It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.

This week I’m joining up with Kimba at Caffeinated Reviewer, Deb at Readerbuzz, and Kathyrn at The Book Date.

What’s Been Occurring

 Yesterday we had dinner with my parents. We made homemade pizza and caught up and watched some Goes Wrong Show with them.

We usually visit them on Sundays but this week The Husband is going to the rehearsal for a play he’s going to be in so we decided to switch days.

The kids and I may go to see my parents again today as well or we may hang out at home and see them later in the week.

Our days have been fairly routine lately and you can read more about that in yesterday’s Saturday Afternoon Chat post.

What I/we’ve been Reading

I am still reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr but slowly. It’s a different type of book for me and the topics are a bit heavy so I haven’t been as eager to read it as other books. I do want to finish it, however, because it is a Pulitzer-winning book and my friend wants to know what I think of it. From what I have read so far, I think I will like it.

I also started a cozy mystery, Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan and so far I am enjoying it.

I was thrilled this past week to find the third book in the Magical Garden Series by Amanda Flowers on Hoopla. I’ve been wanting to read it but have been refusing to pay full price for it on Kindle. I know. I’m an author and I didn’t want to pay full price, but hear me out. I like these books but I don’t feel like I will read them over and over so buying them really didn’t appeal to me. I was able to read the first two books on Libby but they didn’t have the third book, which I could only find on Hoopla.

The downside of Hoopla is I can only read the book on my phone because their books can’t be transferred to a Kindle like Libby books can.

I don’t think I’ll be reading a ton of books through that app because my phone is not very big and reading books on it is not fun, but they do have a lot of books I would like to read.

So, anyhow, I am also reading Mums and Mayhem by Amanda Flowers.

Soon to be read:

Spring is coming so I hope to pick out some spring reads but probably later in March and early April, including The Secret Garden, which I have never read, and maybe The Wind in the Willows.  I also have a mystery book based on Beatrix Potter I want to try, even though I have heard mixed reviews on it. I would love to read through Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink but that may wait until next winter. We will see.

Recently Finished:

This past weekend I finished Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen and cried through the last three chapters.

It was a sweet book with a touching story. There were only a couple of disturbing scenes that I could have done without but I think the one was specifically put in there to show how some of the characters changed throughout the book. And by disturbing I just mean uncomfortable. Not “dirty”, of course.

DNF’d
I did not finish Blessed is the Busybody – for now at least. I may go back to it but I was ready for a cozy mystery and it started to get dark from the get-go. I also was hoping for a more faith-based read but this was more like “faith-based people and conservatives are stuck up” and I wasn’t in the mood for that. I read enough of the “we’re better than them” from both “sides” on the news today. I don’t need it in my books too.

That attitude may change as the book goes on, however, and the writing was really strong and entertaining, so I will probably return to this book at some later date – maybe in the spring.

What everyone else is reading:

When we went to my parents’ yesterday I was very impressed that everyone took a book with them. It’s not like we ever have time to read since we are busy visiting but I guess everyone feels more at home with a book with them, “just in case” they want to read.

The Husband is reading The Innocent by Harlan Coban

The Boy is reading Horus Rising (based on World of Warcraft)

Little Miss is reading Fortunately the Milk again but she and I are also reading Pocahontas by Jean Fritz for school.

What We watched/are Watching

I have been watching Lark Rise to Candleford on my own.

I was watching Miss Scarlet and the Duke but just found out the guy playing The Duke is leaving so I don’t really feel like watching the rest since I know there will be no satisfactory end to it.

The Husband and I finished up the first part of season one of CB Strike last night.

My sister-in-law told me eons ago I should watch The Gilded Age so I hope to start that this week.

I also watched this video with Just A Few Acres Farm which I really enjoyed. Pete talked a lot about the way of the world these days and how he isn’t sure how to fit in with it. I could truly relate.

What I’m Writing

I am plugging away at Cassie and hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks.

I plan to start writing book three in the Gladwynn Grant series once that book is finished.

This week on the blog I shared:

• Saturday Afternoon Chat: Stormy weather, my daughter’s stuffed animal beds, and missing photography
• Fiction Friday: The First Chapter of Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage
• Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot February 29
• Faithfully Thinking: It doesn’t matter what they say about you if God already spoke over you

What I’m Listening To

I am listening to A Tale of Two Cities with The Boy for school.

I am listening to Caddie Woodlawn at night with Little Miss.

I am also listening to In This Mountain by Jan Karon when I do housework and I think I mentioned last week that it caused me to all out ugly cry while doing the dishes the week before last.

For music, I am listening to Shane Smith and The Saints and Needtobreathe.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.