The Book Connection...: 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 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 November, everyone! Can you believe we are in month eleven of 2026? It blows my mind. Hope you had a nice week. Mine was good, yet emotionally exhausting. Last Thursday, I attended the ribbon-cutting for the new Veterans Home in Holyoke. It is amazing! I haven't been there since my father-in-law's death. It was nice, however, to connect with friends who also lost loved ones during the early months of the pandemic. Here are some photos from my week:

Date night dinner on Halloween

New Veterans Home in Holyoke, MA

Some of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home Coalition who advocated for the new home

Theo is not a fan of the scarecrow

Evening walk in our woods

Have you decided on your books for the Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon? Look for my post later this month.

I have decided that if I finish a book, it won't appear on my list for the week. I will simply post my review when it's time. If it is for a virtual book tour, the date that I plan to post the review will appear in the list of upcoming events.

I still haven't started Harboring the Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot by R. C. Duffy yet. Not sure if I can before it expires.

I bought an Audible copy of this book so I can read it in time. The TV MBA: Business Lessons from Popular Culture by Rhymer Rigby is great, though I find his reading speed hard to follow.

I am enjoying Starry-Eyed Christmas by Sheila Roberts. This is for a December review.

You can read my First Chapter Review of Shifta by Miles Joyner later today.

The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles still didn't get any attention this week. I wish I could get more downtime. Not looking likely with my work schedule and a trip to see the Lil' Princess coming up.

I am looking forward to reading Soledad and the Curse of the Phoenix by Mindy Baker.

I will be reading Just Enough Room for Christmas by Robin Currie soon.

Upcoming Events

Yuletide Murder at Sea by Sue Stewart - Nov 4 (Interview)
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 will keep sharing new books.

Only two new arrivals this week. One for review and one was free with a promotional credit.

A Match Made at Christmas by Amy R. Anguish et al.

T is for Traffic Cone: The City Pigeon's Alphabet by Sarah Feingold

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past looks back at 1955. So many interesting things happened that year. Find my post here.

Authors are signing up for my latest idea. The Christmas Memory Collection will feature authors sharing memories, traditions, and other holiday stories. Check out the details here if you wish to participate. Space is limited.