It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - July 13

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

It is Monday again. My, that last week went by quickly. We made it home on Saturday, and yesterday was my birthday. So, we had a busy weekend. Today, I am back to work.

The nice thing is that I managed to read a few books.

Reviewed on Friday

Reviewed on Thursday

Reviewed on Thursday

I am reading these two now. 

I plan to review this one at my children's book blog soon.

I also have this one to review.

I definitely want to squeeze these two in somewhere soon.

Are you ready for Christmas titles? What is one of your favorite seasonal reads? 

Book Review: Hunting Teddy Roosevelt by James A. Ross

History and fiction blend together to create the perfect opportunity for adventure and intrigue in Hunting Teddy Roosevelt by James A. Ross.

When Teddy Roosevelt opts not to run for a third term, he decides to keep his promise to the new president and not interfere. So, his son Kermit, a security detail from Pinkerton, and others join him on this African safari. They are unaware, however, that J.P. Morgan has planted a killer in their ranks, tasked with making sure Roosevelt doesn't come back alive.

When Roosevelt manages to return from Africa, Morgan is not about to allow his desire to regain the presidency to interfere with the expansion of his American empire.

What a fascinating plot! In this well-written and engaging story,  a plausible set of circumstances unfolds in the African outback. This is not just a story of a murder plot. It is the story of a popular president who has tried to distract himself with other ventures until his love of politics reels him back in. It is the story of a father seeking to help his son overcome depression and alcoholism. It is the story of injustices taking place across the world that a talented statesman has the opportunity to influence. It is also the story of a long-lost love that re-introduces herself into Roosevelt's life to chronicle his safari adventures, while also being paid by her employer to uncover his future political plans.

I honestly didn't study Teddy Roosevelt much in high school or college. The founding of the American Colonies and the American Civil War were my preferred courses of study. I did, remember, however, his trust-busting agenda that angered business tycoons of his day. In Hunting Teddy Roosevelt, Ross has developed a believable story filled with numerous historical and fictional characters, each with their own agendas. With a spectacular ending that lends itself to a sequel, I am eager to see what happens next.


Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Regal House Publishing; None edition (July 31, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1947548964
ISBN-13: 978-1947548961

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Ketty Lester by Revoyda F. Buckley

For fans of Little House on the Prairie, she is known as Hester-Sue Terhune. To her family, she is Re-V or Vorda--a unique name given to a talented woman who had careers as a pop/R&B singer and an actress in movies and television.

Ketty Lester: From The Cotton Fields To Grammy Nominated "Love Letters" to Little House on the Prairie brings you through Buckley's beginnings as the fifteenth child to a farming family, to leaving home and attending college for nursing, to her performing in clubs as Ketty Lester and recording records, to her acting career which spanned decades.

Told in a style as if you were sitting across the table with Buckley asking her about her life, you discover she has loved and lost, she has known the challenges of having a career in a competitive industry, she dealt with discrimination and unequal pay, and she has met and worked with other amazing industry professionals.

This is a story told in chronological order which includes several pictures, her filmography, and discography.  This autobiography held nothing back. It will make you admire and feel compassion for Buckley. Though she is now retired, her mark on music and film remains.

As a fan of Little House on the Prairie, I am glad I read this story. I learned more about this talented woman than I knew before. Though the editor in me wanted a more polished version of the story, I totally believe that there is a lot to be said for being true to yourself and telling an authentic story in your own way, which is just what Buckley did.

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher:  Elite Publishing House (April 20, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0578662337
ISBN-13: 978-0578662336

I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I was not compensated for in any way.

Book Review & Giveaway: Girls Like Us by Elizabeth Hazen

Edgy, fierce, and filled with emotion, the poetry of Elizabeth Hazen featured in Girls Like Us focuses on female identity and the contradictory personas women are expected to embody.

Throughout this collection, readers find poetry that covers women's issues in a unique and meaningful way. From beginning to end, these poems will get you thinking in ways you might never have thought before.

The collection hits hard right out of the gate by focusing on some of the names women are called. How are we treated? How do we allow ourselves to be treated? Other poems cover more female issues. What have we dealt with? How have those moments affected us and how have we overcome them?

 Hazen isn't afraid to call it like she sees it. Even if some of the poems don't resonate with you or your female experience, you will find something that speaks to you within this collection's pages.

I am passing this book along to my daughter. This is something that will speak to her directly.

Paperback: 72 pages
Publisher: Alan Squire Press; None edition (March 1, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1942892225
ISBN-13: 978-1942892229
ASIN: B07WL6T7NK

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Enter giveaway for your chance to win 1 of 2 free copies of Girls Like Us. Click here.

Shelf Control - July 8

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

This week I am featuring a Kindle freebie from my TBR pile.

BLURB: For Holly Englehardt, Christmas has always been a special day filled with family, friends, and a wacky tradition of watching Breakfast At Tiffany's while dressed up in the stars costumes. . .…tiara tiaras and all.

Holly's biggest client insists on having a Skype call on Christmas day to secure a deal of a lifetime, which is fine with her, because this year she's going to make a new tradition. ; Celebrating Christmas alone with her cat at her snowy remote family cabin as family and friends go their separate ways to celebrate the holiday.

When things everything start starts to go array, Holly has to call on her hunky neighbor for help in order to secure the her deal of a lifetime.

Will it all work out or will Holly pull the quilt over her head waiting for Christmas to be over?

DATE BOUGHT: 1/7/2017

WHY I BOUGHT IT: I like seasonal romances. Christmas is my favorite time of year, so that's no surprise.

What do you think of this novel? Have you read it? Would you read it based upon the blurb? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

We are at Tuesday again. Hard to believe it is July. It's like this year is flying by despite all the chaos going on around us.

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for such a great topic this week. This should be a fairly easy list to compile.

I've been reading books by Charlotte Hubbard/Naomi King since 2012. Her Home at Cedar Creek series introduced me to Amish fiction, which has become one of my favorite genres.

Though I had read a book or two by Karen White prior to her Tradd Street series, it was definitely the one featuring the quirky Realtor who sees dead people that made me a fan. 

I have always loved cozy mysteries, so when Duffy Brown asked me to read Iced Chiffon I jumped at the chance. I've enjoyed many of her books since. I hear there is a new book in this series coming out in August. I can't wait!

When I was promoting books in 2008, Marilyn Meredith toured with Smell of Death, one of her Rocky Bluff P.D. police procedurals written under her pseudonym F.M. Meredith. Then came Judgment Fire, a Deputy Tempe Crabtree novel. I've got to catch up on both these series, but I've read several of them.

I've read several fiction and nonfiction books by Kathi Macias. She has been a mentor to me in many ways. I've missed a couple of her Christmas stories and two books from her Quilt series, but I've read the others. 

For many years, I read every new release from C.W. Gortner. I started his Spymaster Chronicles series, but haven't finished it yet. I really need to catch up with his books.

Beverly Stowe McClure and I have been online friends for many years. She writes for teens and young adults. I've enjoyed many of her books.

Pandora's Temple is the first book by Jon Land that I read. Then I was introduced to his Caitlin Strong series. I've read several and have more at home. 

I fell in love with Wilder's work in my late teens and early twenties. In addition to her Little house books, I've read other collections of her work. 

What are some authors whose work you have read a lot of? Have you been able to stay up to date with all their new releases? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - July 6

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome back to Monday. It is our second week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The weather has been good--a bit cooler than home--and the food amazing. Some restaurants and businesses haven't survived the pandemic, which is sad. More than 1,000 international workers aren't here for their planned summer jobs. No organized fireworks either. We still feel blessed to be able to go away, but it's very different this year.

I'm not reading as much as I usually do, but I am working my way through the books I've brought.

My review of this one appears here.

I started reading these two.

These two are next. 

We haven't made it to the bookstore yet, so I don't have any new books to add to the list. 

What's on your list this week? Are you reading more this summer?