Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Wish I'd Discovered Sooner

 

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 requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which 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. 

Today is Wednesday, which means it is time for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. I may not have replied to any of your comments from last week yet. So sorry if that is the case. Real estate is keeping me up late at night and getting up early in the morning. Send some good wishes and prayers my way that things slow down to a manageable level. 

This week's prompt asks us to share Books I Wish I'd Discovered Sooner. Here are a few:

Harry Potter - I've discussed this before. I don't read highly popular books and series. I am not a follower. The final movie had been out for four years before I stopped by the library to grab the first book in this series. Then I listened to them in quick succession in my car as I drove around to appointments. 

Murder, She Wrote - I loved the show, but I never indulged in a book until Jon Land, one of my favorite authors, took over after Donald Bain passed away. Land wrote six Murder, She Wrote books. I read his last two.

Cedar Cove - This is a series I knew about, but I find it disheartening to start a new-to-me series when so many books have been written. It was the Hallmark Channel television series that got me into reading these books. I've only read the first three books and one of the Christmas novels. 

I would be remiss if I didn't add Amish novels by Charlotte Hubbard. I first read Charlotte's work in 2012, when she also wrote Amish novels under the pen name Naomi King. As far as I know, I didn't miss any of her novels from that point on until her retirement. I still miss her work. 

That's it for me. I will try my best to visit your blogs by the end of the week. Appreciate your visits and comments. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Love That Became Films or TV Shows

 

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 are talking about that week. Comments are appreciated. 

How is it Wednesday again? I still haven't caught up on Tuesday's blog visits, but I hope today is an easier day. Today, we are talking about favorite books that became films or TV Shows. Since I spoke about Little House on the Prairie, I won't go there. I won't even mention Anne of Green Gables. Here are a few others worth sharing. 

The 1993 movie, Gettysburg, was based on the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, which tells a fictionalized version of the three days of fighting at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. This novel is part of a series that Sharra wrote with his father. 

Before Nicholas Cage starred as Rayford Steele in Left Behind, based upon the Left Behind novels by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, that role was played by the late Brad Johnson, with Kirk Cameron playing another major character, Buck Williams. This is the last series I recall eagerly awaiting the arrival of each new book. 

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough was brought to the small screen in the early 80s, with Richard Chamberlain playing ambitious priest Ralph de Bricassart alongside Rachel Ward's Meggie Cleary. 

In 1994, The Stand by Stephen King was brought to television as a mini-series starring many well-known actors like Richard Thomas, Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinise, and Rob Lowe. 

On Strike for Christmas was the first book I ever read by Sheila Roberts. It's how I came to love her work. In 2010, Lifetime Television brought it to the small screen. I've never seen it, but I really want to one day. 

What can anyone say about the Harry Potter series except that it is amazing? I held off on reading it for years because I don't read overly popular books. Once I indulged myself, I was hooked, though I don't think I've seen a single movie all the way through. 

Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5... Books I'm Glad I Read

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme that explores different topics. Originally created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, it is now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads. For a list of November topics you can click here. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan's blog or leave a comment on her weekly post.

In some ways I expect this will be easy. I've been reading forever, so there are lots to choose from. But, then, how can I narrow this down to just five? Here are my picks for Top 5... Books I'm Glad I Read

I was a hold out on the Harry Potter series. Just like I haven't read the Twilight series, I just don't like reading wildly popular books. Maybe I'm afraid they won't live up to my expectations. Maybe I am too impatient to invest time in a series just to have to wait for each new book to come out. 

I finally took the plunge in 2015 and discovered what the big deal is about. I read through the rest of the series that year. 

Saffron Dreams was unlike any book I had read up until that point. It features a Muslim couple in New York City happily living their lives until the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. It provides a different perspective on how the world was changed after that day. It tells one woman's difficult journey to pick up the pieces of her shattered life in a country that has suddenly put her and an entire race under a microscope in order to make sense of a monumental tragedy.

Reading The Kensei was an accomplishment for me. I'm not much of a vampire story kind of person. This story, however, is a bit different because it takes place in Japan and has a character who is a former KGB assassin. It is fast-paced, which I love, and has tons of action and some witty banter. I also love those. 

If anyone told me I would like The Lunar Chronicles before I read Cinder and Scarlet, I would have laughed at them. I love historical fiction, not futuristic cyborgs. Cinder, the main character, drew me in right away, as did the plot of the first novel. I really need to catch up on this series. 

You really need to like reading if you're going to tackle a book that is over 1100 pages. What amazes me about The Stand is knowing I almost gave up on the book that remains my all-time favorite. Setting up all the characters and putting them in place, took time. Four hundred pages in, I really wasn't sure this was the book for me. Once I reached 600 pages, the pace picked up, the characters came together in two different places, and the storyline finally made sense. I breezed through it after that. 

I am not sure I would want to read it this year, considering it starts with a super flu that is accidentally released and kills off the majority of the population. A little too much like 2020 if you ask me. That said, I may need to read this again one day to see what my reaction is after being away from it for so long.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Fall 2020 TBR

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.

Well, it certainly is feeling like fall around here, so this week's post is right on target. I'm pulling out my Kindle and looking through my stacks to see what's there. 

Top Ten Books On My Fall 2020 TBR

Will I get to all of these? Probably not, but I hope to polish off at least half of them. What's in your Fall 2020 TBR pile?

Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5… Fave Characters K - O

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme that explores different topics. Originally created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, it is now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads. For a list of September topics you can click here. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan's blog or leave a comment on her weekly post.

Top 5… Fave Characters K - O

Katniss Everdeen is one tough young woman. She winds up the adult in her family and hunts to keep them fed. She volunteers as tribute to protect her younger sister, Prim. Without even trying, she becomes the face of a rebellion, and she will survive to spite them all.

Lois Lane might be Superman's love interest, but she is also an award-winning journalist for the Daily Planet. Intelligent and determined, she was one of the first female characters to appear in superhero comics. Lane has evolved over the years, but I remember the Lois from the 70s and 80s in her various comic book and TV show forms.

Moaning Myrtle is a former Ravenclaw student whose ghost haunts the second floor bathroom where she was killed by Tom Riddle. Bullied when she lived at Hogwarts because of her appearance, she returns after her death to seek revenge against her tormentor, Olive Hornby. Because Harry is kind to her, Myrtle develops a crush on him. It is one of the reasons she can't keep secrets from him. Though she annoyed a lot of people, Myrtle could be helpful from time to time. 

Nancy Drew, along with the Hardy Boys, introduced me to the world of amateur sleuths that I love to this day. The daughter of a lawyer, Nancy is clever, independent, and has a life filled with social activities, sports, and volunteering. She started solving mysteries as a teenager. 

I'm sure if I thought long and hard about it, I would find a character in a book for teens or adults that I love whose name begins with O. I simply didn't want to think about that because this big, blue octopus, voiced by Fred Savage on the TV series, is too adorable to ignore. My girls loved the adventures of Oswald, his dog Weenie, and his friends Daisy and Henry when they were little.

That's my list for this week. Hope you enjoy it.

Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5… Fave Characters F-J

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme that explores different topics. Originally created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, it is now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads. For a list of September topics you can click here. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan's blog or leave a comment on her weekly post.

September will prove to be a challenge for me, but I'll do my best.

Top 5… Fave Characters F-J

We meet Finnick Odair in Catching Fire. Mentored by Mags, a previous District 4 victor, he is wildly popular in the Capitol. The fact that Finnick ends up being way more than expected when you first meet him makes him a favorite and makes his death in Mockingjay even more tragic.

I grew up watching how the Grinch with his heart two sizes too small is transformed after he steals everything from the Who's Christmas and they still celebrate. Just like my other holiday favorite, Ebeneezer Scrooge, the Grinch learns a valuable lesson about the joy of Christmas. Perhaps the best part--other than this heart growing three sizes that day--is what the Grinch figured out--"Maybe Christmas...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more?"

You first meet Harry Potter as a young orphan mistreated by his aunt, uncle, and cousin. His fortune swiftly changes when he discovers he is a wizard. But does it? Through the next six books, Harry experiences many challenges and more tragic losses as he moves closer to fulfilling his destiny of meeting Lord Voldemort in an epic battle. 

The Invisible Man may seem like an odd choice, but hear me out. Griffin is a scientist who develops a serum to render himself invisible. What Griffin believes to be an incredible scientific discovery, soon presents challenges he did not imagine. He arrives at an inn, where he soon becomes the talk of the town. He's running out of money and his landlady is pressuring him to pay his rent and get out. Griffin becomes desperate. He seeks help from others and is betrayed. He descends into madness and ultimately dies after being beaten by a mob. The psychology of this character is what draws me to him. 

I think I read more of The Hardy Boys than I did Nancy Drew in my early days. Joe Hardy picked up most of his detective skills from his father. He is good at sports, attends church, and seems to have a knack for fixing their van's mechanical issues. He's a bit impulsive, which attracts me to him as a character. Good thing his brother Frank is more cautious.

What do you think of my choices? Do we share any of the same ones?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick for this week:

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.

I highly doubt I'm the only HP fan eagerly awaiting this one.  What are you waiting on this week?

Musing Mondays - March 7

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Which characters (from which book) do you think deserve their own spin-off story? Why?

Happy Monday! I am late with this today. The real estate market is hot and we are out looking for properties to buy. It was a crazy weekend where I was on the road morning until night. But I love it!

This week's question is so tough. Which book should I choose? I couldn't choose just one, so here it goes.

We learned a good deal about Professor Snape throughout the Harry Potter series, but I think a prequel spin-off is in order. What was his childhood like outside of his relationship with Lily and James? What attracted him about the Dark Lord? Better yet, maybe there was a Lily and Severus romance we never knew about that James destroyed. 

Another blogger mentioned they thought it would be interesting if The Hunger Games was told from Peta's point of view. How different would the Little House series have been if it had been told from Mary Ingalls' view point? Instead of the feisty, tomboy Laura and the relationship with her beloved Pa, would we have enjoyed climbing into the head of good girl Mary Ingalls? Would it be Mary and Ma instead of Laura and Pa we remember most?

Gordon Butler has been one of my favorite characters in the Rocky Bluff PD series. I would love to see a Gordon spin-off; maybe he transfers to a new police department somewhere else in California or out of state. Maybe he has a chance to be seen as more of a hero than the cop with all the bad luck.

What characters would you like to see have their own spin-off stories?

Musing Mondays - February 22

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: How do you choose which books you read?

Here it is, Monday again. I hope you had a great week. Things are going well here and I am slowly making a dent in my TBR pile. That definitely gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I'm currently reading An Amish Market, a short story collection with a story byVannetta Chapman.

I also pre-ordered three books last week:

• A Loaded Gun: Emily Dickinson for the 21st Century by Jerome Charyn
• The Fever Code by James Dashner
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany

I added these two books to my Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf:

Free Men by Katy Simpson Smith
A Stranger on My Land by Sandra Merville Hart

As for this week's question, I usually read books as they are due for review. I got behind starting in 2011 and never really caught up; so while I do participate in some new tours and am part of a street team for a couple of authors--which brings me a few new books a year, mainly I am working my TBR pile from the bottom up so I can one day be free of overdue book reviews. Authors work so hard to publish a book and they shouldn't have to wait for their promised reviews. When the day comes when I have no more overdue reviews, not only will I celebrate like crazy, I will start reading the books I've bought simply because I wanted them.

What is happening in your reading world this week?

Musing Mondays - September 21

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Is a rainy day likely to inspire you to read?

Happy Monday, everyone. Hope you all had a nice weekend. I took some well-deserved time off from real estate to enjoy my family. Did a bit of gardening too.

I'm currently reading this middle grade novel that is both exciting and funny.

It's about kids trying to outwit a villain who has developed a machine that sucks the goodness out of people's brains in an attempt to wipe out goodness around the world.

I'm also listening to the fifth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. 

Like I said last week, I am really enjoying this series. Occasionally my daughter ruins the plot for me, but I am okay with it. Not sure I want to see all the death that is to come, though. 

As for this week's question, rainy days don't necessarily inspire me to read. Having available time does. I'm doing my best to get back into the habit of reading every night, but I've been falling asleep early because I've been working a lot.

Looking forward to hearing about your musings this week.

Musing Mondays - September 14

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Have you ever decorated your house around your love of books? Would you?

I simply have to admit it out loud--I love the Harry Potter series! I only starting listening to it a few months ago because the library had the first book on CD. I've now listened to the first four books in the series and have a hold on the fifth book (waiting impatiently for it to arrive from the library.)

It went without saying that reading this series would happen some day. I just knew it wouldn't be during the craze of it all because I don't read popular books; something about being one of the crowd that goes against my grain. Instead, I waited for the entire series to come out and be made into movies, for the e-books to be released, and two of my three kids to read the them before I even attempted it.

Fantasy not being my favorite genre, it wasn't that hard to avoid the books. Now that I have read a few, however, I can see what all the hype is about. I wrote about my epiphany in this post. Perhaps the thing I admire most about Rowling is her ability to increase the danger and tension with each book. It is also amazing to realize how little backstory is included in subsequent books: the author gives you a few glimpses into Harry's past and previous events, but doesn't bog the reader down with it. The series is worth reading to help me learn how to do that, never mind the sheer enjoyment I am getting out of them.

Have you read the Harry Potter series? If not, why haven't you?

In answer to this week's question, that is a no. I actually wanted to do a book lover's theme here and my hubby gave me an emphatic no in response. I guess I will have to live with just having a reading room one day.

Musing Mondays - June 8

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme sponsored by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What book would you currently recommend to someone? Why?

It's been a while since I participated in this meme. Part of the issue is that my time is limited. The other reasons are that it's not always posted on the hosting website until after I am at work or I don't want to post a link on the host's site when I won't be home to return comments from my fellow bloggers. I am hoping this week will be a bit slower around here.

Time for a quick blogging update. Last week at The Book Connection I shared one bargain and one free e-book and posted interviews with Linda Weaver Clarke and Russ Colchamiro. At The Busy Mom's Daily I posted a Mailbox Monday, photos from when my hubby and I renewed our vows last weekend, and reviewed the Grace of Gratitude Journal. And finally, I took some time to read/listen to the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It's not my standard review, but it does talk about why I understand how this series became so wildly popular. You can find my post here. 

Hope you have a great week.