#ARichLife #Fireside

Another photo from the archives, this one from a camping trip in Ohio about a dozen years ago. We used to stay at a KOA while visiting family, and it was a great opportunity for campfires and s'mores.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I really enjoy Samanta Schweblin's style in her novels and apparently in her short stories, too. Her characters are vivid and flawed and get into such bizarre predicaments that are somehow totally logical. As a bonus, two of the narrators of this audiobook are people I've met through narrator networking, which is fun.

This is a quick, tense, haunting story about the weight of grief, the emptiness that remains after a death, and how some things refuse to let us logic our way out of them. The story is told from Iðunn's perspective and the author does an excellent job keeping us in the dark as much as Iðunn is.

Photo is from nearly as close to Iceland as I've ever been (the coast of Maine. I've been to PEI, which is even closer, but it doesn't look as moody).

I just totally bombed at a piano recital, so I think I've earned a book and some cider. (If I'd done well (i.e., not completely choked on stage) I would also have earned a book and some cider. The book-and-cider was pretty much a given from the get-go.)

#Bounty #ARichLife

From back when I used to have a decent (for me) vegetable garden.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#Saints #ARichLife

The route to this prompt is circuitous. This is a view from our apartment when we first moved to Salt Lake City in 2008, while I was reading Wallace Stegner's The Gathering of Zion about the founding of the LDS church and the Latter-day Saints' journey(s) to what would become Utah. I was not yet in my "photographing reads" era, but I associate this view with the book and with the term "saints."

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#Souls #ARichLife

I wasn't sure what to post for this prompt, but this pretty window at a local church seemed to fit decently.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Thank you, Mr. Connelly, for unlocking new fears for me about AI chatbots. Before, I was just incredulous that anyone would choose to trust one over an actual human, given all of the manipulation that can and does happen in programming AI. Now it seems clear that people will do and are already doing just that, not recognizing that they're interacting not with an objective machine but with a puppet set in motion for profit by all-too-human humans.

I initially intended to read only the title story, but I'm glad I got hooked on the others during a long walk. Butler's stories and essays are thought-provoking and explore different ways that humanity might react to extraordinary circumstances in a manner that feels less like fiction and more like a guided tour of alternate realities.

#ARichLife #Pumpkin

A felted pumpkin I bought on a whim this autumn and put on the mantel with a couple of mini cinnamon brooms. And that's about the extent of my decorating skills.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARichLife #Earthy When we lived in Massachusetts, my kids and I hiked the same trail each week for a year, and along with that, we followed this lovely book that goes through a New England year week by week. I've tried a couple others with a similar premise, but none has worked quite so well for me as this one.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

For several years, my sister and I had a long-distance Sisters Book Club, so named not only because we are sisters but also because we (mostly) read books about sisters. After a hiatus during which I moved cross country, my sister had a baby, and we all had a global pandemic, we are renewing our book club with this book my sister picked. If you'd like to read along, let me know, and I'll tag you for the discussion at the end of the month.

How does one get a title added to the Litsy database? There's an indie title I want to tag, and I'm wondering how to go about getting it added to the database (or if there are titles that can't, for whatever reason, be added to the database).

I realized while filling out my November #bookspinbingo board that I had The Correspondent on the list twice, so I did a quick swap and slotted in a MG horror title. I still have a fair amount of horror in general---carryover from October---which is just fine by me. I left my #roll100 titles for free spaces.

@TheAromaofBooks

#ARichLife #Twilight

My teen has been talking to me about Nietzsche, so I'm dusting off my Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ from college. I made notes in it, so I know I read it, but I remember nothing from this book except that it wasn't what I'd expected when I was 19 years old.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Aside from a couple of very bizarre statements about sexual assault, I actually liked this Miss Marple mystery more than I expected to for a late Christie. The twists and turns are enjoyable, with just enough clues to keep me guessing. As always Emilia Fox's narration is excellent. And now I want to go on a guided tour of historic homes and gardens in England.

Photo: The same flowers in the book cover illustration, but growing in San Diego.

#ARichLife

November 3: #Grateful for so many things, including toe beans and a cat so relaxed that I can get a close-up of his paws.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARichLife

November 2: #Apples

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Catching up on #ARichLife (a photo challenge sounds fun for this month...we'll see if I can keep up!).

November 1: #Harvest from a Massachusetts October a few years ago.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Two main things that feel related to me but might not seem so from outside: I'm facing my fears of putting myself out there creatively, through acting, writing, and musical performance, and I've leaned into vulnerability in relationships by recommitting to connection through respectful disagreement. I don't always hit the mark on either of these, but future me will, I think, be proud of my earnest attempts.

Great prompt, @Eggs ! #majicmonday

The beauty of wetlands/salt marshes can be a little challenging to capture, but I like the way the sunlight shines on the fence here. This #beautybreak is from a hike/walk we took from the wetlands to the ocean today. Not pictured: The interstate just behind us.

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

October #bookspinbingo card. I got one bingo and completed all three #castthedie titles, none of my #roll100 titles, and neither #bookspin nor #doublespin

Still, a better reading month than I thought it would be!
@TheAromaofBooks

My October Bookends post is up! https://imperfecthappiness.org/2025/11/01/bookends-october-2025/?utm_campaign=li...

I felt like I didn't read much at all in October, but I think that's just relative to how much I *wanted* to read. Thank goodness for well-narrated audiobooks or I would have had a very fiction-dry spooky month, indeed!

I had planned to watch my teen perform his piece for a music competition, but he asked me not to go in with him. So, time to catch up on my reading planning! #bookspin for November, as well as #Roll100 titles
@TheAromaofBooks @PuddleJumper

Okay, #ScreamTeam! We're in the #HauntedShelf home stretch! Just a few more days to finish that book, get those bingo lines and blackouts, and check in on Cluedo to squeeze in as many extra points as you can.

**Report your final points total by Sunday, November 2nd**

Either make a post or comment below with ALL of your points, from bingos, readathons, games, word searches...everything!

Inspired by @Leftcoastzen I got this one out from the library then perused it while my teen got his haircut. There are some painful cars in here, but they missed the 1991 Ford Tempo.

I had to share a photo of the wrapping, which was fantastic and included fabric ribbon (more safe for my kitties!). I'm going to have to hide the sour candy from my teen, and I'm so excited for the books! I listened to Motherthing this month on audio and have been wanting a print copy, and the Stuart Turton is new to me, so I'm excited to explore that one! Thank you so much, @Ellie_H !

#AHRS2025 #AllHallowsReadSwap @MaleficentBookDragon

Well, I like this one. It does just what I love horror to do: Mirror the horrors from real life and make them manifest in a foe that's more easily fightable than addiction or toxic family dynamics or self-sabotage or addiction to toxic family dynamics that lead to self-sabotage. The setting is rich and immersive, even for someone like me, who's never been to Italy (the juxtaposition with NYC, which I have been to, helps). Fun spooky season read!

In 1997, Violent Femmes played a graduation concert in the fieldhouse at a small, B-tier liberal arts college in Ohio. More interested in socializing with each other, the audience largely ignored them. A few fans tried GenX dancing, but it didn't take, and the band's obvious antipathy toward us only grew as the night wore on. I still wonder how the heck they got that gig. I hope it was them hitting bottom.

#TuesdayTunes @TieDyeDude

I made a tactical error choosing this book for my after-dark audiowalk. There were a lot of creatures rustling in the shrubbery...

I enjoyed this one but didn't love it. Harper is young and a bit of a hothead, hasn't worked through the trauma of her dad leaving and not coming home, and now Stephen Graham Jones is giving her a bunch more trauma. The characters are all interesting, and this ends up being a rather gory meditation on love, loss, and identity along a highway I've driven twice, once in each direction. #HauntedShelf #ScreamTeam #OneSnackToRuleThemAll #Chocolatiers

Tea and an online horror workshop for audiobook narrators. What an awesome, creepy way to spend a few hours of an October weekend...serious play!

Not sure who it's from, but this was in our mailbox today! I'm not happy that October is almost over, but at least I have opening this to look forward to!

#AHRS2025 #AllHallowsReadSwap @MaleficentBookDragon

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) Relatable stickers on the Internet.
2) Tasty beverages.
3) Silly cats with adorable toe beans.
4) Visiting the resale shop with my elder kiddo.
5) My younger kid telling me that, with my new glasses and today's "fit," I look like I'm 23. I'm not sure I agree, but as compliments are infrequent from my 16-year-old son (he recently told me I was too old to part my hair on the side), I shall graciously accept it.

While the ending didn't quite hit for me, overall, I really enjoyed this exploration of connection, relationships, and the meaning of life in the context of mortality. Maybe "enjoyed" is an odd word to use, but the book is definitely funny while dealing with death, disability, mental illness, and other challenging life circumstances. It makes a good case for facing mortality head on. This is one I learned about from @BarbaraBB

Sharing from Instagram. This made my day. Full post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPWjh5IjS2d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Side note: When I shared it with my spouse, I gave him instructions for how to experience the post (the original video is the last panel, reactions come first) since he doesn't really know how to use social media beyond LinkedIn.

I ultimately found this novel more satisfying than I thought I might based on the earlier chapters. It's convoluted, but in a way I found fairly gripping. The characters could be more nuanced, and I couldn't read a lot of these kinds of books in a row because they would all blend together and annoy me, but it's nice as a diversion from time to time. #ScreamTeam #HauntedShelf #OneSnackToRuleThemAll #Chocolatiers

I liked this novel quite a bit. Bazterrica has a surprisingly light touch for such heavy subject matter. I love how skillfully she conveys the idea that the main character possesses secrets even from herself, recognizing, of course, that the book I experienced is a team effort between author, translator Sarah Moses, and narrator Imani Jade Powers. The oscillation between despair and hope, beauty and the grotesque is very well done.

Kingfisher (along with narrator Avi Roque) does an excellent job creating the chill and chilling atmosphere of this short novel. I really admire Roque's use of dramatic pauses. The ending feels a little abrupt after the build-up, but it also feels appropriate. I definitely plan to read Easton's next adventure, but I might put a little time between this one and the next; I think this series might lose its luster if I binged it.

This is an interesting one! For me, it depends on where "home" is as I've lived all over the US (from Massachusetts to San Diego to Pensacola, and lots in between). But counting from where I am now (San Diego) to León, Spain, is about 5700 miles, so I'll go with that. #majicmonday @Eggs

Saw this giant cocktail shaker today at a cool resale market near my kid's college. I had a lovely day and now am reading the tagged while my spouse is watching football (and I'm a smidgen tipsy after two cocktails), but this is the only photo I took. There were also 80s-era lunchboxes for $200+. I bought nothing.

PSA: One can't lie on one's back and also lie prone, at least according to Merriam-Webster. This is one of those mistakes I made in my 20s that embarrassed me so much that now it sticks out to me whenever I see it.

At long last, a beverage and a book! (Yes, my footrest is an office chair.) Happy Saturday!

Time is flying, #ScreamTeam, and the mid-month points check-in is almost upon us! Tomorrow-ish (19 October), please tally your points and either post an update on your profile and tag me, or post your points in the comments. (I confess that I have not been keeping track of my own points at all, so if you're having to look back at your posts and figure out your points from scratch, you're in good company!)
#HauntedShelf

I am simultaneously moved and disgusted by this novel. It's kind of a bleak view of mothers, but it's also an interesting picture of the ways that different people cope with poor parenting and how that bleeds into their other relationships. There's a lot of blurring of fantasy and reality, which is quite unsettling. This is one that I can say I "like" but that I would only recommend with a lot of caveats.

My tea this morning had something to say about beauty. #beautybreak

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

Okay, #ScreamTeam! Here's the #HauntedShelf game for the second half of October!

Make a post with clues and people guess in the comments. Be sure to tag with #HSCluedo so people can mute the hashtag if they want to.

Full details in this post: https://litsy.com/p/Q1VQeExubGI2

@IriDas @Yuki_Onna @Laughterhp @willaful @Roary47 @TheAromaofBooks @vonnie862 @kwmg40 @MsRadioSilence @sebrittainclark @tdrosebud @Seabreeze_Reader @bekakins

Yay! I finished a book!
This novel has some interesting commentary about the nature of race and the limitations of working towards equality in the context of the existing system. The solution they come up with is a bit Stepford Wives, a bit Get Out, and a bit Spanish Inquisition (mostly Stepford Wives, though...lots of parallels, if I'm remembering that book accurately).
#HauntedShelf #ScreamTeam #OneSnackToRuleThemAll #Chocolatiers

So very busy these next few weeks. It's all really good stuff, but I regret losing the time I'd planned to spend with my spooky TBR this month. At least there are beautiful moments. #beautybreak

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

Beverage update: Tea and double-checking the pronunciation of a word that could be (but isn't) on the #HauntedShelf Word Finder list.

I'm not used to caffeine, so now I need to take a break to work some of it through my bloodstream so I'm not so jittery. Luckily, the laundry needs attention, so I can get my body moving and audio-chore with the tagged book for a bit while still being productive.