Sunday Post/Mailbox Monday 2/2/2020: Reading, Crocheting and Watching

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog…
Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists….

Goodbye January and hello February. It’s been a crazy month. Everyone in my house came down with something in January, with the exception of myself. Knock on wood. My son even tested positive for the flu a few weeks ago. He’s recovered now. I’m also surrounded by sick people at work and again, fingers crossed, I’ve managed to evade whatever has been making the rounds.

It has also been such a sad week with the news of Kobe Bryant and his daughter and the other people who passed away so tragically. We’re a basketball watching family here so it hit home. Even though you don’t personally know celebs, when they pass you still mourn them. It’s been a reminder of how fragile life is and to tell our loved ones how much we love them daily. We’re not promised tomorrow.

Onto my bookish updates….

recently on the blog:

I posted my thoughts on Lilian and the Irresistible Duke by Virginia Heath. This review post also includes a book giveaway where you can enter for a chance to win your own copy.

The poem I shared in January for Serena’s Poetry Reading Challenge was Farewell by Alice Dunbar-Nelson in case you want to take a peek at that. I will be sharing a poem on the last Tuesday of each month.

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currently reading:

I’m finally reading my copy of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. I hate this cover but the book is morbid and interesting so far. I read Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by this author and I enjoyed it.

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in my mailbox:

Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini arrived via NetGalley/HarperCollins. Oh my gosh, this cover! I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde arrived via  NetGalley/Amazon Publishing. I’ve read and enjoyed Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books in the past so this is another one I can’t wait to get to. I actually have an autographed copy of her book Pay It Forward on my shelves that the author was kind enough to mail me years ago.

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watching:

We watched The Night Of on HBO this week and it was crazy good. This one was very tense and thrilling to watch. I recommend.

We also finished up season 3 of Sabrina on Netflix and it was good, but a little bit all over the place. It leaves it wide open for Season 4.

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crocheting:
I’ve seen some gorgeous corner to crochet designs online especially over @ Repeat Crafter Me and Make and Do Crew so I decided to try and make a blanket with three hearts thrown in. This yarn was gifted to me for Christmas so I thought the colors would go nicely together for this project. It’s been a challenge for me following the heart graphs, I’m not good at graphs or following charts for whatever reason. I find them hard to follow, I lose my place, I lose count etc. I am not following a specific pattern for the blanket itself. I started the blanket, then I kind of threw the three hearts in as I went along. I am going to incorporate rows of color changes once the hearts are fully complete.

I’m not crazy about the large pink heart right now, but I will be sewing yarn in to fill in the odd jagged spaces along the left side. This was actually my second attempt with that heart, the first time I unraveled the entire project at that point (after about a week of working on it) and I started it all over, and the heart still came out that way. Just a bit “off”. I’m a perfectionist with my crochet and little details like that bother me. I will post a finished pic when I am done. The smaller hearts have been easier to add in.

That wraps up my updates for now. What are you doing? Reading? Watching? Enjoy the big game today if you’re watching. I mainly watch for the commercials and the half time show. Happy week ahead!

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disclaimer:
Some of the links in the post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission.