Tag Archives: It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Emmy’s Book is Ready!

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Hi everyone! Today we are joining It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? The kiddy lit version hosted by Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.

I apologize if you are sick of hearing about Emmy’s book. Here is the synopsis: It is about a homeless kitty excited to find a
family, but must first convince them she is not a
skunk. It is loosely based on how the author’s cat,
Emmy came to live with her. ( ages 3-8).

I wish I could afford to give everyone a paperback version, but that is not possible. I have already been in contact with some of you to do reviews and I appreciate your help. I did make a Kindle version and it is available for free from Tuesday-Saturday this week. If anyone has time, I would be very grateful if you could do a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Goodreads.

I have some copies available for sale for $10 which includes shipping in the USA. If you want to purchase one please let me know in the comments and I will contact you. I will be having a giveaway on here soon and one on Goodreads too. Emmy and I thank you for your support.

Kindle

paperback

We are also joining Comedy Plus’ Awww..Mondays. We hope I Am Not a Skunk will make you say awww….

And we are on the letter M for The A-Z Blogging Challenge. M is for military discount. If you or your spouse is or was in the military, you should ask if your vet clinic offers a military discount. You deserve it 🙂

Grateful American

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

I just completed Grateful American by Gary Sinise. It was fantastic!

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

I haven’t seen a lot of Gary Sinise’s work, but what I have seen was excellent. I know he was the lead in CSI: New York for several years, but I never watched it. I did see Forrest Gump though ( is there anyone who has not seen it? ). As you all know, he played Lieutenant Dan. Little did he know when he played that role, it would set a course for his life.

Gary Sinise was already familiar with the plight of Vietnam vets, his brother-in-law was one. He also went through rigorous training to play that role. Once Forrest Gump was released, Lt. Dan became a symbol for vets. He received letters and was approached by many to praise him on the accuracy of his portrayal in the role. After that, he started to go to VA hospitals to meet injured soldiers. That snowballed into his band going overseas to entertain vets and he is now considered a modern-day Bob Hope. He is truly grateful to the soldiers who keep us safe.

I was amazed to read about all the humanitarian work he does. He helps raise funds to build smart homes for severely injured soldiers. His foundation has also helped children in war-torn countries by supplying them with school supplies. The list of things he has done is endless.

This memoir also included very personal details of his life. I admire his honesty at telling his wife’s battle with alcohol and how it affected his children. I enjoyed reading about how he started his acting career in high school and moved on the theater in Chicago. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes memoirs, especially grateful Americans.

I enjoyed the book so much that I want to share. I am going to give it away, I can only afford to mail it within the US though. If you want to enter for a chance to win it, let me know in the comment section before Wednesday at 9PM (EST).

I review for BookLook Bloggers

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

As most of you know Lent began last Wednesday. I decided to read Whispers of Rest: 40 Days of God’s Love to Revitalize Your Soul by Bonnie Gray. There are 7-8 pages to read each day that include a scripture, a prayer, questions to think about and ideas to expand on each day. Some ideas include journaling and taking photos.

I am joining another hop that just started at CactusCatz called Sabi Saturday. I am late this week, but I was so excited that I figured better late than never. In the hop, we will show something we have found and rescued or repurposed, etc. You can read about it in full by clicking here.

I think most will put items they have rescued and I will eventually, but today I am showing you Emmy. I found her outside and kept her. Actually, I could show you a photo of almost every one of my cats because that is how most joined our family. I hope some of you will want to join in the new hop.

Penny is getting bumped tomorrow so I can tell you about Millie’s Basepaws results that finally came in.

 

The Golden Thread

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

The Golden Thread: Experiencing God’s Presence in Every Season of Life by Darlene Zschech is an inspirational read for anyone going through a tough time.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

For those that are not familiar with the author, she is an Australian pastor, composer and writer. She is also a wife, mother, grandmother and cancer survivor. Using her life experience, she explains seasons of life and how to live a full life during any season.

This book is very heavy on quoting scripture. It would be perfect for a Bible study group. I am a big fan of The Bible, but I was hoping for something unique instead of a rehashing of what I am already familiar with. She refers to Queen Esther several times and how she stood up for her people. I have read about her in many other books too.

Despite my complaint above, I did find some chapters useful. For example chapter 11 was about the Holy Spirit and how we should welcome him into our lives. She also reminds us that prayer is not about telling God what we need because he already knows. We should ask what God wants in our lives.

I recommend this book to anyone looking to grow in their faith. And as I wrote earlier, it would be perfect for Bible study groups. It would also be a nice book to read during the Lenten season which starts next month. It is available on Amazon, click here.

I review for BookLook Bloggers

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

  I just finished Between Two Worlds by Tyler Henry. As many of you know, I am a fan of Theresa Caputo, The Long Island Medium. Click here to read my post about her.  I had never heard of Tyler Henry until I saw his book at Barnes and Noble. I like to go in there and make a list of books to get from the library ( I am cheap).

I believe some do have the gift of communicating with those that have passed. He seems like the real deal to me just like Theresa. He first started getting visions when he was 10 years old and has become more focused with time. I watched an episode of his show on E ( Hollywood Medium) and was impressed. My hubby laughs at these shows when I watch them. I told him that I need to believe these are true. I believe in God, but I like knowing our loved ones are with us always.

Two nights after Tallulah went to The Bridge, some of my cats kept looking behind me on the couch. I kept turning around and not seeing anything so I hoped it was her spirit. Then I spotted a ladybug. In Tyler;s book, he writes of seeing a ladybug at his Grandmother’s funeral and knowing it was a sign from her. Reading that reassured me that my ladybug was a sign from Tallulah.

Penny will be here with her tips tomorrow and to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Mewsic and More Monday

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Mewsic Moves Me (hosted by Curious as a Cathy,Xmas Dolly, JAmerican Spice and Stacy Uncorked.) The theme for this week s the word shadow in the title.

I immediately thought of Moon Shadow. I remember Mandy Moore singing it on This is Us so I looked for a video, unfortunately it only shows her signing for the last 30 seconds of the clip, but fans of the show will enjoy the whole thing.

And here is a video of her singing the entire song-

And Joanie is posing with our book choices of the week.We are joining Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

Thanks A Thousand : A Gratitude Journey by A.J.Jacobs is a short book with only about 100 pages to read and several pages of credits at the end. I am a fan of the author’s work and how he immerses himself in a subject. This time he wants to thank everyone that makes his morning cup of coffee possible. Amazingly, that is around 1,000 people. I never put that much thought into all that is involved in buying a cup of coffee. He even goes to the place where the beans were sourced from. Others thanked including the inventor of the plastic top on to-go cups, truck drivers,the barista and so many more. An interesting little read.

Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey by Mark Dery is one i just started reading. I am not familiar with his work, but he was an illustrator and writer. I decided to read it because he had 6 cats so I immediately decided he was wonderful. He also owned 20,000 books. Sounds like a cool guy.

And in other news, Gremmie got some new clothes.

I bought this garland on clearance at Michael’s and pulled the clothes off for him. The doubles will go to The Great One for her dolls.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

I have been reading a lot lately. Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life by Gisele Bündchen was surprisingly good. I am not even sure why I chose to read it. I tend to dislike gorgeous supermodels ( jealousy).  She is a very kind woman and wonderful mother. Being that she is only 38 years old, I am surprised at how wise she is already.

Live Long and…What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner with David Fisher is also a good read. My hubby is the real Trekkie around here, but he doesn’t care for memoirs so I thought I would give it a try. I have read some of his other books too and always enjoyed them. He shares a lot of what he has learned in life with stories of how he learned it.

One Heart at a Time by Delilah was also really interesting.  If you have ever listened to the radio at night, you must have heard her radio show. I don’t usually listen to the radio at night, but over the years, I have heard her show. I had no idea she had so many children, most adopted. I also had no idea she had lost one to sickle cell anemia and one to suicide. She also has an incredible foundation that helps people in Africa. When I read about someone so dedicated, it makes me feel like I have wasted my life, but it also motivates me to want to do something-just not sure what yet.

I apologize for all the bold print above, I couldn’t get it to go away.  Joanie hopes she is awww…worthy  posing with some of the books.

 

 

The Year of Living Happily

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Hi everyone! We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? 

The Year of Living Happily Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World by Alli Worthington is a wonderful guide to help find your way to happiness.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free as part of The Book Look Bloggers book review program. I am not required to write a positive review, all opinions are my own.

 

KaTwo is my book model.

I had never heard of Alli Worthington. Apparently I have been hiding my head in the litter box once again. She has written two other successful books prior to this one. She also hosts a weekly podcast. On top of all that, she is a very involved mom to 5 boys.

The Year of Living Happy is an easy read. There are 100 “lessons” in it. Each is a page and a half long and includes a quote from The Bible. At the end of the page is a question to get you thinking of how this lesson applies to your life. There is space to record your answer and use it as a journal too.

For example, she quotes scripture, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” She then tells us to write down the fruit we want to see in our heart and life. On another page, she wants us to think of something perfectly imperfect in our life right now.

Most of these are simple lessons we have all heard before, but tend to forget. There are several lessons reminding us to be thankful and forgiving. She also suggests relaxing, recharging our batteries, breathing deeply and simple ideas we are often to busy to think about.

I think this would be a great gift for any woman ( sorry guys, this one is geared for women) in your life that needs to slow down. It is a beautiful book/journal with a pretty ribbon book mark built-in. There is also a spot in the front of the book with a presented to -from-date which would really personalize your gift.

My only complaint was a typo I found. The word quiet was spelled quit. I know that is not a big deal, but I expect more of a larger publisher.

I review for BookLook Bloggers

 

 

 

 

 

The Purrfect Gift for Kids

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Hi everyone! Today we are joining It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading? The kiddy lit version hosted by Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.

I apologize if you are sick of reading about Prancie’s Prayer. I want to thank everyone who has purchased it and/or written a review. I was thrilled when I check my publisher’s home page and saw it listed as a best seller for October. Click here.

As most of you know, it is a children’s ( ages 3-7) picture book set at Christmastime. It is based on how our cat Prancie joined our family. She really did appear at our outdoor nativity. I always tell people she went to Jesus for help.

I started blogging because I wanted to help cats by sharing knowledge I have learned from living with them. I also hoped to make money blogging so I could donate to rescue groups. I will admit that I have not made much blogging, I have only had 2 paid posts in over four years of blogging.. I have decided to donate all my royalties from October-December to Boston’s Forgotten Felines. I get just under $2 on every book sold ( except those purchased through me).

I chose this Boston’s Forgotten Felines because I have been following on of the volunteers, Joni Nelson, on Facebook for years. She is out at 3 AM daily feeding ferals in Boston. Many people treat her badly and try to poison the cats. Many of the cats are friendly and not actually feral, she tries to rescue them and find them homes, but there are so many. Boston gets very cold in the winter and I wish they had a place they could bring them inside , but all they can do is make shelters for them and feed them.

Here are the links to places you can purchase Prancie’s Prayer. Please share this post and help spread the word.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

We are also joining Comedy Plus’ Awww..Mondays. I hope Prancie’s Prayer will make you say Awww..

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

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We are joining Comedy Plus’ Awww….Mondays and Book Date’s It’s Monday What are YOU Reading?

I just finished reading Ghostbuster’s Daughter by Violet Ramis Stiehl. Sounds like Harold Ramis was a good father to the author. I was disappointed to read about what a pot head he was though. I also would have preferred to not know about her parents open marriage.

I am currently reading Cats and Daughters They Don’t Always Come When Called by Helen Brown. I was enjoying it up until she wrote of leaving for a wedding. Her son left his cat at her house and had never met the resident cat. They just tossed them together and left. I found that incredibly stupid and dangerous for the cats.

Trouble says hello. I think she is part bat.