Read and enjoyed. February 12, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Today is my son’s birthday! He is miles and miles away from me but at least we have social media to share birthday greetings. He is also near other parts of the family so it’s still a good day for him.

*********

Down to business. It’s time to clear out the growing collection of read books once again. It’s not easy to buckle down and get it done because I keep finding myself hooked on true crime videos. Very distracting. I’ve split the screen, maybe that will help keep me working. Maybe, no guarantees.

Most of today’s videos have been about booking drunk and disorderly in jail but this last one is about a cult family in a traffic stop. They are pulling a trailer with a bunch of kids inside. At least it is one huge family (they think) and not a child trafficking situation, (we hope.)

Last week I watched a long interview with a woman (#2 wife) who was excommunicated from the community for a minor made-up infraction but wasn’t allowed to take her five children with her. Her biggest fear was that the group leader would marry off her daughters to older men while still at an early age. Usually age 12 – 16 or so. They gather together a bride group and move them to another place where they are chosen by someone from a group of men. Hopefully that is not what is going on here. I feel bad for the girls and their mothers if it s.

The biggest problem this group will likely have will be created by resisting police officers when asked to exit the vehicle and identify themselves. It looks like they are also breaking multiple traffic laws by having unsecured passengers. The trailer has blankets on the floor, no seats, no windows. Could be a fatal situation if anything ever went wrong with such a flimsy trailer.

It’s over now, at least they stopped sharing the video, not sure how it all ended. I’ll resist looking to see if there is a next installment.

Anyway, on to books.

Not sure which one was my favorite anymore but I will try to figure it out.

This first one (on the left) was one of my favorites, it was a five star read.

Again, the next two (also on the left) were also favorite five star reads. Amazing, because I don’t usually have so many excellent reads this close together. It’s been a good week.

I’ve been more selective lately, maybe that has made a difference too. I’m not settling for some of the less appealing books just to have something to share with you.

I’m liking this new way of doing things much better.

Looking through what’s coming next I see there are still about a dozen partially read books near the top of the list. It would be a good plan to move some of them along a little faster. Probably need to jump to the end and move on.

My current read, on the other hand, will likely turn out to be another five star read as well. I’m having a hard time staying away from it. This was yesterday’s new book and I will soon be done with it. Check it out, it’s a good book.

Cold Dead Night (Brand of Justice Book 1)

Alright, there were no more interruptions and I got it done.

As a treat I think I will make a nice salad and finish reading my book.

Happy reading!

Bargain books February 11, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We have a new and interesting book today. After reading the first two chapters I’m dying to read the rest of it… Next.

Unless I decide to walk away from my current read. It could happen. This author is one of my favorites so I can’t help but be excited.

Cold Dead Night (Brand of Justice Book 1)

The FBI betrayed her. Now they need her.

Private Investigator Kenna Banbury lost everything two years ago at the hands of a serial killer. From the ashes of that encounter, she’s built a life she believes in, searching for the lost and forgotten all over the western US.

Bringing her own brand of justice.

When a series of murders drags her into an FBI investigation, Kenna finds herself back in the place where it all went wrong. Struggling to make sense of the case, Kenna’s past and present collide in a deadly plot that risks another betrayal and threatens to shatter everything she’s built.

Kenna faces the darkest part of her past in this first book of a brand-new series from Lisa Phillips.

**********************

My current read is by an author who has been around forever, and I’ve never read any of his books. I know he is a good writer, evidenced by the millions of books sold. I also know this fact as a subscriber to his email list.

His current mission in life seems to be helping all of us become better writers ourselves and so the emails with helpful offers show up regularly.

I have taken some of his free courses but haven’t gone beyond that. I love writing (the noun version) and appreciate the time and talent that goes into awesome books. The trouble is I don’t love the idea of writing a book myself (I know you have figured out that’s the verb version.) These days I’m having trouble finding enough material to write a daily blog post never mind enough for a serious project.

Actually, that isn’t entirely true, about the blog post. Ideas and thoughts still cross my mind occasionally but it’s cluttered with too many other things going on in my life and the ideas die before I find a minute to really think about them.

I’m trying not to beat myself up about this too much and hang on to the hope that maybe next year will be a better year for a quiet and thoughtful mind.

The last twelve months have been quite the ride. I can’t say it’s even remotely been a bad year but it has definitely been consuming. Intense even. I’m hoping a move soon, closer to my daughter, will lay to rest some of the anxious what-to-do, what-to-do! thought patterns.

In the middle of all that tumultuous mindset, books help keep me sane. Maybe writing will help again too one day, somewhere far far down the line.

So lets get back on track here.

The current read, was…(I’ve already made the switch and I’m up to chapter six – must be attention deficit disorder I keep forgetting what I’m supposed to be doing here hahaha )

Dead Sea Conspiracy: A Novel

In this thrilling adventure, archaeologist Nicole Berman is about to discover the key to unifying three major religions—if a dangerous enemy doesn’t stop her first.

Archaeologist Nicole Berman is the first woman to be awarded a permit to lead a dig in Saudi Arabia. Nicole believes what she hopes to discover has the power to to rewrite world history. She assembles a team that will ultimately surprise – and in some cases – betray her. 

In a parallel storyline, readers are launched back to ancient Ur where young Abram is sent to learn from his forebears, who tell him firsthand stories of being on the ark during the Great Flood. 

************************

Nothing against his writing. Subject matter is more likely the draw or lack of draw.

There is no accounting for taste. What can I say?

Hopefully this rambling post makes a little sense.

The next post will probably be books read.

Happy reading!

Bargain book February 06, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It looks like the no-book dry spell has come to an end, 1531 Entertainment has a suggestion for us. It’s such a good one that I will be abandoning my current read in favor of this one. Book two in this series was in the lineup a month ago so we know by experience that this read will be just as good.

Tough as Steele: (Steele Guardians – Book 1)

Searching for an abducted woman…
Detective Londyn Steele is thrown into the deep end when she’s assigned to find an abducted socialite. Problem is, her family’s company, Steele Guardians, was supposed to protect the family matriarch at her eightieth birthday party when she disappears, and Londyn fears her investigation will expose problems in her family’s company and bring them down. Especially when County Detective Nate Ryder declares jurisdiction over the scene, and Londyn must take a back seat in one of the most important cases she’s ever investigated.

Could put them in a deadly killer’s crosshairs.
Londyn has no choice but to work with Nate and bristles at his interference at first, but soon forms a working truce so they can combine forces to locate this missing woman before it’s too late. As they search for leads, emotions he hasn’t felt since before his service as a Navy SEAL come to the surface. He credits Londyn for unearthing the guy he used to be before his military service, and Londyn can barely fight her attraction for him. But when they fear the socialite was murdered and the killer is still hunting, seeking another prey, their feelings for each other have to be put on hold to stay alive.

**********************

Although now that I read a bit more in my current book I may have to change my mind about ditching it for this new one. And now that I remember the current read is a three book collection maybe a compromise would be in order. Take a break after book one and then come back for the other two. Definitely worth thinking about.

Black Hills Song: A Sweet Historical Romance Set in the Black Hills

After losing their Ma and Pa to a tragic illness, Ezekiel Wagner and his brothers are plagued by a mysterious addendum in their will. A threat against the only family they have left forces them to risk everything to save their aunt’s life before the curtain closes on the construction of her opera house.

Tender Melody

As an orphan, Martha never had a family. When she is falsely accused and loses her position, she’s left penniless and desperate. Desperate enough to consider Ezekiel’s marriage of convenience offer. The business arrangement will benefit them both, but will she end up falling in love with the honorable man who saved her from poverty?

*******************

That’s all I have for today but I could be back soon. My already-read list is getting out of hand again and needs some clearing out.

Until then. . .

Happy reading!

Bargain books and PTSD, January 30, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We have books. Hopefully more than one. After today’s search.

BookBub has the first good suggestion. We’ve read earlier books in this series so this is a welcome addition to our expanding library.

A Home in Cranberry Cove (Cranberry Cove Series Book 4)

Madison Mitchell will never trust a man again. The love of her life broke her heart and married a French chef. Now she throws herself into her work at The Inn at Cranberry Cove. When she accidentally tangles with the manager of a nearby fishing supply store, she suspects the handsome guy is hiding something.

Micah Collins flees Sacramento seeking solace in the seaside village in Washington state. But he discovers an enemy has followed him to Cranberry Cove. He must endure frightful threats at the same time keeping his previous life secret. When Madison finds herself in danger, Micah blames himself.

Madison and Micah are haunted by someone from Micah’s past, but is the culprit the real enemy or should they look elsewhere? Will they find a future together?

**********************

Next, an interesting book showed up in the suggestion strip. A total change in time period.

A Mosaic of Wings (Dreams of India)

It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India–and of Owen–fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

*********************

1531 Entertainment has a suggestion that I want to be next up on my reading list. I’m hooked from the beginning.

Dangerous Beauty: A Novel 

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She’s not a victim, she’s a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she’s determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can’t stay safely over the border in America–unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

*************************

It has turned out to be a very good book day and I’m one happy book lover, I have to say.

I may even be tempted to speed quickly through the current read to get to this new book just a little sooner.

Temperatures have dropped and the sun is shining brilliantly. It hard not to look up on a day like today. The sunshine provides a good blow to the winter doldrums, cabin fever, and all that.

Have a great reading day. I certainly plan to.

I’m still here, thinking on this last book and why it appeals to me so much.

I’m guessing the short answer could be that a strong, abused and vulnerable woman has been rescued by a resourceful, compassionate, but deeply angry man. Rescued being the operative word.

Probably because of any word that could be applied to my life, rescued is the very first word on the thankful list. To be honest, I haven’t really considered the idea in much depth, until now, thinking about this new book. But it’s true. When ever the subject of my early life comes up, the very first thought always is, where would my brothers and I have been if we were not rescued as pre-teens.

I do think of my life in depth at times, when it seems appropriate. Much healing has come from being willing to face the terror of my past.

The other day I was thinking about how far I’ve come in this journey. I’m not that little girl any more.

And yet the healing is incomplete, the damage runs deep and there is residue that will go with me to the grave.

I’m grateful for the rescue, I’m grateful for the major healing gained over many decades. I still don’t lead the life of a normal woman but close enough.

Besides, what is normal anyway?

Read and enjoyed January 28, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s time again to clean out the accumulation of read and enjoyed books.

All of these books were great.

*********************

This was a pleasant reading experience and I’m looking forward to it happening again.

It seems wrong to share all this without much comment but the truth is my memories are too dim to have much to say.

That’s the trouble with reading so many books on a short timeline. Lots of skimming to keep things moving and then when it’s finished and instantly starting a new book, there is not much chance of good memory retention.

It gets so bad that sometimes when I pick up a story where I’m a few chapters in, I have to stop to ask myself what story is this again? Then there is a long pause while I allow memories to flood back in.

I do like to read slow enough to savor the experience but it isn’t practical most of the time. Unless it’s an especially compelling story then I do slow down for a stroll through the book.

It’s the constant temptation to buy more books that has created this need to hurry.

My newest justification for buying more than I can read is the thought that one day I may not carry on with this blog with bargain books but I will still have a long list of unread books to fall back on.

I don’t think about this reasoning too deeply because if I do it sounds like a frail excuse.

Frail or not that is my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

******************

My current read, just started.

The detail I’m most impressed with so far?

Three sisters are fleeing from their controlling and abusive step father, with their mother’s blessing. Part of their journey includes a precarious ride down a nine mile wooden flue used to carry logs down the mountain to the river. They are familiar with the water flue and how it works because of time spent with their father who owned and operated the business.

I think it was a pretty gutsy thing for them to do.

Hopefully the rest of their journey will go as well. Probably not though, as tension makes for a good story.

******

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother’s unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away–far and fast–to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father’s lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

***************

Now back to the story.

Happy Reading y’all

Free book January 26, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We are back in business. BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us, breaking our bookless streak.

We have encountered this author once before.

Letty’s Choice: Courting Chaos – Book 9

Lovely, spirited Letty Boyce, a Philadelphia debutante, has refused her many suitors, believing they only want her wealth. When her father goes bankrupt, he sends her to her Aunt Jenny in Laramie, Wyoming, with the stipulation that she will be courted by three suitors, and if Letty doesn’t choose any of them, she must go to work in her aunt’s dress shop.


Letty is pleased with all three young men Aunt Jenny has chosen to court her. They all seem capable of giving her the love she’s always been looking for, but only one can win her heart and save her from a madman bent on revenge.

************************

That’s all I have for new suggestions at this time.

My current read is interesting though. It is still a bargain too.

Narrow Escape (Vanishing Ranch Book 9)

As general contractor for Vanishing Ranch’s new lodge, Natalie Whitehurst fights to keep her late husband’s business alive and regain her life after his death. When her remote jobsite is compromised, her survival instincts kick in.

Natalie suspects her mysterious new crewmember, Joshua Madden, is keeping secrets, especially since her troubles started around the time he arrived. But when the sabotage escalates from threatening to deadly, she learns there’s more to Joshua than his résumé shows.

With danger closing in, the two are forced to join forces to uncover the person behind the perilous incidents haunting them. Will Natalie and Joshua find their narrow escape? Or will the fate of the lodge be nailed shut before it has a chance to open its doors?

************************

Oops. We have more.

There is a sequel to this book, it’s on pre-order.

Desperate Rescue (Vanishing Ranch Book 10)

The exciting conclusion to the Vanishing Ranch series . . . finally, we get to hear Charlie Soldier’s story!

***********************

That’s it this time.

Have a good day everyone.

Happy Reading

Free book January 23, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We have another FREE book. BookBub is making the suggestion this time. It has a short time frame so we need to move quickly to get in on the good deal.

Bridges by Deborah Raney

Facing an empty nest for the first time since the death of her husband, Dan, three years ago, Tess Everett immerses herself in volunteer work for the Winterset public parks, home of the famous covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa. But when former resident J.W. McRae shows up at one of the bridges with paintbrushes and easel, sparks fly—because J.W. was once married to Tess’s late friend Char. Worse, J.W. was a deadbeat dad to Char’s son, Wynn—then a college student—who Tess and Dan took under their wings after his mom’s death.


J.W. hopes to make amends with his son now that there’s a new little granddaughter in the picture. But when Tess agrees to rent the backyard garage apartment to J.W., hoping to be a bridge to reconcile father and son, sparks of a different kind are kindled. As their friendship grows, Tess and J.W. must discover if what they have together is worth rearranging their entire lives for. And whether they can build bridges that will mend broken relationships.

Bridges is quintessential Deborah Raney: small town charm, a gentle, compelling love story, and enchanting secondary characters.

***********************

I did do a little browsing but nothing else new stood out for me.

Tomorrow maybe.

Happy Reading!

Free book January 22, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We have a FREE book suggestion from BookRunes.

Sir Andrew and the Authoress: A Regency Romance (Clairvoir Castle Romances Book 3) 

Lady Josephine, the duke’s eldest daughter, has a secret. When her brother’s horrid best friend discovers what she’s been hiding up in the castle tower, she has no choice but to take him into her confidence.

As the daughter of a duke, Lady Josephine has a long list of responsibilities, and an even longer list of things she must never do to dishonor the family name. Josephine knows exactly which side becoming an author falls upon, but she’s determined to try her hand at it anyway. For months she has worked on her novel in secret, writing chapter after chapter of intrigue and romance. Unfortunately for Josephine, her sworn enemy stumbles upon her secret.

Sir Andrew Wycomb’s close relationship to the Duke of Montfort’s family and heir gives him more than one advantage in life. His loyalty to the family is absolute, even if he finds at least one of its members an annoyance. He and Lady Josephine have never seen eye-to-eye. But when he discovers that she’s written a novel upon a subject she knows nothing about, he cannot help but sympathize with her dream. This creates an unlikely ceasefire between them.

But things at the castle are always changing, and when a determined suitor arrives to court Josephine, Andrew has to decide which secrets he’s going to keep. Especially when he discovers the one he’s kept even from himself – that perhaps he doesn’t find Josephine an annoyance at all. In fact, she is quite charming. The more time they spend together, the more he hopes she will realize they aren’t enemies, and they could be so much more…

**********************

That’s all I’m seeing at the moment.

I’ll be back later if there is more to share.

Have a good day and…

Happy Reading

Free book January 20, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

We have a FREE book.

From an author new to us. And a story set in World War 1 this time.

Reading the reviews it looks like a good read and I’m going to give it a try. BookRunes gets the credit for today’s recommendation.

In the Shadow of Your Wings (Northshire Heritage (WW1 Inspirational Fiction)) 

A past she can’t escape. A future he wants to make his own. A war that comes between them. She’s a spy in love with the enemy. 

Leila Durand, an elite German spy charged with infiltrating the home of British icon Thomas Steele, hopes to use the war to move beyond the pain of her shattered past. But everything changes when she falls in love with Thomas’s son, Malcolm. Is there a way to reconcile her love for Germany and her love for the enemy?

He’s a son who wants to break free. Malcolm, wealthy heir to Northshire Estate, wants nothing more than to be free of his father’s rules. When his father forces him to choose between his social status and the woman he loves, Malcolm makes a choice that threatens to bring the Allied world to its knees.

In the Shadow of Your Wings presents inescapable truth that resonates across the past century. Then as now, the struggle for faith is real. Then as now, there is a refuge for all who come beneath the shadow of God’s wings.

***********************

This seems to be a popular genre right now. More and more books keep popping up.

I’m not seeing anything else interesting at the moment but I’ll be back if any others show up.

Happy Reading!

This and that January 19, 2023

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It has been quite the day.

This have been a week for repair men. A new furnace to replace the one that quit. That was a big job.

One thing lead to another and the hot water tank had to be replaced as well. There were complications because of the updated regulations for exhaust pipes. It would be impossible to comply with the inadequate space available in the chimney, so we had to change from gas to an electric tank with simpler exhaust needs.

Isn’t that always the way? Fix one thing, that causes a chain reaction, and before you know it you are changing six more.

I have to say I am pleased with the new arrangement, though, especially the furnace. I had no idea the old furnace was doing such a poor job of heating the house. The difference in performance is staggering. It’s winter and I don’t have to wear as many layers anymore. How could I be unhappy about that?

The crew of guys doing all this work went above and beyond the call of duty to give helpful service. Their company policy is service oriented. It seems they have discovered the secret weapon for gaining customer loyalty. More businesses need to discover this secret.

Before the guys left they mentioned a special plumbing inspection price the company had going on at the moment. I couldn’t think of any major concerns but still, it sounded like a good idea.

Sometimes bad things lead to good things. Having the major expense of a new furnace and hot water tank didn’t feel like a good thing but if it hadn’t happened they wouldn’t have been here, I wouldn’t have known to ask for a plumbing inspection and in turn, would never have known the sump pump under the basement floor was no longer working.

If we hadn’t noticed this could have been a very bad thing. If a lot of water showed up in the spring melt and the basement flooded because the pump couldn’t carry it away, I shudder to think what kind of mess that would have been.

The downside, is having to spend all that money, the upside is priceless. Peace of mind that everything is in good working order. Expecting there will be no more middle of winter, or spring, failures, for a good long while.

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

Now I just have to get used to all the new noises in the house.

What was that? runs through my mind more often than ever now.