It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Nov 3

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 November! Does anyone have their tree up yet? I hear that the day after Halloween means it's time to decorate. Luckily, I didn't get many fall decorations up this year, so not much to take down. Very few visitors on Halloween, which was sad. I miss those days when the neighborhood was filled with kids. 

Here are a few photos from last week:

Made this yummy chicken swiss bake

Travis likes to peek out the windows

My fall vest from Wilmington

The husband and his dog

In my reading world, I finished Charlie Can't Sleep by Rachel Joy Welcher. You can read my review here. 

                                        

I read some of The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons, which I need to finish this week. 

I continued with The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. My review is coming soon. 

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is partially done. 

I want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Eager to read Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron for a November review. 

Will be posting a First Chapter Review of A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West in November.

Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein will also be archived soon, so I need to read it. 

After all that, I think I will tackle something from my TBR pile. I'm focusing on whittling that down. I can't stand having so many boxes of unread books in the house. 

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 grabbed Christmas at Whispering Creek by Barbara M. Britton because it was on sale. With my promotional credits from Amazon, it was a freebie for me. 

Upcoming Events

• A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West - Nov 13 (First Chapter Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. This week, we are talking about the florist decorating the White House, Christmas movies on Netflix in November, and magical Christmas markets in Europe. Check it out here. 

My review of Charlie Can't Sleep! was posted at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this weekend.

Talked a bit about my Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie book collection at Laura's Little Houses. I will likely feature some of those books next year. I can't believe I am already thinking of my 2026 blogging schedule.  

That is all for me. I might not be around much today, but I will definitely visit you this week. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Keep Meaning to Read (But Haven’t)

 

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 back to Wednesday. Hope you're having a great week. For this week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge, we're discussing the books we keep meaning to read but never seem to get to. I'm sure your list, like mine, is extensive. Here are a few that come to mind:

I have wanted to read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren since it came out. It's in a box here somewhere.

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs is another book I've been meaning to read. I'm not sure I own this one yet. 

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz is one that I've at least read the first chapter of, but it seems I never have time to keep going. 

I want to read all of The Maid books by Nita Prose, but I refuse to buy more of them until I finish the first one. 

The rest of the books in The Daughters of the Mayflower series. I've read four or five and own the rest, but I simply haven't made time to read them. So many books. So little time. 

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is one I hope to read sooner rather than later. I bought it at the same time that I bought The Maid.

What is on your list of books you keep meaning to read but haven't? Do we share any of the same books? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - June 2

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, 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! (Posting early because my morning is filled with appointments.) We are less than a week away from the big wedding! I expect I will be busy a lot of this week, but I will do my best to post timely comments on your blogs. Here are some photos from last week:

Made this delicious Korean BBQ Cheesy Corn as a side with pork tenderloin the other night. 

Dwight is keeping an eye on everything. 

Theo is waiting for my husband to arrive.

How is this even comfortable, Theo?

Travis is happy his human mom is home until after the wedding. 

Not a ton of reading accomplished again this week, but I finished this memoir and posted a review at my Laura Ingalls Wilder blog. You will find the link further down in my post. 

Keeping on with this one. 

These are next. 

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. 

Downloaded this from NetGalley. 

A tender story of love, memory, and family that helps children explore the emotions and changes that come with aging family members while celebrating the traditions that keep us connected across generations.

Tali loves spending time with her grandmother, her “Nona,” especially when they prepare traditional Sephardic Jewish dishes together. But as they cook, Tali notices that her nona sometimes forgets things—calling her by her mother’s name or losing track of the meal they’re making. As Tali navigates these moments, she begins to understand Nona's "Timeless Time," where memories from the past and present come together in beautiful and complex ways.

• Ideal for children ages 4-8, especially those experiencing a grandparent’s memory loss.
• A heartfelt story that opens up gentle conversations about aging and family connections.
• Beautiful illustrations bring to life the rich traditions and the love between a grandmother and granddaughter.

Tali and the Timeless Time poignantly and sensitively tells the story of a young girl’s empathy and curiosity about her grandmother’s confusion and memory loss. Perfect for children navigating a changing relationship with an aging family member, this heartwarming tale also centers on the importance of traditions that bind us together across time and generations.

Upcoming Events

• Cayman Conundrum by Stacy Wilder - June 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Freedom Drop & Calypso Blue by Brian Silverman - June 18 (Showcase)
• Freedom Drop by Brian Silverman - June 21 (First Chapter Review)
• Calypso Blue by Brian Silverman - June 22 (First Chapter Review)
• Soul Stirrings by Anita Hackley Lambert - June 25 (Book Spotlight)
• To Murder a Marquis by Arabella Sheraton - June 27 - (Review)

Christmas Year Round has a new Christmas... in the News post. You can read it here. 

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week, but I will be reading the NetGalley download soon. 

Laura's Little Houses is where I posted my review of Dean Butler's book, Prairie Man. You can read that here. 

That's it for me today. Hope you have a great day!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - May 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 and comment, and er... add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome in 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 back to Monday! Hope all you mothers and mother figures who celebrated Mother's Day yesterday had a nice day. My hearts go out to all of those missing their moms and other special people on that day. 

I was blessed with a lovely weekend. My sister and I attended The SpongeBob Musical at Exit 7 Players over the weekend. We were supposed to go the previous weekend, but when things developed with the cat, we delayed our outing. It was another amazing show. The actors captured the characters in Bikini Bottom so well. 

On Sunday, four of us got together for brunch. I plan to head to North Carolina this coming Sunday to see the Lil' Princess.

Brunch at Evan's Egg House: Husband, Lil' Diva, and John Boy

Spinach and feta scramble with home fries and toast

With so much real estate work happening, it's been impossible to read. I also have a manuscript I am beta reading, and a manuscript I am editing for a client. The only thing I accomplished is to read this NetGalley download. So much fun!

Haven't touched this one in weeks, but it is on my list. 

These are next, along with a few First Chapter Reviews coming up. You can see upcoming events below. 

I would also love it if you would answer this short survey for bloggers. You can find it here.

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. 

This has not been published yet, but I downloaded it from NetGalley. Look for my review coming soon. 

A book for the coolest grandpas and grandmas everywhere!

Grandparents love to rock every way they can—whether it's by singing out loud, dancing to a song in their hearts, or just living their best lives! 

From the musical team of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo comes a lyrical read-aloud that celebrates all kinds of grandparents from all walks of life—from plumbers to yoga instructors to…rock stars!

Upcoming Events

• Cayman Conundrum by Stacy Wilder - June 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Freedom Drop & Calypso Blue by Brian Silverman - June 18 (Showcase)
• Freedom Drop by Brian Silverman - June 21 (First Chapter Review)
• Calypso Blue by Brian Silverman - June 22 (First Chapter Review)
• To Murder a Marquis by Arabella Sheraton - June 27 - (Review)

Nothing new at Christmas Year Round, because I took the weekend off. 

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. Hope to post there this week.  

Check out my analysis of On the Banks of Plum Creek versus Season 1 of Little House on the Prairie at Laura's Little Houses. You will find it here. 

Looking forward to visiting your blogs today. Might not be until later since I am heading out on the road today, and then I have a media interview. Enjoy your day!