The new floors are almost all done, they need to cure then tomorrow they'll get finished. But this is how it looks. That hexagonal vinyl in the kitchen is so beautiful and I love the grey tones overall. That's me dishwasher in the living room, the stove and fridge are behind it but I could only plug in one appliance so obviously I chose the perishables 😆 I can't wait to be DONE done and start decorating
December's #bookspinbingo list. This time I'm writing the books right on the grid and I'll write the numbers over top and I'll pin it to the wall so I don't lost it in the moving like I did with November's list.
panA horror story about vampires and the Amish sounded interesting to me, and while it delivered on gore and spookiness I was left really annoyed with some character's choices and the way the tale unfolded. There's no resolution to some of the conflicts (perhaps in the sequel, but this one I probably will pass on).
pickThis one was interesting and a good contrast to The Hallowed Ones. Both are books with a horror bent and both have religious-as-oppression overtones. This one though I enjoyed slightly more, the characters are a little more likeable in their search for hope and redemption and in the end Agnes's leadership is actually inspiring and what I would hope would happen in a worldwide apocalypse.
pickWest is the sequel to East, both were really good. It is YA fantasy, set in a pretty well thought out world with various mythologies influencing the story. I really like the wind-magic system, and I also enjoy the "hero in need of rescuing" flip, usually it's the damsel in distress but not with these books! I would love to see these be made into a movie ?
so-soThe Night Weaver by Monique Syman was an interesting YA novel. Good for people wanting a different take on faeries with a little creepiness and romance mixed in. WHAT I DID NOT LIKE WAS THE CONSTANT USE OF PRESENT TENSE.
There, I said it. It's all in present tense which was jarring occasionally, but I got over it enough to read the next in this series and I'll likely read the third (if there is one) to finish the story, so to speak.
🥳🥳🥳
On the good note I woke up and had 2 holds come in:
🌸 Agnes At The End of the World by Kelly McWilliams
🌸 West by Edith Pattou (this is a sequel to East)
Perhaps the most annoying thing about being sick right now is that I was scheduled to get my shot yesterday and had to back out. I was willing but apparently my sinusitis is bad enough that the recommendation came back as a no. The good news though is that my pharmacist said as soon as I'm healthier he will get me in so that's at least something positive. I'm headed back to bed, I was up all night.
pickSo.... this week I've been down with a nasty sinus infection (I get them every year at this time, like an unfriendly reminder of my mortalit- okay, I'll stop being dramatic 😅) and committed the cardinal sin of binging Shadow & Bone on Netflix without having read any of the books (I did this with the Witcher, too,although I'd played the games before). Now I've just finished this one, and onto the next, and I kind of like the TV one better. 🤷♀️
Try stuffing that chicken with apples and lemon and serve with sweet potato, carrots, potatoes and apples for an impressive fall dinner. Serve with smaunt fat slash creamy gravy and light some candles to make it all fancy 😋
🎃 October was a pretty stressful month all around what with Mom's surgery, big time family drama, and the kitchen renovation being stalled. But those in between moments were nice.
🍁 getting the renovation done, decorating for Christmas and making gifts
🍂 I have some really good friends here in my friend group who have been doing a recipe swap of sorts, and I've got so many new things to try to make.
#thankfulThursday @MoonWitch94
I made my own #bookspinbingo card for this month 😁 hopefully this will help me stay on target and get some reading in!
pickYou ever read a book that starts weird, gets weirder and just keeps leaning into it until every other page is left with you saying quietly to yourself "what the f"?
Paprika is that book for me. It starts with the theft of a device that enables a user to enter someone else's dreams and actively change them, and it ends with a dizzying blend of reality and dream, of "real" and "not real". Great sci-fi thriller.
I'm about a quarter of the way into this book, which was billed as a sci-fi dream detective story that also has an anime I can watch later. Right now it's a little bit dragging on so I switched out for one of my other books (I have about 4-5 going at the same time usually)
My #bookspin bingo list for November. Wishing everyone a cozy November filled with warmth and good drinks and good reading
@TheAromaofBooks
Next up is "The Kingdom of Childhood" by Rebecca Coleman featuring Peregrin's seal of approval. We're hiding out in the reading room because our kitchen is FINALLY getting repaired ? and my husband left us to go on a fishing trip. ?
pickStarting with "Trading in Danger" by Elizabeth Moon this five-book series, Vatta's War, follows Kylara Vatta, a recently-expelled space academy student whose first trading mission (her family is a big trading company) goes off the rails.
This series was really good. Easy to read with good world-building and plot. High stakes here and I definitely cried in at least one scene.
Currently Reading East by Edith Patou. I have a whole other post to do about books I've been reading but this is what I'm currently on.
In personal news, Mom has had her surgery and from the sounds of it it was successful, so she's back home resting. Now she has to do her chemo and get some more scans done.
Thank you to everyone who's been reaching out to check up on me. In the last two months things have gone bananas. Our home (rented) had a major water leak that's been going on long before we moved in. Fixing it is a lengthy process but as you can see I have no cupboards, no insulation (it was very moldy) and no wall. We're waiting to get all that fixed.
I've got more stuff, I just need to vent it all out so I'll post in the comments.
Today's #thinkpositivebepositive quote made me laugh when I saw it but really sometimes you do need a drink and a snack
Next up is this one which has been popping up all over my Goodreads follows. Can't wait to dig into it!
pickThis was a fascinating if sometimes horrifying story. It reads both quickly but also slowly because every other paragraph you have to take in and digest it. All the trigger warnings but it is an amazing take on identity and what it means to be a person, in both beauty and horror.
This is me on our second year anniversary last week doing the Skybridge in Golden BC.
I'm hanging in there - there's good days like this one and there's the days I don't want to leave the bedroom. Today was a particularly rough one as my Mom called to tell me they are indeed sending her for a colonoscopy and are suspicious she may also have colorectal cancer, the same thing that killed my Dad.
It's been a long month, and I've been going through A LOT. But I'm still here, and I am going to keep on going.
Please be kind to people.
Hey y'all I'm just checking in to say that if you're expecting a letter from me, please hold on. I'm in the middle of packing and I work in the city so my schedule is like this:
✅ Wake up at 5 am
✅ Drive 2 hours to city l
✅ Work outdoors in hard physical labour job until 5 pm
✅ Drive home
✅ Spend an hour trying to pack at least 2 boxes
✅ Go to sleep and try to get some actual sleep 😂
Please be patient with me, and I'm sorry!
Up next is this hold that came in like 10 minutes to midnight (and I have to get up at 5 am 😩), about missing fathers and alternate-1983 London.
pickWhat an interesting and weird story! I definitely wasn't expecting that plot twist towards the end.
The #thinkpositivebepositivequote for today. I've been trying to work towards adopting some healthier behaviours around food and emotions as it's something I've struggled with for my whole life.
Today's #thinkpositivebepositive and amazing news: we have signed the lease and are moving in sometime after May 15th! I am thrilled (and horrified at the amount of books I gotta pack)
pickI loved this book. Highly recommended for fantasy fans, especially those taking on Authurian lore.
Today's #thinkpositivebepositive #mondayquote is from Elizabeth Gilbert.
May #bookspin card 😊 a lot of these are titles from last month I didn't get around too and I'm not sure if I'll get to them this month, either. May is usually very busy for work. @TheAromaofBooks
Up next is Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. This has been a hold forever in my Libby and now it's finally come.
pickIf you want an epic, sweeping sci-fi in a beautifully imagined world with large scale conflict, swashbucking-esque space pirates (including a space pig!) and mysterious aliens then I recommend this!
Today's #wondrouswednesday from @Eggs
🌱 The first thing I wanted to be was a paleontologist, I was obsessed with dinosaurs growing up as a kid.
🌿 I am a chronic snooze hitter
🌳 Breathe deep, seek peace (Dinotopia) and Isaiah 58: 10-11
🍁I love a lot of colours but currently purple remains my favourite.
Today's #thinkpositivebepositivequote is for me. I've been trying to get up earlier. Today I was up at 5:40! I have to be ready to go next week for 5 am 😭
Today's #thinkpositivebepositivequote is all about being a blessing to others! ? Today I am handing out compliments to random Whitecourtians and one elderly gentleman said "oh, thank you, young lady!" haha
