My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Hello everyone! My heart goes out to those on the west coast, living with those devastating wildfires. They look absolutely terrifying, and the news is just tragic and heartbreaking. I am also thinking of those of you who have plunged into cold weather when it is not your norm! It has been terribly cold here, and just a little snowy. We are used to it though here at least! I hope that everyone is staying safe from the fires and the cold.
Read Last Week:
I finished this one up last week, and it wasn’t bad. It just also wasn’t necessarily a good one for me either. I am going to post a few reviews this week, including this one. I will say that it just felt like it dragged on and on and was repetitive, but I did think the characters were interesting and well written.
Reading This Week:
I am currently reading Nightwalking by John Lewis-Stempel. I absolutely love Lewis-Stempel so I was beyond excited to receive this one for Christmas from Billy. I also really love going for walks at night and he just sums it all up so well.
I am also planning on reading Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates. I didn’t read it as a kid and I am looking forward to reading it now as an adult.
Posted Last Week:
Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025
Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up
Watching and Making:
Billy and I finished up the newest season of the American Ghosts – or at least caught up, I don’t think the season ended. The last two episodes were seriously our favorites that we have seen so far. Rose McIver is so amazing at impressions; it is one reason I love this version of Ghosts, honestly, because I love her as an actress. We loved iZombie and still miss it!
We started Agatha All Along, which is also really good. I even like it and I never watched WandaVision, although we are watching that next. Billy watched it, and I didn’t, and now I need to. Lol.
As for what I am making these days, I am working on a unicorn and apple tree embroidery that I got on Etsy. I am still learning and I am not a natural at this sort of thing, but I really love it. I like to just throw on a podcast or an audiobook, and stitch away. I also work on it while we watch tv a little bit as well.
Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and I had our first Cozy Crafternoon Zoom and we had so much fun with the ladies who crafted with us! It was neat to “meet” other bloggers and chat. We have some kinks to work out but for the most part I think it went really well! I hope that everyone else who was there had fun too!
And that my friends is it from my part of Michigan! Stay safe out there everyone!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
I enjoyed popping in for your Crafternoon with those who were doing the Junk Journaling class with me. I hope to join you again next time.
I remember reading Hans Brinker when I was young, but I have no memory of what the story is about!
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We were excited to hear about your junk journals!! Next time we will have the pro Zoom so that we don’t have to worry about it timing out and having to rejoin. That was a pain! Lol.
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You’ve had a good and busy week, Erin — and lots of books in the offing! Eager to see your embroidery one day!
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Thanks Jeanie! I sometimes sneak in little pictures of it in my coffee updates posts. 🙂
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I remember that I read Hans Brinker as a kid, but I don’t remember anything about it now. I hope you like it.
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Thanks Joy! I am picking it up at the library today!
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You had some good reading. Glad you mentioned Nightwalking, I think I would like that one. Off to add it to my list. It grows faster than I can read a title!
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It is a quick read but a good one. I really enjoyed it!
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Good luck with your embroidery! I’ve learned that I don’t have the patience for crafts. 🙂
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Lol! Thank you! I absolutely can’t knit or crochet, but I have found that I can do this!
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That’s such a wonderful opportunity to craft and spend some time with others. I hope you have a great week Erin!
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It was really fun! Thanks Jodie, I hope you do as well!
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How do I not know iZombie and why isn’t it streaming anywhere for freeeeeeeeeeeeee? When I saw that show is created by Rob Thomas I shrieked “Rob Thomas! Of Matchbook Twenty???”
No. Rob Thomas, author, producer, director and screenwriter.
Those books sound perfect for snowy-cold January!
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iZombie is soooo good!! Rose McIver is genius in it. Lol. And oh no!! I wonder why it isn’t? I feel like everything is these days!
I am really excited to start Hans Brinker. Lol.
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Your book covers fit the season for sure!
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/01/12/sunday-post-128-ice-and-snow/
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Nighwalking was such a great read. And it had some good wintery vibes as well! I love a good walk in the woods in the winter.
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Yes, Dead of Winter wasn’t a perfect read and did drag in parts, but still an entertaining read. Stitching would be a fun activity while listening to an audio book or podcast. I do a lot of puzzling. How fun to do a zoom craft meet-up with other bloggers! It’s nice to chat “in person”. I had that experience when we’d meet up for our read-along chats with Anne @Books of my Heart and it was talking over zoom or whatever platform we used. Hope you stay cozy and warm and enjoy the coming week, Erin!
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That was how I felt too. It was a good entertaining read, and I really liked the characters and how all that came together.
That is a good idea too! I did want to start working on puzzles this winter.
We had fun at our zoom craft meet up! This time of year can be feel so long and blah so it was nice to chat and craft and still be warm and in comfy clothes. Lol.
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Good luck with the embroidery! I hope you have a great week!
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Thank you Cindy!
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We got just a little snow followed by a lot of freezing rain. Lulu hates it. I’m not a fan as I have February gardening dancing in my head but it looks delayed by a colder winter here. It’s not cold like MN or MI but it’s colder than average for here. We are lucky we can mostly stay home. There’s so many challenged with fires, hurricane damage and snow/ice.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
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Uck freezing rain is the worst!! Snow is at least pretty! That is right, NC is still rebuilding from the hurricanes. So much weather related damage. 😦
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I haven’t read any of those books.
My mom loved to embroidery, sew, crochet and all the other crafty things. She made my 3 babies blankets when they were born and I still have them.
I hope you all have a great week!
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Aw I love that! My mom can crochet and she made my brother and I stockings, and then stockings for our children. 🙂
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I’ve never read Hans Brinker either!
and that crafternoon was so much fun!! I can’t wait until the next one.
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It was so much fun. I was nervous but I had a good time!
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I am pretty sure I read Hans Brinker when I was younger, but I couldn’t swear by it. I’m reading a book of short stories by Amor Towles. I really like his writing and can just skip any stories I really don’t like. We watched both “Agatha All Along” and “Wandavision.” I think I liked Agatha best. I would love another season of it, but I’m not sure there is one. I didn’t realize it was a part of that whole Marvel Universe which kinda doesn’t make sense to me.
The crafternoon was really a lot of fun! It’s always good to put faces and voices to names! I am looking forward to the next one!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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I do that too, with short stories. If I don’t like it, I skip.
I didn’t know that either. Billy was trying to explain all that to me but, I didn’t get it. I noped out of superhero/Marvel stuff when it started getting too big and interconnected.
I think so too!! I am glad that you had fun!
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I wish I was crafty. My older daughter has recently taken up crochet and my youngest daughter likes cross stitching though she currently completing a DiamondDotz she got for her birthday.
Wishing you a lovely reading week
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I tried so many crafts before I found something I could manage. Lol. And that is awesome that they have crafts that they like. I think it is so good for relaxing and to destress!
Thanks Shelley, you too!
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We loved Wandavision but haven’t really contemplated watching Agatha. Maybe we should
Have a great week.
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My husband really enjoyed both of them! I am going to go back and watch Wandavision to fill in some gaps!
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I don’t watch a lot of network TV, but I love Ghosts! I’m always interested to see where they take the story next.
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Ghosts is such a fun show! I know a lot of people like the British version better but this is one of the times I like the American version better. It’s just more cheerful. Lol. I loved the episodes for Christmas.
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I used to do a lot of counted thread cross stitch. I should haul it out again to do while I’m listening to audiobooks. It would be a lot more productive that playing video games while listening. I’m sorry your book wasn’t satisfying this week. I had one like that too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
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That is one reason I started stitching; I wanted to use my phone less and do less pointless scrolling, and I have found embroidery fills that need to do something with my hands when I am listening to things. 😉
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Thank you for sharing Nightwalking – I’d never heard of it, but I love books about quiet time spent in nature, especially if it’s coupled with some interesting info about the plants and creatures found there. It’s definitely on my TBR. I’m a little too scared to do much night walking where I’m living, but mostly because we get bears in our yard and there have been a lot of cougar sightings in the area. I’m less concerned in winter, but still. Takes the peaceful relaxation out of it somewhat! I love that you’re embroidering – I haven’t in years, but my mum tried to teach me when I was a kid. (I was never particularly skilled, but I also enjoyed the process of doing it.) I’ve been learning crochet myself, and I also like doing it while listening to something or watching TV. Your crafting zoom sounds wonderful, I’m glad it went well! Have a great week!
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You would love all of John Lewis-Stempel’s books then! That is exactly what his books are like. Meadowland is one of my favorites.
I would definitely not want to walk at night in bear country. Lol. I have a hard time being indoors in an area where there are bears! I live in the suburbs in an area where the biggest predator animal is a coyote so I am not super nervous. I am more nervous about the two legged versions!
Our crafting zoom was a lot of fun. We all had our little projects and just chatted about so many different things!
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Thank you for sharing Nightwalking – I’d never heard of it, but I love books about quiet time spent in nature, especially if it’s coupled with some interesting info about the plants and creatures found there. It’s definitely on my TBR. I’m a little too scared to do much night walking where I’m living, but mostly because we get bears in our yard and there have been a lot of cougar sightings in the area. I’m less concerned in winter, but still. Takes the peaceful relaxation out of it somewhat! I love that you’re embroidering – I haven’t in years, but my mum tried to teach me when I was a kid. (I was never particularly skilled, but I also enjoyed the process of doing it.) I’ve been learning crochet myself, and I also like doing it while listening to something or watching TV. Your crafting zoom sounds wonderful, I’m glad it went well! Have a great week!
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I only know the British “Ghosts” and love it. There will be a German version very soon, but I’m not sure yet if I will want to watch it.
The Crafternoon was fun! I’m looking forward to seeing your progress on the unicorn. I really need to find something other than wire to work with for the next one!
Cat
https://catswire.blogspot.com/
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Oh how cool! I love that it is going to be made into a German show as well! I really enjoyed the British version too. I just really like Rose McIver in the American version. It’s kind of funny because she is English!
Thank you Cat. I am plodding along on it. Lol. And your little basket was so cute!
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We’re watching Agatha All Along right now too and enjoying it. I haven’t read anything by John Lewis-Stempel but Nightwalking sounds wonderful. I will have to consider it for the nonfiction challenge. I hope you have a great week, Erin!
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Nightwalking is a quick read but a very good one. I recommend all of his nature books! I have read a good number of them and all of them have been wonderful. 🙂
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I enjoyed the Cozy Crafternoon. I did find a mistake in my knitting when we were done though and I had to pull all that work back. Ugh!
I love Ghosts. Are you talking about the two part episode where Jay’s parents come to visit?I’m a Pete fan! Although Hetty comes in at a very close second.
I hope your week is going great!
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That’s too bad about the Darcy Coates book. I love the cover! We have been really cold in the last few weeks and last week even had snow which I was not a fan of but the dog loved. I really want to watch American Ghosts (and the British version as well). It looks really fun. I hope you’re having a wonderful week.
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