It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - May 29

Welcome to 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 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 to the final Monday of May. For those of us in the States, today is Memorial Day, a time to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. We will be joining in the National Moment of Remembrance today. 

The weather has been beautiful for the unofficial start to the summer. Though officially summer will not begin until June 21st, many consider Memorial Day weekend the kick off to summer. 

The United States Honor Flag™, which flew over the rubble of 9/11, made its way to Rick's Place in Wilbraham this month. Rick Thorpe died in the South Tower on September 11th. This non-profit, dedicated to providing free grief support to children, teens, and families, is one whose board I am proud to sit on.

Moving on to lighter happenings, the pets have enjoyed the warmer weather. 

The Lil' Diva and the Lil' Princess had fun at the Taylor Swift concert at Gillette Stadium recently with one of their friends. 

As far as reading goes, I am making good progress. No audio books lately. I might find one to grab before I drive up for inspections at a property on Tuesday.

My review of this book will appear today at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. 

Look for my review of this book on Wednesday, also at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. 

I need to finish this one by June 2. 

I started this one over the weekend on our drive to Worcester to see the nephew's baseball tournament.

I also started this graphic novel that I downloaded from Netgalley.

This book will be next.

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• A Final Farwell by Marilyn Meredith - June 20 (review)
• All That Glitters by Mike Martin - June 29 (review)
• The Unempty Spaces Between by Louis Efron - July 20 (review)
• Exits by Stephne C. Pollock - August 7 (review)
• Ravage & Son by Jerome Charyn - August 21 (review)

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Nothing in my physical mailbox this week, but I grabbed this one on sale for my Kindle.

Most books about Abraham Lincoln end on April 14, 1865, the day he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre. But that historic event takes place near the beginning of The Last Lincolns, a singular title in the vast output of Lincolnia and one of the most unusual books ever written on the sixteenth president and his family. Going far beyond that fateful day into uncharted territory, it's a gripping page turner written by a TV producer with proven storytelling skills.

This absorbing American tragedy tells the largely unknown story of the acrimony that consumed the Lincolns in the months and years that followed the president's murder. This was not a family that came together in mourning and mutual sadness; instead, they fell out over the anguished mental condition of the widowed Mary. In 1875, Robert, the handsome but resentful eldest Lincoln child engineered her arrest and forcible commitment to an insane asylum. In each succeeding generation, the Lincolns' misfortunes multiplied, as a litany of alcohol abuse, squandered fortunes, burned family papers, and outright dissipation led to the downfall of this once-great family.

Charles Lachman traces the story right up to the last generation of Lincoln descendants: great-grandson Bob Lincoln Beckwith, his estranged wife, Annemarie, and her son, Timothy Lincoln Beckwith. Bob, who was according to all medical evidence sterile, believes the son who bears the Lincoln name was the product of an adulterous affair. Annemarie, however, wanted the boy to be a Lincoln, putting the child in line for a vast inheritance. There's even evidence uncovered by Lachman for the first time that a scheme to obtain possession of the Lincoln fortune was orchestrated by Bob Beckwith's chauffer, who may have been the notorious outlaw and skyjacker, D.B. Cooper.

Published in advance of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday in February 2009, The Last Lincolns provides an unforgettable glimpse into the personal legacy left by the man who could unite a nation…but not his own family.

I will be in and out today, working on wrapping up that editing project that is overdue. Hope you have a wonderful day.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - May 25

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 Memorial Day, everyone. I hope you have some plans for rest and relaxation. This Memorial Day is special for us because so many local remembrances are also including the 89 veterans lost at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke--including my father-in-law. It is also our son's birthday, so we are having him over for supper.

In my reading world, I'm on the final few chapters of this one.

I need to sneak this one in next.

Then this one.

That's it for me. I'm doing my best not to request new books for review. That only makes catching up harder. 

How do you stay on top of your TBR pile? Are you caught up on book reviews or are you a bit behind? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - May 28

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.

Before anything else, I would like to thank all the brave men and women who have or are currently serving our country here and abroad. I would especially like to remember those who have sacrificed it all to protect freedom around the world.

Arizona Memorial, Feb 2018

I'm am currently about halfway through the final book in Vannetta Chapman's Amish Bishop Mystery series. As expected, I am loving it. 

Every year, residents of the small Amish community in Monte Vista, Colorado, look forward to the Ski Hi Stampede, the state's oldest professional rodeo. The rodeo is always good, clean entertainment for the hardworking farmers of the San Luis Valley. But this year, the Stampede turns deadly for one Amish man. Did rodeo fans see an unfortunate accident? Or something more sinister?

Amish bishop Henry Lapp is known far and wide for his uncanny ability to draw and remember the smallest details of anything he's seen, skills that have served him well in past investigations. He was at the rodeo that day. The problem? He didn't see Jason Scott's death.

With a murderer on the loose and members of his community being threatened, Henry must act fast. But can he solve a crime he didn't see? This time around, Henry will have to rely on his keen sense of human character and observation, skills he's honed in his role as bishop, if he hopes to crack the case.

What the Bishop Knows is a story of accepting our talents, putting one another first, and trusting that God will care for His children.

Not sure which book I'll be picking up next. In addition to the ones I owe reviews for, I would really like to at least skim through this one. I picked it up for research purposes.

The mother of a bullied first grader, popular blogger Carrie Goldman's inspiring true story triggered an outpouring of support from online communities around the world. In Bullied, she gives us a guide to the crucial lessons and actionable guidance she's learned about how to stop bullying before it starts. It is a book born from Goldman's post about the ridicule her daughter suffered for bringing a Star Wars thermos to school--a story that went viral on Facebook and Twitter before exploding everywhere, from CNN.com and Yahoo.com to sites all around the world. Written in Goldman's warm, engaging style, Bullied is an important and very necessary read for parents, educators, self-professed "Girl Geeks," or anyone who has ever felt victimized by a bully, online or in person.

What's your reading plan for the week?

Musing Monday - May 29

Musing Monday is hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme 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:  None

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. While we usually talk about books today, I wanted to pause to reflect on the many men and women who have given their lives to protect freedom around the world. May God continue to look over our troops here and abroad.

Memorial Day 2015

Thanking the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their service, their loyalty, their courage, and their sacrifices.

Remembering Their Sacrifices...

Memorial Day Honor

On this Memorial Day, we honor the memory of Captain John Maloney, a high school classmate from the Chicopee High Class of 1986, who was killed in combat in Iraq on June 16, 2005.

We honor John, and the many men and women like him, who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day everyone! As we remember those men and women who have lost their lives in service to our country, may we also take time to think and pray for those currently stationed in places around the world ensuring freedom and justice for all.

To find out more about Memorial Day, including a Memorial Day tribute video, visit the History Channel online at www.history.com/minisites/memorial