It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Oct 12

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are 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 back to Monday! I hope you had a wonderful week. Mine was filled with gardening, eating out, networking events, and real estate offers. Here are a few photos:

Found these potatoes hiding in the dirt when I emptied the growing bags. That always happens. 

Grabbed a bite to eat for lunch while working one day. It's good to treat yourself every once in a while.

Hanging out with one of the lenders I know. Won a great picnic backpack filled with fun stuff. 

Today, the Lil' Princess is coming home for a few days, which makes me happy. 

As far as reading goes, it was a slower week than expected. I didn't open The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles last week. 

I haven't started Harboring the Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot by R. C. Duffy yet, but I better soon. 

I finished She Forgot She Was Free: Returning to the Girl You Were Before the World Got Loud by Giselle Mascarenhas. Look for my review on October 14.

I read a bit of The TV MBA: Business Lessons from Popular Culture by Rhymer Rigby. 

I finished Still Wild: Poems from the Bear Shack by Suzanne Sunshower. Look for the review in December.

I finished The Knot: Problems Can Be Solved by Seth Godin this week. Liked the contents. Probably need it in printed form to make the most of it. 

Then I started Building A StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller. This book is fascinating so far. 

 

Upcoming Events

• She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas - Oct 14 (Review)
• Still Wild: Poems from the Bear Shack by Suzanne Sunshower - Dec 14 (Review)
• Starry-Eyed for Christmas by Sheila Roberts - Dec 16 (Review)
• Sugar Sand Land by Patricia Leavy - Dec 17 (Spotlight & Giveaway)

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme was last hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. It appears to be on hiatus, but I keep sharing new books. 

Two new holiday books arrived this week. 

Starry-Eyed Christmas by Sheila Roberts for a December review.

I grabbed The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin from my wish list. 

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past post is about Columbus, Indigenous celebrations, and Canada. Check it out here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Recent reviews at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection include:

Day in the Snow by Fiona Craig

Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom

I also added another "What Do You Think?" post. This one is about favorite children's books. You can read that here. 

Laura's Little Houses

I am currently working on a character profile of Harriet Oleson. 

Lots going on, but it is all fun stuff. Hoping to take Wednesday off so I can spend time with our daughter before she heads back to Maine on Friday. That's it from my end of the world. Enjoy your week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Mar 9

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. 

Here we are again on Monday. Hope you had a nice weekend. As I am typing, it's late Sunday, and my eyes are blurry from reading and notetaking all afternoon, but it was a productive week. Here are a few photos:

Made vegetable broth 

The Lil' Princess was home for a quick trip

We visited the new Hobby Lobby, and I picked up a cross-stitch kit

It was nice to have the Lil' Princess home for a few days. She flew in late Thursday and headed back to school Sunday afternoon. I worked Friday morning, but I kept the rest of the weekend for her, and we went shopping for a graduation dress. We each bought an embroidery kit and worked on them Saturday night. 

In my blogging and reading world, I posted reviews of:

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars by Laura Alary. You can read it here.

The Lost Hummingbird by Janice Blanchett. The review can be found here.

I also posted a First Chapter Review of ZigZag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton. You can read that review and enter the giveaway here.

I listened to this one in the car this week. I have less than two hours to go with my listening of 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke.

I didn't read Hazel Gaynor's Before Dorothy last week since I am still reading Van Dyke's book. 

I finished Dream Facades: The Cruel Architecture of Reality TV by Jack Balderrama Morley. Great book. Most of it was interesting, but it had a weak ending. 

Next up is Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel, for an April review. I am so excited to dive into this one. 

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 did not order anything new this week, but I downloaded a NetGalley copy of Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst for my April review. 

Upcoming Events

Women's Freedom: The Dawn of Possibilities by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein - Mar (Review)

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Murder, Local Style by Leslie Karst - Apr 20 (Review)

Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luanne Castle - May 21 (Review)

Christmas Year Round

Christmas Year Round's blog has not gotten a new post yet, because I was busy reading. It should be posted today. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

My reviews of the two books I read were posted above. 

Laura's Little Houses

I finally finished my profile of Albert Quinn Ingalls. You can read it here. 

Netflix announced it ordered a second season of Little House on the Prairie ahead of the series' July 9 premiere. I shared that here. Are you planning to watch it? 

That's it for me this week. I have appointments this morning, so it might be the afternoon before I visit your blog. Enjoy your day!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 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, 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.

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a fabulous week. I spent my week easing into work and taking time to visit with my sisters. Here are photos from our trip.

Grand Pequot Tower 

Lunch at Jealous Monk

Ax throwing: Don't worry, you are all safe. My highest score was zero.

Ketchup cat at Johnny Rockets

Breakfast at Somewhere in Time Cafe

Advent calendars at a 

store in Olde Mistick Village

I finished two books last week: Next Is Now by Leigh Brown, and The Case for Old MacDonald and His Farm. Check out my review of Leigh's book here. The link to the picture book appears further down in this post. 

I did not read I Heard the Bells last week, but I will indulge myself tonight. 

I didn't read Hooked by Cailtin Rother last week, but it will be my focus this week. 

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 gave my physical and virtual mailboxes a break this week. 

Upcoming Events

Hooked by Catilin Rother - January (Review)

Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality by John Beilharz - Jan 26 (Interview)

Artsy Rambler by Evy and Rich Journey - Feb 3 (Spotlight)

Winter's Season by R. J. Koreto - Feb 13 (Spotlight)

Hook, Line, and Murder by GG Calpo - Mar 2 (Interview)

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Christmas Year Round

I introduced my newest feature at Christmas Year Round, "Journey through Christmases Past." This is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we remember. You can read the first post, looking back at 1968, here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I reviewed one of my NetGalley downloads, The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm by Mark Teague, which will be released in March. Click here to read the review. 

Laura's Little Houses

I wrapped up my Little House favorite episodes posts by sharing my top five from Season 9. You can read about them here. 

That completes my second 2026 Monday post. I have an appointment this morning, so I will be checking in with my blogging friends later this afternoon. Enjoy your day!