Morning all and welcome to my first weekly update in a month…time flies when you are celebrating Christmas and New Year I guess – and then have another week of school holidays to contend with. I still don’t feel like I’ve quite gotten over the holidays, even though technically this week everything was back to normal for us.
Hopefully next week will be better and I’ll be back into some type of routine. What that will be I’m not sure as I picked up my first batch of freelance work this week (yay!) and I don’t know till Monday just what or how much time that will involve. Still, it’s exciting and a bit of a relief to know that there is work out there and that my leap of faith into the world of self-employment is paying some dividends.
Meanwhile, on the blog this week, I posted four times – not bad considering how out of place I felt – with the hopes of doing better this week (I have about six reviews to catch up on so if I could get through even half of them I’d be happy). Review wise, I posted twice…
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware was a book I had really been looking forward to but just didn’t hit the mark for me the way other books of hers have – bit of a shame, though I think I’m in the minority here so maybe don’t take my word for it.
Healthyish by Lindsay Hunt is a wonderful cookbook for people who want to start making changes to their diets but don’t necessarily want to lose all the taste that comes from eating “normal” food. Now, these recipes are becoming my normal because they taste so good (and look good too!).
I also did two challenge sign-ups – both of which I did (to varying degrees of success) last year…
The discussion challenge will hopefully make me a bit braver and add a bit more variety to what I write. I love posting reviews but would like to stretch my wings that bit more.
The cloak and dagger challenge is all about reading books that are in my favourite genre anyways – crime, mystery, suspense – so is perfect for me. I nailed it last year and hope to do the same this year.
There is one more challenge that has caught my eye this week so there might be another sign-up post if I think I can take another on.
And that’s it for me. How was your week, reading and otherwise?
Emma x
This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over by clicking on their badges below to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.
One Readers Thoughts 
Healthiest sounds goods and I always love adding new recipes to my life, so I’ll keep it in mind. Good luck with your challenges Emma. And yay for getting some freelance work! What area are you freelancing in?
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It’s such a good cookbook. Freelancing I am doing bid and grant writing for charities but trying to move into more general writing for business and proofreading. Fingers crossed!
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I’m curious about Heathyish. And I really need to try a Ruth Ware book one of these days. Good luck with the challenges!
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It’s a good cookbook. For Ruth Ware I would definitely go for one of her other books.
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Happy New Year to you! Healthy-ish looks very interesting to me, as my grown daughter has me eating much better since 1/1. Too bad about Ruth Ware’s newest. I enjoyed her last one very much.
Have a good week!
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To you too. It is definitely a way to eat healthier so good luck. X
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I’m glad I found your blog again, Emma! It’s been a while and I’m gradually discovering blogs that I read in the past, before I took my ‘not so permanent’ break. Anyway, I’ll take a look at your review of THE LYING GAME. I didn’t love that one as much as previous books by Ruth Ware either. Have a good week!!
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Thank you 😍 does anyone leave blogging forever I wonder?
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I have reviews to catch up on too so I’m hoping to get some written and posted in the coming week as well. I like the sound of HealthyIsh – I’m on the look out for some new and healthier recipe books and this one sounds perfect so I’ll add it to my list. Hope you have a good week ahead.
Here’s my weekly wrap-up: https://rathertoofondofbooks.com/2018/01/14/my-weekly-wrap-up-14-jan/
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Fingers crossed for both of us on the reviews…I hate being this behind!
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As you know, I didn’t love The Lying Game as much as the author’s other books. I thought the girls were mean, and couldn’t understand why they went running every time Kate called.
So…enjoy all those assignments…and your new normal routine. Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
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I am seeing more people than I thought saying similar things on The Lying Game.
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Congrats on the freelance work! Hope that goes very well. And I did Cloak and Dagger last year too, and that reminds me I need to sign up for the Discussion Challenge.
Have a super week!
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Thank you – I hope it goes well too otherwise I’m back on a payroll.
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Oohh! Healthy-ish looks really good – are the recipes quick enough to whip-up after work? This one intrigues me 🙂 I’m obsessed with cookbooks and I feel like I’m always seeing great suggestions on your site 🙂
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Yes some definitely are. The idea is you have basics in the cupboard and there are quick meals and more complex ones but nothing that scary so far x
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Hope you get back into the swing of things. It’s sometimes hard after the holidays. Have a great week!
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Me too. Today was a bit better thankfully x
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I do hope it gets back to normal for you this week. 🙂 I read The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware and I didn’t like it when everyone else did, so now I am leery of reading another cause I was thinking of trying the one you did but if you didn’t like it…well maybe if I get one at the library I will try it. 🙂
Have a great week!
Stormi
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Me too! I think if you don’t like a first book, I wouldn’t probably read a second. There are too many books and too little time!
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Good luck with your freelance work, whatever it is! That first job is both exciting and nervewracking. Mine was over 20 years ago, but I still remember it vividly. 20-odd years later, I’m still enjoying the freedom of freelancing (though I’m honestly grateful that my husband’s job is steady and pays better.)
I didn’t realize Stormi was hosting the Cloak and Dagger challenge. I’ll check it out. I’ve usually done the Cruisin’ the Cozies challenge at Socrates’ Book Reviews, when I’ve done a mystery challenge at all, but Cloak and Dagger looks a little less restrictive.
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It is exciting and scary at the same time. I hope I am still doing it in 20 years. I have tried so many challenges but these two seem to have stuck. Fingers crossed x
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Yay for some work and here’s hoping lots more comes your way during the coming weeks:). Have a good one, Emma!
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Not too much I hope…I quite like the idea of being a lady of leisure 😜
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Then by all means – you chill and be a lady of leisure:))
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I love the Discussion Challenge. It’s my favorite blogging challenge. Have a great week!
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Me too – though it also a scares me to death!
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It can be hard sometimes to fall back into the regular routine after the holidays. Hopefully everything well come together for you this week. That’s too bad about The Lying Game as it sounded like it would be good. Good luck with the Cloak and Dagger Challenge. It sounds like a lot of fun. I’m going to try and brave the Discussion Challenge this year too. We can give each other moral support. 🙂 I hope you have a great week, Emma!
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It’s been so much harder than I thought or than usual! Will definitely need cheering on with the discussion challenge. It is a great but also scary one!
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Healthyish is awesome! I’ve made a bunch of dishes from it already.
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Isn’t it. I am slightly addicted I think!
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yay for freelance work!!! I feelance myself so i know how you feel to have work. That healthish cookbook looks good!
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It is a bit of a relief I have to say. Now I have to see if I can cope with the rollercoaster it will bring!
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Good luck getting back in the groove. I don’t do challenges because I never remember to update my progress. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
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Thanks, I need it!
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I’ve read and heard a lot of people say that The Lying Game didn’t work for them–just my luck, it is currently sitting in my TBR pile. Oh well, I might move it down in the stack!
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Yes, after my review I’ve had a fair few comments saying the same, though I remember a lot of raves when it was released.
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Enjoy your books and your week. Come see what I’m reading.
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I’m still struggling to get back into the routine after Christmas and everything. It’s not helping that school has been out for several days due to ice and snow! I wasn’t a fan of The Lying Game either. I felt like she had a good novella but had to turn it into a book at short notice. Have a great week!
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This week has been a bit better but not by much! You might be right on it being a novella. It was too long and could have been tighter.
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