Why is it that short weeks always end up feeling so long? Having a holiday on Monday should’ve made my week fly by, but Friday seemed like it would never arrive. Here is a round up of books I finished the week, blog posts, and life happenings.
My week started off with the drive home from Port Aransas. Returning to reality from the beach is never fun. The drive was rife with difficulties, starting with an hour long wait for the ferry. Traffic on I35 delayed us even further, and a 6.5 hour drive ended up taking us 9!
Part of that delay included a very cool stop in Goliad, TX and a walk through the Presidio la Bahía State Historic Site. We spent some at the museum, church, and grounds. I didn’t know much about Fannin’s massacre so it was all very interesting.
Blog Round Up
Rituals that Inspire My Everyday Life
Book Round Up
Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
On the road, we finished listening to Burn for Me. They have updated the covers, although there is something about how horrible the old ones are that make me prefer them!
It took us a while to get used to the narrator. The voices just didn’t seem to match and it impacted my overall enjoyment of the book. The story started off a little slow as well, but by the time we were heading home, the action and excitement was in full swing. I enjoyed the premise of the story and think I will continue it, although it might not be on audio or as a road trip book.
I think I ultimately just wanted more from ‘Mad’ Rogan and Nevada. His name also bothered me, because they used his full name every time he was mentioned. I guess using ‘Mad’ might be confusing, but I got very tired of hearing ‘Mad’ Rogan.
Amaryllis by Jayne Castle
I had just finished Amaryllis the day before and while they were two very different books, there was just enough similarities to get have me confusing the characters.
Both books include strong female main characters that have their own strengths but end up forced to work with even stronger, volatile men. The relationship between Amaryllis and Lucas didn’t start off with kidnapping and torture like Nevada and ‘Mad’ Rogan’s, so it got hotter much faster. Their mental link helped out with that a lot as well. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the storyline and didn’t see the twist until it was right on top of me. I picked ‘Amaryllis’ mainly because the 2nd book in the series ‘Zinnia’ starts with a Z and I need a Z book for my alphabet challenge. So I’ll definitely be continuing this series.
Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver
I started Wild Eyes at 2:45 am Tuesday morning. I woke up in a slight panic thinking I had left a bag at our condo in Port Aransas. Even after walking through all the scenarios of emailing the management company, having not actually forgotten it, and just forgetting about it, sleep was not going to grace me with her presence.
I fought it for a while, but eventually gave up and opened my kindle. On the new releases section of the landing page, Wild Eyes glowed like a beacon! I downloaded it and started reading. The next time I looked up, it was 6:18 and an alarm was going off. I forced myself to put it down and made my way back to bed and managed to sleep for an hour or so before having to get up.
I finished the book the next evening while I soaked in the bath and loved every moment. I’m a sucker for a single dad and West was such a great one. When the Ollie opened up to Sky, my heart just melted. As Sky dealt with her anxiety, and West built her up with steady support, I couldn’t help but tear up. I swooned and finished the book with a grin and a full heart.
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas
After slowly working my way through my Throne of Glass re-read, I finally made it to Kingdom of Ash. I listened to it this time which made the experience feel new. It is such an emotional book and for some reason don’t ever expect it to still hit me so hard. Different sections impact me in different ways with each reread. I find myself crying at parts I’ve never really noticed before (so far I haven’t ever not cried). Chapter 89 snuck up on me this time and had me sobbing while trying to finish up some work. I really felt Aelin’s exhaustion in this read, as well as the weight of her choices. I’m going to allow myself a day or two to wallow in my book hangover before moving on!
Other happenings during the week included my youngest, Cole, turning 19! After celebrating him at the beach, we topped everything off with a traditional dinner at Cane Rosso. While we enjoyed our pizza, Axle, our Corgi/Mini Aussie mix, helped himself to Cole’s birthday candy stash! Poor guy spent the night feeling very bloated and uncomfortable.
For a short week, it was an eventful one. I’m ready to do a lot of nothing this weekend!
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