I. Sleep
II. Stress and decisions
III. At this point becoming a librarian. But 2 weeks from now I will have supervised and coordinated a complete library move into a temporary smaller building so a new building can be built.

#wondrouswednesday
@Eggs

Cute story about a 9 year old Korean girl who lives for swimming. Good descriptive scenes, sweet characters and excellent illustrations, this book could have benefited from a stronger plot line and a less abrupt ending. Overall a decent read which allows young readers to dip their toes into competitive swimming.

🌸Either, but partial to hardcover
🌸Both
🌸Science Fiction
🌸Classic (or old 🥰)
🌸Coffee
🌸Physical
🌸Print

@Eggs

Kind of a slow starter, but a sweet story about a 12 year old girl who must embrace logic and magic, America and Egypt to save her family‘s legacy.

Just as expected, this one is hilarious! Clever word play by Megan McDonald and Scott Nash is going on my list of favorite children‘s illustrators. Bunny and Clyde have delightful adventures together in their efforts to be bad. Highly recommended! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. Church, Easter brunch, mimosas and our traditional family piñata.

2. The Fabric of Civilization. Got bogged down on this one and didn‘t have time or energy to finish it. Wish the publishers had sprung for some colored pictures.

3. The Little Fur Family. I remember the soft fur cover and loving the cute illustrations by Garth Williams.

#MotivationalMonday

@Cupcake

Finished this one while driving home last night. I enjoyed this immensely! Minnie Driver certainly has a way with words and expressing inner thoughts. Her depth and passion for life is humorous while at the same time truly moving. Ultimate bonus of course is that she narrates the audio version herself. Beautifully done!

Cleaned a lot of my older cloth bound books last night. They look and feel great now. Looking at them all spread out I‘m struck by the older color schemes. I really love all these colors!

Finished this one last night before bed! It was recommended by a friend of my sister‘s. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but am now kind of scared to read the others since I didn‘t realize it was part of a trilogy. In my experience the first book is always the best and then the rest go downhill.

1. Yes because I grew up on a farm, although I‘m a bit out of practice now.

2. Tagged this excellent book about 3 teenage boys who restore an old car and then race it up the coast of CA. Unfortunately it‘s hard to find a copy these days and they run about $50.

 @TheSpineView

With a current temperature of -22 degrees and a dusting of snow, this book I ordered picked the most appropriate day to arrive in the mail. It‘s supposed to get down to-27 degrees tonight🥶 Looking forward to a cozy weekend spent indoors reading under my wool blanket.
#bookmail

I did it! It took me almost a year but I finished this excellent anthology of nature poetry. Such a fascinating exploration on the relationship between African Americans and the natural world. Highly recommended for all poetry lovers.

What a fun read for Christmas time! I agree with others, there is quite a lot going on but the author ties it all together nicely in the end. The characters are developing well and I appreciate the references to previous books. It makes the characters feel more grounded.

Taking a breather and getting some quiet reading time in by the tree. Also enjoying the new blanket I got for Christmas 🥰

This one was hard for me to get into. The setting and historical details were fairly well done but the magical elements seemed too disjointed and not woven in at all. Just little dollops like something extra on top that doesn‘t match the flavor. Luckily the action and romance picked up a bit towards the end so I was able to finish it today.

#wondrouswednesday

❄️Canadian Whiskey

❄️ Silver Bells (I usually listen to Bing Crosby‘s version but any one gets stuck in my head)

❄️ Flannel pjs, candles or a fireplace, handmade socks and wool blankets.

Starting this one tonight! I hope it‘s as good as it sounds. Regardless the cover sure is gorgeous!

So excited and proud about the installation of the first StoryWalk at a park in my hometown! A big achievement in my new job as library branch manager. I‘m the one in the red hat. The tagged book was our first story featured, and if you haven‘t read it yet you should because it‘s delightfully funny. #reading #outdoors #storywalk #public libraries

Had a great time shopping at a second hand bookstore today! Trying a few new books and of course had to collect a few childhood favorites.

Has anyone read the tagged book?

#bookhaul

Curling up with a cozy fall romance. Just what I needed this Sunday.

A little choppy and disorganized at first, but the author found her stride and since it was my day off I was able to finish it in one sitting. Some things were totally unbelievable but I enjoyed it and am interested in reading the next one.

1) Knitting
2) Finding things
2) Taking care of plants
3) Washing dishes
4) Communication
5) Writing letters
6) Organizing
7) Puzzles
8) Reading
9) Holding babies
10) Rearranging spaces

#wonderouswednesday
Great tag! @Eggs

An exciting adventure tale which focuses on the outdoors, nature and history. Jake inherits an outdoor scavenger hunt after the death of his grandfather. The hunt quickly becomes a quest, and the race is on to find and safeguard an unknown treasure. Chase scenes, puzzles and warnings abound. Highly recommended for any kid who loves the outdoors, solving clues or thirsts for adventure. Pictured with my bison puzzle.

This book was a nice twist on your typical #RomCom story. Highlights the importance of communication in relationships without being preachy or generic. The two different POV, each written by a different spouse/author, were especially entertaining. While the cover gives off ‘summer read‘ vibes, I think it‘s a fun read anytime of the year.

Got a chance to do some reading by the river today. Glorious fall weather! 🍁🍂

Excellently researched and put together! Wellesley makes these fascinating treasures accessible for the modern reader. I enjoyed it, but it‘s not the sort of book where when I‘m done reading I feel inspired to go buy a copy for all my friends.

Just in time for Halloween…Ben Hatke‘s latest graphic gem is full of spooky adventures where young Milo learns to face his fears and help others. Short on words but full of art this book is highly recommended for anyone who‘s ever been afraid of what might be lurking in the basement! The artistic changing jewel tones are also a unique touch.

Fun, enjoyable read! I was very interested in this one because it‘s the first new book by Wrede in years. More unique magic, world building and great characters. The ending wraps up a little conveniently, but all in all an excellent book centered on a 14 year old girl. Patricia has still got it!

Definitely “Legally Blonde” meets “Bourne Identity!” A silly, quick read full of fluff and a dash of romance. Enjoyable enough for what it is, but it‘s a low pick for me.

Snatching a few minutes to read over dinner. Treating myself to homemade mac and cheese and a glass of wine tonight. Thank goodness it‘s the weekend.

This was one of those rare cases where I struggled to read a physical copy but enjoyed it in audiobook. Trying to keep track of all the characters was easier with different voices. A fun mystery with cute baking accents. Definitely a slow burner with a slightly open ending. Mostly I enjoyed it while driving. I think the cover is my favorite part of this book. ☺️

Finished this ridiculous, light and entertaining mystery over lunch. Here‘s hoping the chocolate pudding works some magic and improves my Monday.

Picked this up randomly to see if it would be good for one of my book discussion groups and was pleasantly surprised. Although I struggled to identify with Madeline, the love story was really sweet and of course the ending was tragic. I think it‘s a good depiction of how one can become closed off emotionally after a traumatic experience. While historical fiction is still not my thing but I enjoyed this one.

Finally got around to reading my first real graphic novel! I‘ve been meaning to read some, but felt I may have missed my window since they weren‘t available when I was a kid. I chose this one because my nieces and nephews love it. Very fun! Great character development and superb illustrations. I‘ll be reading more of Zita‘s adventures!

I enjoyed this one almost as much as “Book Lovers.” Plenty of the usual playful banter which is fast becoming a Emily Henry trademark. Some insightful thoughts on writing and what motivates authors, but felt the family relationships could have been developed a little more. Overall, a funny romance and great summer read! ☀️

I‘ve been falling behind on my reviews lately. Partly due to the holiday but mostly because I‘ve been cleaning up the library basement. This was an excellent children‘s book that gives maps a chance to shine! Two kids set out to draw a map and end up discovering all the fun places within their community. Extra map facts are tastefully included at the end.

Simply delightful! A children‘s tale full of delightful characters and an adventurous quest. The author skillfully interweaves stories within stories which all come together to shape the narrative. The simplicity of the children in this story is what makes it powerful.

Wrapped this one up over lunch. It‘s a delightful tale about family, love and life choices. Descriptions of Tuscany and Italian food were spot on and I loved Fiona‘s character. All the different POVs were done skillfully and it wasn‘t too hard to follow along. A nice easy summer read!

This was truly an honest and humorous memoir! My grandmother was a Wyoming ranch wife and could relate with Kacee‘s experiences. My favorite was the story of how she got all dressed up for her first Valentine‘s Day date and no one in the local bar recognized her as they were so used to seeing her in ranch clothes!

Finally getting around to reading this one!
I‘m loving it already 😍

Starting my weekend with some low key reading with breakfast! I love fresh sunny mornings!

A decent sequel, again with few surprises, but character development was excellent! I loved getting to know Owein the dog a little more and enjoyed seeing how Merritt and Hulda‘s relationship deepened. The magical elements were also very good and more seamless in this one.

Finally read this one which has been on my TBR list for several years. I inherited a book discussion group with my new job so that helps with the motivation. 😅 Even though I read it pretty fast I thought it was very good and quite accurate with regards to libraries.

Lovely picture book which incorporates the importance of honesty without being too heavy handed! Wonderful illustrations with great colors. Chloe is such a fun character with a strong personality! 🥰

I thought this one was a little too wordy for your average picture book, but the story is heartfelt and beautiful. I appreciated Polacoo‘s willingness to speak about the challenges she faced while learning to read. A lovely testament to the fact that librarians can be influential figures even for those people who struggle with reading.

This was definitely your screwball dark comedy. Definitely not my usual thing but there were some lol moments. I struggled to keep track of characters at first and then gave up and enjoyed the flow. My advice to future readers, don‘t try too hard to understand what‘s going on, just enjoy the chaos and loss of control.

Another gem from Kevin Henkes! Full of soft, gentle, illustrations done from a child‘s perspective, Henkes helps young readers understand the size and breadth of our world and how to engage with it.

1. A librarian, I loved stamping books and one of the local librarians gave me their old due date stamps and papers when they got rid of them. I used these to make my own library at home.

2. I am a librarian and I love it even though things have changed and it isn‘t quite what my child-self thought it would be.

3. Soundtrack music from movies.

#wondrouswednesday

Thanks for the tag @Eggs

A unique and fun read! I did catch one slip up, where the author mentions a faux rose bush (I don‘t think they had those in the 1840s 😅) Other than that, I enjoyed all the characters and absolutely loved the setting. The magic was clever, even if the end and the villain were fairly predictable. If you like fantasy or romance novels give it a go. Also it took me 3/4 of the way thru before I noticed the woman‘s dress on the cover. Anybody else?

I didn‘t want this book to end!! Journey alongside the author, Melanie, as she travels the world meeting with those who make things. A delightful book with gorgeous photos that celebrates the joy and meaning of making things by hand. Melanie interviews a truly diverse range of makers featuring knitters, weavers, dyers, potters, cobblers, basket weavers, welders, etc.
Recommended for anyone interested in making, creativity, craftsmanship or art.