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Showing posts with label Matthew Walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew Walker. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: And, Yet, There They Sit...
5:14 PM
I've been a little MIA here on the blog. I'm still reading (I never stop), but other things have been taking up my reviewing/posting/commenting time. A month ago, my husband surprised me by listing our house for sale about four weeks earlier than planned. Even though it had me stressing out *just* a tad, the timing worked perfectly. The second family to walk through our house fell madly in love and made us an offer almost immediately. They're super nice people and they gave us what we asked for (a smokin' deal, it must be said), with no fuss over some minor repairs that need to be done. Yay! We close on June 1 and have to be out by July 15. Shouldn't be a problem, although my old/new house currently looks like this throughout (actually worse since these photos are from a couple weeks ago—the kitchen tile is gone and there are more holes in the walls):
Our contractor's actually making lots of progress and I'm confident the place will be livable come mid-July, even if everything's not quite done. We're remodeling every room in the house to some degree, so, yeah...it's a lot. The process of choosing cabinets, flooring, lighting, paint, etc. is fun, but it's also becoming tedious and time-consuming. I'm excited, though, for how spiffy it will look when it all comes together. Our "old" house—it was built in 1994, we bought it in 2004 and lived in it from then until 2008—will feel like a new house, for sure.
In addition to packing up our current house and remodeling the new one, I'm also frantically studying for my upcoming genealogy accreditation test. It's only a few weeks away, so I'm freaking out a *wee* bit! The best way for me to study is by tackling real-life family history research questions, so if you have one that's based in the American Southwest (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California, and Colorado, as defined by the accreditation board), I'd love to look into it for you. The question can be something simple like: My grandparents emigrated to California in the 1880s, but I don't know where they emigrated from or who their parents were. Can you find them for me? Or, my great-grandmother lived in Arizona all her life. I only know her married name. Can you find her maiden name? Who were her parents and siblings? That kind of thing. If you get it to me in the next couple weeks, I'll research it for free as practice. If you wait until I'm accredited, it will cost you :)
Real life, ugh. Let's get back to the books, shall we?
This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is all about those volumes we were so, so, so excited to have in our hot little hands and yet...there they sit, unread, unloved, gathering dust on our shelves. I seem to have an out of sight, out of mind mentality in this regard. As soon as I buy a book, ensuring that I can read it any ole time I want, I promptly forget I want to read it! Thus, it was easy to come up with this list. All I had to do was cast an eye on my bookshelves to find a plethora of choices (not as many as it would have been last month, though, as I've sorted through the majority of my books and donated several thousand to charitable causes). Since I'm better about getting to library books and ARCs, I'm going to focus my list on titles I actually purchased. These are just the first ten books/boxed series my eyes fell upon when I looked at the shelves closest to my desk.
If you want to ruminate on your shelves of shame, why not join in the TTT fun? You'll be in good company, I swear. Just pop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to get all the details on this always enjoyable weekly event.
Top Ten Books I Was SO EXCITED To Get, But Still Haven't Read
1. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes—The hype made me by this one and yet, there it sits...
2. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker—Except for a short while when I was but an ignorant wee one, I've always loved to sleep. I've also long been fascinated by dreams, so this book is definitely up my alley. I did start reading it when I first bought it, but then I got distracted.
3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens—Another the-hype-made-me-do-it buy.
4. Tomorrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden (boxed set)—I really wanted to read this series five years ago or so, but I was having trouble finding all the books in my local libraries. I ordered the whole set from BookDepository, waited weeks for it to arrive, then devoured the first couple books. I took a break after that and...haven't returned to the story. I'm not sure I remember who's who or what's what now, so I may have to re-read the initial books before I continue on with the series.
5. Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert—I loved Moloka'i, so I was stoked for this sequel. I still am, even though I've yet to crack it open.
6. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune—Everyone loves this book, so of course, I had to buy it! Have I read it yet? Nope.
7. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer—The Lunar Chronicles is a great series. I really enjoyed it. For some reason, though, I still haven't read this collection of TLC short stories.
8. Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (boxed set)—I've mentioned before that I was a raving Little House fan as a kid. The books, the t.v. show, everything. Since my copies of the books somehow didn't survive my childhood, I bought a new set some years ago. I was SO excited to read the first book and...it just wasn't the same! The disappointment was a real downer, so I haven't moved on with my re-read of the series.
9. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith—Another nostalgia buy, I've been meaning to re-read this one for ages and just...haven't yet. No excuses, except that I know I don't have to hurry because the book's in my personal library and it's not going anywhere.
10. Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie—This is another book that has gotten rave reviews from my bookish friends, online and off. I'm going to read it one of these days, I swear!
There you go, ten books/series I was super excited to get, but still haven't read. Have you read any of these? What did you think? Which do I need to pick up first? What's on your shelf of shame? I'd truly love to know (really, it will make me feel better about my own neglected reads). Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, April 07, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: On Hold at the E-Library
11:52 AM
Happy MonTueWedThurFriSatSunWhateverday! My kids have now been out of school for a month thanks to Spring Break and COVID-19. We've been plugging along pretty well, all considered, but my 11-year-old social butterfly did have a little breakdown yesterday over missing her friends. She said (with a sad little sniff), "I love hanging out with my family, but I just want to see other people's faces!" My husband owns his own business and has still been going to the office most days. Yesterday, even he said, "I'm going a little crazy." I haven't gone anywhere in days, but I've been busy reading, blogging, working on a cross-stitching project, cleaning, etc. What have you been doing to stay sane during these crazy times?
Top Ten Tuesday is always a fun diversion, even in normal times. If you haven't heard of it, remedy that! All you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own list, then click around the book blogosphere checking out other people's lists. It's a great way to spread the love—and who couldn't use a little of that right now? The topic du jour is Top Ten Books I Bought/Borrowed Because ... I haven't bought any books lately, but I have been checking out e-books from my library. So, that will be the focus of my list today.
Top Ten E-Books I've Borrowed From the Library During the Quarantine (and Why):
1. A Single Light by Tosca Lee. Why?
- I enjoyed the first book, The Line Between. It's a fast-paced, engrossing, well-written dystopian novel that is surprisingly clean and faith-promoting, although it's not a religious/Christian book.
- I had to know what happens to Wynter, Chase, and the others.
- So far, A Single Light is darker than The Line Between but just as exciting.
2. Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower. Why?
- that punny title!
- A blogger (sorry, can't remember who) mentioned enjoying this cozy series that takes place in an Amish candy shop. I'm in the mood for lighter mysteries and this first installment sounds fun.
3. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. Why?
- I love middle-grade novels.
- This mystery features a 12-year-old African-American girl who's curious about the father she's never met. He's in prison for a terrible crime he insists he didn't commit. Zoe's desperate to prove her dad's innocence. Can she? Sounds intriguing!
4. Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry. Why?
- Stephanie from She's Probably at the Library gave it an excellent review. She was especially impressed by the way religion (mine specifically) is portrayed in this book and thought I would enjoy both its story and the faith exploration.
- The plot sounds interesting. It features a teen girl who's obsessed with all the ways the world can end and a new friend who knows when it will. Definitely sounds like my kind of book.
5. The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel. Why?
- Back before I started blogging, I read several installments in Coel's Wind River Reservation mystery series. As much as I enjoyed them, I didn't continue on with the series for some reason. I'm ready to dive back in.
- I need a Wyoming book for the 2020 Literary Escapes Challenge.
- Since it's been so long since and I have a terrible memory, I won't remember whodunit!
6. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. Why?
- The fun premise: In an attempt to save his crumbling marriage, a macho baseball player joins a secret romance book club, where he's coached by other alpha males on how to woo back his wife.
- I need a "book about a book club" for a POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt.
- I've read lots of positive reviews, so I'm hopeful it will be a light, entertaining read that's more sweet than steamy. Too much to ask for??
7. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker. Why?
- I've long been fascinated by the mechanics of sleep and why we dream what we do, so this book just sounds crazy intriguing.
8. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin. Why?
- my aforementioned affinity for middle-grade novels
- the cute, colorful cover art
- The premise sounds interesting: A 12-year-old girl notices her mother displaying disturbing behavior, the kind that has previously landed her in a mental hospital. Desperate to fix her mom, the girl puts her faith in Bee Lady's magic honey, only to find the solution may have more to do with healing her own heart. Sounds like a sweet read.
9. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf. Why?
10. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Why?
- A high school senior decides to reexamine a murder that rocked her town five years ago for her senior project. What could possibly go wrong? Now that's a compelling premise right there!
There you go. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What other books do I need to add to my library e-book wishlist? What books have you bought/borrowed lately and why? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
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