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, 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! How are you doing today? Hope you had a fabulous week. It's been a week of decisions, focusing on blessings, and feeling more productive. I can't say I read much, but I finished an editing job Sunday night, so there should be more reading time now. The Christmas lights are up outside, and four of the trees made it out of the basement this weekend. 

Here are photos from the week:

Chuck kept me company at an open house on Sunday.

This mini-quilt arrived on Saturday from a client of mine.

Spent some time in the kitchen this weekend.

One of my clients bought me this delicious chocolate peanut butter cheesecake and cannolis.

That teeny, tiny person in the front is me, standing next to my sister at my godmother's wedding. A special treasure that came to me this week from our cousin. 

Switching into my reading world, I need to get my reviews of Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken by Craig Yoe and Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein posted soon. 

I continued with The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. The review will be posted before the end of the year.  

My review of Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson is coming Tuesday.

I am dismally behind in my reading of Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron, but it is the last full review for the year, so I will finish it, even if that's not by my review date on Thursday. 

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

Looking forward to reading from my TBR pile after this. 

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. 

As I mentioned last week, my Audible subscription has renewed, so I grabbed myself a few books. 

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke has been a favorite of ours for decades. 

Digital Detox for Remote Workers by Dr. Guenter H. Schamel. 

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney et al. 

I pre-ordered a copy of Wendi Lou Lee's latest devotional, Story by Story: A Journey Into the Gospels, from her Etsy shop. This book just came out last week and arrived in record time. 

Upcoming Events

• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)
• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron - Nov 27 (Review)
• Cinder Bella by Kathleen Shoop - Dec 3 (Spotlight)
• Christmas in Newfoundland 3 by Mike Martin - Dec 15 (First Chapter Review)

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. Spirit Christmas locations are open. We talk about the Christmas Capital of Texas, and also share a report on why Red Wing, Minnesota, made Country Living's list of "Most Magical Christmas Towns in America." Find all that here. 

I also posted an excerpt from Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Sgt. Windflower Holiday Tales by Mike Martin. You can read that here. If you are looking for new and upcoming seasonal titles, you can check out this post. 

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection or Laura's Little Houses, but I have ideas brewing. 

That is all I have for you this week. Hope you have a great day!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Feb 24

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 Monday! Hope you had a fabulous week. I'm working on keeping the productivity cycle going and also started with a nutritional counselor to get my diet in line with my needs. I feel good, but want to feel better. Once the diet is all set, I will figure out the next piece of the puzzle--exercise. Here are photos from last week:

Thursday was awards night for the RAPV. I brought home one for my sales and one for my participation in my local association. 

We dog-sat while my brother-in-law and his family were away. 

Made enchiladas on Saturday. I had the stuffing mix on top of corn tortillas because flour tortillas don't fit into the new diet. 

As far as books go, I finished this one. Loved it! My review was posted on Sunday. 

Look for my review of this true crime book today. 

I am also reading this one. 

These are next.

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. 

These books that I had ordered arrived last week. 

Upcoming events:

• Review of Body Parts by Catlin Rother - Feb 24 (Review)
• Sunset Bay by Karen Stewart - Mar 11 (First Chapter Review)
• Gitel's Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav - Date TBD (Review) 

At Christmas Year Round I shared the number of Christmas titles in my TBR pile. How many do you have?

I didn't post at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection this week, but I did request a couple of children's books from NetGalley, so that could change soon. At the end of March, I will post my quarterly writing update. 

At Laura's Little Houses, I posted:

• Review of the 2021 Lifetime movie, Highway to Heaven, which was based upon the 1980s show of the same name starring Michael Landon and Victor French. 
• After cataloging my books, I shared how many titles on my shelves have some tie in to Laura Ingalls Wilder, her family, her books, and the shows and movies based upon them. You can find that here. 
• I also talked about the Little House: Fifty for 50 Anniversary Podcast hosted by Pamela Bob that features Little House on the Prairie cast members Dean Butler and Alison Arngrim. You can find that post here.

That's it for me today. Hope you enjoy your week. I look forward to visiting your blogs. 

Lost Somewhere Between Tired and Plumb Tuckered Out

 

I am pretty sure if I had more surface space on the desk, this would be me right now. Enjoyed our time with the Lil' Princess in North Carolina, and came back to a ton of work. Luckily, flying gave me time to read. 

Not that this post is a good substitute for It's Monday! What Are You Reading? but I'm still sharing what I have read lately. Now, if I just had time to write the reviews.

You can read my review of this one and enter the giveaway here.

Still need to review these ones:

I finished this one on the plane. Loved, loved, loved it! Look for my review on October 16.

I also finished this one. 

I read some of this one as well. 

Since I only took one paperback on the trip with me, I ended up reading this book on my Kindle. Finished it last night. So good!

Need to read this one soon.

I am staying out of trouble and not signing up for many new book tours through the end of the year. I really want to read more seasonal books that I own. Not sure if that will happen, but working to stay on track. Below are the scheduled events.

Upcoming events:

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

I am looking to review Christmas picture books, chapter books, and clean romance novellas this year. You can check out what other products I'm looking for here.

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. Lots of fun Christmas news: California's Christmas town, a new Christmas music compilation, and a Christmas-themed bar. You can read the latest here.

Now, off to bed. Keeping all Floridians in my prayers. 

Audible Boook Reviews: Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger & The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

 

I grabbed a copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life when I upgraded my Audible membership. This is one of the last books from that free book group that I read, mostly because I added this one toward the end to check it out and see if I would continue. 

Schwarzenegger is a well-known actor, businessman, and former bodybuilder and politician. He opted to read the book himself. It was a good choice. He opens with a conversational introduction telling the reader he is recording Be Useful in his home studio, so if you hear noises from any of his animals in the background, please understand. It was a great way to make the reader feel like he is just one of the regular people living his life instead of a celebrity. 

Be Useful is what his father once told him to make sure he would be in life. From that piece of advice, Schwarzenegger crafted a life that started by having a clear vision of what he wanted. He dreamed big, he worked hard, and he convinced others to join him as he shifted into the world of politics and became a public servant. He shifted gears when he needed to, opened his mind, and became more focused on helping others. 

Yes, Be Useful is a lot of talk about Schwarzenegger's life, but he uses his experiences to empower others to use the same tools in their lives. Is there anything profound or vastly new within the book's virtual pages? Not really. But the importance of hearing a message over and over to keep you focused can't be stressed enough. And, you get to hear Schwarzenegger read the book to you. That's a win. I really enjoyed this book, but could have done without all the swearing. 

Listening Length	6 hours and 19 minutes
Author	Arnold Schwarzenegger
Narrator	Arnold Schwarzenegger
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 10, 2023
Publisher	Penguin Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0C1HR5D9S
Best Sellers Rank	#615 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #40 in Success Self-Help #54 in Personal Success #55 in Biographies & Memoirs (Audible Books & Originals)

The 25th Anniversary Edition of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell was published in 2022. Adding new insights into these laws that have helped shape leaders for decades, the reader will find updated stories and special audiobook only content as they develop their leadership skills. 

I've always found Maxwell's words inspiring, and this book is no different. His value-based leadership style resonates with me. Though I find it hard to appreciate a book like this fully when listening to it instead of having a paperback copy to earmark, Maxwell clearly outlines each law and explains it in depth. 

This is not the first revision of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, but based on Maxwell's engaging introduction, he learns new things in the years that pass between editions, and he enjoys refining the laws despite how timeless they truly are.  

If you are a leader or aiming to be a leader, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a must read. The discussion questions will get you thinking, and learning more about these laws will empower your leadership journey. 

Listening Length	9 hours and 32 minutes
Author	John C. Maxwell
Narrator	John C. Maxwell, Henry O. Arnold
Audible.com Release Date	May 31, 2022
Publisher	HarperCollins Leadership
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B09MGFPBM1
Best Sellers Rank	#560 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1 in Christian Church & Church Leadership #1 in Christian Church Leadership (Books) #14 in Leadership (Audible Books & Originals)

These reviews contain my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.