Hi dear friends!
Today is Sunday when I tall you (nearly) all of my life and as it’s September 1st (already???) I will give you August’s wrap up!
As usual I am linking back to Kimberly @caffeinatedreviewer
In my life last week
My mom did not run after the aquaboxing coach this week. For the first time she was on schedule! I think drowning her or bombing her in the pool acted like Pavlov’s experience and she now avoids repeating it and behave like a good pupil! 😀
I had told you that I had pain in my chest and would have a heart exam for athletes right?
Well my husband offered me one of these connected wristwatches. Garmin for those interested.
I was interested because it does monitor the heartbeat, the quality of your sleep, your stress etc.
What I was not conscious was that it relishes in bossing you up!
Stay seated for more than one hour because you are in a meeting? Bam, your watch tells you it’s time to move!
Become agitated because there is something bothering you? Your friend Garmin tells you to breathe and be less stressed!
You walk on the street, back from work and you feel a vibration on your arm? No it is not a cop with a taser it is only your watch congratulating you because you’ve surpassed your walking objective.
See what I mean?
But I learned some interesting facts!
Yes my heart seems to beat faster in the day than before (between 68 and 75) but at night it beats between 48 and 53! Like my “old” heartbeat!
I’ve also learned that I have my deep sleep in the first third of the night and that whatever the number of hours that I sleep, I seem to have more or less the same quantity of deep sleep and paradoxical (REM) sleep.
Next step is to see if I am responsible for my husband’s bruises (he swears for years that I hit him (well not hit hit of course) at night). We will compare our moves recorded on our watches LOL 😀
On a more literary note: I knew that I should never listen to an audiobook in public (even if it is not an erotic one) and I’ve been proved right when I was found bawling like a baby, snot running from my nose as I listened to the ending of The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen. I was a sorry sight I tell you! If I had been on the train I bet everyone would have thought that I lost a beloved one!
Last word about this week: I have been thrilled to get accepted for two ARCs on Netgalley! The Fountain of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (Squee) and The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (double Squee)!
On the blog this month (click on the graphic to read the post)
I have read and reviewed 11 books this month (but read 3 more books, not yet reviewed).
Here are their reviews ending with my favorites.
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Now we are around the 4,5 stars (drum roll)
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Two of my favorite authors now (one with a cliffy that makes me need the sequel now!)
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And now my favorites!
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Last week I also gave you some books deserving more love and hype in Top 5 Tuesday.
And our weekly discussion topic was about reviews. When and how do you write them?
In the blogosphere and literary world this week
A quizz that I think Greg will love based on his favorite books and reading experience LOL Epic reads asks:
Would You Get Abducted by Aliens? Build a Sci-Fi Adventure to Find Out!
And some very interesting post below:
Fantastic list of recommendation for college and high school romance! https://readyouleyre.wordpress.com/2019/08/29/my-favorite-back-to-school-books/
Now tell me: how was your month in August? And anything interesting happened last week?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
I have several friends with the Garmin watches/ Fit Bits/ Apple watches and swear by them. I haven’t caved it yet. 🙂 Garmin sounds quite bossy, though. LOL Will it tell you to stop “abusing” your poor husband at night? Hee hee! Hooray for the NetGalley approvals! I still haven’t read anything by Meghan Quinn or Marianna Zapata. One of these days!
Bwahahaha maybe it will punish me for “beating” my hubs at night who knows 😉
It looks like you had an amazing reading month! I’m so looking forward to read The first girl child this month! Let’s hope I’ll love it as much as you did! Have a great September!
Love your recant of the month lady and glad your heart issue seems to be ok. Those garmin’s are so interesting, and my sleep experience is like yours with my deep sleep being in the first few hours. I guess why I tend to wake up a lot at 3:00 AM and can’t go back to sleep a lot – super frustrating. August was good for me and flew by with tons of emotions, but I think things are finally smoothing out!
Daisy I hope all the emotions were good ones!!!!! Or at least that September will be great for you!
They were good, just kind of bittersweet and overwhelming. I’m ready for some sense of normalcy to come back!
So you too are waking up at 3 AM??? Because I do too! And I hope your month will feel less frustrating Daisy!
Yes! Like my mind thinks I’m ready for the day and my body is like wtf? LOL, thanks dear! ❤️
So I got one of those watched back in July and I’m addicted. I find ways to get in little bits of walks so I don’t get buzzed. I step in place while brushing my teeth. Waiting for my kiddos oatmeal to cook in the am I’ll take a step up and back down on the steps again and again for 2 minutes lol. And lots of other things, It’s amazing how a watch can change your life. I had mitral valve proplapse in my 20s and I still get an “extra” heartbeat sporadically every month or so and ironically when I had one last week it didn’t alarm me. But I watched my heartrate go over 110 and I was just sitting in place, so it’s something I wrote down to talk to my doctor about. And yes, the sleep is so interesting to learn about too! Have tons of fun playing with your new toy! ♥
Wow Jen I see that you are super motivated!!!! I admire you dedication truly 😉 Now let’s hope the doctor does not get alarmed by your heartrate!
You remind me of me when I was your age Jen! now don’t misunderstand me, I still do lots of sports but I have learned to listen to my body and its limits LOL
I love that your Garmin is bossing you about, as an iWatch wearer (Apple) I know exactly what you mean, as mine does the same. Though I have yet to were it to bed at night. I think it would scare me with the results.
Oh, and lucky you to be up for an ARC of The Fountain of Silence by Ruta Sepetys! Squee indeed, Sophie. Can’t wait to read *that* review. 😀
Alexandra my review will be published on Monday 9th! It was brilliant!!!
The review will be published this Monday Alexandra!!
Garmin sounds amazing! I want one! And I remember listening to one of my first audiobooks (Wallbanger by Alice Clayton) out loud in my house, but my neighbors house is right next to mine so they could hear everything. I had my phone on speaker so when things started getting weird, I remember turning red and searching for those earphones lol that’ll teach me.
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters
Bwahahahahahaha Genesis I have read Wallbanger so I can just see you getting tomato red LOL Maybe your neighbor would have asked for the title, who knows?
I’d like one of those watches. I need some coaching. LOL And I’ve also cried like a baby over a book. Did it in the doctor’s office once while waiting for my son!
Oh that must have been shocking for your brave doctor Laura! LOL
How embarrassing Lauta!!! LOL
It really is amazing everything those watches can track. I have a fitbit but it sounds like your watch tracks even more than the fitbit does.
Well my hubs did buy the latest model so that’s a possibility! He is the tech geek not me LOL
Ahaha looks like being water bombed was the last straw for your mom XD Look at her being good, now !
Well – although I get the annoyance, that’s kind of a nice feature .. Specially for someone like myself who often need “outside guidance” onto what I need to do *aherm*
Also congrats for the double acceptance !!! yaay !!
Kristina I understand if someone needs a coach and external motivation that this watch and the app would be just fantastic! I am just so focused for years and not needing any external motivation to do some sport that it seems bossy to me LOL
ahahah yep, I can see that. in some moments it can be handy, while at other times you wanna throw it out the window rofl
Ha! Yes, my watch is constantly telling me to stand up or something. Oh, and apparently I would not be abducted by aliens, so at least that’s a good thing. 🙂
Maybe it’s the watch frightening the aliens Nicole LOL
August turned out to be a good month…better than recent ones, anyway. I am feeling less overwhelmed.
Enjoy your week, and watch out for that bossy watch!
Hahaha thank you Laurel!
I stick to listening to my kid’s audiobooks in the car/public… Okay, so I’ve only been listening to his Rick Riordan books but with the exception of giggle snorting there are no embarrassing outbursts. 🙂
Good luck with the garmin. I refuse to have anything else in my life trying to tell me what to do so I’d hard pass! lol
Well Nicci I bet even a sad kid book could make me cry LOL And I understand your choice to refuse anything rule your life!
My work neighbor has one of those monitors, and she will jump out of her seat and start spontaneously doing squats. I admire her dedication. Getting those approvals for those sought after books is a fantastic feeling. I hope you enjoy both! I often sob when I read or listen to audiobooks. I have no shame, and at least my co-workers know it’s just me reacting to my book.
What? Doing squats at work? Oh my that must be a sight Sam!! And yes I recall you telling us that when you sobbed so much people thought you had a big problem but once explained it was “business as usual”. 😀
I have Fitbit, but it’s not as interactive, lol. I don’t wear it at night either.
Glad to see you enjoyed the new Mariana Zapata!! I’ve been seeing some mixed reviews. The Raven Boys was excellent! I still need to read the last book in the series.
Well I honestly will only wear it at night for one month, to have an idea of my sleep pattern and see if I have problems! Otherwise it’s annoying.
August was a whirlwind and I need to FOCUS. I keep getting distracted by all the things I want / need to do. I don’t care how I look – I’m going to keep listening to audio books! Haha about the bossy Garmin. I hope it helps you learn things which improve your health choices. Have a great week with some good reads!
Anne – Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
Thank you Anne! And I hope you’ll get to do what you planned!
I have a Garmin watch, too, and I love it. I had a little mishap in class the other day, though, I was fidgeting and somehow put the music on on my phone :O That is no longer possible to do now 😀
Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.
Hahahaha so you are addicted to Garmin Lexxie? I chose not to connect it to my music or phone to avoid such mishap. plus I am kind of clueless!
Yeah listening to tear jerkers can be so rough, I try to avoid them if i can!!!
I learned my lesson LOL
I cannot listen/read sad books!! Nope nope nope!! Hopefully the garmin helps you figure some stuff out and give some insight to your doctor! Isn’t tech great!?
Absolutely Samantha! 😉
LOL “Snot running from my nose” Yup…I can picture it. Isn’t it embarrassing when we show an overabundance of emotion in public, no matter the type? I’ve had people stare at me while I’m picking a greeting card…laughing my butt off in the store. Some of those just tickle me to death. Or reading in public and cracking up. I can’t say I’ve cried from a book in public, but I could see it happening to me too.
Oh so you laugh at greeting cards too Tracey? Me too! And then my daughter pretends she does not know me LOL
Good idea to not listen to Erotic books in public lol. I still remember listening to Ellen’s audiobook and a guy in the car next to me, grinning cuz I was laughing hysterically.
Well at least you made someone smile and beginning or ending his day on a great note 😉
Hihi your Garmin report is living proof to me that I will not wear such a thing *smile* but it seems to work for you.
Well Vi if you don’t like bossy then yes… stay away LOL
Woah it’s Sept. 1st already? I mean, I KNOW it is haha but I’m stubbornly resisting it. It shouldn’t be Sept yet. And I had to laugh about the sleep thing- are you one of these people that flails in their sleep? I had a dream a few days ago that was so intense (someone was after me) I almost fell out of bed! Talk about adrenaline- yeesh.
Lol about the audiobook!
Ooh I am all over that quiz!
Oh well Greg that might be the explanation indeed! I recall one morning when I woke up hanging out of the bed and rolled in my sheets like a sausage LOL