Friday Fun - August 7, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with four different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, First Line Friday, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm starting The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White. 

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White:

"White gloves tugged into place, Kennedy Marshall reached for the treasure before her-old leather, careful gilding, delicate paper."

I really wanted to know what kind of treasure this was and why she had it, where she found it, etc.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Anne from My Head is Full of Books. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White:

"He searched his emails and texts from her - and wow, there were a lot. He hadn't really paused to realize that he communicated more with Kenni than anyone else. His search turned up nothing. But he swore he'd seen photos. And Britta had gone too, hadn't she? A couple months before that last trip - she and Lara had driven up together."

Book Blogger Hop.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: Do you see yourself more as an editor, a writer, or just a reader?

My answer:  Definitely more of a reader. I have tried writing books (notice how I added "and write" to my blog name?) I have always dreamed of writing a book, but I tend to be able to get them started but not make much progress in them. I feel so bad for my characters who are stuck in different predicaments.

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun. I'm almost done reading it, but not quite. I will share my review next week.

I finished the last book I had shared about a few weeks ago, so here is my review of that book:

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard

Friday Fun - July 31, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with four different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, First Line Friday, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm starting Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer. 

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer:

"The subway car hissed to a stop, and Callum found himself jostled to and fro by those hurrying to exit while others hurried to board."

Just a normal day on a subway in NYC, though decades earlier than when I lived there. Though I wondered if it was leading to more frantic times.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Anne from My Head is Full of Books. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer:

"In spite of the unexpectedly stressful challenges of bringing three children into her household, walking Guy and Evelyn to school on a crisp, clear spring morning was a dream-come-true moment Hester would cherish for the rest of her life. She'd left Winnie in Scotty's keeping, uncertain how long it would take to complete enrollment. It seemed odd not to have all three children in tow, and the feeling told her that her heart was already binding itself to them."

Book Blogger Hop

I'm joining in with a fun blog hop I recently discovered.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: If you had to stick to one genre forever, which would you choose and why?

My answer: That is such a tricky, unfair question. I have come to love so many genres through reading challenges and being on launch teams. Being willing to try new things. But, I guess I would have to go back to what my favorite used to be, Christian Suspense. It could be romantic or not, historical or modern day, but I do love the way suspense keeps me on the edge of my seat and zinging through the pages. 

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun. Here's my review:

Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer

I still have one book to finish that I shared about a couple of weeks ago. I had set it aside to read Into a Golden Era, so I'm only about halfway through. I'll be sharing my review in next week's Friday Fun post.

Friday Fun - July 24, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with four different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, First Line Friday, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have three books to share with you.

I'm reading Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer. I should be reading ARCs, but I've waited too long for this newest book in the Timeless series, and when I saw that it was available through my library system, I decided I wanted to read it real quick. 

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer:

"I needed help, and I didn't have much time."

What kind of help did she need? What was wrong?

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Anne from My Head is Full of Books. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Into a Golden Era by Gabrielle Meyer:

"A corner of his mouth came up as he regarded me, as it seeing me for the first time. 'You're not intimidated by me, are you?'

I frowned. 'Why would I be?'

'Because I'm famous and handsome and dangerous.' He said the last word in a lower tone and lifted his eyebrow playfully, though I could see pain behind his gaze."

Book Blogger Hop

I'm joining in with a fun blog hop I discovered a couple of weeks ago.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: What's the fastest or slowest you've ever finished a book?

My answer: I know I have finished books in less than a day, but I couldn't tell you how many hours. I also read books of varying lengths, so it's tricky to know for sure. 

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

Last week I shared three book in my Friday Fun. Here are my reviews of two of the books. I still have to finish the third book:

Trapped by Jerusha Agen

The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White

Friday Fun - July 17, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with four different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, First Line Friday, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have three books to share with you.

I read Trapped by Jerusha Agen. This is the second book in her Security League series and it releases on July 23rd.

I'm reading When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard. This is the first book in her new Mercy Ridge series which releases August 4th.

I also started The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White. I was going to wait to start this one, but I was having issues with my Kindle file for the above book.

        Book Beginnings on Friday    

 

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Trapped by Jerusha Agen:

"Could she fight to the death?"

Why was she worried about needing to fight to the death?? I needed to know. This line really drew me into this book.

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard:

"Secrets can't stay buried forever."

I guess that is true. The truth will be revealed. I wondered what kind of secrets this was talking about.

The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White:

"Zelie Bellarose shuffled another step forward, careful not to look at the two Nazi soldiers at the head of the queue."

I would want to avoid eye contact as well, but I wondered where exactly she was going and what she was trying to hide.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Anne from My Head is Full of Books. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Trapped by Jerusha Agen:

"An uneasy feeling replaced the brief moment of comfort as Kristen walked to Best You Boutique. Despite the warm, humid air, a shiver skimmed across her arms beneath the short sleeves of her blouse. She scanned ahead, then right and left. 

Maybe it was just the sensation of the cop in the squad car watching her. He could probably see her from behind right now. And that was a good thing.

Her knotted insides disagreed."

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard:

"Lord, what do we do next? Where do we go from here? He'd sent his brother, Holt, a message, so at least someone would know, but he hadn't told Mom the details. He hadn't wanted her caught up in this, hadn't wanted her worried, or worse, in danger. Now, though, regret gnawed at him. Now he wished he hadn't involved the sheriff or the town in this either. A cold weight settled in his chest. He could die on this mountain. They could both die."

The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White:

"Her spine went even straighter. 'I beg your pardon. I never once said I was a man. If your superiors cannot fathom a woman being capable of the work I've done, then perhaps the fault is with their imagination and not with my gender..'

Henri grinned."

Book Blogger Hop

I'm joining in with a fun blog hop I discovered last week.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: Do you read one book at a time, or juggle a few at once?

My answer: Funnily enough I was just commenting about this in a Facebook group. I will try starting two or maybe three books. However, one will tend to capture my attention more than the other(s) and I end up finishing that book before going back to the other(s). So, I guess I technically only read one book at a time these days.

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun. Here's my review:

Survival in the Mountains by Carrie Stuart Parks

And here is my review for the first book I shared above:

Trapped by Jerusha Agen

Friday Fun November 19, 2010

Jennifer over at Crazy for Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop.  I haven't been posting very regularly on my book blog, have reviews waiting to be posted, but thought I would join in again this week.  Here are the rules:

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1.  Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below

In your link, please state the main genre that you review:  eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc.

Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic!  The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre.  I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy!  Thank you!

Example:  Crazy-for-Books (eclectic adult fiction) 

NOTE:   You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us! 

2. Post about the Hop on your blog.  Spread the word about the book party!  The more the merrier!  In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).  If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!  Thanks!

 "Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

3.  Visit other blogs in the Linky List!  Make new friends!  Follow new book bloggers!  Talk about books!  Rave about authors!  Take the time to make a quality visit!  Check out other posts and content, make a new friend!  Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them!  No spamming please!  (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)


And just as an FYI - this event is not something you should feel that you have to participate in every week.  If you want to join in and link up once a month, GREAT!  It's up to you how often you participate!

So, have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!

To answer this week's question, I am so thankful for the family the Lord has blessed me with.  I still feel it was the Lord's leading that led me to my husband and gave me the chance for a fresh start after my divorce which was 10 years ago now.  I have 3 teenage children and 4 step children.  And I have 3 young children when I thought I would never again have the chance of having children again. I am so thankful for each of my girls (all under age 4). In each life (from conception) I have had different opportunities to see the Lord's leading, loving guidance and his almighty hand. I am so thankful for the way he has provided for us.


We really haven't established any Thanksgiving traditions yet.  We watch the Macy's parade on TV (something I grew up going to as I grew up in Queens NY).  We make a meal, but so far each year there has been a different menu.  We don't really get together with any family, mostly because of my husband's work schedule as an LPN working 12 hour night shifts.  Even if he has Thanksgiving off, he still was working the day before and needs his sleep.

Now onto The Friday 56, hosted by Freda over at Freda's Voice

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the any sentence that grabs you.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blogor (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My Friday 56 comes from Eye of the Beholder by Kathy Herman. This series by Kathy Herman follows the Baxter series I was reading over the summer. 

"'..The Hamilton's are nice people.  I'm glad they decided not to prosecute.'  Billy stared at him blankly. ' I do not know that word.'"

My second Friday 56 comes from Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer because I am once again obsessed and finding it hard to put this series down (for the third time in less than a year).

"I gritted my teeth together so I wouldn't start shouting.  I didn't want to fight with Edward too."

I just discovered another Friday meme over at A Few More Pages called:





How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you feel so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be here at A Few More Pages every Friday.

So...from Eye of the Beholder by Kathy Herman:
"The tires squealed on Owen Jones's black Jaguar convertible as he turned on Half Moon Drive ad again on Barefoot Trace."
Okay, so why was he squealing tires? And should I know who this character is?  (This is the second book in the series)  The second line mentions a father son talk, so I realize I know the father from the first book.  What is going on that is frustrating Owen so much?

And from Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer:
From the Preface: "All our attempts at subterfuge had been in vain."
Knowing from the previous books that the preface holds a glimpse of a scene from with in the book I have a sense of dread and wonder what has gone wrong. Also wonder who they have been deceiving. The Volturi? The werewolves? Someone else? There is just that feeling of suspense that really got me into this book.

Friday Fun November 12, 2010

Jennifer over at Crazy for Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop.  I haven't been posting very regularly on my book blog, have reviews waiting to be posted, but thought I would join in again this week.  Here are the rules:

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1.  Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below

In your link, please state the main genre that you review:  eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc.

Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic!  The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre.  I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy!  Thank you!

Example:  Crazy-for-Books (eclectic adult fiction) 

NOTE:   You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us! 

2. Post about the Hop on your blog.  Spread the word about the book party!  The more the merrier!  In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).  If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!  Thanks!

This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at All About YA Books:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

3.  Visit other blogs in the Linky List!  Make new friends!  Follow new book bloggers!  Talk about books!  Rave about authors!  Take the time to make a quality visit!  Check out other posts and content, make a new friend!  Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them!  No spamming please!  (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)


And just as an FYI - this event is not something you should feel that you have to participate in every week.  If you want to join in and link up once a month, GREAT!  It's up to you how often you participate!

So, have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!

To answer this week's question, YES I most definitely start a series with the first book.  Years ago I read the Dragon Lance books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.  I read the Legends trilogy first.  I was shocked when I discovered that the Chronicles series took place first.  There was so much I understood better after reading Chronicles.  At the same time, because I had read Legends first, I knew things that I should not have known about the future of these characters.  Ever since then I am so careful to read series in order.

Now onto The Friday 56, hosted by Freda over at Freda's Voice

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the any sentence that grabs you.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blogor (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My Friday 56 comes from Thanksgiving: The True Story by Penny Colman. It is a book I discovered at the library last week after Story Time while I was looking for Thanksgiving stories to share with the children.  

"Telegrams and letters poured into the White House.  How dare he change the 'hallowed traditional' date!  What would happen to all the traditional Thanksgiving Day football games?"


I was not aware that the Friday 56 is now hosted by Freda, so I was still playing by the old rules (having not linked up in several weeks) so my quote was from the fifth and surrounding sentences as I used to do.

On to Friday Finds hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS! 

The only book I have discovered this week is the above mentioned book.  I am only on page 48 and I have discovered so much about Thanksgiving that I was unaware of.  There is a chart included toward the beginning of the book that shows different claims for the first Thanksgiving.  There were many days of Thanksgiving proclaimed throughout the years way back in colonial times, but an annual National day of Thanksgiving took a while to be recognized.

Friday Fun October 22, 2010

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1.  Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below

In your link, please state the main genre that you review:  eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc.

Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic!  The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre.  I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy!  Thank you!

Example:  Crazy-for-Books (adult fiction) 

NOTE:   You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us!

2. Post about the Hop on your blog.  Spread the word about the book party!  The more the merrier!  In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).  If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!  Thanks!

This week's question comes from Becky who blogs at Becky's Barmy Book Blog:

"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

3.  Visit other blogs in the Linky List!  Make new friends!  Follow new book bloggers!  Talk about books!  Rave about authors!  Take the time to make a quality visit!  Check out other posts and content, make a new friend!  Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them!  No spamming please!  (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

My answer:

I love to read sitting on the couch.  The answer used to be in bed to get to sleep.  But with the baby in the room I can't have the light on to read.  I read in the car and in the bathroom.  But sitting on the couch, with out the baby would have to be the best.  It has become very hard to read while the baby is nursing now because she has entered the curious, nosy stage.

Now onto The Friday 56, hosted by Tonya over at Storytime with Tonya and Friends

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blogor (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I am reading another suspense book by Kathy Herman, just started the Seaport Suspense Series after finishing The Hunger Games Trilogy.  Here is my Friday 56:

A Shred of Evidence  by Kathy Herman

"'Well, you ain't gittin' me to help you.' He held open the door. 'You can leave the same way you come in.'"