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Welcome to my weekly update for January 31, 2021!
I mentioned the virtual Parade Across America last week and several of you said you missed it as well. I streamed it from the official Biden/Harris inauguration page but that video has been taken down now. This WBUR video appears to contain the whole parade instead. If you watched Biden and Harris walking down Pennsylvania Avenue in DC, you can skip ahead to the 32:00 mark to find the beginning of the virtual parade. I really enjoyed watching so many excellent performances from all our states and territories!
I also thought I’d share my husband’s experience with the COVID-19 vaccine since some of you may not know anyone who’s received it yet and have questions.
He is a healthcare worker. He received his first injection (the Pfizer one) on December 23.
Side effects that only lasted one day:
- Slight soreness in the arm that received the injection
- Faint headache
- Slight nausea (possibly from the Mexican food he had for lunch)
Side effect that lasted about a week:
- Significant fatigue. This didn’t interfere with his ability to work but his wagon was draggin’, as my aunt says, by the time he got home.
He received his second vaccine on January 13. He’d heard repeatedly that the second shot causes worse side effects than the first but that wasn’t the case for him. In fact, the side effects may have slightly decreased.
Side effect the day of the second dose:
- Arm soreness. More noticeable than the first time but it didn’t hamper his activities. Could be because a different nurse gave it to him.
- NO nausea or fatigue
Side effect the day after the second dose:
- Significant fatigue. This was probably a combination of a stressful day, lack of sleep due to an earlier-than-usual alarm, and the vaccine.
Side effect that started a week after the second injection and lasted five days:
- Mild headaches
He’s relieved to know that he’s well-protected against the virus now and says he would do it all over again. But remember, everyone’s experience is different.
Posted:
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams–4 Stars
Goldie Vance Volumes Three and Four by Hope Larson et al.–4 Stars
Deep Storm by Lincoln Child, read by Scott Brick–2 Stars
Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read for the First Time in 2020
Read:
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams
Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney
End of Watch by Stephen King, read by Will Patton
I needed to return these graphic novels to the library so I buckled down and read them this week.
Die Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Stephanie Hans
Lumberjanes Volume 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson et al.
Giant Days Volume 3 by John Allison, illustrated by Max Sarin
Lumberjanes Volume 3: A Terrible Plan by Noelle Stevenson et al.
Blackbird Volume 1 by Sam Humphries, illustrated by Jen Bartel
Currently Reading:
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
Unbeaten Tracks in Japan by Isabella Bird
Reading Challenge Update:
I’ve seen some of you posting this and I think it’s a good idea to hold myself accountable. I’ll try to remember to update at the end of each month. Challenge title links go to my personal progress page and host links go to the relevant sign-up page.
- Books in Translation Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 0/4
- Southern Literature Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 3/7
- New (To You) Narrator Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 1/6
- Uncorked Reading Challenge (hosted at The Uncorked Librarian) Progress: 1/12
- Nonfiction Reader Challenge (hosted at Book’d Out) Progress: 1/12
- Diversity Reading Challenge (hosted at Celebrity Readers) General Progress: 4/25; Monthly Progress: 1/12
- Audiobook Reading Challenge (hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About) Progress: 3/20
- Book Voyage: Read Around the World Challenge (hosted at The Book Girls’ Guide) Progress: 1/12
Up Next:
I honestly don’t know. It’s already time to start planning my reads for my monthly challenges. This may be a busy week for me so I’m not sure how much reading I’ll get done.
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.
26 Comments
Yay for your husband being vaccinated! My sister is a health care worker, who’s gotten hers and my grandpa has as well 🙂
Thanks for sharing your husband’s experience with the vaccine! Well noted that everyone’s experience can be different, but there were some fears that the vaccine’s symptoms are worse than the viral symptoms! — so this gives a bit of comfort. And hopefully, the shield will endure.
Thank you for sharing your husband’s experiences with the vaccine! I cannot wait for it to be available to the general population.
Looks like last week was a great reading week. I need to catchup with the Lumberjanes books – it’s been a while.
Thank you so much for sharing your husband’s experience with the vaccine. We haven’t gotten ours yet and probably won’t any time soon but I’m hoping production and delivery will increase so we can get ours. Looks like you had a great reading month! Here’s hoping you read some great books in February.
Glad to hear that your husband is protected and that the side-effects were relatively minor. I’m looking forward to getting vaccinated when my turn comes around. I am interested in reading Stacy Abrams’ book one day. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Great looking books! I keep meaning to read something by Philippa Gregory.
I have had one shot so far, with no noticeable side effects; I’m getting the second one this week. Glad to hear that nothing major happened! Most important: being protected.
Enjoy your books and week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
Thank you for sharing the side effects, I don’t have any one close to me you who has had the vaccine so it is interesting to know. Hope you are enjoying your graphic novels!
That’s great about your husband! My dad and stepmom have had their first – my mom is still on the list and waiting. My friend got both of hers as well (respiratory therapist) and she was fine with the first, the second she had a slight fever for 24 hours, but nothing major. 🙂
I love the hygge book. And I have been interested in reading Lumberjanes!
Good reading! Thanks for the info on your husband’s experience. We’re getting shot one of the Pfizer vaccine next week.
Thanks for sharing your hubs vaxx experience. I am really looking forward to when I can get it. I need to add Stacey Abrams book to my list!
Thank you for sharing your husband’s experience with the COVID-19 vaccines. That will be helpful going forward. I read the book about Hygge a few years ago and talked about it for months afterwards. My Sunday Salon post
Ha I love that saying of your aunt about your wagon is draggin’. Must remember that. Interesting about side effects of vaccine – as a health worker its great that he is protected more now. Happy reading.
I had similar side effects with the first dose but have yet to receive my second dose. Such attractive book covers on this post. I have to look up The White Queen on BBC. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad to hear that your husband’s vaccine experience was relatively uneventful. My father, who is 82, got his this week and he just had a sore arm and slept well that night. My friends who work in health care and have had more side effects, but they are significantly younger and I’ve heard that younger people are more likely to have more noticeable side effects.
Thank you for sharing the details of your husband’s vaccination experience. We have two nurses in the family and they have pretty much said the same thing about the sore arm and fatigue. Nothing serious or worrisome. My mom and my husband will get theirs (hopefully, if things don’t change) sometime in February. I’m further down on the list and I’m trying to be patient.
Great reading! I’ve never read Phillipa Gregory, but my SIL has read all her books and says I should give her a try.
My parents are both over 75 so got their first dose of the Moderna vaccine 2 weeks ago. They are lucky and had only slight arm soreness and no other side effects. You had a great reading week! I have finally finished reading all the finalists for CYBILS judging so am looking forward to our discussions to pick the winners.
Thank you for sharing hubby’s experience. We will get them as soon as they are available to us, but it’s nice to know.
Interesting to hear about your husband’s experience with the vaccine. Thanks for sharing. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan sound good, I’ve always found Japan such an interesting country even if I’ve never visited.
Oh I forgot to post my challenge update for January, not that I got far, I need to plan my challenge reads better. Looks like you are doing well!
Wishing you a great reading week
Thank you so much for sharing the side effects – my sister did warn me about the sore arm and she also had a headache. She mentioned feeling very tired, too. I’m delighted to hear that he now has the maximum protection available – for sure health workers should be right up there at the front of the queue! Have a great week, Jen.
How to Find Love in a Bookshop looks like a fun book. Fatigue seems to be the side effect I’m hearing about from most people.
Thank you for sharing the details of your husband’s experiences with the vaccine. I think it’s important to share the truth of the experience with others. Who more than medical staff need to be immunized? They have had to do so much over the last year. I’m glad he is now immunized.
Then I took a look at all the books you read recently and the books you are reading. I’m especially interested in your thoughts about the book by Stacey Adams, the Hygge book, and Cher Ami. I am unfamiliar with Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, and I look forward to seeing what you think of it.
And finally I headed over to your link to watch the full Parade Across America. It won’t be enough for me to watch that one time. I will have to bookmark it and watch it now and then when my spirits need a boost again.
I’ve spent the last hour here on your blog. That has to be some kind of record! Thank you, Jen.
We were warned of the fatigue and asked to avoid any strenuous physical activities, among other things. Not much changed except that I didn’t workout for three days, and otherwise things were fairly normal. Except for the soreness in the arm. My second dosage will be on 7th Feb, fingers crossed about it.
Jen, I am pleased to hear your husband getting the vaccine went well and that you have been doing lots of reading again. In particular I hope you enjoying The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, as I loved that one! I am hoping to read The Kingmaker’s Daughter from the same series soon!
My week has been a cold and snowy one of work, reading and cooking, as we still have a lockdown here in the UK.
Take care and happy reading in the coming week. 🙂
Thank you for sharing that about your husband’s vaccine experience! That’s good to know. I know a lot of people are leery about the vaccine because of side effect reports, but I always feel better some vaccine side effects than rolling the dice with Covid. Anyway love the look of the graphic novels.
Deep Storm and How To Find Love look fun!
Great news about your husband! Great to know he’s protected! Side effects seem to vary by person.
Those Goldie Vance books look interesting. Are they children’s books?
I definitely want to check out Stacey Abrams’s book. I will probably get it in audiobook because she narrates it.