Saturday, February 05, 2022

Weekly Mews: Welcome February (January Wrap Up and February's TBR List Poll--Please Vote!)


I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  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 It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

As part of my monthly wrap up, I am linking to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post.


Happy February! 

It was quite the week. It was my week to work from the office.  I was reminded of the early pandemic days when I was often the only one in the office, now that most of the other staff are able to work from home full-time temporarily. It certainly wasn't as slow as it was then though. It's always busy these days, and then add in the fact that so many staff are calling out. Friday was an especially rough day--more so emotionally exhausting than anything else. It was the kind of day when I come home and hug my daughter tighter and longer.

Earlier in the week, I accompanied my mom to the hospital for a couple of medical procedures, each on a different day.  At the first appointment, the doctor identified the problem, and the second was with a specialist. Unfortunately the specialist wasn't able to resolve the issue either and so she will be talking to the surgeon next week to see what the next steps might be. I felt really bad for my mom, having to fast for so long, not to mention going under deep sedation twice, so close together. She is doing well though. We are both anxious to hear what the surgeon says.

On a happier note, the cast lists came out for the summer shows my daughter auditioned for. She has two parts in the ballet, Cinderella, and three in the musical, Mary Poppins (including her first solo!). She is looking forward to learning her parts. Rehearsals begin this coming weekend. 

My favorite coworker keeping an eye on me as I work.

Sleeping kitty


Last Read

This past week I read Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano and Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur. My daughter warned me Hooky would end on a cliffhanger and, sure enough, it did. I can only hope we do not have long to wait for the next installment. The second Finlay Donovan book was just as good as the first. It was such a fun read! 



Reading Now

I am nearly finished reading Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose (#2) by T.A. Willberg. The situation is dire at Miss Brickett's Investigations & Inquires but I have high hopes Marion and her friends will find a way to save the day in the end. I am still on schedule with my Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas reading. 


What are you reading now? 



Up Next

It is that time again when you help me choose the next book I will read! I am feeling a romantic reading mood coming on and these three titles jumped off my TBR shelves at me. Which one do you think I should read next?

Well Played
(Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined "The One," it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex—she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story.
[Goodreads Summary]


Recipe for Persuasion
(The Rajes #2) by Sonali Dev

From the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors comes another , clever, deeply layered, and heartwarming romantic comedy that follows in the Jane Austen tradition—this time, with a twist on Persuasion.

Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn’t a complete screw up? When she’s asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She’s a chef, what’s the worst that could happen?

Rico Silva, that’s what.

Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster.

FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her.

But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce…and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico. Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion…?

In Recipe for Persuasion, Sonali Dev once again takes readers on an unforgettable adventure in this fresh, fun, and enchanting romantic comedy. [Goodreads Summary]


Dial A for Aunties
(Aunties #1) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?
[Goodreads Summary]


 

Thank you for voting! What will you be reading next?

My TBR List is 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 let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 


What I Have Been Watching

My husband and I watched the final episode of the first season of Jessica Jones. Kilgrave is the villain of nightmares. It had been long enough since I had last watched the show that I only had vague impressions of what was coming. It's just as dark as I remember. Luke Cage makes his first appearance during the season and I clapped when Rosario Temple's character, Claire Temple shows up in the season finale. She's one of my favorite Marvel characters from the television shows. I was also happy to see the actress appear in The Book of Boba Fett, which my husband and I have both been keeping up with. I had not expected to see so much of the Mandalorian in the Boba Fett series, but I am not disappointed. I cannot wait to see how this first season of the show wraps up. 

Amazon Prime dropped Chuck just after I started season three and my husband surprised me by subscribing to HBO/Max for the month so I could continue my re-watch of the show since it's now airing there. Okay, so maybe that is not the only reason he signed up for it . . . It worked out well though, because guess what else I found on HBO/Max? I have finally been able to introduce my daughter to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She's loving it and so am I. 


Have you watched anything interesting lately?


January Monthly Wrap Up

Here is what I finished reading in January:
  • The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith 
  • White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows #7) by Kim Harrison
  • Circe by Madeline Miller
  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • Dressed for Freedom: The Fashionable Politics of American Feminism by Einav Rabinovitch-Fox
  • The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
I kicked off January with Sheila's (of Book Journey) First Book of the Year, reading The Witch Haven, a Christmas gift from my daughter, which I enjoyed. I can never resist a novel involving witches! I also finished reading two carryover books I had started in December. January's TBR Poll winner Circe was amazing. I would have named that as my favorite book of the month, but then I read The Girl with the Louding Voice. All in all, it was a very good reading month with no disappointments.

I managed to get a few of my backlog reviews published this past month and posted fairly regularly. Hopefully I will be able to keep that up this month. 

This Past January In Reading Mews:
In case you missed it - in this past week's Reading Mews: 

How did your January shape up? Do you have a favorite among the books you read?



© 2022, 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.

68 comments:

  1. Said a prayer for your family, your mother and the doctors. Oh, "the time before" steps are taken is utterly hard! Sweet kitty! Such a talented daughter - an budding actress!
    How neat that you and your daughter read some of the same books! Hope the next one in the cliffhanger series comes out quickly. I'll be reading Under the Whispering Door next for our buddy read. It was her turn to pick and this was it. It's not my usual genre, but we'll see how it goes!
    Take good care!

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    1. Mia - Thank you for your prayer! Yes, the waiting is always so hard. We are trying to stay positive.

      We may not always read together as much as we used to, but we do enjoy some of the same types of stories. I'm about to start another graphic novel she recommended to me. I hope you enjoy Under the Whispering Door. It sounds like something I would like.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  2. Sounds like you're having a good week. I am excited for Mouse that she was cast in the latest play. I hope all the medical issues with your mom get resolved quickly.

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    1. Helen - It was a week of ups and downs, that's for sure. Mouse is excited about her parts in Cinderella and Mary Poppins. Thank you for your well wishes for my mom. Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. It is tough going back to the office after being out so long or being on hybrid. And ooh Monte cristo... that looks like a fun chunkster to curl up with on a cool night. :)

    I voted for Well Played because I like the sound of the Renaissance Faire setting lol.

    I'm looking forward to The Maid!

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    1. Greg - I am grateful I am still working a hybrid schedule, but, yes, those weeks going back into the office can be rough. The Count of Monte Cristo is a fun read. I am glad to finally be reading it. I really enjoyed Well Met with its Renaissance Faire setting and look forward to reading Well Played. Thank you for voting and visiting!

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  4. Glad your daughter got a part!


    I think that Recipe for Persuasion sounds like fun!

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    1. Marg - Thank you. She's excited about performing in both shows and is happy with the roles she got. I really enjoyed Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev and look forward to reading more books in the series. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I hope everything with your mom goes well. Enjoy your reads and have a great week.

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  6. I am listening to Finley right now! And it's great news for your daughter! I always loved playing in a theater play! And good luck to your mom. She seems very courageous.

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    1. Sophie - I hope you are enjoying Finlay Donovan! My daughter loves performing and is looking forward to being in the ballet and musical. :-) Thank you for the well wishes for my mom and also for visiting!

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  7. How fun that Mouse will have a part in the next play! And it must be strange to be in the office without many of your usual coworkers. I hope that your mom's medical issues will be addressed soon.

    I voted for Dial A for Aunties as it's a book I really want to read.

    Now I want to read Count of Monte Cristo. I think I'll try for next year.

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    1. Deb - Thank you for your well wishes for my mom. Mouse is looking forward to being in both Cinderella and Mary Poppins. :-) Thank you for voting and stopping by!

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  8. Fresh Prince is amazing! My partner and I rewatched it last year.

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    1. Carrie - It is such a fun show. I am glad my daughter is enjoying it too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. So sorry for what your mom is dealing with. I'm not looking forward to just having to fast for bloodwork. I liked working at school again finally once I could, even when the students were virtual. My furry little co-workers at home were not conducive to getting anything done. lol. I picked Well Played because I've listened to it and enjoyed it. I wish I'd read instead of listened, because I think I would have enjoyed it so much more! Have a great week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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    1. Lisa - Thank you for your kind thoughts for my mom. One of my cats likes to interfere when I am working from home from time to time. Thank you for voting and for visiting!

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  10. I love your co worker. I wish I had one like that! I just finished Well Met last week, and I enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as the first book, or the third book in the series, but it was still good. I want to read Dial A for Aunties really soon.

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    1. Wendy - She's the best coworker. :-) Well Met was so good! I am glad you enjoyed it too. I hope I will enjoy both Well Played and Dial A for Aunties when I read them. Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. Mouse must be delighted, congratulations to her!
    I hope you get answers for your mom.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. Shelleyrae - Thank you on behalf of my mom and Mouse! I hope you have a great week as well and for visiting!

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  12. Hope all goes well for your mom. Yay for your daughter! How exciting to gete a part in the play.

    I read the first book in the Marion Lane series. It was good. I'll have to read the second one. Hope you have a great week!

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    1. Yvonne - Thank you for the well wishes for my mom. Fingers crossed everything goes well at the surgery consult. My daughter is looking forward to being in both the Cinderella ballet and Mary Poppins musical. :-)

      I hope you enjoy the second Marion Lane book if you read it. I finished it last night and enjoyed it. I hope you have a great week too. Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. So excited about her upcoming roles this summer. I'm glad your mom is handling it better than expected. I've read and loved 2 of the 3 books you have on your choices, the Jen DeLuca and the Sonali Dev and can recommend both. I am reading a romance freebie for Thrifty Thursday what with Valentines Day on the horizon. I've finished my eARCs but have plenty of audio ARCs left this month.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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    1. Anne - Yes, it is exciting. :-) We are determined to stay positive where my mom's health is concerned. I am sure everything will work out. I am looking forward to all three of the poll options this month. I'm not sure which one I want to read more. I hope you enjoy your reading this month! Thank you for visiting!

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  14. Sending best wishes for your mom.

    I hope you enjoy the Count of Monte Cristo. I read that one last year and was surprised at how much I liked it!

    Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors is on my TBR this month. I just finished P&P and now feel like I want to enjoy some fun retellings. Then on to her second retelling of Persuasion.

    Congrats on your daughter's upcoming roles! How exciting.

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    1. Heather - Thank you for the well wishes for my mom and daughter. I am enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo so far. :-) I hope you enjoy Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. It was one of my favorite books read last year. Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. I am sorry to hear about your mum and that you found yourself emotionally drained on Friday. I pray the surgeon will know how to treat your mum. 🙏 Tell your daughter well done for all those roles in the upcoming shows. 👏 I also hope you will be able to stay on schedule for your reading of The Count of Monte Cristo - It took me three months to read, but it was well worth it!

    As for my reading, I finished reading the lovely classic, Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery and started a re-read of the young-adult fantasy, Eldest by Christopher Paolini. While in my viewing, I finished series three of A Discovery of Witches.

    Take care and happy reading in the coming week. 🙂

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    1. Jessica - Thank you. Hopefully this week will be better and bring good news. My daughter says thank you. :-) She's looking forward to being part of the shows. It's a small studio and so multiple parts per show is pretty common. I am stretching The Count of Monte Cristo out for the year. I am glad to finally be reading it.

      I hope you are enjoying your reading! Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Sounds like a tough week... I sure hope the surgeon can figure out a solution for your mom. Congrats to Mouse on her parts! Didn't realize they cast the summer shows so early. Lots of readers have loved the Finlay Donovan books. Glad you're enjoying them, too... might have to give the first one a try!

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    1. JoAnn - Thank you. I hope so too! Mouse's studio is probably the only one that casts for summer shows so early (I have a personal theory, but it's not flattering to the studio). We're hoping they won't put the shows off until August like they usually do, but that seems to be their track record. If you do give the Finlay Donovan books a try, I hope you enjoy them! Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. I'm sorry about your mom. I hope the surgeon can help. That has to be rough. The pictures of your cats are really cute. :)

    What do you do when you go to your office?

    My Sunday Post

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    1. Jenni Elyse - Thank you. I hope the surgeon will be able to help too. I just found out I cannot go with her to the consult because of the COVID visitor rules, which is a bummer. I know she would like the support.

      My cats bring me such joy. :-) I am lucky to have them in my life.

      My work life at the office isn't terribly different from when I am working from home, to be honest. All of the supervisors rotate in at different times so there is always one of us there. There are staff that work in the office full time by choice and having a supervisor there is beneficial. Plus handling all the mail and faxes that come in directly to the office instead of by e-fax that require immediate attention and action.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  18. I recently discovered that the Fresh Prince theme song is one of the songs that is taking up room in my head. My husband said something about "born and raised" and it went from there. You've got a tough coworker there! That is quite the eye! I'm so sorry about your mom. That's tough to undergo all that sedation but I hope the surgeon will be able to help her. Congrats to Mouse and have a wonderful week!

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    1. Katherine - Haha! Yes! I have the Parents Just Don't Understand forever song Will Smith did years ago cemented in my brain. Thank you for the well wishes for my mom. I hope you have a good week too! Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. What a long a thorough post. I can't vote on next month's book since I haven't read any of them. We lost our kitty this week, so I've had a hard week. My Sunday Salon post

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    1. Anne - I am so sorry to hear about Demi. Losing a beloved animal is like losing a part of yourself. Thank you for visiting.

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  20. I am so sorry to hear all that your mom is going through. The waiting is so hard. I will keep her in my prayers Wendy. I love that you and mouse still share books, even if you don't read them together. Congratulations to Mouse for her success and first solo. You all must be so excited for that. It sounds like a great month overall. Happy February! 💖

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    1. Carla - Thank you. I appreciate the well wishes and prayers for my mom. I am glad Mouse and I can share books too. :-) I'm so excited four Mouse--and nervous too. LOL Thank you for stopping by!

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  21. I voted for the Aunties book. Quite a plate full regardless! Congrats on all the reads. My first Book Date Monday is up on my blog. Have a great week! - Lyn

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    1. Lyn - Thank you for voting and visiting! I hope you have a great week too!

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  22. Congratulations to your daughter, and I hope the doctors are able to help your mother. Medical problems are not fun. Have a good week!

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    1. AJ - Thank you for the well wishes! I hope you have a good week as well. Thank you for stopping by!

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  23. Sounds like you had a very mixed week. I hope your mom gets good news and your daughter likes the acting roles. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by!

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  24. Your kitties are cute. I will say a prayer for your mom.

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  25. Congrats on reading The Count of Monte Cristo, a wonderful book!
    I haven't read any on your poll, so will not vote.
    Here is my post: https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/02/06/sunday-post-52-2-6-2022/

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  26. Thank goodness for a good hug when days are difficult. Hope the outcome for your Mom works out well. Hard to stand by with something like that with a loved one. I enjoyed Recipe for Persuasion. You have some good books going on there.

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    1. Kathryn - Hugs are often underrated. Thank you for the well wishes for my mom. I was hoping to accompany her to her appointment today, but hospital COVID visitor policy doesn't allow it. I am hoping it will go well too. I am glad you enjoyed Recipe for Persuasion. I really enjoyed the first book in the series. Thank you for visiting!

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  27. Congrats to your daughter on landing so many roles during her auditions. That's wonderful! I hope that your mom will get some good news from the surgeon. Glad to hear you enjoyed the new Finlay Donovan. I am loving that series so much!

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    1. Suzanne - Thank you! It's a small studio and so multiple parts is a common occurrence for the shows they put on. Thank you for the well wishes for my mom. It's appreciated. Thank you also for stopping by!

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  28. That's great about your daughter's first solo, wow! And I wish your mother well. I have similar issues with my parents and I will be flying to SoCal in March to visit with them. We are pulled in by the Olympics these days ... but you might like the movie CODA ... on Apple, heartwarming story. I'd like to read Count of Monte Cristo ... so I admire you doing that. Enjoy your week.

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    1. Susan - I don't think it's sunk in fully yet for her that she'll actually be singing a solo. :-) Thank you for your well wishes for my mom. It's definitely nice having my mom closer. I hope you have safe travels in March and your parents continue to do well. I will have to check out CODA. We don't get Apple right now (our free subscription ran out), but I know we will likely subscribe for a bit when Ted Lasso returns. I'll make a note to catch it then. Thank you for the recommendation! I hope you enjoy your week too. Thank you for visiting!

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  29. Oh dear, I hope your mum's health will improve soon!

    I voted for Dial A for Aunties because I've heard so many good things about it!

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    1. Eustacia - Thank you. I hope so too! And thank you for voting. I've been wanting to read Dial A for Aunties for a long while now. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  30. Hope your mother's health will improve! I hear you on working from the office after a long time working from home - it can be nice, but very, very rough too. I voted for Well Played as I love the Well Met series, but all your choices sound great!

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    1. Lindsey - Thank you for the well wishes for my mom. Switching from home office takes some adjusting! Thank you for voting! I can't wait to read Well Played. I loved Well Met. Thank you also for visiting!

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  31. I hope they figure things out with your mom soon.

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    1. Mary - She learned today she will need part of her colon removed. I appreciate the well wishes and thank you for stopping by!

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  32. Congratulations to your daughter on her parts and her first solo!

    I hope your mom gets answers quickly.

    We finally finished Hawkeye (I dragged my feet because Kate Bishop got on my nerves) and started Boba Fett. We're only two episodes in and wondering where this is going. It's a lot of backstory to this point.

    I asked my husband if he wanted to sign up for HBO Max while they were having a sale on subscriptions and he said no. And now that the sale has ended, he's talking about subscribing! That's the way it goes with him sometimes.

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    1. Jen - Thank you! She's excited and nervous about the opportunity. Thank you also for the well wishes for my mom. I hope you enjoy Boba Fett. It will pick up in terms of the direction it's going. I really liked learning more about the sand people in the earlier episodes.

      I hope you have a great week!

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  33. I hope that things are going well for your mom. It is frustrating going from one doctor to the next. Congratulations to your daughter for getting those parts! A solo is exciting! I hope that you have a great week, Wendy!

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    1. Carole - Thank you. My mom doing well--staying positive. And Maggie is looking forward to finding out more about her parts. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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