My Weekly Bookishness ~ 2/27/2025

All things bookish!

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What I Finished:

I finished listening to "Alaska Twilight" by Colleen Coble.  You can read my review HERE!

I also finished reading "You're Not Enough (and that's okay) by Allie Beth Stuckey.  I haven't posted my review yet.  I'm going to wait until after the Good for the Woman's Soul Book Club discussion on 2/28/2025.  So be watching for my review on 3/1/2025 :)

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What I'm Reading/Listening:

"Beyond Ivy Walls" by Rachel Fordham is the March selection for the Good for the Soul Women's Bookclub.  I'm going to be listening to the audiobook while I market prep for a Spring Fling Vendor show that is taking place in early April.  I'm really looking forward to this book!

Blurb:

Beauty and the Beast meets A Light Between Oceans in historic small-town America where a wealthy reclusive bachelor and an unlikely ally join forces to solve a family secret and inadvertently find belonging along the way.

Early 1900s. When an accident leaves Sadie West's family in dire financial need, she nervously leaves the land she loves to work in the Hoag duster factory. But sending all her money home means that she has nowhere to board, and she's forced to take up residence in an abandoned building--a choice that throws her in the path of the town's mysterious bachelor.

Recently returned from exile, and determined to keep his arrival a secret, Otis Taylor makes the impulsive decision to hire the woman he finds hiding on his family's property with the strict instructions she tell no one he has returned. The dark halls of his boyhood flood him with memories he's long tried to forget. The only bright light is the woman he has hired. Can the optimistic Sadie teach the wounded Otis to trust again? To love? Can the pair unravel the family secrets that have long cast a shadow over the mansion and those who reside within?

With the same heart as Rachel Fordham's fan-loved previous historical novels, Beyond Ivy Walls takes readers on an emotional journey full of character development, historical nuance, and a deeply satisfying happily ever after.

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What I'll (Probably) Read/Listen Next:

I started listening to "When the Day Comes" by Gabrielle Meyer a few weeks ago and would like to get back to it next.  I saw the cover reveal for the author's next release and it looks amazing.  I have some catching up to do with this series!

Blurb:

How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

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Book Haul:

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Book Blogger Hop:

Q.  How much time does blogging take out of your life weekly? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

A.  Probably a few hours, at least.  I've recently started listening to audiobooks, so I'm multi-tasking :)

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Bookishly Yours,

Linking up to: 

   

 The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon , Mailbox Monday

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Once Upon a Time ~ 2/25/2025

hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

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This week's topic is:

Books Set in Another Time 

(These can be historical, futuristic, alternate universes, or even in a world where you’re not sure when it takes place you just know it’s not right now.)

I'm not really into futuristic or alternate universe books but I have read A LOT of historical fiction in my day.  I'll share 10 of my most recent reads below.  You can click on the book cover or the book title to go to my review.

Enjoy :)

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1.  "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" by Angela Bell

2.  "The Librarian of Boone's Hollow" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

3.  "The House at the End of the Moor" by Michelle Griep

4.  "The Book of Lost Names" by Kristin Harmel

5.  "Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl" 

6.  "Mischief, Mayhem, and Marriage" by Rebecca Connolly

7.  "What the Wind Knows" by Amy Harmon

8.  "Her Unsuitable Match" by Sally Britton

9.  "The Promise of Deception" by Jessica Sly

10.  "The Gentleman's Confession" by Anneka R. Walker

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Please leave a comment with the link to your Top Ten Tuesday post so I can return the visit :)

Book Review ~ Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble ~ 2/24/2025

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Title:   "Alaska Twilight" by Colleen Coble

Series:  N/A

Format:  AudioBook

Narrator:  Rachel Dulude

Length:  8 hours 16 minutes

Date Published:  April 23, 2019

Publisher:   Tantor Audio

Stars: ***1/2

 Blurb:

For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she's here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak's bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder. The suspense mounts when another body turns up, and Haley beginst to wonder if the tragedies she experienced in the past are connected to the dangers and mysterious incidents of the present.

From behind the viewfinder of her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the bear biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage and faith to confront the truth she once ran away from. Before it's over, Haley may be viewing herself from an entirely new angle.

My Thoughts:

  I really enjoyed most aspects of this book.

The narrator was good.  The setting was amazing.  The characters were well developed.  The faith content was on point.  The suspense was great.   The romance was...a bit cliche.

Haley was a city-girl photographer going back to Alaska to face her past and document wild bear through film.  Tank was a widowed bear biologist leading the expedition.  The set-up was enjoyable.  In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the book until the last few chapters.

Then one of my pet peeves surfaced.

Tank and Haley were frantically searching for Brooke, Tank's daughter, and didn't know if she was alive or dead out in the Alaskan wilderness.  Tank took that moment to "crush" Haley to himself, kiss her as if his life depended on it and declared his love for her.  Out of the blue.  In a very inappropriate situation, if you ask me.  Haley, at least, does later question whether Tank was just emotional at that moment and if he really meant his undying love declaration.

Ughh...  What could have been at least a 4.5 star read instantly took a nose dive for me to a be a 3.5 star read.  Not that that a 3.5 star rating is terrible but it could have been better.

I will say that this book was originally written in 2006, so almost 20 years ago.  Christian Fiction has come a long way in that time in the romantic suspense genre.

I usually LOVE Colleen Coble's work but the last quarter of this book just didn't mesh well for me.

Onto the next book :)

Colletta Is Losing It! ~ Weekly Weigh In ~ #0 ~ 2/24/2025

If you've not read my "Colletta Is Losing It! ~ A Fresh Start" post, please go HERE to check it out.  It is a post where I explain what is going on with my health/wellness journey as well as my plan of action.

One of those actions mentioned is a weekly weigh in post.  I debated using a separate blog for my journey but decided against it.  I've been blogging here on Colletta's Kitchen Sink for 16 years and it has always been "a little bit of everything" about my life, so why change that now.

I'd like to be transparent and honest about my journey and this is the starting point:  Week #0 .  My initial weigh in and measurements.

I went to my PCP on 2/19/25 for an ear infection and you know that pesky business of weighing a person every visit...I tipped the scale at 301.6 lbs.  So that is where I'm starting.  And hopefully ending this escalation of weight gain.

I've not yet heard whether or not our health insurance company is going to authorize my prescription for Zepbound but I decided not to wait for that and to get started right away.

My plan for weigh in posts is to weigh in on Monday mornings and post my results either Monday evening or Tuesday.  I work on Monday so that will give me some time to compose my Weekly Weigh In post.  I'll probably also include some measurements and exercise stats along the way with any other information I deem pertinent.

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My tracking week will be Monday through Sunday.  Here are some stats:

Weigh in #0:

Highest Weight ~ 301.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight ~ 

This Week's Weight ~ 

This Week's Total:  ___ lbs

*Grand Total: ___ lbs

Exercise Week #0  :

Place holder.

This Week's Total:  

*Grand Total: __ minutes

Measurements #0:

Neck ~ 17"

Shoulders ~ 56"

Bust ~ 52"

Belly ~ 57"

Waist ~ 57"

Butt ~ 60"

Thigh (left) ~ 26"

Thigh (right) ~ 26"

Arm (left) ~ 19"

Arm (right) ~ 19" 

Total Beginning Inches ~ 389" 


*Grand Total Inches Lost: ____"

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If there is anything you think I'm missing, please let me know in the comments.  If anyone would like to join along, please do so!  I need all the encouragement I can get!

Happy Homemaker ~2/22/2025

Hosted by Diary of a SAHM.

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It is a quiet evening here at my house so I thought I would get my Happy Homemaker post up and running while I listen to my audiobook.  The hubby is snoring away and Laken is spending time with Nate's family this evening.  My parents are busy watching the news channel downstairs.  (We live in a multi-generational house, in case you weren't aware.)

It has been a busy week and a cold virus made it through the household as well.  I ended up going to my PCP on Wednesday and was diagnosed with double ear/sinus infections.  I'm taking an antibiotic and steroid pack which has me feeling a bit better although I'm having a hard time sleeping at night.

I've been drinking lots of hot tea also.  I actually could use a cuppa right now!

I hope you are doing well and are surviving this winter!  Only 2 more weeks until Daylight Savings Time starts!  Whoohooo!  I can't wait :)

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BTW, I'm starting a new feature on the blog called "Colletta Is Losing It!" about my journey to health and wellness.  If you'd like to check out my "A Fresh Start" post click HERE :)

Let's get on with it, shall we?

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The weather outside is:

I am SO looking forward to the warmer temperatures in the forecast this week!

On the to-do list:

Today I spent the morning resting after a sleepless night.  I went to a birthday party for a little boy from Church this afternoon.  When I got home, I spent some time cleaning and doing laundry.  After supper, the hubby and I relaxed and talked about life before he dozed off.  And that brings me to now, writing this post.

Happening this week:

Sunday (2/23) ~ It is the LORD's day, so we'll be going to Church.  I attend a Ladies Bible Study Class at 8am before Sunday School and Church Services.  We also attend evening Services at 6pm where we're studying the Book of Luke verse by verse.  In between services, I hope to get the laundry folded and take a Sunday Afternoon Nap.

Monday (2/24) ~ I usually work 10am-5pm on Monday's but the hubby has an oral surgeon appointment for a consultation to extract a bad tooth.  He's nervous about it so he asked if I would go along.  I requested to be off work and it was approved.  It took a while to get the appointment for the consultation so I have no idea how long it will take to get scheduled for the extraction itself.

Tuesday (2/25) ~ I'm off work and will be working on market prep items.

Wednesday (2/26) ~ I work 10am-5pm.  I usually attend Prayer Meeting/Bible Study on Wednesday at 6:30pm but missed last week due to not feeling well.  I'm hoping to feel much better by then.  I know that after work this past Friday I was really worn out from the infections/virus.

Thursday (2/27) ~ I'm off work on Thursday's so I'll be trying to get some things done around the house such as making a menu, grocery shopping, bills, errands etc.

Friday (2/28) ~ Work 10am-5pm.  At 8pm EST is the Zoom Meeting for the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club.

Saturday (3/1) ~ Yay for March!!!!  I'm so excited to be turning the calendar on February soon.  We'll just be spending time around the house and possible going out for dinner at Tillie's at Bedford Springs Resort.  Laken has been wanting to go, but the weather has just been uncooperative.

Currently reading:

{February's book club selection/read-along is "you're not enough (and that's okay)" by Allie Beth Stuckey.  We're reading a few chapters of the book each week and then discussing it in a FB chat on Saturdays.  We'll also be having our monthly zoom meeting.}

This week we're reading Myth #5 and finishing up the book.  Be looking for my review.

I finished listening to "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" by Angela Bell and started listening to "Alaska Twilight" by Colleen Coble.  I only have 2 hours left to listen to.

Listening to:

Watching:

I haven't watched any TV this week...again...

In the Kitchen:

I haven't made anything special this past week.  I was going to use up some over-ripe bananas to make banana bread but didn't and they got past the point of using.

In the Craft Basket:

I've been crocheting every spare moment to make items for the Spring Fling Vendor Show.  I've made dinos and turtles this week.

Picture(s) from the Camera

Prayer Requests

~Prayer of thanks as my brother, Dan, made it home safely from his work trip to Italy.

~My Dad has to have a heart valve replacement.  I would appreciate your prayers that they can replace the valve using the minimally invasive procedure and that they won't have to do open heart surgery.

~Winter traveling safety.

~As always, prayers for the safety and well-being of all school/college kids.  (continued)

~Our Country, our Leaders.  (continued)

Bible Verse

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love."

I John 4:18

Have a great week!

Colletta

Colletta Is Losing It! ~ A Fresh Start ~ 2/21/2025

I can't count the number of times that I've "started over" on my journey to getting healthier and losing weight.  How many times have I given myself a "fresh start".  Then the same old, same old happens and I give up, give in and quit.

Now, here I am, 46 years old, 301lbs, borderline diabetic, and have aches and pains that I shouldn't have at my age.  Not to mention feeling uncomfortable in my skin AND my clothes.

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Is this time any different?  At this point, I honestly can't say.  But I have HOPE.  Because I'm DESPERATE.  I'm DESPERATE for change.

Here's what I want to accomplish:

I want to lose 150 lbs by the time I turn 50 years old and document my journey.  According to my LoseIt! app, I should hit my goal by January/February 2028.  LORD willing, I'll turn 50 years old on March 24, 2028.

I want to have weekly and monthly weigh ins.  I also want to set goals for myself and celebrate milestones!  I'll probably have journal entries as well to give myself an outlet for emotions, both good and frustrating.

Here's how I'm going to do it:

~  Track my food intake, calories in and calories out on the LoseIt! app.  I'm able to sync my Apple watch to the app and keep track of steps and calories burned.  I have to manually input my meals, of course.

~  To start off, I'm going to set a goal of 30 minutes of dedicated exercise 3 times a week.  Hopefully, I'll have more than that but I don't want to overwhelm myself and burn out...again.

~  Something I'll be doing differently this go-around is getting help from my PCP.  When I saw that my A1C is 5.8 while already taking Metformin, I decided it was time to finally agree to a weight loss medication.  My PCP has sent in a prescription to the pharmacy for Zepbound and I'm now just awaiting authorization from the insurance company.  I'm holding on to the hope that it will go through.

 

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Am I nervous?  Very.  But I'm going to give it my all.  

Why?  Because I'm scared.  I'm scared of what my life will look like in 10 years if I don't do this now.  

There's so much more that I could write but I think that is enough for now.

If you are also on a health journey, whatever that may look like, I'd love to know and would also love your support.  Follow along, if you'd like :)

Colletta

My Weekly Bookishness ~ 2/20/2025

All things bookish!

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What I Finished:

I finally finished listening to the audiobook of "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure"!  You can read my review HERE :)

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What I'm Reading/Listening:

This book is the February 2025 selection for the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club over on FB and Instagram.  On Saturday, February 22nd, we'll be discussing Myth #3.

Blurb:

Is your quest to love yourself more actually making you miserable?

We're told that the key to happiness is self-love. Instagram influencers, mommy bloggers, self-help gurus, and even Christian teachers promise that if we learn to love ourselves, we'll be successful, secure, and complete. But the promise doesn't deliver. Instead of feeling fulfilled, our pursuit of self-love traps us in an exhausting as we strive for self-acceptance, we become addicted to self-improvement.

The truth is we can't find satisfaction inside ourselves because we are the problem. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy because we are inadequate. Alone, we are not good enough, smart enough, or beautiful enough. We're not enough--period. And that's okay, because God is.

The answer to our insufficiency and insecurity isn't self-love, but God's love. In Jesus, we're offered a way out of our toxic culture of self-love and into a joyful life of relying on him for wisdom, satisfaction, and purpose. We don't have to wonder what it's all about anymore. This is it.

This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness; it's about embracing it. Allie Beth Stuckey, a Christian, conservative new mom, found herself at the dead end of self-love, and she wants to help you combat the false teachings and self-destructive mindsets that got her there. In this book, she uncovers the myths popularized by our culture of trendy narcissism, reveals where they manifest in politics and the church, and dismantles them with biblical truth and practical wisdom.

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I love Colleen Coble's in the past so I jumped on the chance to listen to "Alaska Twilight".  I started listening to it yesterday (Tuesday) and am over halfway through already!

Blurb:

For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she's here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak's bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder. The suspense mounts when another body turns up, and Haley beginst to wonder if the tragedies she experienced in the past are connected to the dangers and mysterious incidents of the present. From behind the viewfinder of her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the bear biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage and faith to confront the truth she once ran away from. Before it's over, Haley may be viewing herself from an entirely new angle.

Alaska Twilight is the story of a young woman's emergence from the shadows of past sorrow into the light of forgiveness and grace.

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What I'll (Probably) Read Next:

"Beyond Ivy Walls" by Rachel Fordham is the March selection for the Good for the Soul Women's Bookclub.  I'm going to be listening to the audiobook while I market prep for a Spring Fling Vendor show that is taking place in early April.  I'm really looking forward to this book!

Blurb:

Beauty and the Beast meets A Light Between Oceans in historic small-town America where a wealthy reclusive bachelor and an unlikely ally join forces to solve a family secret and inadvertently find belonging along the way.

Early 1900s. When an accident leaves Sadie West's family in dire financial need, she nervously leaves the land she loves to work in the Hoag duster factory. But sending all her money home means that she has nowhere to board, and she's forced to take up residence in an abandoned building--a choice that throws her in the path of the town's mysterious bachelor.

Recently returned from exile, and determined to keep his arrival a secret, Otis Taylor makes the impulsive decision to hire the woman he finds hiding on his family's property with the strict instructions she tell no one he has returned. The dark halls of his boyhood flood him with memories he's long tried to forget. The only bright light is the woman he has hired. Can the optimistic Sadie teach the wounded Otis to trust again? To love? Can the pair unravel the family secrets that have long cast a shadow over the mansion and those who reside within?

With the same heart as Rachel Fordham's fan-loved previous historical novels, Beyond Ivy Walls takes readers on an emotional journey full of character development, historical nuance, and a deeply satisfying happily ever after.

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Book Haul:

Narrated by Em Eldridge and Jason Keller

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Book Blogger Hop:

Q.  Do you belong to a book club? If so, how many members do you have? How long has it been going on? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Review)

A.  I do belong to a Book Club!

I've mentioned the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club above and on other posts as well.  The Book Club is based on Facebook with Zoom meetings at the end of each month to discuss the book we voted on reading for that month.  We focus on Christian fiction mostly but we are reading a non-fiction in February as shown above.

Prairie is our fearless leader, and does a wonderful job promoting the Book Club on Facebook as well as Instagram @goodforthesoulbookclub .

I believe the Book Club started last June and currently has 68 members.  I didn't join in until September so I missed the first couple book selections.

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Bookishly Yours,

Linking up to: 

   

 The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon , Mailbox Monday