Finally getting to this book of short stories after buying it for #ReadingOceania last year. Only the first story took place in Tonga, but I enjoyed all of them. They were about different things but I liked how they embraced nature and took place in unique locations.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
It‘s been quite the week so I am grateful for this reminder to look for the joy.
1) My neck issues persist, but I did get some relief this week from cortisone shots
2) The shots threw me for a loop and everyone at work was really nice about helping me out
3) Native flowers in bloom around my office and at the garden where I volunteer
4) visits nightly from Not My Cat
5) vibrant crepe myrtle flowers with blue skies

#WDNCW we do not care that we have been sending Instagram reels to our teens with possible questionable lyrics. I only interact with IG on mute and you can feel free to do the same. Also I am trying to communicate on your level. It wasn‘t me who made the request to stop putting sticky notes on your doors.

I liked this one. Just a sucker for hidden rooms and skeletons I guess. Murder by spider seems a little far fetched though? #NancyDrewBR

I got to see the pretty sunset I‘ve been waiting for, and now it‘s time for my second favorite hobby after reading- picking out what book I should read next.

My drink matches my book for #hyggehour

Waiting for the sun to set while I read this silly cozy. It‘s been ages since I saw a nice sunset and I have high hopes for tonight.

Have you read this book yet? It‘s been on my list since it came out and I finally read it this weekend. It‘s so sad and happy all at the same time.

Inspired by yesterday‘s chapter of Wives and Daughters eating lunch like my controlling stepmother got herself invited to London. #HashtagBrigade

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii (It is Friday right? I‘ve lost track.)

1) so many fruits and veggies
2) new sheets and blankets
3) porch view in full bloom
4) kitty fights
5) walks by the water

Pride and Prejudice meets The Little Mermaid. Kind of. This was cute.

Last night I loudly declared that I didn‘t care about anyone or anything and I was going on my porch to read. Cue the flooding rain that chased me back inside. Tonight I am whispering quietly that I am hiding from everyone and hoping the weather holds. Not tempting the fates tonight.

We do not care in general. We are walking away from all of it and spending the night reading on the porch instead. #WDNCW @dabbe

This one was a low pick for me- story within a story very rarely is my thing. I have a very hard time stopping myself from skimming over those parts. The ending though, if I understood it correctly, blew me away. That‘s a big if so I look forward to discussing this at #CampLitsy this weekend. @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

My son read this for his freshman English class and I‘ve been meaning to read it since. (He‘s a senior now 🤷‍♀️)

I loved it. It touches on a lot of sad topics, but with a lot of hope.

#192025 @Librarybelle (1988)

Hygge time! Cold water and a mystery because I have to go back to work tomorrow and I don‘t feel like thinking about a thing.

What I‘m saying is nobody feels sorry for anybody anymore, nobody even pretends they do. Not even the President. It‘s like it‘s become unpatriotic.” The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (1988)

I finally got to my #FoodAndLit #Bangladesh book (Although it was mostly set in India so I want to go back and see what the rest of you read.)

This novel revolved around several lives in the Sundarbans - river islands on the border of India and Bangladesh. There‘s a scientist studying freshwater dolphins, the prodigal nephew returning for the first time since he was sent as a punishment as a child, the young family struggling with expectations⬇️

@Chrissyreadit the bees go crazy for the oregano flowers in this garden. Now they can stop for a drink too. #StaycationInTime

My top 12 reads of the year so far. Some of these are re-reads, but a lot are new to me as well. Ramona next to Stephen King cracks me up. They‘d probably be friends.

Wow @Chrissyreadit !! This was so great! #staycationintime

I‘m in love with the little bee fountain. I have just the spot. I‘m amazed you got chocolate here without it melting, and the tea is perfect for #hygeehour reading. I‘m delighted with the books especially the one about sharks. I love it all. Thank you so, so much.

@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

I‘m with a lot of you that there doesn‘t seem to be a lot to celebrate in the US today, but the day off is much appreciated and is giving me space to plan, dream, and find joy!

1) my garden brings me so much joy
2) 5th gotcha day for my two cats
3) cleaned out our board games only to be offered the gift of the one I want that I don‘t have
4) summer fruit
5) cooler weather makes everything easier

Wait, what????

#WDNCW @dabbe

1) we do not care that we are tagging first in this post like a goober because that is the only way we‘ll remember
2) we do not care that we said we would do some cleaning in the attic this week but read instead

Nothing more promising than a fresh, new #BookspinBingo board

Thanks @TheAromaofBooks 🎆🎇🎆🎇

June was a fabulous reading month! I somehow read 22 books! Here are the top 12.

I‘m really enjoying these novellas about the #Greenland missing persons department. I hope I am find more that have been translated to English. #FoodAndLit

Tuukula slid a plate onto the table - fried egg with mushrooms from a glass jar, heaped on top of a piece of square toast, buttered thickly.

#FoodAndLit #Greenland was a challenge on the food side, so I decided to recreate this breakfast from the tagged book. Yummy! Probably more suitable to someone who needs to hunt outside near the Arctic Circle than someone who sits at a desk, but a nice treat on a Monday morning.

I really liked this. It was a new story about Marilla‘s younger years, and it took some turns but seemed true to the originals. Recommend for Anne fans.

Low pick for me and full disclosure I‘ve bailed on this once before. #CampLitsy inspired me to try again.
I had a hard time getting into this but I stuck with it and did like the ending.
#Greenland #FoodAndLit

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) went to the doctor and got a reasonable treatment plan for my spinal issues that doesn‘t require surgery (yet). Also started a virtual PT program through my insurance that lets me have the 3 sessions I need a week without missing work.
2) the heat wave broke for a day!
3) summer flowers and baby tomatoes
4) ran into Not My Cat on a walk. Turns out he was heading to my house 🤣
5) the Litsy crew. ❤️

Have a good one

Just finished my July #BookspinBingo list. I‘ll post the titles in the comments. I‘m going heavy on fiction this month. It‘s too hot for facts!

I love this idea! Here‘s 2 from me:

1) we do not care that we had to briefly pause a work meeting because a cat was sleeping on the papers we needed
2) we do not care that we ran by a friend of a teenager to get outside when the temperature suddenly dropped to 89 and it was finally tolerable to sit in the yard

In a world where so many serious things are happening it was perfectly timed that #AuthorAMonth brought me this book where very weird things are taken completely seriously. I loved the cats. I loved the dolphins. I loved the audiobook narration too.

I accidentally used a Everand credit on this when I meant to grab Yukon Alone. After a half hour of confusion about the book being about King Salmon and not an adventure race I figured it out and found the book very interesting. King salmon run along the Yukon River but like many other species are suffering with climate change and overfishing. The author takes a canoe trip to talk to the people who live along the river and see the salmon.

A simple #hyggehour tonight. Reading and ice water is all I want in this heat.

Whew, this one really packed a punch. It‘s a billion degrees here and sweaty, but I felt as if cold ocean water was creeping in all around me. The island and the whales were my favorite characters.
#CampLitsy @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain how will I ever decide between this and Audition? How how will the rest of the summer live up to this great month of reading? Can‘t wait to discuss the rest on Saturday.

I didn‘t enjoy this one as much as Lippman‘s later books.

The neighbor‘s tree had the bad manners to fall in our yard so now it shall burn while I read.

Also mailed my #staycationintime package to @mcipher today but forgot to mark the outside of the package. So that‘s what the priority box from Virginia is. Should come Wednesday. @Chrissyreadit @DinoMom

Somehow between all of these storms we got a beautiful night for field hockey. Don‘t worry I‘ll put my book down when the game starts.

I read this book in some form every year on this day, and every year I get something new out of it. This year I just felt old. There‘s no way I could go to all those parties and get up and sell bonds the next day.

Don‘t miss it!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) cherries are here!
2) cats standing guard at the back door
3) napkins with puns (seas the day & squeeze the day)
4) nasturtiums blooming
5) a rainbow after one of our many storms this week

Everyone hang in there and stay safe!

We had just finished the yard work when a quick storm came through and knocked our neighbor‘s tree into our yard. Next time I‘ll just stay inside with my books and my cats. (No damage to the house or occupants luckily.)

This book took me months to read but it was worth it. It‘s a chunkster about a troubled family trying to make their way through the 60‘s and the 70‘s in Washington. I recommend it.

@Susanita this is a great baseball book if you haven‘t read it

It‘s a yard work day, but I‘ve got my water, sunblock, and kindle all set up for breaks.

I was annoyed with this anonymous author at first, but somewhere around the time she met Lyle Lovett she began to grow on me. Her Twitter posts appeared on my feed but I wasn‘t a devoted follower. I have seen the portrait at the National Gallery a few times though.

Letting the rain water my plants while I read the tagged. The weather has been spectacularly weird today in the DC area.

Started the next #camplitsy book out on the porch tonight. So far it‘s perfect for a long hot night outside.

Summer card swap going out a little late. 🤞they‘ll get there soon.

#HyggeHour time! Books and cake and tea and silence. It was a full day today with brunch and a long walk. I‘m ready to wind down before the whole thing starts again tomorrow.