#WeirdWordWednesday

I like to think the quilts I make and give away are a hug from me to them.

@CBee

#WondrousWednesday

1) family, home, books
2) an end to cruelty and abuse, lasting peace, and selfishly more travel.

@Eggs

May 5 through US Mother‘s Day is always a bit tough so I always try to find things that bring good memories. Today‘s #TuesdayTunes is a favorite piece of my mom‘s. Toselli‘s Serenade with a beautiful nature video by Tatiana Blue. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/dXApBvgUNBQ?si=Wg_epwGbRVb0I9I3

@TieDyeDude

#ReadYourKindle #May

All books I was excited to add to my kindle at one time or another. Now excited for the motivation to read them. Thanks @CBee 💚🌷💚

#AwesomeApril Possibly the first time ever that I not only stuck with my goal for the readathon I also completed all my intended books as well with time to spare.

@Andrew65

Although The Maiden in the title refers to Scotland‘s guillotine it is a story of women in 1600‘s whose lives are dictated by the men and fate. A mother trying to raise two daughters after the father gambles away their funds, a man grooming a young girl for his future pleasure and abusing every other female in his path, a man who needs a wife but doesn‘t want one. The women trying to survive the hand they‘ve been dealt. 4🌟

#WomensPrize

#5JoysFriday

1) BookSpin Day! 📚
2) I posted my first ever NetGalley review and was approved for 2 more 📖
3) I left the clouds in the valley and arrived at the Oregon Coast in sunshine today ☀️
4) Starting a 3 day visit with my dad. 😊
5) Being serenaded by the pond frogs at night 🐸

Thanks for the tag @DebinHawaii

Join us is sharing your joys of the week large or small 💚🐸💚

#ReadYourKindle I‘ve read half of this list over the last 2 months. Looking forward to seeing May‘s numbers.

@CBee

I‘m not reading as much non-fiction as I‘d like to be but these all have been excellent. I still think about the Winterson but there‘s lots of potential for others to claim the top spot.

I‘ve read some great books this year. I think Brotherless Night will be hard to beat as best of year.

The 2nd day of the month continues to be one of my favorite bookish days. I love building my board every month. I love going to bed on the first knowing the following morning I get to start my day with coffee and #BookspinBingo.
Thanks Sarah for the joy this brings.

@TheAromaofBooks

#WondrousWednesday

I) 🌷🌹🌺🌸🪻
II) Zorrie and Brotherless Night
III) Disneyland on the 21st

Tagging everyone!

@Eggs

#BookspinBingo

I love looking at my bingo board. It is a reminder of all the places I visited, the historical times I explored, all the people I got to know and love and some not so much. April was a great month for all of that. Looking forward to where May will take me.

@TheAromaofBooks

#TuesdayTunes In honor of weather that can‘t make up it‘s mind I present two songs of one of my favorite bands.

Rain: https://open.spotify.com/track/3YgHspN6eVzfGcICbdU8q6?si=1mjEgfDjRZ-HrewyVqOt0w

Sun: https://open.spotify.com/track/3xsSpYgM4mn348QTQqAajG?si=CMpiocN3S9mPhuopTJCRrg

@TieDyeDude

I read some fantastic books in April. I might get one more in today for a total of 21 books.

Audio: 9 🦋 Print: 5 🦋 Kindle: 6 🦋

Women‘s Prize: 7 🦋 #SeriesLove24: 6 🦋 NetGalley: 1 🦋 Litsy buddy reads & challenges: 8 🦋

5 🌟 Zorrie 🦋 Brotherless Night 🦋 The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory 🦋

#ReadathonUpdate

Yesterday I finished The Passionate Tudor and read the Nancy Drew in one sitting. I hope to finish Sourcery today.

#AwesomeApril

@Andrew65

I did not know much about Queen Mary I, England‘s first female monarch. Weir does a good job of taking us from her happy childhood through the torment of being separated from her mother and on through her reign which ultimately is considered a failure. She had strength but was often over run by doubts, easily influenced in some things and staunch and unrelenting in others, ultimately being named Bloody Mary.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I am beyond thrilled about this. I haven‘t been in years but Jane and Much Ado About Nothing will make a great couple of days in Ashland.

#Roll100

Using this challenge to help clear my audio backlog. I didn‘t get any of my April books read but hoping for better results in May.

@PuddleJumper

#AwesomeApril

Not sure how much reading time I‘ll have over the 9 days but at a minimum I hope to finish my 3 current reads and read this month‘s #NancyDrewBR.

It‘s not too late to join in this set your own goals readathon.

@Andrew65

#BookspinBingo

Sticking with the same plan as April.

@TheAromaofBooks

1) Coffee
2j Great Thai food/dinner with a friend
3) While I don‘t agree with all their choices, I am thrilled I only have 1 to read before the winner is announced.
4) The trip down memory lane that #TuesdayTunes has started me on
5) A quiet house but the anticipation of seeing my husband back tomorrow.

Bonus: Really loving the time #5JoysFriday is giving me to reflect on my week.

@DebinHawaii

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

Never Tear Us Apart- INXS
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics

@dabbe

I am a definite thalassophile. #WeirdWordWedesday

Not the weirdest of words but new to me.

@CBee

1) My Grandmas Hazel and my Aunt Linda (my dad‘s mom and sister)
2) My son and daughter
3) Little Women

Thanks for the tag @Eggs

#WondrousWednesday

#TuesdayTunes

Last week I started thinking about when music made an impression and my first strong music memory. This is the song that jumped out. I don‘t recall music in my home until later but my best friend‘s mother had the best records and we would sing along and dance.

https://youtu.be/SSbM_Zmx9kA?si=sASu647Lg2N3Pc6x

@TieDyeDude

#WomensPrizeShortlist

Here are my picks in anticipation of tomorrow‘s shortlist announcement. I just started The Maiden and haven‘t read The Wren, The Wren or A Trace of Sun. I chose not to read Hangman and The Blue, Beautiful World.

This book was 18 years in the making and it‘s obvious that the author put her heart and soul into it. The way war creeps in and disrupts, the way sides are chosen, how violence erupts, the way people try to maintain a normal existence when chaos is all around. I think this book is extraordinary. 5 🌟. Vying for the top spot on my Women‘s Prize short list.

#MotivationalMonday

1) I have a whole week to myself with no set plans. I think this is a first since my kids were born.
2) This is Dahlia. My husband is her person. She will miss him and tolerate me.
3) I would like to fly and not anything small enough to be someone‘s dinner.
4) Finishing the tagged today.

Tagging everyone

@Cupcake12

Back from taking hubby to the airport. A great day for peace and quiet to peruse the #CampLitsy longlist.

@BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain

Finished this last night for #NunLit. Look forward to the discussion because I think I missed something big somehow. I really liked the first half or so and then it lagged a bit for me. 4 🌟

#WeeklyFavorite

Zorrie was a lovely read. Highly recommend.

@Read4life

#WeekendReads

Will finish The Nun today and hopefully Brotherless Night tomorrow.

@rachelsbrittain

Dolly was indeed restless as she forged a life for herself and family within the constraints of her time. She was hard working, quite often fueled by anger. In many ways she reminded me of my mother so I unexpectedly connected to her story. 4 🌟

Zorrie loses her parents at a young age and so begins the story of her life. I couldn‘t stop reading after finishing this week‘s section. #SundayBuddyRead I loved this short novel. 5 🌟

@TheBookHippie

#5JoysFriday

1) Tax season is over
2) I finished a project
3) My lilacs are blooming and my Japanese Willow is flourishing
4) Drum Tao was an awesome show
5) A long chat with my dad

Happy Friday everyone! Come play @Lesliereadsalot @Reggie @Ddzmini

@DebinHawaii

“The tender morning sunshine sifted down through the skylight, filling the room below and highlighting the pink marble of the Baroque staircase.”

I am loving our April #NunLit book so far.

#FirstLineFridays

@ShyBookOwl

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

1) Katherine Hepburn
2) Helena Bonham Carter
3) Emma Thompson

Come play!

@dabbe

A huge thank you to @Suet624 for her review and the discussion that arose around it. At the time I felt like I would be wasting time and was a bit dismissive. That is always a wake up call because there is always something to learn. I listened to this slowly over the last few months. It fleshed out so much of what I believe to be wrong but also left me hopeful that others are fighting against those wrongs with the right message. Maybe we ⬇️

Two new to me words from the tagged book. I guessed fribble but had to look up nipcheese.

On a side note, my daughter and I decided to listen to GPS with a British accent yesterday. When we were told to take the “interchange” it was unclear if we were to go left or right. Now I know interchange was left to the freeway and expressway would have been used to go right into town.

The more you know…

#WeirdWordWednesday

@CBee

#WondrousWednesday

1) Exercise, Travel
2) Insomnia, sugar
3) My kids, both hard working, decent human beings but especially my hell on wheels ADHD son. That was a ride!

Tagging everyone! Loved today‘s question and the time to think about how to work towards 1 and 2.

@Eggs

#Two4Tuesday

1) Change is Hard or It Isn‘t Quite What I Thought it Would Be

2) Tagged. Although I read it years and years ago it is what popped in my head.

Want to play @Gissy @Librarybelle @TheLudicReader

@TheSpineView

#TuesdayTunes

I love this video (a little creepy vibe) and cover of one of my favorite Queen songs featuring Lindsey Stirling who I also love.

https://youtu.be/IbYG30ucL7Q?si=6HON5rFcXC5tBGqY

@TieDyeDude

Another finish from the Women‘s Prize longlist. I started in print and switched to audio when it was due back to the library. It was probably not the best choice as the non chronological telling of the Trickster‘s story was harder to follow and I found my mind wandering quite a bit. Another low pick.

#MotivationalMonday

1) Work today, start a quilt for a grandnephew, read The Nun, write #LitsyLove letters
2) grey sky above flowering bushes that separates us from our neighbors
3) Willamette Valley, Oregon it‘s cool and cloudy today
4) Started the tagged on audio last night

Want to play @dabbe @PageShifter @UwannaPublishme

@Cupcake12

So excited to be thinking about #CampLitsy24. I have seen so many great nominations posted today. I tried to stay away from those already nominated.

A big thank you to our camp hosts. @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

#5JoysFriday

1. Sourdough: tasty but needs improvement
2. A day with my daughter is always a joy
3. Anytime I can be out on my patio in the sun is lovely
4. Today‘s 3 hour coffee, stitch and gabfest with my bestie
5. My first NetGalley approval. I was about to delete my profile.

It‘s been a great week and the earlier frustration has passed.

@DebinHawaii

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

🌗 Moonstruck
🎶 Amadeus
👑👰🏼‍♀️ The Princess Bride

@dabbe

On Sunday I went to the Oregon Symphony with my daughter to hear Mozart‘s Requiem. But the most riveting piece was Remnants for Poet and Orchestra, composed by James Wilson, inspired by this photo taken at a BLM rally in the UK. While Sunday‘s performance was amazing this link is for a performance with the poet, Yomi Sode, reading his own words that is far more powerful.

https://youtu.be/u1YG-o8rSHA?si=yZGWwa404ZullhD3

The Spanish film Mad Love was not based on this particular book but it is about Juana de Loca the last Queen of Castile so I‘m going with it. This is also my #BookSpin book for April.

@CBee @TheAromaofBooks