At the end of this book I wanted to pull an Izzy, raise my fist and yell Hurrah! I loved every word of this book. A complete delight 5🌟

If you have recs for any of her other books please share.

#MarvellousMayUpdate

Had a lovely 3 day weekend with lots of reading time. Say Nothing is an exceptional piece of nonfiction. I was riveted by the individual stories and learned so much about the Troubles. Troubles seems too small a word for this explosive time in Northern Ireland.

Loved Tookie and The Sentence and I am loving The Book of Longings for #LMPBC.

#BookReport I loved all of my books this last week with the tagged being 5 🌟 and the rest 4 🌟

#WeeklyForecast Hope to finish Say Nothing and just started All the Ways. So far I‘m keeping up on my buddy reads.

Glad to be able to participate with @Andrew65 for #MarvellousMay readathon. It would be lovely to get all 6 books read.

Love this low key choose your own goal readathon.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSey7khnhY3OxBgdGbVw9hHu0qX2KG1Al-eUMqoz...

Hey #LitsyLove @rsteve388 and I are hosting our summer swap for current #LitsyLove members only. Add some fun to your summer and sign up.

@LitsyEvents Please share. Thank you!

I have tried to avoid sad books the last several weeks. We had to make the hard decision to say goodbye to our beloved 13 year old pug Dizzy last month. So I erected a fence around my grief. Unfortunately what I thought were safe books turned out to be outlets for some of the sadness. Books telling me I needed to do something different. Life is funny like that. Unlikely Animals mentioned a “dog sized hole in a heart” mine is pug sized. 💜

Jean McConville was 38 when she disappeared, and she had spent nearly half her life either pregnant or recovering from childbirth.

Took a mental health day today. It‘s grey, windy and rainy so a good day for a fascinating book, a cozy blanket and hot tea.

Happy Friday!

May‘s #BookSpinBingo board. Really happy with the #BookSpin and #Doublespin books. Should be a lovely book filled month.

Hard to believe a third of the year is gone. Tagged book is winning best book of 2022 so far. This is harder than I thought it would be as I‘ve read some excellent books this year. If you want to join the fun visit @chasjjlee feed for the blank bracket. What will your favorite book be?

#BookspinBingo No bingo for April but 13 books finished and 1 DNF. Looking forward to tomorrows numbers.

Lots of buddy reads and challenge prompts but my mood is all over the place so who knows what I will actually read. Good to have a plan in place as a starting point.

#Roll100 #April Two more kindle books off Mt TBR. #May 3 very different books hope to get at least two read.

#BookReport Still avoiding books that might queue the water works which all 4 books accomplished. Loved The Enchanted April. I would like to make this story real and set myself in Italy for a month. The other three were all enjoyable but nothing that will stick with me.

#WeeklyForecast Fortunate Ones is for #LMPBC. I‘m about 25% and am not yet connecting with the story yet. Probably me and not the book. Barely started the other two.

Received this today. Looking forward to starting tonight. #LMPBC #GroupV

@suvata @DanaManiac @Mynameisacolour @BookishBelle

#BookReport Loved Sea of Tranquility! Really liked Boyne‘s House of Special Purpose although the audio production wasn‘t the best. Still loving the Gaslight mystery series. Caught up on both buddy reads. Choosing entertaining light reads for now.

So many wonderful things! Amy, @MommyOfTwo , you have spoiled me. I can‘t wait to fall into the world of Nyxia and I will be sipping one of these amazing teas and munching on yummy popcorn when I do. I 💜💜💜 the bookmarks, the pin and the mug. Thank you so much for sending such an outstanding box of goodies. You made the start of a tough week ahead lighter. I am grateful. I hope you have a lovely day! Thank you @Avanders for a fun swap!

I am so excited to have Amanda Gorman‘s book and can‘t wait to dive in. The tea and chocolate both look yummy and can‘t wait to try them. The chocolate is going to work with me today. Just what I need to get through the last days of my busy season. Thank you @Chrissyreadit for your awesome selections! And thank you for hosting with the fabulous @TheBookHippie 💜

Finished one book early in the week. I enjoyed the mystery but wish the author would have given the MC a different back story. I was going to DNF Maybe but finally got interested at about 20% and want to know how each of the individual patient arcs wrap up. I have always been interested in Russian history and the Romanovs. Loving Boyne‘s HF on audio set in this time forward to the 80‘s. 8 days til tax seasons over and a couple days off…

#BookReport I really liked the Scythe trilogy although The Toll was a bit long. The Silence of the Girls was good as well and the romances and cozy mystery is what my taxed brain can handle.

#WeeklyForecast: I‘m enjoying both current books and also started Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. Will visit part 5 of Obama later in the month.

Working on a Saturday is not my idea of a good time but my day started with the car in front of me paying for my latte and I came home to surprise bookmail. Can‘t complain when the work is bookended by such kindness. Thank you @Jas16 for this book from my TBR. I am looking forward to reading it and appreciate you thinking of me. 💜💜💜

Ready for April!

#MarchWrapUp #BookspinBingo

14 books read 3 DNF‘s

5🌟
Fresh Water for Flowers
The Seed Keeper

4.5 🌟
The Island of Missing Trees
The Violin Conspiracy

4 🌟
The Toll
The Silence of Girls
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
Luck of the Titanic

The rest were 3 to 4 🌟s

Other than the DNF‘s it was a good month. Ready for tomorrow‘s numbers.

Lots of mail happening:

I received my #SpeculativeSpringSwap yesterday. So excited for opening day! @Avanders

Going out today are my #AprilPoetrySwap @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit and my Group V #LMPBC book to @BookishBelle @DanaManiac @Mynameisacolour @suvata

Happy April everyone!

Finally got my April bingo list together all from my owned TBR and almost all are challenge prompts or buddy reads. Yay books!

#BookReport: Nothing outstanding but good reads all. Luck of the Titanic was my #DoubleSpin. Caught up on Obama and ready for Part 5 in April. Audio is better.

#WeeklyForecast: Finish Silence of Girls today. I have 3 hours left of The Toll. I‘m about 25% into Whispering Door and am not connecting…maybe not the right time? May set it aside.

Been wanting to read Enchanted April for ages. Yay for #SundayBuddyRead with @TheBookHippie

I have one goal for #20in4. I need to finish the remaining chapters so I can mail my book timely for Group V. 8 or so chapters a night is doable.

Thanks for hosting @Andrew65

April #Roll100 picks. I like that they are different genres.

Thanks @PuddleJumper for helping slay my kindle TBR. Now if I could quit buying more than I‘m reading. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

#WondrousWednesday

1)TBR shelfie with Rosko in his llama hut. 😻
2)Non-fiction is tagged, fiction The Seed Keeper
3) My first two bails of the year happened this month: How Much These Hills is Gold and North and South.

Everyone show us your shelves 😊

#BookReport: 💜💜💜 The Seed Keeper 5🌟. Tea Girl 4🌟 St Mark‘s 4🌟 and #BookSpin

#WeeklyForecast: Finish Silence of Girls for #LMPBC and Luck for #SundayBuddyRead and Part 3 of Obama. I‘ve switched to audio and am so glad I did. The rest of my reading will be comfort reads that do not take a lot of brain power.

Sorry to #Pemberlittens and 1619 readers…work is sapping the brain power and I can‘t keep up. I hope to pick these back up soon.

#Booked2022 #Winter

Finished the tagged book to complete the first quarter of this challenge. Didn‘t quite stick to my original plan. Read Wilhelm‘s Mirror Mirror instead of Gregory Maguire‘s novel with the same name. And Snowflake instead of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Things Fall Apart was my least favorite. Loved The Girl with the Louding Voice and The Mercies.

My husband‘s body lay cold on the table in front of me.

Just started the tagged book last night. First in a time travel series recommended by @Chrissyreadit quite a while ago. Think I‘m going to love it. 💜

#FirstLineFridays

#TwosomeThursday

1) Varied
2) Hammock or porch swing

Happy St. Paddy‘s Day 🍀

🫐 Probably the tagged and a few other Michener‘s sitting on my shelf
🍑 Saving it for later 😂
🫑 The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, The Silence of Girls and Murder on St. Mark‘s Place

#WondrousWednesday

Everyone come play along!

#BookReport. Four great books this week. The tagged book was 4.5 🌟 Although I was wrong on a plot twist it was a satisfying read on audio. The story is fiction but he used some of his own experiences to heighten the drama. The other 3 were all 4 🌟 Lily was a sob fest, Missing Trees was wonderful and the mystery set in A place I‘ve visited was fun. #WeeklyForecast. The plan is pictured. I think I will stick to it.

My #MarvellousMarch game plan. I have less than 3 hours of the tagged book…I think I may have a clue about whodunnit and am anxious to see if I‘m right. Next up on audio is The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. I just started The Seed Keeper on kindle and next up is the mystery. Print is The Silence of the Girls for #LMPBC. Work is its usual tax season crazy but most of my off time is books and sleep thanks to a supportive husband.

#FirstLineFridays

Chapter 2: In that first moment, it seemed as if nothing had changed.

#TwosomeThurs

1. The tagged book is my favorite of the year so far.

2. I‘m a bit of both.

Want to play @Christyco125 @DaveGreen7777 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks . Everyone else?

1) Yes, currently reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell with the #PemberLittens. Loving it so far.

2) The tagged book was recommended by my Uncle. I intend to read it for Spring #Booked2022 #MakeYourOwnPrompt.

#Two4Tuesday

Tagging everyone that wants to play.

#SpeculativeSpringSwap is on its way across land and sea.

#BookReport: All 3 books were great but the tagged book gets all the 🌟s.

Current reads: Just started Tea Girl. Am about halfway through Missing Trees. I am liking it but am waiting for the two time periods to come together. Lily is breaking my heart.

My first DNF this year. I think it‘s a me not the audio book. Maybe I‘ll try again someday in print.

I have no idea what‘s next.

Weekend reading. I made it a little over halfway in the tagged book last night. If I didn‘t have to work today I would have stayed up and finished it. It is a book I would willingly give up much needed sleep for. Tonight I need to read my #SundayBuddyRead section of Luck of the Titanic, too.

“My closest neighbors don‘t quake in their boots.”

I am loving this book and HATE that I can‘t stay home and read today. Sometimes adulting sucks.

March #BookSpinBingo I don‘t anticipate having much reading time but I definitely want to read The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane to finish #Booked2022 and my two #Bookspins, and my #LMPBC The Silence of Girls.

#2022 reading bracket I decided I need to separate fiction from nonfiction because I couldn‘t decide between How the Word is Passed and The Mercies. I‘m not sure I read enough nonfiction to make it interesting but we‘ll see as we go along.

#FebruaryBookSpin #Wrapup.

16 books finished including my BookSpin and Doublespin books

5🌟
Tagged
Sense & Sensibility
Watership Down

4.5 🌟
We Begin at the End
Thunderhead

4🌟
Cassandra at the Wedding
Razorblade Tears
The Art of Theft
Murder on Astor Place
She Who Became the Sun

Except for The Wife Upstairs at 2🌟 the rest were 3 or 3.5🌟

Looking forward to tomorrow morning and March‘s numbers.

My 3 BOTM picks. Very excited for all of these and I could have chosen a couple more. Probably good there is a 3 book limit.

Jeannine! Your box of goodies actually brought tears to my eyes. I am so excited for all the books especially the Woodson (I love love love her) and Passing which I‘ve wanted to read forever. And all the goodies are wonderful but the mug and the pins are everything. It was like receiving hope in a box which sounds silly, I guess, but I needed it with what is happening today. Thank you for your thoughtful selections!

#BookReport

Thunderhead: Not sure why I waited so long to read. Soooooo good! 4.5 🌟
Sisters in Arms: Grateful to learn this piece of history. 3.5🌟
Razorblade Tears: In honor of @sharread Lots of violence with a bit of redemption 4🌟

WeeklyForecast This is the current plan but I‘m already thinking about a change up so who knows where I‘ll land.

On my way to work but am hoping tonight to finish Razorblade Tears while audiostitching with about 2 1/2 hours left. And I have 4 chapters left in the tagged book so maybe I can finish it tonight as well. Tomorrow should be all about Cassandra.

Ready for March! #BookSpinBingo with the lovely @TheAromaofBooks