It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Mar 30

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, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 

Here we are at the end of another month. Did March go by as quickly for you as it did for me? This month was a mix of business, networking, time in the kitchen, events as we get closer to the Lil' Princess' graduation, and the loss of one of our beloved cats. Our kitty quartet was reduced to a trio in 2024, and now it is a duet. Real estate has tremendously picked up, which means I will need to be even more careful with my boundaries. Here are some photos from last week:

We had to euthanize Boots on Wednesday. Not unexpected, but still hard. 

On Friday night, Paddy and I ate at Davio's on the Boston Seaport. The food and service are amazing!

Our Lil' Princess before she headed out to formal. 

We had Travis to make us smile this week. 

In my reading world, I overextended myself, which happens when I am sad. That means I will likely not read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas or Officer Erik and the Very Special Dad  by Erik Estrada and Steven Manchester until vacation time. 

My review of Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor appeared on Sunday. You can find it here. What a beautifully told story!

My review of Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV by Jack Balderrama Morley was posted on Saturday. Such an interesting book. Check out my review here.

I am almost done with Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel. Look for my review in April. 

I have Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst downloaded on NetGalley. I didn't read it last week, but I will pick it up again this week. 

In addition to finishing Beyond Dorothy on Audible, I started listening to the next two books.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling. Not a fan so far. It's a lot of jargon. 

Since I turned off nonfiction, I started This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman, which many people have raved about. I am not sure I appreciate the narrator for this audiobook, but I will see how it goes. 

Next, I will be reading the following for reviews:

Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle

The Ledger by Steven Manchester, which is a companion to his novel, The Menu

Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked

Photo credit: Freepik

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

Continuing to display my lack of self-control, I grabbed three books this week.

The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida was a cited resource in Dream Facades by Jack Balderrama Morley. 

Crabtree Tule River Patriarchs is the latest book by Marilyn Meredith. 

Reading Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor inspired me to read the OZ series by L. Frank Baum, so I downloaded this set for my Kindle. 

Upcoming Events

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst - Apr 20 (Review)

A Change in Plans: A Sgt. Windflower Mystery by Mike Martin - May 13 (Guest Post)

Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luanne Castle - May 21 (Review)

The Ledger by Steven Manchester - May (Review)

Fighter Pilot's Daughter by Mary Lawlor - June 10 (Guest Post)

Staged by Cailtin Rother - June (Review)

Christmas Year Round

The Christmas Year Round blog has a new "Journey through Christmases Past" post. We travel back to Christmas 1843, which was an important year for lovers of the written word. Check it out here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Are you ready for Kidlit Haha Week? It starts on April 1. Check out my post here. 

Laura's Little Houses

I started drafting the next post in my brain. Now, all I need is some time to get it done. 

That's it for me this week. I will post this on Sunday because I have an early morning appointment followed by a training class. I'll check out your blogs in the afternoon. Enjoy!

Book Review: Historic Tales of Wilbraham by David F. Bourcier

 

Lovers of history, small town lore, and nostalgia will enjoy Historic Tales of Wilbraham by David F. Bourcier. 

Our retired fire chief and local historian, Bourcier, is a lifelong Wilbraham resident who has turned his passion for history and his love for our small New England town into a fabulous historical exploration. Wilbraham Tidbits started as a historical research project, with Bourcier sharing tidbits on his website and Facebook page as early as 2023. In conjunction with The History Press, Bourcier has brought his fascinating stories to life in book format for readers everywhere. 

Having lived in Wilbraham for the last 26 years, I've enjoyed learning about the Native American inhabitants who occupied our mountains and the shores of our rivers and ponds, the town's founding, our historical homes and families, and the businesses that thrived here. The glossy pages of Historic Tales of Wilbraham are filled with historic photos, maps, works of art, and artifacts of a small western Massachusetts town steeped in history. Tales of new beginnings, untimely deaths, and connections to historical events like the Revolutionary War, pirate treasure, and accusations of witchcraft. Meanwhile, the reader discovers stories involving the town's automotive history, the railroad, and local mills. At its heart, however, Historic Tales of Wilbraham is about the people who once called Wilbraham home or who have some connection to the town. 

If history, local lore, and fascinating, well-told stories are what you crave, grab a copy of Historic Tales of Wilbraham today!

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ The History Press
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 6, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1467159425
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1467159425

I purchased a copy of this book from one of Wilbraham's local gift shops. 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 - Sep 8

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, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great week. Did you do anything special for National Read a Book Day over the weekend? I read the first chapter of Ride A Dark Trail by Winter Austin. Though I am now four weeks into not having a day off, it seems my schedule might ease up a bit toward the end of this week. Fingers crossed.

Here are photos from this week:

Travis likes to nap under my jewelry case.

Met my sister for breakfast, and she brought me treats. Loved that after a long day of work. 

Theo is sitting in the yard after his surgery to remove lipomas. 

On Sunday, he was feeling good enough to create mischief. 

In my reading world, I drafted my review for "Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea" by Richard Levine. This is such a deeply emotional novel. Look for the review on September 15. 

I didn't read Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley on my Kindle this week. 

My First Chapter Review of Whatever It Takes by Alan Benham appeared on Tuesday. You can read it here. 

Look for my First Chapter Review of Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin coming toward the end of September. 

I need to write reviews for all three of these books.

364 Days Until Halloween by Allison Edwards, which deals with children's fear of this holiday. 

Little Angel's Christmas Song by Kerstin Hau. Love the artwork on this one. 

Never Let a Unicorn Meet A Reindeer by Diane Alber. This one is funny!

I am waiting for three books to arrive for future reviews, but I also want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

Last week, I downloaded The Curiosities by W. H. Eatons, a middle-grade story from NetGalley.

My mail carrier delivered a book that I pre-ordered, Creating a Writing Life by Jill Kemerer. 

After the next three books for review in October and November arrive, I will stop taking requests for the year... unless a Christmas romance stumbles my way. 

Upcoming Events

• Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard Levine - Sep 15 (Review)
• Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin - Sep 23 (First Chapter Review)
• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)
• The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts - Oct 31 (Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)

The latest Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. Talking about a Christmas tree farm for sale, Adopt-A-Family registrations, and the upcoming Jonas Brothers movie for Disney+ coming in November. Check it out here.

The only new post at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection is my announcement that the three books I read above will be reviewed. 

I am working on a post for Laura's Little Houses that shares my favorite episodes from Season 1 of Little House on the Prairie. I am also continuing with the Season 9 rewrite, but I will be adding an editing job to my schedule, so I won't get to finish the next part of the rewrite anytime soon. 

That's it for me. Looking forward to visiting your blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Aug 25

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, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome to the final Monday of August. Seems impossible, but here we are. The crazy, exhausting schedule continues. Five upcoming closings, two more if the offers we placed over the weekend get accepted, and I consulted with two new buyers and sellers. At least this helps me get closer to my goal. 

Great news is that our son-in-law is coming home this week! We are very excited. The Lil' Princess is back in school for her final year at UNCW. Here are a few photos from this week:

Bought the girls these great journals at a local art show

Saw some Travis napkins out shopping

Caught this duck hiding in a pond at a house we were viewing 

In my reading world, I am slowly catching up on some things. 

My First Chapter Review of Child of A Swan by David Burnett appeared on Tuesday. You can read it here. Giveaway is over. 

I've made progress on Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard Levine.

I didn't read Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley on my Kindle this week. 

My review of The Bible Simplified by Zach Windahl appeared on Sunday. Read it here. 

My review of The Sea Captain's Wife by Tilar J. Mazzeo was posted earlier today. You can read it here. 

I reviewed Women's Freedom: Unfinished Love Stories by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein. You can read this review here. 

Need to review Generating Business Referrals Without Asking by Stacey Brown Randall soon. 

My First Chapter Review of Father of One by Jani Anttola appeared last Monday. Giveaway still has a few days left. You can read the review here. 

These First Chapter Reviews are coming in September. 

What Lies We Keep by Janet Roberts

Whatever It Takes by Alan Benham 

Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin

Need to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

Two new arrivals thanks to ThriftBooks. 

Discovery of Freedom by Rose Wilder Lane

Heirs of the Founders by H. W. Brands

Upcoming Events

• Whatever it Takes by Alan Brenham - Sep 2 (First Chapter Review)
• Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea by Richard Levine - Sep 15 (Review)
• Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin - Sep 23 (First Chapter Review)
• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)

The latest Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. More fun Christmas news, including the mention of an announcement from Lady A appears here.

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I reviewed Late Today by Jungyoon Huh. You can read that review here. 

The latest post at Laura's Little Houses shares my Season 9 rewrite link. I'm amazed at how much traffic the post is getting. I guess I'd better write a new chapter. 

That's it for me this week. Hope to see you around the blogosphere earlier rather than later today. Thanks for visiting!