Weekly Mews: What I Am Reading Now & December's TBR List Winner

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. As well as Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.

I hope you all had a wonderful week. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes for my mom. The good news is the surgeon was able to remove all the cancerous cells from her breast and none were found in her lymph nodes. The bad news is the surgeon did not get enough of a margin around the affected area and needs to go back in. She will likely have another surgery after the holidays. She had been planning to visit Greece in February with a group of friends, but it looks like it won't be happening now. Not with a second surgery and radiation treatment still to go. My mom is disappointed, but happy given the news about the cancer.

The fires in Southern California are the main focus of the local news these days. Fortunately, none have been close to us, but I do have friends and family in affected areas. Only one friend I know of has had to evacuate (because of the Lilac Fire in San Diego County). She and her family are staying in a hotel for the time being. It's all very scary. The Santa Ana winds have made these fires even more destructive, giving them strength and speed. My heart aches for those who have suffered losses, including the animals who were unable to escape. Many of the firefighters are working 42 hour shifts before being relieved. They are doing great work out there, and my prayers are with them as well.

It was a relatively uneventful week otherwise. Mouse had her first father/daughter dance and had such a fun time with her dad. My husband kept me posted with the occasional photo. Mouse had a blast dancing with her friends and her dad. She looked so adorable in her polka dot dress. My husband even put on a suit for the event!

Mouse with her corsage and cookie

This weekend Mouse has her first dress rehearsal for her upcoming holiday dance showcase. There will be one more after this before the big performances next weekend. I hear tickets are sold out for both performance dates! Admittedly, more people are probably interested in seeing The Nutcracker than the showcase performances that proceed it, but it makes me glad we secured our tickets early.

Mouse in her dance costume with her prop present 

(you can't tell, but the wrapping paper is sparkly)

Thank you for your patience with me. I am slow at visiting blogs and responding to comments both because of that thing we call life and also because I am trying to limit my time at the keyboard (and on my phone) as I dampen my most recent bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I appreciate all the well wishes you have sent. I am doing much better. The rest and wearing the braces at night has helped quite a bit.

What I Am Reading: I am in the middle of Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne. It is a Haven Point romance about a librarian who not only takes in a rather sexy pilot as a tenant, but also fosters two young boys whose mother seems to have disappeared on them (their father is deceased). It's definitely a book that pulls at the heartstrings--not too unusual in a Christmas themed book, wouldn't you say? 

What I Am Listening To: I haven't started a new audiobook, although I did download The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, which means when I'm tired of listening to holiday music in the car, I will start on that one. 

What I Am Watching: I am back to watching Supernatural. I finally made it to season 10! I'm only six episodes in, but am enjoying it so far. I haven't been able to binge watch any shows as of late and it will likely be awhile before that happens again. Definitely not for the rest of the year. 

What I Am Looking Forward To: My managers are taking all of us out for breakfast later this week, which will be a nice break from the usual work day. But I am most looking forward to seeing my mom at the end of the week. She will be coming into town to visit us for the holidays. She's deserving of quite a big hug right about now. 

This Past Week in Reading Mews:

• Bookish Thoughts: Lust & Wonder by Augusten Burroughs
• Wishing for Wednesday: Women's Rights, Valkyries, & Forbidden Love
• Bookish Thoughts: Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
• Where Is Your Bookmark? (A peek at Sugar Pine Trail)

Tell me about what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? Do you have anything planned for this coming week?

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New to My Shelves: 

The December My Lit Box arrived this week. I am just going to share Sunura's comments about this month's box as I think she says it best:

Money, power, and influence are all it takes to convince people to ignore the obvious sometimes. Sound familiar? Our final selection of the year closely mirrors some of today's headlines and is a story about breaking the silence, getting rid of the shame, and getting justice.

I am very excited about this month's subscription box. I love everything in it. Every box has been a wonderful surprise and well worth the money. This next year, My Lit Box will be offered only quarterly, which is both sad (because it's a nice monthly surprise!), but also good because it will reach more people and be more affordable (maybe my husband won't give me any more dirty looks about the cost).

Have you read These Violent Delights? What did you think? What new books did you add to your shelves this week? 

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Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

Seventeen of you voted for this month's winner, Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley, a historical mystery. For a while there it was close, but The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn fell behind earning only 13 votes in the end. A Murder for Books by Victoria Albert made a good showing with 9 votes.

I hope to read all three books soon, but, of course, Death Below Stairs will take precedence. I am really looking forward to reading it!

Thank you again for voting! I hope you all have a great rest of the month and Happy Reading!

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