Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Bought That Have Been in my TBR Pile the Longest



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.    

Welcome to the last Tuesday in January! My that went by quickly.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie, and I am attempting to be creative... though I know I will travel the blogosphere today and find many of you have more clever topics than I do. That's okay. We all have our strengths. To give the books that have been on my TBR pile forever some love, I am going to share with you my...

Top Ten Books I Bought That Have Been in my TBR Pile the Longest



Met the author at a writer's conference in 2011 and bought an autographed copy. It has been on my shelf since. 


I met this author online and even read some of the drafts for this series. I bought this book when it came out in 2015 and haven't picked it up since. I am sad to say we lost touch with each other as our lives grew chaotic. She has written so many books that I need to check out.


I am not sure when this one made it to my house, but it has been in my TBR pile since 2013. 


I bought this book after I saw the movie in the theater in 2014. It is now sitting in a box waiting for me to have time to read it. 


MacColl is one of my favorite authors for young people. This series is geared toward ages 12 and up. This book has been in my TBR pile since 2014.


This one makes me really sad. I bought this book in 2014 when it was first published. The author was a member of my church family. He also published a second in the series, The Tree of Lost Dreams, before he passed away. 


I am pretty sure I bought this book at a school book fair, which tells you how long I've owned it since book fairs ended in elementary school and my youngest is now in college.


For the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, many books--fictional and otherwise--came out in 2012. I bought this one and added it to my TBR pile in 2014. It is still hiding in my box of historical novels. 



Here is another historical novel I added to my TBR pile in 2014. The woman on the cover reminded me of Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey, so I wanted to read it. 


While I don't read a lot of them, I love cowboy romances. Always have. This book was published in 2008. For a short period of time, I belonged to a Harlequin book club. Then I realized it made no sense for me to pay to have books delivered to my house when I had so many unread books here. That didn't stop me from buying other books, but I definitely couldn't keep up with these regular shipments. 

What are some books that have lingered in your TBR pile? Do you know how many years they have been on your list? Have your reading tastes changed since you added them? 

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.     

Welcome to the end of January. I hope your year started off well. It has been a great year so far. I'm learning new things, focusing on professional development, and eager to see what 2023 brings. We already know we will be facing changes, but change can be a good thing... even if it doesn't seem so at the time.

Thanks to Audible, I finished listening to this book and started my latest download. You can read my review of Creating Magic here.


I am nine chapters into this one.


Last week, I reviewed this thriller. You can read my review here!
I also posted a First Chapter Review of the coming of age novel, Alchemy, by Mike Wood on Friday. You can check the review out here.

I have started Charlotte Hubbard's new book and these other two are next. 






Upcoming virtual book tours:
  • 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



Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Most of that mountain of books I ordered with a gift card from Barnes & Noble arrived on Saturday. Which ones of these have you read? 















Now, I just need to fit some of these into my reading schedule. Which do you think I should start with first? 

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.

From his early days in business to Marriott and to Disney, Cockerell wisely learned from his mistakes, embraced change, and discovered how important it is to recruit, train, and encourage people at all levels of your organization. No wonder he is a highly sought after speaker. Creating Magic will definitely change your career, and it just might change your life. 

Highly recommended!

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Currency; 1st edition (October 14, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 270 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385523866
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385523868



This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

First Chapter Review: Alchemy by Mike Woods

 

I grabbed this coming of age novel in 2014 as a Kindle freebie.

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



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.    

Welcome back to Tuesday! This week's topic is flexible. I could have written about 10 new to me authors whose books I read last year, but looking to give you more variety, I am sharing...

Top Ten New to Me Authors I Added to My Goodreads Want to Read List in 2022











Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think of them? What books are on your list this week?

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!

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.



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.     

Welcome back to Monday! Is anyone else amazed that we are four Mondays into 2023?

I am down to only one Christmas tree in the house--the main one. It is sad when all the lights are put away, so I usually don't take the last tree down until the end of January. Most of the decorations are tucked away, and having bought a new artificial 9 foot tree for the family room for 2023, once I take off all the decorations, the old tree will head onto the porch to await the junk removal contractor's truck. 

Travis wanted to supervise my taking down of the upstairs tree, while Dwight was content to hide under my book cabinet.




In other family news, it seems my mother-in-law is moving in. Please pray the transition goes smoothly, and that we can figure out the expenses and the minor construction it will require. 

Not a ton of reading going on, but I am almost finished listening to this book. If you are in a leadership role, I highly recommend it. I might also read Lee Cockerell's book, Career Magic.


Look for my review of this thriller today.

These three are up next.






Upcoming virtual book tours:
  • 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



Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I had a $10 reward from Audible, so I grabbed this book that I learned about during the training class I took earlier this month. 



One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his small law firm was failing; he was struggling through a painful second divorce; he had grown distant from his two older children and was afraid he might lose contact with his young daughter; he was living in a tiny apartment where he froze in the winter and baked in the summer; he was 40 pounds overweight; his girlfriend had just broken up with him; and overall, his dearest life dreams--including hopes of upholding idealistic legal principles and of becoming a judge--seemed to have slipped beyond his reach.  

Then, during a desperate walk in the hills on New Year's Day, John was struck by the belief that his life might become at least tolerable if, instead of focusing on what he didn't have, he could find some way to be grateful for what he had.

Inspired by a beautiful, simple note his ex-girlfriend had sent to thank him for his Christmas gift, John imagined that he might find a way to feel grateful by writing thank-you notes. To keep himself going, he set himself a goal--come what may--of writing 365 thank-you notes in the coming year.

One by one, day after day, he began to handwrite thank yous--for gifts or kindnesses he'd received from loved ones and coworkers, from past business associates and current foes, from college friends and doctors and store clerks and handymen and neighbors, and anyone, really, absolutely anyone, who'd done him a good turn, however large or small. Immediately after he'd sent his very first notes, significant and surprising benefits began to come John's way--from financial gain to true friendship, from weight loss to inner peace. While John wrote his notes, the economy collapsed, the bank across the street from his office failed, but thank-you note by thank-you note, John's whole life turned around. 

365 Thank Yous is a rare memoir: its touching, immediately accessible message--and benefits--come to readers from the plainspoken storytelling of an ordinary man. Kralik sets a believable, doable example of how to live a miraculously good life. To read 365 Thank Yous is to be changed.

That is it from me this week. I hope you enjoy the week ahead and that it is filled with blessings.