Friday, September 06, 2019

Sunday Mews: August Wrap Up & Welcome to September (TBR List Poll)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants 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. I am also linking The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics. I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post, where any book bloggers who write monthly wrap-up posts can link up and visit other bloggers to see what they have been reading.  




Happy September! I hope those in Dorian's path are staying safe. A fire broke out not too far from one of my relative's house here in Southern California late this past week, which had us worried. Some of the schools were closed today (Friday) due to the smoke. My daughter's school was not affected, thankfully. With the winds, we have been getting it could have been much worse. Hopefully the firefighters will have it completely under control soon. I hope your September has gotten off to a good start.

What I Am Reading: I recently finished reading a Dystopian novel by Kassandra Montag, After the Flood, which had me hugging my daughter a little tighter with each turn of the page. I am now reading The Taken by Vicki Pettersson, the first in her Celestial Blues series. A friend talked me into giving it a try--which wasn't hard because I do enjoy these types of novels. A mystery with a splash of romance and a supernatural element. How could I say no? Besides, I had a copy on my TBR pile already. I am thinking of starting Jen DeLuca's Well Met next, which comes highly recommended by Suzanne of The Bookish Libra.


What I Am Watching: My daughter and I are hooked on Netflix's series Free Rein. It is about a teen who, along with her mother and sister move to an island off the coast of England. The teen bonds with a horse with a dark past. It's a cute show.

I discovered Shadowhunters on Hulu. I have only read the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, and while I liked it, I haven't worked up the interest to read further in the series. I think the movie kind of ruined it for me (the movie was awful). I was curious how the show would turn out though. I am in the middle of the second season at the moment.


Off the Blog: I am still trying to accept we are a week into September. August went by so fast. With it came the start of school for Mouse and my new work schedule (which I am still trying to adjust to). The new dance season is underway. Mouse is taking pre-pointe classes along with her other dance classes. She was so excited when she received her pre-pointe acceptance letter the end of July. Mouse auditioned for the dance studio's annual Nutcracker ballet the week before last. Rehearsals begin this weekend. The new Girl Scout season kicked off the end of August as well. We ended August with a potluck barbecue and viewing of the summer performances on video with some of our dance friends, which was fun. They set up a giant projector screen in their backyard, and we gathered around to watch once the sun set.  I am just glad there were a couple of my husband's caramel soaked brownies left I could enjoy at home!

Nina in the bag

What I Am Looking Forward To: Popping Sleepless in Seattle in the DVD player, box of tissues nearby, and enjoying a little Dairy Queen in honor of my birthday this weekend. The coming of fall. Cooler weather at some point. Hopefully, anyway. It would be nice to open the windows in the evenings again. And settling more into a routine in the next week or so.


Here is what I finished reading in August:
  • Hold Your Breath (Search & Rescue, #1) by Katie Ruggle
  • Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles, #4) by Ilona Andrews
  • On His Watch (Search & Rescue, #0.5) by Katie Ruggle
  • The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare (The Princess in Black #6) by Shannon Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
  • The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
  • Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna
  • Warcross (Warcross, #1) by Marie Lu

I feel satisfied with my reading this past month. Every book hit the spot just as it was meant to. I really enjoyed my August TBR Poll winner, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill--so thank you to all who voted for it! I finally finished listening to the audio of Warcross. It's a great book. I just wish I was better at making time for audiobooks. My favorite read of the month was Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews. No surprise there given how much I love the series.

I was fairly consistent with my blogging in August. I do need to make time for review writing sometime soon. I am still playing catch up. Thank you to everyone who visits and/or takes the time to comment! I appreciate you all very much.

This Past August In Reading Mews:

This Past Week In Reading Mews:

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your August? Do you have anything planned for this month?


Thank you for helping 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 (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 




When considering what books to add to this month's poll, I kept coming back to these three. They seem like perfect fall reads, and I don't think I can go wrong with any of them. But which one should I start with?! I cannot decide and could use your help . . .


The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox
A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?
Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.
But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.
As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales. [Goodreads Summary]

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
EVERY STORY OPENS A DOOR
In a sprawling mansion filled with exotic treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. As each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, January discovers a story that might just be the key to unlocking the secrets of her past. [Goodreads Summary]


The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"...about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems.
It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.
There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.
Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods... [Goodreads Summary]



Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!


© 2019, 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.

79 comments:

  1. I feel like August flew by too! I'm glad your August TBR hit the spot! After the flood and Well Met both look like good books! I hope September's TBR ends up being as good as August's was! Happy Reading :)

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape


    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Lindy - I am looking forward to reading Well Met. I liked After the Flood and hope you will too if you read it. I hope you have a great September!

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  2. Y'all sure do stay busy! I hope you have a nice, quiet birthday full of fun things.

    I've been praying like crazy for the people in the Bahamas.

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    1. Kathy - Some days it is nonstop around here. :-) Thank you for the birthday wishes.

      I feel for everyone impacted by the hurricane, especially the Bahamas. The destruction there has been so tragic. I can't even imagine.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  3. I'm curious with After the Flood so I'll look out for your review, Wendy. And I've a library copy of The Girl in Red so I'm hoping to get to it soon. Hope you enjoy your books!

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    1. Melody - I hope you enjoy The Girl in Red. It seems to be the popular choice by everyone who is commenting. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. Always enjoy these posts of yours, Wendy. And I think your plan of a favorite movie and a little treat sounds like a great one for your birthday. As to the voting - well, I like witches - if that tell you anything. Ha!

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    1. Kay - My husband took my daughter to a birthday party this afternoon, and so I've taken advantage of the time alone to celebrate. I know I won't get much time to do so tomorrow. We have a full day. Thank you for voting! I hope you have a great week.

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  5. I loved reading the City of books, but watching the series on TV was a huge disappointment for me. Maybe you like it better. Happy reading and happy watching.

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    1. Vi - I am enjoying the television show, but maybe that's because I didn't read beyond the first book so I don't have that background to compare it to. I admit it's the side characters that interest me the most. Thanks for visiting!

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  6. All three of your TBR books sound amazing. I really liked The Girl in Red. And I can't wait to read the other two. Congrats to Mouse on her pre-pointe dance lessons. Hope you all have a great weekend. :)

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    1. Lark - Thank you! I think they all sound good too. So many of you have enjoyed The Girl in Red. I hope I will too. And thank you for the congratulations for Mouse. She is so excited about being able to take the classes and work toward going en pointe. I hope you are having a great weekend too!

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  7. I too can not believe August is gone already! It is so crazy to me that we are going into our third full week of school. Yeesh!

    I have seen The Girl in Red everywhere, so that one got my vote!

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  8. I haven't read any of those nor watched any of those shows. I voted The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow as I haven't read or heard of the other two and have this one on my tbrm. How cute is your wee kitty!, we are currently on holiday in Vegas, August was a good reading month I think xxx

    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

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    1. Lainy - Thank you for voting! I am really excited about The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I hope you are enjoying your time in Las Vegas. It's been ages since I was last there.

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  9. Happy September! I saw After the Flood somewhere this past week I think and thought it sounded really good! I'm gonna get that one too. And happy birthday!! Enjoy Dairy Queen. :)

    Ooh tough choice this time! I voted for The Girl in red because I just read it and liked it, but I ALMOST voted for Ten Thousand Doors because that one looks awesome too, and I hope to read it soon haha!

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    1. Greg - Thank you for the birthday wishes! I enjoyed my Dairy Queen. :-)

      Thank you too for voting! I am glad to hear you enjoyed The Girl in Red. I do want to read all three. Just not sure it will happen this month.

      Have a great week!

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  10. Free Rein sounds like a sweet series for you and Mouse! One of my granddaughters is really into horses. I know what you mean about -- can it really be Sept. already? (My mom was right, the older you get the faster time passes.)

    Enjoy the fall.

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    1. Diane - It is a cute series. Mouse loves horses too. I hope you enjoy your week.

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  11. Have a wonderful birthday.
    August went by very fast as I returned from Melbourne on the 4th and then settling in here at home and sorting out stuff took time. As I've got older I think I am taking longer and longer to get my act together after this long flight!

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    1. Mystica - Thank you for the birthday wishes. Are you glad to be home? I hope you had a nice visit! I think I am more affected by travel fatigue too the older I get. Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. It is September already? Doesn't seem possible. Hope you had a great birthday! Mine is in a few weeks. I like the look of The Girl In Red.

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    1. Nise' - It really doesn't seem possible it is September already. Thank you for the birthday wishes and for voting!

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  13. Happy September!! I'm glad to read you and your family are okay. I can't imagine how terrying it is to prepare for something like Dorian.
    That book by Kassandra Montag, sounds very good.
    Have a great week and happy reading.

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    1. Maureen - I can't imagine it would be either. I've never lived in a hurricane area. Earthquakes and fires are a different matter, however. Those threats are very real here. After the Flood was good. I can recommend it! I hope you have a great week too!

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  14. I'm glad that the fire didn't do any damage. That must have been scary. I need to catch up Shadowhunters. I only watched season 1,which was kind of cringy, in my opinion. I only kept watching for the actress who plays Izzy because she's Latin and I love her. And of course for Alex and... Can't believe I forgot his name! The warlock! Starts with an M! Ugh can't believe this.
    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. Genesis - I am glad too. There was another fire that started right across the road from the dance studio yesterday while we were there. It was a smaller fire, only burning 250 or so acres, but it was still scary. It's nearly under control now fortunately. I am enjoying Shadowhunters, but am with you. I really only watch for Izzy and Alex and Magnus. I love their characters. Thank you for visiting!

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  15. I never get tired of Sleepless in Seattle...which reminds me that it didn't come over to my new place. Amazon Prime?

    Enjoy your week, and happy birthday.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - It's been ages since I last saw it and I can't believe I waited so long. I still love that movie. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Have a great week too.

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  16. I abandoned The Widow of Cold Harbor, it just did not engage me--although I like the cover and the description. The Girl in Red is really good!

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    1. Jenclair - I'm sorry to hear you didn't like The Widow of Pale Harbor, but remember you really liked The Girl in Red. It seems to be a favorite, which is promising! Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. That TBR choice is a toughie. I think I'd be excited to read any of them! This summer went by a in a blink, August especially. I'm afraid I didn't get near as much reading into it as I hoped. Too much going on at work and in life!

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    1. Megan - I didn't get nearly as much reading as I was hoping either. It always seems to be that way these days though. Oh well. I hope you have a good week!

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  18. It's always a big transition from summer to the start of school. I always wished it was not such a dramatic change.

    You certainly had a good reading month in August. I enjoyed Warcross a lot, though I'm terrible about continuing with a series.

    I picked the book for your poll that I most want to read of these three. I did the same thing last month and chose Bookish Life. I ended up reading it last month, too, and I liked it a lot.

    Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Deb - Yes, the new school year does seem to be a big time for change. Work for me picks up considerably with the start of school too, even though I do not work for the school district or even in education.

      I do hope I can start Wildcard soon. I have it in audio form, which is also how I took Warcross in. I'm not the best with audiobooks. Like you though, my follow through with series isn't always that great either. We'll see though . . .

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

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  19. It sounds like your daughter really keeps you busy! Girl Scouts, dance, along with school is a lot. I hope that the fire is under control. I can imagine how scary that must be. I voted for The Girl in Red because I enjoyed it. I hope you have a great September, Wendy!

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    1. Carole - Yes, she has a lot on her plate, which means I do too. Haha. The fire seems to be under control, thank goodness. Another fire broke out closer to us, near the dance studio yesterday, but it seems to be under control now as well. This heat and the wind and all the dry brush makes for the perfect fodder for fire season unfortunately. Thank you for voting! Have a great September too.

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  20. I enjoyed Sweep of The Blade too, IA can do no wrong when it comes to me... I'm looking forward to finding some time to sit down with Sapphire Flames!
    Well Met is one I'd like to read so I hope you enjoy!
    I liked the Shadowhunters tv show but I've yet to watch S3 so I've no idea how it ends. It's a bit different from the books but I liked the differences. :)

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    1. Nicci - Yes, you can't go wrong with Ilona Andrews. :-) I hope you love Sapphire Flames when you read it! I am looking forward to starting Well Met soon.

      I will have to wait for season three of Shadowhunters. I am watching it on Netflix. I am enjoying it so far.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  21. I voted for Girl in Red mostly because I've been waiting to read it myself! But the others look great as well. You must live in a warmer climate--the coming of fall here means I have to start closing my bedroom window at night, which makes me sad!

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    1. Wendy - Thank you for voting! I have heard such good things about Girl in Red, and it seems the popular choice if the comments here are anything to go by. :-) I do live in a warm climate, very desert like. Thank you for stopping by!

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  22. I know what you mean about August zipping past! I am also grappling with the fact that we are now in September... You had a good reading month, though - I also read Sweep of the Blade and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Have a great week, Wendy:)

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    1. Sarah - I was surprised I read as much as I did. It didn't feel like it. I think my reading slowed down toward the end of the month. I loved Sweep of the Blade. Such a good series. I hope you have a great week too!

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  23. Hope you've had a wonderful birthday Wendy! Congrats to Mouse for moving on to pointe shoes! How excited she must be. August seemed quite a bit slow for me but I'm definitely excited about Fall. I'm just looking forward to cooler weather as we're still well into the upper 90s. I voted for your next read but honestly it was hard, all three books sounded so good!

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    1. Iliana - Thank you, Iliana. It has been a quiet birthday, but pleasant. Mouse is excited to be doing pre-pointe classes and working toward going en pointe. It'll be awhile before she's ready to actually dance en pointe, but she's just happy to be working toward her goal. We've been in the upper 90's as well, sometimes in the 100's. The cooler weather will be much welcome around here. Thank you for voting!

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  24. It's crazy how fast the summer went and now we are in September! I hope you have a great week!

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    1. Yvonne - Isn't it though? Where does the time go? I hope you have a great week too.

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  25. Oh my goodness! I hope everyone made it out of the fire okay.

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Ronyell - Fortunately the fire seems to be under control now. Thanks for visiting!

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  26. We are having issues with fires driven by wind nearby too. My nephew, who is a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service has gone up to help.

    Congrats to your daughter on her ballet accomplishments.

    Have a great reading week

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    1. Shelleyrae - Please thank your nephew for volunteering to fight fires. It is a difficult job and he is a true hero for his efforts. Thank you for the kind words for my daughter! Have a good week!

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  27. Great selection of books. Many of them are on my TBR or on my wishlist. My weekly updates

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  28. Oooh, Free Rein looks interesting, I hope the Singapore Netflix has it!

    Have a lovely birthday!!

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    1. Eustacia - I hope you can find it on your Netflix. It's a cute show. :-) Thank you for the birthday wishes!

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  29. I feel like not only August, but this whole year has flown by :( It needs to be slow down, no? I have been meaning to read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Glad you enjoyed it. I also want to read Well Met and Ten Thousand Doors. I hope you enjoy your new reads and have a lovely September.

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    1. I wish we could slow down time sometimes. I hope you do get a chance to read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. I am eager to dive into Well Met. Hopefully I can start it this evening. I hope you have a great September too!

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  30. Never mind August ... the first 8 months of 2019 have gone all too quickly.

    Totally undecided on these books. I cannot believe I actually found myself tossing a coin when I couldn't make up my mind between The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Girl in Red, the latter of which came out heads and thus my choice.

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    1. Felicity - Sometimes I have to flip a coin to decide what I am going to read next. Haha. Thank you for voting!

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  31. Vicki - Too quickly! Thank you for visiting!

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  32. I voted for The Ten Thousand Doors of January - I just finished it and it was amazing. :)

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    1. Lauren - It was my favorite read of the month--and probably one of my top reads for the year. I loved it too! Thank you for voting!

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    1. Suzanne - I did! It was so much fun. Thank you for recommending it!

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  34. Happy September! Wow, I am glad you weren't affected by the fire, that's scary. It's been a while since I read a Dystopian book, they can be unsettling. caramel soaked brownies sound delicious and I am glad the little one is enjoying dance lessons.
    Enjoy your books, The Widow of Pale Harbor sounds especially good.

    I love Sleepless in Seattle and happy birthday!! Have a great week :)

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    1. Naida - Can you believe it's now October? I'm so behind with comments. It's just the way it goes . . . Thank you for the birthday wishes!

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  35. Happy September! I'm glad that you aren' affected by the fire. I'm glad Mouse is liking her dance classes. Little 3 really wants to do dance classes but I haven't really looked into it yet.

    I hope you enjoy Well Met! I've been looking forward to, it sounds so good.

    I hope you have a wonderful September.

    Tina @ As Told By Tina

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    1. Tina - Thank you! I can't believe it's already October. This year is going so fast. I hope you enjoy Well Met as much as I did!

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  36. My daughter loved dance. She did more tap and jazz, then hip-hop in high school. I love the fall routine but we are not settled in it yet. I want it to cool down also. I hope you have a lovely week! You certainly have been reading some great books.

    Anne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post   

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    1. Anne - My daughter does contemporary and musical theater as well as the ballet. She used to take a combo class that did ballet, jazz and tap, and she really liked the tap. I don't think they really did much jazz. I think she'd really like it if she took a straight jazz class. I hope your temperatures have cooled down finally! Ours seemed to be going in that direction, but I see it will be a warm weekend . . . Oh well.

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  37. Yay for Nutcracker, and pre-pointe... I'm impressed.👯

    A lot of people seem to have had strong reading totals in August. I haven't checked mine yet. 😯

    I hope you had a great week. 🌞

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    1. La La - She's excited. It looks like my husband's summer debut in a ballet has whet his appetite for more. He'll be in the Nutcracker too. Haha

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  38. I hope you got your birthday wish and enjoyed Sleepless in Seattle and your Dairy Queen--happy late birthday! I enjoyed Warcross and have the sequel here to read. Your Girl Scout party sounded fun!

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    1. Danielle - I did! Thank you. I had a nice birthday. :-)

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  39. I know I'm late, but I WOULD have voted for THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY. It sounds SO compelling!

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    1. Donna Marie - It tied for first and I did manage to read it in September, so you got your wish. :-)

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  40. Hope everyone ended up staying safe from that fire! I'll have to check out Free Rein---it seems like the type of show my daughter would like.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Nicole - Thank you! I hope you enjoy Free Rein if you and your daughter watch it.

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