Welcome to Litsy!

An intense craving for THORNYHOLD has me in its grips. My library stack can wait.

I‘m glad to see the book‘s attracted tons of goodwill on Litsy since I first read it. It had a looooow rating back then, largely from people who bailed really early. Much as I love the story, I kind of get that. By contemporary standards, THORNYHOLD ought to start on page 40, with everything that comes before inclued over the rest of the book. Still: it‘s lovely.

What a delightful Valentine‘s Day read: a story of a young woman (late twenties) inheriting a house from her cousin and coming into her own. A bit of witchcraft, a bit of romance, a few delightful animals and precocious children, a bit of space for self-discovery. What‘s not to love?

Favorite Fiction award goes to: “Thornyhold” by Mary Stewart. Give me more of this in 2021.

Favorite Nonfiction: Caitlin Doughty‘s “From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death.”

•Favorite Libation is presented to: Red Wine 🍷

Well-played, all! 🎉

Happy New Year! ✨🥂

This audiobook was such a treat! I absolutely loved this story of a woman who inherits a charming cottage from her cousin and in it finds the peace and solitude she craves. Add in some magic and a bit of romance for a truly enchanting story. 🌷
#audiobook

Imagine if “I Capture the Castle” was lightly brushed with natural magic & witchcraft. Are you doing it? Have you already sought out & purchased this book? Because you should. Easily my favorite read of 2020. So idyllic, so romantic. Written in the 1980‘s & set in the 1940‘s, this is the story of a lonely, vicar‘s daughter who comes into her own strength after inheriting her cousin‘s historical, countryside home — & her magical reputation.👇🏻

“A good house, deep in the woods, with a garden all around it and a river flowing past it. Fruit trees, and flowers planted for the bees. A place to grow my herbs. Silence in winter, and in summer nothing but the birds. Lonely as the grave, and every bit as restful.”

2 hours of VERY pleasurable reading toward my #ReadYourWay & #CocoTurns50 goals, which means +40 points for #Scarathlon2020 (+ individual post points, which I‘ll tally later).

Ok, ok. I did my own research & found the best Readathons that will work for me & help me up my #Scarathlon2020 point game for #TeamHarkness: the #ReadYourWay & #CocoTurns50 (happy birthday! 🖤🍁🧁) challenges.

Considering they both end at midnight tomorrow (10/25) & we‘ve got Sunday hiking plans, I‘m setting my goal low at 5 hours & 1 book.

Photos are of our planned hiking locale (Doane‘s Falls) & are stolen from Instagram. 😉📸

Shock & upset! This one beat “Girl in Red” out at the last minute. THIS is what I‘m reading next.

Ahh, that fresh book feeling. ✨
#Scarathlon2020

I missed yesterday‘s post for #grateful21 so here are days 6 and 7 together:
1 Staying up too late and re-reading this favorite book in one sitting ❤️
2 Homemade chocolate chip cookies 🍪
3 Massage day 💆
4 Great meeting at my son‘s school to get him some extra support 🏫
5 Four (!!) people showed up for guided meditation at work 🧘‍♀️ I
6 My friend possibly opening a yoga studio I can start teach at 🧘‍♂️

Today‘s Book Barn #bookhaul is one thing I‘m grateful for. My other two for day 2 of #grateful21 are post-book-buying chili cheese fries with my son and my sister, and my #Edie and Chloe #catsoflitsy acting hilariously curious and shy when my sister came over. @Eggs

THORNYHOLD salvaged my ruined Sunday. Mary Stewart illuminates all the ways that moving into a new home can be a grand adventure and a path towards the life you want. Mix in a couple of duelling witches, an assortment of animals, and a quick but heartfelt romance and you've got a damned good story. I'm surprised at its low Litsy rating. #caseyplusbooks

I was delighted to find a Munro's bookmark tucked into my grandma's copy of THORNYHOLD. It came out around the time when my aunt and uncle moved to Vancouver Island, so I guess they either sent her the book for Christmas (she was a big Mary Stewart fan) or she got it herself when she went to visit their new place.

Casey and I are friends again, but it's still gonna be a little while before I trust him alone with a book. Duffy seems the safer bet right now.

I decided to take a wee break from SING THE FOUR QUARTERS until I know I have the mental energy for longer books. In the meantime, I'll read this 200-page Mary Stewart novel I inherited from my grandma.

Really good. Has magical-ish elements so avoid this if you don‘t like that, but this is a gothicky, tense voyage of self discovery and romance that ends much more happily and gently than I expected.

Today‘s reading: my first Mary Stewart, which has been sitting on the tbr shelf for some time...

I haven't read this one yet, but thought it might be appropriate for #cottage. #coolbooks #coolbooksfairytaleedition

Should‘ve done my due diligence. Thankfully, some friends who shall remain nameless pointed out that this is a magic book. I don‘t do magic books. I‘m out of here!

#QuoteOfTheDay

I don't bail often, guys, but this has been sitting by my bed for over a month, enticing me not at all, and 30 some pages in it's still just blah. It seems like a lot of telling and not much magic; maybe it's my mood, maybe I'm not far enough in, or maybe it's just meh.

Needed a break from Kate Morton book so went to Mary Stewart. Short, mysterious, and alive with magic... Immediate satisfaction, but not as good as some others of hers I've read...
This is my most recent #bookhaul. Glee!!!

This was the perfect book for me to read these last few days - as the nights are starting to get a little cooler here in NH - and this is a cozy, witchy little book. It makes me want to clear out my garden beds and start my own witch's garden.

This was the perfect book for me to read these last few days - as the nights are starting to get a little cooler here in NH - and this is a cozy, witchy little book. It makes me want to clear out my garden beds and start my own witch's garden.

I can't stop smiling when reading this book... It is just so cozy. I think Gilly and I could be friends!!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 last night: I was cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

I got this book at the library when I lived in Austin (about 8-9 years ago) and LOVED it. Since moving to NH, I've never been able to find it at any of my local libraries and it's not available on kindle... I don't usually buy books that I've already read, but I couldn't resist with this one!! 😍 tonight: I will be cozy!

A lovely old fashioned feeling (in a good way) story about a young woman stepping into her own identity. Not nearly as creepy as I expected given the cover.

It's been a long week but between the Rose bath salts and a trip to a magical house with Mary Stewart my night is looking up!