My December #Roll100 picks:

#73 Any Memoir/Biography: Sure, I‘ll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

#58 Any ARC: First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong

#26 Any Backlist: The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

I‘m most excited about my ARC of First Sign of Danger, the next book in her Haven‘s Rock series.

My picks for December‘s #FictionalTraveler #HomeForTheHolidays (the tagged cozy mystery is set in a fictional holiday town in Oregon which is my old home/stomping grounds) & #ThematicCozies #Holidays (Jingle All the Slay which is a witchy holiday cozy). ❤️🎄💚

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

@Amiable left me a comment in my last haiku & mentioned flannel which made me think of plaid shirts (& wear my very lightweight one-It‘s 80 degrees here today) & it inspired today‘s haiku:

Sometimes I like to
Wear plaid & pretend it‘s cold
Even if it‘s not…

🖤🩶🤍🩶🖤

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by the fact that it‘s December 1st & 75 degrees F. here. While I‘m not complaining (too much), sometimes it‘s hard to dredge up seasonal spirit in a place with no clear seasons. Seeing palms & other trees wrapped with lights helps make me feel more in the holiday spirit.

‘Tis the Season

Season‘s gentle pull
Fades beneath warm island nights
Trees dressed in lights help

#Read2025

My last book of November, completed tonight for #ChildrensClassicRead2025 Its age (published in 1901) shows it the storytelling & some of the 8 stories were not that great, but I liked a few & it was mildly enjoyable so I‘ll give it a soft pick for nostalgia. 🐉💚

#Read2025

I don‘t think this was Armstrong‘s best book & not that much of a retelling of Sleepy Hollow, but it was entertaining & a good blend of mystery/thriller & paranormal. Due to her grandfather‘s will Samantha (Sam) must stay in her family‘s cabin (where her father killed a boy & took his own life) for a month to inherit the money she needs to take care of her ailing from dementia mother. Local lore & legend of a headless horseman & the ⬇️

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour on the couch finishing up my last book of November for #ChildrensClassicRead2025 🐉

I‘m (sadly) starting my last bag of stuffing popcorn🍿😢 & drinking a spiced pear Hint water (one of their holiday flavors).🍐

Mood is really not at all ready for Monday & a new busy workweek. 😵‍💫

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

I was able to get the Libby audiobook of this 8th book in the Secret, Book & Scone Society cozy mystery series right as it came out.🏆 I really love the MC, Nora & her bookstore & close knit group of friends who are just as much her family. In this one, a psychic is murder after giving a book talk & while doing readings in the store & Nora & the crew are on the case. This book feels a bit transitional for some of the ⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Every month I read the book for #EBBR & then don‘t write down my results & return it to the library before I get around to reviewing it! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Anyway, I think I was only somewhat successful in solving the mysteries in this one but who knows?! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I didn‘t remember them from childhood so I may have missed this one, #10 in the series. It gets a soft pick as they mostly all do.

#Read2025

Getting all my November reviews in so bear with me! I finished this one a couple of weeks ago, switching between my #BOTM & the audio book & I quite liked this unusual story of a guy who can taste the favorite foods of the dead & make them appear when he cooks the dish. It did get a bit long in the middle but I was caught up in Konstantin‘s story & the blend of foodie novel & ghost story. It even ended up on my #AuldLangSpine2025 list.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished last weekend for #BobWhiteBuddies Book 19 has summer holidays starting & a new mystery or mysteries for Trixie & the gang to solve. This one stays close to home with the Bob-Whites helping out a neighbor whose garden business is being sabotaged. There‘s also stolen mail & of all things ***BIG spoiler alert*** a hidden marijuana field & it made me laugh that when it is burnt to hide the evidence, the gang ⬇️

#Read2025 #MonthlyNonFiction #SheSaid

Finished this morning for #SundayBuddyRead this was a engaging memoir about an amazing woman. A gifted artist & writer, this book focuses on her time with Pablo Picasso & could be titled “Surviving Picasso” who was a giant ass hat man baby. It‘s hard to separate the frustration with the man from his art, but the real interest in book is Francoise‘s perspective on his art & her own. Thanks to the fabulous ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today is pretty warm (79 degrees F. feels like 82 according to my weather app) so the hibiscus agua fresca I am drinking is refreshing & the inspiration for today‘s haiku.

Hibiscus Bliss 🌺

Tart, sweet floral notes
Cold Agua de Jamaica
Bliss in every sip

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Just finished my #ThematicCozies November pick for #Food & I quite enjoyed this second book in the An American in Paris mystery series. Tabitha is back to learning cooking from her best friend Julia Child & solving mysteries. In this one 2 chefs are murdered by drinking poisoned rare wines. I have a fascination for the Paris catacombs & Post-WWII France & between that & the delicious food mentioned (all the butter & ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Doing some holiday shopping today at nearby local businesses & stopped for a cider & cookie break, inspiring today‘s haiku. Big boxes can‘t compete with homemade treats.

Small Business Saturday

Mulled cider, soft crumbs
Reasons to shop close to home
Small joys, small business

#HaikuOnTheGo

#Read2025 #MonthlyNonFiction

Can you tell I‘m trying to catch up on reviews today? 🤦🏻‍♀️ I finished this one a couple weeks ago; it was assigned reading for our executive retreat/business review. I was not enthused going into it because the cover & title seemed too new-agey for my tastes but I was pleasantly surprised that there were a lot of great leadership nuggets inside this quick read that I will take away & practice.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished earlier in the month, this was my third #Roll100 November pick #9 Any Series

What can I say? I love this cozy fantasy series that‘s got gods & goddesses, dragons, a western vibe & unique & lovable characters. This is the third & I believe the final book of the series & if so, it went out well. I especially loved the time spent with characters from the first two, that didn‘t take away from the story. 🧡🧡🧡

#Read2025 #MonthlyNonFiction

Read & listened to for #AuthorAMonth November #JoanDidion I meant to read more Joan Didion this month rather than rereading this one, read years ago, but I didn‘t get around to it. I went between my e-book & audiobook read (excellently) by Vanessa Redgrave. This book was illuminating to me when I was dealing with my own grief from my mom‘s passing & I think Didion captures the feeling well, both the large & ⬇️

#Read2025

Finished earlier this week for #RiseUpReads 2025 & #MonthlyNonFiction this was a beautiful & inspiring little book about reciprocity, gratitude & and a push for a gift economy seen through the lens of nature. Braiding Sweetgrass has been in my TBR for ages & now I feel like I should move it up.

#Read2025

Finished last night for a Kindle challenge, OUABC challenge & my second #Roll100 November pick #36 Any Kindle It‘s a soft pick for me. I liked the witchy reality show spell competition setting & the Cuban Miami backdrop. It‘s got a little spice & the main characters are likable. Overall a diverting rom-com-ish read.

My #5JoysFriday post, on Friday which is always a win.

1. The Ruben Panini I grabbed from a favorite sandwich place & ate for dinner on my lanai at the hotel in Hilo, 2. while watching the cruise ships until the sunset (see earlier posts for pics & haikus) & 3. then I ate banana cream pie, drank lilikoi lemonade & read my book until dark. All kinds of quiet joy.💛

4. More happy snail mail, these the Oct & Nov letters from Zen Frog. Can‘t ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by the takeout Singapore Street Noodles I ate for Thanksgiving yesterday & lunch today. Even though they were invented in Hong Kong, their curried noodly goodness went down especially well while watching Crazy Rich Asians on my couch. 🍜💛

Curried Gratitude

Thanks in each bite of
Bright, fragrant curried noodles
Taste buds awakened

It‘s Friday in a few hours here & I have to work, but it should be quiet & there will be joy. It‘s time to make your lists of the 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week. Since today was Thanksgiving in the U.S., what are you grateful for?

To join in, make your lists & tag them with #5JoysFriday 💛Tag me & anyone else you want to share joy with. You can use the background if/how you like.

EVERYONE is welcome to the joy party!🤗

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished a couple of weeks ago for November‘s #FictionalTraveler #Asia

I liked this second book in the series set in 1930‘s Singapore. This one takes place just after the first book with Su Lin now working at & living above the Detective & Intelligence unit. A high-profile wedding is rocked by the death of the groom after a prank involving betel nut juice. It gets a bit convoluted, but it kept the pages turning.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by how I‘m spending Thanksgiving which is perfect for me. Solo, on the couch, reading & watching movies, Chinese food for lunch/dinner is on the way.

Happy Thanksgiving

Cozy and quiet
Couch, films, books, take-out Chinese
My kind of thanks day

However you like to celebrate the day, or even if it‘s just a Thursday or weekday where you are, I‘m grateful for you & wish you a wonderful day!
🤎🦃🤎

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by this picture of the moon I took on Monday night. A waxing crescent moon signifies new beginnings, setting intentions & growth. 🌙

Waxing crescent moon
Glowing softly in the night
New beginnings bloom

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Catching up with yesterday‘s haiku which was inspired by watching the sunrise from my hotel lanai in Hilo. Mauna Kea is so pink & lovely at sunrise. 🌄 🌺

Mauna Kea

Pink peak softly peeks
Palms sway above lapping waves
Morning has broken

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

The sky is always such an inspiration for haiku. Yesterday‘s daily verse is inspired by last night‘s golden-hued sunset viewed from my hotel lanai in Hilo. I took the sky‘s suggestion quite literally & fell sleep before posting it. 🌅

Golden light drifts in
The sky gently murmuring
“Relax, day is done”

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Tonight‘s #hyggehour will be spent in the company of Encyclopedia Brown for #EBBR & thenfinishing up The Serviceberry for #RiseUpReads

Snacks are pear cheesecake & Hint Water in one of their seasonal flavors(cranberry orange). Mood is fine, a bit tired & not quite ready for an early morning flight to Hilo where I‘ll be in meetings tomorrow & then spend the night & come back Tuesday evening.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by one of my dim sum dishes yesterday. Deep-Fried Taro which I love to look at & bite into the crispy outer shell & savor the deliciousness within. 😋🥟

Fried taro dumpling
Light, crispy shell hides tender
Savory treasure

A little late for #5JoysFriday but who is counting? It was a really busy week but there was joy.

1. I found this bookish throw at Barnes & Noble last Sunday & since I had a $15 credit, I treated myself to cozy joy!📚💛

2. 32 hours at a dojo with my executive team wasn‘t always relaxing, but it was a good reset & had many joyful moments.🍵💚

3. I got two #ARCs from NetGalley this week that brought me joy. One for a favorite series & I don‘t ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by me, an oft solo diner, trying to break my habit of saying “just one” to the host when I eat out. I am content, at ease with myself & my own company & more than “just.” Also, no, I don‘t want to sit at the bar.

Table for Me

Trying to unlearn
That quiet, small “just one” phrase
I am whole, not “just”

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Yesterday‘s haiku was inspired by my night in my stark little room at the dojo. It was a cool (not cold, it‘s Hawaii) blustery night with the rain hitting against the window invoking a cozy, comforting feeling.

Rain pounds the window
Drops shine, diamonds in the night
Cozy in my room

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

I‘ve been at an executive retreat the past 2 days & part of the agenda was several sessions of sitting in silence from 20 to 45 minutes at a time. This morning‘s at 6:30 AM inspired this haiku.

There are no cameras/phones in the room while the practice is going on but I found this sunrise picture of our dojo‘s grounds.

Dojo at Sunrise

Bell sounds, rooster crows
Darkness eases into dawn
We sit in stillness

Tomorrow is Friday! I‘m currently trapped in an executive business review/retreat at a dojo until tomorrow afternoon. (And we go to 9 PM tonight) 😵‍💫 But hey, it‘s still time to share those 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week.

Tag your post with #5JoysFriday & tag me & anyone else you want to join in the joy. EVERYONE is welcome! 💛🤗💛

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour on the couch with Trixie & the gang for #BobWhiteBuddies

Snacking on stuffing popcorn tonight, along with this apple chai cider sparkling water.

My mood is sad that weekends are too short & it‘s another busy week cumulating in a 2-day retreat meeting that I‘m not looking forward to at all, but maybe that will make the week go by more quickly. 😬

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by taking time from errands & crowds (Ack, people!! 😱) to sip on a holiday latte & read a little at the Barnes & Noble Cafe. The tagged book is the $5 December special. I think it will be fun to read next month. (Yes, may have purchased a couple of magazines & a blanket too…)🤷🏻‍♀️

Stop, Drop & Read

An errand nearby
Led to a bookstore sojourn
Respite for reading

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Still catching up daily haikus. This one was inspired by my 4th Silent Book Club experience. We read at outside tables & Thursday night was blustery (although not cold because well, … Hawaii. We scooched in at tables under the eaves & some people went into the mall, but the reading & bookish talk went on.

Rainy Evening Reads

Wind and rain outside
Silent Book Club carries on
Readers gotta read!

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

I finished this one last weekend for #NancyDrewBR & while not my favorite Nancy Drew, it was entertaining. This one is less about a ghost in Blackwood Hall than it is about a gang of scheming crooks fleecing people out of money & jewels through the lens of the spirit world. Slight Spoilers Ahead*** Nancy faces lots of danger in this one including quicksand (childhood fears unlocked!), being locked in an elevator in ⬇️

Hey, it‘s still Friday & I‘m posting my #5JoysFriday list! That‘s a win!🏆

1. Went to my 4th Silent Book Club last night & even if we got rained out of our usual outdoor seating, it was joyful to read with other book lovers.📚💛

2. Organic Pickle Dip & Dressing from Whole Foods gives my mouth joy! 😋🥒

3. This toasted marshmallow Greek yogurt is sweet & joyful & great with slightly tart fruit!🫐🍓

4. I really needed my quarterly Conscious ⬇️

It‘s FRIDAY!!! 🥳 I can‘t tell you how happy I am for the weekend to be almost here. That means it‘s time to post your list of the 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week (if you haven‘t already!) 😉

Tag your post with #5JoysFriday & tag me & anyone you‘d like to spread the joy to. ALL are welcome. 💛🤗💛. You can use the background if & how you choose.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Skipped yesterday‘s haiku but I‘ll go ahead & post today‘s which is inspired by this picture & it being Wednesday & Hump Day 🐪 & me thinking how even if I‘m excited for the upcoming weekend, the 2 long days to get there will be exhausting. 😵‍💫

Hump Day Dunes

Getting over the
Midweek hump, descending fast
Like climbing sand dunes

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

‘Twas a Monday & busy enough that the only look at the sky I got was at 5:30 PM through my skylight. I am intrigued by the orangey cloud. 🧡☁️🧡

Sky Peeps

Some days slip away
Just a peep at the outside
Skylight cloud glimpses

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Tonight‘s #HyggeHour will be spent finishing the last third of Nancy Drew from last week for #NancyDrewBR & then with Encyclopedia Brown for #EBBR

I‘m settled in on the couch & my snack/dessert is a few leftover Reese‘s Halloween shapes & I‘m drinking cold apple cider. Mood is fine, a bit tired &never really excited for Monday but resigned to my fate. 😵‍💫😉😆

I never got to my October recap nor have I finished all my October reviews but I wanted to get this posted finally. Finished 16 books & a short story, started one more & got further in Women Who Run With the Wolves (I‘m still way behind).

I finished books for #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClasdicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR
#SheSaid #MonthlyNonFiction #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #Roll100 (3) #AuthorAMonth & SeriesLove2025 ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

I broke my Sunday “pjs only” rule today to meet friends for Mexican at a not-that-new-but-new-to-me place in my neighborhood. The enchiladeas suizas were worth being dressed & in public & inspired today‘s haiku.

Worth Getting Dressed For

Broke my Sunday rule
Left pajamas far behind
Enchiladas called

Late but I had to join in this #TakeThreeThursday because I play Statele everyday & have gotten really good about knowing the shapes of the states (except for Colorado & Wyoming which when you see them one at a time look exactly the same to me.🤷🏻‍♀️)

Anyway, I blew my first attempt & missed 3 because of my fat fingers & the tiny Eastern states so I zoomed way in on my second try & got 100%! 🎉

A day late for my #5JoysFriday post due to a very busy end to an already busy week, but there was joy:

1. I‘m irrationally obsessed with both the trout print & pigeon sticker from (my favorite) Blue House Mail Club. Joyful mail!💙💌💙

2. The bun is a bit smashed but this was a delicious burger & fries enjoyed with a balcony sunset view (see my “gloaming” haiku a few posts back for the view.💛😋

3. Hearty breakfast with a view before starting ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by the view I had from my plane window on my way back from Hilo last night. In the dark sky we could clearly see latest episode of Kīlauea‘s episodic erupting. Truly special to see from my window seat. This is not my photo—too much glare to take one but this one, found on line, is pretty close. 🌋🛩️🖤

Fire In the Night

Glimpse of Pele‘s fire
Lava glows—a red beacon
In the dark night sky

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

A busy couple of days in Hilo & back home late last night. I wrote yesterday‘s haiku over breakfast at the hotel after watching this glorious sunrise from my balcony. 🌅 🩷🧡💙

Dawn breaks in Hilo
Sky a pastel perfection…
Let the day begin