I‘ve given up Stalking Jack the Ripper for now in favor of my favorite author. Seems like brilliant timing as he explores the lingering mystery of the Malleus Maleficarum, the book used in the Middle Ages to identify and prosecute witches, in this latest Sigma Force novel. Hello October!

I‘m finally decorating for Halloween! I‘m audio-decorating!

Up next, book 6 in the Brother Cadfael series.

Listening and reading. I haven‘t figured out the mystery yet even though I‘m close to the end. It‘s so good!

#friyayintro @howjessreads

1. Sigma Force, the tagged book being the most recent
2. Stranger Things
3. The what now? Do you mean the World Cup cuz I love women‘s ⚽️! (just joking: No)
4. I made turkey & dressing tonight. The family loved the Thanksgiving preview on the 1st night of cold in south Texas (55F)
5. Nope. If anything, he‘s anti-reading unless it‘s a how-to manual (to take care of his bees or his cows, or to build his airplane)

I‘m struggling with this book. It‘s my second go at it, I‘m 10 days into it, and am only on page 72. I‘m trying so hard because I want to get to book 2, Hunting Dracula. I‘m a huge Dracula fan. This one, though, just isn‘t keeping my interest. I think the MC harps too much about being a girl who likes bloody sciency stuff. Maybe I‘d like it better if that didn‘t show up on just about every page. I got it the 10th time, enough already.

Look what arrived today! So I now have books 1-3 and 10-11. A few gaps to fill in. I‘ve almost finished listening to the 1st book on audio. Now I can read it too.

I really liked this book, and everything I‘ve read by this author. The ebook is on sale today.

A book in one of my very favorite series by a very favorite author about a very favorite character. Really, I absolutely love everything about this series. So book 2 in the series happens to be on sale today. Obviously highly recommended. It helps to read them in order but not necessary.

Reading this ebook while having the best Mexican food I‘ve had in years. I know I‘ll be back here when I have to come back to the border for work.

Tacos, cheese enchilada, tamales, fresh light corn tortillas, chips and addictive salsa, beans and rice, and raspberry tea. Only the beans were less than spectacular. 😋

This is today‘s freebie, with tons of excellent reviews on Amazon, and a perfect theme for this month. It‘s also free on Apple Books and Kobo.

Seeing the horror books folks are reading this month I thought you all might be interested in today‘s deal on this book.

I finished book 4 tonight. On to book 5.

So here I am at the Yonder Inn (yes, that‘s right) in Beeville, Texas where the business center has books you can exchange like a little free library. I traded two tonight. I see the books I brought last time, maybe a year or more ago, are still here...

I finished the tagged book while eating my loaded brisket baked potato here in Beeville, Texas. I ate alone, the crowd being in the adjacent bar, which was fine by me. Tomorrow after meeting with a client, I‘ll be back on my way to deep south McAllen, Texas for more meetings.

I really enjoyed this book and now it‘s on sale today!

“To live misused, ill-fed, without respite from labour, was still life, with a sky above it, and trees and flowers and birds around it, colour and season and beauty. Life, even so lived, was a friend. Death was a stranger.”

Who‘s excited with me about this? Who can tell me what CBS All Access is and how do I get it?

Picard was the best captain ever!

As much as I go on about my new favorite authors, no one beats James Rollins. I‘ve waited almost a year for his new book to come out in paperback (I‘ve given up hardbacks for the most part because of the space they take up), and today I finally got it. Rollins is the perfect mix of historical mystery, scary but true science, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller. He‘s simply the best and I can‘t wait to dig into this one.

I just ordered the first three books in my new fave series by one of my new fave authors. I love these covers too.

I have loved theme reading in October for years, mainly switching between Dracula and the Historian—2 of my fave books of all time. I gave up Stephen King-type horror in my early 20s. So, this October, I‘ve started this series and the Peculiar Crime Unit series. The Ripper book is almost too gruesome for me. Hopefully it becomes more mystery and less gross soon. I ❤️ the PCU books. Both series are well suited for this month.

#friyayintro @howjessreads
1. Tagged
2. White
3. Traveling on south Texas roads
4. Nope. Yep.
5. Thank you for the tags @Eggs @TheSpineView !!

@TheBookHippie posted An amazing photo of her yummy dinner so I had to give it a try. Tonight we have a tender, juicy honey-marinated pork loin and roasted veggies. Lovely beginning to a Friday night of reading and relaxing.

This looks amazing and great reviews. I succumbed to the sale, again.

Another sale I couldn‘t resist today.

I couldn‘t resist this sale today!

I love how this author writes!! She could have as easily said that coincidences are rare indeed but she chose quite a descriptive way to say it!

I am really loving the authors of the two series, Brother Cadfael by Peters and the Peculiar Crimes Unit by Christopher Fowler, I‘m reading right now. They are such masters of their craft!

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1. Recent photo? A selfie-gone-wrong. 😆

2. Rainy day? I live in south Texas. What is “rain”? When it happens, I like to step outside, under cover, to smell the rain and marvel at water falling from the sky.

3. Weekend plans? A friend is holding a scrapbook “garage sale” where lots of crafters sell their extras for cheap. I always like to check out the deals there.

4. Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView

I am not far into the tagged book, and love it, but I thought I might be missing too much since it is book 11 of the series. So, for my drive to south Texas I chose to listen to Book 1, Full Dark House (Link below). I am loving the concept and the writing style. I already think this a new fave author.

Traveling for work again tomorrow so I went on an Audible shopping spree. I got these four!

Bonus Round

1. A popular book in my hometown I despise is by a woman I know. She ridiculed & humiliated a teacher my kid loved who then quit teaching, in a so-called Christian memoir Sparkly Green Earrings.
2. I really enjoyed the tagged book—one I was sure Littens would like—but it has received 50% Litsy love. My mom (we share literary tastes) even bailed on it!
3. @GingerAntics @Eggs @TheSpineView
@shadowspeak17 #unpopularopiniongiveaway

1. I‘ve two in this category: Wolf Hall (Mantel) and The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver). I always struggle with which one I dislike the most. But I won‘t read either author again.
2. Tombland by CJ Sansom (photo from Amazon), Crucible by James Rollins, Relic by Douglas Preston
3. @shadowspeak17 #unpopularopiniongiveaway

Thanks for the opportunity and what a wonderful idea because it is so true.

Happy Monday everyone! I‘m trying to start the week right with “homemade biscuits” from my sweetie pie, Midnight. I wish us all a good week!

Truth: just because there‘s a law doesn‘t mean it is a just law.

Going to try to do some audioscrapbooking today, amidst my chores. These Audible originals are amazing.

This was in our newspaper this week and it made me sad because I only got to visit one of these stores last time we were in London, and not the one pictured, even though it was walking distance from our hotel! I did get to meet the most awesome of Littens, @julesG at Foyles though!

Updating my book journal and realized I never wrote a review for this terrific book.

An apothecary and a doctor look for a long lost spell book to cure their immortality. After centuries as friends and enemies, and heroes and sort-of villains, the two finally cross paths in America looking for the book. Just shy of 5 stars, I still remember it fondly after having read it months ago.

“There seem to be kittens everywhere.” Feels like this is going to be a good one!

The final book in this trilogy was satisfying. It had a heartbreaking scene but it felt very much a necessary part of the story, revealing the fury that snakes through the queen‘s personality throughout the books. I admire the author‘s commitment to developing her characters in this YA series, when they could have been written more simply. Recommended even for adults.

Starting this book 4 in the Brother Cadfael series.

For you pirate lovers, this one‘s on sale today. BookBub has posted a lot of history/nonfiction books on sale today. I‘m going on a shopping spree!

Murder by monk‘s hood (a poison) & almost everyone is a suspect, given the victim was nasty & vindictive. This story divides the despicables—the victim, the sheriff investigating the murder, the prior—from the good folks: Brother Cadfael, the suspects, their Welsh relatives etc. This is the third book in the series and I‘ve liked them all so far. Cadfael is a relatable, likeable character and I look forward to many more of his stories.

#friyayintro @howjessreads

1. #litsyatoz complete. Probably won‘t finish nonfiction bingo, but I have substantially increased my nonfiction reading
2. Right after college, I volunteered at a literacy nonprofit & taught a 30+ year old woman how to read
3. 1980s rock/pop
4. Married 31 years on Sept 22!
5. ✋🏻

Bonus round #7days7covers #covercrush

@GingerAntics Stealing your idea for a bonus round because this cover and title screamed “buy me” at the time.

All good things must come to an end! Day 7 #7days7covers #covercrush

@Lauram Do you want to play? Post your fave covers for 7 days. No explanation needed.

What‘s it like to go blind as a child? You may be subject to severe bullying. To live with blindness? You find that “fake” support animals make your life substantially more difficult. The truth Burke tells is raw, heartbreaking. I know much more now about this disability having listened to her tell her story. This uplifting short audio memoir should be required listening to improve empathy for disabilities, especially “hidden” disabilities.

Day 6 #7days7covers #covercrush

@samanthagutt Do you want to play? Post your fave covers for 7 days. No explanation needed.

Book mail!! Before she passed my MIL shared with me many harrowing stories of her experience of the Nazi occupation of Norway (her father was a firefighter in Bergen during the invasion, her grandfather sunk his boat to avoid its confiscation, her uncle was shot & killed). Since then I have devoured books about it. I found this book in Norway this summer but it was expensive and my luggage was overweight. So I just ordered it. It looks amazing.

My daughter made herself this 2020 school bullet journal this weekend, so I asked her to make me a 2020 book journal. She‘s quite the artist! I‘ve seen a number of Littens who make beautiful bullet journals. She‘s looking for good markers that won‘t bleed through. Also, maybe recommend the best blank page books to use?

We‘d appreciate any product recommendations!

A sheriff has come to investigate a murder. I like this kid!

“The little one, voice of natural justice in opposition to law, stated firmly: “Bad man!” and nobody hushed her.”