Some Favorite Books This Week!

I’ve been having a tough time keeping up with both the reading AND posting here. While I get it all sorted out, I thought I could at least post the review links to Amazon here, so you can read them there!

By the way, the first book on the top line above is my own cookbook with recipes for side dishes you can make ahead for the holidays. I actually wrote this book and tested the recipes when I worked nightshift at a local hospital. If I can find time to cook ahead as a busy nurse, you can, too! Check out the book if you’d like to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family…and not be so stuck in the kitchen when everyone else is having fun!

The second book on the top line is also my cookbook. It has over 50 tried-and-true family-favorite Christmas cookies from home bakers all over the US and Canada… and even a few from Sweden. They were gathered when I ran recipe mailing lists at the turn of century.

Note: I am listing reviews as I do them each day. Sometimes, Amazon takes days or even a week or more to approve these reviews, so you will see a lag between when I list reviews and when a link is available. The longest I had to wait was 3.5 weeks!

Note about Goodreads and BookBub Reviews Linked Below

Sometimes, you’ll see me link to my review at Goodreads or BookBub. That’s usually because I’m having some sort of issue with Amazon: they’re taking waaaaay too long to post the review or they’ve rejected the review because they say it isn’t up to “community standards.” They are never specific… and just ask me to review the community standards page. I wish they would be specific… so I can avoid whatever it is they don’t like. Most “rejected” reviews are rather tame; some are even 5 stars. I’ve noted that some words seem to trigger it, like boring or transitioning. Hey, sometimes things just ARE boring, and it is much more succinct to say that than “visually unappealing” when talking backgrounds in children’s activity books! Others completely leave me scratching my head about what might be “wrong” with the review.

Hope that life becomes a little more sane so I can post my full reviews here soon!

Fiction

Historical Romance

Baxter by Marilize Roos
Garden of Dreams by Daphne Bloom
Love’s Sorrow by Lynn Burke/Terri
Scandal Meets Its Match by Merry Farmer
The Taming of a Wicked Rogue by Samantha Holt
The Land Steward’s Daughter by Becky Michaels
Angel of Mercy by Melina Druga
Unexpected Mr. Darcy by Clara Winfield
One Last Chance by Emma Connor/Diana Bold

Contemporary Romance

Marrying Mr. Darcy by Kate O’Keeffe
All of You by Marianne Rice

Christmas Romance

Festivities & Felines by Kira Nyte and 2 other authors
Twelve Days of Kisses by The New Romance Cafe
A Winter Romance by The New Romance Cafe
The Horsepower of the Holiday by Liz Isaacson
Christmas as Holly Berry Inn by Emily Childs
A Christmas Proposal by River Ford
The Christmas Foundling by Martha Keyes

Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers

A Stitch of Magic by Lucy May

Speculative Fiction

The Chase Series Box Set by Annabel Bright
Bright Spear Trilogy Box Set by H. L. MacFarlane
Planet Kenursh Series 1 Box Set by Annabel Bright
The Almost Queen by Laura Greenwood
Chased by Time by Rae Stapleton

Chick Lit / Women’s Literature / Literary Fiction

A Lover’s Discourse by Xiaolu Guo

Children’s Fiction

The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler
Slow Moe by Deborah Kerbel

Nonfiction

General

Crazy Stuff Dictators Do by Bill O’Neill
Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners, Volume 2 by Isabel Navarro
Italian Short Stories for Beginners, Volume 2 by Lingo Mastery
Building Muscle for Beginners by Baz Thompson
Fat by Hanne Blank
Sacred Knots by Lise Silva Gomes
Live Your Dream Writing Life by Just Writerly Things
Easy Peasy Crops in Pots by Landan B.

Health, Wellness, & Medicine

Pancreatitis Diet Cookbook by Richard Smith Johnson
6 Optimal Steps for Detoxification & Reset by Pureture, HHP
Natural Remedies: 4 in 1 Bundle: Your Ultimate Wellness Guides: Epsom Salt, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ashwagandha & Ayurveda Essential Oils (Holistic Health) by Elena Garcia

Self-Help & Spiritual