Themes: Creative Prequel to ‘A Christmas Carol‘, Excellent writing, Literary-vibe

I saw someone else say that after finishing this you could pick up Charles Dickens‘ ‘A Christmas Carol‘ and immediately continue, and I agree! Clinch‘s writing style is so easy to read and get lost in 1800‘s London. I loved how he portrayed Jacob Marley, and I do think this is what could‘ve happened to make Scrooge the way he is. I have no critiques!

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here 🤩🥳 Enjoying a 7&7 along with the tagged book. No snacks but dinner is crockpot orange chicken so we‘ll be eating shortly 😋

Feel free to use the hashtag to play along with what you‘re reading, drinking and snacking on 🤗

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

Fully embracing the gift of books this year for my family 🥰 I found something for everyone!! I‘m so excited for my grandmother‘s gift though (bottom right), I found affordable and gently used large print copies of some books I know she hasn‘t read yet 😍 And my Aunt told me she wants to get into reading again so I‘m setting her up with a mini book haul (top right). Ho Ho Ho and to all a good night (of reading!!) 🎅🏼🛷

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣Christmas reads are happening and it‘s the BEST! 🤩 Pic is my TBR stack plus one that was delivered after I took this 😏 2️⃣ A work task I‘ve been avoiding didn‘t actually end up being terrible (I will learn nothing from this however 😆)3️⃣ Unabashedly listening to all the Christmas music 🎤🎅🏼🎶 4️⃣ Warm, cozy blankets & hot coffee 😌 5️⃣ Today is FRIDAY!! 🤩🥳

Themes: Classic Agatha Christie Murder mystery, Family drama, Christmas-ish

A delightful Poirot book, I enjoyed all the twists and turns that Agatha sends us on. I wish there was more Christmas in it, but oh well. Checking off the “Locked Room” square on my #christmascrimechallenge board hosted by @RaeLovesToRead and @Ruthiella

“It‘s tiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmeeeeeee” (sung in Mariah Carey voice) 🎅🏼🎄🎁❄️☃️🛷⛸️ We‘ll see how many I get through in December, but I‘m going to try participating in the #christmascrimechallenge hosted by @RaeLovesToRead and @Ruthiella

This dedication really set the tone for this book, how sweet is this?! But this really was a fun, reality-escaping read! I had to really hold myself back from doing any research while reading it because I didn‘t want to accidentally find a spoiler. Well, now that I‘ve finished it, I‘ll be falling down all the rabbit holes learning more about the party in this book 😆

#TopReads2025 for November goes to “The Stranger Times” by C. K. McDonnell. This was such a quirky, fun read and I‘m so glad I stumbled upon it. I went and bought the rest of the series when I was halfway through this one. Well, minus the newest Christmas book since it‘s only out in hardcover and the rest of the books I bought are paperback 😆

Our plans this morning were cancelled because of bad roads, so gosh darn it, I‘ll *just have to* watch the birds visiting my bird feeder while sipping my coffee in my comfy pants. Darn it all to heck 😏

#FridayHappyReadingHour time!! Enjoying some wine (my father-in-law was very stingy with it yesterday 😂 I got 1/2 a glass the whole holiday, so I‘m treating myself to an adult pour today), along with Doritos and my current read which is SO GOOD!

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@ruthiella

Hope you all get to enjoy some peace and extra reading time today! 🍷📖📚

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
My after Thanksgiving travel plans to see my family in Iowa were cancelled due to 6-12” of snow coming our way this weekend. So, I tried real hard to find some joy 🙃
1️⃣ Decorated the house for Xmas 2️⃣ Reading an excellent book now 3️⃣ Thanksgiving day at my in-laws was actually fun 🤯 4️⃣ Getting bonus relaxation days due to my travel plans being veto‘d by Mother Nature 5️⃣ So much joy for this community!!

This was a funny and quick read, just what I needed! Highly recommend if you need a short book to help make progress in any reading challenges 🤗😉

Themes: Absurd British Humor, Book 1 in a Series, Mystery

I can‘t remember how I found this title but I‘m so glad I ordered it (and it was finally delivered 🤣). The blurbs on the cover sold me, especially this one from The Guardian, “A Pratchettesque Romp”. IT WAS! This oddball newspaper and their employees are straight out of a modern Discworld 😆 If any of that interests you, definitely give this book a shot!

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here and I‘m reading the book that went from IL to NE back to IL 🤣 I‘m enjoying it while sipping on a 7&7 🍋‍🟩🥃💚 Tagging some friends, but feel free to tag yourself if you want to play 😍 Just share what you‘re reading, drinking and/or snacking on to celebrate Friday night‘s arrival 🥰🤩🥳

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

IT‘S HERE! IT ARRIVED!! 🔔🔔🔔 And I‘m off work today (I‘m a firm believer in using alllllll your PTO, even if you don‘t have any plans with it. Use it!). This is just perfect!! And Christmas decorations are all out of the crawl space and on the main floor, so we‘re one step closer to all that happening too 😅 #bookmail

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here! Enjoying some Coke Zero along with this book from my TBR pile. Funny story: I was hoping to start the book I ordered last Friday night, but no. I‘ve been watching the tracking history on it and it got to the post office 5 miles from my house which usually means the next stop is my local post office and then it‘s out for delivery. Not this time… (cont‘d in comments)

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ What a difference a week makes looking outside my home office window 2️⃣ Silent Book Club! 3️⃣ Reading Crawl with my BFF was a success!! Doing it again in March with different stops 😍(pic is from our last stop, where 0 reading occurred LOL) 4️⃣ Feeling oddly optimistic that the Dems have a larger strategy at work since 8 senate Dems voted to reopen to the govt 5️⃣ JOY that I didn‘t vote for Mango Mussolini 😂🤣

Themes: Thought-provoking reads, Fiction mirroring Reality, Excellent character building!!

Wow. I think this is the most original piece of Fiction I have read in a really long time. I loved it, I have zero critiques and I cannot wait for my IRL bookclub discussion on Sunday!

This was a fun read, I enjoyed it!! I haven‘t done a “Who Would I Cast for this Movie” in a while so here ya go! I feel like Downton Abbey has ruined me from ever being able to cast a better Butler or Head Housekeeper 😆 (Apologies for not being able to wrap my head around who would play the MC Stephen Pike 🤔 He was too tricky)

Mr. Stokes: Jim Carter
Mrs. Pearce: Phyllis Logan
Decima Stockingham: Edith Cranwinkle (from “Bob‘s Burgers”)

#FridayHappyReadingHour The sun has set, the curtains have been drawn, but Happy Friday!! We made it 😅 I‘m sitting down to some cab, some of the Halloween candy that I bought strictly for myself to enjoy (😋) and my IRL bookclub book. Huzzah!

Tagging some friends here, but feel free to tag yourself too if you want to play 😍
@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ Tuesday was AMAZING! 🌊💙 The Dems showed up!! 2️⃣ Started my IRL bookclub book and I‘m loving it! 3️⃣ Coffee & Wine ☕️🍷4️⃣ My parents came in for a quick visit, it was so nice seeing them and we had homemade lasagna that my Mom brought 😍5️⃣ The view outside my home office window 😍🍂🍁

I enjoyed the majority of these short mystery stories, which usually isn‘t “the case” (HA, get it? 😂). I correctly guessed the outcome of one of the mysteries early on so that one was kinda a bummer. But, I loved most of their other adventures and having more of Albert too was a treat. Can‘t wait to discuss it further at the end of the month @Librarybelle #christiecapers

I am LOVING this book so much! Does anyone know if the Tommy & Tuppence books have been made into TV shows? It‘s a shame if not 😂

YESSSSSS!! Still riding the high of that BIG, BEAUTIFUL BLUE wave last night 🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊

Please let‘s make this a thing everywhere!!! I‘m in one IRL bookclub and I enjoy it, but I would love the opportunity to be with others just talking about what we‘re reading; no assignments, no praying my library hold comes in time 😊 Plus refreshments and snacks!!

Themes: London during WWII, Friendship, Found Families

This fourth and final book of the Emmy Lake Chronicles is beautiful 🥹 Just as much joy, happiness, heartbreak and tears as the previous books. I‘m going to miss Emmy, Bunty, and Guy so much - I hope AJ Pearce is working on something new!

#TopReads2025 for October goes to two perfectly spooky reads that I would totally re-read next year at this time: “Full Dark House” by Christopher Fowler and “The Hearth Witch‘s Guide to Magic & Murder” by Kiri Callaghan. Both these reads had witches, ghosts, black cats, all the needed ingredients for a great October read 🧙🏻‍♀️👻🐈‍⬛🎃

#FridayHappyReadingHour 🎃👻💀🦇 Halloween in the Garage edition LOL Sipping Hot Chocolate waiting for the trick or treaters to stop by. I‘ve got my kindle next to me and well, no shortage of snacks 😆

Play along if you‘d like to!! Use the hashtag and share what you‘re drinking, snacking on and reading!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
Happy Halloween!! 👻🎃🍬🍫

1️⃣Enjoyed a delicious chai latte and Bagel & Lox breakfast with my hubby 🥰 2️⃣ Making plans for a coffee shop & reading crawl with my BFF (3 stops: 2 independently owned coffee shops and a wine bar, reading for 45 mins at each location is the plan) 3️⃣ BLUE JAYS ARE STILL IN IT!! Wooo!! 💙⚾️ 4️⃣ Not feeling ragey this week was a joyful perk 😆 5️⃣ Got some Christmas gift shopping done!

I don‘t know where I first saw this book but the summary intrigued me enough to use some Amazon credits to download it onto my Kindle. And I‘m so glad I did! This was such a perfect read leading up to Halloween! One of the MCs is obsessed with all things supernatural and mystical which was just perfect for getting me in the “spooky, but not scary” mood
Rating: 👻👻👻👻👻/ 5 Ghosts

#FridayHappyReadingHour 🤩🥳🎉 Y‘know it‘s a good Friday when I still have the energy (and the F‘s to be honest) to wipe the hard water stains off my wine glass 😂 Enjoying some leftover Silent Bookclub snacks, some Cab, and starting a new book!

Tagging some friends here, but feel free to tag yourself too if you want 😍
@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣Spent the most fun weekend with my family celebrating my nephew turning 13 and my niece turning 9 2️⃣ October Baseball! Go Bluejays!! ⚾️💙 3️⃣ Silent Bookclub with my bestie last night 4️⃣ Coffee and Wine ☕️🍷 5️⃣ It‘s FRIDAY!!

#WeDoNotCareWednesday #WDNCW

Oh boy. We do not care that the giant ass tub of Italian Beef we bought for dinner tonight with the intention of *you* (the husband) having leftovers for lunch tomorrow did not pan out. I‘m sorry that I honestly thought the tub that served 5-6 would actually yield that much since we‘re only 2. I tried. You‘re on your own for lunch tomorrow I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️ (Also, why am I so annoyed by this happening?!?)

Themes: Witches, Magic, Poirot-like characterization, Recipes

Oh man. This book was GREAT! A perfect witchy-read for October 🧙🏻‍♀️🪄✨ I loved the characters and their growth, and I hope there‘s a Book 2 in the works because I want more!!

#BooksAndBevvies #PinkMonday

What I thought was a typo is actually a real word 🤯😆 #weirdwordwednesday

This was a cute, fluffy romance book that involves a murder mystery. The cover led me to believe this would be more, “Thursday Murder Club” and it was more… what a Grandmother would read twenty years ago. It‘s a great palate cleanser, and if you can handle your MC saying “Oh Crumpets” instead of “Oh Crap”, well you‘ll love this. Soft pick from me since I did enjoy it but I don‘t need to read the next book in the series.

#FridayHappyReadingHour ??? Enjoying my favorite Chardonnay and a new ebook - I‘m 13% into it AND LOVING IT! The Litsy database does not like the û or the é obviously ?

Tagging some friends here, but feel free to tag yourself too if you want ?
@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@Cathythoughts
@dabbe

Themes: Humor, Science Fiction, A Series, Lots of Swearing & Gore

This series is so ridiculous and absurd and, -checks notes- oh, sorry that‘s the state of the world we‘re living in, this series is beyond entertaining!! I shouldn‘t like it because I hate unnecessary swearing and gore but it works and I‘m going to continue reading the rest of Matt Dinniman‘s wacky series 🤪

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣I treated myself to a new bookish blanket 😇 I can‘t get over how soft it is!! 2️⃣ October Baseball! ⚾️💛💙 3️⃣A 3-day weekend, wohooo! I‘m off on Monday for Indigenous Peoples‘ Day 4️⃣ Coffee and Wine ☕️🍷 5️⃣ Cozy fall weather has arrived! 🍂🍂

I don‘t care that I‘m watching the #NLDS Game 3 between the Brewers and Cubs on the Spanish language channel. TBS isn‘t on our cable package and honestly, these commentators are better 😁 And also, I don‘t care that I live in the Chicagoland suburbs but am rooting for the #BrewCrew - they‘ve had a better season and deserve it!! 🧀💙⚾️💛🧀

#WeDoNotCareWednesday #WDNCW

Themes: Octogenarians solving murders, No. 5 in the “Thursday Murder Club” series, Friendship

Giving this one a “soft pick”, it‘s not my fave book from this series, but I still enjoyed it and I‘m going to keep pre-ordering every future book 💸 I had trouble keeping characters straight and then having to remember their connection to the main plot 😵‍💫 But all in all, a good plot, excellent characters and Book 6 has already been confirmed 🤩

#FridayHappyReadingHour Enjoying my fave Chardonnay (please ignore the hard water spots on my glass, I didn‘t have the energy to wipe it with a paper towel before pouring 😂🤷🏼‍♀️) along with my favorite Goldfish flavor: pizza!! I‘m going to start my new book, I‘m so excited! The review from @Soubhiville sold me

Cheers to these buds, but tag yourself if you want to share!
@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@Cathythoughts

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣I made THE best turkey breast for dinner last Sunday! It was like a mini-Thanksgiving… with 89°F temps outside ? 2️⃣ The books I read this past week were excellent! 3️⃣My hubby and I came in 2nd place at bar trivia (it was just the two of us on the team!!) 4️⃣ Coffee and Wine ☕️? 5️⃣ I‘m joyful the sun is shining ☀️?

#TopReads2025 for September goes to “10 Marchfield Square” by Nicola Whyte. This was a fun debut that was just right for reading in the fall 🍂🍁🎃 September 28th was mentioned in the book and I was actually reading it ON THAT DAY!! It feels like the universe is giving you a sign that you‘re reading the right book at the right time when that happens 🥰♥️

#Bookmail today 🤩🥳 My last read was a debut and now I‘m back with the gang at Cooper‘s Chase for book no. 5 🔎🕵️👵🏼🧓🏻

Themes: Murder Mystery, “Only Murders in the Building” vibe, Fans of Anthony Horowitz‘s writing

Wow. Wow. WOW! I cannot believe this is a debut work - it is so well done!! I loved all of the characters, and loved seeing them grow and develop. This is the perfect fall read for mystery fans! I already pre-ordered Whyte‘s next book (coming out in May 2026).

My Instagram algorithm really knows me 😍

📸 credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPHcpf3j4cz/?igsh=MTQxOXFrbGMycWhvZg==

Y‘know when you read the first paragraph of a new book and you just *know* you‘re going to like it? I just experienced that 🤩🪄✨

#FridayHappyReadingHour I‘m here!! Glass of wine (much deserved after this week, yikes) ✅ Current Read ✅

We‘re having ‘Breakfast for Dinner‘ tonight 🥳 Huzzah! Lazy Friday nights ARE THE BEST!! Tagging some buds, but feel free to tag yourself with what you‘re drinking, reading and snacking on 🤩 #CheersToTheWeekend

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB

I felt every, single emotion while reading this, from one extreme to the other, and everything in between. I was back in the headspace of the fall of 2024 with the feelings of hope and optimism. She didn‘t have to write this, but she did and I‘m so glad to read her thoughts on her historic presidential campaign. My only wish is that there was a better ending 💔