Hammock reading with the pets is one of my favorite things.

#DogsOfLitsy #CatsOfLitsy #HammockReading

I didn‘t particularly like the characters in this short book, but it was a fairly light listen that did give me a few laughs.

#1001books #audiobook

May was a great listening month, and I finished a few print books as well. I‘m happy with the variety of books, and I got multiple bingos! Both The Drover‘s Wife & The Last Ballad were great stories, and I loved Counting by 7s. Of the 16 completed, 4 were #1001books.

#BookSpin 18 The Drover‘s Wife by Leah Purcell
#DoubleSpin 4 Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

#BookSpinBingo #ReadingStats #MonthlyStats #DaiseysReadimgSummary

I realized as I was falling asleep last night that I‘d forgotten to share my joys for the week.

💛 My pets travel well together.
💛 I came home to the family farm and helped put up hay, which officially makes it feel like summer.
💛 I spent my first two full days outside doing farm work and managed not to end up sunburnt.
💛 I spent time with my niece and nephew.
💛 These beautiful flowers are in my dad‘s yard.

#5JoysFriday

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it is very much Loretta‘s story from her point of view written at the height of her career and also a specific time in history. I especially enjoyed learning about her young life and how she got started performing. I did find it interesting to read in some reviews/articles that it seems she was a couple years older than she claims when she got married.

#audiobook #memoir #nonfiction

I chose two books set mostly in the Pacific theater of WWII. It‘s been a long time since I read Code Talker, but I remember it being a fantastic book about the Navajo code talkers that served in the U.S. military. Grenade is told from the alternating perspectives of a Japanese teenager and a young U.S. Marine during the Battle of Okinawa.

#MiddleGrade #WWII #MiddleGradeMonday

For a short time I had a subscription for books with author annotated post-its. This one came up on my #Roll100 list this month, so I checked out a library audio and read the notes alongside. It‘s a historical fiction based on a little known labor strike in North Carolina in 1929. I didn‘t love the switching perspectives, but it was a well told story of the struggle of southern textile mill workers.

#audiobook #NorthCarolina

I‘m not sure I‘ve read this since I first received a print copy as a kid. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed listening to it now, but it‘s not a favorite. The beginning is great as Rebecca arrives at the home of her aunts and we read the details of that new life, but as the story goes on it moves very quickly and without so much descriptive detail.

#ChildrensClassicRead2024 #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent
#reread #audiobook

There were a few aspects of the way this was written, terminology used by the characters that seemed odd for the time and the switching between perspectives, that sometimes distracted me from the experience of the story. However, the story itself of a woman raising her children on her own in the Australian bush and meeting an aboriginal man on the run was powerful. I was completely caught up in their stories and how those stories came together.

I really enjoyed the history and mystery aspects of this story, but there was too much theological discussion to keep my full attention.

#1001books #audiobook
#Reading1001 Monthly Key Word Challenge

💛 Lots of time home with Luthien, the cats, and the hammock since school‘s out for summer
💛 Strawberries! It‘s strawberry season, and I‘ve enjoyed them fresh, in cake, shakes, pie, etc. 🍓
💛 There are strawberries frozen for the rest of the year.
💛 A quiet evening at home with a fire in the backyard and a lovely sunset
💛 Supper with friends tonight that included fried fish, French fries, fresh broccoli, and more strawberries

#5JoysFriday

I made a breakfast quesadilla this morning to have alongside a few pages of my new book. This is my pick for Spain this month.

#Spain #FoodAndLit #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #1001books #BookAndBreakfast

“Miranda Sawyer had a heart, of course, but she had never used it for any other purpose than the pumping and circulating of blood.”

It‘s been a long time since I‘ve read this one, so I‘m fitting in a reread on audio. This quote made me smile as I started listening. It‘s so much better than saying something like a heart of stone.

#LMMAdjacent #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2024
#reread #audiobook #quote

This was a wonderful book about found family, alongside adoption and grief. Willow is a unique and gifted twelve year old girl, and I loved her story.

#MiddleGrade #StudentRecommendation

My 7th graders read this with another teacher and told me it was a great book, so I borrowed it from her to read now that school‘s out. I‘m thoroughly enjoying it, even with the heartbreaking moments.

#MiddleGrade #StudentRecommendation #ReadAndEat

I‘ve read many middle grade books written in verse, and if I were in my classroom today, I might have shared a stack. However, from home, the first one that came to mind that I hadn‘t already seen shared was this one about a girl dealing with a few truly difficult experiences.

My review includes a few examples of the poetic form used in the story. https://litsy.com/p/eG1FQmRpYzdn

#MiddleGrade #MiddleGradeMonday #NovelInVerse

It‘s unusual to read a historical fiction set in ancient Mesopotamia, and I appreciated experiencing that culture. Jomar & Zefa are a brother & sister sent to the city of Ur to find a new life when their family is facing starvation on their farm. Jomar is apprenticed to a goldsmith, and Zefa tries to find her way as a musician.

*I received this #MiddleGrade #audiobook through the #Librofm Educator #ALC program.
Audio duration: 3 hours 34 minutes

Another book finished in the hammock this evening! This book‘s taken me a long time to read, partly because I haven‘t had much print reading time and partly because it wasn‘t that compelling. I enjoyed it but never felt I just had to keep reading. Ben Sippy is a dime novelist from Philadelphia who decides to actually see the Wild West he‘s written about. He befriends the boy who will become Billy the Kid and tells his version of the story.

Luthien joined me in the hammock this morning as I finished this short novel. It provides an interesting glimpse of some important moments in Scottish history, but what I loved were the descriptions of the island and the focus on language as John learns to communicate with Ivar.

#CampLitsy24 #DogsOfLitsy #HammockReading

Saturday morning means time to try a new recipe for a late and leisurely breakfast. I don‘t own a waffle iron, but I easily adjusted the recipe to bake waffle sticks instead. The batter includes blended dates, and then the waffles are served with a delicious toffee sauce.

#MtCookbook #Cookbook

“Better was it to go unknown and leave behind you an arch, a potting shed, a wall where peaches ripen, than to burn like a meteor and leave no dust.”
- Virginia Woolf, Orlando

#1001books #quote

This book took me a long time to read but only because I set it aside a few times when life was busy. I‘m not generally a fan of Woolf‘s style, but I liked this the best of her books I‘ve read so far. It‘s an intriguing take on life, gender, and time. I found it fascinating how Orlando seemed perfectly able to fit into every period of time, and no one questioned these random people living hundreds of years.

#1001books #SerialReader

💛 Last Friday I didn‘t get a chance to post because I was celebrating the end of the school year and seeing the Northern Lights.
💛 I also went to visit family last weekend, including meeting their new dog Gracie and spending some quality time with my nephew.
💛 My garden, specifically the garlic I‘m growing for the first time in many years.
💛 New books for my class library!
💛 As always my pets bring me joy.

#5JoysFriday

This was a reread for me, and I appreciated the story more this time. I also really enjoyed the audio narration.

#1001books #Reading1001 #audiobook

My aunt gifted my class library the Missouri Truman Award Nominees for next school year! I spent some time this morning getting them labeled to put on the shelves. I‘m taking the tagged home to hopefully read soon.

#TeachersOfLitsy #MsDsLibrary #MiddleGrade #YA

This is another wonderful historical fiction story by Bradley set during WWII. Miri is a Jewish girl living in Paris who ends up hiding in a convent school in the French countryside. While there she learns more about French history and becomes even more involved in aspects of the war.

* I received an audio version of this book through the Libro.fm Educator #ALC program.
Audio duration: 8 hours 23 minutes

#MiddleGrade #audiobook #WWII #Librofm

I had to think for a bit to come up with a book with time travel. I love the Artemis Fowl series, especially the earlier books. There are some wonderful characters and interesting storylines.

#MiddleGrade #MiddleGradeMonday

I‘m not quite sure how best to describe this tragic romance wrapped up in a slave narrative. Although seeming strangely uneven to me in the way Oroonoko was treated, it details the brutality of slavery. I can appreciate its impact when written by a woman and published in 1688.

I had this in my TBR for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 but just got to it today. #Suriname

#1001books #audiobook

This was another light romance listen. I was quite amused through the first half and unsurprised by the difficulty caused by lack of communication later. Of course, it all works out in the end.

#LitsyBookClub #audiobook

I‘ve enjoyed listening to this book, but it didn‘t quite live up to my expectations. There is a fascinating story here of the horses‘ movement and survival throughout the war as well as the people that kept them safe. However, I wanted more about the ones that remained in Europe along with the ones that came to the U.S. after.

📷: Photos from recent walks as I listened.

#audiobook #audiowalk #nonfiction #WWII

? Baking sourdough, including these jalapeño cheddar rolls
? Teaching colleagues who are also great friends
? Notes of appreciation from students this week
? Fresh picked asparagus
? My pets, featuring Gandalf today

#5JoysFriday

I got 3 bingos in April with a good variety of books. There were some good nonfiction, a couple 1001 books, and some pure fluff reading as well. It was also a very good audiobook month, with just one low rated book.

#ReadingStats #MonthlyStats #BookSpinBingo #DaiseysReadingSummary

This was an interesting book about symbols we use in writing, their history from handwritten manuscripts to modern printing, and further changes with online text. I especially enjoyed the chapters on the pilcrow, octothorpe, and manicule, all of which I also think qualify as weird words. I was not as interested in the discussion of irony and sarcasm and attempts to identify them in print.

#nonfiction #audiobook
#WeirdWords #WeirdWordWednesday

This week I‘ve chosen a couple of books in which softball plays a major part. Both of these are books I‘ve read, but I still need to get hold of copies to add to my class library.

#MiddleGradeMonday #MiddleGrade #GirlsInSports

I liked this, but I think I either needed more context for the historical aspect than the few minutes of online reading I did or more love for Great Expectations to truly appreciate it.

#ReadingOceania2024 #PapuaNewGuinea #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #audiobook

Happy Saturday! This morning‘s book and breakfast includes catching up on this week‘s Sherlock Holmes story and probably listening ahead for next week. “The Adventure of the Engineer‘s Thumb” is not one of my favorites, but I am loving revisiting these stories each week.

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes #Sherlocked #BookAndBreakfast #audiobook

💛 La Gata, another pet that provides me joy.
💛 My classes finished state testing this week.
💛 Our JH took a field trip to see a college performance of The Percy Jackson Musical, and a former student had a role as the Minotaur & member of the ensemble.
💛 I hire a high school student who does a great job regularly mowing my yard so I don‘t have to.
💛 One evening this week I enjoyed some lovely hammock time.

#5JoysFriday

It was a beautiful evening, so I spent a bit of time in the hammock in the back yard with Gandalf and my current audiobook. Mr. Pip is set in Papua New Guinea and includes the only white man remaining on the island reading Great Expectations to students in the local school.

#audiobook #ReadingOceania2024 #PapuaNewGuinea #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #HammockReading

I haven‘t been listening to this a chapter a day, but I downloaded it over the weekend to catch up. Then I just had to finish the last couple chapters last night. Even as a reread, it‘s so suspenseful. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am glad I made the time to listen again.

#PemberLittens #HashtagBrigade #audiobook

I thought about this prompt for a bit and decided on this book. Jillian lives in a small coastal Louisiana town that is slowly disappearing due to rising water. After another storm, the school is closed due to flood damage and the bridge into town is condemned. As she fights for her town and learns more about its history, she also learns how much of it has already disappeared under water.

#MiddleGrade #MiddleGradeMonday #Louisiana

This is definitely my favorite sourdough cookbook. I mixed up the dough for these overnight baguette twists yesterday afternoon, shaped them early this morning, and baked them before leaving for church. The recipe is simple and delicious!

#MtCookbook #cookbook #sourdough

I didn‘t find any life changing advice in this book, but I can see how it would be helpful for people without good relationships as models. A large part of it is about changing your own self sabotaging actions as well as considering more people as potential partners. The middle section includes some thoughtful strategies to try while actually dating new people, but much of it was just common sense.

#audiobook #nonfiction

This historical novel is set in Berlin in 1960 to 1961 in the months leading up to raising of the Berlin Wall. I‘ve read stories set in East Berlin, but always with characters ready to escape. Instead, this one includes a son of a U.S. soldier and his cousin who has grown up in East Berlin believing most of what he has been taught. They become friends during the time when people can still go back and forth between the two sides.

It‘s been a bit of a rough week, so I‘m purposefully taking this opportunity to focus on some positives.

💛 It rained yesterday, and now everything is beautifully green.
💛 We finished our first week of state testing & all students were present each day.
💛 My 6th graders were completely engaged in our math activity today.
💛 This beagle makes me happy every single day.
💛 Tonight I‘m having pizza & drinks with great friends.

#5JoysFriday

Apparently, I‘m going through a contemporary romance phase. I saw a review of this book by @LibrarianRyan the other day, and made a snap decision to see if I could find a copy. It was absolutely a pure fluff read about a football player and a librarian who are long time friends. There‘s low drama and an emphasis on body positivity.

#audiobook

This is an amazing book narrated by a horse named Joey during WWI. Joey does different jobs and ends up traveling a lot during the course of the war. It touches on some hard topics and has some truly sad scenes, but it also has a happy ending.

#MiddleGrade #MiddleGradeMonday #WWI #MsDsLibrary

I‘ve read Caroline Alexander‘s book about Shackleton‘s expedition, & I have Alfred Lansing‘s on my shelf, so I couldn‘t resist downloading this audio as well. It‘s more straightforward & scientific in a logbook sort of way than Alexander‘s, but I still found most of it fascinating as a more immediate, first person version. The part about the Aurora got long to me, but other than that, I‘m amazed by this survival story every time I read about it.

I‘m enjoying taco salad for supper and a few chapters of Anything for Billy in the backyard on this beautiful evening.

#ReadAndEat #DeweysReadathon

✅ Another strange book marked off the 1001 list! Thankfully, it was short & fairly easy to follow at double speed. It‘s a disjointed mishmash of stories with way too much graphic M/M sex for me. Some scenes were interesting in how they were repetitively told with slight variations, but I didn‘t get the point. It wasn‘t as difficult of a read as de Sade‘s Justine, but I‘m giving it the same kind of rating.

#1001books #audiobook #DeweysReadathon

This was a great listen that describes the experiences of the first six American women to be astronauts - Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.

#nonfiction #audiobook #LitsyBookClub #DeweysReadathon