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Jess861

Jess861

Joined June 2019

Mom-Wife-Dog Lover-Slow Reader-Cold Tea and Coffee Drinks...little time to read but sneak it in where I can.
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Jess861
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Beautiful cool evening to read outside with a drink. Enjoying the book so far and I'm hoping to get a few hours of reading in tonight. #BookAndBeer #BookClub #Readathon #EveningReading #OutdoorReading #BackyardReading

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Jess861
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I don't usually (ever) read two books at once but I only have two weeks to read this book for a book club I signed up for. So here goes reading two books at the same time. It is unlikely I would have picked it up if it wasn't for book club so I can't wait to find out if I like it.

TEArificbooks Apple TV is making it into a tv show or movie 3w
Blueberry It's coming up in my bookclub also. 3w
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
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It's amazing how our kids can put us back in touch with our childhood passions. I have always loved learning about animals and I was especially enthralled with wolves as a kid. I credit our son for allowing me to rediscover the joy of animals through his love for all living things. As he gets older, I hope he never loses touch with what truly brings him joy. I cannot wait to dive into this book!

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Jess861
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book as much as the first I read in the series (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). I enjoyed the characters a bit more in this book but am still bothered by the blatant sexism. Favourite thing by far was the trees! Excited to read the third - I believe it is The Voyage of the Dawn Trader if I'm reading in publication order.

#ChroniclesOfNarnia #Series #BookTwo #MiddleGrade #Readathon #SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Excellent! 1mo
40 likes1 comment
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Jess861
Untitled | Unknown
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Just hoping to keep my momentum up when it comes to getting some reading in every week. September is crazy busy with back to school and the start of the fall activities - so I'm just hoping to find some time.

Thanks for hosting the #SummerEndReadathon #Readathon @TheSpineView

TheSpineView You're welcome and good luck! 1mo
27 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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Reading The Chronicles of Narnia in publication order while the kids run around in the sun and play with water. Surprisingly, I never read them as a child and this is the first time I'm doing so. This is the second book and I hope I enjoy it as much as the first.

#Narnia #Fantasy #KidsBook #Series

51 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Pickpick

This was an enjoyable read about three generations of women (one being a child) as they move to Cornwall, England for a new start. They move into White Cove and explore the mysteries that surround it and some Cornish folklore. The book does move at a slower pace but it suited the story. I did find that even though it is set in the 1950s, I kept thinking we were in current time (except when the war was brought up).

42 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Beautiful morning for a little backyard read with an iced coffee from our local coffee shop. I'm enjoying the book so far and I'm curious to see where it leads as I read on.

#IcedCoffee #LocalCoffeeShop #Hare #MorningReading

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Jess861
The White Hare | Jane Johnson
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Going to start the tagged book tonight with some sea salt chips. It was a rainy day but looks like I'm getting a sunny evening to read. I think this book won't be as intense as River Sing Me Home and I need that for my next book.

#BookAndChips #CozyBlanket

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Jess861
River Sing Me Home | Eleanor Shearer
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Pickpick

An excellent debut! The story of a slave who treks across three countries to find all the children taken from her. The writing and settings are beautiful and you are transported to this time and place. You can't help but love the many characters you meet throughout the book. I simply cannot imagine having all your children ripped away from you and having to fight to find them again. Only knock was there are some parts that are a bit too lucky.

52 likes4 comments
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Jess861
River Sing Me Home | Eleanor Shearer
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Starting the tagged book with an iced coffee and a view of the water while the little guy is with his tutor. I've only just started and I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy this book. I believe this is her debut when it comes to writing books - so I'm excited that it's started off so well.

Now just to decide if I want to tag it to #Barbados #Guyana or #TrinidadAndTobago for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 @librarybelle @barbarabb

Aims42 I love when you begin a new book and you just know you‘re going to love it 🥰 I‘ve tried to explain that feeling to my husband and he thinks I‘m nuts 🤪 2mo
Jess861 @Aims42 I feel you! My husband isn't a reader so he just doesn't get it - but there's no better feeling! Nothing better than loving a book from start to finish. 2mo
Aims42 @Jess861 ☺️🥰😍 2mo
Librarybelle What a great recommendation! It‘s an awesome feeling for sure! 2mo
47 likes4 comments
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Jess861
Untitled | Untitled
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A broad goal for this readathon of just continuing to read as much as I have time for. I hit my usual slump in the Spring but have been finding lots of time to read this summer (although time at the cottage was a significant help). Hopefully I can read two or three books in August as it is a pretty busy month with the kiddos!

#RushAThon #Readathon

@DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🤓📚❤️‍🔥Good luck & glad to have you along!! 2mo
Andrew65 Great to have you with us, good luck 😍 2mo
29 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed the book but didn't love it. A plague that basically takes out an entire small village in the England countryside. I enjoyed the story although I found it got a bit wordy at times. It was interesting to see how people dealt with so much death and being quarantined within their village with no outside sources. The ending seemed kind of random to me.

@Cuilin #BookedInTime

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Jess861
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Back home and it's a nice warm evening. Watched our little guy play soccer and now he is tucked in bed - now it's lemonade and a book for me. Slowly getting through this book and I'm enjoying it so far.

#Lemonade #BookAfterSoccer

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Jess861
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Pickpick

A slow-medium paced book that follows the stories of a woman and a couple. I found the different story lines each had strong sections and weaker sections where I wasn't as engaged - but they seemed to alternate. It was refreshing to not know exactly how the two different stories linked together for the majority of the book. The descriptions of Soho in the 50s really transported you to that time. Overall I enjoyed it.

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

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Jess861
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Last morning getting this view while I read ☹️. Probably won't get much in because we want to get the kiddos into the water one last time before we pack up. Enjoying the book so far - particularly enjoying the time period it is in. It is nice to be reading a book from only one point of view as the last two books I read were both two.

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Jess861
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It was a stormy day for the most part so I was able to finish my previous book. Now the skies have cleared and I'll get to enjoy a bit of time outside reading even though it's still quite windy. I'm not sure I'm up for another pandemic like book so quickly after The Pull Of The Stars but I'm going to dive into the tagged book anyways.

#BlackTea #WindyReading #Plague #BookedInTime

Cuilin Beautiful view. Popular read for #BookedInTime hope you like it 🤞 3mo
56 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jess861
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Sweater weather morning on the lake. The loons are out and enjoying the water. Hopefully it warms up so we can spend the day in the water. A cup of English Breakfast tea and a library book while the kids are still asleep.

#EnglishBreakfast #Tea #CottageReading #LibraryBook #Loons

CoffeeAndABook Sounds like a perfect morning and a fun day ahead 🙌🏼☀️ 3mo
Soubhiville That‘s my favorite time of day! 3mo
Jess861 @Soubhiville Completely agree - so peaceful! 3mo
BarbaraJean That looks glorious! 3mo
dabbe Lovely! 💜 💛 💜 3mo
53 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Jess861
The Cuban Heiress | Chanel Cleeton
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Pickpick

This is a fast paced book that follows two women and their voyage on the SS Morro Castle and the mystery that surrounds them. I don't think I can describe it much past the first sentence without giving the story away. It was a quick read and action packed from the very beginning. I enjoyed the writing style, characters and the overall plot. I found some of the twists to be a bit obvious but otherwise a good book.

Librarybelle Good choice! I have one of her books…I should read it for the challenge! 3mo
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
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Finished my last read much quicker than expected so I'm diving into one of the library books even though we still have a bit before we go to the cottage. Overcast, dragonfruit tea, a book and the backyard deck - what more could I ask for?

#AuthorAMonth #DragonfruitTea #WeekendReading #DeckReading

slategreyskies That drink looks so good! 💕 3mo
Jess861 @slategreyskies - Starbucks - Dragonfruit Tea if you are interested! So delicious! 3mo
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jess861
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The family went out this morning to take out some books from the library for our upcoming trip to the cottage. The kiddos took out a few books each and I'm hoping to get a bit of reading time in for some challenges. The little guy mainly grabbed non-fiction once again - so there will be lots of learning about animals and dinosaurs!

#AuthorAMonth #ReadingTheAmericas2023 #BookedInTime #LibraryHaul #RaisingReaders #KidsBooks #PictureBooks

TEArificbooks My youngest loves non-fiction. His favorite right now is a world atlas. 3mo
Jess861 @TEArificbooks - It's awesome to see the love for non-fiction at such a young age! 3mo
44 likes2 comments
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Jess861
The Cuban Heiress | Chanel Cleeton
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Heatwave here so nothing better than an iced coffee and a book. I'm not sure that there is much Cuba in this book but Havana is somewhat tied into this book from reading the blurb so I'm going to count it as a Cuba read. Also not sure how long I'll last outside in this heat but we'll at least get started on the book!

#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Cuba #IcedCoffee #Heatwave

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Jess861
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Mehso-so

This book was ok but didn't love it. The characters were well written although some of their story lines were ended very quickly and with not much thought. Most of the book read a bit too slow for my liking and while parts picked up the majority was on the slower end. I did enjoy reading about the Spanish flu and how alike it was to the pandemic we just had. No rhyme or reason as to why some only got a bit sick and it took others lives.

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Jess861
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Pickpick

A great book for kids to learn about extinct, rediscovered, endangered and recovering animals. Learn some facts about many different animals while looking at some beautiful illustrations. Our 6 year old is obsessed with saving the animals and the environment - this is the perfect book for him to learn more about some of the animals that we have lost and ones that are surviving.

#NonFiction #RaisingReaders #Animals #KidsBook

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Jess861
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I don't think I'm going to hit my goal of finishing the book. But I'm heading into part two now. It took a bit but by the end of part one I was starting to get into the book. Hopefully it continues to pick up.

#JoysOfJune #Readathon #MorningReading

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Jess861
The Pull of the Stars | Emma Donoghue Ltd
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Finally some nice weather after the wildfire smoke took over and then a few days of much needed rain. Going to try and get some pages in this evening. Not sure if I'll like this book as I've never really found a book I liked that passes over a very short amount of time (I believe 3 days in this book) - but still excited to dig in!

#JoysOfJune #Readathon #FluPandemic #BackyardReading #EveningRead

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Jess861
The Pull of the Stars | Emma Donoghue Ltd
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A little late to be posting but I'm going to join this readathon and hopefully finish The Pull of the Stars this week. It's a busy week with the husband on night shifts and the little guy only having a few weeks of school left plus his summer activities kicking off - so it will definitely be a challenge. Hope I'm able to find some time for reading this week!

#JoysOfJune #Readathon @Andrew65

Andrew65 Great to have you with us, best of luck 😁 4mo
39 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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Couldn't decide what to read next so I asked our little guy to pick which cover he liked out of four books. He chose this one - so the tagged book it is then. Another stunning day here so I'm going to start this book with a cold drink while the kids run around with their friends. Not sure how much reading I'll actually get done, but I can always dream.

#BeerAndABook #OutsideReading #Starting #SunnyDay #Pandemic

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Jess861
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Mehso-so

I usually enjoy books where most or all of the characters are bad people - but this one was just ok for me. It was an easy and quick read and the writing flowed well as the author took us through two point of views. The court disposition chapters didn't feel like they added much value to the story. The twist was decent but it just felt like most of the book was mediocre. Still glad I read it though since it was a pretty quick read.

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Jess861
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The sun is starting to go down on another scorching day here. Going to try and finish the tagged book while enjoying a cold drink on the deck.

#BookAndBeer #SummerWeather #BackyardReading #DeckReading #FamilyLiesAndSecrets

Leftcoastzen Love the beer name!😂 4mo
49 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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A beautiful evening to sit in the backyard with a good book. Reading while listening to nature and sipping on a lemonade after the kids are in bed. Should be a nice, relaxing evening.

#SummerReading #BackyardReading #OutdoorReading #Lemonade, #FamilySecrets

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Jess861
Redwall (Redwall, #1) | Brian Jacques
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When I can't decide what to read next, I like to visit my old friends of Redwall Country. The amount of time I spent in this world when I was younger! Of course I must have a snack while I read any of the series since the food/drink descriptions will keep your mouth watering. And finally - outdoor reading weather!

#Series #BookOne #OutdoorReading #Popcorn

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Jess861
Burial Rites | Hannah Kent
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Pickpick

Based on a true story - Agnes Magnúsdóttir is charged with murder and forced to live on a farm in Northern Iceland while she awaits her execution. It is a slow-paced, atmospherically written and the perfect book to read in the winter. There are a lot characters throughout the book so it isn't an easy book to put down for a while and pick back up. Reading the Q&A with the author at the end of book really shows you where her writing style came from.

54 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
Burial Rites | Hannah Kent
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We went from winter to false summer overnight. So I took advantage of the weather and got some reading in. We will start spring weather this week. Trying to get out of what seems to be an annual reading slump in March/April. Such a beautiful day for reading.

thegreensofa Someone is being chased by a prehistoric monster in the background! Be careful! 🫢🦕 6mo
LiteraryinLawrence … But seriously, what IS that?? 6mo
Jess861 @thegreensofa @LiteraryinLawrence - he was able to keep us all safe from the Indominous Rex 😜 6mo
58 likes3 comments
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Jess861
Burial Rites | Hannah Kent
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Inspired by @ShyBookOwl I've decided to munch on some popcorn while I start the tagged book. You don't find too many fiction books based in Iceland so I'm quite excited to dig into this one.

#PopcornAndBook #Iceland

KarenUK One of my all time favorites. So heartbreaking and beautifully written. 7mo
ShyBookOwl 🎉🍿 I've actually been wanting to read a book set in Iceland! 7mo
50 likes2 comments
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Jess861
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Pickpick

Finished reading this book to our six year old and it was a hit. A perfect early chapter book while he transitions into chapter books. There were enough pictures to keep him engaged but not so many that he could figure out the whole story through them. He isn't a kid who loves reading so the fact that this book captures his attention is great for us! Hopefully he can read them himself one day. We've already started book number 2.

#RaisingReaders

TheKidUpstairs My 7 year old LOVES this series. He mostly likes NF, fact based stuff, this is the first fiction series to really capture his imagination. 7mo
Jess861 @TheKidUpstairs Sounds exactly like our guy! He loves non-fiction and this is really the only fiction series (or even book) he's been interested in. 7mo
Tamra My kids loved this series and when I showed the pic to my 15 year old he smiled. 😁 7mo
See All 7 Comments
Jess861 @Tamra Oh that makes my heart melt! 7mo
Tamra @Jess861 funny thing is they have really never cared for fantasy type books/stories, but they definitely enjoyed this series. We read it aloud for a number of years. 7mo
Jess861 @Tamra Although it is fantasy - I feel like most kids fiction is. I think it's more just a start in fiction with the early chapter books. 7mo
JohnLAndBenji This reminded me of a children‘s book that I loved, it‘s Dragon rider by Cornelia Funke. I only read the first book in the series, but to this day I vaguely remember enjoying it back then, so your kid might like it. (edited) 7mo
42 likes7 comments
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Jess861
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Pickpick

A bit slower paced compared to most books I read - but I quite enjoyed this book. Any time the book was getting a bit too slow it seemed to pick up. The plot twist wasn't surprising to me but well written and still enjoyable. This book is full of strong women. It touches on many issues; pauper auctions, women's rights and the suffragette movement being the main ones. Three important issues that all should be educated on.

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 7mo
Librarybelle I‘m not familiar with this one! Sounds very interesting! 7mo
48 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Jess861
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I've come down with a nasty cold so I'm going to start part III this evening in bed with a nice hot cup of tea. Even if I wasn't sick this is the best way to spend a Friday evening! Some relaxing down time after a hectic week at work. Also - why do so many books no longer have a table of contents? I love having a table of contents.

#BookAndTea #FridayEvening #BookInBed

Tamra Tea, books, resting is the only decent part of having a cold. Take care! 7mo
Jess861 @Tamra Thank you! And I completely agree. 7mo
Dragon Hope you feel better soon 💐💚🐉 7mo
Jess861 @Dragon Thank you! 7mo
46 likes4 comments
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Jess861
Little Comet | Igloobooks
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Mehso-so

While we loved Little Sunflower, Little Acorn and Little Snowflake - Little Comet fell short for us. The others are quite educational as you learn about the life cycle of the sunflower, acorn and snowflake. It didn't feel that there was as much learning in this book but you do get to zoom through space as a comet and learn the planets on the way. Our three year old clearly enjoys the illustrations!

#RaisingReaders #Comet #Space #Educational

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Jess861
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It was a blustery day today which gives me all the reading feels! After some morning reading we took the kiddos skating and sledding (holiday that by some miracle my husband had off work) - and then it was time to start the tagged book. I'm a sucker for maps so this book started off well in my mind. Going to read a bit more now that the kiddos are asleep.

#BlusteryDay #HolidayReading #Canada #Map #MapsInBooks #ReadingTheAmericas2023

52 likes1 stack add
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Jess861
Carrie Soto Is Back | Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Pickpick

This book is character driven and while it seems many did not like Carrie Soto - I actually quite enjoyed her character. Soto is flawed in many ways but that is what makes this book such an enjoyable read. Would she have been as flawed if she had both parents growing up? Would she have had the same chance to grow if her father hadn't trained her the way he did? Is it so wrong to be so straight forward and cut through all the bull? A pick for me.

ATB Loved this book and Carrie. I love this kind of intensity in an athlete. 7mo
Jess861 @ATB Completely agree! 7mo
62 likes3 comments
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Jess861
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Nothing makes me happier than this picture. He wanted to get under the blanket with me and 'read' next to me. He is 6 and reading is not his strongest subject in school. At least he was flipping through the pictures and reading the odd word as he went through the book. He has only brought non-fiction books home from our local library and his school library - so nice to see him enjoying some fiction.

#RaisingReaders #ComicBook #MomAndSonReading

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Jess861
Carrie Soto Is Back | Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Starting the day with a book and another #AuthorAMonth read. In the past few years I've discovered that I enjoy watching the odd game of Tennis so I'm intrigued by this book.

#MorningReading #BlanketAndBook #CozyReading #Tennis

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Jess861
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Pickpick

I honestly didn't know if I'd enjoy this book - but I'm happy to say I did. The story flowed well and it kept the pages turning. The characters were well rounded which I always love. It also highlighted my distaste for Hollywood and the culture that surrounds it - everything I think Hollywood is comes to life in this book. I will definitely read more books by this author.

#AuthorAMonth #BookSpin @Soubhiville @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 7mo
59 likes1 comment
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Jess861
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I spent the evening helping our 6 year old fill out 20 valentines cards and filling out another 25 cards for our 3 year old. So I've decided I'm going to end the evening by starting The Gullible Mick Riva section of the tagged book while drinking a delicious apple crumble porter. I'm enjoying the book more than I thought I would.

#BookAndBeer #CurrentlyReading #Porter #EveningReading

xicanti Ooh, that beer sounds delicious. (edited) 8mo
Jess861 @xicanti I'm excited to report that it actually tastes a bit like apple crumble and I really enjoyed the drink! 8mo
53 likes2 comments
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Jess861
The Ways We Hide: A Novel | Kristina Mcmorris
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Haven't done much reading the last couple of weeks but got a book haul today from our local bookstore. Picked up a book for myself and three for the little guy. He is starting to get into longer stories so we are going to give these a try at bedtime reading.

#BookHaul #LocalBookStore #IndieBookStore #RaisingReaders

Tamra My kids loved the Dragon Masters series! 8mo
Jess861 @Tamra He asked that we start with that book so we read chapter 1 tonight. I hope he likes it! 8mo
Johanna414 I‘ve read the first 6 or 7 Dragon Masters books with my kids and they LOVE them! 7mo
43 likes3 comments
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Jess861
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I decided to start with #AuthorAMonth this February. Enjoyed a greek salad, ginger ale and the beginnings of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my lunch at work today. Not very far into it yet but it is a pleasant read so far. I'm not a big fan of Hollywood so I'm curious to see to what extent I'll enjoy this book.

#GingerAle #GreekSalad #LunchtimeReading #Hollywood

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Jess861
Four Souls | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

It was a quick read and beautifully written. The story of Fleur Pillager (told from her sister in laws point of view) and her need for revenge - as well as Nanapush and Margaret's 'love' story (more comedic). All the characters are well fleshed out and I can only imagine what reading the whole series would add to this book. The way revenge was handled throughout the book and the way it ends is magnificent. I absolutely loved this book.

44 likes3 comments
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Jess861
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Pickpick

Who doesn't love this book? Our 3 year old decided this was the book she was going to bring to preschool this past week for family literacy day - and I may have been more excited than she was. A fun rhyming book about Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy and all the other dogs around town.

#RaisingReaders #ToddlerBook #PictureBook #Rhyming

kezzlou85 Oh I loved this when I was young and both my girls did as well. 8mo
CarolynM ❤️ Happy memories 🥰 Have you seen the animations? Completely adorable. (edited) 8mo
Jess861 @CarolynM I have not - I'll have to look them up! 8mo
47 likes3 comments
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Jess861
Travels of Babar | Jean de Brunhoff
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I'm just so excited that this little bookstore is still around. It isn't often you find a bookstore mainly dedicated to children and teenagers but Livres Babar has managed to stick around! My parents would take us every time we visited my aunt and uncle and I'd usually come out with a stack of 5-10 books! Livres Babar is located in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada.

Congratulations @BennettBookworm on reaching 20K - and thank you for the #20kgiveaway

tpixie Oh how wonderful! I‘ll put it on my list of bookstores around the world. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, there‘s a Curious George Bookstore- owned by the authors ( at least originally). 8mo
Jess861 @tpixie Thank you!! I'll absolutely have to check this out if we are ever in or near Cambridge, Massachusetts! 8mo
tpixie @Jess861 🌺🌺🌺 8mo
BennettBookworm Thanks for sharing! And as a French speaker this especially intrigues me! 8mo
40 likes4 comments