By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Sunday Post 63 | Goodbye January …

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

This week has been as uneventful and normal as they come. I worked on Monday and Wednesday and spent the rest of my week reading (and writing and taking IG pictures and doing blog stuff). We did receive a small dusting of snow from the storm that caused blizzard conditions in the northeast for our family and friends who live in the area, which surprised me. I didn’t actually think we would get anything.

I did, however, attend three virtual author events which were all very good. Wednesday was the one with Nita Prose and it was handled much differently than others I have attended. All videos were showing on Zoom, and we had like a informal book club meeting for the first half hour. Then Nita Prose joined us and we were able to ask her questions directly rather than just putting them in the Q and A. It was more like a book club on zoom than just an author talk. I learned that Prose didn’t label Molly the Maid on purpose. She used to be a special ed teacher and learned that special education labels out in public can turn very ugly, so she just wanted her audience to experience Molly as she is without labeling her.

I also learned from the virtual author event I attended on Tuesday with Joanna Schaffhausen that Last Seen Alive and the 4 books that came before it in the series are based on Ted Bundy and boy had she done her research on him. If there is something that she doesn’t know about Bundy, I can’t imagine what that is.

from NetGalley

Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall’s The Wedding Season: when a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction. Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organized, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember. But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoples’ nuptials on her own. Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been. From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun. By the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.
Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future. When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she’ll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it’s not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it’s only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she’s worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future. Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she’s unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris’s secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all. Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.
From Anthony Award-winning writer Alex Segura comes Secret Identity, a rollicking literary mystery set in the world of comic books. It’s 1975 and the comic book industry is struggling, but Carmen Valdez doesn’t care. She’s an assistant at Triumph Comics, which doesn’t have the creative zeal of Marvel nor the buttoned-up efficiency of DC, but it doesn’t matter. Carmen is tantalizingly close to fulfilling her dream of writing a superhero book. That dream is nearly a reality when one of the Triumph writers enlists her help to create a new character, which they call “The Lethal Lynx,” Triumph’s first female hero. But her colleague is acting strangely and asking to keep her involvement a secret. And then he’s found dead, with all of their scripts turned into the publisher without her name. Carmen is desperate to piece together what happened to him, to hang on to her piece of the Lynx, which turns out to be a runaway hit. But that’s complicated by a surprise visitor from her home in Miami, a tenacious cop who is piecing everything together too quickly for Carmen, and the tangled web of secrets and resentments among the passionate eccentrics who write comics for a living. Alex Segura uses his expertise as a comics creator as well as his unabashed love of noir fiction to create a truly one-of-a-kind novel–hard-edged and bright-eyed, gritty and dangerous, and utterly absorbing.

Netflix said that I just had to watch The Royal Treatment and who am I to argue – especially when I have no idea what to watch. It stars Laura Marano, who I’ve always thought is a cute actress. The accents were a bit much, especially in the first part of the movie, but otherwise it is a fun romcom. Totally predictable and totally adorable.

I also finished season 2 of The Witcher, and I am happy to report I didn’t have to fast-forward at all with this season.

  • Monday, January 24: Excerpts of Light Years From Home by Mike Chen and The Broken Tower by Kelly Braffet
  • Tuesday, January 25: Book Review of Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (soft-boiled thriller with dark humor) 5⭐️s
  • Wednesday, January 26: WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday, January 27: Mini Book Reviews of Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen and The Appeal by Janice Hallett (thrillers) 5⭐️s
  • Friday, January 28: Book Blogger Hop
  • Tuesday, February 1: Blog Tour Book Review of The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa (YA Fantasy – 4.5⭐️’s)
  • Wednesday, February 2: BlogTour Book Review of The Beast and The Bethany: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips (MG Fantasy)
  • Wednesday, February 2: WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday, February 3: Mini Book Reviews of The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (Mystery – 4.5 ⭐️’s) and The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson (Thriller – 4 ⭐️’s)
  • Friday, February 4: Book Blogger Hop

How was your week – bookish or otherwise?

36 Replies to “Sunday Post 63 | Goodbye January …”

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The third virtual author event I attended was one with Hillier and another author. She is so interesting to listen to that now I really can’t wait to read this book.❤️

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I did very much! and January went super fast. I’m very surprised that it did. Though, I am looking forward to warmer weather.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. CJRTB Books says:

    I’m loving virtual events at the moment! It’s a great way to discover new authors. We had a normal week too which is actually really nice!!! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  4. writerravenclaw says:

    I’m still watching Grey’s Anatomy and on the 12th series. Only three and a half series to go before I fully catch up. I need to get back to reading, and I will start that today. Give myself half an hour to read at the very least. I’m trying to edit my new novel, but I’m in a bit of a rut. I took some of it to my writing group, and they are a tough bunch. They give me lots of edits to think about. I’m not afraid of hard work, but it takes a little while for my confidence about my writing to return.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I’m sure you can find some gems among their critiques that will help you make the story you are writing the best in can be. You’ve got this!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Lori says:

    I watched the trailer—which looks cute!—but I was so distracted by Laura Marano…I kept thinking, what did she do to her FACE? And then I realized that I was confusing her with her sister! Whew. 😆

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Vanessa and Laura Marano look so much alike but, yeah, I could definitely see the confusion if you think one is the other. I always have trouble remembering which one was in which show. lol.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Louise H says:

    The virtual book events sound fascinating, so glad you enjoyed them. I wish I was more Instagram savvy but I just don’t have time for all the different forms of social media, blogging AND reading, so the blog and reading are my priority.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Mae Clair says:

    Last week was a rough one for me. The first half was a lot of fun (celebrating a milestone birthday over several days) but the second half I was hammered at the day job and couldn’t come up for air to do much of anything. I’ve been having a more leisurely weekend and enjoying a few good books.

    I really love the era in which Secret Identity is set. I hope the story is immersed in the era. I could definitely see myself enjoying that one. And The Royal Treatment looks cute. I might have to give that a try—once I finish catching up with Cobra Kai!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I’m so sorry to hear about the second half of your week but a very happy belated birthday wish to you! I did notice you weren’t around last week, and was hoping you hadn’t fallen ill. Isn’t that always the first thought anymore?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Mae Clair says:

        Sadly, with COVID it is. Fortunately, mine was fun, and then later lots of catch-up, LOL.
        Thanks for the birthday wishes!

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Gayathri Lakshminarayanan says:

    I am glad that you got to meet these authors. I will be doing a similar thing in the coming weeks. I am too excited for that. And you hauled some great books! I hope you have a great week ahead.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Teri Polen says:

    The Royal Treatment looks like something hubby would enjoy (he’s a big Hallmark fan, lol). I’ll have to mention it to him. I’m going to an in-person book event here tomorrow evening – the first one in over two years. Have a great week, Tessa!

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Lady Tessa says:

          That explains it – I got a notification that my pre-ordered book was in and I couldn’t remember ordering the book. It’s the Court Stevens book that’s out today. I must have preordered after reading your review. Have fun!

          Liked by 1 person

  16. Carla says:

    Glad you had a relatively normal week, and didn’t get a lot of snow. I enjoyed reading about your two virtual author events. Interesting that Joanna Schaffhausen’s books are based on Ted Bundy, I will read them with that in mind. I think I will have to watch The Royal Treatment. I just binge watched season 2 of Sweet Magnolias. I hope this week was a good one, Tessa.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Carla says:

        No, me neither, it seems like so long ago, but I found it interesting when she talked about how many books and movies have been written and made in the last few years.

        Liked by 1 person

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