Monthly Wrap-up: July 2017

July life in a few words:

• Charlie turned 3 months old.
• Rain.
• Exhaustion. 
• Good books.
• New car!
• More rain.
• There isn't enough hours in the day. 

I read some good books in July, as you can see by their ratings below. Dangerous

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas 

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 3

Total Number of Fiction: 3

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 0

Total Books Read from My Shelves: 1

Total Library Books Read: 2 (Dangerous Girls was from Rivited)

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 0

eBooks: 2

Audio Book: 1

Genres Read:

Young Adult, Mystery,Suspense, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Total Books Read in 2017: 15

Sunday Wrap-up: July 9, 2017

Hello everyone,

I'm racing to get this posted before midnight, as I have another one already lined up to be published. I try to spread out my posts throughout the week. But because I've made some good reading progress lately and I'm reading two different books, I thought I'd do this Sunday wrap-up.

My Reading Progress:

I have completed 2 books since my last update.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I listened to this contemporary fiction in audio format via the Overdrive app. I enjoyed it and hope to read more from this author. 

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really liked this historical fiction set in Niagara Falls. Not only was it a great history lesson on my own province, but it is set in a location I've been several times. 

Currently Reading

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. 

Happy reading! 

Links

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Monthly Wrap-up: June 2017

Yesterday Canada celebrated it's 150th birthday! Hoping all my fellow Canadians had a wonderful day. 

Well I know the people in my area won't be sad to see the month of June come to an end. It rained pretty much everyday. The majority of my township was flooded out. Roads were washed out and farmers fields looked more like lakes. Luckily my family didn't have any water damage, but many we know weren't so fortunate. Hopefully July will bring sunny days.

Charles turned 2 months old on the 19th. He is doing amazing and is officially grown out of size newborn clothes and diapers.

Now onto the books..

Another month with 2 books completed. However I made great progress on two other books, but didn't quite get them finished by the end of the month.

🌟🌟🌟 The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott
Rating: 3/5
My Thoughts: The Little Shadows follows three sisters who make up a Vaudeville act in the years before and during World War I. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book that I started to get into the story. While I found parts to be interesting, I didn't have a strong connection to the characters and felt it was far too long of a book.

🌟🌟🌟.5  If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin
Rating: 3.5/5
My Thoughts: I was sent a copy of If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin, from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book follows a teenager whose boyfriend has disappeared. I enjoyed this emotional story and how the author chose to focus on the grief associated with losing someone.

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 2

Total Number of Fiction: 2

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 1

Total Books Read from My Shelves: 0

Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 1

eBooks: 1

Audio Books: 0

Genres Read:

Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary. 

Total Books Read in 2017: 12

Back in January I posted 2017 First Quarter TBR: January-March from this list I have completed all but one book. That book I have yet to read is:

I hope to complete this one soon. Now here we are at the end of the second quarter. I didn't end up doing a TBR for this quarter, because well it simply slipped my mind. 

And because I'm overly ambitious I have come up with another challenge for myself. For this one I have divided the books on my back-list since 2007, into years. After I have completed these I will reward myself with a Book Outlet order. Click on the link below to check out that post:

Reading Catch-up: 2007

And that's all for now. I hope you had a wonderful June and happy reading.

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Currently Reading: June 19, 2017

Quick update: I meant to do a Sunday wrap-up yesterday, but due to the rainstorms we were having my internet was down.

My Reading Progress

I recently completed 2 books since my last update.

I found Marina Endicott's The Little Shadows to be beautifully written, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I gave this book 2.5-3 stars. 

If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin is a book I was sent for review and centers around a young woman whose boyfriend goes missing. It was a quick read that I enjoyed. I gave it a 3.5 star rating.

Currently Reading:

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Sunday Wrap-up: June 4, 2017

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update today as I am quite tired. Charles is currently passed out on my arm (which is fall asleep itself) so I'm typing this post with one hand. Multitasking is definitely a huge part of parenthood, ha. Things are going well on my end though. I'm feeling good and keeping very busy. Thankfully I've been finding some time to read. Even sitting down and reading a couple of pages here and there is better than not reading at all. I especially like to have an eBook open on my Kindle for PC, during feedings. It seems that I've been doing most of my progress that way, which is fine because I have quite a few books downloaded in that app.

Problem with Blogger?
To those of you who use Blogger, have you noticed any trouble publishing and saving lately? I have been trying to update my pages, but my updates don't seem to save. Instead I keep getting a "Revert to Draft" option. I sent in feedback on this problem to Blogger, but have yet to hear back from them. Could it possibly be that the pages I am trying to update are at their maxim limit? If any of you could give me some advice on how to remedy this, I would greatly appreciate it.

My Reading Progress:

I completed The Littlest Cowboy this week. Thankfully it wasn't a long novel, as it wasn't really my cup of tea, but I hate not finishing a book that I've started so I read to the end. 

Currently Reading

Yes, I'm still plugging away at The Little Shadows. I'm determined to finish it this week though. 

This morning I began reading If You're Gone, a book that I was sent for review months ago, but haven't been able to get to until now. 

And that's all for now. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

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Monthly Wrap-up: May 2017

Another whirlwind month has come and gone. It was full to the brim with a growing baby, my brothers wedding and a family reunion. I also celebrated my first Mother's Day.

The wedding was just beautiful. I am so happy for my brother and my new sister in-law. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The weather was great and the winery where the reception was held was just beautiful. It was nice to see my family who flew in from Newfoundland. It was the first time in more than 20 years that all my Dad's brothers and sisters were together. My Grandmother was so proud. Coming up for the wedding also gave them the opportunity to meet Charles. The poor thing was probably so confused as to who would be holding him next, but he was a good boy and hardly fussed.

Now that everyone has gone home and all the wedding events are behind us, we can get some much needed rest. But not too much with a newborn in the house, of course ha. Speaking of which my baby boy is now 6 weeks old. He is becoming more bright and focused with each passing day and is finally starting to gain some weight.

Now lets talk about my reading progress during the month of May:

I completed 2 books this past month. That is better than April, but still not as much as I completed pre-baby. I have been spending a fair amount of time reading though. The book I have been reading for some time now (see: Currently Reading image) is quite long, so it is taking me much longer than I had hoped it would. I plan to finish it up within the next couple of days.

🌟🌟🌟.5  No Safe Harbor (Edge of Freedom, #1) by Elizabeth Ludwig
Rating: 3.5/5
My Thoughts: No Safe Harbor is a historical fiction set in late 1800's New York City. It follows a young Irish lady named Cara who comes to NYC in search of her brother who she previously thought was dead. It was a good book that I would recommend. However I enjoyed the second book in this series more than the first.

🌟.5 The Littlest Cowboy (The Texas Brands #1) by Maggie Shayne 
Rating: 1.5/5
My Thoughts: An orpahaned baby boy left on the steps of the Brand family ranch, followed by the arrival of his aunt who harbors a traumatic past. I can't begin to count the number of eye rolls I did while reading The Littlest Cowboy. I liked the concept of the story, but way it progressed wasn't my cup of tea.

The Stats:

Total Number of Books Read: 2

Total Number of Fiction: 2

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 0

Total Books Read From My Shelves: 2

Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 0

eBooks: 2

Audio Books: 0

Genres Read: 

Historical fiction, Christian fiction

Contemporary Romance

Total Books Read in 2017: 10

What did you read during the month of May? Leave me as message in the comments. Happy June and happy reading to all.

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Sunday Wrap-up: May 14, 2017

Is wishing all the Mommy's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! 

Every year on Mother's Day my family and I go out for a special brunch. So earlier this week I called the restaurant to reserve our table, the man asked me how many mothers will be in our party. I went to respond with "one", but had to do a double take and correct myself. There are two mommy's now! Baby Charles will be a month old on Wednesday and I still find it surreal that he is mine. 

My Reading Progress:

I finished reading No Safe Harbor (Edge of Freedom, #1) by Elizabeth Ludwig, earlier this week. I read the second book in this series a couple of years ago and enjoyed that book more than this one. Still it was a decent story and I gave it 3.5 stars. 

Currently Reading

I have been working on reading The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott, for a while now. Its a longer book and moving along slowly. 

The Littlest Cowboy (The Texas Brands #1) by Maggie Shayne has been on my Kindle for PC TBR for quite a while now. I was just in the mood for an easy contemporary and this one seems to fit that bill. 

And that is all for now. 

Happy reading everyone! 

Links

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Monthly Wrap-up: April 2017

Well the month of April was quite a whirlwind for me. I admit that the first couple of weeks just dragged on as my due date got closer, The further along in my pregnancy I got, the more uncomfortable and anxious I became, Then there was the added stress of having to move again. I am so thankful for my family and friends who stepped up once again to help us. I don't know how we would have gotten it all done without them.

We welcomed our baby boy Charles to the world on April 19. Labour and delivery went smoothly and I had a great team of nurses and doctors around me, as well as my husband and mom.

I am so in love with my sweet little boy. It still feels so surreal that he is finally here and that we are parents. Charles is only less than 2 weeks old now, but he has already brought so much joy to our lives,

Here is my reading progress for the month:

Only one book completed in April. I was a bit preoccupied, hehe.

🌟🌟🌟.5 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 
Rating: 3.5/5
This book follows a curmudgeon middle-aged widower and a colourful cast of neighbors who keep foiling his plans to commit suicide, It was a humerous story despite the description and I would recommend it to those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

The Stats 

Total Number of Books Read: 1
Total Number of Fiction: 1
Total Number of Non-fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 0
Total Books Read From My Shelves: 1
Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 0
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 0

Genres Read:

Contemporary: 1

Total Books Read in 2017: 8 

Once again I don't have a set TBR for May, but I hope I can sneak in some reading in between feedings and diaper changes. 

Wishing you all a wonderful may. 

Hosted by: Book Date 

Currently Reading: April 17, 2017

Quick Update: My due date isn't actually until Friday, but my doctor said the baby could come at any time. I am getting so anxious and just want my little boy to be here. Fingers crossed that he makes his appearance soon. I have a couple of scheduled posts coming up, but if I go MIA for a while, you will all know why. :) I will update when I can.

Currently Reading

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott: This book is one of the first things I pinned to my "Books I Want to Read" board when I joined pinterest. I was at my local library recently and came across it, so decided now was a good time to pick it up. The book follows three young sisters who are Vaudeville performers in the early 1900's and so far it is keeping my attention. 

No Safe Harbor (Edge of Freedom, Book 1) by Elizabeth Ludwig: I read the second book in this historical fiction series before I was able to get this one and I loved it. I recently downloaded the Kindle App on my phone and this is the the first book I've read on it. I wasn't sure if I'd like reading a book on my cell, but so far its been good and more convenient than bringing along a chunky novel or my Kobo. 

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. 

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Monthly Wrap-up: March 2017

Hello everyone,

Well March was kind of a crappy month on my end. I've been trying to get over a bad cold for the past three weeks. Just when I think that it is starting to go away it comes back with a vengeance. Being pregnant I can't really take anything to help me get better, so I've just been trying to get a lot of rest and keep hydrated.

I turned 30 on the first of the month. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I enjoyed dinner with my family to celebrate. And then that weekend, my mom threw me a baby shower, which was nice.

Other than that I've just been counting down the weeks until my due date. Only about 3 more weeks to go! We are all so excited for our new arrival to make his grand appearance.

Let's move on to my very dismal reading progress..

I was really hoping that I would complete more books in the month of March, but this cold has kicked the crap out of me and I haven't felt much like reading, unfortunately. It looks like I'm not going to meet me goal for the first quarter TBR, but what can ya do?

🌟🌟🌟 A Vote for Murder (Murder, She Wrote #22) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Rating: 3/5
Beloved mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is invited to Washington D.C. to attend a literary event, when a senators chief of staff is found murdered. This audio book was narrated by Cynthia Darlow.
Favourite Part: The relationship between Jessica and her Scotland Yard friend.
Recommendations:  I would recommend A Vote for Murder to fans of the television show Murder, She Wrote.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Empress Holds the Key (Jack Rogan Mysteries, #2) by Gabriel Farago 
Rating: 4/5
An old war-time picture is discovered in a burned down cabin depicting a Nazi officer, uncovers a trail connecting a violin to a Vatican cover-up that could change the fate of Christianity.
Favourite Part: How the author connected all the different time periods together.
Recommendations: I would recommend The Empress Holds the Key to fans of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series.

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 2

Total Number of Fiction: 2

Total Number of Non-fiction: 0

Total Books Sent for Review: 1

Total Books Read from My Shelves: 0

Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read:

Physical Books: 0

eBooks: 1

Audio Book: 1

Genres Read:

Mysteries: 2

Thriller/ Suspense: 1

Total Books Read in 2017: 7

I don't have a set TBR for April at the moment. All of my books are still packed up and I'm not sure when I will get them all unpacked. So it looks like this month I will just pick up whatever catches my interest. 

Did you do a monthly wrap-up for March? If so I'd love to check it out, so be sure to leave me your links in the comments below. 

Wishing you all a wonderful April. 

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Currently Reading: March 13, 2017

I didn't really have much of an update to do yesterday for a Sunday Wrap-up, so I decided to do a Currently Reading post instead..

Currently Reading

I'm still chipping away at The Empress Holds the Key. I'm currently at 72%, so hopefully it won't take me too much longer to complete. 

I also started reading A Man Called Ove, this past week. I am considering joined a local book club and this is the first book chosen. I'm not sure how much I will be able to commit to the club, or if I will even be able to attend the monthly meet-ups, but I like the idea of connecting with other book lovers in my community. 

Have you ever read A Man Called Ove? If so what did you think of it?

Hope you all have a wonderful week. 

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