The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
It felt so good to get back to the beach. With the masks mandates being lifted right before we left, I felt like we were in a little bubble of normalcy. I’m sure it is of no surprise that mask wearing at the beach is very unpopular though a few people here and there still wore them – the unvaccinated, presumably (and I believe a few people who were still scared of getting it based on a few behavioral clues).
It’s going to be very interesting to me to see how things progress with no mask wearing for businesses and individuals. It took so long for businesses and people to embrace mask wearing (at least in my geographical area) I wonder if it’ll take equally as long for everyone to relax and trust that the vaccine works as it should. I always find transitions fascinating to observe. Not in a judgmental way, just as a curious observer.
Our favorite cupcake place at the beach that has always had a good selection of delectable gluten free options, no longer makes those gluten free options. 😧 They didn’t explain why or if it’s temporary but they referred me to a gluten free bakery on the island that I had seen before but never visited. So off I went. The new bakery did not have amazing gf cupcakes like the other place used to but they did have some out of this world cheesecake and other tempting goodies. I still hope the cupcake place goes back to gluten free selections but this new bakery is a good option until they do ❤️
As much as love the beach, I also love returning to my own home and my normal routine. Hope you all had a great week full of wondrous reads and lovely book hauls!
I was so excited to receive these widgets from the publishers. I can’t wait to read each one. I’m especially intrigued by the brand new Terry Brooks’ series. He is one of the great epic fantasy writers and, now that he has ended his Shannara stories, I’m curious to see where he goes next with this new book.
NetGalley Widgets sent by the publisher
From May Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit.
When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn’t bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it’s a full-time job sorting through all of it.
At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it’s from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?
Ivy’s quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
One of the deadliest female assassins I’ve ever encountered in fiction’ Brendan DuBois, New York Times-bestselling author of The End with James PattersonKilling Eve meets Jason Bourne in the explosive second adventure of your new favourite spy thriller series…
An agent with an agenda. A killer with a conscience. A showdown that brought a global network to its knees…
For disgraced MI5 agent Michael Kensington, the events of the past year have exploded his life like a fist closing around a grenade.
For serial killer and career assassin Neva, they brutally exposed how hers had so irrevocably imploded.
She ran. He didn’t. But he refuses to give up on her.
With a power vacuum gaping at the heart of the conglomerate that almost silenced them and a deadly web of rogue operatives spinning out of control, they soon realise the fight for freedom has only just begun.
Kill or Die is the second gripping instalment in The House of Killers trilogy, an unmissable spy thriller perfect for fans of Mick Herron and David Baldacci.
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
The electrifying first novel of an all-new fantasy series from the legendary author behind the Shannara saga, about a human girl struggling to find her place in a magical world she’s never known
At nineteen, Auris Afton Grieg has led an . . . unusual life. Since the age of fifteen, she has been trapped in a sinister prison. Why? She does not know. She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions. All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison, and rumors say that the adult version is far, far worse. So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands. And it is here that Auris’s journey of discovery begins, for she is rescued by an unusual stranger who claims to be Fae—a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend. Odder still, he seems to think that she is one as well, although the two look nothing alike. But strangest of all, when he brings her to his wondrous homeland, she begins to suspect that he is right. Yet how could a woman who looks entirely human be a magical being herself?
Told with a fresh, energetic voice, this fantasy puzzle box is perfect for fans of Terry Brooks and new readers alike, as one young woman slowly unlocks truths about herself and her world—and, in doing so, begins to heal both.
I never watch very much when I’m at the beach because I spend all the time I can outside. I look forward to discovering new shows this week, though. ❤️
What did I miss this week that I must watch next week?
WWW Wednesday is moving back to Wednesdays starting this week!
In case you missed any of my posts last week, you can find them here:
- Tuesday (5/18): (Thriller ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️) Book Review | Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
- Wednesday (5/19): (Fanatsy ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️) Book Review | Warrior’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler
- Thursday (5/20): (Mini Reviews) Book Review | The Taker by Alma Katsu – Fantasy and Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler – YA Rom Com
- Friday (5/21): Book Blogger Hop
I hope you come back to see the following:
- Sunday (5/23): (SciFy ☀️☀️☀️☀️.5) Book Review | Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Tuesday (5/25): (Thriller ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️) Book Review | You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon
- Wednesday (5/26): WWW Wednesday
- Thursday (5/27): (Mini Reviews) Book Review | Saints and Misfits & Misfits in Love by S.K. Ali and Spells Trouble by P.C. & Kristin Cast
- Friday (5/28): Book Blogger Hop
Tessa Talks Books 
I am pleased to hear you had a lovely time at the beach, with a new GF bakery tried and no masks! 😎 It has been great to ditch our masks in our classrooms this week, too! And that mug shot is very funny! Take care and happy reading in the coming week. 🙂
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I did have a very lovely time. It took a day to get used to normalcy again and after that I just enjoyed ❤️. And poor Theo. He curled up next to me on the bed about 6 hours ago and is still sleeping soundly. It must have been exhausting being so vigilant and angry at the caregivers.
Enjoy your upcoming week of mask-less-ness!
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It sounds wonderful with some time at the beach! I woke up this morning after having dreamed I were on a beach in an exotic location. It must be my subconsciousness telling me I need a holiday. 😉 Great mug shut of your cat. I think many cats object to being anywhere else than home.
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I would love to dream I was on the beach every night. And you definitely should take a holiday 😉. I left two cats home but Theo needs meds, so I had to board him along with my daughters’ cats. The other cats seemed to fare much better. Poor Theo has been curled up on my bed for over 6 hours. He’s exhausted!
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Poor Theo. He might have missed the other cats as well while you were away. Hopefully, he will recover soon from the ‘holiday’! 🙂
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Well, we put his best friends (my daughters’ cats – Evie and Ollie) in there with him. I think he just got tired of them. He may have missed my two other cats that he lives with Josie, my main coon, and Peppermint (our old man cat) but not socially. Josie is mean to him – she doesn’t like any cat – and Peppermint is off in his own world. But he is slowly but surely been recuperating. He’s needed a lot of mommy love – kisses and snuggles ❤️❤️❤️
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The books all sound great, Tessa. Theo is adorable! I’ve never heard of the Hotel 4 Cats before. 😆
It’ll be nice when masks are completely gone, but I’m still wearing mine too even though I’m fully vaxxed. It’s personal for me just because I still have four of my kids without vaccinations. I’d feel horrible if somehow I brought it back to them, even though the science says the risk is now lowered. Wearing a mask on a beach would just be horrible! It’s already hot as it is.
Anyhow, glad you’re enjoying your time at the beach. Take care and happy reading!
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Hotel 4 Cats is a little local cats only boarding home. Theo was happy to be sprung 😹
I’m fortunate that my girls are over 18. They were fully vaccinated, before even I was, due to jobs. I don’t know how I’d feel if they were younger. That would be a tough one. 6% chance and desire to be done with masks versus but what if. I’m such a protective mama bear, I think I would fall on the side of caution. But I know many people who have gone both ways. It’s such a hard call.
The beach was fabulous. I’m very glad we could get away. But now it’s time to get back to normal ❤️
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That’s exactly how I feel. I’ve definitely lightened up a little bit, but with two children with underlying health issues, it just isn’t worth the risk to me. Have a good week, Tessa. 😉
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Glad you are enjoying the beach! It hit 90 here on Long Island yesterday and is supposed to be hotter today! Beach time!
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I think it was close to 90 in Charlotte too. It is suppose to be that high all week. The beach wasn’t quite as hot though.
You are so lucky to live that close to the beach. I grew up only 30 minutes away from DE/MD beaches. Being hours from the nearest beach was the hardest adjustment to make when jobs took me and my husband down south.
Hope you enjoy some beach time this week!
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It sounds like a lovely time at the beachy! Too bad you couldn’t take Theo with you; he looks very grumpy about being left behind.
Child of Light sounds interesting, and may prompt me to give Terry Brooks another try.
Have a wonderful week, and happy reading!
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We’ve talked about taking Theo since he is so good in the car. I’m just worried that an unfamiliar house would also stress him out. I’m next going to try a pet sitter that comes to our home multiple times a day and see how that goes. If that doesn’t go well, the next thing to try is taking him with us. I’d have to read up on traveling with a cat 😳.
I think Child of Light has some touches of the old Terry Brooks magic but otherwise is sounds completely unique and I’m so excited to read it.
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Glad you had a good trip and that you discovered some those gf cheesecakes!
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It was so yummy! I wanted to go back and get a whole cheesecake rather than just a slice but I would have felt like a glutton. Maybe next time 😊
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I’m happy to learn you enjoyed your time at the beach! Our local beaches have been closed for just over a week after a man was sadly bitten and killed by a shark.
Kill or Die sounds a lot like the TV show Nikita, even down to the names.
Wishing you a great reading week
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There are some similarities but also some major differences. Whereas Nikita retained her humanity and that was what spurred her on, Neve has lost hers. Her struggles are about gaining some humanity back, is possible, and not being just a cold efficient killer.
I loved the tv show Nikita ❤️❤️❤️
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Me too , I’ve actually just put it on to binge again
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Sounds like you had a great time at the beach. I loved the cat mugshot, It is hard to leave our furbabies behind and worse when they make us feel bad. I can’t wait until we have enough people vaccinated here to begin that transition. We are still in lockdown. I can finally start golfing again as the courses were allowed to open yesterday. Enjoy your new books. Child of Light sounds interesting.
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I want to go to the beach and eat cupcakes! Sorry they no longer have your gluten free options. Guess maybe not enough customers asking for them.
Love the Theo the Inmate photo!
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Actually there is lots. I wondered if it had something to do with changes they made because of covid. The owner didn’t offer an explanation though so 🤷🏻♀️
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I hope Child of Light is good. It’s such a bummer when you are looking forward to a tasty treat and then it isn’t available! It’s good to be able to go to the beach w/o a mask! Have great week!
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I am hopeful about Child of Light! The normalcy took me a day to embrace and then I just felt so relaxed and relieved – what a great vacation ❤️❤️❤️
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I was at the beach, too (North Myrtle Beach)! It was really interesting seeing how the mask mandate lifting was applied. We still wore them when we entered restaurants (we’re vaccinated), as did quite a few folks, but went without them whenever we were outside. The weather was just gorgeous and we got home late Saturday. Still recovering.
Good to see your Sunday post back and have a wonderful week💜
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Glad you got to the beach too. Isn’t funny what a difference a couple of hundred miles made? We only ate at outdoor dining places, but we did take out a couple of indoor places. Huge crowds, and not a mask to be seen. The weather was exceptional ❤️
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