The Book Hacker, A Blog by Jane Daly
Traveling With Cats
Traveling with cats in a motor home or RV can be fun. Yes, I used the “F” word. Fun. Given time, even a mature cat can adjust to life on the road. Once your furry friend overcomes motion sickness, they can be wonderful travel mates. Six Reasons Why Traveling With Cats is Fun and Beneficial:…
Book Reviews, March 2024
Book Reviews For Discerning Readers Have you ever bought, borrowed, or downloaded a book by your favorite author? Of course you have. You settle in to have an enjoyable experience, knowing what to expect – unique characters, interesting settings, and a journey away from your everyday life. That’s what reading does. Following are some of…
Book Reviews, January 2024
Curl up with a good book! Do you like books that make you laugh and cry without making you cringe? Then see below for some of my recent reads. I’ve spent a lot of hours riding in Rigsby, my motor home. Putting on an audiobook is the best way to watch the miles churn away….
Book Hacker May Book Reviews
Book reviews for discerning readers Summer is fast approaching and it’s the time to think about a great vacation read. I’d like to offer some suggestions. Book reviews are a great way to find your next favorite author, and to avoid some not-so-great books. Another Ending by Sara Whitley What would you do if you…
Book reviews for discerning readers.
The Bookhacker September 2023 This month, I have 4 fiction and one nonfiction book. Now that summer is officially over, vacations are done, and the kids are back in school, let’s take time to get back into the reading habit. Put down your phone and pick up a book. Or, if you’re like me, download…
What Is a Bookworm?
Bookworm: A Person devoted to reading or studying By now we’ve established the fact that I love to read. In the days before cell phones, a book in hand was the equivalent of having a screen in my face today. — Waiting for my mom at the grocery store— Sitting in the back row in…
The Book Hacker May 2023
Good fiction is sometimes difficult to find. Did you know there are a thousand (1,000) books published every single day? With the advent of self-publishing, it’s hard to sort through the mass of available fiction to find the truly excellent ones. When I see an eBook listed for $.99, I get a little suspicious. Why?…
Keep Reading in 2023
Want some suggestions for books to read in 2023?
Book Reviews for those who don’t like to cringe while they read.
Did you know there are approximately 1,000 books published every day? Imagine a voracious reader like myself – and many of you – trying to sort through those thousand books, plus all the thousands of books published in the previous month. You just want to find a book that will engage, enlighten, or delight you…
The Book Hacker: Clean Fiction and Nonfiction Book Reviews
Reading offers a different kind of escape than staring at a screen. In these past few months, I’ve invited you to read more in 2023. Why? Because reading triggers a brain response that watching TV or surfing the internet can’t duplicate. Studies show that reading keeps your mind alert and delays cognitive decline in elders….
Read More Non-Fiction in 2023!
Welcome to the Bookhacker If you want to read more in 2023, but the latest Grisham or Koontz novels leave you cold. Consider the genre of Nonfiction. One of the most popular nonfiction genres is famous people writing their autobiographies. Consider the recent releases: I must ask the question, are our lives so tiny that…
Excuse me, do you know of a good genre around here?
Genre: A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. There are many fiction genres available for every reader. Finding a genre you enjoy will enhance your reading pleasure. Every artist has a genre. In writing, we call it ‘picking your lane.’ When you’ve made…
It Isn’t Too Late
So many books, so little time! If you made a goal to read more in 2023, and you haven’t yet picked up a book, it isn’t too late to start. As a matter of fact, any time you pick up a book is a good time to begin the journey of reading. Perhaps you should…
My challenge to you – Read more in 2023!
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to read more in 2023? Many people have. How you make it happen is up to you. Here are 3 tips to help you accomplish this goal: I read 66 books in 2022 and I want to read more than I did last year. I set my goal…
My Favorite Things
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.” If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Sound of Music, you’ll remember Julie Andrews singing those words to the children when they were scared because of a thunderstorm. The simple delights she sings about are the things that make her happy. During this Christmas season, it’s easy to…
A Christian Ridge Romance – Guest Blog
A Mommy By Christmas By Donna Schlachter I had the opportunity to read this delightful Christmas story. If you like Hallmark-type movies, this book will warm your heart. Here is the book description: Tasmyn Wright, consigned to remain single if that’s what God wants, is lonely. Maybe she needs a fur-pet. On a whim, she…
What is Moochdocking?
People who travel a lot in their recreational vehicles or even live in them are familiar with the words boondocking and moochdocking. RV living can be less expensive if you boondock or moochdock. Boondocking is a term used when you stay in a place that doesn’t have the amenities and hook-ups of a campground. You…
How Long Does Grief Last
When you’re grieving, you feel like it will never end. Everyone grieves differently and you must have patience with yourself. Since my son, Bobby died, I get asked this question: ‘How long does grief last?’ I wish I had an answer. Grief lasts as long as it lasts. I counted it a win after a…
Elvis Has Left The Building
Elvis Aaron Presley is an American music icon. He changed the music industry forever. Although he died in 1977 – over 40 years ago – thousands of people travel to his home in Memphis every day. Graceland, named after the home’s first owner, is a showcase of Elvis’s lifestyle. Graceland Visit The famous jungle room,…
When It’s OK to be ANTI
When it’s okay to be anti
Inconvenient! How Roe v. Wade Changed My Life
Abortion was legalized nationwide by the Supreme Court in the 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade. The court ruled that a state law that banned abortions (except to save the life of the mother) was unconstitutional. A new analysis published by the National Right to Life Committee indicated there have been an estimated 60,069,971 abortions since…
Random Thoughts on Color, Race, and Prejudice
This will probably get me in trouble…
Touched By An Angel
Have you ever met an angel?
The Pepto Bismal House
Who paints a house that shade of pink? I walked by it every day on my way to work. I couldn’t pass it without thinking about its similarity to the noxious liquid my mother made me drink when I had an upset tummy as a child. As if having that thick gunk sliding down my…
Junk Drawers and Jockey Boxes
There was some discussion recently on Facebook about junk drawers. Some unenlightened folks said they had no idea what a junk drawer was. Really? Is this something only us aging folks know about? A junk drawer is that one place in your house, usually the kitchen, where all the little miscellaneous stuff ends up. Rubber…
How to Deal With Disappointment
Have you experienced disappointment over something you thought would be epic, only to have it turn out as ‘meh.’ Now that things have opened up in my state, people are gathering enthusiastically to do the normal things they enjoyed pre-Covid. Restaurants are busy, bars are three-deep, standing room only, and coffee establishments are allowing people…
How to Break Up With Your Hairdresser
Are you one of those women who schedule the next hair appointment the minute you hand your credit card or cash to your hairdresser? Do you record the appointment on your calendar four, six, or eight weeks in the future? Most of us do. We want to make sure to save our space because our…
Bad Things Come in 3’s
My grandma, Nini, always told me ‘bad things come in threes.’ Throughout my life, I’ve seen the truth of those words. Just this week, I’m reeling from the news of three different crises. The friend of a work colleague, and one of our customers, was in a horrific motorcycle accident yesterday. He and a utility…
I Quit!
“To Whom much is given, much is required.” Luke 12:48 This Scripture verse carries more truth than one might think. Jesus was teaching his disciples to be ready for His glorious return, but the verse can also be applied to our lives today. As I grew from childhood to adulthood, my parents increased my weekly…
Words
How much time do you spend thinking about a specific word that will carry you into a new year? I never used to have just one defining WORD. Until four years ago. I was impressed to meditate on the word ‘fearless.’ Much of my energy is spent worrying about the what-ifs. I take a situation…
When Did I Become My Mother?
Have you ever passed by the mirror, and a quick side glance makes you stop and ask, “When did my mom get here?” With a shock, you turn face forward and realize you’re not looking at your mother, it’s you in the mirror. Especially now, as I’ve decided to let my hair grow in naturally…
Fear of Dying
Are you afraid of death?
The Great Church Search
There are over thirty churches
Bottle Misery
I am beginning to think there’s an evil group of monsters who design packaging so difficult to open that one needs a knife, hammer, and bolt cutter to get to the contents. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to open a bottle of salad dressing, a label-maker, and a package of salad mix….
The Only White Girl in the Room
It’s an introvert thing –
Oregon Trail 2.0
Let’s move to Oregon!
Jane Daly Reviews: Murder in the Family
I want to give you a glimpse into a great mystery novel I finished reading in two days.
Who Moved My Glasses?
“Mrs. G, your daughter needs glasses.” I sat in the adult-sized exam chair, feet straight out in front. The ophthalmologist held a stiff white piece of paper in his baseball mitt-like hands. He was the ugliest man I’d ever seen in my seven years of life. And the biggest. I was in second grade. I’d…
That Wasn’t Supposed To Happen
On a cloudy February morning, I headed to the church where I was scheduled to teach two workshops for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. My morning protein shake sat in the cup holder. I’d consumed half of it and decided to finish it in the car. The powdered protein tends to sink to the…
A Guy Bought a Field
Jesus told the story of a man who discovered a treasure in a field. The man went and sold all he had to buy the field. The purpose of the parable is to show what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. I don’t plan to give an expository teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. But…
Fire Pit Crew
Almost a decade ago, Seth Godin released a book titled Tribes. It’s human nature to seek out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. Social media gives anyone who wants to make a difference the tools…
Eye-opener
My grandfather complained of blurry vision for years. When he finally succumbed to my grandmother’s nagging, he went to the eye doctor and was diagnosed with cataracts. To eighteen-year-old me, my grandpa was ancient, though he was probably in his late sixties. Now I was sitting in the exam chair, listening to my eye doctor…
Five Girls
Five girls became fast friends in Middle School. We weren’t exactly a clique, but no one else was encouraged to join our tribe. We enjoyed taking classes together, hanging out at lunch, and many slumber parties. We stayed friends during high school, even though two attended one high school, and three another. As we grew,…
Reality Check
As I age, the number of candles on the cake becomes less important. The big milestones have passed. Until reality smacks me in the face. For Example, my granddaughter received a nice camera for her fourteenth birthday. She’s super creative and has taken some amazing pictures with her cell phone. Her parents thought she’d like…