What are you reading

connierandel

I am a fan of Harvey Girls, the Grand Canyon and Kimberley Woodhouse...so all three in one series was a real boon for me. I really enjoyed the books.

At this point, i am reading what is coming up from the library and if it fits into a reading challenge, good. If not, I am going to enjoy it anyway.

current:
DARK OF NIGHT by Colleen Coble (suspense) audiobook- I'm not too far into it, but it is very good.
ACCIDENTAL DAD by Lois Richer (LI) - light, typical Love Inspired. One category in the big challenge is to read a Love Inspired book, and this fit, but it was one that had been on hold from the library for a long time, so I needed to get it read and hunted to find something that it would fit.

finished:
WILDERNESS DEFENDER by Maggie Black (LIS) - Alaska / cool climate
THE ONE TRUE LOVE OF ALICE-ANN by Eva Marie Everson (WW2) - friends to more. This was only the second book that I have read by her, but it was very good.

Restfinder

I finished a sci-fi - LOST BITS by Kerry Nietz. Most of the story takes place among the robots. One robot K-404, known lovingly by his bot friends as Four, is trying to find his human family, but realizes that quite a bit of time has passed and they may not be alive anymore. The world is totally different from before he ended up in the junkyard. He eventually does find one of his humans though, and they are fighting for their lives and he has to find a way to save her!

I also finished THE ELEMENT OF LOVE by Mary Connealy. I don't always like the madness some of her stories have in them, but this one was very good. Three brilliant sisters escape from their wicked stepfather and need to find husbands to wrest control of their lumber empire from him.

connierandel

Current:
DARK OF NIGHT by Colleen Coble (suspense) audiobook - Very good, still working on it, mainly at bedtime. I guess I need to move it up to daytime since I have several audiobooks in the TBR list.
THE COWBOY'S MIRACLE by Penelope Marzec (romance) KU - This is my New Jersey read. I always have a hard time finding one set there. This is a fairly short Christmas novella. It is pretty good, though.

Finished:
ACCIDENTAL DAD by Lois Richer (LI) - typical, but good.
HOPE TAKES THE REINS by Jenny McLeod Carlisle (romance) KU- Debut author / Arkansas - This was good enough that I will probably continue the series at a later date.
BECAUSE OF YOU by Juliette Duncan (romance) KU - different country - Always enjoy her books.

connierandel

Oh my! There have been a lot of people recommending a book THE UNLIKELY YARN OF THE DRAGON LADY by Sharon Mondragon. I recommended it to the library and it came up about a week ago, but I just now am getting to it. It is about a church prayer shawl ministry - and yes, there is a "dragon lady" in charge, but the pastor is forcing them to quit knitting the the church. It is funny and has some deep issues as well. Kim - no real dragons

Restfinder

That's cute, Connie! Sigh! We call ladies who smoke "dragon ladies".

I am working on a fantasy (no surprise there) called THE WISHTRESS. It's interesting. Her tears can bring people wishes. No one taught her how to use her gift and she made a wish that ended up killing two little boys and their mother curses the Wishtress who now needs to stone off her heart so she sheds no more tears, for the first tear she sheds she'll die!

I'm also reading INVENTIONS OF THE HEART by Mary Connealy, the second book in her Lumber Baron series. So far the series has been very good.

connierandel

So far THE UNLIKELY YARN OF THE DRAGON LADY by Sharon Mondragon is the best book I have read in 2023. That doesn't sound like much, but I have read a lot of books this month.

I am getting down to the harder books on the long challenge I am working on. Right now I am reading THE PROMISE by Anne Perreault - over 450 pages. This is book 3 in the Protect and Serve series. I really like her books. They are all available in KU and aren't just normal romances, they also have some really hard issues in them. The 2nd book was an absolute cliff-hanger. WHOA! I'm glad I had this one already lined up and ready too go. I checked out the 2nd book for my state challenge (takes place in Boston) and saw that it was fairly long, so I checked book 3 and it was long enough for this challenge.

cmsienk

Thanks for the recommendations, Connie. So far I've put THE UNLIKELY YARN OF THE DRAGON LADY on my watch list - to see if it goes any cheaper. Now I'm headed to Amazon to check out the Anne Perreault series.

connierandel

I am reading NANNY WITNESS by Hope White (LIS). I will start a new audiobook by Amy Clipston this evening. This is part of her new non-Amish series. I liked book one, so am looking forward to it.

I am getting toward the end of the long challenge. I have to do a book with a flower on front (have 2 good authors to choose from), out of my comfort zone (using a Morgan L Busse YA Fantasy because the YA will work on another challenge), a book that takes place over 200 years ago (using an Abigail Wilson Regency) and one that I thought would be easy, but haven't found one - involves a wedding. I have read some that would work, but used for "harder" challenges.

Restfinder

I'm enjoying the Mary Connealy series although book two got a wee bit more steamy than I am comfortable with (not described but implied too much). I'll skip to the end of it and then go on to book three. Lots of suspense and romance in this series.

I didn't get back to Wishtress last night, but will continue it tonight.

connierandel

I am a little more than half way through the Abagail Wilson book. I finally got involved in the plot. It was hard to get into.

I am also reading THE SHADOW ON THE QUILT by Stephanie Grace Whitson. This is for the state challenge (Kansas).

I finished GARDENIAS FOR BREAKFAST by Robin Jones Gunn. This was good. A mother and daughter from Hawaii traveling through the US and visiting family from Washington to Atlanta. It fit my flower on cover challenge and a couple in the short challenges (starting with G in one and women's fiction in another).

connierandel

I finally finished the Abagail Wilson book. Regency is just hard for me to get into.

Current:
SECRETS IN THE MIST by Morgan L Busse (YA Fantasy) hoopla YA and out of comfort zone.. Yes, it is really out of my comfort zone, but it is very good and is really holding my interest. This is the last book of the 55 book challenge.
EDEN HILL by Bill Higgs (1960s) - This ticks off a couple of months on the shorter challenges. I decided to just go ahead and tick them off as I get to them instead of doing them one per month.

Now, I need to start getting busy on my states. I have several filled in and several books lined up to fill states, but a few that I still need to research and find.

connierandel

Aarg! SECRETS IN THE MIST by Morgan L Busse didn't end! I checked out the next one and am hoping it is the end of the series and there isn't another one coming. I think it would show on fantastic fiction if there was one coming. Who would have thought that I would have gotten so involved that I checked out another "steam punk" fantasy!

I am actually reading 2 books and listening to one. I wanted to.end the evening yesterday with something a bit lighter than my current reads.

Current:
SLEIGH RIDE TOGETHER WITH YOU by JoAnn Durgin (Christmas) KU - Iowa
EDEN HILL by Bill Higgs (1960s)
HONEYMOONS CAN BE HAZARDOUS by Amanda Flower (cozy)

I will finish the Christmas novella this morning and get back to EDEN HILL sometime today. It is pretty good, just longish. I will also get into the next Morgan Busse novel today...just needed light to go between the books.

connierandel

I really enjoyed EDEN HILL by Bill Higgs. Come to find our he is Liz Curtis Higgs' husband.

Current
THROUGH THE DEEP WATERS by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Kansas
ALASKAN MOUNTAIN SEARCH by Sarah Varland (LIS) hoopla

I am trying to get some previously checked out library books finished, then I will go back to Morgan Busse.

connierandel

Aarg!! I started on my Rhode Island read (that I found through christianbook) and it had several instances of bad language in the first couple pages. Luckily I had gotten it through the library. I did find a Christian historical mystery on KU that will work, but went on to my Utah book through the library. I will probably still read it, but it was actually in today's Nevada, not Utah. I found a book in my kindle that is "clean fiction" from Utah. Her books are usually pretty good, but one had language so I pretty much quit her books. I am currently reading it and see if I can handle it......

Restfinder

Ugh, I hate when that happens, Connie.

I'm re-reading a Little Mermaid re-tell by Melanie Cellier. Very good. I think it's the one that I've had on my mind.

I finished the Mary Coneally book 2 INVENTIONS OF THE HEART. This one had a marriage night scene, not explicit but a wee bit more inferences than I like. There was nothing beyond that that was uncomfortable. The story has quite a bit of suspense since the girls are all trying to keep away from the evil men their stepfather had sold them to. The two oldest get married thinking this will keep them safe, but these wicked men really don't care about that. On to book three: A MODEL OF DEVOTION - this is the youngest girl's story. She is determined not to marry because of something that happened with her stepfather, and the guy they want her to marry is a really great guy who loves the Lord, but he doesn't want to marry someone he doesn't really know or love. How are they going to pull this off and keep everyone safe at the same time???

connierandel

I really enjoyed that Mary Coneally series.

Well, the Rhode Island book (MURDER AT MARBLE HOUSE by Alyssa Maxwell) was a good historical mystery, but it had one paragraph about half way through the book (bad guys talking) that had some inappropriate language. I didn't notice other instances. I got very wary, but it was fine from there.

I read the Cami Checketts book for Utah and it had a bit too much steam and some slang. It wasn't terrible, but I probably will continue to stay away from her books.

Right now, I am just reading a book for fun. BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE by Janice Thompson. It is a cozy mystery about a show dog (Shelty) that was switched with an unhealthy look alike. It's part of a new series.

Restfinder

Still working on my Little Mermaid re-read. I also started a novella by Rhonda Eileen Henry, THE BEEKEEPERS DAUGHTER. She has a bunch of free novellas. So far it is pretty good.

connierandel

I was looking for a book for Mississippi today and accidentally bought one instead of adding it to my list. I decided to go ahead and keep it since more than one person recommended it, and it looked really good. That is the 2nd book i.have bought this year...but one was 49cents after credits. This was 2.99 after credits. Still not bad.

Currently I am reading a shorter book by Evangeline Kelly that takes place on an island. I thought it might work for Hawaii, but it didn't. I decided to read it anyway. I have another book lined up for Hawaii, so I'm not searching for that one.

Restfinder

I enjoy stories about Hawaii. If I read a contemporary story I like ones from Hawaii or Alaska!

I'm still working on my mermaid re-tell, almost done with it.

I started and am working on SACRED FIRE by Karen Grunst, a fantasy.

THE BEEKEEPER'S DAUGHTER had a very weird situation in it, quite uncomfortable for me. Not sure if I will finish it.

I started FOREST OF SCARLET by Tara Grayce, but am struggling to stay into it. Very strange, because I really have liked everything I've read by this author. My favorite series is by her!

I also started RESCUING LORD INGLEWOOD by Sally Britton. Not very far into it, but so far it is good.

connierandel

I have finished all of my states now except Indiana, Washington DC and am finishing Minnesota. These are picked out and just waiting for me to get to them.

I listened to IN SPOTLIGHT AND SHADOW by Rachel Scott McDaniel (Doors to the Past) on the trip to Dixon and then at bedtime. I finished it this morning. It was a VERY good split-time. All of the books in the series have been good, but I think this was the best. I got it on hoopla.

Currently I am trying to listen to THE ROSE AND THE THISTLE by Laura Frantz (historical). I would have probably quit it for something else, but I was driving. This is her newest and has had great reviews, but it really isn't my favorite time or location. Preview: In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.