Sunday Salon - Right Now

Time 12:09 pm

Place My living room

Listening to… podcasts (specifically Marek vs. Wyshynski)

Eating...  Nothing at the moment, but I am feeling a bit hungry

Watching...  the morning show from a local station in Vancouver

Reading... I will hopefully finish up Tell the Wolves I'm Home, start Shoeless Joe and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Planning... Nothing at the moment, just what I might want to eat so I don't starve this afternoon. Probably start to plan what I need to do for Bloggiesta, which starts this coming Thursday.

Feeling... Relaxed and a tad tired due to an early morning today

Loving... the fact that its a fairly nice day, but not too hot.

Wanting... the hockey season to start; as much as I like the stretch drive in baseball and the start of the NFL season, I want some NHL hockey

Thinking... how much I would like a nap and how not to fall asleep at my computer

Looking forward to... the kickoff at church this afternoon, the Ladies Bible Study group I am attending this coming year on Monday evenings and an author reading at a library in a nearby town this coming Wednesday.

I also signed up for a fall reading challenge that is being hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm.  It's a fairly easy reading challenge and am not putting too much pressure on myself to get everything done. Hope you have a relaxing Sunday and happy reading :)

Sunday Salon - Right Now (12/28/14)

Time 10:27 am Pacific

Place My living room

Listening to… Nothing

Eating...  Just finished off breakfast

Watching... Eagles vs Giants

Reading... Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Planning... What challenges to do for the coming year

Feeling... A little bit on edge; coffee sometimes makes me a little edgier

Loving... That I can get a certain book set that I have had my eye on; may even consider upgrading to the hardcopy version as a result (see below)

Wanting... To calm down a bit

Thinking... How I am going to get through the day

Looking forward to... Christmas dinner with my family 

Here are the latest book reviews that I have been working on since my last Sunday Salon post that I posted book reviews:

• Discovery of Witches, A by Deborah Harkness (Nov. 2014)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Nov. 2014)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)
• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Dec. 2014)
• New York Christmas, A by Anne Perry (Dec. 2014)
• Mistletoe Promise, The by Richard Paul Evans (Dec. 2014)

Here are my bookish Christmas gifts from my parents and sister:

• Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood

• Emma by Alexander McCall Smith (part of the Austen project series)

• gift card from my parents and sister to ChaptersIndigo

I will be posting my top 10 books from 2014 next week, at least that is the plan. And sometime before Jan. 1 I will be posting my final reviews for 2014 and my challenges for 2015. Hope you have a relaxing Sunday!

Sunday Salon - Right Now (11/214)

Time 11:19 am Pacific

Place My living room

Listening to… A History Of: Hannibal and the Punic Wars

Eating...  Nothing at the moment, although I am thinking of making a little more breakfast

Watching... Season 5 DVD of Castle

Reading... A Sudden Light by Garth Stein and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Making... Nothing

Planning... Nothing for the time being

Feeling... A little groggy; didn't sleep well last night

Loving... That its a new week

Wanting... To not feel so jumpy; anything that is a problem seems to be an issue

Thinking... Trying not to think too much at this point

Looking forward to... Next weekend; long weekend for me and plan to do lots of reading.

I managed to get caught up with my reviews this past week, so no need to say that they will be completed this coming week.

Reviews posted this week:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
• The Cuckoo's Calling by Richard Galbraith
• The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

• Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood 
• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

• Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan 
• The Martian by Andy Weir 
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 
• The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman 
• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd 
• The Story Hour by Thirty Umrigar 
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 
• The Children Act by Ian McEwan 
• All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 
• The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers 
• The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simison 

Sunday Salon - Right Now (8/17/14)

Time: 9:02 am Pacific

Place: Some place other than home

Listening to… Episode 292 of Books on the Nightstand

Watching... Newcastle vs Man City

Reading... Too many books

Planning...  To post some book reviews, read a bunch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, watch a bunch of lectures for a course I am taking online through Coursea.org (one on the French Revolution) and to just generally survive the day.

Feeling... Tired; haven't been sleeping well for the last little while.

Wanting... To go back to bed.

Thinking... Not a lot at the moment

Looking forward to... Seeing my sister.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon:

• Road Ends 

• The Goldfinch

• Empty Mansions

• We Were Liars

• The Circle

Books reviewed since my last Sunday Salon:

• HHhH by Laurent Binet (July 2014)
• Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)
• Saints by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)
• Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, The by Sun-mi Hwang (Aug. 2014)
• Ocean at the End of the Lane, The by Neil Gaiman (Aug. 2014)
• Mysteries of Udolpho, The by Ann Radcliffe (Aug. 2014)
• Pursuit of Mary Bennet, The by Pamela Mingle (Aug. 2014)
• Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (Aug. 2014)
• Bear, The by Claire Cameron (Aug. 2014)
• Tale of Two Cities, A by Charles Dickens (Aug. 2014)
• Fault in Our Stars, The by John Green (Aug. 2014)
• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Aug. 2014)
• Clash of Kings, A by George R.R. Martin (Aug. 2014)
• Enchanted, The by Rene Denfeld (Aug. 2014)
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Aug. 2014)

Books I hope to finish this week:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

• The Cuckoo's Calling

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday, however you plan on spend it.

Sunday Salon - Right Now (7/20/14)

Time: 2:20 pm Pacific

Place: Some place other than home

Listening to… Adventures with Words Live from YALC

Watching... An episode of House Hunters International

Reading... A bunch of stuff, but am planning on doing a bunch out of The Goldfinch

Planning...  To write some reviews this afternoon for Bloggiesta

Feeling... Frustrated; can't really seem to get into a routine at the moment.

Wanting... Some sort of routine

Thinking... Trying not to think too much about things at the moment

Looking forward to... Seeing my friend Alison for the next few days.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon:

Nothing

Books reviewed:

Nothing

Books I hope to finish this week:

The Goldfinch

Road Ends

Sunday Salon - Right Now (6/29/14)

Time: 10:32 am

Place: In the living room

Listening to: nothing at the moment

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I'll probably grab something to eat in the next bit.

Watching: August: Osage County

Reading: I am going to work a bunch of books this afternoon.

Making: Going to make a double batch of chili tomorrow afternoon

Planning: Other than watch oodles of FIFA World Cup this coming week, nothing really.

Feeling: Still a little groggy; haven't really been sleeping well this week.

Loving: That I can read lots this week and that I'll see some family members on Canada Day.

Wanting: To have decent night's sleep

Thinking: Of when I'll get to my book reviews (maybe post some this afternoon)

Looking forward to: Spending some time in the sun and working on my suntan.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon: 
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• The Remains of the Day
• His Majesty's Hope

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
• Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
• Levels of Life
• The Rosie Project
• Summerhouse with Swimming Pool

Sunday Salon - Right Now (6/22/14)

Time: 9:54 am

Place: In the living room

Listening to: Adventures with Words podcast (episode 100)

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I'll probably grab something to eat in the next bit.

Watching: FIFA World Cup 2014 Belgium vs Russia (its half time and 0-0)

Reading: I am going to start the day with His Majesty's Hope and read a couple others throughout the day.

Making: Nothing; I am planning to spend the day with my left foot up (it is still bothering me from my sprain back in November from time to time and I would like to rest it as much as possible this coming week).

Planning: Other than watch oodles of FIFA World Cup this coming week, nothing really.

Feeling: I am slowly waking up

Loving: That I can read lots this week

Wanting: To feel at peace with certain things

Thinking: Nothing at the moment that is significant.

Looking forward to: Seeing who my favourite team drafts at the NHL entry draft this coming Friday and if they will hire a new head coach this coming week.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon:
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
The Remains of the Day (do have to finish it for my book club meeting)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Sunday Salon - Right now (6/8/2014)

I realize that this is later than I normally would do my Sunday Salon but due to being generally lazy this morning and some fine weather outside, I delayed it.  So here we go....

Time: 4:24 pm
 
Place: In the living room
 
Listening to: The History of England Podcast (Episode 99)
 
Eating: Just had a couple pieces of fruit (yummy!) and glass of pink lemonade
 
Watching: Last nights Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final; will be watching the Red Sox/Tigers game in about 30 min.
 
Reading: Fangirl

Making: Nothing
 
Planning: At this point I can't really plan anything at the moment because if I do, I get worried and if one gets worried, one gets anxious, especially with stuff at work up in the air at the moment (no, its nothing bad; I just don't want to get into it)
 
Feeling: A little tired, but sort of a good tired
 
Loving: That there is less than three weeks left of work before summer vacation starts...
 
Wanting: Not to worry about stuff going on work that is basically beyond my control
 
Thinking: How lucky I have been to have had such wonderful weather this last week!  It feels like summer!

Looking forward to: Seeing my parents at the end of the week.  Even though I call and text them on a regular basis, it will be nice to see them again.

Books finished since my last Sunday Salon but not reviewed:
• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell
• A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
• The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

Books I hope to finish this coming week:
• Fangirl (I can't seem to get into it)

Sunday Salon - Right now (5/18/2014)

Time: 10:21 am
Place: In the living room
Listening to: Nothing at the moment.
Eating: Just had some toast
Watching: an episode of The Big Bang Theory
Reading: Planning on reading A Clash of Kings and The Fault in Our Stars today
Making: Nothing
Planning: What I am going to do tomorrow (I have tomorrow off as well)
Feeling: A bit groggy
Loving: That the weather is looking better than it has been
Wanting: That my book reviews were up-to-date
Thinking: A bunch of stuff
Looking forward to: To doing a bunch of reading tomorrow

Books finished this week but not reviewed:
• Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
• The Bear by Claire Cameron
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Books I hope to finish this week:
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Sunday Salon - Right now (4/20/2014)

Time: 11:19 am
Place: In the living room
Listening to: Talking History: The Italian Unification (Venice 3 - The Road to Hell)
Eating: Nothing at present; ate breakfast about an hour or so ago, but am feeling a tad peckish
Watching: Flyers vs Rangers Game 2
Reading: I am planning on finishing up Vol. 1 of The Mysteries of the Udolpho and Princess Elizabeth's Spy
Making: Nothing
Planning: What I am going to do tomorrow (I have tomorrow off as well)
Feeling: A bit groggy
Loving: That the weather is looking better than it has been
Wanting: An update as what podcasts are updating today (I am not up to date with the podcasts that usually download on Sundays; wish I knew if they were going to be)
Thinking: A bunch of stuff
Looking forward to: To doing a bunch of reading tomorrow

Books finished but not reviewed:
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden

Books I hope to finish this week:
• HHhH
• Princess Elizabeth's Spy

Plans for Spring 24-hour readathon:
• Boxers by Gene Luen Yang
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
• The Mysteries of the Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
• War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Moon over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
and maybe a few more.

I realize that what I have stated for the 24-hour readathon is a little much, but I figure that if I have more planned than what I am actually going to read, then I may get a few of them done during the 24 hour time period and don't have to be wondering what to read next.

I am hoping to post the update to the changes to my library next week, but knowing that it probably will be a final post for Dewey's 24-hour readathon, I will probably push it back for a couple weeks.

Sunday Salon - Right now (3/16/14)

Time: 3:57 pm
Place: In the living room
Listening to: The New York Times Book Review: The Empire of Necessity (Jan. 9, 2014)
Eating: Nothing at present; still full from my lunch that I had about an hour ago.
Watching: Vancouver Canucks vs. Florida Panthers game that was on while I was gone this afternoon.
Reading: I am planning on doing my devotions for today (yeah, I'm a bad Christian by not doing my devotions in the morning) and on reading The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer and HHhH by Laurent Binet.
Making: Nothing
Planning: What shows to watch after I watch the hockey game; probably shows from Tuesday evening.
Feeling: Full. Ate some brunch a couple hours before I had lunch (had a quiche; I was at a baby shower this afternoon).
Loving: That I don't have to worry about the state of the bookshelves for the next couple of weeks.
Wanting: Not to feel this full (I feel uncomfortable if I feel this full at times).
Thinking: What I need to do tomorrow.
Looking forward to: Seeing the Veronica Mars movie tomorrow evening.

Books reviewed:
None

Books reviewed and finished:
None

Books finished but not reviewed:
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
• Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
• The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Books I hope to finish this week:
• The Interestings
• 12 Years a Slave
• HHhH
• The Whole Golden World

Sunday Salon - Right Now (1/12/14)

Time: 3:43 pm
Place: Home
Listening: Not much
Eating: Going to grab a snack after I finish this and post.
Watching: The AFC Championship.  Looking like its a match up between Payton Manning and Tom Brady next week.
Reading: Right now, I am trying to read Winter's Tale, but am starting to get a bit bored with it.
Making: Made some meatballs for tomorrow night's dinner this afternoon.
Planning: On doing not much for the next few days; did a lot last week and am feeling a little bit tired.
Feeling: Frustrated.  I don't really know why, but it just seems like nothing is going the way that I would like it to.
Loving: that I can relax for a little bit.
Wanting: not to think much at the moment.
Thinking: that I just want to relax
Looking forward to: a more relaxed week in which I can watch some DVDs and read a little more.

Reviews:
• Starry Night by Debbie Macomber (review)
• Villette by Charlotte Bronte (review)
• Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews (review)

Sunday Salon - Right now (11/24/2013)

Time: 11:47 AM

Place: Home

Listening to: Not much lately

Eating: Nothing at the moment, but I am getting hungry, so I'll probably have something as soon as this is done.

Watching: Football

Reading: Am planning on finishing up Eleanor & Park this afternoon

Making: My lunch?

Planning: Whether I should go and see Catching Fire on Wednesday evening

Feeling: Like I just want to sit and relax for a few hours and catch up on my PVR

Loving: The fact that the sun out and that its not raining

Wanting: To get over this cold that I have had for the past week and a half

Thinking: Not much at this point

Looking forward to: The Thankfully Reading Reading Weekend hosted by Jenn's Bookshelves that starts on Thursday.

Reviews:
• Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey by Emma Rowley (review)

Sunday Salon - Right Now

Listening to...  podcasts; trying to catch up, but it seems as soon as I am able to catch up, I fall behind, but slowly but surely I will get them under control.

Eating... Just ate some breakfast and am thinking about what to pack for a few hours at the pool.

Watching... A bit of everything.  At the moment I am watching a Blue Jays game.  I have been watching Season 5 of House; love the show.  I have been watching Big Brother 15 after the Aaryn stuff and its amazing how a group of people can have such antiquated views.

Reading... Reading a bunch of stuff.  I got a bunch of reading done the other week, but for some reason the reading keeps piling up.

Making... Nothing really; not the DIY type of person. And I really haven't gotten any sort of baking done, especially at this time of year.

Planning... What? Nothing at the moment; am on summer time for the next month or so.

Feeling... A tad groggy.  Didn't get to sleep due to some nasty bits on my heel and in between my toes.

Loving... that I can work on my tan for the next bit, depending on the weather.

Wanting... to go to sleep at a decent time and therefore get up at a decent time.  Guess I shouldn't force it and it will come.

Thinking... that I need to get to the pool as soon as possible or I won't get a chair

Looking forward to... At this point, I don't really know.  Most of the stuff that I wanted to do this summer has pretty much been completed. But if I had to say something, getting more books completed, especially those that were for read-a-longs.

Reviews:
1)  Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple (review)
2) The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau (review)
3) The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy (review)
4) The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (review)

Right Now I Am...

After a fairly busy day, its really my first time sitting down and I am feeling like I need to say something...

Listening to... a variety podcasts.  There are a few podcasts that are from LibriVox of the classics that I am currently reading and managed to get a few of them down this past weekend.  I am also listening to a podcast on World War II, a podcast on the history of the English language, a couple on British history, one on World War I (its a project through the Imperial War Museum),  and a few on books/reading, including Books on the Nightstand (a really good podcast by Ann and Michael) and the New York Times Book Review and so forth.

Eating...  Right now nothing. I just a wonderful meal that included pull pork (it was so good).  I made a Spinach Strawberry Salad with a homemade dressing.

Watching... At the moment I am watching The National, but I have been watching a number of TV shows on DVD over the past week (including The Bletchley Circle and Upstairs Downstairs) and the odd movie (Lincoln) and also shows that I have recorded on my PVR that for some reason I had gotten behind on.  I watched Mad Men late last night and I was floored by what happened (I don't think my jaw has recovered yet by what came out of Don's mouth on last night's season finale; hard to believe that there is only one season left of this amazing show).

Reading... I am reading a few things and at the moment I feel utterly overwhelmed by the amount that I am reading at the moment.  I am hoping that in the next few days I can get something done.

Making... Do messes count? Because other than making a dressing the other day, I haven't really made anything; not exactly the crafty type

Planning... what the first few days are probably going to look like after the school year ends for me. It probably will consist of reading and catching up on sleep and watching stuff on my PVR.

Feeling... tired.  While I like my job and love the students that come through the library door, there is time when I need to sleep in and rejuvenate myself.

Loving... that summer break is right around the corner and that the alarms on my cell phone will basically go off for the next two months.

Wanting...  A decent night's sleep.  The last couple of nights I have been waking up in the middle of the night and I also just want to go to sleep at a decent hour.

Thinking... that I want some sleep!!

Looking forward to... A lot of things!   I am looking forward to having a night out at nearby Mexican restaurant.  I am also looking forward to going to Bard on the Beach and a Seattle Mariners game in the coming weeks.  As well, I am looking forward to heading up to Sun Peaks and just relaxing for a few weeks.