@forestandcrow Thank you for the perfect #FallingForFallSwap gifts! I‘m very excited to read both books which seem ideal for autumn. The candle smells like pumpkin heaven! I love the mug and sweet treats! Another great Litsy swap in the bag! Thanks to the organizers as well for a successful #FFFS home run! 🍂 🍁 🔮 🎃

Today‘s book haul. I went into the bookstore with nothing in mind and walked out with this glorious stack! A banned book anthology Not That Bad edited by Roxanne Gay. Mark Twain‘s Roughing It (am I not American 🇺🇸?). A Caribbean memoir. A Central African Lincoln In the Bardo. Mary Roach‘s new masterpiece (I would read a phone book by her). And a cookie cookbook!!!! 💗📚#TBR

I‘d already commented on the sender‘s photo that I‘d received the box, but it‘s official: I‘m ready to open this #FallingForFallSwap gift next week!!! #FFFS 2025

Becky Chambers imagines a future that‘s the opposite of dystopian. Call it cozy science fiction. Monk & Robot collects two related novellas in one paperback. This book feels like a giant hug!

I‘ve sent my #FallingForFallSwap box out in the mail today! Expected delivery is 8/30. Happy waiting! #FFFS 2025 🍂

I‘ve received my #autumncomfortswap box! I mailed mine out last week. It should arrive in plenty of time before opening day. The wait is HARD on this one! I‘m so ready for all things fall!!! 🎃 🍁 👻 ☕️ 📖

This is another book I finished in February. It‘s a sweet M/M historical romance that had surprising depth. There‘s a second novel in the series about one character‘s younger brother and I‘m planning to read it when I need a little pick me up!

Talia Lavin is a gifted writer. This time she turns her gaze on Christian nationalism and its long game to control politics and culture in the U.S. Tax exempt mega churches promote right wing candidates. Corporate donors fund fringe think tanks. They don‘t fight fair because the goal is to win and control at any cost.

I read this romance novel in February (finished 2/18); I‘m just woefully behind posting on Litsy. I was charmed by this best friends to lovers historical romance with a twist. It‘s pure magic from Alexis Hall IYKYK.

Dude, should we read this book together on Litsy? Look at that first sentence! #thedecameron #decameron #boccaccio

#autumncomfortswap
Cozy AND/OR Spooky (love both)
Coffee > Tea
Sweets 🍫
Candles
Pumpkin spice 🎃
Chocolate or sour candies are both great
Quick reads 🏎️
Highlighters

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. It‘s a story about grisly serial murders in post-WWII London. We see how two different journalists covered the notorious crimes for both newspaper and legal review case study. It‘s a must-read for true crime addicts, but WARNING: sexual violence to women. #truecrime

It‘s impossible to rate a book that takes your breath away. Sebald is such a gentle and wise writer. Don‘t ask what it‘s about; read it and be transported.

That time I stopped taking myself so seriously and read a fun romantsy novel! The title explains it all, and there are 2 more books in the series to keep the good times alive! Zero regrets!

Everybody needs a fun little biography of Benjamin Franklin in their life! Let this one be yours! Even with his flaws, Franklin is one our country‘s best patriots. I wish more present day Americans had half his good sense and a quarter of his excellent humor! 🪁 ⚡️

A page-turner so scary that I had to stop reading it a few times. How did tax payers get tricked into paying for an arsenal of certain Armageddon?! It boggles my mind to know how close we are to tripping over this deadly cliff. A must read book in every language and society.

Last book I read in January. I‘ve enjoyed all of her novels, this one maybe a bit less than the others. Austin has a special ability to relate vulnerability and despair with such gentleness and humor. A very special writer! Triggers for suicidal ideation. #BOTM

This was almost a 5-star read for me; I wished there was more book! The 70 pages about chickens didn‘t seem like enough to capture their quirks and style. It‘s still a lovely little gem of a book that would make an excellent gift for the fowl lovers in your life.

How do you cope with anxiety? I buy books. 📚 #TBR #BookHaul

I love Boy George and have been a fan since my dad bought me the 45 of Karma Chameleon. I wish I liked this memoir more, but I found it chaotic and vague. The writing was very stream of consciousness and about a lot of people I didn‘t recognize (except Bowie, Musk, and Trump). My favorite anecdotes were about George‘s early life on the club scene and living in squats. His spell in prison and as a reality TV star also stand out.

Keia, thank you for the birthday gift! I love that you made this amazing blind date with a book package. It‘s so pretty and was full of all kinds of goodies! This book has been on my wish list and I‘m liking it so far. All the other self care items are nice, too! Thank you so much! #LitsyLove

I‘m a sucker for memoirs about evil mothers. I had an evil step-mother and that was bad enough. But this poor girl‘s mother was really unhinged. It‘s another example of how twisted a person can be by religious fundamentalism, patriarchal poo doo, and narcissism. All praise to Shari Franke for stopping the cycle of hurt people hurting people. #BOTM

No one talks Zen better than Alan Watts. I can‘t blame his son for cashing in on his father‘s legacy by publishing old audio lectures in book form. I kept this pocket gem in my work bag for the better part of last year. It kept me grounded and spiritually in a better place than I would have been otherwise.

I finished this audio history book a few days ago. Dan Jones writes the most lively books! This one completes his Medieval English history trilogy and connects The Plantagenets and The Wars of the Roses. I wish Dan Jones narrated more books because he‘s so engaging to listen to! Highly recommend!!

Thank you to all my #LitsyLove and bookish friends for the kind birthday wishes! This is my B-day book haul! 😍 I spent my birthday doing my favorite things: walking my dog in the sunshine, relocating all my book shelves, and picking out new cookies to bake. Thank you for making my day so special! 🥳🤩🤓

I recently discovered Jordaline Reads on YouTube; she‘s a queer horror book tuber. She‘s inspired me to branch out into trashy genre fiction. So I got this book about a woman obsessed with her heart donor‘s widow. The plot is totally ridiculous but that is the point. Such a guilty pleasure! #aardvark

First finished book of 2025! There seemed to be some missed potential in not connecting the individual vignettes but otherwise it‘s a nice cozy book! Apparently GoodReads has a list of cozy translated novels….and I‘ve read several. This genre is my jam! Thanks, Rachel, for sharing this book with me! I really enjoyed it! #LitsyLove

@JamieArc Happy Birthday!!! I‘m putting the finishing touches on a gift for you, but I‘ve had some shipping delays due to snow and presidential memorials. I hope you don‘t mind celebrating your birthday again a few days later. I hope you have a wonderful day!!! 📚 🎁 🫖 🐾 🤩 #LitsyLove

This was my final read of 2024. I was expecting more true crime, but I enjoyed the author‘s tangents about European cuisine and travel. He‘s a freelance food/travel writer so it makes sense he would shine there. A mix of history, international law, and obsessive collectors, this was a nice book to dabble in. Cheers! 🥂 💚

#NYT new book preview for Jan ‘25. Excited for this one! #TBR

NYT preview of Jan ‘25 releases! #TBR #NYT

Big finance and big tech already control access to digital money but nothing will satisfy those in power until they have total control. Interesting book! I listened to the audiobook.

Stacy, I‘m so excited to read this book! What a fun shirt!! I love the book coasters, too! Thank your for being such an awesome friend! 🤗 #LitsyLove

Denise, I squealed when I opened this book! I‘ve wanted to read it for forever!!! Thank you for thinking of me this holiday season! Sending you joy! 🤩 🩵❄️💙 #LitsyLove

@Jerdencon thank you for such a lovely #JolabokaflodSwap2024 gift! This is one of my favorite Litsy traditions! Wishing you a happy holiday season and lots of good reading time! 🍫 📚 🎅🏼

Thanks @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting such a beautiful holiday swap! #JS2024

Sorry @StayCurious ! I hit 100 pages and couldn‘t put it down! I‘m like that with a nice cozy mystery. Plus, this was a lot of fun with the romance plot. Thanks for picking this book for a read along because I might not have prioritized otherwise. It‘s definitely a fun book! #BOTM 🎄 ❄️

So I‘ve made 15 holiday cookie varieties and eaten 1 or 2 of each kind! Pfefferneuse, orange cardamom molasses, cookie butter snickerdoodles, lemon wreaths, malted vanilla sugar cookies, red velvet, chocolate caramel, marzipan thumbprints, scotcheroos, cherry walnut balls, lemony hazelnut Yule logs, peanut butter blossoms, linzer cookies, chocolate oat biscuits, and grinch heart cookies!!!!
#TLT #ThreeListThursday

My #JS2024 package arrived today! It‘s under the tree waiting for Xmas Eve! 🎄 🍫 📖 #JolabokaflodSwap

@Jadams89 Thank you for the pet friendly #StuffedStockingSwap box of goodies! Theo enthusiastically approved of the toy and treats! I‘m very excited to solve the adorable animal advent calendar puzzle. The book is absolutely gorgeous! I can‘t wait to read it and add to my home library! Thank you for your kindness 🤗 Happy Howlidays 🐾

@Avanders Thank you for hosting another wonderful swap! ❄️ 🩵💙

I‘ve been hard at work baking holiday cookies. I‘ve finished 4 and have 3 more in progress. Done: cookie butter snickerdoodles, orange cardamom cookies, grinch heart butter cookies, and pfefferneuse. In progress: malted vanilla sugar cookies, lemon wreaths, chocolate oat cookies. Still have a lot to do!!! 🍪 🥄 👩‍🍳
#SaturdayChatterday

@Avanders #StuffedStockingSwap gift went out in the mail before Thanksgiving. It‘s arrived and I have received mine as well. #SSS 2024

@MaleficentBookDragon I mailed out my #JS2024 package today!

American history is just one tale of grift after grift. This installment features the doomed Freedman‘s Bank established during Reconstruction. The white trustees stole the deposits of the formerly enslaved to enrich their cronies and themselves. Black depositors are still waiting for justice. #thisbookwillprobablybebanned 💰 🏦

“Collectively, we have taken for granted that white wealth was built from Black work and Black ingenuity. Consider the fact that formerly enslaved people deposited approximately $57 million ($1.5 billion today) into the Freedman‘s Bank. They worked and saved to secure assets that they could transfer to their families and descendants.”

Page-turner memoir about being a working actress who finds herself in a cult! I‘ve never watched “One Tree Hill” but I still enjoyed reading this book (mostly for the cult situations). It‘s unfortunate that the author cover photo is so unflattering; she looks like a 50-something starlet instead of a fashionable Millennial. #BOTM

I read this last month. It‘s a solid horror novel. The tone is sort of V.C. Andrews meets postpartum psychosis. #BOTM

Happy Howloween! 🐾🧛🏻‍♀️💀🎃

I was eagerly awaiting this release even before it was featured in the NYT. This is billed as speculative fiction about what might have happened while Benito Juarez lived in New Orleans while in exile from Mexico. Herrera captures the wildness of 1850s NOLA with all the dangers from violence to illness. 🦟 ⛓️‍💥

The audiobook narrator tried to imitate Alan Watts‘ voice and speaking style, and just no. There‘s only one authentic Alan Watts. Still a good book with lots about Buddhist history.

I‘m obsessed with the cookie recipes in this book!!! This is the first cookbook I‘ve ever read cover to cover. I love the author‘s flavor combos, her use of different butter temperatures, and creative ideas for scraps. The measurements are a little weird but that‘s easy to overcome especially with a kitchen scale. Love it!!!! 😍 🍪

This book was everything I needed to read over a rainy, gray weekend. ✔️Creepy mountain health spa village in 1913. ✔️ Suspicious death in a house with suspicious men. ✔️ Mysterious plural pronoun narrator. ✔️ Sweet and charming MC. ✔️ Lush writing that makes it impossible to put down! 💀 🍷 🍂 #readme