Letters from activists to read when hope falters, despair threatens, and anger rises.

Even if you‘re not in activism, this is a fantastic collection of letters from activists of all many types. Personal & intense, letters discuss activism while parenting, dealing with sexual assault, chronic illness and disability, incarceration, and hopelessness. But there are bits of hope to be found in every letter. And encouragement to keep going. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

My final bingo board for #SPNBookBingo2025 ! Thank you again for such a fun reading challenge @OutsmartYourShelf ! 🎃

14 finished prompts and 1 bingo!

#WeeklyForecast

Glinda of Oz was one of my favorites in this series growing up, so I‘m just going to dive right into it!

#BookReport

So many of my reads this past week were perfect for the spooky season!

The lucky grasshopper weather vane has vanished from Town Hall! It‘s up to the Bob Whites to figure out where it went & why.

I liked this one a lot! Trixie & Honey use their detective skills, go to the adults when appropriate, the adults listen (!). A bit predictable, but an unexpected twist I had forgotten. I did start to get a little tired of Thesaurus Mart, & I think this one is a new ghost writer because we start w/ a long summary! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

October‘s #MonthlyRoundup is here and it is looking good!

I had so many good books this month, it‘s going to be so hard to pick a favorite for the month. 💖 But what a problem to have!

From Baum‘s Wicked Witch of the West to the movie phenomenon of Wicked & Wicked: For Good, the green skinned witch has been shaped by the different waves of feminism in many unexpected ways.

A fascinating look at the evolution of the character of the Wicked Witch over various retellings of Oz & her relation to aspects of feminism from social independence to abortion to witch hunts around the world. Read a little disjointed at times.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Tamora Pierce, hands down. Her books saved my life when I was younger. My original copies of the Circle of Magic fell to pieces years ago, but her books are ones I will be willing to pay for over and over again.

#SundayFunday Have a wonderful day, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

New Rebecca Thorne book! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

#CoverReveal

I am sooo not ready for November! 😂😂😂 But I am so excited for these books!

#BookSpinBingo

A magical mishap throws Vimes & the serial killer he‘s chasing back in time to the eve of revolution. He‘ll have to protect his younger self, hunt down this killer, & get himself home.

The arc of growth Vimes has is just astounding. Getting thrown back to rampant corruption, police brutality, people getting kidnapped off the streets to be tortured, & yet seeing all this darkness & saying “No, this stops now.” How do we get a Sam please?🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

Quite the eclectic selection this month!

An Astronaut‘s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
A Grave Talent by Laurie R King
Magic‘s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

#Roll100 @PuddleJumper

Margaret can adapt to anything. That includes her daughter & husband leaving, the walls of her house bleeding, the ghost children wandering around, & the moaning from the basement.

This was intense! An interesting book that subverted my expectations of a haunted house story. A story of mother/daughter relationships, what can a person adapt to, & just a whole lot of violence. I‘m glad I read it, but I don‘t think it will be a reread.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Finally picked my #ThematicCozies for November! This one looks like a lot of fun, and has recipes in the back! So I might try to make one once I‘ve finished.

@julieclair

To keep the funding he needs to continue his paranormal research, Nigel is willing to work w/ a genuine medium & investigate a house he may have deeper connections to.

This was a perfect Halloween read. Spooky ghosts, great banter w/ a fun team of characters, & a seance that can‘t possibly go wrong. The romance proceeded a little quickly for me, but I was enamored w/ the whole cast & intrigued by the hints of backstory. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

I love preordering books. Because I have definitely forgotten it by the time it arrives six months later, so it‘s like a present from past me. #BookMail

Things are finally settling down for Adam when his formerly dead sister in law arrives on their doorstep. Adam will have to investigate a larger conspiracy while balancing actual communication w/ his boyfriend.

What a great Halloween read! Solid growth for Adam & the strong continuity I expect from this series. Side characters did fade into the background a bit, & there were a lot of references to a side novel which might be confusing.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

#WeeklyForecast

I‘m very excited to get started on both the #BobWhiteBuddies read and my pick for the #QueerBC !

#BookReport

Some lovely spooky reads for October finished!

Thanks for the tag @Eggs ! I‘m not usually a big fan of romances, but this recent one surprised me with how much I liked it!

#Romantics @ChaptersofChaos

Pumpkin carving with the family, and as soon as I saw the round shape of this one, I knew what I had to do.

#BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad

Hey, did you know that Mike Brink is really, really smart? His traumatic brain injury makes him a puzzle savant and really, really smart.

Don‘t worry. If you haven‘t picked up that Mike is brilliant by the first chapter, the next hour and a half makes sure to inform you at least 15 more times.

When we got to the point of repeating almost an entire conversation is when I decided to bail.

I really love the special Reese‘s pumpkins that come out for Halloween! They have the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter, and I can eat handfuls at a time if I‘m not careful! 💛

#SundayFunday Have a safe and happy Halloween this week, and remember to tag me in your posts!

All Odile wants is her father‘s approval & to learn magic. When he commands her to help him curse an old friend, she gives in not knowing that she‘ll put into motion a plan that might bring back magic or bring the end of the kingdom.

A lovely, unique & Sapphic twist on Swan Lake. I really enjoyed how this felt like a fairy tale, w/ really interesting characters. I didn‘t like the time slip epilogue, mostly because I want that story too!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Need some guidance with your coffee? Stop by the Full Moon Coffee Shop to get the astrology reading you need to discover yourself.

Solid follow up. Deliciously described foods, thoughtful character introspection. Confusing w/ different POV characters all speaking in 1st person. I was not thrilled w/ the resolution of Junko & her emotionally abusive father. It felt like “daughter has to forgive parent because she learns he suffered too.”🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

#SLC #SLCLittens #SaltLakeCity #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad

The Red Butte Garden has an After Dark exhibit through the 30th of October!

It‘s called Trouble in Oz, and the whole garden is done up like the fairyland!

Movie references, book references, Wicked references, oh my! Takes about an hour to walk through and was an absolute delight!

https://redbuttegarden.org/events/garden-after-dark/

When Bellatine & Isaac‘s inheritance arrives, they are not expecting a house on chicken legs. Unfortunately, they are also not expecting the shadowy malignant figure that has followed the house from Russia w/ destruction in mind.

An intense read! Definitely to be savored, but also too slow sometimes. The relationship between the siblings was fraught/interesting, the lore of the house was engaging. Think I‘ll appreciate more on a reread.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Morgana is more than willing to to run to her sister‘s aid when a body is found in her sister‘s bakery. But then her brother in law is arrested for murder, a new romance is blossoming, & the wild 3rd sister returns.

Honestly, I should have bailed on this. The characters all felt so flat, the sisters‘ relationship was boring, the mystery was too predictable, & the magic elements weren‘t as developed as I wanted. 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Look what came in the mail today! I don‘t even remember when I did this Kickstarter. 😂😂😂 #BookMail

The Caldwells are cursed. Every 13 years, someone dies. Florence chooses to suppress her magic to avoid the curse, & Evie tries to do enough good to break the curse. Neither way is working, & the anniversary is approaching.

Intense family drama, spanning 3 generations of witches, dealing w/ loss, generational trauma, abuse. More POVs than I thought necessary, & a romance I didn‘t really care about. But I loved the modern family members.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

#WeeklyForecast

Really looking forward to diving into my #ThematicCozies book for October!

#BookReport

I‘m so happy to have discovered Eden Royce! Can‘t wait to see what else she does!

I loved this middle grade story of grief and friendships and ghosts. And the narrator for the audiobook did a really amazing job!

#SundayFunday Hope you‘re all having a good weekend, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts!

Chat, I think I need more King Arthur books. 😂

Yes, I do know I need Oathbound.

Escaping an arranged marriage, Marisha finds work w/ Baba Zima, a witch living in a house that moves on chicken legs. Working w/ the apprentice Olena to find a cure for the sleeping plague, Marisha will learn more than she ever thought.

I loved the spin on Baba Yaga, & the sleeping plague was so ominous. This felt a little too long, dragged in the middle, & had some very unnecessary romances. But I still was enthralled by the mystery.🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

A Locked Tomb read through podcast used this word on the episode I listened to yesterday, and I knew I needed to post it today. Such a good October word.

#WeirdWordWednesday @CBee

When her estranged aunt dies, Phee takes on the responsibility of arranging the funeral, to her mother‘s anger. Her attempt at independence will reveal her own strengths & family secrets long buried.

For how short this was, it packed an emotional punch. Phee‘s grief over the lost time with her aunt, her coming to terms with her parents‘ fallibility. & brief glimpses into a wide magical world had me hooked! An author for me to watch!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

When Splinter & Ash learn that the Larks are planning on attacking the city of Haven during the Festival of Lights, the two girls decide to do all they can to save their city.

Fantastic follow up! The friendship between the 2 girls is fantastic, all the characters are so unique. Pacing kept me engaged w/out feeling like we were rushing. I do wish we could get more world building of the culture & the magic, but overall a wonderful read!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

#WeeklyForecast

Happy Indigenous People‘s Day!

I‘m very much looking forward to finishing Thistlefoot, a Baba Yaga story, and starting a House of Frost and Feathers, also a Baba Yaga story. 😂

#BookReport

So many good reads this week! It‘s going to be difficult to pick a favorite read for this month!

Granny Weatherwax has my whole heart. ❤️ She‘s always my favorite character whenever she shows up!

#SundayFunday Have an amazing day, and don‘t forget to tag me!

Nagare & his daughter Koishi continue w/ their food detective agency to help those looking for a meal, a memory, & closure.

These books are such a comfort read. The lovely relationship between the father & daughter is so sweet. & each little mystery of what every client needs is so heartwarming. & of course the food descriptions continue to be the highlight of the books. I find myself researching recipes every time I read these books!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

Do you like words? Do you like knowing where some words came from? Then boy do I have the book for you. After giving you a brief exploration of how etymology works, this book shows how those rules have shaped the English language we use today.

A fun dip into the wild and wacky world of words. Humorous and informative, this will be a fun book to whip out for trivia nights.

I am a bit disappointed this book didn‘t talk about zeugmas. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Joy Harjo, former Poet Laureate of the United States, delivers in this new memoir of growing up as an Indigenous woman, the griefs of her community, & the ways she‘s found to make joy.

Harjo is one of my few auto buy poets. She‘s a gorgeous, evocative writer, while making her personal experiences feel so relatable. I made so many highlights & bookmarks. I can‘t wait to buy a physical copy to add to my collection of hers. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

I‘ve been trying to make space for hanging with friends as we start heading into the months of sadness and darkness (yay seasonal affective disorder 🙃)

10/10 Highly recommend just sitting and chatting. 💕

#WeirdWordWednesday #WeirdWords @CBee

When Hazel needs help w/ the mythical creatures seeking refuge in Camp Jupiter, Nico & Will jump to help. They discover the ripples of their journey into Tartarus have spread farther than they thought, & someone really doesn‘t like the change.

Fantastic follow up! I loved the continuation of change vs stagnation & the power of choosing your future, loved the cacodemons, loved seeing more of Hazel, & all the mythics were so interesting.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

When Vimes is sent as diplomat to the coronation of the new Low King of the Dwarves, he isn‘t planning on investigating. But there‘s a stolen holy relic & an attempted assassination, so Vimes does what Vimes does best.

This was an intense one! The ripples of Cheery‘s life has spread, there‘s a lot more political intrigue, & Sybil really gets to shine! & a thoughtful condemnation of using tradition as a means of subjugation & control.🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Saffi‘s newest case is when former movie star Malcolm receives threatening post cards as he tries to open a horror amusement park. W/ environmental activists, rival real estate agents, & a USPIS agent, suspects are abundant.

A cute Halloween read. Saffi is a fun protagonist, a writer living out of an RV. Side characters were so fun. The mystery was engaging w/ a very surprising solve. But I am so tired of cozy mystery love triangles. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

@OutsmartYourShelf What book shall I start when I finish The Court of the Dead?

I‘m super excited for all of these!

#SPNBookBingo2025 Driver picks the music

#WeeklyForecast

Joy Harjo has a new book and I‘m so excited to read it!