Happy Sunday all – I hope you are having a good week. Mine was o.k. Nothing much to report. I’m ticking along at work as we enter our quiet period and doing surprisingly well with my Christmas planning. Our tree is being bought and will go up later today (sooner than 12th night I know but I daren’t risk leaving it till a weekday as I’m sure life will throw up some surprises if I do) and most of my presents are bought and all our Christmas food ordered and ready for delivery.
The only fly in the ointment is a secret Santa gift I have to buy for a member of my team, the only one – I realise – I know nothing about, which is just sod’s law. I have a feeling I will end up with something bathing related and it feels like a cop out and is stressing me out. I have to say secret Santa is one of the few things that makes me go all bah humbug but I just hate the idea unless it’s with a group of friends and it can save you all buying presents for each other.
On other notes, I had a good blogging week in that I managed to post five times…
On Monday, I made an early new year resolution and listed the five authors I have said I want to read more and never have BUT plan to in 2017. I’ve bought all but one of the books so I can’t not now.
On Tuesday, I joined Diana at Bibliophile by the Sea to introduce my latest read, Witness by Caroline Mitchell which was cracking and should be reviewed this week if everything goes to plan.
On Wednesday, I published my first review of the week, Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas which was a great thriller with plenty of twist, turns and revealed secrets after the body of a young woman who disappeared twenty years earlier washes up on the beach.
Thursday saw my second review, His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet which I ended up loving after some initial reservations. It was a clever tale of a historic murder case where the murderer and the murders were not all they seemed. I was left with more questions than answers on just who was guilty and a strong desire to reread the book to look for clues that helped me make my mind up.
Finally, on Friday, I joined in with the Feature and Follow linky because last week I found some great new blogs through it (the same seems to be true this week). The talking point was holiday reads – not that I have veered from my usual tastes just because it’s the Christmas season.
Unfortunately I didn’t get as much reading done as I did blogging, just finishing the preciously mentioned Witness. I blame discovering The Leftovers after seeing an article in the independent that called it the most under-rated show on TV and I have to say it is good. We ended up watching all of season one and most of season two this week. As there’s only two seasons I hope to fix the lack of reading this week, though the first book I picked up is over 400 pages long and non-fiction which always take me longer to read so who knows.
And that’s about it for me. I thought I’d end on a Christmas song as that’s all I’m listening to at the moment and this one is stuck in my head…
What about you? Did you have a good week? What did you do? What did you read?
Emma
This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.
One Readers Thoughts 
I was wondering about The Leftovers as I just saw an ad for it this week. If it’s the same show I’m thinking of- I had just finished Westworld on HBO and an ad came up for the Leftovers. I may try it.
Glad you had a good week. Local Girl Missing sounds good- a body washing up twenty years after? wow.
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I think it did. We had just started watching it and so it made me think I hadn’t heard of it and now it would everywhere. Worth watching I think.
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I have watched a few episodes of Leftovers when it was on and it was okay, but then it just fell to the wayside. I totally didn’t know that song was a real Christmas song, I guess I just thought it was a commercial song for the holidays as that is how I associated it…lol.
Stormi
Week in Review
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That happens to me with a lot of shows. Then some just click. I hadn’t even heard the song till a few years ago then found Dean ?Martin had sung it. Now I have to say it’s one of my favourites.
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Is there a significance in waiting for the 12th to put up the tree?
It’s the worst to shop for those we wither aren’t familiar with, or for those that we just don’t have ideas for. It sure takes the fun out of it. I usually turn to making a little basket of goodies with some sort of interesting theme. Good luck.
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I don’t really know other than there is something about not putting your decorations up till twelve days before Christmas and you are supposed to leave them up for twelve days after or otherwise you have to leave them up. I should look it up really. I wish I could get a batch of goodies for the secret Santa but we’re on a £10 limit.
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Secret Santa is always stressful with colleagues – fortunately we’re all a bit bah humbug in our team so we don’t do it! Good to see you already have some resolutions ready for 2017!
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I may just take next Christmas off to avoid the whole thing. I spent an hour today on websites looking for the perfect something for £10. I failed!
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Oh, good, I haven’t seen any ads for The Leftovers, but I figured it would reappear soon. I read the book by Tom Perrotta…and loved it. I also enjoyed another book of his that was made into a movie (Little Children, with Kate Winslet).
You are doing really well with your Christmas tasks. I have my minimal decorations up, but I tend to take the easy way with gift buying. The kids all want gift cards, so they can pick whatever they want. They’re probably worried that I would give them books…LOL.
Enjoy the tree decorating and getting into the mood of the holiday. Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
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I was wondering about the book. I thought I might give it a go when we get through season 2. I like your easy approach…Christmas should not be about stress. Have a good week.
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Secret Santa is a toughie if you don’t really know the person. What about a book? Could you find out what they like to read? Or if they even do. LOL
My Sunday Post
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I loved Local Girl Missing, its one of my favourite thrillers of 2016. I enjoyed reading your review.
Witness looks like a good read. I look forward to your thoughts on this one.
Have a great week!
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This week I only read one book! Here is my IMWAYR: http://shoshireads.weebly.com/home/musing-its-monday-what-are-you-reading
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It might be the holiday season…too much else to do.
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I used to dislike the secret santa we had at work when I was teaching, the pressure! So can relate to the bah humbug. Well done with all the planning for Christmas as will take the stress away I am sure. I know I often say I want to read more of an author and never do! So like you will be reading a few author’s backlists next year I hope!!!
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It’s too much pressure..plus I’ll be there when she opens it. I think one of the things with blogging is you read a lot of new books by new authors and forget about those you love.
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Glad you ended up enjoying His Bloody Project! Secret Santas stress me out too. I did on on Litsy and the woman I was assigned has totally different reading tastes than me so I am super nervous about the books I chose for her.
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Me too. I was trying to sneakily find out what mine liked and failed today. Bubble bath it is.
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Unfortunately, just buying a book doesn’t mean I’ll read it. I have hundreds both in print and on my Kindle that I’ve bought and haven’t yet read. Good luck reading the ones you bought. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
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It doesn’t always with me but knowing they are authors I like means they stand a better chance. Plus I’ve written it in a post now!
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