Sunday, January 16, 2022

The Sunday Post #290

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.




The Sunday Post #290





On The Blog Last Week






On The Blog This Week


  • On Tuesday, I talk about my most-anticipated middle grade releases for 2022.





In My Reading Life


Last week, I read The Chrysalis by Brendan Deneen. I was given this book as a gift, and it doesn't have great reviews, so was fully prepared for it to suck. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I didn't hate it. Is it the best horror novel ever? Definitely not, but I flew through it because it's fast-paced and entertaining.

It's about a man and his pregnant wife who are searching for a cheap place to live. Since they don't have much money, they have to buy a creepy old murder house (of course). The husband discovers a giant chrysalis on the basement wall. He becomes obsessed with petting, feeding, and licking (yes, licking) it. As you'd expect, bad stuff happens. Here's the moral of the story: If you find a slime-covered chrysalis in the basement of a creepy old murder house, keep your mouth to yourself! Nothing good will come from tasting it.

This book is a bit shallow and cliche. It doesn't have great writing or great character development. I could not stop reading it, though! I always wanted to know what would happen next. Would the couple survive? What was in the chrysalis? I had to know!

(Maybe this book is a chrysalis? Maybe I accidentally licked it and got addicted to bad horror?)

Anyway, if you want something fun and uncomplicated to read, this book is for you.




Then I read Picnic At Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. This one is an Australian classic. It's set in 1900 and follows the teachers and students at a girls' college. Twenty of the girls and their teachers go for a picnic at Hanging Rock (as you could probably guess). A few girls and one teacher decide to climb the rock. They vanish. There's chaos and mystery.

I love the characters and how quickly the action starts. The author doesn't ramble. We're immediately dropped into a wild setting and introduced to a big cast of characters. For a classic, the pacing moves pretty quickly. I was surprised that the mystery isn't the main focus of the book. It's a starting point. It's the first domino that falls. The story shows how a tragedy can ripple through a community and spark other tragedies.

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and end of the book. I got bogged down in the middle. It suddenly shifts from a mystery to an almost-somewhat-romance. I was impatient to get back to the mystery and didn't want to watch rich teenagers float around on their private lake. That's a "me" problem. If you don't mind almost-somewhat-romances, you might like the detour.




Right now, I'm reading The Diviners by Libba Bray. So far, I love it! This is exactly the type of historical fantasy I've been searching for. It's atmospheric and full of 1920s slang and quirky characters. It's very slow, though. I can't tell you what it's about because I don't think the plot has started yet. I don't know what it's about. Supernatural murders, I think?






In The Rest Of My Life


Five things that made me happy last week:

  1. I went to the eye doctor for the first time in years. Eye doctors are always impressed by how terrible my vision is. It kind of feels like an accomplishment at this point. Don't read books, kids. They'll ruin your eyes. I'm excited to get new glasses.
  2. It was my sister's birthday. Carrot cake happened.
  3. New books! (Don't tell the old books that I haven't read yet.)
  4. Catching up on the "Best Books Of 2021" lists that I saved for later. This is why I acquired new books. You book people are a bad influence!
  5. I'm still obsessed with TikTok. I've been watching videos about art and painting. How are people so talented? Why am I not one of those talented people?




Please Lick My Social Media Chrysalis. Nothing Bad Ever Happens On Social Media.











Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!










35 comments:

  1. Enjoy the new glasses. Seeing well is a great thing. (tell my double vision that) Glad The Chrysalis was better than expected. Always a treat. I admire that you even read it. I am so easily swayed by negative review. My daughter screams about The Diviners and how much history she learned from the series. Enjoy!

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  2. "A creepy old murder house." lol I love that description. And warning duly noted: don't lick slime-covered chrysalis.

    Yum on the carrot cake. Cream cheese frosting is divine.
    I just picked up my new glasses this week. Same prescription (or at least it barely changed) but for some reason it's still an adjustment.

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  3. Yum, I LOVE carrot cake!

    As I clicked through my book lists for previous years, I realized that I had read and reviewed almost everything I bought in 2021! Before you congratulate me, though, I still have some from previous years unread.

    Out of 101 books purchased last year, I only have 8 still unread!

    Have a great week!

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  4. Wha ha ha!! Loved that picture. Made me laugh. Picnic at Hanging Rock has been on my radar for some time. I did start watching the mini series, but found it confusing. Maybe I shouldn't have been blogging at the same time you know.

    Still not on Tik Tok. Want to get the kids at school to do it for me. Child labour??

    Enjoy the new glasses!!

    Have a good week and happy reading with those new glasses.

    Elza Reads

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  5. I have yet to read a Libba Bray book and have had Going Bovine on my TBR list for years! Some day....

    Carrot cake--yum! New glasses and new books? A stellar week, I'd say.

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  6. Love the meme at the top! I loved The Diviners and need to read on in that series myself. My sister does TikTok videos about painting and drawing. I get on TikTok and love the videos of romance authors, teachers, and dachhsunds. lol Have a great week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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  7. Ew licking a chrysalis! Lol. Gross! Although the book does sound good!

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  8. I read The Divines a while back and I remember it being reaaaallly long and slow. I liked the concept of it though. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!

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  9. I love the graphic. But Lulu loves her sweaters and jackets and blankets! Enjoy your new reads!

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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  10. I laughed when I saw the description of The Chrysalis. I watched a movie last night where a young couple could only afford to buy a murder house. There was no chrysalis but things didn't go as happy as they hoped.

    Hope you have a great week!

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  11. I need to go to the eye doctor soon. I haven’t been in a while. I’ve had glasses for reading since college but my distance vision is still good…I think. Have a great week!

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  12. We had to postpone our eye doctor appointments when we got sick after Christmas. I think it's coming up. I wonder if reading does hurt your eyes...

    The Diviners looks great. Hopefully it will be, and then you will learn it's a 20-part series.

    Have a super week!

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  13. I am glad you enjoyed The Chrysalis. I've been wanting to read The Diviners and am glad to hear you are enjoying it. I hope you have a great week!

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  14. Ok, the Chrysalis sounds disgusting!! Why would you lick it? And I have enjoyed Libba Bray's books in the past!

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  15. I've limited myself to IG reels. I'm afraid that I'd lose too much of my life if I started with TikTok :) Happy reading!

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  16. I too have terrible vision! I really should go to the eye doctor, it's been awhile!

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  17. I feel like a chrysalis in the basement would compel me to leave lol. And it doesn't seem fair that reading hurts our eyes. why are all the good things so bad for us???

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  18. I got Lasik years ago, but a handful of years later started wearing glasses again. Still, I can almost get away without them, which is a big step up from how blind I used to be. Off to go check out your list of 2022 YA books...

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  19. I agree the Best Books Of 2021 has done serious damage to my tbr as well! So many great books out there.

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  20. Ok so dully noted do not lick things found in creepy murder houses. Thanks for sharing hope you have a great week.

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  21. I love The Diviners and was just thinking about how I need to read the last book.

    Carrot cake is my fave, happy bday to your sister!

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  22. You're so funny! I love it! Is Hanging Rock the same as Ayers Rock in Australia? Gives me the creeps looking at its pictures, as I've seen a few scary movies about it.

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  23. Quite hilarious content, thanks for making me laugh!
    After we lose our eyes to reading, we can still listen to them, until our ears go too, lol

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  24. Hmmm? I've had The Diviners on my Kindle since 2014. I really should give it a try. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  25. You made me laugh with the eye doctor comment and that being an achievment AJ! Also I loved The Diviners! And if you can listen to the book, the narrator is excellent!

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  26. I'm supposed to get my eyes checked every year. It's been 7 years.

    This post made me laugh several times. Thank you!

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  27. As someone who worked for a decade in a large ophthalmology practice, I can confirm, that yes, we are impressed with really bad vision. :-) I'm glad yours is something that can be corrected with glasses!

    "If you find a slime-covered chrysalis in the basement of a creepy old murder house, keep your mouth to yourself!" Keeping your mouth to yourself sounds like good advice for life in general.

    The Picnic at Hanging Rock has been on my TBR forever. I finally put it on my Classics Club list so that hopefully I'll get to it faster.

    Enjoy your week!

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  28. I'm a little bit addicted to TikTok too, but my weird viewing is cleaning videos. If you saw my house, you'd know how weird that is. - Melinda @ A Web of Stories

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  29. I've been wearing my glasses more and more these days. I also have contacts but they just don't feel right. Maybe we do have to stop reading as much?! LOL! Who am I kidding?! :D:D
    Have a great week and happy reading.

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  30. Oh! I love that meme - is that what it's called? I love how described The Chrysalis! Oh my dear, but your are talented! Your writing style had me chuckling this morning! Happy reading!

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  31. I have no art talent either! :) The Chrysalis sounds quite strange but interesting.

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  32. Omg, I had to laugh at your description of The Chrysalis! Glad you liked it more than you thought you would. That's always a happy surprise. I feel like my eyesight has declined since I started reading a lot of books. I guess I should read more by audio. Have a great week, A.J.!

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  33. Sometimes a cheesy read is the best one! I haven't read Picnic at Hanging Rock but I did enjoy the film. Happy belated birthday to your sister and carrot cake is the best, well actually it's second after lemon drizzle cake, though any cake is good.

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  34. I'm laughing so hard at that meme lol

    I just went to the eye Dr this morning for the first time in 3 years. We moved and then...all this happened...and was hard to get into a new Dr. I was irrationally excited about the whole thing ha!

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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  35. Before I started reading hardcore, my vision was perfect! Now, I gotta wear glasses when I read to avoid eye strain. So while I love reading, it does mess with your eyesight... sadly. But I hope your new glasses make reading easier!

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