Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Would or Wouldn't Reread and Why

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Happy Wednesday! Welcome to October, the first of the "ber" months. My fall decorations still aren't up. Gasp! But let's forget about all the undone things on our to-do lists and talk about books. 

This week, we are talking about books we would or wouldn't reread and the reasons for those decisions. I'm opting to broaden this prompt to discuss types of books I would or wouldn't read again and why. 

Top Three Books I Wouldn't Reread

Plot-driven novels

What can I say? I am a character-driven reader. Plot-driven fiction will never capture me as fully. Now, a book that is plot-driven with a deep character point of view could work. 

Vampires, fairies, or monsters

With rare exception, books filled with vampires, fairies, or murderous monsters won't make their way into my TBR pile. I've read the occasional great vampire story, but barely tolerate the mention of fairies in novels. I want my monsters as harmless as those found in Scooby Doo! Where Are You? 

Books whose synopses don't match the story/narrative

Don't trick me into thinking I am buying one thing and then give me something totally different. I won't even give those away. They get recycled. 

Top Three Books I Would Reread

A compelling romance with a strong ending

I recall reading one fabulous romantic suspense novel with characters I loved, whose last chapter I read three times. I still remember parts of it. Would read it again if I had the time. 

A book series that builds a community of characters I enjoy getting to know

What draws me to series reading is that they can be set in or around the same location, building a community of characters I enjoy getting to know. I find that when I read a series again, I discover something I didn't catch the first time. 

Nonfiction that gets you thinking

Whether the topic is professional development, historical or current events, theology, or something else, when a nonfiction title gets me thinking or sticks with me a while, I often want to return to it. 

How about you? What are some books you would or wouldn't reread?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes & Tell Me Something Tuesday: If You Could Live in A Different Country for A Year, Which Country Would You Choose?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! It is the last day of September. Hope you're having a great week so far. Today, we are talking about book covers that give off fall vibes. Few of these covers will likely give fall vibes as we traditionally think of them, but I hope that as I share why they made my list, it all makes sense. 

Top Ten Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes 

The Nantucket Restaurant by Pamela Kelley makes you think more about beach weather than fall, and it seems like the colors are supposed to be of a sunny summer day. However, when I glanced at this cover, I felt like this image captures the end of the season when people must head back to fall schedules. 

Mail Order Bride: The Journey by Leah Wyett made the list because its golden colors remind me of the two sisters leaving their old lives behind for a new life out west, just like perennials die off in the cooler weather and grow again in the spring. 

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is probably the closest thing to a fall cover that I added to the list because of the colors on it. I still have this book here and want to read it. 

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith is set in October, and the cover is made up of many fall colors.

Doesn't a spooky cover make you think of fall? Whispers by J. Herman Kleiger definitely gives that vibe. 

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin is set during the summer, but its colors scream fall to me. 

How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is another spooky cover that makes you think of fall and all the haunted happenings that you might come across.  

Look at these awesome fall colors on the cover of Bandit Heaven by Tom Clavin. 

What says Halloween and fall better than ghosts? That's why I added The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait by Cleo Coyle to the list. 

   

Anything by Jaime Jo Wright is bound to give off fall vibes, like her latest, The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall. Gothic fiction at its finest right here. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post if you are participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

Isn't this week's topic a neat one? I'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to international travel. I've only been to Bermuda and Canada, and Canada is so close by that it's not exactly in the same league as getting on a plane and flying over the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. I'm very happy living in the United States, and have never considered living elsewhere. 

If I were taking an extended vacation, my top three choices would be Italy, France, and Greece. We were planning a trip to Greece at the beginning of 2020. The pandemic had other plans. 

How about you? Where would you like to live for a year? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Sep 29

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome to the last Monday in September. That sure went by quickly. Hope you had a great weekend. I took a partial day off on Saturday and spent some time in the kitchen before heading out to The Big E with the family. Earlier in the week, HB Real Estate celebrated its fourth annual Mums and Martinis. We visited a local nursery to grab fall plants and decor before heading out to lunch at one of our local restaurants. Such a fun time. Here are some photos:

Part of my Mums and Martinis haul

Pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips and blueberry muffins in a brownie pan

Hubby and I standing in front of the Midway

Travis, Dwight, and Theo are adorned with The Big E Parade bling

Want to know what I read this week? Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zero. Just didn't have the time or the energy. I feel productive coming into this week, however, because my meal plans for the entire month of October are done. 

If you missed it, I posted my First Chapter Review of Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin on Tuesday. You can read it here.

I started this poetry collection two weeks ago for a November review, Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson. 

Want to continue Eleanor Roosevelt's Nightly Prayer by Donn Mitchell, which is a NetGalley download.

The Man Next Door, another romantic comedy by Sheila Roberts, is next.

I want to read Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas during the holiday season. 

Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein and The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons are middle-grade NetGalley downloads I need to read. 

I am awaiting the arrival of The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright for an October review. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

I grabbed these books on Booktrovert.

Upcoming Events

• The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - Oct 29 (Review)
• One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh - Oct 30 (Spotlight)
• The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts - Oct 31 (Review)
• Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson - Nov 25 (Review)

The latest Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. This week, we are talking about the expansion into the Midwest of Spirit Christmas, new Christmas ornaments at Magic Kingdom, and the "Great American Christmas" holiday movie lineup. You can read my post here.

Nothing new at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. My quarterly goals update should be coming soon. 

Wrote a post at Laura's Little Houses about my Top Five Favorite Episodes from Little House on the Prairie - Season 2. You can find it here.

Waiting to hear back on writing-related news, so nothing fun to share yet. Hope you enjoy your week. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: How I Handle Bad Days

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Hello to Wednesday! Only two appointments today, so hopefully I will get the pumpkins and fall flowers I bought from Flower Power Farm set up on the porch and in the flowerboxes for the season. I am so far behind in everything. 

Today, we are talking about how we handle bad days. In my world, it all depends on what is making it bad. If I am upset by something a family member has done, I will likely clean the house or dig in the garden. If it has something to do with work, I have to walk it off or spend some mindless time scrolling through social media for happy, positive thoughts. If it is related to a recent loss, I just isolate myself. I can't focus on reading when I am having a bad day, but the Bible always brings a sense of comfort, and I find I pick it up more often when I am upset. 

How about you? How do you handle bad days? 

First Chapter Review & Giveaway: Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin

 

Winter Austin is on tour with Partners in Crime Tours to promote his thriller, Ride a Dark Trail.  

BLURB: 

Will her life philosophy, “Do right, fear no man,” get her killed?

A string of bad luck has left former Army helicopter pilot Dot Ybarra with a serious case of wrecked nerves and a need for peace and solace at her family’s Idaho ranch. Instead, she encounters a desperate mother who stumbles onto their land, begging Dot to rescue her kidnapped daughter.

There’s a bounty on the kidnapper’s head, and fugitive recovery agent T.J. Roman is not about to let that paycheck slip through his fingers. Together, he and Dot rescue the child.

But their actions set off an explosion of secrets in Euskadi. The sheriff is slinking around with a new shady sidekick, Dot’s friends are stabbed, and armed mercenaries attack her ranch, forcing her to use her hunting and archery skills to defend her family. Cornered by the unknown enemy’s three-pronged attack, Dot and her charges retreat deep into the Payette National Forest. Isolated in the mountainous forest, separated from T.J. and any help, Dot must make a hard choice: fight or walk away?

Will her first recovery job be her last?

COVER: Set in a mountainous forest in Idaho, this cover captures the setting and the ominous plot perfectly, with the glimmer of sun providing a feeling of hope in the darkness. The bold yellow font catches the eye. 

FIRST CHAPTER: Dot is joined by the ghost that has accompanied her for the last two months. At odds with her mother, she can't seem to pull herself away from the ranch. When the barking dogs shoot past her, Dot is alarmed by an approaching stranger. 

KEEP READING: This short chapter is filled with just the right amount of backstory to fill you in on where Dot is in her life without bogging you down and interrupting the present-day happenings. The author sprinkles in setting details, so you can picture where Dot is, and the characters introduced in the first chapter are definitely intriguing. Considering the cliffhanger, one will eagerly continue along to see what happens. Nicely done!

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tule Publishing Group
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 18, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1967678286
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1967678280

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Apple | Goodreads | BookBub | Tule Publishing

I received a digital copy from the author. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Tour Participants:

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JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Winter Austin. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Ride a Dark Trail by Winter Austin (eBooks)

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Fall 2025 To-Read List and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which Fictional Character Do You Wish Were A Real Person?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

Welcome back to Tuesday! Hope you're having a great week. Today, we are sharing the top ten books on our Fall 2025 to-read lists. Pretty sure many of the ones you see on Mondays are on it, since they are books for reviews. I will sneak in three that I hope to read as well. 

Top Ten Books on My Fall 2025 To-Read List

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post if you are participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

This week's topic is: Which fictional character do you wish were a real person? 

Such a neat topic to discuss. In children's literature, it has to be Anne Shirley. Imaginative, impulsive, talkative Anne Shirley eventually won over even her harshest critics. Her imagination saved her from a life of being shuffled around like an unwanted coat no one wants but refuses to give away. She found solace in the worlds she created until her life was forever changed by Miss Spencer's lucky mistake that brought her to Green Gables. 

In adult literature, I would have to say one of the Bender sisters from Charlotte Hubbard's Promise Lodge series. They had the faith, courage, and strength to pick up their lives and create a new community that flourished through their example. 

How about you? Who is a fictional character you wish were a real person?