In Book 16: Broken Prey by John Sandford, Lucas Davenport gets an iPod from his wife — and it becomes a running theme throughout the novel. I have only read one other book, Soundtrack of Silence by Matt Hay where music was prominently featured throughout the book. Lucas spends the book talking about the songs he wants…
Author: Mark
Beds
Last week, we had a few nights where Niko struggled to go to sleep. This happens occasionally, and usually, Nina and I can pinpoint what the issue is and get it resolved. Growing pains, brain development, hungry, thirsty, or has to use the bathroom. None of this, though, was it. Then, Niko mentioned it’s his…
Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television – by Todd Purdum
After reading a bunch of cop thrillers, I needed a break from them and even though this one wasn’t on my to be read list, I kept seeing it on the Kindle recommendations and also my wife was watching I Love Lucy. Yeah, I was intrigued. Myself, I knew of Desi and Lucille Ball from…
MARK’S Home Office
Thank you for calling Mark’s home office, this is AI speaking, how can Mark help you? When I started my job at HealthEquity, Inc., they set me up with the full hardware buffet: a laptop, two HUGE monitors, a docking station, a wired keyboard, wired mouse, and a wired Bluetooth headset (which, yes, makes no sense, but…
Chosen Prey (Lucas Davenport, #12) – by John Sandford
After the first book, I was hooked on this series and have been rolling through them very quickly. Unlike all the other police thrillers I have read (Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and the Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson and Jesse Stone, Spenser, and Sunny Randall by Robert Parker), the dialogue in these is absolutely…
Minnesota Driving
These are my words, but I filtered them through ChatGPT. Moving out-of-state has been a real adventure. The biggest downside? I have no idea where anything is. I rely on GPS like it’s my long-lost twin who finally decided to help with directions. Even on my morning walks—yes, walks—if I stray from the designated trail and…
Vocabulary Words
Sometimes when I’m reading a book on my Kindle, I hit a word that completely stumps me. Not even a maybe-I’ve-heard-this-before kind of word—just a total blank. Luckily, the Kindle has a built-in dictionary. All I have to do is highlight the confusing term, and boom—definition served up in seconds. Technology wins! But sometimes I go analog….
1,200 Miles
I drove from San Antonio, TX on Thursday, June 5th and arrived in Big Lake, MN on Saturday, June 7th. I stopped several times for gas, food, and bathroom, and stayed two nights in a hotel; one in Ardmore, OK and the other in Ottawa, KS. For most of the drive, I was able to…
All Ears (FunJungle #9) – by Stuart Gibbs
Normally, Mark wouldn’t read this type of book. I mean, it’s a silly kids book. Wait, Mark has a kid, and he read all the other books to him, and guess what? Mark liked them. But for this one, Mark read it by himself as his son was listening to Diary of a Wimpy Kid….
Little Boxes
Little boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, wardrobe boxes, and plastic bins of all size encompass our house. They are all labeled and have colored stickers on them which tells us and the movers where that particular box or bin goes in the new house. After I finished working on Friday, I packed up the “home…
Reflections On…Books (book #4)
I have been keeping track of the books I read on Goodreads since 2020, but since 2023, I have been writing reviews. You see, I had an online writing presence since 2011, and piggybacked on that. Contact me if you’re curious about that part of my life! I rarely don’t like a book other or…
The Lost Watch
Have you ever lost a smartwatch and not hear it vibrating because it has a Lock Screen? Well, that happened to us last week with Niko’s AmazFit smartwatch, and he had me and Nina looking everywhere for it. We knew it was in the house of boxes as the app on his iPad was able…
Reflections On…Books (book #3)
I have been reading a lot of fiction police thrillers and often wonder how much research the authors put into it to make it sound real, because to me, everything that takes place is extremely detailed. From the actual crime (which usually takes place at the beginning of the book), to the police work involved…
Early Wake-Ups (AKA non-functioning dad)
On Friday, Niko woke up at 4:45 am, on Saturday, he woke up at 5:45 am, and today, it was 6 am. A bit early for me, so when that happens, I hear him and see the lights being turned on as his bedroom is next to mine. He knows that he can’t grab his…
Rules of Prey (Lucas Davenport, #1) – by John Sandford
I belong to several Facebook groups for books, and this author was recommended as a possible series for me to read. Although it’s not my preferred genre, I have really been enjoying fiction police thrillers. I have read all the Alex Cross books, Michael Bennett books, and just finished all the Women’s Murder Club books…
Another Mother’s Day
Well, I have written many many many many ODES TO THE WIFE here, and I am going to repeat it again, but she really is the BEST MOTHER. Mother’s Day needs to be celebrated daily, as moms everywhere are awesome and deserve more than just one day of pampering. If you have been living in…
Women’s Murder Club – by James Patterson
Now that I finished all twenty-five books in the series, what am I supposed to do now? Can I get a table at Susie’s Cafe and wait for Lindsey, Claire, Yuki, and Cindy to arrive? I really enjoyed the series, and each member of the club could easily have their own series of books. I…
My 9th Birthday
As soon as my dad’s birthday was over , I told moo (that is what I call my mom and I have no idea why), that I wanted a vanilla cake with lemon frosting and strawberry filling. I wished I had watched her create it from scratch on Thursday, because if so, I would have…
My Next Breath: A Memoir – by Jeremy Renner
I don’t typically read memoirs like this, but I was drawn to Jeremy Renner’s story after hearing about his devastating accident on New Year’s Day 2023. This book is his raw and deeply personal account of that day and the long, painful road to recovery that followed. Renner doesn’t shy away from the trauma—nothing is…
48 Candles
Last Wednesday, I celebrated my birthday and I am very glad that the cake Nina made didn’t have 48 candles on it, because, honestly, I don’t think I could’ve worked my way to blow out 48 candles. That’s a lot of work and, also, I don’t like fire. The cake was homemade with chocolate frosting,…