#MentalHealthMonday

1. Tired & a bit overwhelmed work-wise. Having a little extra time off was helpful in some ways but put me behind in others.

2. I‘m excited to read this mental health fiction book with #RiseUpReads next month. Including the post from @Catsandbooks in case anyone wants to join in.
Catsandbooks's post on Litsy https://litsy.com/p/YUV3NTJOeWw4

#CoverStories

Some covers with #Direction from my stacks. 🧭

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

My #HyggeHour tonight will be spent with my purple Trixie Belden book for #BobWhiteBuddies & a matching bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs (Yay 🎉for the Easter candy season!)

My mood is tired. 😵‍💫 I‘m so not ready for a full & busy work week! 😬

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished the audiobook this weekend as I ran errands, I enjoyed this pick for #ThematicCozies March #Hobby Brenna has been in her small New England town, a refugee of Boston where the art gallery she ran was violently robbed. She teaches decoupage art in the paper craft store her friend Tenley owns & gets involved in solving the mayor‘s death when her landlord is accused. The characters show promise & I like that there⬇️

My library #BookHaul last week. I went in to pick up my hold on Brave-Hearted for #RiseUpReads The library book store was having a half-off sale on adult fiction & I got the tagged book (from my TBR), Frozen River (in case I don‘t finish my library e-book loan in time), & Magic Steeped in Poison (because it is pretty & the story looked good) for $1 each. The book🐔says it was a good deal & haul!😉

#SundayFunday “What‘s the last book you bought?”

#CoverStories

Some of the #Umbrella covers of books either read or in my TBR ☔️🌂☂️⛱️ I'm sure there are more that are not coming to mind.

#Read2025

Finished yesterday for #Roll100 (#90 Any Backlist) & as a prompt for my #OUABC 2025 40 Book Challenge (Any Hugo Award Winner). I loved this one! T. Kingfisher writes fun characters & found family with a sly dark humor. All the characters in Marta‘s ragtag group were endearing & I enjoyed this fantasy paranormal fairytale. Looking forward to working my way through the rest of the author‘s backlist. Pretty sure it will be a 2025 fave.🖤

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

So I‘m not sure why I felt I needed to read both the 1940 & the 1976 versions for #NancyDrewBR but I did. My library only has the latter version but I found the 1940 versions online, free to download & read it the other night. Although they both feature brass-bound trunks, ocean liners & stolen jewelry, they are pretty different. I liked 1976 slightly better (Nancy George & Bess cruise from Holland to New York & end up⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished earlier this week. I had been hearing about this series for ages no & decided to finally give it a go as a quick listen. It was enjoyable although not as laugh out loud funny as I‘d been led to believe, I liked Murderbot & I‘ll read/listen to more. The first book was free through Audible & I put the next audiobook on hold through Library Libby (19 weeks wait! Probably due to the upcoming Apple TV series.)

Thanks for the #ChatterDay tag @TheSpineView 🤗 I‘m back at the coffee shop to try to finish up my work project after getting a little reading in while I have breakfast.

I hope to get to addressing my #SpringCardSwap envelopes & catching up on some #LitsyLove mail before I run my errands.

#CoverStories

Three books about #Trees that I own. I read Into the Forest for a review a while back, I‘m currently reading A Tree a Day & the tagged book is in my TBR. 🌳🌲🌴💚

Happy Friday! It‘s not been a perfect week but there was joy! 💛 Here‘s my #5JoysFriday list:

1. I took a few PT0 days this week that were a joy even if I had to work on a project during them. ⬇️
2. It was a joy to not get work calls & work out of a coffeeshop to make it seem less work-ish & get fed & caffeinated.

3. An underrated joy is to see a book come out Tues, put a “notify me” on Libby, get the book added notification & be the first ⬇️

#CoverStories

The #Stairs book that introduced me to Stacey Lee & her wonderful YA historical fiction.
(Thanks #SundayBuddyRead !)

Our first Friday in March & I don‘t know about you all but I need to find some joy somewhere in this week & this world. 🫣

Think of the 5 things big or small that brought
you joy this week. Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post & tag others if you want to spread the joy. You can use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

I'm tagging some friends to get things started but as always, all are welcome to join in!

Lunch today was my slightly delayed Momos & a few other Indian/Napalese dishes for my review of the tagged book (see tagged book post before this one) for #FoodAndLit #Nepal

I tried:
-Momo-dumplings of ground chicken, greens & spices & tangy tomato dipping sauce
-Himalayan naan-stuffed with spinach & shredded chicken tikka
Sides of dal (Nepali yellow lentils in ginger, garlic & tomatoes), Himalayan Mash Potato (curry & peas), raita & rice.😋

#CoverStories

I missed out on reading this last year with #Naturalitsy so it‘s still in my TBR

The background is #Clouds from a somewhat recent neighbor island flight. ☁️🌥️🤍

#CoverStories

Personally, I find hammocks to be too tippy & I‘m too clumsy to fully relax in them-especially drink in hand, but the #Hammock on the cover of this cookbook (from my collection) looks pretty comfortable. 🤷🏻‍♀️

#CoverStories

Two #BodyPart covers from my #Aardvark books.
I‘ve not read the tagged book yet but A Sweet Sting of Salt was one of my favorite books last year.

#CoverStories

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a VERY #LargeAnimal & a favorite of mine growing up. I had most of the early books but the first & Clifford‘s Halloween were my favorites. 🐶❤️

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Just okay, still stuffy & wheezy so not as much sleep as I wanted to get but I have the next few days (mostly) off which makes me happy.

2. “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha
I find it is very easy to forget this sometimes.🪷🍵 I actively try to be kind & loving to myself🩶

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Hanging out with Nancy Drew tonight during my #HyggeHour with herbal tea & a soft & chewy chocolate chunk/chip oatmeal raisin cookie. (So good!)🍪😋

Mood is tired. My asthma/allergies are still bugging me & I have to work tomorrow, but then I‘m taking some PTO days so I don‘t lose it. So, I‘m grateful to have much of the week officially off (even if I‘ll be working on a big work project part of the time).

My TBR for March includes books for #SundayBuddyRead #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #AuthorAMonth #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #SheSaid #RiseUpReads #JaneAustenThenAndNow #BookedInTime #FoodAndLit #Ireland #Roll100 #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #NonFictionReads #SeriesLove2025 & #AuldLangSpine

Whew! It‘s a lot of books but I feel good about it!
📚📚🤷🏻‍♀️📚📚📚

A couple of #SundayBuddyRead books where F. Scott Fitzgerald is mentioned have made me want to reread The Great Gatsby again (my first time since high school) so I‘m making it my pick for #FictionalTraveler March: #BigCity

While I‘m reading the edition with the iconic blue cover, the 2013 movie tie-in cover & the movie itself have more than one beautiful #EveningGown soI‘m using it for today‘s #CoverStories prompt.

February Recap: Finished 15 books & started/made progress with 3 more. Completed books for #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #AuthorAMonth #SheSaid #AuldLangSpine #JaneAustenThenAndNow #FictionalTraveler #YhematicCozies #FoodAndLit #Nepal & SeriesLove2025 & #MonthlyNonFiction #Roll100

Favorites were The Feather Thief, Margo‘s Got Money Troubles, Sense and Second Degree Murder, From Dust to Stardust

My March #Roll100 picks:

# 9 Any Series or #90 Any Back List: Nettle and Bone (T. Kingfisher backlist)

#51 Any Library Book: The Frozen River (also on my #AuldLangSpine list from @JacqMac )

# 74 Any BOTM: Leather & Lark #SeriesLove2025

#CoverStories

It was the top #2SimilarCovers that I first mixed up (maybe also because they both are about writers/writing) but I think all 5 of these covers have a similar look & vibe that screams THRILLER! 😱

#Read2025

Finished this past week for February!s #FoodAndLit #Nepal I ended up really liking it. About a journalist going after a story that requires her to summit Manaslu, the 8th highest peak in the world. Mountain climbing fascinates me probably because I am clumsy, not good in cold, scared of heights, can‘t breathe as it is (let alone at high altitudes) & could never do it & it gives me high anxiety which actually works with a thriller.😱😉⬇️

#Read2025

My second #ThematicCozies pick for February: Romance was just okay for me. It had potential (the author of a mystery series is invited to a wedding on a private island in the San Juan‘s where the groom is her ex) but there were too many characters & it came across really disjointed. The transitions between the MC & her own mystery series MC felt muddled. I don‘t know if it‘s meant to be a series or a stand alone title & it‘s the ⬇️

#ChatterDay vibe is mellow. Having a bit of an asthma/allergy flare up which is messing with my eyes. I did make a stop at the monthly makers market by my house & got some cards, postcard & such.

Now at the coffeeshop with a piece of coffee cake & my usual dirty chai. Starting this book for March as it fills a reading challenge prompt & is my #Roll100 March #90 “Any Backlist” prompt. Still need to run a few errands then home to rest my eyes.👀

#Read2025

I finally read this one thanks to #AuthorAMonth It‘s been in my TBR for ages & it‘s my 2nd Roxane Gay (I read Hunger in 2017). I had hoped to finish Not That Bad too but I ran out of time. Although some of the cultural references are dated (it was written 12 years ago), the fact that so little has changed is pretty telling & sobering. Some essays were better (or at least I connected with them more) than others but overall, a good read.

And another week it was. Here‘s my #5JoysFriday list:

1. A 4-Day work week brings me joy—I needed an extra day off. 💛

2. I got this little heart-shaped hot/cold pack from a vendor at a benefits summit. The rainbow colors & “Powered By Love” message is joyful.🌈

3. My local library brings me joy when they are open until 7 PM on Thursdays & my favorite librarian gave me this cozy fantasy ARC-extra joy! 📒💛

4. Got this fun botanical sticker,⬇️

#Read2025

Finished last weekend for #SheSaid this one was just okay for me. I think the concept is great & it had some good nuggets of wisdom like: “You were not just born to center your entire existence on work and labor. You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect.” But, for a fairly short book (224 pgs) it seemed to drag along. I ⬇️

My #ThematicCozies picks for March: #Hobby I picked two in case I don‘t like one. Both are first in series & free with my Audible membership. The tagged book is probably most on theme. ✂️

#SeriesLove2025

#FeelinTheLove

#Narcissism at it‘s finest. 🖤

It‘s the end of February & Friday yet again, so it‘s time for #5JoysFriday 💛 Think of 5 things big or small that brought you some joy this week because it‘s tough out there lately & we all need a little joy.

Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post & tag others if you want to spread the joy. You can use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

I‘m tagging some friends to get things started but all are welcome to join!

It‘s been a hot minute since I‘ve joined in #ThreeListThursday #TLT but since I loves me some movies, I had to join in. Thanks to my Dad, I did well with 88/96!

My top 3 from this list:

1️⃣ The Greatest Show On Earth: great memories watching this with my dad SO MANY TIMES! 🎪

2️⃣ The Silence of the Lambs: just rewatched it a month or so ago. Still just as 😱

3️⃣ The Sound of Music: a favorite of my mom, how can you not sing along?🎶

⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

There is lots of #BrotherLove with the Bennetts (brothers Joe, Carter & Kelly) & within their pack of found family too. Brothersong is the 4th book in the series while Wolfsong is the first. 🐺🩶🐺🩶🐺🩶

#FeelinTheLove

There is a lot of #SisterLove between Elinor & Marianne in Sense and Sensibility & the tagged book, a fun retelling read this month for #JaneAustenThenAndNow with the #Pemberlittens

#FeelinTheLove

Three cozy & witchy “potion” titles from my TBR There‘s got to be a #LovePotion in at least one of them. ♥️✨🧪

Back to the usual Hilo day trip for meetings. Finishing up this one for February‘s #AuthorAMonth.

#Read2025

Finished last night for Feb‘s #ChildrensClassicRead2025 I never really went through a horsey stage as a girl🤷🏻‍♀️but I can see the appeal. This was a good blend of history & the story of a boy who wants to train & ride the beautiful Lipizzaner stallions he sees everyday delivering for his family‘s bakery in Vienna. It has a good moral of hard work & daring to dream. I also learned a lot about horse training & these beautiful horses.

#FeelinTheLove

Two #Lonely titles from my Kindle TBR

Thanks for the #MentalHealthMonday tag @Kerrbearlib

1️⃣ Tired! Weird sleep last night & too many meetings today.

2️⃣ Yes, I use music to both relax & to feel happier.

3️⃣ 80s pop mostly, the sappier the better. My favorite playlist I named: “80s Sappy Makes Me Happy” (it‘s not all 80s-some 70s & 90s snuck in) but it‘s songs that bring back good memories & I like to sing along to. Linking below in comments. ⬇️

Anyone else want to share?

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Reading the tagged book for #ChildrensClassicRead2025 & tonight‘s #HyggeHour Drinking some Sleepytime tea & snacking on a Cara Cara orange.

My mood is not ready for Monday but I took Friday off, so it‘s a short week.

#Read2025

Read for #SundayBuddyRead I‘m a classic movie & old Hollywood buff & so this novel based on a real-life actress & star of the silent screen (Colleen Moore) was right up my alley. I didn‘t know much about her as an actress or the castle dollhouse she built for charity that still sits in the Griffin Museum in Chicago. The book has lots of personal & relationship drama & Hollywood tea that kept me entertained. I would have loved more ⬇️

Read2025

My #FictionalTraveler Feb pick for #APlaceYouLove finished yesterday. Kyoto, Japan is a favorite place of mine & the setting of this book of interconnected stories set around a mysterious coffee shop that randomly pops up in the city. The fact that it‘s run by talking cats who dispense magical desserts & beverages along with astrological advice for those feeling lost in their lives was appealing to me & I enjoyed this quietly sweet book.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

I enjoyed my first of 2 picks for #ThematicCozies February #Romance This was a cozy mystery about Laurel, a divorced mother of two & mortgage underwriter who is talked into joining a local dating service. When her first 2 dates end up murdered, it‘s up to Laurel & her friends to solve the case. I liked the characters & the pacing was good. It was a cozy so the mystery wasn‘t difficult to solve but it was fun. The ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

When I think of books with #ParentChildLove Little Women comes to mind quickly. Marmee had great love for her daughters & they for her.

(The 1994 movie version is my nostalgic favorite, but the 2019 version is also excellent).

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished book 10 last Sunday for #BobWhiteBuddies & I‘m pretty sure this was the first Trixie Belden book I ever read. My sister had this copy & I ended up “borrowing” it & then asking for the rest of the series since she wasn‘t much of a reader. I remembered quite a bit of it as I was reading it, Gaye & her puppy & the gathering of the plants for their teacher. This one was pretty mild mystery-wise & as usual, Dan ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

This novella in the Half Moon Hollow Series is about #LoveOnTheRoad when a human who has failed at all her other jobs, finds herself driving an uptight & difficult vampire cross-country. Cute & funny. 🧛🏻♥️