Weekly Wrap-Up #88 – October 9th, 2022

Posted October 9, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Weekly Wrap Up / 36 Comments

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

Sunday was a day spent mostly at home blogging last week. Going around and commenting on other posts. Especially since last Saturday I posted my end of the month wrap-up as well. It has been a rough couple weeks family wise. We found out about a month ago that my step-dad’s prostate cancer was back. Then about a week ago we learned that it had spread to his liver. While he’s not really sick or out of commission physically, there’s also a pretty low survival rate for men his age once things reach the liver. So with him still doing a lot of physical things in his shop it seems wrong to think about what will happen after and preparing for death or anything like that. Plus he probably has alzheimer’s as his mother did and she died from that. So he is a bit forgetful at times and has good and not so good days with that. I know how lucky I am to be my age and have all my parents still alive and mostly healthy. But now I’m having to figure out the hard stuff and how to deal with those conversations.

Sunday night at least was good with an exciting Kansas City Chiefs win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady.

Monday went by very quickly at work. The guy who does yard work for me emailed early in the day and said he could fit what he was coming to do on Saturday in, so got that done early too.

Tuesday was kind of a crazy day. Got to school and found out that a water main had been busted near the school and we ended up sending the kids home about two hours after school started. Just our building I think, and maybe one other. I should have come home and gotten on the phone about the student loan forgiveness thing, but instead went and wandered and did some shopping for things I didn’t need, lol.

Wednesday there were no kids at school, we had all day professional development. One thing we did was have a group of college students who came in and did a presentation called Giving Voice where they each had a role as a student with different issues, and one as their teacher. They performed a 4 minute skit with lots of micro-aggressions and even some very out there slurs and such. Then all the teachers were able to ask each of them questions, as they stayed in their roles and had backgrounds. The last part was that whenever we got a part where we felt something should be changed, someone would yell stop, and then that person would go up and act as the teacher and do what they would do in their own classroom in that situation. It was interesting to see that and then we got to ask the students how they felt about what happened. In some cases one of the students felt like he’d been singled out and the situation had been escalated more than necessary. Personally I agreed, but it was interesting to see how it all went. I also got a box of books from Sourcebooks Fire for the library committee I’m on.

Thursday was a regular day at school. I got about 15 more boxes unpacked in the nonfiction section. I got another huge box of books, this time from I think all the different Macmillan imprints.

Friday was another easy day at school. In the evening I met my mom and stepdad at my niece’s school where they were taking them for the fall festival so my brother and sister in law could have a church group meeting at their house. It wasn’t the normal carnival inside the school that it had been before Covid, now it was outside, and most of it was kids running around and playing on the playground. We were walking up some stairs, and my stepdad tripped and fell forward. He said he fell and hit his side on the corner of the rocks on the side of the stairs. We were really worried, because I mentioned earlier how his prostate cancer is back, and we found out a couple weeks ago it has spread to his liver. But by Saturday he seemed to be doing okay.

Saturday I went with my friend who breeds dachshunds to the local Renaissance Festival. It was cool in the morning, but perfect weather in my opinion! Her little guy, Rolla, did such a great job. It was Barkbarian day/weekend, so lots of dogs were there. She took this awesome picture with some of the characters.

Books Finished

The first was an ARC I got from the publisher. I DNFed the other two by this author I’d tried in the past, but this one was good! The second was an e-galley as part of the author’s review team. Third was an ARC I got from the publisher. All reviews were posted last week. The last was one that I’m reading for a possible award nominee on the library committee I’m on. It was a very fast read as it is mostly pictures, and not like a comic, but full page or two page pictures with maybe a word or a sentence on a page, or no words on some!

New Additions to My Library

ARCs:

None

Audiobooks:

None

Bookish Stuff:

None

E-galleys:

The next addition to the SmartyPants Romance series! Should be reviewing this in November.

Free E-books:

For the first month in awhile there was actually one of the Amazon First reads that sounded good to me. The second and third were also free on Amazon, but as a boxed set. I just wanted to share the individual books in the set. The last two were also free on Amazon.

Physical books:

Technically I got a box of books on Wednesday from Sourcebooks Fire that is for the committee I am a part of for my library, but since they’re not for me, and I’ve actually read most of them, I’m not sharing the picture. I was all excited when the box came, only to have books I’d already read, lol. On Thursday I got another huge box of books, this time from a bunch of Macmillan imprints. A lot of good ones. Here is a picture of those:

What I’m Watching

Enjoying all my new seasons of favorite shows still. I also watched the first two episodes of The Imperfects. It was kind of interesting so far!

Coming Up Next Week on My Blog:

First is an ARC I should be reading this weekend. Second is an e-galley for being on the author’s team, should have read already this past week. The third one I read a week ago, and just am posting the review as part of the blog tour this week. The last two are books I got from Bookish First I think.

Giveaways

I do now have the nice little box on the right hand sidebar so you can check out giveaways all the time!

Final Thoughts

How was your week? Did you read or watch anything good? Get any good books? Have anything exciting coming up this week?

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36 responses to “Weekly Wrap-Up #88 – October 9th, 2022

  1. I’ve seen this “When Life Gives you Vampires” everywhere. I’l have to pick it up. Have a great week.Love the Renaissance pics. I’d love to own one of those dresses and find reasons to wear it everywhere.

    • Lisa Mandina

      I’m a little behind, but plan to hopefully pick it up this week! Yeah, I’ve always wanted one too. I bought an outfit this time, not sure when I’ll wear it, but glad to have it. Just not sure how I’ll be able to do up the laces on the corset myself.

  2. Those are hard conversations. We’re sort of starting that process with my mom too- not that she’s imminently sick, but she’s getting older and slowing down, and we have to help a little more with some of her daily tasks. Anyway- good luck going forward and all good wishes for your stepdad!

    Love the Ren fest pic!

    Ooh I started The Imperfects too!

    Greg recently posted: Sunday Post #473
    • Lisa Mandina

      Yeah, it’s hard to even know where to start. Especially when I know my mom probably doesn’t want to talk about that stuff and we’ve never really had the type of relationship where we talk about those things. Or at least I listen to what she wants to talk about, but I don’t really have advice or think she actually wants advice. And I get that, sometimes I just need someone to listen too. I am enjoying The Imperfects so far!

    • Lisa Mandina

      Thanks! We’re still waiting to hear more about what treatments for the liver are available or how bad it is. Glad you could visit!

  3. Wow, that’s quite a haul of books there from MacMillan – that’s a lot of reading in your future. 🙂 Are these books you’ve requested, or that they just send to you?
    Hope you have a terrific week and find time to curl up with one of those good books.
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
    https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/sunday-post-19

    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys recently posted: Stacking the Shelves #19, Sunday Post and Sunday Salon #19
    • Lisa Mandina

      They are for the library committee I’m on for my state association. I help select the books that will be possible award nominees for the students to read. I have to read them. So, yeah, got to figure out how to get them all into my reading schedule! Thanks for visiting!

  4. I’m so very sorry about your Step Father’s cancer. My father-in-law had prostrate cancer and eventually, it spread and that’s how he passed away. My husband now also has prostate cancer, but it’s still in very early stages, so they are just monitoring him. I loved the photo of the Renassaince faire! Looks like a lot of fun!

    Wendy recently posted: Sunday Post #60
    • Lisa Mandina

      My stepdad had it about 4 years ago, and in March of 2020 he was diagnosed as cancer free. But it came back and has spread I guess. Just hoping we can do whatever we can to help him at this point. I hope your husband is able to beat it! Thanks for visiting!

  5. It sounds like you had a roller coaster of a week. I’m so sorry to hear about your step-dad. And hope you had fun at the Renaissance Festival.

  6. Oh goodness, that’s rough news about your stepdad, Lisa. I’m really sorry to hear it. I hope there are some treatment options available for him. Nice on the bunch of books from Macmillan! I hope they get lots of love from the students.

    • Lisa Mandina

      We’re waiting to hear how bad it is where it spread, and what more treatment might be available. I’m sure the students will love them, I know a few are by authors we’ve got a couple students checking out constantly. Thanks for stopping by!

  7. Those conversations are hard. My dad had my mom to take care of things. Mom made her decisions and started giving furniture and stuff to us kids and getting rid of things for about 10 years. We were fortunate she made such an effort. She’s in assisted living now and needs very little stuff. It sounds like you were more able to do library work at work this week.

    Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

    Anne - Books of My Heart recently posted: Series on Saturday: Reaper Edition
    • Lisa Mandina

      I mean my stepdad has my mom, but my brother and I want to be pro-active to make sure she knows what she is going to do at the point we lose him. Which hopefully isn’t that close, but we don’t know just how bad the spread is yet. I just know my mom can’t stay in the house she and my stepdad live in by herself. I already have wished they’d move with all the stairs. She’s had knee surgery twice and I just hate all the stairs. Yeah, I got quite a bit more done in the library last week, it was nice!

    • Lisa Mandina

      I still need to read Kemmerer, and I guess I will be now for sure with the books the publisher sent! The role play was really interesting. Definitely something valuable I think! Thanks for visiting!

  8. OOh nice haul of books! I still need to start Kemmerer’s other new series. Defy the Night is in my TBR pile…and I might have already bought the sequel too because I enjoyed her ACSDAL series and its spinoff so far! Lol. Hope you enjoy all of your new reads and the books lined up for this week!

    Happy Reading!

    Here’s my Monday Wrap-up

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower 🙂

    • Lisa Mandina

      These will be my first Kemmerer books, but I’ve been wanting to read her for a long time! Thanks for stopping by!

  9. I’m sorry about your step-dad, that is so hard having those types of conversations, it’s never easy.
    I like the Ren Faire pic, I’ve always wanted to go but haven’t yet.
    I love the Halloweeny look you’ve got going here, so cute! Enjoy your books this week! Well Acquainted looks cute.

    • Lisa Mandina

      I hadn’t gone to the RenFest since I was a kid until the last school I worked at which was close to where it is held and we had a lot of teachers who actually worked there almost every year. It’s a fun way to spend the day, you should check one out when you get a chance! Thanks for visiting!

    • Lisa Mandina

      I enjoy going to the RenFest when I can too! We had perfect fall weather this past weekend for it as well. Thanks for the recs on which ones you liked, I’ll be sure to bump those to the top of my list to read! And I loved This Poison Heart, just finished listening to the audio, so excited to read the sequel.

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