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Saturday, January 7, 2017

kay's week - 1.7.17



Welcome to 2017 and a new feature here on the blog - kay's week.  I am shamelessly copying several of my blogging friends and determining to do a weekly roundup of various things.  Hopefully, I can share what I've been reading or doing or watching or imagining in a semi-coherent format.  Formal reviews seem a little tiresome to me now, but a short paragraph is possible.  Same goes for other pursuits.  We'll see how we fare.


Goals for 2017...

Honestly, I don't have formal goals.  I shared my 'One Word', which was BREATHE.  So focusing on breathing (i.e. relaxing) is good.  When I was sick recently, it became apparent that I had lost my appetite for food for a bit.  I also seem to have lost my appetite for spending money on new books.  We'll see how long that lasts, but my quasi-goal is to read the books I already own.  If a new book is desired, the library is the place to find it.  That being said, right now, I'm not really interested in taking home books that have 'lived' with someone else for a while.  I need a break from germs.  The library will still be there when I feel like checking things out or there are always library e-books.  So, in reading the books I already own, I think you'll find that I may be doing more rereading and also reading books that are not the most current.  And I'm happy with that.


I've been reading... 

This category will also include 'I've been listening to...'.  For me, reading in print or reading by listening is all one and the same.  I'll try to note whether it's a print or audio or even a combo type read.

River Road by Carol Goodman - An author that I've meant to sample for a long time.  I think I've owned several of her books over the years.  This was an audio and was narrated by Madeleine Maby.  Nan Lewis, a college professor, is driving home after a faculty party when she hits a deer.  She searches for the deer, but doesn't find it.  Next morning, she's awakened by the police telling her that one of her favorite students was victim of a hit-and-run on River Road the night before.  Nan's car is damaged and the officers have questions.

A good enough read.  Not very enthusiastic am I?  I liked it, but didn't love it.  It was a slow moving story and Nan was hard to sympathize with at times.  I figured out the solution pretty early on, but this audio suited me for listening while I wasn't feeling well.  And yes, I'd read another of this author's books.  I think I own at least one more of them.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult - This was a reread for me.  I first read it many years ago and think it was the first Picoult book I read.  At that time, her way of telling a story was quite unique or at least it was to me.  Read this on my Kindle and was glad to have it in e-book format as it is over 500 pages.  The issue here is teen suicide.  A boy and girl who live next door to each other all their lives, families are best friends, kids get to the teen years and start dating.  Boy is athletic and a gifted writer.  Girl is artistic.  One dies.  One is accused of murder.  Probably one of the first books I read that proposed the idea that you don't always know your family as well as you think you do.  Definite Picoult book, if you know what I mean.


I've watched...

As to TV watching - first episode of the new season of Sherlock - boy, was it dark!  The last season of Bones and also of Grimm begins this week.  I'll miss those shows.  We saw Rogue One on Christmas Eve - very good - loved it!   I'd like to see Sing - great music!  We also watched the Miss Peregrine movie and Fantastic Beasts.  Liked the Peregrine movie.  Loved Fantastic Beasts.  Hope there will be more of those.


Book Groups...

I missed the Mystery Book Group meeting this week because of illness, but I heard that it went well and the group pretty much universally liked The Lake House by Kate Morton.  Glad to hear it.  We'll be reading Redemption Road by John Hart for February.  There is another book group that I attend occasionally that will meet this next week to discuss Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris.  I haven't read this book, but I'm considering attending the discussion anyway.


Personally...

I'm feeling much better after my flu episode.  The coughing still lingers, but the energy level is better and the appetite is returning.  Am planning on going back to walking next week, hopefully.  And returning to yoga perhaps the week after that.

And that's all folks!  See you next week!  

33 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear you've been ill, Kay. I too was ill at the beginning of the week. Not very nice so you have my sympathy. I'm glad you feel better now.

    I'm still trying to decide what my 2017 reading year will be like. I'm totally with you when you say formal reviews seem tiresome. Think I'm edging towards doing mainly two or three short reviews in one post. I've cut down on book challenges in order to cut down on the number of reviews required. I think I just want to read slower and not get wound up because I've not posted a book review... it can take the joy out of reading somehow.

    I had to record Sherlock because of my illness and still haven't seen it. Bit put off by all the comments online, loads of people did not like it!

    Happy New Year, Kay. *Breathe* (Love it...)

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    1. Cath, sorry you've been sick as well. I love your 2 or 3 review format. Think it works perfectly well. I really don't want to have any 'required' anything about the blog any more. Taking the joy out of things indeed. Will be interested in your reaction to Sherlock. I didn't dislike it, but it was a bit dark. That's OK though. Mysteries are dark sometimes.

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  2. I'm so glad to see you're feeling better!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy! And thanks for the inspiration for the 'weekly' format.

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  3. Oooh, I loved this long newsy post! Glad you're feeling better, too.

    I am so far behind with my reviews, but I still want to post one for each book I read, since my blog is essentially my reading journal, so I'll continue to plug along at my snail's pace.

    I think The Pact was my first Picoult book, too. Gosh, it was good! In spite of complaints about her endings, I do enjoy her books and have read almost all of them. I think The Storyteller is my most recent favorite.

    We're looking forward to watching Sherlock once we can stream it on Netflix. Haven't looked to see when that will be. We've heard great things about Rogue One and look forward to seeing that, too. Lots of good movies coming out, but we usually wait for the dvd.

    Let us know how the group likes Finding Nouf. I've heard good things about that mystery, but haven't read it myself.

    Have a lovely weekend, Kay! Stay warm. Looks like you'll have cold temps for a couple of days!

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    1. Yes, we're having cold temps this weekend - think it's 16 outside right now. That's a little too cold for us. I think your method of documenting your thoughts on books read long ago is great. It's been interesting seeing what you read many years ago. I'll try to share about FINDING NOUF or at least the book group meeting if I get to go. My mystery group read it several years ago, but I missed that meeting and didn't read the book.

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  4. Hope you are feeling better and better each day. The flu is such an awful way to begin the year! I liked the first Goodman novel which I read years ago, but have not been overly impressed with her follow up books--I actually abandoned the last one I started.

    The Lake House was my favorite by Morton, although I've enjoyed all of her books. The only thing I liked about Redemption Road was Crybaby Faircloth Jones.

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    1. I'll keep in mind what you thought about REDEMPTION ROAD. I plan to listen to it as I already have the audio. We have one mystery group member who loves John Hart's books. Don't think I've read one.

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  5. I've heard there will be several Fantastic Beasts movies. I have it in my dvd queue. I like that guy. He was good in My Week with Marilyn. As for book reviews, I'm happy reading about books in any format. Sometimes just a sentence will tell me if I want to read a book. But I like long ones too. I'm glad you've come to a peace with yourself about the blog. I see blogs as reflecting one's life. When Tom was working, and there weren't any little ones yet, I wrote long reports on my books. Now I just don't have the time or energy to do so. You're at a point where you don't want to write long book reviews, and you don't have to. I think people mostly read blogs because they like the writer, and will read yours no matter what you write about. Even if you write about rattlesnakes I'll be here reading!

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    1. Rattlesnakes, huh? Well, did I tell you about the 3-ft snake skin we found by our driveway a few months ago? LOL

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  6. Glad to hear that you're feeling better and recovering from the flu. Those coughs do just seem to linger on forever don't they! I've lost some of my enthusiasm for buying new books as well and have been trying to cut back on accepting review books (not that you'd know it by looking at my Sunday Post which goes up tonight!) and I think it's because I'm just so overwhelmed feeling. I have so many books and so many that I want to read that I'm not getting too that it's getting too much. My goal this year is to read more books off my own shelves and just read what I want to read more!

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    1. Katherine, I sat here while I was sick looking at my shelves and perusing my 'virtual' shelves on my Kindle. I have so many books that I haven't read yet. And I do enjoy rereading. So, this is the plan for now. I hate feeling like I 'ought' to read a book or write a review. This decision feels peaceful.

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  7. Great word to start off the new year! I love your weekly post, which I love doing myself because you can recap and share random thoughts, and not have to make such formal reviews. I don't even do formal ones anymore except for NetGalley books that I really enjoy and want to recommend.

    I have two year long challenges, and one is read the books you buy in '17 and one is read books printed before '16 that have languished on your "wishlist" or shelf. So this has put me in the mood to read more of the books I have already or older titles I've wanted to read but went off after the next shiny title instead.

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    1. Forgot to mention that The Pact was the first Picoult book I read-- got me hooked on her for many years-- but lately I've found her too formulaic... still borrow her from the library, but don't buy her anymore. I did enjoy that one :)

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    2. I agree that Picoult definitely has a 'style'. I have to be in the mood for it. There are still a bunch of her books that I own that I haven't read. One day.

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  8. So sorry to hear you've been poorly too and have lost your appetite for books and food! I watched the first episode of Sherlock and was thrilled and saddened in pretty much equal measure.
    I hope you feel better soon.

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    1. Am feeling better now after almost 2 weeks. Still the cough. Takes forever to get past that. I'm curious about tomorrow night's episode of Sherlock. Where do we go from here? LOL

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  9. Kay glad to hear you are feeling better! Can you believe this cold weather we have in Central TX? Brr... We plan to catch up on Sherlock this weekend. I recommend Carol Goodman's earlier books. This one was ok but didn't live up to my expectations either. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Way, way too cold for me, Iliana. Seriously. I don't do well with temps less than 20. LOL

      I'll keep your thoughts in mind about Goodman's earlier books. I seem to remember reading good things about a couple of them. I need to figure out which ones I own.

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  10. Glad you're feeling better and hope you can get rid of the cough soon. I like the new format you and others have used this week. One of my goals this year is to read more of the books I already own :) Have a great week, Kay.

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    1. Thanks, Mary. I'm hoping I can stick with this quest to make 'discoveries' from my own shelves. :-)

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  11. I'm looking forward to reading Redemption Road as well!

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    1. Yes, hoping for a good one there. I'm going to listen to it soon.

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  12. Glad you're feeling better! I think this is a great format :)

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    1. Thanks, JoAnn! Hope you guys had a good trip to Florida. Enjoy the warm!

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  13. We read Finding Nouf in the MBC when you were on sabbatical. It's good. I keep saying the same thing about books. Actually I have acquired many free ebooks through FB book sites. I have to stop accepting so many myself. Glad you are better.

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    1. Thanks, Gayle! Yes, I'm sorry I missed that meeting where FINDING NOUF was discussed. I'll get it read before long.

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  14. Yay for good health. I'm just now on the tail end of a sinus infection that started on Christmas Eve. I read The Pact and liked it for the most part.

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    1. Yes, I feel like I'm finally getting to the other side of the flu thing. It would help if this wasn't 'high allergy' season here for me, but that is more manageable. Hope your sinus problems go away soon.

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  15. That nasty cough is always the last thing to go, it seems, and it's so annoying! I hope you continue to make progress and I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed Rogue One; we've yet to see it, but I've been hearing good things. I guess maybe a trip to the theater is in order!

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    1. Oh, I bet you'll like Rogue One. If you are a Star Wars fan at all. Get thee to a moviehouse. LOL

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  16. I'm guessing you're like me and you could spend the entire year reading books on your shelves that you've never read before, as well as rereads. I wish I could convince myself to stop getting new books and get back to what I own!

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    1. Or more than a year - maybe 3 or 4 or more...LOL!

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!