Tag: reading

Sunday Post: Meet Opie!

BonnieReadsAndWrites28 Comments

It was a hectic July! We had the grandkids all month, and I was busy every minute. I lost some weight just following them around. Then the last week they were here, we picked up another family member, quite unexpectedly.

Doug was mowing outside, and a teeny kitten came running up to him full-tilt, with no concern apparently for the mower or for interacting with a human. His eyes were all matted, and he was skin and bones. We recognized him as one of the kittens of a feral cat that my cousin has been feeding. We knew she had had babies and they were living in an old, unused barn. But this baby was all alone and starving, and upon checking the barn, we found Mama and the other babies had departed and ditched him.

Doug brought him in and fed him milk with a syringe, and a couple of days later, Mama and his siblings moved underneath our shed, so we tried to reunite them. Again, they all moved and left him behind, and so he became part of our family. His name is Oliver PeeWee, or Opie for short! We still need to get our two dachshunds on board, however. Hopefully, they will accept him soon. They are starting to warm up. Cautiously.

The vet said he was about four weeks old, but only weighed 9 ounces! He has quickly gained weight since then. He has his own room and a much better living situation. He’s eating solid food as well. Some eye drops are clearing up his eye condition quickly.

We are going to try to trap the mama cat and get her spayed once she’s done feeding her kittens so this doesn’t happen again. We’re hoping some shelters will take the other kittens, but who knows?

Here are photos of Opie, both when Doug first found him and after he started improving:

I’ve also been busy with my reviews editor duties for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. The August issue just came out, and I’ve been sharing the reviews with the authors and publishers. The next issue comes out in November. There are four issues a year, and the mission is to share recently published (and forthcoming) historical fiction novels with as many people as possible.

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

On Tuesday, I’ll be reviewing The Long Shadow by Beth Kanell. This is the first book of her Winds of Freedom series, which has three books so far. I’ll be reviewing the whole series. On Wednesday, I’ll be reviewing My Great Aunt’s Diary as part of a Bookouture book tour. I’ll participate in Top Ten Tuesday, time permitting. I’m also trying to get some Indie reviews out now that the hectic part of summer is over

I hope you all had a great week!

*Sunday post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ways In Which My Blogging Habits Have Changed.

BonnieReadsAndWrites22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. The topic this week is “Ten Ways That My Blogging Habits Have Changed.”

1. My Indie Spotlight feature started out as Self-Published Saturday back in 2021, and then it became Indie Weekend. I just recently changed it to Indie Spotlight because I am retired and I don’t need to wait until the weekend anymore. All of them have the same goal: To celebrate and share Indie books.

2. My first review was a Two-Star back in October 2020! Although I do post some bad reviews sometimes, I now usually use my blog to celebrate good books. The exceptions are when a book I didn’t like is really expensive and popular, and I want to warn people before they spend the money. John Grisham’s supposed sequel to The Firm comes to mind.

3. My graphics are way better. I started using Shutterstock a few years ago, and I think I provide more eye-catching posts now.

4. I change my blog background seasonally, but I started putting clocks in all of my background pictures in maybe 2022. That is a nod to my love of time-travel fiction.

Book Header Bonnie Reads and Writes with white letters over a red background. A red and white clock wearing a Christmas hat is on one side.
A Thanksgiving cornucopia is on the left, and the banner reads Bonnie Reads and Writes in red. An old gold clock sits on top of a book to complete the banner.

5. I only had a little over 3,000 views in 2020. Now I am just about 100 views away from 100,000. That is despite having a down year last year due to moving, retirement, and Hurricane Helene.

6. I have had over 45,000 visitors to my blog since 2020. I’ll do a celebration post when I pass 50,000 visitors.

7. I was very focused on Netgalley reviews for a long time. Now I only have 12 books on my Netgalley shelf. A lot of my reviews now come from The Historical Novel Society and from Indie authors. I’m also about to embark on a “Reviewing the Classics” journey.

8. My logo has changed a lot. Thanks to Author Gail Meath for my latest, and best, logo.

There are six logos that have been used for Bonnie Reads and Writes, with the most recent one being a woman with auburn hair and a green shirt sitting in front of a pile of books. There is a blue background, with Bonniereadsandwrites.com at the bottom.

9. I feel like my reviews are better written now. Reviewing for The Historical Novel Society has helped with that.

10. The best change is the friendships. I’ve made some very dear friends who I met via this blog.

I am so thankful for this blog, and the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you, and that will never change.

How about you? How have your blogging habits changed?

Blog Tour and Book Review:

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In the unforgiving heart of the Old West, the peaceful lives of frontier settlers are in turmoil as the vengeful figure known as Shadow Hawk strikes under cover, spreading darkness.

His brutal campaign, marked by Bible verses foretelling divine retribution, leaves fear in his wake as he seeks to settle a long-buried score.

Amid the rising terror, Josh and Amy must face yet another ruthless threat—a relentless pursuer bent on taking Josh’s life. Their trials deepen when a devastating grasshopper swarm ravages their land, leaving their livelihood at stake.

Desperate to protect her family’s future, Amy pins her hopes on a legendary treasure—the fabled Jesuit gold, a prize that could pay for her younger brother’s education back East and provide for her ailing father. Together, Josh and Amy must conquer foes both human and natural to reclaim peace and secure a brighter future

BOOK REVIEW

This is the second book in the Devil’s Mountain Dames series.  It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting with Book One for the full effect.. The setting, Devil’s Mountain, appears to be fictitious, and the book doesn’t really pin down its location, except it’s in the “Old West.” The exact year the book takes place is not specifically defined either, as far as I can tell, but it appears to have been fairly soon after the Civil War.

The main characters are easy to connect with, and the mysteries are compelling and certainly held my attention.  The author easily weaves significant events into the story–the Jesuit-connected treasure search, the Shadowhawk mystery, a devastating grasshopper plague, and more. The struggles of life on the frontier are definitely well portrayed, and I did feel transported there. The cast of characters at the Broken Horseshoe Ranch is a group of folks I would enjoy visiting again.  The villain is certainly worthy of the title, and surprises await.  I love seeing new series’ in the Western genre, and I recommend that readers check it out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janey Clarke writes charming, witty, cosy mysteries. From septuagenarian shenanigans in Cornwall to the intrigue of Regency-era whodunits and now to her newest venture into the rugged drama of the Wild West. When not plotting her next twist or researching historical details, she can be found exploring the stunning Jurassic Coast in Dorset with her loyal spaniel by her side. With a passion for tea, old books, and well-timed humour, Janey Clarke creates stories she hopes will whisk readers away to delightful worlds where solving a mystery is always the order of the day. And always solved by a feisty heroine! Visit her at http://www.janeyclarke.com to learn more about her books.

Janey’s Social Media

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Links

Goodreads | Purchase Link

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Surprised Me

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

I know it’s Wednesday, but I couldn’t post yesterday, so here’s Top Ten Tuesday a day late. Below are ten books that surprised me.

A girl in a field, facing away, holding a pack of letters behind her back.
a Coffee Cup with Butterfly perched on the side.
Version 1.0.0

Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green: The reason this one surprised me is that this was Amy Lynn Green’s debut novel, and it was completely epistolary (comprised of letters, articles, and other written communications). It was so well done!

The Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber: This was the first book I read by Heather Webber, and I discovered she writes wonderful small-town fiction with a touch of magical realism. What shocked me was she had already written 25 books and I’d never discovered her before.

The Thin Place by C.D. Major: This one surprised me because sadly there really is a place in the world where dogs inexplicably jump to their deaths.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg: The ending surprised me, as it did a lot of people.

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver: I was pretty tired of WWII novels, but this is about a safe-cracking criminal family that helped British Intelligence during the war, so surprisingly I found myself reading another WWII novel.

The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee: This is so well written, and again set during WWII, but in the Philippines, and I learned a lot of shocking things about what went on there during the war.

The Exchange by John Grisham: Sadly, this one surprised me because it was so bad. It was supposed to be a sequel to THE FIRM, but it felt like Mitch McDeere was added into a totally unrelated novel just to make some sales.

Horse Show by Jess Bowers: This one is shocking and surprising. This is a collection of short stories, many about how horses were abused and neglected, such as in circuses, on movie sets, and even in the military.

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor: Everyone who reads this blog knows Jodi is my favorite author. But what you may not know is that she didn’t publish her first book until she was 60. That was when she self-published the first book of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. She is now a best-sellling author with a major publisher. I bought this book for 99 cents when it came out because I like time travel fiction. I had no idea I was going to read a series that would become like an old friend.

The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor: I read this one just because Jodi Taylor was the author. It isn’t Time Travel, so I was skeptical. What it is is a fantasy about how a young girl’s life was saved by a magical golden horse. And it’s so good that I like it just as much as St. Mary’s. That’s what surprised me.

*Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with “Springy” Covers

BonnieReadsAndWrites24 Comments

Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday.

Hi everyone! I’m back from vacation and HOPEFULLY back to posting normally since my retirement. You would think I’d have more time than ever, but retirement has brought its own challenges to my schedule. I’ll provide more of an update after Top Ten Tuesday. The topic is: Top Ten book covers that remind me of Spring. See below.

I love the Spring flowers on the cover. I discovered Heather Webber WAY late in the game. She’s already written over 25 books, but when I read this one, and learned she writes small-town mysteries with a touch of magical realism, I was hooked! Now I seek out her books whenever I can. My review is here.

A really sweet “best friends” romance with a lovely Spring cover. My review is here.

The “Your Words” Poetry Collection by Louise Belanger includes beautiful photos of flowers along with wonderful inspirational poems and story poems that will draw you closer to God. The covers are so captivating! My most recent review is here.

This is historical fiction set in Switzerland during the time of discovery that adding iodine to salt will cure hypothyroidism. My review of the book is here.

A novel about starting over, and about women helping each other through tough times. My review is here.

This is an inspirational “married strangers” romance set in Appalachia in 1910. I love the Spring flowers and birds on the cover. Here is my review on The Historical Novel Society website.

The dress and flowers give this a “springy” feel to me. It’s a fascinating novel about a time when wealthy American families basically traded their daughters for titles and raised social standing. See my review here on The Historical Novel Society website.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of my favorite authors of Christian Historical Fiction. This novel is about a Mennonite Women’s organization in 1890s Kansas. The flowers on the cover give it a Spring feel. My review is here.

This Spring cover speaks for itself. It is set in 1930s Appalachia when many families had to relocate for the creation of the Smoky Mountain National Park. My review is here.

This could be a Spring night, and I love the Starling. This is another fantastic small-town book with a touch of magic by Heather Webber. It is set in Starlight, Alabama. My review is here.

UPDATE

I was on vacation in Florida last week visiting my friend Lyric, so I didn’t post at all. I am back in the swing, hopefully. The thing about retirement is I get up whenever I want, putter around, and I often look at the clock, surprised it’s almost dinnertime and wondering where the time has gone! I am working on that! I have missed blogging!

The week prior to my vacation we had a wildfire in the area (Alarka in Bryson City) that consumed around 2000 acres! It was between four and seven miles from my house, but thankfully our brave firefighters got it contained. We had planes coming in from as far away as Montana to help fight the blaze, and God helped too, with a huge rainstorm right before I left. I believe one house was lost, but it could have been a lot worse. No lives were lost. I am thankful.

Have a wonderful week!

WWW Wednesdays: What Are You Reading?

BonnieReadsAndWrites20 Comments

WWW Wednesdays asks three questions: What Are you Currently Reading?, What Did You Just Finish Reading?, and What Will You Read Next?. Thanks to Taking On A World of Words for hosting WWW Wednesday.

MY CURRENT READ

This one should be ready for Indie Weekend. Book Description: Miranda Quinn is back in the courtroom working as a legal aid attorney when she’s asked to represent Lennon, the daughter of a high school friend currently serving time in prison. Still struggling with guilt from the role she played in her friend’s downfall, Miranda agrees to help.

The former assistant DA has given up a lucrative career as a legal talk radio host to better serve her community. In her spare time, she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens. It’s challenging but rewarding, at least until the young women begin to mysteriously disappear. As Miranda struggles to find out who is responsible, it becomes clear that Lennon is in danger as well.

WHAT I JUST FINISHED

LIGHTS, CAMERA, MAYHEM by Jodi Taylor: This is Jodi Taylor’s Christmas novella this year. Not really a Christmas story, but released on Christmas morning, this one was so much fun. St. Mary’s is hosting the filming of a movie! Chaos begins from there as somehow our disaster magnets end up in Troy–with the leading lady. I read it on Christmas morning and then just listened to it again recently on Audible.

WHAT I’M READING NEXT

Here is the book sitting on my desk as I type this:

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library. 

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary. 

LIFE UPDATE

The view this morning is almost heavenly. I stood outside long enough to snap a picture. It’s 23 degrees. We had just a little bit of snow Monday, and the mountains are tipped with a beautiful frost.

I am slowly (very slowly) transitioning away from my couch potato phase of retirement. I have Netflix and Chilled to my heart’s content. We watched all of the TV series Bones, and are just finishing up Star Trek Voyager. Next we will watch Doc Martin. I have also been reading/editing/reviewing for the Historical Novel Society quite a bit.

I am venturing out on the icy roads today to run errands. Wish me luck!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Christmas Wish List

BonnieReadsAndWrites18 Comments

Being a blogger and now editor for the Historical Novel Society, I get so many free books I don’t really put any on my Christmas wish list. So instead here are books I am looking forward to reading, in no particular order.

1. Out of Time by Jodi Taylor: Book 6 of the Time Police series by Jodi Taylor will be out in October 2025, and I can’t wait.

2. A Fashionably French Murder by Colleen Cambridge will be out in April 2025. It is Book 3 of the “An American in Paris” mystery series, in which Julia Child is a supporting character.

3. Tomato Sandwiches are Eaten Over the Sink: Sean Dietrich, the author of Kinfolk, which was my favorite read of 2023, released a collection of his columns and short stories in October 2024 that I’m looking forward to reading.

4. The Forget-Me-Not Library: Heather Webber, the author of small-town fiction with a touch of magical realism, has a new one coming out in November 2025. I discovered her books late, and I’m still catching up on the ones that are already out there.

5. Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. What happens when your secrets came back to haunt you? This will be released in June 2025.

6. A Bloody Banquet by Gail Meath. This is Book 2 of Gail’s already popular Stone and Steele Mystery series, which is set in 1930s Hollywood. It will be out in October 2025.

7. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. The trials and tribulations of the mother of the bride before her daughter’s wedding. This will be released in February 2025.

8. Stone Certainty by Simon R. Green. I enjoyed the first of Green’s Holy Terrors series, and I’m looking forward to book 2.

9. Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington: Smithsonian archaeologist Rabbit Ward travels through time on sponsored expeditions to the past to secure precious artifacts moments before they are lost to history. This will be released in March 2025.

10. The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve. What would you do if you could spend an hour in your past? Four strangers in the beach town of Ventura, California are about to find out.

What books are you hoping to get for Christmas?

Top Ten Tuesday: The Oldest Titles on my #TBR.

BonnieReadsAndWrites37 Comments

Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday.

This week I went looking for the oldest titles on my TBR. I don’t have any older titles on my Netgalley list anymore so I headed to Goodreads to check out my Want to Read list.

All of these books have been on my TBR since sometime in 2019. Now that I’ve looked at them again, a few of them are going straight to the top. Bill Bryson’s One Summer America, 1927 describes an extremely eventful summer in the US, and I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. I love his books. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is about the journey of a Muslim man who eventually converted to Christianity, although he initially had absolutely no intention of doing so. I’m curious about his journey, but haven’t gotten around to reading it. Midnight Chicken is a combination cookbook and recovery story. I’m very intrigued, as the readers/reviewers said the book made them cry, and they enjoyed the recipes, and that is an interesting combination that I can’t miss.

The late Jack Finney was a popular time travel author, and I’ve never read his books to the best of my knowledge. I plan to start with Time and Again and About Time. The Lucky One is a Nicholas Sparks book I haven’t read, though I always enjoy his stories.

White Rose and The Great Alone are historical fiction. White Rose is set during WWII and The Great Alone is set in Alaska just after the Vietnam War. Smoke on the Mountain is a thriller, and What The Wind Knows is another time travel book. Regular readers of this blog know that’s my favorite subgenre, especially when there is a good deal of historical fiction thrown in.

While looking at my Goodreads TBR, I deleted some other books which I realized I’m never going to read.

After doing this list, I’ve decided to review at least one book a month from the oldest books on my TBR, starting with the books above. I need a catchy title for this project: Tackling the TBR? TBR Cleanout? TBR Throwback? Any Suggestions?

What books have been on your TBR the longest?

    Top Ten Tuesday: How My Reading Habits Have Changed Over Time

    BonnieReadsAndWrites31 Comments

    *Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday.

    What an interesting topic! I went all the way back to childhood and thought about my reading habits, and what has changed. Starting with number one, my first favorite book series, I noticed something interesting. Starting with favorite books I read as a kid and working foward, I see a distinct pattern.

    1. Encyclopedia Brown: I loved reading this series about the boy detective when I was a kid. I liked it much better than Nancy Drew.
    2. Johnny Tremain: Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain, after an accident, eventually becomes a messenger for The Sons of Liberty and is involved in the events leading up to the American Revolution.
    3. The Chronicles of Narnia: In this series, Lucy Pevensie walks through a magic wardrobe and finds a land of talking animals and a special Lion, Aslan.
    4. Little House on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls recalls what it was like to grow up as a pioneer girl in the 19th Century.
    5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace search through time for their father, who disappeared while experimenting with time travel.
    6. The Door Into Summer: Dan B. Davis loses everything, but finds a way to get it all back by going to the future.
    7. The Ring by Danielle Steel: Historical romance set mostly during WWII. I loved this book in my twenties, but it is too simplistic for me now.
    8. Harry Potter: I don’t need to describe this one. It’s fantasy at its finest with some of the best world-building I have ever seen.
    9. and 10. The Chronicles of St. Mary’s and The Time Police: About ten years ago, I bought Jodi Taylor’s first book in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series because it was about time travel and it was 99 cents. She had self-published at the time. Fast forward to the present, and Jodi is now a best-selling author with Headline books and has just published Book 15 of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s. I loved this series from the beginning and now I realize it’s because Taylor took time travel and combined it with historical fiction, both of which have been my favorites for a long time. She provides a history lesson in every book. She also adds a heavy dose of humor. The Time Police is a spinoff of the Chronicles, and Taylor continues her hilarious trips along the timeline.

    Looking back, I can see that even from childhood I loved historical fiction and time travel, as well as fantasy, and I have continued that as an adult. I still read mysteries, but mostly historical mysteries. Not much has changed in my reading choices, except for the complexity of the books.

    How about you? How have your reading habits changed over time?

    Book Tour and Review: Loose Ends by Ninette Hartley

    BonnieReadsAndWrites5 Comments

    BOOK DESCRIPTION

    It’s March 1941 at the shirt factory in Ridley, Yorkshire. Ness is a typist in the office, and her friend Eileen works as a seamstress on the shop floor. Nobody could have imagined the consequences when as a result of a prank Eileen plays on her friend, Ness’s name and address ends up in the pockets of two shirts destined for Royal Navy personnel on active service.
    The fallout from Eileen’s action takes Ness on a challenging, life-changing journey where she must develop her talent for dressmaking and acquire the skills needed to run a business. It is not easy during wartime, when money is short, clothes rationing is widespread and negative attitudes prevail. Can she win through? Or will a painful secret she must conceal destroy her chances?

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Ninette Hartley is a writer, mother, grandmother, wife and teacher. She has followed many paths – from acting and dancing to magazine publishing, and even driving a pony and trap – but she has always come back to storytelling.

    Ninette has an MA in creative writing and has been published in three short story collections. Her first memoir Dear Tosh, published in May 2021 was shortlisted in the Selfies Book Awards and long-listed in the Dorchester Literary Festival Writing Prize 2022. From 2008 -2016 she lived in Italy on an olive farm, returning to the UK to live in Dorset for eight years. Never one to stay in one place for long, she has recently moved to France where she plans to continue writing more works of fiction and poetry.

    Loose Ends is her debut novel. You can read more about her on her website: www.ninettehartley.com and you can also follow her on social media.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Facebook | X.com | Instagram | Website

    BOOK REVIEW

    This thought-provoking novel shows how an innocent prank can change lives forever. Ness’s friend Eileen is just trying to introduce some new men into her life, but when Ness’s address is slipped into the shirt pockets of two unknown men who are going off to war, Ness’s life will never be the same. Both of the men have life-changing impact on her, and it is not all positive. This puts Ness in a complicated situation, and her response helps her build a new life. I liked the plot as a whole. My only criticism concerns the villain in this story, who did not quite face the justice they deserved. The characters are well-written, especially Alf, and I liked the multiple points of view. This is contemplative historical fiction that shows how much each person’s every action, innocent or not, can drastically affect the lives of others. Recommend.

    Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

    BUY ON AMAZON

    *Visit Zooloo’s Book Tours by clicking on the image above.