Weekly Wrap-Up #142 – November 5th, 2023

Last Sunday started cold and we even got some snowflakes! Fortunately the ground was still too warm, I mean having 80 degree days less than a week before, so the snow did not stick. Another Chiefs game, although this one was a loss, first loss to the Denver Broncos since 2015. Spent the morning finishing the ARC I was reading, it was so good! Review should be this week. Then did some blogging and hanging out with the dogs.

Monday I got up earlier than usual to blow dry my hair since it is too short to just throw up in the EZ Bun on the days I wash it. So I also got to school kinda early. Then it was just another crazy Monday! My stepdad had his second round of chemo, which seemed to go well once again. I had my rescheduled doctor appointment from a month ago. She talked about how my A1C was really good and I had lost quite a bit of weight over the last 10 months. Something I’d hoped she’d have mentioned back in July but she didn’t. I’m staying on the Farxiga for now, with the holidays coming up, I told her I wanted to keep on it and see how things went.

Tuesday was a sucky day at work. They started this new hall freeze thing where instead of just sending students to class with passes, they pulled them into the library and this time they gave them a warning, or ISS or something depending on how many times they have been late or just out of class wandering. There was a crazy incident I guess where one of our security guards got punched in the face by a student. They pressed charges and the student got arrested. My library clerk got pulled to escort students back to class, or to the office or anywhere they needed to go as we weren’t doing passes. Although the students who always seem to come to the library for “breaks” seemed to be able to just come whenever they wanted. Ugh. It was really really cold, so instead of going to walk around with my niece and nephew while they trick or treated, I chose to stay home and watch scary stuff and make chili!

Wednesday was another ridiculous day at work. Ugh. Then saw on a Facebook author review group page that a book review was due tomorrow, I don’t know if I signed up, but I thought I did, so freaked out! Had to quickly read the novella to be on time! Also, New Kids on the Block tickets for their concert next summer went on sale. I decided I would splurge on one of the VIP packages so I could actually finally meet them. It’s a bucket list thing. My cousin and friend who usually go with me didn’t have the money for that, but I still got them the best tickets that were left in the price range they wanted to spend.

Thursday was a little less crazy in some ways. They didn’t do the full “hall freeze” thing like they’d done the past two days. But they did make it so that someone had to escort students in the hallways during classtime. To the bathroom, anywhere. No just giving passes. Then I went to my brother’s for dinner. He’d been in the town by where my stepdad grew up in Kansas during the day, so stopped by our favorite chicken restaurant, Chicken Mary’s, and brought us chicken! We hadn’t been in a while. Life getting in the way of the time to just drive down on a Sunday afternoon.

Friday a little bit less crazy, at least until my library clerk left halfway through the day so she could go out of town with her son for a basketball tournament he was in. Then of course lots of students needed help with their laptops of course. And I did get to work with a class last hour of the day, but that was interspersed with all the laptop stuff since I was the only one in the library. The weather was beautiful when I got off of work.

Saturday I ended up getting out of bed a little sooner than planned because my neighbors had people come over and work on cutting up the huge tree trunk still in their yard from when it fell. And of course to get to the backyard the large gate is on the side between our houses, which is also right by my bedroom window. Then I went to the Gem & Mineral show with my friend. Her mom is able to get us back into the wholesale side too. Although I only bought a small gift there for my library clerk. All the things I bought, even though I said I wouldn’t buy anything after buying NKOTB tickets, were out in the main area.

I got a couple pairs of earrings, one opal set, and a mystic topaz and rhinestones/shiny stones that you can’t see well in the picture either. Also a really cool Mexican opal, I wanted to buy several they had, but settled for this cool looking one, even though again, the picture doesn’t show it’s coolness at all. I think eventually I’ll get it put into a necklace. And there was a book I read called Pride of the Peacock, that really got me obsessed with opals, and the famous one in the book was called the Green Flash, and this opal I got had that. And then at the Australian opal guy’s booth, he had a cool tumbler that showed and named all the different types of opals. As an October baby, that’s my birthstone and my favorite.

Books Finished

First was an ARC I started last week, but didn’t get finished until I sat down Sunday morning and just sped through the last third of it. It was really good! Second was an e-galley I’d started last week as well, but then had to put aside for the first one here. I posted a dual review post for the two of them this past Tuesday. Third was an audiobook I listened to, for the Gateway possible list. Review of that will be at the end of the month with my November L-L-L Post. Fourth was an e-galley novella I had to fit in really quickly Wednesday night to post my review on Thursday. Fifth book was a picture book I ordered for our “Everybody Book” section at my library. It was adorable! I’ll have a quick review in my L-L-L post at the end of the month. Last was an e-galley, and I posted that review yesterday.

New Additions to My Library

ARCs:

The publisher sent me this ARC. It doesn’t come out till April, but they’d like me to read and review before the end of the year, so I’m fitting it into my December schedule. I’ve enjoyed all the other books by this author so far, so looking forward to it!

Audiobooks:

Used my Audible credit to get this one!

Bookish Stuff:

I also got some bookmarks and a postcard from a favorite YA author of mine, Crissa-Jean Chappell. I haven’t read her newest book, but I’ve loved all the others, so can’t wait to read this one!

E-galleys:

First is for a blog tour mid-November. Also planning to read as part of the Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-Thon. Second book the publisher sent me a Netgalley widget, but it doesn’t come out till January, so look for my review then. Third is an e-galley from the author to post a review on the 16th I think?

Free E-books:

The first two were free on Amazon on Thursday. The last one was an Amazon Prime First Read, so technically not “free”, but yeah, free.

Physical books:

I won this awesome book from a giveaway over on Shooting Stars Mag. It sounded like something my niece would find interesting. And even though she’s really too old for a picture book, I’m going to let her look at it. And if she doesn’t want it, I’ll be putting it in my school library for my SPED kids.

What I’m Watching

Continuing watching Survivor, The Amazing Race, AHS: Delicate. On Halloween I rewatched The Sixth Sense, which I hadn’t watched in forever. And I started watching the new 4 episode season of American Horror Stories on Hulu.

https://youtu.be/LHJCAgxpVhY?si=yEVGTuhXKuZuUR1H

Coming Up Next Week On My Blog

I didn’t think I’d get the first two read and reviewed in time to post this past week, so they are coming this week. Both are ARCs, but I got the e-galley of the second one because I didn’t figure I’d get the ARC, but the publisher sent me the ARC and I did a little happy dance. Third is an e-galley I have on my review schedule for a week from this Monday, but I may get it done and posted this week to try to stay on top of it and get ready for the Ho-Ho-Ho Read-A-Thon, which I’m going to be sponsoring a contest/giveaway for! I don’t have a lot of other posts, just one promo scheduled for this week, so hoping to get another Discussion post done too.

Giveaways

Don’t forget that I do now have the nice little box on the right hand sidebar so you can check out giveaways all the time!

My current monthly giveaway is HERE! Remember if I get over 100 entries in the monthly giveaway I add more winners, and so far this year I’ve had over 100 entries every month. And for October I had over 700 entries, so I picked 7 winners! I’m switching to $5 Amazon GC instead of $10 for now since I’m giving so many away. The new one started last Wednesday and runs till the end of the month.

I also started a Fall Seasons of Books Giveaway in September, so be sure to go enter that HERE. It runs till later this year.

Final Thoughts

And we’re in the final countdown to Christmas and the end of the year! I can’t believe it’s November already! How has the month started off for you? Are you getting your challenges and reading goals accomplished?