Friday, November 27, 2020

Book Blogger Hop - 11/27/2020

 



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Do you own an e-reader? If so, what is your favorite thing about it? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews

I own several e-readers. I have like a nine-year old Kindle touch that I haven't even thought about using in a couple years. It was my first e-reader so it has sentimental value, and who knows, maybe it'll come in handy at some point in the future (if I could just figure out where I put it). 

Then I have a Kindle Paperwhite that is probably about five or six years old now. I haven't used it recently either. I liked it better than the touch because of the backlit screen though. In fact, it was my most preferred e-reader for a while. 

I also have a Kindle Fire 7" HDX. They don't make these anymore, which is disappointing because this was the best kindle for proofreading on. The keyboard was much more responsive than my Paperwhite or Touch. It's also about 6 years old now though (I think), and it's starting to glitch like crazy, sometimes deciding it just doesn't even wanna charge at all, which is not ideal.

I bought myself a Kindle Fire 7" about four years ago to try and replace the HDX for proofreading, but found a major problem with that. It opens .docx files as documents, rather than opening them like books, which eliminated the note taking process that I utilized for proofreading. I'm not sure if I ever even read an entire book off of that Kindle. 

After we discovered the problem with the Kindle Fire 7", we managed to find me a 10" Fire HDX that we snatched right up. That was a good four years ago now, and I mostly don't use it anymore because it's bigger than I'd like it to be for proofreading purposes. 

Then I have the Kindle app on an iPad pro, 2 iPad minis, and at least 3 iPhones that I could still easily use right now if I wanted to (and actually do most of my reading/proofreading on my phone now because it's easily accessible on my break at my day job). 

So what's my favorite part of e-readers? Their mobility and the fact that I have thousands of books at my fingertips with them. They also make my freelance proofreading easy to do on the go when necessary. 

Do you think I have too many e-readers? - Katie 

Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

#31DaysOfChristmas - Let it Snow



Watched on: Netflix
Duration: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Originally aired: 8 November 2019
Directed by: Luke Snellin
Starring: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, and Odeya Rush
Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information

Synopsis

In a small town on Christmas Eve, a snowstorm brings together a group of young people.

Review

This is not a typical holiday romance, although there was romance involved. It's more of a teenage party movie, and the main problem is making the party happen in the midst of a snowstorm. It's not a severe snowstorm, but bad enough that flights are grounded. The unexpected return of some parental units throws a real kink in the plans, but the party must go on. 

And it is with this movie that I think I may have finally outgrown my teenage rebellion years. It only took me about twenty years. I had a really hard time getting interested in the story here, and really couldn't have cared less about any of the main characters. The only character I was really interested in was the tin-foil tow truck lady, and she's just a minor side character. 

I can see an audience for this movie, it's just not me. - Katie 

My Rating


Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

Thursday, November 26, 2020

#31DaysOfChristmas - Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

 


Watched on: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Originally aired: 4 December 1977
Directed by: Jim Henson
Starring: Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Marilyn Sokol
Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information.

Synopsis

A poor otter family risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas.

Review

I received a copy of this DVD as a gift from my penpal, and I wanted to like it so bad. Unfortunately, it's older than I am, and I just watched it for the very first time in my life as an adult, and I really think that it's the type of movie that relies on the nostalgia factor, or a child's point of view.

The movie started out with Emmet and his mother singing while rowing down the river. In a movie with a title like this, music is kind of a given, but the singing just reminded me of the scene in A Goofy Movie where Max and Goofy are watching the "band" at the possum park, and well, I've always related to Max in that movie. And that was a bad start for me for the movie, making it harder for the film to win me over at all.

The story itself was very Gift of the Magi. (And I've debated adding a spoiler alert there, but again, the movie is older than me, so...) In this case, the sacrifices weren't nearly as heartwarming though. In fact, they almost seemed cruel, and they were definitely short-sighted. This is a major reason I think nostalgia is needed to enjoy this movie. As a semi-responsible adult, I don't like seeing people make really stupid, potentially life-ruining choices. Even though things worked out in the end, it left a bad taste in my mouth, like bleu cheese. 

All in all, this movie did not provide the type of cheese I'm looking for in my holiday movies, but I might give it another watch sometime when I'm drunk, and see if I don't change my opinion of it. - Katie 

My Rating

Buy the DVD



Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Down the TBR Hole #9 11/21/2020



Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by Lia @ Lost in a Story that revolves around cleansing your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.
It works like this:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more if you're feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books.
  • Decide: Keep it or let it go?
So I made a comment the other day about wanting to be more active on the blog again, and so Joood, my arch-nemesis, bossed me into joining this meme. I'm just going to warn you that this is going to be an exercise in futility for me, because I add dozens of books to my to-read shelf on Goodreads every day as I enter literally all of the giveaways. But that is also going to add another element to my posts, because I refuse to completely break up with a giveaway win, at least for now. I may change my mind on that in the future. But also, since my shelf is so crazy out of control and only getting worse, I'm going to have to go through way more than ten books per post. So for now, my posts will be light on graphics, and I'm only going to explain the books I'm keeping. 
Let's go, shall we?
At the end of my last list (and after entering some giveaways because they were ending!!!) I had my list at 139,490. But I've entered a few more giveaways now so this is where I'm starting. 
Current To Read Count: 139,521

The Other C-Word by M.K. Schiller - This book is out of print so off my list it goes.

Swords of Good Men by Snorri Kristjansson - Bye

Poison by Dejana Vuleti - This book is no longer in print, so it's not longer on my list

The Yoga-Body Cleanse by Robin Westen - Auf wiedersehen

Altered Selves by Christopher Hawke - See ya

Ashes and Ice by Diana Bellerose - Adios

Rachmaninoff's Ghost by M.F. Korn - Later

Aquila: From the Darkness by T.L. Searle - Sayonara

Make Your Book Work Harder by Nancy Hendrickson - Don't need this one

Santa Fish by Cathleen Conley - Ciao (10)

Angel of Death by Eamonn Hickson - Goodbye

Alcohol Ink Dreamscaping Quick Reference Guide by June Rollins - Hasta la vista

Vitro by Jessica Khoury - This can go

Love Surprises by Nicole Smith - Bye

Only Twelve Days by Eileen Thornton - Auf wiedersehen

Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter - See ya

Tin Angel by Raine English - Adios

Adamar by Scot C. Morgan - This book seems to have been unpublished, so it goes.

Bound by Memphis by Jennifer Hayes - Buh-bye

Career Forward by Brett Romero - Don't need this (20)

Muse by M.R. Pritchard - Later

Hers to Choose by Lizzie Ashworth - Sayonara

His to Lose by Lizzie Ashworth - This can go

War of Desire by Denele Campbell - This book has been unpublished, so off my list it goes

Aquarian Revolution by Denele Campbell - Ciao

I Met a Goat on the Road by Denele Campbell - Goodbye

Recipes of Trailside Cafe and Tea Room by Denele Campbell - Hasta la vista

Notes of a Piano Tuner by Denele Campbell - Don't need this

The New Lean for Life by Cynthia Stamper Graff - Bye

On the Trail of Genghis Khan by Tim Cope - Auf wiedersehen (30)

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington - See ya

Just Because by Mary T. Bradford - Adios

Stripping Away the Insanity of Life and Parenthood by Tanya Masse - Buh-bye

My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead - This can go

Dead on Arrival by Paul Oluikpe - Later

Transylvania's Most Wanted by M.L. Dunn - This book is out of print, so away it goes

Unbowed by Lestine - Sayonara

Herman by Howard Randolph - Don't need this

A Mother's Story by Louise Greentree - Ciao

Crystal: A Fairy's Dream by Debbie Lannen - Goodbye (40)

The Number of Missing by Adam Berlin - Tchuss

What Next? by Jeffrey M. Daniels - I won a copy of this book, so it stays. 

A Flower in the Heart of the Painting by Amy Krohn - Hasta la vista

Murder with Ganache by Lucy Burdette - This can go

Acquiring Hearts by S. Donahue - Bye

The Golden Egg by Shavon Jones - Auf wiedersehen

Echo Across Time by Skye Genaro - See ya

Underwater Panther by Jonathan Cook - This book is out of print, so away it goes

Stitch Mountain: 30 Warm Knits for Conquering the Cold by Laura Zander - Don't need this

Breathless by Caro Ayre - Adios (50)

A Vision of Angels by Timothy Jay Smith - Buh-bye

Cooper's Promise by Timothy Jay Smith - Don't need this

The Phoenix Embryo by Jeanne Marcella - Later

Someday Always Comes by Wanda S. Paryla - Sayonara

Lunchbox Jokes: 100 Fun Tear-Out Notes for Kids by Deana Gunn - This can go

Lunchbox Jokes: Food by Deana Gunn - Ciao

Mud Creek Medicine by Kiran Bhatraju - Goodbye

Murder in the Ball Park by Robert Goldsborough - Hasta la vista

Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Dinner's Done by Deana Gunn - Don't need this

I Haven't Lived at All by Evelyn Knightley - Bye (60)

Makai Queen by Tara Fairfield - Auf wiedersehen

The Book of the Earth by Jeff Gross - See ya

Fair Game by B.C. Tweedt - Adios

Ganked by Liam O'Donnell - Buh-bye

The Christmas Key by R.J. Murphy - This can go

Forgotten in Darkness by Zoe Forward - Later

The Peregrine Prophecy by Darren T. Patrick - Sayonara

The String Quartet by Dan Hupalo - This book has been unpublished, so it's leaving my list

The Salacia Project by Bill Duncan - Don't need this

Sun Bleached Winter by D. Robert Grixti - Ciao (70)

The End by Michael G. Hopf - Goodbye

TMI by Patty Blount - Hasta la vista

A Highlander for Christmas by Jamie Carie - This can go

A Debt Paid in Passion by Dani Collins - Auf wiedersehen

Alex Finch: Monster Hunter by Cate Dean - Bye

Fight for You by Misty Moncur - See ya

Jerusalem's Brothers by Ronald Hera - Adios

Lies Interrupted by AJ Warner - This book is no longer available, so it's no longer on my list

Alluring Seduction by Skye Turner - Don't need this anymore

The Well's End by Seth Fishman - It seems like this book has been unpublished, so it's leaving my list (80)

The Summer of Long Knives by Jim Snowden - I think this book has been unpublished, so away it goes

Officer Tequila Shots by James Dearling - This book is out of print, so it's gone

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry - Buh-bye

Illusion by Tracy Skylar Johnson - Later

A Life in a Moment by Stefanos Livos - Sayonara

Steal Away by Raeanne Sinclaire - This book has been unpublished, off it goes

Dads vs Zombies by Benjamin Wallace - This can go

Grind His Bones by Richard Newell Smith - Auf wiedersehen

Merdeka Rising by Rory Marron - Bye

Mahogany Slade by Stephen Robinson - See ya (90)

Dicmatized 2: Bitter Sweet Revenge by Gemini Phoenix - Adios

Unafraid: A Novel of the Possible by Jeff Golden - Don't need this anymore

Fire and Ice by Diana Bellerose - Goodbye

True Feel by Ted Guevara - Later

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan - Sayonara

After the Fall by L.G. Castillo - This can go

The Island of Lote by Emily Kinney - Auf wiedersehen

The Four Seasons of Patrick by Susan Hughes - Bye

From the Pen of a God by Elvin Ramos - This book is out of print, so away it goes

A Garden of Organs by Elvin Ramos - This book has been unpublished so off the list it goes.


Books removed: 99

Books kept: 1

I feel like I did an amazing job knocking a bunch more books off my list, not that these posts are making much of a difference in the size of my list. But in about four years, I should have it down to a pretendably manageable size. Yay. 

Did I make any bad decisions on my list? - Katie 

Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

Stacking the Shelves - 11/21/2020


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

Lead Where You Are: Cultivating Employee Engagement Where it Matters Most by Ken Carnes and Ryan Carnes

Girl Number Thirteen by Amy Koto

The Girl Who Talks to Ashes by Rachel Rener

The Back 40: Revenge Served Cold by Tom Benenson

Digging Around the Pandemic by Lee Barckmann

Big Numbers by Jack Getze - I one-clicked a copy of this for free

Daguerreotype Dreams by Mark Stattelman

First Light in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake

Daughter of the Serpentine by E.E. Knight

Full Moons, Dunes, and Macaroons by Erin Johnson - I one-clicked a copy of this for free

Choices of Fate by S. Simone Chavous - I one-clicked this one for free

Undressed with the Marquess by Christi Caldwell

How the Lady Charmed the Marquess by Laura A. Barnes

Billionaire Ghost Tour by Stephanie Fowers

House on Endless Waters by Emuna Elon - I snagged this audiobook on sale for just $3.95

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo - I one-clicked a copy of this book on sale for just $2.99

The Clockwork God by Jamie Sedgwick - I one-clicked this for free

Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer by Demelza Carlton - I one-clicked a copy of this for free

Election Day by Will SciFi

Death Toll Recon by Terry Keys

Muse by M.R. Pritchard

Boss Vibes by Nita Patel

Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson - I one-clicked this one for free.

So that's all the books that I've added to my virtual shelves this past week. See anything interesting? - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the link-up, be sure to leave a link to your post so I can see all your new goodies.

Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Book Blogger Hop - 11/20/2020

 



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Have you ever started reading a book and suddenly realized you've already read it? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Yes. Not recently, because everything that I've been reading recently have been books that I was hired to proofread (I don't have a whole lot of free time between my full-time day job and my freelance proofreading lately, especially when you consider that I should also do things like housework and cooking sometimes). But there have definitely been times I've picked up a book ready to get lost in a new story to realize the story wasn't new at all. 

What about you? Have you ever caught yourself accidentally re-reading a book? - Katie 

Down the TBR Hole #8 - 11/19/2020



Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by Lia @ Lost in a Story that revolves around cleansing your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.
It works like this:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more if you're feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books.
  • Decide: Keep it or let it go?
So I made a comment the other day about wanting to be more active on the blog again, and so Joood, my arch-nemesis, bossed me into joining this meme. I'm just going to warn you that this is going to be an exercise in futility for me, because I add dozens of books to my to-read shelf on Goodreads every day as I enter literally all of the giveaways. But that is also going to add another element to my posts, because I refuse to completely break up with a giveaway win, at least for now. I may change my mind on that in the future. But also, since my shelf is so crazy out of control and only getting worse, I'm going to have to go through way more than ten books per post. So for now, my posts will be light on graphics, and I'm only going to explain the books I'm keeping. 
Let's go, shall we?
At the end of my last list, I'd managed to whittle my list down to 139,458, but since it was the 15th, I entered a WHOLE lot of giveaways (because more giveaways end in the middle of the month than on most days). So this is where we're starting today. 
Current To Read Count: 139,526

Selfless Love by Ellen Birx - Goodbye

Second Verse by Jennifer Walkup - Adios

Auntie Maim: Revenge of the Homophones  by David Tish - See ya later

Starlight by Mimi Strong - This book appears to be out of print, so away it goes

Paternity by Susan Baruch - Ciao

Fields of the Fatherless by Elaine Marie Cooper - TTFN

Something Yellow by Laura Templeton - Auf wiedersehen

An Illicit Pursuit by Liv Bennett - I can't find this book on Amazon, so it may have been unpublished or renamed. Either way, off the list it goes

The Aquatic Labyrinth by Alastair Fontana - Boy bye

Avalon by Mindee Arnett - Sayonara (10)

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton - Hasta la vista

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd - Later

Warrior by Ellen Oh - Bye for now

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine - Adios

Succubus by Gladys Quintal - See ya

The Obvious Game by Rita Arens - Goodbye

The Birth of a Phoenix by Candice Snow - This book seems to be out of print, so it's coming off the list.

Madeline's Protector by Vanessa Riley - Ciao

Body Sculpting with Kettlebells for Men by Roger Hall - Don't need this book

For the Benefit of Those Who See by Rosemary Mahoney - I won a copy of this book, so it stays. (20)

Hacking Leadership by Mike Myatt - Auf wiedersehen

The Lucifer Genome by Glen Craney and John Jeter - TTFN

Sexy Witches by Charity Parkerson - Bye

Death of the Body by Rick Chiantaretto - Hasta la vista

Plaster Scene by Michael J. Holley - Sayonara

Splatterlands by various authors - Later

Vagrant Kings by R.E. Graswich - Goodbye

WOD Motivation by Eleanor Brown - Don't need this

A Lifetime to Wait by Jackie Mae - I think I won a copy of this book, so it stays for now.

Sun Dance at Turtle Rock by Patricia Costa Viglucci - Adios (30)

The Kota by Sunshine Somerville - See ya

Revontuli by Andrew Eddy - Auf wiedersehen

The Great Heist by Jeff McArthur - Ciao

Ayshus on the Inside by Richard Gist - This can go

Close Quarter by Anna Zabo - TTFN

Cora's Heart by Rachel Herron - Bye

Denial Deceit Discovery by J. James - Hasta la vista

Her Unexpected Cowboy by Debra Clopton - Sayonara

When the Siren Calls by Tom Barry - Later

Choices of Fate by S. Simone Chavous - Not keeping this one (40)

Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost by Janelle Diller - Goodbye

In the Dying Eyes of Night by Dawn Peers - This book is out of print, so off my list it goes

Saltwater Witch by Chris Howard - I didn't win a copy of this book, but it sounds really intriguing, so I'm keeping it on my list for now. 

On Top of Your Game by Carrie Cheadle - Don't really need this

Dead Stock by Tim Hall - See ya

The Summer House by Alice Thomas Ellis - Adios

Klondike House by John Dwyer - Auf wiedersehen

High Road to Tibet by John Dwyer - This can go

Flashover by Colin T. Nelson - Ciao

The Exiles Return by Elizabeth de Waal - TTFN (50)

The Final Taboo by Dan Wasserman - Bye

Theirs to Cherish by Shayla Black - Hasta la vista

Melting the Ice by Jaci Burton - Sayonara

The Devil Laughed by Gerrie Ferris Finger - Later

Johnny Came Home by Tony Breedon - Goodbye

Luckbane by Tony Breedon - This one goes

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin - See ya

Beyond the Door by Maureen Doyle McQuerry - Adios

Pure Grit by Mary Cronk Farrell - This can go

Parent's Guidebook to Minecraft by Cori Dusmann - Don't need this (60)

Undead of Winter edited by Sarah Glenn - Auf wiedersehen

The Lost Boys by Lilian Carmine - Ciao

The Speculative Grammarian Essential Guide to Linguistics by various editors - Getting rid of this one

Linear Shift by Paul B. Kohler - Bye

Bound by Lorelei James - TTFN

Unremarried Widow by Artis Henderson - Hasta la vista

The Ascendant by Drew Chapman - This goes

The Beasts of Upton Puddle by Simon West-Bulford - This seems to be out of print, so away it goes

The Wolf by Joseph Smith - Sayonara

Birthright by Barry Ahern - Later (70)

Fearsome by S.A. Wolfe - Goodbye

The Clockwork God by Jamie Sedgwick - See ya

Come Little Children by D. Melhoff - This can go

Our Time by Jessica Wilde - Ciao

Perfect by Rachel Joyce - Auf wiedersehen

Lunchbox Jokes: Animals by Deana Gunn - Don't need this one

Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer by Demelza Carlton - Bye

Keeping Minds by Vinal Lang - This one goes

Loving Her by C.M. Hutton - I think this is out of print now, so off my list it goes

Doubt by Anne-Rae Vasquez - TTFN (80)

A Gift for Jarrod by Lizzie Ashworth - Not going to need this one

Y: A Novel by Marjorie Celona - Hasta la vista

Edited to Death by Linda Lee Peterson - Sayonara

Ramblings and Rhymes by Arietta Bryant - This goes

Behold the Lamb by C. Austin Tucker - Later

It's a Colorful Christmas by Niki Alling - Goodbye

Command Authority by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney - Don't need this anymore

Erased by Margaret Chatwin - See ya

Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle - This one stays because I need it.

Obama on Edge by George Thomas Clark - Ciao (90)

Angels Bleed by Max Hardy - Auf wiedersehen 

Stardust by Mimi Strong - I think this is out of print, so away it goes

Speculum by Darryl Sollerh - This is out of print, so it's leaving my list

Misdirected by G.M. Rogers - This book isn't available anymore, so it's not on my list anymore

Our Totally Ridiculous, Made-Up Christmas Relationship by Brittainy C. Cherry - This book can stay because I already own the Kindle copy, and Christmas is coming!

The Second Revolution by Gary Hansen - Bye

Shadow Game by Darryl Sollerh - This one goes

A Rooster Once Crowed by Bryant Cornett - TTFN

Girl Act by Kristina Shook - Hasta la vista

In My Wildest Dreams by Wayne Jackson - Sayonara


Books removed: 95

Books kept: 5

Once again I removed a lot of books from my list, but it took me a few days to actually finish this one because I was working and sleep took precedence over finishing a blog post. 

Did I make any bad judgements with books I removed? - Katie 

 

Join the 2020 12 Books of Christmas Challenge!

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

12 Books of Christmas Reading Challenge 2020

 


Guess what's back! I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a verifiable shitshow, and that means we need something lighthearted and fun to end the year. So I'm bringing back the 12 Books of Christmas Reading Challenge. To see all the rules and sign up, just click here

I'm working full time and still proofreading and still trying to be an average wife and mother, so I'm honestly only shooting for Elf Status this year. As much as I want to read 12 cheesy Christmas romances this year, the ones that I've already read for proofreading purposes don't count (because it's against my own rules!) and I just can't count on having that kind of time available to me. But I still have so many Christmas books I want to read, so in spite of knowing I won't read many of them, I'm going to give you a list of several of the possibilities. 


The Christmas Keeper by Jenn McKinlay
An Amish Christmas Kitchen by Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd
White Christmas Wedding by Celeste Winters

And here are some holiday romances that I recommend, because I've read them recently.

When the Wind Chimes by Mary Ting
Seabreeze Christmas by Jan Moran
The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis
The Magic Ingredient by Lindy Miller

So will you be joining me in the challenge this year? - Katie 

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Spotlight - Seabreeze Christmas by Jan Moran - November 17 Release

 


Author: Jan Moran
Published: November 17, 2020
Pages: 249



A season of joy. The spirit of family.

**From a USA Today Bestselling author. Read as a stand-alone story or as part of the Summer Beach series.**

When sisters Ivy and Shelly Bay discover crates of vintage Christmas decorations at the Seabreeze Inn, they decide to open their historic beach house to the residents of Summer Beach. From a Gingerbread Bake-off and a Santa Sprint on the beach to a mysterious guest who has an unusual effect on those around him, the Seabreeze Inn is the place to be this holiday season. Families and friends come together, and love is in the air—until a priceless discovery at the beachside inn complicates matters.

While Ivy creates a holiday special for single guests with nowhere else to go, Bennett Dylan, the mayor of Summer Beach, helps organize Christmas celebrations. However, the holidays will test Ivy and Bennett’s relationship, especially when Ivy’s grown children voice their opinions. As hidden secrets surface, Ivy faces a decision that could change her life.

This season, everyone is family at the Seabreeze Inn. Join residents and guests in this small beach village for the warmest of holiday gatherings. Seabreeze Christmas may be read as a standalone, or start with the USA Today bestseller, Seabreeze Inn, to get to know all the Summer Beach characters. This year, let the sleigh bells ring across the beach in a delightful holiday novel.





Jan Moran is a USA Today bestselling author of women's fiction. She writes stylish, uplifting, and emotionally rich contemporary and 20th-century historical women's fiction. The Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. Visit her at www.janmoran.com and join her reader's club.

Her books are also translated into German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and other languages. Jan studied writing at the UCLA Writers Program, sailed on Semester at Sea, and graduated from the University of Texas and Harvard Business School. She lives near the beach in southern California. 

To learn of new releases and special offers, join Jan's Readers Club at https://author.to/JanMoranBookClub. Simply copy and paste. Or visit her on Facebook at facebook.com/janmoranbooks.

Monday, November 16, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday - Books with Pets on the Cover - 11/17/2020

 


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is Character's I'd Name a Pet After. But I don't really find myself wanting to name pets after specific characters in books. The closest we've come, is that our actual cats are Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia, and our dog is Captain Phasma, but we adopted the cats because of the names they'd already been given, and when we got the dog, she obviously needed a name to go with the theme. So instead, I'm going to feature ten books that have pets on the cover. Here we go. 




Walk Me Home by Liza Kendall



Bad Bella by Ali Standish


Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh


Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs by Jennifer Finney Boylan


Modern Family by Marc Freeman




The Christmas Keeper by Jean McKinlay


The Devil in the Saddle by Julia London


Al Dente's Inferno by Stephanie Cole

This list was a little bit harder to compile just by looking at my bookshelves than last weeks list about song titles, although some of that is because I had to look at the covers of all my books to find ones with pets. And I don't care what you say about that snake, snakes can absolutely be pets. 

What is your favorite book cover featuring a pet? - Katie 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below. I'd love to see what book characters you'd name your pets after, or whatever twists you've applied to this topic. 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Down the TBR Hole #7 - 11/15/2020



Down The TBR Hole is a meme created by Lia @ Lost in a Story that revolves around cleansing your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.
It works like this:
  • Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more if you're feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books.
  • Decide: Keep it or let it go?
So I made a comment the other day about wanting to be more active on the blog again, and so Joood, my arch-nemesis, bossed me into joining this meme. I'm just going to warn you that this is going to be an exercise in futility for me, because I add dozens of books to my to-read shelf on Goodreads every day as I enter literally all of the giveaways. But that is also going to add another element to my posts, because I refuse to completely break up with a giveaway win, at least for now. I may change my mind on that in the future. But also, since my shelf is so crazy out of control and only getting worse, I'm going to have to go through way more than ten books per post. So for now, my posts will be light on graphics, and I'm only going to explain the books I'm keeping. 
Let's go, shall we?
When I ended my last list, I'd gotten my to-read shelf down to 139,513, which is over a hundred books under where I started six posts ago, and a couple of those were short lists, so I'm finally sort of seeing some progress here. But anyway, I entered more giveaways so this is where I'm starting now. 
Current To Read Count: 139,555

Released by S.J. Pajonas - See ya

Connor by Dormaine G - Goodbye

Ladd Haven by Dianne Venetta - Adios

The Heart of a King by Candice Christine Little - Later

Thinner by E.M. Mitchem - This book is no longer available, so off the list it goes

Submission Windows by Gordon Highland - TTFN

The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel - I won a copy of this book, so it stays on the list

Fearless Love by Meg Benjamin - Auf wiedersehen

The Sharpest Blade by Sandy Williams - Hasta la vista

Lucky Sevens by Cynthia Vespia - Ciao (10)

Historical Heartthrobs by Hallie Fryd and Kelly Murphy - Sayonara

The Isolation Door by Anish Majumdar - Bye

The Sister by Max China - See ya

Beyond the Black Door by Rachel Gatti - Adios

The Longest Date: Life as a Wife by Cindy Chupack - Later

The Anxiety Handbook by Calistoga Press - Don't need this

My Whisper's of Horror by Olga Brine and Chris Brine - Goodbye

The Black Madonna of Derby by Joanna Czechowska - TTFN

The Unwords by Non Nomen - Auf Wiedersehen

The Car Bomb by T.V. LoCicero - Ciao (20)

Just a Holiday Fling by Tiffany Marie - This book is out of print, so off the list it goes

Big Numbers by Jack Getze - Hasta la vista

Starfire by Mimi Strong - This book also appears to be out of print, so it's leaving my list

Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law by Michelle Granas - Sayonara

Blue Coyote Motel by Dianne Harman - Not keeping this one

Kill-Off by John FD Taff - Goodbye

Strum by Nancy Young - Adios

The Dark Lady's Stone by Christie Maurer - See ya later, alligator

Achieve Anything in Just One Year by Jason Harvey - Bye

Justme by Pam Stebbins - Don't need this (30)

Professed by Lowell Mick White - Ciao

Lavender Surprise by Emily Sturgill - Later

Hollywood Clown by Jason Lassen - TTFN

An Amish Family Christmas by Murray Pura - So long

My Keyboard Was Hi-Jacked by Mammy Oakley - Hasta la vista

Surrender to You by Violet Haze - Auf wiedersehen

Torn True Love by KD Ferguson - This appears to be out of print now, so away it goes

The Big Wig by Tony Huston - Sayonara

Sisterhood by Julie R. Enszer - Goodbye

Blue Moon Vegetarian by Paula Coomer - Adios (40)

Pushed by C.S. Ware - See ya

The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman - Ciao

Fatal Whispers by Sandra Nikolai - Bye

My Favorite Run by Katherine Richards - Don't need this

Guitar Connoisseur by Alonzo Kelcey - Out this goes

What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved to Hollywood by T.R. Locke - TTFN

Crush IT at College by Bryan Tinlin - Later

Deep Breaths and Chocolate by Sue Baiman - So long

Night Therapy by Lorraine Pearl - Auf wiedersehen

Colostrum: Spiritual Antibodies for New Christians by David L. Greentree - Hasta la vista (50)

Flamebound by Tessa Adams - Sayonara

A Cornish Affair by Liz Fenwick - Goodbye

Boystown: Season One by Jake Blondi - Adios

Malicious History by Joe Kasti - See ya

Cole Club, P.I. by Geoffrey Donegan - Bye

Folds in the Map by Jeff Bauer - Ciao

Windows 8.1 Step by Step by Ciprian Rusen - Don't need this

Through Dust and Darkness by Jeremy Kroeker - TTFN

Acting Lessons by John Lehman - Can't find this book on Amazon, so away it goes

The Formal Impulse by John Pidgeon - This book is also unfindable, so off the list it goes (60)

One Hundred Small Yellow Envelopes by James Crews - Another book I can't find, so off it goes

Bird of Paradise by George Young - I'm on a roll with books I can't find on Amazon, another book off the list

Loving Link by TD Hassett - Later

Dream It, Do It, Live It by Richard Newton - So long

Forty Days and Forty Nights by Joan Gross - Don't need this

Derrick the Dog by B.D. Crowell - Sayonara

The Force by Alexandra Swann - Auf wiedersehen

Faerie's Killer by Kater Cheek - Goodbye

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell - I won a copy of this book, so it gets to stay

Return to Canterbury by Melissa Goodwin - Hasta la vista (70)

8 Keys to Stress Management by Elizabeth Anne Scott - See ya

Double Happiness by Tony Brasunas - Ciao

A Floating Life by Tad Crawford - TTFN

Poetry and Short Stories by a Bipolar Girl by Melissa Burke - Later

Wake Up to a Life of Abundance by Max Ito - This book appears to have been unpublished, so away it goes

The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas - So long

Between Dances by Erasmo Guerra - Auf wiedersehen

Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before by Erasmo Guerro - Sayonara

Once More to the River by Erasmo Guerro - Goodbye

Out of Time by Lynne Segal - Adios (80)

Animus by K.S. Rafique - Away this goes

False Flag by Jay Tinsiano - Ciao

Danger at Come-Alive Cottage by Wendy Unsworth - Auf Wiedersehen

Runes and Lore by Shaman Vitki - Sayonara

Parenting a Teen or Young Adult with Asperger Syndrome by Brenda Boyd - See ya

Cooking with all Things Trader Joe's by Deana Gunn - Don't need this

Strings by T.L. Solomon - Hasta la vista

Absolution by Karen McQuestion - TTFN

The Magical World of Sebella by Thea Berg - Later

Blind Sight Through the Eyes of Leocardo Reyes by Ermisenda Alvarez - So long (90)

Cooking with Trader Joes Cookbook: Easy Lunch Boxes by Kelly Lester - Auf Wiedersehen

The Octavian Latticework by Jack Belmonte - Sayonara

Solo Training by Loren W. Christensen - Ciao

The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman - Goodbye

Toxin by Rob Swigart - See ya

Surface Rights by Melissa Hardy - Away this goes

How I Found the Best Sex Ever by R. Mahler - Don't need this anymore

Stock Market Investing for Beginners by Tycho Press - Bye

Go Down Together by Jeff Guinn - Adios

Sweet Holy Motherfucking Ever-loving Delusional Bastard by Jerome Segundo - I won a copy of this book, so it stays on my list.


Books removed: 97   

Books kept: 3

Once again, I removed a big chunk of the books on my list. I'm getting pretty good at this...although it's easy when the main consideration is if I won a copy of the book or not. Do any of these books look interesting to you, like maybe I should give them another shot? - Katie