Sunday Post 122

Hi everyone!

Through Monday, I am linking with the following: 

Reading Reality, who hosts Stacking the Shelves

Readerbuzz, who hosts Sunday Salon

Caffeinated Reviewer, who hosts Sunday Post

The Book Date, who hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On the above blogs you will be able to see links to the posts from others who are participating in those blog hops, and if you're a blogger, you can join too. 

Happy New Year!

I hope your year is off to a great start. If it isn't, there's still plenty of time for improvement!

Unlike on Christmas Day, I was able to eat dinner on New Year's Eve. It's nice not being sick, you know? My family got together that night, but I was home and asleep 30 minutes after ringing in the new year. And just like that, 2026 is off to the races!

In the non-fiction book I just started reading, The Comfort of Crows, by Margaret Renkl, she talks about the first bird of the year you see being a symbol of things to come. I thought my first bird sighting of 2026 would be a crow. But no. It was a black vulture in flight. 

Now, black vultures have dual symbolism. They can symbolize decay and endings, but they can also symbolize rebirth and transformation. I choose to see them as symbols of the latter. Black vultures are very common in my neighborhood and I happen to love them. I've always seen them as something positive. They clean up the environment, which makes them a necessary part of our world. I know that some people have had less than pleasant run-ins (or fly-ins...) with them, but I have never once heard of them hurting people in my neighborhood. I often see them on my walks, and while they can certainly look intimidating, they're actually quite docile. Trust me when I say, it's the smaller more feisty birds you have to watch out for. The vultures tend to mind their own business and leave the humans and their pets alone. (With pets, I'm referring to the dogs who walk their humans.) I love how after rainstorms, they spread their wings. I guess they're drying them. I love observing their behaviors. It's not uncommon to see a couple dozen of them on the roof of the condos across the street from where I live. I know that they hang out on my building's roof too.

So, with the vulture in mind, I am looking forward to a year of new beginnings and positive transformation. Have you noticed your first bird sighting of the year?

In other news, I finally finished a puzzle I started in the early fall. I love the picture on the puzzle, but this was a tough one! I don't think I'll ever buy a Bits and Pieces brand puzzle again. It was too much of a challenge, and at times it wasn't even enjoyable. I had planned on doing the winter one in this set next, but that looks even more challenging than this one was. The winter one has a lot of white on it with the beards and the snow. I will definitely start another one soon, but it will be an easier one.

Onto the books.

I started using the NetGalley Reading Journal last year and I stopped around May. I'm going to attempt it again and try to keep up with it every month through December. I'm not sure how well you can read the screenshot, but here's what I have for January so far. I really want to increase my NetGalley percentage. Out of 24 books, I've reviewed 12. I want to get that up to at least the recommended 80%, or even better, 100%. The reason I chose In Farms Way, by Amanda Flower, for my most anticipated book this month is because I've been wanting to read it since it was published four years ago. I can't believe how much time has passed since then. I will probably end up listening to the audiobook, but somehow I want to get it done.

IN THE BOOKS

RECENTLY FINISHED

None

IN PROGRESS

I'm reading  Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mystery 3), by Mindy Quigley. I've had this book from the library for nine weeks. It was due today with no option to renew online since I've had it for so long already. So I went to the library and renewed it again. I was a little embarrassed, but life happens. I started reading it much later than I thought I would, but I want to finish it! I am enjoying it.

I'm listening to A Killer Christmas (Murder, She Wrote 59), written by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran and narrated by Laural Merlington. There are a lot of characters in this book to keep track of and the murder hasn't happened yet. Is it wrong to say, I'm looking forward to the main event? I need some action, which I think is going to pick up soon.

I already mentioned The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, written by Margaret Renkl and illustrated by Billy Renkl. As someone who loves birds, I'm curious to see how her observations progress.

UP NEXT

I have some ideas, but I haven't quite decided what will be next.

ON THE SCREEN

All of these are Hallmark movies.

• A Newport Christmas - This is one of the new ones. I love time travel movies, but this movie missed the mark for me. The leads were great, but the plot needed more time to develop. Also, the green screen in some scenes was painfully noticeable. I like the idea of the story, just not the execution of it.
• The Christmas Baby - What a beautiful story! This movie has LGBTQ representation with the two moms taking care of the baby. I didn't like the premise - the baby being left on the doorstep. Also, they returned the baby multiple times. However, everything else about this movie was great. It was a beautiful combination of humor and heart. Some of you may be familiar with Paralympic medalist, Tatyana McFadden. She was born with spina bifida, which is the same disability I was born with. She was an orphan in Russia and was adopted by two American moms who made so many opportunities possible for her. Tatyana grew up in the neighborhood where I now live. This movie made me think of her.
• A Perfect Christmas - This movie is from 2016 and I recently watched it for the first time. Hmmm...it was okay. I liked the premise, but it was a little slow for me.
• We Met in December - This was in the new crop of movies in December and it is my favorite from 2025! I can't ever remember rooting for a couple as much as I did for these two. I loved the method of storytelling with the flashbacks helping them to remember clues as they searched for each other in present day. I loved it so much!!
• A Suite Holiday Romance - This was also in the new crop. Again, I loved the method of storytelling. I also loved the secondary romance with the older couple, but the main one not so much. The misunderstanding really took me out of the story. If they had re-worked that part, it could have been a perfect movie. Unfortunately, it was a significant part of it.
• Noel Next Door - This one is from 2022 and I finally watched it. While the leads were great in their roles, I wish a disabled actor was hired to play the role of the disabled character. Otherwise, though, I thought it was a pretty enjoyable movie. 

ON THE BLOG

• Sunday Post - 12/27 - Weekly Recap
• Golden Gratitude - A through Z
• Book Review - 12/30 - Vampires, VCRs, and Violence (Bewitcher's Beach Mystery 5), by Emily Fluke

Have a great week!