Tag: Sunday Post

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-17-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

Today is both St. Patrick’s Day AND St. Gertrude of Nivelles’ Day. It’s a pity that St. Patrick gets all the attention, because St. Gertrude of Nivelles is the patron saint of CATS. Also gardeners, poor people and widows, but most especially CATS – at least in the modern interpretations. So, it’s either the dude who drove the snakes out of Ireland, or the woman who protected cats. I’m with the cat lady.

Speaking of which, here’s Tuna, standing at the window outside on the catio, looking into the kitchen instead of the other way around!

As far as the bloggy stuff goes, the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Hop ends tomorrow, just in time for the SPRING 2024 Seasons of Books Hop to begin the next day. After appearing in the schedule multiple times but not actually getting reviewed, The Graveyard of the Hesperides review will definitely happen this week. I’m in the middle of the book now and being constantly reminded just how much I’ve enjoyed this series over the years. The later part of the week is a bit less certain, but c’est la vie – or at least, c’est la reading vie at Chez Reading Reality!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop (ENDS TOMORROW!!!!!)

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop is Clem

Blog Recap:

B #BookReview: Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
A/A- Joint #BookReview: These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein
B #AudioBookReview: A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian
B+ #BookReview: Fury Brothers: Burn by Anna Hackett
B- #AudioBookReview: The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
Stacking the Shelves (592)

Coming This Week:

The Graveyard of the Hesperides by Lindsey Davis (#BookReview)
Spring 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (#BookReview)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (#BookReview)
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-10-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

First, the BIG NEWS! The week of April 1-5, Reading Reality will be celebrating its “LUCKY” 13th Blogo-Birthday. If you’re new to these pages, you might be wondering what a “Blogo-Birthday” could be. It’s simple, really. Reading Reality dropped its very first post on April 4, 2011 – thirteen years ago. My own birthday is April 5, making the portmanteau word “Blogo-Birthday” as its both the Thirteenth Blogoversary AND my birthday.

It’s a celebration all week long, and I’ll be giving things away (books and/or gift cards to places that sell books – or both) every day that week. Please come and celebrate with me!

In other news, news that’s kind of big. Or at least Tuna is kind of big. The Big Tuna finally figured out that YES! he can fit through the cat flap to the catio. So he’s on the left in this pic, while George is sitting very handsomely on the right. They’ve also become buddies all of a sudden, which is wonderful – although it is a bit startling when the two of them come hurtling through a room in full chase mode as they are 14 pounds of cat EACH!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose
B #BookReview: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming
A+ #BookReview: The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi
B #BookReview: The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
A- #BookReview: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Stacking the Shelves (591)

Coming This Week:

The Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis (#BookReview)
These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein (Joint #BookReview with Amy Daltry)
A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian (#AudioBookReview)
Fury Brothers: Burn by Anna Hackett (#BookReview)
The Graveyard of the Hesperides by Lindsey Davis (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-3-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

I was in a murder-y mood again this week, so I pulled a couple of mysteries out of the virtually towering TBR pile to read until it passes. Also, the next book in the Wrexford & Sloane series, Murder at King’s Crossing, just popped up on Edelweiss and in yesterday’s Stacking the Shelves post, so it seemed like that might be a hint to catch up with the previous book in the series.

I couldn’t resist this shot of Luna artfully posing in the center of the gaming pillow. Lucifer likes to sit ON the pillow while the pillow is sitting around someone’s lap, but Luna has clearly found a much more artistic use for the thing. (BTW, if you are a gamer the pillow is surprisingly helpful. It gives you something to balance your arms and hands on while you’re playing and keeps you from leaning forward too far and messing up your back. A cat sitting on the pillow right in front of you makes it even more difficult to lean over too far – and the cat gets extra pets into the bargain!)

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop is Heather
The winner of the Wish Big Giveaway Hop is Laura D.

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: Always Remember by Mary Balogh
Grade A #BookReview: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
C #BookReview: Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Tan
A- #BookReview: Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo
Lady Luck Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (590)

Coming This Week:

Murder at the Merton Library by Andrea Penrose (#BookReview)
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming (#BookReview)
The Graveyard of the Hesperides by Lindsey Davis (#BookReview)
The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi (#BookReview)
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-25-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Today’s picture may be George at the vet, but George isn’t the cat who actually went to the vet this weekend. That would be Mr. Lucifer, who gets a shot every month to help him with his arthritis – along with a claw trim because he’s not doing that job nearly well enough himself in his senior years. And he’s a sweet old man and doesn’t protest at all when the vet does it – although he probably would mightily if we did.

George was actually FINE during this visit – he just believes that he’s been betrayed because he got taken in and wasn’t happy about it. Neither was the vet because George is so salty and spicy at the vet’s that they need to drug him to do the exam. George is just a LOT and has a lot of sharp and pointy bits to protest with when he wants to. Lucifer, at this point in his life, just can’t be bothered.

Speaking of things that should be bothered with this week, the Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop ends TOMORROW! and the Wish Big Giveaway Hop ends on Thursday – just in time for the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop to begin on Friday.

Believe it or not – and I’m having a bit of trouble believing it myself – Friday is the first day of MARCH. It feels like this year is already flying by. Also flying by, the number of years that Reading Reality has been part of my life – and hopefully yours as well. Reading Reality’s Lucky 13th Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week begins one month from Friday, on April 1, 2024. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop (ENDS TOMORROW!!!!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

Presidents’ Day 2024 (Guest Post by Galen)
B #BookReview: Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita
A- #BookReview: The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
Grade A #BookReview: The Lantern’s Dance by Laurie R. King
B #AudioBookReview: Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux
Stacking the Shelves (589)

Coming This Week:

Always Remember by Mary Balogh (#BookReview)
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (#Blogtour #BookReview)
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (#BookReview)
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (#BookReview)
Lady Luck Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-18-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

This week has definitely better. I finally stopped feeling like all I was full of was snot sometime late last Sunday. Clearly, it’s better to be full of piss and vinegar than snot, because you get more done that way. But c’est la vie, it is what it is, etc., etc., etc. The hurrieder I go, the behindeder I get. I’m working on it.

This past week’s books were all just really, really good. I can’t wait to see what this coming week’s books bring, particularly as I’ve been chomping at the virtual bit to dig into The Lantern’s Dance. I remember listening to the first book in the series, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, OMG THIRTY YEARS AGO, and thinking that the concept really shouldn’t work, but damned if it didn’t anyway. And it still does. Does it ever!

Last week’s picture was of Tuna’s sister, Luna, in more-or-less the same upside-down-kitty-face position. (They are biological and not merely adopted siblings from the same litter. You can kind of see the resemblance around the eyes and face although there’s certainly a lot more of Tuna to love.) When Tuna actually posed for me a few days ago, I couldn’t resist snapping him in the same position before he woke up enough to figure out what I was doing. Doesn’t he look winsome as well as handsome?

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop is Angela

Blog Recap:

A+ #BookReview: The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
Grade A #BookReview: The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow
A- #BookReview: At First Spite by Olivia Dade
A- #AudioBookReview: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
Wish Big Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (588)

Coming This Week:

Presidents’ Day 2024 (#GuestPost by Galen)
Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita (#BlogTour #BookReview)
The Lantern’s Dance by Laurie R. King (#BookReview)
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (#BookReview)
Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux (#BlogTour #AudioBookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-11-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

I’m at the stage of this cold where I think I’m going to feel better in the morning. And I kinda do, but not nearly enough. So it’s another drippy day here at Chez Reading Reality – and I’m NOT referring to the weather.

It doesn’t help at all that when either of the humans in the house sneeze, ALL the cats jump and run away. If one happens to be the trampoline upon which said jump takes place, the whole operation is less than fun for everyone.

Although, speaking of fun, that’s a picture of a lazy Luna lounging on the gaming chair. It’s a VERY comfy chair. Someone should be getting the benefit of it!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

B- #BookReview: The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green
B #BookReview: A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
A+ #BookReview: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
B+ #BookReview: A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (587)

Coming This Week:

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older #BookReview
The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow #BookReview
At First Spite by Olivia Dade #BookReview
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher #AudioBookReview
Wish Big Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-4-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Winner announcement

Well, that old groundhog did not see his shadow on Friday, so he’s predicting an early spring. YAY! Not that it has been all that terribly wintry here in Atlanta, but my friends up in Anchorage have seen over 100 inches of snow – SO FAR! There’s plenty of winter left for more to fall. (If you are wondering, and I wouldn’t be AT ALL surprised if you were, Anchorage gets 75 inches of snow in an average winter. It’s plenty cold up there, but the air is often too dry AND COLD for actual snowfall.)

Also if  you’re wondering, I miss my peeps up in Anchorage. The weather – not so much.

Speaking of chilly weather – or at least chilly enough for the leaves to fall, here’s a peek at the bare tree trunks in our backyard over Luna’s prettily posing purrson. Meanwhile, Hecate is in her favorite window perch, behind the probably empty can of sparkling water, looking on suspiciously and grumping at the world. As she does.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop is Cindy M.

Blog Recap:

Spotlight + Excerpt: A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen
A- #BookReview: A Body at the Séance by Marty Wingate
#BookReview: Remember Me by Mary Balogh
Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
#BookReview: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
Stacking the Shelves (586)

Coming This Week:

The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green (#BookReview)
A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (#BookReview)
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (#BookReview)
A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen (#BookReview)
Love is in the Air Giveaway Hop (#BlogHop)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-28-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

This week’s cat picture is George, curled up into the tightest kitty-ball his long-legged self can manage. Which is surprisingly small for the size of the cat.

George squeezes himself into this position when the world gets overwhelming and he’s doing his best to cut off the ‘whelm’. It works for him. I wish I could join him but at the moment I can’t bend that way because of last week’s epic fall. My leg is the same color as my hair – which is PURPLE. It’s a great color for hair, not so good for human skin. It is getting better but it’s not been the best week, all things considered. I think my brain finally rebooted around Wednesday, so things are looking up!

This week’s reviews are going to be interesting – for select values of that word as well. I’ve been in a bit of a murder-y mystery mood this year so far, but this week’s reviews have turned out to be nearly all romances – going with the theme of Thursday’s Giveaway Hop and Valentine’s Day later in the month. Although I’m wondering if that will hold – because I’m really enjoying that story about the body at the seance so far. We’ll see as the week goes on.

One other thing to see, or I’m seeing, or however best to put that. I have a question for you all. I’ve started putting the review rating in the title of the post, which is great for Instagram as I work my way through that den of complexity. But I’m struck by how awkward it looks when a book gets a plain ‘A’, no pluses or minuses. Just typing ‘A #BookReview: Title by Author’ tho’ also looks weird because whatever grade it gets its always ‘a book review’ as that’s the whole point.

Anyone have any better ideas? Thanks for following and keeping up with the cat pictures!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

Grade A #BookReview: The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan
A- #BookReview: Port in a Storm by Rhys Ford
Grade A #BookReview: Gryphon by M.L. Buchman
A- #BookReview: The Hero She Wants by Anna Hackett
A+ #AudioBookReview: The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen
Stacking the Shelves (585)

Coming This Week:

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen (spotlight + excerpt)
A Body at the Seance by Marty Wingate (review)
Remember Me by Mary Balogh (review)
Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop
That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-21-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

This week started with a bang and ended with an actual, literal, whimper. Seriously, a whole lot of whimpering going on. I was just SO caught up with everything and so thrilled about that fact that something had to go wrong. And it did. I fell, badly, on my way to Pilates, pulled my right hamstring and threw my left shoulder totally out of whack, spent the evening in Urgent Care, Galen had to cancel his business trip this weekend and the cats aren’t sure what to think because their humans are being very weird. So it’s been a couple of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

Which explains why Friday’s post didn’t post until dinner time, because that’s the point where I finally managed to gather my wits and get it together. It’s going to be a VERY quiet weekend.

This picture of Lucifer sums things up perfectly. He’s hiding under the coffee table, looking a bit ragged at the edges and very much like the old man he really is. And this weekend I’m feeling it right along with him!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the New Year New You Giveaway Hop is Laura T.

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
Grade A #AudioBookReview: Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
Grade A #BookReview: Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold
B #BookReview: Random in Death by J.D. Robb
Stacking the Shelves (584)

Coming This Week:

The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan (blog tour review)
Port in a Storm by Rhys Ford (blog tour review)
Gryphon by M.L. Buchman (review)
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (review)
The Hero She Wants by Anna Hackett (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 1-14-24

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

We are almost two weeks into 2024 and it feels like it’s already zipping by at a breakneck pace. I’m not sure I’ve buckled up nearly good enough for this year – and it’s barely begun!

This week was quite the surprise, reading wise. I did not go into Holmes, Marple & Poe with high hopes. I’d tried Patterson before and DNF’d early on. But this was a delight! Whether that’s due to the co-author or that the mystery played with not just one but three of the towering figures of the genre, I’m not entirely sure. But I’m certain I’ll be back if this turns out to be first in a series!

And here’s this week’s cat picture, featuring ‘Old Man’ Lucifer and his faithful guard cat Tuna. Lucifer seems to have mastered both the art of perspective AND the ability to look over the tops of eyeglasses that he isn’t even wearing. It’s all just a part of his many, many charms.

 

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the New Year New You Giveaway Hop (ENDS TOMORROW!!!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Winter 2024 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
Grade A #BookReview: Holmes, Marple & Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
A- #AudioBookReview: A Body on the Doorstep by Marty Wingate
#BookReview: Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts
#BookReview: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
Stacking the Shelves (583)

Coming This Week:

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (review)
Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop
Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (audio review)
Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold (review)
Random in Death by J.D. Robb (review)