By Tessa @TessaTalksBooks Posted on

Sunday Post 30 | I’ve Got Baby Lemons and Other Random Things

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

One of my Mother’s Day gifts this year was a lemon tree, and it has just bloomed which will turn into fruit if the tree is old enough. You can almost see the beginnings of the lemons in the middle of the flowers, can’t you? Okay, baby lemons are actually green, so these are just the very beginning and the tree probably isn’t mature enough to produce fruit yet. Still, it’s exciting, especially for someone like me who has a very brown thumb.

My oldest daughter finished up her Master’s this week and is off to the mountains for a girls’ weekend. She did stop by and spent the night here before they left, which is always wonderful. The lease on the girls’ new apartment came through this week too, so it’s time to start checking off some boxes on the to-do list I made last week.

I’ve also been enjoying the virtual sessions of TorCon. The one good thing that came from the pandemic is more virtual events and the accessibility of those events. I always enjoy listening to writers talk about their craft. ❤️

How was your week?

NetGalley Widgets and Approvals

Fantasy
The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling trilogy continues in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education. In Wisdom, Shelter. That’s the official motto of the Scholomance. I suppose you could even argue that it’s true—only the wisdom is hard to come by, so the shelter’s rather scant. Our beloved school does its best to devour all its students—but now that I’ve reached my senior year and have actually won myself a handful of allies, it’s suddenly developed a very particular craving for me. And even if I somehow make it through the endless waves of maleficaria that it keeps throwing at me in between grueling homework assignments, I haven’t any idea how my allies and I are going to make it through the graduation hall alive. Unless, of course, I finally accept my foretold destiny of dark sorcery and destruction. That would certainly let me sail straight out of here. The course of wisdom, surely. But I’m not giving in—not to the mals, not to fate, and especially not to the Scholomance. I’m going to get myself and my friends out of this hideous place for good—even if it’s the last thing I do. With keen insight and mordant humor, Novik reminds us that sometimes it is not enough to rewrite the rules—sometimes, you need to toss out the entire rulebook.
Mystery/Thriller
A twisty, whip-smart debut thriller, as electrifying as the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, about impending motherhood, unreliable friendship, and the high price of keeping secrets. Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears. But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.
Mystery/Thriller
Two years ago, Maria Fontana, the head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University, sat on a jury for one of the most depraved cases ever to pass through the hallowed halls of City Hall. Wyatt Butler, an antique watch restorer and alleged serial killer, was portrayed in the courtroom as a brutal monster. But Maria had to make the tough choice. In good conscience, she couldn’t convict him based purely on circumstantial evidence, and her deciding vote set Wyatt Butler free. The media soon outed her as the lone juror and her successful and quaint life was turned upside down. The victims of Wyatt’s ritualistic killings never forgave her either. Now, she and her family have decided to take a vacation to get away from everything: a two-week-long transatlantic cruise. Nothing, and nobody should be able to bother her there. With her two twins and her fiancé Steve, she is set to put the past behind her as soon as the ship leaves port. But when a passenger mysteriously disappears, Maria is left to wonder if maybe this was no coincidence. When another passenger is discovered brutally murdered in a similar way to Butler’s ritualistic MO, the ship goes on lockdown. Maria, one of only twelve people in the world with intimate knowledge of the case, faces a perilous ticking clock. Is it a copycat? Or is she trapped on board with the bloodthirsty maniac she chose to set free?
RomCom
Interior design student Grace Travis definitely has it all figured out. Sorta. Kinda. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a sweet little house on the beach as her final design project comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door. Noah Jansen, a real estate developer with a knack for betting big and striking rich, is not one to let a good opportunity slip away. So when a beachside house with great bones is ripe for a remodel and flip, Noah doesn’t hesitate. Except in order to spruce it up properly, he’ll need to take over the house next door, too. With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes your nemesis can turn out to be something more, and show you where your home has been all along.

Purchases 🙂

Fantasy
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life. Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans. I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world. At least, that’s what the world expects. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school certainly does. But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either. Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.

Kindle Unlimited download

Fantasy
The merrow rule the sea. Slender creatures, fair of face, with silver scales and the graceful tails of angelfish. Caught in a Brid Clarion net, the daughter of the sea witch perishes in the sunlit air. Her fingers dangle above the swells. The queen of the sea bares her sharp teeth and, in a fury of wind and waves, cleanses the brine of ships and men. But she spares a boy for his single act of kindness. Callum becomes the Ferryman, and until Brid Clarion pays its debt with royal blood, only his sails may cross the Deep. Two warring nations, separated by the merrow’s trench, trade infant hostages in a commitment to peace. Now, the time has come for the heirs to return home. The Ferryman alone can undertake the exchange. Yet, animosities are far from assuaged. While Brid Clarion’s islands bask in prosperity, Haf Killick, a floating city of derelict ships, rots and rusts and sinks into the reefs. Its ruler has other designs. And the sea witch crafts dark bargains with all sides. Callum is caught in the breach, with a long-held bargain of his own which, once discovered, will shatter this life.

I finished watching the new season of Lucifer and, oh boy, what a season it is!

I also started watching Loki on Disney+. I liked it, but then I’ve liked almost everything Disney+ has done so far. I can’t wait to see what develops as we get more into Loki’s story and his work with the Time Variance Authority.

What did you watch this week?

In case you missed any of my posts last week, you can find them here:

  • Tuesday (6/8): Psychological Thriller Book Review| The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Wednesday (6/9): WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday (6/10): (Blog Tour) Psychological Thriller Book Review |The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Friday (6/11): Book Blogger Hop: Opinion on love triangle plots

I hope you come back to see the following:

  • Tuesday (6/15): Psychological Thriller Book Reviews| The Maidens by Alex Michaelides AND Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Wednesday (6/16): WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday (6/17): (Blog Tour) Fantasy Book Review |The Bookminder by M.K. Wiseman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Friday (6/18): Book Blogger Hop: How often do you post on your blog and/or social media?

Thank you for stopping by this week. I look forward to chatting with you in the comments. 😊

30 Replies to “Sunday Post 30 | I’ve Got Baby Lemons and Other Random Things”

  1. jessicabookworm says:

    What a wonderful Mother’s Day gift a lemon tree is! Also congratulations to your eldest daughter finishing her Masters! 🎉 Unfortunately my week has been tough, with work, fatigue and anxiety, so I have taken comfort in re-watches of Merlin, Time Team and Star Trek. 📺 Take care and happy reading in the coming week. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. writerravenclaw says:

    Today is my son’s 25th birthday. I am so proud of him. He was diagnosed autistic when he was eighteen months old. When I first learnt about autism, I thought it was something to be scared of. Now I wouldn’t change my son for the world. He is amazing, and is living his own life. We will all be having take-out today. My daughter, partner and my granddaughter will be over to celebrate his special day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Happy birthday to your son! Sounds like you have a wonderful celebration planned. Enjoy! ❤️

      Like

  4. Gayathri Lakshminarayanan says:

    I have a very brown thumb too and I just tried to germinate some tomato and peppers. Fingers crossed, though I don’t have much hope.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Mischenko says:

    I wonder if the virtual events will keep up even after the pandemic is over. It’s been such a blessing having them. I totally agree!

    The lemon tree is beautiful! Looks like you have some good books here too. Glad the girls are doing well. We watched the first episode, and I liked it, but I wasn’t blown away. Hopefully the season will turn out great though.

    Enjoy your week, Tessa. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  8. D. Wallace Peach says:

    How fun to have a lemon tree, Tessa. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in bloom! Great news that your girls’ apartment is full speed ahead. And how fun to see my book on your blog. Woo hoo. I hope you enjoy it. ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      It is fun to have a lemon tree. 🤞that I will see lemons ❤️ And, of course, your book is listed. I downloaded through my Kindle Unlimited, so it is part of my Book Haul for the week. With the added benefit of low-key promoting it. The story totally fascinates me.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard says:

    A lemon tree — what fun! I didn’t know you could grow them in pots. The flowers are lovely. Do they smell citrusy?

    I am going to have to bite the bullet and sign up for Disney+ at some point. There are too many shows I want to watch, including the various Marvel series.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Disney+ does have many good shows. Of all the streaming platforms I have an account/subscription with, I would have to say that it’s in my top 3 by how much I watch and enjoy shows and movies on it. Being beat out only by Hulu and Netflix.

      Like

  10. Teri Polen says:

    I gave up on trees years ago – brown thumb here also. Hope your lemon tree survives! I’m trying to finish Lucifer before starting Loki, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold out. Loki’s such a charmer – but then so is Lucifer.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I hope so too. It’s raining a bit right now, so it’s easy to take care of. The real test will come in July and August when it becomes extremely hot and no rain.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Molly's Book Nook says:

    I need to catch up on Lucifer. I’ve only watched a few episodes of the first season but I liked what I watched! I also need to start Loki. I don’t want to fall too far behind haha Hope you have a great week!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Julie Anna's Books says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lemon tree flower before, yours looks lovely! I love gardening but I don’t have any fruit trees myself. I hope you get a lovely tree out of it!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      We have two fruit trees in containers- the new little lemon tree and a fig tree. Both are doing great so far, but my fingers are crossed 🤞

      Liked by 1 person

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