Tag: books i read

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/31/23

Aloha friends!

Happy New Year’s Eve! A few days ago was the one year anniversary of my father-in-law’s passing and at least this time, my hubby is home for it. I still cant’ believe he had to deal with his dad’s death alone because it happened right when he moved to Okinawa last year. We went to the synagogue for a service to honor his anniversary.

So NYE in Hawaii, especially on the island of Oahu, where I live, it is BONKERS. I mean I’ve been hearing fireworks since before Thanksgiving. It’s loud, it’s smoky but there’s is such an energy feeling the whole island rumble with fireworks being lit at midnight. I can just look out my window and see all the fireworks around me, we don’t actually need an official NYE show. But there is an event near our house at a new complex in the neighborhood – it’s a wave place (machine generated wave), there are restaurants, a water area and a lawn area (where we go for the Farmer’s market and food trucks some Thursdays). Anyway they just posted they will be having a fireworks show, music, food, etc. If only my kids were into New Year’s and waking up before midnight, then we’d definitely bring them. But I also I can’t leave our dog alone at home – he’s terrified of the loud booms already.

Anyway I hope ALL of you have a safe NYE and a very Happy New Year! I’m hoping 2024 is a good year!

I hope all of you had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Gild by. Raven Kennedy

The Getaway List by. Emma Lord

Currently Reading:

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen

A Place for Vanishing by. Ann Fraistat

Ruthless Vows by. Rebecca Ross

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Barbie – I thought this movie was so funny but with good themes about gender equality, etc… – my son and I got a kick out of Ken’s song. I can see why there was so much hype for this movie! 😍
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse: my son asked if we wanted to watch this with him and I said okay. We had watched the first one together and I didn’t even know this sequel came out. We enjoyed it so much! Even my daughter who said she didn’t want to watch it, she enjoyed it a lot! 😍 Can’t wait for the next movie. I think I really love the artistic design of the movie – it’s like visual eye-candy. And I’m not someone who is into Marvel movies (only because I’m old and I was there for all the first ones 😆 and I got tired of them…). But the way they did this Spider-Man animation is so good. 
  • NFL Football – so much football

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Monthly Wrap Up | December 2023

Here is my last monthly wrap-up for 2023! 

December was madness – there was so much going on and I lost my desire to read while all these things were going on. I’m happy to say we all got through it and had a successful Christmas. Now it’s on to the New Year which is already going to come with it’s new set of challenges that I can foresee but here’s hoping we all have a good 2024!

Let’s see how I did for December in terms of books:

What I Posted: 11 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

I don’t know if it was my stressed out mood but a lot of books were just “okay” to me this month, one of them being one of my most anticipated reads for the year. But it is what it is, I probably just needed a good break from reading and come back fresh in January.

How was your month in review?

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/24/23

Aloha friends!

It is Christmas Eve and honestly, I’m ready for Christmas to be over. It’s fun, lots of fun for the kids but it’s so hectic and we had to go to the mall – or I should say shopping center in town it’s a big one – but it was my only chance to see a friend who was visiting and we needed to exchange gifts, plus my hubby had a dentist appointment next to the mall. The traffic was getting on my nerves, people were driving nuts, and I was so ready to go home once we got there. 😆 

We are going to my parents house for Christmas lunch tomorrow so that should be easy and then it will be time for me to decide on what to do for my daughter’s birthday. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time figuring out what I want to do for her- maybe because I’m tired? 

Anyway how are you spending Christmas Eve? Did you get all your shopping done or are you a last minute shopper? 

I hope all of you had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amelie Wen Zhao

Currently Reading:

The Getaway List by, Emma Lord

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen

A Place for Vanishing by. Ann Fraistat

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Elf

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/17/23

Aloha friends!

I got to spend some time with my mom on Sunday and she’s getting better day by day. I’m going to go spend time with her today since my sister and her family will be going out to celebrate her hubby’s birthday. My husband finally came home yesterday – he’ll be here for 3 weeks so I can go get some things done! I haven’t taken my kids to Sunday school the past few Sundays because my son had a piano recital and then my daughter was sick this whole week – but they also had a bomb threat, so I didn’t feel safe taking them. 

Kids have 4 days of school this week – but I’m already over it! I wish they had this week off! But at least I’m done with all my Christmas shopping. Now I just have to give the gifts so hopefully I can see some friends this week! 

I hope all of you had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Somewhere in the Deep by. Tanvi Berwah

A Fragile Enchantment by. Allison Saft

Hallowed Games by. C.N. Crawford

Currently Reading:

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amelie Wen Zhao

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • The Buccaneers (episode 8) on Apple TV – scandalous! 

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/10/23

Aloha friends!

My mom had her surgery on Wednesday and it went very well according to the doctor. She’s sore and tired but healing which is the most important thing. She had a problem with getting a room at the hospital after her surgery – it took them a whole day to get her into a room, she was in the recovery room for awhile. Then she got a room and I got to talk to her – I couldn’t visit because my son has a cold and then he stayed home from school because the congestion became that and a sore throat. He’s still kinda dealing with it. But then when I did facetime my mom in the hospital she said her roommate had Covid! They discharged her that afternoon and I’m relieved because I don’t want her having Covid and trying to recover from surgery. Anyway what a week! I’m exhausted.

My husband is flying home this Saturday and will stay for 3 weeks. So that will be nice to have some help around here.

It’s such a busy time because of the holidays and trying to meet up with friends to give them their gifts, the kids and their holiday parties and spirit week and then of course Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Plus my daughter’s birthday…so it’s always chaotic in December. How has December been treating you so far?

I hope all of you had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Knockout by. Sarah MacLean

A Curse for True Love by. Stephanie Garber

A Festive Feud by. Maren Moore

Currently Reading:

Somewhere in the Deep by. Tanvi Berwah

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • The Buccaneers (episode 7) on Apple T – filled with so much drama but I like that it’s a period piece kinda show
  • 10 Things I Hate About You on Amazon Prime Video – watched it for nostalgia
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s (watched it at home with my son)
  • The Grinch – because it’s the holidays!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/3/23

Aloha friends!

We’ve been home since Tuesday (which was a LONG Tuesday) and jumped back into school (fighting jet lag), doctor appointments, tap and piano classes AND my son has his first piano recital TODAY. 😅 My hubby isn’t coming home soon enough (he flies in on the 16th for 3 weeks) I need help lol!

Now my mom is having surgery on Wednesday to remove her right kidney and ureter (the ureter has cancer) and I hope this removes the cancer from her body but it will be about healing for the next few months. SO…my sister will be taking a month off of work since she lives with my parents. And I’m going to try and help out 3-4 times a week, just to give my sister a break. So it will be a busy December for me but we are hopeful that she will come through this strong and healthy! ❤️🙏🏼 I am glad my hubby will be home for 3 weeks so I can focus on my mom.

I hope I can get some reading down but this will probably be the month I read the least compared to the rest of the year, but some things take precedence like being with loved ones, so it is what it is and I’m not stressed about it since books will always be there. I just need to stay on top off arcs but I don’t have a lot of those, so I think I’m good!

I hope all of you had a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Her Dark Wings by. Melinda Salisbury

Currently Reading:

Knockout by. Sarah MacLean

A Curse for True Love by. Stephanie Garber

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Monthly Wrap Up | November 2023

Half of November I was sick with what I think was the flu and then it flared into allergic rhinitis but I got better in time for my trip to Osaka, Japan! And that was the highlight of my month.🥰

What I Posted: 7 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

As you can see, I barely did any reading this month. I was just too sick and unmotivated, plus I had to get ready for the trip. But I’m hoping I’ll have more motivation and energy to read in December when my kids get a break from school and my hubby comes to visit for three weeks! I’ll finally have some ME time.

How was your month in review?

Weekly Wrap Up | 11/19/23

Aloha friends!

I am finally 99% better! I say 99% because I still sound stuffy but that could just be allergies. I’ve been doing last minute shopping for our trip and making sure I have everything set before we leave on Tuesday. I’m excited but also already exhausted lol…why is going on vacation always so exhausting? Especially when you are the one planning the trip!

I’ve been so busy thinking about the trip that I forgot that Thanksgiving is next week and Black Friday! I guess I’m going to do my Christmas shopping late this year. But I’ll worry about that when I come back. There is just so much to do plus my mom has surgery a week after we come back from our trip.

I hope all of you have a good week and thanks for reading!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Iron Flame by. Rebecca Yarros

The Atlas of Us by. Kristin Dwyer

Currently Reading:

Her Dark Wings by. Melinda Salisbury

A Curse for True Love by. Stephanie Garber

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 11/12/23

Aloha friends!

Okay well this week was better but my coughing got worse so it was another miserable week. My kids had a 4 day weekend but I did manage to go to urgent care after I was just tired of coughing. Apparently I’ve been dealing with allergic rhinitis on top of the virus that I was dealing with and the wildfire smoke made it way worse. So all that post nasal drip from my nose was just aggravating my coughing. The wildfire is out though and the doctor prescribed me some flonase because she said my nasal tissues were just inflamed. So let’s hope this will speed up my recovery before my trip! I feel better already!

I’ve been waiting for copy of the special edition of Fourth Wing and the Iron Flame books from Amazon and both have been delayed. Then I saw on tiktok how so many people were getting misprinted books and that made me cancel my orders, since I wasn’t getting them anytime soon anyway. Oh well, so I bought the Iron Flame ebook instead because I don’t have to wait for that!

I hope all of you have a good week and thanks for reading!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

    Currently Reading:

    Her Dark Wings by. Melinda Salisbury

    A Curse for True Love by. Stephanie Garber

    The Atlas of Us by. Kristin Dwyer

    Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

    + Catching Fire, The Mockingjay (Part 1 and 2)

    How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

    Monthly Wrap Up | October 2023

    Ah October – you were something! I spent half the month worrying about my mom’s procedure which was successful but they found more cancer – small tumors – the best option now is to have her do major surgery to remove her right kidney and ureter. 🙏🏼 Other things that happened was my son’s youtube channel hit 1,000 subs and it’s something I’ve been working on for him (because he sort of gave up on it)…but now he’s rejuvenated again and started posting content. So that was something good that happened this month. Then my kids got sick right before Halloween – and then I got sick. I survived Halloween trick or treating but after that it was like a truck ran over me. I don’t know if I had the flu or what. At first I thought it was just a bad cold I caught from the kids (also there was smoke in the air from a fire nearby) and that trick or treating just exhausted me. But the next day I had body chills and aches and really bad coughing.

    So that was my October and as for reading this is what I posted on my blog:

    What I Posted: 20 Books

    5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

    4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

    4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

    3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

    2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

    2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

    I posted 20 book reviews which is surprising and a lot. I think I read 14 of these this month which is still pretty good. How was your reading month wrap up?

    How was your month in review?