By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Sunday Post 90: Such a Busy End of Week

The Sunday Post is a blog news 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 your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Well, daughter #2 did get that job she interviewed for at the beginning of the week. Yay! As an entry into law enforcement, she applied for and was offered a job as a emergency dispatcher – that’s the person on the other end of the line when you dial 911 (in the US – I think it’s 999 in the UK). She will be able to do that while she applies to graduate school and hopefully while she’s getting her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice.

My sister and four of my young nephews came to visit this week. We had a very busy time – we spent the day at Carowinds (a large amusement park) all day on Friday and went to an interactive STEM museum called Discovery Place in downtown Charlotte, NC on Saturday. We were all, even the kids, worn out by the time we got home from the museum.

We also celebrated daughter #1’s 25th birthday while everyone was here. We even had a piñata for everyone to pound on, which the boys enjoyed immensely.

So, that was my week – how was yours?

Random House has been filling my TBR with wonderful sounding books: 4 of my ARCs this week came from Random House invitations to read and one came from St. Martin’s Press. It’s a pretty good mix, I think. 😊

SciFy/Dystopian
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn’t what it seems. Founded by the mysterious genius known as the Designer, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera’s lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh. Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process—and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he’s been dreaming—which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry. Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group—known as “Arrivalists”—who may be fomenting revolution. Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized—and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.
SciFy Thriller
The sequel to the national bestseller Wanderers, the instant classic that “takes science, politics, horror, and science fiction and blends them into an outstanding story about the human spirit in times of turmoil, claiming a spot on the list of must-read apocalyptic novels” (NPR) Five years ago, ordinary Americans fell under the grip of a strange new malady that caused them to sleepwalk across the country to a destination only they knew. They were followed on their quest by the shepherds: friends and family who gave up everything to protect them. Their secret destination: Ouray, a small town in Colorado that would become one of the last outposts of civilization. Because the sleepwalking epidemic was only the first in a chain of events that led to the end of the world—and the birth of a new one. The survivors, sleepwalkers and shepherds alike, have a dream of rebuilding human society. Among them are Benji, the scientist struggling through grief to lead the town; Marcy, the former police officer who wants only to look after the people she loves; and Shana, the teenage girl who became the first shepherd—and an unlikely hero whose courage will be needed again. Because the people of Ouray are not the only survivors, and the world they are building is fragile. The forces of cruelty and brutality are amassing under the leadership of self-proclaimed president Ed Creel. And in the very heart of Ouray, the most powerful survivor of all is plotting its own vision for the new world: Black Swan, the A.I. who imagined the apocalypse. Against these threats, Benji, Marcy, Shana, and the rest have only one hope: one another. Because the only way to survive the end of the world is together.
Women’s Fiction
A spellbinding story about what may transpire when the natural world collides with a legacy of witchcraft.” ––Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary I am a Weyward, and wild inside. 2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century. 1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom. 1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom. Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
Romantic Comedy
An ambitious chief of staff risks her career and her heart when she falls hard for her new colleague in this steamy workplace romance from the author of Getting His Game Back. Isadora Maris is damn good at her job. After nearly a decade in state politics, aggressive lobbyists and stonewalling senators are no match for her diplomacy and unflappable commitment to her principles. If all goes according to her meticulous plan, she’ll soon be managing her boss’s successful campaign for U.S. representative and she’ll finally land her dream role: congressional aide in Washington, D.C., where she can really make a difference. But Isadora’s cool professionalism is knocked off-kilter when she meets Karim Sarda. Karim is gorgeous, brilliant, and seems to share many of her ideals. So why’s he working for the California senate’s most detestable scumbag? Given their bosses’ fierce political rivalry, Isadora deems Karim off limits. She can’t tarnish her reputation by flirting with the enemy and she’s been betrayed enough times to keep people at a distance—no matter how flushed she feels whenever he enters the room. Karim knows that struggle all too well: still processing the wounds from his former marriage, he’s ready for a fresh start. But Karim can’t hide his attraction to Isadora’s commanding presence. Her strength is captivating, even as he recognizes something fragile beneath the surface. When Karim and Isadora succumb to their undeniable chemistry, their initial desire blossoms into something more—something real. But if Karim’s boss takes control of the California Senate, everything Isadora worked for could be destroyed. Will workplace politics shatter their chance at love before it even begins?
Fantasy
In this haunting, lyrical fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she’s pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems. Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing. Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company’s new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear. Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master’s secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought.

Because family was visiting, I didn’t really have time to watch anything new but I hope to watch the new and final season of Locke and Key today on Netflix. It’s a vary interesting show about the Locke family and the mysterious (and magical) keys found in their home than spans back many generations. It’s basically a sci-fi thriller type of story that’s kind a bit scary creepy but not so much so that it gives me nightmares.

  • Monday (August 8, 2022): Book Review – Elodie’s Library of Second Chances by Rebecca Raisin (Women’s Fiction)
  • Tuesday (August 9, 2022): Book Review – Long Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen (police procedural/ crime thriller)
  • Wednesday (August 10, 2022) WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday (August 11, 2022) Book Review – Stay Awake by Megan Goldin (thriller)
  • Friday (August 12, 2022) Book Blogger Hop
  • Saturday (August 13 2022) Blog Tour Spotlight – With Fire in Their Blood by Kat Delacorte (YA Supernatural Romance)
  • Monday (August 15, 2022): Book Review – The Art of Prophesy by Wesley Chu (epic fantasy)
  • Tuesday (August 16, 2022): Book Review – The Housekeeper by Joy Fielding (Domestic Thriller)
  • Wednesday (August 17, 2022) WWW Wednesday
  • Thursday (August 18, 2022) Book Review – Ashfall Prophecy by Pittacus Lore (SciFy thriller)
  • Friday (August 19, 2022) Book Blogger Hop

42 Replies to “Sunday Post 90: Such a Busy End of Week”

  1. Mark says:

    Those books do look good. Hope you enjoy. And congrats to your daughter for her new job!

    Liked by 2 people

  2. CJRTB Books says:

    Congrats for your daughter on the job (and yes it’s 999 here!) My son wants to do the same so we are looking into what qualifications he needs! Have a lovely week 😘

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Here it’s you can be a local policeman at 20, I think, with just a high school diploma. But investigators need at least a 4 year college degree on any level (local, state, federal) and federal investigators of any branch (CIA FBI, and there are a number of others) really need an advanced degree to be competitive for a job.

      Like

  3. Jenny Mcclinton says:

    I’ve just an approval for weyward 😊What a busy week, congratulations to both of your daughters for job & birthday 💕 Hope you have a great week 💕

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Kelly says:

    Congrats to your daughter! I’m hoping to watch Locke & Key soon too, I love that show and the graphic novels it’s based on.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. writerravenclaw says:

    Well done for your daughter’s job. My daughter recently got a part time job working in a day nursery for a couple of hours a day. She hasn’t worked in a while because of her little girl, but it will do her good. It will also do my husband good, as grumpy (granddaughter’s words) will look after our granddaughter. I would do it, but I go back to work in a week’s time. We will probably go on a couple of day trips this week, to the farm, and a local theme park.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      What a great opportunity for your husband and your grand-daughter to bond. I had such an amazing relationship with my grandfather and I will always cherish it!

      Like

  6. Zainab says:

    Congrats to your daughter – and I’m glad you had a great week with your family! Those books all sound great – particularly Not The Plan! I’m excited to hear your thoughts!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      She’s not sure she can either but I think she will be fine. She’ll have pretty extensive training before she begins.

      Like

  9. stargazer says:

    Congratulations to your daughter! I could imagine it’s stressful to be a emergency dispatcher, but probably a great introduction to working in law enforcement. The blurb for The Ferryman sounds fun! Hopefully the book can live up to that.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I think it is. She has a psychology degree, so she thinks it’ll lend itself well to the position. And I think the Ferryman sounds good too!

      Like

  11. jennielyse says:

    Congrats to your daughter on her new job, and happy birthday to your other daughter! 😀 I don’t know if you’re familiar with The IT Crowd or not, but every time someone mentions the emergency number for the UK, I also think of that show. There’s a really funny episode stating that the new emergency number is a 20-digit number. LOL.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. jessicabookworm says:

    Congratulations to Daughter #2 on her new job and happy belated birthday wishes to Daughter #1! Also sounds like you had a wonderful week with your sisters and nephews. I hope the coming week will be an equally good one for you. Take care and happy reading! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Louise H says:

    Sounds like you’ve had some really good family time and congratulations to daughter #2 on her successful job application – yes we dial 999 in the UK for our emergency services. That rollercoaster looks far too high for my comfort. I love ones that twist and loop but am not keen on ones that go high.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Me and the one nephew just sat there and watched that roller coaster and a couple of others that we could see from the table. We were totally in awe. My two daughters took my older nephews around and enjoyed some of those rides.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. WendyW says:

    I love to have family visit me, but it’s exhausting too! Congratulations to your daughter on her new job!! I like the look of Nocturne

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      So exhausting! They left early this morning and I’ve mostly slept the day away 🤣 I can’t wait to read Nocturne!

      Like

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I am so excited to read each of them. Random House always sends me such marvelous stories and St. Martin’s often does as well. I get more from St. Martin’s so I guess my chances of getting not such good ones from them is much greater.

      Like

  16. D. Wallace Peach says:

    Congrats on surviving the busy weekend and on one daughter’s job and the other’s birthday! Great book haul, Tessa. I like sci-fi, but Weyward and Nocturne captured my attention. Love Weywards cover, and the “lyrical” writing in Nocturne… love that!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I agree about the books. And surviving, yes, that about sums it up. lol. They left early this morning and I spent the rest of the day sleeping.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Teri Polen says:

    Congrats to your daughter, Tessa! Sounds like the boys had a fantastic time. We haven’t been to Carowinds for several years. I’m super excited about the Cronin book – I loved The Passage series and my fingers moved quickly to click on that widget. I didn’t even read the description, lol.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Carla says:

    It sounds like you had a wonderful visit with your sister and her kids, Tessa. Congratulations to your daughter! I like the sound of Nocturne and might request it, even though I am trying to keep my requests to a minimum. Have a great week and enjoy your new additions.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Thank you! Yes, I’ve been very good so far at staying to my resolve to only add ARCs that I’m invited to read by the publisher except for special books like auto-buy ones.

      Liked by 1 person

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