I’m connecting up once again with Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer.
Sunday was another hot day, but there was a nice breeze that made it a little easier to deal with at times. Got up and did my usual Sunday blogging. Went to my mom’s around 11 am because my aunt’s husband and my cousin came over to look through some of my stepdad’s fishing gear, and I didn’t want my mom to feel uncomfortable or forced to give them things she wasn’t ready to give away yet. My cousin brought his girlfriend that he’s been dating for a bit, and she seemed pretty nice. At 2 pm we had a birthday dinner for my stepmom with my dad, one of my sisters and me at a local fried chicken restaurant called Stroud’s. I always get chicken fried steak when I go, and then I have leftovers.
Monday was my last day before starting back. I slept till about 8 am. Then got up so I could get my yard mowed before the extreme heat came for the day. Got another estimate to haul off the shed. And also to cut down the other tree the first people didn’t do. That was $2500. The first people still hadn’t picked up the small tree they’d cut down in my front yard, so I called them and they said they’d be out to get it by Tuesday. They gave me an estimate for the shed and fixing the fence, etc., and theirs was $7500. I also called the insurance claims adjuster, no one answered, so I left a message. But it would be good to know sooner rather than later so I can stop stressing about the people who already did the work and how much I’ll still have to come up with after insurance pays. I also downloaded a budgeting/debt payoff plan spreadsheet I found online and am hoping to use that to get some things figured out.
Tuesday morning was sooooo hard to get up! Going back to work is going to be so hard! It was another scorching hot day. But I drove to the other high school in my district and worked in the library for the day. Mostly I did stuff for my graduate class, but I did work on some things in Canva for my library. I really hope we can get back in soon because I have so much to do! I did leave an hour early because I had an appointment to see about finding a new therapist. I guess there is a main person who meets and talks to new patients and then decides which of the therapists would be good for what they are needing/looking for. I got someone set up for August 22nd for my next appointment.
Wednesday was also hard to get up, and also still very hot. Went to work at the other high school again. Still can’t get into the things I need for library stuff. So I worked on graduate class assignments again. And I actually created a blog planner to use next year that is what I have now, but the pages that I cross out and write what I want on I now have saved and can adjust dates for future years. Just need to print it out, and I think I want to try to print on cardstock, but we’ll see.
Thursday early morning there were storms. The branches/small tree that the one people cut down in my front yard but never picked up did get blown over towards my neighbor’s yard. I think some must have gone elsewhere, but I cleaned up the ones I saw when I went out in the morning. Fortunately I don’t think they hit their cars. Went to work at the other high school again. Then went back at 9 am for the ribbon cutting at our new gym. Spent the rest of the day again at the other library. It got hot again in the afternoon, so instead of going to the Fish food truck we’d been wanting to try, my mom and I went to see a movie.
Friday wasn’t as hot as the rest of the week, so that was nice. It was still so hard to get up in the morning though! I was able to get back into Follett, our library system, so I could get some library stuff done today. I actually spent most of the day kind of redoing the library planner I created in Canva from a template from another librarian, only I added in so that my months were two pages instead of just all on one, because I prefer it that way. Came home and finished my book and relaxed with the pups. Saw it was Harry Potter’s birthday so the movies were being shown and I put them on in the background while I read.
Saturday morning I slept in! I ended up sticking the dogs in their kennel for a lot of the night just to get some uninterrupted sleep. It was another hot day. I ran out to grab lunch and to maybe look at some back to school clothes for myself. It is Tax-free weekend here, so figured it was worth looking. Only found one shirt. Did grocery shopping, just enough to make it for a bit till my next payday, cheap easy food, hotdogs and chips. Then I came back home and did some blog visiting. I started a new review book, but wasn’t really getting into, and after looking at the low rating on Goodreads and reading some of the reviews, I might end up DNFing it, even though I did win it off Goodreads.
Books Finished
The first one was an ARC I started last weekend, and should have reviewed on Tuesday. Second was a book I’d had sitting on the end table in the living room and had read a bit at a time, finally finished this past week, its review will be in my August L-L-L post. Third was an audiobook for a blog tour in September. Fourth is an e-galley I reviewed Saturday.
New Additions to My Library
ARCs:
Union Square reached out and asked about 3 ARCs, I only thought I could get these two done based on my review schedule, so they sent them out to me this past week. One is November and the other is January.
Audiobooks:
Got the first one from the library on Libby. Was going to start it, but the second one that I’d been waiting for from the library for even longer became available, so I returned the first one and checked the second one out to start listening to. Third one I bought with my Audible monthly credit.
Bookish Stuff:
One of my favorite authors, J.J. Knight has Zoom get-togethers a couple times a year and there are always prizes! This time I won this fun prize pack. The main prize was the green tumbler, and there was also a bookmark that was made to go with another book of hers from last year I think, as well as some socks, and a little envelope full of stickers. The stickers are in the second picture. I may put some of them on the tumbler!
E-galleys:
I got the first in an email from the publisher on Netgalley. Should be reading it closer to it’s pub date at the beginning of September. Second is the sequel to The Stranded, and I guess they changed the name for the US published version? But I really liked the first one, and this one comes out in December, so look for a review closer to then. And last is one of my favorite bloggers, Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction’s first published book! Yes, it’s middle grade, and I rarely read that, but there was no way I wasn’t downloading this from Edelweiss and giving it a shot! Again, look for a review closer to pub date, which I think is January. Both of the last two came from Edelweiss. The last one was from the author for a blog tour at the end of August.
Free E-books:
Both were free on Amazon!
Physical Books:
I have a contact at Simon and Schuster who keeps sending me middle grade books without checking first. And even though I’ve enjoyed this author’s books in the past, I know I don’t have time to get to it. So I’ll offer it to my niece who is going to be a 7th grader first, and if she doesn’t want it, I’ll give it to one of the middle school librarians in my district most likely. The second picture I won in a Facebook group this past week for the new Coffee Loft series coming out later this year. This is one of the authors and I got to pick one of her books.
What I’m Watching
Finally got to watch the new season of Cobra Kai. Since this first part was only 5 episodes, I rationed myself to only watch one episode a day.
And since I only watched one episode a day, I would do more binge rewatching of Outlander as well. Then Thusday night my mom and I went to see the new M. Night Shyamalan movie. It was good, but I was disappointed because for me, there wasn’t the surprise twist like his good movies always had. I kind of guessed all the little things that happened. I did think it was neat though that the actress who played the pop star character, Lady Raven, was M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter.
What’s Coming Up Next Week
First 4 are e-galleys, two of them for author review teams – so they will be done for sure. The first one though may be a DNF. 5th is an ARC the publisher sent without being requested, so we’ll see if I get to it.
Final Thoughts
This coming Saturday, August 10th, will be my 15th blogoversary! So be prepared for a blogoversary post where I will be sure to have a giveaway! I’ve had almost a whole week back working officially, even if not being able to get into my school building yet.
Don’t forget I added in a monthly wrap-up giveaway again this month because my read ARC pile was getting big again!
Here is my Bookly weekly graphic:
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Ugh, yeah I am done with our heat too. It’s miserable and not getting any better. Pretty sure it’s not going anywhere anytime soon yet. I feel like our fall doesn’t kick in until October. So unfortunately we are not even close! Hope the new school year turns out well for you! I am sad to hear the new M. Night Shyamalan movie didn’t have a twist. It’s been awhile since I saw one of his movies. I used to love them in the early days. I can’t remember the last one that I saw but for some reason never really got around to seeing more of them. But those shocking twists were what I lived for with his movies. So I’m already bummed to hear that this one didn’t have that. But it’s cool to hear his daughter got to star in this one!
Nice new reads! Congrats on the win too! Pretty much all new to me ones here but I hope you enjoy them all!
Here’s my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
Yeah, it is usually not till October till we start cooling down sadly. The movie was interesting, but I kind of feel like the previews gave some stuff away, and then I figured everything else out pretty quickly.
The new gym looks fantastic! And so far your back to school doesn’t sound too bad. I’m curious about Witty in Pink, it sounds like something I might enjoy. Have a good week!
I’m so behind I don’t know when I’ll get to Witty in Pink! But hopefully after I finish the tour books I have this week.
I hope that you have a good school year, new gym looks good. I just finished a middle grade i sometimes love them. Keeper of lost cities is one of my favorite middle grade series. The one i just finished was The Legend of The Last Library. It was a very quick read but done very well and i not sure if there doing a series or a stand alone it kind of left it where it could go either way. Have a great week and thanks for all your great comments on my blog. I appreciate the blog love.
I used to read a ton of middle grade when I taught middle grade. But I don’t now that I work at high school level.
It’s kind of nuts you can’t get into your library or the computer system for most of the week. At least you can work on your graduate work to increase your pay. I’m hoping after this month the heat will drop off a lot. I like to spend some time outside but not in this heat.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Our heat doesn’t usually go down much till the end of September usually. Hoping to get in the building this week if they get the electric all fixed.
I always hate trying to get back into an earlier routine. I’m working on that right now because I start classes on the 21st. Good luck with getting back into your routine. I’m sorry your vacation is over. It’s always a sad day.
I hope you like the therapist they assign you to. I’ve had some bad ones and a couple of really great ones so I know how hard it is to find a therapist you gel with.
I hope you have a great week!
I am just not a morning person. Getting up before 6 is so hard. And if it’s up to me, I’ll sleep till 8 every day. Hoping the therapist works out too!
How frustrating to be dealing with the repairs still. I hope it gets settled and wrapped up soon. I guess for a first week back, it was okay since you were able to get your school work done, but not your actual job. *sigh* When do students come back?
I was on vacation all last week and I’ve been playing catch up today. Yesterday we went to see Deadpool. It was hilarious.
I have no idea when all the repair stuff will be done at this rate. I naively thought I’d get it all done in the month of July and be done by the time school started back. I obviously know nothing about how insurance works. Students come back on August 21st, so a few more weeks before them. Yay for vacation! I need to go see the Deadpool movie!
The heat has been awful lately! I spent some time this week working out a budget. It was seriously depressing. 0 stars; do not recommend. Sadly, as an adult it doesn’t seem escapable. Glad you found a new therapist. Have a great week!
I got a Google spreadsheet online to get a budget done with. Haven’t started yet. need to do that!
That Bookly graphic is great! And the prize pack you won looks fun 🙂 You and your mom made a perfect choice going to the movies – always the best on a too hot day. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you could stop by!
I never want to complain about the heat here as our winters are so brutal and long, but it’s also been TOO hot here to do much of anything outside!
The new gym looks pretty awesome! I love the colors they chose!
As I’ve gotten older I am less a fan of the summer and more okay with cold winters.
I’m so sorry you’re still dealing with insurance… it is SO frustrating! And omg 15 years blogging!!! That is so exciting! I’m sending you all the positive vibes for the beginning of the school year ✨You got this!
There are so many things going wrong at the district level that I can only make the year as good as I can make my own little part of the school I think. So fingers crossed I can do that!
Sounds like a productive week. Boy, your tree and shed saga has really been dragging on and on. I’m so sorry you are having to go through all of this. I think The Trap looks really good. We ended up streaming The Quiet Place Day One Friday night and I really enjoyed it. It’s still hot here and our state has even been declared a state of emergency for a drought. Something else to drive up food prices I am sure. Looks like you got some really good books. I hope you love them all and hope you have a good year this year at school. I think you deserve a break from all that drama.
I can’t believe the tree and shed aren’t taken care of yet. I guess I thought a month would be plenty of time. Wrong on my part! We aren’t having a drought any more here because we had a lot of rain this summer I think. I hope you guys get out of your drought soon!
Oh my gosh, I just read your post and literally gasped and teared up when I got down to my book in your E-Galley section. I know you’ve been saying all along that you wanted to support my book, but it still feels crazily surreal to see it in a post on your blog (and the fact that you may very well have found it before I did on Edelweiss is also incredible). I know I’ve said it before, but I cannot overstate how much it means to me that the people I’ve been blogging with for over ten years are supporting my book. You guys feel like family to me!
I mean, I know I don’t really “know” you, we’ve never met, but I kind of feel like you’re a friend, and I always have to support friends! And I’m just so excited to read your book and support you in any way I can!! I go scroll through all the review copies on Edelweiss like every couple weeks, so it just so happened to be up this time! 🙂
I 100% agree. Honestly, sometimes I forget I haven’t met you IRL because I feel like I’ve known you so long. I think it helps that we do these Sunday posts, so we get little glimpses into each others’ lives beyond just books.
15 years blogging is outstanding Lisa! Well done! I hope you have a wonderful week.
Thanks!
What do you get, ten weeks break? It is definitely a challenge to get back into the swing of things after that long. Good luck with the new year. I hope it is a great and successful one. I also hope you get your tree/shed situation straightened out. It sounds like a struggle.
Barely 8 weeks, but I didn’t even get that because I worked summer school. So I got almost 4 weeks.
It is stressful dealing with storm repairs. We are still waiting on someone to come cut, broken, hazardous branches in our backyard. Hope it has cooled off for you.
It has cooled off here. Still dealing with insurance being particular about estimates and all that. It’s crazy how much it costs to have trees taken care of too!
Is Cobra Kai season 5 any good? I haven’t started it yet.
I liked it! But too short! Only like 6 episodes now, and then the rest in December I think? Followed by a movie at some point in 2025?