The Book Connection...: book blog meme

Showing posts with label book blog meme. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What's Your Proudest Achievement?

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 Tuesday of November! So glad you stopped by. The school kids have a day off since our high school is the voting place. I will head to the polls after my morning appointments. I also need to put together information for a buyer consultation later today.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a fun one. Maybe I would get more book reviews written if I stuck to this one-word philosophy. Check out my...

One-Word Reviews for the Last

Ten Books I Read

Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller - Engaging
The Knot: Problems Can Be Solved by Seth Godin - Distracting
Mixter's Monster Mash by Regan W. H. Macaulay - Magical
She Forgot She Was Free: Returning to the Girl You Were Before the World Got Loud by Giselle Mascarenhas - Empowering
God's Purpose for Your Life by Charles F. Stanley - Inspiring
Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant by Hanke Quense - Helpful
Massawa by Pam Webber - Detailed
Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom - Beautiful
Day in the Snow by Fiona Craig - Lyrical
Turkey’s Fall Fumble by Wendi Silvano - Hilarious

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.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: What's your proudest achievement?

Lately, it's simply staying sane despite my schedule. In all seriousness, though, I'd say my proudest achievement is my ability to remain a reasonably happy person despite life's setbacks. That hasn't happened by accident. I had my first job at 11, lost my mom at 14, became a mother at 18, and was a single mom by 21. Some of those circumstances were life choices, but that didn't make them any less challenging.

Through the messiness the world can bring, I've worked to build a good life, keep moving forward, and find joy along the way. That ability to persevere has made me a successful real estate agent because, when issues arise, I don't stop until I find a solution.

I'd like to think I lead by example, adapt quickly when circumstances change, and maintain a sense of humor through it all. Most of all, I hope I've passed those qualities on to my children.

That's all from me today, folks. I have morning meetings, so I hope to check in with you this afternoon.

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Favorite Memory From My Childhood

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.

Happy Wednesday! Halloween is almost here. Are you going out with kids or grandkids this weekend? I'm not even sure we will be home. Ever since the Lil' Diva started her new job, she comes here to eat on Friday nights, so date night is now Saturday.

This week's prompt should be interesting. Haven't I already said that my childhood was so traumatic that I blocked most of it out? That is what makes me a good writer--tons of inspiration.

While this might sound too unoriginal, any memories that involved holidays were my favorite. The extended family would come over. We had a silver bowl of mixed nuts on the table with the nutcracker. A crystal bowl of butter mints sat on the coffee table. We had thin mints in a cardboard box. At Christmas time, strips of ribbon candy in colorful rectangular boxes and bags of hard candies were spread on different surfaces. The women handled the cooking: turkey, mashed potatoes, meat stuffing, and turnip. The men set up the long tables so everyone could eat together. We played games. Some sporting event or parade was probably on the TV. These were the moments when we seemed normal.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Haunted Lighthouses I Dare You To Spend A Night In and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Who Do You Want on Your Team During the Zombie Apocalypse and Why?

Welcome to the final Tuesday of October. We are only four days away from Halloween, my second favorite holiday. It's truly a shame I haven't decorated for it. I might try on Wednesday or Thursday, but my work schedule is weird this week.

Today is a Halloween freebie, and I wanted to be creative, so I asked AI for a few ideas. Then I tweaked the best idea to my liking. Here are the...

Top Ten Haunted Lighthouses

I Dare You to Spend A Night In

1. The lighthouse on a Scottish remote island from The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke: Nothing like spending some time in a lighthouse built over a cave that was once used as a prison to house women accused of witchcraft.

2. The Maiden Rock Lighthouse from The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex: Would you spend a night in a lighthouse in a remote area miles from the Cornish coast where three lighthouse keepers have disappeared?

3. The lighthouse in The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox: Now, this would be an interesting place because the area is home to a reclusive widow accused of witchcraft, a transcendentalist preacher haunted by the memories of his former life, and a killer inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Doesn't that lighthouse give you the warm and fuzzies?

4. The beacon at Lizard Light Cottage from The Ghost of Lizard Light by Elvira Woodruff: You could share your space with a ten-year-old boy who died in a shipwreck and help him solve the mystery of his father's death. That sounds tame enough.

5. The lighthouse from The Watch House by Robert Westall: Would you spend the night in an abandoned lighthouse in a seaside village filled with a treasure trove of history and strange writing that appears in the glass display cases?

6. The lighthouse in The Forlorned by Angela J. Townsend: Imagine having the fun of staying the night in a house the newest resident calls "damned." You will visit with ghosts and learn more about the island's evil past. Doesn't that sound inviting?

7. The lighthouse in Shadows Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft: Spend the night in a decaying Massachusetts town with deformed inhabitants with bulging eyes and scaly skin where the villagers are prone to human sacrifices. Would you even cross the border into that town?

8. The lighthouse in Haunted Lighthouse by R. L. Stine: How about packing an overnight bag to stay in a lighthouse on Cape Cod that is said to have nearby boats filled with singing ghosts? Did I mention you might disappear?

9. The Cape Lookout light in The Haunting of Cape Lookout Lighthouse by J. D. Ricks: You had to know an OBX lighthouse would make the list. Here, you could hang your hat in a lighthouse with doors that lead where they shouldn't, stairways shift under your feet, and the dead whisper through radios and hidden rooms. Doesn't that sound charming?

10. The beacon from The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell: Wouldn't a nineteenth-century whaling village known for its lucky ship figureheads and people disappearing into the night fog make you want to extend your stay? Maybe not.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: Who do you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse and why?

This was an easier question to answer than I was anticipating for Halloween week. In the early years of my blogging life, I discovered Karina Fabian's Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. From California to Utah to sometime in the future, Neeta Lyffe is exterminating zombies. Who else would I possibly need? Though Vern, who is a dragon private investigator, can handle demons pretty well. I wonder what he thinks of zombies.

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Reread Books or Rewatch Movies? Why or Why Not?

Back to Wednesday again for this week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. What a great way to celebrate Hump Day, though I usually work weekends.

This week we are prompted to answer: Reread books or rewatch movies? Why or why not?

I do both as often as I can. I used to read the Anne of Green Gables series and the Little House series annually. I've read The Thorn Birds half a dozen times. As far as movies go, I have watched The Sound of Music so many times that I have lost count. When I met The von Trapps late in 2007, after the release of their album, Snow: New Songs of the Season, they were unimpressed by my dedication to the movie. LOL! I didn't know until today that they disbanded in 2016. Other movies I've rewatched:

Anne of Green Gables and its sequels
The Wizard of Oz
Elf
Polar Express
Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson and Dan Stevens
The Downton Abbey movies
Let It Snow and The Christmas Pageant (Hallmark movies)

I reread and rewatch because I always find something new I didn't notice before or that hits differently with fresh eyes and ears.

What books or movies have you rewatched? Or do you prefer not to?

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Prologues/Epilogues - Love or Hate Them? Why?

Happy Wednesday! Today, I am going to attempt to take a few hours off to spend with the Lil' Diva. Before I do, however, I wanted to be sure to participate in this week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. Let's talk prologues and epilogues.

A prologue is "the preface or introduction to a literary work." Whereas an epilogue is "a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work." Think before and after.

I'm a huge fan of prologues and epilogues. I like to read them to:

Discover something outside of the novel's contents
Get a hint of what to expect in the body of the story
Have storylines neatly tied up

However, they should be brief. Otherwise, make a prologue or epilogue a chapter in the story.

What do you think?

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers with Black Cats and Tell Me Something Tuesday: What Animal Do You Think Best Represents Your Personality?

Here we are at Tuesday again. Hope your week is going well. I start today with a closing and hosting a broker's open.

Top Ten Tuesday asked us to share books with autumnal covers, but since I posted about book covers that inspire me to take a fall road trip recently, it seems like another idea would work better. So, in honor of our black cat, Travis, here are...

Top Ten Book Covers with Black Cats

Hex the Halls by Mindy Kalsky et al.

A Whiskered Perspective by M. G. Spear

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean and Eric Litwin

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

MEOW! by Vanessa Morgan

Where Did Panther Go? by Vivian Zabel

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: What animal do you think best represents your personality? Try not to be unnerved by my answer. LOL!

This is where my love of cartoons shines through. Since my days of watching Looney Tunes in front of the only television in our childhood home, Taz has been my favorite character. Like the Tasmanian devil, I am social in groups where I am comfortable. I consider myself passionate, expressive, and full of life. However, I am also feisty, loud, and impulsive, so I can be a bit unpredictable... though I don't think I am quite as unpredictable as Looney Tunes Taz.

Looking forward to reading your blogs later today.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: A Profession from a Book/Movie/TV Show I'd Like to Try

Welcome back to Wednesday. Glad to have you here. This week's prompt is amazing. I didn't even have to think about it, which makes it even easier.

From the time I watched Quincy M. E., I've wanted to work in forensic science. I love analyzing and discovering things. They call me Nancy Drew at the office. Eventually, that desire gave way to wanting to be a teacher or a writer. I was a Sunday School teacher for more than 20 years. Can't say I was the best one. I'm glad I never chose education as a full-time job. Thankfully, my writing dreams came true. But forensic science has always fascinated me, and if I ever chose a new career, I would return to school for my Bachelor's in that field.

Looking forward to reading your answers today.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories & Tell Me Something Tuesday: If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

Happy first Tuesday of October! We are having a seasonably cooler week with a fair amount of sunshine. Perfect fall weather. The Big E is over for another year, and now we can focus on apple picking, fall festivals, book festivals, and more.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about happy memories. What books are on your list that conjure those joyful feelings from days gone by? Here are my...

Top Ten Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories

Song of the Seasons by Glenys Nellist reminds me how thankful I am to live in a geographic location that includes all four seasons.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder brings back happy memories of having a book series that I've come to treasure that was passed down from my sisters.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was a present for my 11th birthday. It was the last birthday before my mother's cancer diagnosis, making it the last year I felt truly carefree.

The cradle on the cover of Beyond the Code of Conduct by K. M. Daughters reminds me of a hand-crafted doll cradle made by one of my cousins who has since passed away. I still have it.

Murder, She Wrote by Jessica Fletcher and the numerous other authors credited with the series reminds me of sitting in front of the television in our house and then in my apartment, watching Jessica Fletcher solve crimes in the quaint town of Cabot Cove.

Every Christmas, my childhood house would welcome the Christmas village, the artificial tree, and somehow had enough room for a mountain of relatives. But some of the fondest memories are of attending midnight Mass together and listening to O Holy Night sung in French. Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam by James W. Moore reminds me of those days.

This particular edition of The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough was the same one my mother read. I don't read it anymore. The cover is torn off, and the pages are curled. But it is a connection to her and all that we shared.

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts reminds me of the joy of waiting for The Wizard of Oz to be televised once a year and reliving it all over again.

The Bastard by John Jakes reminds me that by the time I was 14, no one was paying attention to what I was reading. I remember a lot of steamy romance in this series.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was also a present for my 11th birthday. I read this series before Anne of Green Gables. It serves as a reminder that my oldest sister always took care of me and thought I deserved something special.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt is fun: If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

I am good at training others. I've been doing it since I was a teenager. In college, I took public speaking, which helped me feel comfortable speaking in front of others. Now, I have to be prepared. I am not good at speaking off the cuff. My brain is too distracted thinking about what to say.

This year, I held social media classes and sat on a panel about rentals. In the past, I've shared my experience in promoting books. I created training classes for numerous departments at my last Corporate America job.

If I ever gave a TED talk, it would be called “Stuck in the Middle with You: Why You Don’t Have to Be in the Top 1% of Real Estate Agents to Be Successful.”

In real estate, there’s so much noise about being a top‑tier producer that the solid and steady mid‑range pros get overlooked. I’m talking about the agents who consistently land in their company’s Top 25 and sometimes break into the Top 10 — the ones who show up, do the work, serve their clients well, and keep the business running year after year.

Not all of us want to sell 100+ homes annually. Not all of us want to build a team or chase every award under the sun. Some of us simply want to be reliable, consistent producers who make it possible for the brokerage to keep the lights on, delivering for our clients without burning ourselves out.

I’d focus on helping them tune out the pressure to be “more,” build systems that make their work smoother and more efficient, and find the motivation to push through when transactions get messy or the year isn’t shaping up the way they hoped.

Do you think I've thought about this before? LOL! This is true of any sales position. We don't need to be pushed into being more than we want to be.

Can't wait to check out your blogs this week.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Something I Can't Live Without and Why

Hey, it's Wednesday! This post means I have blogged for three days in a row. Well, Monday's post went live Sunday, but this is progress. Please be impressed. LOL!

Today's prompt for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is "Something I can't live without and why."

I could go with the sentimental answer: family.

I could go with the identity-based answer: my Bible.

I could go with the practical answer: a modern kitchen.

But...

I think I will go with the healthy answer: sleep. Considering sleep is important for brain health, immune support, heart health, and hormone balance, if I don't get enough sleep, bad stuff happens. As I age, my sleep is interrupted by bouts of insomnia. I feel like poor sleep and stress contribute to the health issues I've endured this year. So, I am doing my best to establish a regular sleep cycle, use my phone less at night, and avoid late-night snacking.

There you have my rather boring answer on a Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Sweet or Salty?

Happy Tuesday! Seems fitting that I participated in Top Ten Tuesday on September 1 and Top Ten Tuesday at the end of the month. September certainly flew by. That's okay. I am a fall kind of girl. The garden is mostly harvested. The hoses are tucked away in the shed. I will attempt to bring the herbs into the house for the winter soon.

When this time of year rolls around, I plan to take road trips. I want to explore apple orchards, farms, and fall fairs/festivals. Do I? Rarely. Though I can say I went to The Apple Place in East Longmeadow for the first time last week. They have an Apple Fest this weekend. Olde Mistick Village also has an Apple Festival mid-October. But I digress...

With all the talk of fall, I thought it would be a great idea to share the Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip. Here they are in no particular order.

Doesn't the cover of The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate inspire you to drive and find that place?

Would you travel to witness a wedding in an apple orchard like the one pictured on the cover of A Surprise Harvest Bride by Wendy Klopfenstein?

New England has lots of pretty Main Streets to explore, like the one featured on the cover of Falling on Main Street

by Tara Grace Ericson.

Doesn't Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Noble inspire a photo-taking trip this fall?

Would Katharine's Remarkable Road Trip by Gail Ward Olmstead encourage you to get in your car and drive down a tree-lined road?

I would drive to a place called The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, like in Laurie Gilmore's book. Wouldn't you?

October Kiss by Kristen Ethridge could inspire a hand-in-hand walk through the park after you've driven to your destination.

And If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia might encourage you to load your furry friend in the car to go and explore a walkable downtown.

A fall road trip to a unique venue like you see on the cover of Autumn at the

Star and Sixpense

by Holly Hepburn might be fun.

Though many of us get away during the summer, an Autumn Getaway like Jennifer Gracen writes about might be just the thing to refresh your soul.

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.

This week's prompt for Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is all about food, a particular kind of food--snacks. I've always been a huge snacker. Inquiring minds want to know whether we prefer sweet or salty snacks.

I am mostly a "sweet snack" kind of person, because I don't allow myself many sweets these days. I can't eat the way I used to, but a piece of dark chocolate dipped in peanut butter is a nice treat after supper. I also love chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb pie. Not that I have them very often.

I'm prone to eating salty snacks more often: various nuts, potato chips, and pretzels are almost always in the house.

How about you? Do you like your snacks sweet or salty?

Looking forward to visiting blogs today.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books with Nationalities in the Titles and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which books are you looking forward to reading this Fall?

Welcome to Tuesday and the first day of September. I am ready for fall, y'all! My mantle has been cleaned off and is just waiting for me to have time to decorate it. My fall decorations can't quite rival my Christmas decorations, but they are trying.

No real news from the doctor, so more bloodwork tomorrow. How fun.

Let's talk books. Such a neat topic this week. I will do my best with it.

Top Ten Books with Nationalities

in the Titles

French Letters: Virginia's War: Tierra Texas 1944 by Jack Woodville London

(Makes this list because I despised every character)

French Illusions by Linda Lovic-Skow

(Loved working as an editor on this project)

Loss of Innocence: A Novel of the French Revolution by Anne Newton Walther

(One of the first books I reviewed)

American Prophet by Jeff Fulmer

(I enjoy politics)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

(An online quiz said I wrote like him. LOL!)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

(One of the books I still desperately want to read)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

(The title alone makes me want to read it)

Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

(Might be the most used cookbook in my house)

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

(This one sounds adorable)

Under a Greek Sky by Francesca Catlow

(If I didn't have a Greek book on the list, the family might disown me)

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's first prompt of the "ber" months asks us to share which books we are looking forward to reading this fall. Honestly, with my schedule lately, any book will do. I've been sneaking in moments here and there, but certainly not enough. Though it might seem like I am rushing the holiday season, here is what I want to read.