This counts as reading because I read the menu, right??

Enjoying my time in Indianapolis after the wedding 😄

My son got married last Saturday! 💞

#WhatsNewWednesday
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

We visited some Amish friends last weekend, and I didn't breathe a word that I was reading this book ?

The Amish Wife is a true crime book that I got free on Kindle about a woman who died in a "barn fire."

Spoiler alert - it wasn't the fire that killed her.

I'm glad to be on to the next book. The title intrigued me, but the book dragged.

While John Boy Walton was my first crush, John Stamos has been my most enduring crush 💞

I enjoyed this memoir despite the cockiness that often came through the pages.

John is sober and happy, and I'm happy for him.

I had never heard of Fern Brady before but was intrigued to read this memoir about her life with autism and not getting a diagnosis until she was in her thirties.

Her story is eye-opening, brutally honest, and helpful in explaining autism to people (like me) who don't know much about it.

Her Scottish accent took me a minute to get used to, but the audiobook was great. I always like when people narrate their own stories.

T-minus one week until we leave for our son's wedding!🤵👰‍♂️🥂

I'm going to be someone's mother-in-law 😄

#WhatsNewWednesday @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

What a mess!

While the concept was unique (a man knits himself into Trinity's life using her deceased grandmother's knitting needles and yarn), that was the only thing remotely likable.

Non-existent editing - see example.

Smutty to the point of being vulgar.

The only reason I finished was it was short and I could squeeze it in for another book to add to my monthly total.

Skip this one. Trust me.

This is book 2 in the Aaron Falk series, and even though it took me a little longer to get into than the first book, I really liked it 🙂

Have you ever been forced to go on a team-building work retreat?? Imagine going, getting lost, and losing a co-worker.

Falk and his partner are tasked with finding out what happened to unlikable Alice.

I do plan on reading book 3

My text to my co-worker this morning

I am not a fan of science fiction, but steamy science fiction... I was willing to give it a try ??

This fun take on "The King and I" was in a pile of donations, and I just HAD to pull it out to see what an alien romance was like.

Very fun, very quick read, and very steamy.

Phillips has more books based on musicals ? ? ?

**This book is not in the database

What a great night!

Finished this fantastic book AND the LA Kings win in overtime!!

This is my first Abby Jimenez, and I'm officially a member of her fan club now.

Smart, funny, sexy - everything you want in a romance ❤️

This was okay.

Actress Diane Keaton explores her relationship with her mentally ill, alcoholic brother.

A short audiobook that I'm glad to be done with.

Onward!

Noodle and I are under the weather, but at least that gave us some time to read and cuddle on the couch.

I really liked "The Husbands."

A unique concept that was well executed.

Lauren has an attic that, once she sends a husband up, a different one comes down.

This was a fun story, and I couldn't wait to see how it would be resolved.

This was highly recommended by a friend.

I immediately downloaded the second book, so it's safe to say I enjoyed it 😄

A family is murdered in his hometown, and detective Falk weeds through old memories and new clues in order to solve the mystery.

The drought plagued setting is just as much a character as any of the people.

I'm feeling very spoiled!

First, my co-worker went on break and came back with a book for me because "it sounded good." She even stuck a bow on it ?

Then, I received a mystery box from Amazon. My bestie surprised me with the tagged book!

What a lucky book nerd ? ??

Dollar Tree, you done good!

So excited to see these 😁 💵 🌳

I loved Chouette by this author and was equally enchanted by Poor Deer.

Oshetsky's writing is beautifully unique.

In this story, a very young child experiences a traumatic event and grapples with guilt for the rest of her life.

I continue to make my way through the Anne of Green Gables books 💚

This one was new to me.

This book comes up as book 4 in my Kindle collection, but I'm seeing that, according to Anne's age, Anne of Windy Poplars should have been next (??)

Either way, this was delightful, and I am sure to enjoy all of the books no matter which order I read them in.

Another Dollar Tree find 💵 🌳

Pratt interviewed several people on the topic of forgiveness.

Some standouts were Elizabeth Smart, Nicole Brown's sister, and Sue Klebold.

After a procedure two weeks ago, I got my biopsy results today and have a clean bill of health!! 😃🙏🏻🙌🏻 Praise God!

#whatsnewwednesday
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

The Whispers is about 4 complicated women who live on the same street.

A tragic accident (??) occurs, and we see things begin to unravel.

This book kept me invested, surprised me, and made me say, "Wait! What?" more than once.

I love this dedication. However, the book was too dark for my taste.

This was assigned for Romance Book Club and, as you know, I'll read whatever is assigned 😂 I need to get over that.

I downloaded all of the Anne of Green Gables books and am reading them on my Kindle at night.

The first 3 books are re-reads for me as I have this awesome vinrage box set that my grandma gave me when I was a kid 😊

There was much about Anne of the Island that had slipped my mind, so I'm glad to have read it again.

Anne's House of Dreams is next, and I'm certain it will be new to me.

I just love Anne so much 💕

My dad gave this to me for my birthday 😊

It took a few chapters for me to get into this true story, but it really is inspiring.

An older woman with failing health and a failing farm in Maine decides to get on her horse and ride across the country to California.

Her faithful dog accompanies her as they set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

Book number 2 in The Silent Years series, and I loved it!

The 400 years between the Old and New Testaments in the Bible are often referred to as "the silent years." These historical fiction books show that God was not silent at that time in history.

This story is about a young woman who grew up in an abusive household and marries a man who seems safe and loving. But can a warrior provide the security she craves?

I need the next 2 books!

This memoir was fine.

The author recalls her childhood growing up in Florida, her parents' divorce, and various other family members.

Her story is well-told but, honestly, won't stick with me for very long.

This particular book is not in the Litsy database.

"Rose" is a sweet romance based on Beauty and the Beast and set on the Oregon Trail.

I got this for free on Stuff Your Kindle Day and really enjoyed it.

The wildflowers are doing their thing! 🌼 🌸

I thought this was a unique concept for a whodunit. A young woman is accused of killing her best friend. She can't remember anything from that night. A podcaster comes to town to get to the bottom of it all.

I'm new-ish to mysteries/thrillers, so I didn't suspect until the big reveal.

Short chapters made for a quick read.

I liked this 😊

I enjoyed this short audiobook read by the author.

8th grade Ruthy Ramirez doesn't come home from school one day.

Years later, her sisters swear that they see their missing sister on a reality show.

Could it be Ruthy??

My only complaint about this audiobook is that the author used the word 'woman' when it should have been 'women' - not just once, but multiple times. Not sure if that was intentional, but it really bothered this grammar nerd.

This was an Amazon First Read that didn't sit on my Kindle for months like they usually do 😄

Eden is going through a separation and losing touch with her teenage daughter when she decides to message an old college crush on Facebook.

Things escalate quickly when he responds.

Starved for affection, Eden ignores all the red flags and finds herself and her loved ones in great danger.

I was along for the ride.

This was assigned for book club, and at first, I didn't think I was going to like it.

Ari was obnoxious, slutty, and making cringey decisions right and left.

But she was also snarky, funny, and endearing.

I had to see how she and Josh ended up together.

The author interview at the end was enlightening, and I loved that she had a section about all the NYC places in the story.

I ended up glad that I read this.

Took my Kindle on our trip to Portland this weekend and finished "Mayluna."

A young journalist who dreams of becoming a filmmaker befriends an up and coming rock band.

She and the lead singer fall in love.

Nothing terribly original about this story, but I was along for the ride.

This was an Amazon First Reads that I actually got around to reading ? Usually, they sit on my Kindle for ages.

Rain, Powell's, and one happy book worm!

Official report for February

At first, I couldn't get into the world-building, but once I was able to sit down and really devote the time to this vampire/werewolf story, I couldn't put it down.

I was invested in not only the romance but also the mystery of Serena's whereabouts and the affection between Misery and young halfbreed Ana.

Hazelwood's trademark snark and spice abounded.

Loved it!

Someone recently told me that George MacDonald was their favorite author.

I had never heard of him, so I decided to give this short audiobook a go.

Not for me.

I can see how fantasy readers would enjoy this, but I have come to the conclusion that fantasy will never be my jam.

Believe it or not, this was my very first John Grisham.

My dad thought I would like it, so I gave it a listen and he was right!

I enjoyed all the bookish references and think I would love living on Camino Island 😄

I'm not surprised that I enjoyed this one. Kristin Hannah has never let me down.

The Women is about a young lady named Frankie who enlists as an Army nurse so that she can go to Vietnam like her older brother.

Heartbreaking, educational, well researched, and well-written.

Couldn't resist these paperbacks when I saw them at an estate sale today 😁📚

This author and I follow each other on Instagram, so when I saw this book was free on Kindle, I figured I owed it to her to at least try out one of her books.

You guys - it was really good!

Obviously, it's a cowboy romance, but it's also a mystery and the start of a 5 book family saga.

All the characters are likeable, and I loved the relationship between the brothers.

I'm glad I read this and will be reading more by Greta Rose West 🌹 🤠

Main character Alice keeps traveling back and forth from her 40th birthday to her 16th birthday with the focus on her relationship with her father.

The love between father and daughter is heartwarming.

Of course, she tweaks different things on each trip to the past, but nothing can change the inevitability of death.

The author's note at the end really added to the beauty of the story.

*Photo is the Umpqua River a few years after a fire

Is anyone familiar with this author?

I scored a signed book at Dollar Tree!

A little magpie comes into the author's life and adds humor, tears, joy, and bird crap 😄

It's an endearing story with beautiful illustrations.

Frieda Hughes is the daughter of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. Even though she doesn't love being introduced that way, it is what drew me to this memoir.

Thank you, @LMJenkins, for this wonderful #jolabokaflodswap ❤️

A friend recommended this to me because I'm "a mom of boys." ??‍♀️

Having read it, I can see that she recognized in me a mother who would do anything for her children.

In this time-travel story, Jen sees her son kill someone and is so determined to save him, she finds herself traveling back through time to understand what brought her son to that point and if there is anything she can do to correct it.

The story was told very cleverly.

"Imagine wanting something since you were old enough to be conscious of wanting it."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Finally got a chance to listen to Jill tell her story.

At its heart, this is a story about someone evolving, growing, and deciding for herself what she wants her life to look like.

I truly believe that her parents are good people and love their kids. I think the kids feel that way, too.

That being said, mistakes were made.

It takes courage to step back and look at the way you were raised, analyze it, and make up ones own mind.

I knew next to nothing about Lon Chaney, but I was very intrigued when I saw this beautiful graphic novel at Dollar Tree.

The artwork and the story are both very well done.

Chaney played such dark characters!