Monday, January 30, 2017

Monday Musings

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Lily says she's not sure how she feels about this "puppy" thing that's about to join our family!

My week: It was a pretty quiet week here. I've been low on energy so I did a lot of sitting around doing nothing at all productive when I wasn't at work or running errands. (P.S. Can you believe January is almost over? Where the heck did it go?!)

Reading: I finished up "The Mothers" (meh... I wanted to love it like everyone else did, but I found it to range from just-ok to downright irritating), then I read an advance-read copy of "The Young Widower's Handbook" (out February 7). It's about a 29-year-old guy whose wife dies unexpectedly; totally adrift, he takes her ashes on an epic road trip across America. It started out strong, but the second half fell a bit flat for me.

Now I'm reading another ARC (soooo many ARCs -- why did I do this to myself?!), "The Lonely Hearts Hotel" by Heather O'Neill. It's been compared to "The Night Circus" and I've enjoyed the little bit I've read so far. The story definitely has an eerie, magical quality to it. Right now our two protagonists are quirky children in the same early-20th-century orphanage (not a very nice place).


Knitting: I finally started the Newt Scamander Hufflepuff scarf my friend asked for back in November. Hooray!

Watching: I watched the first two episodes of "Victoria" on Masterpiece and I'm in love!

Listening to: "Weak" by AJR.


Blogging:
Monday Musings
12 Good Reads Under 300 Pages
Yarn Along: Newt Scamander Scarf and Library Haul
Upcoming Book Release: All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai
Kauai: October 2016
Turning the Page on January 2017

Looking forward to: Our trip to the Big Island! I can't wait to see lava up close and personal!

12 comments:

  1. Oh, too bad The Mother's didn't work for you. I loved it, but we're all different. Good to hear your thoughts on The Young Widower's Handbook. It's one I've been curious about, but unsure if I really want to read it. Sounds like I could skip it!

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    1. "The Young Widower's Handbook" was a decent/average/adequate/3.5-star read, and if it happened to migrate into your pile at the library it wouldn't be a terrible thing, but I definitely wouldn't say it's a must-read.

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  2. Your cat does not look amused. I'm sure they will eventually be best buds. Our boxers don't really like cats - don't know if it's a trait or not. Of course, they also haven't really been around any so I'm sure if they were raised with one, it would be different. Hope your next batch of books are better for you. We had our first school closing due to snow this morning although it's not too bad out. Ohio was whammed in places though. Bet you miss it somewhat huh? Have a great week!

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    1. Lily definitely has a case of resting bitch face! ;) Our boxer Conan was absolutely amazing with Lily. When we brought her home as a kitten, he was so patient and gentle. They'd have their moments, but they never really became best buds -- mostly because Lily is insanely skittish. I'm hoping she'll bond more with the puppy, though. After all, they'll be the same size for a little bit!

      I do miss seasons -- in theory! I've completely lost all my cold tolerance again after only 7 months. It's been a little cooler than normal here and I was basically dressed for Ohio (jeans, bulky sweater) to go out to eat last night. We're headed to the Big Island this weekend and it gets cooler than anywhere else in the islands where Volcanoes National Park is, so I will be packing bundle-up clothes! I'm excited to wear some of my knitted stuff, at least. :)

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  3. I'm reading lots of ARCs right now too. Why is it that all the ones that sound good are being released the same day? Come see my reading week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Ain't that the truth?! I have three that come out next Tuesday (luckily I'm allllmost done with the last one). There's something so exciting about requesting them... but when it comes time to actually read them I always procrastinate til the last minute. So it's been non-stop ARCs for me so far in 2017, when I had actually planned to spend January catching up on series reading. Lesson learned!

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  4. Lily is beautiful. Just give the puppy a good whap with your paw to let him know who the boss of the house is.

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    1. Thank you! She really is a cutie with her huge green eyes (I call them Dobby eyes). I have no doubt that she will show the puppy who rules this roost!

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  5. There seems to be many books about a widowed husband who is inspired in some way by his late spouse to do something different yeah? The last book intrigues me; I entered a giveaway for that and added it to my TBR.

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    1. I'm in the last 100 pages of "The Lonely Hearts Hotel" now and it's been ok... It started off so strong but I didn't love the middle section. Hopefully it finishes up well! (FYI, I don't think the comparison to "The Night Circus" is at all founded.)

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  6. I'm watching through Victoria, too, and am also totally in love. It's fantastic. Dare I say...even better than The Crown? They are different in a lot of ways, so I have plenty of room in my life to adore both.

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    1. Yay for period dramas! I'm of the opinion that you can never have too many. ;)

      I'm hoping to watch "The Crown" soon -- it looks amazing!

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