Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Flowery Books & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What's a skill you'd like to master?

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. 

Welcome back to Tuesday! This week, as expected, will be hectic. We arrived home yesterday, and I am playing catch-up from being gone. Here are a couple of photos from our trip to see the Lil' Princess:

Me, Hubby, Lil' Princess, Lil' Diva, & the Son-in-Love after Pinning

Together again the night of graduation. She is officially a UNCW alumna! 

This week, Top Ten Tuesday is celebrating May Flowers, the companion to April Showers. Here are my...

Top Ten Favorite Flowery Books

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook by Kate Macdonald

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher

204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber

A Mother's Love by Charlotte Hubbard

Return to Tradd Street by Karen White

The Lost Hours by Karen White

Growing a Mother's Heart by Karen Whiting

The Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate by Rhett Devane

Juliet by Anne Fortier

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.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks an intriguing question this week: What's a skill you'd like to master? 

This is such a long list for me because there are days when I feel so... lacking. However, if I had to choose one, I would choose active listening. I am a talker, and not such a great listener. Bad thing for my job and life in general. People can't feel heard if they don't believe you are listening, but it's like my mind goes a mile a minute, and thoughts race through my head when people are talking, and they come out whether I want them to or not. I think my brain needs a chill pill. LOL!

That's it for me this week. I will be on the road most of the day, but I will check in with you all later. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - May 4

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 May, everyone! It arrived warm and partly sunny here, but the rest of the weekend has been a bit damp and windy. Hope you all had a nice week since we last visited. This will be my only post of the week, since we leave on Wednesday morning for North Carolina. I can't believe the Lil' Princess is already graduating. 

Other than preparing for the trip, I had two closings this week, and another one is happening on Wednesday. I have listings planned for my return. Lots of fun stuff is going on in our world. I hope life is blessing you, too. 

In my book world, I need to write my review of This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. 

I am almost done with Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle. 

I continued The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. 

I am listening to Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume.

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

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

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. 

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. 

One new arrival from Sheila Roberts in the mail this week. 

Love on the Shelf

Upcoming Events

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)

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)

Taking a break from posting on these blogs due to my work and travel schedule. 

Christmas Year Round

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Laura's Little Houses

Posting early because I will be on the road most of the day. Hope you enjoy your time here. Looking forward to visiting your blogs.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Celebrity I'd Like to Meet

 

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. 

Wednesday has come around again. Hope this week is treating you well. Today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge prompt is: a celebrity I'd like to meet. 

This is such a hard prompt, you know I can't narrow it down to just one. If we are talking about celebrities from my era, I think Michael J. Fox and Brooke Shields would be amazing to meet. I would also say that being part of Modern Prairie has given me a new appreciation for Melissa Gilbert. It would be nice to meet her in person.

Though I am not a country music fan, I imagine that meeting Dolly Parton would be life-changing. And since we are talking music, I should add meeting Taylor Swift to the list. My daughters are huge fans. 

Have you met any celebrities? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What is your favorite sports team?

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 your week is starting off well. I've got a couple of closings this week, which is always a good thing. I will be attending a wonderful local event tonight, which should be a blast. 

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie. I am going with books I can't believe I haven't read yet. These are often books I am excited about, but because of other commitments, I don't get around to reading them. The year in parentheses is the year I bought them or added them to my Goodreads "Want to Read" list. 

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe

 I Haven't Read Yet 

1. Murder As A Fine Art by Dave Morell (2013)
2. Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and The Spending of an American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. (2014)
3. Diary of A Stage Mother's Daughter by Melissa Francis (2014)
4. Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delaney (2015)
5. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (2015)
6. The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin 92106)
7. Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas (2016)
8. The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper (2017)
9. Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy (2018)
10. A Vineyard Christmas by Jean Stone (2018)

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.

We are talking about favorite sports teams for Tell Me Something Tuesday. Hands down, my favorite is the Boston Bruins. I've been a fan of hockey since I was a kid, watching it on Channel 38 out of Boston. Back then, Fred Cusick was the play-by-play announcer, and Derek Sanderson was the color commentator. 

My husband played in high school and as an adult. My son played from pre-school through high school. My husband figured I was the one for him when I told him how much I loved the clack of the puck hitting the stick at the first Bruins game we attended together. You used to be able to get Bruins tickets for $25 then. 

We didn't think we would ever see a Bruins Stanley Cup win in our lifetimes, but it happened in 2011. My team is overdue.

What's your favorite sports team? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & mailbox Monday - April 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. 

Welcome to the last Monday of April! Can you believe it? How can May 1 be only days away? 

We made it to and from North Carolina, leaving part of our hearts there with our girl. But we will be headed back soon for graduation. Other than that, I am swimming in work and have bitten off more than one fingernail. I wish I could go back to my natural nails, but they are so weak now. Does anyone have tips and tricks? 

Here are some photos from our week:

After the dance show

Strawberries and cream pancakes from Drift

Downtown Wilmington

Travis was so happy we came home, he hopped into my suitcase to make sure I couldn't fill it again

In my reading world, I finished Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst, and posted my review early. You can find it here. Be sure to enter the giveaway. 

I finished This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. Way too many characters for me, but a good book overall. 

I continued with Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle. This is an intense and deeply emotional collection. Look for my review in June. 

I started The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller because I had my phone with me in the car. 

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

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

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. 

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 the beginning of April. 

One new book arrived in the mail, and this one I am taking with me on vacation. Massawa is by Pam Webber. 

Upcoming Events

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)

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)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Christmas Year Round blog's latest "Journey through Christmases Past" post talks about Christmas in the United States. This is a bit of trivia about Christmas as a legal holiday. You can read it here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Nothing new. I feel like I can barely keep up with this blog lately. But I hope to be posting there more often through the summer. 

Laura's Little Houses

Nothing new, but I will post my favorites from Seasons 7 - 9 in the next couple of weeks. Well, maybe after graduation. :) 

I have a hectic schedule today, but I will visit as much as I can. Appreciate your visits and comments.