It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Jul 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. 

We are settling on the last Monday of July today. How is summer moving so quickly? Before we know it, the local kids will be back in school. 

Another zany week in real estate, but lots of good things too. This week might be more manageable. 

Here are a few recent photos:

Travis and Dwight 

Friday night out

Me preparing to record for the Bucket List Challenge

Theo finds grooming exhausting

Two gifts I bought from Modern Prairie to treat myself

In my reading world, I had finished The Ledger by Steven Manchester earlier. You can find my review here.

 Did not touch The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller, and I wonder if I will get to it. 

I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 

I read some of Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

Need to get moving on Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked.

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.

Also need to read:

• A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge
• The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson
• Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH
• Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense

Photo credit: Freepik

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. 

This week, two hardcover copies of books I own on Audible arrived, both by Oliver Burkeman: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. 

Upcoming Events

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - TBD (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past post is about Christmas 1783, the first Christmas as an independent nation. You can find that here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I reviewed In the Wide, Wild World by Natalie Horseman. You can read that here.

Laura's Little Houses

I am talking about the new Little House on the Prairie adaptation this week. You can see my comments here. No real spoilers here if you haven't watched it yet. 

That's it for me. I am feeling more accomplished, but still have a way to go if I plan to hit my reading goal this year. See you around the blogosphere!

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!

Audible Book Review: Next Is Now by Leigh Brown

 

We know her. We love her. And Leigh Brown is back with the book that has been on her heart for a while, Next Is Now: How to Move Forward When Disruption, Doubt, and Discomfort Hit All at Once. 

If you're living a life that appears successful but isn't filling your cup, Next Is Now should be your next purchase. This is a book about getting real with yourself and embracing your calling. It's a book about learning what is in your way and why you can't move forward, shutting off the outside voices, building trust, and embracing what you feel called to do--even if it doesn't make sense to everyone else. 

I've been privileged to know Leigh for years, and while we are separated by the miles, every time I take one of her classes or read one of her books, I feel like she understands right where I am and comes to me with bold advice I can immediately put into practice. She's not afraid to tell her story and use it as a way to lift up others. While I knew some of the stories that unfolded, I learned more about what she went through and respected her even more through the humble way she gave of herself in this book. You cannot listen to Leigh and walk away without pearls of wisdom. She is a woman of character, a woman of faith, and a person who can motivate you to uncover your purpose despite the disruption, doubt, and discomfort that tries to interfere.

Highly recommended!

Listening Length	3 hours and 22 minutes
Author	Leigh Brown
Narrator	Leigh Brown
Audible.com Release Date	December 03, 2025
Publisher	Leigh Brown
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0G4SNR8SZ

I downloaded this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Blast & Giveaway: In Search of Recognition by Jim McAllister

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jim McAllister will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Search of Recognition: The Story of Search and Rescue in British Columbia provides background on why and how organized volunteer search and rescue became a reality in the province, and how search and rescue evolved over many years to meet the increasing demands of finding lost people and rescuing those injured outdoors. The primary focus of the thousands of volunteers is to save the lives of persons lost or injured outdoors; training and fundraising for equipment and other costs also require time and energy. Through personal involvement and references, the author provides insights into how funding and other support for the volunteer service was achieved, through government, responsible agencies, organizations and individuals working together to find ways to assist those who strive "so others may live."

Read an Excerpt

Civil defence continued to be the focus of all levels of government in BC during the 1960s. The cold war standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States and its allies continued to escalate as nuclear capabilities grew. Air raid siren tests were common along with drills in schools in BC. Citizens in Comox were treated to the sights and sounds of Voodoo fighter jets launching to intercept Russian long-distance bombers. The RCAF remained the lead for air and marine search and rescue, from their base on Sea Island. Searches for missing aircraft and vessels in distress were numerous, as technology such as tracking and alerting systems were yet to be developed or in their infancy.

About the Author: Jim McAllister has been involved in search and rescue for over 45 years, starting as a volunteer member in the Rocky Mountains in 1977 with Golden and District SAR and then Cranbrook SAR. He became the SAR specialist for the Province of B.C. in 2002. In 2008, Jim retired from the provincial government as a director with Emergency Management British Columbia and became a volunteer director for special projects with the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association. Jim has been involved with many major projects: the establishment of Avalanche Canada, the updating of volunteer reimbursement rates, the establishment of health and safety guidelines, the formation of a joint health and safety committee, Swiftwater Rescue standards, sustainable funding for search and rescue and the establishment of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial. Jim wrote a book on the last project, titled A Monument to Remember, and one on incidents, titled One Week in August: Stories from Search and Rescue in British Columbia.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779627394
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/519145.Jim_McAllister

Jim McAllister will be awarding a

$10 Amazon/BN gift card to

a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Dec 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 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 back to Monday! Hope you had a nice week. Mine was filled with appointments, a disappointing new desk, cooking, and self-care.

Last week, I decided to have a massage to help deal with my back. The osteoporosis has worsened a bit, so the doctor has me on some new medicine, I'm working on increasing exercise time, and I figured a massage would be a good idea. Also had my hair colored and nails done to prepare for the holiday gala this coming Saturday. 

The new standing desk arrived, but the poor guy had a heck of a time assembling it. The desk isn't right, and I can't use it. Working on returning it. Made a nice chicken with vegetables in the crockpot on Saturday, along with homemade bread. Decorations are slowly going up. Won two items in a charity auction that I am eager to pick up. 

Here are a few photos from my week:

Our first snowfall of the season came Wednesday evening into Thursday late morning. 

Theo had a vet appointment, which makes him highly anxious. He hoped to escape through the window. 

Travis reminding me that the balcony tree still is not up. I'm trying, Travis. 

Did a bit of reading during the week. No writing, though. 

I finished this one Sunday and started the next and final book in the Love Comes Softly series. 

My review of this one appears on Goodreads. You can read it here or check in with my blog on December 11th. 

My first chapter review of this one will appear on December 18th. 

I am continuing with this devotional. The artwork is stunning! 

I'm not quite sure what to make of this children's picture book. The artwork is lovely. It's the book that makes no sense. This is supposed to be 15 stories of animals helping Santa on Christmas. While reading it on Tuesday, I discovered it is more like 15 synopses. There is no storytelling, simply a page outlining  what each story is supposed to be about. No dialogue. No character interaction. It's just bizarre. 

On Audible, I'm listening to these two.

Thanks to Kathy at Inside of a Dog, I signed up for Chirp. Loving it so far. I grabbed a bunch of deals the other day. 

I have a special hardcover collector's edition of eight books by Alcott that includes Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys, and many of her other well-known books. I am sure these Christmas stories will be wonderful. 

I actually have the printed book of Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories. It's part of my AOGG collection. I used to read the series once a year, but I haven't done that in a while. 

Listening to this collection of Christmas stories lately. 

The following are the books I am looking to read before starting any new ones.

Upcoming events:

• Jingles by D.F. Jones - December 11 (Review)
• Scandalous in Huntington Beach by Melody Deblois - Dec 18 (First Chapter Review - TBC)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. You can find that blog at https://christmasyearroundccm.blogspot.com. This week's news is about unique light displays in New England--one place about 15 minutes from us made the list, Christmas movies filmed or set in North Carolina, and 'Christmas in the Country.' 

I am heading into my busiest real estate week of December, so my computer time will be limited. Hoping to check in with all later today. Enjoy your week!