Sunday Post – 1/07/2024

January 7, 2024 Holiday, Sunday Post 16

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

This week I’m also participating in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

The Past Week

In real life: We drove home over three days (Monday–Wednesday.) It was hard to leave, but also good to get home. I spent what was left of the week unpacking, doing laundry, catching up on email, and trying to bring some sort of organization to my various plans and goals for the next few months. I set up my planner for January, and cross-checked and updated my calendars through June.

This afternoon, there’s a Zoom get-together for members of my college light opera group. We’re hoping to make it a monthly gathering. This was my main friend group during my college years, and I’m looking forward to spending an hour or two with them.

In reading life: I created my spreadsheets to organize and track my reading and book acquisition in 2024. I checked NetGalley and Edelweiss and requested a few ARCs. I set up my 2024 challenges in UBB (Ultimate Book Blogger plugin), and wrote a review for next week.

Going forward, I’m going to try to set up review posts for books I’m currently reading, so I can add my thoughts as I go along. My idea is to make writing and posting the review less daunting and time-consuming, once I finish the book. I’ve tried this before and fallen off the wagon, so we’ll see how it goes! This week, I set up posts for the books I’m currently reading and listening to.

Recent Posts

Looking Ahead

The Backlist Reader Challenge

It’s not too late to sign up for The Backlist Reader Challenge 2024! If you’re looking for a challenge to help you tackle all those books that have been languishing on your TBR pile (or list) forever, check out this challenge.

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I finished rereading Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton and Winter Solstice by Rosalind Pilcher (reviewed 2015.) I also speed-reread The Night Island (Jayne Ann Krents; ARC) to write my upcoming review for this week’s blog tour. And I continued reading A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft (also an ARC.)

Listening to: On our drive home, we finished up Phasers on Stun, by Ryan Britt (review scheduled), and started Roma Agrawal’s Nuts & Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed The World (in a Big Way). Once home, I began listening to Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Life, Loss, and the Hidden Order of Life, by Lulu Miller.

Playing: NYT games Wordle, Connections, and the Spelling Bee; Pokémon Go; Azul.

Watching: Not much, just a few episodes of Late Night with Stephen Colbert.

Added to the Hoard

For Review or Consideration

Many thanks to William Morrow for The Book of Doors!

Purchased or Free (Kindle, print, or audio)

Kindle: Sweetwater and the Witch; Sweet Starfire; Let It Be Love

(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

Stay kind and hopeful… and may your books bring you joy this week!

Related Posts

16 Responses to “Sunday Post – 1/07/2024”

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Yes… because I had so much work to do before we left, I left the house in a bit of a mess, too. So I have quite a bit of catching up to do! But I’m nearly caught up on the laundry now, at least, and mostly unpacked as well. I’m glad to hear that setting up posts ahead of time works well for you. I hadn’t thought to set them up as soon as the ARC comes in, but that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the idea!

  2. Haze @ The Book Haze

    I really, really, should sign up for The Backlist Reading Challenge because my TBR is just ridiculous right now, but I’m already doing nine challenges and my brain is breaking at the thought of another one, but also, the FOMO! Arggh!

    The Book of Doors look amazing, by the way! Totally just judging by the cover, but yeah.
    Haze @ The Book Haze recently posted…Sunday Post | A Very Book Blog-ish WeekMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      You can combine The Backlist Reading Challenge with other challenges, but I totally understand feeling like one more challenge is one too many. I cut back on a few of my challenges this year, and just kept the ones that I most need, or that keep me engaged with other bloggers who have become friends. Do what works best for you, and let go of the FOMO. 🙂

  4. Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits

    Welcome home! No matter where I go when I travel, and how much fun I’m having there, there’s always something nice about coming home. (And a huge part of it is getting to sleep on my own pillows again. 😉 )

    It sounds like your plan to have review drafts in progress is a good one. I hope it helps!
    Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…Linkity to start the New YearMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Thank you! I love traveling, especially staying with Robin or other family, but home is familiar and comfortable—especially one’s own bed.

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I’m so glad you’re joining us again! To be honest, I didn’t meet my goal last year, either, but it reminds me to keep going on those older books.

  7. Katherine

    I have Winter Solstice on my list to read this year. I’ve meant to reread it for years but never quite managed it. I really liked The Night Island though it was definitely a bit bonkers. I like your idea of reviewing as you go along. So often I think that I need to make a note of something but by the time I finish the book I’ve completely forgotten about it. I hope you’re having a great week!
    Katherine recently posted…Death at a Scottish Wedding – Cozy Mystery ReviewMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Winter Solstice is a lovely, comforting read. It’s probably my favorite of Pilcher’s books, and that’s saying something. As for The Night Island… “a bit bonkers” is a good description of most of Krentz’s paranormal thriller plots (under any of her pen names), but they’re always fun!