The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 10-2-22

Posted on October 2, 2022October 1, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

I changed things around a bit from last week. Partly because Travel by Bullet was calling my name, and partly because Sweep of Stars turned out to be a bit longer than I was expecting and it threw my reading plans off a bit. It’s not that the page count was incorrect (I have a print copy and checked) it’s that the print is rather small and the kindle loc count reflects a book that should be at least 100 pages longer and I just wasn’t prepared for that this week.

C’est la vie.

Returning to other parts of my vie (life) I have an adorable picture of a sleepy Luna to share. She likes to cuddle up to my legs while I’m reading – as cats do. She also adores the cushy blanket she’s nesting in. All the cats love the cushy blankie but she seems to get possession of it more than most.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 9-25-22

Posted on September 25, 2022September 25, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

It seems fitting that the Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop ends tonight, on this first fabulous fall weekend. It’s beautiful here in Atlanta, and the temperature has finally dropped down from OMG IT’S HOT to just lovely. It’ll be long-sleeve weather soon!

Speaking of lovely things, here’s a particularly good picture of the lovely Luna, the Princess of Quite A Lot auditioning for the position of Queen of All She Surveys. Hecate is still off grumping in the kitchen window seat and refusing to compete.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or Book in the Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop (ENDS TONIGHT!!!!!!!!)
$10 Gift Card or Book in the Falling into Leaves Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or Book in Fall 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop is Jo

Blog Recap:

A+ Review: Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
B+ Review: Hades: Sentinel Security #2 by Anna Hackett
B Review: Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
Fall 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
A- Review: Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle
Stacking the Shelves (515)

Coming This Week:

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie et al (review)
A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (review)
In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore (blog tour review)
Sweep of Stars by Maurice Broaddus (review)
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope (audiobook review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 9-18-22

Posted on September 18, 2022September 16, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

Banned Books Week begins today, and I can’t even. By that I mean that the whole mess has gotten so far out of hand that when I try to talk about it I end up stuttering in rage. I know I’m not alone. The whole damn point of a public library is that it has something in it to offend everyone. Not because libraries set out to be offensive, but because no matter how much a community’s residents might seem the same on the outside, they still represent many different beliefs and perspectives. And the members of that community will have to go out and deal with the rest of the damn world, which will undoubtedly have even more different perspectives. Reading opens the mind – and that seems to be what so many people who want to censor books are the most afraid of. Or to quote Stephen King, “Censorship and the suppression of reading materials are rarely about family values and almost always about control, about who is snapping the whip, who is saying no, and who is saying go.”

Go forth and read a banned book. Find out just what it is that someone doesn’t want you – or anyone else – to know.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop (ENDS WEDNESDAY along with the season!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Falling into Leaves Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Glam and Glitz Giveaway Hop is Christy R.

Blog Recap:

C+ Review: Haven by Emma Donoghue
A- Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
B- Review: The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony
C Review: Lucky Girl by Mary Rickert
Falling into Leaves Giveaway Hop
Thankful for Books Giveaway Hop Sign Up 2022
Stacking the Shelves (514)

Coming This Week:

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco (review)
Hades: Sentinel Security #2 by Anna Hackett (review)
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory (blog tour review)
Fall 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle (blog tour review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 9-4-22

Posted on September 4, 2022September 3, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | book reviews> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

You’ve heard of “Jumping Jehoshaphat”? Here’s “Leaping Lucifer”, with the added bonus of a ‘Traveling Tuna” heading for the exit.

For those in the U.S. I hope you’re having a terrific Labor Day Weekend.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Glam and Glitz Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Old School Giveaway Hop is Kimberly R.

Blog Recap:

B Review: Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen
A Review: Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
A- Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
Glam and Glitz Giveaway Hop
B+ Review: Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King
Stacking the Shelves (517)

Coming This Week:

Labor Day 2022 (Guest post by Galen)
Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb (review)
Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish (review)
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (review)
Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 8-28-22

Posted on August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

As far as books go, this week started terrifically and ended well, but middled in the slough of despond a bit. Looking back, I think the biggest issue with both Would You Rather and Small Town, Big Magic was that they were both billed as romcoms and neither of them were. I could even debate whether Small Town, Big Magic was a romance at all. But both books dealt with too many serious issues, and dealt with them seriously, to be romcoms. I think I might have liked both of them a bit more if I’d come in with more accurate expectations. YMMV.

But speaking of expectations, one of the expectations we keep hoping for here at Chez Reading Reality but not yet achieving is peace among the cat clowder. As you can see from the picture above, George and Luna are definitely getting there. It may look like he’s about to bite her throat but they were actually grooming each other – and they are playing together as I type this. Hecate, on the other hand, seems determined to remain in lonely – and very bitchy – solitude. The other day Hecate cornered Luna in my office and big Tuna came rushing to his sister’s rescue. Hecate has been in near total retreat ever since. We’re starting to wonder if there’s enough Feliway in the universe to calm this situation down.

Current Giveaways:

Old School Giveaway Hop (ENDS WEDNESDAY!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Back to School Giveaway Hop is Kelsey

Blog Recap:

A Review: The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher
B- Review: Would You Rather by Allison Ashley
B Review: Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
B+ Review: The Forty Elephants by Erin Bledsoe
B+ Review: The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White
Stacking the Shelves (511)

Coming This Week:

Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen (audiobook review)
Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus (review)
A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari (review)
Glam and Glitz Giveaway Hop
Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 8-21-22

Posted on August 21, 2022August 21, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

I needed a bit of extra time to get this post together this weekend because I was having a difficult time deciding what I felt like reading this week – at least until I prepped the Stacking the Shelves post and decided that T. Kingfisher’s The Seventh Bride and Karen White’s The Shop on Royal Street were the books calling my name that I hadn’t quite been hearing loudly enough up to that point.

So here we are.

But speaking of things just being where they are, here’s a picture of, well, still not peace in our time, but at least a bit of a detente between George and Luna. George and Hecate are both still less than thrilled with poor Tuna’s presence in the house. Not because Tuna has done anything, just that he’s so large and such a big bumbler. He keeps charging up to George, kind of like a big, floppy dog, and George is all “Get away, GET AWAY!”

Luna, on the other hand, seems to be getting along with everyone!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Back to School Giveaway Hop (ENDS TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Apple A Day Giveaway Hop is Ashley C.

Blog Recap:

B Review: Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land by Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson
Old School Giveaway Hop
B+ Review: Becoming Family by Elysia Whisler
B Review: Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews
B Review: The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
Stacking the Shelves (510)

Coming This Week:

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (review)
Would You Rather by Allison Ashley (blog tour review)
Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck (blog tour review)
The Forty Elephants by Erin Bledsoe (review)
The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 7-24-22

Posted on July 24, 2022July 23, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

After a couple of successful – meaning relatively quiet – supervised visits by the incumbent clowder, Luna and Tuna were officially released into the general population of household cats Thursday evening. As World War III has not yet occurred, this is considered a successful introduction.

In celebration, here’s a picture of George and Tuna comparing whatever it is cats measure when they meet. George’s tail is longer, but Tuna’s is magnificent in its own way. They are both certainly VERY big bois!

Back to books – always a popular subject at chez Reading Reality. After a couple of less than successful books – or at least books that may be popular with plenty of other readers but did not float my boat AT ALL, I decided to dive back into the virtually towering TBR pile a little more this week. The recent death of Eric Flint inspired me to take a look back at his marvelous Ring of Fire series – hence tomorrow’s review of the first book therein, 1632. And I was just in the mood for another hard-boiled mystery, which lead me back to Flavia Albia’s cynical view of Imperial Rome and Deadly Election – a title that is almost a bit too apropos in our troubled times as well as hers.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Christmas in July Giveaway Hop is Nancy

Blog Recap:

A Review: Three Miles Down by Harry Turtledove
B Review: Till Sudden Death Do Us Part by Simon R. Green
A- Review: This Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal
D Review: The It Girl by Ruth Ware
A- Review: One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips
Stacking the Shelves (506)

Coming This Week:

1632 by Eric Flint (review)
The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair (review)
The Lost and Found Girl by Maisey Yates (blog tour review)
Deadly Election by Lindsey Davis (review)
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (audiobook review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 7-17-22

Posted on July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

This is one of the new members of our household. This is Luna. Her brother, Tuna is still being shy. They are both in the spare bedroom at the moment so that they can feel a bit more secure together while everyone has the chance to bat paws and sniff under doors at each other.

Luna and Tuna are both just over a year old. They’re a bonded pair and are biological siblings. This is the second time in their young lives that they have been re-homed because their human was no longer able to take care of them. We expect our home to be their forever home – even if that home moves location again sometime in the future. After all, our previous clowder moved with us, back and forth across the country, 11 times during their lives. Home, for us, is where the kitties are!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Christmas in July Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop is Shelley

Blog Recap:

A+ Review: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
B Review: The Edge of Summer by Viola Shipman
A- Review: Remember Love by Mary Balogh
A Review: The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson
D Review: Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs
Stacking the Shelves (505)

Coming This Week:

Three Miles Down by Harry Turtledove (review)
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part by Simon R. Green (review)
This Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal (blog tour review)
The It Girl by Ruth Ware (review)
One Shot Harry by Gary Phillips (review)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 7-3-22

Posted on July 3, 2022July 3, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

It turned out to be an excellent thing that I had so much of this week pre-prepped because of ALA, since we brought the plague home from ALA. It’s been a long week so it’s great we have a long weekend to recuperate. We are both getting better, with the able assistance of our nurse-kitties. Here’s a picture of Lucifer and George overseeing our progress.

The primary feature of the picture seems to be George showing off his murder mittens again, but it also makes it really clear that George is half-again as big as Lucifer, who has a gigantic head but nowhere near the body to match it.

So, it’s going to be a quieter than usual weekend here at chez Reading Reality, as we’re still quarantining. And we’re beyond grateful that Instacart is a thing, because it’s not good for either of us to be tackling a grocery store run at the moment although the cupboard is getting rather bare. But we’re on the mend enough that reading is back to being a real thing and look to be out of the woods later this week. YAY!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Summer 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Dad-O-Mite Giveaway Hop is Laurie D.

Blog Recap:

A Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
A- Review: Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances by Aliette de Bodard
B Review: The Protector by Anna Hackett
A Review: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (503)

Coming This Week:

Fourth of July 2022 (Guest Post by Galen)
The Yeoman’s Tale by M.J. Trow (review)
A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen (blog tour review)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (reviwe)
Christmas in July Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 6-19-22

Posted on June 19, 2022June 20, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

Today is Father’s Day in the U.S. and a host of other countries. This year, Father’s Day falls on Juneteenth, which will be observed tomorrow – probably today too. Galen will have one of his guest posts tomorrow for the holiday.

I also have the sad duty to report that Freddie lost his battle with whatever the hell was wrong with him on Wednesday. He started having seizures and just couldn’t stop. He went to the Rainbow Bridge where Mellie is probably taking up his “cat lessons” again. There were a few things he never quite got but she was elderly and he was rambunctious and some of her training didn’t take. Now she has the opportunity to impart all the lessons he couldn’t quite sit still for.

This is one of the first pictures we ever took of Freddie, and it’s the one from which we derived his name. He tended to hang out in the bookshelves when he was feeling insecure, and with his coloring he very much resembled “Frederick the Literate” from the print by Americana artist Charles Wysocki.

We open our doors and our hearts to the little furry monsters, we take care of them for as long as they let us, and we love them forever. Rest in Catnip and Mousies, sweet boy.