Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books with Cozy Homes on the Cover



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 to another Tuesday, the last one in November. Two days from now, we will cross over into December and the last month of 2022 will be underway. That sure went by quickly. Have you started goal setting for 2023? Any of you small business people working on next year's business plan? I need to pull my numbers from this year and start working on mine. 

Today's topic for Top Ten Tuesday was so fun that I just had to make time for it. We are tasked with sharing our Top Ten Cozy Reads; books that give off a cozy vibe, whether through atmosphere, setting, or some other factor. Then we have to explain why they are cozy to us. So, I decided to share my top ten books with cozy homes on the cover, because there is something to be said for how welcoming a cozy home is, whether it's because of the warm glow it gives off or if it is small in size or if its rooms or curb appeal make you want to curl up with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of hot tea to read. 

Top Ten Books with Cozy Homes on the Covers


Don't you all want a cozy window seat now? This one even comes with a dog and a blanket. 


Isn't this the cutest, coziest cabin on the water?


Can you imagine being stuck in this cozy winter cabin in the woods?


A sweet little book nook is one of the coziest spots in the world...even if it is in a store and not a house.


I find porch swings such a cozy little spot to hang out.


A cabin in the mountains during the holiday season....what could be cozier?


A tiny cottage in a Yorkshire village. How cozy!


A cozy enclosed porch on the water. I love it!

A white picket fence covered in flowers with a brick lane that goes by a cozy front porch. And it's on the water! 


This might be the cutest, coziest cottage I've ever seen.

So, what did you think of my list? Have you read any of these books? Do you remember any books with cozy covers? 

I will leave you with one more honorable mention because I loved this story so much. Though this huge house might not appear very cozy from the outside, the golden lights create a cozy feel to it. I imagine finding a nice fireplace inside with a comfy chair in front of it to wrap up in a blanket with my tea and a good book. 

Monday, November 28, 2022

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Nov 28

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 


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 and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.   

Hello, everyone! Hope those who celebrated Thanksgiving had a nice weekend. Here are some photos from our weekend.


Theo hanging out Thanksgiving morning


Dwight investigating the Lil' Princess' Black Friday deals


Travis helping with outdoor decorating...or at least thinking he is


Did anyone brave going out on Black Friday? That is so not my thing. I'm much more of a Cyber Monday kind of person when I am not shopping local. 

We went to see my mother-in-law on Thursday and shared a wonderful meal made by my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. All I had to do is bring the fudge and the cookies. It still seems so strange that I am not cooking for a large group every holiday. I think Christmas day will be at our place with the kids and some of their friends. 

With everything that happened last week--planned and unexpected--I did not sit down to read like I intended. So, I am still working on this one. 


I did, however, finish listening to this excellent nonfiction book by a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI. My review is on Goodreads and should be up on Amazon soon. 


With this book, I completed my 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge! I still might finish A War in Too Many Worlds before the end of the year. I would also like to post reviews for these two at  my children's book blog this week.



After that, I really need to read this book because its review is so overdue. 



I am reviewing this one in January, but I didn't sign up to review anything in December because I have a ton of stuff going on. 




Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Will someone please tell me to stop grabbing Kindle freebies. LOL! Lately, there have been so many books that caught my eye. That should mean more First Chapter Reviews to read here next year.




The Lil' Princess' flight was canceled because of bad weather in Wilmington. So, we will be off early tomorrow to bring her to Hartford to catch her new flight. After that, we will see what the day brings. I have lots of phone calls to return from the holiday weekend. 

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Book Spotlight: To Catch the Setting Sun by Richard I. Levine


There’s a killer loose on the island of Oahu. His targets? Young, native-Hawaiian women. But it also appears that he’s targeting and taunting Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin who knew each victim and whose wife, Maya, had been the first name on that list. In addition to battling his personal demons, this New York transplant’s aggressive style didn’t sit well with his laid-back colleagues who viewed Henry’s uncharacteristic lack of progress in the investigation as evidence that fueled ongoing rumors that he could be the killer. Was he, or could it have been someone within the municipal hierarchy with a vendetta? As it was, after thirteen years on the job Henry had been disillusioned with paradise. His career choice long killed any fantasy of living in a grass hut on a wind-swept beach, being serenaded by the lazy sounds of the ocean and a slack key guitar. Instead, it had opened his eyes to a Hawaii that tourists will never see.


Read an excerpt

The reflection from scattered tiki torches competed with the moonlight flickering across the black velvet lagoon. Gentle trade winds, carrying the sweet peach-like scent of plumeria, tickled the flames and the palm fronds. Clearly a welcomed reprieve from five straight days of stifling temperatures. A catamaran and a couple small outrigger canoes, their artfully painted fiberglass hulls made to look like the wood of ancient Koa trees, were pulled up along the sandy shoreline. The heavy beat of drums reverberated off the tall palms and set the rhythm for a half-dozen pair of grass-skirted hips dancing on the main stage while vacationers laughed, ogled, and stuffed their faces with shredded pork, scoops of macaroni salad, steaming flavored rice wrapped in Ti leaves, thick slices of pineapple, papaya, mango, and freshly roasted macadamia nuts that were all artfully displayed on wide banana leaf covered center pieces. They sat cross-legged in the sand, sipping Mai Tais from plastic cups made to look like hollowed out coconut shells, lost in a tropical fantasy that came complete with a souvenir snap shot taken with an authentic hula girl—the perfect paradise as portrayed on the website. The noise from the music, chanting, and laughter, drowned out the frantic noise of the nearby kitchen, and it drowned out the desperate pleas and painful cries of Makani Palahia from the far side of the beach at Auntie Lily’s Luau Cove and Hawaiian Barbecue. 


Purchase from:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UkjBee 

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3BRB0mv

Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/3dVBaBj


Richard I Levine is a native New Yorker raised in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. After dabbling in several occupations and a one-year coast to coast wanderlust trip, this one-time volunteer fireman, bartender, and store manager returned to school to become a chiropractor. A twenty-three-year cancer survivor, he’s a strong advocate for the natural healing arts. Levine has four Indy-published novels and his fifth work, To Catch The Setting Sun, is published by The Wild Rose Press and was released in August 2022. In 2006 he wrote, produced and was on-air personality of the Dr. Rich Levine show on Seattle’s KKNW 1150AM and after a twenty-five year practice in Bellevue, Washington, he closed up shop in 2017 and moved to Oahu to pursue a dream of acting and being on Hawaii 5-O. While briefly working as a ghostwriter/community liaison for a local Honolulu City Councilmember, he appeared as a background actor in over twenty-five 5-Os and Magnum P.Is. Richard can be seen in his first co-star role in the Magnum P.I. third season episode “Easy Money”. He presently resides in Hawaii. 

Visit Richard’s Amazon Page or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.



Tuesday, November 22, 2022

New Release: The Christmas Story & Other Beloved Stories of Jesus by Linda Weaver Clarke


 

These inspiring stories of Jesus are told in narrative style to help readers understand the life of Jesus Christ. This style of writing brings the stories to life for ages twelve and older, so you can understand the scriptures better. The font is larger for easier reading, especially for children, teenagers, and grandparents. You will read about the birth of Jesus, His miracles, the last supper, and His resurrection.

This book includes beautiful inspirational paintings by Del Parson, the renowned artist. Each painting gives the feeling of reverence and peace. You can actually feel the love that Jesus has for all of us. To learn more about Del Parson and his inspirational paintings, visit www.delparson.com

You can visit Linda Weaver Clarke at www.lindaweaverclarke.com

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BJYM9VDY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (October 22, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 67 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8359482974
  • Purchase here!

Monday, November 21, 2022

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Nov 21

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 


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 and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.   

Happy Monday, everyone! Are my US friends getting ready for Thanksgiving? Are any of your Christmas decorations up yet (if that is what you celebrate)? And, have you started your holiday shopping? Doesn't it seem this time of year that everything just rushes all the way through to the end of the year? I just sent out my Thanksgiving Day cards, but now it is time to order the holiday ones. 

The Lil' Princess made it home a day later than expected because of her flight being canceled, but we are thrilled to have her with us through to next Sunday. The girls and I went to Salem this weekend. Can't believe I have never been when it is only an hour and 45 minutes away. 


Visitor's Center


Inside one of the local businesses


Shops on the waterfront




Waterfront

Reading has been almost non-existent lately, but I am one book shy of meeting my Goodreads goal of 40 books for the year, so I am feeling optimistic. I have been listening to this book on Audible. It is one of those books that everyone recommends, so I figured I would try Audible and listen to it on my drives back and forth. Not a real fan of the narrator, but it's a good book.



I finished this Sheila Roberts book on the plane. You can read my review here. Do we smell another Hallmark movie in this author's future?


I am reading this one as well. 


I need to read these next.




I am reviewing this one in January.






Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Good thing I didn't buy any books in Salem, but I was tempted. Here are some Kindle freebies I picked up this week.





That's it for me. I will be out the door by 8:30 this morning, so I will be checking in with bloggers after that. Hope you have a great day!

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Book Review: The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts

 

The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts is the perfect blend of heartwarming family drama, romance, and seasonal fun.

Julia, youngest daughter of Michelle and Max, invites everyone to her new house in Idaho for Christmas. Michelle and Max aren't thrilled about going, but with their marriage in shambles and divorce imminent, they want the family to have one last holiday together.

Michelle and Max's two other daughters, Audrey and Shyla, are driving in from California, hoping they might find Audrey a sexy rancher along the way. What they don't plan on is being stranded for the holidays when the car breaks down.

Grandma Hazel and Grandpa Warren have the shortest drive, but Hazel isn't thrilled about the idea of driving all that way in the snow.

As three generations of the family make their way out in the snow to visit Julia, their adventures lead to one memorable family Christmas.

This might just be my favorite Sheila Roberts Christmas story. It has drama. It has humor. It has romance. And it is all set during a snowy Christmas. What could be better? I loved getting to know this family. I could read this novel a second time. 

With The Road to Christmas, Roberts proves once again why she is the queen of the Christmas novel. As each set of travelers comes up against their own obstacles, readers enjoy getting to know them, crying with them a little, and laughing with them. This is such a sweet story, and Roberts' keen eye for detail makes the reader feel like they are right there with these characters. My hope is that Hallmark or Lifetime Movie Network decides to turn this one into a movie, because it would be amazing to see this story unfold on the small screen. 

If you enjoy sweet seasonal stories, The Road to Christmas is a perfect choice.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA; Original edition (September 20, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0778386562
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0778386568

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Purchase from:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BOS5yL

Walmart: https://bit.ly/3UAwIZs