Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
I loved The Situation Room! Lots of great info. I‘m so glad I read that last week.
This week, it‘s time to really dive into #buddyread titles and see what #BookSpinBingo brings!
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Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
I loved The Situation Room! Lots of great info. I‘m so glad I read that last week.
This week, it‘s time to really dive into #buddyread titles and see what #BookSpinBingo brings!
I own a few copies of Little Women but decided to read from my most recent edition acquisition, the #BOTM version.
I‘ve read this a couple of times, so I‘m looking forward to this reread. Fun fact: If I ever had a daughter, her name would be Josephine Elizabeth, after my two favorite female characters, Jo March and Elizabeth Bennet. #PemberLittens #HashtagBrigade
New month, new book for #LiteraryCrew ! This month, we head to the Trojan War era. Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll check in periodically and will post discussion questions on June 30th.
If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know! #BuddyRead
LaraReads, mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, CrowCAH, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Sace, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, Karisa, Singout, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks, BookWrym
#LittenDetectives : We are two weeks away from our next #NancyDrewBR discussion! What happens when Nancy receives a mysterious letter? Let‘s find out!
Questions will be posted on June 15th!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, PurpleyPumpkin, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, catiewithac, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, Deblovestoread, lauraisntwilder, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, jlhammar, CSeydel, Ruthiella, inthegreensandblues, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, Pageturner1, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze, julieclair
Christie, thank you so much for the lovely gift! I love all of it. It is so tempting to break into the chocolate right now. 😂
❤️❤️❤️ I feel so special! #LitsyLove
Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes and extras, @UwannaPublishme , @Blerdgal_Fenix , @KadaGul , and @Eggs !
#LitsyLove
I took time this afternoon to make my June #BookSpinBingo list!
so-soThanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for this #ALC !
When a small group of bookstore employees are told to immediately shut down their bookstore, they decide to stay, refusing to leave to show the importance of the store to the community. The reader sees the story from the perspective of the manager Jo, as she and a half dozen staff keep the online bookstore sales running.
It‘s a fun premise. There is the power of books and their special ⬇️
It‘s time for our discussion, #LiteraryCrew !
I posted 8 questions as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching the group hashtag.
Thanks for joining me for this #BuddyRead ! Next month‘s book is A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, and I will post a reminder graphic about it tomorrow.
LaraReads, mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Sace, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, Singout, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks, BookWrym8. Consider the mothers and daughters in this book: Veronique and Marie-Louise; Veronique and her mother, Danielle; the queen and her daughters; and Madame du Pompadour and Alexandrine. What are the common threads in all those relationships? Which ones did you most identify with? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
7. What do you think becomes of Marie-Louise, Veronique, and Jean-Louis in the years after the novel ends? How do you envision their future? ~adapted from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
6. How might Marie-Louise's life had differed had she known the truth of her mother and father, rather than learning years later? ~adapted from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
5. Why does Marie-Louise become a midwife? What about her history may have made her uniquely qualified for this calling? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
4. Why is it so hard for Veronique to move on after the king spurns her, despite knowing that her future has been assured if she's willing to go along with the plan? Why does she continue to insist that the king is the father of her child? Would you have done the same? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
3. At the start of the novel, we are told that the king's mistress, Madame du Pompadour, “. . .knows that the world is not run by those who trust but by those who foresee trouble well before it is conceived.“ Do you agree? Which other characters in this novel share that approach to life? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
2. Before diving into the book, I also wanted to highlight King Louis XV, who is one of the main characters in the novel, and Deer Park. Stachniak includes in her author's note that Deer Park did exist. I was astounded while reading about this!
Here's a little bit more information about Louis XV and Deer Park: https://www.geriwalton.com/parc-aux-cerfs-and-tales-of-louis-xvs-harem/
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
1. We are at Versailles this month! Have you ever visited Versailles? Have you read anything prior to this book set in or about Versailles?
To get us fully immersed, this is the Versailles official website: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/
#LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
pickWow! Stephanopoulos takes the reader through six decades of presidential history through the confines of the Situation Room. This is a fascinating look at the workings of each president from Kennedy through Biden, the apolitical staffers who interact with them, & the administration staffers. At times poignant and other times horrifying, I learned a lot, and it also confirmed some of my impressions on former presidents. 5 stars!
so-soAdmittedly, I almost stopped reading this one after the first couple of chapters - the actions of the main character just completely baffled me, and the response of those actions by law enforcement seemed completely wrong. Cozies are not meant to be real life, but this seemed over the top even for a cozy. The narrative did get better as the story progressed. Lots of suspects and mystery elements, plus a secondary mystery. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
Last week was a good reading week, with a few #buddyread titles completed. It was a mixture of good and so-so reads, with a wide span of genres and topics.
I cannot believe it‘s time to organize the June buddy read list! It also makes me realize how many buddy reads I participate in! 😂 I think I recorded all of them for June.
Happy Reading!
pickI read this collection a number of years ago and enjoyed the reread. There was one or two so-so stories in the collection, but the majority of the stories have a fun adventure. Holmes is Holmes, of course…he‘s never going to win the most humble person award!
#NoPlaceLikeHolmes
Thanks for the tag, @DebinHawaii !
1. My boys!
2. Visiting wineries
3. Book mail! New Nora Roberts and Ruth Ware
4. My first birthday card in the mail - thank you @KadaGul !
5. Murder, Mystery, and My Family on BritBox…my current binge watch!
#5JoysFriday
so-soAdmittedly, I was curious about this one - it‘s hard not to see the ads for the movie everywhere you go! I enjoyed the beginning and the end (oh my about that!) but the middle really dragged for me. There were so many details and aspects of the relationship covered that it just seemed to bog down. I‘m not a voracious romance reader, so that explain my feelings. 🤷🏻♀️
NSFW scenes aplenty, so if you listen to this like I did, beware!
pickWow…this one was super creepy! But so good! Eve Dallas has to dive into the occult and has some pretty gruesome and graphic episodes. I highly recommend not reading this one while you‘re eating…yikes!
I greatly enjoy watching Eve grow as a person and coming to terms with her past. #InDeathLongReadalong
Look what I snagged from the library, #SundayBuddyRead Littens! I loved Zorrie so much I was so excited to see this new book by Hunt.
so-soThis is a little hard to review. On the surface, this is a good story about female friendships in the 1920s and follows them as they navigate Prohibition, depression, suicidal thoughts, and women‘s reproductive health.
I came to this book with a very basic knowledge of Dorothy Parker and her group of friends. The nuances of the 1920s is fun to read. However, after participating in the #SundayBuddyRead ⬇️⬇️⬇️
pickAnother great addition in the series, and a perfect palate cleansing read. Charlie and Diesel are entangled in a diary and secrets that date back to the American Civil War. The bonus short story, in which Charlie finds Diesel at the library, reminded me of my real life rescue of Zeke from my car engine at the library so long ago. I made #Zeke model for the picture! #CatsOfLitsy
We‘re going way back in time for June‘s selection, #LiteraryCrew participants!
The Trojan War from the female perspective? Sounds like a great #BuddyRead !
Read A Thousand Ships at your own pace throughout June, and discussion questions will be posted June 30th. I will post periodic checkins throughout the month.
All are welcome! Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!
LaraReads, mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Sace, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, Singout, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks, BookWrym
I just finished Chapter 21…Cathy is so evil! She gives me the creeps. Just had to say something! #RandomClassics
Image is from Wikipedia/public domain of Jo Van Fleet portraying Cathy Ames in the 1955 film.
Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
Last week was a good reading week, with 4 completed. Some were better than others!
My goal this week is to continue reading through the #buddyread titles and read more of the library books on my book stack!
pickWhen the school board of the school district I grew up in decided to rescind an invitation for this author to speak at one of the middle schools, I knew I had to read this book. The whole episode was so bizarre that it made international news…and not in a good light.
This is such an amazing book, following Rahul as he struggles with so much - his identity, lack of inclusion and diversity in the community, and his overall desire to fit in. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
#LiteraryCrew : We are about halfway through the month, so time for a #buddyread check-in! I know a few have finished and others are waiting for their copy from the library, but for those who have read or who are reading…any thoughts to share?
Discussion May 31st!
LaraReads, mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, Crazeedi, tpixie, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, Sace, Bluebird, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Sargar114, Singout, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, julieclair, AllDebooks, BookWrym
Great discussion for The Clue in the Diary! If you haven‘t had a chance to participate, feel free whenever you are able!
Can you believe, #LittenDetectives , that we are on book 8 in the Nancy Drew series?
Nancy receives a letter that leads her on another sleuthing adventure. #NancyDrewBR
Discussion will be June 15th. All are welcome! If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know!!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, PurpleyPumpkin, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, catiewithac, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, Deblovestoread, lauraisntwilder, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, jlhammar, CSeydel, Ruthiella, inthegreensandblues, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, Pageturner1, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze, julieclair
It‘s time for our #NancyDrewBR discussion, #LittenDetectives !
I posted 5 questions as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #NancyDrewBR .
This was a fun one to read! Jump into the conversation whenever. I will post the official graphic for next month‘s book, Nancy‘s Mysterious Letter, tomorrow! Thanks for reading with me!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, PurpleyPumpkin, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, catiewithac, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, Deblovestoread, lauraisntwilder, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, jlhammar, CSeydel, Ruthiella, inthegreensandblues, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, Pageturner1, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze, julieclair5. The diary in Swedish is the centerpiece of this book. I wanted to close the questions by sharing this collection of diaries and other manuscripts housed at the Library of Congress: https://blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts/category/diaries/
I also liked this from George Mason University about diaries and letters: https://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/letters/whydo.html
Did you keep a diary? Do you still keep a diary? #NancyDrewBR
4. We finally meet Ned in this book! Though referenced briefly in a prior book - and that seems to me a continuity issue, given what we learn in this book - Nancy meets Ned at the scene of the fire. There is instant attraction!
I saw some comments from #LittenDetectives that they really enjoyed Bess in this one.
Thoughts to share on Bess, George, or Ned? #NancyDrewBR
3. Nancy and her friends experience a few adventures in this one - the most intense for me was the road rage episode!
Are there any “danger“ aspects that stick out for you?
Note for those keeping track of the bumps on the head: While we did not have a #NancyNogginKnockout , Nancy was slapped in the face!
2. In the 1962 edition, two chapters feature a mail theft subplot. Of course, Nancy to the rescue!
According to Wikipedia, some readers are less impressed with this addition to the story - they do not understand the reasoning for this addition, especially since it did not appear in the 1932 edition.
If you read the 1962 edition, what are your thoughts on this?
Link to recent case of mail theft in the US in the comments... #NancyDrewBR
1. While there are some differences between the 1932 edition and the 1962 (and later) edition, they are limited in scope, according to Wikipedia.
Which edition did you read? What are your overall thoughts of this, the 7th book in the series? #NancyDrewBR
so-soI feel bad for not liking this one as much as other fellow #PemberLittens did. The second part was so confusing - I‘m not the strongest reader of stream of consciousness understanding, let alone from two perspectives. One has to feel sad for Antoinette whose life did not seem pleasant.
This had been on my to read list for a very long time, so at least I can check it off. #HashtagBrigade #192025 #1966
panThis month‘s IRL book club title, and I was left feeling meh about it. Bernadette is a mail carrier and a widow with a son who is the head high school football coach. She also randomly decides on the 10 year anniversary of her husband‘s death that she has feelings for his bff, who has remained in her and her son‘s life after her husband‘s passing. This helps because he‘s accused of murder, and she feels she must find the killer…despite the ⬇️⬇️⬇️
I just saw this on the FB Group Onward Litsy from Kate…FYI!!
“A note to let everyone know that we're aware there‘s a problem where every night Litsy is down for an hour, and we are investigating. We're hopeful it will be fixed soon!”
pickNancy and her friends - and we finally have Ned in the picture! - are involved in a mystery surrounding a house explosion and a diary written in Swedish. Nancy also helps the postal service with a mail delivery issue. Fun read!
Don‘t forget #LittenDetectives that our #NancyDrewBR discussion of this book is on the 15th!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, PurpleyPumpkin, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, catiewithac, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, Deblovestoread, lauraisntwilder, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, jlhammar, CSeydel, Ruthiella, inthegreensandblues, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, Pageturner1, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze, julieclair
Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
I started off strong last week, completing a few books and continuing with various #buddyread selections. Some books had to go back to the library, so are on pause.
This week, I anticipate completing a couple #buddyread titles and also going through my library book stack - my eyes are way bigger than my belly #somanybookssolittletime .
My IRL book club meets this week too, so I must start that book.
pickThanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for this #ALC !
With elements of mystery & romance & set in Ireland, the story follows a family, the family manor, & a secret that can tear everything from apart. I think I enjoyed listening to the story more, with an Irish voice actress doing the narration. This is the first in a series, so I‘ll be interested to see how the series progresses. A good distraction listen. #52BookClub24 #TheWordSecretInTheTitle
Kristy_K, LaraReads, KarenUK, Hooked_on_books, BarkingMadRead, Crazeedi, brittanyreads, Graciouswarriorprincess, Magpiegem, BookBelle84, Larkken, jenniferw88, julesG, Deblovestoread, MidnightBookGirl, triplem80, Tove_Reads, slategreyskies, Read4life, Bluebird, kwmg40, BarbaraBB, eeclayton, hissingpotatoes, Book_Lover95, TheAromaofBooks
so-soThis debut novel has an intriguing premise - the gods of the seasons & a disaster that leaves the world shrouded in autumn. There were parts that had me riveted, but the second third of the book really dragged for me. The MC Tirne seemed to develop an almost repetitive whining tone, and without spoiling too much, I can understand. The ending did not satisfy me either, though the narrative did pick up again the last third of the book. So-so read.
pickA unique almost cozy featuring an LGBT male MC…Chase is still mourning the death of his love Doug and decides to take part in a walking tour of Devon, England. He‘s a former police investigator and has to utilize his skills fairly quickly. The murder takes place against a descriptive backdrop. Slight homage to Agatha Christie - very slight, but the twists are there. I read this one in less than 24 hours! #52BookClub24 #TimeFrameSpansAWeekOrLess
Kristy_K, LaraReads, KarenUK, Hooked_on_books, BarkingMadRead, Crazeedi, brittanyreads, Graciouswarriorprincess, Magpiegem, BookBelle84, Larkken, jenniferw88, julesG, Deblovestoread, MidnightBookGirl, triplem80, Tove_Reads, slategreyskies, Read4life, Bluebird, kwmg40, BarbaraBB, eeclayton, hissingpotatoes, Book_Lover95, TheAromaofBooks
pickI was not anticipating this #MiddleGrade to be as sad as it was in parts - the cover and synopsis made me think it would be more light and comical. Magical realism plays a role in this as the reader hears from the perspective of tween Ernest and Olivetti the typewriter. It‘s apparent early on that there is a big #ElephantInTheRoom when it comes to Ernest‘s family, and the mother‘s disappearance only adds layers to the situation. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :
I bailed on an audio - absolutely horrific (see my “review” for more details - and completed a few other titles.
This week, I have some library books that must be read, as well as keeping up with #buddyread books. We‘ll see how I do!
Happy Reading!
Thanks for the tag, @DebinHawaii !
1. My boys…always, always my boys. Recent pictures of them are shown above
2. The Morgan Library in NYC for offering virtual docent conversations regarding exhibits. Today‘s was about the Beatrix Potter exhibit
3. Finding a big stack of books for me on the library‘s hold shelf
4. Listening to the birds every morning as they chatter in my backyard
5. Practicing a nightly sleep meditation
#5JoysFriday