#MoreThanaHashtag – Rosepoint Publishing

Rosepoint Reviews – November Recap – Welcome Holly Jolly Season!

Rosepoint Reviews - November Recap

The snow on Halloween this year was a wake-up call that summer is over, fall is flirting with winter, and the holiday season isn’t far behind. I have always enjoyed the holiday season, particularly when our kids were little and we were able to see the excitement and enjoy the anticipation all over again through their eyes; too soon grown and the responsibilities of adulthood overshadow those innocent years.

The shift, of course, happens now from reading, reviewing, and blogging to Christmas lists, wrapping, delivering, decorating, cards (yes, I still snail mail), menu items, grocery shopping and food prep. I used to do a lot of baking and made large Christmas trays for those close, both relatives and co-workers. Not anymore. Do you still bake?

Thankfully, Punkin the Pom is bonding well to the CE. He still can’t pick her up though is getting her to follow him out on the secured deck and she is about 50/50 doing her bathroom duties outside. That’s a big one and yesterday he got a harness on her! Still running at the sight of a leash, but we continue to hope we’ll eventually be able to get her out on walks and have her totally housebroken.

Between visits to the local vet with Punkin and the transition to holiday mentality, we did manage to read and review eighteen books in November—because one post included seven short synopses of audiobooks backlogged for review, including one Christmas-themed audiobook. Looking now to line up a couple more at least for the season but perhaps not in a cozy mystery genre. (And as always, links below are to reviews that include purchase or source info.)

November Recap

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh (audiobook)
Cruel Lessons by Randy Overbeck (CE review)
Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
The Stolen Coast by Dwyer Murphy (audiobook)
More Than a Hashtag by Penny Poulsen (5* CE review)
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen (5* review)
The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer (CE review)
Invisible No More by Scott Pitoniak and Rick Burton (5* CE review)
Blue Ridge by Peter Malone
Trans-Mongolian Express by David L Robbins (CE review)
Mission Churchill by Alex Abella (CE review)

I also posted a group audiobook review, catching up on all those backlogged reviews—a number that surprised me when I added them up.

Audiobooks! Listen, Not Read, the Most Recent #NYTimesBestseller – included in the post are:

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE turned in two five-star reviews and I also had two, though once again, my vote wins: The Crossing: Harry Bosch, Book 18 by Michael Connelly also an Amazon Editors’ pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. Pretty hard to compete against two of the most widely accepted bows to excellence, his Bosch series combined with contribution by Mickey Haller. The whole thing is neatly wrapped by TV’s Bosch Titus Welliver.

Book of the Month for November—The Crossing

My Reading Challenges page… I have 141 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (at this point two books ahead of schedule) and at a 98% feedback ratio in NetGalley. My Reading Challenges page is suffering from neglect–again.

I never stop appreciating those who read and comment, and as always, welcome my new subscribers!

More Than a Hashtag by Penny Poulsen Watson – #BookReview – #YALiteraryFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A teen discovers a dark secret . . .

Can he do what’s right, even when it all goes wrong?

High school freshmen, Tee and his best friend Chilly, depend on each other against bullies and girls that keep them guessing.

As sightings of a dangerous Cajun legend turn up, the boys must find the truth everyone else fears. When they uncover a threat to Chilly’s brother, they’re determined to save him. But can they unravel the mystery before it’s too late?

Tee must trust in his friendships and found family to navigate the murky waters of the bayou

. . . or become another victim of its shadows.

A modern classic in the tradition of Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird, More Than a Hashtag transports readers to the charming and unique Louisiana Bayou, where Watson captures the essence of the South and tells a journey of courage, grief, and broken homes.

Grab a paddle and join Tee and Chilly today!

His Review:

Bayou country is a great place to grow up. The pace of life is laid back and the folks are welcoming and gregarious. Most folks don’t realize it, but the real driving force in the bayou is the women! Thomas Edison Hopper aka Hashtag is growing up in this environment and his mama and grandmother are the lights of his life.

His best friend and cohort Chilly, is always by his side. He is the best friend a guy could ever want. They went fishing together for the myriad of fish that lived in the swamps. Hashtag has many chores to do and the women folk make sure he does his jobs before any play. Cutting the older ladies’ lawns and keeping up the garden are a couple of his weekly chores. Miss a chore and you may wind up going to bed hungry!

On one of their exploring fishing trips, they happened upon an old seemingly abandoned property where drugs are being handled. The boys decide to investigate and turn the evidence over to the sheriff. They did not want their parish to sink into the morass that was a drug city. Gathering the evidence, however, puts them in real danger as the drug lord and his henchmen find out. Once their investigation is discovered their entire life is turned upside down

Penny Poulsen Watson is a very gifted writer with a real talent for spinning a yarn. She knits a delightful tale with wit and humor. Her characters are well developed and very believable. Love is apparent throughout the story between the characters, even though a good switching is called for. The catastrophe that is the investigation into the production of drugs in the parish is heartbreaking.

C E Williams I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good adventure with well-developed characters and a believable plot. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Teen & Young Adult Nonfiction on Peer Pressure, Teen & Young Adult Literary Fiction
Publisher: PPW
ASIN: B0CJCQ72BM
Print Length: 408 pages
Publication Date: September 25, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Penny Poulsen Watson is a freelance writer, lyricist, poet and author of the novel, More than a Hashtag. She grew up in the Mountain West. She raised most of her children in Louisiana where she fell in love with the sweet and simple way of life. Although born in the West, it is southern skies, fireflies, magnolia trees and the smell of the bayou that live in her dreams.

She has been married to Allen Watson for 47 years. They are the parents of six children and seventeen beautiful grandchildren ranging from age 21 on down to 3 years old. Her family and her stable full of horses are the greatest loves of her life.

Happy Autumn Sunday