#5JoysFriday

My time in Guam is quickly coming to an end, but I‘ve enjoyed every second. 🇬🇺❤️

1. top left - who doesn‘t love a pink house? My friend G‘s 5yo loves pink. I took this photo for her
2. bottom left - Gab Gab Beach
3. middle - deep fried potato “tornado” (bacon cheddar flavored) at the Chamorro Village Night Market 😋
4. top right - gorgeous full moon over Tumon Bay
5. bottom right - USMC III MEF band at the Liberation Day parade

#wondrouswednesday on Thursday

1. It‘s my blog‘s name (wanderinglynn.com)
2. Work jigsaw puzzles, walk, clean, commute, procrastinate, or just to ignore the world
3. I *just* finished Small Magics by Ilona Andrews

#TLT

82 - so many good ones including John Coltrane, The Doors, TLC, Fugees, Carol King, Liz Phair (although not my fave Phair song)

I try to read these books slow, to make them last. But eventually, I reach the last page. Finishing a good story is always a little bittersweet.

I absolutely love this series. And this one is a great installment because it includes ART!

#5JoysFriday

What an incredible week! 🇬🇺
1. Top left - there are wild chickens on the hotel grounds
2. Bottom left - butterflies, so many butterflies at Ritidian Point 🦋🩷 (a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope)
3. Middle - watched some rowers in the bay
4. Top right - a great reading view
5. Bottom right - did some sightseeing around Guam

#wondrouswednesday on Thursday

1. Ending spoiled because not knowing would be too painful!
2. Character because authors are human and sometimes the reality of the whole of them is disappointing
3. Romance
4. Sci-fi! 🛸👽🚀
5. Last. Because I have not finished a series or two. But skipping the first book would be hard.

#TLT

86/100

Hard to pick 3 faves. I love all the 90s groups (Nirvana, Mazzy Star, Fiona Apple) & the punk groups, post-punk/alt rock. (❤️ Pixies!)

I refuse to listen to Kanye. And a couple I hadn‘t heard of, like Ella Baila Sola, and the more modern ones (post-2010), I just haven‘t listened to because not my generation.

“‘Just remember you‘re not alone here.‘
I never know what to say to this. I am actually alone in my head, and that‘s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.”

👆🏻 This.

Soooo many reasons why I love this series. And another reason why Martha Wells should be on any best of list. #stupidNYTlist

Libro.fm is hosting an Olympic-themed challenge to support indie bookstores. 🎉

All participants will win an audiobook credit.

Read more on the blog.libro.fm/champions

Photo from their IG.

#two4tuesday a few days late

1. Nothing! I don‘t travel in the summer (except for work travel) because it‘s too hot & crowded. I vacate in fall and/or spring.

2. Since I‘m a mood reader, I take whatever is calling to me at the time. But usually lighter reads, nothing too heavy or thought-provoking.

#wondrouswednesday a few days late

1. Oh I have several. But my fave is probably The Princess Bride

2. Reading (does that count as a game? 🤣)

3. But not a game I‘d want to try.

#weekendreads

I only brought 1 book with me (I know! 🤦🏼‍♀️ but there were reasons). So I stopped at a local bookstore Friday night to browse. The inside cover said it was Murderbot meets Redshirts. That was good enough for me! 🤖♦️

Not surprising since I normally don‘t gravitate to “serious literature”. And I don‘t pay too much attention to these types of lists since reading is subjective & they rarely include sci-fi & fantasy (Jemisin is the rare exception apparently). This missed All Systems Red. And of course, no romance genre because that‘s not “serious literature”.

This is also why I don‘t subscribe to the NYT. I‘m not a serious enough reader. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂

#5JoysFriday

I‘m in Guam for work 🇬🇺 Life is good.

1. top left - me on Ypao Beach
2. top right - every neighborhood has these fun ❤️ signs
3. bottom right - view of Honolulu as I flew to Guam on Sat/Sun
4. middle - blue-banded king crow butterfly (Euploea eunice). They were so pretty fluttering around. (See my IG reel for the video of the kaleidoscope of butterflies.)
5. bottom right - morning view from my hotel room

#5JoysFriday

1. New Lego sets!!! the insect collection (bottom left) & Jules Verne (upper left)
2. Right photo: I completed this gorgeous puzzle called Freedom by Cobble Hill
3. The heat wave didn‘t last as long as expected. The days I had to go into the office weren‘t bad. And the humidity stayed lowish, which helped a lot.
4. I‘m halfway through the stretching program & feeling good.
5. I got to telework more than I expected this week.

#wondrouswednesday

Quote related to reading or books

Saw this on IG & mine cracked me up:

Love, Tarot Cards, & other things that nearly killed me

What‘s your YA Book Title?

#sundayfunday

On my nightstand, none. But I have stacks on two tables in my living room & another stack in the floor by my chair.

Thanks for the tag @Susanita ☺️

#5JoysFriday

1. The LOC announced the author lineup for this year‘s National Book Festival 🎉
2. The new Mercy book came out on Tuesday!
3. And I had Wednesday off, so I enjoyed reading
4. Got an interesting tarot spread
5. Finally took the plunge & started my application for a masters program at American University

Another incredible installment in the Mercyverse.

#wondrouswednesday

1. Yes. Both a number of books & pages read.

2. I‘m a mood reader, so even though I try to make lists, I often fly by the seat of my pants. I‘m a pantser. 😆

3. So many! But I guess the *best* effect is escaping reality & living in another world for a while.

I was told to stretch my calves to help my plantar fasciitis. Enter this 66-day total body stretching journal by Habit Nest.

Each day has 3 warm-ups & 10-20 stretches + a page for notes & feelings.

I just completed day 19 & can absolutely tell a difference: decreased foot pain, increased flexibility, + better movement/less stiff.

This a soft pick b/c some of the warmup exercises are what I consider advanced + 👇🏻

This was delightful! I admit, it too me a minute to get into it. But Eunice Wong does a masterful job bringing Vera to life. I love this beautiful story of finding yourself & found family. I just wish I could visit Vera‘s tea house.

Thanks Mikala for putting this one on my radar. #auldlangspine

Thanks for the Midsummer love @inthegreensandblues 🧡

These incense matches are really cool. And the tea smells divine! And y‘all know I love astrology, so I‘m looking forward to this book.

Stacey, your midsummer package will go out tomorrow via UPS & should arrive either Tuesday or Wednesday.

#travelingstars2024

#5JoysFriday

1. I hit 2 weeks on the Habit Nest Stretching journal & can tell a difference. (top left photo)
2. I got my Mystery Puzzle Box & it had 12 puzzles, all new to me. (bottom left)
3. I attended my former manager‘s retirement party at Interior & saw some awesome DC views from the rooftop. (right photo)
4. I got a call from a headhunter about a job, which is flattering.
5. My step count has been awesome these last 2 weeks.

This book focuses on running & her personal experiences in the sport. But beyond that, she uses her experiences running to show how our society continues systemic racism & white privilege.

This is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand racism & how to start to be anti-racist. It will make you uncomfortable, but that‘s the entire point. We need to be uncomfortable to understand our own unconscious bias to start making real change.

#threelistthursday

Thank for the tag @Texreader

I got 90/100. My 3 faves from the list:

Beauty & the Beast
The Fifth Element
Nothing Hill

#wondrouswednesday

1. Butler, Steinbeck, Asimov, Heller, Dostoevsky, Joyce

2. Assistant to the Villain is the first one that came to mind. But also Rebecca & Wuthering Heights

3. On the Road

Everyone is welcomed to play! Take a screenshot of the image, post it with your answers, & tag the host @Eggs 😀

#two4tuesday

1. I‘m a mood reader so it varies & it also depends on if I‘m doing any challenges. For instance, my summer reading challenge is BIPOC authors.

2. Right now, all the library books since all my holds came in at once. I just started the tagged. Next up, Dread Nation.

In 2010, Haben was the first, the FIRST, deadblind student to attend Harvard Law School, which was founded in 1817.

Her memoir is written in episodes, discusses different events from her childhood through professional life. Throughout her stories, she highlights how the world is designed for able-bodied people and discusses the concept of "ableism." This book is a must-read.

#5JoysFriday

1. My friend Mary is in town for work & we were able to get together for dinner last night.
2. I‘ve rocked my step count this week.
3. (Left photo) I received this grab bag of books from ECB as a prize for completing their summer reading challenge
4. (Middle bottom) I love the various National Parks‘s IG accounts & I loved this nature PRIDE photo from Grand Tetons NPS
5. (Top right) Pandas are retuning to the zoo! 🎉🐼

I finished 8 out of the 23 prompts for East City Bookshop‘s summer reading challenge. My prize was a grab bag of 3 ARCs:

Oye by Melissa Mogollon
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle & Flying Club by Helen Simonson
The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created A President by Edward F. O‘Keefe

🎉

#wondrouswednesday

1. The tagged is a children‘s book I read when I was a child.

2. I‘m supposed to go to Guam for work. Since I‘ll be there the whole month of July, it will be a kind of vacation. Other than that, I don‘t take vacation in the summer.

3. Movement - I started the Habit Nest‘s stretching daily journal & I am feeling better

Libro.fm is having a BOGO sale! 🎉

Soft pick. Combines myth, history, & modern culture to discuss cultural identity & highlights racist micro-aggressions & flat out racism.

The issue I had was how he depicts women. There are 2—a white girl & a Japanese-American girl. Both only serve as objects of the boys & to further the story-lines.

I can see why this is was an award winner. While I appreciated the story, still disappointed it didn't acknowledge the struggle of minority women.

I didn't care for the MC. It was Emoni's behavior about the culinary arts class & having to follow Chef's rules when I checked out of this book. After that I started skimming the book, skipping entire chapters and never missed anything.

And why does every YA have to have romance? In this case, the romance felt formulaic, as in this is YA, so it must include romance.

Book 10 #summerrreadingchallenge (local DMV author)

Soft pick because I have mixed feelings. She expresses so much in so few words. Her poetry was brilliant with simple lines full of angst, hope, despair, love—all the things that fuel a teenage girl. But I also felt only poetry limited the story, & so all the characters are all caricatures, instead of fleshed out & developed characters.

I can see why this was an award winner. A powerful read, especially for its target demographic.

I'm not sure what to think or how to describe what I'm feeling. This book is an interesting mix of poetry & short stories that were also poetic. The stories are not beautiful or fantastic but are sad and real, which makes them lovely in their own way. The poetry is what really ties this collection together.

Book 5 #20in4
Book 8 #summerreadingchallenge (PEN/Faulkner award winner)

“I know I'm not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I HATE boys. They are mean and scary, and they're always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.”

The use of black & white contrasted with orange & red really packs a punch. The thematic use of fire takes on a multitude of meanings throughout the story.

This story hits hard & strikes deep into your heart.

Book 4 #20in4
Book 7 #summerreadingchallenge (banned or challenged)

A beautiful story about starting to find yourself. This story touches on several big topics including grief, LGBTQ+, racism, and child abuse. The happy-ish resolution of the child abuse arc definitely gave consideration to the book's target demographic because it wrapped up a bit too neat. But overall, a thoughtful and thought provoking story.

Book 3 for #20in4
Book 6 for #summerreadingchallenge (National Book Award winner)

Normally with a short story collection, I find at least 1 story that I don't like. Sometimes more than 1, and then there will be the ones that I'm meh about, & only one or two I really like. But this collection had no duds. While I liked some more than others, I found each story incredibly layered, thoughtful, and nuanced.

Book 2 for #20in4
Book 5 for #summerreadingchallenge (published by an indie/small press)

Meh. I didn‘t like the MC & the bold hashtags throughout were distracting. The mystery wrapped up too easily in the last 5% with too many loose threads.

The only part I liked was the dog, Baby (an English Mastiff).

Book 1 #20in4 readathon
Book 4 for #summerreadingchallenge (cozy mystery)

Thanks to Wyrd & Wonder, I had a stellar reading month: 16 books, all fantasy – 8 hardback, 7 paperback, 1 audio

5-stars – Divine Rivals & City of Bones
4-stars – Ruthless Vows, Wild is the Witch, The Unmaking of June Farrow
DNF – Mink River

3 met prompts for my Summer Reading Challenge (started 5/27) – The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (novella), Before the Coffee Gets Cold (translation), The Very Irregular Society of Witches (Libro.fm audiobook)

East City Bookshop is hosting a virtual author event with Chencia Higgins (Just A Little Kissing Between Friends) & Karmen Lee (The 7-10 Split) & moderated by Adriana Herrera (An Island Princess Starts a Scandal).

#romanceauthors #BIPOCauthors

When the other half of your library holds come in the DAY AFTER you just picked up the first half. 🙃

#gottagetreading #readreadread #amreading

🤣🤣🤣 #booknerdhumor

From the for_reading_addicts IG

Overall, an interesting concept that I felt failed in execution. It's an easy read but the story and its characters are mostly forgettable.

Book 16 for #wyrdandwonder
Book 3 for ECB‘s Summer Reading Challenge

When all your library holds come in at once #readerproblems

Guess it‘s going to be a reading weekend! 📚📚📚

Mixed feelings about this book. I agree with other reviews that this would be better as a play or a Netflix series. As a book . . . well, I'll just say I think maybe something has been lost a bit in translation. I think that if I could read it in Japanese, instead of this translation, it would be better. The English translation, well, I thought it felt simplistic and overexplained. But I like the concept.

I thought it was a bit clunky & that it was just okay.

Book 14 for #wyrdandwonder
Book 1 for my Summer Reading Challenge