Another short holiday story; I‘ve tagged the author‘s novel.
I read this while my husband and I drove to Columbus for a short anniversary weekend away. 😍 Walking around the shopping center last night, we admired the lights & listened to the Silver Bells on the horse drawn carriages. #FestivePhotoChallenge
I love stories set in reality television; I would read this story as a full novel so I could learn more about the characters. #WinterGames2021

My second holiday read for #WinterGames2021, with a cherry rugelach background for the #FestivePhotoChallenge prompt.

I love a “misunderstanding in childhood leads to adult rivalry leads to love” trope as much as anyone, but there were pieces of this that fell flat for me. It also had ZERO chemistry on the page between the love interests, which was disappointing. I did like the Jewish traditions and Yiddish that were sprinkled in though!

This short story isn‘t in the database, so I‘m tagging a novel by the author instead. This was short, but not necessarily sweet; it‘ll have you wanting to hug the people in your life who work to make the holidays special. 🎁
My Nespresso advent calendar and the book cover will have to do for the “Red & Green” prompt of the #FestivePhotoChallenge for #WinterGames2021 because we haven‘t decorated yet. 😂
Go #TeamGameSleighers!

Here is an early December TBR for #WinterGames pre-game points! Not pictured is the third in the Arden trilogy because I‘ll need to pick it up, probably at the library. 🌲#TeamGameSleighers

I can‘t adequately describe this book. It‘s totally bananapants (the multiverse, a long-standing impasse between good vs. evil, and paranormal creatures all factor heavily in the plot) while also being very grounded in reality (police shootings, protests, and fear of “others” also make appearances). There are no neat bows wrapped around the end, which makes sense as this is the first in a promised series. Who KNOWS where book two might take us?!

This book was really good, but the narrator made it AMAZING.

Hearing the Ojibwe words and the (not over the top) accents for each character really brought the book to life for me. I loved learning about the tribe‘s traditions and how they are currently practiced even as the community deals with a very timely issue (drug manufacturing & distribution). It felt like fiction that was VERY informed by real lives and real situations.

I was SO EXCITED that my hold for this came in on time to be my Halloween read! 👻

This one is a ghost story with “Get Out” (the movie) vibes. I love Tiffany Jackson‘s story telling and her first foray into horror did not disappoint. The story touches on addiction, anxiety, gentrification, and so much more. I suggest reading before the sun goes down if you prefer your horror “lite,” especially if you live in an older house. 🙈

The first of two spooky books I read this weekend!

I loved the characters, the setting, and the atmosphere of this book. The wrap up wasn‘t quite as satisfying as I would have liked, but not in a “left me hanging” way, just in an “oh, that‘s how we‘re ending it, huh?” way. 😂 I‘d still recommend to anyone looking for a YA book with light horror though! 🧟‍♀️

Today‘s weather has been so perfect that I‘ve hung my hammock on my porch to get some research reading done. 😄 It‘s stayed in the upper 70s just about all day.

#litsysummercamp

1. My ⛺️! I‘ve had it for over 10 years, but I‘ve only recently jumped back into the hobby.
2. Camp Dharma 🧘🏻‍♀️
3. I love the tagged graphic novel series. ❤️
4. I‘m trying to read at least one business book a week, so we‘ll say this week‘s book (tagged below), plus two more for funsies. 😄

#LitsySummerCamp

On June 20th, I launched a Burnout Recovery Coaching program, geared specifically towards folx who work in political spaces. I started reading this book the day I launched and I‘m now really looking forward to doing an Instagram story tomorrow about my own why — about how helping political people stay happy and centered is my way of contributing to ALL the political causes that I feel strongly about…I want to help the people who help people. ✌🏻

PLEASE GIVE ME ALL THE FOOD COMPETITION ROMANCES TO DEVOUR WHILE I SIT BY THE PUBLIC POOL!

This plot point seems to be everywhere recently and I am here for it. The characters were as sweet as the baked goods they made for their show and I would ABSOLUTELY read a sequel, whether it followed the same characters or just the same show. 🧁❤️🧁

I didn‘t take a photo of the book, so here‘s a shot of Bo, my dark side doggo. 😂

The book was a perfect mix of the darker side of fairy tales and Eldritch creatures, with a dash of other horror stories to round it out. There‘s a spooky house, TWO creepy grandmothers, and a town of folx who may or may not own pitchforks. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Y‘ALL. I want to wrap these characters in bubble wrap and never let anything (else) bad happen to them ever again. But I also want more books and that might be boring reading. 🤔

This book was everything I hoped it would be — a queer political thriller in space — and more. Totally worth the months long wait for my library hold.

CW in comments with spoiler tag.

I am so stoked to finally have this book in my hands!

Breaking it open while I break in the “reading pool” that I bought at Target this week. It‘s hot here in WV and so far this has been an EXCELLENT idea. 🥵

I read this all in one day, but I didn‘t really love it, so here‘s a picture from the spontaneous lake trip we took yesterday instead. 😂

I am all in for an unlikeable character or two (even if it‘s the MC), but to be quite honest, I‘m not sure why I felt invested in reading this until the end. I guess it was more about wanting to know what happened (in the past) intellectually than truly caring about what happened to the characters. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was too tired to finish the last 60 pages last night, but as soon as I woke up this morning, I was ON IT.

Nalini Singh writes AMAZING mystery thrillers. If you like unreliable narrators, Stepford neighborhoods, and cold cases, I definitely recommend this one.

I've had some major upheaval in the last few months. Nothing devastating, but enough to need a reset. As a result, I am giving myself a “summer sabbatical“ through July (and maybe August)-- no obligations, just digging into what actually brings me joy.

With this in mind, I will not be posting #IntegrateYourShelf prompts for July (apologies to anyone who was looking for them in June), but I will be giving July's #BookSpin a go! August TBD...

My beautiful beach day on Monday betrayed me and now I‘ve got skin as pink as the cover of this book. 😅

However, spending a day away from the sun did give me the nerve to read a library book at the beach, so it wasn‘t all bad! This story was excellent — I loved all the sexual preference/gender fluidity throughout the book and the way the gang related to each other. I loved Ada‘s backstory and how it powered her forward. I would LOVE a sequel!

My friend and I are on Oak Island in NC this week; this is one of the books that I bought in anticipation of the trip. I LOVED the two main characters, although Poppy‘s job as a travel writer gave me some major wanderlust envy. Emily Henry‘s books may not be auto-buy for me right now, but she is definitely an auto-read!

We‘ve finally finished the move and all that is left is putting the new house into a configuration that we like. My first priority was getting our lovely side porch put together for reading during summer storms and I‘m getting to enjoy that at this very moment. 🥰

A two novella weekend in nature is just what I needed!

I loved A DEAD DJINN IN CAIRO, and while I didn‘t love this storyline as much, I am obsessed with this world that Clark has built. I can‘t wait to pick up MASTER OF DJINN in my next bookshop.org order. 🧞‍♂️

I‘m pretty sure it was @Liberty on All The Books who talked up this novella earlier this week. I have never read THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU, but as soon as she said this book was a locked room mystery with animal-human hybrids, I immediately bought the ebook after seeing that my library didn‘t have it.

It was a deliciously quick read, perfect for a weekend camping trip. 🐾

Weekend plans.

Moving day is Monday!

I love a good high school horror novel. 🔪

This one wasn‘t the best one I‘ve ever read, but I did read it over two days on the tail end of a pretty severe reading slump, so that‘s saying something. I cared about some of the characters at the end and would likely pick up a sequel if the author writes one.

There have been so many good books out lately about mental health, both fiction and non-fiction, written by own voices authors. Have you read anything great recently? Or put something on your ever growing TBR?

Related: I'm trying to cut ableist language out of my vocabulary and it's really eye-opening to realize how often I use terms referencing mental illness when describing something negative. 😳

#IntegrateYourShelf

I have been in a HUGE reading slump this year. 😣

I‘m not sure if this book has totally gotten me out of it, but it was good enough for me to finish it and, right now, that‘s a pretty big endorsement! The “mystery” at the center of the book was good, but what I really loved was getting to know part of Nigeria (albeit a darker side for sure).

#IntegrateYourShelf

A day late, but I am SO EXCITED to share this book! 🥰

This is a beautiful YA book about grief and identity and relationships. It sat on my shelf for quite a while (sometimes books about losing a mother can be triggering for me), but when I was ready, it more than delivered. In fact, I'm thinking this month might be a good time for a re-read, if I can find it in all my boxes...

#IntegrateYourShelf

Friends, I'm sorry that I dropped this challenge but life became, well, challenging and I had to step away. But we're back! (Late in the day as ever. 😅)

I got to visit my sister for the first time in 18 months last week and it was amazing, not just because the reunion was so overdue, but because I finally got the tagged book from her after my stepmother loaned it to her first! How rude. 😏

I can't wait to read it. 🌿

#IntegrateYourShelf

A friend of mine asked me how many irons I have in the fire currently. My answer: “[Working at the] Capitol, buying a house, taking a Harvard class, daydreaming about building my business, applying for a new job, teaching yoga, and wondering what my current contract workload will be after session. So — not many?” 😂🔥🧯
This is most of my books, ready for the KonMari method of tidying up (and packing) this weekend.

I went with a nonfiction pick for this prompt -- one of the best books I read last year! I've considered buying a copy of this book for every one of the Democratic women I work with at the WV State House of Delegates -- or at least encouraging them to buy it themselves!

#IntegrateYourShelf

My attention span is a mess right now, so hit me with your best diverse graphic novels! 😄

#IntegrateYourShelf

My immersion into Vietnam for #FoodandLit.
I‘ve been SUPER unmotivated to lately, but the tagged book has been on my TBR for years and, as a graphic memoir, I‘m finding it easier to get into. I also read a travel guide, tagged in the comments.

Food is Chao Ga (Rice Soup with Chicken) from Milk Street. I think it needed a little more saltiness for me. 🤔

There are a lot of romances I love featuring Black couples, but I've been thinking a lot about how access to the outdoors is constrained by racial divides, so I looked for a book by a Black author talking about a love of the outdoors. The tagged book sounds great -- not only does it have the memoir aspect, but it also seems like it will have some critical thinking about the issues I've been mulling over! 💕

#IntegrateYourShelf

The tagged book was a gift from my husband for Christmas and as soon as this prompt came to mind, I knew I was going to pick it up next. I can't wait to see everyone's recommendations!

#IntegrateYourShelf

I've been having a rough time reading recently, but I've wanted to read this book for years. I'm hoping this month will be the month I actually do it!

#IntegrateYourShelf

I spent today “in” Brazil for #FoodandLit! I‘ve been unmotivated to read fiction lately, but reading through the culture section of Lonely Planet‘s Brazil gave me some good recommendations for nonfiction! I downloaded a sample of the tagged book — if it‘s good, I‘ll pay the $4.99 for the Kindle edition. 😄

Food is Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew) from Milk Street and Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread) from Trader Joe‘s. 🤤

This prompt could cover civil rights for people of color, for Indigenous peoples, for disabled folx, for members of the LGBTQ+ community, etc. It could cover events from the past or the current struggles that marginalized communities are still fighting. There is still so much work to be done... 😔

#IntegrateYourShelf

Alyssa Cole is now an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her romances when I read this novel set it what feels like a less-superpowered Black Panther universe. The main characters are flawed, but you're rooting for them; the side-characters are fleshed out (so that when the sequels focus on their stories, you're excited!); and there is just enough royal intrigue to keep you interested beyond the sexy parts. ❤️

#IntegrateYourShelf

This was so cute that I was almost not able to read it because I was in a bad mood — does that make any sense? 😂

I‘ve lived in a few places where the townie/outsider dynamic is real, so I connected with this book. And both of the main characters are SUCH CINNAMON ROLLS plus there are actual cinnamon rolls and a cute dog and — ugh. Melt.

I should have the second book in my hands sometime in the next few days. 😄

Knowing this community, this question might be two days late, but I still want to know! If you've read your first book of 2021, did it feature characters from marginalized communities?

I read the tagged and I LOVED the representation of anxiety -- and the fact that it was the male character that dealt with it! There was also queer representation, the MCs were both people of color, and plenty of body diversity. ❤️

#IntegrateYourShelf

1. Done! And 🔥whew🔥 was this book STEAMY. I love the “fake relationship” trope and both characters were so lovingly crafted; I really fell in love with both Dani and Zaf and wish we could be friends in real life. (Although with what I know about their sex life, that could be awkward...😉)

2. I read less and played video games more.

3. I haven‘t yet! 😱

#SundayFunday

It‘s too early to tell (because, you know, it‘s January 1st here still), but I would love to make a habit of reading from travel guides before bed in 2021. Maybe I‘ll dream of traveling again! Thanks, #FoodandLit, for the inspiration!

(This one is currently free with Prime Reading.)

Yay! @wanderinglynn is back with the Book Fitness Challenge for 2021! I love the 21/12/21 format she‘s created for #BFC21 - meet your goals at least 21 days a month, for 12 months, in ‘21. 🙌🏻

January Goals:

1. Read more books for #IntegrateYourShelf than books by heteronormative, cisgender, and white authors.

2. Take a walk with an audiobook at least 21 days this month. Doesn‘t matter how long or short. First audiobook is tagged!

Here‘s my #bookspin list for January 2021!

The starred books fulfill challenges I‘m doing, like #IntegrateYourShelf #SeriesRead2021 #FoodandLit #AuthorAMonth and #MountTBR

I may not knock out all of them, but it‘s a good list to pull from! The tagged book will be my first book of 2021!

Another book that was well worth the long library wait!

A nice mystery novel with a core of vigilante justice, set on an Indian reservation. There are so many conflicts — the Native police force vs the Feds, a desire to keep culture alive vs a desire to leave and assimilate, and the battle against drugs and addiction that so many reservations are fighting.

I really hope this gets a full series and not just one or two books.

#DashingDecember

My hold for this finally came in!

It was just as good as everyone‘s been saying it is. A heartbreaking collection of intertwined stories in translation, centered around a cafe that can take you back in time — as long as you follow the rules.

I can‘t wait for the sequel!

#DashingDecember

This isn‘t a great Kindle shot, but I finally put up our little tree today and wanted to get it in at least one Litsy photo. 😂

I love books about people in their 70s and 80s doing things like solving crimes or getting mixed up in them. (I‘ll tag two more of my faves below — it‘s a genre!) This was a great one — so many twists and wrenches and road trips! I‘m hoping for a sequel or five. 😄

#DashingDecember

I ❤️ learning about different cultures. It's one of my favorite parts about integrating my reading with non-White, cisgendered authors and main characters.

On my TBR for 2021 is more books by Indigenous authors, both memoir and fiction, science fiction or fantasy or literature or mystery -- any genre you can think of. I feel like there has been an increase in publicity for these stories, but my consumption hasn't kept up!

#IntegrateYourShelf

A solid food-centered romance.

This one had a few moments of “oh, wow, we‘re at that point already?!,” but overall it was a decent enemies-to-lovers-to-conflict-to-HEA story. The Filipino and British food was sprinkled in, although I never got totally wrapped up in the food. The Hawaiian location, however, was perfectly evoked.

Not the best romance I‘ve read but it entertained me for the evening. 😄

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