Showing posts with label Share Your Shelf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Share Your Shelf. Show all posts

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Share Your Shelf ~ April 2025

 Hi friends!  It is the monthly Share Your Shelf to share books you have been reading.  

Join in on the link below!


These are the 2 books I am currently reading this month:

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.

It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.

Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.

It’s all starting to come together for struggling artist Sadie Montgomery. She was just named a finalist in the national portrait competition of her dreams. But when she winds up with a rare, but real, condition where human faces look like jumbled puzzle pieces . . . it is, to say the least, not good.

With only a few weeks to paint the best portrait of her entire life, Sadie will do anything to reverse her condition and get back to work, but it’s anyone’s guess when (or even if) that'll happen.

Enter her dog’s charming veterinarian (who may or may not be Sadie’s daydream fiancĂ©), and her bowling-jacket-wearing, Vespa-riding neighbor (who she can’t seem to stay away from)―both vying for her attention and adding to the chaos.

It’s a lot, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Because the truth is, seeing the world differently has its upsides. And love has an undeniable way of giving us courage. And the best way of looking is always, always with the heart.


Have a great Thursday and hope those of you who are getting stormy weather are staying safe.

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Thursday, March 6, 2025

Share Your Shelf

 Happy Thursday!


I will be following along with my friends on our monthly Share Your Shelf link up of books read this month.  This year and books hasn't been a good combination for me this year, but check out all the other good posts!  In book news, I did go to the library yesterday to pick up a book I had on hold :).
Enjoy your day!

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Thursday, January 2, 2025

Share Your Shelf ~ January 2025

 


Hi!  This New Year is here and now it seems like the fall went by so fast, as it always seems to do. 

I always record (does that make me sound old using that term?) Hallmark Christmas movies and I still have about 10 I haven't watched.  My goal is to get them finished by the end of this month.  With that being said, not only am I behind in watching "my shows", but I am behind in reading too.  I did order 2 new books, so hopefully I can get some reading in this month.

In the meantime, join my fellow friends and hope you will join us to share what you have been reading.

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Thursday, December 5, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ December 2024

 Join in this month to share what's been on your shelf!


This month is a holiday feel good book.  It is a book about second chances at Christmas time.
"A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet."


Doesn't this look like a cozy place to stay?  

I am a slow reader and especially in this stage of life and the holiday season too.  I am barely home long enough to watch a Hallmark movie, much less even read a lot.  I looked last night and I currently have 15 Christmas movies recorded.  I will be watching them until Spring!

Happy Thursday!

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Thursday, November 7, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ November 2024

 Good morning!  Join Tanya, Jennifer, Joanne and I with November's edition of Share Your Shelf by linking below the books you read this month...or are currently reading :)


As always, I feel like I share the book I started and didn't finish, the book I am currently reading and the book I did finish!  This may become my new trend, ha!

This is the book I was reading for my book club.  I got a few chapters into the book, was triggered (which is easily done these days) & stopped reading the book.  I will just go for the food and discussion for this book when we meet!

This is the book I am currently reading and do plan on finishing this one. It has a lot of good truths so far.

I wanted a holiday book and this one was what I was looking for to read!  It has references to North Carolina, SCAD and New York City, all which resonate with me because I lived in North Carolina, my daughter goes to SCAD and NYC is my favorite city in the world! Clearly, this book takes place at Christmas time too.  It is about a brother and sister who go to the big city to sell Christmas trees.  Along the way, friendships and love are found.  It read a little like a Hallmark movie, although it does have some cursing throughout, but not too bad.

I may try to find another light hearted holiday book.  I hope I can find some recommendations through your posts or let me know if you have one to share in the comments!

Have a great day!

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ October 3, 2024

 Happy Thursday!  I hope you will join up with Tanya, Joanne, Jennifer and myself for this month's Share Your Shelf.

Book One:


This book has mixed reveiws, but I liked it.  Here is the summary:

Molly Gray is a dedicated maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, where she finds immense joy in her job, particularly in returning messy rooms to a state of perfection. Her love for cleaning is palpable, and she takes pride in the well-stocked maid's trolley with all its cleaning supplies. However, Molly's passion for cleanliness doesn't translate into an understanding of social cues or the ability to navigate relationships.

Molly is considered odd by her co-workers, who don't share her enthusiasm for their work. Her closest friend, her grandmother, has passed away, leaving her feeling alone. Molly is also easily deceived by cunning individuals.

One day, when Molly enters the penthouse suite to clean, she discovers the most prestigious hotel guest, Mr. Black, has been murdered. Due to a series of comically unfortunate events, Molly becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, leading to a scandal that not only threatens the hotel's reputation but also her own livelihood.

Book Two:

I was able to meet Sophie, aka Boo Mama, Tuesday night at a book signing.  

Here is the book summary:

With relatable stories and disarming grace, popular podcaster and author Sophie Hudson cuts through the confusing, differing stances on Christian women in leadership and offers a resource that empowers women to embrace their roles as leaders. Drawing from the book of Exodus, and using her trademark humor, Sophie skillfully helps you

· identify the leadership traits you already possess
· serve with boldness inside and outside the church
· lead faithfully and consistently

This is your invitation to embrace leadership with confidence and to find joy in understanding how God sees you. Prepare to be inspired, encouraged, and equipped to embrace the truth that you are uniquely made to lead.



   In addition, I have listened to countless podcasts, which probably equal to more time than a book!

I hope you all have a great day!

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Thursday, September 5, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ September 2024

Join wtih us today to share the books you have been reading lately!  

Jenny James is Not A Disaster
by Debbie Johnson
This book was recommended to me by Amy.  It was an interesting read about a single mom and her 18 year old son who had a string of bad luck in their lives.  It progresses as she goes on a road trip with her neighbor in his RV.  It is a book about family, parenting, loss and new beginnings.   I enjoyed this book!

After I Do
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This is the book from this month's book club.  I skipped around in this and didn't read the entire book.  It was not really a book for me right now.
This is by the same author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.


Forgiving What You Can't Forget
by Lysa Turkeurst

The title speaks for itself basically, but here are some encouraging thoughts to share from the book:

~Forgiveness is both a decision and a process. The impact of the facts still affects us much later.
~We can't change what we have experienced, but we can choose how the experience changes us.
~The more our pain consumes us, the more it will control us.
~Forgiveness releases our desire for retaliation, but not from our boundaries.
~Forgiveness is amazing to get, but hard to give.
~Freedom from unforgiveness doesn't mean instant healing for all the emotions involved, but it does mean these emotions will turn into eventual compassion instead of bitterness.

I hope your Thursday goes well and thanks for linking up with us today!

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Thursday, August 1, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ August 2024

 Thanks for joining my friends Joanne, Jennifer and Tanya for this month's Share Your Shelf!

So this month, I only read 2 books, both memoirs by some of my favorite podcasters.  I am catching up on their older books.  Both books were enoyable and tell a lot about their young adulthood lives.

First, was Home is Where My People are by Sophie Hudson.

I also finished Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle.

This probably doesn't count as a regular book for sure, but I spent some time reading through a new hymn/song book for our church.  They asked me to proofread it before we publish it and use it on a regular basis. I attend a church that is 5 years old, so we are updating the current songbook we have been using.  Disclaimer: I had the Yankees game playing in the background :).

Between work, life, and all the podcasts I listen to in my free time, I have found that 2-3 books is my pace each month.  So, whatever your pace is, no pressure to post a ton of books each month!

Thanks for joining us today & have a great weekend!  
(I will be off tomorrow instead of blogging)

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Thursday, July 4, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ July 2024

 Happy 4th of July!  I hope it is a fun day celebrating our nation's birthday and freedoms.  I have always been thankful and feel that even more so after living out of the country for a few years of my life.  

I am linking up with my friends Joanne, Jennifer and Tanya for this month's Share Your Shelf and we hope you will join us this month!

Regarding my own readings, I honestly admit, it was a halfway, skip around books for me.  I started several books, skipped around and didn't finish any of them.  Oh well.  I do have 2 books though already on my list (recommended by my fellow bloggers!)  for July,  one of them that I am already halfway through! 

So, if you are interested in my halfway finished books from June, here is the short list.  With the exception of one, they are all topical books.

 The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Change with Purpose, Power and Facts
by Mary Claire Haver MD

Fast. Feast. Repeat.
by Gin Stephens

Life in the Fasting Lane
by Jason Fung, Eve Mayer and Megan Ramos

Clearly, I was trying to learn more about menopause and fasting.  There was a lot of science and facts and numbers in these and I honestly lost interest in some of the deep waters of these topics.  It was interesting to learn how some people approach these subjects I hear a lot about at this stage of life.

The last book was Becoming Us, by Robin Jones Gunn.
I think this is a great book, but it had a few parts that just triggered some emotions for me, so I didn't finish it.  

I hope you all get some good book recommendations for your summer reading and maybe I will have completed a few more by next month's post!

Go enjoy the holiday!

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Thursday, June 6, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ June 2024

 Good morning and happy Thursday!  Thanks for joining Joanne, Jennifer, Tanya and I to share about the books you have been reading.  Please link up with us below and share some comment love to our fellow bloggers! 


The first book I read last month was Saltwater Cove by Amelia Addler.  I am not sure how I exactly found this book, but I really enjoyed it and hope to read a few more by her in this series and try one in her other series too.  This is the first in the Westcott Bay series and is about a 48 year old woman who moves to an island where she is gifted a home from her brother.  While there, she meets some unexpected family, there is some trauma, but also unexpected love found.  I enjoyed reading this (on my tablet) while also listening to it at the same time (on Spotify free books) while walking on the treadmill.  It was a win-win!

I think most readers are familiar with Melanie Shankle from The Big Boo Podcast.  This book is 9 years old.  Yes, that's right.  I have always wanted to read her story about friendships and I really enjoyed hearing her read her story and learn some new things.  I think my favorite parts were the quotes about friendship at the beginning of each chapter.  

The last book I read is Still Standing.  The subtitle is:
How to Live in God's Light While Wrestling with the Dark
This book tells the story of Courtney Joseph and the dark days she walked in her marriage.  This book had a lot of powerful, sad stories in it and as someone going through some hard times in marriage, I could relate to a lot of it.  All the way through the book, she points the reader back to Jesus, no matter what season of hard they may be experiencing.  This is the book we discussed at book club hosted by Jennifer this week.

I am looking forward to hearing about some reading recommendations from you and thanks for linking up with us!

It's almost Friday!  Have a great day!




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Thursday, May 2, 2024

Share Your Shelf ~ May 2024

 Welcome to our inaugral Share Your Shelf link! We hope you will join up with us and share what you have read the previous month.  Mark your calendars to join us the first Thursday of each month. 


Here are the books I have read recently:

All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore

This is the biography of bible teacher, Beth Moore.  Beth Moore is beautifully honest in this book as she shares about her upbringing, sturggles in childhood, abuse, her ministry & the path of her being a bible teacher.  Through her heartfelt stories of her family, she always points people to Jesus.  

How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key

I heard about this book on several podcast I listen to and actually purchased this book.  It is a memoir about his wife's infidelity & how his marriage was saved.  This book was a hard read at times that led me to tears, yet he writes with humor, laughing at himself (& others), so I also laughed at times.  This book had me emotional in many ways.  It is a sobering read and he definitely draws you into his story.  I also liked reading this because he writes about Savannah, Ga, which is where he lives and my youngest daughter lives, so I could visualize a few references.


Building a Non-Anxious Life by John Delony

This book is insightful to what anxiety is and the triggers that cause it.  Anxiety is a diagnosis but not a disease or identity.  This book talks about how to respond to anxiety and each chapter talks about choosing reality, choosing connection, choosing freedom, choosing health and healing, choosing mindfulness and choosing belief. I enjoyed this book and it would be good for anyone to listen to or read.


We hope you will join in with your recent books, even if you have already posted one recently!

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Hodgepodge ~ September 10, 2025

  1. What gives you energy? What takes it away?  Good music, hugs from my daughters & greats & laughter with friends gives me energy...