#FirstBook of 2025

Goal = 100 Books -or- 35,000 pages
Complete #WiaN, #AsheCoNC, #ReadICT Challenges
Be a Tournament of Books Completist
Grow my Litfluence from 46227 to 70k? (Still not sure if I care)

Happy New Year 🎆

Why do some books hit right? I dunno, but this one hit the right notes for me 🎶 Was it long? Yep - but I was ready for it and I was intrigued enough to settle in and enjoy the ride. It does feel like YA and I am not complaining; it had humor and teenspeak (hey I am old) and sex and crushes and twists and turns and magic with ambiguous good vs evil and I enjoyed it very much. #ToB2025 #Dec2024 Book119

Photo of Christmas 7 Fishes Stew 🌟

“It was as easy as pie. A big old slice of hypno pie with delicious whipped mesmerism on top.”

#LitPie #iLovePie #CaresBooksandPie

I am trying to DNF this extremely interesting, sex-heavy, weird and kinda icky book. #sigh
Connected short stories? Or thematically-related, I cannot say. But UNCOMFORTABLE comes to mind readily.

#Dec2024 Book 118
“… affirmations to the sky full blast: I am ill! I am chill! I am phat! I am fly! I am clutch! I am fetch! I am based! I am bae! I am slae! I am cray!…”

(Prefer Mrs. Nash: I am a delight.) IF you read this, eBook is best 👇

A foggy frosty drive home from Nebraska but we are warming up as we travel southward. Started this last night for #ToBshortlist; was NOT aware it is a story collection (or forgot) and yowza! That first one is scary/unsettling. Not at all festively holiday-themed LOL but I did encounter a pie reference, so there‘s that.

Merry Christmas Eve EVE! While contemplating my year end summary stats, I noticed that the last 3 books I read all have colorful covers. 💖🌟 and I just wanted to post something here to all my Litsy friends a wish for hearty Happy Holidays and fun end-of-year book list posts!

Reading my next #ToBshortlist 📚 🐇

Photo is the latest full moon that shown like a huge spotlight.

#Dec2025 Book117

Get outside and be with nature! How to review a book that is outside “my” experience? Yet quite relatable what with career goal challenges, sense of self against expectations of culture, marriage + family dynamic balance quests? I was often in-wrestle with the turmoil going on and hoping for a win for Jane, mother and author, hoping to achieve her dreams. I appreciate the ending and give this a strong pick; a #notfittingin book.
#Dec2024 Book116

#Top24of24 + 1!
I love deep thoughts of contemporary lit, and I love interesting themes given wit and care. Make me laugh, make me cry, be silly, #FoundFamily #ExquisiteWriting, daring and considerate treatment of the human condition.

Prelude to my Top 24 (or 25) post, I actually managed to finish a photo bracket and continue to agree with my choices. BUT! The real question is… will any of my current reads knock off Make Envy Disco 🪩?! I doubt it.
BIG THANK YOU to @Catsandbooks for the bracket template.

My library copy of the book set in front of the color television 📺! Starting now, plane ✈️ take off is 7am so early to sleep and up at 🕓 4 a.m.

Lovely, just lovely. Don‘t expect high drama and fast plot; the writing is quietly powerful. It‘s a good idea to know what this book *is* before reading. #ToBShortList #Dec2024 Book115

Roadtrip to KCMO to catch a flight to New England. I woke up with the bother of a cold; going anyway. I‘ll keep my distance from people, I promise.

🎄#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii 🎄

Just a few joys that topped my mind these few minutes as I get pretty toes and before I resume reading the tagged book.

I am looking forward to this the more I hear that people didn‘t like it. Not sure why 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hope this approach works in my favor: Tempered Affinity? #ToBShortList

Posing Copper with the🎄has been a challenge this season! Or maybe he only cooperates when I tell him it is for Litsy?! 😂

Audio 🎧 was a good way to experience this and I give kudos to the narrator Cassandra Campbell 🌟 Her voice was perfect for the present tense and the repetition. We get such interesting insight into a broad view of the female psyche; how diverse our wants and needs might be. We are fighters all.

“Her head feels like it is filled with undercooked pie”

#LitPie #PieinBooks #iLovePie #CaresPieShow #ToBShortList #ChocPearPie 🥧

This one was a surprise and yet, I find myself wondering about my preference to know little about plot or theme when I begin a book. I admit, I was getting irritated- extremely irritated- with Isabelle. I still don‘t ‘get‘ her, but then she didn‘t really ‘get‘ herself. Many thoughts, thoughts that aren‘t landing. 🛬
Making a Chocolate 🍫 Pear 🍐 Pie today. #Dec2024 Book113

This. Is. GOOD.
I hope it finds more readers. Our MC has basically run away from home in NYC to have a “work meeting” in Berlin post 911 (Pres. Bush era) and wanders around lost yet encountering interesting people. More dialogue-heavy than I usually read but IT WORKS! I fell for everyone ❤️
I probably didn‘t sell this well so read the synopsis and get your hands on it and let me know if you love it, too. #Dec2024 Book112

“The cherries 🍒 in the neighbor‘s garden always taste a bit sweeter”

FRIENDS!! This book deserves more readers! More awareness, more market exposure!!! I am very much enjoying and will soon give a glowing review. Stack it

Loved this! Such a fun #roadtrip book with wit and heart. And LOTS of pie! 🥧 Possible contender for #LitPie of the year 😁 #iLovePie #Dec2024 Book111

Yeah, I realize and readily admit a couple of things re: this post.

No, (1) the purple trees likely have nothing to do with this book but I have been saving it for a Litsy post (yay!), and
(2) this title is not on the ToB long list. Oh well!

A friend that I highly respect offered this title to me and now, 25% in, I am loving it. Witty banter, woman with a big heart, on a mission to fulfill a promise made to her nonagenarian BFF? YAAAS - all in.

Between a so-so and a pick because I never felt bored though I was often confused and bewildered. I enjoyed the questioning of how and what translators DO, I was intrigued by the devotion of the translators to their Dear Author, I found the animosity between English and Spanish amusing in its presentation. One word I read in a review somewhere calling this “delirium” - it fits! I have no doubt that a “discussion” would find me liking it more.

#Nov2024 recap: 11 books (yeah, only 10 showing) 3284 pages read, 38.6 hours listened.
5🌟 The Wedding People, Poor Deer, Sandwich, Anthropocene, How to Read a Book
4🌟 Time War, Engr Wife, Wild Houses, Whiteness
3🌟 Irena Rey, Great Bridge (skimmed😏)

Litfluence 45327

Who told me to get this book? 😂 So… I ordered it. I guess someone somewhere said it is a must read. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Starting now. #ToBlongList 🎧🍐

#iLovePie #LitPie #June9isStrawberryRhubarbPieDay

Absolutely loving this collection. And now I encounter pie. I declare it a 5 slicer already. 🥧🤩💖

Loved it 🌟 and despite my last quote post, the narration is fine 🤗

#Nov2024 Book108 #ToB2025 #ToBLongList

This book is set in Newport RI and I am an avowed Newportophile. So when the narrator mispronounces a street name it is jarring! I have been jarred. 🤣
(FYI - Thames Street is not said like one says in London… it‘s (probably) sadly Americanized? The locals say the TH sound and it rhymes with “names”)

Pic of the view from the rooftop bar of the Vanderbilt Grace Hotel, and if you ever go, you‘ll love the elevator 📚

I have read 7; currently listening 🎧 to The Wedding People and eBooking Irena Rey. I have The Safekeep ready for next audiobook and am on hold SOON for eB Beautyland. Intermezzo is #55 🤣 , Orbital #3, Ministry of Time #32, Blue Sisters #13, Colored Television #9, Bury Your Gays #6

#ToBLongList #ToB2025_LongList

Yeehaw! 🤠 Here we go with the mad scramble!

Next up for my #PoemAday
In researching the poet, I find she was a retired librarian in Vermont; started writing poems well into her 80s. Her tribute from the publisher at her death at the age of 102 was so lovely- I am excited to read this and am already contemplating buying her second collection. 💖

Pic with my only “map art” -3 dimensional Narragansett Bay RI.

The whiteness sought is of flowers.

#poetrymatters #Nov2024 Book107

So the other day, I was anticipating The Repeat Room would be on the long list and so I used 1 credit and then I found out it‘s not on the list so I was able to return it. Yay! (I find Jesse Ball a little bit perplexing.)
#ToB2025_LongList #Audiobook

It made it! And so did Wild Horses! And Poor Deer! And many I don‘t recognize but many I do. Link in comments - I wouldn‘t have found it if weren‘t for the gr group site… #ToB2025_LongList #toblonglist

Solid pick. Rural Ireland crime drama with believable flawed characters; great writing.

#Nov2024 Book107 #audiobook #DogsofLitsy #CopperBopper #whpg #Autumn #MyStreet

Starting next because might be on #ToB2025 Long List? #Hurryupalready

(Pic from a concert in 2015 that I don‘t remember… but thought might make a good backdrop for this cover 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Love the early evening sun on this adorable cat and I very much enjoyed this book. Made me laugh, made me cry a tear or two, or maybe a few of those taken-by-surprise hit to the chest teariness, ya know? Poor decisions have consequences and sometimes overcoming fears have fabulous results. Found-family stories are my jam.

#Nov2024 Book106

Am loving this book! Enjoyed T‘s birthday party last night ( band was 🔥) and TODAY is International Day of Tolerance… Reading along when this book has the word TOLERANCE so I made this collage. #PettyCash Roadtripping back home now.

Road trip! (Maybe I should have waited til I could photosnap a bridge… ) #Wichita2DightonKS

Next up eBook style. Mini Lemon Chess Pies for a 🥳 birthday party tonight. #RoadTrip #iLovePie #CaresPieShow #LitPie

#Nov2024 Book104 #NonficNovember

Green has a self-deprecating and nerdy love of learning that I adore. He is vulnerable, big-hearted, fascinating; I am here for it. I took down the names of many authors to add to my tbr and admittedly felt a bit smug when he mentions authors I *have* read (Akbar, Rosenthal…. Of course Vonnegut.)

(photo of book on mantel with autumny cards)

Time for another #DogsofLitsy post featuring #CopperBopper 🐶 Finished this in time for tomorrow‘s bookclub. I enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time researching what was true vs. fiction, current photos of where they lived in NY and NJ, if Emily has any descendants still around (none that I could find, but her grandson was a distinguished engineer 👍) Now off to go find Ken Burns doc 🎥 on the bridge. McCullough‘s NF read ready to pick up from library

I laughed. I could relate. It was a quick read and one that made me only want to read read read! Love books that I can‘t put down, that suck me in, that have characters who are enraging and enraged, inconsistent and witty. This book is not about sandwiches the food - though a few are described. This is not all about the Cape Cod town of Sandwich Mass - though it provides the setting. This is about a menopausal woman navigating life between👇

Starting this one because it just came off a many week library hold; comes highly recommended.

Reuben Sandwiches are my favorite with balanced and generous proportions of melty Swiss, sauerkraut, and sauce. MUST be on marbled rye. You?

And, yes, I have stood on this pier of Sandwich MA though I doubt it was at sunset time. But this matches my other post for today. My favorite place on Cape Cod is Pocasset. No real reason other than 👇

I cannot tell if the day
is ending, or the world, or if
the secrets of secrets is inside me again.

By Anna Akhmatova, written in the face of a beautiful sunset; so says Green in his chapter on Sunsets 🌅

Is the secret HOPE? Is it LOVE 💖 Does it need to be a secret? Just some questions on how I will navigate this future with new resolve…

#NonfictionNovember

We not only set up the tree after re-arranging the furniture, but we decided to light it in hopes for a brighter tomorrow. 🌟 Go Chiefs 🏈

This is such an intriguing book! I only knew it involved time ⏰ 🧳 and I am loving the epistolary back & forth. My only to-dos today, besides walk the CopperBop, is to finish this book and write ✍️ a few letters 💌📬

#Nov2024 Book101

I am going to include these quotes; the first one to my friend in MS and the erosion one to my brother, the geologist. The third one made me laugh.

Five star read, exquisitely told, characters to cheer for, totally unique! And it has pie 🌟 Narration by Sophie Amoss is excellent.

#Nov2024 Book100 🎉

October results, finished the #AsheCoNCReadingChallenge, favorite is the tagged and secures Pooley‘s spot on my favorite author list.

(Bette Davis as Mildred; no Of Human Bondage cover found when making my pic collage.)

#Oct2024 ~44k Litfluence

#ToBwaiting These are a few titles being talked about for possible inclusion for next March‘s Tournament of Books. We should see the Long List in a couple of weeks.

I do hope Poor Deer is selected- I am enjoying the audiobook. Wild Houses was offered as an Audible freebie (or discount - can‘t recall) so I have it up for a listen soon.

Current read (which was referenced by The Seven Year Slip author Ashley Poston) and I happened to have on my shelf.