So we just finished week 2 of the Blogging from A to Z challenge and I’m exhausted already. While I’m writing this post, which is an absolute fun post for me to write I have a voice in my head that’s going this way:
And you know what I said to the voice: “Shut up and go get a life!” 😉
Anything Goes on Sunday
Friends with Benefits
During the week, I came across two interesting blog hops, which I thought I’d share with you:
- The Let’s Get Real Blog Hop is all about Healthy Living– real food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from real people. This week it’s being hosted by the lovely Michelle Nahom of A Dish of Daily Life. Please make sure you read the post and follow the steps required before adding your link/s.
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The Feature Friday Hop hosted by Marcia Shaw Wyatt of Blogitudes. I came across this thanks to my newest blog buddy via the A to Z Challenge, Cristina Trindad of Filling My Prayer Closet mentioning me on her Feature Friday post. Now Cristina is a real find and not because she mentioned me – but I love her bubbly personality!
A reminder about another regular blog hop – Today’s Gratitude List – by Laurel Regan of Alphabet Salad. While you’re there check out Laurel’s lovely posts for the A to Z – she’s tangling through the challenge.
And of course, there’s a fab (even if I say so myself) Wednesday prompt at Write Tribe.
Recommended Reading
I would like to mention the interesting journey through some special parts of Kerala that Meena Menon has taken us on this week. José and I absolutely love Kerala and recommend it as a holiday destination even though both of us trace our roots to Goa.
Vidya Sury‘s ‘K’ post introduced us to an amazing Indian woman I had never heard of before: Kamala Sohonie.
Here are two posts about flowers as random acts of kindness – one from Carol Cassara and the other from Fran Sorin.
And if you’re a dog lover, you’ll really appreciate Carol Graham‘s dog stories – tails tales of all the dogs her family has had and their interesting personalities. Guilie Castillo Oriard‘s Life In Dogs too is worth following.
Books I’ve read recently
I reviewed Kristan Higgins’ All I Ever Wanted on From 7Eight last week, and mentioned that she was fast becoming one of my favourite fun-read authors. I was lucky to get a copy of her latest Waiting On You (Hqn)
The outline: Colleen O’Rourke is in love with love… just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart… an experience Colleen doesn’t want to have again, thanks. Since then, she’s been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.
But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who’s ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they’ve got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she’s ever loved.
My views: This is part of Kristan Higgins’ Blue Heron series and I’ve read most of them, but they’re good in isolation too. Waiting on You didn’t disappoint me – especially since Colleen is a really colourful character – the life of the pub – and seeing a softer side of her character was great too. I am an unabashed fan of chick-lit and this one rated high with me.
[rating=4]
Are you the kind of person who starts a book and have to read it to the end no matter what time of day or night it is – if you like it, that is? I certainly am. So yesterday I picked up Conditional Love
by Cathy Bramley and had to read it to the end.
All her life she has dreamed of a home of her own, so what’s holding her back? Sophie Stone, thirty-something serial procrastinator, lover of Take That, Tesco knickers and tea with two sugars, rarely steps out of her comfort zone.
So when an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt she’s never met forces her to meet her father, it threatens the very foundations of Sophie’s world.
What did the old lady want her to discover? Was there more to her parents’ break up than she was lead to believe?
Sophie will have to face some startling home truths before she can finally build a future on her own terms.
My views – Oh yes, it’s a regular plot. But I found all the characters lovable and believable too.
[rating=3]
I liked it so much, that ‘conditional love’ was the prompt for 100 Words on Saturday on Write Tribe! 😉
Now you know how this works – if you wrote a post today (Sunday, 13th March), leave a link here and a comment. Thanks.
Thanks for the shout-out, Corinne! And for the compliment on my tangling. I’m having so much fun with it! 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted..Today’s Gratitude List – Linkup No. 25
You’re very welcome, Laurel. Beauty and great ideas must be shared! Enjoy! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Inspiration For Blogging Content
I love that you told your RSS feed to get a life! I am out and about with the family, throwing the ball around and bike riding (ok so I was watching). This post came through and it was you mentioning my little bloggy space! Thank you.
And really, I am the blessed one to have found you! I think I was one of the last ones to join the FB AtoZ group – which introduced me to so many beautiful people and blogs (lookin’ at you Carol Graham!)
Yay! Happy Palm Sunday!
Cristina recently posted..K is for Kerygma
You’re welcome – I just had to mention you, Ms Bubbly! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Inspiration For Blogging Content
You have had an interesting few days 🙂 I am not doing much just managing my work and writing for the blogging challenge, and I am exhausted. Reading and commenting on not more than 20 posts on a day.
The books you mentioned sound good, waiting on you, is my kind of book and I would love to read it. I am a big fan of chick-lit 🙂
I wrote a post on for 100 words on Saturday, linking it here.
Interesting is putting it mildly, Sulekha. 20 visits a day is still a lot – unless we want to get into inane comments – which you don’t make. 🙂
You will love Kristan Higgins’ writing!
Thanks for linking your post – it was lovely.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..11 Things I’ve Learned Since Your Murder
For some reason the A-Z has been especially exhausting this year. Not sure if it was because my kids were on spring break this last week and both sick the entire time, or that I am just getting too old for this. 😛 I am still in the game with posts ready to go until letter P….which is great for me. Because of everything I posted K on Saturday and took the weekend off to chill out and try to get the kids well before they go back to school tomorrow. Once they are on their buses I will be back at it. For this month, unless I get a major burst of energy and creativity I am going to be posting strictly A-Z then resuming my usual writing challenges I enjoy from Write Tribe to the Speak Easy once May arrives. I don’t honestly remember the A-Z being so exhausting of grueling before. ♥
Kathy recently posted..K is for Key
Tell me about it, Kathy. Last time I visited a minimum of 30 blogs a day. This time, I’m exhausted just posting – but loving it too. Also, I’ve been under the weather, so that didn’t help.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..11 Things I’ve Learned Since Your Murder
Hope you are feeling better Corinne. ♥♥
Kathy recently posted..L is for Lonely
A little better, Kathy. Thank you!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..My Happiness Project – March & April
Keeping up with other blogs can be tough, but I want to play outside and will.
Joyce recently posted..#AtoZ : L Mr. Lansky
Can I join you, Joyce? 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..11 Things I’ve Learned Since Your Murder
I couldn’t do the A to Z challenge, due to lack of time, for the semester exams …I read the links for ‘conditional love’… liked many…
Pratikshya recently posted..Why read ‘Divergent’..
I understand, Pratikshya. It would have been too much pressure. Thank you for your regular comments though, I really appreciate them.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..11 Things I’ve Learned Since Your Murder
I wrote a post on Sunday, alright! I actually wasn’t going to, but then sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, in a half-asleep state some words and phrases somehow came to mind from where I don’t know, and those ended up taking a more concrete yet free-flowing form in my mind by the time I was done with my Sunday idli breakfast 🙂 And somehow the Write Tribe’s Saturday prompt got so perfectly woven in the thoughts that were occupying my mind. So obviously it had to go on the blog 🙂 And so there!
Thanks Corinne for some good blog-hop links here. And for the saturday prompt too 🙂
Beloo Mehra recently posted..L is for Language
And it all turned out so good, Beloo. I love how our mind works when writing becomes a passion – it truly takes over, doesn’t it? 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Inspiration For Blogging Content
Books I am trying to find time to read and and post I am struggling to comment on and share but still cannot resist to blog more and more. What an amazing world has opened up. This is another part of the lovely journey of blogging that I find myself glued to the laptop always. (If only it was possible)
I just managed to find network and saw the link for the Sunday post and realized , today is not for L but anything else.
Just loved to link my post here and finding such special readers and guides too.
Thanks.
Hope to be around more.
(Sorry for the comment mix up)
Inderpreet Kaur Uppal recently posted..To Want Is To Have A Weakness!
As long as you’re enjoying it all, Inderpreet – that’s all that matters! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Getting Waisted by Monica Parker
Ah, so that’s where the prompt came from. Interesting one.
Hope you had a good weekend, Corinne.
Shailaja V recently posted..Less is more
Now you know! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..My Happiness Project – March & April
I am loving this series you’ve started, Corinne! So I did the stupid and forgot to add the photos to my L post today. Then I remembered I did post yesterday on Mi and hehehe-ed – no…ha ha ha ho ho ho-ed.
Thank you for the mention!
As a diehard chicklit fan, I MUST read those books!
Vidya Sury recently posted..Limericks
Can I gloat and say I’m loving it too! 😉 Thanks for adding the Mi link too.
And yes, read the books, I say! 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Encouraging Quotes For Various Situations
Glad u enjoyed it cory! Do lemme know if you’d want to visit taht part of kerala.. I have some recos for you…
Meena Menon recently posted..Love….
We’re already looking at routes and the site your recommended, Meena! Very tempting, indeed. 🙂
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Color Personality?
I liked what you said to that voice 😀
Chicklit is my absolute favorite. Must check this one out!
Shilpa Garg recently posted..L is to Love
I like how all the chicklit fans are coming out of the closet, Shilpa! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Fabulous Blogging With Julie DeNeen
AtoZ is taking its toll.. I still have to catch up on so many posts and work also not making it any easier for me… But I am loving it!! So now we know from where the prompt got its inspiration..The book does sound gripping. Wont say will pick it up ..coz i have already said that to some of the book reviews and my To-Read list is already overflowing …
Shiva recently posted..Condition of Dreams
Shiva – my advice is to first focus on writing your posts – the other blogs aren’t going anywhere – we can always catch up! That’s what I’m doing, anyway.
And I’m not likely to give up my book reading for blog reading anytime soon! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Detachment
Thank you for the wonderful shout out and mention, Corinne! Cristina T is a true gem! I love her posts – she’s always so much fun and fresh air … and now she’s led me to finding you (of which I’m also grateful)! 😀 Your weekly wrap-up is wonderful! I love it and would be thrilled if you’d join in the fun of the weekly Feature Friday Hop. It starts every Friday, but the link-up runs all the way through Tuesday each week – so there would always be time to add your Anything Goes On Sunday posts to the hop if you’re interested. Your excellent posts would bring a lot of great reading to it – which is what it’s all about. 😀
Marcia recently posted..It’s Dark In Here
You’re most welcome, Marcia. Next week, I’ll join the Feature Friday Hop. You did tell me I could, but I got stuck on the ‘Friday’ part of it.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Anything Goes On Sunday 5
Loved that cartoon.. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the blog hopping I need to do. But it’s fun too and there are some blogs I hate to miss! Conditional love sounds like a good read. Maybe after April…. 🙂
Don’t let the challenge keep you from those jalebis – blogs will stay, jalebis are a fast-moving item! 😉
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Fabulous Blogging With Julie DeNeen
It does feel a little like homework, doesn’t it? LOL. I’m just sticking with reading the blogs of people who comment mine consistently. I found if I followed my RSS feed…too many of them never returned the favor after a while. Still, it’s a lot to keep up with!
Visiting from the A to Z Challenge signup page. Great to meet you!
Stephanie Faris, author
30 Days of No Gossip
Stephanie Faris recently posted..L is for Lace
You’re right, Stephanie. Especially when you don’t want to end up making meaningless comments.
Thanks for dropping by. Off to check out your blog and book.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Color Personality?
You feeling better now, I hope! Little Johnny wants to play…oh yes! A-Z taxing but such a lot of fun too!! I have my house filled with relatives, all cousins going bersek with excitement! Last night I was writing my L post and the youngest who has just finished with class 10 exams was emotionally blackmailing me!! Haha… I am taking one day at a time and doing my best! 🙂
Aditi recently posted..Lilac Diaries
A little better – not a hundred percent, Aditi. Thanks for asking. That you’re managing to produce such quality posts in the midst of the ‘chaos’ speaks highly of you! ♥
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Fabulous Blogging With Julie DeNeen