Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What do you still love doing that you loved as a kid?

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. 

Golly gee! It is Tuesday again. I am out doing Tuesday morning things today, but I can't wait to see what you all come up with for this week's topic: Top Ten Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life. I'm not sure I want to give anyone this much insight into my life. It might frighten you. LOL! Just realize, you have been warned. 

Top Ten Book Titles That 

Describe Me/My Life

I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman by Nora Ephron: As I sit here, hunched over my keyboard, praying for someone to put together the standing desk I bought in November, I realize getting old is not for sissies. 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling: If you have lived your life feeling like you fit in absolutely nowhere, you begin to wonder if people are somewhere else having fun without you.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson: If it is embarrassing, it has probably happened to me. Awkward, scrawny, and unathletic, I tell you, I have tons of stories. Aging has not improved this situation much. 

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes: In my bravest moments, I feel like I am on the cusp of this. Training myself to set boundaries is a work in progress that I feel is setting me up to embrace a year of yes. I was not, however, brave enough to finish reading the book. SMH

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay: I would not mind inheriting a bookshop, and envisioning a new path for yourself can bring unexpected surprises. 

Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris is a book I would likely never read. I do, however, connect to the whole working in retail during Christmas frustration. One day, after listening for hours to the same music coming from the animated Santa doll near my department, and nursing a headache, I turned it off. A customer reported me to my supervisor. Really? And don't even get me started on the day that I grabbed a shoplifter in a headlock and dragged her back to the office in my dress and heels after she punched my manager in the face. 

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh might be too close to my world than I would like to admit. I stumbled upon Brosh's website and wished I had half her humor and talent. That said, her sense of humor also reminds me of Aj at Read All The Things!. If I ever meet Allie or Aj in person, I hope we will be great friends. 

Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Ashley Keller shines a light on things like my inability to feel talented in any crafty sort of way, and how I constantly feel guilty for not being talented or even being able to do anything special with my daughters' hair when they were little. I was the kid who, when we made a craft for charity, the nuns didn't like it enough and "fixed" it. I will never have an influencer house, because I can't decorate to save my life. Cooking and baking, that I can do. Forget the rest of it. 

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist is the book I needed two decades ago. It is, however, something I am working on now. These days, despite being a domestic failure in therapy, I do find myself saying more often, "It's not perfect, but it is done."

My Father's List by Laura Carney is about one woman doing an amazing thing and how it transformed her life. Laura and I have connected online. I admire her so much. Grief is a deeply personal experience, one I am all too familiar with. Some of my most vivid memories of my childhood are surrounding grief. Listening to Laura's story reminds me that there is a way to move forward after loss. 

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Welcome back to Tell Me Something Tuesday. Considering we just talked about our lives, it seems fitting that we chat about things we love doing now that we used to love doing as kids. I don't believe there are many of these things for me:

• Counted cross-stitch, which I learned from my mémère
• Cooking/baking--self-taught with some help from a summer Bible school cooking class and home economics in high school
• Writing for enjoyment since I was a teenager

What are some things you have enjoyed doing since childhood? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Apr 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, 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 back to Monday! Christos Anesti (Χριστὸς ἀνέστη) to all my Greek Orthodox friends. We visited my brother-in-law and his family this weekend to celebrate. It is so nice when the Gregorian calendar and the Julian calendar find us celebrating two Easters in one year. 

I would like to say that I didn't work while we were in Maine, but it would be a fib. We still had fun, found our daughter an apartment, ate some great food, and came home happy. 

Kennebunk

Breakfast at The Inn at English Meadows

Came home to the boys, while Theo stayed with a sitter

This week, look for my review of Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel. 

I have been reading Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst, which I downloaded on NetGalley for this month's review. 

I continued with This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. So far, there are moments I like this book and times when I wonder if I will keep reading. 

I continued with Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle.

These are next:

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. 

This week, Jamie Jo Wright's latest book arrived from Amazon. You can buy The Bookshop of 99 Doors here, and I might get some affiliate income. 

My sisters and I attended a local book fair this weekend. In addition to Wright's book, you will see I grabbed two others from local authors:

• Chasing Roses by Jean M. Grant
• Katharine's Remarkable Trip by Gail Ward Olmsted

I also bought this handy book sleeve to take with us on vacation. 

Last, but not least, NetGalley approved me for The Ladies Hall by Vanesa Miller. 

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's latest "Journey through Christmases Past" post travels back to 1871. You can read that post here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I provided my 2026 Writing Goals First Quarter Update here.

Laura's Little Houses

I am choosing and discussing my favorite episode from each season of Little House on the Prairie. You can find my favorites from Seasons 4 - 6 here.

Now that I have written you a novel, I will stop here and wish you a wonderful day. See you around the blogosphere! 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: What Were You Like as a Child?

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Happy Wednesday! Well, after a day that involved a dusting of snow followed by sunshine and warmth, then rain, big snowflakes, and finally cold wind, today should be sunny and warmer. 

April 7, 2026

It looks like today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge allows me to talk about my favorite subject: me! Okay, that was a joke. As an empath, though, I do feel a lot of stuff and talk about a lot of stuff. 

This will shock anyone who has only known me as an adult: I was a shy, anxious, and quiet kid. I'm still anxious and shy, especially in new settings or with people I don't know well, but quiet left a long time ago, and it is not likely to ever return. 

Born the last of three girls, my middle sister is four years older, and our oldest sister is seven years older than I am. I'm the only sister to have lived her entire life in Massachusetts, and I am the only Gen Xer. Both my sisters are Baby Boomers. 

With the difference in our ages, I got to spend a lot of time alone and had to learn to entertain myself. The good thing is that I developed a great imagination and a love of reading. 

Mom and I

We had a huge family because my mother was one of eight or more, and my father was one of five. We had family that lived in Massachusetts, and relatives that lived in Quebec and Montreal, Canada. My mother and father were the youngest of their siblings, so all our aunts and uncles were much older than they were. Our cousins were teenagers or married when I was still in single digits. Not sure why, maybe because we lived in the same house as our Meme and Pepe, but we hosted the holidays at our house. 

Oldest sister, one of our maternal uncles, middle sister, and I

All three of us danced. My oldest sister liked tap, the middle one acrobats and jazz, and I liked ballet. None of us liked the same things, and we weren't really alike in temperament. We were known as the oldest, the prettiest (middle sister), and the smart one (me). 

Middle sister and I (the only year I took tap)

Because I was so small and bashful, I didn't make friends easily. I kept to myself, and teachers allowed me to help out because I could read at a third-grade level when I entered first grade. Being a teacher's pet did not ingratiate me with my classmates. I was teased pretty much from the day I entered school to the day I graduated high school. Time and life have leveled the playing field, but I will always feel like the kid who didn't fit in anywhere.

I lost my mother when I was 14, and my dad would eventually remarry. This would bring two brothers into my life. I looked after the oldest of the two boys since I still lived at home. The youngest was born after I moved out. 

Many days, I still feel more like that doe-eyed little one in my mother's arms than a career woman who has built a successful business from the ground up. I am, however, grateful that I have been blessed to do what I do, and I feel those difficult, lonely days of my childhood prepared me to approach my real estate business with kindness and empathy for others. 

We are driving to Maine today, but I will definitely visit your blogs to learn more about you. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books About/Set In Places on My Bucket List & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Do you like spoilers? Do you read the last chapter first? Share your thoughts.

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. 

Happy Tuesday! Hope you're having a great week. I'm preparing for a short R&R trip with my husband later this week, so I hope to wrap up work-related things today. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday asks us to share books about or set in places on our bucket lists. I can't say I have a real bucket list, but there are days I brain dump. All that list says is, "Travel more." I will see what I come up with for this one. 

Top Ten Books About/Set in Places on

My Potential Bucket List

1. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery is set on Prince Edward Island. My sister has been, and I would love to go.
2. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, which is set in the Australian Outback, would be an amazing place to visit. Not sure I could survive there.
3. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is set in Paris, which I have often said I would like to visit.
4. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg is set in Germany during World War II. Germany would be a beautiful place to visit.
5. Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is about the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Visiting Civil War battlefields is an interest of mine.
6. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder is set at the Wilder farm in Burke, NY. Though it is the closest Wilder site to where I live, I've never been there. 
7. Elizabeth I by Margaret George is set in the late 1500s in England. My husband has been to London more than once. I've never even come close to England. I wish I had traveled there when Diana, Princess of Wales, lived there.
8. 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber because it is set in Washington state. I've only once been to the western part of  North America, and I've never seen the far west coast. 
9. Kindred Spirits by Marilyn Meredith is set in a fictional town located in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. I would love to see that part of California. 
10. Next Year in Jerusalem by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein needs to go on my list, too. I've wanted to travel to the heart of the Holy Land for years. 

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday asks if we like spoilers. I can't give you a consistent answer on that one. Many times, I will read the book all the way to the end without skipping ahead. Main reasons to skip ahead: I don't connect with the character(s), or the action is lagging.

Of the two, it's usually the first issue that makes me skip ahead. If I don't like the character(s) or I can't relate to what they're going through, why do I need to read through how they got to the end of the book? 

Of all genres, mystery is the one where I will most often seek out spoilers, because if I think I know who did it before the end of the book, then I want to find out if I am right. 

How about you? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Apr 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, 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 lovely weekend. We celebrated Easter this Sunday with most of the family. The Lil' Princess couldn't fly home because of her school schedule. I spent two days cooking and baking, which I enjoyed. Here are a few photos from this weekend:

I bought flowers to brighten our table

Most of us

Theo was not happy with the chaos

In my reading world, I finished Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel. Great book! Look for my review on April 15. 

I have Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst downloaded on NetGalley. I didn't read it last week, but I am reading it this week so I can stay on top of reviews. 

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling was a DNF for me. I couldn't make it through the beginning. 

I continued with This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman, which many people have raved about. The narrator is growing on me. 

I started Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle.

These are next:

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. 

I received a copy of this book from the author. She is an agent in my local market. 

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 are taking a peek at 1940s kitchens. You can read that post here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I shared Kai Strand's new book, The Moon-Marked Maiden, at my children's book blog. You can read that post here.

As Kidlit Haha Week kicked off, we had to declare which team we are on. You can check out my answer here.

Laura's Little Houses

I am choosing and discussing my favorite episode from each season of Little House on the Prairie, starting with Seasons 1 - 3. Check out that post here.

That is all she wrote. I will be out this morning, but I will drop in to see you later today. Enjoy!