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Welcome to my weekly update for January 16, 2022!
We were planning to head back home to Asheville for another visit this weekend but the 5-8″ of snow in the forecast for Sunday cancelled those plans. I know that’s nothing to some of you but that’s significant for us. If it happens, I expect officials will close school for the week. The Department of Transportation is already warning everyone that it will take longer than usual to clear the roads because of staffing shortages due to covid. Since my husband has to be at work on Tuesday, we decided to stay here in Charleston, where forecasters expect this to only be a rain event.
We’ve spent so much time back home with family since we got to Charleston that we really haven’t done that much local exploring. But here are a couple of pictures from a sunset walk on Hilton Head Island, where we welcomed the new year.
Slideshow:
All images © 2022 Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader
- Evening Sand Dunes
- Sea Foam at Sunset
Posted:
Ten Recent Additions to My TBR (To Be Read list)
2022 Reading Challenges I’ve Signed Up For–I hope you’ll join me in some of these!
2021 Reading by the Numbers–I share my longest and shortest books, favorite cover, breakdown by book audience, my favorite books in a variety of genres and categories, etc.
Read:
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.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, read by Frankie Corzo–4 Stars
The Preservationist by David Maine–4 Stars
At the Crossing Places (Arthur Trilogy #2) by Kevin Crossley-Holland, read by Michael Maloney–3 Stars
Currently Reading:
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by David Roberts
The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner, read by Ana Clements
My Family and Other Animals (The Corfu Trilogy #1) by Gerald Durrell
Watching:
I have loved All Creatures Great and Small and the subsequent books ever since I first read it as a young teen (see my book review). My husband and I happened to notice that the 2020 version of the show was included with Amazon Prime around Christmas, but only until New Year’s Eve. We binged it and fell in love. It’s not 100% true to the books as I remember them but it’s close enough and definitely true to their spirit. We were excited to realize that the second season premiered here in the States on January 9! We were thrilled to see our old friends again after a week away from them. If you need a series that makes your heart warm and your face smile, give this one a try.
Up Next:
I need to choose a book for the Nonfiction Reader Challenge this month but haven’t quite gotten that figured out yet.
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?
49 Comments
We lived in Vermont for five years and after the hair-raising driving experiences there, driving in snow isn’t as scary for me now, but not all the other drivers are adjusting for the weather! I loved The Wind in the WIllows when I was young; I wonder how it would be to read now! E.B. White and Beverly Cleary hold up very well.
The other drivers are sometimes the scariest part of driving in the snow, especially here in the south!
I finished The Wind in the Willows yesterday. It’s held up pretty well but I don’t think quite as well as the Ramona books. I haven’t re-read any E. B. White in… maybe not since my initial reads in elementary school? I may need to address that soon!
I’m glad to see you enjoyed A Cuban Girl’s Guide! I hope to get to that one soon, but hadn’t heard many reviews of it yet from people I follow.
I randomly nominated A Cuban Girl’s Guide for the Cybils awards. Someone else had put it on the Cybils suggestion Padlet. I didn’t have any ideas of my own, my husband is Cuban, it hadn’t been nominated, so I went for it. It’s a finalist in the young adult fiction category now! I felt honor-bound to read it. It was cute! That happened with The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna too so I’ll start it soon.
Oh, that’s cool! I don’t remember how I found it, but I do know that the title was what stuck with me and kept it on my radar.
I learned how to drive on snow and ice when we lived in Nebraska and I don’t miss it one bit. I spun out on ice once and my husband slid through an intersection, but we both got lucky and didn’t hit anyone. You are smart to stay put.
I hope to get to Hilton Head someday. My parents have been a few times, but we’ve never gone. Looks gorgeous!
Hilton Head is probably our favorite southern beach. We love all the bike paths, the wide sand, and the great restaurants. I hope you get to visit someday!
We never have snow in The Netherlands and last year there was SO MUCH. We were so happy because I think it’s been 10 or 12 years.
Over here everybody starts panicking if there is 1 snowflake, lol. Trains shut down and all that. Crazy, crazy.
We’re much the same in the southern part of the United States. And for some reason we all go out to by milk and bread every time we have snow in the forecast! It’s such an odd combination of things to buy when you’re worried about getting snowed in and losing power.
Oh, you remind me, I really need to check out The Wind in the Willows as an audiobook. I don’t think I remember All Creatures Great and Small, being that I’m not originally from the English-speaking world.
I completely feel you about the snow. We hardly get any snow here in the Netherlands either. Last year, we got snow dunes up to several feet high, but that was extreme. I’m scared of going out in even an inch of snow, so I totally understand why you’re staying in Charleston. Hope you’ll have a good week.
If you can find All Creatures Great and Small, I highly recommend it. It’s such a heart-warming series.
I can probably find it on Bookshare, which is an American service for print disabled (blind, dyslexic, etc.) readers that allows international customers to download almost all its books too. I’ll go have a look now. Thanks!
Oh, wow, I’ve never heard of that. What a great resource!
I’m not much of a t.v. watcher, but my husband has been LOVING All Creatures Great and Small. He says it’s funny, uplifting, and entertaining. I watch t.v. only when I’m folding laundry, so I promised him I’ll get to it and start the series so we can watch it together.
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I hope you like it. It truly is heart-warming and just what I need as we begin the third year (Really? Can that be right?) of covid.
I was much braver about driving is snow when I was younger and had to get to work. These days, I see snow and just stay home. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
I wrecked on black ice one time so I was always nervous about driving in snow after that. But I had to work so I climbed in my Subaru and did it. Not that I’ve ever experienced snow like you have in Minnesota. But now that the experience is optional, I’m happy to avoid it.
I love your photos! I miss beaches. I haven’t been to one since I went to Florida in 2011. We don’t have them around here. Stay safe in the snow!
2011? Oh my goodness. I can’t imagine. My husband and I debate whether we’re happiest in the mountains or at the beach but the answer is that we’re happiest in places with relatively easy access to both. You should see the map of states we’ve visited. It’s all the coastal states and the poor Midwest has been skipped completely. We do intend to visit states on the Great Lakes at some point (beaches of a different sort) but poor Kansas, Nebraska, and the like may remain flyover states for us.
Nice pictures, thanks for sharing. You have a nice collection of books this month so far. Have a nice week!
https://wordsandpeace.com/2022/01/16/sunday-post-49-1-16-2022/
Thank you!
I remember reading My Family and Other Animals years ago, like maybe ahem 40! I liked it, I know there is a TV show now that I hear others saying they like. Enjoy the snow.
It’s probably about 30 years since I first read All Creatures Great and Small. Where does the time go?
Hello There! Oh…A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is now on my TBR. I have tea, but will have to settle for Mexican pastelitos here in New Mexico. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I wonder if there’s a big difference between Mexican and Cuban pastelitos? My Cuban husband swears there’s a difference in the flan….
We are enjoying All Creatures Great and Small so much. We binge-watched the original series on one of the English channels last year, and we were happy to see the new series.
I’m sorry bad weather stopped you from your visit. Hilton Head Island is lovely. It’s great that you’ve started seeing a little bit of the area.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow looks great. I read book one of the Arthur series, but (as is usual for me) I did not read on.
I’ve never seen the original one. I may have to look for it once we finish season 2 of the new one. I was missing gentle British TV after finishing the latest season of Bake Off and All Creatures filled the void. I’ll need something new all too soon.
I’m absolutely terrible about continuing a series, even when I really like them. I’ve been trying to be better over the past year or so. There are just so many!
We’re looking to take a working vacation in a few weeks and are considering the Charleston area, so please get all of the yucky weather out of the way. We’re expecting about the same amount of snow up here in Cleveland. Have a great reading week!
I really hope the nasty weather is gone soon. Charleston is a beautiful area!
I love the pictures! I have always wanted to go to Charleston, but I haven’t made it there yet.
Charleston is a beautiful area. And the food! We’ve spent a lot of long weekends here in the past so we aren’t stressing ourselves about going crazy with sightseeing while we’re here this winter. We’re trying to enjoy the change of pace and the opportunity to go home to Asheville fairly often.
Wow looks nice there. Love the sea foam! How cool. and yikes that’s a lot of snow for there, so I don’t blame you for staying put. We had some too and been a mess here as well.
I’m sure your definition of a wintry mess is more dire than North Carolina’s definition! 🙂
It feel like no ever talk about The Wind in the Willow. I remember watching the Disney cartoon as a kid.
Have a great week.
I’ve never read it but I remember parts of the cartoon too.
The Wind in the Willows is such a cute book. Yeah, we live in Monroe NC and we have all ice. I am thankful we still have power. I’m sure you all made the right decision to stay home. Have a great week! https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2022/01/stacking-shelves-6sunday-post-3.html
Ugh, you always seem to get more ice further east. I hope you keep your power!
I’ve been really lazy this month just reading, doing the regular house stuff, walking Lulu. I really have to laugh about how snow is such an event here but it’s because it’s not cost effective for NC to have equipment for the few times it’s needed. My daughter complains how in all her K-12 years school was never called off for snow. Often there’d be 20+ inches and school was still on, also -20 for the high temp of the day and school still held. So I’m very used to driving in snow / ice but I don’t trust the other drivers here, plus with COVID I’m not going anywhere anyway. I hope you have a great week and are able to safely see some things in Charleston.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I know we’re just pitiful in the snow but I’m glad you’re understanding! Off the roads and away from our terrible driving skills is the best place to be. And down in Raleigh, it seems like you always have a lot of ice mixed in. I was shocked when Anchorage cancelled school for a couple of inches of snow before we left at the end of September. Our landlord said that usually happens with the first few snows because no one has their snow tires on yet. They probably don’t trust all the people who just moved up in the summer to know what to do yet either!
The publisher sent me a copy of the Cuban Girl’s Guide and I still need to read it. They sent it after it was published, so I didn’t get it fit into my blog schedule. But it’s on one of my challenge lists to read this year. Have a great week!
Lisa Loves Literature
It was pretty cute! It’s a finalist for the Cybils awards.
I enjoyed the Gerald Durrell books when I read them eons ago. And, everyone I talk to is loving All Creatures Great and Small. I may have to get back to watching that series.
The Durrell family is entertaining, that’s for sure!
Hi Jen! The Preservationists look really good, just read your review on Goodreads too. Will see if I can find it.
I also love All Creatures Great and Small, books and series so I am very excited for season 2 too!
The wind in the Willows…. Aaaaahhh… I should read it again. It’s been years.
Have a good week and enjoy Charleston! Send more pictures. Where are you off to next?
Elza Reads
We’re in Charleston until April. This is normally the time we would be moving on but my husband decided to sign a 6-month contract at this hospital instead of his normal 3 months. We’re starting to feel the traveling urge though!
I’ve never read The Wind in the Willows before. Can you believe it?
We love the new All Creatures Great and Small tv series! Have you watched the older version? I have loved those books my whole life as well. 🙂
And The Light of the Midnight Stars caught my eye! That cover!
Isn’t it a gorgeous cover?
I’ve never seen the older version of All Creatures.
My week was crazy busy with work because of staffing shortages. There are only about 20 people where I work, and roughly half were out sick. So there was a lot of overtime for those of us who were working. Fingers crossed things start to get a bit easier as people start coming back.
I agree with your idea of staying in Charleston this weekend. I grew up in the south, and remember that any amount of snow is a big deal. And 5-8″ is a LOT! Here in Canada people will laugh and joke about the reaction of southerners to the snow. But they forget that y’all don’t have the equipment to handle that much snow.
I hope you have a good week!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
I hope your work situation gets better soon!
I used to work in clinical research, which meant that I spent a lot of time with small groups of patients. One of them was from Iowa. He was actually very fair when he talked about our local (lack of) driving abilities in the snow. He said, “In Iowa, we know how to drive on it and what to do if we’re on sheet ice. But if something goes wrong and you slide off the road, you’re just in a cornfield. You drive out and go on your way. Here (Asheville, NC, in the mountains), if you slide, you go over a cliff and don’t get a second chance.” And he would call to reschedule his appointments when it snowed too. It made me feel like someone understood us! All the other northerners just made fun of us. I know we are pitiful in the snow but some understanding goes a long way.