Happy New Year!

January 1, 2017 Holiday, Sunday Post 19

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures — I mean books!

Happy New Year!

 

I wish you all a very happy New Year! And may it be a better year than 2016 was.

We lost so many “cultural icons” this year, many of them dear to our hearts, idols of our childhood and young adulthood. Politically and socially, it was also a difficult year. On a more personal note, I also lost an uncle and an aunt-by-marriage early in the year; my dad is the last of six siblings still living.

But it wasn’t entirely an annus horribilis; there were many joys as well. Our family spent several wonderful vacations with various sides of the extended family. Mr. Bookwyrm and I celebrated our 26th year of marriage. Robin has been doing wonderfully in college, and will graduate this year. Her writing is also going well: she had several poems and a creative nonfiction piece published or reprinted in literary journals — and her first SFF sale, a poem, will be published in Apex this month. And I am more than grateful that all four of my parents are in good health.

I pray that the year to come will bring us all more joys than sorrows… and plenty of good books to read!

 

Last Week on the Blog

 

I took a blogging break over the last few weeks and focused on family time. I’ll be doing the same over the next two weeks, until Robin returns to college, so the coming week’s schedule is a bit up in the air. I will be posting whenever I find the time.

 

 Upcoming on the Blog

  • Sun. 1/01/17: Happy New Year!
  • Mon. 1/02/17: TBD
  • Tues. 1/03/17: 2017 Debuts I’m Excited For – tentative
  • Wed. 1/04/17: In the Dragon’s Eye – tentative
  • Thur. 1/05/17: Shades of Milk and Honey – tentative
  • Fri. 1/06/17: TBD
  • Sat. 1/07/17: News & Notes – tentative

 

Challenges

the-backlist-reader-challenge-2017-b

You can still sign up for The Backlist Reader Challenge! If you’re looking for a year-long challenge to read books from your TBR pile or list, this is the one! It will be a chance to get to some of those older titles you’ve been wanting to read. You can check out all the rules by clicking on the image above.

 

COYER Blackout began December 17. It’s hosted by Berls of Fantasy is More Fun, Michelle of Because Reading, and Stormi of Books, Movies, Reviews, Oh My!  The rules are strict: only ebooks you owned or had requested prior to Dec. 17, that cost $0.99 or less.  My goal is 12 books by March 3.  So far, I’ve read 3 books that count toward COYER:

  1. A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle (ARC)
  2. Sacred Evil by Heather Graham ($0.99)
  3. A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (ARC)

 

What I’m Reading/Watching

Reading:  I read the third Krewe of Hunters book, Sacred Evil (Heather Graham; Kindle), about a series of murders that resemble the Ripper killings — which almost got too gruesome for me — then turned to the newest Stephanie Laurens romance, Lord of the Privateers (Kindle preorder), for something a little lighter. I read Deana Raybourn’s second “Veronica Speedwell” mystery, A Perilous Undertaking (ARC), which is a lot of fun. And I finally finished Shades of Milk and Honey (Mary Robinette Kowal; purchased), which I loved.

I’m currently reading The Elusive Elixir (Gigi Pandian; ARC.) I still need to get back to Tempest (Valdemar anthology; ARC) and Lady Claire Is All That (Maya Rodale; ARC.)

Listening to: Christmas music, and movie soundtracks.

Watching: Mr. Bookwyrm, my step-dad, and I went to see Rogue One… on the same day Carrie Fisher died, which felt somewhat poignant. (I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, but those of you who have seen the movie will understand why.)

 

New Additions to the Hoard

Cover links take you to Goodreads.

For Review or Review Consideration

Nothing this week!

 

Purchased for Kindle

 

Happy New Year, and happy reading!

 

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19 Responses to “Happy New Year!”

  1. Laurel-Rain Snow

    I have the same feelings about the now defunct 2016, and can only hope (my One Word) for a better year, despite what happens at the end of this month.

    I am participating in another Read the Books You Buy Challenge, and also hope (there’s that word again!) to clean off some of the older books on my Kindle.

    Enjoy your year!

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
    Laurel-Rain Snow recently posted…AUTHOR’S HOME PAGEMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Hi, Shoshi! Welcome; I’m glad you stopped by. I’ve heard really good things about the ACOTAR series too; I had the first book on Kindle already, so I’m looking forward to reading both at some point.

      Just a note — my spam filter filters out posts with more than one link. I had to eliminate the other three so your comment could post. Sorry!

  5. Rita @ View From My Books

    Happy New Year! I’m interested in your thoughts on Shades of Milk and Honey this week. Yes, this past year was… interesting… and my own family had its share of crises to deal with. Anyone who tells you it gets easier as your kids get older is flat-out lying :). The bigger the “kid” the bigger the problem. After this coming year (hopefully) both my kids will be established in their careers and living on their own.

    I hope you enjoy more family time and reading time this month– and I look forward to starting your challenge as of today, as I “attempt”– my one word of the year– to read Outlander, which has lingered on my to-read list for years.
    Rita @ View From My Books recently posted…2017- My One Word & My First BookMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I really loved Shades of Milk and Honey. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get around to finishing it… but now I want to read the other books in the series. (Which will fit nicely into The Backlist Reader Challenge, so…)

      Outlander! That book has been on my to-read list for at least 4 or 5 years — mentally, at least. It’s been on my Goodreads list since January 2014. I hope you enjoy it — and that I get around to it one of these years!

  6. Greg

    Happy New Year! Sorry for your losses in 2016 but also happy for all the good things- congrats on the milestones/ accomplishments in your family! Hope 2017 is great for you and yours.

    Understood about Rogue One. Hope you liked the film- I mostly did. Nice to see Star Wars on the big screen again. Have a great week.
    Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #175My Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I’m trying to focus on the good things more in 2017 — working on recovering my usual optimism! 🙂 Thank you for the good wishes, and I wish you and your family a wonderful year as well.

      I admit I’m more excited about Episode VIII next year than I was for Rogue One, but I was pleasantly surprised by it(if a little taken aback at the darker tone.)

  8. Stormi Johnson

    Happy New Year! It does seem that the end of the year has been a bit of a downer with all the celebrity deaths. I hate thinking about how old some of my favorite actors I grew up with are and that they will be dying off. 🙁

    You read some good ones and got some good ones to read!! Happy reading!

    Stormi
    Stormi Johnson recently posted…The Week In Review #122 ~Happy New Year!My Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Too much darkness this year, all told. And yes, I think you’re right that we’ll be seeing more celebrity deaths as more and more of the bright lights of our childhoods reach their 60s and older. Which is a rather depressing thought. I plan to try to focus as much as I can on good news this year, to counteract all the negative stuff out there. 🙂