Welcome to Litsy!

Finished this one the other night. It was fine - a little disappointing, but I can‘t quite articulate why. Most of the stories felt a bit undercooked, if that makes sense. There were three that I‘d say I enjoyed: The Eel Singers by Natasha Pulley; The Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell; and The Hanging of the Greens by Andrew Michael Hurley. The others had potential but somehow fell flat for me.
#snowedin

Some morning short fiction with Casey, who still believes it‘s indecent to get up before 10:00. I‘m enjoying these very British, very Victorian winter ghost stories.

Thank you Chrissy 😘 This was a lovely surprise! I especially love the Capricorn Bowl. ♑️💜

My December pick for #12Booksof2023. The two stories about the mothers are the ones that have stuck with me the most. Likely because I am a first time mother and am reminded every day of the dangers and difficulties we face both from outside and within. As a jaded horror fan, none of these stories particularly “terrified” me, but they were definitely the right kind of creepy for the isolation of the winter season.

Perfect Christmas stories for cold winter nights!

#WinterGames #GangstaWrappers
@Clwojick @StayCurious @bookwormjillk
#WGWordSearch 2290 pts

1. my goals from last January did not make it yo February! After Feb I just wanted to read my “group” reads- and mostly happened just often late on turn around. This entire year was just rough- BUT Litsy and Litsy friends were amazing at support and community and compassion 😘
2. i only read 2 books- but this was a book I Loved!
3. Ripples In Time and the assorted pile from 2023 that were my must reads.
Thanks @BethM for tag!
Anyone else?

I enjoyed reading a story a day from this spooky anthology for #midwintersolace #naturalitsy 👻🎄
I think Lily Wilt was my favorite, it had a nice edge of dark humor, but in general I like the spirit of bringing ghosts back into the holiday season!

Time for my #DashingDecember Readathon wrap up!

My goals:
✅ 👻 finish The Haunting Season with my #naturalitsy group
❌ 📚 read 2 more books
(I read PART of 2 more books 😂)
✅ 👻🎄 score some points for #ghostsofxmas in the #wintergames
✅🎄 get the tree up

That was fun and motivating @Andrew65 ! Thank you!

#selfiescavengerhunt reading by the glow of Christmas lights 🎄
We had a rainy day Friday so I had to read under a quilt with my new reading buddy, Nova.
Ok not much of a selfie, but my knees are holding the quilt up, I promise. 😂

#wintergames
#Ghostsofxmas 👻🎄
#dogsoflitsy

As with any short story collection, some stories were better than others. I liked A Study in Black and White and Confinement (thank goodness I read that one in the daytime…yikes!) the best. Creepy, spooky tales set during the Christmas season, and a great taste of the writing style of each author. #Naturalitsy #BuddyRead

I loved this buddy read so much- and feel like the title was perfect- it was a little spooky, a little creepy, My favorites short stories were The Eel Singers and Thwaites Tenent but all of them were entertaining and engaging to me. #blameitonlitsy #midwintersolacebuddyread #midwintersolace #naturalitsy

I‘m so thankful to the #naturalitsy #buddyread for introducing me to this book! Lots of creepy ghost stories by different authors. My favorite was probably the first one, A Study in Black and White by Bridget Collins. This book was definitely what I needed for this busy (short stories) and stressful (diverted while reading) time of year.
👻👻👻👻

Thank you @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88 !

#midwintersolace #ghostsofxmas

After seeing a few posts advising to read this in the daylight, I‘ll gladly take that advice. Starting this while baking cookies this afternoon. #Naturalitsy #BuddyRead #WhatAmIGettingMyselfInto

#Zeke #CatsOfLitsy

I really enjoyed these gothic tales. A Study in Black and White & The Eel Singers were my favorites. Although Confinement was quite memorable.
#GhostsOfXmas #WinterGames #Naturalitsy #MidWinterSolace @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88 #DashingDecember @Andrew65 ##Rushathon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES #ScaryChristmas @Patchshank #LittenListen @aperfectmjk #AToZ @Texreader

4 ⭐️s
I quite enjoyed this collection. A few of the stories I wished were longer. I don‘t get easily scared and love horror, so most of these were pretty mild for me. Confinement by Kiran Millwood Hargrave was the only one I really found horrifying. Maybe because instead of relying on the supernatural, it‘s based on something all too real that impacts countless lives every year.

#Naturalitsy

Check in time for the #DashingDecember Readathon with @Andrew65 !

It‘s been a busy week so I haven‘t got to do much reading. But now I‘m on break & tomorrow we have a rainy day in the forecast so I‘m planning a day on the couch with my dogs and a book.

My goals:
👻 finish The Haunting Season with my #naturalitsy group - in progress
📚 read 2 more books - lol
👻🎄 score points for #ghostsofxmas in the #wintergames
✅ get the tree up🎄

1. Currently reading The Haunting Season: finished Thwaite‘s Tenant, started The Eel Singer
2. No I don‘t have any solstice reading rituals, so I read some poems from She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo since you asked. I did open the blinds to watch the light change at sunset.
3. No format change. Paper only. 😅

Thanks for asking @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88 !

#midwintersolace #naturalitsy

#Rushathon #DashingDecember

Read for #Naturalitsy #MidwinterSolace

I finished Sunday night but didn‘t get a chance to post. There were some quite spooky tales in this collection & I enjoyed them overall. I especially liked Jess Kidd‘s contribution of Lily Wilt & The Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell. The level of chills varied & was fine for me—I even finished it up while wrapping gifts on a rainy night.😱 The audiobook was very well done.

Time for the #DashingDecember Readathon with @Andrew65 !

My goals:
👻 finish The Haunting Season with my #naturalitsy group
📚 read 2 more books
👻🎄 score some points for #ghostsofxmas in the #wintergames
🎄 get the tree up

I‘m too big of a scaredy cat for this one.
#NaturaLitsy #Midwintersolace

The perfect amount of sinister gothic-ness for those long winter nights. I enjoyed it so much that I've got the second volume, The Winter Spirits. 🕯❄️🩵❄️🕯

This #midwintersolace group read was reread for me, and I was surprised that I both connected with more of the stories, and found it even scarier the second time around. Just goes to show it‘s all about where your mind is at when you pick up a book. #naturalitsy @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

Sorry #MidWinterSolace peeps I‘ve reached my limit. While I don‘t mind a little bit of creepy I am a big old wimp. I got to a certain point in the 4th story and had to tap out. It was not increasing that cozy hygge feeling I‘m striving for. #HailtheBail

This was daylight only listening! As with any short story collection some stories were better than others, but at least one was 5 ⭐️ and another made me scream out loud at the end.

At last, the tree is up! Decorating can wait until Tuesday, though 😅

For now, breathing deeply & thinking of “The Hanging of the Greens”— love this #hyggehourreadathon

#naturalitsy #midwintersolace #hyggehour

@AllDebooks @Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie @jenniferw88

Starting this today. On the advice of most participants, I am reading a couple of chapters this afternoon, rather in the dark of night. #naturalitsy #midwintersolace #buddyreads

I‘m finally getting started with my cookie baking. Listening to the tagged book which is strictly daylight only 👻🎅🍪☃️❄️

I enjoyed this collection of short stories. They read rather quickly,, but there was content. A few were Victorian, which I enjoyed a lot. 4 stars. 2,290 = Word Search.
#Adventathon @BookmarkTavern
#AtoZ @Texreader
#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#Candyland @Catsandbooks
#PromptMaze
#Rushathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader GHABI4ROSES
#RestingGrinchFace @Julsmarshall

Libby has me changing up my reading schedule. Next up!

#WinterPhotoChallenge #SomethingFrozen
#RestngGrinchFace

A collection of short stories with a ghost/haunting theme. The Chillingham Chair is the best of these stories & was written by Laura Purcell. The others are all really strange & not really very well developed & they left me with an odd sense of disappointment as if there was something missing from all of them. 2.5 ⭐

TWs: mental illness, domestic abuse, sexual content, death of a child, confinement, pregnancy, childbirth, animal cruelty/death.

Spending my #HyggeHour finishing my cards for the #NaturalLitsy #MidwinterSolace card swap while listening to one of our #buddyreads ❄️💙❄️

#HyggeHourReadathon

“…the fire was reliable and the teapot was full.”

Delicious tea, a spine tingling winter tale, & my oldest reading buddy ❤️ what a perfectly lovely evening

@AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @jenniferw88 @Chrissyreadit

#naturalitsy #midwintersolace #hyggehourreadathon

#Naturalitsy #Midwintersolace

All welcome to join our December buddyread. You don't have to sign up for the #MWS event.
Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist. 🕯⭐️📖👻❄️

#Naturalitsy

Welcome to #Midwintersolace 23/24. ❄️🌲❄️
Come say hi and let's get to know each other. What do you love most about this time of year? I'll be posting several times a day, so keep checking the hashtag.
Our #buddyread starts today, tagged book. This is a chilled, own pace read with a discussion at the end of the month. 📖💬😊
I'm ridiculously excited for this. I hope you are too. x

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

#Naturalitsy

Sign up for #Midwintersolace closes tonight, ready to start the fun tomorrow. 😊
Sign up form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHrldSr4h5OUT73_2zc9uHOoXrRo9I4qP8v6M3...

Edit - Closed
@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

Here‘s my Remainder of 2023 #tbr for the #WinterGames Early Bird Points.
5 books will help me finish 3 challenges.
If I read 11 of these I‘ll meet my goal to read 47 books this year.
Tagged is for a #NaturaLitsy #Buddyread.
Go team #GhostsOfXmas!

Reposting for @alldebooks @thebookhippie @chrissyreadit @jenniferw88
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2666899

#Naturalitsy #Midwintersolace

Our 1st #buddyread starts Friday, 1st December. Spooky, haunted tales on long wintery nights...I can't wait! 👻 This will be a relaxed, own pace read.
All welcome to join in. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

@LitsyEvents

I am excited about this idea of a nature card swap. I had no idea I had so many cards that portrayed nature! I‘m also excited because I have not been able to hand write due to my shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. It‘s been almost a year. Let the card swap begin!💌📫
#naturalitsycardswap #midwintersolace #naturalitsy

Post 3/3

#naturalitsy #midwintersolace #buddyreads

Tagged for December, Enchantment for January.

@AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

#midwintersolace will host a Dec buddy read and Jan buddy read. Feel free to join us for one or both. Sign up now if you are interested in a cozy embrace of the Season as we celebrate the natural rhythm of Winter, Nature and The Equinox.

Repost for @AllDebooks

Heads up on our planned #buddyreads

1st December - Short story collection (tagged)
1st January - Enchantment (tagged in comments)

All welcome to join. Please let @AllDebooks know if you wish to be added/removed from tag list.

#NaturaLitsy #MidwinterSolace @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

Heads up on our planned #buddyreads

• 1st December - Short story collection (tagged)
• 1st January- Enchantment (tagged in comments)

All welcome to join in. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

@LitsyEvents

99p on kindle at the mo. This is a good collection of short spooky stories. 👍

Bought because I wanted to read more of Mori and Thaniel from Watchmaker (they appear in The Eel Singers) and also I like creepy short stories. Unfortunately meh. The only one that sticks with me a day later was Thwaite's Tenant. I think the problem is I've read Kelly Link, and no one else's creepy short stories measure up. These ones felt too on-the-nose, and the almost entirely Victorian setting felt tired.