I stayed up way too late reading this last night and have been itching to get through the workday today so I can get back to it! So, so good...

I was out of work for 2 weeks with Covid and found this magnificent array of community cookbooks on my desk when I got back. These were sent to me by a couple library staff. There are recipes such as George Eastman's Onion Au Gratin, Seven Apple Butter, Bishops Bread, and A Dainty Flummery. Last night I spent a few hours reading through these, all of which were fascinating. I ADORE community cookbooks. There‘s nothing better.

Another solid entry in the Ian Rutledge series positions the reader in Essex as Rutledge investigates a “murder“ witnessed by Lady Benton and committed by the “ghost“ of a man she knows to be dead. Todd has created a relatable, vulnerable, but very capable character in Ian Rutledge, who struggles with PTSD from WWI as he conducts his business as a Scotland Yard detective.

My eagerness to read this book was slowly but surely squashed as I slogged through the first couple of chapters. I am a reader who prefers to *like* at least one of the characters. Unfortunately, every single character got on my last nerve. I found the writing disjointed, with groups of sentences describing one thing jammed in the middle of paragraphs about something else. This makes me suspect the ARC has some formatting issues.

I devoured this book in one night! There‘s adventure, mystery, danger, and daring imagination here all spun into one of the best stories I‘ve read in ages. The vibe reminded me a bit of Mr. Penumbras 24 Hour Bookstore, but the story is wholly original. While this is a fantastic adventure, there is also an underlying cautionary tale about mapping and the increasingly intrusive role of AI in mapping our locations and movements.

From the Publisher: Set against the lush backdrop of early twentieth century Ecuador and inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao, this captivating #OwnVoices novel from the award-winning author of The Sisters of Alameda Street tells the story of a resourceful young chocolatier who must impersonate a man in order to survive.

From me: Read this gorgeous book!

The final entry in Westerson‘s Crispin Guest series. If you enjoy mysteries set in the past, you‘ll like this series. She ends it with a series of murders in a priory which are evocative of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Found this on a book truck of discards today. The name of the book? Spectral Images by Terrance Craddock!

I found Gigi Pandian‘s books through another favorite author - Juliet Blackwell - and was thrilled to find a new series featuring two of my favorite things: magicians and hidden staircases/rooms. Pandian introduces Tempest Raj, the youngest in a line of magicians on her mother‘s side and artists and builders on her father‘s side. Tempest is an appealing, sassy, smart female lead who has tremendous potential to grow through the series.

Started this ARC last night and came across this ☝️described as an “interinstitution record” (which library folk will know means OCLC). A map at the heart of this mystery just happens to be missing from MY library! I felt a little bad about that until I read a few more pages to where the main character discovers the map is missing, destroyed, or stolen from EVERY LIBRARY that owned a copy. This is a good one, folks!

I don‘t know where this is from, but it made me laugh on this frigid, dark day.

Spending NYE with Marion Lane, complemented by a side of Covid and a healthy dose of anger at the selfish family member who infected multiple people on Christmas Day.

Settling in for a quiet afternoon with my pup and a new book. Just the pace I need today.

We hosted a small family gathering this year. Once everyone went home, I settled myself in my quiet dining room and opened these two absolutely lovely #jolabokaflod packages. Thank you so very much @Bookish_AF and @Wen4blu. You have made this Christmas Eve very special indeed. Wen4blu, the cookbook is fabulous; Bookish-AF, I have been wanting to read Broken Girls for such a long time. And thanks to @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing the swap.

Finally got our tree up and decorated. I always enjoy unwrapping the memories that go along with the ornaments. Many have been gifts from friends over the years. You can tell when my tall daughter hasn‘t helped decorate though - no ornaments at the top of the tree! #shortgirlproblems. Btw, the tagged story is great!

Got my second #jolabokaflod package today from @wen4blu ! Christmas Eve will be very special this year! @MaleficentBookDragon

Winter holidays and ghost stories have a long companionship throughout the past, and this new collection is an excellent addition. These stories range from traditional Victorian to contemporary to speculative and all of them will raise a hair or two or three. This would make a nice gift for the ghost-lover in your life.

Borrowed this from a friend.

2021 has been a rough year for me and my family. Lots of loss and sadness. As I‘ve been reflecting on the year and picking out bright spots, Litsy and the friends I‘ve made here keep popping up. When days were long and dark, I‘d browse through posts here and always find something to make me smile. So, friends, thank you for sharing your silliness, your kindness, your humor, and your friendship. It made a difference.

I love it when a book teaches me about pieces of cultures that I have not encountered previously. Here, it‘s the Gullah culture, which is fascinating. The deep connection to nature experienced by enslaved African people brought to America and how the knowledge passed to their descendants is a common theme in books for adults, but I‘ve not come across it treated quite so beautifully in a children‘s book. Highly recommended.

Finally got my #Jolabokaflod packages in the mail today! I ended up with two because the email for my first entry sorted to my junk folder and I thought it hadn‘t gone through, so I filled out the form again. That about sums up how my year has been! LOL.

Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing.

Spent a few hours today reading this beauty. I was drawn to the story because the early part takes place in 1979 when I was almost the same age as the two girls who form the story. This kept my attention, which is a hard task these days.

If you love gothic romances, this is the book for you. It‘s got it all - mysterious isolated mansion, brave heroine, curmudgeonly man with shady past, and a dark secret. Very atmospheric.

Muddled and mislabeled. This is not a mystery or a romance. It is a journey through grief for a family that has experienced an unimaginable loss and it was not the book for me.

Leaves need mulching but this book isn‘t going to finish itself!

The day can‘t decide if it‘s going to rain, snow, or shine so I‘m opting for some audio crafting with Deborah Crombie and Santa. #BritishMystery #audiocrafting #GettingReadyForTheHolidays #MakingGifts

These old girls are settling in for a nice evening on the couch. #beaglesoflitsy #cozy #ARC #ScottishMystery

Spent the day cleaning my house, which has been somewhat neglected due to work, health issues, and just general angst. Feeling good about having a clean house and am getting ready to settle in for a few hours of reading a new ARC from one of my favorite authors! Happy Friday everyone!

My pups are not handling trick or treaters very well tonight so I just told the hubs I was taking them upstairs until it settles down. Just realized it means I get a couple hours of uninterrupted reading time with this book!

My #HauntedHollowSwap from @sprainedbrain is magnificent!!! Books, socks, candy, Halloween decorations, nail art, and other lovely spooky things. Just what I needed on this gloomy Saturday morning! Thank you Jenni - you‘re the best. And thank you @wanderinglynn for organizing.

Have you ever found a book so good that you deliberately take your time reading it so you can savor every word? This is one of those books. Gorgeous writing, superb use of magical realism. Read this.

This time of year, I get asked a lot of questions about the “haunted” Rundel Memorial Library Building, where I work. If it is haunted, my own experiences have involved a very helpful spirit and elevators. #Ghostober #libraries (See comments for more of this story!)

Horowitz just keeps on delivering intricate mysteries capped by a totally unexpected plot twist at the end. The oddly paired Horowitz and Hawthorne provide the basis for a brilliantly delivered story full of characters both despicable, insipid, and sad all overshadowed by the age-old cause for murder - revenge. I hear this series is being adapted to the screen. Looking forward to that.

This book isn‘t in the Litsy database but I wanted to share. I received Evermore Falls today from the author & artist, Karl Slominski. Karl was one of my “library kids” way back about 20 years ago. He was one of those kids you just love to talk to - super creative, a little nerdy, and undeniably brilliant. That‘s the original artwork for page 85. It‘s getting framed this weekend! If you can find a copy, read it!

Came home after a trying Monday and found this beauty! What a spirit-lifter, especially because it‘s from @sprainedbrain ! Thank you, Jenni! Chester approves. #hhs #hauntedhallowswap @wanderinglynn

I do enjoy short-form mystery stories from Golden Age writers, but this collection is not well-balanced. There are some great stories and some duds.

This captivating tale of a young girl discovering her own power falls somewhere between A Court of Thorn & Roses and MarcyKate Connolly‘s Shadow Weaver, meaning it will appeal to advanced middle grade readers as well as to teens and adults who enjoy fantasy. I was utterly captivated by the character of Margana and thought her fate, while unexpected, was well-done.

Benedict Doyle had always known that if he ever entered the house that had belonged to his great-grandfather, the ghost that had shadowed most of his own life would be waiting for him.

— The Sin Eater by Sarah Rayne

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Juliet Blackwell‘s Lily Ivory series is one of my favorites for it‘s quirky and endearing cast of characters, gorgeous setting in San Francisco, and well-plotted mysteries. This one involves mermaids! If you haven‘t tried this series yet, #Witchtober is as good a time as any!

I‘ve read a lot of fairy tales retold and reimagined, but nothing – nothing! – like this. Chainani completely disrupts the old tales and rewrites them ferociously for all those readers who never once saw themselves in those stories. Full review at http://itsallaboutthebook.org

Came across this wonderful memory from 2019 - a viewing of Hocus Pocus and a meet-n-greet with Kathy Najimy. She was just lovely. Time for my seasonal viewing!

Greenspan offers fresh takes on some familiar recipes, as well as plenty of new and creative baking ideas. I‘ve stopped using Pinterest and food blogs for recipes because they invariably suck, so books like this ar every welcome in my kitchen. Any baker worth their rolling pin will want to take a look at this. Full review at http://itsallaboutthebook.org

Spent the day reading this new crime novel from Val McDermid featuring a female journalist in 1979 Glasgow. Not a lot of action and kind of a snoozer plot.

A pneumonia diagnosis calls for a pot of peppermint tea drunk out of one of my mother‘s vintage tea cups. No matter how old I am, I still long for my mom when I‘m sick!

I was reminded of this book by the post on monsters in picture books by @kshakal. My kids adored this book and we read it until it fell apart. The illustrations are so whimsical - and the monster with peanut butter all over his mouth was my son‘s favorite for years. #MonstrousMonday

Settling in tonight with this creepy read. Big old scary mansion in the woods, rumors and legends about hitchhikers and shadow people, and a kick-ass 12 year old make for great #Spooktober reading, especially with the Great British Baking Show in the background. Up to Chapter 21 and so far so good!

So this happened at my library yesterday. We‘ve all been struggling - lots of angry patrons lately, some Covid cases among staff, just lots of sadness. The Circ Supervisor bought all his staff capes, masks, and Library Squad t-shirts. It was the best day in a long time!

Heading into October with this spooky, shivery classic. Nobody wrote a ghost story like M.R. James! #Ghosts #Scarathalon #Ghostober #Halloween #AllHallows

Found this on a staff bulletin board at work this morning. Made me laugh! #catsoflitsy

Kate DiCamillo just keeps writing perfect books. This one reads like a gentle folktale featuring a trio of endearing characters (actually it‘s more of a foursome if you count the goat!) embroiled in intrigue and deception in a kingdom, far, far away. This would make a lovely classroom read-aloud and could spark some discussion about equity in education. Highly recommended.