Saturday, May 14, 2016

Sunday Post: Cheesecake, Redshirts & the Winner of My May TBR List Poll

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 


We went from a cool and rainy weekend last weekend to a sunny and warm one this weekend. I expect another rather ordinary week for us this coming week--not that I'm complaining. Often times I prefer those. As I sorted through a stack of letters and cards I had not yet filed away, I found a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory, and so my husband, Mouse, and I had lunch there after soccer on Saturday. Yum! At least it was yum for Anjin and me. Mouse was less than thrilled, but she's hard to please.

How did your week go? What have you been up to?
Book Blogger Hop


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.


Is there a reason you chose Blogger over Word Press or a different platform? (submitted by Elizabeth
Blogger is the platform my husband uses for his platform, and since I am not in any way as computer savvy as he is, I went the same route when starting mine. The free thing played into it too, of course. I do pay for my address now, but it's such a small annual fee. I was a part of a group blog on Word Press for a short time, but it never really took for me. I have been happy with Blogger for the most part, with only minor complaints, and have never felt the need to change. What about you? If you blog, which platform do you use and what made you chose it?


What I Am Reading: I finished reading A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi earlier this past week. I liked it better than I initially thought I would. I haven't picked up another book since finishing it--unless you count the audiobook I read Friday. Tonight I hope to start on my winner of my May TBR List Poll (see below for the winning book!). I'm quite excited about it too!


What I Am Listening to: When I switched over to my new cell phone, I lost the audiobook I had been listening to, Carsick by John Waters. I could easily have just downloaded it again, but decided against it. While funny at times, I just wasn't enjoying it all that much. It's there if I change my mind. Friday, while cleaning the house, I listened to John Scalzi's Redshirts, narrated by Wil Wheaton. It was my first John Scalzi book, but my second one narrated by Wil Wheaton. Like for Ready Player One, he was the perfect choice as a narrator. And I will definitely be reading more by John Scalzi.


What I Am Watching: I have not been watching anything really. I am officially a week behind on the three shows I follow. And I haven't had a chance to turn on Netflix to catch any of the other shows I want to get back to. My daughter has had reign over the television, watching Lalaloopsy, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Miles From Tomorrowland. It was actually the latter that settled me on listening to Redshirts, putting me in the mood for science fiction.


Around the Blogosphere:

What's Going On Off the Blog: This section won't be nearly as long as last week. It was more of an ordinary week, both at home and at work. I was unable to spend too much time on the computer, and so am behind on responding to comments and visiting blogs (I hope to play catch up this next week).

I had a lovely Mother's Day. We went out for lunch and to see the movie Zootopia--such a cute movie. Mouse took along her red Howdy Doody lunch box filled with her "courage items" in case the movie was scary. The "courage items" were miscellaneous stuff, like a paper mustache, a small gift bag, a straw, a rock, and a stuffed baby koala among other things. We stopped by Barnes and Noble too as a reward for Mouse. It had been her first week without sucking her thumb (outside of nap or bedtime), she got to pick out a book of her choice. Of course, we had to take advantage of the stage in the Children's section, to read a few books.

Mouse's "Courage Box" 

Mouse had her second swim lesson with Miss M this past Friday, and it went well. Based on many of your comments from last week, I am really glad I decided to go with the one-on-one lessons this spring/summer instead of the group ones. I went ahead and signed her up through the summer, although the time slot could be better. Maybe the summer won't be so hot this year? Yeah, like that won't happen.

The soccer classes continue to go well. Mouse is enjoying herself, which is the whole point of her playing. In the middle of a scrimage Saturday, Mouse plucked a white clover from the grass and brought it to me, just running off the field. It was adorable, but probably not what her coach was hoping she'd do. Haha!
Mouse decided to put her pillow ball on Parker.
He was a good sport.


Gracie is taking advantage of the tent in the living room.

This Past Week In Reading Mews:

Thank you for helping me choose my next read from my TBR collection:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 



The winner of my May TBR List Poll is:

Charming by Elliot James



Charming by Elliott James ~ Once a dragon slayer and witch-finder, John Charming now leads a peaceful life, tending bar. That is, until a vampire and blonde walk through the door. 

Thank you to all who voted! Charming won with 50% of the votes, 12 out of 24. The Shadow Revolution by Clay and Susan Griffith came in second with 37.5% (9 votes), and Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch came in last with 12.5% (3 votes). Charming certainly sounds like it will be a fun read, and I am looking forward to diving in--which I will be right now. Thank you again to everyone who voted!

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

63 comments:

  1. That dessert looks quite good lol. I wish there was a Cheesecake factory around here but I think the nearest one is Chicago... Hope it stays sunny and warm in your neck of the woods.

    I use Blogger too obviously, it works for me. And I'm behind on shows too, I was doing good but that changed this week. Now I need to catch up again sigh. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Greg - Before my daughter was born, my husband and I often ate there. I love their variety of cheesecakes--just not something I can splurge on often.

      Wouldn't you know it, today is supposed to be cloudy. Hopefully the sun will poke her head out throughout the day.

      Hopefully this week will be better for catching up. :-) Have a great week.

      Delete
  2. I'm glad Mouse's swimming lessons are going well. It's so important that kids learn to swim. One of my GFs has three kids and she actually had the teacher go to her place on a Saturday and do one-on-ones with her three kids one after the other. Better than having to attend lessons elsewhere she said AND different times and age groups!

    That cheesecake looks yummy. I'm coeliac however and it's hard to get gluten free cheesecakes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah - I wish we had a pool or access to one closer to where we live. We aren't so lucky though. The pool she is going to is a bit out of the way, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

      The cheesecake is so rich and delicious, but not something I can eat all the time--or even eat all of by myself or at once. Maybe someday they will make a good gluten free cheesecake you can enjoy. :-)

      Delete
  3. Going to the cheesecake factory sounds amazing right now, haha. I hope you have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annemieke - It's been about a year since we were last there. It was a nice treat! :-) I hope you have a great week too.

      Delete
  4. Yum, The Cheesecake Factory! I haven't been there in years, but their food is delicious. Glad the swim and soccer lessons are going well. That really is adorable that she ran off the field to give you a clover, haha. She may not be the most focused soccer player, but at least she's sweet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristen - My favorite (besides their cheesecake) is their stuffed tortillas. It makes good leftovers too, which is not something one can say about all leftovers brought home).

      It was really cute when she ran off the field to bring me the flower. :-)

      Delete
  5. My little man loved Zootopia. We went and saw it a few weeks ago. Hope you have a great week :)

    Here's my Sunday Post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lillian - My daughter loved Zootopia also. She told us after she'd like to see it again and again and again. :-)

      I hope you have a great week too!

      Delete
  6. I'm excited because we'll be getting a cheesecake factory soon!

    I chose WP because my son told me to use it. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy - Yea! It's both a good and bad thing to have a Cheesecake Factory close by.

      Sounds like we came into our blog platforms in similar fashions. :-)

      Delete
  7. I have never been to The Cheesecake Factory, but would love to go. That's adorable, Mouse sounds like a sweetheart. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shandy - I was so happy when they opened the one in our town. That was years ago. We don't go that often anymore. The food is really rich--not just including the cheesecake--and it is on the expensive side. As a once in awhile place to go, it's quite nice though. I hope you are able to go to one someday.

      Mouse is a sweetheart. She's really sweet. :-) I hope you have a great week too.

      Delete
  8. The Cheesecake Factory is so yummy! I love Wil Wheaton as a narrator. I need to listen to more books he does. Hope you enjoy your My TBR winner! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grace - I enjoy Wil Wheaton as a narrator also. :-) I wonder if I have any more of his audiobooks in my library . . .

      I ended up falling asleep before I read the first page of Charming last night. Hopefully I can fit in some reading today.

      Delete
  9. I love Wil Wheaton as an audio narrator! I just listened to Armada and I think I enjoyed it more than other people because I enjoyed the audio so much. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kelly - He does a great job. If I decide to read Armada, I'm sure it will be in audio form. I'm not sure I would have liked Ready Player One if I'd read the print version. At least not as much.

      Delete
  10. Oh, you know I LOVE Cheesecake Factory...that dessert looks fabulous.

    I like the idea of Mouse's "courage items." So comforting. I used to have a blanket I squeezed for comfort.

    Thanks for sharing your week...and I started with Blogger, added a couple of sites on Word Press, and used both for quite a long while. But then Blogger revised some things regarding "buy buttons," one of the main reasons I stayed there...so I moved everything to Word Press.

    I do enjoy the variety of themes available on WP, and since I love changing things up...a lot, it works for me.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurel-Rain - I love the Cheesecake Factory too. I have to limit my visits there though. LOL

      I love that Mouse came up with the idea of the "courage items". She doesn't have any one toy she is partial too, but often when she's a little apprehensive, having something of hers helps. She had a playdate the other day and took a photo of her dad and I so she "wouldn't forget us."

      Delete
  11. I love Cheesecake Factory, but their service at my local restaurant is quite slow and my family refuses to go there despite my repeated pleas.

    I chose Blogger when I rebooted my blog because it's what I'd used in the past. Many friends suggested that I switch to Wordpress, and I almost did, but I haven't regretted sticking to blogger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wouldn't say ours has fast service, but it's decent. It can be slow when it's extra busy.

      I have no regrets about sticking to blogger too. :-) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  12. What is different with the paid account please?

    Thanks for sharing your Blog Hop answer and all your other information. Great post.

    ENJOY this week.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth - By owning my own domain name (which is what I'm doing by having a paid account), I have a little more control over search words attached to my blog and my ranking--whereas it would be less so with a free account. There's a bit more freedom when you pay to own your own domain name, but it can depend on which host you use.

      Delete
  13. Yum! That looks delicious!
    YAY That was the one I voted for! :)

    I hope you have a great week! Happy Reading!
    I will be in touch this week regarding the header :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Glad to hear your having a sunny and warm weekend. Here the weather has changed dramatically and it’s very cold and rainy. Brrr..

    Love the look of the cake. It looks soooo yummy. Poor Mouse though! LOL!!

    I also use blogger as a platform and I’m still happy about it so far. I’ve been wanting to change to wordpress a view months ago but it looked so complicated that I freaked out a little. And now I’m just happy with how my blog is now.

    Sounds like you had a fun week. ;)

    Have a great week and happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maureen - I wouldn't mind some rain right about now. :-)

      My brief experience with Wordpress had me appreciating blogger more.

      Delete
  15. So glad Mouse is getting on well with her swimming lessons - I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 30s and missed out on so much fun as a youngster. I'm NOT looking at the cheesecake as I'm dairy and chocolate intolerant so can't partake. Oh well... Glad you had a great week and I'm delighted you're reading 'Not All Princes Are Charming' soon as I was really taken with that one, but have FAR too many books on my plate to squeeze that one in as well.
    This is my Sunday Post - https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/sunday-post-15th-may/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah - She's had three lessons with the private instructor so far, and she's having a great time. She's still nervous in the water, but she's making small steps, which is good. I'll take it. :-)

      I have had to cut way back on dairy products for health reasons. It's been hard, especially given my love for chocolate and ice cream. :-( I hope you are in a better place and not missing those things since you can't eat them at all. :-S

      Delete
  16. I had cheesecake for the first time last year (I don't know what took me so long). And wow, what a delicious goody! I have been with Blogger too and have had no issues with it. I do wish it had more features but it's customizable for free at least.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Athira - I was an adult before I first had cheesecake. I was so surprised! I always imagined it would taste like actual cheese. I wouldn't mind more features on Blogger either. It's gotten better since I started, but it still has a ways to go.

      Delete
  17. What a fun thing to take along a container for courage!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb - Isn't it? My dad would be so proud. :-) He grew up watching Howdy Doody.

      Delete
  18. I use Blogger as well. I did try playing around with WordPress but.......it never felt right to me.
    Sportochick’s Musings Blog Hop Answer

    ReplyDelete
  19. Interesting answer to the BBH question, Wendy! I'd love to know what difference it makes to have a paid domain addres, though. I read a comment on another blog, which stated that, with the Blogger platform, Google has the right to do whatever they want with a blogger's content. In fact, that was one of the pluses mentioned regarding Wordpress, in one of the online articles I read comparing it to Blogger. This article states that, with Wordpress, bloggers are the owners of their content. So I'd like to know more! Of course, I can Google this topic, but it would be nice to know about your own experience with the paid address. :)

    I'm so happy that you had such a lovely Mother's Day! And how cute that Mouse took her "courage items" along with her to the movie! And then, during her soccer game, she plucked a white clover to give to you! ADORABLE!!

    Oooohh, and you guys went to the Cheesecake Factory, too!! That's one of my FAVORITE restaurants!! Another one is Chli's. Have you ever visited that one? I especially LOVE the cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory! Well, duh. That's their specialty....lol.

    I LOVE the book picked by the TBR poll participants! But heck, you might remember that I couldn't vote, because I was fascinated by ALL of your choices. I've added "Charming" to my Goodreads shelves, and need to add the rest!

    Before I leave, let me also mention that I, too, think it's great for Mouse to be having swimming lessons by herself, instead of with a group. I'm sure she feels much more comfortable that way!

    Lovely post, as always!! I greatly enjoyed reading your bookish and "real life" news! Hope you have a WONDERFUL week!!

    Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my own BBH post!! <3 :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Typo alert! I meant to type CHILI'S, not CHLI'S....LOL.

      Delete
    2. Maria - What little I know about owning my own domain mostly has to do with ranking and more control over search terms. I have a little more freedom in terms of what I can do with my blog, at least that's what my husband tells me. He's more the expert than I am.

      I haven't had any problems with Blogger. I don't know anything about them "owning" the content I write. Like many things with the internet, I know that if Blogger ever disappears, my blog goes with it. That's true of WordPress too--and probably other platforms as well. Regardless, I've been with Blogger going on 10 years and can't see me changing over any time soon.

      I have been to Chilli's. :-) They are everywhere here. We don't go there often, but we enjoy it when we do.

      I ended up reading all my TBR List choices, so I understand where you are coming from. :-)

      Mouse is loving her swim lessons. I do think they are much more fun for her this way. Hopefully she'll actually learn to swim now.

      Delete
  20. I love the idea of a courage box!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your cheesecake looks so good! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tiffany - It was very good. And very rich. Not something to be eaten all in one sitting. It was a nice weekend. Much needed. :-)

      Delete
  22. Yay for free Cheesecake Factory! Perhaps that's where I'll tell the man to take me to celebrate the end of the school year! :) I'm glad Mouse is enjoying her swim lessons, and that you decided to do one-on-ones. So important!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charlie - I think the Cheesecake Factory would be a great place to celebrate the end of the school year. :-) So far she's enjoying her swim lessons. She's always talking about her instructor, so that's a good sign too!

      Delete
  23. Cats are too funny sometimes. LOl I'm behind on a couple of shows. Now I have to wait for On Demand so I can catch up on them. I'm looking forward to watching Preacher later this month.
    I wish we had a cake of pie shop here. I've got a craving now. LOL

    Here's my Sunday Post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura - Cats can be funny now and then, can't they? :-) We were out of town this past weekend and they have been craving attention since we got back. I missed them too.

      Preacher does look interesting. I hope you enjoy it! You'll have to let me know if I should watch it too. :-)

      Delete
  24. Thanks for sharing my post! I'm glad you get to read Charming- I really like that one. As for Mouse picking clover... I don't think she's the only one to do that. My friend used to pick dandelions whenever the ball was on the other side of the field. Parker and Gracie look rather happy with their situations- I got my cat George a child's play tunnel at a thrift shop and he will not leave it alone- if he isn't in the window, he hides there.
    As for blogging platforms, in 2006 I had a blog I eventually abandoned on Blogger, and in 2014 it was still there. I've never had much trouble, though I do like the look of some Wordpress sites. I would rather just stay with Blogger than have to tweak something enough to satisfy me again.
    ~Litha Nelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Litha Nelle - Charming was a fun read. It kind of put me in the mood for more urban fantasy and so I've been trying to fit in that genre when I can.

      I remember my brother spinning round and round on the soccer field during a game once. :-) He was completely oblivious to the game going on around him.

      I am glad George likes his tunnel. We had one a few years ago, but neither of our cats took to it at the time. That was before Gracie though. She's into everything, so she might enjoy it.

      I don't know that I would want to learn a new blogging platform right now either. I'm content where I am.

      Delete
  25. OMG! Cheesecake! I'm a sucker for cheesecake! My favorite is the Chocolate Tuxedo Cream.

    I think I voted for a different book, probably Stone Guardian because of the mish-mash of all things paranormal. Hope you enjoy reading Charming though. It sounds interesting as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ani - Me too. And they have so many choices . . . I really like the Chocolate Tuxedo too. That's the one my husband got. :-)

      I ended up reading all my May TBR List books anyway, including Stone Guardian. :-)

      Delete
  26. I'm glad you'd a wonderful Mother's Day, Wendy! My daughters loved Zootopia as well! I think it's a very meaningful movie.

    Ooh, I love cheesecake! My husband had one over at the Cheesecake Factory during his business trip in Austin a few weeks ago. I think that was one of his most satisfying meals over there! ;-)

    Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Charming! Hope you've a great week, Wendy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melody - I saw that Zootopia is coming out on DVD soon. I'm sure we'll be adding it to our collection. :-) I really like the Cheesecake Factory too. The food is too rich for me to eat often--and on the expensive side--but once in a while it's a must. :-)

      Delete
  27. :) Sounds like the way to celebrate Mother's Day! There is a letter in the mail to you! Thanks for the two beautiful bookmarks, and tell Mouse that hers is my very favorite!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenclair - I got your letter. Thank you so much! I am glad you liked Mouse's bookmark. She told me to say she is glad you like it. :-)

      Delete
  28. Great to catch up with what has been happening with you and yours this week..

    Likewise I'm with Blogger because it is the forum Mr T uses. I keep meaning to try another provider (generally when there is a gremlin in the Blogger works) but so far its always been a case of better the devil you know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy - I feel like I'm so behind in everything right now. Especially when it comes to blogging. Ugh.

      I hope you are well, Tracy.

      Delete
  29. Oh yum! You won a gift card to the cheesecake factory, that's so awesome! I love cheesecake. Here we had a warm week and then some cooler weather in the weekend, it's nice it cooled down a bit.

    I had my blog on blogspot for awhile, but eventually switched to self hosted wordpress as that way you have completely control of your blog and can customize everything. It did take a while to learn everything and there is still a lot I don't know, but I do feel comfortable there now.

    I don't think i voted for this month's poll or at least I can't remember, but I hope this is a good one. It's curious to see with how many votes the book wins. I hope you'll have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lola - My family is good about giving us gift cards as gifts and I'm good about misplacing them. LOL

      Some people seem to master WordPress well. Maybe I'm just not patient enough. :-)

      Delete
  30. I use Blogger because it is much easier too use for me. Thank you for stopping by my blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katiria - Same here. I find Blogger to be very user friendly.

      Delete
  31. beautiful cheesecake! Redshirts read by Wil is awesome and sold me on Scalzi! I think I voted for Shadow Revolution, but that one looks good too! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shaunesay - Now I'm in the mood for more cheesecake. LOL I definitely hope to read more by Scalzi. I really enjoyed Redshirts.

      I ended up reading Shadow Revolution too in May. I couldn't resist. :-)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.