Sunday Post – 4/05/2020

April 5, 2020 Sunday Post 18

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly, 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!

Last Week

Week 3 of staying home is now behind us. The realities are sinking in. I think many of us are realizing this isn’t going to end anytime soon… and that even when stay-at-home orders are lifted, the virus won’t be gone, and life won’t go back to “normal” for quite a while. I’ve vacillated all week between acceptance, grief, and anxiety, all the while striving to take it “one day at time” as cheerfully as I can manage.

And there’s a lot to be grateful for. So far, Mr. Bookwyrm and I and all of our family and friends are safe and healthy. (One friend may have had the virus, but she has mostly recovered.) I have certainly heard of confirmed cases at one remove, and while I pray for them, and for healthcare workers everywhere, I am also thankful each day for everyone who is still well.

Mr. Bookwyrm and I are walking several times per week, which is good for us both physically and emotionally. It really helps to see the trees, the sky, the flowers, and the lake. We’re easily able to maintain a good distance from anyone we pass, and honestly, we don’t see that many people out — perhaps because we often walk when most families are preparing for and eating dinner.

I haven’t been able to focus on writing reviews. I am reading, or rather re-reading, but not as much as I thought I would be. I’m knitting, and will be spinning. I’ve baked bread in the breadmaker, and scones by hand. We watch movies or TV together. I use Facebook to keep up with friends. And last night, we attended my Mom’s birthday party via Zoom — as did the other attendees, my sister and her family, my nephew and his girlfriend, and a family friend and her family, each of us from our own houses. It was a wonderful evening, full of laughter and love, and it really lifted my spirits.

Last Week on the Blog

This Week on the Blog

What I’m Reading/Watching

  • Book cover: Mine Till Midnight, by Lisa Kleypas
  • Book cover: Seduce Me at Sunrise, by Lisa Kleypas
  • Book cover: Tempt Me at Twilight, by Lisa Kleypas
Audiobook cover: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale

Reading: I reread Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas as my third book for the COYER Quarantine Edition re-reading readathon. It’s the the first Hathaways romance, and probably my favorite. After that, I went on to Seduce Me At Sunrise and Tempt Me at Twilight, the second and third books in the series. My ARC of Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson is on pause for the time being, while I focus on comfort rereading. (Click titles for Goodreads or my review.)

Listening: I’m listening (again) to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Since Robin listened to these books every night for years (and so perforce did we!), I find Jim Dale’s rendition rather comforting and soothing, even when the story itself is exciting.

Watching: We watched several more episodes of Star Trek: Picard; we only have the season finale to go. We have also watched an episode of Warehouse 13. And we watched The Martian again; check back later this week for my thoughts on what the movie can teach us about living during a pandemic.

Added to the Hoard

For Review or Review Consideration

  • Book cover: Booked for Death, by Victoria Gilbert
  • Book cover: Murder in Waiting, by Lynn Cahoon

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Kensington Press! Click to see on Goodreads: Booked for Murder; Murder in Waiting

Purchased (Kindle, print, or audio)

  • Book cover: Murder at the Brightwell, by Ashley Weaver
  • Book cover: Get Off the Unicorn, by Anne McCaffrey
  • Book cover: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Kindle (all on sale): Murder at the Brightwell; Get Off the Unicorn; Twenty Thousand Years Under the Sea; The Cliff House

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay kind… and may you all find books a haven in the coming weeks.

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18 Responses to “Sunday Post – 4/05/2020”

  2. Charlotte Burt

    Alas, I think that we are going to have to get used to the new normal for a good few months. The only good thing I feel is that maybe we might realise how good we had it, and cherish our freedoms a bit more if we ever get them back.
    Charlotte Burt recently posted…Two Weeks in Lockdown – Sunday PostMy Profile

  4. Haley @ Stuck in the Stacks

    You aren’t the only one who has been anxious about everything. I would like to think that shelter in places will be lifted by this summer but we’ll see.

    It looks like you had a good week! My husband and I are also taking walks together in the name of our mental health and to keep our dog entertained.

    Hope you have a great week!
    Haley @ Stuck in the Stacks recently posted…Sunday Salon– We’re Really Moving EditionMy Profile

  6. Angela

    I love that you had your mom’s birthday party via Zoom! It’s so nice that you were still able to get together, virtually!

    I agree, taking walks is good, just getting out in the fresh air. I’m trying to get my husband to do that more. I definitely had a couple bad days this week where I felt sad and overwhelmed.

  7. sjhigbee

    Knitting and breadmaking sounds like lovely pasttimes. So glad to hear that you and yours are all keeping well – thank goodness, so are we. I hope, going forward, you have a peaceful, healthy week and that you get a chance to read something to escape…

  8. Anne - Books of My Heart

    You accurately described the different feelings about the new normal. I’ve been such a moody reader. I’m really glad I did less challenges this year. I’m just not motivated in the same way to do things lately. We are totally fine and have enough of things.

    Have a wonderful week! Be kind and take care of yourself!
    Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Hidden Salem by Kay HooperMy Profile

  9. Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library

    I picked up the Lynn Cahoon last week and am really looking forward to it! We’ve been talking about what the future might bring in terms of future pandemics and whatnot. It’s defintiely scary! I hope you have a good week and are able to get some reading done.

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Happy birthday in advance, Shelleyrae! Could you get friends and family together on Zoom or on Facetime or something? I hate to think of you not getting to celebrate at all.

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Hang in there, Bea! I think we’re all in that place, even the people who are trying to pretend they aren’t. I’m so glad you have Claude around to keep you company.

  13. Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits

    I’ve been knitting and making bread a lot lately, too. Though, I had been trying to use up my older baking supplies and realized the yeast in the packets had died from sitting around too long. 🙁 At least I have newer yeast in a jar in the fridge that I can use. At least until I run out of flour…

    I know what you mean about the Harry Potter books being comfort reads even when they get exciting. The early Potter books are like that for me too, but I also have some fairy tale retellings which I have read so many times that I find them to be comforting even in the high-tension moments.

    Hang in there. The new normal might not be what the old normal was, but we’ll make it through this.
    Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…Because I could not stop for Death by Emily DickinsonMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I’m glad you’ve got at least some yeast! I picked some up on our last trip to the store before the shutdown, along with flour… but I just put in an order for a 10 lb. bag of whole wheat flour, so I can keep baking bread.

      I’d love the titles of your favorite fairytale retellings! Some of my other comfort books are The Lord of the Rings (except the Shelob section. I don’t do giant spiders. I usually skip the Aragog pages in Chamber of Secrets, too. [shudders]), Robin McKinley’s Beauty, The Blue Sword, and Spindle’s End, the Anne of Green Gables series… oh, I could go on and on. I foresee rereading a lot of my children’s and YA books, as well as some of my favorite fantasy novels, Golden Age mysteries, and historical romances. I don’t think I’ll be reading a lot of stuff set in contemporary times, though; it’s not far enough away from current reality to offer a real escape.

      I know we as a country, and a species, will make it through. But it’s hard not to worry about for my family, near and far. Some are definitely in high-risk categories. On the whole, I do better when I limit my consumption of news and social media. Instagram is OK, since most of my feed is books, yarn, and spinning, and those all help me feel good. 🙂

      • Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits

        Favorite fairytale retellings… let’s see…

        The Princess of the Midnight Ball (and the rest of the series) by Jessica Day George
        Indexing & its sequel by Seanan McGuire
        Geekerella & The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
        The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (actually, the first several of the Elemental Masters series, but you’ve already read those I think)

        That’s the ones I can think of at the moment. I have read others, but those are my favorites.
        Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…Cat by Marilyn SingerMy Profile

  14. RO

    What a cool way to have a party and to stay connected with family, and I’ve been going out early in the morning while it’s still cool to enjoy the scenery too. I definitely need the exercise!(lol) Hugs, RO