Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

{ All I read in February }

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I do believe February was the month I have read the most books, ever.  I try to read, but I do go through some phases where I don't pick up a book, or I struggle to get through a single one in months.  Then there are times when I can't seem to get enough of reading, and I zip through the books as quick as I can read them.
 
February was such a month for me. 
 
I stepped away from social media, and just focused on living my life in the reality around me, which is something I do most of the time anyway, but even I get sucked into the doom scrolling on Instagram and other social media outlets.  It's never a good thing, and when I step away from it, I feel so much better.
 
So that's what I did, and I ended up reading 7 books.  I don't think there was a single book on that pile that I didn't enjoy or struggled getting through.  They were all Christian fiction which means very minimal nonsense and when I say nonsense I mean things that I don't want to read anymore.
 
As I have progressed in my Christian journey and have gotten closer to God, there are a lot of things that he convicts me to do, and things to avoid.  I used to love romance books, books with spice and smut and all that other stuff.  Now, I can't read them at all, they make me very uncomfortable and quite honestly, I don't think they add anything to the story itself.  But that is my personal opinion.  Instead, I have been nudged to read more Christian fiction, and I am loving it.
 
If that's a genre you are looking into reading, then here are some books that I think you will enjoy.
 
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The Huntress by Carrie Cotten - #1 in the Medieval Christian Fiction
 
 Betrayed by their allies, the last of the Picts have escaped to the innermost part of an endless, dark forest, content to remain hidden there forever. Made queen at just a child, Cyrene has given all of her life and heart to the task of making sure her people are never terrorized again.

When a handsome stranger from the kingdom that betrayed them falls injured at the boundary of her village, she’s forced to choose between mercy and duty.

The second son of a ruling monarch, Duncan would never be considered for the throne, neither did he wish to be. But when a plague sweeps through the land, he is the only one of royal blood left standing. Returning to the tower that holds too many dark memories, the truth of his father’s tangled reign begins to unravel and Duncan is once again forced into a role he never wanted.
 
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The Viking by Carrie Cotten - #2 in the Medieval Christian Fiction
 
Will the loyalty that saved their kingdom destroy their hearts?

As a girl, Astrid washed up on the shores of the Picts, haunting memories of her homeland locked deep inside. She began a new life serving Queen Cyrene, ultimately becoming her dearest friend and the captain of her army. But when Cyrene’s unexpected marriage unites her people with the enemy realm of Tràigh, only Astrid’s dedication to the crown can help her battle her mistrust of these rival forces, especially their maddening captain, Eowin.

Trusted as a brother, Eowin can imagine no life other than serving his king. As Tràigh struggles to hold its place amid tumult, a mysterious Viking warrior and his men sail in with a claim that will change everything. Sent to far lands on an impossible mission, Eowin finds his courage, integrity, and wisdom stretched to the limits.

Will he sacrifice everything for this warrior maiden he can never have?
 
 
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The Raven by Carrie Cotten - #3 in the Medieval Christian Fiction 
 
Will the darkness that hides her finally destroy her?

Revna has spent her whole life thirsting for justice. When the chance to avenge her murdered mother and enslaved sister is denied her, she finds an even greater cause in gathering her people from their Norse captors and sending them home. Using threats and violence as her shield, she has built a seemingly invincible and invisible persona of terror. Then the drunken son of a chieftain discovers that the much-feared “Raven” is really just a slight teenage girl.

Unable to please his angry father or protect his villagers from extortion and need, Aksel turns to endless mugs of mead to drown his despair. But a fierce little bird turns all that upside down. With her unequivocal purpose and unparalleled bravery, Revna rescues him from his meaningless existence but at a staggering cost neither of them expects.

Revna and Aksel will sacrifice everything to free the slaves, but who will free them from the bondage of their pasts and the truth behind their disguises?
 

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Spark of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #1 in the Harbor of Spies Series
 

Contrary to her name, Patience Abbott has long felt unsettled and anxious to leave behind her painful memories in England for a fresh start in America. But her new life isn’t quite what she expected, and as tension grows in her new home of Boston, so does the distance between Patience and her estranged father. So when Josiah Wagner walks into her life, it finally feels like she’s not alone. If only his patriotic leanings didn’t put him at odds with her father’s loyalties.

Josiah Wagner has spent his life yearning for a true home and family, something he works toward each day, forging tools as a blacksmith, and each night, forging plans with the Sons of Liberty. But when the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor lights the spark of the Revolution, Josiah finds himself drawn into its tumultuous wake, pulling the woman he loves along with him.

As tensions mount, will their search for belonging lead to each other, or will the obstacles between them be too great to overcome? In a land on the brink of war, can they find the home they seek in the One who calls them His own?

  
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Secrets of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #2 in the Harbor of Spies Series
 

Hannah Pierce is determined to keep her father‘s apothecary shop running, despite his failing health, the heavy burden of her mother’s recent death, and the mysterious disappearance of her brother. She’ll do whatever it takes to preserve her family’s legacy, including joining a dangerous ring of patriot spies...and falling for a revolutionary printer with a brave heart.

William Abbott always keeps his promises. He vowed long ago to never abandon those in need like his father did. So when new British acts of Parliament threaten Boston and endanger his family, he throws himself into serving the Patriot cause, using his position at the printing office to gather and spread intelligence. But when his clandestine role in the newly formed spy ring causes him to cross paths with the apothecary’s beautiful daughter, he may find himself fighting for more than the cause.

As tensions in Boston reach a breaking point, Will and Hannah find their bond deepening even as the noose tightens around the spy ring. When promises and determination are not enough to protect the ones they love, they’ll need to trust God if they are to survive what is to come. 

 
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Scars of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #3 in the Harbor of Spies Series
 

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love. 

 
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Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar
 

Before Christ called her daughter . . .

Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment . . .

Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. After her only brother is killed while in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father's textile trade and caring for her family. When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for. As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love. Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.

No physician can cure her. No end is in sight. Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal. After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body . . . and soul?

 
 
 

Thursday, January 29, 2026

{ Reading an author to zero }

Reading and author to zero!
 
That is a term that I was not familiar with, until I saw a lot of booktubers talking about it, and even though I don't like following trends and I definitely am not one to go with the crowd, I thought this was quite an interesting concept.
 
What does it mean exactly?  I have to be honest and say that the term itself is weird to me, it doesn't sound right, but the point of it is to read all the books that author has ever written, thereby reading them to zero.
 
It's something that I've done over the years, without even realizing there was a label for it.  Have I ever told you how much I despise labels of any kind?  That's a whole other post for a whole other day, anyway, back on track.
 
I think the only author I have ever read close to zero, is Nancy E. Turner, the author of my favorite book of all time These is My Words!
 
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I only have one of her books left to read and I haven't because I knew there were no others, and I didn't want it to end, but I may just get through it this year and thereby close this chapter.  The book I have not yet read, but do have on my bookshelf, is The Water and the Blood.  
 
July 12, 2017 
 
Nancy E. Turner is a fantastic writer and her books won a special place in my heart.  I may get rid of books here and there, but this collection will stay on the shelves forever.
 
I don't have any other authors that I have read to zero, but I do have a few I would like to, the first one coming to mind being Phillipa Gregory.  Over the years I have read many of hers and have many more on my shelf waiting to be read.  Every time I go by a thriftbook store, and I see one I don't have, I grab it.
 
We were at my local thrift store yesterday afternoon, and I saw one that I don't have in my stack, so I immediately grabbed it.  The Favored Child.
 
Another author I want to read to zero is Alison Weir who writes amazing historical fiction.
 
Others on my list are:
 
Francine Rivers
Ken Follett
Janette Oke
 
Do you read authors to zero or have done so in the past?  I would love to know!  

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Heading to the Plains - August Reading

 

Hello friends, welcome back to my little derelict blog.  
 
It's been a while and I am so glad to be back, to sit at this desk and hear my fingers clicking on the keyboard keys, composing a hello to you all.
 
So, it's Thursday the 7th of August.  I am just 3 days away from turning 51 years old.  My goodness!
 
I'll come and chat with you all again tomorrow, but today I wanted to talk about my reading plans for the month of August.  I am a running a little behind due to having my niece here and being so busy, but I did start one of the books on the list, at the end of July, thankfully, that puts me slightly ahead of where I would be, were I to begin today.
 
August is going to be all about the plains, the wagons, the old days, the treks out west, pioneers and that goodness.  The kind of era that I love hearing, watching and reading about.
 
I picked a few books, again, it is not set in stone, and it may happen that I read them all and add another, or I may fall behind and not even finish the list.  Who knows?
 
But here is my list, and I'll start with the one that I just finished yesterday.  I will say I am unsure if I liked it or not, I loved the premise and the history but I don't quite like the way Jim Fergus writes, or maybe it was just this particular book, not sure.  I am however starting the next in the series, which is The Vengeance of Mothers and I will see how I feel.  I may like it, or I may end up not finishing it.  I will be sure to let you know. 
 
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One Thousand White Women The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus
The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck
Frontiers by Colleen L. Reese 
The Pioneers by David McCullough  
 
 
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As I said above, I may add more to the list depending on how much I get read in the next 2 weeks.
 
If you have any books that fall into this particular genre and you think I would enjoy it, please leave them down below, I am always looking for new interesting books to read. 

Tuesday, July 01, 2025

Jane Austen July 2025

  
It is officially July, and that means, Jane Austen and more Jane Austen.
 
I have been eagerly awaiting the start of this challenge, have gathered my books, have chosen my movies and have just sat not so patiently waiting for July 1st.
 
I did a post a couple weeks ago talking about this challenge and showed you the books I have chosen to read, so if you're interested and somehow missed that post, you can go back and read it here July Jane Austen Reading.
 
The challenge itself is simple, it's all about this amazing author and her works.  We get to read or in my case reread our favorites, some new ones, watch her movies and learn all about who Jane Austen really was, in celebration of her 250th birthday in December of this year.
 
I saw this challenge mentioned in quite a few of the YouTube channels that I follow, but I first heard it from Katie at Books and Things over on YouTube. 
 
 
Jane Austen Reading Challenge

 
Here are the prompts that I will be following, for the most part, there may be one or two that I don't do, depending on how much I actually get to read because I do have some review books I have to give some attention to as well.  I'm leaving the prompts below just so you have an idea or if by chance any of you want to join in this Jane Austen Reading month.
 
1. Read one of Jane Austen’s six novels
2. Read something by Jane Austen that is not one of her main six novels
3. Read a non-fiction work about Jane Austen or her time
4. Read a retelling of a Jane Austen book OR a work of historical fiction set in Jane Austen’s time
5. Read a book by a contemporary of Jane Austen
6. Watch a direct screen adaptation of a Jane Austen book
7. Watch a modern screen adaptation of a Jane Austen book

 
Here are my picks:
 
1.  Pride and Prejudice
2.  Lady Susan
4.  Longbourn by Jo Baker
5.  Not a contemporary but I will be reading Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
6.  Mansfield Park (1983)
7. Emma (2009)
 
 
If I have time I will be reading other Jane Austen inspired books, which you can see on my post about the July Reading challenge
 
Jane Austen Reading Challenge

Jane Austen Reading Challenge

I thought I would end this post by showing you my newest Jane Austen book, one that I had been wanting for a while.  It has the most beautiful sprayed edges, a stunning cover and a gorgeous end pages.
 
And how about that sweet bookmark that actually matches the book cover? I have had this bookmark for a while and I think it may have just found it's perfect match.
 
Jane Austen Reading Challenge

I wish I could convey to you just how much I love Jane Austen, and books in general.  There is something so cozy about sitting down with a good, beautiful book in hand, and allowing ourselves to float away into another world.  Books take us to places we've never been and in my case, places I would love to visit, such as England.
 
I am very much looking forward to this month of reading, and I'll keep you updated on how it's going.  If any of you are joining in this challenge, let me know in the comments.  Would love to know what you'll be reading or watching. 

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

July Jane Austen Reading

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 Hello friends and welcome back to my blog.
 
Life has been a little hectic, as always, and as much as I want to continue daily posting, I am finding it a bit difficult the past two weeks, but hopeful that I can reign it all back in.  Or at least try to.
 
It is a beautiful Wednesday here in Texas, it's slightly warm but cloudy which I feel always helps cool things down slightly.  I know we have the insane high temperatures coming in a few weeks, so I'll take all the cool I can right now.
 
I am currently sitting at my desk, looking through my two piles of upcoming reading books, and I thought I would come in a record the first one for the month of July, which is the upcoming Jane Austen 250th year celebration.  In August, I will be reading everything on the Prairie, West Expansion, Wagon trails and all of those things I just love reading about.
 
And yes, I will show you that list, as I'm still compiling it.  I already have 4 books in mind, but do have a few coming in from Paperbackswap and Thrift Books, that will be added to the pile.  I'm quite excited about the August reading month.
 
Right, now for Jane Austen, as I've mentioned previously, I will be re watching her movies, and probably reading Pride and Prejudice again, not sure yet, and a couple of other fiction books related to Jane Austen or her book characters.
 
So, let me show you.  Oh and if you have a good suggestion for a book that would fit in this category, please leave it down below in the comments.  Would love to know.
 
 
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The first one on the list is actually a non fiction.  Jane Austen's Table.  My husband found this one for me at a local book store.  I've browsed through and are there are some really yummy looking recipes which I'll be trying as well during the month of July.
 
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The retelling of Jane Austen's novel Persuasion from the point of view of Captain Frederick Wentworth by the author of Mr. Knightley's Diary.

During his shore leave from the Navy, Frederick Wentworth falls in love with the elegant and intelligent Miss Anne Elliot' only to see his hopes of marrying her dashed by her godmother.

Eight years later, Wentworth has realized his ambitions. A wealthy captain, he has pushed his memories of Anne to the furthest recesses of his mind, until he sees her again. And though Anne's bloom has faded, Wentworth is surprised to find that his regard for her wit and warmth has not.

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Monday 9th September"I left London today and met Bingley at Netherfield Park. I had forgotten what good company he is; always ready to be pleased and always cheerful. After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him again. ..."The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings was in the private pages of his diary... Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle not to fall in love.Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view. This graceful imagining and sequel to Pride and Prejudice explains Darcy's moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet. Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy's words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing -- qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennet's heart.  
 

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A lost love returns, rekindling forgotten passions... In Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility , when Marianne Dashwood marries Colonel Brandon, she puts her heartbreak over dashing scoundrel John Willoughby in the past. Three years later, Willoughby's return throws Marianne into a tizzy of painful memories and exquisite feelings of uncertainty. Willoughby is as charming, as roguish, and as much in love with her as ever. And the timing couldn't be worse--with Colonel Brandon away and Willoughby determined to win her back, will Marianne find the strength to save her marriage, or will the temptation of a previous love be too powerful to resist? 

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JANE AUSTEN: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY takes you inside the author's world - the hardships she faced, the loves she lost, and the keen sense of irony that kept her going. In the minds of fans and scholars alike, Jane Austen has never grown old. 

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Saturday, February 04, 2023

{ Blog 365 #35 - Currently reading }


 
This year, I have not had many review books come my way.  It started dwindling about a year and a half ago, as everything seemed to move to Instagram.

As much as I understand the need for companies/publishers to go with the flow, and what is the fad of the moment, I can't help but find it so discouraging, that the blogs who have helped review and get these books out for years, are being set aside.

It's sad.

However, I guess it means I finally get to read through my bookshelves.  I have so many that have yet to be read, but had to be set aside for review books.

Currently, I am reading The Feather on the Water by Lindsay Ashford, on my Kindle.


For three women in postwar Germany, 1945 is a time of hope--lost and found--in this powerful novel by the bestselling author of The Woman on the Orient Express.Just weeks after World War II ends, three women from different corners of the world arrive in Germany to run a displaced-persons camp. They long to help rebuild shattered lives--including their own...
 
For Martha, going to Germany provides an opportunity to escape Brooklyn and a violent marriage. Arriving from England is orphaned Kitty. She hopes working at the camp will bring her closer to her parents, last seen before the war began. For Delphine, Paris has been a city of ghosts after her husband and son died in Dachau. Working at the camp is her chance to find meaning again by helping other victims of Hitler's regime.
 
Charged with the care of more than two thousand camp residents, Martha, Delphine, and Kitty draw on each other's strength to endure and to give hope when all seems lost. Among these strangers and survivors, they might find the love and closure they need to heal their hearts and leave their troubled pasts behind.

Obviously, I can't tell you much about it, since I'm still reading it, but what I've read so far, I am really enjoying.  I'm only 13% into the book, so that should tell you that I've just started reading it.

I do think it is a story that I will very much enjoy.

If any of you have read it, let me know down below.




 

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

{ Hello crisp mornings, and an Autumn Reading List?}

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I am soaking in all the crisp mornings.  The moment I get up, I pull back the curtains, open the blinds and window, and just take a big whiff of the morning air.

When I was little, I would hear people talking about the smell of Autumn, how you open a window or step outside and there's a scent that permeates the air.  I used to think they were crazy.  Really,
I did.  
 
After all, how could a season have a scent?  I mean outside of the usual things we attribute to a specific time of year.

Pumpkins, apple and cinnamon in the Fall
Hot chocolate and peppermint in the Winter
Cut grass and rain soaked earth in the Spring
Coconut, barbecues and margaritas in the Summer
 

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But aside from those, there does seem to be a certain scent on early cool Autumn mornings.....and I absolutely love it.
 
I usually sit at the window with Elliott.  He loves just watching the birds flying by, giving them his chattering once in a while.  He is so cute to watch. 

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I had the day to myself, so I slowly pottered around, watched a few beautiful Autumn inspired vlogs, as well as some book and reading vlogs.  Do you any of you watch those?  

It may sound strange to watch a video of someone reading, but I personally find those so relaxing, and then there's the constant flood of gorgeous books.  I tell you, I could live in a library and be content.  
 
With the way technology keeps advancing and all the ebooks, audiobooks etc., I don't think I will ever quite be into that kind of reading.  I have a Kindle, like one of the older ones and it has thousands of books, no joke, but I don't think I have ever fully read a whole book on that Kindle.  

And not because I don't like the books I have, I love them, I just find the whole ebook so impersonal.

I much prefer the feel of a real book and the smell of the pages.  

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While watching the book vlogs, and seeing their Fall Reading lists, I thought, that I would look into maybe compiling my own.  Then I laughed at myself, because I remembered my list for the year, you know the one I was so excited to get through.

I guess I bit off more than I can chew, which is not super surprising for me.  Hahah

Anyway, I do have a few review books coming in for the next few months, there's quite a few National Geographic books and some cookbooks and food related books or a book, I can't quite remember what was on the list.  But yeah, not so much reading material per say, so I need to throw in some of mine.

However, I was wanting Autumn inspired books, and I'm not sure that I have anything like that on my shelves.  I guess I need to do a quick look through and then maybe seek out some good books to pick up for the Autumn and Winter season.

I also plan on doing a list for shows and movies, for this season as well.  I'm excited about that, and I'll share them here in a post.

Little Women is definitely going on that reading list though.  I've been wanting to re-read it for a while and I think it fits this time of year. 
 
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As I get more into the Autumn spirit, you will no doubt see a change on the way the blog looks, the way my photos look, a lot of Autumn inspired posts and so on.  

You know a few years ago, about the time we moved to Texas, our life was in such a chaotic stage, that I kind of stopped decorating for the seasons, or paying attention to anything.  We kind of just lived day to day, one foot in front of the other, so to speak.

It's just the stage of life I found myself in, and that's ok, but I am happy to be back on track, back to being excited about the different seasons and holidays, about decorating and bringing that feeling into my home.

Now I've never been one to go all out, like some people, but I do like to have a few things here and there that remind us of the time of year we are currently in.

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So in ending, I am curious.  Do you have specific shows or movies you watch during different seasons?  Do you plan book reading lists according to those seasons too?

What is on your list?

I would love to know what you all will be watching or reading too.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

{ Day 4 of Quarantine - Finished one book and started another }

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The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. 
- Exodus 14:14 -

We have been blessed with the most gorgeous weather, the past two days.

90 degrees, blue skies and a taste of summer.

In these uncertain days we're all facing, it is like a sign from God that everything will be ok.  It motivates us to get outside, get fresh air, enjoy the sun and the nature around us.

I have enjoyed the slow mornings, no rush to get out the door, staying in my nightie until 8am before starting my day.  But what I've been enjoying the most of all, has been the extra reading time I've got on my hands.

I've read in bed, I've read on the couch, and I've read outside, in the fresh air.

I've managed to finish my book, The Spanish Princess, and have even started the next on the list.



Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs.

It is pure joy being able to get back into reading, I had actually forgotten just how much I loved opening a book and drowning out the world, traveling to distant lands or back in time.

If I keep on going at this rate, I think I may read through my book pile.  That will be quite a feat.

Crochet is something else that I love but haven't really been into the past year, I don't know why, maybe I lost my mojo?  I hope, really really hope that I get it back.  That's something else I miss doing, picking up my yarn, my hooks and making something beautiful for my house.

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The days are slow, quiet, at times invaded by thoughts or news about the current situation, what is happening overseas, what is happening here at home. 

I try very hard not to let any of it influence my mood because it's far to easy to let that negativity and fear creep right in.  We need to stand firm, stay strong, and above all stay hopeful.

Don't know how long any of this is going to last.  My family in South Africa, today, started a 21 day quarantine/lockdown.

I still find it hard to believe that all over the world, people of all cultures and upbringings are going through the exact same thing, at the exact same time.  If this is not a wake up call to us all, I don't know what is.

Just imagine how wonderful it is going to be to finally see family, to get that hug, to be able to share a meal, go to the store, have get togethers and not have to worry about empty store shelves or tracking down toilet paper.

Did I tell you that we were able to find some toilet paper the other day, and paid 8 dollars for 4 rolls?  8 dollars!!!!  For 4 rolls!!!!   Unbelievable!

Anyway, we will soon look back on this and appreciate it for the huge lesson it is.  No doubt we will all come out of these quarantines with a new appreciation for life.

In the meantime, we will read, bake and I guess sleep?  Hahahah

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

{ Day 3 of Quarantine - Let's catch up on our reading }

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"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27


Day 3 of Quarantine.

How are you all feeling friends?  I know it may sound like a ridiculous question, considering the circumstances, but I hope you are all hanging in there and not letting the anxiety and fear overcome you.

It is a sticky situation to say the least.

We now have 8 cases of the COVID-19 in our city, all of them from people who have continued to fly around the country, going from state to state.  I don't understand why this is still being allowed, but it's not my place to understand I guess.

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But, since we are all stuck indoors, I am getting back into my reading and trying to get through the To Be Read pile, that has been growing for years now.

See I love books and even if I have shelves full, and get sent books to review, I can't help myself from picking a new one up anytime I'm near a book store.

There's something about books that I can't resist.  I'm not even going to talk about smelling the new pages, because when you know, you know.

As I was going through my bookshelf today, I thought that it would be the perfect time to put a few aside and set it as goal to read during the next 2 weeks, or 3 or 4, depending on how long we are hunkered down.

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This is my little corner of the shelf with the books I'm hoping to read.  Now that I look at it I want to laugh because I don't think I'll be able to read them all.  It seems like a lot doesn't it?

We will see.  I'm the type of reader that if I get into a specific book, I struggle putting it down and can sometimes read it all in a few hours.  So, maybe that pile is not as big as I think?

Let's see what is on that shelf:

Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs
With All My Heart - Five Novellas of living love to the fullest by Karen Witemeyer, Jody Hedlund, Melissa Jagears, Sarah Loudin Thomas and Jen Turano
A Sister's Secret by Wanda Brunstetter (Sister's of Holmes County Book 1)
A Sister's Test by Wanda Brunstetter (Sister's of Holmes County Book 2)
A Sister's Hope by Wanda Brunstetter (Sister's of Holmes County Book 3)
Looking for a Miracle by Wanda Brunstetter (Brides of Lancaster County Book 2)
Plain and Fancy by Wanda Brunstetter (Brides of Lancaster County Book 3)
From This Day Forward by Lauraine Snelling
The Favored Queen by Carolly Erickson
The Unfaithful Queen by Carolly Erickson
The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger
The Last Tudor by Phillipa Gregory

Finishing up The Spanish Queen by Carolly Erickson

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I also have a spot on my bookshelf for crafting books and magazines which I haven't yet had a time to go over, so that will also provide some reading material for me.  That first book on the left though, I have been dying to read it since I found it a thrift store, about 2 years ago.

Just haven't had the time, but I'm hoping that I can go ahead and finally sit down with it.  It is called The Women of the Old West.  Just the kind of subject matter that I find fascinating.

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So yes we may be stuck indoors but why not take the time right now to get our reading done.  I don't know about you but for me, recently I was feeling guilty to sit and read, because I felt like I should be doing something else with my time.

Since that is not the case right now, I don't have to feel guilty, and so I'm going to dive right in, and get as much reading as possible done.

Who is with me?

Are you catching up on reading too?  Do you have a list of books you want to read through the quarantine or are you just picking up whatever is on hand?

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

The humdrum of housework, brings me joy

June 25, 2019

I have spent the past two days, fully immersed in housework, rearranging and getting ready for the 4th of July.

When you have been a homemaker for decades, it can become a tedious and often overlooked job.

You do the same things, day in and day out, nothing really changes and so it's easy to fall into a trap of thinking "why even bother?". You sometimes become resentful or lazy and just let things slide by.

I'm not perfect, and a lot of you often tell me how much you admire me or how my love for homemaking inspires you, but here's the thing, I have once upon a time felt exactly like that.  I couldn't be bothered to put in any extra effort.

I did the minimum that I had to do and everything else would just wait.

But the minute I took on the housework head on and began thinking of it as my pride and joy, something shifted  inside me.

June 25, 2019

You're probably sick of hearing me talk about housework and homemaking, I talk about it ad nauseum, so apologies for that.

So I will just say, try to shift your way of thinking and you will soon fall into the same state of contentment I am in, when pottering around my house.

June 25, 2019

I've given the house a good cleaning, top to bottom.  Rearranged some things, moved a shelf here, an antique sewing table there.

Planted a lemon tree in the yard, did some weeding, cleaned, hosed down a patio, cooked yummy food and hung copious amounts of laundry out on the clothesline.

June 25, 2019

While cleaning out my bookshelves, I came across an old book that I purchased at a local book sale, about 2 years ago.

I absolutely adore old books and I've been slowly.....very slowly.....building my collection.

June 25, 2019

Published in 1891.  This is Obras de Manuel Acuna, a book of poetry in Spanish.

June 25, 2019

I also have a few well known books like Hamlet and Macbeth, and one of my favorites, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

June 25, 2019

It's quite amazing paging through these books and imagining just how many people looked through them, read them, treasured them.  How many hands touched these pages, who they were and where they lived.  It's fascinating.

June 25, 2019

June 25, 2019

While I moved around, dusted and vacuumed and cleaned, mister here lay quietly on the couch, his eyes following my every move.  If I left the room, he left the room.  He is literally my little shadow :)

June 25, 2019

The hours tend to go by very quickly when you're busy.  I often find that the days I have nothing to really do, are the ones that drag by the longest, and when I'm fluttering around the house, before I know it, it is dinner time.

There's also a wonderful sense of achievement when you finally sit down and the house is tidy, smells clean and everything looks fresh and sparkly.  It's at this time of the day that I'll sometimes get a chance to sit down with a good book.

My book of choice right now is Susan Mallery's "The Summer of Sunshine and Margot".

June 25, 2019

I had quite a busy day with housework, driving Jasmine to and from work, making some phone calls and paying bills.  On the days like today, where I pick her up right around dinner time, or rather, the time when I would be making dinner, I always rush home and throw something together real quick.

Actually when I meal plan, I make sure to take note of the days that I will be needing quicker or easier meals to get on the table, since I know I won't be back until after Curt is home from work.

So, for tonight's dinner, I quickly whipped up some sausages, mash and gravy with a Greek salad.  It was divine, totally my kind of meal.  I think I'll always be a meat and potatoes kinda gal.

I am not just going to sit on the computer and work on some blog post ideas.  I've been feeling the pull, no doubt from God, to do a Bible Study of the women in the Bible.  I don't know why, but it's just been a nagging thought in my mind and so I must comply.

I'll be looking for some good plans to follow, some free bible studies or books to read and so on.  If you know of any good plans that you think I would enjoy, please let me know down below.

I do want to share the bible study with you and I plan on doing just that, but first I need to get it all on paper and out of my brain, it's at that stage where it's all just an idea and tons of little thoughts are popping up here and there but I haven't quite organized it all, so it's quite overwhelming.  It's very similar to when I have a creative thought about something I want to do or make, it drives me crazy until I finally get it done.

Well my sweet friends, I am off for now.   Have yourselves a wonderful Tuesday night and a great Wednesday too :)