I have an affiliate relationship with Bookshop.org and Malaprop's Bookstore in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Read more on my affiliate page.
Welcome to my weekly update for December 6, 2020!
Southern California has a stay-at-home order that goes into place tonight (December 6) at midnight and will last for at least three weeks, taking us past Christmas. Ugh. At least it should keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.
We experienced our first California earthquake on Friday night! Californians will probably laugh at me since it was just a magnitude 3.7 but we felt the shake so we feel like we’ve been initiated. I have experienced one other little earthquake several years ago back home in NC. It just felt like my office chair dipped a little bit and that was it. But since I was in a 7-story brick hospital building that proceeded to get noisy as it settled afterward, that one actually scared me more than this one.
We did get our tiny little Christmas tree decorated on Wednesday (For those who don’t know, we live in our RV while we travel with my husband’s job). We also went to see the California Center for the Arts’ Northern Lights display on Thursday, so I’m starting to get a little Christmas spirit! I still need to do lots of Christmas shopping though. Between warm, sunny weather and my general 2020 malaise, I haven’t really gotten started yet.
Posted:
Review–Brave Chef Brianna by Sam Sykes, illustrated by Selina Espiritu–4 Stars
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret to The Wind in the Willows–6 Degrees of Separation Post
Also three reading challenge sign-up posts (See below)
Read:
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton
Currently Reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Reading Challenges I Host:
I announced 2021 sign ups for several challenges I hosted prior to my long blogging break. I hope you’ll join me!
2021 Books in Translation Reading Challenge
2021 Southern Literature Reading Challenge
2021 New (To You) Narrator Reading Challenge (which dovetails nicely with Caffeinated Book Reviewer‘s yearly Audiobook Challenge)
Speaking of reading challenges, I used to follow A Novel Challenge to find my yearly reading challenges. Since it looks like that site is on hold, Susan at Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books started a new aggregator for reading challenges called Ready for a Reading Challenge? Head over to share a challenge you’re hosting or find a challenge to participate in!
Up Next:
I’m focusing all my print attention on A Promised Land. It really is a brick and I know I won’t be able to renew it at the library. But it is time to download a new audiobook. Any recommendations for a Christmas-y audio that isn’t syrupy sweet?
What did your week look like?
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.
20 Comments
Ooh, that light display is lovely! Congrats on your first California earthquake 🙂
The earthquake feels like a milestone! I’m just glad it was a little one.
I loved Mexican Gothic. That’s my favorite fiction this year hands down! I hope you love it. I’m slowly working my way through Obama’s book. I want to savor it.
Welcome to California! When I was in Japan I felt quite a few there and even Utah has had a couple of doozys the last few years and one was right at the beginning of the pandemic with a 5 plus on the Richter scale, which caused even more chaos panic than usual…
Love your decor! I hope you have a wonderful week and that the earthquakes are few and far between.
I wish I could savor Obama’s book but I’m rushing to finish it before I have to return it to the library. I wasn’t particularly in the mood for Mexican Gothic but I’d waited so long for it at the library, I decided to go ahead and read it. I did enjoy it but I think I would have loved it had I been in a better frame of mind for it. Say, in October. The earthquake we felt on Saturday was only a 3.7. That’s enough for me! There were a couple of smaller ones in the area within the next 24 hours but we didn’t feel them, thank goodness.
Look forward to your review on Mexican Gothic. And thanks for posting the links to reading challenges; have been looking for some new ones for 2021
I always found my challenges on A Novel Challenge when I first started my book blog years ago. It looks like that site might be dead now? I was happy when Susan reached out to say that she’s started a new site for challenges. I hope you find some you like!
I hope you get your shopping done in time. I have not had an earthquake in almost a decade now. And I am quite glad that I haven’t. Stay safe!
In almost 30 years of living in California, I never got used to earthquakes, but I’d take one over a tornado any day! Cute holiday decor in your RV. Would love to see more interior photos (hint, hint)! This month is flying by so quickly. I’m almost finished with Christmas shopping (all online), but I wish the days would slow down just a little bit.
Welcome to California! Personally, I like feeling the small earthquakes every so often. I realize there’s no science behind it, but as a life-long Californian it feels comforting to have the small quakes. I start to worry about The Big One when I haven’t felt any small ones in a while. 😉
I hope you enjoy The Promised Land! I want to get to that one eventually, but I know it’s going to be a while before I’m ready for a book that big.
I have The Promised Land as an audiobook but haven’t started listening to it yet. I so seldom do nonfiction but so much admire Obama that I’m eager to start listening. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Ah yes earthquakes, I loathe them thoroughly, I hate the noise that often just precedes them by a nano of a second. Maybe you’d feel it more too in a RV. I think I will listen to A Promised Land and will make it a 2021 listen.
Staying in your RV and traveling around sounds like fun!
I also got my copy of A Promised Land this week. Enjoy! Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
My daughter loves Matilda, the book and the movie. I’m not surprised about the new lockdowns because people aren’t doing the common sense things with masks and distancing. Thanks for sharing about the blog collecting reading challenges.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I’m sorry to hear about the stay at home order, although the way things are going I’m not surprised. We have new restrictions here too. It’s so sad. And oh no not an earthquake! Glad it was a little one (relatively speaking).
I love seeing those older books! 🙂
Hey Jen, we were the opposite to you, as this week England’s second lockdown ended, although my area has still come out of it into the highest restrictions. So I am very sorry to hear you will be a stay-at-home order for the next three weeks. I hope you stay safe and that the order will help.🙏 Your little Christmas tree looks lovely – I started putting up our tree and decorations today. 🎄 Take care and happy reading in the coming week.🙂
What a cute tree! The lockdown is unfortunate with timing, I really hope it helps though. Honestly I’m so grateful that ours was a success and life is just about back to normal here.
Good luck with finishing A Promise Land
Wishing you a great reading week
Never experienced an earthquake in my life, but a colleague from Guadeloupe used to tell me about rushing to hide under the kitchen table or standing in the doorways to feel safer. Congrats on the initiation 😉 I’d love to read Mexican gothic but I’m afraid to be afraid, lol, Barack Obama interest me more. Have a great week !
Oh my! An earthquake! Welcome to California. Glad it was small.
I think Mexican Gothic sounds really good, but I am afraid it’s too spooky for me. I’m also interested in Ready Player 2 and the new memoir from President Obama.
Thanks you so much for sharing this information about challenges for 2021. I didn’t know Susan had created a central spot for challenges for next year. That’s wonderful. I am especially interested joining the Books in Translation Challenge and the Diversity Reading Challenge, and I’ve already made plans to join the Back to the Classics Challenge and the Nonfiction Reader Challenge.
Have a good week!
I think you would enjoy Mexican Gothic. It’s mysterious and a bit suspenseful but it’s got a great finish.
I have A Promised Land and Mexican Gothic on my tbr. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of them. Have a great week!