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: I flew home on Thursday after a week visiting my mom and stepdad, Robin, and my sister’s family in New Mexico. I went over to my sister’s several times for tea and games, and we had dinner with them twice. Robin came to dinner at my parents’ house most of the other nights. It was a lovely visit, and wonderful to stay with my mom and stepdad this time, because I get more time with them when I stay at their house. But I am glad to be back home with my husband now, after more than two weeks apart. And back to my own bed, my books, and my spinning wheels and loom… but mostly my husband. I really miss him when we’re apart.
Yesterday we went to the Fall Fiber Festival and Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials, about an hour and 20 minutes away. It’s always fun, with sheep, alpacas, and goats to admire, yarn and fiber to admire and buy, food trucks, sheep dog trials to watch, and lots of fellow/sister fiber enthusiasts to talk with. It takes place outdoors and under tents. It was a cloudless day: gorgeous, but quite hot (around 80°F, but it felt warmer.) I managed about two and a half hours before I had to call it quits; I was starting to feel tired and a little woozy. So we headed home early. But I did get to enjoy seeing the animals, and I bought a little yarn and fiber for myself and a few Christmas presents for others.
5 Good Things:
- I had lots of good family time this week…
- and it’s also wonderful to be home.
- I ordered two new Jinhao 82 fountain pens (with fine nibs) and a bottle of Diamine ink in a pretty shade of celadon blue-green. It’s a new pen model for me; my other two pens are Lamy Safaris. The Jinhaos are inexpensive but had pretty good reviews for their price point. It was fun to try the pen out; I’ll try to review it soon. (Spoiler: the Lamys are better.)
- We celebrated my brother-in-law’s birthday… and his imminent retirement.
- I ordered a new jacket and sweater: something pretty for the fall and winter. I don’t buy a lot of clothes and tend to wear things until they wear out or no longer fit, but it’s nice to treat myself to one or two quality garments to spruce up my wardrobe.
Recent Posts
- Sunday Post – 9/28/2025
- Books on My Fall 2025 TBR List
- Book Covers That Make Me Think of Fall – Top 10 Tuesday
- Monthly Wrap-Up — September 2025
- AI spambots in my comments
- Sunday Post – 10/05/2025 – this post
Looking Ahead
- Satisfying Book Series – Top 10 Tuesday (tentative)
- WIP Wednesday – a look at what I’m making (tentative)
- Arrows of the Queen – audiobook review
- Treasures from the Hoard: The Sleeping Beauty, by Mercedes Lackey
- Feuds (ed. by Mercedes Lackey) – review
- other reviews TBD
- News & Notes – 10/13/2025 (tentative)
- Sunday Post – 10/12/2025
What I’ve Been Reading/Watching
Reading: I finished my ARC of Murder at Somerset House (Andrea Penrose), then reread The Choice (Nora Roberts) to finish up my Dragon Heart Legacy reread. I started two new books: Christmas with the Queen (Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb; a library book) and The Keeper of Magical Things (Julie Leong; ARC).
Listening to: I finished All the Queen’s Men by SJ Bennett, and started on book #3 in the same series, Murder Most Royal.
Watching: Get Smart (the movie), plus a few YouTube videos on fountain pens (for research.)
Playing: I played a lot of Wingspan, both in person (tabletop version) and digitally (I have the app on my phone, and the Steam app on my computer. I’m obsessed with this game!) I also played a new-to-me tile-placing tabletop puzzle game called Project L with Robin and my sister and brother-in law, and a little bit of Tiny Bookshop on Steam. And of course I played my usuals: Wordle, Connections, Strands, Spelling Bee, and Sudoku (all from the NYT) and Pokemon Go.
Added to the Hoard
(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)
For Review or Consideration
Many thanks to Ballantine for The Book Witch and Kensington Books for The Book of Autumn!
Library Haul
Library: Christmas with the Queen; Murder Most Royal
Purchased (Kindle, print, or audio)
Print: A Study in Drowning (Collectors Deluxe Limited Edition)
Kindle: On sale: Tears of the Wolf; A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence; Mysteries of Thorn Manor; Meet the Austins; Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words; Ink Blood Sister Scribe. Free: How To Summon a Fairy Godmother
Anne - Books of My Heart
I’m glad your trip went well and it’s good to be home. Oh the fiber festival. I hear llamas can be dangerous and alpacas are shy. I just started reading The Keeper of Magical Things and I’m enjoying it.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
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Lark_Bookwyrm
I saw on your blog that you got the audio ARC of The Keeper of Magical Things. I loved the author’s first book, and I’m enjoying this one so far.
The llamas at the fiber festival were pretty chill, all things considered. Well, not chill in the temperature sense (it was hot, as I said!), but well-behaved. I’m sure the Lower Sherwood farmers don’t bring any of their animals that might take a bite out of a festival-goer. They have brought an alpaca or two in past years, I think, but not this year. From the fiber point of view, I prefer alpacas; their wool is softer. One of these days, I need to clean and spin the alpaca fleece I have. (It’s half a fleece, technically, and was a gift.)
Bree @ Bibliophilebree
Hope you have a good week! Loved seeing the animal pictures.
Bree @ Bibliophilebree recently posted…Sunday Post/Salon #10
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you! I wish you a good week, also.
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
Sounds like a lovely visit with your family! I enjoy getting away, but it’s nice to be home! I miss it and I’d definitely miss my husband, too! The alpaca, sheep and goats are so cute! I bought Wingspan for my in-laws years ago, but I’ve never played it myself.
Rachel @Waves of Fiction recently posted…Sunday Post #312
Lark_Bookwyrm
Wingspan is great! It takes a little while to learn, but it’s totally worth it; it’s a really well-designed game, with gameplay that is complex enough to be interesting, but not so complicated that you can’t carry on a conversation while you play.
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
Sounds like a nice week! I love how you do the 5 good things. I do a journal every night before bed where I list 3 good things for the day. They are often very similar as I have things in my life that have been worrisome and it is a good day if say my mom is doing well, or my dogs are not having any issues. But it still helps to do it! Hope you have another good week!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Up #244 – October 5th, 2025
Aj @ Read All The Things!
I’m glad you made it home safely. I love the animal photos!
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Sunday Post #386
Katherine
Sounds like a fun visit with family. The sheep dog trials sound so fun. I know a guy who does herding training and it’s absolutely amazing. I don’t have a dog that has the drive or the instincts for that but I love watching it. Too bad about the cheaper pens not being quite as good. That would have been a nice switch. There is no feeling better than being home – even if you loved where you traveled to! Have a great week and enjoy your reading!
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
Sounds like some lovely visits! Though I don’t blame you for being glad to be home. I always enjoy returning home to my regular surroundings and habits, no matter how much I also love being away.
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