sunday post #40

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

I can't believe the year is practically over! Christmas went well and was a very quiet affair, just my parents and I. That's usually how we celebrate and I love the low-key tone the entire day has, rather than spending long hours stressing over meals, outfits, and entertaining distant relatives. Holidays still take a bit of preparation though, so between the weekday timing of Christmas and the lingering need to finish some projects before moving on to my new job, it was plenty busy this week.

Beyond my gradual re-read of Goblet of Fire I got very little reading done and almost no blog hopping; I'm hoping to catch up today, along with the necessary errands and chores, before starting another wonky work week. I have Monday and Tuesday off, with no big plans for New Year's Eve, then make a quick work trip on Wednesday. Honestly, I'm just excited at the prospect of getting back into the usual swing of things and settling into my new office for good! It feels like I've run around like a crazy person for the last month, and there's no better time to start fresh than on January 1st!

book review: the winter of the witch by katherine arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Del Rey Books, 384 pp.
Published January 8, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

sunday post #39

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

It's been a long, but good, week. On Monday I broke the news I teased in last Sunday Post to my boss: I'm starting a new job in January! I'll have a much shorter and less stressful commute, better pay, and overall a more comfortable environment, so this is a very good thing. My current job has offered a lot of great experience, which I'm grateful for, but it was obvious to me very early after starting that I could not and would not want to build a career with that group. I'll be with them through the first part of January in order to wrap up some on-going projects, then make my transition!

Phantom of the Opera was fantastic, with one glaring exception: the venue allows late seating, so for the first 20 minute or so, ushers and late-comers were standing in front of our section and blocking the view of the stage. Since I'm a season subscriber I shared my very negative impression of that particular policy with their office, but I don't know if it will change anything for future shows. The set design and performances were all outstanding, though, so if the American touring company visits your city I highly recommend catching a show!

With Christmas coming up, my weekly schedule will be totally wonky. I am taking a couple of days off of work and hope to get a lot of seasonal tidying, shopping, and reading done in the meantime. Today and tomorrow I'll also do a lot of prep work for Christmas Day, including all my holiday baking!

the best books i read in 2018

I can't believe another year has come and gone! As I write this post, I've officially read 100 books in 2018, a number I never would have believed possible just twelve short months ago. When you encounter so many books — so many stories and so many ways of telling them — you inevitably encounter a few disappointments. Luckily, I've had far more success than failure when it came to picking my current reads this year, and I've discovered plenty of new favorites that I know I'll gush over for years to come. Below the cut are some of my absolute favorite titles read throughout the year. Some are new releases, some are backlist titles, but all of them are equally deserving of a new reader or two. Which one will you choose?

sunday post #38

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

My last big work trip of the year was this past week (to Philadelphia) and I'm so happy to have it behind me! I'll have some exciting professional news to share next week, but first I needed to get that last task out of the way. The trip ended on high note, as well. While waiting for my 6 AM flight back home I ran into an old friend from high school —they'd also gone to Philly for work and we were taking the same plane home! Because we were on an airline with no assigned seating, we got to sit next to one another and catch up, which made the three hours breeze by.

Tonight I have a fun little Christmas party to attend. For the last few years, a group of girls have hosted a potluck tacky sweater and sock exchange party. Everyone brings a snack and wears an outrageous Christmas sweater, then after we've all had a chance to eat we do a Secret Santa-ish exchange of tacky winter socks. It's always a lot of fun and very laid back, which is the perfect kind of get-together for this time of year!

And my musical season tickets begin this week too! On Wednesday I get to see Phantom of the Opera; it's been years since I got to see the stage musical and I'm really excited to have a little solo date night.

tagged: end of the year book tag

I wasn't actually tagged by anyone, but I've seen this particular meme going around as part of the blogmas celebrations! Now I don't know about y'all, but personally I love end-of-year wrap-ups, summaries, stats, and all the other "big picture" goodies that people post in December and January. This tag gives the perfect taste of how 2018 went and how I hope 2019 will go, plus it gets me thinking on my own wrap-up posts that still need to be written!

book review: vengeful by v.e. schwab

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Titan Books, 575 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

Eli Ever and Victor Vale were only medical students when their mutual discovery that near-death experiences can, under the right conditions, manifest extraordinary abilities.

They were best friends, and rivals, and then enemies. They were dead, then alive, and then---Eli killed Victor, once and for all.

Or so he thought---but Sydney Clarke felt otherwise, and used her own superpower to tip the scales. Now, a trio hides in the shadows, while another takes advantages of post-death life to take over the city of Merit.

If there can be life after death—will there be calm after vengeance, or will chaos rule?

sunday post #37

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

Another week, another trip. This time I had to visit a site in southern Georgia, but luckily I flew into Atlanta. I drove there several times in college for football games and built up a small list of places I liked to visit; it was nice getting to stop into some again after a few years! Travelling somewhere slightly familiar made everything a little less tiring, a nice treat as the holidays loom closer.

I did manage to get a tablet shipped to me before I left: I went with the Amazon Fire 8! I'm really pleased with all the features you can get for a budget price point. It has a decent screen for watching movies and TV shows, as well as enough space for a few e-books (not something I regularly read, but much better than my smartphone for the occasional e-ARC sent my way). Thank you to everyone who chimed in with their suggestions last week!

fictional worlds i never want to live in

Every reader has a favorite world, a place they would escape to in reality if they could, and not just through the printed word. But for all the beauty in literature, there are those kingdoms, countries, and planets that we wouldn't want to set foot on in a million years. These are a few of those places—all from books I absolutely adored and highly recommend picking up!—that I was delighted to explore in fiction, but hope to avoid in real life.

book review: the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Redhook, 464 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free finished copy of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

sunday post #36

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

This week I traveled to snowy Wisconsin and learned I was not built for sub-freezing temperatures! The good news is my work went smoothly and I managed to drive on the icy roads without an accident; even though I was perpetually cold, it was still a success.

Work continues to dominate the news in my personal life, for better or worse. No, this week it's for the better! There are more changes on the horizon that should give me more flexibility, more room for growth, and make me happier overall. I'm excited about the next couple of months as these changes develop, even if it means a little extra stress in the short-term.

Also, with all of this travelling I'm starting to think about picking up an inexpensive tablet for random internet surfing and Netflix-watching while I fly, if only to help save the battery on my phone. Which I need to keep powered up for actual calls (taking calls? on a cell phone? what??). Do any of y'all have recommendations for tablets you like?