It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - May 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 back to Monday. Hope you enjoyed your week.

We are expecting a wet Memorial Day. At least I don't have to water the garden. Our son also turns 39 today. Not sure how that happened since I am only 25. LOL! Crazy how quickly time flies. 

Not many pictures from last week because I was working my tail off. I have numerous listings coming, plus two closings in early June. 

Something caught Theo's eye on our walk.

The phlox is coming in nicely this year.

You will find Travis wherever there is an empty box.

As far as reading goes, I finished Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle last week. You can see my review here. 

I also finished Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun by Brieane Olson. You can read my review here. 

I continued The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. I am quickly running out of NetGalley time. 

Need to write a review of Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume. 

I will pick up The Ledger by Steven Manchester, a companion to his novel The Menu, this week. 

I started The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles.

These are next:

Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts comes out later this month. 

The Ghost and the Key is the first book in Bill Cusano's The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club series. I am reading this series this summer. 

The second book of The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club is The Widow Murderess. 

Book three is The Sparrow and the Crow. All of these are July reviews. 

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book that I will take on vacation with me in July. 

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. 

Do you know what happens when you agree to be on a launch team and then your work schedule gets out of control? This is my life right now. 

The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles arrived on Friday. I am two chapters in and loving it. 

I visited the library on Wednesday and saw The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson. Not that I will have any time to read it, but I might at least skim it before I need to bring it back to the library.

Joyce McCullough sent me a copy of Max and Her Stacks to review. 

Upcoming Events

The Ledger by Steven Manchester - May (Review)

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

Staged by Cailtin Rother - June (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Ghost and the Key by Bill Cusano - July 1 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Widow Murderess by Bill Cusano - July 8 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Sparrow and the Crow by Bill Cusano - July 10 (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - July (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past is all about the red, white, and blue at Christmastime. You can read it here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

 Nothing new this week, but I have that new children's book to read. 

Laura's Little Houses

Nothing new this week. 

That is it from me. Hope you enjoy your day!

NetGalley/Audible Book Review: Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by Brieane Olson

 

Discover the story of how PacSun embraced co-creation and transformed itself from a retailer of established brands to a purpose-driven retailer that collaborates and partners with a community that informs its approach in Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by the company's CEO, Brieane Olson.

Author and narrator Olson brings the reader through the challenges of what PacSun was and the excitement brought about by their shift to a purpose-driven retailer that listens to its collaborators, staff, and most importantly, its consumers. From its early collaborations with Kendall & Kylie to its more recent partnerships with the LA Rams and Formula 1, readers engage with the amazing transformation that the mindshift has brought to a company that filed for bankruptcy in 2016 amid burgeoning high mall rents, when mall traffic declined while online shopping increased. 

Olson discusses how embracing change in consumer habits and ever-evolving technology has allowed the company to increase its market share, and how listening to its community has allowed the company to make a greater impact and create new initiatives that support its mission and the community it serves. 

I will be honest: I have never stepped foot in a PacSun. My daughters did in their teens, but my only recollection of PacSun was walking by it in the now-demolished mall closest to us to get to another retailer, and the store closed way before the mall did. So, why did I request this book? 

• The title intrigued me.
• Purpose-driven leadership inspires me.
• Authenticity is one of the most important things I strive for in business. 

Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun explores the company's new model that has made such waves that it is now a Harvard Business School Case Study. If you are in business and are determined to make an impact, this is a book you should read. 

Listening Length	5 hours and 36 minutes
Author	Brieane Olson
Narrator	Brieane Olson
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 12, 2026
Publisher	Forbes Books
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0GVPMZMCF

I requested this book from NetGalley and own it on Audible. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review: Scrap: Salvaging A Family by Luanne Castle

 

A powerful and poignant memoir from the talented pen of Luanne Castle awaits you in Scrap: Salvaging A Family. Raw, gut-wrenching, and provocative, this hybrid flash memoir journeys through a woman's toxic relationship with her father, finding them both in a strange place as he faces his mortality.

Wow! This memoir doesn't tug at the heartstrings. It plucks them hard and snaps a few. Scrap: Salvaging A Family is deep, it's emotional, it cracks open family secrets, and it explores family hardships that impact generations. Masterfully written, readers follow one woman's examination of her childhood trauma brought on by events that occurred well before she was born. Not understanding the hero worship her brother has for the man who shuts her out, she's not quite sure what to make of it when her relationship with her father begins to shift.

Sadly, the difficult relationship Castle had with her father feels all too real to me. I found some triggers within this memoir, and I had to put it aside at times. But it is such a beautifully told story that I had to make it to the end. The symbolism behind the scraps of fabric, the family photos on the front cover, and the inclusion of a significant family document blend so well together as the author reflects on her family relationships. 

Scrap: Salvaging A Family is a brave new offering that is sure to gain attention. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GQC34BD2
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ ELJ Editions
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 26, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 172 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1942004923
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1942004929

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.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Typical Day in My Life

 

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 hump day! In the words of the B-52s: 

Wearing next to nothing

'Cause it's as hot as an oven

It's another day of blistering heat in the Northeast. Might have a thunderstorm today, and the weekend looks rainy.  At least if it rains, I won't have to water the garden. 

Do I dare share a typical day in my life? It's really boring. Talking about paint drying could be more entertaining. 

• The alarm rings at 6:00 am. 
• Prayer time and sharing Instagram content to my stories.
• Out of bed by 7:00 am. 
• Shower, get dressed, dry my hair (while doing some squats). If it's a workday, put on some makeup so I don't frighten the world.
• Feed animals and let the dog out.
• Small breakfast at the house or on the road.
• Desk work, phone calls, social media marketing, or appointments until sometime between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. 
• In between the above, make sure the dog gets walked around 11:00 am, and that I have something that looks like lunch between 12:00 and 1:00 pm (often at my desk or in the car).
• Feed animals. 
• Start laundry while making supper.
• Eat with the other half or with the other half and our daughter (sometimes son-in-love). 
• Do dishes and clean the kitchen.
• Fold clean clothes. 
• Take a snack upstairs to my office to blog and finish paperwork. 
• Social media time.
• Prepare for tomorrow.
• Say goodnight and I love you to my kids. 
• Bed sometime between 11:00 pm and 2:00 am, depending upon how much real estate work there is.

Now, about that paint drying...

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What is your favorite flower?

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! By the time you read this, I am likely on the road. Tuesdays are usually overloaded in my world, but it is all good stuff. Today, we are talking about favorite secondary or minor characters. This should be a fun one.

Top Ten Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters 

• Mr. Edwards from Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He helps Charles build their house in Kansas, and he crosses a swollen river to deliver Christmas presents to the Ingalls girls. One of my favorite characters from the books and the television series.
• Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables is one of those busybodies that we all love to loathe, but she had her softer side that crept out from time to time, and she was a good friend to Marilla, especially after they became housemates after the deaths of Thomas Lynde and Matthew Cuthbert.
• Molly Weasley from the Harry Potter series is a loving mother to her clan and unofficially adopts those in need, such as Harry. Though no one could replace his mother, Molly makes a wonderful surrogate for him. Oh, and she has no problem being fierce when one of the kids is in danger. 
• Rebecca/Tiffany from Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard was a fabulous character. I can't say much without giving the plot away, but she definitely shook things up in Willow Ridge. 
• Gordon Butler from the Rocky Bluff P.D. series would eventually move into the major character category, but when he started, he was the bumbling, clutzy cop everyone poked fun at. If anything ridiculous happened, you know Gordon would be right in the middle of it.
• Nick Two John from the Tempe Crabtree series was a mentor to Deputy Tempe Crabtree and the owner of the local inn. He spends most of the series helping and frustrating Tempe as she explores her Native American roots. 
• Rosemary Charles from On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts is the reporter who covers the story of Joy, Laura, and other women from their knitting group going on strike around the holidays to encourage help from their spouses. She has a fun reporting style, and she bets the newspaper's photographer that the women will win.
• Nola Middleton is introduced to fans of Karen White's Tradd Street series in The Strangers on Montagu Street. She gives her estranged father, Jack, a run for his money, but she becomes a great character throughout the rest of the series, and even gets her own series once she is an adult. 
• General Billy Starkey from The Stand by Stephen King might seem easy to forget, but what he endures during the early pages of this novel sets the stage for all that will come later. A career soldier, he realizes that once the superflu has been released, the world as they know it will end. His mental breakdown and eventual death linger in the minds of readers throughout the story.
• The appearance of Marley's Ghost in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is shocking and the catalyst for what happens to his former partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, for the rest of the night. He has been dead for seven years at the opening of the story, and in that time has learned a valuable lesson, which he hopes to impart to Scrooge to save him from a similar fate. 

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) 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.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks: What is your favorite flower?

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) for the image

This was an easy post for me. I've always loved carnations. They are the first flowers I pick when choosing a floral arrangement at the store. Pink, white, and purple are my favorite colors. I prefer carnations to roses on Valentine's Day. 

How about you? What is your favorite flower? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - May 18

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 on a Sunday. My work schedule, and therefore my blogging schedule, has been unpredictable lately. Hope all of you who celebrate enjoyed your Mother's Day. We had an early breakfast that morning and headed home from North Carolina later that day. Glad to be home, but also miss our girl. 

Here are a few recent photos:

The Lil' Princess and her dad

Our girls

The Lil' Princess and some friends

The family minus our son

Thought she might have gotten her arms stuck at the Battleship North Carolina

Recreating a One Tree Hill moment

I went to my first bar in over 30 years. It was not pleasant. 

Hard to believe these four years have passed so quickly. Luckily, when she relocates for work, she will be much closer to our place. 

In my reading world, my review of This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman appeared today. You can read it here.

I finished Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle. This collection is emotional and raw. Look for my review on May 21. 

I continued The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. I hope I don't run out of time on NetGalley before I finish it. 

I finished listening to Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume. Great book! Look for a review soon. 

I started The Ledger by Steven Manchester, which is a companion to his novel, The Menu. It's a slow read for me so far. 

These are next:

Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked

Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun by Brieane Olson is also a NetGalley download.

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts comes out later this month. 

The Ghost and the Key, the first book in Bill Cusano's The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club series. I am reading this series this summer. 

The second book of The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club is The Widow Murderess. 

Book three is The Sparrow and the Crow. All of these are July reviews. 

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book that I will take on vacation with me in July. 

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. 

Has anyone heard from Vicki? She hasn't posted since April 5. 

These were presents for Mother's Day, and two books I bought for myself aboard the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington. 

Upcoming Events

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)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Ghost and the Key by Bill Cusano - July 1 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Widow Murderess by Bill Cusano - July 8 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Sparrow and the Crow by Bill Cusano - July 10 (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - July (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past focuses on the year 1885. You can find it here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

This blog is getting harder to update now that I don't read as many children's books as I used to, and because my writing is not as much as expected this year. Real estate, however, has been amazing. 

Laura's Little Houses

On Wednesday, I posted my "Most Favorite Episode from Each Season of Little House on the Prairie (Seasons 7 - 9). This brings us to the end of the series. You can read this post here. 

Looking forward to checking out your blogs today.