This past week was a whirlwind of reading and reviewing when I wasn’t working my day job. I finished up my reviewing for The Historical Novel Society, but I can’t post any of those eight reviews until they are published in their magazine on August 1st. I have begun reading submissions for the Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) panel, and I’m enjoying it! I’m also trying to catch up on Netgalley!
Today is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to my Dad in Heaven, and to my husband Doug, a great husband, father, grandfather, and dog dad! Happy Father’s Day to all the other Dads out there.
I made Doug a pineapple upside down cake for Father’s Day, and he has requested chicken fried steak for dinner.
Last week was a quiet one on the blog. I participated in Top Ten Tuesday and Indie Spotlight, but that is all I could fit in due to all the reading.
Next Week
On Monday, I will be one of the last stops on a blog tour for Austenprose. I’ll be reviewing A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay.
Tuesday I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday. The topic is: “Books On My Summer 2023 to Read List.”
That’s as far as I’ve gotten in planning my week, but more reviews are coming!
BOOK HAUL
A collection of stories about horses and humans, and how they help each other get second chances.
Indie Spotlight is my effort to share Indie and Self/Published books with others. The task of marketing is a huge one for Indie authors, and we can all help by sharing these posts far and wide. Below is a book description, author bio, and buy links for The Cherry Stone, a story about the land grab in Oklahoma and the relationship between the Cherokee and the Mennonites.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Living with her in-laws is stifling. Paulina longs for a home of her own. Her husband needs land to farm and jumps at the chance of a free homestead in Oklahoma. It’s the craziest lottery in history – the great Land Rush of 1893. But how secure will Paulina and Gerhard’s young family be on territory stolen from the Cherokee?
Tsali seeks security for his family too, but the white men are trampling over his Cherokee heritage. Will he conform to the settlers’ way of life, or be drowned by it?
As drought bites and cultures collide, Gerhard is forced to leave the homestead in search of work. Paulina encounters the Cherokee family living nearby, and is grateful for Tsali’s help during her husband’s absence. But their friendship threatens to tear her family and close-knit Mennonite community apart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandy Salisbury
(In Her Own Words)
The first historical fiction book I read was a sweet little story about pioneers making their way across the Great American Desert. I was nine, and though I can’t remember the name of the book, I remember the sense of adventure. I also remember having to look up lots of new words, including ‘unpretentious’. My horizons expanded along with my vocabulary. We moved from southern California to eastern Oklahoma, where I learned more about the Land Rushes and Cherokee history. I have since lived in northern Indiana, Germany, China and England.
I now happily indulge my passion for history by reading novels set in any period, but keep coming back to the Wild West of the nineteenth century. It presented so much freedom and opportunity, for good and evil. I started writing fiction in 2014, and have published short stories in The People’s Friend magazine, as well as a novella, Prairie Gold, about English aristocrats seeking adventure in the Wild West of the nineteenth century. My Steps Toward series explores faith and God in bite-sized reflections.
My husband, Graeme, and I enjoy an unpretentious life in Devon, England. In addition to writing, I manage our local church office, teach English, strum my guitar, try to keep fit through Scottish Country Dancing, and spend as much time as possible with our beautiful grandchildren. Have a look at my Wild West blog and other books on her website (link below).
Top Ten Tuesday is run by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each Tuesday a topic is assigned for a new top ten list. This week the topic is Bookish Wishes.
Though the topic suggests you list ten books you’d like to own, I really can’t think of ten that I don’t already own, so I added some signed books and bookish gifts. These are in no particular order.
Signed Harry Potter books. JK Rowling has traditionally not signed as many books as other authors, so these are quite pricey. Does anyone have $10,000 lying around? Click on the cover for a link to four Potter books, Order of the Phoenix, Goblet of Fire, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows, signed and with certificates of authenticity, for $9,550.
2. Personalized Corner bookmark. Back down to earth. A cute bookmark for only 9.99
3. Reading themed socks. Comfy socks and reading go well together.
4. Signed Lauren Alaina book.
I’ve been a big Lauren Alaina fan for over 10 years now, ever since she was on American Idol. I have met her and have several items signed by her, but I don’t have the signed book yet. I have read it and it’s really great with lots of advice for young women about healing from bad relationships. It’s on my wish list and affordable. She is always so open to fans and has signed many, many autographs so this is not pricey.
5. Dolly Parton and James Patterson signed: Run Rose Run
This is signed by both Dolly and Patterson, and while I wouldn’t part with $350 for it, I will look for it at cheaper price. I actually haven’t read this one. Photo credit to the person who made the ebay listing.
6. Cool Book Tote. I guess you could tote anything, but we all know it will be books. Great for the beach.
7. C.S. Lewis Quote Art: C.S. Lewis has so many great quotes out there. This art would look great decorating a book nook.
8. A Book-Themed Purse. I am the owner of many purses. This one really catches my eye. At the link are options for other classics as well but I like Pride and Prejudice.
9. Book Earrings. So cute!
10. Pendant bookmarks: These are very pretty and affordable.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors share their books with others. Marketing is a huge task for Indie authors, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. See below my review of April’s Breeze with Gary Entwhistle. I did this review for the May edition of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. Please share this far and wide with your social media followers.
BOOK REVIEW
In April 1775, a young doctor, Samuel Prescott from Concord, Massachusetts, finds himself unexpectedly drawn into an alarm being spread and becomes a key part of the effort to warn others of a pending attack on Concord from the British troops. As events of the American Revolution unfold, we follow Samuel and his fiancée Lydia as they separately endure the hardships of war, fueled by their hope to be reunited.
This is a fictional retelling of the true story of Dr. Samuel Prescott, who was a key part of “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” and a lesser-known figure in the American Revolution. It is also a love story, a tale of two real-life people who are kept apart by the war and whose sacrifices are not well known.
The characters, both real and fictional, are expertly woven together to create a memorable novel. The word “memorable” is key, because many do not know the story of Samuel and Lydia, and their memory should be preserved. The reader follows Samuel, Lydia, and others through important events in history, from the beginnings of war on Lexington Green to the end of the battles and beginnings of peace. The story is told from multiple points of view, including Samuel, Lydia, her family members, and even British leaders. It is well-researched, and the descriptions of battle are quite realistic. The pain and suffering of those who sacrificed and died for their dream of a new country is well portrayed. This is a captivating novel about an important time in American history. Anyone interested in the American Revolution and U.S. History will enjoy this book.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no partial star option.
I received a free copy of this book via the Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blogs.
Yes! I’ll start with a famous quote by C.S. Lewis: “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty.”
I still read The Chronicles of Narnia and the Little House books sometimes. The Horse and His Boy is my favorite Narnia book and The Long Winter is my favorite Little House book. I still read Middle Grade books for review and have re-read some of them and picked up new favorites. I consider Middle Grade books “children’s books” too because 12 and under are still children. I have never forgotten the comforting rhymes of the Dr. Seuss books. Since I became a grandparent 8 years ago, I am sure I have read Goodnight Moon 143 million times, and I still appreciate it.
How about you? Do you still enjoy reading Children’s Books?
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.
This week’s topic is “Book Covers That Feel or Look Like Summer.” Since there are so many summer covers, I decided to limit mine to Netgalley ARCs that have either just been published or are not published yet. I also didn’t want ten beach covers, so there are some covers that might not scream summer, but remind me of summer all the same.
Click on the covers to find out more about the books.
The Cafe At Beach End: After her husband’s scandal, Meredith flees to the beach town of Cape Sanctuary.
Must Love Flowers: A widow trying to start anew and a young woman with an alcoholic father are drawn together.
This takes us back to the Summer of ’77 in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma
Welcome to Beach Town: Nikki is a surfer’s daughter on scholarship at an elite school in a California Beach Town. When she gives her graduation address as valedictorian, she reveals a secret that will shake the town.
The All American: To me, nothing says summer like baseball. This one takes us back to the All American Girls Baseball League.
A widow and a single mother meet at The Moonlight Gardening Club.
An Italian Island Summer: This was just published the end of May. A summer escape to Italy.
The Cottage On Glass Lake: A beach house escape and a time to move on.
Post WWII, a former Rosie the Riveter moves to Laguna Beach
A woman dealing with the death of her mother continues to run her mother’s market stall in Little Woodville. Book 2 of The Little Woodville Cottage Series.
What about you? Are you reading any books with Summer covers?
Indie Spotlight is my effort to share information about Indie Books with all of you, and I hope you share them with your social media followers as well. Let’s get the word out about great Indie Books! Check out Exodus Team: New Roads by BEBogden. This is a genre mashup that intrigues me: Christian and Paranormal.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
For Maj Newhouse, life revolves around her faith, her friends, Aimee and Kevin Cole, and her projects at the old barn–but that was before Jason Knight walked through the door. The handsome businessman from Chicago has a problem; he has staked his career on rehabilitating a haunted hotel. An encounter with Kevin has led him to the old barn, and Maj is shocked to learn that Knight expects to hire her and her friends as exorcists for his property! Will Maj’s distrust of the charming stranger and her own self-doubt cripple the newly formed Exodus Team before it starts?
BOOK TRAILER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BEBogdon is a Christian entertainer from the Midwest whose passion for writing began with a love for reading. Although a newly published author, Bogdon has been telling stories for years. Through involvement in theater, film, commercial, and voice-over work, she has had the opportunity to breathe life into the written word, and as an avid daydreamer, she is thrilled to see those dreams finally settle onto the printed page.
This was a pretty normal week of working, reading, and posting when I can. I have neglected my Instagram lately so I need to get back to that.
Doug has been so busy working on the house lately that he hasn’t been able to spend much time on his other interests, including cars. He went to a car show with his Dodge Magnum this weekend and won second place for Magnums. Here’s his show photo. He painted the car himself and has done so many times in different designs.
I had my eye doctor appointment a few weeks ago. It did not go well. I’ve got the very early beginnings of macular degeneration, which caused my Dad to go blind in one eye. So I’m taking my eye caps and hoping it doesn’t get worse. I don’t have any of the symptoms yet so now is the time to stop it early. This week I picked up my new glasses. I noticed once again that as I get older, I am more interested in functionality than fashion. Because my former glasses were comfortable, I just ordered a pair in exactly the same style. No wandering around the store looking for something new and different.
On Sunday (today) I will share an Indie Spotlight of Exodus Team: New Roads
NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES
I will be participating in Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers that Feel or Look Like Summer
I will be posting more reviews I did for the May edition of Historical Novels Review.
I will be participating in Book Blogger Hop: Do You Still Enjoy Reading Children’s Books?
I will post Indie Reviews and/or spotlights for Indie Weekend. I’m also going to do an Indie Roundup and post links and buy links for Indie books I’ve reviewed in the past.
BOOK HAUL
No new books this week as I’ve been too busy with the books I have.
That’s about all for the news this week. What is new with you?
Indie Weekend is my effort to highlight Indie books and help Indie authors, who have to do it all, with marketing. If I can help even a little bit, I’m happy to do it. I would ask all readers of my Indie Weekend posts to please share this far and wide with your social media followers so we can introduce these books to as many people as possible.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
If the delivery had been a demonic bowling alley or a mermaid’s grotto, Ivy would have sent it away. She has standards, after all. But she can’t refuse a magical Library, especially when they’ve gone to the trouble of including a wheelchair ramp. They say that on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog, but somebody knows fourteen-year-old Ivy is an orphan, that she sells her paper-writing services to lazy college students, and that her imaginary friends are unhappy being stuck in the mural on the wall of her Alaskan home.
Himitsu refuses the Library, becoming angry enough to attack the delivery people with his bamboo sword. They won’t tempt him with books, any more than his mother has been able to tempt him into leaving their apartment during the past two years. He has all he needs: video games, online forums, and his virtual girlfriend Moe. Well, almost all. His dad’s death has left a hole in him, which is why when he receives text messages saying the Library can bring back the dead, he changes his mind. Moe tries to warn him about the danger, but what does she know, anyway?
Now, having been lured into the Library and having foolishly brought their imaginary friends with them, Ivy and Himitsu find those friends are trapped. The teens have a choice: fulfill the Librarian’s odd and painful demands in hopes of rescuing their friends or go back alone to their small, boring lives, knowing they’ve failed the only ones who really believe in them.
BOOK REVIEW
What does one do when a free magical library shows up at your door, ready for installation? Accept it, right? That’s what Ivy does, but Himitsu is not as trusting until the Library tells him it can bring back the dead. Suddenly Ivy and Himitsu find themselves in the library with their imaginary friends, who are trapped and can never leave. They meet another friend, Simon, and slowly all of their stories are told.
What an amazing and creative Young Adult story! Some of the lines in this book just jump out in their genius. “All giraffes are named Janice, excepting a few heretics” caught my attention early in the book as I went on a magical journey of discovery with Ivy, Himitsu, and friends. But I soon learned that although this is about a magic library, it is also so much more. It’s about pain and secrets and forgiveness. It’s about coming to terms with your past. And it’s about reaching out. One of my favorite lines is: “As with nachos, when two people share pain with each other, there always turns out to be less of it than either thought.”
This description of an author long gone took my breath away: “At the end of things, she knew, this form she inhabited would cease to be. She would crawl back into her books of poetry and pressed flowers, her spirit to be let back out only when her words were read out by dreamers and destroyers.”
Imaginary Friends is a beautifully woven tale of life, books, and how they intertwine with each other. I recommend it to everyone. It will not just touch your heart, it will touch your imagination. I feel more creative after having read it.
I received a free copy of this book from Cinnabar Moth Publishing, but I also bought a copy because when I see a talented author with so much genius, I want to support their work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chad Musick grew up in Utah, California, Washington, Texas, and (most of all) Alaska. He fell in love in California and then moved with his family to Japan, where he’s found happiness. He earned a PhD in Mathematical Science, but loves art and science equally.
Despite a tendency for electronic devices to burst into flame after Chad handles them, he persists in working in various technical and technology-related roles.
Chad makes no secret of being epileptic, autistic, and arthritic, facts that inform how he approaches both science and the arts.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
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