It’s Monday! Or should ai say it’s Anyday because when working from home they do all kind of blend in together. The weekend flew by too fast, but I enjoyed spending time outside in the beautiful weather, but also inside reading and streaming some new shows. Really, the important thing is that I felt like reading for the first time. I finished a book that was for pleasure only. Yay! Let me tell you about what’s shuffled on and off my nightstand.
This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion about what books I am reading.
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You either love or hate shifter romance novels. I’m pretty ‘meh’ about them except for when it’s Shelly Laurenston. She writes with such a sense of humor that you know she doesn’t take herself seriously. This was a fun book but I am ready to move on from this badger series. Yeah, that sounded weird to me too!
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I am switching genre‘s from romantic fantasy to science fiction. This is the second book in the Nightchaser series. I was a little disappointed in Nightchaser so I hope this book gets off to a fast start!
Ok, now it’s your turn to share what books you are reading this week!
Week three of this working from home thing. It’s not all bad, but it does get rather boring. I find my attention wanders and I procrastinate quite a bit more than I do if I’m sitting in an office.
Speaking of which, yesterday I got an email from my cousin Madalaine, who lives up in Illinois and is also practicing social distancing and staying at home with her family. She sent me this clever idea that I thought I’d share with you all as a way to engage, even if only through this post. She and her friends are sending emails to each other talking about the Top 10 things they are doing while practicing social distancing. I thought I’d give you my 10 that I sent back to her.
10 ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING
1. Walk two miles with the dog twice a day.
2. Put makeup on every day regardless of whether wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt.
3. Tackle some of the recipe’s that we have ingredients for in the house. Or creative cook/bake! (Last week I made some yummy Hazelnut Praline White and Chocolate Chip cookies from extra’s we had in the house).
4. Corona Cocktails on the weekend! I’ve done three so far and they’ve been pretty tasty. Again, using ingredients we already have in the house. Sidenote- my drinks are a little strong but not too many complaints. The picture below is a Dark and Stormy. Rum, Ginger Beer, and Lime. Tasty!
Esquire magazine
5. Puzzles! We have been on a puzzle binge. I think we are on our 5th?
6. Finish out some TV series we’ve had recorded and start up some new ones. After seeing Josh Gates at the Ryman, Derry and I are binge watching Expedition Unknown. There are 7 seasons if you’re interested! We love the archeology and adventure aspects. Plus he’s adorably dorky-cute.
7. Clean out my drawers. I’m pretty good about the closet because we live in such a small space, but boy do I have too many t-shirts, pj’s, and old underwear. TMI, I know! LOL and I promise, no pictures of this one.
8. Call, instant message, and/or Skype with someone every day. Stay in touch! I’ve got friends up in New Jersey and New York that I’m worried about and now is a great time to tell them I’m thinking of them.
9. Watch a couple of movies. I have the attention span of a gnat, so I do much better with hour long shows, but there are so many movies I’d like to see! We did watch Murder Mystery on Netflix. It stars Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler and was so cute!
10. READ, READ, READ. Gosh, I have so many books and now that I have the time, I should catch up on my reading!
If you’d like to chime in and let me and all of your followers know what your 10 Accomplishments are while social distancing, please feel free! I’d love to read them so please tag me!
Take care and get to work on your next accomplishment!
Good afternoon, or morning if you’re in another country and are reading this post with your morning tea or coffee. I have another week in the books on working from home. I’ve started to overcome my main challenge. Snacking indiscriminately. I know this is a challenge that many of us WFH-ers are facing, the fact that snacks are easily accessible. When you go to work in an office, you have only the snacks you bring to work with you. At my work we don’t have a kitchen with a coke machine or vending machine so it really controls those impulses. Now, I make sure to have on hand healthier options than cookies and candy. It helps that I haven’t gone to the store in a little while and haven’t replenished those goods.
One thing has changed. I have a new WFH co-worker!
My husband is now also working from home. We live in a 700 sq ft apartment and have had to shift a chair into storage and bring up an old table for him to use as a desk. We’ll see how this works out. First day in and we’ve been very respectful of each others spaces. I’m kind of going to miss listening to my audiobooks on the speaker system and will have to get used to my earbuds again.
As far as desks go, I definitely got the better option.
Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone I was on Facebook!
After sitting her staring at these Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris I realized I just may have to re-read this series. It’s been years! Good news is I think I’ll be able to clear my schedule and make that happen.
I got news today from work that we are working from home indefinitely. The school is closed through 4/24, but TN is way behind the northeast, who have already canceled the school year so I can almost guarantee that that date will get pushed into May. I know I’m not the only one who is in this situation and am trying to be patient, follow the guidelines of the CDC and our government (god help us). Hopefully we’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.
As always, please stay safe! Social distancing is still so important in helping us slow down this virus, so please do your part.
Have you found that since we have started social distancing that you are reading more or less? This past weekend I definitely made an effort to immerse myself in a book. I also got outside a little and walked my dog while listening to a different book so I’d have to say I am reading just a tad bit more. What did I read? You’ll have to read below to find out!
This post originated over on Book Date, so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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Synopsis:
From the author of Maybe in Another Life—named a PeopleMagazine pick—comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.
Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.
That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?
Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.
A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.
Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.
Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?
And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?
‘Happy Trail’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#1 in the Park Ranger series.
Hi from Nashville, Tennessee! This week Nashville and most of the US have joined the majority of Europe in instituting Social Distancing in order to try to “slow the curve” of the COVID-19 or Coronavirus. What is Social Distancing? It is working from home, staying 6 feet away from another person, minimizing your contact with society, and with washing your hands (ALL THE TIME) hopefully helping to halt the spread of the virus.
Working from home, or WFH, sounds great but in the last week I’ve definitely learned that there are more con’s than pro’s.
WFH PRO’S AND CONS
Feeling like I’m on vacation- Normally when I’m “at home” it’s because I have the day off, it’s the weekend, or occasionally I’m sick. When any of these things happen I have free reign over what I can do with my time. I might read, write on my blog, watch TV, bake, run errands, etc. 830a-530p are my work hours and with the exception of an hour for lunch I should be working.
Social interaction- I’m the Marketing Manager for Nashville Ballet, so normally I work on a team and have constant interaction as we complete projects. The only personal interaction I have right now?
Meet my new team members! Sam on the left and Nash is on the right. I love them to death, but they also think I’m on vacation.
Personal space is gone. LOL.
ALL THE SNACKS!- I’m now a week into this WFH situation and I’m doing a little better with this issue, but it took me eating a box of Ginger Snap cookies in two days to see that I needed to take control of my eating habits. Leave the cookies on the shelf and grab the apple, Deb. That’s my new mantra.
Worry- After my first couple of days freaking out over all of the news exposure and going to the store and waiting in super long lines to get my share of toilet paper, milk, and bread I decided to do my thing, wash my hands and tune it out. At least until the 4p news where I’d find out the latest virus growth rate and store closures in the US. I’ve read my share of post-apocalyptic romances and this true life scenario is scaring the bejeezus out of me. So, watching the news does not make for a very productive day.
As an aside, I have to say that this all reminds me of Rebecca Zanetti’s Scorpius Syndrome series. The further you read in the series the more alpha the heroes get but the gov’t is corrupted by this virus also. You can only hope we aren’t headed in that direction…. It’s actually a good series, but a little life-like for me right now. I’ll drop the link below in case you are interested.
Synopsis: With nothing but rumors to lead her, Lynne Harmony has trekked across a nightmare landscape to find one man—a mysterious, damaged legend who protects the weak and leads the strong. He’s more than muscle and firepower—and in post-plague L.A., he’s her only hope. As the one woman who could cure the disease, Lynne is the single most volatile—and vulnerable—creature in this new and ruthless world. But face to face with Jax Mercury… . Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome)
I’ve mentioned a couple of the con’s and given you a good post apocalyptic book rec, but what are the pro’s?
MOM- My mom is in the top percentile at risk if she does catch the coronavirus. She’s 78 and has pretty bad asthma. Living in a multi-generational home, I was worried that I was going to have this virus attach itself to me at work and bring it home to infect my mother. I guess that could still happen because even though we are all limiting our involvement with the outside world we do occasionally venture out to the store and my husband who works in the newsroom at a local tv station still has to go into work every day. BUT we are doing what we can. We aren’t eating out, we’re not going to movies, we aren’t going to a concert, etc. Well, now you can’t do any of those things anyway, but over the last week we didn’t. I feel like my family has been proactive. That’s all you can do.
Spending even a moment more with my babies is a joy. If I’m feeling down I just reach out and get a kiss or a hug and it makes me feel better. If my dog wasn’t an 85 lb ball of energy I’d request that I take him to work once a week. He’s such a love bug.
Baking!- Maybe I can knock out a couple more of my Bouchon Bakery recipes. It would have to be something I have all of the ingredients for but I think I’ve some basics in the house.
Maybe I’ll even have time to read a book. Hmmmm. I bet I can find the time to do that one first!
I hope everyone is staying safe, keeping your distance, and washing your hands. We’ll get though this and I think come out on the other side an even better world than we are right now.
I can only hope that this week is a little better than last week. I can’t think a tornado will hit twice in one area (knock on wood). I had an ARC due this Tuesday that was a tear jerker. I’m not sure if it was because I’d had an abnormally emotional week? I did go through a TON of kleenex and sniffled my way through to the finish late last night. This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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Grab your box of kleenex! This is a great story about a wonderful friendship and finding the meaning of love.
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I am loving the audio books in this series. Thank goodness it’s a long series!
Even though I had a busy weekend I found the time to read. My downtime was spent doing what I loved best. What books did I read? I’ll tell you, if you share with me! This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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First Sentence Read: “It had been a mistake to invite himself to the wedding.”
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First Sentence Read: “Professor Hanover’s eyes were affixed to his smartphone with the determined unsteadiness of a man who was exceedingly uncomfortable.”
Both very lighthearted books but just what I needed in my downtime. What books are you reading?
Heading into the last week of February and coming off a mostly rainy week, I’ll admit the sunshine this weekend drew me outside. So, my reading suffered but my mood? Much better! It’s amazing how a little sunshine really does brighten your mood. Let’s quickly catch up on what I’m reading. This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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It’s been a little while but I’m back on track listening to this wonderful historical mystery series. Narrated by the exceptional Davina Porter every mystery adds more depth to these characters and keeps me coming back for more. Thankfully there are like 15 in the series and the author is still writing them.
It’s funny when a new cover brings life to a novel I’ve picked up over and over but never got around to reading. It’s off to a quick start, and vastly different than the darker historical mystery I just finished. A change of scenery is a good thing!
The last week went by so quick! I’ve read quite a few great books, baked a couple of recipe’s for my feature series This Chick Also Bakes and hung out with my hubby who just came down with the crud. Ugh. Now, it’s Monday again and it’s my chance to start this week all over! I just started a promising new book and finished a book I was pleased to like. This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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A Romantic Suspense thriller where the Antarctica setting is as big a character as our hero and heroine. This novel was so full of tension and despite the cold temperatures, HEAT.
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Lucy Score wrote one of my favorite books from last year called Rock Bottom Girl. I’m hoping this novel has even a tenth of the humor that one did and characters I fall for.
First Line Read: “Seriously? What’s next chief? A cat in a tree?”
These two books are not very serious but a lot of fun. What are you in the mood to read this fine Monday?
This weekend went by so fast! I spent all day yesterday wrapped up in a book while football was on in the background. It was wonderful! This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me join in the discussion!
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First Sentence Read: “In my early morning stupor, I stumble down the stairs and into the kitchen.”
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First Sentence Read: “To be fair, when the alarm goes off, there’s barely even any smoke rising out of the oven.”
What are you reading, or which book are you thinking of picking up?
The Reading Chick 
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