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Jess861

Jess861

Joined June 2019

Mom-Wife-Dog Lover-Slow Reader-Cold Tea and Coffee Drinks...little time to read but sneak it in where I can.
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Jess861
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Randomly picked up this book from the library the other day and I finally have some time tonight to start it. Can't wait to spend the evening reading as it's been too long!!

#LibraryBook

44 likes1 stack add
review
Jess861
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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Bailedbailed

I tried very hard to get into this book, but I just couldn't. I realized when I picked it up it is short stories and I've never been able to get into short stories. I'm quite interested in learning about Norse Mythology, but the short story format just didn't work for me. I'm sure it is a great book, and this is a me problem! It was time for me to bail as I wasn't getting any reading done. I'll probably try to come back to it at some point.

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 No problem with you at all! I prefer mythology in a novel format myself, and I'm so glad some are finally coming out (like Madeline Miller's CIRCE). The short stories can be quite dry, can't they? Life's too short, and there are too many other great books out there! 1w
Smarkies I didn't realise this was short stories... those are not my preferred format either... 😞 1w
42 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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Will our 7 year old be scared if I start reading Goosebumps to him? He insists he won't be, but I also don't want him to be up with nightmares! He isn't a strong reader so we are always excited when there are books he wants to either read or have us read to him! I think he's only excited because I read these books as a kid though.

#Goosebumps #KidsReading

Dilara So, did you read them to him? How did it go? 2w
Jess861 @Dilara He is absolutely loving this book. We are almost done and have already purchased book 2. I think we officially have a Goosebumps fan! 2w
Dilara @Jess861 😁 👍 2w
37 likes3 comments
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Jess861
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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I'm really not finding much time to read because I've been so busy with work lately. Hope I get more than a few pages in before I fall asleep tonight 😆! I'm really looking forward to this book and I'm hoping it can transport me to a different world.

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Jess861
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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Second #bookspin of 2024! #13 has been chosen which means I'll be reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. I'm really excited to read another book by Neil Gaiman as I enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Thank you @thearomaofbooks for another spin!

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 1mo
38 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Untitled | Untitled
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My bookspin for February. Same as January except I replaced pick 6 since I read the spin in January.

#bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
28 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Closer by Sea | Perry Chafe
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Pickpick

I picked up this book from the library having never heard of it, and I quite enjoyed it. Spend the summer in a small fishing village with a group of boys while they try to solve a mystery while growing up before us. A great look into the cod fishing industry on the east coast of Canada and the struggles it and the families that worked it suffered. A quick read and a good coming of age story.

#Readathon #ReadAway2024 #EastCoast #Fishing

37 likes2 comments
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Jess861
Closer by Sea | Perry Chafe
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While our eldest took his drama class I popped into the library and checked out this book. Our library had a flood so the entire fiction floor has been closed for a while. There are only a few shelves to browse on the upper floor (or you reserve ahead of time from their entire collection). I know nothing about it so hopefully I like it. Popcorn and a book for me tonight!

#LibraryBook #Popcorn #Canada

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Jess861
Mossflower | Brian Jacques
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Some Sunday afternoon reading in my pyjamas. The Redwall series was one of my favourites as a kid and I'm enjoying re-reading some of the books. Mossflower is the second book in the series if you are reading them in publication order.

#Childhoodfavourite #RedwallSeries #Rereading #MiddleGrade

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Jess861
Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service
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We are in the middle of a cold and windy snowstorm - so I'm going to get some reading in for #JoyousJanuary . I am currently re-reading Mossflower from the Redwall series and hoping I can put a good dent in it this week.

Thank you to @Andrew65 for hosting!

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Jess861
The War Pianist | Mandy Robotham
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Pickpick

This book is an excellent read. It is well written and a good pace. It keeps you turning the pages with a plot that wants you to keep reading more. To read and learn about the resistance in the Netherlands and how much the Dutch people risked their lives and sacrificed is a part of WWII that I didn't know much about. The characters are well developed and you want to know what is going to happen next to them. This is a strong pick for me.

47 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Jess861
The War Pianist | Mandy Robotham
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I am enjoying the evening with some jazz music and a good book. This dual story book is about two women in different countries during WWII. I'm glad it isn't a past-present book. It is a good pace so far and well written. I'm enjoying discovering how some of the characters are connected, it is well done by the author. I've also learned that a war pianist is a radio operator!

#JazzMusic #WWII #London #Amsterdam #RadioOperator

33 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
The War Pianist | Mandy Robotham
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Last day off work so I am home for the first #bookspin of 2024! #6 has been chosen which means it's The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham for me. Oddly enough, I started out 2023 reading a book by the same author. I'm hoping I enjoy this book a bit more than The Secret Messenger. I'm not doing too many challenges this year so hopefully I can participate in bookspin more often!

Thank you @thearomaofbooks for hosting once again!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Enjoy!! 3mo
29 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Daisy Jones & The Six | Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Mehso-so

I tried to like this book, but it was just ok for me. The one thing I did love was the format the book was written in. The way it was written, interview style, and to have it flow so well was great. It was the content that was just ok for me. Just a lot of talk about sex, drugs and rock & roll and that just doesn't really interest me. I just couldn't feel bad for the characters, as most of them felt like awful, selfish people with lots of money.

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Jess861
Untitled | Untitled
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My #bookspin for January 2024.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3mo
29 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Daisy Jones & The Six | Taylor Jenkins Reid
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I've decided to try and kick this reading slump by reading my book clubs January pick. I've enjoyed reading two of her other books so I'm hoping this one is also good. Going to enjoy a beer, the Christmas tree and the book for a relaxing evening.

#BookAndBeer #HolidayReading #RelaxingEvening #AloneTimeForMom

Aims42 Love all the hashtags 😆 Enjoy your downtime! 3mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved Daisy!! 3mo
CatMS This is a great book as an audiobook 3mo
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Jess861
Yellowface | R F Kuang
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This is the Christmas and Birthday book haul I received this month! I think it is a nice mix of books. I've been in a huge reading slump (as can be seen by the fact that my last post was 3 month ago). I'm hoping this haul will help me get back into reading - although it's more a time thing than a want thing.

#ChristmasBookHaul #BirthdayBookHaul #BookHaul #Presents #2023

peanutnine Great stack! Hope you find something good to read soon ☺️ 3mo
44 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Untitled | Unknown
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Going to join this readathon and hopefully get some reading in this week. Hoping I can get a bit further in The Rise of Wolf 8 (I'm really enjoying it so far but can only read so much at a time). Also hoping to decide what fiction book to read next and start it.

#OutstandingOctober #Readathon

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Great to have you with us, good luck 😁 5mo
29 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Wrong Place, Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
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Pickpick

Jen watches her son commit a murder and then travels backwards in time to try and figure out why it happened and how she can prevent it. I did enjoy this book although I found that it did drag a bit at the beginning of the book. The twists were good and kept me guessing for the first part of the book - once I got to the middle-end of the book I was able to put it all together. The writing was ok - but overall I enjoyed this book.

Cortg I‘m @ 1/2 through this one on audio for bookclub. So far so good. I live a good tine travel story! 5mo
Jess861 Agree - very neat concept to travel back and live out a day and then continue to travel back in time. 5mo
49 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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I'm escaping into this book tonight because I need to know that humans can do good things too. Reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone has been huge for the entire Yellowstone ecosystem.

#NonFiction #Yellowstone #Wolves

41 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
Wrong Place, Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
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It is a cloudy, gloomy day so I'm starting this book with an iced coffee for my October book club. I find the concept of going back in time to figure out why the crime was committed quite interesting so I'm excited to dive in.

#IcedCoffee #GloomyDay #Thriller

Allylu Loved this book!! 5mo
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jess861
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Pickpick

I would not have picked up this book if it weren't for book club but I'm glad I did. I loved the characters and it felt like the writing went right along side the main character, Elizabeth Zott. I did find that the end wrapped up a bit to neatly for my liking. I'm not sure it went with the time - I felt like the whole book she was battling issues of the 60s and at the end everyone got a great ending and we were almost in another time.

56 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
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Beautiful cool evening to read outside with a drink. Enjoying the book so far and I'm hoping to get a few hours of reading in tonight. #BookAndBeer #BookClub #Readathon #EveningReading #OutdoorReading #BackyardReading

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Jess861
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I don't usually (ever) read two books at once but I only have two weeks to read this book for a book club I signed up for. So here goes reading two books at the same time. It is unlikely I would have picked it up if it wasn't for book club so I can't wait to find out if I like it.

TEArificbooks Apple TV is making it into a tv show or movie 6mo
Blueberry It's coming up in my bookclub also. 6mo
48 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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It's amazing how our kids can put us back in touch with our childhood passions. I have always loved learning about animals and I was especially enthralled with wolves as a kid. I credit our son for allowing me to rediscover the joy of animals through his love for all living things. As he gets older, I hope he never loses touch with what truly brings him joy. I cannot wait to dive into this book!

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Jess861
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book as much as the first I read in the series (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). I enjoyed the characters a bit more in this book but am still bothered by the blatant sexism. Favourite thing by far was the trees! Excited to read the third - I believe it is The Voyage of the Dawn Trader if I'm reading in publication order.

#ChroniclesOfNarnia #Series #BookTwo #MiddleGrade #Readathon #SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Excellent! 7mo
40 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Untitled | Unknown
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Just hoping to keep my momentum up when it comes to getting some reading in every week. September is crazy busy with back to school and the start of the fall activities - so I'm just hoping to find some time.

Thanks for hosting the #SummerEndReadathon #Readathon @TheSpineView

TheSpineView You're welcome and good luck! 7mo
27 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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Reading The Chronicles of Narnia in publication order while the kids run around in the sun and play with water. Surprisingly, I never read them as a child and this is the first time I'm doing so. This is the second book and I hope I enjoy it as much as the first.

#Narnia #Fantasy #KidsBook #Series

51 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Pickpick

This was an enjoyable read about three generations of women (one being a child) as they move to Cornwall, England for a new start. They move into White Cove and explore the mysteries that surround it and some Cornish folklore. The book does move at a slower pace but it suited the story. I did find that even though it is set in the 1950s, I kept thinking we were in current time (except when the war was brought up).

42 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Beautiful morning for a little backyard read with an iced coffee from our local coffee shop. I'm enjoying the book so far and I'm curious to see where it leads as I read on.

#IcedCoffee #LocalCoffeeShop #Hare #MorningReading

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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Going to start the tagged book tonight with some sea salt chips. It was a rainy day but looks like I'm getting a sunny evening to read. I think this book won't be as intense as River Sing Me Home and I need that for my next book.

#BookAndChips #CozyBlanket

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Jess861
River Sing Me Home | Eleanor Shearer
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Pickpick

An excellent debut! The story of a slave who treks across three countries to find all the children taken from her. The writing and settings are beautiful and you are transported to this time and place. You can't help but love the many characters you meet throughout the book. I simply cannot imagine having all your children ripped away from you and having to fight to find them again. Only knock was there are some parts that are a bit too lucky.

52 likes4 comments
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Jess861
River Sing Me Home | Eleanor Shearer
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Starting the tagged book with an iced coffee and a view of the water while the little guy is with his tutor. I've only just started and I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy this book. I believe this is her debut when it comes to writing books - so I'm excited that it's started off so well.

Now just to decide if I want to tag it to #Barbados #Guyana or #TrinidadAndTobago for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 @librarybelle @barbarabb

Aims42 I love when you begin a new book and you just know you‘re going to love it 🥰 I‘ve tried to explain that feeling to my husband and he thinks I‘m nuts 🤪 8mo
Jess861 @Aims42 I feel you! My husband isn't a reader so he just doesn't get it - but there's no better feeling! Nothing better than loving a book from start to finish. 8mo
Aims42 @Jess861 ☺️🥰😍 8mo
Librarybelle What a great recommendation! It‘s an awesome feeling for sure! 8mo
47 likes4 comments
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Jess861
Untitled | Untitled
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A broad goal for this readathon of just continuing to read as much as I have time for. I hit my usual slump in the Spring but have been finding lots of time to read this summer (although time at the cottage was a significant help). Hopefully I can read two or three books in August as it is a pretty busy month with the kiddos!

#RushAThon #Readathon

@DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🤓📚❤️‍🔥Good luck & glad to have you along!! 8mo
Andrew65 Great to have you with us, good luck 😍 8mo
29 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed the book but didn't love it. A plague that basically takes out an entire small village in the England countryside. I enjoyed the story although I found it got a bit wordy at times. It was interesting to see how people dealt with so much death and being quarantined within their village with no outside sources. The ending seemed kind of random to me.

@Cuilin #BookedInTime

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Jess861
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Back home and it's a nice warm evening. Watched our little guy play soccer and now he is tucked in bed - now it's lemonade and a book for me. Slowly getting through this book and I'm enjoying it so far.

#Lemonade #BookAfterSoccer

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Jess861
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Pickpick

A slow-medium paced book that follows the stories of a woman and a couple. I found the different story lines each had strong sections and weaker sections where I wasn't as engaged - but they seemed to alternate. It was refreshing to not know exactly how the two different stories linked together for the majority of the book. The descriptions of Soho in the 50s really transported you to that time. Overall I enjoyed it.

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

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Jess861
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Last morning getting this view while I read ☹️. Probably won't get much in because we want to get the kiddos into the water one last time before we pack up. Enjoying the book so far - particularly enjoying the time period it is in. It is nice to be reading a book from only one point of view as the last two books I read were both two.

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Jess861
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It was a stormy day for the most part so I was able to finish my previous book. Now the skies have cleared and I'll get to enjoy a bit of time outside reading even though it's still quite windy. I'm not sure I'm up for another pandemic like book so quickly after The Pull Of The Stars but I'm going to dive into the tagged book anyways.

#BlackTea #WindyReading #Plague #BookedInTime

Cuilin Beautiful view. Popular read for #BookedInTime hope you like it 🤞 8mo
56 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jess861
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Sweater weather morning on the lake. The loons are out and enjoying the water. Hopefully it warms up so we can spend the day in the water. A cup of English Breakfast tea and a library book while the kids are still asleep.

#EnglishBreakfast #Tea #CottageReading #LibraryBook #Loons

CoffeeAndABook Sounds like a perfect morning and a fun day ahead 🙌🏼☀️ 8mo
Soubhiville That‘s my favorite time of day! 8mo
Jess861 @Soubhiville Completely agree - so peaceful! 8mo
BarbaraJean That looks glorious! 8mo
dabbe Lovely! 💜 💛 💜 8mo
53 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Jess861
The Cuban Heiress | Chanel Cleeton
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Pickpick

This is a fast paced book that follows two women and their voyage on the SS Morro Castle and the mystery that surrounds them. I don't think I can describe it much past the first sentence without giving the story away. It was a quick read and action packed from the very beginning. I enjoyed the writing style, characters and the overall plot. I found some of the twists to be a bit obvious but otherwise a good book.

Librarybelle Good choice! I have one of her books…I should read it for the challenge! 8mo
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
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Finished my last read much quicker than expected so I'm diving into one of the library books even though we still have a bit before we go to the cottage. Overcast, dragonfruit tea, a book and the backyard deck - what more could I ask for?

#AuthorAMonth #DragonfruitTea #WeekendReading #DeckReading

slategreyskies That drink looks so good! 💕 8mo
Jess861 @slategreyskies - Starbucks - Dragonfruit Tea if you are interested! So delicious! 8mo
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
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The family went out this morning to take out some books from the library for our upcoming trip to the cottage. The kiddos took out a few books each and I'm hoping to get a bit of reading time in for some challenges. The little guy mainly grabbed non-fiction once again - so there will be lots of learning about animals and dinosaurs!

#AuthorAMonth #ReadingTheAmericas2023 #BookedInTime #LibraryHaul #RaisingReaders #KidsBooks #PictureBooks

TEArificbooks My youngest loves non-fiction. His favorite right now is a world atlas. 8mo
Jess861 @TEArificbooks - It's awesome to see the love for non-fiction at such a young age! 8mo
45 likes2 comments
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Jess861
The Cuban Heiress | Chanel Cleeton
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Heatwave here so nothing better than an iced coffee and a book. I'm not sure that there is much Cuba in this book but Havana is somewhat tied into this book from reading the blurb so I'm going to count it as a Cuba read. Also not sure how long I'll last outside in this heat but we'll at least get started on the book!

#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Cuba #IcedCoffee #Heatwave

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Jess861
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Mehso-so

This book was ok but didn't love it. The characters were well written although some of their story lines were ended very quickly and with not much thought. Most of the book read a bit too slow for my liking and while parts picked up the majority was on the slower end. I did enjoy reading about the Spanish flu and how alike it was to the pandemic we just had. No rhyme or reason as to why some only got a bit sick and it took others lives.

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Jess861
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Pickpick

A great book for kids to learn about extinct, rediscovered, endangered and recovering animals. Learn some facts about many different animals while looking at some beautiful illustrations. Our 6 year old is obsessed with saving the animals and the environment - this is the perfect book for him to learn more about some of the animals that we have lost and ones that are surviving.

#NonFiction #RaisingReaders #Animals #KidsBook

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Jess861
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I don't think I'm going to hit my goal of finishing the book. But I'm heading into part two now. It took a bit but by the end of part one I was starting to get into the book. Hopefully it continues to pick up.

#JoysOfJune #Readathon #MorningReading

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Jess861
The Pull of the Stars | Emma Donoghue Ltd
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Finally some nice weather after the wildfire smoke took over and then a few days of much needed rain. Going to try and get some pages in this evening. Not sure if I'll like this book as I've never really found a book I liked that passes over a very short amount of time (I believe 3 days in this book) - but still excited to dig in!

#JoysOfJune #Readathon #FluPandemic #BackyardReading #EveningRead

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Jess861
The Pull of the Stars | Emma Donoghue Ltd
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A little late to be posting but I'm going to join this readathon and hopefully finish The Pull of the Stars this week. It's a busy week with the husband on night shifts and the little guy only having a few weeks of school left plus his summer activities kicking off - so it will definitely be a challenge. Hope I'm able to find some time for reading this week!

#JoysOfJune #Readathon @Andrew65

Andrew65 Great to have you with us, best of luck 😁 9mo
39 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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Couldn't decide what to read next so I asked our little guy to pick which cover he liked out of four books. He chose this one - so the tagged book it is then. Another stunning day here so I'm going to start this book with a cold drink while the kids run around with their friends. Not sure how much reading I'll actually get done, but I can always dream.

#BeerAndABook #OutsideReading #Starting #SunnyDay #Pandemic