It’s been an interesting month of listening to books while traveling, reading banned/controversial books for my online challenges, finishing the Sweater Weather series, peppering in a few Halloween selections, and enjoying some fiction and historical romance. No complaints!
The stars above are based on the Goodreads rating system and, as you can see, there are a few 5 star books. I LOVED October in the Earth, Practice Makes Perfect, Windsong Manor, and Miss Fleming Falls in Love. I hope to write reviews of them eventually, but I’ve been terrible about that these last few weeks. Until then, I highly, highly recommend them all!
Now, on to November. I have two advanced copies that I need to read for the month and then I’m pretty free to read what I want. So, what do I want? Holiday books? Mood reads? Books patiently sitting in my TBR? Yes to all.
I click on Amazon’s Prime Reading and what is featured at the top? Boo Walker’s beautiful 2022 book, A SPANISH SUNRISE. The Kindle version is now available to all Prime members! I adored this story, and it became the catalyst of being able to work with and become friends with its author, who is a pretty cool guy.
You know how I love little teasers from favorite authors, and Katherine Center revealed a big one today! Who is ready for her next book? I am!
Title: The Rom-Commers
Release Date: June 11, 2024
Cover Art:Pending (I’ll post it when it’s released!)
Synopsis: See above! (Hint: It’s connected to The Bodyguard, a personal favorite!)
Preorder Details:
The Blue Willow Bookshop: All preorders will be signed by the author! (I’ve ordered from this shop before and they are AWESOME. So efficient and helpful.)
Also available for preorder (unsigned, in multiple formats) at Amazon, B&N, Audible, and LIBRO.fm (like Audible but supports independent bookstores.) Preorders help with sales stats!
Happy preordering, and sign up for Katherine’s newsletter to stay current with her books, news, and giveaways! All info is here: https://katherinecenter.com/
Over the last seven weeks I have been thoroughly enjoying the Sweater Weather series. Available with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, these CLEAN rom-coms are a true delight! They are set in the fictional town of Harvest Hollow, North Carolina and can be read in any order. The characters all know each other through school, work, family, or the local hockey team called the Appies. They share a love of sports, reading, music, and taking care of others. Each story is unique, with characters of depth, hopes, determination, and very good hearts.
Written by seven different authors, I eagerly awaited each book as it was released each Thursday. And now I’ve read them all and recommend them to anyone who wants to escape to Harvest Hollow for some sweet, witty banter and clean fun.
My favorite was Faking the Fall, and I’ve had the privilege of communicating with its author, Julie Christianson, over the last few weeks. Today she announced that Thursday, October 19th, at 4:30pm Pacific/6:30pm Central, on ZOOM, the authors of the series are getting together for a wrap party. They will be interacting with readers and answering questions. It’s free and all are invited! I’ll be tuning in! Those interested are asked to fill out the Google doc I’m including, which has the Zoom link and asks for your email. You do not have to submit questions to attend.
Faking the Fall, by Julie Christianson (I don’t know why, but this one just topped the rest in my opinion)
Can’t Help Falling, by Courtney Walsh tied withJust Don’t Fall, by Emma St. Clair AND Absolutely Not in Love, by Jenny Proctor (loved all three of these pretty equally)
The Fall Back Plan, by Melanie Jacobson tied with…A Not So Fictional Fall, by Savannah Scott (they’re still good, just not the best ones)
Easy As Pie, by Carina Taylor (this one didn’t do much for me)
Don’t let those faceless covers fool you! These are fun, witty escapist books. Perfect for cozy nights, blankets, a fire, and a hot beverage. Enjoy!
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Barry. He came from a musical family. His parents met while working with Nat King Cole. He had two older sisters. And when he born with a unique birthmark on his left wrist his mother announced that, one day, Barry would be doing something special with that hand.
Fast forward to the major leagues. After years of training, practice, and mental preparation, Barry Zito was pitching for the Oakland A’s, and he had developed one of the most devastating curveballs in baseball history. When he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, his new contract broke records. But with that came new expectations from his team, his fans, and himself. There was no place to go but down.
I won’t bore you with the weird way I discovered this book, but I will reiterate that the right books always find us at the right time. I’d never heard of Barry Zito, I don’t follow baseball, and he retired from the sport years ago. None of those things mattered when I read (and listened) to his memoir, because this is not a book about baseball. It is a book about one man’s personal and spiritual journey, and I found it fascinating.
Yes, it is easy to say that life for Barry Zito has been cushioned by that enormous contract, and it probably has. There’s a lot to be said for financial stability. But, like all of us, this is a man who sought fulfillment, and that is something that can only be found elsewhere.
I recommend Curveball most highly. It’s available on Libby. Read it, listen to it (narrated by Zito himself,) and ponder the messages of growth and humility by this man who had to do a lot of things wrong before figuring out what really matters.
Well, so much for promises! September did not turn out at all like I expected, thanks to a nasty flu that landed me in bed for nearly two weeks. Right after that, my time was dedicated to prepping for a trip to southern Utah and the trip itself. BUT…amidst those things, I did manage to find a few bookish gems.
Best Book of the Month:Curveball, by Barry Zito. A fascinating memoir by World Series Champion pitcher Barry Zito, it explores his unusual family, unorthodox religious upbringing, the pressure of professional sports, and the complete lack of fulfillment that comes from fame and fortune. This book is a winner and I’ll be posting a full review very soon. Possibly today.
Best Audiobooks:The Matrimonial Advertisement, by Mimi Matthews and Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. Audiobooks are their own animal in the literary world because the narrator is crucial to the enjoyment of the story. I’d read both books before and loved them just as much on audio. Hello Stranger, narrated by Patti Murin, kept my husband and I company for our recent road trip. It made time fly!
Best Series:Sweater Weather, by various authors. Stay tuned, because this is a series I’m going to be reviewing in about a week. It is comprised of seven books, each by a different author and released weekly, about the residents of Harvest Hollow, NC. These are clean rom coms with fun, yet sensitive and flawed, characters. The last book will come out this Thursday on Kindle Unlimited. Read them and find your favorite!
Biggest Disappointment:Still Life, by Louise Penny. Oh, the ever-loving hype that this book and its continuing series have received. I decided to try it and was spectacularly underwhelmed by its bland characters and anticlimactic ending. Inspector Gamache is no Hercule Poirot.
October Delights: Let’s end on a positive note, shall we? Here are some books from this last week that I highly recommend. More on them in the near future!
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