Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Bought That Have Been in my TBR Pile the Longest
Monday, January 30, 2023
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 30
Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.
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.
- Dead Heat to Destiny by J. B. Rivard - Feb 7
- Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard - Feb 20
- Kiss My Boots by Jennifer Learmont - Feb 23
- The Code by Sean Keefer - Mar 6
- Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman - Mar 13
Friday, January 27, 2023
Audible Book Review: Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell
Because I don't have a hard copy to refer to, and because I am listening to books on Audible versus sitting down, reading them, and marking them up, I will post shortened reviews of these books from time to time.
Today, I just finished Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell, which I bought with an Audible credit.
Creating Magic has been on my TBR list for years. In an engaging and friendly style, Cockerell shares the many lessons he has learned throughout his decades in the business world. His common sense approach to leadership is easily digestible and could be implemented in any business environment.- Publisher : Currency; 1st edition (October 14, 2008)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 270 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0385523866
- ISBN-13 : 978-0385523868
Thursday, January 26, 2023
First Chapter Review: Alchemy by Mike Woods
Alchemy by Mike Wood is a coming of age novel that I grabbed as a Kindle freebie in 2014.
BLURB: The summer of 1984 was a golden time in America. From California, where gymnast Mary Lou Retton was winning Olympic gold, to Cape Cod, where explorer Barry Clifford was discovering pirate gold, the nation seemed obsessed with the precious metal. But for 15-year old Al, that obsession hits a little too close to home when he finds a code-filled notebook belonging to his missing father that may contain the ancient formula for turning lead to gold. Convinced that his father's sudden disappearance is connected to his secret experiments in alchemy, Al sets out to find the truth. He enlists the help of Cammie, a beautiful girl staying for the summer while her marine biologist father tracks a wayward manatee, and together they begin unraveling the mystery. But the closer they get to an answer, the closer they grow to each other, and as the end of summer draws nearer, Al wonders if they can break the code without breaking his heart.
COVER: I live a little over two hours away from Cape Cod. This is the perfect cover to draw the reader into the setting where Al lives. I also love how the author works the year the story takes place into the road sign.
FIRST CHAPTER: Told by Al as if he is speaking directly to the reader, he explains the challenge of his name, a bit about his family and his life, and the day he made the mistake of taking a neighbor's magazine.
KEEP READING: A resounding yes! I remember when I downloaded this book, because it reminded me of my high school years and was set in a place I knew. Even though Wood has Al give the reader a ton of information in the first chapter, I feel it reads like a teenager would speak and is a cohesive sequence of events. Al is funny and engaging, which makes the reader want to keep turning the pages... especially considering how the first chapter ends.
- ASIN : B0038M2HC6
- Publisher : Booksurge (January 12, 2010)
- Publication date : January 12, 2010
- Language : English
- File size : 1331 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 368 pages
This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten New to Me Authors I Added to My Goodreads Want To Read List in 2022
Monday, January 23, 2023
Book Review: To Catch the Setting Sun by Richard I. Levine
An edgy thriller set on the island of Oahu awaits you in To Catch the Setting Sun by Richard I. Levine.
Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin is tracking a killer targeting young, native-Hawaiian women on the island of Oahu. It appears the killer is taunting Henry, who seems to have known each victim, while his aggressive style that turns up few leads, fuels rumors that he might be the killer. Having spent more than a dozen years on the job, Henry expects nothing of this faux fantasy island except deceit and deception.
Levine writes one heck of a story. Twists and turns abound in this thriller set on Oahu. The author uses his knowledge of the area to depict a fascinating setting that might be different than what you would find in a travel brochure. Having been to Hawaii, I felt Levine did a superb job with it.
Henry is a New York transplant who long ago dropped the illusions of his job in "paradise." Drawn to the investigation because his wife Maya was the first name on the killer's list, his colleagues are stumped when his investigation lacks any progress. Not all of them are Detective Benjamin fans anyway. With a smart, sassy new partner, maybe things will change.
While I am not a huge fan of third person omniscient point of view, I didn't mind it as much in To Catch the Setting Sun. I enjoyed how journal entries opened each chapter. They are deep and personal entries that captivate the reader with their poetic style. As with any suspense thriller, one must expect some grit and gore. To Catch the Setting Sun is an overall satisfying read.
- Publisher : Wild Rose Press (August 22, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 322 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1509243291
- ISBN-13 : 978-1509243297
- Purchase here!
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 23
Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.
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.
- Dead Heat to Destiny by J. B. Rivard - Feb 7
- Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard - Feb 20
- Kiss My Boots by Jennifer Learmont - Feb 23
- The Code by Sean Keefer - Mar 6