WWW July 5, 2017

It's time for the weekly meme, WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

All you need to do is answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So let's get onto it!

What are you currently reading?  I almost forgot today was Wednesday, all due to the holiday, it messed up my sense of time,  I am currently reading Daring to Drive by Manal Al-Sharif,  I literally just finished my audiobook.  So not listening to anything at this time.

What did you recently finish?  I just finished a few minutes ago Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson.  I also finished the audiobook, By Starlight by Dorothy Garlock and the ARC, Reading With Patrick: A Teacher, A Student, and A Life-Changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo.

What do you think you'll read next?  I'm still pretty early into Daring to Drive, but I'm planning to pick up the ARC, The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry.  I think I may start listening to Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.

What have you been reading?

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Want to Finally Read in 2017

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Ginger Reads Lainey and is hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes, see the Goodreads group for topics!

This week's topic is Books You Want to Finally Read in 2017
These are those books you meant to read in 2016 or 2015 or 2014 and never got around to. Those books that have been sitting on your TBR for a while, and you really want to get to. These aren’t upcoming 2017 releases; these are older books that need your love too!”- Goodreads 

This was actually last's weeks topic, but I got confused and thought it was the following week's topic and what really is this week's topic I thought was for last week and I was not interested in the other topic so I never realized my mistake until the other day, when I went to work on this week's topic.  So, I will just be making this week's post what should have been last week's.



This is a definite read during the first half of 2017.  Rosanne Bittner has been a favorite author since the 90s.  I had re-read Outlaw Hearts earlier this year since it had been over 15 years since I read it the first time.and 20 years after she wrote Outlaw Hearts, she decided to write a sequel and has since followed it up with 2 more books in the series.  Therefore, I need to start reading the rest of this series as soon as possible.


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I finally started this series earlier this year and read the second book, Hollow City in October.  I'm thinking March would be a good time to read this last book.



Of all the unread books on my Kindle, this is the one I have had on it for the longest time, since July of 2011.



This has been on my library TBR for quite some time.  I really want to get to this in 2017.  I try to read one or two books about Fundamentalist Mormons  each year and although I have several on my TBR on my Kindle at home.  I'd like to get this one off my list.



I really would like to read this book in 2017 also.  It has been on my TBR for close to 4 years or more, I think.  It takes place in New Zealand and I don't think I read anything set there.  I know so little about that part of the world.  It is a pretty long book at 666 pages, so maybe the next time Sam at Thoughts on Tomes has her Tome Topple readathon.  She just had one in November, so it'll probably be at least 6 months away or so.

What are your top 5 books that you want to finally read in 2017

#T5W Books That You Want to Read Before the End of the Year

Top 5 Wednesdays were created by Ginger Reads Lainey and now is hosted by Sam of Thought on Tomes and you can find the Goodreads page here for more information. 

This week's topic is Top 5 Books That You Want to Read Before the End of the Year.

I really enjoyed the first book, Miss Perregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which I definitely did not expect to enjoy as much I actually did.  I am thinking September or October to read this.  Once it starts to become cooler seems to be a perfect time to curl up and enjoy this book.




I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher.  Originally, I believe it was being released in early 2017, now the release date has been moved to October of this year.  hope to read it in September.



Every year for the holidays for the past several year I have read one book in the series that came out the previous holiday.  I get them through the library and will be getting this one hopefully in November or December to read.  I am excited to see that a 6th one in the series is coming out later in the year that I will be reading next year during the holidays.



I recently heard about this book a couple weeks ago.  It also has just been added to Oprah's Book Club.  I actually wanted to read this book before Oprah chose it for her book club and really hope to get to read this before the end of the year.  I'm waiting for it to be added to my library system's Overdrive application.



This book is the 2nd in a series by my favorite author of all time, Rosanne Bittner.  I have been reading her books since the late 90s.  The 1st book in the series, I read in 2000, a few years ago, Rosanne Bittner decided to write a sequel which this one is.  She has since I believe written an additional 2 more sequels, of which the 3rd one is coming out either later this month or in September and the fourth and final book sometime next year. 

February Wrap Up

I had another very successful reading month with 5 audiobooks listened to and 5 books/ARCs read.

This was an audiobook that I listened to and initially, I gave it 3 stars (thinking it deserves 2.5 or 2.75), but I have decided to change it to a 2.  It really is a forgettable book.  I've read other books on this subject that are much more memorable. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1530279297

Another audiobook; I gave this 4 stars and wish I could give it a 3 and a half or 3 and 3/4.  I enjoyed this.  It is a very interesting read or listen in this age of immigration.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1533744894

This was another audiobook, where I changed my rating of 3 stars to 2.  It is young adult and maybe I just can't enjoy books for this age group anymore, but the premise sounded interesting.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1535087331

This book is by one of my favorite authors, whom I have read since the 90s.  It is in fact a re-read and I very seldom ever re-read a book, but since it has been around 20 years or so since I read it and the author wrote a sequel l has another one coming out later in the year, I thought I better re-read the original book.  Back in the 90s, I gave this what would 5 stars, but this time around I gave it 4 stars, although if Goodreads allowed us to give it half stars, it would have received 4 1/2 from me.  There's no better way to spend time than with a Rosanne Bittner novel.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496699685

This ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) deserves 5 starts and is a great book for children and parents of all races to remember the great accomplishments of African-Americans.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496725315

I enjoyed this audiobook more than I thought I would and give it 4 stars.  I found it very interesting that the 3 brothers were all quite different, but all became successes in their various fields in which they worked.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1541967653

This book was hard to put down and deserves 5 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1544166405

 Nearly a 5 star book by one of my newly found authors.  Full of suspense and hard to put down.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1553020243

This is another very good children's book, to which I gave 4 stars.  I read it as an ARC and it will not be out until August as of now.  I never knew of this particular woman and found it very interesting.  Like I Like My Black Skin Because, this is a good book to read with parents or in school.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1558591003

The last book I finished in February was an audiobook.   I looked forward to reading this for a long time, and give it 3 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1552619991



I'm in the middle of reading Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes about a school shooting, which I will be finishing in March.



#T5W: Top 5 Books of 2015

Top 5 Wednesdays are hosted by Ginger Reads Lainey and you can find the goodreads page here for more information.
Sorry that I haven't been around here much to post.  Just the usual holiday, family, work busyness.   So without anymore delay, here are my top 5 books that I read in 2015.  For a change, I had 7 or 8  5-star books, so deciding which to include in my top 5 was not easy.

Thunder on the Plain is by my favorite author, Rosanne Bittner.  She's been writing since the 80s and I started reading her books in the 90s.She's written over 60 novels and is still going strong.  Her novels are historical romance novels with usually western themes and with a lot of history written in to make it authentic and written in a way to be very engaging.  This book is about ther building of the transcontinental railroad.  Like most of her books. this story covers a span of time, in this case 12 years. Here's my Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/734411016.

Finding Hope by Stacy Finz was an ARC that I received through NetGalley and thi9s has become my newest favorite series.  This is the second book in the Nugget series, which centers on a small town in the Sierra Nevadas. Reading this book first, really did not affect my enjoyment of this book and seies; actually I found that I enjoyed this book more than the first book, Going Home. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1101248907

Dogtology: Live, Bark, Believe by Jeff Lazarus was another I received through NetGalley.  If one is a dog lover or at least a former or current dog owner, you'd probably appreciate this book. It is so funny and even if you are not a fanatical dog lover/dog owner, you'll find bits of yourself as well as others you know in this book.  Just a very enjoyable and funny book about our love and sometimes obsession in our furry, canine friends.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1392578757

Red Blood, Yellow Skin by Linda L.T. Baer This was the true story of a young This was more of an autobiography of the author's life, rather than a history of the war.Vietnamese  girl/woman who grew up and came of age before and during the Vietnam War.  This made the story more personal and allowed you to see the Vietnam War through the eyes of a civilian.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1361578770

Bent Creek by Marlene Mitchell  I read this early in the year when I had a trial period to Amazon Prime and this was my monthly free book.  Although I do not remember a lot of specifics of thisbook, I do remember that I loved the story.  It was written in a way that was very different from other books that I read.  This book took place mostly in Appalachia and you felt immersed in the story https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1210014309

#T5W Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books You Are Thankful For

This week's topic is Top 5 Books You are Thankful For.  In no particular order:



1.   Ready-made Family I must have read this in grade school and enjoyed it.  Don't really remember that many specifics, but I credit this for my interest and love of adoption ever since I was young.  I remember thinking I will adopt when I am adult Some 30+ years later, my husband and I adopted our son.


2. The Little House Books Without these books, I may not have had such a long-lasting love of reading.    I know I read the about half of these, but I do not think I read the last few of the original series.  I wish these books were available for the Kindle, I don't often re-read books, but I think these would be enjoyable and probably quick reads.

3. Although I have yet to read the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series of books, I am thankful that they have resulted in a whole new generation of readers.  Many of whom may not have been ones who typically were readers, especially in this age of electronic everything.

4.  I am thankful that I picked up that first historical romance back in the late 80s.  I believe it was Janelle Taylor's First Love, Wild Love and though it was not quite a 5 star read (or looking at my rating at the time maybe it was), it resulted in me reading many other historical romances and finding many great historical romance authors. 

5.  I am thankful that my mother instilled the love of reading, although she herself is not really much of a reader except for the newspaper; over the years, she has occasionally read a book here and there.  But having a parent read to a young child is probably one of the best ways to get that child to want and to enjoy reading.