Rosepoint Reviews – April Recap – Hello May!

Rosepoint Reviews - April Recap

April was a month of crazy temps reaching from freezing temps to the low 80s. Of course, I put my potted plants out during the 80s only to have the last week of April revert to freeze warnings. In any case, it’s going to be a while before I try to start my annual veggie garden. Thinking I’ll keep it simple this year with the dominant crop as always cherry tomatoes. Dried, they are better than candy!

We took a more relaxed pace in April which appeared to have also slowed our reading-reviewing activity. We read or listened to thirteen books in April, NetGalley books as well as audiobooks. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

April Reads

The Remarkable Wisdoms and Bizarre Tales of Tennison Hawk by Michael Reisig
Netflix Series Daisy Jones and the Six vs Audiobook by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Spare by Prince Harry
Velma Gone Awry by Matt Cost
The One Who Fell by Kerry Wilkinson
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow
The Devil’s Glove by Lucretia Grindle
Plum Island by Nelson DeMille
You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard
Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Blow Up by Ellen Crosby

If you’ve read one of these, please let me know your thoughts. These included Prince Harry’s memoir, of course, as well as historical fiction, cozy mystery, literary fiction, and another comparison of audiobook to netflix series.

Favorite Book of the Month

Okay, I have to give it to Harry. I really enjoyed his memoir, certainly as he read his own work. This could be followed closely by Plum Island—opening my eyes to a new author I can follow.

My Book of the Month for April—Spare.

Blogger Post

I did get to do a little blog hopping in April and always appreciate the varied posts of Lynne at Fictionophile as well as her beautiful graphics. She also offers a number of features that will interest you from “Cover Love” to “Wednesday’s Word.” If you read many book review blogs, I’m sure you’ve already found her delightful site, but if not, it’s time to check it out.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 48 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (three books ahead of schedule) and still keeping a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. Lagging behind on the others again but hope to have the page and challenges caught up shortly.

Once again, I’m bumping up against the Happiness Engineers at WordPress. Used to be I could jump on a chat but that went bye-bye. Then it was send an email, but I wonder if you’ve discovered it’s getting increasingly difficult to even find the help link. I wrote recently asking about where I could find my broken links. Pam wrote back several days later:

“While access to email support starts with the Personal plan, being on the Free plan you have unlimited access to our community forums, where you’ll be able to find answers to your questions.”

OOH…And no, there isn’t any answers to my questions in the Forum. I view it as a campaign to eliminate their free users. I realize I don’t know what I don’t know and had checked with Semrush for a (free) site audit. Have you subscribed to any SEO tool? Well, mercy, I have some fixin’ to do—if I only knew how! Google Analytics (again) doesn’t help with a free site. So I’d request that if you click on a link and it’s broken, please let me know. I’m trying what other suggestions Semrush pointed out, but it’s a struggle. It appears I’m going to have to upgrade shortly but not sure the “personal” plan would make me any happier with the engineers.

Also, when did this “Blaze” thing start? (I didn’t notice it last month when I was working on the recap.) Promote your content? The Blaze link has been attached to every one of my post links. Anyone else notice this? Is it, indeed, new?

I do appreciate you all. Thank you sooo much for reading and commenting on my posts. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Authors to books to reviewers

Rosepoint Reviews – February Recap – If It’s March—Is It Spring Yet?

Rosepoint Reviews-February Recap

February, as always, short and sweet with Valentine’s Day and one day warm enough we got our bikes out. So lovely, followed almost immediately, of course, by snow and freezing temps. This will continue for long enough to surprise the trees in bloom in March. It always does.

Besides the loss of a beloved pet and the weight on my heart, there is still the habit of feeding or walking the dog, engrained after seventeen years to overcome. It’s not an easy transition. Concentrating instead on juicing apples from the fruit market, making my own juice. There are abundant oranges as well, although this variety (Valencia) is neither the sweetest nor the juiciest. I’ve finally begun having successful air-fried offerings from the air fryer and whole meals from my pressure cooker—a real learning curve. Perhaps you can teach an old dog!

We managed to read or listen to a total of thirteen books in February, a mix of NetGalley reads, audiobooks, Indie authors, and requests from publishers. (Links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

February review book covers

The Last Camel Died At Noon by Elizabeth Peters (audiobook)
Sons of Liberty by Matthew Speiser
The Drift by C J Tudor (CE review)
Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt (my 5*)
Hearts and Dark Arts by Trixie Silvertale (audiobook)
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (CE review)
Welcome Aboard by Jessie Newton, Tammy L Grace (and six more)
Who Killed Jerusalem? by George Albert Brown (CE review)
The Bark of Zorro by Kathleen Y’Barbo
A Silent Understanding by Jean Grainger
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (audiobook)
Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman (CE 5*)
Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley

Have you read any of the above? There is a variety as usual of genres that include historical fiction, legal thriller, fantasy, crime, women’s fiction, cozy mysteries, and even a touch of horror (Koontz). (I don’t normally read horror but am a Koontz fan.)

Favorite Book of the Month

Feedback from the CE regarding the books I’ve given to him has resulted in one he DNF’d (I finished) and one he couldn’t stop talking about or reading parts to me. I had several good books, but felt none gave me quite the rah-rah that Path of Peril gave to him. So that is February’s choice for Book of the Month.

Blogger Post

I didn’t have a lot of time to do blog hopping in February, but I did catch several of my favorites, including those from Jill at Jill’s Book Café. I particularly enjoy her feature “Five on Friday” in which she posts an interview with an author you may or may not know or read. Love the answers particularly to the question “Which five pieces of music/songs would you include in the soundtrack to your life and why?” Some very surprising choices!

My Reading Challenges page…As I mentioned last month, I managed to lose my entire 2022 Challenges page. Definitely doing an abbreviated page this year and still trying to keep it current. I have 25 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (two books ahead of schedule) and keeping a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley.

March begins Reading Ireland Month 2023. I love participating in this challenge and usually include a poem (from my grandfather) or recipe along with reviews about Ireland or written by an Irish author. If you haven’t signed up yet, now’s the time!

Once again, thank you as always for reading and commenting on my posts. I appreciate the participation!

k-luv-u-bye

Rosepoint Reviews – January Recap—Hello February!

January fooled us with mild temps right until the last week or so when we experienced the frigid northern blast. It was to be expected, not necessarily appreciated.

I wrote last month about the storm that reached alarming -0 temps. I worried about Frosty and her little ears and feet and supplied a handkerchief for her ears and booties for her paws. Unfortunately, she contracted pneumonia and we lost her on her 17^th birthday, breaking my heart. While I know it was a virus and not the temps, it’s still very difficult to reconcile and will take a while to ease the crush on my heart.

So it was a challenge to keep to a schedule and my reading and posting took a hit. Between us, we managed a total of twelve reviews, a mix of NetGalley reads, audiobooks, award-winning authors as well as Indie authors.

Born and Bred Texan by Jinx Schwartz
The Huntress by Kate Quinn (audiobook – 5 stars)
Breakneck by Marc Cameron (CE review-5 stars)
When Irish Eyes Are Lying by Jean Grainger
Finding Me by Viola Davis
My Love Nikola Tesla by Ana Atanasković
The Devil’s Own by Maria McDonald (my 5 stars)
The Girl Across the Sea by Noëlle Harrison
Implied Consent by Keenan Powell (CE review)
Wish You Were Here by Kay Bratt
The Pact by Roberta Kagan
Sea Castle by Andrew Mayne (CE unputdownable 5 stars)

January Favorite

It can be tricky to discern which of the CEs books would make the January favorites as he continues to read without my often critical eye. Of the books read in January, two really stood out: Sea Castle and The Huntress. In his case, once he started reading the Sea Castle, he couldn’t put it down. A tie in the January slot?Yes and No. I’d have to give the coveted January slot to the one noted above. Could you guess from the graphic?

January Blogger Post

Freeing up my time a bit to do some blog hopping, I’ve been enjoying the opportunity of catching up with some of my favorite blogger buddies. I hope to list a favorite post each month and if this blogger is new to you, urge you to check out their blogs as well.

The review of The Woman in the Window at Digital Reads Media caught my eye and gave me a chuckle or two. Shalini, however, offers services to writers beyond reviews including blog tours and is social media savvy.

My Reading Challenges page…As mentioned before, I’ve overhauled the page for 2023 (managing to lose my entire 2022 Challenges page in the process) and will be posting monthly totals only this year. My 2022 challenges were achieved but I’ve adjusted 2023 challenge goals down.

I’m setting my NetGalley Challenge goal at Gold this year, 50 books. (Last year at Platinum, 75, was a struggle.) Audiobook Challenge at Marathoner – 50 – should be no problem at an average of four per week. Cutting back from 180 to 145 in the Goodreads Challenge, and lastly, the Historical Fiction Challenge will stay the same at 50 – Prehistoric, as this genre is proving to be one of our favorites. Which challenges are you trying this year? Achieve all your goals last year?

How did you do on your 2022 TBR? What titles have you already pegged for your February reads? I no longer schedule my reviews and posts in ink—everything is entered in pencil now that my calendar seems to require constant updating.

I do so appreciate my followers. A special shout-out to those who like, share, and comment! And I’m always looking for comments!

K, luv u, bye

Rosepoint Reviews – December Recap—Welcome 2023!

Rosepoint Reviews-December Recap

December always sweeps in on an icy blast with more activities to accomplish associated with the holidays than can be easily handled.

Frosty, our Bichon Frise Despite the winter chill, the CE and I managed to get out for a couple walks and one or two additional short rides (around the block) before the bikes had to be left to cool in the garage for the winter. The frigid storm that hit near Christmas dropped outside temps to -0F with a wind chill factor of -34F, which alarmed me sufficiently that I felt I needed to protect Frosty’s little ears and put booties on her little paws for potty time. The CE is always very good at shoveling a small path for her as it’s too difficult to try and keep little booties on her paws in several inches of snow.

I worry about the wild critters in those conditions too and wonder how they manage to survive–much less the homeless—more than 16,000 in Chicago according to the news. It’s a blessing to have a roof overhead with food in the fridge and I think that’s Christmas gift enough—that and our health—knock on wood.

Reading in December took a back seat but we still managed ten books and audiobooks. A hard look at my schedule had me paring one post per week and I’ll keep that schedule into the new year with an occasional extra post. The current schedule is ebook reviews on Sunday and Tuesday and an audiobook review on Thursday. As I mentioned before, I took on (Amazon) Vine reviews that have proven to take more time than expected as well as a new preview club the CE and I are participating in as well. The latter is interesting but of course appears to also take more time than we expected. Have you heard of the Netflix Preview Club? Are you a member?

December book reviews

The Trackers by Charles Frazier (CE review)
Swamp Story by Dave Barry (my 5*)
Keep Sharp by Dr Sanjay Gupta (audiobook)
Hemlock Hollow by Culley Holderfield (CE review)
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (book club selection)
Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy T Matthews (CE review)
The Devil You Know by P J Tracy
Borderline by Nevada Barr (audiobook)
Revolution by Mike Bond (CE review)
Guild Boss by Jayne Castle (audiobook)

Swamp Story was super and too short. A laugh out loud silly storyline that has you shaking your head while gobbling up the next chapter. It will be on my favorites of the year list and is totally recommended!

Reading Challenges

My challenges page has been caught up through December. As mentioned before, that page will undergo a change for 2023. My 2022 challenges have been achieved and I will take a look at the new schedule and adjust the challenges as well. I hope to have the new Reading Challenges page updated for the 2023 challenges some time in mid-January.

How did you do on your 2022 TBR? What titles have you already pegged for your January reads? Have you planned your first read of the year? I’d love to know the title—show me the cover.

I do so appreciate my followers. A special shout-out to those who like, share, and comment! Hope you all have a happy, healthy 2023!

Happy New Year - 2023

Rosepoint Reviews – November Recap—Hello Holidays!—You’ve Come Too Soon!

November was a mere flash of a month, eclipsing present goals, and creating new ones. Never a dull moment—guess that’s a good thing at this age!

November weather was so mild that the CE and I got to explore a new trail close by and walking was inspired by the cyclists whizzing by. Remembering the years we rode our own bikes, nostalgia took over and I went on the quest for a bike—not the motorcycle kind (had to give that up), a bicycle. My new, used Trek bicycle. Our son delivered his wife’s mountain bike and proving too big and heavy for me, defaulted to the CE. I finally found a guy who carefully guided me into a good used Trek that fits. LOVE this hybrid cruiser!

Then a crisis with our daughter diverted our attention to a quick trip to southern Illinois and another crisis in our son’s wife’s family short-circuited Thanksgiving plans, so it turned out to be a quiet, private Thanksgiving. How was yours? I hope you enjoyed family, a fabulous dinner, and lots of love. Speaking of—our little great-grandson had his first birthday the latter portion of November. Phew!

We did manage to do some reading in November though. (I did some reading, the CE the driving.) Together we read or listened to twelve books in November, most from NetGalley (still our primary resource).

November reads

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves (audiobook)
Back in the USSR by Patrick D Joyce (CE review)
Defending Jacob by William Landay (audiobook)
What Have We Done by Alex Finlay(CE review)
More Harm Than Good by Jean Grainger
Hell and Back by Craig Johnson (audiobook)
The Nature of Secrets by Debra Webb (CE review)
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Mitzy Moon Mysteries Books 2 and 3 by Trixie Silvertale
Clive Cussler The Sea Wolves by Jack Du Brul (audiobook)
Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza (CE review)
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

Reading Challenges

I think I pretty well caught up my challenges page. As mentioned before, all my challenges have been achieved with the exception of the Goodreads Challenge of 180, now at 177 and 98% which is also my Feedback Ratio on NetGalley. Check my Reading Challenges page for updates.

I cranked up the speaker and listened to a number of my YouTube favorites, Queen, Abba, Andrea Bocelli, and 2Cellos (which, btw, did you know they quit as a team? Gees!!), and started my inside Christmas decorations. Almost done—next, the outside lights. Are you getting ready for the season as well? Do you celebrate with a crèche, cards, trees, and lights? Next week, my annual trek to the post office with my boxes. Pray for me.

I appreciate the follows; thank you to those who like, share, and comment—especially comment! And, please, let me know if you saw something above that got your interest.

Me and the CE

Rosepoint Reviews – July Recap—The Dog Days of Summer

Rosepoint Reviews – July Recap

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap

Last month I mentioned new food possibilities from Amazon in addition to my veggie garden and sad to say, the mushroom block was a bust. Nothing happened. No mushrooms. I’ve been enjoying lots of spouts though, they add a tang to salads and sandwiches.

The cherry tomatoes are finally ripening, so slow this year. Contrary to most of the country, our temperatures have been temperate, almost comfortable, but tomatoes like it hot so they are slow. They are so sweet though—will be like candy when I get them dried. (See book graphic below)

Now the new thing in July is “fermenting.” Got a couple lids and started on sauerkraut, but blew it by not exercising more patience. Then I got a gallon size glass bottle with a special fermenting lid (see that lid? It will exhaust but not allow oxygen back in) and trying that with carrots and cucumbers. Gotta be patient with this one and let it go at least thirty days. It’s been a week today…You can see why I might do more reading in the winter.

So of course I rely heavily on the CE for his reviews, so much of my time spent otherwise. He’s into the reading thing—now if I can just get him into the reviewing thing! We did read or listen to seventeen books in July, most from NetGalley as I’m working on the 500 badge, now up to a count of 482 and my ratio continues to be 95%.

Rosepoint Reviews-July Recap

The Peaceful Village by Paulette Mahurin (CE review)
Dream Town by David Baldacci (audiobook)
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (audiobook)
Cold Justice by Nolon King (CE review)
The Faithful Dog by Terry Lee Caruthers (CE review)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (audiobook)
The Iron Way by Tim Leach (CE review)
The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham (CE review)
Growing Wild in the Shade by Jean Grainger
Deadly Spirits by Mary Miley
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (audiobook)
The Line by Helen Scott (CE review)
Canned Hunt by Kerry K Cox (CE review)
Still Waters by Sara Driscoll
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (audiobook)
Do No Harm by Robert Pobi (CE review)
I Remember You by Brian Freeman (CE review)

Reading Challenges

My challenges—goodness, I just neglect them something awful. Okay—maybe winter? My challenges for 2022 are all listed and linked in the widget column on the right. When I get them updated, you can check out the progress of my challenges by clicking the Reading Challenges page. I’m now at 64% of the Goodreads Challenge of 180 books at 116.

Looking forward to catching Where the Crawdads Sing (my review of the book here by Delia Owens) starring Daisy Edgar-Jones—they finally released it—and not sure now it’s even still there. Did you get a chance to view it? Does it do justice to the book?

I’m experiencing a drought of books that really glue me to the Kindle app and now with audiobooks as well (after The Nightingale—well, how do you follow that?), having started several and dumped. I hesitate to keep going back to favorites, but not having a lot of success with throwing a dart and hoping it sticks. Any suggestions?

How was your July? The US is either frying, in severe drought, or flooding and it appears we’ll get a taste of the former next week. Fortunately, the winds off the Great Lakes shift and give us a retrieve after a few days.

Welcome to my new followers and as always I appreciate those who continue to read, like, share, and comment. Please let me know if you saw something above that got your interest. I hope August will be kind to you and yours wherever you live.

Rosepoint Reviews – May Recap—Welcome June!

Rosepoint Reviews – May Recap

Rosepoint Reviews - May recap

Yes, May is when I spend more time outside than in, working on my gardens; cleaning up the fairy garden, flower bed, and adding soil and amendments to the vegetable garden, turning that over and getting the veggies in. The tomatoes love it and take off immediately. Same with beans and peas—still cool enough for them with the occasional 90-degree day. I put in marigolds as usual to ward off bugs and the bunnies ate them. This year I’ve tried to secure all my defenseless little seedlings (except marigolds I guess) against all manner of deer and bunnies. (I’ve done that before but redoubled the effort this year.) The deer are being scattered due to construction on the other side of the pond. (I haven’t seen the doe with the broken leg in a while.)

Welcome Spring! I fired up the BBQ with a chicken and potatoes and then sat down to eat. Wasn’t long before we had a raccoon trying to clean up the drippings. He was wearing a mask and had no sense of humor. The bandit was a big boy intent on an easy meal and wasn’t happy with the interruption or my broom. At least the possums are smaller and non-threatening.

I relied pretty heavily on the CE for his reviews, so much of my time spent otherwise. The man can read three books to my one. We did read or listen to eighteen books in May, most from NetGalley as I’m still working on that badge, now up to a count of 460 and my ratio continues to be 95%.

May reads and reviews

The Trouble with Secrets by Jean Grainger
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (audiobook)
Somewhere in the South Pacific by John J Gobbell (a CE review)
Last Night with Tokyo Rose by Alexa Kang (a CE review)
Gambling with Murder by Lida Sideris
The Boys by Ron Howard and Clint Howard (audiobook)
Warrensburg by Fleury Sommers (a CE review)
Answering Liberty’s Call by Tracy Lawson
TV Netflix series Along for the Ride vs the audiobook
Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben (audiobook)
Playing with Fire by Mary Burton (a CE review)
The Physicists’ Daughter by Mary Anna Evans (a CE review)
The Doctor’s Daughter by Shari J Ryan
The Crystal Beads by Patricia Black Gould
Flat Broke with Two Goats by Jennifer McGaha (audiobook)
Tom Clancy Zero Hour by Don Bentley (a CE review)
The Last Saxon King by Andrew Varga
The Wylder Ghost and Blossom Cherry by Sharon Shipley

Reading Challenges

My challenges continue to be a problem keeping up. I’ll get them all caught up soon—spring planting push now mellow. My challenges for 2022 are all listed and linked in the widget column on the right. You can check out the progress of my challenges by clicking the Reading Challenges page but so far I’m at 45% of the Goodreads Challenge of 180 books at 81.

Spring Challenge

Speaking of challenges, that little Spring Challenge in the Kindle app is progressing, albeit not at full speed.

Have you checked yours out yet? It’s not something you joined, it joined you. Now it says I’m a Silver Reader—40 books. (A Gold Reader is achieved upon reading any 75 days during the Challenge.) Also notes I’ve earned eight of 16 achievements with 30 days remaining in the challenge. Actually, there are several I do not see ever achieving including a non-fiction. It’s been a while. Memoirs don’t count(?).

Book Club and Reading/Listening Update

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is the new club pic. It had just started and I jumped the gun when I saw the audiobook. While it might not have been one I’d have chosen, it turned out to be quite compelling. Of course, it was published last year and achieved an “Amazon Best Book of 2021” designation—and a debut at that!

Soap Box

The NetGalley Shelf continues to be an exasperation. I thought short shelf life applied to food? The audiobooks are rift with blanks (guess I’m supposed to fill in whatever words I want?). I can’t afford to buy the books expired and I try very hard to fulfill the promise to review. Too new to be in the library. Ideas?

Have a rant you’d like to mention? Like the change in the Kindle app and mobi conversions?

June is a big birthday month around here (hubby and son on the same day). Welcome to my new followers and those who continue to read, like, share, and comment. What is this without you? Hope you saw something that piqued your interest above!

Rosepoint Reviews – April Recap—Welcome May! (at last)

Rosepoint Reviews – April Recap

Rosepoint Reviews Recap - April

Finally, the trees are blooming and the tulips and other bulbs have bloomed. Haven’t had a freeze for several nights, but as we’ve been taught, that can turn on a dime.

Still, in my usual early spring exuberance, I started the seeds (indoors). They usually do fine right up until I try to harden them off in preparation for transplanting. I no longer have to start tomatoes—they volunteer now like crazy. The bulbs are blooming in the back flower bed too. The fairy garden is a total winter mess and still WAY too wet to venture down there. Like my son says, not a fairy garden, it’s a swamp. And the squirrel war? I’m losing.

April was a fun month with visitors—our son and his wife, our daughter and her SO, and my granddaughter, her other half, and our great-grandbaby, David, four months. He is WAY too sweet, too cute, and very mellow. It was sure a fun, whirlwind visit, doing the Chicago thing (I’m not a fan), as well as a number of other sites close by. We keep trying to talk them into moving east—closer to our family—but apparently not his.

And, I received the cup that I won in the monthly Giveaway by the author Annabelle Lewis, who wrote and I read and reviewed back in January 2021, Dead Cat Run. I love my new large-capacity cup! And by the way, that book is a hoot. If you missed it, check it out here.

Despite all the excitement, prep, shopping, breakfasts and dinners, we did manage to read or listen to sixteen books in April, most from NetGalley. I’ll be working on that badge all year no doubt, but I’m getting closer with a current count of 448 and my ratio continues to be 95%.

Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander (blogtour)
The Promise of the Pelican by Roy Hoffman (CE review)
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (audiobook)
The Darkest Web by Allison Barton (CE review)
The Art of the Decoy by Trish Esden (blogtour)
Mining for Murder by Mary Angela (blogtour)
A Slow Ruin by Pamela Crane (audiobook)
They will be Coming for Us by Kim Catanzarite (CE review)
Family Money by Chad Zunker (CE review)
A Life for a Life by Carol Wyer
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James (audiobook)
Souvenirs from Kyiv by Chrystyna Lucyk Berger (CE review)
Cold Snap by Marc Cameron (CE review)
The Lost by Jeffrey B Burton
Dark Sky by C J Box (audiobook)
Dark Seas by Jerry Borrowman (CE review)

Reading Challenges

Okay, so I read and reviewed but didn’t get my challenges caught up. Soon come. My challenges for 2022 are all listed and linked in the widget column on the right. You can check out the progress of my challenges by clicking the Reading Challenges page but so far I’m four books ahead on my Goodreads Challenge of 180 books at 63.

Kindle Spring Challenge

Have you noticed this little zinger when you open your Kindle app lately? The challenge, in case you needed another, lists days read, books completed (broken into categories), and mysteries (also broken into categories). I achieved “Voyager.” But there’s more… I just achieved a “Perfect Month” a one-month streak. This was something that I was apparently volunteered for in 2021 and never noticed. Not sure what that’s going to achieve. Maybe an attagirl/boy? Have you noticed it before?

Book Club and Reading/Listening Update

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is winding down. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner will be next and we’re already voting on the one after that. If you’ve read The Lost Apothecary, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Soap Box

Okay, the gurus, in their infinite wisdom have gone through and reformatted most of anything I thought I’d conquered.

Yahoo mail.

Yahoo new email format They’ve been at me for some time to graduate to the “new and improved” or better yet—something I’ll have to pay for–email. Not choosing to do either, the new email as it comes out no longer works on my cell phone leaving my blog posts looking like Twiggy. I mean, really? This was a banner on my computer screen. The pics are ruined and the text is plain. Who wants to open that?

Goodreads

And the sign-in for Goodreads? Changed. Mine changed. Did yours? Did they get together with Yahoo?

And wait.

I finally downloaded several books to the NetGalley Shelf. And before I got to them all-expired? What? Seriously? A time limit on the Shelf books?

Is it truly a conspiracy? Has anyone else had a problem with either of these two innovations? Changes don’t work real well for non-techy seniors.

One more (off the soapbox) observation: Wordle is now heavily messing with my morning wake time. Supposed to be a calm time with my mocha—not frantically trying to find the word before I give up yet another streak (two now!). Remember how I took up Pokémon to see what all the fuss was about? Will I never learn? Are you playing? Are you doing as well as the US VP? 100%?! Gawd! I’m competing against my daughter and daughter-in-law. Yeah—I’m masochistic.

I hope you are all doing well, excited for your own version of spring. Welcome to my new followers and a hardy thank you to those who continue to read, like, share, and comment. I do so appreciate you!!

Chill--It's Sunday