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ValerieAndBooks

ValerieAndBooks

Joined April 2016

🦻🧏‍♀️. Never enough bookshelves for all the books 📚. 🤟non-fic, art, history, memoirs, most fic genres. Quilter 🧵🪡. Ravenclaw. Pennsylvania 🇺🇸
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ValerieAndBooks
Alice in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll
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Detail of my latest finished quilt. When I saw this fabric collection based on Alice, just had to get it and make something out of it! “Happy unhalloween “!

Still reading, just not posting as much on all forms of social media even though Litsy is still my favorite💖 📚

Tamra Fabulous! 🧡 1y
Eggbeater This is amazing! 1y
Cazxxx Wow that‘s lovely! 1y
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Tiffiney I love that! 💗 1y
Tiffiney I love that! ♥️ 1y
charl08 Fabulous! 1y
mrp27 Love it! 1y
KristiAhlers OMG I love this. It‘s my favorite story too. Beautiful 1y
vlwelser I love this so much. The color scheme is fab. 1y
Kimberlone Wowwww! Gorgeous! 1y
BarbaraBB So beautiful!! Happy you‘re reading 🤍 1y
DanaManiac This is so lovely!! 1y
Ruthiella Beautiful! 😍 1y
LeahBergen This is gorgeous! 1y
mabell Absolutely fabulous! I love the colors, Alice fabric, pattern - perfect! 🧡🖤 1y
AnneCecilie Love it 😍 1y
Bookzombie That is gorgeous! 1y
Suet624 Wow! So beautiful. I miss seeing you on litsy. 1y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Come back!! We miss you!! 6mo
BarbaraBB Yes! We miss you! 5mo
Jinjer That is so beautiful! 4mo
Suet624 Just checking in to say hi. 3mo
58 likes22 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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My birthday was yesterday (thank you all who gave me bday wishes) and reading this last night really struck me. Time goes on, no matter what!

From Mary Oliver‘s essay “Of Power and Time”. As a poet, she definitely brings the feel of poetry into her essays.

BkClubCare Happy Belated Birthday 🎉 1y
Ruthiella Happy Birthday to you! 🥳🥳🥳 1y
Reggie Happy Belated Birthday! (edited) 1y
37 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust | Joshua M. Greene, Renee Hartman
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Pickpick

I didnt know this memoir, in transcribed oral history format told by both sisters, is intended for middle grade readers. It‘s short but powerful & poignant. Renee (hearing) and Herta (Deaf) live in then-Czechoslovakia with their Deaf parents during the Holocaust. They use sign language. And they are Jewish.

As a Deaf person, I appreciate that their story has been published. I recommend for all ages. Incidentally Sept. is Deaf Awareness Month 👇

ValerieAndBooks Published earlier this year. Marlee Matlin has optioned this with the intention of making it a limited-run TV series. 2y
LibrarianRyan that is cool 2y
DivineDiana Hello Valerie! Thank you for the information. Stacked! 2y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday! ❤️📚❤️📚 1y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen thank you💖! A good day. Yikes, I need to post again soon!! 1y
47 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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“Read books. Try to understand the reason why things happen, why they are as they are.” Quoted from the tagged book. RIP David McCullough.

(Admittedly, about four books from this stack still TBR)

Ruthiella Four out of eleven is pretty good! I 2y
DivineDiana Agree with @Ruthiella! I only have one on the shelves, and I plan to prioritize it now. Love that quote! ❤️ 2y
Suet624 Wow! 2y
BkClubCare I have only read Truman but it looks to be the heftiest! Have you read any Candice Millard? She wrote a lovely tribute to McCullough at his passing. 1y
48 likes4 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Strand on Columbus Avenue | New York, NY (Bookstore)
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Was recently in NYC for 24 hours and finally got to hit the Strand Bookstore (on 12th and Broadway — not Columbus which is the only tag option Litsy has) !! I‘m obsessed with my new tote bag ?. As it was 95° and we still had a lot of walking left to do, did not want to schlep lots of books around. So I got the one. Also a Strand sticker and bookmark ?. Hope to get to spend more time there next time — I think we were there only 45 minutes.

TheLudicReader 45 minutes just isn‘t long enough. I need a minimum of two hours, but I am so rarely in NYC I always hope for much longer. 2y
AmyG The Strand is truly one of the best. My tote from there is my absolute favorite. (edited) 2y
LeahBergen Oh, fun! 2y
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ValerieAndBooks @TheLudicReader I was glad to at least get the chance to stop there 😊. The trip was for something else and actually the first time we had been in the city since before Covid! (I live near Philadelphia) 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG yes — I think my tote will be my new fave — it has a book-sized pocket on the inside— yours probably does too! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen it definitely was fun but way too short! We had timed dinner plans or I‘d have stayed longer 😂 2y
AmyG Mine zips closed on top…which is why I love it. 2y
DanaManiac Oh fun! My mom would take us there growing up, but I haven‘t been in a few years. Enjoy the book! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG ooh…even better! Mine does not zip, but I was/am in love with the design I picked out (red is my favorite color 🔴) 2y
ValerieAndBooks @DanaManiac Maybe plan a trip there for the near future 😊?? I have fond memories of my Dad taking me as a kid, to Tower Books in CA where I grew up, but they‘re no longer there 🥲 2y
Suet624 I‘ve yet to experience the pleasure of stepping into the Strand but I‘m really glad you were able to. 2y
58 likes11 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Untitled
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In other news, my daughter and her partner recently got engaged! Her ring hand is shown on top of their hand. The wedding is quite a while away though, probably late summer/early fall of 2024. Happy for them 💜

So….that‘s pretty much the news from here. Very little reading going on, actually. Hubby and I were recently in California to visit my in-laws. No books purchased there.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊 2y
OneCent76 Congrats! 2y
kspenmoll So happy for them! Congratulations! 2y
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LiteraryinLawrence What exciting news!! 💗💗 2y
AmyG Congratulations! 🎉 2y
TrishB 🎉🎉 2y
Jas16 That is wonderful news! 💕 2y
LeahBergen Congratulations! What a lovely ring. 💕 2y
JackOBotts Congratulations to the happy couple! 🥂💜 2y
Jess Congrats! 2y
mrp27 Congratulations! 🥂🎊 2y
marleed Congrats! 2y
Ruthiella Wonderful news! Congratulations to the happy couple! 🥳🥂 2y
CarolynM Congratulations to your daughter and her partner🍾🥂 2y
Cathythoughts Congratulations, lovely news ♥️ 2y
batsy Congratulations! 💕 2y
Suet624 I‘m so happy for your family. A blessing! I think of you often. ❤️ 2y
Megabooks Congratulations to them!! And you! 💜💜 (edited) 2y
58 likes20 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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My youngest and I do a informal buddy read every summer. He has been interning in DC all summer. So, we are reading the first in the autobiography series by Robert Caro about LBJ (tagged). I found my copy in this quirky bookstore in Burlington, NJ (where I was visiting a quilt shop). I don‘t recall it‘s name but it‘s on the same street as the quilt shop. Caro is very detailed, but a great writer. Not sure if we‘ll finish by the end of summer 😜.

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ValerieAndBooks
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Summertime and the reading is easy 📚 😎 . At least when I‘m by the pool!

EvieBee Looks like a great way to sit out the heatwaves! 2y
Chelsea.Poole Perfect summer book! 2y
BkClubCare Fun read 🌾 🍺 (edited) 1y
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ValerieAndBooks
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Got to visit George Washington‘s Mount Vernon last weekend (scaffolding is for repairs to the back of the house). We were there 5 hours and still didn‘t get to see everything! And had to rush through the shop so didn‘t have time to browse their book selection as I normally would. But did grab an autographed copy of the tagged book which is a DAR book club selection. About GW and his first cabinet.

@mrsmarch have you read it yet?

LeahBergen Ooo, I‘d love to visit! 👍 2y
mrp27 Fun! I‘d love to visit. (edited) 2y
mabell Lovely! 😍 2y
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Bookwormjillk I‘m lucky and live near here. He had a great view! 2y
BkClubCare Is that where they carved the siding to look like stone? Weird what I am reminded of. 2y
mrsmarch I have a signed copy from the DAR store with a fancy gold seal on the cover but haven‘t read it yet 🤦🏼‍♀️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen I hope you get to visit someday! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @mrp27 it was so interesting. Hope you visit! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @mabell it was a beautiful day! Very warm though. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Bookwormjillk that‘s cool that you live near there! Yes, the river views are amazing. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BkClubCare Yes!! And mixed sand in the paint to make it look even more stone-like. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @mrsmarch so many books, so little time, right?! 2y
CarolynM Happy memories of a visit there a few years ago. Such an interesting place (and a beautiful river cruise). 2y
ValerieAndBooks @CarolynM ooh, you got to do the cruise 😊! We didn‘t have time for that…next time! 2y
43 likes14 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

When people ask me what it‘s like being Deaf, I try to say it‘s much more than just degrees of hearing loss, but being part of Deaf culture & dealing with audism by the non-deaf (such as language deprivation due to the emphasis of oral methods) . Nyle covers all this very well but stays positive. He also covers his sexuality & how it‘s perceived within Deaf culture. I recommend this book —he also reminds us that Deaf people are not a monolith. 👇

ValerieAndBooks The quilt wall hanging shown here is one I made in 2004 for a Deaf Quilt Show. The yellow indicates vibrancy within ASL and Deaf culture. 2y
DivineDiana I love your quilt wall hanging! You are very talented! Will definitely read this book. ❤️ 2y
RebL Quilt is gorgeous 😍 And the book is on my TBR. I‘ve been HOH all my life, but don‘t know much about the deaf culture. Just learned the term “deaf gain.” I never “lost” my hearing, so the idea of deaf gain tickles my funny bone. 2y
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Leftcoastzen So beautiful! 2y
LeahBergen What a gorgeous quilt, Valerie! 2y
EvieBee Great review and absolutely beautiful quilt! 😍😍 2y
Suet624 How beautiful! 2y
Jas16 Such a gorgeous quilt! 2y
rwmg Wishlisted 2y
Megabooks Fantastic review! I‘m really glad to have read your reviews and comments on both this and True Biz this spring. 💜 2y
Anna40 I attended a presentation by a sign language interpreter. She talked about sign language poetry and showed some examples and made us aware of challenges in our society. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana thank you 😊, and I'm sure you'll enjoy this memoir.
2y
ValerieAndBooks @RebL thanks for the compliment on the quilt! I hesitated to use “hearing loss“, but did anyways because it's a far more familiar term than “deaf gain“ which would require explaining 😊 . I definitely avoid using “hearing impaired“. I have been deaf since birth btw. I'm sure you'll enjoy the book. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen thank you 😊 (edited) 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen @suet624 @eviebee @jas16 thank you all! So sorry I'm late with my responses. Had to catch up on a lot of stuff at home after being away for two weeks -- the weeds formed a jungle here, for instance 😜 . One of these days soon I hope to get back into a good Litsy routine. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @rwmg I hope you enjoy it. A lot more substance than might be assumed from celebrity memoirs.
2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks And those two were the ones I enjoyed the most so far this year (not that I've gotten much reading done this year 😊) . I appreciated your thoughts as well. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Anna40 I'm glad the presentation was informative and that you attended it. Yes, there's a lot of facets to Deaf culture and to deafness itself. 2y
Nute Thank you, Valerie for sharing your review of this book and your quilt work. Both are lovely. Thank you for sharing a bit of your personal story. I will remember this quilt and that the color yellow indicates vibrancy with ASL and the Deaf Culture.💛 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Nute thank you for your kind words ☺️! I do want to clarify that yellow isn‘t an official color association for deaf culture— just a color I chose for this quilt because yellow itself is so vibrant 💛. If you haven‘t already seen another deaf culture quilt I previously made, it‘s in my review of 2y
ValerieAndBooks @nute actually this is the correct tag for the book where you‘d find my review. Apparently the other tag has the author‘s last name misspelled. 2y
56 likes2 stack adds21 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Art Quilt | Robert Shaw
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I had a (mostly) wonderful time in New Mexico and Colorado the past couple weeks visiting family! A bit nerve-wracking at times since they live near the current fires and had to prep for potential evacuations. So far they‘re ok. Anyway, came back home to learn my hubby had flooded the basement due to our faulty washer (I told him before I left that it wasn‘t working. long story). Some of my quilt books got warped 😢. But they‘re still readable.

CoverToCoverGirl Oh no! 😢 I have a long story or two too unfortunately. 🤦🏼‍♀️💜 2y
melissanorr Just keep an eye on them because books that get water damaged tend to grow mold! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @CoverToCoverGirl ugh! We got a new washer, at least 🙄 2y
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ValerieAndBooks @melissanorr definitely! Hope they don‘t 🤞. After the pic was taken, I spread them out individually (and ruffled the pages) to try to ensure that they dry out completely. 2y
Ruthiella Oh no! Bright side = new washer. 👍 2y
Tamra 🫤 2y
Patchshank I think youre supposed to put water damaged books into the freezer for a few days to kill any mold spores. Anyone know if this is true or not? 2y
LeahBergen Oh no!! 2y
Suet624 Oh no!!! Glad you got a new washer out of it. 2y
51 likes9 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Reading this while I‘m on my layover in Austin 😂

BkClubCare Great. Now I have to find out what happened! Did the Principal suspend him for his mohawk?! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BkClubCare yes the principal did 😂 but not for that long! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BkClubCare I hope you still pick this book up at some point…it‘s good! 2y
50 likes4 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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My airport/airplane read! Visiting family for the next couple weeks. I‘m not normally a celebrity memoir type, but will make an exception for Nyle 🤟 !

DivineDiana Have a great trip! The book sounds wonderful! 2y
Suet624 Have a wonderful time! Now I‘m off to investigate who this guy is. 2y
Megabooks Enjoy! I felt weird reading this as an audiobook, but I enjoyed it. Looking forward to your review. 💜 2y
See All 6 Comments
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana I‘m almost done already— loving it! Hope you read it. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 I think you‘d enjoy this! Much deeper than what one might expect a celebrity memoir to be. A lot about Deaf culture, etc. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks the print version of Deaf Utopia doesn‘t have visuals like True Biz does (other than photos). I‘m almost done already with this —devouring it! 2y
54 likes6 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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My youngest (L) is a big Pearls Before Swine fan. When he learned that Stephan Pastis would be in Philadelphia for a talk and book signings (and as luck would have it, while he was home for spring break), of course we had to go! A fun evening.

ValerieAndBooks It was at Shakespeare and Co Rittenhouse. They are shutting down soon and hopefully finding a new location 🤞 2y
Aims42 That‘s awesome!! I love his comics lol 🙌 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Aims42 he‘s traveling to Pittsburgh PA and Buffalo NY next! Idk if you‘re near either of those 😊 2y
LeahBergen Oh, fun! 2y
Aims42 @ValerieAndBooks I wish I was, I‘m in Chicago. Thank you though!! Maybe he‘ll do a Midwest tour 😊🤞 2y
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review
ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

Being Deaf myself, it‘s not often I get to read an excellent novel with more than one Deaf character & also written by a Deaf person. I had my hands slapped & forced to sit on them when caught signing in school. That controversy has always been around sadly. I‘m so lucky that my hearing parents & sister learned ASL. My Deaf friends loved them because most of their families didn‘t sign. Thanks Sara for writing this novel. More👇

ValerieAndBooks Not every Deaf person‘s experience is exactly the same, but some things we do have in common and Sara shows that in this novel. Stickers was sent to me for preordering, and each design is by a different Deaf artist. 2y
Soubhiville Thank you for sharing, I‘ll have to look for this. 2y
mrsmarch This sounds very interesting. Have you been to any DAR events and requested captioning? A HOH friend of mine in Virginia is having trouble convincing her state regent that captioning is required if requested and I‘m curious whether PA has tackled it. I met the PA regent at my state conf last month. 2y
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LeahBergen Ohh, that‘s so sad about getting your hands slapped! 💔💔 2y
marleed I‘m hearing but use my hands when speaking. In high school a nun made me sit on my hands for 2 years of French class. It‘s a memory that brings back feelings of embarrassment. I can‘t even begin to imagine what that experience was to you when your hands are your true voice. I am so sorry this happened to you. … I absolutely loved this book. 2y
Ruthiella I was curious what you would make of this book. Your thumbs up makes me want to read it even more now! 2y
BookBabe 🤍 2y
Megabooks Really appreciate this review and your insights 💜 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Soubhiville hope you like it when you do read it.
2y
ValerieAndBooks @mrsmarch hi Rachel, I manage to squeak by for our chapter meetings but for anything bigger would definitely need accommodations, and they should definitely be met if requested! Your HoH friend would not be the only one who would benefit. Older members with age-related hearing loss would also. That all said, I haven‘t attended anything big yet due to being relatively new, and the pandemic affecting conventions. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen just the tip of the iceberg 😢 but having a signing family helped me get through it all. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @marleed sorry about your experience 😞. I‘m so glad you loved this book also! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Ruthiella I hope you like it as much as I did 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks thanks! Even though CIs weren‘t really around when I was growing up, a lot of the other controversies (I.E. oral vs ASL) were and still are. It‘s good that they are shared in this novel. 2y
Suet624 I appreciate that you bring these books to our attention. 2y
74 likes6 stack adds15 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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This book has occasional visual info interspersed— so don‘t do the audio version if it‘s available.

The author informs on Deaf culture and language within the story, but without it feeling as if it‘s info dumping.

Suet624 Good tip. 2y
LeahBergen That‘s good to know! 2y
64 likes2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Excited that my pre-order of True Biz arrived today (release day)! Definitely starting this ASAP. Wish it didn‘t have the Reese logo though. As Sara and I are both deaf, I have followed her a long time. She lives 45 minutes away, although I haven‘t met her yet.

Background is part of a crazy quilt wall hanging I made for a Deaf Quilt show many years ago — indicates going crazy trying to read lips.

Leftcoastzen Wow!!I adore that quilt . amazing! 2y
jlhammar Wow, that quilt is amazing! I'm really looking forward to this one too. I loved Girl at War. 2y
Julsmarshall Beautiful quilt! I‘m excited about this one too! 2y
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aa_guer2021 What a background!! Fascinating book, also 2y
TheBookHippie Stickers 😫🤦🏻‍♀️ I loathe them. Beautiful quilt. 2y
LeahBergen Amazing quilt! 2y
MaureenMc The quilt is outstanding! 2y
marleed I cannot wait to read this book that only came on my radar last week - so move over 100 other books! 2y
BarbaraBB That quilt 🥰 2y
batsy I love the quilt ❤️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana thank you 😊! This book is very good so far! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @jlhammar thanks! Yes, I thought Girl at War was very good. And True Biz is also, so far! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Julsmarshall thanks! Yes, I‘ve been excited since I learned she was writing this one! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @aa_guer2021 thanks! This book is very well written so far! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @TheBookHippie I know right?! Yes it‘s a honor to be picked but at least make it an actual sticker that can be peeled off. And thanks about the quilt 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen thank you ☺️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @marleed I hope you like it! I am so far. I knew I‘d drop everything to read this one! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @batsy thank you!! 2y
Suet624 The quilt is fantastic! Nice to see you posting! 😃 2y
Smrloomis Wow, that quilt! 😳👍🏽 2y
65 likes4 stack adds23 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
The Seed Keeper | Diane Wilson
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Pickpick

The Seed Keeper, a novel by Diane Wilson a Dakhóta tribe member, shows the strength & resilience of indigenous peoples, focusing on the women in the multi-generational story around Rosalie Iron Wing. Rosalie learns more about her heritage & herself through seed-keeping and the need to care for our earth. This is so good & I‘m not doing this book justice with my summary. I highly recommend! Borrowed, but definitely getting my own copy. More ?

ValerieAndBooks This was a #buddyread with @Lynnsoprano and we agree this was the best one yet. I chose this photo, from Wikipedia ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignity_(statue) ), to illustrate my review, of a indigenous woman holding a quilt. In this book, Rosalie has a beloved quilt made by her mother that sounds like the same Star pattern as shown in the statue. This sculpture (which is on my bucket list) honors both Lakota and Dakota women. 2y
DivineDiana This is a magnificent sculpture! Adding to my bucket list too! There is an exhibit at the Barnes now of Native American Art. A combination of period and modern pieces. There are hand woven blankets, but I don‘t think I saw a quilt. 🤔 2y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana I will have to look into that exhibit! Can you believe I still haven‘t been there? I did see a traveling exhibit from the Barnes collection many years ago when we were living in Michigan (it may have been either there or when we were on vacation somewhere else at the time). Thanks for the heads up, quilts or no quilts! (edited) 2y
55 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Seed Keeper | Diane Wilson
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Love this quote. Yes, there‘s something magical about that little brown cap on a seedling.

Lynnsoprano @ValerieAndBooks So true! Gardening is so different in Florida than what I grew up with in PA, and we usually grow from transplants. Our son gave me an Aerogarden for Christmas, and I must have checked those seeds a dozen times a day. 2y
48 likes1 comment
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ValerieAndBooks
The Seed Keeper | Diane Wilson
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Getting started on this book, a buddy read with @Lynnsoprano . Off to a promising start!

AmyG It‘s so good! 2y
KristiAhlers Oh this book was soo good. I hope you enjoy it. 2y
60 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Parnassus Books | Nashville, TN (Bookstore)
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Visiting my oldest son who lives in Nashville. Wow, Parnassus Books is such a lovely bookish place! Ann Patchett is the owner and all of her books for sale here are autographed. I bought her latest, *These Precious Days*, a pin, a sticker, and another book *The Secret Lives of Color* by Kassia St. Clair.

Leftcoastzen Wow ! That‘s great ! I hope to get there sometime. 2y
JamieArc I just finished listening to These Precious Days and loved it. I don‘t expect any other book this year will be it out for favorite of 2022. 2y
LeahBergen What a nice outing for you! ❤️ 2y
Megabooks Such a warm, welcoming bookstore. I hope to go back this year! 2y
DivineDiana I plan to get back to Nashville just to visit Parnassus! Such a big fan of Ann Patchett! 2y
67 likes5 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
The Fiery Cross | Diana Gabaldon
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Pickpick

My first finished fiction book of 2022! In between quilting projects & reading non-fiction, this chunkster took a while! Not my favorite in the series but I‘m still continuing! Have the next one by my elbow but will wait to start it. Wanted to point out a historical discrepancy here. In colonial America, people didn‘t piece together quilts using cut-up fabrics. Fabrics were too precious, so quilts were whole-cloth using one piece for the top! 👇

ValerieAndBooks Cont‘ it‘s possible scraps were sewn together using pieces of leftover whole cloth fabric but this story indicates it was pre-planned — and if it was in blues and creams, then the blue fabrics would have been dyed with indigo. Not an easy undertaking. 2y
MeganAnn How interesting! Thanks for sharing! 2y
aa_guer2021 Reading this one too, right now. I didn‘t know this, so thank you for sharing! 2y
45 likes3 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Untitled
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I‘ve been quilting far more than reading lately. This is my latest completed project. My daughter and her partner gave me a kit (fabrics for the top plus instructions) for Christmas. Turned out great!
I feel like I‘m making up for lost time re: quilting— had done almost none for about 5 years. Now a lot of my reading material is quilting-related 😂. Also w/hubby WFH, it‘s nice to retreat to the basement to sew.

Suet624 How colorful! Congrats and thanks for checking in. 2y
Simona Beautiful❣️ 2y
merelybookish Gorgeous! 2y
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AmyG That is amazing-and beautiful! 2y
Kimzey I recommend audiobooks. You can quilt and read simultaneously! Beautiful quilt. 💕 2y
Librarybelle So pretty! 2y
LeahBergen I love it! 2y
quietjenn So beautiful. 2y
BarbaraBB Beautiful 😍 2y
Lynnsoprano That is absolutely gorgeous! 2y
Jas16 That is lovely! 2y
Tamra Awesome! 2y
marleed Beautiful! 2y
Bookzombie I love it! Beautiful! 2y
Megabooks Wow! Beautiful! 2y
TheSpineView Gorgeous! 2y
Kitta Wow 🤩 2y
Chelsea.Poole Beautiful! I love it! 🌈 2y
Deblovestoread Beautiful…I listen to audiobooks when quilting…the sewing part not the cutting part 😂 2y
Karkar So pretty 😍 2y
Reggie That‘s amazing! 2y
batsy Lovely! I admire your skills ❤️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 thank you💖! Thought I had better check in 😘 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Simona thank you 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @merelybookish thank you ☺️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG thanks 😊!! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kimzey thank you ! I‘m Deaf so I don‘t do audiobooks. But if I‘m doing handwork I can at least watch TV with captions. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Librarybelle thank you ☺️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @quietjenn thank you 🥰 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Lynnsoprano thank you 😘 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Jas16 thank you 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Tamra thank you 🤗 2y
ValerieAndBooks @marleed thank you 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Bookzombie thank you 😊! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks thank you 😘 2y
ValerieAndBooks @TheSpineView thank you ☺️! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kitta thanks ☺️!! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Chelsea.Poole thank you! 🤗 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kdgordon88 ooh you‘re a quilter also 😃?! I am Deaf so I don‘t do audiobooks. I do watch TV with captions if I‘m doing hand work like binding or embroidery. And yes cutting fabrics must be entirely distraction-free 😂 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Karkar thank you 😊! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie thank you 😘! Btw I‘ll be in your area again later this spring. Maybe this time it‘ll work out to meet up 🤞 2y
ValerieAndBooks @batsy thank you 💖! 2y
DivineDiana It‘s glorious! ❤️ 2y
77 likes45 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Baldwin's Book Barn | West Chester, PA (Bookstore)
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Hi everyone! I know I have really been MIA here lately. I‘ve recently gotten my mojo back with my other long-time hobby, quilting. Almost done with one project…stay tuned. Today I sneaked off to Baldwin‘s Book Barn to take a look at the quilting books. Was good and just got these two. They had copies of this magazine (middle). Their three employees are (L-R) 81, 88, and 82. Clearly, being in a wonderful bookish space is good for us 😊📚📚📚!

kspenmoll Great to hear from you- keep up the quilting!!! 2y
LeahBergen So good to see you back! 2y
merelybookish Quilting seems like such a wonderful hobby! 2y
See All 18 Comments
BookBabe Hi! Glad you‘re having fun doing something you enjoy! 😃 2y
BekaReid I love Baldwin's Book Barn! How did you manage to get away with only these?! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @kspenmoll thank you! Today‘s weather is definitely stay-inside-and-quilt (and/or read) 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen thanks! Will try to be on here more often 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @merelybookish I‘ve been doing it for 31 years 😊. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BookBabe you‘re back😀. And I hope you‘re feeling better 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BekaReid lol! I had splurged on quilt fabrics recently, so I felt I had to limit myself to just two books this time. I live only 3.5 miles away from there, so I can go back easily 😊. How often do you get to Baldwin‘s? 2y
BekaReid @ValerieAndBooks I'm about an hour and half from Baldwin's. We try to get there once a year if possible. Was glad to get there this past October after a couple years of minimal travel! 2y
Lynnsoprano @ValerieAndBooks It sounds like you‘re feeling better, and I hope the rest of your family is, too. Let me know whenever you‘re ready to start our buddy read. No pressure, I‘m busy these days, too. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Lynnsoprano I‘m almost done with my current novel (The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon) - couple hundred pages left. It‘s a chunkster! Then I‘ll be ready 🤗 2y
Meghan1 I LOVE Baldwin‘s Book Barn! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Meghan1 I'm so lucky to live nearby! Wish I had more time (and mainly money 😂 ) to go there more often!!
2y
Meghan1 @ValerieAndBooks I used to live in Valley Forge, PA and I would go all the time. Now I live in Reading and it‘s just too far. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Meghan1 I hope you have a good bookstore nearby! Baldwin‘s is only 6 miles away from me. But I don‘t find myself driving through their area often…a good thing for my budget, I‘m sure! 2y
57 likes18 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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Oh yes, there is. I‘ve been experiencing it the past few months. Article delves in the neuroscience behind this: https://bookriot.com/is-readers-block-real/

And it didn‘t help that my entire family including my 80-yo mom visiting from NM all recently came down with Covid! Symptoms were that of serious colds and we‘re all pretty much recovered now. I still have some lingering fatigue.

Hope you‘re all managing to do relatively well 📚 💖 📚

Kimzey Hoping you all recover fully and feel better soon. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kimzey Thank you 💖 2y
Jas16 So glad that you are all doing better 2y
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LeahBergen I‘m so glad you‘re all feeling better now! ❤️ 2y
BarbaraBB That must have been hard. I‘m glad you‘ve all recovered. Hopefully you‘ll be back to reading soon too 🤍 2y
MaureenMc 💗💗💗 2y
MicheleinPhilly Yes, I can attest to this being a real thing as well. Glad to hear you are all on the mend! 2y
Reggie I‘m glad to hear you all have recovered and hope the fatigue goes away soon. Every day at work someone else is missing because they‘re either quarantining or have it. 2y
readordierachel I'm glad you're all feeling better! 2y
Suet624 Oh Valerie! Just seeing this. I‘m happy to hear you‘ve made it through. Still have fatigue? 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kimzey @Jas16 @LeahBergen @BarbaraBB @MaureenMc @MicheleinPhilly @Reggie @readordierachel @Suet624 thank you all 💖! We are definitely feeling better now. I think it was me who took the longest to recover. But all‘s good now🤞. 2y
kspenmoll How is your fatigue? Sorry you all had to go thru Covid. 2y
Reggie I have a coworker who didn‘t get vaxxed until her son‘s gf came down with it and had to be put on a ventilator. She was in her early 30‘s. She died last Wednesday. I‘m glad all of you survived and are feeling better. ❤️ 2y
Suet624 @Reggie oh no. How sad. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @kspenmoll it‘s much better now, thanks 💖. It took about three weeks (after testing positive) before feeling like myself again. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie That is very sad. Sorry for them 😢 2y
Reggie @ValerieandBooks @Suet624 she leaves behind 3 kids. My coworker‘s son has 2 brothers who have totally rallied around him, so they‘ve been staying with him and helping with the kids. 2y
DivineDiana Just reading about Covid spreading through your family. Happy to see that all is well again. 🙏🏻 2y
DivineDiana @Reggie I hope your coworker has been able to move forward with the help of his brothers. So sad. 🙏🏻 2y
56 likes19 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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My reading has been almost nonexistent in the past few weeks, and probably will be until after the New Year. This is one of the reasons! Just finished this quilt recently. I‘ve been spending more time with my sewing machine than with books. It‘s been more fun as my mom gifted me with a brand new Bernina that sews like a dream 😍. Plus, there‘s the holiday season right now.

Leftcoastzen Absolutely beautiful! 2y
arubabookwoman Beautiful quilt! 2y
Tamra Gorgeous! 2y
See All 29 Comments
ValerieAndBooks @arubabookwoman thank you! This one is based on a pattern by Missouri Star Quilts. I added a couple extra log cabin rows to make it longer. I remember that you‘re a quilter 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen thank you! I enjoyed the process of making it ❤️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Tamra thanks Tamra 🥰 2y
AmyG That is just gorgeous! 2y
mabell How pretty! Lovely work!! 2y
Librarybelle So lovely! 2y
LeahBergen Wow! It‘s gorgeous! 😮😮 2y
Reggie Oh my gosh that is lovely! 2y
batsy Beautiful ❤️ 2y
Liz_M Stunning! 2y
Susanita Love it! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG thank you ☺️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @mabell thanks 💖! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Librarybelle thank you 🎄 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen thanks so much! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie thank you 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @batsy thank you ☺️! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Liz_M thank you 🎄 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Susanita thanks 😊! 2y
kspenmoll This is gorgeous! 2y
Suet624 That‘s so beautiful! 2y
DivineDiana You are very talented! 2y
Suet624 Happy New Year, Valerie. Best wishes. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 thank you— ours was off to a bumpy start due to all of us getting Covid but I‘m sure the rest of it will be better. Best wishes to you too 💖💖💖 2y
BookBabe So pretty! Great job! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
BookBabe @ValerieAndBooks Gee, you all got Covid too? So did we. Not fun! Are you all feeling better? 2y
62 likes29 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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Opened my iPad just now and this seemed a bit funny to me. 1) just because I read a couple books by him on this app doesn‘t mean I *like* him that much and 2) it makes it seem like he‘s still writing books today! 😂

How are you all? Im fine but I barely read this month 😔. So much distracting me!

kspenmoll This is so wild!!!! 2y
Suet624 How funny! How are you? 2y
Leftcoastzen Back from the grave by popular demand!!🎇🎉🥳 2y
See All 14 Comments
JamieArc 😂😂 2y
Bklover This is funny 😆! 2y
vlwelser 😂 his ghost is writing books you might like 2y
BarbaraBB I hope you‘re distracted by good things 🤍 2y
Ruthiella 🤣 Oh Fyodor! From beyond the grave. Algorithms are not good book recommenders. 2y
Bookwormjillk I‘ve been wondering when he was going to come out with a new one 😂 2y
Reggie Lol, He‘s what we call the Tupac of the literary world. 2y
LeahBergen Say what? 😆😆 2y
batsy I just about screamed because I thought he was BACK 😂 2y
DivineDiana Proof that a computer is not perfect! 😅 2y
BookBabe 😂😂 2y
55 likes14 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Shadow of the Wind | Carlos Ruiz Zafon
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Starting this for #authoramonth. This will actually my third read of The Shadow of the Wind! First time was when it first came out (2004) second time was I don‘t remember when 😅. And I‘m not normally a re-reader. I even have the other three books in the series, but for some reason have avoided reading them. I want to refresh my memory with this before finally getting to the next one (The Angel‘s Game).

review
ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

A harrowing read about World War I by a German author who went through it. Very well written, but reading this made me have to set it aside now and then. Read for #1001Books

julesG It is a very difficult but very important read. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @julesG yes. More people should read this — war is truly terrible. 2y
JazzFeathers Ever since l started researching WWI a couple of years ago, l've thought to read it. I will, one day. 2y
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB So heartbreaking good 2y
BookwormM OMG I have possibly? Just twigged you are Valerie from Reading 1001 on Goodreads at least I think you are 🤣🤣🤣 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BookwormM I‘m not on goodreads, so it‘s another Valerie 😊 2y
BookwormM It must be 🤣🤣 2y
ValerieAndBooks @JazzFeathers The author experienced WWI himself, so this novel felt very accurate. 2y
48 likes8 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book | Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes and Gardens Books
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Top: 1982 edition
Middle: 1989 edition
Bottom: 2018 edition

Not only do clothing and kitchen styles change over the years, so do tastes. My current edition (found used but like new) for example has Buddha bowl recipes which are a thing now 😊.

Leftcoastzen Love it! 2y
LeahBergen Very cool! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen I won‘t get rid of my older editions but they will be in a cabinet instead of my cookbook shelves 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen even the food pictures look antiquated compared to that in the new edition 😏 2y
35 likes4 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
Cujo | Stephen King
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Pickpick

Happy Halloween everyone 🎃 👻 🧛‍♂️ 🧙 🍁 🍂🦹‍♀️🧟🎃

This was the only scary read this month for me. But what a story! I found the dysfunctional human relationships just as scary as poor rabid Cujo.

I read this many years ago in HS so it was like reading for the first time 😱 except for a couple incidents I vaguely remembered.

LeahBergen I think I was in high school when I first read it, too! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen yes, and my copy back then was the mass market edition ! 2y
45 likes2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Accidental | Ali Smith
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Got my haircut today and of course had to stop by the used bookstore nearby! Their sales benefit our local senior center, so I shouldn‘t feel guilty right 😊? $20 for this fill-a-bag deal. Pleased to find the Ali Smith book (tagged). Picked up the SK and Blood of Abraham by Jimmy Carter for my Global Politics major son — bonus is that the Jimmy Carter is autographed! When I texted my son, he responded “Holy Moly” 😊

AmyG Amazing that the Carter book is autographed. My daughter found a Nixon book once at a used book sale...autographed. (edited) 2y
Leftcoastzen Wow ,great books! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG wow, my son would definitely be jealous of that find! He has actually read (voluntarily) quite a bit on Nixon and his foreign policy. 2y
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AmyG My daughter, at the time, was into reading about him, too. 2y
kspenmoll Wow! Great stack for 20$! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG that‘s probably why she picked the book up! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen now to try to find time to read these and all those other TBRs 🤪 2y
ValerieAndBooks @kspenmoll Right?! And the bag wasn‘t even completely full, but I badly needed to use the bathroom and the store doesn‘t have a public one 😂 2y
LeslieO Nice haul! I ❤️ Laurie Colwin! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LeslieO so do I 💖. The last time I read her was a long time ago, so it‘ll be nice to revisit her. 2y
LeslieO I‘ve been thinking of retreading her, too. I have all my old copies of her books but I heard they‘ve been reissued. I kinda want to get new versions! 2y
LeahBergen Ooo, lovely! 😍 2y
59 likes12 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

Approximately 400 women stayed at the Valley Forge encampment with the troops (of which there were 14,000 men). More is known about women like Martha Washington being there, so a lot more in this short book is about upper class women married to officers. That is not the author‘s fault, as the more “common” women such as washerwomen and cooks often didn‘t read or write, so no letters and such were left behind. And although they worked hard 👇

ValerieAndBooks and in some cases were paid, no rosters were kept for these women. 2y
41 likes1 comment
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ValerieAndBooks
Autumn | Ali Smith
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Pickpick

I very nearly bailed on this when I realized it was more of a stream-of-consciousness style. So glad I stayed with it. Interesting how the real stories of a mostly forgotten 1960s female artist and also Brexit are integrated into the lives of fictional characters Elisabeth and her elderly friend Daniel. I‘ll definitely seek more of Ali Smith (a couple of her books— not this one— are on the #1001Books list).

Liz_M I really enjoyed this series! I just wish I had read them closer together so i could see more of the interconnections between the books. 2y
Lindy It‘s a brilliant quartet. I‘m glad you stuck with it. 2y
Suet624 I love her work. 2y
See All 7 Comments
ValerieAndBooks @Liz_M hmm, good reason for me to pick up the next one while Autumn is still fresh in my mind 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Lindy when I thought, “I think I‘ll bail” I rifled through the pages to try to decide, and came across one of the passport stories (so funny) and decided to start over from the beginning 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 I‘m looking forward to finding and reading more by her! 2y
Lindy @ValerieAndBooks My sister says she likes Winter best of the quartet, and it comes next in the series, so it makes sense to pick up that one next. Personally, I can‘t pick a favourite out of the four. Love them all! 2y
60 likes7 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Autumn | Ali Smith
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One of the best descriptions of October I‘ve ever read.

vivastory I love this... 2y
Kappadeemom Welllll….unless you live in Florida 😂🙋🏼‍♀️ 2y
Leftcoastzen I loved her whole seasons series but I think I liked Autumn the best! 2y
See All 6 Comments
ValerieAndBooks @vivastory nice, isn‘t it 🍁🍂? 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Kappadeemom ha! Very good point. 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen I definitely plan to find the rest! 2y
52 likes6 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Cujo | Stephen King
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Not as cute as my last post, but still dog-related! Found this hardback (book club edition) at Goodwill recently for 99 cents 😳. Snapped it up right away. My younger son is on a mission to collect all SK‘s hardbacks but I‘m reading it first. I did read many years ago from a paper back.

phantomx That's awesome! I'm trying to collect the original covers for the Dark Tower series 2y
ValerieAndBooks @phantomx the large trade paperbacks with the color illustrations? We have those! 2y
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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I was telling @Megabooks that her new doggie Molly looks like my sister‘s dog, who is a daschund/beagle mix! Well, here is Zoey who just turned 5. Maybe the coloring isn‘t exactly the same but there are similarities 💖

LeahBergen Aww! 🥰 2y
AmyG What a cute dog! 2y
hannah-leeloo Both are adorable #dogsoflitsy 😍 I definitely say similar looking 2y
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Megabooks Omg!! They could be sisters!! Right down to the oversized paws!! Zoey is so cute!! Thank you for sharing this 💕🐶💕 2y
TrishB Zoey‘s colouring is really like my Sansa‘s! 2y
batsy She's adorable 😍 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks do you think you‘ll do one of those dog DNA analyses for Molly? Some of my friends have! 2y
Megabooks @ValerieAndBooks I will! Probably sometime after the holidays. I‘ve done it on my other two shelter dogs. One I was not surprised. The other I completely was! 😁😁 2y
54 likes9 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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Hi all! I didn‘t realize how long I was away from Litsy until now. Thanks @Suet624 for checking in on me. I was really busy, traveling in September helping my mom get settled in her new place. In my last post 2 mos ago, I mentioned I would show you all the quilt made for her. Here it is! Mom on left, me on right. I‘ve also just not had much reading mojo lately. Thanks to all of you & @LitsyBirthdays who wished me happy birthday last week 💖 ! 👇

charl08 Beautiful quilt! 2y
ValerieAndBooks Cont‘ I was actually only in New Mexico for a week (so sorry no time to see you @Reggie 😢) but a lot of busyness also in the past few weeks. Also, this quilt is an adaptation from a pattern I found online, called “Refracted”. 2y
AmyG Gorgeous!!! I am off to NM next week. (edited) 2y
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StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Wow, that's lovely. 2y
Lindy Gorgeous quilt! 😍 2y
LeahBergen That‘s beautiful!! 😍 2y
BarbaraBB Gorgeous quilt and I am happy to see you again! 2y
LauraBeth Beautiful! 2y
Leftcoastzen Glad to see you! That is gorgeous! 2y
Suet624 Yippee! So glad to see you again. Your quilt is beautiful! Thanks for sharing the photo with us. As I said in my text, I was starting to worry about you, so I'm glad to know all is well. (edited) 2y
Eggbeater That quilt is amazing! 2y
TrishB That‘s lovely ♥️ nice to see you back! 2y
Megabooks Wow!! 🤩🤩 2y
Ruthiella Brilliant! 😍 2y
wanderinglynn That‘s gorgeous! ❤️ 2y
Reggie No worries. Actually it was best because two of our not vaccinated have gotten sick in the past month so it was best. I‘m glad you got to spend time with your mom and sister. 2y
batsy That's lovely! Glad to see you back and that you got to spend time with your mum and family 💜 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Reggie hopefully next time 💖 ! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG Thanks! And what part of NM will you be in? 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Lindy thank you! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @BarbaraBB thank you! Will try to be on Litsy more now 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @LauraBeth 👋 good to see you! And thanks! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen thank you 😊 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 thanks! Working on a different project now! Thanks again for checking in on me 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Eggbeater thank you ☺️ 2y
ValerieAndBooks @TrishB thanks Trish! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Megabooks thanks! And your profile pic shows a new pet?! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Ruthiella thank you 💖 2y
ValerieAndBooks @batsy thanks! Yes, it was nice seeing them all 💖 2y
AmyG Santa Fe 2y
ValerieAndBooks @AmyG I love Santa Fe so much. Wasn‘t there at this visit 😢. I hope you have fun! My sister (and now my mom also) lives in Los Alamos. 2y
AmyG We are so looking forward to it! 2y
Lynnsoprano Beautiful quilt! I‘ve taken a bit of a Litsy sabbatical, just getting back into the swing. I know we are way behind, but we need to find a book to do a buddy read! 2y
ValerieAndBooks @Lynnsoprano thank you! I‘ve missed a lot of what has been happening via Litsy because I wasn‘t on it for so long. I will email you soon to see how you‘re doing and to try to figure out a buddy read ❤️ 2y
Lynnsoprano @ValerieAndBooks Sounds great! 😘 2y
66 likes38 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
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Arrived today! A recent blog post by the Daughters of the American Revolution‘s President General discussed Ellen Hardin Walworth, one of the DAR founders. This book title was mentioned. Very intrigued!

Vent about USPS : I have “informed tracking”, and it keeps telling me they‘ve delivered items when really they arrive a day or two later. This book was one 😡.

Background is back of a lap quilt I‘m making for my mom. Will post pic when done.

vivastory That's the DeJoy effect... how in the world he *still* has a job is insane 3y
ValerieAndBooks @vivastory Right?! 🤨. I think they lie about when they‘re delivered so that they look like they‘re arriving sooner than they actually do. 3y
Suet624 DeJoy is the worst. 3y
See All 8 Comments
Reggie Seriously, @vivastory @Suet624 @ValerieAndBooks I sent one of my LPMBC books priority the last day of July and my person barely got it 2 days ago. 11 days! She lives two states over. Lol 3y
vivastory @Reggie @Suet624 @ValerieAndBooks I wish Biden could have fired him. It's only going to get worse 3y
ValerieAndBooks @vivastory @Suet624 @Reggie It is so frustrating. I sent something to my daughter and her gf and it took 2 weeks!! They live four hours away. That‘s just one example. We need to bring the Pony Express back. 3y
Suet624 Did you ever see Reggie? How are you? 2y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday! I hope you‘re doing well? ❤️❤️ 2y
60 likes8 comments
review
ValerieAndBooks
The Summer Book | Tove Jansson
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Pickpick

This vignette-filled short novel should really only be read during summer time 🌞. The relationship between Sophia and her grandmother, on an island home in Finland, was touching— but yet not saccharine.

I‘m surprised by the low overall Litsy rating on this one, which is also a #1001Books.

MicheleinPhilly You are brave sitting outside. I would never leave the pool. 🥵 3y
Leftcoastzen Lovely edition 3y
youneverarrived Love the cover 😍 3y
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Tamra I loved this one - all the summer vibes! 😎 3y
EvieBee Gosh, what an awesome edition. 3y
ValerieAndBooks @MicheleinPhilly I stepped out briefly just to take the photo 😉 . Yes it‘s been way too hot lately to be outside except to take dips in the pool! Think we‘re supposed to get a slight break next week 🤞 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Tamra I can see myself re-reading again next summer! Maybe on the first day of summer 😊 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen @youneverarrived @EvieBee Agree 💖 !! It‘s the 1st American Edition, 1974. Slight spine damage of the dust jacket at the bottom due to someone ripping off a sticker, but at $1.50 from the used bookstore I couldn‘t resist. Glad I picked it up, it‘s a little gem of a book! 3y
Suet624 It's funny because the rating I see on Litsy is 100%. As it should be. 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 that‘s odd! It was 33% when I looked at it, then it went up to 56% after I gave it a pick. Glad to know you loved it too. 3y
Suet624 Wait. Now it says 56%. Where did the 100% go? Darn! How weird. 3y
Suet624 Oh. Apparently I was looking at The Summer Book by a different author. 3y
65 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
The Summer Book | Tove Jansson
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Just learned that yesterday was #nationalbookloversday . But that‘s everyday for us, right 😉?

📚📚📚📚📚

The 3 large oak bookcases here were built by my dad (who would have been 82 in two days ) ❤️

Tagged book is my current read.

Aims42 Such a great reading spot 🤩😍 3y
TrishB Lovely ❤️ 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Gorgeous ❤️📚 3y
See All 14 Comments
merelybookish Beautiful! 😍 3y
LeahBergen Lovely!! 📚📚 3y
DivineDiana Absolutely! ❤️ 3y
Cathythoughts Very beautiful 😍 3y
BookDadGirlDad Almost shorted out my phone drooling over that library!!! Love the hand made cases.😍😍😍 3y
Leftcoastzen Beautiful! 3y
erzascarletbookgasm Lovely, cosy reading spot 👌 3y
Reggie What a craftsman he was . What a great space! Hope you‘re feeling better. 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Aims42 @TrishB @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @merelybookish @LeahBergen @DivineDiana @Cathythoughts @BookDadGirlDad @Leftcoastzen @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks all! I‘m fortunate to have this legacy from my Dad and other pieces of furniture he made for us over the years 💖. @Reggie thank you— feeling a lot better although I still go to bed earlier than usual! 3y
Suet624 How beautiful! 3y
Lynnsoprano What a beautiful space! 3y
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review
ValerieAndBooks
Seize the Day | Saul Bellow
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Mehso-so

Good writing, but I really didn‘t care for any of the characters. This is a novella that is on the “1001 books you must read before you die” list. Got another one knocked off that list!

I had started another #1001Books before this one but someone made a major spoiler in a Litsy review 😕 .

Butterfinger I can't stop thinking about this post. I want to apologize if it was me. I don't think it was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but maybe I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In my head, I think it is a classic, everyone knows about it. I will definitely be more mindful. 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Butterfinger Awww 🤗 ! No it wasn‘t you, or either of those books. It‘s true that some classics have been discussed so much that people know what happens in some of them (aka Romeo or Juliet) even if they haven‘t read them. (edited) 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
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Mehso-so

Didn‘t realize (even with the title) that I read two dysfunctional wedding books back to back 😂. (One before this was The Guest List). This one however is a little novella first published in 1932. The bride to be is downing rum as she gets ready and her oblivious family flits around the house. Some lovely passages and the entire tone of this book probably was more meaningful back when it was published. Today it feels a bit dated. Almost a pick.

DivineDiana I own this book too. Purchased purely based on that gorgeous cover. #MtTBR 3y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana Yes! Caught my eye a while back at Baldwin‘s Books! 3y
vonnie862 Love the cover! 3y
ValerieAndBooks @vonnie862 So do I…and it‘s Persephone 💖😊 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
The Guest List | Lucy Foley
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Pickpick

This had me engaged all the way to the end. Maybe too many coincidences cascading towards the end, but a good read during my recovery from Lyme. Felt okay yesterday but today, not so good🤷🏻‍♀️

Leftcoastzen Sorry you have that . I wish you a good recovery. 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Leftcoastzen thank you for your well wishes 💖 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
Long Bright River | Liz Moore
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Pickpick

This novel looks at opioid addiction in the Kensington area of Philadelphia (about 45 minutes from me). Although I guessed whodunnit fairly early, this was a good read about how hard it can be to escape addiction.

Still resting under my “sick blanket”! Next up is another #botm thriller The Guest List; my brain can‘t handle anything too complex at the moment.

MicheleinPhilly I hope you start feeling better soon. ❤️ 3y
Ruthiella I can‘t read at all when I am sick. I hope you feel better soon and are back to reading EVERYTHING! 😀 3y
Cathythoughts I hope you feel better .. I really enjoyed this book 3y
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ValerieAndBooks @MicheleinPhilly thank you 😘❤️ 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Ruthiella thanks💖! Lighter, more plot-driven reads are all I can handle right now 😂 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Cathythoughts thank you! Yes, this one was a page-turner. 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
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Pickpick

If you want to know more about the War of 1812, this is it.

Yes that‘s a blanket underneath—-I‘m cold! I have stage 1 Lyme Disease right now, and on day three of antibiotics! Ugh. This is the sickest I‘ve felt for a long time. My next read is going to have to be a light one.

katy4peas Feel better soon! 😘 3y
Jas16 I hope you feel better soon 💐 3y
Tamra Yuck - No fun. I hope you can still read as you recover. 🤞🏾🤞🏾 (edited) 3y
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kspenmoll I am so so sorry. I have a good friend who has battled Lyme. Feel better soon. 3y
batsy I hope you feel better soon 💛 3y
Ruthiella Hope you feel better soon! 🥴❤️ 3y
Bookzombie I‘m so sorry. I hope you feel better soon. 💐 3y
Reggie Ohhh no! I hope you feel better! 3y
ValerieAndBooks @katy4peas @Jas16 @Tamra @kspenmoll @batsy @Ruthiella @Bookzombie @Reggie Thank you all for the good wishes😘! Been napping and sleeping more than usual, and on a 30-day course of antibiotics. I‘m sure I‘ll be on the mend soon 💖 3y
DivineDiana So sorry, Valerie to learn about your illness! Sending healing wishes. ❤️ 3y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana Thank you! It‘s only been a week since I was put on antibiotics and I‘m still not feeling 100%. And this was caught early. So I‘m sure I‘ll be better relatively soon . 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
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Our book haul from our vacation in NY/VT last week! Hubby‘s choices on left side, mine on right side. Although I‘m interested in reading some of his choices, too. All from indie bookstores or museum shops. Some used, some new. 📚📚📚

TrishB Dan Jones writes a good history book 👍🏻 3y
Lynnsoprano They all look interesting. 3y
Suet624 Let me know how those Ethan Allen books are. I really want to read up on him. 3y
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ValerieAndBooks @TrishB he does! I have some of his. I‘ll probably borrow this one after hubby reads it 😊 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Lynnsoprano yes, came across some good picks in Vermont ☺️ 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Suet624 Yes. I‘m curious about the one dealing with the myths behind EA. I read this very detailed bio a while ago but haven‘t had a chance to review: 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
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When we were on vacation, of course had to stop at local bookstores! Will show book haul in next post.

Top L: window display Bookmobile Books, an used books store in Rutland VT (had a quick day trip there)
Top R: Phoenix Books in Rutland, VT w/ a marble/granite book sculpture. The area is/was known for quarries.
Bottom L: interior of Crow Bookshop, Burlington VT
Bottom R: Phoenix Books; Burlington VT

 @Suet624 thanks for the recs of bottom 2!

Suet624 Thank you for checking them out! 3y
BookishMarginalia 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
Untitled | Unknown
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On Vacation in Vermont, and got to meet up with @Suet624 (right) this morning! We had a wonderful time chatting over breakfast. I feel lucky to have met through Litsy 🥰

LiteraryinLawrence Yay! I love it when Littens meet in real life! 3y
vivastory This is awesome! I hope you & @Suet624 had a great breakfast 📚📚 3y
BookishMarginalia 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y
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sisilia Awesome 😍💞 3y
TrishB Cool 👍🏻❤️ 3y
MicheleinPhilly I love this! 🤗 3y
Jas16 That is so fantastic! 3y
Cortg Yay! So fun.
3y
LeahBergen I love this!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 3y
batsy Fun! Love this ❤️❤️ 3y
Bookzombie This is awesome!! 3y
Tamra So fun!! 3y
Ruthiella So cool! 🥰 3y
Suet624 Such a wonderful thing to be able to meet. 🥰🥰🥰 3y
marleed Cool! 3y
Reggie How wonderful!!! ❤️ 3y
BarbaraBB This is so wonderful. So good to see you both! I hope you‘ve had a lovely time 😍 3y
AmyG Sue is the lovliest!!! How wonderful ❤️ (edited) 3y
saresmoore Two beautiful women, inside and out! 3y
Chelsea.Poole Lovely photo! And nice to see you both! 3y
Leftcoastzen Wonderful! 3y
Suet624 @amyg I thought of you today as Valerie and I were together. I wish you still visited Vermont. ❤️ I miss you! 3y
Suet624 @saresmoore takes one to know one. 3y
AmyG @Suet624 I miss VT...and seeing you. We talk about going back some day in the fall, for the leaves. You will be the first to know! (But not this year) 3y
ValerieAndBooks @TrishB @MicheleinPhilly @Jas16 @Cortg @LeahBergen @batsy @Bookzombie @Tamra @Ruthiella @marleed @BarbaraBB @Reggie @AmyG @saresmoore @Chelsea.Poole @Leftcoastzen Getting to meet Sue in person @Suet624 was definitely a highlight of my vacation 💖. I hope you are all as lucky someday. Truly an amazing person! 3y
Suet624 @AmyG you just let me know. Don‘t forget, there‘s a large Airbnb right underneath my apartment. 3y
Suet624 @ValerieAndBooks oh, you‘re so sweet. It was wonderful to be able to spend time together. 3y
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ValerieAndBooks
Geek Love | Katherine Dunn
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My book haul! See previous post for back story. Not much of a non-fiction selection (the top three books) as they normally would have had. But I‘m sure it‘ll get better once they start accepting donations again in August. Son got five books (not pictured) which he has already taken to his room. They were all part of their fill-a-bag deal.

Liz_M I'll be interested to see what you think of the tagged book, if you get to it in the near future. 3y
Flaneurette So jealous of your Geek Love hardback! 3y
LeahBergen I‘ve had Flight of the Sparrow waiting on my shelves for years. 😆 3y
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ValerieAndBooks @Liz_M I think it‘s going to be near the top now. Have you read it yet? 3y
ValerieAndBooks @Flaneurette I was pleased to find it! The spine does have sun fade but for the price I don‘t mind. I did once have a HB, and read it, way back when it first came out but didn‘t keep it (so many moves). Always regretted that! Kept thinking I want to read this strange book again someday 🙂 3y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen the “novel of Early America “ is what caught my eye! But TBH I think it might be a while before I get to it….so many TBR books and also depending on my mood 😬 3y
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