Stanley McShane's Blog

November wasted no time getting us right into the winter mood with an early snow and frigid temps.  Of course, we celebrate Thanksgiving and that’s usually about the time Mother Nature rears back and blows an ill wind. We got a weather break both coming and going to southern Illinois to celebrate with our daughter … Continue reading "Rosepoint Reviews – November Recap – Is Your December a Ho Ho Ho or a Hum Bug?"

Book Blurb: April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed. Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride … Continue reading "The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner #AudiobookReview #HistoricalFiction"

Thoughts Yes, this is the last list of Christmas favorites for the season and then I’ll leave it up to you. Today I’m presenting two: One is a novel turned into a movie and the other a surprisingly sweet Christmas movie that the CE picked out. (Of course, he is the romantic in the house, … Continue reading "Christmas Read – Christmas Movies – #HolidayFiction – #contemporaryfiction – #comedy"

More than a celebration of harvest, it’s also evolved into a celebration of our blessings with a focus on family and community.  We in the U.S. are indeed made up of “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It was one of my favorite authors, Amanda Hughs, who got me looking … Continue reading "Happy Thanksgiving! Tell Me Again How I Got Here?"

in Murder Thrillers Book 7 A Rain City Legal Book Blurb: Seattle attorney Dan Raine is hired by an old friend, Judge Michael Hawkins, to help with a delicate family matter. Hawkins’s son has been romancing Lydia Szabo, the daughter of a local crime lord, and now owes her brother a large sum of money. … Continue reading "Judge and Jury by Stephen Penner #BookReview #LegalThrillers #TuesdayBookBlog"

Book Blurb: Plunged into a prolonged blackout by back-to-back hurricanes, America’s East Coast suffers sweltering heat, lack of food, and the beginnings of civil unrest. As Empire Energy struggles to repair its storm-damaged grid, it discovers a bigger problem: sophisticated malware has been ravaging its internal control network for weeks. As power returns, the human … Continue reading "Grid Zero by Andrew Diamond – #BookReview – #Technothrillers"

  Introduction Oh groan, thousands of Christmas videos and movies, from every genre, mysteries to musicals, live actors to animations. How to choose? Well, you’re in luck as I’ve consulted lists, viewed and suffered through a few, and compiled a list of four of the more recent releases. Since my major streaming service is Netflix, … Continue reading "Netflix Christmas Movies #ChristmasMovies Favorite #RomComs – #Animation"

Amazon Charts #10 this week Nominee for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards [Vote Now] Book Blurb: A full-cast recording featuring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Saskia Maarleveld, Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Kiff VandenHeuvel, and James Fouhey An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author … Continue reading "Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers"

A Maine Clambake Mystery Book 10  Book Blurb: Mud season takes on a whole new meaning in the coastal town of Busman’s Harbor, Maine, when local business owners sling dirt at one another in a heated feud over a proposed pedestrian mall. Vandalism is one thing, but murder means Julia Snowden of the Snowden Family … Continue reading "Muddled Through by Barbara Ross #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog"

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars Book Blurb: Step into the heart of history with A Walk Among Heroes, a sweeping tale of courage, sacrifice, and enduring love that transcends generations. This powerful World War II novel takes you on an unforgettable journey through the lives of ordinary men and women who became extraordinary in the face of … Continue reading "A Walk Among Heroes by James McDevitt #BookReview #MilitaryAviationHistory"