I‘m honestly at a loss for words. When we got home we had some packages waiting in the mail. We had nothing scheduled so I was a bit surprised. But when I opened them the surprised turned into astonishment! My dear friend @TricksyTails had sent me the most lovely assortment of presents!! Seriously floored me! I‘m doubling my efforts to get Alpha (the mug pictured is mine) to part with some chipotle syrup! Thank you Tricksy! I love all of it!

I‘m sorry for my absence the last few days everyone but the girlfriend and I went to Colorado for a long weekend to celebrate our birthdays and didn‘t get home until nearly 3:00AM today. But I came home to the most wonderful presents from the love of my life. I can‘t believe some of the things she found for me, especially the limited edition Poe, Master of the Macabre! It has a blade of grass from his gravesite! So cool! And it‘s number 88 of 200!

#TheGreatLibraryChapterADay

Sorry I‘m late everyone! Totally spaced I had changed the date!

So, we get a glimpse of London, 2025, in a world where The Great Library of Alexandria was never lost. What are your thoughts on our hero, Jess Brightwell and his family? How about the feel of London in this world? Can you already see the differences?

#TrivialThursday

1. I love to travel by car, to be able to see the sights. One day I‘d really like to take an Amtrak rail tour of the US & Canada.
2. Until last year, Seattle. It lost its spark on our last visit. New Orleans is my second favourite but I haven‘t visited there since before Katrina. My ultimate spot will be the U.K. Maybe next year. 🤞
3. Denver this weekend, Cali the first week of July and two weeks in October (undecided location)

@JenlovesJT47 I got your #KeychainSwap package late yesterday! Our mail service sucks so I‘m glad it arrived since we are heading out tonight on our road trip to Denver. Unfortunately that means I‘ll have to wait until we get home Monday to open it as I don‘t want to lose anything. 😔 Yours is supposed to be there by tomorrow at the latest but of course, as is par for our P.O., the tracking number isn‘t working.

Big announcement from Starz today; Outlander has been approved through series six with series four set to premier in November. This adds 24 more episodes (after series four), taking the series through A Breath of Snow and Ashes. The article at http://collider.com/outlander-season-4-release-date-new-images also contains some new images (one included in my post). I‘ve actually been enjoying watching the series with my girlfriend since it started.

Post Four of Four

#Slytherin 6 of 10

#MyHouseIsTheBestHouse
#HarryPotter

Post Three of Four

#Hufflepuff 9 of 11

#MyHouseIsTheBestHouse
#HarryPotter

Post Two of Four

#Gryffindor 4 of 9

#MyHouseIsTheBestHouse
#HarryPotter

Post One of Four

My girlfriend passed these on to me last night and I thought it would be fun to share. Especially since we all love reinforcing the Hogwarts house we belong to. 😊

Starting with my house, #Ravenclaw (of course). I scored a 9 out of 9 (if I count the girlfriend‘s plants).

I‘ll post the other three houses as quick as I can.

#MyHouseIsTheBestHouse
#HarryPotter

Totally borrowing this from @wanderinglynn (and @vkois88 who got my same result). Find out your fantasy animal sidekick at https://stephenking.com/p/the-outsider/sweepstakes.php.

I couldn‘t imagine a better result! I‘ve loved ravens as long as I can remember (maybe even before my first introduction to Poe), The Ravens are my favourite NFL team and GRRM‘s use of them, to me, was brilliant. I even have a cousin crow that lives outside my window.

This was a fun, quick read. I loved how the butler narrated it, constantly breaking the fourth wall. But the final issue in the arc is what kept this from being a four star. It felt like they didn‘t know how to end it and said, screw it let‘s just...spoiler below. Otherwise it was good, solid 3⭐️‘s.

@ScribnerBooks is having an awesome sweepstakes for #StephenKing‘s latest, The Outsider. Head over to https://stephenking.com/p/the-outsider/sweepstakes.php and enter for a chance to win a signed copy!

The #LosersClub

Just back from the post office where I left all of these and a Benjamin Franklin behind. But most of my mail is out finally! Be on the lookout everyone who sent me an address for #KingAtoZ, my #LitsyPenPal, #PCS3 and #KeyChainSwap! I have three more packages to get in the mail but I may need to wait until after our trip this week.

Today‘s book haul. Just a few fun copies I found @ Sam Wellers. Hit their 25% off if you buy five used (the girlfriend got a cool 1944 edition of an Elizabeth Goudge for her collection) so Horrorstör & The Green Mile were free! Both King hardbacks are 1st editions in excellent condition, wrapped in Mylar. Can‘t beat a well taken care of 44 year old book! But why just the 1 Green Mile you may ask? Well it‘s for a friend assuming she still needs it.

After a quick trip to pick up a few more King treasures at Sam Weller‘s we decided to stop for brunch/lunch at Trio before heading home. I had to have my usual Eggs Italiano (poached eggs, sausage, polenta, peperonata with breakfast potatoes). But I went for the tropical iced tea since I already had plenty of coffee earlier. This is my absolute favourite brunch meal. Now to head home and chill since the temp is already approaching 90°.

We were up before dawn this morning so we went out for breakfast then drove up to Alpha to watch the sunrise and spend the morning. I‘ve already downed an Aztec so I‘m having a lemonade spritzer with pomegranate and ginger while filing out notes to all my friends who sent me their address for the #KingAtoZ challenge. As soon as I slap postage on them I‘ll drop them in the mail. I hope you all like what‘s inside!

Just heard about this and I already want to buy tickets to see it! I would love to sit and listen to these four reminisce about their lives, in front of the camera and away from the limelight. I can only think of one other movie that‘s a must see for me coming soon and that‘s Book Club.

https://youtu.be/xsfvfH-8QWM

“From behind a perfect fusillade of explosions, God‘s ammunition dump going up in the flames of righteousness, Satan storming heaven, his artillery captain a fiercely grinning fool with red, flayed cheeks, Trashcan Man by name, never to be Donald Merwin Elbert again.” - Stephen King

I‘ll always see Matt Frewer when I read #TheStand. Trying to catch up to my friend @YouReadMyEyes since I‘m way behind!

#BuddyRead
#StephenKing
The #LosersClub

#EpicKaTetRead
#TheDarkTowerChapterAWeek

Just a reminder that The Dark Tower #BuddyRead starts this Sunday! I can‘t wait to have this chance to read the series with everyone and discuss it! Please be sure to check out @MinDea for more info and let her know if you‘d like to be tagged for the read along.

“The need to recreate the myth of coherence may be one of the reasons why history exists in the first place.”

#FriYayIntro

1. Coffee shop, bookstore, maybe a movie. Just a chill one because next weekend we‘ll be on the road.
2. How about cake donuts? Unfrosted. I haven‘t had a cake pop that was any good.
3. Two. The tagged one and Batman, Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar.
4. My girlfriend, always.
5. Going to tag one of my new followers: @Texreader

Finally! A real trailer for Hulu‘s upcoming (July 25) Castle Rock series by J.J. Abrams and Stephen King!

https://youtu.be/H14tqKZYhgg

Really can‘t wait for this King Universe series to start!

#KingAtoZ
The #LosersClub
#ConstantReader

Totally forgot I owned this (it was still in the shrink wrap!) until yesterday when I chose another Bill Amend FoxTrot book to tag. So I had to get it out it‘s wrap and take a photo. 😊 It has been too long since I last visited with Jason and family so I think this will be added to me TBR. Except the database here is only accounting for one of the two books in this collection, based on the page count. What‘s your favourite comic strip?

Just helping pass this along. Hopefully they stick to the schedule this time. 😊 I‘d just wish they‘d learn Facebook isn‘t the place to post notices for Litsy. They should be posted here first.

When you can‘t find a book through normal channels so you take a chance on a used copy from an Amazon seller and open it up to this. I would say that it was $5 well spent!

#TrivialThursday

As tomorrow is Star Wars Day (I don‘t observe for personal reasons) and Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, here‘s a little of both.

1. Empire of course! I had a vinyl copy of the soundtrack and wore it out replaying the Imperial March over and over.
2. Darth Tryanus because...Christopher Lee!
3. Yay for the original Marvel run. Can‘t say anything about newer versions as I haven‘t bothered.

Batman, Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar

Well, with one arc, Tom King has wiped out nearly all the good he‘s done with The Batman title since Rebirth started. The final book in the arc, where the name comes from, was good in that we got to see the evolution of Bruce/Batman and Selina/Cat Woman in both costume and relationship but it felt flat.👇

#HumpDayPost

1. Before she caught my flu bug, the girlfriend finished loading her new shelves. This makes me smile because seeing her happy is my greatest happiness.
2. With all the King I read, I definitely don‘t want to live in his universe! But to be able to boldly go, discover strange new worlds, that I can live with.
3. COFFEE!!
4. Take time off work for my birthday. 21 years running as of a week from Friday (my bday is the 14th).
5. Rain!

We were supposed to go to see Infinity War last night with the family but my girlfriend finally caught what I had last week. So we had a stay in night and binged watched the first season of Westworld. Just finished episode 10. Not too bad. I think Crichton would be pleased with what they did with his story. Now to see if I can sleep a couple of hours before work!

#TuesdayTidbits

1. The Godfather. One of the rare instances where the adaption outshines the source material.
2. NAY! I‘ve never seen one done decently. I like art, not Photoshopped actors, on my covers.
3. The Stand. While I enjoy the TV miniseries I long for a truer adaptation that can capture the book better. And I‘d love for it to be a Netflix or HBO show.
4. Anyone who is left at this late/early hour that hasn‘t done it yet. 😊

Borrowing this from @Liatrek 😊

Pick five books and find out which Infinity War character you are. I‘m Peter Quill, Star-Lord.

http://community.sparknotes.com/index.php/2018/04/26/pick-5-books-and-well-tell-...

Yes! Today is the day! I‘ve already gotten my ebook copy and cannot wait to start the last leg of our #ThemisReadAlong. Has anyone else gotten their copy yet? Be sure to check @the-flashley for the reading schedule.

The research Grady put into this novel only added to its atmosphere. It‘s funny, scary and a great read. The best description I can think of is The Evil Dead set in IKEA. It‘s short, too, so why haven‘t you read it yet!? Thank you for doing a #BuddyRead with me on this one Mindy! Can‘t wait for us to start the #EpicKaTetRead!

#ScottAndMindyvsMonsters

Still reading the tagged book. I may just finish it tonight. 😊 Late dinner/snack courtesy of Trader Joe‘s. Carrots, sugar snap peas, blue corn chips and a tarragon chicken wrap. Washed down with one of my favourites, ginger beer! This should be enough to keep me going until I‘ve finished with IKEA...I mean Orsk.

Really enjoying this #BuddyRead with @MinDea so far! Just a funny, creepy book. It definitely makes me want to read Hendrix‘s two other books; Paperbacks from Hell in particular.

#ManicMonday

1. That‘s really hard for someone who grew up in mainly sci-fi and horror but the tagged book is always near the top for me.
2. In the 80‘s: All the Pac-Man games, Dig Dug, Missile Command, the sit down Star Trek game. More I can‘t even recall now.
3. All of them? Heart, INXS, Pink Floyd, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, etc.
4. Again all? The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Gremlins, all the horror movies, WarGames, Ferris Bueller, etc.

Starting on May 10th, I will be hosting a #ReadAlong of Rachel Caine‘s The Great Library series, beginning with Book One: Ink and Bone. The plan is to read a chapter a day with a day off between books. This will let us be ready for Book Four: Smoke and Iron, when it is released on July 3. I will post a prompt each day. If you would like to be tagged when we begin please let me know!

#TheGreatLibraryChapterADay

@LitsyHappenings

Only a couple of chapters in but this is a fun book so far. Not quite sure what to expect yet. But this line made me snort. Fun #BuddyRead with @MinDea 😊

This is the only King story I know of that has been pulled from publication. King himself voluntarily had it removed due to a number of school shootings, culminating with Columbine. It‘s a different story to read today than it was when I was in my late teens in the early 80‘s. The only school shootings I remember knowing of at that time both happened the year I was born, 1966, one close to where I was born. I wish I could still say that today.

Done and in place! Now comes the even harder work of categorising and shelving not only the two cases we took out and put in the dining room but also taking books from the other office shelf (the apothecary one that was our first purchase five years ago that‘s bulging at the seams) and the one in the living room. My part was easy I think.

Took a dinner break a little bit ago with the girlfriend. She had a grilled chicken salad while I had chipotle grilled chicken nachos. I also stopped for a drink at my favourite little soda shack; a Fresca Wild Thing (cherries with watermelon purée). A couple of chapters of The Stand for @DeweysReadathon then back to work on the Billies and The Rage playing in my ear. A little something for #KingAtoZ in the envelope. ?

The #LosersClub
#BuddyRead

While the girlfriend unloads and sorts off the old shelves (that‘s just one shelf!), I‘m rotating listening to my #BuddyReads putting together new shelves. We will most likely be working through the weekend sorting. But it‘s fun! And I‘ll finally have a place for The King that‘s not buried on a low shelf. I hope everyone is having as great a weekend! I apologise for my lack of posts this week but I‘ll be back to normal soon. 😊📚

The #LosersClub

#FriYayIntro

1. Tagged, just starting for a buddy read with my friend @MinDea
2. None. It‘s Utah. They don‘t tell us any real news in the media here.
3. Yes, starting in a few hours!
4. I hope I‘m not being to forward with my introduction, but I like your preface.
5. 👍🏻

Headed out with the girlfriend‘s brother to see Avengers: Infinity War in 30 minutes! I have a half an hour drive and we‘re going to grab dinner before hand. Can not wait! I know I have quite a few emails to answer from earlier but I will soon! 😊 Decided I needed a nap before the late movie since I didn‘t sleep last night. Anyone else going to opening night?

#KingAtoZ

I cannot thank you all enough for participating in my first photo challenge on Litsy! The turn out was truly incredible, beyond my wildest dreams! I‘ve loved getting to know my fellow King fans & learning all sorts of fascinating trivia about my favourite author. I have a small gift for everyone I‘ve tagged if you‘re willing to share your mailing address with me at garthranzz at gmail. I will announce the winner of the King book soon!

#TrivialThursday

To celebrate opening day of Avengers: Infinity War, I have a few comic related questions.

1. Currently I‘ll say Suicide Squad because I found it the most fun with the best soundtrack this side of Affleck‘s Daredevil (yes, I liked that movie).
2. Loki in the movies, he‘s fun. Darkseid in comics (Great Darkness Saga).
3. I‘m a DC fanboy all the way. I like Marvel but, for me DC is more consistent with the quality of their books.

#KingAtoZ

Z is for Zenith Rising, the first instalment in a story called The Plant that King started writing in the early 80‘s. He released six instalments in 2000 before stopping progress on the story/novel. In short, the story is about a plant sent to a publishing company after it rejects a prospective author‘s book, True Tales of Demon Infestation, and the bad luck that follows. You can get the six parts at his website: https://bit.ly/2HNpuyJ

#HumpDayPost

1. Stuff you‘ve all seen already. 😊 Book haul and catching up on correspondence.
2. Some. The Curse of Oak Island and Ink Master are two favourites.
3. Tagged book
4. Neither really. I read mainly ebooks on my iPad.
5. See picture on the right. 😊

Book club night for my girlfriend so I‘m chilling at an adjacent table reading Rage for The #LosersClub, prepping tomorrow‘s #TrivialThursday and the final post for my #KingAtoZ. I‘m finally trying the crepes from Nostalgia Cafe, full of strawberry goodness to go along with my vanilla latte. Probably not the best meal for dinner but I don‘t care. 😊

Finally! I ordered some Billy bookcases from IKEA as a surprise for the girlfriend nearly a month ago. I guess I know what I‘ll be doing with my weekend. 😊📚