My dear friend knows me so well.

From age 5 to 52, this is still my reaction when receiving a book as a gift 😄

PS - I still have the book!

One of the perks of having a lending library is reading what people donate.

It took me a while to really get into the swing of this one but, once I did, I was all in.

Forbidden love, murder, mystery, and a missing finger that keeps showing up.

PS - how cute is my little library with Christmas lights?? 😍

#bookhaul from the Friends of the Library book sale today 😁

Decided to add some Christmas books to my tbr.

Also scored some children's books for my lending library.

Thanks for the tag @Bklover

* Going into the woods to get our Christmas tree 🎄
* Not a Christmas book, but I love the scene in 'The Book Thief' with the snowman in the basement
* I'm grateful for my friends, family, and loved ones to share this season of joy with

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

Okay, y'all.

They're posted!

Whew. I feel like a weight has been lifted.

#jolabokaflod
#bestof2021swap
#littlechristmasswap

@candority @bookish_wookish @MaleficentBookDragon

Wrapped all the gifts for #jolabokaflod #littlechristmasswap and #bestof2021swap

If I see ANY of my matches posting that they've picked up ANY of the books I bought them, I will flip!!

Don't even think about it!

The story of 2 boys who run away after firing a shot at an abusive father.

Adventure, determination, a little bit of a love story.

'Raft of Stars' was entertaining, but will soon be forgotten.

A regular monthly choice 😁
A free book of the year choice 😃
A free birthday add-on 🥳

Super excited! I've never ordered more than 1 book 😄

#botm

Something unexpected in the mailbox ✔
My name on it ✔
Make sure it's not a swap ✔
Tear it open with glee ✔

An early birthday present!!! 🎁

Thank you so much, @AmyG !!! And, after opening the card, I saw instructions not to open the card until December 7th 😂

I have NOT read this book and I am a Downton fan!

Yippee 🥳

A sad, short, sweet book about grief and moving on.

Another #botm win 😊

PS - anyone else watching the Hallmark Christmas movies??

I may not live near a cerulean sea, but I certainly have access to a mossy tree ?

I am not a fan of the fantasy genre, but this story about a bearded girl, forest sprites, a boy who has always been called a monster, and the son of the devil himself drew me in and didn't seem all that far "out there."

It takes a talented writer to pull that off!

#litsymademedoit and I'm #gladidid

Okay. Well. I signed up for 3 swaps 😄
Nothing like taking it up a notch (or two) from last year but, by golly, I have FOMO!

#jolabokaflod #littlechristmasswap #bestof2021swap

@candority
@MaleficentBookDragon
@bookish_wookish

I enjoyed listening to the story of three generations of women living, learning, and laughing together.

The story is narrated by Swiv - a 9 year old wiser than her years.

One thing I missed listening to the audio was that the story was written as a letter to her absent father. Not sure how that got by me.

At any rate, another great book by Miriam Toews.

PS - This Costco puzzle is going to take some time...

Author Jordan Violina reached out to me on Instagram and asked me to read and review his book on NetGalley.

I was excited and curious. I'd never read an ARC before and was unfamiliar with NetGalley.

Let me just say, I'm glad it's over.

"Apricus" was a drug-fueled story that often read like a creative writing assignment.

I did see some potential - the gypsy curse, the main character's family, but not enough to make this a pick

Okay:

#jolabokaflodswap ✔
#littlechristmasswap ✔

and now a #bestof2021swap???

I am so tempted to sign up for that last one as well but, man, where do I stop myself??

My box is extra special this month 😊

I honestly hadn't noticed the last name of the author when I chose this as my Kindle First Read for July.

I was drawn to the story of 2 brothers and the bucket list the younger left behind for the older to fulfill.

Moving, funny, and informative. Tolkien did a great job with this story of brotherly love.

The sequel to A. D. 30 was just as good as the first.

I appreciate Christian fiction that isn't corny.

Maviah's story continues as she fights for the life of her adopted son and continues to try to understand the teachings of Yeshua.

Imagine how confusing it would have been to be around in Jesus' time without the benefit of history. Dekker does a great job describing what that might have been like.

The story of Rick Bragg's 'terrible' dog.

I found myself laughing most of the time and tearing up some of the time.

I always listen to Rick's audiobooks because that southern drawl gets me every time.

PS - here is a picture of my 'mostly good' dog, Liesel.

When you have an artist friend to help you with your lending library sign 💕

Yesterday was our 25th anniversary and, while he's not silver, this steampunk chimp with his books was the perfect gift for me 😊❤

The look on my face when I start thinking about how much money I spent on books - again

This is a statue I made my husband stop for so I could snap a picture.

Tsunami Gallery in Gardiner, Oregon

#roadtrip

The bears aren't really my thing, but the book selection is great.

I thought I saw another bookstore around a corner. Going to explore that today 😊

Florence, Oregon

We are on a weekend getaway so, of course, I checked out the local bookstore.

The bridge in the background is the bridge on the bookmark. Not a shabby view from the hotel balcony!

Picking up this book is a total #litsymademedoit - I've read so many good reviews.

This one packs a punch.

I didn't realize this was based on a true story until I Googled it after finishing the book.

What a tragic story.

The women in a Mennonite community wake up groggy and aching after being sedated with a spray used on animals and raped.

The men are sent away for a couple of days 😡 and the women meet in a hay loft to discuss what they should do next.

Unbelievable.

My heart is so happy today 😊

My dad built me a little library!

I miss the one I left behind in SoCal two and a half years ago.

Here's to dads making their daughters happy. Oh so happy!

You guys.

This is my favorite book of the year!

Dare I say it is now in my top 5 favorites of all time?

The story of two brothers with grand plans and two escapees from juvenile detention who foil those plans. And there's not a bad guy in the bunch.

The book starts in the middle, which is the perfect place to begin a story 💕

#botm

First 60 pages are great! Only 516 more to go 😂

I'm very curious to discover why the book starts with chapter 10...

Also - I ❤ maps

#litsymademedoit

This 3 book collection was free on Kindle and I snatched it up despite not being a mystery reader.

A young woman solving murders based on her literary knowledge was too much for me to resist.

This first book was cute, short, and sweet. Just what I needed after some heavier reads.

I thought this was a bit of a departure for Maisey Yates who I known for her romance books.

This was more women's fiction which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Then everyone started hooking up, and there was the Maisey Yates I know and love 😄

Here are the contents of my #bookhookup box from The Strand.

I just paid for the one box. Probably won't subscribe for a whole year.

Does anyone subscribe to this??

I'm happy, but not over the moon.

Still worth running out to the mail in my robe and sweatpants though 😂

Easy decision this month 🙂

#botm

I was so excited to get my first subscription box from The Strand that I ran out to greet the postal carrier looking like this 😂

#worthit
#bookhookup
#bookmail

#thinkpositivebepositive @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Thanks for tagging me, @Eggs

I got this off of Instagram from The Light Blonde account 😊

There is such great beauty in this book.

The stories told by a Cherokee father are his way of saying, "I love you," to his kids.

The children listening and holding those stories in their hearts are them saying, "I love you, too."

There is such great sadness and evil in this book.

Child molestation, rape, incest, animal cruelty, suicide.

I would warn you not to get attached to any of the characters, but you won't be able to help it.

This memoir is the story of a family who moves to America from China and the struggles that ensue.

America is indeed a beautiful country, but not for everyone.

Wang did a great job describing her family's experience through the eyes of her childhood.

#botm

As a Christian I sometimes feel bad for not liking Christian fiction. I often find it corny.

But A.D. 30 was fantastic!

It is the story of Maviah (a fictional character) who meets various biblical characters throughout her journey from outcast slave to queen of the desert.

I listened to the audiobook and, no matter where I hit pause, it was a cliff hanger I couldn't wait to get back to.

I have already ordered a copy of A.D. 33 😇

Some fun #LitsyLove going out today 😊

My bestie surprised me with this book and I loved every minute of it!

Going back and forth between Laura's story in 1913 and Sadie's in 1993, we learn about their lives, loves, careers and the theft of valuable books from the New York Public Library.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I have to admit I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own. That's what friends are for 😊

And now I have a new author to be on the lookout for.

Hip, hip, hooray!

An Instagram win!!

Had to include the rare sight of blue skies in my post today 💙

I loved this story about Clara and her mom, Morgan.

Loss, grief, rebellion and love.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#thinkpositivebepositive

I had no idea when I moved to Southern Oregon that there were so many romance writers here!

To be honest, romance is not my go-to genre, but I've been getting more and more interested in these local ladies who are writing them.

This was a page turner about a woman who is convinced her husband is trying to kill her.

She enlists the help of a group of ex-military guys in Alaska.

I haven't met Megan, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time 🙂

When the family ranch is in jeopardy, Lil's grandma encourages her to sign up for a reality TV rodeo show in order to win the money they need.

Lil is a woman up against all odds in a man's world.

Of course, her main competition is a handsome cowboy.

This was a fun, fast read written by one of the book sellers at my local indie!

The author note at the end was fantastic - explaining how she chose the main character's name and her own heritage.

#purplestackforchiari

This is something I learned about from an Instagram friend.

Have you ever heard of this condition? I hadn't.

She is donating a dollar for every purple stack posted .

Mine turned out pretty if I do say so myself 😍💜

Shuggie's love for his alcoholic mother is so fierce and unwavering it'll break your heart.

There isn't much 'happy' to be found here, but this is a powerful book and worth the read.

I'm struggling with how to write this review.

I was into this story about mothers and daughters from the first page.

It is beautifully written and there are many memorable, moving scenes.

After the halfway point, though, I found myself trying to figure out who was speaking, why this new character was introduced, and why the author changed the format.

I'm glad I read it and I'm glad I'm done.

Last weekend I went to my favorite bookstore for Romance Day and missed a connection with two local authors.

Well, the shop owner went above and beyond!

I have personalized books waiting to be picked up on my day off 😃