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!
My Week
I got home mid-week. Now I’m working hard on a really long indexing project that’s due the second week of February, and picking out music for the spring chorus concert. And trying to catch up on the blog, though with the big project, that’s going to be tough.
Did I mention that I got a smartphone for Christmas? I’m really enjoying it, though I’ve still got a lot to learn. I’m listening to podcasts on it, and I’ve added the Duolingo app so I can revisit the Welsh I studied briefly in college. (Robin is learning Welsh, too; I thought it would be fun to brush up on mine and keep going.) Also, I’m looking for suggestions for useful and must-have apps!
This Week on the Blog
- My Ten Favorite Picture Books – Top Ten Tuesday
- TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Somebody Like You (Donna Alward) – review
- News & Notes – 2/04/2017 – tentative
- Sunday Post – 2/05/2017 – tentative
Challenges
The Backlist Reader Challenge runs all year (and is hosted here on The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.) It’s a chance to focus on those older titles you’ve been wanting to read. You can check out all the rules by clicking on the image above.
I’ve read five books so far in January that qualify for The Backlist Reader Challenge. (They won’t show up in the progress bar until I’ve reviewed them.) That puts me ahead of my goal of 24 books for the year.
- Spin to Knit by Shannon Okey
- The Hexed by Heather Graham (Krewe of Hunters #13; I’m not reading them in order.)
- The Next Always by Nora Roberts (Inn BoonsBoro #1)
- The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts (InnBoonsboro #2)
- The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts (InnBoonsboro #3)
COYER Blackout began December 17 and runs through Mar. 3. 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. Since the challenge started, I’ve read six books that count toward COYER. (They won’t show up in the progress bar until I’ve reviewed them.)
- A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle (ARC)
- Sacred Evil by Heather Graham ($0.99)
- A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (ARC)
- Death and the Gravedigger’s Angel by Loretta Ross (ARC)
- Somebody Like You by Donna Alward (ARC)
- Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh (ARC)
- Breathless by Beverly Jenkins (ARC)
What I’m Reading/Watching
Reading: A day of travel gave me lots of time for reading. I finished re-reading Aunt Dimity’s Death, and started re-reading the prequel, Aunt Dimity and the Duke. I also read 4 ARCS: Mary Balogh’s Someone to Hold, which I mostly loved; Forever a Hero (Linda Lael Miller), which was light and fun; Law and Disorder (Heather Graham), which was suspenseful but not too much so; and Beverly Jenkins’ Breathless, which I also enjoyed for a number of reasons. (Hey, the heroine went to Oberlin, my alma mater!) I didn’t have a chance to read any more from Respect the Spindle and only found a little time to spin. The Elusive Elixir (Gigi Pandian; ARC) is still on the back burner, along with Tempest (Valdemar anthology; ARC.)
Listening to: Podcasts: 99% Invisible and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.
Watching: We watched Have His Carcase, a four-part miniseries based on the Dorothy Sayers mystery featuring Lord Peter Wimsey (Edward Petheridge) and Harriet Vane (Harriet Walter.) Now I’m back into the Ian Carmichael series with The Nine Tailors. Oh, and I’ve started watching Avatar: The Last Airbender again.
New Additions to the Hoard
Cover links take you to Goodreads.
For Review or Review Consideration
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press!
Purchased for Kindle
Stephanie
I bought that Patricia Wentworth three book combo this week too! Also recently bought Have His Carcase by Sayers but I didn’t know there was a mini-series!! Is it older or new?
You made some really great progress on your challenges this month and that’s awesome that you’re (re)learning Welsh!
Stephanie recently posted…Saturday in the Garden | Peek-A-Boo
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Stephanie! Welsh is a lot harder than Spanish, grammatically. We’ll see how I do. Duolingo can only take you so far.
There was a series of Lord Peter adaptations made in the 1970s, starring Ian Carmichael: Clouds of Witness, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, The Five Red Herrings, Murder Must Advertise, and The Nine Tailors. Then in the late 1980s, the first three novels featuring Harriet Vane were adapted, starring Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter (Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, and Gaudy Night.) I think both series are quite good, and the change in actors reflects the changes that Peter’s character undergoes, particularly after he falls in love with Harriet. They’re definitely worth watching.
Tiffany @ I Was Angelized_1st
I’m supposed to go meet Beverly Jenkins next Saturday. I have one of her books, but haven’t read it yet. How did your like Breathless?
Tiffany @ I Was Angelized_1st recently posted…THE WEEK IN REVIEW: “Tempus Fugit” (JANUARY 22nd – JANUARY 28th)
Lark_Bookwyrm
I really liked it, though maybe just a smidgen less than Forbidden, the first book in the series, which dealt with the issue of passing. She’s a good writer and really strong on the history; it’s clear she researches it thoroughly. One of the tidbits I liked in Breathless was that the main character and her sister both attended Oberlin College — the first college to admit both women and African Americans, and my alma mater.
Nise'
I am looking forward to Forever A Hero and Someone To Love. Have a great week.
Lark_Bookwyrm
I enjoyed both of them. I’m reviewing Someone to Love this Thursday for the blog tour, so I hope you can stop by. (I’m giving away a copy, too!)
Charlie
Good luck on your indexing – and your Welsh! I want to one day become fully fluent in another language. Congrats on your challenges! You’re making good progress.
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thanks, Charlie! I hope you have a good week, and thanks for stopping by!
kimbacaffeinate
Smartphones are addictive…and should come with a warning. I listen to audiobooks with mine, and of course Goodreads 🙂
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti
Lark_Bookwyrm
I haven’t put any audiobooks on my smartphone yet, but podcasts, definitely. And I have the Goodreads app on it, and a Ravelry app (for the knitting/crocheting/spinning website.) Those two were must-haves for me!
Melissa (My World...in words and pages)
Oh glad you got a smartphone. They are addicting. You’ll be adding so many apps for books and whatnot. Do have fun! 🙂
Hope your week is going well and you are enjoying your reads. 🙂
Lark_Bookwyrm
Addicting indeed! (I’m looking at you, Little Alchemy!) Do you have any bookish apps to recommend? I’ve got the Goodreads, Audible, and Kindle apps already.
Danya @ Fine Print
Duolingo is such a great app! I’ve been using it to help with my French (well, more like Frenglish but still. Haha), but I had no idea that Welsh was an option. That’s so cool!
I’m quite eager to hear your thoughts on A Perilous Undertaking, since I’ve been eyeing Raybourn’s first book for a while now. I’ve only heard good things about it! I’ll have to check out Beverly Jenkins stuff too, since I’m ashamed to say that I’ve only read one or two romances featuring a protagonist of colour.
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Lark_Bookwyrm
A Perilous Undertaking was quite good, and I loved the first book, too. Beverly Jenkins’ books are the first romances I’ve read with African-American protagonists, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the two I’ve read so far. I’ve read one or two romances with Latinx or Native American protagonists, and one with an Asian-American heroine, but it’s dismaying how few romances featuring POC I come across.