Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: The First Show I Remember Watching

 

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 asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it 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. 

Happy hump day! Hope your week is going well. Today, we are talking about television. Today's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge asks us to share the first show we remember watching. Keeping in mind that I am a Gen Xer, we only had a handful of channels back then: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and Channel 38 out of Boston. 

My earliest recollection is watching Sesame Street on PBS. Long before Elmo was even imagined, Grover, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird (my favorite), Kermit, Oscar the Grouch, Count von Count, Gordon, Susan, Bob, Luis, and Mr. Hooper lived on Sesame Street, helping me learn how to read, spell, and count. I still sing some of the songs from the show, and used to sing them to my children. Here are a few of my favorites:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026 & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What's a Food You're Obsessed With?

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 Tuesday! Another morning of meetings for me. Doesn't that sound like fun? At least I'm not bored. 

Today, we are sharing our most anticipated books releasing in the first half of 2026. Let's see what we can find.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing

 in the First Half of 2026

No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah

Write Way to Die by Nikki Haverstock

Hattie Mae Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake

If You Were Here by Abigail Johnson

How Simi Got her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them by Ashley Alker, M. D.

You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts

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 is asking us to share a food we are obsessed with. Hmmm... have you met me? I love to eat. I have the largest appetite in the house. While I love pizza, ice cream, and chocolate chip cookies, I guess the one food I am obsessed with is pasta. 

When I was pregnant with my son many, many moons ago, I ate pasta several times a week. Pasta is a staple in our house, with me making one pasta dish weekly. I might supplement that with leftover pasta for lunch. One day, I want to make my own pasta. 

That's it for me today. I look forward to visiting your blogs. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 12

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 Monday! Hope you all had a fabulous week. I spent my week easing into work and taking time to visit with my sisters. Here are photos from our trip.

Grand Pequot Tower 

Lunch at Jealous Monk

Ax throwing: Don't worry, you are all safe. My highest score was zero.

Ketchup cat at Johnny Rockets

Breakfast at Somewhere in Time Cafe

Advent calendars at a 

store in Olde Mistick Village

I finished two books last week: Next Is Now by Leigh Brown, and The Case for Old MacDonald and His Farm. Check out my review of Leigh's book here. The link to the picture book appears further down in this post. 

I did not read I Heard the Bells last week, but I will indulge myself tonight. 

I didn't read Hooked by Cailtin Rother last week, but it will be my focus this week. 

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. 

I gave my physical and virtual mailboxes a break this week. 

Upcoming Events

Hooked by Catilin Rother - January (Review)

Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality by John Beilharz - Jan 26 (Interview)

Artsy Rambler by Evy and Rich Journey - Feb 3 (Spotlight)

Winter's Season by R. J. Koreto - Feb 13 (Spotlight)

Hook, Line, and Murder by GG Calpo - Mar 2 (Interview)

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Christmas Year Round

I introduced my newest feature at Christmas Year Round, "Journey through Christmases Past." This is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we remember. You can read the first post, looking back at 1968, here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I reviewed one of my NetGalley downloads, The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm by Mark Teague, which will be released in March. Click here to read the review. 

Laura's Little Houses

I wrapped up my Little House favorite episodes posts by sharing my top five from Season 9. You can read about them here. 

That completes my second 2026 Monday post. I have an appointment this morning, so I will be checking in with my blogging friends later this afternoon. Enjoy your day!

Audible Book Review: Next Is Now by Leigh Brown

 

We know her. We love her. And Leigh Brown is back with the book that has been on her heart for a while, Next Is Now: How to Move Forward When Disruption, Doubt, and Discomfort Hit All at Once. 

If you're living a life that appears successful but isn't filling your cup, Next Is Now should be your next purchase. This is a book about getting real with yourself and embracing your calling. It's a book about learning what is in your way and why you can't move forward, shutting off the outside voices, building trust, and embracing what you feel called to do--even if it doesn't make sense to everyone else. 

I've been privileged to know Leigh for years, and while we are separated by the miles, every time I take one of her classes or read one of her books, I feel like she understands right where I am and comes to me with bold advice I can immediately put into practice. She's not afraid to tell her story and use it as a way to lift up others. While I knew some of the stories that unfolded, I learned more about what she went through and respected her even more through the humble way she gave of herself in this book. You cannot listen to Leigh and walk away without pearls of wisdom. She is a woman of character, a woman of faith, and a person who can motivate you to uncover your purpose despite the disruption, doubt, and discomfort that tries to interfere.

Highly recommended!

Listening Length	3 hours and 22 minutes
Author	Leigh Brown
Narrator	Leigh Brown
Audible.com Release Date	December 03, 2025
Publisher	Leigh Brown
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0G4SNR8SZ

I downloaded this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: New Books I Am Looking Forward to This Year

 

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 asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it 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. 

Welcome to the official first Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge of 2026! Thanks for being here today. 

This time of year, there is talk about the new books we plan to read. Here are a few that caught my eye:

1. A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
2. We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America by Norah O'Donnell with Kate Andersen Brower
3. Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts
4. The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jamie Jo Wright
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Meltdown by Sheila Roberts

Looking forward to checking out your blogs today. Thanks for reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2025 & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What are Your Blogging/Reading Goals for the New Year?

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 first Top Ten Tuesday of 2026! Today, we are sharing the best books we read last year. 

Can I tell you a little secret? I was shocked to learn I had met my Goodreads goal in 2025 because it didn't seem possible. Well, looks like the Kindle Unlimited account I share with my daughter is responsible for me reading 60+ books in 2025. I really only read 41 of them. Needless to say, I am going to need to keep track of her reading now, too. 

Out of the books I did read, here (in no particular order) are the...

Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2025

1. Jesus Listens by Sarah Young (devotional)
2. 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History by Charles Bracelen Flood (Civil War history)
3. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (professional development)
4. Down to the Bone by Caitlin Rother (true crime)
5. The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jamie Jo Wright (Gothic fiction)
6. Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken: Har Har by Craig Yoe (middle grade fiction)
7. The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts (women's fiction)
8. Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabstein (middle grade fiction)
9. Never Let a Unicorn Meet a Reindeer! by Diane Alber (picture book)
10. While We Were Young by K. L. Walther (coming of age teen/YA)

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.

Today's Tell Me Something Tuesday is asking us to share our blogging/reading goals for 2026. I don't have all of these finalized yet, though that is highly unusual for me. I took a step back over the holidays to refresh and restore my body and soul. Getting back to work this week, I feel like I can nail down all my goals. 

The one goal I am sure of is this: read more books from my TBR pile than I add new books to my list. How can I accomplish this:

1. Don't request to review as many virtual book tour titles. Ones that I know I will request: Sheila Roberts and Jamie Jo Wright. Sheila tours new books every year, and I don't plan to miss them. Jamie Jo has two coming out in 2026. 
2. Only use my Audible credits for new books, and only after I listen to the six new ones I have already ordered since my subscription renewed.
3. Pre-order only the books by authors I know, and make a concerted effort not to buy more books until read at least five from my TBR pile. 

Not sure I can stick to this goal, but I plan to do my best. My TBR pile is at 320, and my free Kindle books list is at 723, many of which I haven't read. I am overdue to spend time with these books. 

Looking forward to checking in with you this afternoon. I have meetings this morning. Thanks for reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Jan 5

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 New Year, everyone! Hope you enjoyed your holidays. Were you able to relax a bit? Like many, I return to work today. Granted, my schedule is more flexible than others, but I've appreciated having some time to refresh and restore my tired body and soul. 

Here are some recent photos: 

Gifts from one of my real estate clients

Spent a wonderful amount of time

in the kitchen

Travis took over my new basket

Dwight likes my wrapping supplies

Between Christmas and New Year's, I was able to catch up on reading and blogging. 

My review of this Advent devotional by Cynthia Ruchti appears here.

My review of the seasonal romance, Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason appears here. 

I am halfway through reading the I Heard The Bells Christmas novella collection by the Fab Four authors. 

I also started Hooked by Cailtin Rother. 

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. 

I downloaded a Kindle freebie a couple of days ago. Doesn't Write Me a Ghost Story by Phillipa Wozniak sound good? 

Myrtle Glubber came to the Hawaiian writers’ retreat looking for sunshine, snacks, and some lighthearted mystery—not an actual corpse.

Instead, the seasoned sleuth and her steadfast sidekick Stanley are swept into a chilling mix of island folklore, ghost stories, and a suspicious group of mystery authors who may be hiding more than plot twists. Before the workshops even begin, a murder shatters the tropical calm, and Myrtle finds herself at the heart of a real-life whodunit. Trapped on the island by a washed-out bridge and surrounded by writers with shifting stories and shady motives, Myrtle must rely on her instincts—and Stanley’s quiet support—as the danger creeps closer. A thoughtful retired detective offers help and history, but even his steady presence can’t protect them from the rising tension… or the next murder.

Can Myrtle unravel the tangled mystery before the killer strikes again?

Rich with ghostly legends, sly humor, and an older heroine who’s still got it, this paranormal cozy is a page-turner for anyone who believes murder and mayhem don’t retire when you do.

Buy this Myrtle Ghost Story today—because on this island, the spirits are restless, and the killer has a deadline.

Upcoming Events

Hooked by Catilin Rother - January (Review)

Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality by John Beilharz - Jan 26 (Interview)

Artsy Rambler by Evy and Rich Journey - Feb 3 (Spotlight)

Winter's Season by R. J. Koreto - Feb 13 (Spotlight)

Hook, Line, and Murder by GG Calpo - Mar 2 (Interview)

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Christmas Year Round

At my Christmas blog, I posted my final Christmas... in the news segment for Christmas 2025. I'm thinking of ideas for what to replace it with until Christmas news is plentiful again. You can check it out here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I shared some of the children's books that are currently on my Kindle. Check them out here. I also linked to my New Year's Day post at Christian Children's Authors. You can find that here.

Laura's Little Houses

My top five favorite episodes from the eighth season of Little House on the Prairie are posted here. 

That's it from me this week. Wishing you a blessed 2026!