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Sunday, December 13, 2020

Sunday Post, Sunday Salon, Mailbox Monday and It's Monday What Are You Reading? Dec 13 Edition


Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share our news. A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


Sunday Salon hosted by Readerbuzz is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Work is hectic so I'm focusing on other things to distract me on the weekends. I've decided to participate in a few challenges this year. The 2021 Nonfiction Challenge, primarily because I like reading nonfiction and I'm looking to expand my topics in this category. I've also updated my personal "I Love Italy" Reading Challenge page and I'm aiming to read more books set in Italy or revolving around an Italian theme. If you like reading books set in Italy and have any suggestions for me, leave me a comment on that page. Feel free to also include a link in the comment section to any of your reviews of books set in Italy. I'm still updating my other challenge pages. More on that next week.

I'm still watching The Mandalorian and The Queen's Gambit. Virgin River ended on a big cliffhanger and I hope Season 3 is in the works. I'm also watching Season 2 of Poldark with my daughter. 

Mid-December and our weather is unseasonably mild here in Montreal, Quebec. The little snow we got melted and it's raining now. Doesn't look or feel like winter but I'm sure that will change soon.

Hope you are all well. Stay safe and take care of each other.


Mailbox Monday Edition



Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home on its blog. Link up to share your MM.


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.


What I reviewed and/or featured last week:
 

Books such as this one can make science fun and attractive for young minds.


This was a fun book that gave me a break from my usual fare of more serious literature.


I'm participating in this challenge. Are you?




Currently Reading in Fiction:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
20% complete


Currently Reading in Non-Fiction:


He's Not Lazy by Adam Price
15% complete

Heart Breath Mind by Leah Lagos
5% complete 

Positive Psychology for Overcoming Depression by Miriam Akhtar
9% complete 

50+ and Healthy by Murali Rao 
68 % complete

Affirm Your Life by Becca Anderson
14% complete 

You Should be Writing by Brenda Knight & Nita Sweeney
18% complete 

I've decided to use Deb @ Readerbuzz's method of keeping track of my reading. It keeps me accountable and helps me to stick with my reading. Thanks Deb for the inspiration!

Stop by and enter my giveaways!

Also posted on the right sidebar.


Hope you all have a great reading week.



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37 comments :

  1. I participated in the Nonfiction Challenge this year and enjoyed it.

    I loved Virgin River, and hope there will be another season before too long. Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. I look forward to discovering new nonfiction reads. I love Virgin River too, and that ending!!

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  2. Delighted you are joining the challenge Laura! You have quite a few nonfiction books on the go already!

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. I always start new nonfiction reads but don't always finish them so this will keep me on track.

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  3. I've been looking for fiction set in Italy lately. I guess with not being able to travel, I want to do some armchair traveling so I've been looking for both Italy and France.

    I still haven't watched Virgin River but I will.

    Hope you have a great week! Enjoy your books.

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    1. I agree that being an armchair traveler is good these days. I hope you find some good books set in Italy and France.

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  4. We planned a trip to Italy in 2018 after we retired and to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. I read lots of books about Italy and set in Italy before the trip. My favorites were Italian Days by Grizzuti (nonfiction) and Italian Folktales (a huge collection which could have easily been abridged, but is delightful). I also read Room with a View and Death in Venice.

    The Sea of Japan looks promising. I'm planning to join the Japanese Literature Challenge this year. I'm also planning to join a few more challenges.

    After Christmas, we plan to take a look at Queen Gambit. We loved Poldark.

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    1. I'll have to check out Italian Days by Grizzuti. Our plane tickets to Rome have been put on hold until the airline is back to flying.

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  5. Your challenges sound fun. I should do some this year after having taken the last couple off. I need to start The Mandalorian and I need to get back to Poldark as well.

    The Castle by Loch looks interesting.

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    1. Yeah, I'm finally feeling like I can do challenges again. You will love The Mandalorian. :-)

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  6. Well I'm not a huge nonfiction reader but I did suggest Nonfiction for next November's COYER book club. We are choosing a genre for each month and then will make recommendations and vote on which one to read. We continue to just stay home which gives me plenty of reading time.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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    1. That's great. And there is such a variety among nonfiction books, there is bound to be some books you will be drawn to read.

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  7. Good for you on the Nonfiction. I have committed to at least one nonfiction per month although I am not participating in the challenge.
    The Pamela Ford books look good to me.
    Continue to stay safe at work and home and Happy Reading!

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    1. Yes, I usually see nonfiction mixed in with fiction books on your Sunday posts. I hope you participate in Nonfiction November 2021. It was a lot of fun.

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  8. Explore the World of Chemistry does look like a fun way for kids to get into Science. All the best for the books set in Italy, it does have lots of books with lovely settings there.

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  9. Hi Laura,

    I have one recommendation for your 'Italian' collection, so long as you don't mind WWII stories. The book is called 'The Italian Girls' by Debbie Rix and as events are fiction based on a true story, I thought this might meet your requirements even more!

    There is also a great new site I have been working with called Trip Fiction, where for all you 'armchair travellers', there is a search by location option, which makes finding books so much easier.

    https://www.tripfiction.com/

    If you still can't find that specific location you are looking for, use the contact form and speak with Tina, she is an amazing mine of information :)

    I stopped taking part in challenges some time ago, as I just didn't have the time to fit them all in. However at this time of year I am always sorely tempted to change my mind, when all the Blogland chatter revolves around them so much.

    Enjoy all your new books and have a good week :)

    Yvonne
    Xx

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    1. Yvonne, thank you so much for the book recommendation and also the Trip Fiction site. This is one of the reasons I enjoy being part of the blogger community.

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  10. I participated in the non-fiction challenge this year and I have to say it helped increase my non-fiction reading. I plan to participate again in 2021. I hope you have a good reading week.

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    1. Awesome, I look forward to discovering great reads on your blog. :-)

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  11. I read the entire Virgin River series and am trying to remember what the cliffhanger might be. I have a few more episodes to watch in current series so hopefully it will come back, lol. I like to read non-fiction from time to time but this wasn't the year for me - only one memoir.

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    1. You'll know once you get to the last episode of season two. Of course, they have to end it leaving us wondering so that fans clamor for a third season.

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  12. Good luck with your challenges! I should probably decide which challenges I want to do next year. Have a great week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  13. I personally hate cliffhangers, especially in books. And I wish Virgin River didn't do that :( I might also be participating in 2021 Nonfiction Challenge, so I will be back for recs soon.

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    1. Yeah, I don't like them in books either, but the Virgin River books do not end in cliffhangers only the Netflix series.

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  14. I don't do any reading challenges beyond the Goodreads challenge. I prefer to read what I want and not have to look for books that fit into categories. I hope you enjoy the ones you take part in. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Totally understand that too. And you read tons of books, so I think that's your challenge in itself.

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  15. You will want to add THE STAR-CROSSED SISTERS OF TUSCANY and THE CHILDREN'S TRAIN to your Italy challenge.

    Take care, Laura.

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    1. Added! Thanks very much for the recommendations Elizabeth. ;-)

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  16. Oh no! I don't want to hear that Virgin River ends on a Cliffhanger.... I am only at episode 2 of Season 2 now. But hopefully Season 3 will clear all up.

    I couldn't get into My Brilliant Friend at all. Don't know why, because everybody seems to love it! Maybe I must try it on audio...

    Such great books up for review. The horse and the swan books have great covers (can't remember the titles now and yes, I am too lazy to scroll back up).

    Hope you will have a good week and I hope work won't be too hectic....!

    Elza Reads

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    1. I'm enjoying My Brilliant Friend because I know the Neapolitan culture since my hubby's parents are from Naples, Italy. I can speak and understand the dialect too.

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  17. The Mandalorian! The first couple of episodes this season were cute enough but it didn't feel like the larger story was going anywhere. But now--! My mom and my sister have independently texted me about how worried they are!

    My Brilliant Friend was already on my TBR but my aunt just recommended it to me again.

    I glanced at my books set in Italy. The two I would recommend that are exclusively set in Italy are The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Rome, 1960 by David Maraniss, both of which are nonfiction. Two that are set only partially in Italy are People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach.

    Enjoy your week!

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    1. I'm worried about Baby Yoda too! Thank you Jen for your recommendations. I'll have to take a look at those books. They sound interesting.

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  18. The only books set in Italy that I can remember reading is a YA called Love and Gelato. It was a fun read.

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  19. Oh, Poldark ! I love Poldark ! The TV show (especially Aidan Turner, but also Eleanor Tomlinson, the wonderful Demelza) and books as well. Your Italian books challenge is original and interesting, I think I've never seen one before :) Two books pop to my mind if you haven't read them already, by non-Italian authors : Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (a true delight) and Under the Tuscan sun by Frances Mayes (delight also). I think the latter was made into a movie :)

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    1. Thank you for the recommendations. I read Under a Tuscan Sun and watched the movie twice, but I will definitely check out Enchanted April.

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  20. I am thinking of doing the Nonfiction Reader Challenge this coming year too. The Italy one sounds fun!
    Those Pamela Ford covers are so pretty. I hope you are enjoying your reading! Have a great week, Laura!

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