Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Popular/Famous Books I Don't Plan to Read

 

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.  

Wednesday has arrived again. It's time for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge. Can we talk about popular or famous books we don't plan to read for a minute? I am sure my list could be lengthy, but I will stick with the few that easily came to mind.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: I barely tolerated the movie my daughters asked me to watch, never mind slogging through a book about vampires, werewolves, and a love triangle. 

Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James: Never mind its disturbing premise or the Twilight inspiration, the reviews of flat characters that lacked depth mean I wouldn't waste time or money on it. 

Divergent by Veronica Roth: To be fair, this is not a genre I would eagerly choose, but I never liked Tris, so I couldn't get invested in her story. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han: This is another one where the main character turns me off. If the book Belly is half as self-centered as her Prime Video counterpart, I won't turn a single page.

What are some popular/famous books you don't plan to read? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Satisfying Book Series and Tell Me Something Tuesday: What's a Movie or TV Show That You'd Recommend to Everyone?

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! How is your week going? This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about satisfying book series. Some of these will sound familiar to longtime fans of The Book Connection. 

Top Ten Satisfying Book Series

The Revolutionary War Mystery series by Mally Becker is well-researched, intriguing, and filled with adventure. It features a widow who teams up with a British POW who is sent on an espionage mission ordered by George Washington. I've read two of the three books so far. Absolutely amazing!

Proving that historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, my next selection is also from that genre. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder opens with young Laura as a child leaving the only home she has ever known. The series ends as she and Almanzo enter the fourth year of their marriage. Laura, who never wanted to marry a farmer, feels her spirit rising to the challenges of always being a farmer. It is a satisfying ending for the young pioneer. 

The Promise Lodge series by Charlotte Hubbard is Amish fiction told from a feminist perspective. Three sisters leave their former community and found Promise Lodge, which grows into a thriving community by the end of this eight-book series. 

Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber caught my attention thanks to the Hallmark Channel television series. I've read the first three books and a Christmas one. Loved them all. Thankfully, I have a chance to catch up on the rest of the series since the author spun off to a new one set in the same town. Bet they will be equally as wonderful. 

The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins is the first series I read when we moved to our new home. This is one of those series where I eagerly awaited each new release. In many ways, I journeyed through the Book of Revelation and learned alongside the characters. 

The Amish Bishop Mysteries by Vannetta Chapman was so satisfying that I wished it had gone on for much longer than three books. I felt there were more mysteries for Bishop Henry Lapp to solve, and a greater future for him on a personal level. 

The Daughters of the Mayflower series is written by a variety of authors, starting with Kimberly Woodhouse and ending with Kathleen Y'Barbo. Along the way, four other authors contributed to this outstanding twelve-book series. 

I loved everything about Avery Daniels' Resort to Murder Mystery series. The main character is an event planner at a prestigious resort. A dead body turns up every place she is, which would make me a bit uneasy about spending time around Julienne. Such a great series. 

The Tradd Street series by Karen White was with me for so long, I almost cried when it ended. Are seven books really enough of Melanie and Jack? I haven't had the time to indulge in the Royal Street series, which features their daughter, Nola. Part of me fears I won't like it as much. Probably silly because I've loved White's work from the very beginning. 

No post about favorite books or series could be complete without a mention of a book by Marilyn Meredith/F. M. Meredith. While I loved the Tempe Crabtree Mystery series just as much as the Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery series, the latter gave me one of my favorite characters, Gordon Butler. It was wonderful to watch him evolve as a cop and a person. I will miss both of these series terribly. 

Looking forward to reading more about any of the book series you've found satisfying. 

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 a tough one. I don't watch a lot of television and only occasionally go to the movies. I'm not sure there is a show or movie I would recommend to everyone. I thought Schindler's List, Sounds of Freedom, and Argo were amazing movies, but they might be triggering for some. Boy Meets World, Full House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman were excellent family shows. I guess it would depend on what you truly enjoy watching. 

What are some shows or movies you would recommend?

Coming October 7: The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White

 

In this charming World War II historical romance novella inspired by Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood, an author falls in love with a man who doesn’t know he is her editor. 

Iceland. December 1944. Tatiana Eliasdottir is looking forward to welcoming her niece Elea for Christmas. She’s determined to give the little girl a joyful holiday and take her mind off troubles at home. Soon, however, the publishing house where Tatiana works is flooded with orders thanks to the first issue of a seasonal book catalog. With the war causing so many shortages, Icelanders are eager to give their loved ones something that isn’t rationed, and books are the perfect solution to their dilemma.

Anders Johannsson is an editor who shares Tatiana’s love for stories. While he wishes to know her better, he’s never dared pursue more than friendship. They are first and foremost colleagues. But when Tatiana’s attempts to cheer Elea fail, Tatiana recruits him to help, a plea he can’t refuse. He is, after all, not only an editor but a beloved children’s book author and devoted uncle to his adoring nieces and nephews.

As the two creatively bring Icelandic Christmas traditions to life for Elea and frantically work to meet the demands of the publisher’s holiday rush, Tatiana finds herself increasingly drawn to kind, thoughtful Anders. But if a love is to grow between them, she will need to reveal her closely held secret: she is the mysterious author of a popular new novel . . . and Anders is her editor.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FDJM4K83
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tyndale Fiction
• Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 7, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 5.0 MB
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 175 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8400501883

Pre-order here!

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

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.

Happy Monday! Welcome to October!!! Massachusetts hit at least 80 degrees on Sunday. You know why? Because I switched to my fall and winter wardrobe. Every time I switch over my clothes, it gets warm. :) 

Are there any Pampered Chef fans out there? I'm having a Facebook party, Cheryl's Spook-Tacular Halloween Table. Click here to join us. Know what you want to order. Click here.

Here are photos from this week:

HB Real Estate supports local

Travis is watching me from the dining room

Made my first Tourtière (French Canadian meat pie)

Meat pie was a holiday food in my childhood. I also only had meat stuffing on Thanksgiving. I didn't even know bread stuffing existed until I was an adult. Gen X grew up without the Internet. 

In my reading world, I put aside this poetry collection, Singing the Forge by G. H. Mosson. This review is due in November, and I need to read two other books first. 

Finished Eleanor Roosevelt's Nightly Prayer by Donn Mitchell, which is a NetGalley download. Not what I expected, but interesting. 

I cracked open The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright this week. This is an October review book.

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. 

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. 

In addition to Jamie Jo Wright's book, I pre-ordered this contemporary Christmas novella collection. 

Four authors, four Christmas novellas of peace, joy, love (and red pickup trucks)

A Christmas Wedding to Die For by Darlene L. Turner

’Tis the season for deadly secrets.
Photographer Adelaide Fox thought she had the perfect assignment—capturing the winning shot at a high-profile Yukon wedding. But when the bride vanishes and a guest is found dead, holiday cheer turns to mystery. As a blizzard approaches, Adelaide teams up with the bride’s rugged brother, tracker Declan Stone. With danger closing in, suspicious guests, and threatening messages, Adelaide must unravel the truth—and maybe open her heart—to find peace on earth this Christmas.

Season of Forever by Helena Smrcek

Past meets present. Two hearts, WWII secrets, and a Christmas of second chances.
Past and present entwine in a story of love, loss, and second chances. In the shadows of WWII, a fragile romance is tested by sacrifice and distance. Decades later, in St. Jacobs, Ontario, Faith helps at her grandmother’s sweater shop, while next door Joseph acquires a charred WWII Bible marked with a red ribbon. Despite their rocky first encounter, will Faith and Joseph give their budding relationship a chance—and uncover the hidden story within the Bible’s pages?

Falling for You by Melanie Stevenson

A broken engagement, a broken rib, and a broken heart.
Author Laurel Bennett hadn’t planned to spend Christmas this way. Her escape to Banff was meant to avoid her ex-fiancé’s wedding, not land her in recovery at the Banff Springs Hotel. But when she crosses paths with Dr. Ethan Pine—the charming stranger who saved her on the slopes—everything changes. A whirlwind of magical days sparks undeniable chemistry, and they must decide if love can bridge both the distance and the wounds that threaten to keep them apart.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter by Sara Davison

He thought he knew exactly what he wanted.
Jack Miller is determined to make it big in the Big Apple. So why does he keep getting dragged back to the place—and the woman—he’s trying to leave behind? Playing the lead in his tiny Nova Scotian town’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life gives Jack a glimpse into the life that could have been his. Good thing it’s not the one he wants, since it’s clearly too late for him to get it back.

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's news is about a sea glass Christmas tree, the Salvation Army's increased need to provide assistance this holiday season, and an annual dance troupe holiday show. Check it all out here.

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, I shared Halloween picture and board books. You can find them here. 

Nothing new at Laura's Little Houses. My Season 9 rewrite posts are getting lots of attention. Will write the next chapter when I have time. 

Still waiting on two bits of writing-related news. Have an online agent meeting scheduled for next week, and plan to attend a writers conference on October 18. 

That's it in my world. Hope you have a happy day! 

Book Spotlight: Love Across Time by Helena Smrcek

 

A Dual-Timeline Christian Romance Rooted in Faith, Hope, and Lasting Love by Helena Smrcek

A bundle of WWII love letters. A modern-day discovery. Two hearts connected across generations.

When practical real estate investor Nick Mass inherits his grandparents’ home, he stumbles upon a collection of heartfelt letters written during the Second World War. Each page reveals a powerful love story between a young woman waiting at home and the soldier who risked everything for her. Determined to uncover the truth, Nick enlists the help of Joy Christenson, a spirited local historian with a deep love for stories of the past.

As the two work together to trace the legacy hidden in the letters, their journey weaves between past and present—between war-torn love and modern longing. What begins as a historical inquiry soon becomes personal, challenging Nick and Joy to open their hearts to second chances, divine timing, and the possibility that love truly never dies.

ASIN ‏ : B0FKMSR1TC

Publisher ‏ : Independently published

Publication date ‏ : August 5, 2025

Language ‏ : English

Print length ‏ : 184 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎

Purchase here!

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?