Saturday, June 04, 2016

Sunday Post: Early Start to Summer & June TBR List Poll

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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. 

Summer weather has made its appearance. Triple digits no less. We are doing what we can to stay cool. I wanted to jump in the pool with Mouse on Friday during her swim lesson. The water looked so inviting. Instead I spent a little time with my current book in the shade, which was no hardship at all. Free reading time is something to take full advantage of, after all. I only wish the lesson had been a little longer . . .

How are you on this fine (hot) weekend? What are you up to? Are you reading anything worthwhile? Please share!

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.

Do you reply to every comment on your posts? (submitted by Elizabeth
I do! I may not be able to reply right away, but I make an effort to reply to every comment. I also try to visit the blogs of those who leave me comments (if the commenter has one--or if I can find a link to that person's blog, which I am not always able to do, sadly). I appreciate every comment I receive--and am so grateful to all of you who take the time to leave me one.


What I Am Reading: May turned out to be a good reading month, both in quality and quantity. I read seven books and listened to one:

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (audio)
Charming by Elliott James
June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
The Shadow Revolution by Clay and Susan Griffith
Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

I ended up reading all of my May TBR List books, not just the winner. I couldn't help myself. I was in the mood for urban fantasy. I hope to post the reviews soon. Of all my May reads, John Scalzi's Redshirts is my favorite--it was quite a ride. If I had to pick a print book though, it would be June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore.

I have now read six books for Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge. If I remember right, I only committed to read one. I've also officially read two books for the What's In a Name Reading Challenge. I would say that's not too shabby.

I finished reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman just a half hour before this posting. Gaiman is one of those authors I intend to read everything he writes. Fortunately, I have a number of his books still to get to. I am not ready yet to start on another book. My thoughts are still too filled with the story of the Marquis de Carbasas, Door, Richard Mayhew, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar.


What I Am Watching: I have been watching Jessica Jones on Netflix. My husband had talked me into reading the first Alias graphic novel when it came out, which is what the show is based on. I liked it, but never read beyond that first issue. I am enjoying the television show quite a bit. Jessica is a former superhero turned private investigator. The show is gritty and dark, and I am hooked. Not to mention David Tennant is in it.  Have any of you seen it?


Around the Blogosphere:
  • Choose Your Own Comment Adventure! (2) - Leafing Through Life's Megan came up with this fun idea of posting about going on a commenting adventure. I may have to take her up on her offer to play along!
  • Searching Images For Your Website Don’t Steal Them - Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Kimberly, talks offers some great resources for finding images for your blog. I imagine some people may not realize they are stealing images by using just any ol' image they find. And so this is a good reminder.
  • June Movie Watch-a-thon Choices Stacy from Stacy's Books has started a Monthly Movie Watch-a-Thon for us movie lovers! Will you be taking part?
  • Thursday Thoughts, May 12th - Diversity Rachel from R Squared: Reading + Rachel asks what diversity in reading actually means and how do you really know you are reading books that quality as diverse.

What's Going On Off the Blog: Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone. The unofficial beginning of summer. We spent the long weekend with my in-laws. Mouse was thrilled to be able to use their pool. And it renewed my interest in wishing we had one. Why do they have to be so expensive?!  She was also very excited to see her grandparents and uncle again, of course. She got to play Pathfinder Adventure with her uncle and dad, and we spent a morning at the park.

Playing at the Park

This is the last weekend of soccer for Mouse--at least with her current class. I think she would like to keep going this summer, if she could, but my husband and I are thinking a break is in order--to stay out of the heat and maybe free up our weekends to do a day trip now and then.

My family is known to extend birthdays for awhile, and with my husband's birthday this coming week, Mouse, Anjin and I had lunch at Farrell's Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour. It's always great fun.

The work week was busy. We are getting a new phone system in at work later this month, and everyone has to undergo extensive training in how to use it. Some of it is very basic--and repetitive--but I am sure we will appreciate the training when the new phones are in place.


This Past Week In Reading Mews:

Help me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:


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. 



With just six more months to meet my goal for the What's In a Name Reading Challenge, I thought I would enlist your help in meeting at least one of the requirements. My choices this week all fall under the "title with a profession in it." Each of these book offers a little something different--Science Fiction, Historical Romance and a Mystery--and all are on my TBR List calling my name. Which one do you think I should read? 


Admiral by Sean Danker 
From Goodreads:  
“I was on a dead ship on an unknown planet with three trainees freshly graduated into the Imperial Service. I tried to look on the bright side.”
He is the last to wake. The label on his sleeper pad identifies him as an admiral of the Evagardian Empire—a surprise as much to him as to the three recent recruits now under his command. He wears no uniform, and he is ignorant of military protocol, but the ship’s records confirm he is their superior officer. 
Whether he is an Evagardian admiral or a spy will be of little consequence if the crew members all end up dead. They are marooned on a strange world, their ship’s systems are failing one by one—and they are not alone.


Within a Captain's Hold by Lisa A. Olech
From Goodreads: 
Captain Jaxon Steele is a tall, sun-bronzed, fierce-fighting Pirate King. He and the notorious crew of the Scarlet Night are both feared and respected for their ruthless reputation. The Captain’s only love is the open sea and the ship he calls home. When it comes to women, he has three rules: never sleep with another’s wife, don’t take virgins into bed, and most importantly, never bring a woman aboard—that brings the worst luck of all.
Annalise Gatherone has to leave London—tonight! Usually her only concern is the color of her latest gown, but now she’s choosing between life and death. Desperate to escape the clutches of an evil Duke, she stows away aboard the Scarlet Night, hoping she’s bound for Port St. Maria. Winning Captain Steele's affections, she just might sneak by unharmed. But when her plans are altered in ways she never imagined, she must batten down the hatches for a journey into unknown waters…
The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister
From Goodreads:
The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.
But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.
Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?



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.

57 comments:

  1. I loved the Admiral and you have me adding John Scalzi's Redshirts to my tbr pile. Glad you had a good reading month in May! Enjoy your week :)

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    1. Kim - I've been hearing great things about Admiral. I hope I like it as much when I read it. :-) Redshirts was such fun! I hope you like it if you do read it!

      Thanks for stopping by, Kim. Have a great week.

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    2. Redshirts is excellent! (I might be a small Scalzi fan, maybe... definitely)

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  2. Triple digits? Ugh that sounds... hot. :( It's been 80's and sunny around here although it's cooling off for a few days. I hope you get a little cool off. Great job on your May TBR!

    I enjoyed Jessica Jones and all the MaAve Netflix stuff is good. I'm looking forward to S2 and I guess Trish will be in it again. I'll have to check out those links, they sound fun.

    Oh and I voted for Admiral. :)

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    1. We stayed indoors as much as possible. Eighties temps are ideal, I think.

      Thanks! I read more than I expected to this past month, and really enjoyed my reading (well, except for one book, which was a difficult one to get through).

      I am glad you liked Jessica Jones. I hope to watch more of it this coming Friday.

      Thanks for voting and visiting! Have a great week, Greg.

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  3. Holy cow, triple digits?! I mean, it gets hot where I live, but that's nuts.

    I'm glad you had a good reading month! I have Stone Guardian and really do want to read it, I just ended up overwhelming myself with ARCs lately. I'm dying to try a book about gargoyles though as one of my goals this year was to read about more different types of paranormal creatures.

    It sounds like you had a fun Memorial Day weekend :-) Have a great week!

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    1. Kristen - Unfortunately, triple digits in the summer is not at all abnormal for where I live. At least the humidity isn't normally that bad, although last summer we had quite a bit of that too.

      I hope you enjoy Stone Guardian. It's got an interesting premise, and I really enjoyed it.

      Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great week too!

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  4. I had to employ a random pick. The three books all sound kind of interesting. Hope you enjoy whichever wins!

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    1. Ani - Thank you for voting. It's a tough choice for me too. I want to read them all. :-)

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  5. Hi Wendy! First of all, thanks for visiting my blog - much appreciated! I really feel like twirling every time someone visits AND leaves a comment. I've just scanned through your Sunday Post (I still need to do mine...), but I need to get back to this one! Busy afternoon here and I want to comment on so many things. Promise to get back to you later.

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    1. Mareli - I feel the same way when someone comments on my blog. :-) I am glad you stopped by! Have a great week--I hope you were able to get everything done you wanted to yesterday!

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  6. I always respond to all of the comments too. I don't get huge numbers, but always do - even if it's just to say thanks.

    I loved Jessica Jones. I don't usually enjoy those sorts of shows but adored her (and it!).

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    1. Deborah - Even a simple "thank you" goes a long way, I think. :-)

      I am glad you liked Jessica Jones too! I am not sure how many episodes I have left in the first season. I'm guessing I'm half way through, maybe.

      Thank you for visiting, and I hope you have a great week!

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  7. I am glad to see the sun out but I am not prepared for triple digits...ugh. I so want a swimming pool myself and I wish they were cheaper too!

    I voted for Admiral cause I heard it was good even though I am not a huge fan of that genre. :)

    Happy reading,
    Stormi
    Week in Review

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    1. Stormi - Every summer I go through the wishing for a pool phase. It's definitely the heat that does it. :-S

      I don't read a lot of science fiction, but found myself suddenly wanting to read it this year. I hope Admiral is as good as I've heard it is. Thank you for voting!

      I hope you have a great week, Stormi.

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  8. It's hot here but not that hot yet. I don't reply to comments very often but I do try to visit the blogs of everyone who leaves me a comment.














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    1. We took a quick trip down into South Texas last week and whew! was it ever hot! I don't envy you triple digits.

      Amen, sister to your thoughts about comments.

      http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/06/that-happy-place-its-time-for-summer.html

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    2. Kathy - I think that's a good practice. Reciprocal visits are always welcome. :-)

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    3. Deb - I imagine South Texas gets very hot, especially in the summer. I bet you were glad to get back home.

      Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a great week!

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  9. I had started Jessica Jones and I was liking it but I felt like it was drawn out and a little boring so I stopped. But I do love David Tennant!! I voted for the Magician's Lie - sounds really good and love the cover!! Have a great week!

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    1. Grace - I'm only about half way through Jessica Jones so far, so we'll see how I feel by the end. I really like the cover of Magician's Lie too. :-) Thank you for voting and have a great week!

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  10. I've selected ADMIRAL because I keep seeing it on NetGalley and NEARLY choosing it:). My goodness - triple digits - even I wouldn't want it THAT hot. Today is the hottest day of the year and from scarcely struggling to make 60 degrees yesterday, it is now 72, which is lovely - but a bit of a shock to the system. Have a great week.

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    1. Sarah - Seventy-two sounds perfect. I imagine the temperatures here will be more summer like from here until the end of September. Hopefully not too many beyond 100. Thank you for voting! I hope you have a great week!

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  11. Wow!!! Your summer has already started off hot. We are just starting to get warm here in East TN. I haven't watched Jessica Jones yet, we are binging Daredevil now though and enjoying it. I voted for The Magician's Lie. I loved it! Admiral was just okay for me, and I hadn't read the other one.
    Hope you have a great week!

    My Sunday Post

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    1. Lillian - I am hoping it will cool off again. Usually we get the hotter temperatures in August and early September. I enjoyed Daredevil too! I waited until I was done with that one before starting Jessica Jones. I am glad to hear you loved The Magician's Lie. It does sound good! Thank you for voting. :-) I hope you have a great week too!

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  12. I loved Jessica Jones, but to be honest, I probably only started watching it because of David Tennant :) The movie watch-a-thon intrigues me. I'll have to check it out. Happy Reading.
    Here is Mine

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    1. Marie - I hadn't even realized David Tennant was in it. I was so excited when he first made an appearance. I might have squealed like a fangirl. I don't know that I'll be able to participate in the movie watch-a-thon this month, but perhaps next month.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a great week!

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  13. I voted for Within a Captain's Hold, because of the pirates. I loved Seraphina and Shadow Scale and hope she writes more soon.

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    1. Sarah - I haven't yet read a pirate romance yet, so this will be a first. It sounds good, doesn't it? I loved Seraphina and Shadow Scale too. I hear she's working on another book. I look forward to seeing what else she comes out with!

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  14. OMG!! You have TRIPLE digits?! And here I am complaining about the Florida heat! Lol. We won't get into the nineties until August. The thing is, though, I HATE even 80-degree weather. I've always had a hankering for the North. I've never even seen snow in person! My husband says I'm crazy, since he grew up in New York, but geez, I'd LOVE to experience the white stuff at least ONCE in my life! Lol. I feel for you guys!! I'd probably have a heat stroke with such temps!

    I'm not surprised that you answer all comments, as you're a very sweet, nice person. And you also comment back on blogs. I feel these are the right things to do. True, sometimes there are time constraints, but still, one should at least make the effort. When a blogger doesn't reply to my comment OR comment back, I simply don't visit that blog anymore. So I GREATLY appreciate that you do these things!! :)

    For your TBR read this month, I picked "Within A Captain's Hold". I just couldn't resist the sexy guy on the cover! Lol. The plot also sounds like a LOT of fun!!

    Now that you mention pools, I haven't been in one in ages! That's because I dye my hair, and I know the chlorine would mess up my color. Hubby and I have access to three pools at the condo complex we live in. He's the one who takes advantage of them, lol.

    It would be nice to have your own pool, but you would have to be very careful with Mouse. Also, pools are a headache to clean. Of course, we have maintenance here at the condo, for which we pay. But that's preferable to having to clean a pool, IMHO!!

    Thanks for sharing all your news! I always enjoy reading all of your updates! Also, thanks for commenting on my BBH post!! Hope you're having a GREAT Sunday, in spite of the heat! Hugs to you and Mouse!!! <3 :)

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    1. Maria - You probably get more of the humidity than we do here in California. I am definitely not a snow person and prefer the heat to the cold. Eighty would be perfect for me. A good in between temperature. :-) I hope you do get a chance to experience the snow at some point, Maria. You might end up loving it.

      Thank you for your kind words. I know we've talked about it before, but I think the interaction piece of blogging is partly what makes it different from just keeping a reading journal for myself. I like comments and commenting back and visiting other blogs.

      I think Within a Captain's Hold sounds like fun too. :-) I definitely want to read it, whether it wins or not. I've never read a pirate romance--so it'll be my first.

      I'm not a big fan of getting my hair wet in a pool (I dye my hair too), but I do love being in the water. I keep thinking too at the exercise I could get in more easily, especially as I get older, if I had a pool of my own. I wish we at least had easy access to one, but unfortunately even the public pools aren't all that close to us. My daughter's swim lessons are on the other side of town as it is. Given where I work, I hear about all the child deaths in our county, including the drownings. That's why it is so important to me that Mouse learns to swim.

      I hope you have a great week, Maria! Thanks for stopping by.

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  15. Triple digits, that is hella hot!! In Scotland we have reached 25 degrees c, which is crazy hot for us!!!

    Enjoy your new books, I like the look of Admiral!

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    1. Heather - It's too hot, that's for sure! 25C would be so wonderful--that's what I think of as comfortable. Of course, you can probably handle cold much better than I can.

      Admiral does sound good! I hope you have a good week! Thanks for visiting!

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  16. I have wanted to read Shadow Scale ever since it was published. I don't know what is keeping me from it. Soon. Very Soon. Try to stay cool.

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    1. Anne - I couldn't help but dive right into it after finishing Seraphina (since I had it handy anyway). :-) I will be interested in your take on it.

      Have a great week, Anne. And you stay cool too!

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  17. The heat sounds unbearable. Stay cool! I loved Jessica Jones' gritty quality. Such a nice change of pace from the more family friendly Marvel entries. Never read the comics, so I was a newly with the storyline. Enjoy!

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    1. Tiffany - I agree with you about Jessica Jones. It's a nice change. I hope to watch more this Friday. I hope you have a great week! Thank you for stopping by.

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  18. It's pretty warm here too, but it's still possible to stay cool. I also try and reply to every comment on my blog.
    That's neat you read all of your May books. I managed to read two of my May books so far or actually one was a DNF.
    I voted for Admiral as I read some good reviews for that one recently. Have a great week!

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    1. Lola - I am glad you are finding ways to stay cool. Staying indoors is my favorite way to do it. :-) I'm sorry you had a DNF for one of your May books. I am glad the second one worked better for you though.

      Thanks so much for voting! I am hoping I will enjoy Admiral. It sounds good. I hope you have a great week too!

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  19. I still have not read Shadow Scale. I need to get on that!

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    1. Kelly - I hope you do read it at some point, Kelly! I'd like to know what you think.

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  20. We haven't hit triple digits yet, but I did break down and finally turn on the air this week. Did you like Charming? It is on my TBR.

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    1. Jeanene - Thank goodness for air conditioning! I enjoyed Charming--and hope you will too when you get to it. I hope to get my review up this week.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  21. Triple digits doesn't sounds fun! I don't doubt you were ready to jump in the pool. I haven't watched Jessica Jones but it's on my list. It sounds really great. I think taking a break from soccer is a good idea. You don't want to burn her out and the freedom to do other things on the weekend is definitely nice. Have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - The rest of the week is supposed to be a little bit cooler, and I'm hoping that's true. I hope you like Jessica Jones when you get to it. So many interesting shows to watch. Yeah, I think the soccer break will be good for us. :-) Thank you for visiting, Katherine! Have a great week!

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  22. I try to reply to all comments too. Lately, it takes me a day or two because of my commenting/reply issue with various email clients which was reported long ago but never resolved.

    A new phone system? Since I work for a university, things like that can literally derail the place. Faculty here do not like to be trained and often don't have the time for it anyway so they ignore the need and then the place implodes once it goes live. Story of my life. Hope it goes well for you all!

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    1. Ti - You are better than me. The last couple of weeks, I was lucky to answer comments a week to two weeks later. I felt bad about that. :-(

      I work in a call center and so everyone being ready for the switch over is a must. The less problems we have, the better--but there's always some.

      I hope you have a great week, Ti. Thank you for visiting!

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  23. I'm glad we've some rains lately; it's strange since June suppose to be a very hot month but I'm not complaining. :-)

    I try to reply to all my comments too but not always immediately; I can be slow in commenting other blogs also but I do read them though I don't always comment on all.

    I've cast my vote and we shall see which book wins. :-)

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    1. Melody - We've had less of the June Gloom we usually receive around this time of year, although the fog and marine layer do visit in the wee morning hours.

      I do not comment on every blog either, especially when I am very busy or have not much to say.

      Thank you for voting! I cheated and peeked at which book was winning so far. It's close!

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  24. I reply to all comments as well and if they leave a site link I visit them and click all their social media links as well.
    Sportochick’s Musings Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Teri - I'm terrible about leaving site links. It's an extra step I tend to easily forget. Thanks for visiting!

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  25. I try to reply to comments or visit the commenters' blogs and return the kindness.

    I voted for The Magician's Lie in your TBR poll, and I think that's one I might add to my TBR as well.

    Thanks again for visiting my blog and I look forward to visiting yours again as well.

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    1. Kym - It seems to be the norm from what I've read of others' answers. Very few don't reply to comments or at least visit others' blogs. It's a good practice to do so, I think. It's chance to develop friendships.

      Thank you for voting! Magician's Lie sounds good, doesn't it? I am looking forward to reading that one.

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  26. I love that almost every picture you share of Mouse she is so inquisitive and curious. The picture of childhood! We haven't hit triple digits here yet, but I think they are coming next week.

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    1. Charlie - I love that she is so inquisitive. I knew young children could ask a lot of questions, and hard ones to boot, but sometimes she floors me with the questions she asks. It's so amazing to see how her mind works. I hope you are able to stay cool!

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  27. Happy birthday in advance to your husband!! I hope you guys have a great time. You should definitely prolong birthday celebrations!!

    It's been a while since I stopped by (any blog really). Life and stuff happened. I hope you guys get to go to many places this summer!

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    1. Athira - Thank you! He had a nice birthday. :-) I have been slow at getting around to blogs too, but am hoping to catch up. I'm sure I'll fall behind again soon enough. Thanks for dropping in!

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