Sunday Post #203

Posted November 6, 2016 by Lola in Sunday Post / 54 Comments

sunday post

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

What happened this week?

I had two dentist visit this week, that alone can tell you it wasn’t a good week. But besides that it actually was a decent week. I feel like I’ve been in a a bit of a funk for the past few week and I finally feel like I might be getting out of it.

On Tuesday I went to the dentist to get two cavities fixed and then he found another cavity and I had to come back on Thursday to get that fixed. On the way home I did buy the most delicious cinnamon roll. I had promised myself I could buy one after my dentist visit. I did have to wait till the evening till I could finally eat it though as the local anesthesia took 6 hours to go fully away. It always lasts so long for me, it’s annoying as it’s difficult to eat and drink during that time. Then on Thursday decided I deserved another cinnamon roll after that dentist visit and bought another one.

I mentioned last week I was working on some plans for Lola’s Blog Tours. Well one of those plans I can reveal now, during the month November review opportunities will be discounted! They will be only 40$ now instead of the normal prize of 60$.
And I added two new services to my site, I now also offer Cover Feedback and Blurb Feedback. I thought it would be interesting to do a bit more of advice type of work. And I think a second opinion when it comes to blurbs and covers can always be helpful. Both services are only 10$ at this moment, so we’ll see how that goes :).

Besides that I actually got quite some work done this week. A new cover reveal is open for sign-up on my site. And I did some hours author assistant work. I send out two media kits for next week, replied to some e-mail and I had a blitz running this week. I am working on a review opportunity that will be on the site soon.

Book related, I did something this week I hardly ever do, I bought a book and started reading it immediately. I came across the book See no Evil by Jordan Ford, can’t even remember where, and the blurb appealed to me and it sounded like a book I wanted to read now. I bought it and started reading it that same evening as I just had finished my previous book. It felt great to start a book immediately like that and it’s really good so far! I think I’ll finish it today. And next to that I am reading Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong, who is one of my favorite authors. So I am really enjoying both of my current reads.

Thanks to everyone last week who commented and checked my Lola’s Blog Tours website for me. By now I figured out that the site does display well on mobile, but it has no theme and looks like a standard wordpress theme. Which isn’t ideal. I could switch to a another theme, but as my current one was custom made for me, I am a bit hesitant to do that. It’s just a shame this theme isn’t responsive. Another option would be to find out a way to customize my mobile theme. I’ve tried a few things, but without much success so far. At least I know my site looks well on mobile even though you don’t see my pretty theme there.

Picture of the Week

Cinnamon-Roll
So this was the cinnamon roll I bought after my dentist visit! It was so good! The roll itself was tasty with lots of cinnamon and the frosting thing on top was really good too. They had a few different flavors this was the standard one. For my boyfriend I bought the one with chocolate sauce on top as well. They were really good, yum! Do you like cinnamon rolls?

Pumpkin-Soup-Package
I bought this pumpkin soup package to try this week. I’ve been seeing these packages in my grocery store since a few weeks, it’s something new. They have some soups, a curry and a few other dishes. It seemed neat to have all the ingredients for the dish in one package. Then I read a review from Anna on Herding Cats and Burning Soup about a food subscription box she did and decided to give one of these a try.

The package contained everything to make a pumpkin soup for about 3 people if you eat it as dinner, although the package said it was for 6 people. It was handy to have the exact amount of everything for the soup and it was quite easy to prepare. First I cut the veggies, then the onion, garlic and ginger had to bake for a bit. In the meantime I peeled the apple and turned the orange into the orange juice. Then added the carrots and pumpkin to the soup. A bit later the water, bouillon cubes, orange juice and apple and then it had to cook for a while. I made a french bread with it and it made for a great meal.
The pumpkin soup tasted differently than most pumpkins soups I’ve tried so far. Most seem to use coconut milk, but this one had bouillon as the basis. The orange juice added a tiny bit of sweetness and sourness to the soup and it gave the soup an unique flavor, it was really good. I don’t like making soups usually, but with this package it was so easy I didn’t mind as much. Definitely will be buying this one again!

What did I read this week?

November

November was an okay read, there where things I liked, but at the same time it felt a bit underwhelming. Might seem like I had a bad reading week as I only finished one book, but I am currently reading two very good books right now, so it still felt like a good reading week.

What did I cook for dinner this week?

This week I blogged about:

Review: Murder at the Mansion by Janet Finsilver
Review: How the Ghost was Won by Erin Hayes
Lola’s Ramblings: Why I enjoy Gaming
Lola’s Kitchen: Sweet Tofu Curry Recipe
My To-Be Read List #27: poll

What to expect next week on the blog:

– Lola’s Advice: How to Promote your free or cheap book
– Review: Secret Keeping Sakura by SJ Pajonas
– Review: See no Evil by Jordan Ford
– My To-Be Read List #27: the winner

Tours open for sign-up on Lola’s Blog Tours:

Review Opportunities:
Across Borders by Lee Ducote
Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham
Name of Ra by Kelsey Ketch
Single Chicas by Sandra C Lopez
Here Comes the Witch by Ani Gonzalez
Newborn by Edward Hoorneart
Check the full list of open review opportunities here.

Cover Reveals:
Big Flipping Deal by Ian Saul Whitcomb – 7 November
Out of Beat by Cassandra Giovanni – 11 November
Finding Kyler by Siobhan Davis – 21 November – New!

Tours:
There are no tours currently open for sign-up.

Book Haul:

See no EvilMartians Abroad

I also got faerie Curse by Emma L Adams for review. I can’t even remember where I saw see no Evil, but as soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read it. It’s about a girl who is the only eyewitness for a murder and until the trial where she testifies she has to stay hidden, so she goes to an all boy school disguised as a boy. Probably totally unrealistic, but it sounded like such a fun plot line for a book. I had just finished my last read, so I bought it and started reading it. I am almost finished by now and it’s really good, exactly the type of read I was in the mood for.

Freebies I grabbed:

I got the following freebies this week (they were free when I got them):

Tags:


54 responses to “Sunday Post #203

  1. I find these soup making packs very useful. Aldi used to have a brilliant corn chowder one which I loved but they don’t seem to do it now which is a pity. There is nothing like home made soup on a winter day to warm your bones! Enjoy your reading this week and good luck with the new services!
    chucklesthescot recently posted…Stacking the Shelves #154My Profile

  2. I need to get hold of some soup packs – the chilled ones you can buy inevitably have cream or butter in them and we are both dairy intolerant and I do love homemade soup… Is Betrayals a new series by Kelley Armstrong? I do love her work. Have a great week, Lola:)

    • I don’t think I’ve seen many soups here that have cream or butter. I usually buy pre-made soup in a package you only have to warm up.

      Betrayals is the fourth book in her Cainsville series. One book gets published a year, so its been running for 3 years already now. The last book gets released next year. I love this series!

  3. That cinnamon roll looks amazing!! I made Grain free Chocolate Zucchini bread yesterday. I was kind of surprised at how good it turned out. Have a great week!

  4. That pumpkin soup looks interesting. I like trying new things and those subscription boxes are always fun. I received a bottle of Tikka Masala sauce in my Degusta box and made that with chicken and steamed rice. It was interesting but I don’t think I would get it again. That cinnamon roll looks good too. Hope you are doing alright after a couple of dentist appointments.
    Mary Kirkland recently posted…Review: Guardian’s Mate by Jennifer AshleyMy Profile

    • The pumpkin soup was really good, glad I gave it a try. I might give one of those subscription boxes a try too, but I don’t think I’ve seen a vegetarian one so far, so this soup package was a nice alternative instead.
      Glad to hear the Tikka Masala bottle was interesting, even though you wouldn’t get it again. I like some pre-made sauces, but not all of them and often prefer to make my own sauce.

    • I totally agree it’s only fair to treat yourself after visiting the dentist. I like soup, but haven’t made too many of them myself, so I am a bit hesitant to try them out. This package was really handy and the soup turned out great.
      It’s so much fun when you can buy a new book and start reading it immediately and even better when it’s a good one.
      Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #203My Profile

  5. Oh that cinnamon roll looks amazing! I can’t have gluten but I used to love cinnamon rolls!
    Congrats on the blog tours front! That sounds awesome and its cool that you have some new services. i am sure there are lots of authors out there who will appreciate it!
    Have a great week!
    Samantha recently posted…Sunday Post: Week 44My Profile

    • The cinnamon roll was really good! Sorry to hear you can’t have gluten :(.

      I hope the authors will appreciate the new services. I thought it was fun to add something new and see how it goes.

  6. Well, two trips to the dentist definitely deserve a reward. That cinnamon roll looks delicious. Love seeing your big reveal for the Blog Tour site.

    Oh, yes, that soup kit does look fun. I don’t think our store does anything like that. Great for a fall evening.

    Glad your impulse book read is so good. It does sound impractical, but still fun to see how it all works out for a girl in an all-boys school. Sorry November is only ho-hum for you.

    Have a good week, Lola!
    Sophia Rose recently posted…Letter From Ramsgate by Suzan Lauder #SweetDelightMy Profile

    • The two dentist trips in one week wasn’t fun. But having a yummy cinnamon roll to eat afterwards did help a bit.

      It was fun to have those two reveals in one week for the tour site, I have a few more plans, but those will be revealed later.

      The soup kit was really neat and fun, I think I’ll buy it again for next week. And a warm soup if definitely great for fall weather.

      It was fun to have an impulse buy like that and immediately read it. And the set-up was a fun one.

  7. Sorry about your dentist appointments, that sucks! I would have treated myself too, but not to cinnamon rolls. I find them too sweet. Something along the lines of chocolate for me lol

    That soup kit is interesting, I want to try to make a soup like that. Winter is the best season for those kinds of soups 🙂 Hope you have a great week! ~Aleen
    Lampshade Reader recently posted…Sunday Post #7: Fall Back in TimeMy Profile

    • These cinnamon rolls were very good, a new shop that sells them opened close to where the dentist is, so I had to try them out.

      Fall and winter is the perfect time for soups indeed. I really liked the soup kit and enjoyed making it.

    • I agree fall is definitely a good time for soups. I always stress out before going to the dentist and sleep badly. The sale is going well so far :).

  8. Ugh hate the dentist. Who doesn’t though right? Especially when you have to go back so soon. But at least cinnamon rolls? 🙂 And I hate that feeling when the anesthesia hasn’t gone away yet lol- all numb.

    I think the chocolate frosting with the roll sounds pretty good. And pumpkin soup! I think I might like it better with bouillon as the base, not sure. Perfect for this time of year though.

    I like the look of your new sci fi book. And I didn’t read a lot last week either- maybe this week will be better.
    Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #167My Profile

    • I was so annoyed I had to go back, I always hate going to the dentist and two visits in one week wasn’t fun. The Cinnamon rolls were a good way to cheer me up again. The second time I asked for less anesthesia and it only lasted 4 hours then instead of the 6 hours. I did still felt some of the pain both times though.

      The bouillon base was really good. I like the coconut milk base too, but I might like this a bit better or it might depends on what I am in the mood for.

      I saw the sci-fi book on netgalley, it sounded so fun with martians being on earth.

  9. Dentist two times?! Yikes that really is sucky! But yeah for two cinnamon rolls 🙂 I love them, though it’s been a while. That soup kit sounds cool-I’ll have to see if I can find something like that here.

    Enjoy your current read, it’s nice to find something you are so eager to read! That hasn’t happened for me in a while either. Have a great week!
    Berls recently posted…The Sunday Post | Oh No!My Profile

    • I hate going to the dentist and two times a week was even worse, but I thought it was a good excuse to get two cinnamon rolls as well. They were really good.
      I hope you can find a soup kit there, I thought it was very handy.

      It doesn’t happen to e often that i get so excited to read something and it was fun to jump right into the book and keep hold of that excitement instead of letting it fade.

  10. I’ve been looking for soup recipes since the weather is finally cooling down. I love having soup and dipping bread in it. That soup kit looks good and I’ll have to see if they have something like that here. I like the advice services you’ve added to your company. I hope authors will take advantage of it since the cover and blurbs are important. I’ve been discouraged to read a book because of some badly written blurbs. I hope you have a great week!
    Kathy recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Up #108My Profile

    • It really was a good soup and pretty simple to make. I could probably type out the recipe for you if you’re interested in giving it a try.

      Thanks! I agree that cover and blurbs are very important and I have been discouraged because of some blurbs and covers as well. So I hope I can help some authors this way.

  11. Sometimes the books you buy and read RIGHT THEN are the best. You remember why you bought it and why you wanted to read it. It’s more exciting that way. I’m sorry you had to go to the dentist TWICE. Wow, what a pain. I have to go in two weeks and I need a little thing done to one of my teeth, so I know it’ll be a long visit. Sigh. I’m not looking forward to it.

    I LOVE CINNAMON BUNS!! That looks really really good. And the soup kit is pretty cool too. I bet it was nice to try something new that you didn’t have to worry about too much. 🙂 Have a great week!
    S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Sunday Update – November 6, 2016My Profile

    • Yes it was great how reading the book right away allowed me to keep that excitement. I just finished it and really enjoyed the book.
      I had three cavities that needed to get fixed this week, not fun. The long visits are eve worse.

      The Cinnamon Buns were so good! You can hardly find them over here, so I was happy when a new store opened close by that sells almost exclusively cinnamon buns. The soup kit was a fun way to try something new and not worry about it too much indeed.

  12. Sorry about the dentist appointments :-/ But ugh, the numbness lasts so long for me too! That and the fact that I hate needles is why I’ve had lots of cavities filled without Novocaine if they were small enough. It’s honestly the lesser of two evils for me.

    Isn’t it weird how rarely we read books immediately?

    Those cinnamon rolls look amazing! It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real cinnamon roll. I buy these frozen store-bought cinnamon bites things that are like bite sized cinnamon roll pieces that I think I told you about. But in the past my dad used to stay with these people in the midwest US sometimes and the woman baked homemade cinnamon rolls and we’d stay there if the whole family went or my dad would bring them back from his vacation, and those were amazing.

    I’ve never seen a soup kit like that, but that sounds like a cool idea to buy a whole thing that has all the ingredients you need.

    That’s strange that your site is responsive but shows as a standard wordpress theme on mobile. I might be able to help, but I’d have to know what’s going on in the style.css file. Did you check for or add media queries?
    Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight recently posted…The Weekly Update: 11/6/16My Profile

    • I also hate the needles, but I am in too much pain with the local anesthesia so I usually just opt for that anyway. And it’s annoying the numbness lasts so long.

      Yes I do think it’s weird we rarely read books immediately. Before I started blogging I did that way more often.

      It’s nice you have the frozen store-bought versions of cinnamon rolls at least. Here you can hardly anywhere find cinnamon rolls so I was happy when this store opened that sells mostly cinnamon rolls. And they are really good too.

      The soup kit was really handy. especially as some ingredients you can’t buy in small amounts, like oranges.

      I might have explained it wrongly, my theme isn’t responsive. I use a plugin to create a mobile site, but that uses a standard wordpress theme and I am not fully sure how to modify that mobile theme to have it look a bit like my normal theme. I am not sure if the the mobile theme has a style.css file, I’ll have to look, but if it does I probably will have to make a child theme for that, right?

      • Oh, that makes more sense. In that case, I think you’d be better off getting rid of the plugin and making a child theme for your theme. Making your own plugin might work too, and I could help you with that, I just made a plugin for my own site the other day, it’s not as hard as it sounds for something like this. But editing the current plugin is probably the worst option since plugins are just often really confusing and difficult to edit, and you can’t make child themes for them. So anytime there’s a update, you have to redo any changes. Do you know how to access the ftp files in your hosting? I’m sorry if you already know any or all of this, I don’t actually know how much css editing or stuff like that you do.
        Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight recently posted…Cover Characteristics: Book Covers featuring BirdsMy Profile

        • I already have a child theme for my theme so that might complicate matters. Making my own plugin sounds very daunting. The plugin has a way to edit the theme, but I can’t seem to get it to work yet.

          Thanks for the offer to help. If it’s okay I’ll send you an e-mail this evening or tomorrow to explain, that might be easier.

    • I’ve never been a big soup eater, but I have come to appreciate them more lately. My dentist appointments were both for cavities, although I don’t like the standard cleaning either.

    • I hope your dentist appointment goes well. I’ve had quite some cavities so far, so every time i go there I am afraid I get another one. I really like cinnamon rolls, but they are hard to find here, so I was glad to find a new store that sells them. Yum!

  13. Oh yes. The dentist definitely calls for a cinnamon roll reward. I’m with ya on that! Yay for the soup being good. I’m glad you enjoyed it and had fun. That looks like what we would call a butternut squash instead of our regular pumpkin maybe? I love butternut squash and have made some soups from them. Yum!
    anna @ herding cats & burning soup recently posted…Life Reboot– Week 3My Profile

    • I hope you find a few recipes to try :). On the My recipes page I’ve listed all my recipes so far. It sure can be difficult to decide what to cook sometimes, I get a lot of my ideas from pinterest.

  14. HATE the dentist! One of my least favorite things to do. I hope you are feeling better now.
    I hope that funk goes away, I know how bad those can be.

    Pumpkin Soup is my favorite. I just bought some from a farm that we went to, to get our pumpkins and I now wish I went back and got more because OMG it was like a cloud of pumpkins, soooooo yummy!

    Have a great week, Lola! Happy Reading! ox
    Michelle @Because Reading recently posted…#Review ~ Werewolf Weekend (Tales from the Scaremaster #1) by B.A. FradeMy Profile

    • Going to the dentist is one of my least favorite things to do as well, I hate it. I got out of my funk finally, this week was a lot better.

      I really like pumpkin soup, will be making it again next week and will take some pictures so I can turn it into a recipe post.

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