Don't Be Afraid of the Dork: Saturday in the Garden

OUTSIDE

It's a whole new year, bright and shiny and outside things are looking a lot more like the grumpy, stubborn winter we're used to here in Iowa. As a result I've been trying to add some greenery indoors.

This is called a goldfish plant and I love it's shiny green leaves. You can barely see it but the flowers are orange and puckered like a gldfish:).

A florist at the grocery store just gave me this poinsettia this week while I was checking out. I guess they are trying to get rid of their stock. Lucky me!

Called a Red Prayer Plant - love the red veins and variegated leaf.

A paper white bulb a friend gave to me last night.

LIFE

I'm on day nine of being off from work, only one more day left and I feel like a kid at the end of winter break. I don't wanna go back to work! My job is awesome in fact but another week off wouldn't go amiss since I frittered this one away with an insane amount of laziness. It's been peaceful and lovely. I have a few personal resolutions for the year; a couple are carry overs but my big one is to be a little more mindful and grateful for the good stuff in my life. How about you? How are you feeling about the new year ahead?

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching

It's been a very exciting week in the watching department. First, I saw The Force Awakens which gave me all the appropriate feels that a Star Wars film should give and cleanses away the slimy taste left by episodes I-III. Wahoo! Bring on the next 5 films, please!

Secondly, have y'all seen the third series of Sherlock???!!!! Holy Cow, is it amazeballs! I know I'm like 2 years behind but seriously this series just keeps getting better and better. I was actually not overly impressed with the first series of Sherlock; I liked it but wasn't as gaga over it as everyone else seemed to be. Season two made me sit up and get bright-eyed and now season 3 had me practically panting at the screen. So Great! Sherlock & John 4ever!

Reading

Finished Last Week:

Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley: The 5th book in the Flavia DeLuce mystery series featuring a chemistry and poison loving 12 year old in 1950s England.

Currently Reading:

Into the Wilderness by Sarah Donati: Historical fiction/romance (different actually then just a historical romance) I had to wait behind 6 other patrons on the hold list to get this from the library despite the fact it was published in 1998. Not sure why - maybe because it gets compared to Outlander and that's big right now? Even though I did not like Outlander, I am liking this so far. Set in the American frontier just pre or post revolution period (somewhere between 1750 and 1800:).
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater: The third in the Raven Cycle books.
Steal the Sky by Megan O'Keefe: An ARC and the first in a new science fiction series that sounds Firefly-esque. Publication: January 5th, 2016.
The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles: I pulled this one off my back-burner list and started it again. I do wish it wasn't quite so long and I am not overly fond of the feisty female lead or the somewhat detached narrative but I also don't want to put it away. This is the first book in a series that follows a family from the late middle ages through modern times.

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week. It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

First I added a bunch of books from Reading The End Podcast's Gift Guide episode - Many thanks to the Jennys.

The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne: Described as a romance with a strong plot. Spies during the Napoleonic War.
Billy Boyle by James Benn: Mysteries set in World War II London.
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves: Mysteries set on the Shetland Islands.
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie: Another romance with a strong plot, this one a contemporary which isn't really my thing but I was drawn in by it being said to involve a quirky family.
East of West Vol. 1: The Promise by Jonathan Hickman: An Alt History Graphic Novel that takes place after the South wins the American Civil War and the country is divided into several countries. It also involves the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse.
Mort(e) by Robert Repino: The story of a civil war between animals and humans in which the animals win!