It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!
Hope this finds you well and a good week. I had a mixed week, some good and some not so good. I managed to re home a cat that was scavenging at my Dad's place. He is too old for a cat. My friend is fostering it until the SPCA give the go ahead owners cannot be found. While I like animals I am not confident with them so my friend is huge cat lover so hopefully she will get to keep the cat. It has been on the run for a number of weeks.
My sister had a back of her head brain bleed - she is five years younger than me. While I haven't seen her as she lives hours away, some of the family have and of course her partner is keeping watch. She is making excellent progress so fingers crossed. Certainly scary though.
I continue to quilt and read and you know, the usual! At the moment I am cutting down on caffeine - none after 3pm ish and finding camomile is an okay replacement. Then no TV or computer after 7:30pm ish. So plenty of time to knit and listen to podcasts etc! Okay if I am reading a paperback but even staying away from Kindle in evening. Decided to do it all April and maybe May, to see if it makes a difference to sleep pattern. How many of you avoid blue light and caffeine at night in order to improve sleep?
What I read last week:
What I am reading at present:
About to start this, heard great things about it so will be interesting to see how I find it. Set during second world war.
Up next:
Have been waiting to get to this one for awhile. Picked it up in January I think from NetGalley. New Zealand author! She is a neuropsychologist, and lives I think on Great Barrier Island off the coast of NZ. Book is set in Australia on the Great Barrier Reef.
After this one I will see, have quite a few in the log jam so will be a what I feel like as they are all due!
Posts from the last week:
Lies and Other Acts of love Kristy Woodson Harvey
What We Find Robyn Carr
Under Italian Skies Nicky Pellegrino
Reunion Pass Emily March
What We Find Robyn Carr
Under Italian Skies Nicky Pellegrino
Reunion Pass Emily March
I hope your sister recovers well. Yes, brain injuries are super scary. I hadn't thought too much about the effects of blue light on sleep but your post made me ponder on this.
ReplyDeleteYou read some great books this week and I love fiction written by specialists such as neuropsychologists so I'm really curious about A Drop in the Ocean. Enjoy the rest of your reading week!
I am glad to hear your sister is doing well! It is certainly very scary and I will add her to my prayers for a quick recovery. :) My son was actually born with two brain bleeds, and he is doing well too.
ReplyDeleteI really like the book cover for From Here to Home!
I don't drink caffeine after 5. :( Nothing is the same as coffee, which I slug back by the mugful during the day although at night I have mint tea or water.
Sorry to hear about your sister. Hope all turns out well. I don't read on Kindle at night only in the mornings or early afternoon. I also do not watch TV at bedtime. If I read, it has to be a print book. I started it a few months ago and it has made a difference.
ReplyDeleteScary about your sister...hope all is well and soon. Thanks for sharing your books...enjoy the new week!
ReplyDeletePrayers for your sister for sure - sorry to hear it happened but glad for proper care and company to assist her.
ReplyDeleteYour list of books are great. I'd noticed Marie Bostwick's and wonder how you liked it? I enjoyed her The Second Sister.
Hoping your health efforts are profiting you! Good for you in taking healthy steps.
That sounds like a great way to make time for podcasts or just to relax without being "plugged in." So sorry to hear about your sister, thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery for her. And best of luck with the cai situation also.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sister is o.k. Not great to be so far away :-(
ReplyDeleteI cut out caffeine after 3pm and other than making me grumpy for a few days it did help. Same for getting rid of TV and all technology in the bedroom. Not sure I could give it up after 7:30 PM though. You are a brave woman.
Fantasy in Death looks interesting. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sending prayers for a quick recovery for your sister. My sister-in-law had brain surgery this week, so we've been on edge all week, too.
ReplyDeletehttp://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/04/peace-love-and-book-ed-to-max.html
Very scary about your sister... will keep her in my prayers. I don't have caffeine after 2 or 3 in the afternoon either. When I do, it's impossible to fall asleep. Have never tried eliminating blue light in the evening, that might be too tough for me (especially the computer). Looks like you have some good books this week.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep your sister in my prayers. I also understand the fun that is cutting down on caffeine. Best of luck! You got a lot read last week. I'm impressed. My one book finished plus half an audiobook was a good week for me, too. I can't imagine reading four books. Rock star!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your sister...prayers for her.
ReplyDeleteI need to try to limit my computer time in the evening so I read. :)
As for caffeine, I don't think it bothers me. I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning no matter what. I can't fall asleep for about another hour, and then I am wide awake by 6:30 or 7:00. :) I am so glad I am not working or I would be dead during the day, and a teacher has to be alert. :)
I hope you have a good week, and your sister improves.
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
I hope your sister continues to improve. Scary! I've seen great things about A Drop in the Ocean. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI stay away from caffeine after about 2 pm. I usually drink a glass of red wine at night instead. ;)
I try to shut off everything by 8:00 but I do have the TV on while I read. At night I love reading on my Kindle so I literally fall asleep with it. Probably not a great plan!
ReplyDeleteOh Kathryn, I hope your sister continues to improve and is feeling okay-- what a scare! Good wishes sent your way.
ReplyDeleteThat was nice of you to re-home the cat by finding a cat-friendly friend to foster him. So many people just dump their cats when they're tired of them, or never get them spayed to begin with.
I'm looking at A Drop in the Ocean with great interest-- the cover and the author's location grabbed me. Hope it's available to U.S. readers.
As far as sleeping--or in my case, trying to-- I have several solutions that my doctors have told me (though I still have problems, but mine are because the pill I take at night only lasts a few hours and then my body wakes me with discomfort for being still too long & then my active brain kicks in).
things to try:
dark room, cool room, no LED clocks, soothing music before bed instead of tv, black-out curtains if a season of early morning light, no caffeine past early afternoon, a cup of Sleepytime herbal tea at night, 3-10 mg. melatonin (ask your doctor first before taking this over the counter supplement), write down your to-do list for the next day on a pad next to bedside and then forget your worries (ha!), no exercise within a couple of hours of sleep, & no tablets, laptops etc. with bright light within an hour of bedtime. I use a Kindle Paperwhite & this is not considered the same kind of light as a Kindle Fire that I also have. It has different backlighting and e-ink so is acceptable to use.
Hope this long post helps you in some way!
I pray your sister continues to improve. What a scary situation. I have not cut downon computer or Kindle time in the evening. I normally do not drink caffeine later then 3pm or so. I have always had sleep issues, I think they are my norm now. Enjoy your reading and I hope you are getting some sewing in too!
ReplyDeleteA Drop in the Ocean is absolutely fantastic!!!! Enjoy!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat group Kathryn I'm knee deep in July reviews, and I'm listening to The Crusader's Heart by Claire Delacroix/Deborah Cooke!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness. What going ons you have had in your week. I'm sorry you had such a scare with your sister. How stressful for you to be so far away. I'm glad she has support near her. I send her healing vibes. How nice of you to find the cat temporary shelter. I don't know why owners don't make sure their cats have a collar. Our next door neighbor adopted three strays that stay outside as they have two dogs inside. But they have collars and she takes them to get their shots. They love my little one as they've left hunting catches on our doorstep twice and once in the backyard, LOL. Those are some catchy covers. One of the new ones you're going to read sounds really really good. I've added that on.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathryn! Keeping your sister in good thoughts and prayers for continued improvement.
ReplyDeleteMore books for me to add to my TBR, I see! Many new-to-me authors as well. Now, I say I want to whittle that TBR down to size, but truth be told...;) I'm not holding my breath for that one. *lol*
Have you ever shown your quilts or knitting on your blog? I dabble in crochet, but would love to be able to quilt at some point. Anyway, here's my Stacking the Shelves!
I'm so sorry to hear about your sister - that sounds so scary! Hope she recovers easily & well.
ReplyDeleteI also put my laptop away by 7:30 pm - more due to the limits of my illness but I find it helps to make my evenings much more relaxing & calm my brain down before bed! My husband and I watch 2 TV shows together in the evening and then up to bed by 9:30 and an hour of reading - so no screens for that last hour. The research on light from screens interrupting sleep is pretty solid, so I hope your new habits help you!
Everyone Brave is Forgiven is an amazing book! I like Cleave's novels generally, but I reviewed this one for PW and thought it was really spectacular - hope you enjoy it!
Sue
Book By Book
I am so sorry to hear about your sister. I will keep her and you in my prayers. I drink about 3 large cups of coffee in the morning, and try to lay off it for the rest of the day. Occasionally will have a cup in the afternoon, but not often. I am a morning person, so after dinner I spend very little time on the computer. I'm off to see how you like Lies and Other Acts of Love! Have a great week Kathryn.
ReplyDeleteYour sister is in my prayers. I'm working on David Ebsworth's The Song Sayer, which will be released soon. Love David's stuff...he's so thorough in his research and he draws you in. Worth checking out! Then, back to my NetGalley TBR
ReplyDeleteHugs to you. I hope she will be ok
ReplyDeleteWhat a week you've had! I'm so glad your sister is improving and that you got the cat in a good situation! The book this week is new to me but the Jodi Thomas and Mary Bostwick are on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with insomnia in phases and it's definitely gotten harder to deal with as I've gotten a bit older. I know I sleep way better if I have a warm bath, drink some chamomile or other restful herbal tea and try to read for a bit. When I'm super tired and just can't get my brain to shut off I do take a melatonin but only if I'm sleepy to begin with. I hope your able to get better sleep soon.
I do hope your sister recovers quickly and fully.
ReplyDeleteYou read some authors I like last week. :-)
Cute comment about the log jam.
Oddly,coffee doesn't seem to bother me even at night. I do find sleeping in a darkened room helps. And I've noticed that going to bed at a consistent time (before midnight hopefully) gives me better sleep.
Hope your experiment helps.
Have a good week!
A Drop in the Ocean looks really interesting. Sending you good thoughts and good vibes!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you rescued the cat. I will pray for your sister.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sister recovers quickly! I also brought home a new J.D. Robb book.
ReplyDelete