I cleaned up my office this week and made a mini library on my desk of books I intend to read. The tagged book was alright but procrastination is just who I am as a person. I've realized I'll do things when I'm good & ready...like reading these other books.

This book of stories is really a collection of poems about unfortunate children in Tim Burton's signature creepy style. A super quick read with cute illustrations to go along with the stories.

My guy is out for a few hours & the dog is (finally!) tuckered out, so I'm taking a little break to read a bit more of this. Work has gotten very busy so I haven't gotten much reading time in lately. Confession: I am so behind that this book was just released so while in B&N yesterday, I snapped a pic of the map that my ARC is missing.

Seen at the Middleton, MA McDonalds: This Little Free Library for kids. I love seeing books in unexpected places.

Yes, I picked watching a movie! I like being different. 🤣 Actually, autumn is usually my busiest time of year so reading takes a back seat to life. I also don't get scared from books so I love horror movies during the spooky season.
@rather_be_reading #thisorthat

Playing catch up on #7days7covers #covercrush with #Day4. As a circus fan I like the dust cover but the hardback cover is pretty, too. I've included a pic of the pups I was with on Sunday, causing my delayed post. Bella, Murielle, Janet, & my pup Watson trying to join the girls for some shenanigans. I nominate anyone else who hasn't participated yet (I keep looking at folks who have).

Day 3 of #7days7covers #covercrush
Today I invite another new Litsy friend @hannah-leeloo to play if you'd like.

Day 2 of #7days7covers #covercrush
Today I invite @BookNik to play if you'd like. Share covers that you like for 7 days, no explanation needed, and invite someone else to play along.

Thanks for the tag, @Louise ! Day One #7days7covers #covercrush Share covers that you like for 7 days, no explanation needed, and invite someone else to play along. I invite my newest Litsy friend @Bookworm1987.

I'm too lazy to turn on the light so I'm going up start reading this cozy mystery on my tablet & see how I feel about the genre. Wish me luck!

A solo business trip = reading time!
I made it about 1/3 through this one on my way back to San Antonio today. Since I'm here alone, I can hibernate for a few hours & finish it up this week.

Hey y'all. I've been vacationing in Nashville with my boyfriend so reading hasn't been on the menu. However, we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame yesterday and in an exhibit titled Outlaws & Armadillos, there was a small wall for Shel Silverstein.

#LitsyHumor
Sorry if this has popped up numerous times before, but it gave me a good chuckle on this mundane Monday morning.

I still get the urge to go Back to School shopping every August, so to fight that feeling (and save money for my upcoming vacation) I'm reading about 5 friends taking a trip through Europe for a couple weeks before going their separate ways to college.

This is my co-pilot for today's solo roadtrip. I tend to rock out & do some carpool karaoke but thought I'd bring a book along, too. From NJ to Wiiliamsport, PA for a small family reunion and back again. Have a great Saturday folks!

4.5 stars. I finished this book in three days & it ended how I wanted it to. That's three Taylor Jenkins Reid books I've read & all of them have been so good. Traveling alone for work at least lets me get some extra reading time, even if I do miss my pup. Luckily this hotel has a pool. San Antonio is HOT!

This was available as a Read Now book on Netgalley a few weeks ago and since I've been on a bit of a Rom-Com kick, I picked it up. I'm 42% into it so far and while there's not much Rom yet, there's a bit of Com.

This morning the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce did some team building exercises instead of the usual business card exchange networking. One of our activities was in partnership with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, putting together a bike to benefit a child with cancer. My team built a bike for Marcos, who was there to pick it up in person. He was very excited to get zooming around on his new wheels. (I take credit for most of the sign).

I've never read Gillian Flynn before but I found this at a used book sale and couldn't resist the looks of it. It started off a bit racy, talking about hand jobs but then things got creepy. I liked that the are a few different ways the story go so I was left guessing up to the end. For me it was a nice intro to her work.
#ThoseEndPagesThough

Surprise book mail! I entered a contest for this book and I suppose this means I am a winner!

I downloaded this book off Prime a couple months ago & realized it had audio narration this morning. At only 13% in, I have already had at least 4 genuine laughs. The narration by James Langton is very conversational & the MC definitely has that dry British humor. Taking a break to run errands with the pup, seen here. He prefers 80s tunes or punk/ska when traveling.

This is a slow-moving story that immerses you in the 1930s & WWII era NYC. If you enjoy a book that takes its time setting the scene then you may like this more than I did. The final 1/4 of the book picks up but if I had read this, I might have DNFed it. I like scene setting but a chunk of it felt tedious or redundant. I liked the MCs well enough, but the book would benefit from a firm direction, editing the useless & expanding other areas.

I read books 1 & 2 about two years ago and finally got around book 3. I enjoyed this one more than the others so I'm not sure if it's the time passed, the storyline or the lack of Annabeth. (Sorry!) I'll continue with the series, but it has been just OK so far. Since the half-bloods are getting older, I hope for a little more maturity & better adventures. I have enjoyed this version of the Gods we get in the series.

I've been listening to this on my commute to work. I'm 1/4 through and wondering if I should continue. It is unabridged and my mind starts wandering, wondering when we get to the good stuff. So much of this feels pointless to the plot. Also, there are 3 people performing this and none have distinct enough voices for the dialogue they're reading. The female has a weird cadence during the dialogue. Is it worth continuing?

May has been a busy month & I haven't read nearly as much as I would like but a head cold has me slowing down a bit. I guess the bonus is Yay! Forced reading time.

My #bookhaul from the Westfield Library Sale yesterday. I showed lots of restraint and only came home with 11 this time. 🤷🏼‍♀️😆😂🤣

After finishing The Daughter's Tale yesterday which takes place during WWII, I need some lighthearted chick-lit. If the book's dedication is any indication, I should enjoy it.

I started this yesterday and I'm already 1/3 through it. So far it's intriguing.

This fun read follows 4 middle-aged ladies on one of their annual Girl's Getaways to the Hamptons. Annie & Kelly are both newly divorced, Deb is still happily married, and Tina is the slightly younger wild card who is obsessed with actor Jason Wilde. Tina wants to meet Jason, so they ask around to place themselves in his orbit. Sounds innocent enough. What could possibly go wrong?! Hijinks, alleged kidnapping, & some romance make this 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I took a leisurely walk with my dog this morning and couldn't resist taking a few pictures of the trees in bloom.

I finished this audiobook the other day and enjoyed it. Knowing a bit about Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn, the end wasn't a complete shock, but still enjoyable all the same. It's funny how so many people of the time had children just for political gain. I managed to find The Boleyn Inheritance on CD as well so I'll continue the series. I had to match up dates with that show Reign to compare people & events. ( So many nobles with same name. 🤯)

I'd think young boys would love this book! 🤣#LitsyHumor

How right that title is! Maeve is 18, a high school senior, and hoping to "get some". The story had some good elements and some that stuck a nerve with me. Maeve's actions & words lead me to think this girl just wants the sexual activity & not so much a romantic relationship. Her love interest, Cole Stone (Creamery), doesn't really seem all that into her. I enjoyed that she has an active life & a good support system. For me this is just ???

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow. I've been passionate about music since childhood so I am thrilled that this book didn't disappoint. The unique, interview style of storytelling lets you see the frustrations unfold as the bandmates tell their view of the events leading up to the band's demise in 1979. Excellent building of the tensions one faces living a rock & roll lifestyle without getting bogged down by musical jargon.

Traveled to Isle of Palms, SC today for a work meeting. Between the flight & a couple free hours before the welcome reception, I'm making a dent in this beauty.

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

The acts of H.H. Holmes were the more intriguing part of the story, but the World's Fair piece is still interesting, if a bit bogged down by the details of the development & building of the fair. I was hoping for some insight into the actual fair once it opened. Not great, but worth about 3.5 stars for this little slice of history. I'll leave you with this author's note kicking off the book.

Yesterday's book haul from the final day of the Chatham, NJ library sale. I was afraid it would be picked over but it's probably for the best that it was winding down. I didn't need a new book, let alone 12 of them. Whoops! 🤷🏼‍♀️

My #BNBookHaul from last week is finally unbagged & cataloged. (Busy week, please don't judge.) I limited myself to books I had previously been interested in and, since I browsed online, I found the two Christina Lauren books on a random endcap & not on the book haul tables.

My co-pilot this week is Tony Goldwyn reading this book. I may have given up on this book in print but a few chapters at a time while navigating the highways of NJ is just the right amount of architecture & murderous maniac.

Books transport us places:
The beach. The woods. The city.
Paris. Hong Kong. Honolulu.
The past. The present. The future.

I'm tired of the cold, snowy weather here in New Jersey. Since an international trip is not in the cards right now, I'm taking a tour of Italy with Frances Mayes.

1. First Lessons - A Medieval Tale and The End of Procrastination. I'm really dragging my ass on the latter & determined I'm just lazy & bored by most things.
2. All of 3 have a place in my life. I just try to keep physical copies of series in the same format.
3. Mein Kampf. Senior year in high school I was assigned selections of the book & didn't even read all of them. I read just enough to write the paper.
@rachelsbrittain #weekendreads

1. One dog, Watson. You've seen him before.
2. Some cleaning, reading, maybe a movie with my dude. Might watch the Oscars.
3. I also like concerts, TV, & movies
4. Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco. Must see an MLB game while in each place.
5. Everyone has a song or 2 that makes them dance. What's yours?

Some of mine: Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet and Shut Up And Dance & Anna Sun both by Walk the Moon.
@howjessreads #friyayintro

I won this 2 years ago from Goodreads & it got pushed down the TBR pile. While staying at her sister's Chicago apartment, Eleanor catches a glimpse of the sexy guy across the street - Trey Riordan. She likes watching him with other women. Months later, she's decided to put herself in his path, hoping he'll notice her. They decide to have no strings attached sex & we all know that ends in feelings. Not creepy, but not much romance either. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yay! I've completed my first audiobook and I might even try another one! I really enjoyed the gothic tone of this book and the narrator did a great job having different voices for the characters without sounding ridiculous or jarring. It didn't all come together the way I expected, but I'm glad for it. Dragged a little in the final quarter of the book, but overall an interesting story with great imagery and some food for thought. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

At least 3 times a year I say to myself I really need to read this book and another year passes without me changing the status to read. Since books are usually better than the movie/show, I usually watch them before reading. I clearly have a decision to make. Will 2019 be the year I (finally, for real) read this? 🤣 https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/11/devil-in-the-white-city-hulu/?utm_source=facebook&u...

It may not be Christmas, but it feels like the North Pole. In addition to the copies of letters, envelopes, & drawings Tolkien sent to his children as Father Christmas, this Prime edition provided the ability to listen to the letters, too. It was a nice collection from a time when Christmas wasn't about getting the biggest Beebo doll on the shelf, but traditions, stories, and family. We also get some Tolkien world-building as the years pass.

Here are #20thingsaboutme Thanks for the tag @SmartSassery & to @LibrarianRyan for reinvigorating the tag. It's been fun learning more my fellow Littens. I tried to pick things that wouldn't pop up in regular book chats.
Tagging some of my new Litsy friends @olivia.ferz @Stephaniereads1 @Sassenach1

I started this the other day and so far, so good. I love a good #bookmap and it looks like we will visit some new cities on Felicity's second journey.

☝️Surviving Minimized, The End of Procrastination, & Marina (on audio)
✌A Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Raspberry. I once had a barista ask me where I'd seen it. Nowhere, just thought of adding a flavor shot. Then she asked if I posted it online because numerous people ordered it that week. I told her it's cute that I look like I have that kind of power.
👌A Cinnamon Shortbread Latte
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain