Tag: #SundayPost

Sunday Post is hosted by @caffeinatedreviewer

I’ve had a few days off for Thanksgiving and they’ve been very restful. I had two great meals with my cousins, both Thanksgiving dinner and leftover lunch the next day. Leftover Lunch should be capitalized, I think. It’s pretty awesome. I’m just resting in the mountains for one more day before my busy work week starts Monday. I hope you all had a great week.

Fall in the mountains is beginning to switch over to winter, as you can see from these photos. The leaves have fallen and the weather is getting colder. The trees will eventually sleep in a blanket of snow off and on until they start to bud in the Spring.

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

Last Saturday I reviewed To Spark A Match for Austenprose PR Book tours.
Last Sunday I did a Spotlight of Miss I Wish You A Bed of Roses by Sherri Moshman-Paganos.
Tuesday I participated in Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Reasons I’m Thankful for Books.
Wednesday I reviewed Inheritance by Nora Roberts.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

Sunday I will review The Cash Countess and Better Dirty than Done for Indie Weekend.
On Monday I will review The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson.
On Tuesday I will review Jiddy Vardy for a book tour sponsored by The Write Reads.
On Friday I will participate in Book Blogger Hop if time permits.
There are other reviews ready to go that I will post as well if time permits.

BOOK HAUL

A MURDER MOST FRENCH is the second book in the “AN AMERICAN IN PARIS,” featuring supporting character Julia Child. THE LILY OF LUDGATE HILL is the next book in The Belles of London series by Mimi Matthews. THE WHARTON PLOT is another great novel by Mariah Fredericks, as famed novelist Edith Wharton tries to solve a mystery in Gilded Age New York. I’m looking forward to all of these.

I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!

Host: Caffeinated Book Reviewer

It was a busy week, as I was trying to finish my work up here in preparation for a work trip to Missouri for the next two weeks. I leave tomorrow. I just realized I haven’t been on a flight in five years! That’s hard to believe. A lot changed after COVID.

Doug has been busy working on the house in Bryson City and in 8 days I will be one year away from retirement. He is trying to get it all done by then, and I’m sure he will.

There was some excitement in the mountains when two of our dachshunds, Hermann and Harold, found a turtle under the steps. As a result, Harold, our wire-haired dachshund, won’t go anywhere near the steps. He’s walking all the way down our road before he will venture into the yard. It probably scared the turtle more than him. (No dachshunds or turtles were harmed during this event.) Doug later saw the turtle up near our branch (creek). Harold also has very dramatic reactions to road trips, and it takes him a long time to forgive us for making him ride in the car.

1. Harold recovering from his latest trauma. 2. The scary turtle.

LAST WEEK

On Monday I participated in It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

On Tuesday I reviewed the audiobook of The Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber.

On Thursday I reviewed North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan.

On Friday I participated in Book Blogger Hop and answered the question, “Which fictional character would you like to meet?”

On Sunday I reviewed “They Call Me Mom” by Pete Springer for Indie Weekend.

NEXT WEEK

I’m working out of state and overtime for the next two weeks, but I’m trying to get my posts scheduled early when I can.

I plan to participate in Top Ten Tuesday. The topic this week is “Books I Discovered Through Top Ten Tuesday.”

I will be providing mini reviews of two audiobooks: The Girl Who Lied and Starling House.

I will be participating in Book Blogger Hop if time permits. This week’s question is: Do you have a routine for getting ready to read?

And I will provide spotlights for some great Indie books on Indie Weekend.

BOOK HAUL

All the Dead Shall Weep is Book 5 of the Gunnie Rose trilogy by Charlaine Harris.
The Wilderness Way

Wilderness Way: When Declan Conaghan and his family are thrown off their land in Ireland by an evil landlord, he is given a second chance through an offer to come to America, join the US Army, and fight for Abraham Lincoln.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor: In 2012, an art historian travels to Longdale Manor and stumbles upon a 100-year-old journal and a carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a family photo. In 1912, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret and travels to Longdale Manor in hopes to find a home there.

Snow Place for Murder: This is Book 3 of the Mountain Lodge Mysteries. After a blizzard, a body is discovered. It belongs to a British developer who was staying at Mountaintop Lodge and had hoped to open an exclusive mountain resort for wealthy guests. Will Misty Murphy, owner of the lodge, find the killer?

The Family on Smith Street: There is a killer on Smith Street. They have already kidnapped me. Is my daughter next?

That’s how my week went. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

As you know, it was sweltering at home and in the car in my last Sunday Post. The A/C at home was fixed first, and the car was finally fixed on Thursday this week, so I am back to “Cool Runnings.” (I miss John Candy.)

Doug and I finished our June short story (a little late) for the 2022 Short Story Challenge. The theme is folklore, and we’ve found lots to write about. I have found that as opposites we make a great writing team, because each person’s weaknesses are usually the other person’s strengths.

I buckled down and got a lot of reading done and got caught up on most of my Netgalley books. Of course, then I had to request more. Right? So I have a nice book haul to report.

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES:

Sunday I reviewed Suspects by Danielle Steel

Monday I reviewed The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

Tuesday I posted another short story my husband Doug and I finished called “Sweet Azalea.”

Friday I participated in Book Blogger Hop and reviewed The Hurricanes of Weakerville by Chris Rylander.

For Self-Published/Indie Saturday, I reviewed Amanda in France by Darlene Foster and did an interview with Darlene.

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

Sunday I am doing a blog tour and book review of Outcast by Claire Voet

Tuesday I will participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

Wednesday I will review Secrets by Fern Michaels.

Friday I will participate in Book Blogger Hop if time permits and review The Guest List by Fern Michaels.

And on Self-Published Saturday I will review and/or Spotlight Self-Published books. (I’ve got two of my grandkids next weekend (the twins!)) so I will post when I can.

NEW NETGALLEY BOOKS THIS WEEK

What Song The Sirens Sang by Simon R. Green

This is the third book in the Gideon Sable series, and I’ve read the first two. This is magical realism at its best.

This is Book 3 in a cozy mystery series about a “senior citizen sleuth.” That hooked me because I’m going to qualify for the senior discounts soon myself.

I don’t usually request romances unless they have some other aspect that interests me, and this one is a historical romance and revolves around a Duke looking for a fake fiance. I wanted something light, and this sounds lighthearted, and possibly funny–I hope.

Christmas in July! Christmas books are starting to come out on Netgalley and I love it. This is a historical Christmas mystery from Anne Perry.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER

I roasted a chicken yesterday, so it’s leftover chicken and stuffing today! I tried to make low-carb stuffing for myself yesterday but decided that going forward I will just save up carbs elsewhere to have our real stuffing recipe. Sometimes you’ve got to have the real thing.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Season 8 of Escape to the Chateau is now on Peacock. We love this series about a British couple who bought a French Chateau, and it’s amazing what they’ve done with it in eight years.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Temperatures were rising here in Tennessee, starting with my house and car! First the AC went out in the house about 10 days ago. The repair people were so backed up (It’s their busy season) that they could not come out for a week. They finally came out this Thursday. Luckily for us, we had window air conditioners in our upstairs bedrooms, so we relocated upstairs for the week. We were able to stay cool until the problem was fixed. Then the AC went out in my car Thursday while I was working. I had a headache by the end of the day. And it’s going into the shop next Thursday. Hopefully we’ll be able to stay cool the rest of the summer. For centuries, people just endured the heat, and here I am making a big fuss about it. As much as I love historical fiction, I don’t think I’d have been a good pioneer.

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Monday I reviewed A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen for a blog tour by Austenprose.

On Tuesday I reviewed To Kiss A Wallflower, a Timeless Regency Collection for a blog tour by Austenprose and The Girl From Jonestown for a blog tour by Bookouture.

On Thursday I reviewed Dark Blue Waves by Kimberly Sullivan for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.

On Friday I participated in Book Blogger Hop.

On Saturday I reviewed The Juche Box Set by Adria Carmichael for Self-Published Saturday.

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

Today (Sunday) I’m reviewing Suspects by Danielle Steel

Monday I’m reviewing The Beach Trap by Ali Brady and The Hurricanes of Weakerville by Chris Rylander

Tuesday I’m going to participate in Top Ten Tuesday if Time Permits

Thursday I’m reviewing Peril at the Exposition by Nev March

Saturday I’m spotlighting/reviewing self-published books on Self-Published Saturday

NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

I got two new books this week, both from Kensington Books.

This is another Gilded Age mystery by Rosemary Simpson. I just love this series, set in Gilded Age New York. I am fascinated by that period in history. This one is set at Niagara Falls. I can’t wait to read it.

The 2022 Christmas books are beginning to come in, and I’m excited to read this trio of Christmas cozy mystery novellas by Carlene O’Connor, Maddie Day, and Peggy Ehrhart. I love Netgalley Christmas season, which starts in July!

WHAT’S FOR DINNER

Our Sunday dinner this week will be somewhat homemade pizza. The “somewhat” is because the crusts are purchased, but I use my homemade marinara for the sauce. I am actually canning more marinara tomorrow as we are running out. The picture above is of my last batch. It is great to have this delicious sauce on the shelf. Since I’m cutting carbs, I’m using a low-carb bagel as my crust. Doug is using one of the premade pizza crusts from the store which are ready to bake. My toppings will be pepperoni and mushrooms. Doug’s will be ham, mushrooms, and onion.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at the @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news and a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See the rules here.

This has been a busy week here at our house. I was swamped at work, so I didn’t get to do as much posting as usual. The new diet is going really well. I lost 5 pounds the first week, and I weigh in for the second time tomorrow. The prediabetes drug that I’m on, Metformin, has almost erased my appetite, which is amazing. I found a Facebook group that actually uses Metformin for weight loss.

I have to brag on my husband a little. This week he’s been painting his car! He was getting ready for a car show, but didn’t quite make it. However, the car is looking wonderful. A few weeks ago, he painted my 1999 Subaru. I am determined to use that little car a lot due to the high gas prices, and he made it look great.

That’s my little Subaru above. We call her Hazel. He did a great job! I’ll post pictures of my husband’s car after he gets finished. It’s a Dodge Magnum.

Last Week on Bonnie Reads and Writes

On Tuesday I reviewed Surviving the Wilderness by Maggie K. Black.

On Thursday I reviewed The Eleventh Commandment by Mary F. Burns.

And on Self-Published Saturday I put up a Review and a Spotlight.

I reviewed The Scarlet Forest by A.E. Chandler and I put up a Spotlight of Before by J. Kilburn.

Next Week on Bonnie Reads and Writes

I am currently finishing up eight reviews for the August edition of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. That is going to keep me busy until my deadline on the 15th.

However, on Monday I will be posting a review I did for the May edition. It is The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock.

On Tuesday I will try to join Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

On Wednesday I will post spotlights of some of the books I’ve read this time for HNS.

And on Self-Published Saturday I will review Death at Dusbar College, an indie, middle-grade fantasy/mystery set at a magical college.

Saturday is also open for Spotlights if anyone wants to submit one.

BOOKS I PICKED UP LAST WEEK

The Beach Trap was an approved request on Netgalley. It appears to be a different take on “The Parent Trap,” and I loved both versions of that movie.

Morganthau was a Netgalley widget sent from Random House. This is about an influential American family, and I had never heard of them, so I had to check it out.

Dark Blue Waves will be part of a Book Tour from HFVBT Tours. This one combines Jane Austen and time travel. What’s not to love?

Have a great week, everyone!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at the @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news and a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See the rules here.

This past week arrived with a smack in the face on Tuesday at my annual physical. My high blood pressure has gotten higher, my heart is having to work too hard to pump blood, and I have prediabetes. So my response is: “It’s been fun, carbs and sugar, but I’ve gotta let some of you go.” I’ve known people who have lost limbs and gone blind due to diabetes, and I am not going there. The doctor suggested a lower-carb diet (not keto or low carb). I’m supposed to keep carbs to 100 and below. So I have done that pretty much the past three days. Bread, cakes, and cookies will be the first to go. I’m in search of a low-carb bread now. I’ve ordered some lower carb cookies/bars to replace sweet snacks for now. My carbs will come in the form of vegetables and fruits. I can still have chocolate occasionally. I have no desire to do keto. Been there, done that. It resulted in temporary weight loss that I couldn’t sustain. A hundred carbs a day is something I can keep up forever. I’m approaching my exercise in moderation by starting out small: 15 minutes a day of walking, and going up from there. With the exception of YESTERDAY.

Yesterday I learned how truly out of shape I was. As I mentioned before, I had started some tomato and pepper seeds inside under a grow light, and my plants were finally ready to transfer to the garden. I started out saying I was going to do the planting by myself because Doug was busy working on the car. I found myself taking hours, as I had to rest in between each planting. Doug ended up finishing the car and coming to help me complete the garden. Never again will I let myself get so out of shape!

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

Monday: I did a review of Prayers for Prodigals By James Banks
I also did a blog tour/review for Midas by Alan Meredith
Last and most important: I did a tribute to my Uncle, Wayne Jenkins, who died in Vietnam

Tuesday: I reviewed The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden

Saturday: For Self-Published Saturday, I reviewed Desperate Tides, Desperate Measures by Brett Salter.

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

MONDAY: I’m posting my review of Surviving the Wilderness by Maggie K. Black

On Friday I plan to review The Eleventh Commandment by Mary F. Burns

On Self-Published Saturday I will review an audiobook: The Scarlet Forest by A.E. Chandler

BOOKS I PICKED UP ON NETGALLEY LAST WEEK

Audiobook: The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver

Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies:

Little Red House by Liv Andersson

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at the @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news and a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See the rules here.

This week I spent Monday through Wednesday in a work frenzy, trying to get everything done before going on vacation. The rest of the week after that has been much-needed bliss, hanging out with family and taking in majestic views. Looking at the mountains reminds me how anything is possible for God, who created them. It’s almost time to return to work, but this weekend has been much needed and appreciated.

Review of Last Week

Monday I reviewed Drawn by the Current, a historical novel set around the sinking of the SS Eastland in Chicago, 1915.

On Friday I reviewed Shimmer by Alan Meredith as part of a tour for Zooloo’s Book Tours.

On Saturday I spotlighted some great self-published books on sale. I also put up spotlights for two additional indie books, Distant Stars and The Eye of the Storm.

Plans for Next Week

Sunday I will review Prayers for Prodigals, a devotional by James Banks.

MONDAY I will review Midas by Alan Meredith as part of a blog tour for Zooloo’s book tours.

TUESDAY I will review The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden

From Wednesday through the rest of the week, I’ll be reading books for the August edition of Historical Novels Review.

For Self-Published Saturday, I will review the latest in Brett Salter’s Talisman series, Desperate Tides, Desperate Measures.

MORE MOUNTAIN BEAUTY

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at the @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See the rules here.

Where does the time go? I had a busy work week last week so I didn’t get all the books read that I planned. Sometimes the best-laid plans just do not work out. I’m going on vacation part of next week and will have more time to catch up on my reading. I’m going to try and set a less ambitious schedule for the next couple of weeks anyway because I’ve got several reviews due for the Historical Novel Society in June. I won’t be able to publish those until August 1st, per their policy, but I still have some that I did back in March for the May issue that I haven’t shared yet, and at least one of those will go up this week.

REVIEW OF LAST WEEK

Monday I did a blog tour and book review of The Adoption for Bookouture

Tuesday I reviewed Freedom or Death, the fourth book in the Juche series by Adria Carmichael.

Thursday I posted a review of The Commandant’s Daughter that I did for the May issue of Historical Novel Society.

And for Self-Published Saturday I reviewed A Class Coveted by Susie Murphy.

PREVIEW OF THE COMING WEEK

On Sunday of course is Sunday Spotlight.

On Monday I will post a review of Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green

On Tuesday I will post a review of The Eleventh Commandment by Mary F. Burns. I wrote this one back in March for the May issue of Historical Novel Society’s magazine, Historical Novels Review.

On Thursday I will post a review of The Girl from Lamaha Street, which was originally planned for last week but time got the better of me.

For Self-Published Saturday I will spotlight some self-published books.

BOOKS APPROVED ON NETGALLEY THIS WEEK:

I must be in the mood for baking because I requested and received two cookbooks: BAKE by Paul Hollywood and Everyday Cake by Polina Chesnakova.

Then I picked up a novel about a young pie maker who gets a magical chance to see how her life would have worked out if she had made different choices. It’s called The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden. I must have been hungry when I made my Netgalley requests.

I was also approved for Nicholas Sparks’ new book Dreamland, which is not about food. So that’s one out of four.

EDITED to add that I received a 917-page book from Greenleaf Book Group. It’s called Gods of Deception and it’s huge. This one’s gonna take a while.

Have a great week everyone! Hopefully I’ll be able to get a lot of reading done over Memorial Day weekend.