What are you reading

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  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I just finished LIFEMARK. It did not disappoint! Probably in my top 5 favorite reads of the year.

    Right now I am just hanging out between books and audiobooks. I may do some YouTube audiobooks for the afternoon.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I put the audio version of LIFEMARK on my Hoopla favorites list.

    I finished NECESSARY RISK. Very good.

    I finished an LI suspense, A ROYAL MARRIAGE by Rachelle McCalla. I'm reading the second book in the series, THE SECRET PRINCESS. I liked the first book, but so far, I am liking the second book better.

    I tried to re-read a fantasy series that I remember really liking, but it had parts in it that I didn't like this time - very teen-agery! I skipped some of the beginning and read further in and it was a little bit better - we'll see.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I started on Susan May Warren's newest series. I listened to book 1 - OUT OF THE NIGHT. Whew they have been in Paris and Italy and so much trouble! The book did not end. I have the other two books lined up, but I'm not sure that I will start the next one until we are on the way home, Friday. That's pretty good uninterrupted reading time.

    I finished a couple of Amanda Flowers Amish cozy mysteries, too. I haven't picked a book to start, but I have a bunch checked out, so I will find something.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    Re-read BEFORE BEAUTY by Brittany Fichter. I'm now reading the second book in the series which I never finished reading the first time I started it. These are the first books in a fairy tale series, I believe has 11 books in it. I've read many of them.

    I'm also reading MOONSCRIPT by H S J Williams. It says I've read it before, but not much of it is familiar. It has a strong Christian message (compared to most Christian fiction).

    I need to get back into the WINTER DECEPTIONS anthology!
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I really enjoyed the Susan May Warren series. They are really one on-going saga, so I wouldn't recommend starting until you know that you can read all three. I listened to one on the way from Mom's to Branson, one on the way home from Branson (finished about 5 miles from home!) and started the last one as soon as I got home. They have a lot of international intrigue, and poor York has to be in a lot of pain with all that has happened to him! All's well that ends well.

    I have also been reading some LI suspense books that were available on KU. Right now I am working through a series by Laura Scott -
    Callaghan Confidential
    SHIELDING HIS CHRISTMAS WITNESS by Laura Scott (LIS) KU 4.5*
    THE ONLY WITNESS by Laura Scott (LIS) KU 4.5*
    CHRISTMAS AMNESIA by Laura Scott (LIS) KU - current
    4. Shattered Lullaby (2018) by Laura Scott (LIS) KU
    5. Primary Suspect (2018) by Laura Scott (LIS) KU
    6. Protecting His Secret Son (2019) by Laura Scott (LIS) KU
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Finished:
    NEVER PURSUE A PRINCE by Regina Scott (1820's England) - not my favorite genre, but was good and held my interest from the beginning.
    RESCUING HARMONY RANCH by Jennie Marts (Hallmark) - These are usually squeaky clean and good. I didn't notice any slang or issues with the book.

    Current:
    A Country Affair
    A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY by Debbie Macomber (secular romance) it has a little slang. It is rare that I pick up one of her books, but I was out of my regular hoopla borrows. These were flex borrows and so I picked up a few before our trip.
    Country Bride by Debbie Macomber (secular romance)
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I went to hoopla to see what new has been added and found this anthology that I totally loved. It was set in 1881 at a Woolworth's. Such fun. I know I didn't live back then, but have such fun memories from shopping in Woolworth's, and with my 40+ years of retail management, it rang a bell for me.

    Five & Dime Christmas anthology (1881 Woolworth’s) - hoopla
    A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by Suzanne Dietze
    A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by Patty Smith Hall
    THE LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS by Christina Lorenzen
    LUNCH WITH MAGGIE by Cynthia Hickey
  • pianolady831
    pianolady831 Posts: 309 Member
    I would love to read that book, Connie! One of my favorite treats growing up was shopping trips to downtown Atlanta with my Mom - which, after shopping at Davison's or Rich's, included stopping by Woolworth's and usually eating at their soda fountain.

    I'm back to where I prefer reading over listening, so I recommended it on Overdrive. It's new this month, so we'll see if they get it.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I have a Regina Scott anthology but haven't gotten to it yet.

    I finished MOONSCRIPT and it was very good. It has a strong Christian theme in it. I started the second book in the series CROWN OF SAND AND SEA. So far it isn't holding my attention, but I haven't given much time to it yet either. I've been super tired when I got to bed, falling asleep some night before 10, so not getting a lot of reading in - or comprehending much because I'm so sleepy! LOL!

    I got RISKY AMBITION (through KU) book three in the Vanishing Ranch series by Christy Barritt. I want to start that tonight.

    I started AMISH CRADLE CONSPIRACY by Dana Lynn, wow, this one starts out with a bang! So far very good. It's the 13th book in this series so I think some of the characters were in previous books, but it's not awkward. I have the first book in this series, PLAIN TARGET, that I got from Hoopla, but I need to start it! LOL! I also

    I started SHADOWS OF SWANFORD ABBEY by Julie Klassen. I have this through Hoopla and usually I forget about my Hoopla books because I have to open that app and just don't think about it. I also have to read the ones that don't come in audio, so I do that after it's lights out for Wade and then I don't have much time before I'm ready to fall off.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Kim - I just can't enjoy using the hoopla ebooks. I listen so much more than I actually read. I like it where I can read for a while and then listen while I do other things. I think I have just read 2 from hoopla. There are three books that they have that I really want to read and no other library application has, but I just can't make myself check them out when there are so many good audiobooks from them.

    Currently I am listening to an anthology by Grace Greene. I didn't think that I had read anything by her when I checked out the book, but I had previously read all of the books in the anthology (plus a few more in that series). I am enjoying the "re-read" anyway, it has been a long time since the first read.
    Emerald Isle, NC series:
    BEACH RENTAL by Grace Greene (romance) - kind of a marriage of convenience with some sad parts, but very good.
    BEACH WINDS by Grace Greene (romance)
    BEACH WEDDING by Grace Greene (romance)

    I really am not reading anything on my kindle right now.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    Wade used to live in Emerald Isle. It's about 45 minutes away from where we live now! I'll have to check that out!

    I finished a fantasy THE COLLAR AND THE CAVARRACH, about a teen boy who is a slave and he is trying to save his five year old sister from slavery. A Cavarrach is a weapon used in a marital arts sport that is a big part of the story.

    Started RISKY AMBITION by Christy Barritt, so far it is very good.

    I decided not to read the one Hoopla book by Julie Klassen. The library has it and when I get a book from the library it goes into my Kindle library so I see it right there. I'll just wait for it to come available.

    I did start PLAIN TARGET by Dana Lynn. My library doesn't have any of her books so I need to go to Hoopla for this one. It's good so far. I'm still trying to figure out the characters. Two of them are deaf - and I've been watching Sue Thomas - FBeye, so it is resonating with me!
  • pianolady831
    pianolady831 Posts: 309 Member
    I'll read a few newly-released books, but at this point in my life, I'm more interested in picking up books that have been favorites over the years and reading them again. Also other books by authors I've greatly enjoyed - a blend of Christian fiction, murder mysteries, and general fiction.

    Just finished THE ISLAND OF HEAVENLY DAZE, the first book in a really good series by Lori Copeland and Angela Hunt. The setting is a small island off the coast of Maine, with seven angels living among the inhabitants. It's a beautiful blend of quirkiness, relationship drama, and laugh-out-loud moments.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Oh Carole, I loved that series, but I read it a long time ago. Re-reading it would be fun.

    Currently I am still on the Love Inspired Suspense series (Callaghan Confidential) by Laura Scott. I think I am on book 4 right now.

    I finished Rachel Hauck's newest book today. It is one where she is mentoring a new author. YOU'LL BE MINE by Rachel Hauck & Mandy Boerma (romance). It was very good.

    Kim - I have the Christy Barritt book checked out on KU but haven't started it yet. Maybe sometime this week.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I just finished a series that I was glad that I checked all three out at the same time on KU. The books left you hanging in very precarious situations. It was international intrigue/art theft. Boy, did she get in a lot of trouble, but I really enjoyed the series. Some very Christian content but in the first book, one of the Christian characters used light slang (h*ck) several times. He was killed early in the book and I didn't notice more slang in the rest of that book or the others.
    Jorja Rose: Valley of Death - ongoing saga
    VENGEANCE IS MINE by Urcelia Teixeira (suspense) some slang early in book
    SHADOW OF FEAR by Urcelia Teixeira (suspense)
    WAGES OF SIN by Urcelia Teixeira (suspense)

    Current:
    THE CHRISTMAS QUILT by Melody Carlson (Christmas) - This is about 4 ladies coming together to make a quilt for a neighbor woman for Christmas (and about the woman's family, especially the 4 year old daughter).
    ELOISE AND THE GRUMP NEXT DOOR by Emma St. Clair & Jenny Proctor (Rom Com) KU - I kind of needed something light after the series above! This is pretty good.

  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Oh my. I just finished a good, but different book. It was time travel Amish. I didn't even read the blurb so I had no idea. YESTERDAYS GONE by Cindy and Erin Woodsmall.

    I am currently reading REBEL'S TRUST by Sara Blackard. This is book 4 in the series, but I didn't get to read #3 because the library doesn't have it...strange since they have 1,2&4. It takes place in Alaska.
  • pianolady831
    pianolady831 Posts: 309 Member
    Time-travel Amish ... now that's a different genre, Connie! Would you have read it had you seen the description first? And is THE CHRISTMAS QUILT and older Carlson book, or her new one for this year?

    I am enjoying Sarah Sundin's very first book, A DISTANT MELODY. I like her type of WWII fiction and had never read that series.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I probably would have read the time-travel Amish book because of the author and it being available on hoopla audio, but maybe not as quickly.

    The CHRISTMAS QUILT is her newest Christmas book. It came out this month.

    I always enjoy Sarah Sundin books.

    I just finished ESCAPE FROM AMSTERDAM by Lauralee Bliss (Heroines of WW2). I am enjoying this series. They are all by different authors and are unrelated.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    There were a bunch of Leeanne Morgan books that came up on libby last week and I couldn't see anywhere except libby that she was listed under Christian (or Inspirational). I took a chance and checked one out and really enjoyed it. After I did a bit more searching on some of her older books they were listed as Inspirational. This was clean, had a pastor as a character in the book and I really enjoyed it. I decided to check out another one and realized I already had it. I have read one other of her books and liked it (according to rating) and had 15 of them already in my kindle account. Wow, I am a mess. I did check out the rest of the series that I was looking at and updated my files with the books that I have and what is available through my library.

    Current:
    THE ORCHARD by Beverly Lewis (Amish 1970s) - Amish man gets drafted during Vietnam era, and refuses to go concientious objector. He is supposed to start running the family orchard. I'm no too far into it, so we will see what happens. This is new book that released this week.
    THE LAKESIDE INN by Leeanna Morgan (romance) - There are 3 or 4 series set in the same town. I just started it and found a man and his son that were main characters in the later series that I just read book #1. It makes me wonder if I should have gone back to a further series, but I don't think it will matter.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I've finished several books:
    Kingdom Discovered by Deborah Grace White, this is the second book in this YA fantasy.
    The Elf Kings Sacrifice by Elisa Rae, the third book in this series.

    Risky Ambition by Christy Barritt, very good suspense.
    Entwined by Jody Hedlund, the second book in this series, very good too.

    I'm about 3/4 of the way through Amish Cradle Conspiracy by Dana Lynn, it's like 13th in the series, but sounded good. I can tell I missed some of the stories, but they don't play an integral part in the overall story, just familiar people.

  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Currently I am listening to SUGAR BIRDS by Cheryl Bostrum (Carol Award Winner). When I started this I was very sceptical. It is basically about a young girl that runs off because she thinks she killed her parents in a house fire. She is a climber and has out witted the search parties by climbing the trees. It is also about her teenaged autistic brother and a girl he befriends. It is pretty good and has won lots of awards.

    I am working my way through:
    Return to Sapphire Bay series
    THE LAKESIDE INN by Leeanna Morgan (romance)
    SUMMER AT LAKESIDE by Leeanna Morgan (romance)
    A LAKESIDE THANKSGIVING by Leeanna Morgan (romance) just getting ready to start. This series is about sisters that inherit their grandmothers house and decide to make it into a B&B. They are romance, but deal more with the sisters, the family history and the town.
    4. Christmas At Lakeside by Leeanna Morgan (romance) libby 10/4

  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I finished AMISH CRADLE CONSPIRACY by Dana Lynn. This part of quite a big series and there were times that characters or incidents were mentioned as though I should know about them, but it didn't detract from the story itself. Pregnant Amish women are being kidnapped for their babies. One woman and her little girl are kidnapped, they rescue the mom but the little girl is taken - they need to find her before she is lost forever. Lots of action and some romance.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I hate it when a very Christian book has language! Anyway, I wanted to read as many of the Carol award winners as I could and found some on hoopla. These weren't slang, but weren't often and were in appropriate places. I just tried to turn my ears off and kept going. They were pretty much good vs evil, with evil spirits involved. I did like the books, just not the language. I will read the next one when it is released.
    Shepherds series
    DARK INTERCEPT by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson (suspense Carol Award Winner) - but some language!
    DARK ANGEL by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson (spec suspense) -But language

    Currently I am listening to STILL MY FOREVER by Kim Vogel Sawyer. This is historical Mennonite. Very good.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Finished:
    STILL MY FOREVER by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Historical Mennonite)
    Return to Sapphire Bay
    THE LAKESIDE INN by Leeanna Morgan (romance)
    SUMMER AT LAKESIDE by Leeanna Morgan (romance)
    A LAKESIDE THANKSGIVING by Leeanna Morgan (romance)
    CHRISTMAS AT LAKESIDE by Leeanna Morgan (romance) - that completes this series, but there is a Christmas one to follow in the same location. I have some of the books and the rest on hold from libby. These are good, moral and clean, and considered Christian fiction.

    Current:
    AN UNEXPECTED AMISH CHRISTMAS by Rachel J Good. About an Amish man crippled in an accident and an Amish girl that is left to care for her 3 sisters after her parents are killed in an accident. It is a bit different, but good. I needed something fairly light.
    COME DOWN SOMEWHERE by Jennifer Wright (WW2/1950s split time) - not really getting into this one very well. Could be that yesterday I was exhausted and today I have a terrible headache. Maybe later it will grab me. It is about the nuclear testing in New Mexico.

  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I finished the Amish Time Travel on that you mentioned, Connie. Wow! I enjoyed it.

    I am working on a series, Prophet, Judge, King (I believe is the last one). I am on Judge. The Prophet is a young woman, I think she is supposed to represent Elijah or Elisha. The Judge, at least at the beginning represents Jonah (and yeah, he even gets swallowed by a giant sea creature and it ain't pretty when he gets spewed up on the sand!). The story goes on beyond that and he is heading to where the Prophet's hometown is under siege by what I think is supposed to represent Babylon. I've enjoyed trying to figure out where in the Bible they are trying to correlate it to.

    I've been looking for a free punctuation checker and while I am on here, I am seeing that this site does grammar and punctuation. I could probably just copy and paste what I want punctuation fixed on in here and let it show me where I need to put it, then copy and paste it back into my Open Office - unfortunately it will be several pages long. I downloaded a couple of things that make it possible for me to take a video and put it into text, but the program doesn't do any punctuation other than apostrophes and it capitalizes obvious things, but not the beginning of sentences. Because it would be dozens of pages long, I don't want to have to try and figure all of that out! So far I haven't found a free site or app that would do that. We'll see what we can come up with. If you know of anything that could help me I sure would appreciate a heads-up!
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Kim - Grammarly has a free version that is pretty good. I used it for a while when doing Bill's lessons every week. It is free and it works with Google Drive documents, I know. I don't know if it works with open office or not. I know it downloads and is supposed to work with Word. I use Open Office if I really need Word, but I use google documents for everything because it works on all of my computers, phones, tablets, etc.
    https://www.grammarly.com/?q=brand&matchtype=e&placement=&network=s&msclkid=e037de57abd5102377b2bd633e632717&gclsrc=ds
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    edited September 2022
    Whew - I finished:
    COME DOWN SOMEWHERE by Jennifer Wright (WW2/1950s split time) Very good, but hard book and subject dealing with Nuclear testing and the residual effects. I couldn't do it all at one time and listened to other books in the middle of it. There was no "happy" in it anywhere. It was well written, but can't even rate it. I hated it and loved it at the same time. I'm glad I read it (I guess), but it would be a hard book to recommend to someone.

    Also finished:
    DANGEROUS BEAUTY by Melissa Koslin (suspense) - really good, but about sex trafficking, so not easy.
    EXPLOSIVE REVENGE by Maggie K Black (LIS) - Good! I always enjoy Love Inspired Suspense K9 books.
    O Little Town (anthology) libby
    HOPES AND FEARS by Amanda Wen (historical 1920s)
    WHILE MORTALS SLEEP by Janyre Tromp (WW2)
    THE WONDROUS GIFT by Deborah Raney (contemporary) I loved this anthology and how the books were all centered around the same place.

    I don't have anything going right now, so I think I will just start on my October list and post September's reading.


  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    I looked to see if Grammarly would work with Open Office, and it will, but you have to upload your document rather than use an add-on or app. The site that I have downloaded to take it from video to text mentions using a note pad, but when I tried that I couldn't get it to work. It would put down one line and then give me a hyphen and the rest would show up about 8 words at a time and disappear, over and over again. My Open Office will download the text but it doesn't have any punctuation other than apostrophes and capitalizes proper nouns only. I just don't know about uploading it, it would be at least 90 minutes of video to text which would be a very large upload. I plugged a paragraph into here, but it didn't give me any kind of corrections. Ugh! Okay all of you computer nerds out there - we need a simple app, like spell checker, that will punctuation-check documents!

    I don't think I would like that, I like a book to have at least moments of happy relief!

    Still working on JUDGE. I am only reading about 1 to 1.5 hours at night.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    Kim - could you just play the video and use it like dictation? I know you can do a voice to typing on Google documents, and you can do grammarly to work through the punctuation.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,820 Member
    We are only going to use parts of what is brought to text so it will be easy then to edit it and add the punctuation then. I looked at the Google Docs and it looked pretty easy. It's one that my pastor mentioned as a possibility but gave me the other one to try first. So far it is working well with my Open Office.

    Well, we are past Ian. We got a lot of rain and the yards around us were flooded more than they had been in the two years we've lived here. We had flooding in low spots in our yard, but nothing that could be called flooding, just big puddles! LOL! The sump pump is still working today, so water is getting into the crawl space beneath the house. Praise the Lord, we came through this pretty much unscathed!

  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,984 Member
    I have heard nothing but good things about a book, but for some reason I was a bit worried about the content being controversial (ie: The Shack). I went ahead and put it on hold in July and it finally came up this week. It is not controversial at all, but does deal with an elderly patient in hospice. It is very good. THE EXTRAORDINARY DEATHS OF MRS. KIP by Sarah Brunsvold.