#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

We have been on a Canadian cruise for the past two weeks. The joys have been numerous! Top 5 (so far) in no particular order:

1. The gorgeous views from the deck of the ship.

2. Lobster Rolls, Poutine, Beaver Tails.

3. The way the Canadians honor their heritage- First Nation, French, British

4. Lovely towns and cities, stunning scenery everywhere.

5. The wonderfully friendly, warm, welcoming Canadian people!

This was an entertaining read. Plenty of possible suspects, including several members of the local “Whodunnit Book Club”. The likable main character is on her first case as an assistant Private Investigator. As a “Christian cozy”, faith and prayers are woven throughout the narrative, and the sweet budding romance is very “clean”.

This was my August selection for the #ThematicCozies prompt, #Books .

#Pantone2025 #ChiliOil @Lauredhel

I really enjoyed this book, the first in the Kate Shackleton mystery series. Kate is a young WWI war widow, trying to make her way in the post war world. She has had success doing some amateur private investigating, and in this book, she takes on her first paid investigating job. I really liked Kate as a character, and I look forward to reading more books in this series. ⬇️

#Roll100 @PuddleJumper

I am not generally a fan of books that make me sad, but this one was an exception. It was so well written, so evocative of time and place, and so thought-provoking. A 5-Star read for sure.

This was the #LiteraryCrew selection for July, and I enjoyed our discussion, as always. @Librarybelle

#Pantone2025 #LyonsBlue @Lauredhel

I expected this to be a lighthearted romance, but it was so much more. Yes, there is a sweet (and sometimes very frustrating) romance. But the novel also deals with some very serious and emotional issues. I did think the ending was a bit unrealistic, even though the author‘s note says it was based on real events. Anyone struggling with infertility might want to give this one a pass.

This was my September #ReadOrDonate selection.

A fun read, and the mystery kept me guessing. I loved that Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy appeared!

This was my August selection for #JaneAustenThenAndNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig
#Pantone2025 #PrimrosePink @Lauredhel

This book transports the reader to a small Welsh fishing island in the years leading up to World War II. The islanders live in the old traditional ways, but change is coming… indeed has already come to the mainland. The writing is spare but poignant, honest but nuanced, immersive but reflective. A true gem of a read. I feel like I lived this book.
Another fabulous #LiteraryCrew selection. You definitely know how to pick ‘em, @Librarybelle ! 👏

An unpopular opinion, but this book just made me sad. In so many ways.

#ReadYourKindle @CBee
#Pantone2025 #BrandiedMelon @Lauredhel

Written by a reader, for readers, these lovely essays on the fun and foibles of a reading life are totally relatable for book nerds. I recognized myself in these pages! This was my #MonthlyNonfiction2025 pick for August.
#MonthlyNonfiction

My #ReadYourKindle list for September. @CBee

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Here are my selections for my various reading choices this month. Excited to see what everyone else has chosen!

#ReadOrDonate - The Friend Zone

#MonthlyNonfiction2025 - The Last Pirate of New York

#ThematicCozies #Books - DyingToRead

#FictionalTraveler #EnglishSpeaking - The Museum of Ordinary People

@CoffeeNBooks
@TheBookHippie
@BarkingMadRead
@rmaclean4
@Cuilin
@PuddleJumper
@Read4Life
@Julsmarshall
@BookwormAHN
@BethM
⬇️ (con‘t)

Just so sweet! Totally lovable characters (even the curmudgeonly neighbor), Hollywood glamour, and main character growth. Light and delightful.

A fun #LittensLoveRomance pick @StayCurious 💖. I finished early - it was so easy to listen while doing other things. 🙄

Just okay. The mystery was fine, but the characters were all 2-dimensional tropes. So much so, that I actually wondered if it was intentional, kind of like a spoof of a bad movie.

This was my #ThematicCozies choice for the August prompt #Travel .

My #BookSpin list for September. (How is that possible?) @TheAromaOfBooks

This was a book to get lost in. Filled with intrigue, as the main characters negotiate the twists and turns of life in the royal court in the years leading up to the War of the Roses. A fascinating history lesson and a great read.

Thanks to #Roll100 , I finally got around to reading this! @PuddleJumper

#AllergicToChunksters

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, literary cozy, with a finely woven mystery and a truly admirable heroine. The second in the atmospheric Bess Crawford mystery series, set in England and France during WWI. Excellent reading.

This was my #ReadOrDonate selection for August. I‘m so glad I finally got around to reading it!

#Pantone2025 #ChocolateMartini @Lauredhel

This book had everything I love in historical fiction. It was well-written, well-researched, and had an admirable female main character. Its strong sense of time and place gave me a glimpse into a time in American history that I know little about. The entrenched, systemic racism was hard to read about, and so saddening, but it did serve to highlight Belle‘s incredible bravery and determination. ⬇️

Inspired by @dabbe ‘s recent “white knuckled” haiku. This is something I have really been struggling with lately.

How to find balance?
Keep up with world news, versus
Restful unplugging?

#HaikuaDay #HaikuHive

I was drawn to this book because I loved both the title and the cover, and my instincts did not steer me wrong! Family secrets, lovable characters, gorgeous European settings, humor, and even a bit of romance. Totally enjoyable!

#ReadYourKindle @CBee
#Pantone2025 #SaltedLime #ChiliOil @Lauredhel @BarbaraBB

Delightful magical realism, featuring characters I could be friends with (except for one or two that I loved to hate). The main character was trying to overcome past tragedies, so she could begin to fully live life in the present, learn to trust herself, and look forward. A light-hearted, feel-good read.

This was my July #FictionalTraveler selection, for the #Water prompt.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Perfectly captures the life of a 6th Grade girl in the 1970s. A walk down memory lane!

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

This book was brutal. I can‘t say I enjoyed reading it, but I did learn a lot. It‘s a dual timeline novel, set in 1930s Berlin and 1950s Buenos Aires. Both locations were written with a strong sense of time and place, and the novel was well-researched, particularly the sections that took place in Argentina. ⬇️

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Looking forward to seeing everyone‘s August selections for #MonthlyNonfiction2025 !

Okay, #FictionalTraveler friends, what sizzling locale will you be visiting for our August #SomeplaceHot prompt? I‘m going to Cuba with Next Year in Havana.

Absolutely charming. I‘m so glad I finally read this, thanks to #Roll100 . @PuddleJumper

Lots of practical advice for decorating a room, or an entire home, to feel cozy but not cluttered. A series of logical steps to follow, written in an encouraging and supportive tone. Very helpful!
This was my July selection for #MonthlyNonfiction2025.

I thoroughly enjoyed this multigenerational family saga, which features several strong women and the life choices they make. The characters were all realistically drawn, and even when they made what I considered “wrong” choices, I could understand their reasons. As a bonus, I also learned a lot about beer and the brewing process!

My #ReadYourKindle list for August.
@CBee

Finally posting last week‘s #5JoysFriday 🙄 @DebinHawaii

Hello, cozy friends! Our August prompt for #ThematicCozies is #Travel ! I‘m going on a fictional cruise with Dead Man Docking. Where in the world will you be going?

My #ReadOrDonate choice for August is An Impartial Witness, which is Book #3 in the excellent Bess Crawford Mystery series. It has been sitting on my shelf for several years, patiently waiting for me to notice it. 🥴

What will everyone else be reading/donating?

#HaikuaDay #HaikuHive @dabbe

The mountains never move, but the view is always changing. 💚⛰️💚

My August #BookSpin list! @TheAromaOfBooks

Very introspective. The story consists mostly of the characters‘ inner thoughts, about themselves and the other characters. I found the reading challenging at first, because I was trying to “read” the sentences. Once I decided to just let the writing wash over me and “feel” the writing, I did much better. Virginia Woolf is a masterful writer, but honestly, I just didn‘t care very much about any of these characters.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Well written and well researched, filled with facts and true stories, this historical fiction novel is steeped in a strong sense of time and place. I loved it! Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey no longer exists, but it comes to life in rich detail in this story. The main character‘s pursuit of a daring career in an age where women were not encouraged to do such things deftly ties the book‘s many narratives together.

#ReadOrDonate for July

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Littens can save lives! @TieDyeDude is hosting the first ever #LitsyBloodDrive ! Ways to participate: donate blood, platelets, money or snacks. Volunteer. Spread the word. Bring a friend! Let‘s all get together and do this! 🅰️🅱️🆎🅾️🩸💙

I recently finished two delightful magical realism books, and it dawned on me that I could write the same review for each. Both were lighthearted feel-good reads, had characters that I could be friends with, and featured main characters who were trying to leave their past behind and begin to live in the present, trust themselves, and look forward. The Coffee Shop of Curiosities was for my book club. Lost Lake was for July #FictionalTraveler #Water

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Just what I like in a cozy mystery! Likeable characters, a smart female amateur sleuth, a friendly village setting, and a mystery that kept me guessing. I will read more of this series!

This was my July #ThematicCozies choice, for the #Festival prompt.

#Pantone2025 #CurdsandWhey @Lauredhel @BarbaraBB

We love seeing the look of delight on our friends‘ faces when they see their first white squirrel!

#HaikuaDay #HaikuHive

 @dabbe

This was a fascinating historical novel about the Hindenburg airship disaster in 1937. The zeppelin burst into flames as it was landing in New Jersey, after its transatlantic flight from Germany. Told from multiple points of view, the novel speculates what the multi-day flight was like, for both passengers and crew. Secrets, schemes, romance, and lots of nail biting tension - it‘s all here. I couldn‘t put this book down!

#Pantone2025 #Bran

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Entertaining! A refreshing take on the Cinderella story, with a strong heroine. Another excellent choice for #SundayBuddyRead with @TheBookHippie

Long, but very well written, with well-developed characters and relationships that have depth. But the ending…ugh… frustrating. Thanks to the always-fun #HashtagBrigade for giving me the impetus to keep reading!
#AllergicToChunksters
# Pantone2025 #Cocoon #Cocoa @Lauredhel

Great practical advice, told with humor and a bit of snarkiness. This is a quick read, as it‘s not a novel, but rather an expanded version of a commencement address given by Cassandra King at her Alma Mater. Excellent introduction by Rick Bragg. Fun!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii It was a lovely, summery week. ☀️