It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Apr 17

Welcome to 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 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.      

Χριστός ἀνέστη - Christ is Risen, my fellow Orthodox Easter friends. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

When we lost my father-in-law three years ago on Easter Monday, I didn't really think about how glorious it was to be welcomed home during the holiest week of the year. Now, having lost my mother-in-law during the same season, that thought is more front and center. 

Though we didn't celebrate with family this weekend (one daughter was working and the other is back at college, plus the nephew had double header baseball games), I spent Saturday and Sunday poring over family photos to prepare for my in-laws' celebration of life we will hold on May 13, which would have been their 67th wedding anniversary. On Sunday, our son took us out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant that we had never tried, which was outstanding. We will definitely be back. 

I had a rare weekend off. Though I answered texts, I didn't really work much. It will be a busy four days before Paul and I head to North Carolina to see the Lil' Princess' dance show at UNCW. Then we will return the first weekend in May to pack her up and bring her home for the summer. I am so excited to have her back!

Because I didn't work, I managed to get a good amount of reading done. I am totally engrossed in The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. The author easily moves this dual-time period tale of two women who find themselves surrounded by the darkness at Castle Moreau. I am sure I'll be giving it a 5-star review on April 24. 

I didn't read from this book during the week, as I've been spending more time in prayer. 

I posted a review of this personal growth book last week. You can read that here.

This has been a captivating read as well.

There is an e-book giveaway that runs through April 27th for a copy of An Accomplished Woman by Suzan Lauder. Please leave a comment here for your chance to enter and win. 

These two are next for May 1 and May 29 tours. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jamie Jo Wright - Apr 24 (review)
• The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey - Apr 27
• The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh and Adam by Barry M. Fellinger - May 1 (review at TC&TBC)
• Crossing A Fine Line by W. L. Brooks - May 9
• The Giving Back Tree by Tarky Lee - May 29 (review at TC&TBC)

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

No new books this week, but I added this one to my Goodreads Want to Read List recently.

A riveting story of World War II and the courage of one young woman as she is drafted into Churchill’s overseas spy network, aiding the French Resistance behind enemy lines and working to liberate Nazi-occupied Paris… 

 London, 1941: In a cramped bunker in Winston Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms, underneath Westminster’s Treasury building, civilian women huddle at desks, typing up confidential documents and reports. Since her parents were killed in a bombing raid, Rose Teasdale has spent more hours than usual in Room 60, working double shifts, growing accustomed to the burnt scent of the Prime Minister’s cigars permeating the stale air. Winning the war is the only thing that matters, and she will gladly do her part. And when Rose’s fluency in French comes to the attention of Churchill himself, it brings a rare yet dangerous opportunity. 

Rose is recruited for the Special Operations Executive, a secret British organization that conducts espionage in Nazi-occupied Europe. After weeks of grueling training, Rose parachutes into France with a new codename: Dragonfly. Posing as a cosmetics saleswoman in Paris, she ferries messages to and from the Resistance, knowing that the slightest misstep means capture or death.

Soon Rose is assigned to a new mission with Lazare Aron, a French Resistance fighter who has watched his beloved Paris become a shell of itself, with desolate streets and buildings draped in Swastikas. Since his parents were sent to a German work camp, Lazare has dedicated himself to the cause with the same fervor as Rose. Yet Rose’s very loyalty brings risks as she undertakes a high-stakes prison raid, and discovers how much she may have to sacrifice to justify Churchill’s faith in her . . . 

That's it for me this week. I will be out and about this morning, but will check in later in the afternoon. Hope you have a great week!

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

Welcome to 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 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! I hope you had a great week. We have had a lot going on here as we prepare for my mother-in-law to come live with us. I feel like every other day I buy something else. :) 

I ordered a French door for our formal living room. We are going to remove the pillars and close this room off from the hallway, so that she can have some privacy. New bed linens will be here tomorrow. New room darkening drapes arrived last week. The room is being painted gray, so that it won't be as dark as it is now. Hopefully, she will like it. At least cleaning out the hallway closet so we have room for her clothes won't cost anything. LOL!

With work, I haven't had much reading time. I had downloaded the Hallow app, which I really loved using morning and night, but I simply can't justify $70 for it. I switched to the free Daily Prayer app. 

I will get back to reading from this John Maxwell book in the mornings as well.

I've been listening to this one as I have time. 

I need to start reading this one for an April 24 review. 

These two are next for May 1 and May 29 tours. Not sure why I thought signing up for three review books made sense, but at least one of them is small. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey
• The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jamie Jo Wright - Apr 24 (review)
• The Not So True Adventures of Brandon, Josh and Adam by Barry M. Fellinger - May 1 (review at TC&TBC)
• The Giving Back Tree by Tarky Lee - May 29 (review at TC&TBC)

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

My physical mailbox was empty, but amazingly, I won a Goodreads giveaway. Looking forward to this one. 

I also grabbed this upcoming release from Netgalley.

That's it for me. I am posting this early because I have appointments starting first thing in the morning. I will be checking in at blogs in the afternoon. Hope you have a great week. Happy spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Oct 3

Welcome to 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 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 of October! Hope you had a great week. Mine was very productive. I tackled a work project that has been on my to-do list for probably a year. It was low priority, so that's why I put it off, but it needed to get done. I also finished the editing project I was working on for a while. 

On Thursday, we had a family friendly work event at a local farm, which my husband attended with me. Then this weekend, I planted pansies and garlic. Then I switched over my wardrobe from spring/summer to fall/winter. That made the cats and dog curious enough to peek in.

I was laughing because his hair really isn't this white.

McCray's Farm

McCray's Farm

Dwight in a box

Theo plotting to disturb Travis

Travis in a box

As far as reading goes, I am almost done with this seasonal short story collection. If you want to read an excerpt, you can find it here.

A First Chapter Review of this middle grade fantasy novel appeared at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. 

I posted a First Chapter Review of this young adult Christian futuristic novel yesterday. It was a book I grabbed as a Kindle freebie in 2012. You can read my thoughts here. 

My review of this Christian leadership book was posted on September 28. You can read it here.

I started this Christian mentorship guidebook to prepare for my review on October 28. 

I read the first chapter of this young adult novel on I will review on October 19 at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. 

I also started this historical novel, which I will review on October 20. 

I have these tours coming up in November, because good books always call my name.

Still hoping to read these soon.  

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Last week, the mail carrier delivered the historical novel I was waiting on. Look for my review on October 20.

Philadelphia, June 1780. George Washington's two least likely spies return, masquerading as husband and wife as they search for traitors in Philadelphia.

Months have passed since young widow Becca Parcell and former printer Daniel Alloway foiled a plot that threatened the new nation. But independence is still a distant dream, and General Washington can't afford more unrest, not with food prices rising daily and the value of money falling just as fast.

At the General's request, Becca and Daniel travel to Philadelphia to track down traitors who are flooding the city with counterfeit money. Searching for clues, Becca befriends the wealthiest women in town, the members of the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, while Daniel seeks information from the city's printers.

But their straightforward mission quickly grows personal and deadly as a half-remembered woman from Becca's childhood is arrested for murdering one of the suspected counterfeiters.

With time running out-and their faux marriage breaking apart-Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for a hate-driven villain who's ready to kill again.

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy your week.