Next up for our festivities? Relaxing by the pool with a good book. I never want to take new books or library books to the pool so I brought an old used Nora Roberts to reread.

Today's book haul from The Book Loft in Columbus, OH. The Boynton board books were all 50% off and will go in various baby presents. Shout, The Female of the Species, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme are all signed by the authors as a bonus! Plus, who could resist pigeon socks? A gift certificate from my in-laws covered a little over half and I splurged on the rest. Happy 40th Birthday to me!

This was my portion of the birthday surprise trip my MIL planned - fancy book store and a gift card to spend. Yesterday hubby got to go on an aerial adventure with obstacles and zip lines. I'll post my haul later!

Every year my mother-in-law plans a surprise trip for my hubby's and my birthdays. All we know is she needed 3 days. On the road and info so far is our first stop is Romney, IN. A cousin lives there so I expect a lunch date. I have When Dimple Met Rishi on audio to occupy me in the car. Totally over packed on books though - brought 5 plus my Nook! I am almost done with Red, White, and Royal Blue so I think it barely counts, so let's call it 4.25.

More of a coda than a conclusion and somewhat bittersweet of an ending. Good to revisit the characters though.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my favorite writers. Went on hold for the print copy of this one at my work library so was delighted when I discovered it was available via hoopla from my home library. I'm already a third of the way through and can't wait to read more.

Excellent narration. I was emotionally invested in Freya and her sister and Harun and his family. I think it's a sign that I'm old that my biggest response to this was anger at some of the parents, especially Nathaniel's mom who abandons her child to his mentally ill father's care with very little oversight. None of the adults in Nathaniel's life see anything wrong either which is infuriating because it is so realistic. #hubchallenge19

Funny and a good continuation of the series; the friends in this are great. I did have some issues with this one though regarding the representation as well as the overprotective hero that Goodreads user Aarya Marsden expresses here quite well: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2696908211

Listening this morning to an #audiobooksync from a previous summer. Fun and cute so far and since there's yardwork on the agenda today hoping to get through a good chunk! #audiobooks

Both of these look awesome and have been on my #TBR for awhile so I'm thrilled that they are the choices for #audiobooksync this week. Don't miss your chance to download them for free!

A mess. Jealousy as a turn-on just doesn't work for me and that was so much of the book. Kind of nice to see a character with a chronic heart condition as the lead although I don't know enough to know if the rep was accurate. Also - I think Jamie was supposed to be redeemed by the end, but I still think he's pretty terrible as a human and as a brother. #audiobooks

It's week 2 of #audiobooksync and this week's titles are all about betrayal. Get 'em while you can and they're free! www.audiobooksync.com

Book: Girl with a Pearl Earring - set in Holland which is known for its tulips
Movie: My Fair Lady because Eliza sells flowers
Song: Tiptoe Through the Tulips
#manicmonday @JoScho

If you haven't heard of #audiobooksync you're missing out. Starting this week there will be two audiobooks of interest to teens that you can download each week throughout the summer. This week's choices are Swing (tagged) and Blink and Caution which I liked a lot in print. New titles go up every Thursday at 7am EST at www.audiobooksync.com - get 'em while you can! I've built up a great library of audiobooks over the part several years with this.

Book: The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
Movie: The Wizard of Oz
Song: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
#manicmonday
@JoScho

Loved this. Bri and her family seemed so real to me with all their strengths and flaws. Bri is charming, witty, funny and makes several terrible decisions all while trying to help her family and achieve her dreams. She also faces racist school security guards and a society determined to label her a thug whether the label fits or not. Turpin as usual did an excellent job with the narration.

Johnson is really leaning into the cliff hangers with this series, but she did a good job of including enough of the details from the first book (which I read a year ago when it came out) that I wasn't lost so hopefully that will be true of the third book as well. Fun, angsty mystery with much more to uncover.

I originally thought this series was a trilogy and this was the last book, but it turns out there is a fourth! Even so this wraps up the threads from the first three very nicely. I read this so fast I definitely missed some of the clues - I really should have paid more attention to everyone's last names for example. Overall a very enjoyable YA mystery series - a good read alike for Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Naturals series, I think.

Two colds in two months is too many. But feeling cruddy means I've been indulging in a YA mystery kick via #Libby starting with this second in the Charlotte Holmes series. Loved the introduction of August to the mix and the friendship between Charlotte and Lena.

I was down with a cold earlier this month and treated myself to a couple romances while recovering. This was my first Rebekah Weatherspoon and with a super smart heroine and cute kids I'm not surprised I liked it. #romantsy

I liked this a bunch. Interesting characters, good verbal sparring, some stuff in the sex scenes I really appreciated - safe sex addressed and our heroine didn't get drunk to work up her nerve among other things. Small quibble - I'm not convinced that cover model matches the description of the heroine as short and curvy.

Book: World War Z
Movie: Warm Bodies - the only zombie movie I've really enjoyed; I'm not much for horror
Song: Dragula - I don't think it has anything to do with zombies lyric-wise, but it *sounds* like a zombie song to me
#ManicMonday @JoScho

Finished this earlier this week, but forgot to post. I liked it, but I think maybe knowing more about cricket would make the themes richer. The depiction of grief was very good.

Read this for the YASF Tournament of Books and did not want to have to choose between it and Sadie. It's also my first #hubchallenge19 title. Dark and twisty and heartbreaking with a unique time jumping structure. Jackson does complex main characters like nobody else.

Book: The Sweet Dead Life is part of a duology by Joy Preble. I've never read it and I've read plenty of books with angels in them or angels in the title so no idea why this was the first to come to mind!
Movie: City of Angels
Song: Angel by Sarah MacLachlan
#manicmonday
@JoScho

Judging a tournament of books thing and I'm a little behind because life, so working on this while at my weekly bowling league.

I think I got stuck on the arrow!
Book: The Hunger Games
Movie: Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves
Song: You Give Love a Bad a Name - I mean it starts with Shot through the heart.....so maybe not surprising?
#manicmonday
@JoScho

Ridiculously cold here today so have barely left the house-just made one quick trip to the library to return this and pick up a hold. Beautiful artwork, fascinating world building and complex characters. This first volume feels like it's just scratching the surface with so much more to explore. The magic system is particularly intriguing.

Book: Famous in a Small Town
Movie: A Star is Born
Song: Counting Stars
#manicmonday
#🤩
@JoScho
I don't appear to have the gold star eyes in my keyboard- hopefully these star eyes track the same!

Today's storytime was at Panera with a snow and snowman theme. Perfect given the snow over the weekend! Wednesday night we will do the same basic storytime, but with a craft. Must remember to ask Panera to turn down their in house music if possible though. I'm pretty loud, but that's not true for all our outreach storytime presenters! This is my absolute favorite retelling of The Mitten, but sadly I can't find it in the Litsy database.

Sadly, found this the day after my birthday storytime so I must wait to try it with actual kids, but I adored it. Ana asks for amusement park tickets for her birthday, but Abuela sends a chicken. Soon the chicken has recruited Ana's pets for a complex project. Hilarious details abound including the many placards throughout the illustrations. The payoff on the project (and on Dad's opening comment pictured here) is just perfect.

This one was so awesome it gets its own post. This was my favorite of the books I used for the birthday themed storytime we started the year with. Fogliano's rhythmic language works great read aloud and Robinson's illustrations are simply divine. Loved the diversity in the cast of characters, too.

Spending the morning catching up on recording and reviewing the books I've been using in storytime the past couple weeks. So excited that storytime planning is now a major part of my job!

Planning out my #tbr for January starting with the books I have out from the library. I do want to to add a couple I own because I am ridiculous about buying more even with a ton I haven't read yet. Digging the reading planner that came in my Owlcrate last month. Between this and Bookriot's giant spreadsheet, I'm excited to try some new tracking of my reading this year.

Last time my husband ordered more LEGOs, I made an offhand remark about building the ones he already owns. So tomorrow we are hosting a LEGO Block (Building) Party. He almost never initiates social plans, but he made the guest list, invite, etc. Cleaning the house to prep means I'm making solid progress on this audiobook. Love the character building - Julia started out pretty selfish, but she's grown a lot even as she continues to make mistakes.

Christmas almost always affirms for me that I made a great choice in a spouse. He supports my geekery fully - in fact I would say he even enables it! Merry Christmas all!

Up making breakfast this morning. Often I'll try to catchup on my DVR, but we have a giant Christmas tree blocking the view to the tv from the kitchen which means I'm getting through a little more of this one. I got halfway through on CD when my library checkout expired and since there were holds I had to return it. Then I saw that Audible was having a membership sale again and here we are. Loving this as usual. #audiobooks

You know you're a book addict when you're attending a Stampin' Up convention (paper crafting) and you still manage to find a book signing!

Spent yesterday at Universal studios and really enjoyed exploring Diagon Alley in particular. I got a shout out from our tour guide for knowing the spell to defeat a boggart! Also picked up some Slytherin items to show my house pride.

Spending today at Epcot with the hubby for the Food and Wine Festival and catching a little reading time in line. #vacationreads

Entertaining myself while waiting in line to vote! There's a long line which is awesome!

Here's what I used all those hoopla credits for earlier this week. I have one more day of work - it's a biggie - the STEAM Fair I've been working on for months at my Library is finally happening! Then it's time for a week of vacation. I've already read Black Sheep (which was a reread anyway, but I needed a comfort read) and just started Here to Stay. Any recs on what I should pick after that?

Despite being emphatically not a sports person, I love novels with sports. Was using up my hoopla credits at the end of last month and prepping for a week of vacation so grabbed this one which has been highly recommended to me. I'm enjoying it so far, but between this and We Regret to Inform You, I seem to be on a private school kick with my ya reads!

Disappointed because I've loved January Lavoy's narration in the past. Had hoped this would be a new series for me, but I don't plan to continue. The writing was pedestrian with far too much telling instead of showing. Plus there was a completely uneccesary mention of bringing back someone's scalp.

"On my way down the street, I thought: I am going to vomit. And then I thought: I am really going to vomit. And then: I vomited. Onto a shrubbery. It was an unkind thing to do to a shrubbery. I felt really guilty about it. So, so guilty."

Loving this book! Poor Mischa has been rejected from all her colleges because someone tampered with her application. It's a mystery that speaks to the stress today's teens face but also really funny.

Meeting a friend at a new to me coffee shop and it is awesome! Delicious oatmeal and I am very much enjoying this Golden Milk tea latte. Also enjoying the latest Lady Sherlock mystery until my friend arrives.

It feels like forever since I've had a chance to just sit and read so taking advantage of my day off today to treat myself to brunch. That's my favorite tumeric ginger latte in the top corner. So delicious. And I love that Egg Harbor has a mixed berries side option because I loathe melon and it's hard to avoid in fruit cups! Next up is an oil change so I'll get to keep going with Millie and Callie's story.

Congratulations @scripturient on reaching 250k litfluence! I would pick #4 because I subscribed to Owlcrate shortly after that box so it's one of the ones I'm missing. Plus, I met Emma Mills at a YA conference once and she was lovely. #scripturients250kgiveaway

And it's back! No idea why it completely reset, but turns out the WiFi issue was related to it needing a software update to comply with some new security requirements. I took the chance to archive a bunch of what I've already read. Of course now we're home and I need to work on unpacking and prepping for work tomorrow, so I will have to dig in to these another time.

Welp, we have a little over 1.5 hours left of our drive home from vacation. Reality reasserted itself early though. We finished our audiobook so I pulled out my Nook to entertain myself the rest of the way home and it had completely reset. I was able to get back in and re-register but it won't connect to the Internet right so my choices are the Nook Quick Start Guide or the Nook User Guide. Hopefully it will do better with our home WiFi!