By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Sunday Post 121122 | Christmas is Just Around the Corner

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 the rules here: Sunday Post Meme

It’s been another very busy week. Work is still much more than normal but some progress was made in organizing it better going forward.

Hubby and I went to the TSA to enroll for preflight status, so we can go through that much shorter security line and leave all of our parts and pieces on. Is there anything more annoying than having to strip down before you go through the scanner? I know it’s for a good reason but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. We went Wednesday and actually received our Known Traveler Number the next day (Thursday). We never expected it that fast.

Sickness – mostly Covid and the flu – has been all around me, and I’m sure that will also be true at Disney, so I got my flu shot and my Covid booster Saturday. As I write this, it’s only been a few hours so I’m not sure how I’ll be feeling by the time you read this. Hopefully, all I’ll have is a sore arm. We’ve been doing a thorough cleaning of the house before our trip and the holidays. Maybe my arm will be too sore to clean Sunday 😇.

So, that was my week – how was yours?

Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Hazel Wood are cordially invited to spend one fateful night surviving an elite private school’s epic masquerade ball in Jen Wilde’s debut thriller, This Is the Way the World Ends. As an autistic scholarship student at the prestigious Webber Academy in New York City, Waverly is used to masking to fit in—in more ways than one. While her classmates are the children of the one percent, Waverly is getting by on tutoring gigs and the generosity of the school’s charming and enigmatic dean. So when her tutoring student and resident “it girl” asks Waverly to attend the school’s annual fundraising Masquerade disguised as her, Waverly jumps at the chance—especially once she finds out that Ash, the dean’s daughter and her secret ex-girlfriend, will be there. The Masquerade is everything Waverly dreamed of, complete with extravagant gowns, wealthy parents writing checks, and flowing champagne. Most importantly, there’s Ash. All Waverly wants to do is shed her mask and be with her, but the evening takes a sinister turn when Waverly stumbles into a secret meeting between the dean and the school’s top donors—and witnesses a brutal murder. This gala is harboring far more malevolent plots than just opening parents’ pocketbooks. Before she can escape or contact the authorities, a mysterious global blackout puts the entire party on lockdown. Waverly’s fairy tale has turned into a nightmare, and she, Ash, and her friends must navigate through a dizzying maze of freight elevators, secret passageways, and back rooms if they’re going to survive the night. And even if they manage to escape the Masquerade, with technology wiped out all over the planet, what kind of world will they find waiting for them beyond the doors?
Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history. It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other. They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair. Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.
Rom-com lovers and fans of Elise Bryant and Jenna Evans Welch will adore this next summer read from Hot British Boyfriend author Kristy Boyce. No one has ever accused Sage Cunningham of being easily distracted. She has a plan, and she won’t be swayed. She’ll spend the summer interning in her mentor’s lab in Amsterdam, and then she’ll be ready for college. All she needs to do to pay for the summer abroad is agree to serve as the au pair for Dr. Reese’s three-year-old. Sage has it all down to a science, but she doesn’t anticipate the surprise arrival of Dr. Reese’s teenage son. Ryland is spontaneous, flirty, and impulsive—everything Sage isn’t. He’s a talented artist, but he’s desperately in need of someone to keep him focused. And as nannying proves harder than Sage had expected, it turns out she might need help too. The two strike a deal. Sage will stop Ryland from going out with a different girl every day, and Ryland will pitch in with his little brother. Spending the summer stuck together is the perfect way to keep distractions to a minimum. Right?
Return to the enchanting world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London in this sequel by Garth Nix, bestselling master of teen fantasy, where once again a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world. There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity that inhabits the ancient hot spring. This time trouble comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger, requiring a desperate rescue attempt from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage. The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery and guarded by monstrous living statues. But this is only the beginning. To unravel the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

I haven’t had time to watch anything new this week but I have been keeping up with Willow and The Santa Clause on Disney+. Willow has many dark scenes where you can barely see anything unless you turn off all the lights, which has been a bit annoying but it’s good otherwise. I’ve also been watching The Amazing Race and Survivor on network TV.

    • Monday (December 5, 2022) Book Review – The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman (Psychological Thriller)
    • Tuesday (December 6, 2022) Book Review – The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dare (Psychological Suspense)
    • Wednesday (December 7, 2022) WWW Wednesday
    • Thursday (December 8, 2022) BookReview – The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey (Thriller)
    • Friday (December 9, 2022) – Book Blogger Hop
    • Monday (December 12, 2022) No post today
    • Tuesday (December 13, 2022) Blog Tour Book Review – The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith (Superhero / SciFy)
    • Wednesday (December 14, 2022) WWW Wednesday
    • Thursday (December 15, 2022) BookReviews – The Third Instinct by Ken Lester (techno thriller) and A Mother Would Know by Amber Garza (domestic thriller)
    • Friday (December 16, 2022) – Book Blogger Hop

    31 Replies to “Sunday Post 121122 | Christmas is Just Around the Corner”

    2. WendyW says:

      Before I retired I had the TSA precheck as I worked for the government and it was so nice!! I don’t travel enough by plane anymore to make it worth it, but if I flew more than once a year, I’d totally do the pre-check again. I also have Gwen and Art are Not In Love as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        I can see where it’s worth it. We’ve been talking about it since it was started but finally I said I’m going to go get it and did! Hope we both enjoy Gwen and Art!

        Like

    4. nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog says:

      I’ve never heard of a precheck for travelling. I don’t think they do it over here in the UK. Sounds like a great idea especially queuing when covid and flu are around. Hope you have a great trip and that your arm is okay.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        It’s such a great idea. Basically, they take your fingerprints and do a background check plus you have to show proof of citizenship (though they don’t call it that- essentially that is what it boils down to) – and once they clear you, which is sometimes very quick, you can go into a designated line of other people who’ve been through the process- which is much shorter- and you don’t have to take off shoes, sweaters, etc… plus everything in your bag including laptops can stay in your bag. A much simplified process!

        Liked by 1 person

    5. CJRTB Books says:

      Hope you’re ok from your booster, mine floored me again!!! I’m feeling really festive this year and we woke up today to snow! It hardly ever snows here so was exciting but a few hours in and the novelty has worn off!!!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        Yay! Snow is so pretty! And the shots have only made my arm hurt. Nothing else. I was slower at cleaning today but I think that’s because I was tired from cleaning yesterday – not anything to do with the shots.

        Like

    6. stargazer says:

      I didn’t know you could enroll for preflight status – I think that must be a US specific thing. Fingers crossed that you won’t be hit by flu or Covid and that you will have no side effects from the vaccinations. Since it’s a booster and not your first shot, hopefully you should be fine.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        I have been fine. Even the soreness in my arm is better. Preflight status may only be in the US. Have a great week!

        Like

    7. Sheri Dye says:

      Oh, Disney! I hope you have fun an that the shot treats you well. Just be careful, alright? That area is pretty bad right now.
      And thank you for sharing these great books! 📚 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        It is pretty bad. So many people we know are sick. My brother’s whole family got the flu and numerous coworkers have come down with Covid. The preflight status will enable us to stay out of the worst crowds at the airport and we will just see how Disney is. I know they are still controlling the numbers.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Sheri Dye says:

          Same. My sister’s whole family are down with the flu.
          And that’s a great idea, avoiding as much of the crowd is as good as it gets these days. I hope you have a wonderful time. 💕

          Liked by 1 person

    8. Dini @ dinipandareads says:

      Ooh, Your haul looks great! Gwen & Art looks so good and wow, that cover and title for Nix’s book. Definitely attention-grabbing. I hope you enjoy all your reads and have a wonderful trip! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

    10. Jonetta | Blue Mood Café says:

      Here’s hoping that booster shot ended up being uneventful. Hubby and I had a 12 hour reaction (chills and body aches) that pain relievers eased greatly. Hope your travel is wonderful!

      Happy reading, Tessa💜

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        Oh, no! I’m so,sorry to hear that. My brother’s whole family has the flu too. And more than one co-worker has Covid. So many germs all around.

        Like

    13. aquavenatus says:

      What do you think of Garth Nix’s current series? I read his books years ago, but I heard mixed thoughts about his current books.

      Like

    14. Teri Polen says:

      I meant to schedule my booster all last week and kept forgetting, so when I read about yours I immediately went to the Walgreens site and have an appt Wednesday. Hubby has TSA precheck through work, but I’m just one of the common people who has to strip down to get through security, lol. I’ve actually beaten him through a couple times.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lady Tessa says:

        In the Charlotte airport – that shouldn’t be the case. The TSA lines are practically nil which is not so for the normal line. But I guess it could depend on the time of day too. And I’m glad I could remind to get your vacs 😊

        Liked by 1 person

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