too so I am gonna definitely make time for it this upcoming week.

I picked up this ARC of Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter. Do I have an irrational fear of flying? Yes I do. Why the hell did I sign up for this book you ask? Because I’m crazy, haha! These people are stranded up in the sky with a murderer on board as someone found a mutilated body in the bathroom. Wild!

Just Finished:

My review will be posted at the end of the month, but lets just say that I am very much into this series and liked this book a lot!

I did read this ages ago, but wanted a quick reread to finish the series up later this year. I liked the book. Definitely riding the mid 2000’s YA love triangle coat tails like all dystopian books at that time did, but overall I was into the book and read it at a quicker pace than I normally do.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

I actually listened to the audiobook of His & Hers by Alice Feeney on NetGalley when they first introduced audiobooks to their website. I gave it five stars because of the twist at the end. The audiobook MADE this book absolutely fantastic! So when I heard this was gonna be turned into a show I had to watch it. At the writing up of this post I watched three episodes.

WWW Wednesday
January Mid Month Update

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #25

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

We were in North Carolina visiting my family for the holidays. We arrived on December 23 and stayed till January 1. We had a good time, but all good things must come to an end. It was definitely nice to see my family and get to spend a lot of quality time with them. We probably won’t see them again till the springtime (unless we Facetime lol).

When we got to North Carolina the weather was crazy warm, then got super cold, then it got warm again… so guess who ended up with a head cold and cough? Ya girl Melissa! Been trying to fight it off the entire trip and this whole weekend too. Ugh!!!!

I straightened up the house all morning while the boys went to church (I didn’t go because I am still coughing like a champ). My daughter slept in, but I like cleaning while no one is under foot lol.

Tomorrow I have work *multiple crying emoji’s*. Definitely not looking forward to going back there.

Currently:

I am making good progress in The Shadow of What Was Lost. And I am really liking this book! It was not finished in 2025 but that is okay. I want to finish this trilogy this year too.

I stopped reading an ARC I wasn’t vibing with, and decided on a whim to borrow the eBook of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard from Libby. I am doing a challenge in January that this book fits into, and since I wasn’t feeling another thriller ARC I changed it up. YA’s are easy reads and I think that’s what my brain needs right now…

Just Finished:

Nothing so far this year.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

Nothing so far this year.

All of my 2026 main challenge posts launched

My January 2026 TBR Plans
My Yearly Bookish Review 2025

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #24

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

My last day of work till the new year was on Monday. Then lots of packing and getting ready for holiday shenanigans happened. Went to North Carolina to visit family for Christmas. We are getting to spend lots of time with them also (since we are going back to New Jersey in January).

When we got to North Carolina the weather was crazy warm, then got cold, then got warm again… so guess who ended up with a dumb cold? Ya girl Melissa! Been trying to fight it off since Wednesday. Ugh!!!!

This is all I have in me for what little energy I currently have…

Currently:

I am making significant progress in The Shadow of What Was Lost. And I am really liking this book! It will not be finished in 2025 so that is what it is.

I am also reading an ARC of Such A Clever Girl. This may be finished by the new year….

Just Finished:

No update here until the new year comes.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

These are the challenges I am signing up for next year.

Christmas movies, and football has been on the TV.


The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #23

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

My husband worked late almost every day this week, so after I got in from work I was mostly home with the dog.

Monday I did take my bests friend out to lunch for her birthday. Did I take a photo of the two of us eating our lunches like I had planned to do? OF COURSE NOT!

I took off of work on Wednesday to go pick up both kids from college, as it’s both of their winter break.

We are exhausted from the long car ride lol

Saturday we went to Lancaster, PA because my husband got us tickets to see Noah at Sight and Sound theater. We absolutely LOVE that place and haven’t missed a show since 2016.

Currently:

I am making significant progress in The Shadow of What Was Lost. And I am really liking this book! Once my library eBook is due back I borrowed the physical copy from the library too, so I can actually finish the book!

Just Finished:

This series doesn’t feel like one of those too cheesy Hallmark Christmas stories so it was a nice change of pace in between other books I was reading. Also, if you’re trying to read a book with Hanukkah in it this is a good choice.

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

These are the challenges I am signing up for next year.

The kids are home from college till the middle of January, so we threw on some Christmas movies a couple of times this week!

Christmas 2025
The Sunday Salon #24

The Sunday Salon / The Sunday Post #22

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. Hosted by Readerbuzz.

What is the Sunday Post? The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up.

I worked all week of course, and everyday at work was something…. someone calling out and leaving us short handed, someone not pulling their weight on a crazy menu day, etc. When I got home I didn’t want to do much because the work day totally did me in. I should be doing holiday stuff, but it did not happen.

I have been working on getting the blog set up for next years challenges. I always say I will only sign up for a few and then just end up rejoining all the ones I have a good time participating in.

Yesterday my husband started a new video game so I sat on the couch reading my library eBook and drinking lots of hot chocolate. I’m really liking it, but it’s a thick book and I sort of read slow (or so I think). I may need to figure out that “put it in airplane mode” trick so the library can’t take it back when it’s due in a week, haha!!

Currently:

Just Finished:

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

The husband and I love this random musical. I bought him the DVD for Christmas a few years ago because we like the movie so much and can never find it streaming anywhere. On Friday night we decided to put it on before bed.

2025 Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon
WWW Wednesday
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
The Sunday Salon #23