Next up! Thanks, Sarah!

Such a fun tale! As an ardent reader of Heyer Regency romances, this was a perfect fit! It is quite a tangled tale with duels, impersonators, and a complex family tree. 😄 Oh, and lovely friends!

I will definitely look for more Joan Aikens! Any recommendations for particular titles?

Also, I wanted to highlight how beautifully you wrapped the gifts! Your creative folding and tucking in the bookmarks was fabulous! You aren‘t allowed to deprecate your wrapping skills anymore! 🤣🤣

Gisela, what a sweet and thoughtful package! Your gifts for Sophie were so cute! Such a pretty outfit, and she‘ll love being wrapped in the cozy robe after bath time! The envelope you made was so pretty, and I loved how you personalized it! I‘m saving it for her baby book! The fuzzy socks and mug set are perfect gifts for mama, as are the great bookmarks! I am so excited for all the books!! ⬇️

Such a fun adventure, just as fun on rereading! Quite a different set of characters and situation than you usually find in a Heyer. I hope you all enjoy it! I‘ll get it on its way to you, Chrissy!

They‘ve arrived! Thanks, Sarah!

I read this in one day! (A few weeks ago, I‘m pokey on my review 🙃)
I loved the beginning half, and enjoyed the whole book! The Marquis as a fatherly figure stole my heart ❤️ I loved Frederica, too, though I got rather put out with her in the latter portion with her uncomprehending treatment of Charis.

#LMPBC #GroupH

I‘m sorry it has taken me so long to post this @LibrarianRyan ! Another unbirthday gift has arrived - and it has a very striking cover!!
Thank you so much for your generous birthday-sharing! ❤️

Chrissy, I love the surprise package for Baby! How fun! I know Sophie will enjoy splashing the pages of her bath book and will love reading (and gumming) her new books! Those are so cool! Thank you so much! ❤️

This sweet little peanut arrived early! Needless to say, we are blissful, exhausted, bewildered, and completely smitten 🥰🥰

Sorry for the delay, friends! Here are a few ideas for our next round of happy books!

I‘ve read Toll-Gate, but I thought it would be fun to see what everyone else thought about it (especially all the slang!)

Provincial Lady in London wasn‘t like the first book, but her experiences/thoughts on America may be entertaining 😄

I almost saved this one for next Christmas - the plot being the disappearance of one of group of charity carolers - but I‘m glad I went ahead and read it now.

I loved the English country setting and the tongue-in-cheek humor. The mystery waned a bit for me. I was drawn more the by author‘s prose and the characters, and I would absolutely like to read another by this author. Did I mention he was quite funny?

#1939 for #192025

I really can‘t think of a better way to start the day…

Chocolate cake and milk ✔️
Coffee ✔️
Calvin and Hobbes ❤️

I kept forgetting to say this arrived!

I‘ll finish reading and have it on its way to you early next week @Bookwormjillk !

#LMPBC

Eeek! I am so excited for this one @LibrarianRyan ! I love that you choose it! 💜🖤💜🖤

Thank you so much! 🎉

Ooof, this was not what I was expecting! I‘ll refrain from reviewing, so it will be fresh for you @Chrissyreadit 😄

I‘ll have it in the mail to you Monday!

#LMPBC #GroupH

A vibrant, lovely book about culture, food, and family. It features a selection of fulfilled women sharing what is special to them and how they describe their place in the world.
I saved quite a few recipes to try - they are all very approachable!

#LMPBC #GroupK

It will be on its it‘s way to you @Bookwormjillk !

It‘s here @TheAromaofBooks ! And the Reese‘s isn‘t going to make it to the next stop 🤣

#LMPBC #GroupH

And continuing the book fair finds…

My mom surprised me with this little book! ??❤️ By the cover, we both expected recommendations for restaurants and cafes, but it is actually a description of each of the must-try foods you would find in Paris - e.g. pain suisse, aligot, salade chèvre chaud. A nice overview of what you may find in a patisserie, bistro, or fromagerie. ???

Reading one of my book sale finds 😊

The layout is so cute, and the French phrases inserted well. (No pronunciation guidance though 😆)🐘❤️🇫🇷

A book sale next week in #STL ! My mom is going to drive down for it, and she loves collecting books even more than I do. There will be a lot of book buying in our near future 😆📚👍

https://jccstl.com/programs/used-book-sale/

Have you been to this one @MaureenMc ?

This book is so stinkin‘ adorable! A humorous how-to guide on choosing and bringing home a monster and caring for it. A creative premise and cute illustrations!

“Share activities with your monster. After all, he is almost like one of the family. In fact he‘s probably better than some of the family. He will like to watch horrible, mean, nasty shows on television. Let him watch the news.” 🤣

It‘s arrived! Thanks @Amandajoy !

This a gorgeous book - I‘m looking forward to it!

#GroupK #LMPBC

Thank you for the package, Chrissy! The tea smells yummy! And it‘s caffeine free! 👍 You are so thoughtful!! ❤️❤️

Last week I wrapped up my annual Christmas reread of Envious Casca and moved on to my (now) annual reread of Murder After Christmas. As this is just the second time around, I‘m only slightly less lost than the first time. 😂 The humor is delightfully irreverent!

Not chockfull of Yuletide cheer! It was rather unsettling and darker than I expected. This book wouldn‘t encourage me to read others in the series. Fortunately, I am a devoted fan of Joan Hess‘ Claire Malloy - an intrepid bookseller with a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, so I still overall enjoyed it.

When Peter pokes fun at Claire‘s predictability, she tries to be unpredictable by accepting a unique invitation ⬇️

One thing I like about the Sloan and Crosby series is how Aird gently educates the reader on a different topic in each book. This one incorporates the waters near and of the sea, the people who live on them, and the constabulary‘s place there.

A body found floating on the sea near the mouth of the river was not as simple a case as originally thought - as Dr. Dabbe‘s post-mortem (and entertaining insights) discover.

#ispybingo #fog/mist

I keep forgetting to say it arrived! Thanks, Sarah!

And I love the bookmark idea, Julie! Thank you! ❤️📚

Revisiting this one, I promptly remembered it wasn‘t one of favorites. However, it was interesting to listen again, knowing the outcome. Paraphrasing Polly‘s remark, “There is some good in the worst of us, and some bad in the best of us.” There is little black and white in this story, which I appreciated more this time around.

Rounding up a so-so, this penultimate installment in the Cat Who series contains a year of surprises, which is capped off with a “bombshell.” In the plus column, reference is made to Jerome K Jerome and 3 Men in a Boat, which I loved and will have to reread soon. In the minus column, Braun rather summarily does away with long standing characters, inexplicably with very little ceremony.

#2006 for #192025

Today‘s find! I‘m intrigued 😄😹

“Now, I can‘t vouch for the authenticity of this newly found document, but I can say that Alexander has done a fine job … allowing the cat‘s (and her own) sense of humor to have full run.” - New York Times Book Review

A pick because I got sucked in - I just about bailed immediately, as I could tell it wasn‘t a mystery to my taste. In spite of that, the story became a page turner. Inspector Kenworthy, quick and insightful, was also brusque and made questionable decisions. He made me uncomfortable, at the same time, I knew he would bring home the bacon. Probably my last Kenworthy, but still a good mystery.

Bell and I enjoyed a little quiet girl time while I finished my #LMPBC book this afternoon. ❤️

A fun, goofy mess, of course! To preserve your sanity, steer clear of Blandings and its inmates 🤣 Freddie and Uncle Gally steal the show!

#GroupH

@LibrarianRyan has posted the nomination form for the 2022 Litsy Awards!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXSzVqYbQNCw4ZkMXP5_HNdhAS6v6yww8ab2Oe...

Season‘s Readings! ❄️🎄🔪☠️

Chrissy, what a fabulous surprise! Thank you so much!

My Francophile self is quite excited for Bringing Up Bebe - which looks very entertaining. 🍼🇫🇷 And I‘m so happy to have a new Christmas read for this season! I love those covers! 😍

Thank you for thinking of me!! ❤️❤️❤️

Well, it‘s taken me all year, but I finally have a #litsycrafters project! December is baking theme, and they are my favorite projects because you eat it at the end 😄

My husband, Chris, graduated with his MBA yesterday! 🎉🎉🎉

This was the celebratory cake - Coconut Cream Cake 🍰 from the Heaven on Seven cookbook.

Thank you for my Christmas Card @CrowCAH !
I hope you have a lovely Christmas, Cynthia! 🎄❤️🎄

1. Hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows! I really enjoy peppermint mochas, also, but it isn‘t long into the season before I get peppermint overload 😆

2. Every song on the Home Alone soundtrack 🎄

#Two4Tuesday

Thanks for the tag @julieclair !

I‘m afraid I was rather disappointed in this “magical memoir.” Phyllis Sandeman wrote of her life growing up in a stately country house, in a family of distinguished lineage. Her story is focused on one year‘s Christmas celebration, but it encompasses much more of the general life on the estate - both gentry and servant. The latter, along with the somewhat dispirited foreshadowing of the future, is why I was disenchanted with the book. ⬇️

A fun book to dip into, with recipes and little descriptions of the history of certain Christmas customs, such as the popularization of the Christmas tree in England and the origin of Boxing Day.

You also get a tantalizing description of the luxurious celebrations at the Ritz. I‘m planning a trip and saving my pennies 🤣

☕️: Christmas Cookie Latte

Mark Twain is hilarious - his dry wit is top notch. However, I enjoy his travel accounts, maybe not his fiction.

I read the titular story and didn‘t find it funny at all (I also didn‘t appreciate the way the animals were treated.) I skimmed the second story, The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg, as I wasn‘t enjoying it either. I guess the satire is the joke, but I miss his usual humorous, trenchant remarks. I gave the rest of the stories a miss.

I think I was expecting a very different type of tale, so my dissatisfaction is likely more my fault than the story‘s (especially since everyone seems to love it!)

I believe I will stick to The Night Before Christmas for my Santa fix. 😆

#bookspinbingo

Still enjoyed the wit, but I didn‘t find it quite as sparkling as the first. The financial indiscretions continue 😆😆

It should almost be to you @Chrissyreadit , it went out a few days ago. 😄

#LMPBC #GroupH

Photo of my shelf copy because I forgot to take a photo before I sent it 🤦‍♀️

I keep forgetting to post - these arrived @TheAromaofBooks ! Thanks! ❤️📚

#LMPBC

So many books that I would like to get to in December! (And ironically December is a frantically fun month with no time to read 🤣)

#bookspin

Well, my choice didn‘t go as planned #GroupK ! I think this is between a pick and a so-so. The explanations and instructions are extensive (overwhelmingly so at times), and the recipes are varied applications of the wild yeast (sourdough) type. However, at this time, I can call it an epic fail for me 😆 This was my first foray into sourdough, and admittedly, it isn‘t a type of bread I prefer, but I was excited to try out the process. ⬇️

I‘m so happy to have my sweet girl with me on this Thanksgiving! She‘s enjoying the fire at Gigi and Papa‘s house, and I‘m enjoying a reread of one of my favorites. This is such a terrific story and the illustrations are amazing. I appreciated them even more this time around. I also now have to try Grandmother‘s Famous Cranberry Bread - with light raisins - a unique twist!

Absolutely delightful! Venetia is one of my favorite Heyer heroines - they are always uniquely unconventional, but she was exceptional! Good thing she was of strong character, because she had to endure some infuriating people!

What a great choice, Chrissy! Such a fun round #LMPBC #GroupL !

#1958 for #192025

Reading my last British cozy, I thought the Village Fete could be a dangerous place to be - turns out I was right! There is even a mention of the fortune teller‘s tent! 😳