It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Mar 10

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! Well, it's actually still Sunday, but I have a busy morning. Hope you had a nice week. Mine went by in a flash. The Lil' Princess is now safely back in North Carolina. We had a lovely visit filled with shopping, eating, and at home adventures. The week started off with a closing and ended with me nursing a cold. I still sound off, but I feel fine. Here are a few photos from the week:

Giggles waiting for me to feed the furry crew.

Goats at Tables at the Farm. 

Breakfast at Tables at the Farm. 

Seedlings are sprouting. 

Travis being curious, little Travis. Open drawers are not safe around here. 

In my reading world, I finished this one. Check out my review here. 

I read and reviewed this new release at my children's book blog. You can find my review here.

I started this historical novel. 

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. 

No new physical books, but I was approved on NetGalley for this book last week. 

Upcoming Events

• Sunset Bay by Karen Stewart - Mar 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav - Date TBD (Review) 
• Pineapple Easter Egg by Amy Vansant - Apr 10 (Showcase)
• The Whispering Witch and Nobody Important by Lee J. Martin - Apr 16 & 17 (Review at TC&TBC)
• Surviving the United Nations by Robert Bruce Adolph - May 9 (First Chapter Review)

At Christmas Year Round I posted Three Things to Do in March to Prepare for Next Christmas. Check it out here. 

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection I reviewed The Crocodile in the Nile. Cute book that tells the story of Moses being found on the river by a kind crocodile. Read the review here. 

At Laura's Little Houses, I compared The Long Winter and Little Town on the Prairie to Season 6 of the Little House on the Prairie show. You can read that here.  

Heading out this morning for breakfast with one of my sisters before going to a medical appointment. I will check out your blogs this afternoon. Can't wait to see what you've been reading. 

Book Review: The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton

 

Contestants of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest are disappearing. Can Fannie and her private investigator friend, Foster Bates, discover why before the finals get underway?

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton finds Sugarcreek, Ohio, resident Fannie Miller as a finalist in the county baking contest. People from far and wide come to compete in the annual event, and Fannie is determined to take the blue ribbon and cash prize home this year. But then she notices what no one else is talking about: finalists are disappearing. Who could be responsible? 

Is it the cash-strapped couple on the verge of divorce?

Could it be one or all three of the Beiler sisters, who own the local bakery?

Maybe its the bishop's disgruntled son.

Fannie brings in her good friend and private investigator Foster Bates to help get to the bottom of this whacky mystery before more contestants go missing.

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits is a lighthearted and fun read with a dash of romance. What the authors did best is create a quirky cast of characters in and around an Amish community in Ohio. 

• Fannie owns the local quilt shop. She likes mystery novels and considers herself an amateur sleuth. 
• Foster is widower and a retired policeman who owns a private investigator's office in town. He loves fishing. 
• Hope, Faith, and Charity Beiler are the town gossips who own the local bakery. They have a pet parrot named Peggy, who often says the wrong thing at the wrong time. 
• Bishop John is often busy writing sermons. He has a son, Jeb, who struggles socially. 
• Michael and Melissa Taylor are on the brink of divorce after a married life filled with disappointments and challenges. 

Sprinkling in a hint of romance between a few characters while still keeping it light is another wonderful thing about the story. There were definitely some chuckles along the way.

While mystery is one of my favorite genres, this mystery slogged along with few real developments and convenient conclusions. Typically, in Amish fiction, you get that sense of the community the characters live in. That didn't seem to be a big focus for this story. It also felt like moments of faith were haphazardly tossed in. Now, this is supposed to be a light mystery, so that could be intentional on the part of the authors. 

Michael and Melissa's storyline was the most compelling because it came from the heart. That's what propelled me to continue with The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits. This storyline offered the most satisfying conclusion for me as a reader. 

If you enjoy lighthearted mysteries filled with quirky characters, then The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits could be just what you're looking for. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CYD821C4
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Fiction (January 1, 2025)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8891510111

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Feb 17

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! How was your week? Did anyone have special plans this weekend? Friday is date night, so the other half and I went out to dinner. Nothing special. Just the local UNO's. The Lil' Princess is out of town, spending time with her fiancé, so we are getting a taste of life as empty nesters. Not sure I will be ready for it when it comes. 

Another productive week for me. It helps when real estate is steady, but not hectic.

• I have meal plans in place for the next four weeks.
• Participated in #Questpit for the first time on X (formerly Twitter).
• Sold one of my books, which means it will soon be out of print. Wish I could affordably bring them back into the marketplace.
• I also organized all of my bookshelves and cataloged all my titles by or about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House on the Prairie television show starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. I also cataloged all my books by Lucy Maud Montgomery, tie-in books to Anne of Green Gables, and biographies about the author. 

Here are a few photos from the past week:

I am now the lucky wearer of three different pairs of glasses. In addition to my regular progressives and my sunglasses, my old eyes need these computer progressives to work any length of time on the screen. Can't drive with them, but they definitely make it easier to work at my desk. 

Poor Boots had to have a nail extracted from her paw. She is doing fine but wasn't a huge fan of the visit.

Dwight checking everything out from his perch on the kitchen wall. 

Travis taking advantage of the rug we have laid down so Theo won't slip on the floor. 

In my reading world, I am reading all three of these right now. 

Grabbed Gilbert's book with an Audible credit after it was recommended by a workshop coordinator. 

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. 

I've been on a bit of a book-buying binge lately. The books from Thriftbooks arrived Saturday and were added to my bookshelves. This one below arrived from a publicist. It will be released on March 25. Look for my review coming at the end of March or early April. 

This digital copy arrived on Friday. I will be posting a First Chapter Review on March 11th. 

I also ordered two books from Amazon from an author whose launch party I will be participating in. I've reviewed a couple of her books in the past. More about that coming soon. 

Upcoming events:

• Review of Body Parts by Catlin Rother - Feb 24 (Review)
• Sunset Bay by Karen Stewart - Mar 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav - Date TBD (Review) 

This week at Christmas Year Round I shared "Three Things to Do in February to Prepare for Next Christmas." You can read it here. 

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection I chatted about my #QuestPit experience. I also use this blog to share writing updates and news.

At Laura's Little Houses, I posted a link to my latest Anne with an E fanfiction story, "A Scandal in Avonlea." I tend to think of Anne Shirley as the Canadian version of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Even their authors had some connections. You will also find a post titled Transitions and Simplicity, which talks about stage of life changes and choices I'm making.

In the United States, today is President's Day. We use it to celebrate our presidents, even though, as history.com indicates, it was originally established to commemorate George Washington's birthday. 

That's it for me today. Looking forward to visiting your blogs and catching up with you. 

Favorites from 2017

Back when I had more time for blogging, I used to compile a list of 10 favorite books and give out award badges. These days, I'm only reading about 30 books a year. I'm hoping 2018 will break that cycle. Here are a few of my favorite reads from 2017:

What were some of your favorites from 2017?

Book Review: What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman

If you like Amish mysteries, you need to grab a copy of What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman. This first book in a new series features a bishop with an extraordinary talent that could be the key to finding a murderer.

Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene of an out of control fire in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. He soon learns the fire was no accident and that Vernon Frey was killed. Considering Vernon's reputation in the Amish and Englisch communities there is no end to potential suspects.

When police suspect someone Henry knows is innocent, he must decide if he will use his mysterious, God-given gift to set the record straight.

When I heard Chapman was releasing a new series that blended two of my favorite genres--Amish fiction and mystery--there was no doubt I would read it. What the Bishop Saw hooked me right from the Prologue and didn't let go until the Epilogue was done. I'm already planning to beg to review the next book in the series when it comes out.

Her trademark of "Christian Fiction Full of Grace" is front and center throughout this exciting story, while the romance between Henry and Emma percolates slowly like a good cup of coffee. The ending is superb and I loved the Epilogue. The novel is filled with characters I hope we will see again in the next book.

I have enjoyed everything I've ever read by Vannetta Chapman, but What the Bishop Saw is my new favorite. I can't wait to see what happens next in The Amish Bishop Mysteries series.


Series: The Amish Bishop Mysteries (Book 1)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (May 1, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736966471
ISBN-13: 978-0736966474

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

Pre-order What the Bishop Saw by Vannetta Chapman

Somewhere in the Embers Lies the Truth

A fire blazes out of control in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, leaving an elderly Amish bachelor dead. Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene, and he learns the fire was no accident. Someone intended to kill Vernon Frey. But who would want to kill Vernon? Well, practically everyone—Amish and Englisch alike.

When the police point the finger at a suspect Henry knows is innocent, the bishop must decide whether or not to use his mysterious, God-given gift—one he's tried desperately to ignore all these years—to try and set the record straight. His close friend and neighbor, Emma, encourages Henry to follow God's leading.

Could the clue to solving the case be locked somewhere deep in his memory? Will Henry find the courage to move forward in faith and put the right person behind bars? Is his friendship with Emma becoming something more?


What the Bishop Saw is a story of extraordinary talents, the bonds of love and friendship, and the unfailing grace of God.

Series: The Amish Bishop Mysteries (Book 1)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (May 1, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736966471
ISBN-13: 978-0736966474

Pre-order here!

Kindle Bargain: Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman

The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.

When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to help the police track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.

Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury . . . and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village.

File Size: 2328 KB
Print Length: 340 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
Publisher: Zondervan (June 9, 2015)
Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B00PFBNZQU


Purchase here for only $1.99!