It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Aug 3

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. 

Welcome to August! Is it feeling like the year is passing too quickly? It sure is for me. Four closings expected this month, and two more anticipated for September if all goes well. Expecting three new listings between now and September as well. 

Other than work, I managed to squeeze in some reading time, planned all our meals for August, and moved my office down to the first floor — with the help of my other half, of course. It's not done yet, but I'm down here more than upstairs now. 

The Lil' Diva will celebrate a birthday soon, and the Lil' Princess is coming down here that week to spend some time with us. Life is good.

Here is a reading rundown:

Did not touch The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller, and I wonder if I will get to it. 

I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 

Almost finished Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

Need to get moving on Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked.

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.

Also need to read:

• A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge
• The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson
• Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH
• Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense

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. 

Nothing new in the mailbox this week, thank goodness. I am so far behind on my reading. 

Upcoming Events

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - TBD (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)

Christmas Year Round

Thought it would be fun to talk about some toy crazes for this week's Journey through Christmases Past. You can find that here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I'm discussing the growing trend to return to print-based learning and handwriting. You can read that here.

Laura's Little Houses

I am working on an article about traumatic episodes of Little House on the Prairie. Doesn't that sound cheery?

That is it from my place on the planet. Catch up with you soon!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read

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. 

Tuesday has arrived again, and with it, our fun weekly meme, Top Ten Tuesday. Today's prompt includes a bit of shame. These are books we had to have right away, but we still haven't made it around to reading them. My list for this one well exceeds ten. I seem to be a book collector and not much of a book reader lately. 

Top Ten Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven't Read

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

The Pioneers by David McCullough

The Man Who Invented Christmas by 

Les Standiford

From Little Houses to Little Women by

Nancy McCabe

Pioneer Girl Perspectives edited by

Nancy Tystad Koupal

The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter by Melissa Francis

Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman by Alan Rickman

Photo credit to articular on Magnific (formerly FreePik)

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 is on hiatus until September. Check back for more prompts then.

First Chapter Review & Giveaway: Dashing Through the Snow by Cindy Goyette

Today's First Chapter Review comes to you from Partners in Crime Tours, who is hosting Cindy Goyette and Dashing Through the Snow, the second book in her Wiggle Butt Manor mystery series.

BLURB: Murder is under the mistletoe in the peaceful island community of Orca Cove. Holiday plans are put on hold to give attention to the grand opening of the Wiggle Butt Manor Agility Course. Special guest Bentley is supposed to dazzle on the stage, but the locals have had enough of his snooty trainer, Miles Collins. So has his killer. When Charlie Calderbank finds Miles’ body in the back of her moving van, it becomes the season of giving…alibis, that is. Her hopes for a Christmas romance are dashed when the local hot cop is forced to pay more attention to the clues leading to her door than the chemistry that simmers between them.

Tainted treats, a widow who raises a toast along with a few eyebrows, a groomer with a grudge, an angry Santa Claus, a nosy reporter, and a canine custody hearing have Charlie spinning in every direction, juggling clues, dogs, and blizzards. She must identify the killer, or she’ll spend her Christmas behind bars.

COVER: Such a cute cover with the two dogs and the winter scene with the small town covered in snow.

FIRST CHAPTER: It is the opening day of the Wiggle Butt Manor Agility Course and festival featuring all kinds of fun things. Charlie is glad to be back in Orca Cove for good, but she needs to find a place to live, and there is that odd maybe yes, maybe no thing going on with Nick. When Bentley and his annoying owner arrive, there is sure to be trouble. 

KEEP READING: That is affirmative! What a cute story. I'm not always drawn to mysteries featuring animals. Here, they blend right into the storyline nicely. Told from Charlie's first-person point of view, you get a glimpse into what she is dealing with and a hint of romance with Nick. It is plain to see that Bentley's owner is going to stir things up. I look forward to reading more. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H5Z83ZT5
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 16, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8898202675

I received a digital copy from the author through Partners in Crime Tours. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule 

 

Mistletoe & Mayhem: Christmas in July Giveaway:

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Cindy Goyette. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

DASHING THROUGH THE SHOW by Cindy Goyette | Gift Cards

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Jul 27

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. 

We are settling on the last Monday of July today. How is summer moving so quickly? Before we know it, the local kids will be back in school. 

Another zany week in real estate, but lots of good things too. This week might be more manageable. 

Here are a few recent photos:

Travis and Dwight 

Friday night out

Me preparing to record for the Bucket List Challenge

Theo finds grooming exhausting

Two gifts I bought from Modern Prairie to treat myself

In my reading world, I had finished The Ledger by Steven Manchester earlier. You can find my review here.

 Did not touch The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller, and I wonder if I will get to it. 

I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 

I read some of Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

Need to get moving on Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked.

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.

Also need to read:

• A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge
• The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson
• Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH
• Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense

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, two hardcover copies of books I own on Audible arrived, both by Oliver Burkeman: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. 

Upcoming Events

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - TBD (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past post is about Christmas 1783, the first Christmas as an independent nation. You can find that here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I reviewed In the Wide, Wild World by Natalie Horseman. You can read that here.

Laura's Little Houses

I am talking about the new Little House on the Prairie adaptation this week. You can see my comments here. No real spoilers here if you haven't watched it yet. 

That's it for me. I am feeling more accomplished, but still have a way to go if I plan to hit my reading goal this year. See you around the blogosphere!