It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - May 6

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 May! Hope you had a nice week. Χριστὸς ἀνέστη (Christ is Risen) to those who celebrate Orthodox Easter. It was so late this year, and with both in-laws gone, I almost forgot about it. We are going to wait until the Lil' Princess is back home to have our Easter dinner. 

Another hectic week, but with lots of high points.

• New listings are coming.
• Signed up a new buyer.
• Submitted two offers.
• Wrote the query letter for the small town romance I wrote in November.
• Grabbed some new books on house history from the library and raided their annual used book sale.
• Lil' Diva's first dance recital was this weekend, too!

Working at the office

Pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cornbread

Caught a nice sunset

The teaching staff being introduced

As for my reading world, not a lot happened this week. I've been on the road a lot, so Audible is the only thing I can really get to lately. 

My review for this book appeared on Wednesday. You can still enter the giveaway here.

This review is coming May 17th. 

I am enjoying this book for our Prairie Pages Book Club.

I am on the last 30 minutes of this one. 

I need to start this one this week. 

I'll start this one this week. I grabbed a Kindle version to make reading easier. 

This will come on vacation with me in July. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• Be Resilient in Your Career by Dr. Helen Ofosu - May 16 (Review)
• Mastering Your Scenes by J. A. Cox - May 17 (review)
• I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial by Emilio Corsetti III - May 31 (Review)
• Royally Arranged by Amber Malloy - June 4 (First Chapter Review)
• Rock, Crush, and Roll by Hunter Snow - June 12 (First Chapter Review)
• Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide... by JB Miller - July 3 (Review)
• The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra - July (Review)

 

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.

Here is what I grabbed at the library for books on house history. The second photo is the books I added to my TBR pile thanks to the used book sale. 

This was the free book I grabbed as a thank you for donating books to the used book sale. 

Sheila Roberts sent me this one to review.

That's it for me today. Hope you enjoy traveling the blogosphere seeing everyone's books. 

Workbook Review: My Career Journal by CareerTuners (Giveaway)

 

Need help to define your career goals, overcome gaps in your skill set, and get that job you're aiming for? Then this workbook by CareerTuners can help.

My Career Journal starts off by having you think about what your dream job looks like: what that role is, what benefits you're looking for, and your desired salary range. Then you perform an analysis of your strengths and areas you wish to improve. Then it's time to set some S.M.A.R.T. short- and long-term goals. Then it's time to break those goals down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. With quarterly assessments along the way, you can track your journey.

My Career Journal is easy to follow and uses a proven approach to achieving your goals. With monthly and weekly planners, free space where you can brainstorm and capture notes, regular times to assess your progress, along with helpful checklists and interview advice, My Career Journal provides you the tools you need to succeed. There are a couple spots where advertising for the author's services appears, but they don't distract from the content. 

If you are planning a search for your dream job, My Career Journal will be an invaluable resource. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSG95QYD
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ CareerTuners (January 12, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218352158

Fatemah Mirza will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

I received a digital copy of this workbook from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten Darn Good Reasons I DNF a Book

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  

Welcome back to Tuesday! It's the last day of the month, and as I'm typing this, I am thinking it's possible I've been on the computer too much today because the text is a bit blurry. So, pardon any typos. 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday was supposed to be about petty reasons you didn't finish a book or reduced its rating. It's so rare I don't finish a book--though I am getting better about it--that I didn't think I could come up with a complete list. I'm not even sure I can come up with a complete list of...

Top Ten Darn Good Reasons I DNF a Book

1. The book's description doesn't match its contents. This frosts my cookies. Don't give me a deceiving back cover blurb.

2. Unlikeable characters. While I might not like every character in a book, I've read the occasional novel where every single character made me want to toss the book across the room. 

3. Weak first three chapters. I am willing to walk along with an author for three chapters. If I'm not hooked by then, I'll put it down.

4. Characters acting suddenly and inexplicably out of character. This is a dangerous reason not to finish a book. By the end, your character who is acting oddly might redeem themselves or at least you discovered a valid reason why they acted that way. I will give it a while, but don't want to continue if it doesn't start making sense. 

5. The narrator doesn't capture my attention. Having listened to more Audible books over the last year, I've learned the narrator makes a difference. Just because you can narrate your own book, doesn't mean you should. Also, there are times when you shouldn't hand that task to someone else because they won't capture your passion for the material.

6. I'm bored or not listening. I love reading, so if I am avoiding the book or reading anything other than getting back to it, that is a DNF for me.

7. Graphic violence or violent sex. I've reduced or eliminated reading books in some genres because they appeal less to me now. So, if I stumble upon these elements unexpectedly, I'll put the book down.

8. An abundance of typographical or grammar errors. I can get by these for the most part, but if there are so many it distracts from the story, I won't continue.

9. The villain's story makes no sense. Generally speaking, people aren't born evil. Usually, something has happened to the villain to make them the way they are. If I can't see that, and the bad person is bad for no good reason, I might not finish the book.

10. A book that could be told in significantly fewer words. Have you ever read a book and felt at the end that with strong editing it could have been half as long? The middle might have dragged on longer than necessary. Getting to the conflict takes too much time. There are information dumps that don't add to the story. If I am going to invest enough time to read all 400+ pages of a novel, it better be riveting from beginning to the end. 

Do we share any of the same reasons for not finishing a book? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Apr 29

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 last Monday of April! Hope you had a great week. I am posting early because I have a busy Monday morning. 

After a frustrating and crazy week, this weekend was filled with charity, home, and work. This Saturday was the annual Run for Rick's Place. Over 170 people signed up to walk or run in support of our organization. We had an amazing group of sponsors, volunteers, and staff coordinating the event. 

I walked in memory of my mother and my in-laws. 

The rest of Saturday was showing houses and catching up on laundry. I spent most of Sunday in my car, holding an open house and showing houses. After supper, I packed up the books I am donating to the Wilbraham Friends of the Library Book Sale that starts later this week. I will drop them off Monday morning. 

Despite the busyness of the week, I felt productive on the reading/blogging front. I've returned most of the books about historical homes to the library. I have two more to go. 

My review of this middle grade graphic novel appeared at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. You can read it here.  

I posted my review of this Laura Ingalls Wilder biography here and at my Laura's Little Houses blog. 

Look for my review of this book coming this week.

This review is coming May 17th. 

I am enjoying this book for our Prairie Pages Book Club.

I am about halfway through my Audible version of this book.

I bought a Kindle copy of this one because I can't find the paperback anywhere in my house. This review is scheduled for May 31st. 

I need to start this historical mystery this week. Reading via PDF always takes me longer. 

I would really like to continue with this series after I catch up on review books, but I just added more books for review this week. I think it will be coming on vacation with me. 

New post at Christmas Year Round. Sharing Christmas News from Around the Country.

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• My Career Journal by CareerTuners - May 1 (Review) 
• Be Resilient in Your Career by Dr. Helen Ofosu - May 16 (Review)
• Mastering Your Scenes by J. A. Cox - May 17 (review)
• I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial by Emilio Corsetti III - May 31 (Review)
• Royally Arranged by Amber Malloy - June 4 (First Chapter Review)
• Rock, Crush, and Roll by Hunter Snow - June 12 (First Chapter Review)
• Is Truth Stranger Than Fiction? You Decide... by JB Miller - July 3 (Review)
• The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra - July (Review)

 

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.

This mailbox was filled with new e-books that I bought or received for review. 

Ellie is a local author. I had the pleasure of editing this novel. 

This was available on NetGalley.

This and the book below are for First Chapter Reviews in June. 

I will review this book in July. 

I think that is it this week. Looking forward to visiting your blogs. Hope you have a blessed week!

Book Review: A Prairie Faith by John J. Fry

John J. Fry, a professor of history and dean of faculty at Trinity Christian College, blends his love and knowledge of the American West with an exploration into the religious life of a cherished American pioneer in A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Told chronologically, Fry starts with the birth of Laura Elizabeth Ingalls to Caroline and Charles Ingalls in 1867. Chapter by chapter, the author discusses the important events of the time, the daily life of the Ingalls family and those around them, Wilder's writing, her relationship with Almanzo and Rose, her numerous trips, the popularity of the Little House series, Rose's contributions to the books, and the continued fascination with Wilder and her work. Woven through this in-depth narrative is Fry's argument that while Christianity was important to Wilder's life, it was not central, as proven by her practices and her stoic ideas. 

I found A Prairie Faith fascinating and informative. It is a deeply researched, well-written biography of one of America's most beloved children's authors. Having read numerous biographies of Wilder's life, many cited in this book, I found Fry paid great attention to detail. 

The thesis type format created a fair amount of repetition as Fry focused on his point that Christianity was important but not central to Wilder's life. The author reiterated examples to support that point, stating Laura and her family, then Laura and Almanzo, did not attend evening church services; Laura and Almanzo didn't attend services when they were traveling; and that neither of the Wilders became members of local churches despite being involved in civic organizations, some with religious ties. He cited changes between Laura's handwritten manuscripts and the finished product where the editor's hand changed scenes that surrounded some of Laura's experience with church and church members. He discusses that while Wilder prayed and read from the Bible regularly, she did not mention Jesus, and her stoic ideas fly against the dependence upon God and Savior to bring you through life. 

With the limited amount of information available on this topic, Fry did a superb job of creating this biography of Wilder's life. Though I'm not sold on supporting the author's thesis, I'm happy to add A Prairie Faith to my collection of resources about Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Publisher:‎ Eerdmans (February 6, 2024)

Language: ‎ English

Paperback: ‎ 240 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 0802876285

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0802876287

I received a copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Poetry Collection Review: It Will Have Been So Beautiful by Amanda Shaw

 

It Will Have Been So Beautiful is Amanda Shaw's debut poetry collection. Within the pages of this book are five sections of poems symbolizing home, love, loss, the human experience in a world growing more disconnected by the minute, childhood, and more. 

The imagery and creativity draw you in. The poignant reminders of earth's life hanging in the balance of change provoke thoughts. The focus of home and what it means no matter where you exist around the globe reminds you of our connected experiences. The natural elements from the solar system to flora and fauna that make up our world tickle the senses. 

Favorites for me are...

And the Stars,

Love at 24,

Allegory of the Thumb, and

Ashes, Ashes.

It Will Have Been So Beautiful is a moving collection encased in a stunning cover. I look forward to Shaw's next collection. 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lily Poetry Review (March 21, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 92 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1957755350
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1957755359

I received a digital copy for review. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  

Welcome to Tuesday! We are back home after our trip to North Carolina. It was so good to see the Lil' Princess. Hard to believe the semester is almost over. She will be coming home in early May.

I was looking through my photos, and I came across this book that I have to tell you about before I get into this week's Top Ten Tuesday. 

I grabbed this new book by Dawn McMillan while shopping in Target. This is the latest book in the author's I Need A New Butt series. OMG! I had to buy this because I couldn't stop laughing. I'm sitting there in the middle of Target reading this to our daughter and tears are streaming down my face because I am laughing so hard. By the time I was done, my sides ached. Just talking about it makes me break down in fits of laughter. She actually took photos. 

Okay, now on to more serious matters. Unread books. We bloggers have plenty of those. So many books and so little time. What can we say? Back in March, we talked about books on our Spring 2024 TBR List. You can find mine here. Now, let's talk about books that are unread on our shelves that we want to read soon. Here are my...

Top Ten Unread Books on My Shelves

I Want to Read Soon 

I grabbed this from one of my clients, whose house I sold in 2023. She had a ton of books that she sold before moving. I enjoy the author's work and have other books of his in my TBR pile. 

I bought this in 2014. That year was the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. As a LMM fan, I had to have this in my collection. 

This book was purchased in 2012, the summer after it came out. Melissa Francis was still reporting for Fox News at the time. I enjoyed her other book, Lessons from the Prairie, so I would love to read this one as well. Besides, it's the 50th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie, and I am trying to stay on top of books released by the cast. 

Thanks to an Amazon gift card, this book made its way to my house in 2012. We watched The Waltons growing up, and this cast often travels in the same circles as the LHOP cast. I would love to read this before the end of the year. 

In 2023, I was gifted a Barnes & Noble gift card as a thank you gift. This is one of the books I grabbed. I've heard a lot of great things about it. Hopefully, I can get to it soon. 

Thanks to another B&N gift card, I bought this in 2022. The title alone captures you, but it was McCurdy's interviews that made me want to read it. There has been recent talk of this book with the release of the "Quiet on Set" docuseries. 

I pre-ordered this book in 2018, almost a year before it was published. Having read Wendi's other book, I would love to read this one before attending the cast reunion in August. 

I'm not sure when I bought this book, but it was after Go Set a Watchman came out because I wanted to read To Kill a Mockingbird first. 

This book was pre-ordered a couple of months before it came out in 2017. I've heard mixed reviews of this biography, but mostly good ones. I would love to dive into this one. 

This book was also a pre-order before it came out in the fall of 2018. I started it, but review books got in the way. I've heard so many great things about this book, I would love to read it soon.

How many of these books have you read? Is there one you think I should start with first?