The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter by Brionni Nwosu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this Kindle edition when it was offered as a Prime First Reads.

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A Match Made in Spell by ReGina Welling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since August 17, 2018. I was willing to suspend my logic and find the paranormal characters interesting and believable. This was entertaining.

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What's a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy by Hazel Thornton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I purchased with Amazon credits and only had to pay the sales tax.
I appreciate the links to other authors and online resources. I am already familiar with many of them.
Visit her at Org4life.com

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I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I heard about Grant Snider from a Substack recommendation. i borrowed this book from my local library via Hoopla. He gives pictures and words to my thoughts so I want to say, "Yes, that is What I Am Trying to Tell You All!"
And yes, I will judge you by your bookshelf.

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Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Mark Harmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard about this book when I listened to the podcast NCIS: Parteners and Probies interview with Mark Harmon.
This ebook was available on Hoopla through my local library.
I enjoyed the history told with a central character from a different viewpoint than what I had read before.

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The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I borrowed this book from my local library.
I enjoy historical fiction, and I have recently read another book by Ms. Thompson. I like her characters, and I like the way she builds the story.
I recommend this book.

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The Protocol by J. Robert Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in My Digital Library since May 25, 2018, and it was written in 2010.
There is plenty of action. In 2026, I am uncomfortable reading about a president who has a Termination List and makes up reasons for his Special Forces to take out most of an archeology team that finds a Crystal Skull.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My grandson recommended this book, and I am glad he did.
I appreciate the problem-solving that Grace and Rocky do. I appreciate the explanations of the steps and the math involved. I feel hopeful after reading this book.

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Deadfall by Anna Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I borrowed this sequel to Blackbird on the Hoopla app from my local library.
It was a fast read because I needed to know how the author would complete the story.
I recommend this two-book series.

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Blackbird by Anna Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since April 13, 2018.
It is written in second-person, and I found that use of You draws me into suspended imagination easily. For me it enhanced the suspense. What would I do next? Like a choose-your-own adventure with the writer choosing the direction of the story.
I enjoyed it enough to find the second Blackbird novel on Hoopla from my local library. I hope you might enjoy it too.

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A Shot in the Bark by C.A. Newsome
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This cozy mystery has been in My Digital Library since March 16, 2018.
I like the story and the characcters. However, this exceeds a personal limit I have about cozy mysteries: no more tnan 1 murder (there are two) and no more than 1 attempted murder (there are two) before the mystery is solved. My personal limit can rate this cozy mystery no higher than 3 stars.

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The Portfolio Diet Dr. David Jenkins: The Evidence-based Plan to Lower Cholesterol, Reclaim Heart Health, Boost Energy and Become Overall Confident by David J. Martins RDN
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the second one I ordered when I started researching the medication my doctor wanted to prescribe, and all medications for cholesterol-lowering state that they are to be taken with a Cholesterol-lowering diet.
This book has more numbers about how much of the 4 pillar food groups to use and how much difference we might expect to see.
There is a 60-day meal plan in the book.


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The Easiest Portfolio Diet Cookbook for Seniors: Easy and Quick Recipes to Lower Cholesterol, Support Heart Health and Reclaim Your Energy by June Harford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I purchased this book when I was researching a different medication my cardiologist wanted me to try. All the medications recommend a "cholesterol-lowering diet" in addition to medication. I was failing with general information from DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, MIND diet so I asked CoPilot for 5 "cholesterol-lowering diets" and the Portfolio diet was the first one I was unfamiliar with.
I appreciate the excellent esplanation of what the Portfolio Diet is and why using foods from the 4 pillars of groups: water-soluble grains, nuts, plant proteins, and plant sterols are documented in scientific literature.
I appreciate these recipes are simple with just the main ingredients shown without additional onions, spices, and tomatoes because those may trigger a different chronic condition of my own. There are 78 recipes in this book. I can more easily adapt recipes I already know I like.

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Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to read this book because I was familiar with the visual summary of this book by Doug Neill on his Verbal to Visual YouTube Channel. I highly recommend this Visual Summary to other readers before you read the book and then think about what you are learning from this book.
A concept I find most helpful is the Decision Swear Jar, "...a simple kind of precommitment contract we can apply to many of the key concepts of this book." For me, i have to watch out for "Signs of the Illusion of certainty," Overconfidence" and 11 other terms I can acknowledge I used when making decisions.
I recommend this book.


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This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by my daughter, and plenty of time elapsed between when I requested it from my library and I finished the book, and I tried to recommend it to her!
How can I not recommend a romance that includes about 65 recommendations for more books to read!
How can I not recommend a book that begins with "The right book in the hands of the right person at exactly the moment can change their life forever,"
Please take the time to read the story of Matilda Nightengale and Joe and Alfie.


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Wait for Me by Samantha Chase
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in MyDigital Library since July 27, 2018.
It is a fun, entertaining read if you do not mind two characters are manipulated by someone who thinks he knows better than they do in order to force them to spend time together.

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Stuck? Diagrams Help. by Abby Covert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has been in my Kindle Library since January 11, 2026.
I purchased it to use for additional information while I participated in Verbal to Visual's Core Curriculum. This book with its Indexed Lexicon and Index of Exercises, Quizzes & Checklists made it a valuable reference resource for me.
I recommend this book and I recommend the YouTube channel Verbal to Visual.

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Cowgirl, Unexpectedly by Vicki Tharp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since July 13, 2018.
I am glad I finally read it because I like the characters and her story that shows her self-acceptance and resilience when she is in an unexpected situation.
I hope you like it too.

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The Troubled Texan by Phyliss Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since May 12, 2018.
This is an entertaining mystery, and I added a star for including the recipe for Fifth Generation Mrs. Grooms's Chocolate Cake.

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House Rules by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A friend gave me this book in 2012 with the phrase, "I'm not sure if you will like this, but it is a mystery." With a recommendation like that, I waited until 2026 to read it.
I really liked that a book told in multiple viewpoints has the chapter's headline tells the reader whose viewpoint and also the fonts are different to continue the distinction.
The mystery was good.

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Meant for Her by Amy Gamet
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This e-book was in My Digital Library since December 8, 2017.
I enjoy books in the romantic-suspense genre, and for most of this book I enjoyed it. My opinion is the last two chapters needed better editing, and it felt as if the author was rushed to wrap things up. I dropped a star because that is what I do when authors use villains explain why this story makes sense.

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The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since May 4, 2018.
It was an entertaining book.

7

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The Circle Gathers

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since December 3, 2017. The story combines Arthurian legend with urban fantasy. 

It is well written. I am no longer interested in seeking out the remaining books of this 10-book series because my preferences have changed, and that is why it only gets 3 stars.

"https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1253107-dee-renee-chesnut">View all my reviews

Making Home Your Happy Place

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I pre-ordered the Kindle edition when I heard about it during Katy Wells' podcast, The Maximized Minimalist. I like the Kindle edition because I use make notes and can easily find them in the Notebook feature at the top of the screen. 

 I have been decluttering the sentimental and the incomplete projects I moved into my new home in 2017. The chapters on sentimental clutter and identity clutter have been most useful to me.

I recommend this book to anyone who may feel overwhelmed by a space in your home. 

 

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an entertaining YA science fiction book.  

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Aloha Texas by Chris Keniston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in My Digital Library since March 2018.
It is advertised as a Sweet and Clean Romance, and it is one I can recommend to my friends. It was entertaining.

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Creative Intelligence: 
Don’t Ask AI, 
Think With It by Greg Storey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This gets 3-stars because I did not understand much of it during this first read because its recommended uses did not translate into what my job was like when I was employed 22 years ago.
This book was recommended during discussion in a Verbal to Visual Event, and I thought it would be worthwhile to read to see how illustrations by Dave Gray are used.
It is worthwhile to read, and I will re-read it, take better notes, and try some of the prompts on the second time through.

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A Bid for Love by Rachel Ann Nunes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book was in My Digital Library since 2018. It had an alternative title of Love to the Highest Bidder. I gave it 4 stars because this romance was clean enough to recommend to my friends.
I like the characters and the mystery in the story.

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The Way Home by George P. Pelecanos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This hardcover was given as a "you gotta read this" in 2014, and I finally did. This is so much more about the story for the writer provides the mood, the setting, and the people who inhabit the world he describes.
There is one sentence that made me put the book down, and say, "wow."
"If the storytellers told it true, all stories would end in death."

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Secrets & Chance: A Romantic Suspense Novel of Family Secrets and Forbidden Attraction by Z.L. Arkadie
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This e-book was in My Digital Library since October 21, 2017. I dropped a star to 2 because the story was more like a prequel because it introduced characters but there was no resolution to the mystery.
I do not recommend this unless you are willing to buy the 4 books of the series.

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American Lease - Dylan Cold Book 1 by K.D. McAdams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since 2017. I am glad I read it now because the artifact causing all the trouble in Dylan Cold's life during this book must be found by the right people before the year in which I am currently reading.
2026 might be the right time to again promote this book since there is plenty of promotion to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
I enjoyed the characters of Dylan, his landlord and her son, Abbey the local farmgirl, and Montana the dog.
It is a fun read I can recommend.

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City Love by Susane Colasanti
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this free e-book in February 2018, and it has been in My Digital Library.
It is a romance for teenage girls who like to imagine life after high school when things have to get better. It is the first of a trilogy, and I do not need to read more than this first one to know I am not her target market.

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Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam M. Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I borrowed this book from my local library after I watched the Verbal to Visual summary of this book
https://youtu.be/uTLcHs6B920?si=KN7ss...

I recommend this book.

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Redemption: The Irish Castle by Lila Dubois
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This e-book was in My Digital Library since October 2017.
I enjoyed the blossoming love story. The sex scenes were a bit too graphic for this prude.
It is an entertaining read.

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Center Stage by Denise Grover Swank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since September 2017.
I enjoy the pacing of this story, the interesting characters, and different set-up for the mystery.
It was entertaining.

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The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was recommended during a Verbal to Visual Q&A event in the chat. So, I requested it from my local library to read. I waited at least six weeks before my request was available to check out.
Was that just a form of procrastination?
It does help to read that the only way is though when procrastination and interruptions abound in my life.
Yes, some days, I need to be reminded of my own self-sabotage.

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Corruption of Faith (Sutton McPhee Book 1) by Brenda English
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook has been in My Digital Library since September 1, 2017.
I enjoyed reading this mystery because the author did a good job of pacing the story so that I wanted to keep reading when my break time was over and I was eager to pick it up again as soon as possible.

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Damaged by Pamela Callow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

this e-book has been in My Digital Library since I downloaded it in August, 2017.
There are lots of moving parts to this story. The author handles the connections to all parts and wraps it up well.
I recommend this book.

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V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was given this book in 2012 because my mother and my aunt read it and they "knew" I would enjoy it.
I did enjoy reading it when I finally started it in 2026. I enjoy mysteries with quirky characters told by the excellent storyteller that Sue Grafton was.

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The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life by Morgan Housel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended and summarized in Alex & Books newsletter. It was one of his top 10 favorites in 2025.
I recommend reading it every five or ten years. Yes, the advice/wisdom is not only his. I like this quote of his, "All behavior makes sense with enough information, and we are all on our own quest for the simple life."
I borrowed this book from my local library.

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The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since Aug 4, 2017. It was next in line to be read, and I decided to give this #Young Adult, #Paranormal, #Mystery a chance. I liked it.
While most of the characters are just coping with high school cliques and puberty, Violet has the secret ability to "sense" where murdered bodies lie. She can also sense this taint on the person who kills.
I was entertained by the story and the author's storytelling. My recommendation is, Give it a try.

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The Twelve Days of Seduction by Maire Claremont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this e-book and it has been in My Digital Library since December 15, 2017.
This novella had interesting characters and a fun story. I'm glad I read it for the story was entertaining.

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More Than Nothing by Sophie Hamilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this Kindle book when it was offered as a Prime First Reads in October 2025.
It really bothered me when the story took the turn of Elenie volunteered to be Confidential Informant as I do not believe enough warning about her risks were involved. I was already annoyed when Frank hit her when she was seen with Roman at the town fair.
I read to the end, and I will not continue this series.
I do not recommend this book.

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Down in New Orleans by Heather Graham Pozzessere
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since 2017.
I wanted to enjoy the story more but the last 20% of the book disappointed me.
Don't bother reading it.

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The Art of Breathing

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This e-book has been in My Digital Library since 2017 when I downloaded it as a promoted item.
This historical fiction tells the story of a young mother diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1950s. The best therapy was isolation in a sanitarium to prevent contagion and treatment with streptomycin, isoniazid, and rifampin. Those medications were still used when I was a pharmacist in the end of the 20th century.
A chronic and life-threatening illness can expose strengths and weaknesses for generations in a family.
I recommend this book.


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Zero Day by David Baldacci
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first book of my 2026 Reading Challenge is from our home library shelf. It is a thriller because my husband prefers that genre, and it was his suggestion for me to read it. It has been on the shelf longest of books given to us from other family members. I guess I should name this shelf: Books- friends-recommended-to-me-and-I-am-not-in-any-hurry-to-read-until-now.

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