Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - May 17, 2026: New Computer, Who Dis?

I'm not sure if I'd mentioned it before, but my computer was a lil finicky and old. I had continued paying the bills as needed, and trying to squeeze out a few blog posts, but after a steady decline, we reached the point where it was doing n o t h i n g. So I came home from work one day just before I had set aside extra spending money for my April and May vacations and said, "Nope! I deserve more peace in my life than this. Time for a new computer." After dinner, hubby and I went to Microcenter, and I bought the new computer. Whooooo doggie. What took me so long? Well, I anticipated the expense being way more than it was. But after just a few hundred dollars, I'm back among the online living.

And one of the first things I'm doing (after only a few book reviews, Yelp! reviews, and paying some bills) is joining Readerbuzz for the Sunday Salon, and Caffeinated Reviewer for the Sunday Post. I've missed ya'll SO MUCH!!

What I'm reading this week:

In the meantime, I've developed the questionable habit of reading at least four books at a time. LOL Besides my regularly scheduled print book for review (The Roaring Ridley's by K.M. Colley) and my kindle book for review (All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta), I've now added some books solely chosen at my whim. I listen to a non-fiction/motivational/memoir on my morning drive (currently Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten) and a fiction book on my way home (about half-way through Weyward by Emilia Hart right now).

Since I listen to music all day anyway, I think it's working out. I'm starting the day on a bit more of a positive note usually, and I'm getting to pick books just for the fun of it, instead of always plugging away at my endless review list. Unfortunately, I just got notification that like three more audio books from my hold list are ready (I'm playing an ostrich and sticking my head in the sand), and I only got three quarters of the way through Parable of the Sower and have to wait MONTHS for my turn to come around again...

Three Good Things:

1. In all honesty, I should write a few separate posts for my vacations. In April, first I spent three days in Chicago taking my son to the Hatsune Miku Expo, then my best friend flew in from New Jersey and we went to Northern Michigan University (NMU) to watch my daughter perform in 9 to 5. A couple weeks later, I drove back to NMU to pick up my daughter and bring her home, then hubs and I flew to Maui for a week to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (our anniversary was in February, but we waited til our 'adult' daughter could be at home with our son). I now have 1.66 hours of PTO left. LOL
2. My kids are already cast in their next shows! My son is part of the teen ensemble in the Freaky Friday musical in Oxford at the end of June, and my daughter is Beulah in Come from Away at NMU in the fall.
3. Oh! I got new glasses finally too! In addition to updating my lenses for the first time in a couple years, I got a Pair base, with switchable magnetic 'tops' including sunglasses so I don't have to carry a big ole glasses case in a purse. So I'll be getting a new purse, since the tops take up so little room :)

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Review more of my trip stuff on Yelp! I've got tons of reviews up, but most are from years ago. I want to be more consistently reviewing, and all my recent travels give me lots of places to review. 
2. Complete more book reviews! I've got another half dozen or so books that I've finished reading, but need to complete my reviews and send them to Books I Think You Should Read. And then sort of the subset on this goal is to review all my emails from her and pick more books to review. Too much reading - my favorite kind of problem!
3. Order our new door wall!! For the last few years, we haven't had a screen door onto our deck (the old one got lost while hubs and his buddy tore off the old deck, and then the 'universal' replacement didn't fit). For 'just' a few grand, I can get the new fancy door with the blinds inside it, and a screen door, installed! They came and did the measurement part while hubs and I were gone, so I can order the new door and probably have it installed in a month or so as a surprise while hubs travels for work - Happy Father's Day!

The Gallery Assistant - Book Review

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli
Publication: October 14, 2025
Pages: 288 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Chloe is trying to ignore the traumatic events of September 11, but working near the dark side of the New York art world may not let her.

Chloe knew people were saying she drank too much, but they weren't there, and no one - literally no one - knew about what she had been through on September 11. She was fine, and she was getting through it. At least this was what she thought, til she woke up at home the morning after a party she had to attend at the home of an artist being represented by the gallery where she worked., with no memory of getting there. Afraid it's her own fault for drinking too much, Chloe decides to keep quiet.

While she's felt off kilter since the fall of the twin towers, it takes Chloe a little time to recognize that the suspicious events in her personal life are escalating, and she isn't sure who she can trust. This topsy-turvy thriller eventually does reveal Chloe's personal 9/11 story, and it is not as involved in the current mystery as the reader is led to believe.

Overall, the book earned 3 out of 5 stars. For as emotionally evocative as September 11 is for everyone who was an adult or close to it at that time, it's really not as big a deal to the plot as the blurb may lead readers to believe. The somewhat surface treatment of the intricacies of fine art crime in the plot left a few questions unanswered, but the story's time period and interesting characters kept the book an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence this review.

The Fox and the Devil - Book Review

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
Publication: March 10, 2026
Pages: 350 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: These characters were so engaging - in a good and evil way.

Anneke has made it her life's mission to avenge her father's death. He was a vampire hunter, and she saw Diavola leaving the scene of her father's death.

Through her investigations, she has become a valuable resource for the police, as she sees things others don't notice. But even most of her co-workers don't know why she continues working these complicated and suspicious deaths. Although many victims appear to be dead by their own hands, Anneke knows there's more to it, and she is determined to find the devil behind it all, and stop her. 

The discoveries and adventure she finds with those who also choose to join in her cause make for a very compelling book. The setting is gorgeous, and the descriptions of the world fair as told by Anneke, her friends, and the devil are amazing.

This stunning tale earns 4 out of stars, and may even be worth a re-read to pick up on even more detail in the characters, the plot, and the beautiful scenes.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of the electronic release of this great book. Receiving it for free did not influence my review. 

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - January 25, 2026: Another Cold One

Wow. I'm spending an extra few minutes staring at a blank screen this morning. There's a lot. Especially murders of American citizens in the streets, kidnapping of children, and considering relations with beloved family members who voted for this. 

But then, the 'every day.' Is 'rage' becoming my new personality, even while I do nothing but work, take care of my family, follow the news, and share the angry knowledge I see?

How long can this go on? Will we see the end, or will I breakdown completely long before that? How do we all keep going??

I try to keep on keeping on. I've been advised to have a better attitude at work, and I know my immediate family deserves a better version of me. So I attempt to compartmentalize. Set it aside for a spell, write a blog post, do the laundry, maybe some LEGO and read a book, make dinner, and sleep to do it all again?

So much for my 100 percent participation! Hahaha... Today, I'll be joining some great bloggers on our weekend reviews for Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer, and Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz. 

What I'm reading this week:

I'm currently reading Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell in print. Probably not going to be on my favorite book list, but it passes the time. I don't relate to any of the characters, really, and this is a book of characters more than specific plot. I'll finish it; it's interesting. But it has an audience that probably was never meant to be me. On my kindle, I'm on to the second book of the Ryan Tapia series by Thomas E. Ricks. I finished Everyone Knows but You last weekend, and I'm now reading We Can't Save You. I'll probably go right into Big Money, Small Town after this one. I enjoy them and they're quick reads. Once I'm done and have reviewed all three, there will be a giveaway (I think for the third book) on Books I Think You Should Read.

Three Good Things:

1. Josh & Jase! If you haven't seen these British influencers in your timeline, go find them. ESPECIALLY if you're in Michigan or any cold climate. They're learning the hard way in the Upper Peninsula this weekend. Since my girls' weekend in April will be to Marquette, it was super fun to see them visiting places I'll be to (or have been to) soon-ish!!
2. Since my last post, our son got a role in a local theatre's musical production of Legally Blonde Jr! He's enjoying meeting the rest of the cast and crew, and the production is in March. He's Winthrop, one of the Harvard Admissions dudes.
3. While it's bitterly cold and we're under another winter storm watch today and into tomorrow, daylight is at least getting longer since it's past the solstice. I messaged hubs my dinner grocery list so I can hopefully stay home today (he's already out for brunch with friends). Fingers crossed that he sees it in time so I can stay here and hunker down again.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. If I do get to hunker down, it would be a great time to do a bigger goals list/vision board for 2026, right?
2. I have one LEGO set from the holidays that I haven't done yet. My daughter got me the Orchid botanical set that I have yet to assemble.
3. Once I get paid this weekend, I get to book the room for my bestie and I to take our girls' weekend in April!!! Not like I'll forget, but I'm really excited, so it's on the list.

The Bewitching - Book Review

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publication: July 15, 2026
Pages: 359 pages
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweet Spark: Minerva learned everything she could from Nana Alba and the fate of Beatrice Tremblay. Will it be enough to save her?

The three timelines linked by an eventually common evil were so intriguing. Minerva grew up caring for her Nana Alba in Mexico. Her love of reading and literature leads her to graduate school in Massachusetts, where she is studying Beatrice Tremblay, a little known author of macabre tales who met with a mysterious end. As one of the scholarship students at the fancy private college, not much effort was put in to finding if she ran off with one of the young men doing maintenance at the school, returned to her family across the country, or met with a tragic end. Minerva feels that finding out is an important part of her thesis about Beatrice Tremblay as an author.

Through her solitary research during the summer term, Minerva finds that another student may have previously been looking at the same books and stories as Beatrice. Oddly enough, no one knows where he moved on to when he unexpectedly dropped out. 

Minerva is sure that the key is a rich old woman nearby who was in school with Beatrice. Luckily her grandson is in school with Minerva and arranges an introduction. Can the old woman's suggestions help Minerva find what happened to Beatrice, and more about the writing and drawing she produced before she disappeared??

While one part of Nana Alba's story of her youth gave big ick vibes, pushing through that was worth it to connect the stories of the characters. The book earned 5 out of 5 stars and would be recommended to those who enjoy gothic and historical fiction, and strong female characters. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.

Sunday Salon/Sunday Post - January 4, 2025: Happy New Year

Happy 2026! It's already shaping up to be a good year. I've had an odd sense of...contentment? so far, and have been practicing being in the moment. I'm doing the tasks I need to do, and moving on (especially at work). I suppose it's kind of 'let them,' though I haven't read the book. 

Our son, unfortunately has been under the weather since new years day, so please send him all your good juju for a quick and complete recovery. School starts back for him tomorrow, but I don't think he'll be up to it quite yet. He's very worried about his absences, as we got tickets to a concert in the spring that will require him missing a day (it's a Sunday night concert, out of town). The administration also said they are not allowed to attend the trip for their grade if they have too many absences. But with a doctor's note for whatever time he needs off now, we'll figure it out.

I'm kicking off with a great commitment track record and joining in Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz, and Sunday Post with the Caffeinated Reviewer. Check the math - that's 100% participation for 2026!

What I'm reading this week:

I just finished The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia last night and LOVED it! Five out of five stars from me, and hoping to get the review up later today. We'll see what I start on my kindle when I go to cozy me, almost-bed, time tonight. I'm still reading The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput in print, and really enjoying that too.

Three Good Things:

1. We got our spring concert tickets for our son and me! He is SO excited!! Still need to book transportation and a hotel, but baby steps. Everything will definitely be coming from separate paychecks. Hahahaha....
2. I'm loving my new planner :) I spend new years day adding lots and lots of birthdays and the school calendar dates for the rest of this year, then added the work holidays once I was back in the office on Friday. I want to try and use the goals/habits pages more, and track my savings/paying down debt.
3. I finally got my nails done again! For nearly four weeks, they were red with a cat-eye finish (super cool!), but I went in on Friday and got them filled and fixed up with 'cherry bomb' - a red/pink glitter shade. They look great again :)

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Keep working on my home office. LOL Although it's feeling like a bit of 'burnt toast' theory now. Since it wasn't done, I read a post a few days ago about an exchange student needing housing and said to myself, "That would be cool - I'll hurry up my office and see if she needs us." Then, son has this virus, and who knows if we'll get it next. We don't need another body here right now. So the office will get done, but more likely in the right time. OH - burnt toast theory is something our daughter frequently references - if you're running late because you burned the toast, what if it's the universe shifting your schedule just a bit so you miss something horrific, or end up at the right place/right time for something wonderfully awesome?
2. I've told my family we have two goals before our daughter heads back to school at the end of the week. Goal one is cutting the cats' claws. They desperately need to be trimmed, and she's the best at it.
3. Goal two is redoing our curio cabinets. I have two curio cabinets from my grandmother, and I'd like them to represent our whole family as they want to be represented. So while everyone is home, we divvy up the shelves and display what we want displayed. Right now, it's the stuff I put in there when the kids were mall. Some baton twirling medals/trophies, a shelf about hubs & my Germany travels, a shelf with old wedding stuff.... I want everyone to put away what's in there and fill it with what we want to see from our lives.

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - December 28, 2025: The Last One of 2025

Wow. Looking back, I feel like 2025 kind of flew by. On the one hand, it feels like a succession of similar days, over and over. In reality, our daughter graduated from high school and moved away to college, my husband changed jobs and had major surgery, and our son started hanging out with a great friend group and seems more content and happier than before. I never finished a goal list or word-of-the-year or anything like that last January, so I supposed I can't much comment on it. I do remember I wanted less confrontation, more NPC energy, and just discreetly support those around me who need it. I feel like I've mellowed out and done a lot of that. Don't get me wrong - if you live in the U.S.A. and you're not regularly angry, you aren't paying attention. But I've tried to do less of taking that rage out on my own life.

While they were not listed apparently, one of my goals was definitely to blog more, and joining more regularly with Sunday Post with Caffeinated Reviewer, and Sunday Salon with Readerbuzz definitely was the best of that! Thanks so much to Kimberly and Deb for opening their hearts and (online) homes to us weekly (and more) to build such an enjoyable community. 💖

What I'm reading this week:

I successfully finished A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone and My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely for the HoHoHoReadathon! I just realized while finishing up another review yesterday that I forgot to review My Favorite Holidate - I'll get that written and over to Books I Think You Should Read soon.

But for now, I'm reading two multi-timeline historical-ish books and really enjoying both. I just passed the halfway mark in The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia on my kindle, and am enjoying The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput in print. 

My Goodreads challenge says I've finished 77 books, but this didn't update? I dunno. Plenty of reading :)

Has anyone tried Fable? Advice? I tried Storygraph another time and left very soon. 

Three Good Things:

1. LEGO! We finished the Home Alone House as our family advent calendar (since the set has 24 bags), and everyone under our roof got more LEGO for Christmas. Our son got The Nightmare Before Christmas set he wanted, and is almost half way done. Our daughter got the Happy Plants and the Wall-E and Eve blockheads. Hubs got a technic construction vehicle, and technic Gravedigger. I got the botanical Orchid set, the 3-in-1 Camera, and the Up House!
2. I got an offer for a new job! I chose not to take it for several reasons, but after a couple years of applying within and outside my current company, it felt good to be acknowledged. I'll leave it at that.
3. Things feel pretty good. I've got fun plans, our daughter is home for almost two weeks more, and everyone had a very good Christmas. We've all got plans for New Years' Eve (even if our son comes with us instead of going to his own friends), and 'normal' is back on the radar. LOL I love the excitement and joy of the holidays, but I also like to just meander through my life as I've set it up, mostly.

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Speaking of New Years' Eve, we're going to a friends' party and need to bring an appetizer or dessert. I need to decide and get ingredients for whatever that will look like.
2. Get the office back under control! Two steps forward, three steps back. The holiday presents are now almost all cleared out, so I've got some empty boxes/packaging that will easily clear out and look a billion times better.
3. 
   Decorate my new big present! When hubs was between jobs, he said he'd have less money to spend on presents, but more time if I had any ideas. LOL "If I had any ideas..." I have always had a thing for shelving units, of course, and saw a version of shelves framing a bed, if you will. So, thanks to my hubs' creativity and some base pieces from IKEA, this is mine. I've just started the decorating, but I'm excited for my evening 'me-time' curled up in my cozy bed, surrounded by some of my favorite things (which I can also see in the mirror over the dresser, opposite the bed), with my kindle and nightcap on the handy shelf right next to me. Hubs really delivered this time :)