Loved this, you will too – For the Love of Books
When did I first scratch my head about Little Red Riding Hood? Kids are experts at shrugging at the imperfect world. They believe us when we tell them how Wednesday is spelled and then they move on to more important matters. After all, there are bugs to poke. Recently, I have been thinking a lot […]
Reconsidering Red Riding Hood by Eli Brown — Nerdy Book Club
To be honest, I’m a little worried Aaron might stick it to me if I don’t get this done. I mean, I don’t think he’s vindictive or anything but you never know about some people, ya know?
The other thing I was a little worried about last night was opinion on how this piece should be done. In the end I decided Aaron may have strong opinions about some things, and I’m ok with that, but I’m going to stick to my guns and do this my way.
I wasn’t sure for a while if I’d have the stick-to-itiveness to stick with the program. It was pretty tempting to throw in the towel and say sorry Aaron, I just can’t do this. I mean I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday. What in the world is there to say about stick.
Things look a little better by the light of day, maybe I can stick it out and come up with something. I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes.
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They say you can tell things are done when they stick to the wall. I’m not sure but I think this could be done. Although, there is an inescapable niggling in the back of my mind. I’ve pretty sure I’ve missed some things.
This is a stick up.
Stick to the top of the blog (choice in settings lol)
Stick to your lane
Stick to my fingers
Sticky fingers (in more ways than one)
Help me out guys, what other good things have I missed?
Story prompt is hosted by Sunday Scribblings with Aaron over at peckapalooza The Confusing Middle
I wasn’t looking for books, honest. I’m actually in the middle of another post, trying to share from my lengthy read and enjoyed collection. The trouble is I just can’t ignore the suggestion strips.
So, I’ve read this author before but it’s been a few years and I can’t remember what I thought about the experience. There is this niggling thought in the back of my mind, though, that says I have read her recently, probably in a collection or two, and it was good.
Anyway, there are two appealing bargain books and I have to go for it. And, I’d better make sure to add her to the good authors list.
Once Upon an Irish Summer (Once Upon a Summer)
Amazon quote:
You Can’t Embrace Your Future Until You Deal With Your Past…
Fiona Burke has long been obsessed with Ireland’s famed, sixteenth-century pirate queen, Grace O’Malley. Now that she’s on the final stretch of earning her PhD in history, all she needs to do is finish her dissertation—with Grace O’Malley as her subject—then return home to Boston to defend it. Once that’s done she can compete for a highly coveted history professor position.
Fiona arrives in western Ireland aiming to interview the locals and find additional folklore to flesh out her work. But when she encounters Grace’s distant relative—the handsome, commanding Rory O’Malley—she gets seriously distracted. Rory shares her passion for history and Ireland, and cares for his grandfather and great-uncle in a winsome way. Unfortunately he also carries wounds beyond his injured leg…wounds that threaten to dismantle every little bit of a relationship that he and Fiona begin to build.
As a famed TV host becomes intrigued with Fiona—as well as convinced she should do guest appearances on his show—Rory starts to figure out that he might be as interested in his own personal romantic future as he is in Ireland’s epic past. But can he take the steps toward the healing he needs before it’s too late? It all remains to be seen…Once Upon an Irish Summer.
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The Bridge
Amazon quote:
LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE…After a tragic accident along the Swan River took the life of his mother, young Jared Conway grew up thinking little of the family he lost. As an adult, he remains without an anchor.
With his marriage truly over–despite his attempts at reconciliation with his ex-wife–and his young son far away at boarding school, Jared discovers that his success as a commodities broker has brought him little inner peace.On impulse he suggests to his son that they go to Montana over the boy’s summer break.
Jared’s plan is simple: to spend time with his child and to clean out the cabin he has inherited, in order to make a quick sale in the hot real-estate market.
When he gets to the river in Montana, Jared encounters three things that will change his life forever: the forces that have been driving him toward empty success, love for a spiritually grounded ceramist named Eden Powell, and the bridge that will finally lead him home.
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BookRunes has a suggestion for us. It’s Urban Fantasy and this one is part of a series. I enjoy Fantasy, in a fairly narrow fashion. This one appeals to me so it’s been added to the pile.
Nearly Drowned (Tèarmann Chronicles Book 1): A Christian Urban Fantasy
Amazon quote:
Malissa has never known her true origins, but that’s about to change.
Malissa’s world is flipped upside down when rescuing a man from a pool that should have been empty makes her a target of those who tried to drown him. The closer they get the more she realizes that they might have been after her for foiling their plans, but not anymore. They seem to recognize her but from where?
Adopted as an infant, Malissa was left with no information about her parents or so she thought. After rummaging through some old papers she finds a note from her biological dad. On it, it says that he left her there for her safety. Unfortunately, no clues as to what sort of danger but surely the danger is gone, right?
Tèarmann Chronicles, Nearly Drowned, is the first in a 20+ book series. If you enjoy magical creatures and humans with powers, this series is for you.
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What we have here was not expected, but unexpected is very good.
I’ve managed to post the first installment of Read & Enjoyed, be sure to check it out if you haven’t already.
Happy Reading on a relaxed Saturday.
It’s that time again. Time to clean out the read and enjoyed books. Well at least some of them.
As always, we’ll start with the most enjoyed.
This first one was an author new to me. It thrills me to have a new name to add to the Good Authors list I keep.
The other thing that thrills me about my lists – the good authors list is the longest. Mind you, the less than great authors are divided into multiple categories and if they were added together the comparison picture may look a little different.
To be fair though, it is not always a case of poor writer, often it boils down to personal preference.
I’ve made peace with personal preference. It’s okay to I like what I like. It’s okay for you to like what you like. Once in a while we share a like and that’s awesome.
The Zookeeper’s Daughter
To receive her inheritance Kelli must abide by the conditions of her late mother’s will. She is forced work as a zookeeper for six months with animals that terrify her.
Since she needs to money to help support her aging grandmother, she must figure out a way to balance her career as a tax accountant with this new—thankfully temporary—assignment.
The zoo director is the same handsome man who stole her estranged mother’s affections and might just steal everything else too.
If Kelli fails, Jason Andover inherits everything. How can she possibly get past her animosity when he watches her every move, waiting for her to throw in the towel?
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This next one was a favorite too. Anything I’ve read by this author has been enjoyable.
The other thing I have to say is this; when you see a bargain – grab it quick. Often, they don’t last long and you will miss out on some awesome deals.
Night Fall: (Nighthawk Security Book 1)
She faces dangerous situations all the time…
Olympic downhill skier, Harper Young, knows what it’s like to look danger in the face. After all, she does it every time she races down a ski slope. She’s fine with that danger and even excels under the pressure, winning Olympic gold. And as a governor’s daughter, she’s familiar with receiving threats from the general public. But when a stalker turns his sights on Harper, she possesses zero skills to protect herself.
But she has no idea what lurks in the shadows.
Former Navy SEAL and ATF Agent, Aiden Byrd of Nighthawk Security is well versed in protection skills and knows the dangers she faces. Problem is, there’s an instant attraction between Aiden and Harper, and as Aiden and the Nighthawk team contract to protect her, he has to fight to remain professional. When the stalker grows bolder and tries to end Harper’s life, Aiden’s only hope in keeping her safe is to deny his feelings. Something that borders on impossible.
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This next bunch, I’m going to hurry through. Some were more enjoyable than others but they were all worth the read.
There’s more. Coming soon.
Happy Saturday!
BookBub has a bargain romance suggestion for us.
Run With My Heart: Sweet, Christian Christmas Romance: (A Texas Tornadoes Single Author Sports Romance book 2)
Amazon quote:
A football player who’s lost. A woman in danger of losing all she loves. Could he be the Christmas Miracle she’s been praying for?
Pro football player Tucker Jackson has a chip on his shoulder. His mother died when he was young, his father threw himself into his work, and the team he now plays for is in danger of losing their season. His anger drives him to a bar where an ensuing fight earns him service at a community center. Can he find a way to tame his ire before it destroys his dreams forever?
Shelby Doll has a heart for kids, but the community center she runs is short on funds. Tucker Jackson is her last hope to keep the doors open, but will he leave her in a lurch when it matters the most?
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A bargain suggestion showed up in the Amazon feed, an author we’ve read before.
Not Until Now: A Christian Romance (Hope Springs Book 8)
Amazon quote:
They both know what they want. And it’s not each other . . .
Kayla has worked hard to regain her independence after her spinal cord injury, and she isn’t willing to give up that independence for anyone. Which is why she is willfully single, with no intention of dating, marrying, or starting a family—ever. But when she witnesses an accident in Hope Springs, she finds herself drawn inextricably into the life of the young girl whose mother is now in a coma—and the uncle she has to convince to take care of the girl.
On the verge of the perfect life, Cam doesn’t owe his estranged sister anything. So he doesn’t appreciate the call informing him that he needs to care for the niece he didn’t even know he had. And yet, somehow he can’t say no to the woman on the other end of the phone. He soon finds himself on a plane for Hope Springs. He’ll go there, make alternate arrangements for the girl, and get back to his real, nearly perfect life.
But as Cam gets to know his niece—and Kayla—he starts to question what the perfect life really means. And as Kayla experiences the pull of family, she wonders whether being independent really means closing yourself off to others. Can they both let go of what they thought they wanted and let God give them the love they truly need?
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Current enjoyable read with interesting twists and turns…
The Zookeeper’s Daughter
Attending a stranger’s memorial service wasn’t at the top of Kelli Jackson’s to-do list.
Especially when that stranger was her own mother.
To receive her inheritance Kelli must abide by the conditions of her late mother’s will. She is forced work as a zookeeper for six months with animals that terrify her. Since she needs to money to help support her aging grandmother, she must figure out a way to balance her career as a tax accountant with this new—thankfully temporary—assignment. But the zoo director is the same handsome man who stole her estranged mother’s affections and might just steal everything else too. Because if Kelli fails, Jason Andover inherits everything. How can she possibly get past her animosity when he watches her every move, waiting for her to throw in the towel?
But perhaps there’s another reason Jason focuses such close attention on her. Are the assignments he gives her devised to scare her off, or to help her overcome her fears? Does he really have designs on her mother’s money, or might he have designs on Kelli as well? The only thing she’s sure of is that Jason is hiding a secret past, one that could destroy any chance of a happy future together.
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It’s Friday and beside looking forward to books, the big jig-saw puzzle I shared a few days ago is finished, it’s a perfect time to start a new one. Good times.
Have a great weekend.
BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us, an author we’ve seen several times lately.
Glimmer in the Darkness: (Coventry Saga)
Amazon quote:
Nothing could get her home…but this.
Cassidy Leblanc worked hard to shake off her tragic childhood. As a foster child with a mother in prison for murder, she was an outcast in her small New Hampshire town until she met James. But she and James’s sister, whom she was babysitting, were kidnapped. She escaped, but Hallie didn’t survive, and everybody assumed Cassidy killed her. Like mother, like daughter, after all. With public opinion and the authorities united against her, young Cassidy fled. Now, a decade later, another little girl has been kidnapped, and Cassidy may be the only person who can find her.
He doesn’t know who to trust.
James Sullivan never believed that Cassidy killed his sister, no matter what the authorities said. When his best friend’s daughter goes missing a decade after Hallie’s murder, James keeps his opinions on the matter to himself. But when he finds Cassidy sneaking around his property, his thoughts turn dark. If she’s not behind the recent kidnapping, what is she doing back in Coventry? Her answer—that she’s returned to find little Ella, and she needs his help—has him reeling. Can he trust Cassidy, despite what the police tell him? If there’s any chance he can save Ella, he has to try.
Danger lurks on the mountain.
Together, they search for the elusive cave where Cassidy and Hallie were taken, but somebody will stop at nothing to make sure they don’t find it or, if they do, that they don’t come out alive.
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The suggestions are not coming in fast and furious today, that’s for sure. This is all I’ve got, one book.
Oh well, one new book is still better than none.
So, I’m still on the book I mentioned in the last post, a romance. It’s been a slow reading day once again. On top of that I’m having trouble sticking with this book.
So moving right along, I think my next read will be suspense this time. I’m glad I picked up this next one when I did. The bargain price sure didn’t last very long.
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Night Fall: (Nighthawk Security Book 1)
She faces dangerous situations all the time…
Olympic downhill skier, Harper Young, knows what it’s like to look danger in the face. After all, she does it every time she races down a ski slope. She’s fine with that danger and even excels under the pressure, winning Olympic gold. And as a governor’s daughter, she’s familiar with receiving threats from the general public. But when a stalker turns his sights on Harper, she possesses zero skills to protect herself.
But she has no idea what lurks in the shadows.
Former Navy SEAL and ATF Agent, Aiden Byrd of Nighthawk Security is well versed in protection skills and knows the dangers she faces. Problem is, there’s an instant attraction between Aiden and Harper, and as Aiden and the Nighthawk team contract to protect her, he has to fight to remain professional. When the stalker grows bolder and tries to end Harper’s life, Aiden’s only hope in keeping her safe is to deny his feelings. Something that borders on impossible.
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Happy Reading!
This is one of those days, mind going a million miles an hour, with nothing coherent to say.
My thoughts are in problem solving mode. Scattered and busy, busy, busy. Reading is definitely out of the question when it gets like this.
Since I couldn’t settle down enough to read, it seemed like the next best thing was podcasts. Several of my favorites posted today. New material.
One of them is in news format. A niche market, very focused. Often times it is light and fun and the co-hosts keep it interesting. Most of the news revolves around a world that I am not part of, but I enjoy hearing about it anyway. Except today. It definitely was not light and fun. That’s part of life though. It’s tragic but it’s real.
The first podcast I watched was my favorite. I thought about sharing it with all of you but I’m not ready to cast it out into the world just yet. I need to park on it for a bit. There was just so much to take in and I need time to digest even a fraction of it.
There were so many things I liked about it. The interviewer and interviewee were both interesting, engaged in the subject, with lots to say. In a way, the subject matter wasn’t new but their perspective was fresh and new. The purpose of the podcast was to encourage the listener to think. Most guests on the podcast have a new book out and I’d have to go back and check but if I remember right the title of the book tonight was Think Again.
By that he meant be willing to take out your thoughts, beliefs, opinions, even decisions, and with an open mind take an honest look to see if you still think/believe the same way.
I can remember having a thought similar to this back in my twenties, you know, that time in your life when you think you know a lot of things for sure. By experience I learned to avoid being loudly dogmatic about anything. Backtracking on a strongly held opinion was not an experience I particularly enjoyed.
Anyway, I am still living tonight’s inspiring experience. When it wears off I will listen to it again once or twice and then maybe I’ll share.
Instead, I will share what I was doing part of the time while listening/watching the podcasts.
When it’s finished I always need to savor it for a while. That’s why there is a finished one hiding under my diamond painting projects. One of these days it will go back in the box.
Well, I’m glad I stopped by to visit with you all. This exercise has been a settling experience. Much needed if I hope to sleep tonight.
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Tomorrow, (well technically today since it 1:13 AM) maybe we will get back to books.
Currently I’m reading and enjoying ….
Leaving November (Clayburn Novels Book 2)
Eight years ago, Vienne Kenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure—just like her father—in this tiny Kansas town?
Nine months ago, Jackson Linder left Clayburn with no explanation to anybody. Now he, too, is back. He isn’t sure he’s ready to face the rumors and well-meaning questions of the town’s busybodies. Yet he’s determined, once more, to make his art gallery a success—despite the secret that haunts him every day..
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Happy Reading!
(Yes, it’s still Christmas at my house. The tree is even still up in the other room. I’m thinking if I leave it another month or two I may as well go ahead and leave it up for next Christmas lol)
Bye!
BookBub has a FREE suggestion from one of our favorite authors.
Leaving November (Clayburn Novels Book 2)
Amazon quote:
There’s one thing she’s vowed to never abide in a man…
could the horrible rumors be true? Is her life repeating itself?
Eight years ago, Vienne Kenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure—just like her father—in this tiny Kansas town?
Nine months ago, Jackson Linder left Clayburn with no explanation to anybody. Now he, too, is back. He isn’t sure he’s ready to face the rumors and well-meaning questions of the town’s busybodies. Yet he’s determined, once more, to make his art gallery a success—despite the secret that haunts him every day...
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If you happen to be a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman and his long and successful music career, like I am, you will also be excited to find his story among today’s suggestions.
I’ve heard snippets of his story over the years and look forward to the opportunity of hearing more about the bigger picture.
Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story
Amazon quote:
For decades, Steven Curtis Chapman’s music and message have brought hope and inspiration to millions around the world. Now, for the first time, Steven openly shares the experiences that have shaped him, his faith, and his music in a life that has included incredible highs and faith-shaking lows.
Readers will be captivated by this exclusive look into Steven’s childhood and challenging family dynamic growing up, how that led to music and early days on the road, his wild ride to the top of the charts, his relationship with wife Mary Beth, and the growth of their family through births and adoptions. In addition to inside stories from his days of youth to his notable career, including the background to some of his best-loved songs, readers will walk with Steven down the devastating road of loss after the tragic death of five-year-old daughter Maria. And they’ll experience his return to the stage after doubting he could ever sing again.
Poignant, gut-wrenchingly honest, yet always hopeful, Steven offers no sugary solutions to life’s toughest questions. Yet out of the brokenness, he continues to trust God to one day fix what is unfixable in this life. This backstage look at the down-to-earth superstar they’ve come to love will touch fans’ lives and fill their hearts with hope. Includes black-and-white photos throughout.
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1531 Entertainment has a FREE suggestion for us today. It looks intense, and interesting.
Knocking (New Beginnings Book 1)
Amazon quote:
A disgraced spouse. A devastated daughter. Can one woman’s faith in the Almighty’s plan right a string of wrongs?
Tonya Mendell has really tried her best. Desperate to be a model pastor’s wife and mother, she’s shocked when her thirteen-year-old daughter pranks the reclusive woman next door. And when Tonya discovers her husband is having an affair, her heart sinks when her only child flees the house in response.
Knowing the scandal could rock the town and cost her husband his job, the faithful woman clings to the remnants of her tattered marriage. But seeing her relationship with her daughter and her own dignity at stake, Tonya’s only hope is to put her trust in God to make things right.
Can this tortured soul follow the path the Lord intends and discover the healing she needs?
Knocking is the heartfelt first book in the New Beginnings Christian Fiction series. If you like relatable women, strong believers, and tales of redemption, then you’ll love Robin Merrill’s uplifting story.
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I’m currently reading and enjoying …
The Soft Whisper of Roses … it’s still a bargain
Amazon quote:
Every blended family has its problems, but how do you build a future when the past won’t let go?
Rebecca Townsend has only been married six months and already doubts Gary’s promise of “till death do us part.” Betrayed by her first husband, she’s trying her hardest to get it right this time. But when her new husband’s unresolved family issues resurface, she’s afraid she and her son will be abandoned once again.
Just when Gary thought he’d found happiness with a woman who truly understood him, the death of his first wife blindsides him with unanticipated grief and guilt. After years of letting his career get in the way of being the husband and father he should’ve been, he must now live up to his new wife’s expectations while attempting to fit his resentful teenage daughter into the mix.
But high-pressure careers don’t leave much time for stopping to smell the roses, and this family is almost out of time. A radical plan conceived by Gary’s ex-wife before her death risks tearing them all apart…or will it finally bring them together as the family God meant them to be?
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This is a selection of books I feel excited about. Some days are a little bit ho-hum but not today.
I hope this is a good day for you too.
Happy Reading!
If you love Bluegrass music, join me. I’m rewatching a live performance from their bus. The Isaacs, a highly popular and greatly talented family of singer/song writers, were on the road last November and found themselves with a free night due to a covid cancellation. The whole band was there and ready to sing so why not go for it. It’s a little tight in such a small space but they did a great job with their impromptu musical sharing. It was relaxed and fun.
Live on the Isaacs Tour Bus!!! November 21, 2020
If you aren’t sure about Bluegrass this is a great chance to hear it for the first time.
Story Prompt is hosted by Sunday Scribblings – Peckapalooza’s The Confusing Middle
I know I am in good company. That’s why we often see signs claiming it’s a fragrance free zone. Allergies abound. It’s too bad really, because some scents are exquisite. Wouldn’t it be great if it was possible to have pretty scents that are hypo-allergenic.
I used to wear perfume, way back in my teenage years, but had to quit. Something changed in me, my chemistry, to the point that what used to smell nice on me, suddenly didn’t. Sad, sad, day.
My allergic reactions have increased over the years and more and more things have became bothersome. Now, I avoid anything with a scent. There are a variety of reactions and some fragrances are less intolerable than others. I’m sure I could find something that would work for me but I don’t love perfume enough to search for just the right one.
This affliction affects many areas of my life, I’ve even had to quit a job over this issue.
Having left a job I loved (mostly, anyway) and taken another job that I didn’t, it was a safe place, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma.
The thing about this new place of employment was – it was full of scents of all kinds. Drugstores are like that. It had a thriving gift section with candles, oils, and all things pretty. The store also had a perfume case. While the gift section was near the front of the store the perfumes were at the back. It wasn’t difficult to avoid that area. Most of my time was on the cash registers at the front, well away from most things smelly.
My allergies were taking a back seat to more important life concerns, and I just put up with the minor reactions.
The interesting thing about perfumes was their attraction for shop lifters, a surprise to me.
There were other things in the store attractive to shop lifters too. Some products were a cheap substitute for alcohol. Others were ingredients used in the manufacture of street drugs, while popular items were sold on the black market to generate cash.
Changes had to be made to reduce shrinkage and the plan for the perfume case was to move all of it to the front of the store, on the shelving behind the tills.
Sometimes life has to become intolerable before I am willing to make changes. It was so bad that I was hearing impaired with the fluid build up in my right ear yet, I was still only flirting with the idea of quitting. Fortunately the decision was made easy for me in the end. My boss wanted to change my part-time status to full-time. Talk about a shove off the end of the pier.
It was a blessing in disguise. I found a better job, in a fragrance free zone.
The last couple of years an unidentified agent has rendered me hearing impaired for a few weeks in November. I guess quitting a job won’t be the easy solution to the problem this time.
For the Love of Books 