Weekly Wrap-Up #26

Posted July 25, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in Weekly Wrap Up / 32 Comments

Weekly Wrap-Up #26

Once again I’ll be linking this up with the Sunday Post (hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer).

I did a lot last weekend to try to get this past week as much posted ahead as I could so that the other time I had I would be either writing or else reading. So that meant that I actually started working on this post on Monday, and adding to it as the week went by.

Monday I spent sleeping in, and then I had to go feed my dad’s dog again this week. So I did that, and at first I was thinking I’d just hang out in their house and write there, but I decided to go to the library instead. I was doing okay, and then someone walked in and sat down at the table behind me and started talking on the phone. Why does that always happen to me? I get that libraries aren’t the silent places of yesteryear, but don’t have a phone conversation back in an area where other people are sitting quietly and working! Yeah, I know I could use headphones, but I don’t want to, I want the quiet, occasional noise from a patron or kid walking by looking for books.

Tuesday one of my sorority sisters who moved to California was home in Kansas City visiting her parents, so a bunch of us who live in KC all met up with her for dinner and drinks. It was a nice night to get together and I wish I got to see them more often! I also learned that one of my sisters who is a hair dresser actually works at the salon where the car came from that crashed through my neighbor’s fence a couple weeks ago. Small world!

Wednesday I found out that the week long training I had the last week of July I don’t actually have to attend. So that means I have one more week of freedom before starting my new job. Although I will be taking care of my mom and stepdad’s dogs part of this week while they go to Branson to camp. And I’m very glad that they will pay me. I also realized that my insurance from my last job, well I knew it ended at the end of July, but I found out that my new insurance doesn’t start till September 1st. So I don’t know if I have to pay for COBRA insurance for a month or what. I’ll be figuring that out this next week.

Thursday it is really getting hot and muggy. The only chance we have of rain soon is next week, if at all then. I am ready for fall. I got a little more writing done as well. But I got to a point and I seriously am not sure how to end this book! I’m not good at endings obviously. The feedback I’ve gotten from some people on the other novel I thought I had done is that it ended abruptly. But it was a Cinderella retelling, so I feel like it ended at the right point. However this time I can’t seem to figure it out. I might have to sit and do that before I can do any more writing! I kind of want to go find stories similar to mine that I’ve read and reread their endings to give myself some ideas of what to do. Then my mom and I went to the movies and saw the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Old. It was pretty good. I guess it was actually based on a graphic novel called Sandcastle.

Friday I went to the Auschwitz Exhibit at the Union Station in Kansas City where I live. It was interesting. Some new things I didn’t know. There were actual things from the camp, belongings of the prisoners, as well as fence posts and even a wall of one of the buildings. I spend about 3 1/2 hours going through it. The end where they had videos and also interviews with survivors was really the part that stuck out the most for me. This quote as people leave the exhibit really stuck with me. Also Friday was the last day I had to drive over to my dad and stepmom’s house to take care of their dog. Which with this miserable heat, I’m glad to be done with that.

Saturday I spent at home, blogging, and commenting on blogs, and just trying to stay out of the heat, as well as stop spending money. Payday isn’t until Friday and I’m a little short this month for some reason. So ready for my new job and the raise I’ll be getting. I also found out late Saturday night that one of the authors I thought I was on their ARC team, well I guess I’m not, and so I won’t be reading their book this week to review, and I had been really excited about it. I’m not going to fight for it though, like I did with Sara Ney’s ARCs last year. I thought this author was going to become a new favorite, but I guess I don’t really need to add any more ARC teams. I also got an ARC for another author that I’ve read before, but didn’t know I was getting. And unfortunately that wasn’t one I wanted to read, so I had to let them know I passed on that one even though they’d already sent it to me.

Books finished this week:

New Books:

I bought one that the author was redoing the covers. I have loved this cover since I first saw it. This cover model is like my perfect looking dream guy. And then as I was getting really close to the end of From Blood and Ash, which you see above that I finished, I went ahead and ordered the second book in the series so that I could be ready to start reading!

I might also be getting addicted to Red Bubble’s stickers. Top two are from one of my favorite author’s stores, Samantha Young. Had to have the Cobra Kai, The Big Bang Theory, and Outlander ones. And the last one I found right before I got off the website, it is all the lines that Jake said could be Amy’s sex tape titles on the show Brooklyn Nine Nine. Oh, I do really like the dragonfly one in a way that it could be a cool tattoo too!

E-Galleys for Review:

Only one this week.

Free E-books:

What I’m Binge-Watching:

I got in the mood to get back to rewatching yet again Outlander, probably from my sister’s pictures of Scotland as she tours with our dad and my stepmom right now since they’re visiting her. I’d seen an interview with Mindy Kaling, maybe on Live with Kelly and Ryan, earlier this year and with the snippet they showed from the show, I decided this week to give her show, Never Have I Ever, a try. I started season 1 and it is so good so far!

I rewatched all of Season 1 of Driven on Passionflix because they finally released the first episode of season 2, based on the second book in the series, Fueled. Now one of the original main character actors backed out when he started doing some other work. Even though the filmmakers were going to work with him. While the original actor playing Colton was definitely more attractive in my opinion, the new actor fits what I envisioned when I read the series. Is it weird to say that I never really thought of Colton as a book boyfriend? I loved the story, but it wasn’t like a lot of romances where I fall in love with the hero. So even though I don’t exactly care for the face of the new actor in certain expressions, his body and overall voice and acting is more of a man than the actor from the first season. And I already feel the second season is better acted and going a lot better than the first one.

And I finally watched and really liked The Tomorrow War movie.

Last week’s posts:

Reviews: 5 Rounds by Nikki Castle, The Knuckleball by A.M. Williams, and You Spin Me by Karen Grey

Promo posts: Book Blitz with Giveaway: Can’t Tie Me Down (Sinclair Sisters #1) by Janet Elizabeth Henderson, Blog Tour with Giveaway: Her Outback Driver by Giulia Skye, and Blog Tour Excerpt: The Bet by Max Monroe

Giveaways:

Final Thoughts:

How was your week? Did you get any good books? Are you binging any tv series you’d recommend?

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32 responses to “Weekly Wrap-Up #26

    • Lisa Mandina

      I was happy at first, but then I remembered I was supposed to get paid for it, so that was a little disappointing. But as I’m enjoying my last few days of sleeping in, I’ll remember I don’t care about the money. lol Thanks for visiting!

  1. I do that with Sunday Posts too sometimes, it’s always less pressure to add to them during the week rather than doing them all at once ha ha! Although I’m usually not that organized. 🙂

    I don’t get that about libraries either! Where did the quiet rule go lol?

    Good luck with writing your ending.

    I thought The Tomorrow War looked good from the trailer, haven’t watched it yet. I need to do that!

    • Lisa Mandina

      If you watch The Tomorrow War, I’ll be interested to see what you think! Thanks for stopping by!

  2. You must be the dog whisperer with how much dog sitting you do. You should look into the COBRA. When I started my last teaching job, the insurance didn’t kick in until I worked for three months. So, I rolled the dice, because back then, if something happened, I could have paid and the COBRA would have been retro-active and covered anything catastrophic. It was really expensive, so I was glad nothing happened in those three months.

    • Lisa Mandina

      Yeah, I’m going to call the COBRA people this week and find out how much it costs. And if I can do it for just a month. Ugh, I am actually going to be going over 3 times a day to take care of my mom’s dogs Wednesday through Saturday, with twice on Tuesday and once on Sunday I think. The only good thing about that is that they will be paying me. Thanks for visiting!

  3. The best libraries to go to for quiet is any college library on the top floor. That always seems to be the floor that quiet is expected. Public libraries would be impossible to find quiet just by their very nature anymore. Hope you have a great week!

    • Lisa Mandina

      I know, right? But that’s the way it is at libraries half the time anymore. Thanks for visiting!

  4. Ugh, public phone conversations bug me in general, but in the library… so lame. I’m ready for fall, too, but here in FL that just means slightly less hot. LOL I really want to start From Blood and Ash soon. First I need to finish JLA’s Harbinger trilogy. I just started the final book last night and I love being back in that world! 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start, Lisa!

    • Lisa Mandina

      From Blood and Ash was good! I hesitated because I’m not always a big fantasy reader, but it did not disappoint. I did enjoy the ending to the Harbinger series as well. Thanks for stopping by!

  5. The Auschwitz Expedition sounds really interesting. I went to Auschwitz last year and it’s an experience I will never forget. What happened there is just beyond imagination and it’s terrifying to see these things in person, isn’t it?

    I’ve been meaning to watch (and read) Outlander for the longest time. I hope you enjoy your rewatch.

    • Lisa Mandina

      I highly recommend Outlander! I’ve only read the first book, working on the second, but have watched the whole tv series. I think if I ever got over to that part of Europe, I’d want to go see it, as well as I really want to go visit Anne Frank’s hiding place. Between seeing photographs of it and wondering how in the world they lasted as long as they did, I just feel it is something I need to see in person some day. Thanks for stopping by!

  6. That’s very rude of someone to talk on the phone around people that are just trying to work quietly in the library.

    That Holocaust exhibit sounds fascinating. Very emotional at times though, I’m sure!

    Looks like you had a good week. I hope the weather cools down for you.

    -lauren

    • Lisa Mandina

      I think we’re having some of the hottest days of the year this coming week. But it’s normal for this time of year. I am just not a fan. lol Thanks for visiting!

  7. I kind of got in OUtlander. I liked the audio book a lot due to the accents and so forth. see you at the sunday post @theglobaldig.blogspot.com

    • Lisa Mandina

      The accents would be fun to listen to I guess! I do love the show, need to finish reading the second book.

  8. John Smith

    “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is on my list of shows to watch someday, since Andy Samberg is obviously delightful. I watched one or two TV roasts with him years ago, and he was mildly amusing, while Natasha Leggero was hilarious. But she was just so cutting I would never want to be anywhere near her. Maybe her show “Another Period” would be worth watching eventually, but I dunno….

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