I totally paused!

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

This was moving week!  So my week went like this: Packing, Packing, Packing, Packing, Moving, Moving, Moving.  I managed to get some reading done, but I didn’t complete anything.

Books completed last week:
Here Burns My Candle – Liz Curtis Higgs: I didn’t get to participate in the book club discussion yet, since I was only about 70 pages in on September 1.  I’m a little over halfway through this now, and I’m really liking it.  I should finish it within a day or two, depending on how much unpacking I am able to do.

Books I’m reading this week:
The Eternal Ones – Kirsten Miller: I received this from Royal Reviews, the publisher was requesting someone read and review it, and I was lucky enough to get it!  I intended to read this a few weeks ago, but that whole moving mess got in the way.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: Nothing in this one, sadly.  AK sat in a drawer all week while I got ready to move.

Books I acquired this week:
I didn’t get any new books this week.  I’ve been avoiding buying any new items of any kind, since I knew I’d need to pack it up.  I likewise didn’t have an address for awhile, so I haven’t gotten any free books for a little while either.

What I watched this week:

• Merlin
• The Big C

I didn’t watch too much this week due to the packing and moving.  But the new TV season starts up soon!

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I’ve been packing, but as I mentioned earlier, I found a place to live and I’m moving on Friday!  So I may not get much reading in this week, because I do still need to pack.  Moving is so boring!

I really meant to post earlier, but my internet was hating on me and I couldn’t get on to finish this until tonite.  Ah well.

Books completed last week:
The Virgin’s Lover – Philippa Gregory: I read this for an upcoming week on Royal Reviews.  I liked it quite a bit, but I’m a little disappointed about Ms. Gregory’s continued use of picking the biggest rumor about a particular situation and saying it is fact :/  I’m not sure what I’ll say in my review, though.

Books I’m reading this week:
Here Burns My Candle – Liz Curtis Higgs: We’re having our first ever book club at Royal Reviews, the discussion will be on September 1!  So, it’s late notice, but if you want in, pick up a copy of this book.  I don’t know if I’ll get it finished before the deadline, but I’ll hopefully be through enough to be able to discuss.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I have been drawn to reading AK this week, so I read several chapters.  Now that I’m past part 3, which was kind of long winded, I am pulled back into the book.

Books I acquired this week:
I couldn’t find Here Burns My Candle at the library before I needed to finish it, so I bought it.  I likely will not be buying or getting nay new books for awhile, though.

What I watched this week:

• True Blood

That’s it, I think.  I can’t think of a single other thing I really watched, other than my usual Chelsea Lately, Daily Show, Colbert Report, etc.  Moving keeps a gal busy!

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I’ve been packing, cleaning, and still trying to find a place to live, so not much progress this week.

Books completed last week:
I didn’t finish anything.  I didn’t exactly expect that I would, and I just didn’t read much this week, sadly.

Books I’m reading this week:
The Virgin’s Lover – Philippa Gregory: I’m about a quarter of the way through this one, not sure if I’ll be able to finish it this week or not.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will!

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I actually read a couple of chapters in this one the last few days!

Books I acquired this week:
No new books this week.  I’m definitely not getting anything new until the move situation is resolved.

What I watched this week:

• True Blood
• Merlin
• The Tudors

Not a whole lot of watching this week either.

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!
Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

Still working on the moving thing.  Seriously, guys, it just gets crazier, you’re going to LOVE this story when it’s all done!

Books completed last week:
The Swimming Pool – Holly LeCraw: I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book, I really liked it.  My review will be up later this week.

Books I’m reading this week:
The Virgin’s Lover – Philippa Gregory: I’m reading this for another Anything Goes week at Royal Reviews next month, trying to read it a little early.  I’m sure I’ll like it, I’m a fan of Philippa Gregory’s work and I am interested in reading more about Elizabeth I’s relationship with Robert Leichester.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: This is kind of on pause until my moving situation is resolved.  I think.  Who knows, I might read some of it soon.

Books I acquired this week:
Radiance – Alyson Noel: This is a YA book I received as an ARC in the mail.  It’s a spinoff from her Immortals series, which I haven’t read, but it all sounds pretty fun!
Dogfight, A Love Story – Matt Burgess: Another ARC, the blurb on Goodreads says:

What Jonathan Lethem did for Brooklyn, Matt Burgess does for Queens in this exuberant and brilliant debut novel about a young drug dealer having a very bad weekend.

What I watched this week:

• The Tudors
• Community
• True Blood
• Smallville

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

Still haven’t found a place to live, but I’m working on it.  Reading was light this week as a result, I was looking at places several nights this week and my whole week was disrupted!  The next few weeks will likely be the same, but I’m probably going to post the entire moving story once I’ve moved, because it is a doozy!

I did, however, buy a new computer this week, so that’s nice.

Books completed last week:
In the Midst Of – C.M. Barons: I think I need to coin a new phrase for this book: OMB which stands for Oh My Blah!  I’ll post my review in a few weeks once it goes up at CurledUp.com, but I sure wish I had been reading something else.

Books I’m reading this week:
The Swimming Pool – Holly LeCraw: I received this awhile back as an ARC and I’m getting to it now.  Hopefully I’ll finish it this week since I have packing and things to do.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I don’t think I’ll be reading any of this until I finish moving.  There’s just too much to do!

Books I acquired this week:
I tried to buy a couple of things this week but it just didn’t work out!  I did receive one book in the mail:

Strangers at the Feast – Jennifer Vanderbes: This was an ARC from the publisher.  It’s received praise from several authors, including Justin Cronin and Dan Chaon, and the following blurb sounds really interesting:

“On Thanksgiving Day 2007, as the country teeters on the brink of a recession, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry a…moreOn Thanksgiving Day 2007, as the country teeters on the brink of a recession, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, a single academic, and her newly adopted Indian child, and about their son, who has been caught in the imploding real estate bubble. While the Olsons navigate the tensions and secrets that mark their relationships, seventeen-year-old Kijo Jackson and his best friend Spider set out from the nearby housing projects on a mysterious job. A series of tragic events brings these two worlds ever closer, exposing the dangerously thin line between suburban privilege and urban poverty, and culminating in a crime that will change everyone’s life.”

I haven’t read anything set in that recent of a time for quite awhile, so I look forward to the chance to read this one!

What I watched this week:

• True Blood
• One episode of Merlin

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I had a not so fabulous week on a personal level.  I won’t go into details, but the gist of it is I have to move again, which I am not thrilled about.  So the next couple of weeks will be me packing.  And I apologize for not responding to the comments last week, but I was pretty stressed trying to find a new place to live.

Books completed last week:
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult: I finished this on Thursday and quite liked it.  I’ll be reading more Picoult in the future.  My review will be up on Royal Reviews later this week.
The Amber Spyglass – Philip Pullman (audio book): The final installment of the His Dark Materials trilogy, and I think I liked it better this time around than I did the first time I read it.  I definitely want to reread the series again soon, rather than just listening to it.

Books I’m reading this week:
In the Midst Of – C.M. Barons: I received this to review for CurledUp.com, and so far, I can’t say I’m liking it much.  It’s a short book, about 260 pages, but it’s proving difficult for me to read.  It’s one of those books that I just don’t think was written for me.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I was so engrossed in My Sister’s Keeper that I didn’t read any AK this week.  Perhaps I will in the coming week!

Books I acquired this week:
I didn’t get anything this week.  I’m really trying to not buy books, and I didn’t get any in the mail, so no new ones for me!

What I watched this week:

• True Blood
• The Season 2 finale of Castle, which made me cry a bit
• The Tudors
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Invention of Lying

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

Books completed last week:
Absolutely nothing!  But I knew it was going to be a busy week, so I wasn’t expecting to finish anything.  There’s so much going on in the summer that it’s harder to finish books sometimes.

Books I’m reading this week:
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult: I’m close to half way through this one.  It reads fast, but like I said, last week was busy so it didn’t get finished.
The Amber Spyglass – Philip Pullman (audio book): I’m about half way through this one.
In the Midst Of – C. M. Barons: I’m reading this for CurledUp.com   Hopefully I get to it this week.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: One or two chapters were read.  I went to bed pretty well exhausted every night this week, so I didn’t do too much before bed reading.

Books I acquired this week:
The Virgin’s Lover – Philippa Gregory: I’m reading this for Royal Reviews in September, but realized I didn’t have a copy. I don’t really know how that happened, but now I have one!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson: I found this at Costco for like $8.00, and have been wanting to read it, so I figured it was a great chance to pick it up.  I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but now I have it!  I also think I’m the last person in the world to read this book, lol.
Fallout – Ellen Hopkins: I received this as an ARC in the mail.  It’s actually a sequel to another book, so I may have to grab that one from the library or something before reading this.  It sounds interesting!
One Day – David Nicholls: This is actually out already, but I think this one was sent as an ARC a little late.  The blurb says “July 15, 1988.  Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation.  Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.  But, after only one day together, even though they are clearly mismatched, they cannot stop thinking about one another.  So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years.  Two people.  ONE DAY.”

What I watched this week:

• 2 episodes of True Blood, which I still need to blog about
• Merlin
• The Tudors
• Shutter Island, review coming soon, I don’t exactly know what to think about this one.
• Public Enemies, review coming soon, I liked this, but it sure was violent!

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I didn’t finish actually reading any books this week.  I think I was watching too much TV?  Spent too much time at the bar?  Listened to that Eminem & Rihanna song about 50 times?  I dunno for sure.

Books completed last week:
The Subtle Knife – Philip Pullman (audio book): Since I had listened to The Golden Compass, and I can’t bear to not finish this lovely series, I borrowed the rest of it on audio book from the library.  At first, I was reminded at how jolting I felt this book started when I read it several years ago.  But, just like the first time, I ended up falling in love with Will as much as I loved Lyra in the first book.  And I admittedly wept freely during a particularly touching death scene, just as I did when I read it the first time.  For the record: Crying in the car – not the best idea.

Books I’m reading this week:
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult: So…I didn’t finish this like I thought I would.  I don’t really have an explanation, I just had a slow reading week I guess.  Hopefully I’ll finish this week, although I’m not sure because I have a busy week at work.
The Amber Spyglass – Philip Pullman (audio book): This audio book is longer than the previous two, so I’m not sure if I’ll get through the whole thing this week.  I also anticipate less time in the car, but we’ll see.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I read chapter or two this week, I’m just having a hard time making chunks of progress, but I think I figured out why: This is the book I have on my nightstand.  Which means I only read it before bed.  And I’m not one of those people who goes into bed super early just to read, so I am genuinely in bed when I’m tired, and reading just a chapter or two before I go to sleep.  So not only is AK competing with my sleep, but it also competes with my journaling.  I really do love it, and want to read more of it, so I guess I need to make it my everywhere book soon.

Books I acquired this week:
Leaving the World – Douglas Kennedy: I’m relatively certain I’ve seen this book on several other blogs in the past few weeks.  I got this in the mail as a free copy from the publisher, and undoubtedly what drew me to request it was the cover.  Because as soon as I opened it I thought “Oh what a pretty cover!”  Yep, I totally judge books by their covers sometimes.
Crescendo – Becca Fitzpatrick: This was an ARC, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be lucky enough to receive this one.  As soon as I learned last year that Becca Fitzpatrick was writing a sequel to Hush, Hush, I knew I wanted to read it ASAP!  Well, here we are, to the ASAP.  I actually want to reread Hush, Hush before I read this, and unfortunately my ARC of that is loaned out to a friends daughter.  So I either need to begin the task of getting it back, which may not be so fruitful, or I might just end up buying it.

What I watched this week:
My regular daily shows were off this week, which means I got to watch a bunch of other stuff!

• Smallville
• The Tudors – two episodes
• True Blood
• Castle
• Mercy – I swear I cry during every episode of this.
• Community
• The Vampire Diaries
• Six Feet Under – I should get a prize if I can get through an episode of this show without tears too.

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I took a road trip over the July 4 weekend, so I didn’t post last week.  But I didn’t make any notable progress on my books, either, so I figure it’s fair to skip it.

Books completed last week:
The Wild Irish – Robin Maxwell: I ended up reviewing this one for Royal Reviews, so you can check up over there this week for my review.  Otherwise, I’ll post it here in a couple of weeks.  It was a really interesting story, I’m definitely going to read more of Robin Maxwell’s books!
The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman (audio book): I was somewhat reluctant to do an audio book, I just don’t absorb things as well when I’m listening versus reading.  But I had read this book before, and wanted to reread it, so I thought the road trip would be a good chance.  I was right – I didn’t absorb nearly as well, I was distracted by the fact that the narrator has a great voice for making me more tired.  Not so great for the road.  But I liked the refresher on the story.  Although I discovered that the last disc was missing, so I ended up having to read the last few chapters.  Who knows where that disc is, I certainly didn’t lose it!

Books I’m reading this week:
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult: I’m reading this for Royal Reviews in August, and I ended up picking it up at the library because I wanted to read it sooner rather than later.  I have a feeling I’ll do a lot of crying, since I cry through the movie.
The Subtle Knife – Philip Pullman (audio book): When I went to return The Golden Compass, I looked through the other books at the library, including the audio books.  I found that the rest of the series was available, so I decided to borrow it all.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I read chapter or two this week, but I didn’t take this one on my road trip, so I didn’t make a lot of progress..

Books I acquired this week:
All Over the Map – Laura Fraser: I received this as an ARC this week.  The blurb on the book says “The bestselling author of An Italian Affair buys us the plane tickets and takes us in search of adventure and romance as she wonders whether it’s possible, in midlife, to have it all.”  It sounds promising to me!
Hailey’s War – Jodi Compton: This one is another ARC, a thriller about a former military academy lady who is forced to confront secrets from her past.  I haven’t read a good thriller in awhile, so I hope this one is great!
The King’s Mistress – Emma Campion: Another book sent from the publisher, I had a big week!  The blurb on this one is “History has not been kind to Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of King Edward III.  Scholars and contemporaries alike have deemed her a manipulative woman who used her great beauty and sensuality to take advantage of an aging and increasingly senile king.  But who is the woman behind the scandal?  A coldhearted opportunist, or someone who was fighting for her very survival?”  I’ve never read anything about this period in history, so I’m really looking forward to this one.

What I watched this week:

I likewise didn’t watch a whole lot, most of what I did watch was my regular daily/weekly shows like The Daily Show, Chelsea Lately, The Soup, etc.  I needed to catch up from my trip!  But what I did watch was:

• One episode of Community
• True Blood 3:3

That’s about it!

This is a weekly Meme run by Book Journey!

Post the books completed last week, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish this week.

I’m not sure if I’ll actually finish anything this coming week, as I’m taking a road trip over the July 4 weekend and that won’t be giving much time for reading.  However, I think I’m going to borrow some audio books from the library, since I’ll be spending so much time in the car by myself.

Books completed last week:
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott – Kelly O’Connor McNees: I really liked this book a lot, and my only regret is waiting so long to read it!  Everyone should really check it out.

Books I’m reading this week:
The Wild Irish – Robin Maxwell: This one has been on my TBR pile for awhile and I’m glad I’m making the time to read something off that list.

Books ongoing:
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: I read a few chapters this week, but I liked The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott so well that I really didn’t want to put that one down.

Books I acquired this week:
I downloaded the Amazon Kindle for PC app this week, so I purchased The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner to try it out.  I haven’t started that one yet, though.

What I watched this week:

• Riverworld – This was a SyFy channel film adaptation of a book by the same name.  It was interesting, a take on what happens to people after they die.
• Castle – I’m slowly getting through the second half of the season.  I am half way taking my time in the hopes that I won’t feel too bereft before the third season starts in a few months.
• True Blood
• The Tudors – Although I’m only like three episodes into the season, apparently this is the last one?  Good job advertising that, Showtime!  Also, I’m not entirely sure why it’s only chronicling Henry VIII’s life from the time he became interested in Anne Boleyn, I don’t see why they don’t delve into the reign’s of his children.  But whatever.