Today is Sunday, time to look back in the rearview mirror and talk about my week in and out of the blog. As usual I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted for years by Kimberly @caffeinatedreviewer .
As it’s the first Sunday of April, I will also write my March Wrap Up!
In my private life first
First, I want to offer my apologies for disappearing last week! I didn’t reply to comments not posted nor visited blogs and that wasn’t planned.
Was it some disaster or …?
No. Not at all.
It was just very long grueling work hours that left me drained by the end of the day, with no energy nor desire to sit even longer at my computer to write posts or even blog hop.
I was so mentally exhausted that I went back to my roots: reading.
I think we often lose sight of what began that book blogging adventure: our love for books.
So I indulged and listened to my body, just reading, just going with the flow. And now I am ready to blog again even if it will be at a sedate pace 😉
Other than that, not much to tell as Belgium is back in strict lockdown.
The only worthy news was my mom’s 81 birtday on April 1st and I offered her her first smartphone!
Now we teach her how to use it LOL
Oh and yes, one more thing: I am just going broke as I can’t stop buying all the merch and dustjackets for the ACOTAR series!
Here is one of the sets…
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Oh and if you wat to laugh, here is another of my booknerd reels
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On the blog (click on the graphic to read the post)
I was surprised when I counted the books I read on Goodreads in March to realize that I had read 12 books!
I thought I had read something like 6 or 8 …
I have five favorites but two of them will only be reviewed next week: Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare and The Project by Courtney Summers
I have read everything from indie contemporary romance to historical romance, historical fiction, thriller and fantasy adult or fantasy YA!
My other three favorites were:
The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon. That book was a six stars and is an historical romance.
“But if storytellers wrote only about things they had personally experienced, it would be like musicians playing only music they had personally written.
I don’t want to just sing my own songs; I want to sing the songs of many voices, even if the songs are painful and scary.”- Author’s note.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Impressive historical fiction/thriller confirming Kate Quinn as a master of that genre! 5 stars.
On a background of World War II and cryptography, filled with historical figures like Winston Churchill, Alan Turing, Lord Mountbatten and Prince Philippe of Greece soon to be Elizabeth’s husband, we follow that riveting friendship cementing between these three women just to be torn into pieces by the oath of secrecy they took while joining Bletchley Park.
But the threat of a traitor will force them to work back together one more time, in a race against the clock to save Beth and the future of England.
RIVETING!
And probably my favorite and a huge surprise: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas. All the stars!
I never thought one day that Nesta would become my favorite Archeron sister yet, here we are! I don’t know why I doubted Sarah J Maas, she truly amazed me.
That book was fabulous!
That’s it! Now I am going to reply to comment and blog hop!
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
It’s definitely good to relax, take a step back from the blogging hustle now and then and just enjoy reading again for a bit! I hope it helped and you’re feeling rejuvenated 🙂
Hugs for being in another lock down and for work being crazy! Here’s hoping this week has gone much better! Happy Happy Birthday to your mom! And wishing her all the luck for learning how to use a smart phone, so exciting!
Happy belated birthday to your mom! I’m glad you’re listening to your body and taking a break. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on The Project!!!
Happy belated birthday to your mom! I hope she is enjoying her new smart phone. I know what you mean about sometimes just getting run down because of busy times at work. The same thing happened to me last week and I was too tired to play catch up on blogging. Trying to catch up now but I’m so far behind, lol.
How’s your mom doing with the smartphone? We bought my mom an iPhone last year and it was quite a learning experience. LOL I still get random calls and texts asking how to do things (that we’ve gone over 100 times before Ha!). Love those ACOTAR covers… so gorgeous!
So far she can phone, send messages, take pictures and read her mail! So it’s good! Next step will be adding Whatsapp.
I keep seeing those dust jackets on instagram and I NEED THEM. but also I really don’t lol So I will live vicariously through all of you with them hahaha. I’m sorry you were so drained but yes, it’s so important to listen to your body and take it easy! Glad you got some reading it 🙂 Hope you have a good week!
Thank you Molly, you too!
Happy birthday to your mom! Good luck with the smart phone lessons – it can be a challenge. You had an awesome reading month with 12 books – I’d love to accomplish that. Sure would help with the TBR.
I was honestly surprised Teri!
It is nice sometimes just to veg and read. I’ve been doing that a bit myself and it’s refreshing! And happy birthday to your mom! Mine is 74 and she just got her first smartphone this year too- she’s constantly asking us how to work it haha! I’m sure you will have fun too!
Let’s hope my mom won’t be the same LOL
That’s the thing about book collecting, haha! You’ll never run out of sets to complete especially with a series like ACOTAR – but the money was clearly worth it because boy those covers really are gorgeous!
It was worth it indeed Mogsy!
I know what it’s like to be too tired to blog or get on the computer. Going back to just reading is sometimes just the thing we need and the reason why we blog anyhow! Hope you were able to get some rest.
You’re so cute on Instagram, Sophie! Sorry to hear you’re on lockdown again. Have a lovely week!
Thank you rachel, you too!
Always good to go back to our roots, yes! Though lately.. it has been gaming rather than reading for me for some reason… reading need so much brain capacity, sometimes the best is to just game while watching true crime on youtube while if I read well.. I can’t do more than one thing as I gotta concentrate.
Happy birthday to your mother, oh my that shall be funny to see her with a phone ahah! Wishing you some great patience to show her the ropes! xx
Thank you Kristina!
It’s good that you listen to your body and take breaks when necessary. Glad it did the trick. Happy birthday to your mom. I hope she loves her new smart phone.
I love that your mother now has her first smart phone – and I hope that you get a chance to explain to her how to use it:)). I loved your Instagram about worrying about authors dying before they finish your favourite series:)). I used to worry about dying before I’d finished reading my TBR pile, until I did the Maths and realised that I’d need to live for at least another 70 years if I didn’t add any more books to it – and as I’m in my 60s now, that clearly isn’t going to happen:)). So I’ve decided to just relax about it. Now it’s a question of cherry-picking the books that I think are going to offer me the most entertaining, enjoyable reads. Have a great week, Sophie – I hope you get an easier week at work!
When you do the math…LOL
Sorry you had such a stressful work week. Those always suck! I had to teach my 73 yo mom about her apple XR. When I told her it needed her picture for facial recognition she thought I was pranking her. She basically can text and answer calls. Its a $1000 phone that she uses like an old 2000 nokia.
Bwahahaha no Samantha!! That’s indeed such a waste!
The ACOTAR covers are gorgeous! I can see why you’re buying them.
Sorry to hear that work drained you last week but glad that you got reading in! As you say, it’s so easy to forget about the actual reading as we celebrate and share our love for it, lol.
Exactly Nicci!
Good luck on teaching your mom about the smartphone. We have tried to teach my mom for 20 or 30 years and it is not for her. My dad on the other hand was a natural. Take care of yourself!
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
THank you Anne! I think she’ll manage LOL
You’re so right, taking a break and just reading is heaven!
Right Caro? LOL
Happy belated birthday to your mother! You’re going to have a blast trying to explain that gadget to her! 😀 And yes to reading! We all deserve breaks like those just to remember why we even do the things we do! 😀
Well she will do great …after 20 explanations LOL
Oh my god… I already can’t handle my 61 y/o father struggling with his smartphone that he has had for years. May the odds be ever in your favor! 😉
Bwahahahaah thank you Stephanie!
Sometimes you just need time to be.
YA books are getting so chunky these days!
Wishing you a great reading week
Thank you Shelleyrae! You too!
I’m happy to hear you were looking after yourself and not stressing, Sophie. I think working from home is making for longer hours, not less. Anyway, do look after yourself.
You are totally right Alex! I work easily two to three more hours working from home!