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Book Review – Bound by Ice: A True North Pole Survival Story by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace | Book Club Mom
Bound by IcebySandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace I checked this captivating eBook out from the library, not realizing it was a middle grade book, but I think it can be enjoyed by all ages! The authors depict the 1879 voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette to the North Pole, in a quest to be the…
Today on YouTube: Playing Piano and Feeling Emotional | Book Club Mom
Hey Everyone, I'm over on YouTube playing the piano and talking about how emotional I feel when I play this song! It's a short video (about 5 minutes) - I hope you'll have a chance to stop by! https://youtu.be/EK35YPFb9z8 Thanks for visiting - come back soon!
From the archives: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown | Book Club Mom
The Weird SistersbyEleanor Brown I recently stumbled upon this old review of The Weird Sisters and remembered how much I liked it, so I thought I'd share it again. I read it back in 2013 for my book club and I've updated this post a bit to fill in some details about the book, including…
Sharing Shorts (on YouTube) May 2024 | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone, Here's a new batch of shorts from my YouTube channel. What are Shorts? Shorts are 30-second (or shorter!) videos, kind of like stories on Instagram, but they don’t go away after 24 hours. You don't need a YouTube account to watch them. Little frogBig frogSheep and wool day at the farmFarm animalsMore goatsGoatGoats…
Reading update – catching up on reviews | Book Club Mom
I don’t know what happened, but I’ve let my book reviews slip and now I’ve read three books without properly reviewing them. So, to get back on schedule, here are quick reviews of books I’ve recently enjoyed: Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten ★★★★ This was a free book on Amazon Prime. I’d never heard…
On YouTube: Talking honestly about blogging | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone, I'm over on YouTube talking honestly about blogging. I hope you'll have the chance to stop by! What's going on with my blog? What's it like after blogging for almost 11 years? Blog slumps, blog stats, blogging friends, making time for life, hobbies, work, and everything else. https://youtu.be/yqJ_C7SLzfs Thanks for visiting - come…
Who’s That Indie Author? John Howell | Book Club Mom
John Howell Name: John W. Howell Book Title: The Last Drive Genre: Religious fiction Tell us about yourself: I have been working in organized commerce for 45 years. I retired in 2012 to begin writing. I am married and live in Texas with my wife and rescue French Bulldog Twiggy. Tell us about your writing…
I traveled 3,877 miles for my Author Chat with Darlene Foster! | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone, Today on YouTube I'm talking to Darlene Foster, author of the middle-grade Amanda Travels series. We're talking about writing, travel, growing up on a prairie and lots more! I hope you'll stop by to learn more about her books! https://youtu.be/wqkfIlAG_3A Thanks for visiting - come back soon!
It’s time for this year’s reading assessment! How well read are you? Re-take this quiz, or take it for the first time! | Book Club Mom
Here's a link to a quiz that tells you how well read you are. I've taken it every year for the past four years and have shared it on my blog. I thought I had saved my scores from previous years, but now I can't find them. I think I did a little better this…
Book Review: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain | Book Club Mom
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary UnderbellybyAnthony Bourdain ★★★★★ Although I’d been wanting to read Kitchen Confidential for a while, I also felt a little hesitant. First published in 2000, it’s both memoir and a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant business and Bourdain’s experiences, from cook at a seafood restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts to executive…
The eternal appeal of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | Book Club Mom
I’ve been thinking about re-reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. What a classic! The last time I read it was in 2014, when one of my kids had to read it for a high school class. I was happy to read it again because I got so much more out of it than the first…
I recently went down the rabbit hole and found these Needlework Cozy Mysteries! | Book Club Mom
We all know about mysteries and you’ve probably heard about cozy mysteries, but what are they exactly? Cozy mysteries are a sub-genre of crime fiction with the following defining features. They are a softer stories, without explicit sex or violence and only mild profanity. You might describe them as cute. They take place in a…
Who’s That Indie Author? Jeanne “J.” Elmore | Book Club Mom
Jeanne "J." Elmore Name: Jeanne "J." Elmore Book Titles: The Devil Drives a Black Volga, My Very Own Renaissance (in progress) Genre: Gothic Poetry and Short Fiction Tell us about yourself: Aside from writing, I love cooking, learning languages, and exploring the city. I speak English, Russian, and Mandarin somewhat fluently, and I am studying…
Book Review: Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman | Book Club Mom
Spider Woman’s DaughterbyAnne Hillerman You might know about the award-winning mystery writer Tony Hillerman (1925-2008) who wrote thirty novels, including eighteen books about Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. These stories were typically set in the Four Corners area of New Mexico and Arizona and included a rich portrayal of landscape and…
Who’s That Indie Author? Richard L Pastore | Book Club Mom
Richard L. Pastore Name: Richard L Pastore Book Titles: The Devil and the Wolf and Perseus Kills His Grandfather Genre: Comedy/Fantasy Tell us about yourself: I've retired from the corporate world and going through a zero-stress process of adjustment - meaning, I haven't settled into any particular routine or significant focus. My career included Cognitive…
Blog views and other obsessions – Twitter/X’s “Nothing to see here – yet” message | Book Club Mom
I’ve always liked having my Tweets/Posts displayed in a sidebar on my free WordPress blog, but about a year ago, this is what happened: So I removed the widget, kind of annoyed because I discovered that Twitter/X doesn’t support this feature for free anymore. But I can’t get it out of my mind because sometimes…
Book Review: The Last Word by Taylor Adams | Book Club Mom
The Last WordbyTaylor Adams ★★★ There’s something irresistible about the anticipation of diving into an atmospheric suspense novel. I like the thrilling escape it provides so I downloaded The Last Word. I recognized the author because I have No Exit calling to me from my bookshelf. I knew that was a popular one, so I…
Book Review: The Wager – A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann | Book Club Mom
The WagerA Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murderby David Grann ★★★★★ I’ve always loved a good sea-faring tale. And I already knew David Grann was an excellent writer (read my review of Killers of the Flower Moon here), so I dove into The Wager, knowing little about the ship or the story behind it, just…
Who’s That Indie Author? Jonathan Faia | Book Club Mom
Jonathan Faia Name: Jonathan Faia Book Title: Love Letters From Barstow Genre: Poetry Tell us about yourself: My name is Jonathan Faia and I'm the author of the books, Wylde Serenity and most recently, Love Letters From Barstow. I was born in Southern California and spent my early years developing my love for reading and…
Today on YouTube – Blind Date with a Book review of An Elderly Lady Is up to No Good by Helene Tursten | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone, I just finished reading An Elderly Lady Is up to No Good by Helene Tursten and I can't wait to tell you about it! https://youtu.be/KkbG13ZkvwU Thanks for visiting - come back soon!
In case you missed them! Jan-Feb 2024 Posts | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone, I hope you're all doing well! In case you've missed them, here are my posts from January and February. BOOK REVIEWS Tom Lake by Ann Patchett4-star family drama, set during Covid A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara3-star tome, engrossing drama, but depressing First Line Wins by Ashley Elston3.5-star clever mystery, not really a…
Promoting Self-Published Books – check out this post from Books and Bakes1! | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone - I wanted to share this post from one of my favorite bloggers, Books and Bakes1. She always has something fun and interesting going on. Here's a new book subscription service she discovered for self-published books! And be sure to take a look at her blog - it's a favorite of mine! Photo…
Book Club Mom’s Author Update: News from Alethea Kehas | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone! Today Alethea Kehas is sharing news about her new book, Keys to the Heart, the second book in her Warriors of Light series for middle-grade readers. Alethea Kehas Author name: Alethea Kehas Genre: Middle-Grade (metaphysical) Fantasy Book title: Keys to the Heart, book 2 in the Warriors of Light series News: It was…
Book Review: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney | Book Club Mom
Rock Paper ScissorsbyAlice Feeney Wow, I haven’t read a book with this many satisfying twists in a long time! Rock Paper Scissors is a clever mystery about a couple whose marriage is in big trouble. We first meet Adam and Amelia and their dog, Bob in 2020 as they travel by car from London to…
Short story review of “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck | Book Club Mom
“The Chrysanthemums”byJohn Steinbeck Here’s a powerful story written in 1938 and set in the Salinas Valley in California. It’s about Elisa Allen, a thirty-five-year-old farmer’s wife. She’s young and strong, but feels misunderstood and alone in her life. A short dialogue with her husband, Henry, reveals a marriage that is cordial but passionless. Elisa’s love for cultivating chrysanthemums…
Who’s That Indie Author? Joy Neal Kidney | Book Club Mom
Joy Neal Kidney Name: Joy Neal Kidney Book Titles:Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War IILeora's Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great DepressionLeora's Early Years: Guthrie County RootsWhat Leora Never Knew: A Granddaughter's Quest for Answers Genre: narrative nonfiction Tell us about yourself: I’m the…
Grammar check – login or log in? | Book Club Mom
I recently wondered what the difference was between login and log in. Here's the answer! This is what Grammarist.com says: Login, spelled as one word, is only a noun or an adjective. For example, the information you use to sign in to your email is your login (noun), and the page where you sign in is the login…
Book Review: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray | Book Club Mom
The Bee StingbyPaul Murray (3 stars for the finish - read why) I dove into another long book last week and just finished this morning. At 658 pages, The Bee Sting checks all the boxes of a great long book. It churns through a family’s story and hurtles to a finish that will no doubt…
Book Club Mom’s Author Update: News from Grace Blair | Book Club Mom
Hi Everyone! Grace Blair recently shared news about her current and Science Fiction, Fantasy and Historical Fiction projects. Grace Blair Author name: Grace Blair Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction Book title: Poseidon's Atlantis Adventure—The Human Hybrid Experiment News: Poseidon's Atlantis Adventure Series. The first book, Poseidon's Atlantis Adventure: The Human Hybrid Experiment, is now…
Book Review: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston | Book Club Mom
First Lie WinsbyAshley Elston I did not know about First Lie Wins, but I was instantly attracted to the cover. This style, with a house at night and someone looking out gets me every time! In addition, I’ve read a few books from Reese’s Book Club selections and I felt like this would be an…
Who’s That Indie Author? Joseph Hallett | Book Club Mom
Joseph Hallett Name: Joseph Hallett Book Title: Emergence Ascended Genre: Science Fiction/Magical Realism Tell us about yourself: I am 51 years old living in the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy the outdoors, camping hiking. I enjoy most music (closet Swifty) but I tend toward rock and metal. Tell us about your writing career. When did you…
All-time most popular post: “House of Flowers” by Truman Capote | Book Club Mom
I’m not sure why this has become my most popular post, but it has. With more than 11 thousand views, I’m glad, but a little embarrassed by this stat, because I read the short story at random back in 2014 and didn’t think more than a few people would read it. I’m thinking that high…
Book Review: Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict | Book Club Mom
Carnegie's MaidbyMarie Benedict ★★★★ I’ve always been interested in 19th Century American historical fiction, especially the growth in industry and technology during the second half of the century. Set in Pittsburgh in 1868 and flashing back to 1863, we meet Clara Kelley, a fictional character who becomes a maid for the Carnegie family. Clara, a…
I’m looking for indie, self-published and hybrid authors – is that you? | Book Club Mom
Are you an indie, self-published or hybrid author looking for a way to tell the world about your books? Who’s That Indie Author is a great way to introduce yourself to readers. It’s also an opportunity to connect with bloggers and expand your network through connections on WordPress and social media. I have a new…
Six books in my future – Today I went on a bit of a book-buying binge | Book Club Mom
Today I went on a bit of a book-buying binge. That is unusual for me because I usually borrow books from the library. But...there’s something exciting about having some new books waiting for me when I’m ready. For me, though, it’s a balance because I don’t want those books nagging me to read them and…