It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Oct 27

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.

Hello, everyone. Hope you had a nice week. It is the wee hours of Monday morning, and my mind is rambling. It was an emotional weekend. The Lil' Diva moved into her new house. It's quiet here. No TV show noises coming from across the hallway. No loud conversations as she Facetimes friends. No music. Just quiet. Well, except for Dwight scratching at her bedroom door to be let in. But her bed isn't there. She isn't there. I thought I was ready, but I wasn't. Still, I am thrilled for her as she embarks upon this new chapter in her life.

Here are a few photos from the week:

Moving day

Travis and Boots hanging 

in the Lil' Princess' Room

Dwight waiting by the Lil' Diva's door

Theo keeping me from making the bed

In my reading world, I finished The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright. Amazing book! Look for my review and a giveaway later this week. 

I didn't touch The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons this week, but it archives in twelve days, so I need to get going.  

I started The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. My review is coming soon. 

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson will be next. 

I want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Eager to read Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron for a November review. 

Also looking forward to reviewing Charlie Can't Sleep by Rachel Joy Welcher.

Will be posting a First Chapter Review of A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West in November.

Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein will also be archived in twelve days. 

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 picked up Thistlewood Manor: A Speakeasy Demise by Fiona Grace as part of Chirp's sale on Friday. 

Upcoming Events

• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)
• One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh - Oct 30 (Spotlight)
• The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts - Oct 31 (Review)
• The Neighbor and the Gifts by Danielle Grandinetti - Nov 1 (Spotlight)
• A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West - Nov 13 (First Chapter Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. This week, we are talking about guest artists for the Tabernacle Choir, the Sharing Christmas Store, and Pottery Barn's traditional Christmas decor. You can find that post here.

Check out my interview with Danielle Grandinetti, author of The Neighbor and the Gifts. You can find that here.

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week.

Nothing new at Laura's Little Houses either, but I have ideas. 

That is it from my little corner of the blogosphere. Enjoy your Monday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Oct 20

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! I'm writing this late on Sunday, so if you come across typos, please give me a bit of grace. I'm exhausted. This last week was filled with appointments, meetings, a play in support of a local nonprofit, and a writers conference. Here are a few photos:

Greenfield Community College, where I attended a writers conference on Saturday

Spent last Monday replenishing my marketing material

Play to support Alianza DV Services

Theo warmed up with his coat on a cold and wet day

The week ahead has two closings, meetings, a training session, and photos for a new listing. All good stuff.

In books. I reviewed Eleanor Roosevelt's Nightly Prayer by Donn Mitchell. You can find it here.

I continued reading The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright this week. Need to pick up the pace if I am to finish both October books. 

I read a bit of The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons, a middle-grade novel that I downloaded from NetGalley. 

The Man Next Door, another romantic comedy by Sheila Roberts, is next.

Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is still on pause as I read October books. 

I want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Eager to read Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron for a November review. 

Also looking forward to reviewing Charlie Can't Sleep by Rachel Joy Welcher.

Will be posting a First Chapter Review of A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West in November.

Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein is a middle-grade NetGalley download I need to read. 

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. 

Proving that I am my own worst enemy, I added two new titles to my review pile and then grabbed a bunch of Kindle freebies. 

Upcoming Events

• The Neighbor and the Gifts by Danielle Grandinetti - Oct 23 (Spotlight)
• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)
• One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh - Oct 30 (Spotlight)
• The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts - Oct 31 (Review)
• A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West - Nov 13 (First Chapter Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. We are talking about Netflix Christmas movie premieres, the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll, and Christmas at Wooddale. Check it out here. Also, this week, I posted Three Things to Do in October to Prepare for Christmas. Check out my tips and links to recipes and decorating ideas here.

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I shared a post about the January release of The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller. You will find that here. 

You will find my Top Five Favorite Episodes from Little House on the Prairie - Season 3 at Laura's Little Houses if you click here. 

Gosh, that was a lot. Are you still reading? Enjoy your Monday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sept 2

 Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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 first Monday in September! Happy Labor Day to my United States friends. Did you enjoy your week? Read any good books lately?

I had a closing, which is always fun. I also traveled to Farmington, Connecticut, to attend the Little House on the Prairie 50th Cast Reunion. What a great time! Lines were long, but the food was good, and they had a special dinner for those of us who paid for it, along with an auction to benefit KidsPlay Children's Museum in Torrington. 

Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder)

Sherri Stoner (Rachel Brown Oleson)

Pamela Roylance & David Friedman (Sarah and Jason Carter)

Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle/Mrs. Sims)

I've been catching up on book reviews. In case you missed them, you can click on the link in the title:

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts

The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman

Knowing by Mark Cox

Death in St. George's by M. A. Monnin

The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Hollywood Underworld by Lindy S. Hudis

My review of this children's picture book appeared at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. You can read it here.

I downloaded this picture book about a young boy's grief from NetGalley. My review is here. 

I am reading these two and listening to the last one. 

I bought this one for book club, but probably won't get to it. 

These are next.

I downloaded all three of these from NetGalley over the last few days.

Upcoming events:

• Side Launch by Brock Martin - October 2 (Review)
• The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts - October 16 (Review)
• A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker - November 20 (Review)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. Did you know there is such a thing as Christmas Con? There is! Want to know more? Check out my weekly post here.

I think that wraps it up for today. I'm eager to decorate for fall, but I simply haven't had the time to do it. I have a new listing, possibly two, coming up and a closing soon. Wedding plans for the Lil' Diva are ongoing. 

Never a dull moment around here!