Saturday, May 09, 2020

Weekly Mews: Happy Mother's Day/My Thoughts on Starbreaker & Inside Out & Back Again/May's TBR List Poll Winner

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. 







Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there, whether you have human children, furkids, or both (or perhaps are a mother figure in someone's life)! Due to world circumstances, it may be a bit more subdued a celebration, but I hope you know how appreciated you are. Sending extra hugs to those of you who have an especially difficult time this time of year--whether because you have lost your mother, had abusive/absent mother or lost a child.

flowers from my husband and daughter

What I Am Reading: I was hoping to have A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison finished by now so I could share my thoughts with you (I am so close!), but you will have to wait until next weekend. Besides that, this week I read the last two Ivy + Bean books by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall with Mouse. We have both enjoyed the series.

What I Am Watching: Since last week, my husband and I finished watching season 2 of Elementary and watched the first episode of season 3. For those who do not know, it is a modern day Sherlock Holmes type show with Lucy Lu playing Watson.

Off the Blog: County leaders met this past week and have asked the head of the county's Public Health Department to rescind his mandatory orders of having residents wear face mask in public and social distancing, although they did state doing both are still highly recommended. I understand the meeting they held was quite heated, everyone offering their different views. One of the members of the Board wants to open up the county with no restrictions. Most of his concern surrounds the ailing economy. Regardless of the county officials' stances, the state governor's orders still take precedence. Hopefully people will exercise good judgement.

The governor allowed several more businesses to open this past Friday, the start of the slow process to getting back to some semblance of normalcy. Among them, retailers such as bookstores and sporting goods stores are allowed to offer curbside pick-up, as are nurseries. Manufacturers who supply those re-opened businesses are also being allowed to re-open as long as they maintain social distancing and take safety precautions.

On a personal note, the week was uneventful for the most part. I guess that's a good thing, considering.

 My supervisor making sure I'm working.


Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? 

Where is Daniel Ahern? [opening of Starbreaker]
Starbreaker (Endeavor #2) by Amanda Bouchet
(Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2020; Science Fiction/Romance, 448 pgs)

I enjoyed the first novel in Bouchet's romantic science fiction novel called Nightchaser featuring Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan. Tess is back with her crew in the latest novel in the series, this time with an impossible mission ahead of them. As nightchasers, the make a living off of stealing cargo from the wealthy and government and giving it to those in need. But now they are being asked to break into Starbase 12, an extremely secure facility, and free an imprisoned scientist whose recent discovery will tip the scales in the rebels favor against the Dark Watch.

Things become more complicated when the Endeavor takes on a couple of new crew members--one is not someone they are sure they can trust and the other is someone from Tess's past.

Starbreaker was as entertaining and as action-packed as I anticipated. I really like Tess and her crew. They are well matched and have each other's backs through thick and thin. Shade and Tess have baggage between them that they are still working through, and I appreciated the way Bouchet addresses both of their concerns and feelings. The reader gets to learn more about Tess and her past, including her complicated relationship with her uncle. There are plenty of twists, some of which were predictable, and others came as a complete surprise. Be forewarned that while some things were resolved, a lot more is left in the air. This is definitely a series to read in order.

Have you tried this series? If so, what do you think? 

Today is Tết,the first day of the lunar calendar. [Opening of Inside Out & Back Again]
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai 
(Harper Collins, 2011; Fiction/Historical/Middle Grade, 262 pgs)

Ten year old Hà has lived her entire life in Saigon. It is home, from the busy markets to the traditions she's grown up with, her friends and her beloved papaya tree. 

With war comes change, however, and when the war reaches Saigon in 1975 and the government falls, Hà, her mother and brothers flee to America.  Her family settles in Alabama where life is completely foreign to Hà. They do not receive a warm welcome by everyone, and Hà struggles to fit in, learn a new language and grieve for the life she's left behind. This novel in verse is based on the author's real life experiences.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Inside Out & Back Again as my April TBR read. This book had been on my TBR shelf for quite a while. One of those books I kept meaning to get to, and yet never quite managed to. Until last month. When I asked my daughter if she wanted to read it with me, she eagerly said yes. 

We both really enjoyed this wonderful book. Both simple and beautiful in narrative, this novel touched both our hearts.  Hà is a very relatable character and Mouse and I had quite a few discussions as we read. I was able to share stories about my father who fought in the Vietnam War and share some of my own knowledge of that time period. We talked about immigration and cultural differences, and how difficult it must have been for Hà, leaving behind the home she loved and coming to a country so different from her own, including being bullied, and finding her own place in her new community.

I marked several passages in my copy of the book that really moved me, too many to share. Here are a small few:

I vow
to rise first every morning
to stare at the dew
on the green fruit
shaped like a lightbulb.

I will be the first
to witness its ripening. [excerpt from "Papaya Tree" pg 9]

*

I always wish for her eyes,
but Mother says no.
Eyes like hers can't help
but carry sadness;
even as a child
her parents were alarmed
by the weight in her eyes. [excerpt from "Birthday" pg 27]

*

Would be simpler
if English
and life
were logical. [excerpt from "Fourth Rule" pg 159]

*

How can I explain
dragonflies do somersaults
in my stomach
whenever I think of
the noisy room
full of mouths
chewing and laughing?

and later in the same poem

Things will get better, 
just you wait.

I don't believe her
but it feels good
that someone knows.  [excerpt from "Someone Knows" pgs 181-182]

I know I would have loved this book just as much if I had read it on my own, but the experience was made infinitely more special because I read it with my daughter.

Have you tried this one? If so, what do you think? 


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 Saturday 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). 




Thank you to everyone who voted! The winner won by quite a bit. It was not even close. Three of you voted for Heather Graham's The Forgotten, seven of you voted for Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews, and fourteen of you cast your votes for A Curious Beginning.



A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn
London, 1887.

After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.
 [Goodreads Summary]

Although I would not have minded if any of the books won the poll this month, I was kind of pulling for this one a bit more, and so am glad it won.

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


© 2020, 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.

67 comments:

  1. Happy Mother's Day! Those flowers are beautiful.

    Our county is starting to open up on Monday. Restaurants can now offer dining in, hair salons, and retail shows will be open. I just hope people still remember to do social distancing and stay safe. There's still so many people with this virus.

    I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe!

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    1. Yvonne - Thank you! Same to you. :-) My husband surprised me with them this morning when he got home from his shopping trip.

      Our county is slowly opening up, but dining in and hair salons are not on the list to open yet. I'm kind of glad because I don't think we are ready for that yet.

      I hope you have a great weekend too. Thank you for visiting!

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  2. Happy Mother's Day to you!

    Our state is reopening and it makes me nervous because very few people are wearing masks around here. We're still being very cautious. I guess we'll see what happens.

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    1. Kathy - Thank you! Happy Mother's Day to you as well. :-) I'm really nervous about re-opening too. We will continue to be cautious as well. Here's hoping it goes well and we don't see that second wave everyone fears.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. Hope you enjoy your book. The first line of the first book in the first series she wrote was so memorable, but I haven't yet read this series.

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    1. Marg - Thank you! I think I will. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  4. Happy mother's day to you too. We are also relaxing restrictions here but wearing masks and temperature checks before entering any shops, restaurants or any such essential places.

    Gayathri @ Elgee Writes

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    1. Gayathri - Thank you! I hope you have a nice Mother's Day. I haven't heard of anyone requiring temperature checks of the general public here yet, but I know some companies are having their employees checked before they begin their shifts. My own isn't though. Probably because there are so few of us actually in the office at one time right now. It's an interesting idea though, and perhaps a smart idea.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Happy Mother's Day! Gorgeous flowers. What an adorable photo of your "supervisor." LOL.

    Enjoy your week and your books, and stay safe while those in charge push us ahead on this perilous journey!

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Thank you! Happy Mother's Day to you as well! The flowers were a nice surprise. :-) My "supervisor" is a task master. LOL I'm enjoying spending more time with my cats. They are surprisingly very attention seeking now that we are home so much more. I will feel bad for them when we head back to to the office full-time.

      Thank you for visiting! I hope you have a good week too. Stay safe, Laurel-Rain.

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  6. Our lieutenant governor has already told us that we must be willing to sacrifice some people for the economy! I find that absurd. Does he not realize that the economy is for the people, not the people for the economy?

    I'm glad you and your daughter had such a wonderful experience reading Inside Out together. I hope you can think of another book that will work for both of you. My boys and my husband and I loved reading together even when my sons were in their teens.

    We did several things this week---my husband's sister cut his hair, we had delivery from a restaurant, and library curbside service---and I worried every time we did each of these.

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    1. Deb - That kind of thinking really saddens me. I do understand the importance of the economy and how many are suffering right now, but I worry when people want to put people's lives second to it.

      Mouse and I read together all the time--but it is nice when it is a book I am especially eager to read too. LOL We enjoy your reading time together. :-)

      I bet your husband was happy to get his hair cut. My husband said I could cut his, but he hasn't let me yet. I think he's still holding out. LOL My daughter braided his hair the other night.

      I haven't heard of our libraries opening up for curbside service, but I know our bookstores have. They were shipping to homes before now, and so not completely out of business, but I'm sure it will help business more now that they can be more hands on. I'm not sure I want to venture to the bookstore to buy books that way just yet. I kind of want to wait and see how this soft re-opening goes for others first.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Happy Mother's Day! Those flowers are lovely!

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  8. Happy Mothers Day! Your flowers are so beautiful, as is your kitty. Those eyes look hard to resist! I feel like every week is uneventful, but I agree it's got to be a good thing right now :)

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  9. Happy mother's day! Love the flowers, so sweet! I got to sleep in as my gift (and I'm still hiding in bed right now lol).

    I worry about things reopening so quickly - I know we (Dallas/Texas) are moving into phase 2 already, despite the fact that our number of cases have been rising ever since they TALKED about doing phase 1. Makes me worry we're going to have to go back into serious quarantine because of rushing 😔.

    Hope you have a great, safe week!

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    1. Berls - Happy Mother's Day to you as well! Sleeping in is nice, isn't it? A rare treat. I was up before everyone here, so I guess my gift was having some quiet time all to myself this morning. :-)

      I worry about re-opening too quickly also. We haven't seen a drop off in cases either, which worries me when so many people are clamoring for us to open back up.

      I hope you have a great and safe week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. Happy Mother's Day! I really enjoyed Starbreaker and thought it was well written getting in the character development even with all the action.

    Take care and happy reading!

    Anne - Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post   

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    1. Anne - Happy Mother's Day to you too! I am glad to hear you liked Starbreaker too! It's a fun series. I was so glad it didn't turn into a love triangle there--I was a little worried at first. Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. Glad you're boss is checking up on you and you can make light of it . I try to find the funny in everything I do lately. If it wasn't for improv I might be lying on the floor right now.

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    1. Trin Carl - She's much more strict than my actual boss. :-) I am glad you have improv. Anything we can do to try and focus on the positive, right? Thank you for visiting!

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    2. It's true ...positivity can do wonders! I tell my clients that i'm praying every day, sometimes every hour , and it helps, I can see the joy in the small things as I move throughout the day.

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  12. Happy Mother's Day! I'm loving your supervisor - very on top of things, eh? lol I've read Inside Out and Back Again and really loved it.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. Lauren - Thank you! My home supervisor is quite the task master. ;-) She's cuddly too. LOL Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. I thought Amanda Bouchet's first book was a fun read. I'm excited to read the sequel. :)

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    1. Lark - I hope you enjoy the second one as much as the first. Starbreaker was fun too! Thank you for visiting!

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  14. Happy Mother's Day to you too. My days have been filled with Occupational therapist appointments, rehab therapist appointments, nurses and others coming here to the apartment.Tomorrow we start the oncologist, eye doctor and other doctors.

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    1. Mary - I hope you had a nice Mother's Day. I hope the appointments are going well, and you get good news from the oncologist tomorrow. Sending hugs and positive thoughts. Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. I love the sound of the Amanda Bouchet's book! It sounds like a series I'd really love:)). Thank you for sharing, Wendy. I hope the coming week is a peaceful, healthy one for you.

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    1. Sarah - If you give Amanda Bouchet's series a try, I hope you enjoy it! I hope you have a good week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Love the flowers (and your kitty watching you work). I own Inside Out and Back Again---love that you found several passages you enjoyed enough to mark. I definitely need to read it soon!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Nicole - For some reason, I often find more passages I like when reading poetry or novels in verse than I do in regular books. I am not sure why that is. I hope you like Inside Out & Back Again when you read it. Have a Happy Mother's Day. Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. Haha, I love your “supervisor.” Cutest boss ever. I hope you have a good week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. AJ - She definitely is the cutest boss I've ever had. :-) I hope you have a good week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  18. You will love A Curious Beginning! I read the first in the Endeavor series and am so glad to hear the next book was good. Looking forward to it. Happy Mother's Day.

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    1. Nise' - I think I will too! It sounds right up my alley. I hope you had a Happy Mother's Day too. Thank you for visiting!

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  19. Thanks for reminding me about Elementary. I watched and loved the first few seasons but then kind of lost track of it. I'd like to get into watching it again.

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    1. Megan - I didn't get to see it when it aired and am so glad to finally be able to watch it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  20. Happy Mother Day!!! Hope you had a great day. :)

    I share your concerns about the reopening- it's too bad there has to be so much disagreement over these things. I feel like if we just let the scientists/ health experts take the lead we'd be better off, but I guess that's the way of things. Hopefully things work out with a minimum of additional suffering.

    Love the supervisor pic! :)

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    1. Greg - Thank you! My husband and daughter made it a very pleasant day. Even the cats joined in to make it special. :-)

      I do hope things will work out with the re-opening and that people remember to take it slow--and use common sense.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  21. I think you may have the cutest supervisor in the world! :)

    And I'm a little late, but happy Mother's Day!

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    1. Lindsey - She's well loved. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  22. Happy Mother's Day, Wendy! Everytime this time of the year, it makes me miss my mother even more.

    I'm glad to hear A Curious Beginning won the vote. I hope you'll enjoy the book and I'll look forward to reading your thoughts on it, Wendy.

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    1. Melody - Thank you! Happy Mother's Day to you too. It's hard when our parents are no longer with us. I always think of my dad on Father's Day.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  23. Ohhhh, I really hope you enjoy A Curious Beginning! :)

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    1. Christine - I hope I will too! Thank you for stopping by!

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  24. I am so glad you both enjoyed the book, it's one that I think of highly. I do not understand why Americans are so against wearing masks. It can help prevent one from catching the virus. It seems pretty straight forward to me.

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    1. Helen - We really loved it! :-)

      I don't understand why there's so much resistance either. Is it an ego thing maybe? Or they just feel the need to be contrary? I know there is a lot of mis-information out there. It's become a political issue like so many others in this country, which it really isn't and shouldn't be. I will continue to wear my face mask at least--when at work and on the rare occasion I go out in public.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  25. What a strange Mother's Day right? I know we have to get the economy re-started but I'm really concerned about the way some people seem to be flaunting safety measures. We had to close down several parks in our city because of over-crowding. Crazy. Anyway, love your supervisor checking in on you! haha.. So excited you're going to read A Curious Beginning because I want to read it and want to hear what you think!

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    1. Iliana - That seems to be the push to get everything re-opened right now--for the economy's sake. I just wish we were all doing it a bit more wisely. For some it seems to be an all or nothing proposition. Like you, I am concerned about the way some people seem to be not taking the safety measures seriously.

      I love my little supervisor. :-) Luckily, she isn't too strict. LOL

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  26. I'm so glad A Curious Beginning won! It's so good! I hope you love it. Your supervisor looks tough! Definitely not one I'd want to mess with. Hope you have a great week!

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    1. Katherine - I am looking forward to reading it. I hope to start it tonight. :-) Gracie sometimes takes a nap on the job, so she must trust me somewhat. :-) I hope you have a good week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  27. Your supervisor is gorgeous! Ohio is opening malls tomorrow. I can't imagine anything I'll need badly enough in the next month or two to go to the mall where too many people will not be wearing masks. Honestly, if masks were mandatory I think a lot of people would feel better about opening things back up. I hope this week is uneventful in the best possible ways :)

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    1. Stacy - She's my cuddle cat. :-) I doubt I would go to the mall right now either if ours were opening. I saw someone post on Facebook that a local restaurant had opened their dining room and they got a picture of themselves dining in. I didn't think that was allowed yet here . . . I heard they were crowded. I just don't understand people. I'm still going to be wearing my mask when out and about. Not that I am going anywhere other than work and maybe a walk around the neighborhood. Haha. Thank you for stopping by!

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  28. Belated Mother's Day Greetings to you. I had lovely food delivered on Sunday from the three children in Melbourne (the miracles of being in today!) and flowers on Monday.
    We are still on almost complete lockdown. The province I live in has started allowing only people going to work to go in on public transport. There are times for government sector employees to travel and times for private sector employees. Only twenty five percent of staff at any time. I doubt offices are going to allow more than a few people in at anytime.
    People here still not very good at banking online or doing purchases online so there is a rush for those services but you can only go if your Identity Card has a particular ending number. Today it is 2 and 3. My number is tomorrow but I doubt I am going anywhere. We manage very well for the last eight weeks in complete lockdown and am amazed at how angry people get for very slight impositions!

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    1. Mystica - Thank you. Same to you, my friend. That was so nice of your children to have food delivered and flowers! A very nice touch. :-)

      I wish the leaders here would not be so quick to re-open. There are ways to open the economy back up without rushing into it. I hope I am wrong and it will not get worse before it gets better, but I have my doubts.

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  29. Have a wonderful week and a Happy Belated Mothers Day! Enjoy your books!

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    1. Cindy - Thank you! I hope you had a nice Mother's Day too.

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  30. Your county has been in the news a lot. Why are they so resistant to the masks? Is your area largely Republican? My city is pushing back too with protests but I'd say about 3/4 are doing what they are supposed to do.

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    1. Ti - Yes, it has--and not in a good way. LOL I don't understand why there's so much animosity about wearing masks. I really don't. I am hoping it's a loud minority that are making a fuss, but I don't know. And, yeah, it's a majority Republican area. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  31. Happy belated Mother’s Day Wendy. I hope you had a great day.
    I watched a lot of episodes of Elementary when I was pregnant. I loved that series so much, and since I couldn't move a lot I binge watched that one. Great series.

    I'm glad to read you're also enjoying the Endeavor series. Can't wait for the next one.

    Stay safe and happy reading.

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    1. Maureen - Thank you! Same to you. I hope you had a nice day too. We are really enjoying Elementary. Thank you for stopping by!

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  32. Happy Mother's Day, Wendy! I hope that you are able to stay safe in this ever-changing world. It looks like your supervisor is really keeping an eye on you :) I really enjoyed Starbreaker and look forward to seeing where the series goes next. I think that you will really enjoy A Curious Beginning and am looking forward to your review. Have a great week!

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    1. Carole - Thank you! Same to you. I am glad you enjoyed Starbreaker too. It's a fun series. I am about halfway through A Curious Beginning and enjoying it. I hope you have a great week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  33. I am starting to get tired of the cat boss - she is forever circling my desk trying to distract me from the work she knows I need to do!

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    1. Lisa - Aw! She knows you need a break. :-) Mine has started climbing from the desk onto my chest and wanting to cuddle with me. It's hard to get any work done with her on my chest. LOL Thank you for stopping by!

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