One of my favorite books of the year is on sale today for the digital edition... It‘s remarkable.

My weekend outlook seems promising... I‘m reading these two gems as part of the Gone With The Book readathon, creates by Mel of Mel‘s Bookland Adventures BookTube channel.

Great deal for a great book!

Enjoying a foggy, cold morning for a lie in with my favorite old lady and a new book for #witreadathon ! .

Just finished my 1st book for WIT month. This was a remarkable story & the audio was sublime. I don‘t often get on with child voice actors, as the precociousness can be a bit much. But this was just the right level of haughtiness in both character‘s voices. If you like really brilliant, difficult women who go deep into observations of the world/ their lives- this may be a book for you. I love the mix of intellectual discourse & heart!

I‘m co-hosting a read along with Juan of Just Juan Reader BookTube channel of The Goldfinch, in anticipation of the upcoming movie. Feel free to join us. The info is in the video: https://youtu.be/0bHOAetpg5Q .

I‘m snuggling up as close as our old lady will let me, while I read my last book for Booktube‘s Reading Rush week.

Multitasking Saturday!

I wish I could say that all these markers are for brilliant, insightful or lovely passages. For me, the hype on this one is overblown. I‘m finding the writing clunky, the context lacking and the underlying assumptions suspect. I‘m disappointed. I‘ll finish it, but have low hopes for it turning around. 😢

At this pace I am on track for possibly beating my best year of 222 books read! I couldn‘t be happier with the material I am reading, as well as the pace. And joining BookTube has been a great way to engage with other readers for buddy reads. It‘s been lovely to read some intimidating books with other people, analyzing it together as we go.

I hope your reading years are going well, also!

I uploaded a video to my YouTube channel, talking about all the books we found on our vacation to Italy. This was the second edition. I am maybe most excited by this edition that I found.

https://youtu.be/NSBUkUWCQF8

I‘m enjoying this exploration of menopause. The audiobook is read by the author and is compelling. She is completely right that there is a deficit of work based on this time in women‘s lives. It‘s insane to know that every woman goes through it and we know so little about the process.

There is a deal on the ebook of this title in Kindle and iBook formats. This was printed by Persephone Books, but in lieu of having the gorgeous dove cover, you can read the book for cheap. 😉

In anticipation of the movie release, I‘m teaming up with a fantastic BookTuber, Juan, of Just Juan Reader to host a read along for the book, starting August 1st. Details are on my channel and his.

Alert! I read this book for AussieApril and am now in love with this author. I‘ve binged her previous 2 books in May. If you like atmospheric mysteries with great character and plot- this is your book and it‘s on sale for Kindle and Apple Books. I didn‘t check Kobo or Nook. 6/02/19

I finished Normal People and talked about it in my latest video of weekly reading- Week of Reading- May 31st, 2019 https://youtu.be/oG6N95Cielo

It‘s Saturday morning and as usual, I am cursed by abundance and thereby paralyzed with choices. Visit the city, do nature, go book shopping or just fall asleep reading all day?! I could go to the gym. (Just kidding!)

I ❤️ when books activate a curiosity to explore ideas. Or to see what they see, or know more about what they are referencing. This is happening with Spring. I am inspired to pause, look something up on Google, & marvel at her brilliance as she adds these layers into her writing. I‘m only 23% in, but am loving this story of friendship, loss & change in the era of Trump, Brexit, encroaching Fascism which is pulling is back to darker days.

I have so many thoughts about this book. So many that I needed to talk it out. See the discussion here: https://youtu.be/ZDP3tV56Kos

Continuing my Roman reading, I grabbed this audiobook from the public library‘s digital stack and am enjoying it as much as I did with the first one. It doesn‘t have the seriousness of Bernard Cornwell‘s Fools and Mortals, which I just finished. But I don‘t need it to be. I like being transported to Ancient Rome as a prompt for my imagination for our upcoming trip. ⁣

My husband bought it when we were in London last summer but put it down with a quickness when he realized that it was Shakespeare. 😂 I am loving a peek at London, through the eyes of his wayward younger brother, including dirty handed tricks/ crimes from other playhouses seeking favor of the Queen and her ⁣retinue. The details in here are great and there is a gravitas that elevates the material. I‘m looking forward to reading more of his work!⁣

This is on ebook sale ($2.99) now in some platforms and I highly recommend it! It‘s a well crafted tale of the pressures one couple and specifically one woman faces to have children.

I love my library holds! There is something almost mystical about how it delivers me the right book for my mood. I was just wanting something historical, sweeping and a little fun. Well done, library gods! Well done.

Just posted my in depth review to BookTube last night- https://youtu.be/AlA0YY4voSw

I‘ve read a lot of Victorian era novels, but not many Edwardian. After Women Talking & Milkman, I was in the mood for something lighter. This is my first time reading this author, though I have watched her Agatha Raisin tv series. The protagonist is Lady Rose Summer, who is wealthy and “over educated”. She marches with the Suffragettes and faces ruin in ch. 1. Checks all my boxes - smart, rebellious women in an interesting time period? Sign me up!

The form of the book has many detractors for authorial choices of not having people‘s names, & by a stream of consciousness flow of the narrator(Middle Daughter). I have flipped between the audio and written book as I am under a time crunch. The experience is different. I like the audio- the Irish brogue helps with some of the language. And, what language! I‘ll not say anything more so I can share it with my book club first.

I just posted a video of my week review of reading and what‘s on deck plus a vlog on my month of book purchases and unhauls. Link in bio and here: ⁣
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGNpG_pEmpa3rmQ4obUhh4Q ⁣⁣
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This new book is on sale today in digital form. Not sure if it‘s across platforms or only for Kindle so check your preferred retailer if you are boycotting Amazon. I find that Apple Books tends to match the deal prices almost all the time.

This was a fun read! I like her Ruth Galloway series but this stand alone was 👌🏻.

Oh, this one is exactly what I needed. I‘ve wanted to read a good emotional (but non-sentimental) book for a little while. This is it! And when I googled an image with the phrase “young love” this came up and I feel it‘s quite apropos for the book. I chose this for a work book club to get more engagement from the younger members after the last book was a non fiction slog. Hoping this revives the membership. I know it‘s revived me. ❤️⁣

Any Bay Area Littens going to see Miriam Toews at Green Apple on the Park tonight? I just saw the post on IG that she will be there and I‘m already changing my plans to make it! (It‘s 5:27 am and I‘m so excited!)

I love this time of every month. The BOMC club pick has been made! I‘m a fan of books set in Egypt, so I‘m especially excited for this choice. Plus I missed the boat the first go-round with Miracle Creek. It‘s all the talk on BookTube, so I figured I would grab it. What did you all pick?

Just uploaded my lasted video about this book and the insane story of the Mitford Sisters! https://youtu.be/bSHUnDe82oc

Overnight escape to Calistoga! I‘m reading by a lovely water fountain feature, in perfect weather, and couldn‘t be happier. Finishing up The Lost Man by Jane Harper on audio, Women Talking by Miriam Toews, and Milkman by Anna Burns. It‘s so nice to read in a lovely setting.

You can see where I get my bookish nature... my mother ( @Mrsemz ) is visiting me leading me up to my birthday! We took a lovely visit to a used bookstore, had lunch and came back to the apartment. When I looked up, she was already in my reading chair, enjoying a book! ❤️

Adding a Jane Harper to the Aussie April readthon mix! It just came up in audio from my library hold, and the narration is sublime so far. I also have Boy Swallows Universe queued up on Scribd as soon as I am done with A Few Right Men. I am loving the exposure to so many great books and authors! Well done, Jaclyn and Doris.

I have re-establishing my old Scribd subscription for the Aussie April challenge as there are so many Australian authors on the platform. I left Scribd when they throttled the audio options, so now that it‘s unlimited, I am thrilled to be back. I‘m especially excited because this has an appearance of Sir Walter Mosley- the odious fascist who married a Mitford. I filmed a vlog about the Mitford sisters. One word- WOW! That family was bonkers!!!

New video up on my YouTube channel. In this video I talk about books I am reading to get ready for an exciting summer trip this year. https://youtu.be/QGtQ6_KgWIM

In this episode, I sneak away from my desk, find a not-so-hidden spot to film my reaction to The Overstory winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. 😂. https://youtu.be/ByDD_oZmluY

For my bday coming up-I treated myself to a subscription to Slightly Foxed. It‘s a delightful publishing company that puts out a quarterly journal + old classics. I came across an edition they did of my favorite, 84 Charing Cross Road. Their podcast is also so charming! It‘s makes me want to grab a cup of tea before settling in hear their lovely voices talk about books. It‘s an Anglophile‘s dream. I‘m thrilled with my first installment

Jumping into #aussieapril with this book, hosted by SixMinsforMe and AllDBooks on YouTube. I was suspicious that it may not be called an Australian book, but Kate at The Novel Nomad on BookTube calls it Australian, so who am I to argue? Really excited to try to read some new -to-me authors from that part of the world. Any Australian authors or books that I simply must read? Anyone else joining in?

Well, I‘ve started a YouTube channel to talk about books. I am enamored with the community- so many interesting books being read by interesting people. Apparently, being in multiple book clubs isn‘t satisfying my need to talk about books! I have more that will be released soon. Please wish me luck. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGNpG_pEmpa3rmQ4obUhh4Q

The weekend can‘t come fast enough. Look at all these amazing library holds that have come in!! The top row are all the ebooks and below are all the audiobooks. I‘m practically sweating with anxiety over this bevvy of riches bestowed upon me! Luckily, the library gives me 20 days for the check outs, and I tend to listen to most audiobooks at 1.5 speed. Should I take bets on how many I can finish? 😂.

There are times when I develop an aversion to a book only because of the hype. This was one. But a co-worker sang it‘s praises so I grabbed a library copy. I am 73% through it, & am now slowing it down to savor every moment. I just adore Kya, our narrator. I marvel at the real depth in these characters & the overwhelming sense of place with this marsh. I have been assured that this book will stick the landing. I am dreading when it will be over.

I am enjoying this lush story with a macabre mystery at the center! I‘m trying to work through my backlog of Book of the Month Club books. The writing is evocative and I could see this being optioned into a movie. So far, so good!

I was blessed today with a rare private event with Rachel Cusk, on her tour for the paperback release. Our small talk was quite illuminating. She mentioned how the blowback from her first two books was so intense because of the rage evident in the content and yet this series has the exact same material- but the narrator is “passive” this time & it‘s a critical success. But she purposefully constructed it for that effect. Kudos, indeed, Ms Cusk!

I decided to do some library digging for an audiobook about The Mitford Sister. I only have a cursory understanding of their story but it is epic- how 6 sisters not only grew up to be so different, but also spanning the political climate of England/Europe in WW2. I‘ve heard great things about the book of their letters to each other, which I hope to get to soon after this. Are there any famous families that spark your curiosity and interest?

This is a good sign- the first page has a map (gold star) and the library is the first room identified! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. But I am stumped by room 7- the Reredorter. I had never heard of it before. Google tells me it‘s a common area latrine, usually found in monasteries. I learned something before really starting the book. This could be fun!

The Faber 20 shorts have blown my mind this month. Only a few were misses for me and some were absolute revelations. I am so thrilled to have broken through my mental obstacle with short stories, especially with so many writers I have always wanted to read. Huzzah!

Well, even I am stunned at all the books I was able to read in March!
I finished 42 books:
-women writers (30)
-classics (2)
-short stories (17) from the Faber 20 series
-graphic novels (3)
-non-fiction (3)
And 6 of those were 5🌟s!!

Pressure! This is the 2nd time I have borrowed this book. I kept putting it off because it‘s so slim that I was sure I could knock it out quickly. So I kept bumping it. I am not known for repeatedly checking out the same book without reading it. So I brewed up a pot of tea, watched the sun rise & spent a little time with an 88 year old serial murderess! She is horrid, but it was oddly satisfying to see what she got up to in her old age.