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?
Another busy week! I finished up the big website project I’ve been working on yay! I set up a new author website for Siobhan Davis, you can see the finished site here. It was a lot of work, but I am really happy with the end result :). I also had two tours running and three others starting next week, which kept me busy.
On thuesday we visited a nearby city so we could finish up christmas shopping. Even though we don’t do presents with my mom this year we bought something small for her and we bought a pressent for my boyfriend his mom, we already did the rest of the shopping online. We had lunch at a shop we always have lunch when we’re in that city, they sell the best Jacketz, big baked potatoes and you can pick your own filling. It was a fun day, but also lots of things went wrong. First we overslept, than a bottle with cola leaked in my boyfriend his bag, our train got delayed and then we had to stand in a way too ful train on the way to the city. We also had to deal with a rude employee in a cute cheese shop where we took a look, but when my boyfriend asked her a question she replied so rudely, we turned around and left. The city was already decorated for christmas and it was fun to walk around, although the christmas market they have eahc year wasn’t done yet, so we didn’t got a chance to visit that.
And I received my first recipe from the recipe exchange thuesday evening. A good blogging friend of mine Sophia got my name and sent me an awesome christmas card and two recipes: Old-fashioned Frog Eye Salad and Maftoul (pasta+eggplant+tomato stew). I haven’t heard of either recipe before and they both soudn great. I can’t wait to give them a try! Thanks so much Sophia!
Then two days later the other recipe from the recipe exchange arrived. This one from a Renee, I am not sure if I know her, but she send a lovely card and one page of paper double printed with lots of different recipes. I do have to search for some ingredients as I am not sure we can find those here, but else I’ll find a substitute. There’s a recipe for peanut butter balls that sounds really good. I haven’t made a picture of that card yet, so I’ll share the picture next week.
Random Picture(s) of the Week
This is our christmas tree, as I mentioned last weekend we set up the tree. By now there are a few mroe pressents underneath it. It’s a fake tree, but the house looks much more festive with the christmas tree set-up and it really get’s me in the mood for christmas
Here’s a picture of the christmas card and recipes I received from Sophia. I realy like the paper she wrote the recipes one, it looks so festive and the recipes are handwritten, how cool is that?
What did I cook for dinner this week?
- Sunday: leftover japanese curry
- Monday: Fried Rice
- Tuesday: leftover
- Wednesday: Sajoer Beans
- Thursday: Storebrought Pizza
- Friday: Storebrought soup and french bread
- Saturday: Sauerkraut casserole
This week I blogged about:
– Blog Tour: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein – with awesome quest post about covers
– Review: Last Chance Christmas by Joanne Rock
– Lola’s Ramblings: Transition into a new Genre Historical Romance
– Lola’s Kitchen: Japanese Curry Recipe
– My to-be Read List #16: chosen book
What to expect next week on the blog:
– Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
– Reading Challenges 2016: goal post
– Lola’s Ramblings: Transition into a new Genre Cozy Mystery
– Lola’s Kitchen: Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe
– Review: Saven Deception by Siobhan Davis
Tours open for sign-up on Lola’s Blog Tours:
Review Opportunities:
– Son of Set (Descendants of Isis #2) by Kelsey Ketch
– The Cursed Ground by A. Roy King
– 3volve and The Shadow of Loss by Josefina Gutierrez
– Link by Summer Wier
– A Bramble House Christmas by CJ Carmichael
– Maisy and the Mystery Manor by Elizabeth Woodrum
Check the full list of open review opportunities here.
Cover Reveals:
none open for sign-up at the moment
Tours:
– Book Blitz: The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor – runs from 14 till 20 December
– Book Blitz: Saven Deception by Siobhan Davis – runs from 15 till 28 December
– Book Blitz: Sparked by Sheena Snow – runs from 16 till 22 December
Book Haul:
Forever hers (Spirits of Saoradh #1)
by Caroline Cairn
Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Forever hers on Goodreads
Blurb:
Feisty twenty-four year old Holly, or Miss Greedy as her friends call her, receives a wooden cube as a gift from an enigmatic elderly lady who happens to be her mother’s new neighbour in Lossiemouth, a small Scottish fishing town.What she doesn’t expect, is for the cube to contain Blayne, a Spirit of Saoradh only she can see and touch. Blayne is a playful, headstrong ghost with no recollection of his human past and an ability to grant Holly’s wishes whenever she calls for him — as long as said wishes don’t raise any questions from the public that is. So a shiny new car might be out of the question, but the possibility of a flat stomach, a consistently spotless house or a perfect daily hairstyle more than make up for it.
Through their incessant banter, Holly and Blayne grow closer while fighting against their mutual attraction since they have no possible future together.
But when the painful reality of Blayne’s existence is revealed, Holly will realize that it’s not always the girl who needs to be saved.
Reckless (Rescue Squad #1)
by Kimberly Kincaid
Format: e-copy
Source: for review through netgalley
You can find Reckless on Goodreads
Blurb:
SOMEONE’S BOUND TO GET BURNED…Zoe Westin may be a fire captain’s daughter, but feeding the people in her hometown of Fairview is her number one priority. Running a soup kitchen is also the perfect way to prove to her dad that helping people doesn’t always mean risking life and limb. But when she’s saddled with a gorgeous firefighter doing community service after yet another daredevil stunt, the kitchen has never been so hot.
Alex Donovan thrives on adrenaline, and stirring a pot of soup doesn’t exactly qualify. He’s not an expert at following the rules either, not even when they come from the stubborn, sexy daughter of the man who’s not only his boss, but his mentor. Determined to show Zoe that not every risk ends in catastrophe, Alex challenges her both in the kitchen and out. One reckless step leads to another, but will falling for each other be a risk worth taking, or will it just get them burned?
Lost in Chance
by Lize Jacobs
Format: e-copy
Source: for review
You can find Lost in Chance on Goodreads
Blurb:
Recently divorced teacher, Chrisna, is stuck in her small-town life in South Africa.
One day, she angrily tells her best friend that she would like to throw her wedding ring off the top of the Eiffel Tower. So her friend gifts her a five-day trip to Paris, for her thirtieth birthday, to do just that.
Unsure of whether she would actually be able to do it, she sets off, unprepared for the life-changing adventure, quirky new friend, and romance that await her, as she gets lost in chance.
The Semester of our Discontent
by Cynthia Kuhn
Format: e-copy
Source: for review through netgalley
You can find The Semester of our Discontent on Goodreads
Blurb:
English professor Lila Maclean is thrilled about her new job at prestigious Stonedale University, until she finds one of her colleagues dead. She soon learns that everyone, from the chancellor to the detective working the case, believes Lila—or someone she is protecting—may be responsible for the horrific event, so she assigns herself the task of identifying the killer.More attacks on professors follow, the only connection a curious symbol at each of the crime scenes. Putting her scholarly skills to the test, Lila gathers evidence, but her search is complicated by an unexpected nemesis, a suspicious investigator, and an ominous secret society. Rather than earning an “A” for effort, she receives a threat featuring the mysterious emblem and must act quickly to avoid failing her assignment…and becoming the next victim.
Rude shop employees really piss me off, Lola! Their job is to be helpful. I’m glad you guys just turned and left when she was rude.
The recipe swap is a great idea, I hope you’ll be able to cook something from your new recipes soon.
Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading – your new books look amazing.
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…Review: Heartbreaker’s Bet – Donna Cummings
I don’t think I ever walked out of the shop like that, but damn she was just so rude and basically insulted us while we just asked her a question. It was so rude.
The recipe swap was a lot of fun. I haven’t heard of the recipients of my card yet, but it’s been fun to receive new recipes to try out :).
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
The website you made looks great Lola! I love how those covers look on top of the page. And I love blue colors so this site really works if you ask me! 😀
Your Christmas tree looks lovely. We also have red Christmas decorations. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year.
I can’t wait to read how the recipes work for you.. Those Peanut butter balls sound really interesting.
Maureen Hinten recently posted…Sunday’s Author Spotlight: Izzibella Beau
Thanks :). I am really happy with the end result. I mostly have the theme to thank for that nice slider bar on the top and the author her designer for making the nice banners, all I did was put it into place. I think the black, white and grey colour scheme really works and the blue accents add a bit of colour.
I love the colour cotnrast of the green tree and red decorations. It just looks so nice together.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
Aww your tree is so cute! And the website looks great! I’m trying to makeover my blog by January but UGH, it’s just so much work and I’m so indecisive.
It sounds like you had a rather eventful day of shopping. At least you enjoyed some of it, even if it did have its blunders. I love when the cities and mall and whatnot get decorated for Christmas. It really puts me in the cozy holiday mood! All your mentions of food and recipes sound delicious and are making me hungry though lol.
Kristen Burns recently posted…Updates & Info: The Weekly Update (13)
It was fun to work on her site, but yes it’s a lot of work. There are so many options and tweaks to get it exactly like how you want. I am usually pretty lazy with my own blog and I like the way it is now, although I do keep tweaking small things.
I always liek seeign christmas decorations and as we were out till late we really saw the effect of the lights and even a santa passed us. It definitely got me into the holiday mood! It was annoying to have so many bludners on one day, but it was a great day out.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
Took at gander at the website and it looks great! I love how a Christmas tree makes things so cozy and festive. Good for you on walking out of the shop. A rude employee is unacceptable. They are there to help not offend. Enjoy your new recipes and books:)
Laura Thomas recently posted…What’s New On My Bookshelf #139 and The Sunday Post
Thanks I am glad you like the website :). And indeed a christmas tree can give the whole house a more festive feel.
I don’t think I ever encountered an employee that was that rude and I was stunned she could be that insulting while we asked a simple question. We didn’t plan on spending any money there after that.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
oh I just love recipe exchanges…its so fun to get some new recipes and try out new things. I really love Sophia…she is so wonderful. I love frog eyed salad but don’t know how to make it yet. I ADORE handwritten recipes. They seem so much more personal.
I agree Sophia is wonderfull and I was really happy with her card and recipes. And it was wonderfull she had handwritten them. This was my first time participating in a recipe exchange and it was a lot of fun!
I never heard fo frog eye salad until now. I might have to look up a picture so I have an idea what it will look like.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
The Web site looks great, Lola! What a beautiful job. The recipe doesn’t use real frog eyes, does it?
🙂
Aww thanks! I am glad to hear you think it looks great.
No there aren’t real frog eyes in it, luckily. Not sure why they call it that. It’s a fruit salad with pasta I think? I hadn’t heard of it until now, it does sound yummy.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
Tis the season for the rude employees. Drives me crazy 🙂
I just sent out my cards for the exchange so I am looking forward to seeing what I get back!
The website looks great you are going to have to tell me how you set it up. I want to do websites but still not sure about the coding part but I might be able to make them using wordpress.
Have a great week, Lola! Happy Reading! ox
Michelle@Because Reading recently posted…Late days, Slump, Cookies and a Shitty Breakfast ~ WIR & TSP
I’ve heard stories of rude employees, but haven’t had much experience with them myself until now.
I sent my cards out last week, but haven’t heard yet if they arrived.
I set the website up using wordpress as I don’t know a lot of coding either. I tried a free theme first, but we decided on a paid theme eventually. A lot of how the site looks is thanks to that theme, it was a great theme to work with and it was neat it already had a slider bar set-up. It also has lots of options for customization. Just let me know if you have any questions, I would love to help you :).
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
The Website looks really great. I mean that as a compliment. Your recipes look interesting. I hope you love all your new books.
Grace @ Books of Love
Grace Fonseca recently posted…Stacking The Shelves, Bought, Borrowed and Bagged, Coloring Book Updates
Thanks! It took a lot of work and effort and it’s nice to the finished product.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
Frog-eye salad sounds interesting; I may have to look it up online. I did the recipe exchange last year and it was fun.
Reckless looks good; Kincaid writes nice foodie romances.
Sorry about the rude employee; it happens but it’s still frustrating.
Have a good week and happy reading!
I hand’t heard of it until now. I just looked up a few pictures online and it looks yummy! The recipe exchnage was a lot of fun :).
I haven’t read anything by Kincaid before, so I had to request this one when I spotted it on netgalley. It sounds good.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
You did a great job on the author’s website. And I hate it when rude employees ruin your shopping experience. The holiday shopping is stressful already and you don’t need to deal with that too. I love your tree and Reckless sounds really good. You are tempting me to visit Netgalley lol. Have a good week Lola!
Kathy recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Up #80
Thanks! And the rude employee was a nasty experience. Indeed shopping can already be stressfull, although luckily we had done most of our shopping online so we weren’t too stressed. I love browsing around netgalley and seeing what new books they have now. I heard good things about Kincaid, so I am looking forward to give one of her books a try.
Lola recently posted…Sunday Post #156
Strolling and shopping at this time of year can be so fun, and festive. Your tree looks nice, it’s amazing how such a thing can get us in the holiday spirit.
Have a nice week.
Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #121
Having a tree in the house definitely can make a bit difference. The festive mood of the city made for some fun shopping and it wasn’t too bus yet, which was nice.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Aw yay for the recipes and the cute tree. Adorable! I need to send my recipes out tomorrow. Eeps! Hope you have a great week, Lola!
anna (herding cats & burning soup) recently posted…Tag: The Cat Herder [Christmas Edition]–pervy santa, questionable wrapping & tree protection
I haven’t heard from my recipients yet, but I did receive both the recipes send to me. I e-mailed the other sender today to thank her for her card and recipes. I am looking forward to trying all the recipes I got. Thanks for organizing this awesome recipe exchange!
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
You got some nice looking books. 🙂
Stormi Johnson recently posted…The Week In Review #66
I agree 🙂
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Your tree is very festive looking! So far I’ve been fortune to experience nice and helpful store employees. Hope it continues. Have a great week.
Nise’ recently posted…Reading Wrap Up
Thanks, I am really happy with the tree and it makes the house more festive. So far I’ve mostly experienced helpfull store employees, this was defintiely the exception.
Sorry about all that went wrong with your trip to the city, but glad you enjoyed some aspects. Rude people are the worst! Your Christmas tree is so cute. I like the little trees – sometimes that’s all you need! Hope you enjoy your new recipes when you get a chance to make them. 🙂
-Lauren
Let’s Get Beyond Tolerance recently posted…LGBT Book Reviews Elsewhere
Yeah it was very unpleasant to encounter such a rude employee, but beside everything that went wrong it was a fun trip. I also like the little trees, they take up less space and still add that christmas feel to your home.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Love the author’s website that you worked on, it looks great. I’ve had my blog for over 10 years and I really haven’t changed anything. I’ve added a few things on the side but other than that, it’s stayed the same. I’m almost afraid if I start changing things that I’ll lose all my posts. lol
Mary Kirkland recently posted…Product Review: Teardrop Crystal Pendant Necklace, Bracelet & Earrings Set by Mondaynoon
It’s hard to mess up so much that you lose everything, but I do feel nervous every time I work on big things as I a afraid I will do somethinh wrong, but that hardly happens. And the nice thing with this website was is that the old website was still live, while I worked on the new one, so even if I messed things up I could fix them again and it wasn’t a big problem. I don’t change my blog much either, so it was fun to work on someone else their site :).
I love what you did with Siobhan’s website. Blue is such a calm color and the site has a crisp, clean look to it.
Ah, thanks for acknowledging the recipes and I’m glad you appreciated the cards. I really enjoyed pouring through my recipe box and deciding just which recipes I wanted to send to my book buddy, Lola. 😉
Oh, well, that’s an interesting marketing approach to selling your product- be rude and insulting to the customers. LOL! Oh man, late trains and spilled Coke. But walking through a festively decorated city with all the displays would be fun.
Your tree looks good. Our fake tree fell apart last year and I didn’t see one that I liked (or could afford for what I liked) yet so we’re using an little table top tree I’ve had since college. It’s cute.
Enjoy all your new review books. I hit NetGalley a few times this week, too.
Sophia Rose recently posted…Stranded by HelenKay Dimon #Review #HolidayDelight
Thanks Sophia! That’s exactly the feel the author wanted for the site :). So I am happy that feel comes across well.
I really appreciate the recipes! I was so excited to see you had sent me recipes. I am hoping to make Frog Eye Salad next week and Maftoul this weekend, although I will probably tweak the recipe a bit. Oh I have one question I noticed for the Maftoul you had to put the pasta in the oven first, that seemed a bit weird to me as we always just cook it. What’s the added benefit of putting it in the oven first?
I just couldn’t believe how rude the emloyee was, she insulted my boyfriend his taste in cheese and had this holier than thou atitude. I don’t think she sells much cheese, unless she keeps her mouth shot. Luckily the fun parts of the trip made up for the less fun ones.
I’ve had this tree since I was very little and we had our own tree in our room. It’s a nice size, so now we’re using it in the living room. Tose little tree’s are so cute.
I can’t stay away from netgalley and usualy stop by once a day to check for new books.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Actually, now that you mention it, I don’t do the pasta that way. I had to go and look at what you were talking about. Haha! Good catch! I boil it to Al dente (on the firmer side though soft) then I keep it warm while I’m doing the rest of the food prep. I was in a rush so copied the recipe the way my Egyptian friend sent it to me, but I’ve made it so many times that I wasn’t really focusing on exactly how the recipe is actually worded.
Sophia Rose recently posted…A Midnight Clear by Hope Ramsay #Review #HolidayDelight
Oh and I boil it with a little olive oil in the water to keep it from being so sticky.
I look forward to seeing how you like Frog Eye Salad. Feel free to tweak the fruits to ones you like though the pineapple really needs to be one. I’ve even tossed in chopped nuts, grapes or diced apple for some crunch.
Sophia Rose recently posted…A Midnight Clear by Hope Ramsay #Review #HolidayDelight
Okay I’ll make sure to add a bit of olive oil 🙂
I like pineapple, so that’s not a problem. The only fruit listed that I don’t like are cherries, so I might use some apple instead. Nuts sound like a good addition as well!
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Ah okay, that explains it. I always try to simplify rcipes a bit where possible, so I was wondering if the oven step was necessary. I wil just boil the pasta then.
I have couscous for this recipe and I got orzo or couscous pasta for the frog eyes recipe as I couldn’t find the pasta you listed. I did google it, so I know what it looks like.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Thanks so much for the fantastic job on my new website, Lola. You were very patient with my continuous change requests. Great to see so many lovely comments here – super job! I love your little Christmas tree, and you’ve gotten some interesting books this week. Happy Reading.😊
I am so glad you like the website. It definitely was a lot of work, but I am happy it exactly how you want it now :). It’s nice to see all the comments about the site.
I love our little christmas tree, it doens’t take up much space and adds that christmas feel to the whole room.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
You did a great job on the website and the whole feel of it fits in really well with the authors book covers. Well done! And I love the idea of the recipe exchange, hope you enjoy making your new dishes 🙂
Trish @ Between My Lines recently posted…Book Review: The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Thanks! I am glad to hear you think the feel fits the covers, that’s what I was hoping to achieve :).
The recipe exchange was so much fun and I am looking forward to trying out the new recipes!
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
REckless looks good. Sounds like your trip was a bit hectic. Good for you for walking out of the cheese shop..how rude of them. I saw chocolate that looked like those individually wrapped slices of cheese and thought of you!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Snowbound at Christmas by Debbie Mason
I heard good things about Kincaid, so I wanted to give one of her books a try. The trip was a bit hectic, but still fun with the exception of those things that went wrong.
Someone else tagged me on facebook about a post for chocolate slices on bread. I hope they will sell those here eventually, it looked yummy!
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
Sophia eats frog eye ?!!! That’s an interesting thing to know ^^ And I love the idea of those recipe swaps. The website is clear, functionnal and pretty with the white/blue colors 🙂 Good work, have a great week Lola !
There are no real frog eyes in the recipe ;). Although it sure is a bit of a strange name and I was wondering why they called it that. The recipe swap was a lot of fun.
Thanks I am glad to hear you like the website! Clear and functional was what we were going for and I like the colour scheme we ended up with for the site.
Lola recently posted…Review: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein
It looks like you had a busy week! Rude employees are a bit awful, just because they’re having a bad day doesn’t mean they should take it out on everyone else.
The website you did looks great, it’s nice and clean (which is what I like!) and easy to navigate too 🙂
The recipe exchange sounds like fun, I hope you enjoy trying the new things!
I agree! As an employee in a store like that it’s important to stay polite, no matter how hard it is.
I am glad to hear you like the website. Nice and clean were two of the things the author wanted for the site, so I am glad that shows 🙂
The recipe exchange was fun, I hope I can try out some of the recipes I got soon!
Lola recently posted…2016 Reading Challenges: goal post
Christmas is approaching way too quickly. My family hasn’t even put a tree up yet D:
Hope you have fun cooking the new recipes you received!
I know it’s weird how close christmas suddenly is. It seemed far away and then suddenly it’s so close.
I am really excited to try the new recipes I received 🙂
Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: Reading Books in a New to Me Genre – (Cozy) Mystery
Sorry about the rude shop owner. It always sucks when that happens. I love your tree. We put up a fake one too. I hope you enjoy your recipes.
Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted…Snowballs in Hell by Eve Langlais (@mlsimmons, @EveLanglais)
It was a shame that shop owner was so rude, I don’t understand why people can’t be polite to each other.
I am happy with our tree, it’s really festive :). And I hope I can try a few of the new recipes soon.
Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: Reading Books in a New to Me Genre – (Cozy) Mystery
I’m five days behind on my blog commenting this week! Ugh. But I’m the 51st comment, so there’s that. 🙂 Lol. I love your little Christmas tree! It’s super adorable, especially with a few presents underneath. The website you built looks really great! Fantastic job! And thanks for your kind note to me this week. I’m blessed to have you as a friend!
S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Last Chance For REVEALED At B&N, iBooks, & Kobo!
Wow 51, I didn’t realize there were so many comments already, although half of them are mine ;).
I also like the little tree. There are a few more presents underneath it now. All in red wrapping, which fits the tree, lol.
Thanks for the compliment on the website I built :). That’s the site where I needed those buy buttons for ;).
And I am happy to have you as a friend!
Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: Reading Books in a New to Me Genre – (Cozy) Mystery