Sunday, April 19, 2020

The Sunday Post #220



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

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The Sunday Post #220





On The Blog In The Past Two Weeks







On The Blog This Week


I ran out of scheduled posts, and daily yoga has made my carpal tunnel unbearable, so I might take a break from posting this week. (Carpal tunnel is also my excuse for not having a Sunday Post last week. I swear I tried to type it. I gave up because I was just slapping my numb fingers against the keyboard and hoping they’d make words. They did not.)




In My Reading Life


Here’s two weeks of reading. Get ready:

I finished They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I got bored with the plot because there isn’t much of it. (At one point, we watch characters swing on monkey bars. Thrilling, right?) But the slow plot isn’t too off-putting because the sci-fi concept is fascinating, and the characters are loveable. Even though I knew they would both die at the end, I WAS STILL SAD! The story is set in an alternate present where people get a phone call 24 hours before they die. The novel is about how two teenagers spend their last day.




Then I read Berserker by Emmy Laybourne. If you’re in the mood for an entertaining historical horror story, this one might satisfy you. It stars a group of siblings who flee Norway after committing several murders. They travel to the American frontier to find their uncle, but since the siblings have strange, murderous superpowers, they’re pursued by powerful enemies. The book has some action, some gore, a few twists. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it will stick in my mind for very long. It doesn’t have much depth. The characters are all a bit bland or stereotypical. I love the loyalty between the siblings, though!




My biggest reading success was This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. It’s a slice-of-life graphic novel about two young girls who find themselves on the fringes of adult situations. Rose’s mother is having fertility issues, which causes tension in the family. Rose also gets caught up in some teen pregnancy drama that happens with a group of older kids. I found the characters relatable, and I love the setting and the artwork, but the plot is slightly disappointing. It goes in a ton of different directions. Nothing is really resolved at the end. But, I’ll definitely read more books by these authors. Their art is so pretty!




Then I read Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss. I’m conflicted about this book because the themes are brilliant. It’s about the invisible walls that stop people from understanding each other. The characters are doing an experimental anthropology project where they try to live like ancient Britons. The project goes wrong when a few members get too wrapped up in their own selfish agendas. They are incapable (or unwilling) to see how their actions are hurting the rest of the group. I’m conflicted about this book because I didn’t like the writing style. It’s very . . . rambley. This is one of those books with no quotation marks, minimal action, and paragraphs that go on for pages. To me, it feels like a short story with a lot of unnecessary padding. Everything else is so good, though!




Right now, I’m reading The Outsider by Stephen King. I ruined the book for myself because I’ve already seen the TV show. (*Gasp!*) The story centers on a team of detectives who are trying to solve a murder that may have been committed by a supernatural creature. I think I’d like the book more if I didn’t already know the twists. Stephen King books tend to be very slow. I keep getting impatient because I know where it’s going.






In The Rest Of My Life


Five things that made me happy in the past two weeks:

  1. Easter! I ate so much food. The pandemic put a damper on the celebrations, but at least there was chocolate cake.
  2. I took a break from Twitter and taught myself how to make Instagram Stories. They’re fun to make, but I’m not sure what to put in them. I have no life. The stories I’ve posted are mostly just my dog doing dog stuff. The dog has a more interesting existence than me.
  3. Speaking of my boring life, I drove the car in circles to celebrate my lockdown anniversary. I have not left my neighborhood since March 17. I’m not working anymore, and all my food is delivered. I only go outside to walk the dog. (And make Instagram Stories about walking the dog.) I’m irrationally terrified that I’ll forget how to drive. On April 17, I drove up and down the street. I’m happy to report that I haven’t forgotten!
  4. I got a buff to use as a mask for walking the dog. Finding a comfortable mask has been a challenge. The buff is still too warm for me, but it’s way more comfortable than a bandanna. Also, my buff looks like mermaid scales, so I’m making a fashion statement.
  5. For about a week, this blog was getting 1000+ pageviews a day. I guess people are bored? I’m grateful for the extra traffic, but OMG, the comments. We’ll have to discuss those someday. I have thoughts about how humans should behave on the internet.





Let’s Be Friends (From 6 Feet Apart)










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











44 comments:

  1. I've been trying to drive my car once a week just to make sure it's still running! I definitely don't use Instagram stories as much as other people. Their's are all so fancy, and I'm just like, here's another picture.

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  2. I do go out for food shopping once a week, but that's it. So, you go out more than me. Maybe I would go out more, if the weather was nicer? Maybe. Sorry your carpel is flaring. I hope a little break alleviates some of your pain. I wish we had had chocolate cake last week, but I'm the only one who would have been happy. Oh, well.

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  3. That was a funny image of you typing with numb fingers. And I watched the Outsider as well, before the book. You have to tell me if the book is better. Well, it should be, but still keep us known.

    I hope you have a great week ahead.

    Gayathri @ Elgee Writes

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  4. Oh yes, it IS pretty warm behind the mask. No matter what sort. I use a simple one that looks like those doctors use. Only that mine isn´t a medical mask. Stay safe and healthy and happy reading.

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  5. I'm tired of reading. Since that's all I do. How can I be tired of reading? Has it really come to this?

    I am spending huge amounts of time watching birds at my feeder.

    Right now, my husband is my best friend, my cockatiel is second, and the red cardinal is third. I've got to get more animals.

    I don't feel like an interesting person.

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  6. I've definitely followed a few bookstagrammers for their pet stories, just saying! I've been MIA there lately because I have no room to take pics right now! Trying to find time to catch up all the time!
    So sorry about the carpal tunnel. I suffer from it from time to time and it's miserable. :(
    I hope you have a good week! Happy reading!

    Stacy Renee | LazyDayLit

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  7. I also struggle with carpal tunnel syndrome...although it is better now that I got a new mouse pad.

    Enjoy your week and stay safe and sane.

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  8. Sorry about the carpal tunnel... that's such a pain. Mine has been pretty good lately. Haven't even had to wear the braces much. My sister had the surgery, but hers was much worse. Life hasn't been that exciting here either. Seems like I'm cooking all the time, but at least I still get to take my walks.

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  9. Bwahahaha I get why you say the dog has a more interesting life than you AJ! These days as my daughter is in her dorm for weeks she asks me video of ...the dog! LOL

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  10. Yes it's a weird time. We do the best we can. It won't last forever. We are comfortable enough at home and have plenty to do, eat and read. I'm glad we have Lulu to encourage us to go out in the yard. Of course, I did do a garden and I'll need to mow the lawn again soon.

    Stay safe and have a great week! Happy reading!

    Anne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post   

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  11. Stay safe... it's a weird time we're living. I have a bit of carpal tunnel, it ain't fun. Hang in there.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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  12. Easter food was good. I liked the food but I missed our usual Easter. :(
    I'm glad you're working out Insta stories! I have no idea how any of that works and I'm not sure I'm tempted to even try, lol. I'd totally watch the dog videos though, because, dogs. :)

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  13. Yeah, I think I'll pass on They Both Die at the End. I'm not a fan of a sad ending. Too many of them in real life so I'll keep them out of my entertainment. Hope your carpal tunnel gets better. That completely sucks.

    I read *listened* The Good Marriage by Stephen King a while back and I just noticed they made it into a movie. Hope you enjoy The Outsider despite knowing some of the twists. Happy reading, AJ! :)

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  14. I love Instagram, but don't really know how to use the stories correctly. Maybe something I should tackle during this time at home :)

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  15. The theme of Ghost Walk seems to reflect recent events ie. the protests to lift lockdown, its a shame you found it rambly though, I was interested in the premise.
    My life is never Facebook worthy, lock down or not lol

    Wishing you a great reading week and good health

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  16. Oh no sorry to hear about the carpal tunnel. I've heard it's super painful, I hope you get some relief from it soon!

    I love Easter. and chocolate cake obviously is always good. We had some ice cream this week too which we don't buy often so it was smiles all around.

    I need to look seriously into food delivery situation.

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  17. Urg! That is SO painful. I've got a mousemat with a wrist-rest AND a wrist-rest in front of my keyboard. And I also have a special mouse that I grip. All these things have helped ease down the soreness in my arm and tingling in my fingers, so that most of the time it isn't a problem.

    I know what you mean about the driving - I took the car for a short spin to the beach and spent my time dodging suicidal pigeons who have got used to strutting about in the road! Have a peaceful, though less boring, week:))

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  18. I had no idea what a buff was so I had to look that up. I learned something today so I call the day a success. We did nothing for Easter but then again we never do anything for Easter so I can't exactly blame that on the virus. Ha.

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  19. I'm glad Easter was good for you! Mine turned out fairly well too, even though it sucks not seeing my nieces and nephew in person. I really liked This One Summer, and I own They Both Die at the End so I'll read that at some point.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  20. Berserker sounds awesome and super entertaining. I am glad you had a nice Easter. Mine was fun as it was also my dad's birthday. I spent the day baking.

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  21. There is a show for The OutsideR? I didn't know that. I want to read the book still, eventually.
    Sorry you have carpal tunnel ): painful.

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  22. I'm so sorry to hear about the carpal tunnel. Sounds awful! Hopefully a rest will help. I'm driving for the first time in over a month tomorrow. It'll be interesting and I'm a bit nervous. I hope you have a great week!

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  23. I'm sorry your carpal tunnel is giving you so much trouble. I'm expecting I'll have a flare up any day now given the amount I'm on my work laptop. I have an ergo keyboard, but it developed a couple of inoperable keys that are kind of important for doing my work. Of course, getting a replacement from work is not a priority right now. I'll make due was best I can. I'm sorry They Both Die At the End wasn't better. I've wondered about that one. Berserker sounds like a lot of fun. This One Summer is another one I really want to read.

    I hope your wrists are feeling better soon. I know we're stuck with it forever, but I appreciate those moments when we are pain free. Take care and stay safe and well.

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  24. Okay, you have thoroughly intrigued me with that last part---I need to know about these weird comments. Are they spam post worthy or is this a whole new breed of awful in which regular bloggers type this that are just as obnoxious as spammers. Inquiring minds want to know!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  25. I'm starting a virtual book club with some friends, and it's my turn next to pick a book. I considered They Both Die at the End, but the lack of plot doesn't sound interesting to me right now at all. I wonder if driving is like riding a bike, then. Stay well!

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  26. Sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel being so bad. That's nice you found a cool looking buff to use as mask when walking the dog. That's awesome your blog got so much pageviews suddenly.

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  27. I'm pretty sure my dog is more interesting than me too.

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  28. I'm sorry for the carpal tunnel pain. I've pretty much been staying inside, except going to the grocery store. My husband has been doing the driving so I know your fear of forgetting how :) Take care and stay safe.

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  29. wow I had no idea you dealt with Carpal Tunnel....my sympathies. I have no clue how you manage that. I know what numb hands are like when I get a pinched nerve and I have all this blogging stuff to do lol its the worst.

    Hope you are having a good week.

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  30. Days are definitely blurring together over here, though I'm weirdly content in my little bubble. Berserker was fun, This One Summer was okay (like you, I enjoyed the art more than the actual story), They Both Die at the End was excellent (even though I kept hoping the title was a misdirection, not a warning), and there's no way in hell I'm reading Stephen King. He freaks me out.
    I can't imagine trying to blog through carpal tunnel. Sheesh. Take it easy and give yourself time to recover.

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  31. Oof hope the carpal tunnel gets better!

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  32. Ouch, carpal tunnel sounds like no fun. Yes do a discussion post on the comments, I'm wildly curious about them now! This One Summer sounds like a good read, but I don't read much graphic art books and I have no idea why. I think I need to experiment more with them.

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  33. Hmm, I enjoyed The Outsider, but I haven't seen the show. Maybe I should watch it.

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  34. Getting a phone call 24 hours before you die could be a problem in our household as we don't answer the phone much to avoid cold callers! I still have seven Easter eggs and all my mini eggs left to munch on!

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  35. I have bad carpel tunnel too, which makes just about anything difficult, so I understand.
    They Both Die at the End and Berserker are both on my TBR, and the others look interesting as well. I never understood insta stories either- which is funny because I post A LOT on my snapchat. So maybe I should just post the same stuff to my instagram? I feel like I don't have an interesting life but people tell me I do. It's all fake I swear.
    We had an interesting easter, we did an Easter egg hunt with Finn, and the easter bunny came. We haven't gone very far either, no more than 5 miles or so. And that's to get groceries and to get stuff for our garden, because we have to do something so we don't go completely mad. Hubby is still working though, so he's out and about every day. How are you getting that many pageviews and comments a day!? I comment on 50+ blogs every other day and still get only a comment or two. You're famous! LOl
    Have a great week!

    Ash @ JennReneeRead

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  36. Ugh the carpel tunnel pain is bad, sometimes I get a touch in my right wrist. Ghost Wall sounds good. I loved The Outsider the book, and the show was good also.
    lol I haven't driven in 31 days! I was joking that I might forget how to also.

    I ordered a few of those buff style masks/wraps too for us but they are delayed with the delivery, so it's been several weeks and they still aren't here. Stay well and happy reading this week.

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  37. I've been wondering about reading They Both Die At the End... I don't know quite what's holding me back. Thanks for sharing your feelings on it!

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  38. Ugh, carpal tunnel sucks. I hope you're able to get some relief from it soon. I've only left my neighborhood once in the past three weeks. It's definitely an odd time we are living through. Good luck with your instagram stories. I've found that I'm just as awkward with those as I am with all of my other social media, lol.

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  39. Berserker sounds very interesting and I've been meaning to read some reviews on The Outsider by Stephen KIng because that too looks interesting. Have a great week!

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  40. I've always wanted to read They All Die in the End by Adam Silvera. It sounds interesting from the way you described it, but I hope the plot isn't as boring once I do read it. I definitely need a Twitter break as well :) Nice to hear you've been walking the dog. Sometimes we need a breath of fresh air!

    jillian @ jillian etc.

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  41. Sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel. That must be difficult.
    They Both Die At The End was too slow/boring for me. And knowing the ending did not help me, lol. Glad you liked it though!
    I’ve never heard of Berserker before, but it seems interesting! The fact that the characters are boring is a little bit of a worry, but the plot sounds like it might make up for it.
    Great post Aj!
    - Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical

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  42. I'm so sorry you're having carpal tunnel! That stinks. I've got a frozen (and painful) shoulder, so I sympathize.

    Did you find any good tutorials on making Instagram Stories? I know how to post something, but I don't know how people get them to look so cool.

    Hope your week has gone well, and your hand is feeling better.

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  43. I am so that you are having to deal with carpal tunnel. It is horrible. I have had the shots which helped a bit. They said that they would do surgery if I wanted it (I don't). I have kind of gotten used to having numb fingers. You have been able to get a lot of reading done. I really liked Berserker but was less thrilled by the sequel. My dogs definitely lead a more exciting life than I do.

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  44. Love that you got chocolate cake on easter. I've been in love with Godavia ganache chocolate. You hear about ganache a lot in this baking shows but it's like love in a square.

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