Reading Ireland Month (The #Begorrathon) will return for the twelveth year during March 2026, although this will be my eighth year. It is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books.Cathy is a big supporter of everything Irish. Check out her page and you’ll find all kinds of suggestions for reading, listening, or music on her spotify list. Of course, I always recommend my favorite Irish podcast, Marc Gunn’s Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.
Please use the hashtags #readingirelandmonth26 or #begorrathon26 if you plan to participate.
Yes, we do tend to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in grandiose style in the US with parades, pub specials and green beer, corned beef and cabbage. And as I’ve mentioned before, in “Chicago-land” they turn the Chicago River green. You might think that represents a good-sized population of Irish folks or Irish descendants and you would be right!
I always include the post I wrote years ago following one of our more interesting St Patrick’s Days, titled Beans, Beans…(A St Patrick’s Day Revisited). Check it out if you haven’t seen it before.
I usually try for one ebook a week, an audiobook or two, and again this year looked for movies or series I can glean from our lone streaming service, Netflix. Not that many this year and of the ones listed, only found a few. Perhaps you can find them on your own streamer.
MOVIES
To be viewed in no particular order:
Waking the Titanic – In 1912, fourteen Irish immigrants from Addergoole, County Mayo, embarked on the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage to seek work in America. ‘Muintir Maigh Eo ar an Titanic’ (Documentary)
We do have fun with this every year and it seems to get me out there researching and finding stuff I had no idea was available. Hope you’ll enjoy a book or one of these movies and if you do, I’d love to know.
Around here, March can’t decide whether lion or lamb, so one day will be sunny, warm and 62 degrees and the next cloudy, cold, windy and a high of 31 degrees Fahrenheit. The first week of March is forecasted for just that—snow by Monday, t-shirts by Friday. Nice we can enjoy so many activities indoors now with our participation in the YMCA. They’ve got an amazing facility as long as the weather allows us to get there. Pickleball? No…we used to play racquetball. (I loved racquetball but it got a bit rough.)
The Y started a six-week course in food preparation for seniors who face health issues and I started that, thinking I could always learn something new, especially in regard to the CEs cardiac issues. About the same time, the CE started working with our son again this year for the AARP tax program normally held on Saturdays at the library during tax season. This year on taxes on Friday has forced us to change our exercise schedule.
You might remember that in the January Recap, I mentioned the quest to find and understand the welcome uptick in visits and views. I spent quite a bit of time working on SEO, creating the SiteMap for the website, and following all the Google guides and site verification services I could find or implement. Apparently, there had been a problem in there that when finally cleaned up and properly executed resulted in an amazing, albeit temporary surge in traffic.
My freebie doesn’t allow for Google Analytics or the SEO tools granted an upgrade or Business Plan. Still, March bears a best yet stat of 39K for the month, one day with over 11K, and an average now of 1.4K views per day. I’m pretty happy with that and working hard to keep or even improve on that, just sorry it took so many years to finally get it. Us older folks have to learn everything the hard way!
I have no idea how those figures compare with your own blogs and I am hoping it might constitute an average. Please let me know, or perhaps there is still something I should be doing?
The CE and I read or listened to a total of twelve books in February. As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks). We also find books in NetGalley and enjoy author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.
Another book I’d have never chosen but was the Y Book Club of the Month, The Boys in the Boat. Yes, I enjoyed Nightshade but for sheer heart-stopping tension, I have to give it to The Boys.
My Reading Challenges page…I’m still having problems with the Goodreads Challenge tally, one total noted on my Goodreads landing page and another in the widget. Therefore, it’s either 25 completed so far in a challenge of 175 or 19 according to the widget. Getting it fixed obviously won’t happen. Challenge page is all caught up.
Last month I was looking for romantic book suggestions and this month it’s St. Patty’s Day suggestions. In March, I’m reading Irish — moody atmospheric landscapes, wit and wisdom delivered with a dark sense of humor, layered families, and stories that resonate. I’ll be scouring 746 Books for ideas but will gladly entertain your selections as well. Would love to see your recommendations—drop me a quick comment, please!
To all my dear readers and fellow bloggers, my blogging buddies, I do so appreciate your visits and comments and appreciate each and every one of you.
Introducing Detective Stilwell: a cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina Island.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.
Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.
My Review:
Of course, my favorite books by this author are the Ballard, Bosch, or Haller stories, but, hey, it’s Michael Connelly and he’s a go-to author for me no matter the book, in this case, number one of a new series.
This one centers around Santa Catalina Island, one of California’s Channel Islands twenty-six miles off the Los Angeles coastline. I’m most familiar with Avalon, located on the south end. It’s the storied stuff of an old song. (Yeah, a long time ago, oh the nostalgia.)
Anyway, one of those quiet little island paradises that holds tourist interest but probably not the ideal location where LA Detective Stilwell would have wanted. It’s a low-key assignment, drunk and disorderlies, not exactly the exciting homicide department he’s used to, so it’s extremely unusual when a body is found at the bottom of the harbor. About the same time, a poaching on the island reserve is a no-no, which investigation takes him into the dark territory of an old island despot.
Nightshade cover – US
He tackles both, sometimes creating conflict with an ex-colleague left on unfriendly terms. In the meantime, the reader enjoys an armchair visit with the island and the people, the little town of Avalon, a unique location.
Underneath that bucolic sea air and picturesque setting lies a cloudy layer of subterfuge. Secrets never meant to surface. It doesn’t take long before the twists and turns have you flipping pages.
Nightshade – UK cover
Stilwell is richly drawn, the storyline gritty, and the setting atmospheric. Connelly fans get a hook at the beginning as it sets up and establishes the setting and the characters (quite a few of them). There is a budding romance (seems like there always is) and as usual the MC’s fierce dedication to his job may cause a bit of friction. We’ll see.
I waited quite a while for this audiobook to come up on the wait list. It was worth it. Narration was smooth and nuanced. The CE read and reviewed the book when it first came out, offered by NetGalley. He quite enjoyed and gave it five stars last year.
Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
The Author:Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.
Everyone wants him caught. Someone wants him dead.
On the frozen backroads of upstate New York, Army veteran Mason Sharpe picks up a hitchhiker stranded in the cold.
Minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy pulls them over. Three gunshots ring out, the deputy collapses into the snow, and the hitchhiker disappears into the woods.
Joining local cops on the manhunt, Mason learns the truth: the hitchhiker is Shane Hagan, an escaped federal inmate and fellow special forces veteran.
But when a second encounter erupts into a gunfight in the winter forest, Mason sees what the cops are missing – someone wants Hagan silenced.
Caught in the middle of a deadly web, Mason must choose—trust the system that convicted Hagan or believe a fellow veteran’s desperate story and help him save his family. Make the wrong call, and Mason could end up in prison.
But some bonds are worth any risk. And Mason Sharpe has never been afraid of Hard Time.
His Review:
Shane Hogan has escaped from a secured hospital room and is running loose. Set up by a mafia lord, Shane pleads not guilty to protect his family. A freezing New York winter is nowhere to be escaping to, but Shane is not an ordinary prisoner. He is obviously well trained in military evasion tactics.
Mason Sharpe is another ex-military special operative. Together, they are in constant evasion of the Stefano Crime family. The syndicate is a much closer threat than the New York state police. Their objective is to silence Shane. He has stumbled into their covert drug smuggling method and they would rather kill him and his family than allow the evidence to reach law enforcement.
Logan Ryles keeps this book moving at a brisk pace while building appreciation and admiration for these two ex-special forces operatives. There is no lack of intrigue and excitement as the story progresses. Enjoy! 4.5 stars CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Publisher: Inkubator Books Publication Date: February 22, 2026 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Logan Ryles was born in small-town USA and knew from an early age he wanted to be a writer. After working as a pizza delivery driver, sawmill operator, and banker, he finally embraced the dream and has been writing ever since. With a passion for action-packed and mystery-laced stories, Logan’s work has ranged from global-scale political thrillers to small-town vigilante hero fiction.
Beyond writing, Logan enjoys saltwater fishing, road trips, sports, and fast cars. He’s married to psychological thriller writer Annie Harlow, and together with their two fun-loving dogs they enjoy a happy life of crafting suspense and mayhem from their suburban home in Alabama.
Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
in Olympic Games
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite History & Biography (2013)
Count this one as another I’d have never chosen on my own, but another that I’m glad to be part of a book club that introduces the reader to epic groundbreaking award winning titles. Who knew you could get excited about a bunch of college guys rowing for the old alma mater? What if you could throw in historical depths of the Depression, the dust bowl, and Europe possibly facing another war?
And how timely is that—while we are busy watching the Winter Olympics!
My Thoughts:
I don’t usually read many non-fiction books, unless memoirs, or historical catastrophes, and must admit to favoring the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics. This narrative caught my attention early on though with the focus on Joe Rantz, a boy literally left on his own when his destitute blended family viewed him as an extra mouth to feed they could ill afford. It is basically Joe’s POV that we hear throughout the book.
I love it when I go into the story of a sport I’ve never really noticed nor cared about and end by not only enjoying the narrative but researching it later. Joe Rantz did indeed have a horrendous childhood, scraped and scrabbled along until he found himself on the University of Washington rowing team. (A roof over his head and food in his belly.)
Joe was strong and healthy. It is during his years at UW that he meets Joyce who becomes his primary cheerleader and while pursuing her own goals, gently leaves him to his.
Not all of the young men on the team were composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, or farmers, however. The University of Washington’s crew was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast but it wasn’t long before the coach became aware he had a special group of young men. His goal was to defeat the East Coast teams and possibly head to the Summer Olympics in Berlin, 1936.
Of course, if at all possible, I listen to the audiobook and I must say narrator Edward Herrmann did a fine job of relaying the emotions, the turmoil, and the drama of the story.
Many thanks to our local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own as well as my interpretation of the consensus of the book club participants.
The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club. Among issues specifically examined were:
►How did Joe Rantz’ early childhood experiences shape his trust or mistrust of others? Did that experience influence his reluctance to bond?
He learned not to trust. Anyone. Including early on, his teammates.
►How did the coach handle the press and why?
It was thought there were several reasons, for one, he didn’t want the other schools to know the growing prowess of his team. He didn’t want the boys growing an ego over their wins and kept the boys guessing who was the weak link (each thinking it was themselves).
►How does the story of the ’36 Olympics compare to today’s?
The time frame of the story encapsulated several horrendous global calamities, not the least of which was the growing power of Hitler (and the possibility of war) while back home the Depression—the failure of banks, loss of jobs, disastrous weather, and few governmental services or support.
Several of the women noted they were bored with lengthy descriptions of the boats, components, and vocabulary for the sport, while acknowledging there will always be global conflicts, politically as well as atmospheric.
It can be noted that George Clooney directed a movie that was released in 2023 by the same name that reportedly omitted much of the personal stories of the individual teammates and focused instead on the university experience and the Olympics. I haven’t had a chance to view that film yet, but plan to if and when it comes to Netflix.
The Author: Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UCLA. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life vividly and accurately.
He and his wife live in the country outside of Seattle, Washington, with an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he isn’t writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the beehives.
From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Rich Justice and The Boomerang comes a gripping thriller about a disgraced lawyer facing the legal battle of her life as she tries to redeem herself—and save her son.
Max Ringo was once a courtroom star at an elite law firm. Then a car accident left her addicted to painkillers, and her life dissolved into shambles. Now fresh out of rehab and making a comeback as a mediator, she gets her shot at redemption when she is appointed to handle a high-stakes divorce.
But as Max begins negotiations between the two notorious power players, the trap is already sprung. The husband kidnaps her teenage son, Nathan, and gives her a chilling ultimatum: settle the case on his terms…or the boy dies.
Over three relentless days, Max must resolve a cutthroat legal battle while pursuing a covert mission to rescue Nathan. She’ll risk everything—her career, her freedom, her life—to beat a ruthless adversary at his own game. Even when a shadowy syndicate enters the fray and bodies start to drop,only one thing matters. She must bring her son home, whatever the cost.
His Review:
Max Ringo has been a top negotiator while working with litigators and others to settle estates and other businesses. This story points out the difficulty of settlement as the estates become larger and the stakes for the parties’ life-changing outcomes are impacted. The amounts are enormous and those who have the largest stake are the ones least willing to give up their position.
A multi-billion-dollar estate is the key issue in this story. Drugs and crime take center stage as the participants balance personal problems with financial greed. Winning and losing may mean a castle or a shack. None of the litigants in this conflict is willing to concede! The most recalcitrant is Dagger Richardson who helped to take a fledgling company into a multi-billion-dollar concern. Can there be a meeting of the minds and a resolution to this issue?
My last novel by this author, Rich Justice, is the third in the Jason Rich series read and reviewed last year. This book kicks off the new Max Ringo series and is well-paced action with a somewhat lower body count. The story is a prime example of how the wealthy keep their wealth. Read and try to understand the dynamics of the situation. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Legal Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Publication Date: May 12, 2026 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor. The first two novels in the series were Beverly Hills Book Awards legal thriller of the year winners, and Between Black and White was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.
For the past nineteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbaileybooks.com.
YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April; secrets she’d rather you didn’t know – like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her. I’ll make sure of that.
My Review:
I’ve been flipped again. Misdirected. Unashamedly misled.
And why was that a surprise? I’ve read this author before, the most recent being The Intruder. At this point, aren’t you expecting another twist, one last zinger? The one you didn’t see coming.Or did you?
Here we have the typical small town, the gossip (because what is there to do other than that in a small town?) and the new family to the hood. Are they suspicious? The POV of the main character is that of baking sensation April Masterson—on the periphery of the “in-crowd”, possibly by virtue of her apparently successful YouTube channel that includes a “secret” in her recipes. They are all delicious!
The problem is, as possibly often happens, the face on the camera and the face at home may not be the same. The first time she pulled a switch in a demonstration of how to get her new neighbor’s child into the proper school should have been a big red flag.
The fun part begins when April starts getting scary little texts. But from whom? Dang, is she beginning to get some of her own medicine?
Big switch!
Try to keep up. If you got past a slightly slow start, this is your reward. Crazy twisty. Can you trust no one? You aren’t supposed to love these characters (I don’t think), so switch of POV…go with it. I didn’t love the epilogue, the ending, but the novel on the whole is wildly entertaining, page-turning turmoil that just keeps getting crazier.
McFadden fan? Then you no doubt will enjoy this one.
Well plotted and paced. Okay, ignore those points of disbelief. Is it entertaining? Engaging, keeps you reading?
Yes. And isn’t that the point?
Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.
Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.
Remember that favorite book invitation I included in myDecember Recap?
It’s not easy to pick out one book of all the books you loved last year, but there were a number of you who offered to answer that question.
Amazingly two favorites were for the same book. Or…as in the case where I answer on my phone it sends as “anonymous” it may have been the same person answering twice. (Could be possible.)
Links on titles are to Goodreads. Thumbnails are links to Amazon listings both US and UK if different from US cover.)
In any case, here are the results, one or more that I hope will interest you:
Atmosphere – US
Julia, at Julias Bookshelves noted Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid as her “Undisputed Favorite” in her 2025 Notable Reading Highlights. (Hope it was okay that I borrowed from your blog, Julia!)
Anonymous quipped, “Geesh! If pressed I guess I would pick “The Names” by Florence Knapp (and no, it was not a new genre for me). However, it was SO close to Chris Whitaker’s “All The Colors Of The Dark” that it was really to close to call…”
Anonymous
I get that Anonymous—I’ve had a few also too close to call!
Next, I got another vote forThe Names by Florence Knapp. This one from Davida Chazan at The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog who reported that “It beat out My Friends by Fredrik Backman by a whisker.” Thank you, Davida!
Next, I heard from Amanda Hughes (one of my favorite go-to authors), who sent me her choice, The Sultan’s Harem by Colin Falconer.
If you get a chance, might also check out Amanda’s books. I love her “Bold Women” series!
Endurance – USEndurance – UK
And then in my previous disclosure from my December Review Recap, I finally settled on Endurance by Alfred Lansing as I struggled to decide whether or not Shacktletons Incredible Voyage would win over The Women by Kristin Hannah.
Was one of these a favorite of yours also? Banville is always a favorite and March is coming—a great suggestion for Reading Ireland Month 2026. And for book cover lovers, quite a difference in covers for the same book, huh?
Cathy is a big supporter of everything Irish. Check out her page and you’ll find all kinds of suggestions for reading, listening, or music on her spotify list. Of course, I always recommend my favorite Irish podcast, Marc Gunn’s Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.
Nominee for Readers’ Favorite History & Biography (2013)
Rosepoint Publishing 