Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon Signups! #2026HOHOHORAT

It’s time to sign up for the 14th Annual Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. This year’s event will take place from Wednesday, November 25th through Wednesday, December 17th, 2026. During the event, participants will read or listen to as many holiday or winter reads as they can while taking part in challenges. Prizes, hot cocoa, bookish friends, and more!

I stopped participating in anything other than the annual Goodreads Challenge because of my schedule,  but wanting to (needing to) indulge in more seasonal titles, I signed up for the 14th Annual Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon today. Kimberly is looking for more challenge hosts, so if you are interested, you can email her through this link: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2026/10/14th-annual-ho-ho-ho-readathon-signup.html

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories & Tell Me Something Tuesday: If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

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 first Tuesday of October! We are having a seasonably cooler week with a fair amount of sunshine. Perfect fall weather. The Big E is over for another year, and now we can focus on apple picking, fall festivals, book festivals, and more. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about happy memories. What books are on your list that conjure those joyful feelings from days gone by? Here are my...

Top Ten  Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories

Song of the Seasons by Glenys Nellist reminds me how thankful I am to live in a geographic location that includes all four seasons. 

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder brings back happy memories of having a book series that I've come to treasure that was passed down from my sisters. 

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was a present for my 11th birthday. It was the last birthday before my mother's cancer diagnosis, making it the last year I felt truly carefree. 

The cradle on the cover of Beyond the Code of Conduct by K. M. Daughters reminds me of a hand-crafted doll cradle made by one of my cousins who has since passed away. I still have it. 

Murder, She Wrote by Jessica Fletcher and the numerous other authors credited with the series reminds me of sitting in front of the television in our house and then in my apartment, watching Jessica Fletcher solve crimes in the quaint town of Cabot Cove. 

Every Christmas, my childhood house would welcome the Christmas village, the artificial tree, and somehow had enough room for a mountain of relatives. But some of the fondest memories are of attending midnight Mass together and listening to O Holy Night sung in French. Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam by James W. Moore reminds me of those days.  

This particular edition of The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough was the same one my mother read. I don't read it anymore. The cover is torn off, and the pages are curled. But it is a connection to her and all that we shared. 

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts reminds me of the joy of waiting for The Wizard of Oz to be televised once a year and reliving it all over again. 

The Bastard by John Jakes reminds me that by the time I was 14, no one was paying attention to what I was reading. I remember a lot of steamy romance in this series. 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was also a present for my 11th birthday. I read this series before Anne of Green Gables. It serves as a reminder that my oldest sister always took care of me and thought I deserved something special. 

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 prompt is fun: If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

I am good at training others. I've been doing it since I was a teenager. In college, I took public speaking, which helped me feel comfortable speaking in front of others. Now, I have to be prepared. I am not good at speaking off the cuff. My brain is too distracted thinking about what to say.

This year, I held social media classes and sat on a panel about rentals. In the past, I've shared my experience in promoting books. I created training classes for numerous departments at my last Corporate America job. 

If I ever gave a TED talk, it would be called “Stuck in the Middle with You: Why You Don’t Have to Be in the Top 1% of Real Estate Agents to Be Successful.”

In real estate, there’s so much noise about being a top‑tier producer that the solid and steady mid‑range pros get overlooked. I’m talking about the agents who consistently land in their company’s Top 25 and sometimes break into the Top 10 — the ones who show up, do the work, serve their clients well, and keep the business running year after year. 

Not all of us want to sell 100+ homes annually. Not all of us want to build a team or chase every award under the sun. Some of us simply want to be reliable, consistent producers who make it possible for the brokerage to keep the lights on, delivering for our clients without burning ourselves out.

I’d focus on helping them tune out the pressure to be “more,” build systems that make their work smoother and more efficient, and find the motivation to push through when transactions get messy or the year isn’t shaping up the way they hoped. 

Do you think I've thought about this before? LOL!  This is true of any sales position. We don't need to be pushed into being more than we want to be. 

Can't wait to check out your blogs this week. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Oct 5

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are 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 first Monday of October! Hope you had a great week. We had typical New England weather, cool one day and summer temperatures the next. After my closings on Wednesday, I appreciated a few slower work days. On Saturday, I tackled my first fall cleaning task: getting my upstairs office in order. I'm still working on it. That room will become my writing room, away from the many distractions stealing my attention in my new downstairs office. 

Here are a few photos from the week:

Theo taking a breather after our walk

Travis invades Paddy's space if he dares to sit down

Leaves are turning in our woods

Last week was another decent week of reading and reviewing. I brought The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles downstairs so that I can begin it again. Too much time has passed for me to recall the first few chapters. 

Posted my review of Massawa by Pam Webber on Monday. You can find that here.

Posted my review of Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense.You can find it here.

I posted short reviews of two books I listened to thanks to Audible: How to Train Your Mind by Chris Bailey and God's Purpose for Your Life by Charles F. Stanley. You can read those reviews here.

I haven't started Harboring the Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot by R. C. Duffy yet, but I will soon because of the time limit.

I am reading She Forgot She Was Free: Returning to the Girl You Were Before the World Got Loud by Giselle Mascarenhas. This is for a review on October 14. 

I started The TV MBA: Business Lessons from Popular Culture by Rhymer Rigby. 

I am also reading Still Wild: Poems from the Bear Shack by Suzanne Sunshower for a December review.

I am waiting for the arrival of Starry-Eyed Christmas by Sheila Roberts for a December review. 

Upcoming Events

• She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas - Oct 14 (Review)
• Still Wild: Poems from the Bear Shack by Suzanne Sunshower - Dec 14 (Review)
• Starry-Eyed for Christmas by Sheila Roberts - Dec 16 (Review)
• Sugar Sand Land by Patricia Leavy - Dec 17 (Spotlight & Giveaway)

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme was last hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. It appears to be on hiatus, but I keep sharing new books. 

I pre-ordered a new book by Jill Kemerer, which arrived last week. Isn't the cover for His First Country Christmas lovely? This is part of what attracts me to Jill's books. 

Christmas Year Round

My Christmas blog is getting busier as we head into the holidays. Recent posts include:

• Getting Ready for the Holidays - Desserts
• Journey Through Christmases Past - Christmas Television Specials From 1948 - 1978

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Recent reviews at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection include:

• Turkey's Fall Fumble by Wendi Silvano. Read the review here.
• Luna and the Lost Cove by Aria Joy Prichard. This review appears here.

Day in the Snow by Fiona Craig and Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom are coming later this week. 

Laura's Little Houses

In honor of what would have been Michael Landon's 90th birthday on October 31, I am sharing Halloween episodes of Little House on the Prairie. You can read that article here.

Wow! That was a lot. Hopefully, these posts are still engaging to you. I'm looking forward to checking out your blogs today. 

Audible Book Review Shorts: How to Train Your Mind by Chris Bailey & God's Purpose for Your Life by Charles Stanley

As part of setting boundaries, I'm giving myself permission not to write a full review of every book I've read. The following two books are ones I've listened to this year. Both were fabulous. You can read some thoughts below.

How to Train Your Mind: Exploring the Productivity Benefits of Meditation by Chris Bailey is not a typical read for me. As the author points out, I, like many others, have a preconceived notion of what meditation is all about and how you practice it. Like most preconceived notions, they are wrong. :) 

Bailey explains how helpful meditation can be for your life and your productivity without judgment and without claiming it is a quick fix for what ails you. The book offers a few guided meditations for busy people like me, who often multitask their way through life. I will be reading more of Bailey's books in the future. 

Charles F. Stanley was one of my mother-in-law's favorite Christian authors. Coincidentally, they passed away ten days apart from each other and at the same age. I doubt she would have been able to read God's Purpose for Your Life because her dementia was advanced enough in 2020, when this book came out, for her to comprehend anything new, but I am sure she would have enjoyed it.

Narrated by Henry O. Arnold, these daily devotions focus on discovering God's purpose for your life by setting godly goals and obeying God's Word. Some of my favorite Scripture passages are found within the pages of God's Purpose for Your Life, and after spending each morning in the Word, I am better prepared to face the day. This is a lovely devotional that I would recommend to anyone seeking to align their life with God's purpose for them. 

I bought these audiobooks with Audible credits. These reviews contain my honest opinions. I have not been compensated in any way.

Book Review: Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant by Hank Quense

 

Hank Quense is back with another Beginner's Guide to assist writers. The Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant is a helpful resource for writers who find AI perplexing or for writers unsure how artificial intelligence can enhance their business. In less than 30 pages, Quense breaks down:

• How to use and talk to AI
• How to plan your book with AI
• How to use AI for drafting and revising
• Ways AI can help you decide how to publish your book
• Helpful ways to market your book using AI
• How you can use AI to build your writing business
• The ethics and boundaries of using AI

Quense's Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant touches upon important tips and considerations for writers who use artificial intelligence in their business. Where the author has written a more comprehensive title on a topic, the reader will find helpful links to those additional resources. As an author of more than 20 books and dozens of short stories, Quense has the experience, a conversational and pleasant style, and skills to guide you along your writing journey. Add the Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant to your library today!

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H99N32WK
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Strange Worlds Publishing
• Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 17, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 25 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8996147939

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions. I have not been compensated in any way. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Something I Can't Live Without and Why

 

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. 

Hey, it's Wednesday! This post means I have blogged for three days in a row. Well, Monday's post went live Sunday, but this is progress. Please be impressed. LOL! 

Today's prompt for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is "Something I can't live without and why." 

I could go with the sentimental answer: family.

I could go with the identity-based answer: my Bible.

I could go with the practical answer: a modern kitchen.

But...

I think I will go with the healthy answer: sleep. Considering sleep is important for brain health, immune support, heart health, and hormone balance, if I don't get enough sleep, bad stuff happens. As I age, my sleep is interrupted by bouts of insomnia. I feel like poor sleep and stress contribute to the health issues I've endured this year. So, I am doing my best to establish a regular sleep cycle, use my phone less at night, and avoid late-night snacking. 

There you have my rather boring answer on a Wednesday. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Sweet or Salty?

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! Seems fitting that I participated in Top Ten Tuesday on September 1 and Top Ten Tuesday at the end of the month. September certainly flew by. That's okay. I am a fall kind of girl. The garden is mostly harvested. The hoses are tucked away in the shed. I will attempt to bring the herbs into the house for the winter soon. 

When this time of year rolls around, I plan to take road trips. I want to explore apple orchards, farms, and fall fairs/festivals. Do I? Rarely. Though I can say I went to The Apple Place in East Longmeadow for the first time last week. They have an Apple Fest this weekend. Olde Mistick Village also has an Apple Festival mid-October. But I digress...

With all the talk of fall, I thought it would be a great idea to share the Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip. Here they are in no particular order.

Doesn't the cover of The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate inspire you to drive and find that place?

Would you travel to witness a wedding in an apple orchard like the one pictured on the cover of A Surprise Harvest Bride by Wendy Klopfenstein?

New England has lots of pretty Main Streets to explore, like the one featured on the cover of Falling on Main Street

by Tara Grace Ericson.

Doesn't Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Noble inspire a photo-taking trip this fall?

Would Katharine's Remarkable Road Trip by Gail Ward Olmstead encourage you to get in your car and drive down a tree-lined road?

I would drive to a place called The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, like in Laurie Gilmore's book. Wouldn't you?

October Kiss by Kristen Ethridge could inspire a hand-in-hand walk through the park after you've driven to your destination. 

And If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia might encourage you to load your furry friend in the car to go and explore a walkable downtown. 

A fall road trip to a unique venue like you see on the cover of Autumn at the 

Star and Sixpense 

by Holly Hepburn might be fun. 

Though many of us get away during the summer, an Autumn Getaway like Jennifer Gracen writes about might be just the thing to refresh your soul.

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 prompt for Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is all about food, a particular kind of food--snacks. I've always been a huge snacker. Inquiring minds want to know whether we prefer sweet or salty snacks.

I am mostly a "sweet snack" kind of person, because I don't allow myself many sweets these days. I can't eat the way I used to, but a piece of dark chocolate dipped in peanut butter is a nice treat after supper. I also love chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb pie. Not that I have them very often. 

I'm prone to eating salty snacks more often: various nuts, potato chips, and pretzels are almost always in the house.

How about you? Do you like your snacks sweet or salty? 

Looking forward to visiting blogs today.