It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 17

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.       

Welcome back to Monday! I hope you had a great week. We returned home on Saturday. We had a nice vacation, but I worked more than I intended. I'm already back showing houses as well. So, not as relaxing as I had hoped, but still great to get away. 

Yours truly celebrated a birthday while we were away. Some of the books you will see for Mailbox Monday were gifts from the family. Here are a few other photos from our time away. I didn't take as many as usual, because I really wanted to be present with them as much as possible.

The Queen Elizabeth II replica the night of the fireworks

The girls and me

The Elizabethan Gardens (one of Yia-Yia's favorite places on the OBX)

Theo likes to beg for attention

Happy 55th birthday to me!

This lovely necklace came from Silver Line Jewelry at the Jockey's Ridge Shops

I also received a Christmas TV water globe similar to this one 

As expected, I took advantage of down time to read. I am currently five books ahead of schedule to complete my annual Goodreads goal. 

I posted my review of this one here. It was amazing, but I expected nothing less from this author. 

I ended up not reading this one. I will start it while driving around to appointments this week. 

I started this one, but it was a bit too wordy and not as full of action as I typically enjoy. I will post a spotlight of it on August 16 at The Children's and Teen's Book Connection.

Speaking of my kid's book blog, I am working on posting more content there. The blog covers from board books up to clean young adult novels. I also share my writing updates and when I blog at the 4RV Reading, Writing, & Art News or Christian Children's Authors blog. You can find that blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

I started this novel while we were away. My review will appear August 21st.

I am on the launch team for Wendi Lou Lee's second book. I need to start reading it. My review will appear August 18th. 

Using the Kindle app on my phone, I started this book. In this AOGG reimaging, Anne moves to the small town of Greenville with her two moms and ends up in a love triangle. It's written in first person, which can be challenging, but so far I am enjoying it.

I also started this one.

Also on my Kindle app, I came across this AOGG retelling in graphic novel form and downloaded a sample. In this version, Anne moves to an apartment building called Avon-Lea to live with the Cuthberts. She meets Diana Barry and they become good friends, but soon Anne develops more-than-friend feelings for Diana. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• Single Parents Rock! by Jaret Martino - July 19 (review TC&TBC)
• The Unempty Spaces Between by Louis Efron - July 20 (review)
• An Atomic Love Story: The Extraordinary Women in Robert Oppenheimer's Life by Shirley Streshinsky & Patricia Klaus - July 24 
• Come to Me by Amy W. Vogel - July 25 (review)
• The Five Watches: An Accident of Time by John York - August 4 
• Exits by Stephen C. Pollock - August 7 (review)
• Blood & Water by Linda Armstrong-Miller - August 9
• Red Tail Feathers by Wendi Lou Lee - August 18 (review)
• Sammy the Sailing Sea Turtle by Gwendol - August 16 (TC&TBC)
• Ravage & Son by Jerome Charyn - August 21 (review)
• Victoria James: And The Mysterious Case of the Chilly Willies by Elizabeth Burns August 29 (review TC&TBC)

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.

The family bought me these two books for my birthday. 

When we arrived home, this book was waiting for me. I need to add this to my books to be reviewed pile. 

Phew! That was a lot. I hope you have read some wonderful books over the last week. I look forward to checking out your blogs.