Friday, October 02, 2020

Weekly Mews: So Long September and Welcome October (Please Vote in My TBR 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.   I am linking to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. 


New to the Shelves:

I went on a bookish shopping spree with gift cards I received for my birthday this past month. I usually hold onto my gift cards and spread out my buying, but I needed the retail therapy. I earned it after last month. Haha.


Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine
Ash and Quill (The Great Library #3) by Rachel Caine
A Songs of Wraiths and Ruin (#1) by Roseanne A. Brown
A Deadly Education (Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik


Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang
A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender


Return to Tradd Street (#4) by Karen White
Death and Daisies (Magic Garden Mystery #2) by Amanda Flower
Elementary, She Reads (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #1) by Vicki Delany


A Grave Matter (Lady Darby Mystery #3) by Anna Lee Huber
A Study in Death (Lady Darby Mystery #4) by Anna Lee Huber
A Pressing Engagement (Lady Darby Mystery #4.5) by Anna Lee Huber
As Death Draws Near (Lady Darby Mystery #5) by Anna Lee Huber
A Brush With Shadows (Lady Darby Mystery #6) by Anna Lee Huber


What I Am Reading: I am in the middle of 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher and enjoying it quite a bit. Although it is the third book in the Nantucket Candle Maker mystery series, it is my first time reading anything by Brecher. It is set around Halloween, and so I figured this was a good time to dive in. I am still reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Mouse is reading it with her class, and I am doing my best not to jump too far ahead of where they are. It's very hard, let me tell you. I have just started the Jack Will section, for those familiar with the book. 

What I Am Watching: We are all caught up with Lucifer until the next half of season 6 drops on Netflix. In the meantime, we have started re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was a favorite of my husband's and mine years ago.

Anjin and I were finally able to get back into watching the Star Wars movies, and re-watched The Last Jedi over the weekend. I am sure this weekend we will re-watch The Last Skywalker.

As a family, we really got into the first season of Julie and the Phantoms, a Netflix series. It is so good! It's a fun family show if you like comedy, music, ghosts, and teen/family drama. It is a knock-off of a Brazilian show. After watching the first season with us, Mouse immediately started watching it again on her own.


We were all happy to see The Masked Singer start up a new season, and have been watching that. We cannot watch when episodes first air, but we catch it on Hulu a day or two after.

Dare I ask if any of you caught the U.S. Presidential debate? It was not on in our house, although my husband and I have read and caught clips here and there since then. It sounds like it went just about how I expected it would. 

Off the Blog: September was such a rollercoaster. More so in an emotional sense, although it was a busy one too. The last two weeks of September especially so with dress rehearsals and the final performances put on by Mouse's dance studio. Both the musical and ballet are over now, and I think all of us are more than relieved. They went as well as can be expected given the circumstances. You may remember that Mouse was one of a small few who performed from home instead of in the studio with the other kids. Mouse's musical theater instructor wrote her a lovely note of encouragement before the first Grease performance. Someone from the booster club brought over roses on opening night as well as a goody bag of snacks another night. I think that was very nice of them to do.

The county in which I reside moved up to the next tier restriction wise near the end of last month. We are now in the red, which means more businesses can start re-opening, including gyms and movie theaters and restaurants can have indoor patrons--all on a limited capacity. I for one am not rushing to get back to any of those places, and I know my husband feels the same way. I see a lot of parents demanding to know when in-person instruction in schools can begin again in the Facebook neighborhood and county groups. Our county is still in virtual mode. I have heard rumors it may happen before the end of October. It does not really affect Mouse though given she is on the year long virtual plan. 

Virtual learning continues to go about as one would expect. There are a lot of challenges, some within our control and others outside of it. It's an adjustment. And not an especially easy one for many of us, is it? 


As a 4th grade class assignment, Mouse had to research non-profit organizations for a cause she wanted to support, plan how to earn money for the cause, and follow through with donating the money to that organization (we haven't gotten to that last step yet). She set a goal for $100 and has already achieved it! She decided she wanted to do a chocolate chip cookie bake sale. She still has a couple of out of town orders to bake and send out, but she got all the local deliveries done.

Delivering cookies

Bookish party favors from Mouse's friend's Anne of Green Gables themed birthday party

Mouse's Roses from the Booster Club

A photo of Nina for good measure.


Here is what I finished reading in September:
  • Big Top Flop (Nancy Drew Clue Book, #4) by Carolyn Keene & Peter Francis 
  • In My Attic (Magic Misfits, #1) by Lina Hansen
  • Don't Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell, #2) by Juliette Cross
  • The Haunted Library (#1) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
  • Spill the Beans (Whatever After, #13) by Sarah Mlynowski
  • The Ghost in  the Attic (The Haunted Library #2) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
  • The Ghost Backstage  (The Haunted Library #3) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
  • The Five O'Clock Ghost (The Haunted Library #4) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
  • The Secret Room (The Haunted Library #5) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
  • The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic #2) by Alice Hoffman
  • The Ghost at the Fire Station (The Haunted Library #6) by Dori Butler Hillestad & Aurore Damant
September turned into middle grade book month as Mouse and I work our way through The Haunted Library series. It's about a ghost boy whose lost his family and has joined up with a human girl to solve ghostly mysteries--and hopefully find his family. Mouse and I also discovered the Whatever After series, which features a sister and brother who travel through a mirror into various fairy tales and have to "fix" them (after messing them up in the first place). 

For my own reading, I had a lot of fun reading both In My Attic and Don't Hex and Drive. I also finished The Rules of Magic, which was wonderful. Thank you to all who voted for it in my September TBR List Poll! 

September was a full blogging month. I feel like I kept up pretty well overall. I managed to get quite a  few of my overdue reviews posted and have a few more coming this month. Because of Mouse's performances the last full week of September, I wasn't around as much and didn't get a review post up I had ready to go. It happens.

This Past September In Reading Mews:

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your September? 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 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). 




Sticking with the R.I.P. XV theme for October, I thought I would tempt you (and me) with these three gems. Admittedly two have been on my TBR shelf a bit longer than the most recent release, but I can assure you, they are all books that I have been wanting to read, but just haven't made time for. Yet. So what will it be? Dark magic at a boarding school, zombie romance, or perhaps a murder solving ghost? Help me decide what to read next! 


A Deadly Education
(Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik
Lesson One of the Scholomance

Learning has never been this deadly

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students. [Goodreads Summary]

 


Warm Bodies
(Warm Bodies #1) by Isaac Marion
R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn't want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.
  [Goodreads Summary]


Mrs. Morris and the Witch 
 (A Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

In Traci Wilton's second cozy mystery featuring a new sleuth on the Salem scene, when widowed B&B owner Charlene Morris discovers the dead body of a local Wiccan on Halloween, she and her charming ghostly partner must help the local Salem, Massachusetts, coven to find the killer.

Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year in Salem, Massachusetts--but when B&B owner Charlene Morris finds the dead body of a witch, it spells trouble...

Charlene, recently widowed, has renovated her historic mansion just in time to greet guests arriving for the town's annual Halloween festivities. She's lucky to have a helpful staff to provide support--as well as a handsome ghost named Jack standing invisibly by her side.

Unfortunately, while the revelers head out on haunted tours, have their fortunes told, or grab a drink at Brews and Broomsticks, a killer walks among them. When Charlene discovers Morganna, a local Wiccan, dead in her shop, she starts getting cozy with the local coven, looking for clues to locate the crafty culprit. Salem may be famous for the false accusations of witchery in centuries past, but this time someone is genuinely guilty--of murder...
[Goodreads Summary]



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.

71 comments:

  1. I'm always up for a boarding school book, so A Deadly Education catches my interest. I also like Naomi Novik, so it sounds like a good fit.

    Keeping Mouse safe and in touch with her interests must be a struggle at times. It is a tough time for kids. And parents!

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    1. Jenclair - Thank goodness for Zoom. She's been able to continue with dance and Girl Scouts that way. And technically school too, although right now she'd argue that school is not an "interest". I do feel for her though. She really wants to be with her friends. She's so much more social than her dad and I. Not to say that the isolation doesn't have an impact on us either, but it's much less so, especially given our personalities.

      Thank you for voting and visiting!

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  2. My city is pretty much open again and had been for a while even though we still have around 600 new cases of Covid a day. It's kinda crazy. I am all caught up on Lucifer too. Can't wait for the new episodes.

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    1. Mary - The governor here tends to be more cautious than many, I've noticed. And honestly am grateful for. I know not everyone agrees though.

      I heard we have to wait until spring for the new Lucifer episodes. I am trying to be patient. LOL

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin looks so good! I've been wanting to read it so much!!

    Julie and the Phantoms is something I intend to start on Monday when I finally get broadband put in on my new house!!

    I vote Warm Bodies, I really enjoyed it - the movie totally ruined the book for me tbh!

    I'm from England so seeing the stuff you wrote about Covid just... terrifies me.

    I'm a new follower, your blog is soooo cute!

    Here's my post this week

    Jade @ Ink Scratchers

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    1. Jade - I think so too! I knew I wanted to read that one as soon as I first heard about it.

      I hope you enjoy Julie and the Phantoms. I know we really enjoyed it--even my husband, and he's hard to please.

      Thank you for voting! I haven't seen the movie Warm Bodies, can you believe it? I always wanted to read the book first.

      The U.S. hasn't handled COVID well at all. It's embarrassing and terrifying to me too. :-(

      Thank you for visiting and following my blog!

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  4. I really need to get A Deadly Education -- and I keep meaning to try out Anna Lee Huber's work, too! Hope you enjoy all these! Such a nice spree. :D

    My STS/weekly roundup post.

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    1. Nicky - A Deadly Education sounds so good, doesn't it? I have started Huber's Verity Kent series and really like it. I hear her Darby series is even better. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Yay for retail therapy! :)

    Elementary She read looks good, and I've been thinking of trying Huber's books.

    Hope you have guys have a fun and safe weekend!

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    1. Greg - I probably resort to retail therapy too much. LOL I have a later book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series and figured I might want to have the first handy. :-) I do recommend Huber! I haven't read any of her Lady Darby books yet, but I enjoy her Verity Kent series.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  6. Happy October! ooh, I need to start the Great Library and I just finished A Deadly Education! Loved it. (and voted for it in your poll!) I hope you will too. I also use to be such a Buffy fan! Gosh - the memories! :)
    We're still in a lockdown of sorts here but schools are beginning to reopen. I'm not in a rush to send my LO back this year at least. Our school year runs from Jan-Dec so she may as well finish out the year at home school!

    Here's hoping October is a good one for us all!

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    1. Di - I am so glad to hear you loved A Deadly Education. It's been fun watching Buffy again. It's my daughter's first time, and even though she wasn't interested at first, I think she's hooked.

      I heard today that the county's numbers are sliding and we may have to go back to the purple tier (the most restrictive). I don't think that will go over well. There's already too many people in my county who think we should completely open up again.

      I do hope this month gets better! It's been interesting so far to say the least.

      Thank you for voting and stopping by!

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  7. I don't know the Lady Darby series at all, but I am going to have a look at it!

    You had a busy September. Just look at all your great books bought with gift cards! Happy happy!

    Hope October will be a good month for you with nothing scary but a few books.

    Here's my latest update: The Sunday Post #13

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    1. Elza - I enjoy historical mysteries quite a bit, and I have heard many good things about the Lady Darby series. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it too!

      Thank you for visiting!

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  8. Sometimes you just need a bit of retail therapy! I have read the first book in the Nantucket Candlemaker series and thought it was decent. I have watched 3 episodes of Julie and the Phantoms and it seems decent so far for a teen show.

    Hope you have a great week and happy reading!
    Stormi
    Week in Review

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    1. Stormi - Yes! Retail therapy, especially when it involves buying books, is the so necessary sometimes. I would like to go back and read the first couple of books in the Nantucket Candlemaker series. I liked the third one quite a bit, even if I have to question the main character's actions had me questioning her judgement a couple of times. Thank you for visiting!

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  9. Wow. You did bring in a lot of new books. I especially like the look of Deadly Education, Felix Ever After, and Elementary She reads. Good for you. Retail therapy is important.

    I'm glad you were able to have your daughter participate in the musical and ballet safely. The roses are lovely. I started a class yesterday with teachers, and everyone said they love virtual learning. Most of them teach high school and junior high, though. I think it would be very different with elementary school. I try to imagine what kindergarten virtual learning looks like!

    We've put Star Wars on hold for all these months, but I think we are going to watch the last episode for the first time tonight. I've been waiting too long.

    What a wonderful project. Those are useful skills your daughter is learning. Why don't we do more things like that at school?

    Have a great week!

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    1. Deb - I kind of went overboard. LOL I enjoyed myself though. :-)

      I am glad to hear the teachers you work with are enjoying virtual. I think as a student, I would have liked virtual high school very much. But I'm old and that wasn't even a possibility then. LOL I think it is a bit harder for the elementary students and children in the resource classes. At least my daughter is a little bit older. Imagine kindergarten and first graders in virtual classes! I don't know how teachers do it. Just observing my daughter and hearing her teacher, I can hear how the teacher struggles to keep the students engaged. And only half of the kids are doing their independent work like they are supposed to.

      I hope you enjoy the last episode of Star Wars. We didn't get around to watching it this past weekend, so maybe this coming weekend . . .

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  10. How lovely of someone to give your daughter roses on opening night and for her teacher to send her a note. With virtual learning, it is so easy to be less involved in the lives of the remote students since the teachers don't see them as often. So the little notes or tokens of encouragement are so much appreciated!

    Look at that new stack of books! Hope you get to read some of them soon!

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    1. Athira - It was a nice surprise for her. :-) I know Mouse was feeling very left out with the whole remote performance experience, and so it meant so much to her that she was remembered.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  11. You had a great reading month.

    Enjoy your upcoming weeks, and I am also not eager to go out there and into the fray. Although it is not even an option where I live. We are still restricted to the residence, even though we now go to activities and the dining room in the community. We are very limited in who we can see, too, and I am finally having my first visit with my daughter...socially distanced in a monitored room.

    Sometimes it all feels a bit much, but then as more people come down with the virus, I am glad to stay restricted. For now.

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel- Rain - It was. And timely too given the ghostly themes. LOL


      I hope you have a nice visit with your daughter! It will be good to see her in person again, I am sure. Even if the conditions aren't ideal.

      Sometimes I wonder if I'm being too cautious too, but there's usually a story that comes out that makes me glad I am that way. It's mostly where my daughter is concerned. I am less worried about me. I'm a tried and true introvert.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. A Deadly Education is one I've been really looking forward to, so I definitely voted for it! I want to see what you think before I start it. 😉

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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  13. I am glad that Mouse's performance was well received. I voted for A Deadly Education because it is on my TBR too.

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    1. Gayathri - I am just glad the performances are behind us! They were very stressful this time around and hard on Mouse. Thank you for voting and stopping by!

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  14. Wow! You sure had a busy week! Hope you have a great week!

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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    1. Ronyell - It was a week, I'll give it that! Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  15. Happy birthday! Enjoy your new books. If I had a gift card, I’d spend it right now for sure. Congrats to Mouse on raising money for donation. I remember doing that kind of stuff when I was a kid, but I never raised very much. Have a good week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. AJ - Thank you for the birthday wishes. I'm proud of my little environmentalist. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  16. It sounds like Mouse's class project went really well. And it sounds like something she'll remember doing. I'm sure the virtual school isn't all that easy to do for either you or Mouse.

    I have A Deadly Education on hold at my library so I voted for that one! You had a great blog September even though it was busy with family life.

    Have a good week!

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    1. Jan - I was a fun project for a good cause. :-) Thank you for voting and visiting!

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  17. I love Rachel Caine and Naomi Novik. I've read all those in your first block. So I voted for Deadly Education because I enjoyed it. Yay for Mouse on her fundraising. I watched the first 2/3 of the debate but finally went to bed as it was only irritating me as Trump talked over everyone all the time. Disgusting. Happy reading!

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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    1. Anne - I really like Rachel Caine and Naomi Novik too. I look forward to reading Deadly Education! I can't listen to Trump for long without getting upset. Thank you for stopping by and voting!

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  18. Like you, Santa Barbara County is in the red with hopes of moving to Orange. I think we'll do hybrid learning (I wish we could skip that and do remote until the end of the semester) in early November.

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    1. Helen - I heard the schools here will open for hybrid on the 9th of November--at least elementary schools. High schools on the 30th of November. I don't know if that will change if the county slips back into purple. It sounds slipping back is a very real possibility. The county's Board of Supervisors are up in arms about that. We'll see. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  19. Wow, you had a very successful reading month. So many books. I, for one, am just ambling along on all my reading projects and don't seem to make much progress. It was a weird week. Here's what I have to say about it on my blog

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    1. Anne - If it wasn't for my daughter, I wouldn't have read nearly as much. This summer she didn't want to read much with me and now that school's back in session, she doesn't want to read unless it is with me.

      The last couple of weeks really have been weird haven't they?

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  20. I’m glad things went so well for Mouse, pass on my congratulations.
    I voted for A Deadly Education which I just read and enjoyed. I never did read Warm Bodies but I did watch the movie and enjoyed it.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. Shelleyrae - Thank you from Mouse! I am glad to her you enjoyed A Deadly Education! I never did see the Warm Bodies movie because I wanted to read the book first. It's why I haven't seen a lot of movies. LOL Thank you for visiting and voting!

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  21. Good for her on the charity baking!
    I can imagine virtual learning has its challenges. Stuff has opened up here as well and some of the schools are alternating days with both in class and virtual. We are definitely not rushing to go indoor dining or anything else like that anytime soon.
    Happy week ahead and enjoy your new books!

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    1. Naida - We are taking it slow too. Our numbers haven't been good in the county and we may be slipping back to the more restrictive level. Thank you for stopping by!

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  22. Deadly Education looks good. I think I'm going to add it my list! I read Warm Bodies a few years ago. I liked it a lot. The movie wasn't as good but still a fun one.

    What a great assignment for Mouse! Such a good idea. Glad she enjoyed it and was able to charity bake and raise money. Good for her!

    We get out for a hike on the weekends but that's about it! Keep safe and healthy.

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    1. Heather - I just started A Deadly Education and am enjoying it. I haven't seen the movie Warm Bodies yet--I was kind of waiting until I read the book. One of these days. :-) Hiking sounds like a great way to spend your weekends. I am glad you get to do it. Thank you for visiting!

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  23. Retail Therapy is the best, especially when books are the end result!

    Have a good week and keep safe!

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    1. Heather - Book buying is the best retail therapy. :-) thank you for stopping by!

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  24. Yay for retail therapy! Those bookish party favors are adorable too. I've been eyeing that Naomi Novik book so I voted for that one. It sounds really good and I do love a good boarding school read.

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    1. Suzanne - I thought the party favors were a cute idea. :-) Thank you for visiting and voting!

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  25. I am not into zombie books but Warm Bodies is definitely a new spin on an old genre. I also dig boarding school books so I may have to be checking out A Deadly Education soon, it looks great!

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    1. Sarah - I do not read a lot of zombie books either, but Warm Bodies sounds interesting. I just started reading A Deadly Education and so far so good. Thank you for stopping by!

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  26. Rita - I am glad my post cheered you some. It's been a rough week on many levels. Mouse is growing way too fast. I feel like I just bought her clothes in the spring and I'm already having to replace everything. I thought that was a great project for the students too.

    Thank you for stopping by!

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  27. Busy month Wendy! Mouse is getting so big (pretty dress). Our movie theaters have been closed but will be allowed to open at 50% capacity soon. I think many will close permanently as they haven't been making many new movies and do we need to put ourselves in a closed in theater with all the movie options on television these days?

    Happy reading this month.

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    1. Diane - Thank you. She's growing up way too fast. Cliche, I know, but so true. I heard that one of the big chains is temporarily closing all their movie theaters because the big movie money makers are putting off release of their movies until next year. I love going see movies in the theater--it was always such a nice treat. But I don't see myself wanting to go to one for a very long time yet. Thank you for visiting!

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  28. Sounds like both a busy and a productive month both for you and Mouse, Wendy! And I hope you enjoy all those books you bought. :)

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  29. I live on the stateline of Texas and New Mexico and it's been so interesting seeing how they have handled COVID. New Mexico has been very slow in entering phase 1. Texas opened up really quick and then shut down and now we're back to a spike. Texas had sent the kids back to school but now they want them to resume online learning. New Mexico (where my kids go to school) still hasn't announced a return date and I'm prepared to finish out the year at home with them.

    I loved Lucifer! I really need to catch up on it. I just haven't had time to really watch any shows lately but it is something I want to make time for. I remember seeing bits and pieces of Buffy when I was little but I do want to watch. It's like the perfect show for October.

    I hope you have a wonderful October! I voted for A Deadly Education, I loved the cover. I hope you enjoy whichever one wins!

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    1. Tina - It's interesting to see how different states are handling the pandemic. It sounds like you get to see it first hand where you live. Our school district announced November dates for hybrid lessons for those who chose that plan, but a lot will depend on if our numbers stabilize in the county. We haven't been able to keep our numbers where they need to be to stay in our current level, much less to move up.

      I hope you like Buffy if you do watch it! It's a bit campy, but fun and with a great cast of characters.

      Thank you for voting and stopping by!

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  30. Once again I'm going the choice that I want to read so you know it's the cozy! Can't wait to see what you end up with. Fantastic retail therapy! I love that Anna Lee Huber series and want to read from the beginning. There's a used bookstore here fairly near me and I was hoping to do a shopping binge but Will's numbers are low (he's feeling fine - just no immune system) so we are staying in for awhile. I might have to do an online shopping book binge though! Love that picture of Mouse! She looks so grown up and the dress is so pretty. Those party favors are amazing. Hope you're having a wonderful week.

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    1. Katherine - My husband voted for the cozy too. :-) I am looking forward to reading the Lady Darby series. I have all the books in the series now (so far) so I have no excuse. LOL

      I hope Will's numbers are up soon. He's such a trooper. You and your family continue to be in my prayers.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  31. We are still in the tier where gyms cannot open for indoor use. My husband is getting antsy about it. His gym opened for about two weeks and had to close again when the numbers went up. He has been running but not the same.

    I am very happy to have some cooler weather, aren't you? It's drizzly here!

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    1. Ti - I hope your husband will be able to return to the gym sooner than later. I have enjoyed the cooler weather too, but now it's heating up again. Hopefully it will be short lived.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  32. I'm so glad Mouse had the option to participate virtually. I know it had to be hard being one of the only ones, but she was safe AND it sounds like they did a nice job making her feel included.

    What a great school project! It feels advanced for 4th grade, but kids always amaze me with what they're capable of when we give them the challenge.

    Enjoy rewatching Buffy! That's a favorite of mine as well. I hope you've had a great week (I'm very behind on my visiting!)!

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    1. Berls - I am glad we had that option too. It was really nice of the studio to still allow her to be a part of it. It was hard emotionally though--seeing nearly everyone else in the studio when she couldn't be.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  33. Aw, I love that Mouse raised money for a cause and did so well. That's awesome.

    Her friend's party favors are adorable. Love a bookish party.

    I really want to read Elementary, She Read - though I don't own. I do, however, have A Deadly Education and hope to read that one soon.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. Lauren - Thank you! She did a great job with the fundraiser. :-) I hope you enjoy A Deadly Education when you read it. I just finished it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  34. I'm so behind on blogging too so I know the feeling. I hope you've been doing well and love that you went for some bookish therapy. Totally well-deserved! What a cool project Mouse had to research and way to go on reaching her goal!

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    1. Iliana - Thank you! I am so behind and there's no way I can catch up at this point. :-( I keep trying. Thank you for visiting!

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  35. September was crazy for me too, as the district where I am a school librarian started back and we begin to figure this out, more rigorously than we did last spring. I need to read Naomi Novik at some point. I tried to like that Rachel Caine series, I mean it is about a library, but the first book just didn't blow me away, so I haven't gone on. Hope that October is going well for you!
    Lisa Loves Literature's End of the Month post

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    1. Lisa - I hope things are going okay at school. I imagine it is crazy for everyone right now. It's such a challenge, isn't it? Thank you for stopping by!

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  36. I spy mystery books! They just keep on being added up to my TBR pile in the last month or so.

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    1. Ayanami - I hope you find some good ones to read! Thank you for visiting!

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