#5JoysFriday

1) cheese, crackers,grapes and bubbly spread on the plane 🧀🍇🍾✈️
2) meeting Charlie Brown, quite a thing here in Windsor CA
3) Vietnamese fusion restaurant we ate at Friday evening. 🥢🍚
4) A house finch bursting into song - thanks to app Merlin Bird ID
5) a visit to Charles Schultz Airport

Any Litten please join in, even a day late!

A book, a cheese plate & some bubbly makes for a happy woman! CA here we come! 📚🧀🍇🍾 ✈️

Perusing my library books & paper backs for tomorrow‘s plane ride to San Francisco. This tagged book might make it to my carry on.

Just heard about this-2 days late. I have not read all her books, but those that I have I‘ve thoroughly enjoyed. I love the book written by her daughter about their relationship.

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251314790/alice-munro-dead

#wondrouswednesday

📚 I have no specific memory but rather it‘s the feeling of excitement & anticipation I felt when my mom would take all of us to the library on Saturdays.

📚I get books from: audible,kindle,library,neighbors,bookstores.Often I find Blackwells of UK with lower prices & earlier publishing dates.Thanks to @LeahBergen for that online bookstore referral!

📚 tagged book

Inviting all Littens to participate!

My two mother‘s day books from my son. He is also going to do a lot of trimming in the yard, & weeding & planting in my garden. For someone who does not like to dig in dirt, it‘s an amazing & touching gift! Just saw my surgeon & as I guessed, I cannot do any kind of garden work due to my shoulder & bicep tear surgery last fall. Any sadness I was feeling after my MD appointment Friday has faded with this gift.

#cozy
Ally McKellar flees NYC back to her mountain,small, home town of Calendar & opens up the restaurant of her dreams, Bella Rose. The apparent murder of a food critic shuts down her restaurant & turns her life upside down. Impatient with the police she decides to turn amateur sleuth & discover who is the killer.She is joined by her sous chief & dessert maker extraordinaire,Jack Harper.A little mystery, murder,& romance makes this a fun cozy.

Megan Rapinoe in her own words.

Rockstar
Activist
Role Model
Obstacle Smasher
LGBTQ
Pink hair
Equal Pay
Seeks social justice
Tenacious

And so much more…She is only 38…cannot wait to see what the rest of her life brings!

This chilling tale of murder,betrayal,redemption & reconciliation is set in the hazardous Scottish Highlands in 2051.Climate change has turned this world into one of snow and ice.A young meteorologist on her rounds,discovers a body encased in a snow tunnel.DI Cameron Brody of Glasgow,who has his own reasons for investigating,carries ghosts & secrets from his past with him. What a shocking,explosive end. #climatechange #bloodandfoundfamilies

Spent tonight‘s Hygge Hour on the couch with my kitties, reading this mystery set on the Isle of Purbeck & its beaches. 😻🌊🇬🇧📚
#HyggehourReadathon #DorsetCrimeMysteries #serieslove2024 #readyourkindle

#Bookreport #May5to112024
Currently Reading: #desthdoula #memoir #literarycrew #sundaybuddyread #DorothyParker #AlgonquinRoundTable
Finished: #readyourkindle #CalendarMysteries #seasonalcozies #Maigret #historicalfiction #AmeliaPeabody #Eygptoloy #serieslove2024

Today‘s library hold.
I opened the book to this well used,but apropos epigraph for Megan‘s iconic life.I was so lucky to be inspired by & a participant of NWSL‘s campaign for equal pay, spearheaded by Megan.At the time,her team played in a Friendly in the Hartford area.I went with a contingent from HCFC ‘s support group,Agents of Hale & the Hartford American Outlaws support group.Chants of “equal pay”by all filled the stadium.Such high energy!

Saturday early morning read. Peaceful outside, mostly a chorus of birds,interrupted by the occasional pecking of a woodpecker. #coffeeandbooks #birdsong #porchlife

#5JoysFriday

~ haircut- new growth coming in curly! ( lost lots of hair after surgery this past autumn)
~ making packing list for plane flight to CA next Thursday the 16th for a family wedding and reunion
~new bombass compression socks for flight.
~ kitty cuddles
~ teacher appreciation week:fed:food truck, catered lunch,breakfast,snacks,cupcakes-won a begonia plant(gifted it to my custodian,who adored it),
student letters.
#gratitude #joy

#audiobook #blameitonlitsy #desert #storytelling
A suffragist & scholar of Egyptology,Amelia Peabody is the epitome of the 1920s modern woman.Armed with her journal,umbrella(a handy weapon),& new friend Evelyn, she travels down the Nile to the architectural site of the Emerson brothers.What follows is a wild caper filled with “accidents,” unknown enemies,man-made and environmental obstacles,evil adversaries,supernatural forces,& romance.

Another #libraryfind. I am enthralled.

Such a pretty visual! Love all the colors!
1)My family
My job
Green things sprouting in my garden!
2) 🌎 ☮️ 🩵

Tagging: @UwannaPublishme @ravenlee @Librarybelle

#WhatsNewWednesday
See those hair wings peaking out from the sides of my cap? I had a new haircut today. They are now gone!

#AwesomeAprilReadathon
4 books read. 😀🎉

#readyourkindle
Starting this easy read #cozy this afternoon.

#StorySettings #seaside

Beaches I have visited countless times over the years, paired with a book I have read for each setting.

I really enjoyed this compelling dual timeline novel. Two courageous, trailblazing Australian women living 50 years apart,lead unconventional lives that connect them over 50 years time.In 1868 Theo,a lover of gardens & its creatures, makes an amazing discovery of a new species of butterfly,never before seen in Australia.50 years later,Verity while researching baby farms for a newspaper article,stumbles upon some of her own mysterious family 🔽
.

The tulips we picked a week ago are still flourishing.

Although it is a damp gray early morning, I am bundled up in the porch glider. When I opened the porch door and heard the call of a mourning dove I JUST HAD to be out here for a little while. Sounds of a bird chorus are filling my ears.
I am really enjoying this historical novel; it was a free one from Kindle. #readyourkindle #birdsong #porchlife

This detective story featuring Maigret,has a slow & steady rhythm. His writing style is spare but effective. The murdered victim tracks the “sounds”of life on a cassette recorder he wears visibly around his neck.What evidence might be in those tapes? Red herrings take Maigret on one path involving house break-ins-might thse men be connected to the murder?But when Maigret strategically uses the newspapers to draw the perpetrator out 🔽

This is not a real spin as I brought back 3/4 books from April to finish- or not!

Marmee‘s mantra to get herself through life is “Hope and keep busy.” By the novel‘s end,we see this mantra get her through her life‘s challenges.In this epistolary novel,we hear the story of Little Women from Marmee‘s point of view.While Civil War rages,Marmee is continuously engaged in her family‘s survival because Amos is sending little of his salary home.Unlike Amos,she struggles with the belief that God will provide.Consequently,her mission 🔽

Enjoying a lazy afternoon of reading with my cats. #libraryfinds #InspectorMaigret

We are reading Emerson right now in my 11th grade co-taught English class. I bought this book of his poem, “ Father, We Thank You” because its impressionist style illustrations are quietly beautiful.
😻

All the Broken Places initially reminded me of the novel What We Owe.Both novels are narrated by women nearing the end of their lives,who carry within themselves,never spoken of secrets and young adult war trauma,WWII & Iranian Revolution,respectively.Bits & pieces of Gretel‘s “broken places” emerge throughout the novel in a time/place line format.As her life unfolds in this way, we learn about the events & relationshipsthat formed her. 🔽

#bookreport
Finished up: All the Broken Places
All the other books are in various stages of reading. Work is ramping up; the end of the tear is June17. How dare my job interfere with reading life!
#libraryfinds #InspectorMaigret #sundaybuddyread #poetry #AmandaGorman #readyourkindle #audiobook #ameliapeabody #serieslove2024

#5JoysFriday

🌷watching tulips we picked as they slowly opened up all week.
🌷my couch & indoor reading corner
🌷Wednesday evening sunset over my HS after an amazing late afternoon into evening of creativity
🌷My Poe! 😻
🌷 Not pictured: a well needed 3 after work nap today ! 😴😴

So much of this book, written as an epistolary novel, records events that are historically accurate. On this April day in 1867, a black man named Christopher Jones tried to board a street car. He was arrested. I had no idea there were numerous incidents of blacks organizing such events immediately after blacks were freed.https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/richmond-streetcar-protest/

A conversation between Gretel and her despicable, violent movie producer neighbor who discovered her secrets.

Pre dinner porch time. Beautiful day- cloudless blue skies leaves budding on the maple trees, a soft wind that swirls all the pink petals from the magnolia tree off into the warm air. #porchlife

Starting this tonight. #libraryfind #serieslove2024
#AwesomeAprilReadathon

The tulips we picked last Saturday opened up so wide!
Tagging all Littens!
☺️ Thank you for the tag @Eggs
#WhatsNewWednesday

1) cleaning & setting up my porch( plants, furniture, etc.)
2) Zorrie
3) My family is flying to CA for my niece‘s wedding & a family reunion 5/16-5/23. I can‘t wait!
#wondrouswednesday

April Stats: I read 20 books- a week off from work with mostly clouds/rain certainly helped me!

Fiction: 5
Historical mysteries: 5
Mysteries:9
Spy/thriller: 1
#sundaybuddyread #Libraryfinds #KarenPirie #Covid19 #naturalitsy #MaisieDobbs #Marmee #epositorynovel #GuidoBrunetti #Venice #StCyr #audiobooks #RevMotherSquinasMysteties #readyourkindle #seasonslcozies #NDBuddyRead #LittenDetectives #Pemberlittens #serieslove2024
#AwesomeAprilReadathon

Early morning read before work. The air is a symphony of bird song. Morning dew after a night of rain. Coffee in my work bag. A little bit of heaven.#coffeeandbooks #porchlife

I am only on ch. 3 , but both of these women, Amelia & Evelyn are courageous,audacious,intelligent - this book makes me laugh with glee at how Amelia got rid of Alberto with her umbrella. #audiobook

#libraryhaul
I had to stop myself from checking out more in order to save some for next time!

Agatha Christie rears her head. 😃

My picks for #seasonalcozies #April #May

Reading April‘s pick now. #readyourkindle

Many thanks to @Read4life & @PathfinderNicole for these suggestions!

Celebrated this #awesomeaprilreadathon by finishing When Gods Die, C.S. Harris.#librarybook
Plans: finish library books,read a few Amanda Gorman poems from Call Us What We Carry, listen to audiobook. Maybe a “mood” book.
Join in this event!

Foggy morning after a night‘s rain.Tulips closed up for the night.Low 70s predicted but no sun.Wondering what makes them open?Temperature?Sun?
There is the rapid tapping of a woodpecker at work- she must be in one of the tall ancient Maples that line part of my driveway, because her tapping is LOUD.A chorus of birdsong has begun. A silent runner passes by.I love celebrating early mornings on my porch. #porchlife
#coffeeandbooks Book mail arrived.

It‘s clouded up & the sun has fled, but I am enjoying a late afternoon read on my porch.
We visited a tulip farm in Preston, CT & had our pick of tulips.Ten with the price of admission.There were 3 of us so we left with thirty gorgeous blooms. They make me happy! 🌹🌹🌷🌷

#bookreport
With the exception of two, all the “finished “books were in various stages of reading in other words. I didn‘t read them all this week.
Currently reading: Starting audiobook,Crocodile on the Sandbank #blameitonlitsy, #SebastianStCyr mystery, #libraryfind #poetry #nunlit #serieslove2024

#5JoysFriday

🍋 my favorite candy to suck on, Perle di Sole
🍋our Magnolia tree at sunset, still blooming but shedding petals making a pink carpet on our lawn
🍋 reading on my porch this week- it was warm enough 2 afternoons-welcome today after a night of 28 degrees.
🍋 sunset
🍋 got in 3 walks this week with my friend/neighbor

Edinburgh is in total lockdown due to Covid-19.DS Jason Murray gets an unexpected phone call from a librarian who finds a chilling unfinished manuscript in the archival material of a dead author,Jake Stein.The manuscript has eerie parallels to the real life disappearance of a EU student,Lara Hardie one year earlier.DCI Karen Pirie & her team of the Historic Cases Unit decide to investigate.Also highlighted are personal challenges for the 3 team 🔽