Sunday Bookends: A surprise snow day and heavy and light reading mixed

It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing.

This week I’m joining up with  Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer , Deb at  Readerbuzz,  and Kathyrn at  The Book Date for this post.

I’ve just sat down to start this post after watching Little Miss and The Husband sled down the hill behind our house after an unexpected snowfall. I’m not sure why I didn’t gather wood today to start a fire since it would have been the perfect day for it, but instead, I sat under a big fluffy blanket and read a book, watched some Lark Rise to Candleford, and watched others out in the snow while I sipped tea. I also cooked some roasted potatoes to go with small steaks The Husband cooked. It was the first time we’d been able to eat roasted potatoes in probably a year since our oven had been broken. It’s been nice to have it fixed.

We added a salad with red peppers to it and it was the perfect dinner.

Later today we plan to have lunch with my parents and then come home to light the fire and have a cozy night before the week starts over again.

What I/we’ve been Reading

Currently Reading:

What book was I reading yesterday? Not really a cozy one, but still very well written – A Walt Longmire Mystery: Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson. I read a couple chapters of it and then moved on to a cozier read in Nellie by Amy Walsh.

Nellie officially released Thursday and is a sweet, cute book about a young woman who pretends to be a cook to get a job to help her family.

Here is a quick description:

Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium.

Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity — though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal.

Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale. As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House?

You can find out more about it HERE    

I should have Nellie finished this week and I will probably start another cozy mystery to offset the darkness of the Longmire book. I forgot that I had planned to start Blessed Is the Busybody by Emilie Richards in early February so I think I will start that this week. I also want to try The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert, but will probably hold off on that one until Spring. It feels more like a spring book.

Recently Finished:

The Cat Who Went Into the Closet by Lilian Jackson Braun

These books can be hit or miss at times but this one, though not heavy-hitting at all, was actually very good.

Up Soon:

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson

Pocahontas by  Joseph Bruchac (previewing it for Little Miss for school. I also have a choice on the same topic by Jean Fritz.)

The Mystery At Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene.

The Husband is reading a book by Dean Koontz, or was at least.

The Boy is reading Horus Rising by Dan Abott.

Little Miss and I finished The Borrowers this past week. I hope to start another book with her soon but we haven’t decided on which one. We started listening to Caddie Woodlawn by Carold Ryrie Brink the other day on our way to pick up groceries and she is enjoying it but I don’t think it will replace our bedtime listening of The Great Christmas Pageant Ever or Fortunately the Milk.

Friday night she asked me to read to her before bedtime because we’ve been listening to audiobooks. She asked if I would read her part of my book, Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing.

I did but found myself critiquing my writing so it wasn’t as much fun for me. I think tonight I’ll suggest I read her something written by someone else. I’ll even read her The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder again! (If you’re new here, this is a bit of a joke because she wanted me to read her the Little House and Paddington books over and over again last year and the year before.

What We watched/are Watching

This past week I watched the French film Amelie as a buddy watch with Erin at Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.

I also watched Lark Rise to Candleford but actually read more this week than watched things.
What I’m Writing

I am continuing to work on Cassie, which releases in August of 2024.

If you want a little sneak peek, you can check out my blog on Friday. I think I might have a little tidbit to offer up from it.

On the blog,I shared:

Saturday Afternoon Chat: The fox was going to eat my cat and very unexpected snow Fiction Friday: Reintroducing Gladwynn Grant Weekly Traffic Jam Reboot February 15 February Favorites: movie impression of Amelie Remembering Blockbuster

What I’m Listening to

This week I’ve been listening to Needtobreathe’s Caves.

An audiobook version of In This Mountain by Jan Karon.

A podcast featuring old Jack Benny radio shows.

Photos from Last Week

Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.