Being in a reading slump means I'm still "in Ireland" for #foodandlit but since my guy is playing pickleball, the pup is content to lounge with me, and today's scrolling doesn't feel so doom-y, I'm going to finish my Ireland Overview with some Irish Pub ambiance on the screen.

#5joysFriday @DebinHawaii

Hey folks! How the heck are ya? I've been slumping HARD. I'm hoping that spring brings me peace, focus, and plenty of cherry blossom blooms!

I haven't peeked at the numbers selected for this month. Fingers crossed that I don't wish I had. 😆

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

I am what you might consider "chronically online," I live in the US, and frankly, I'm losing my ?. I need to relax, so I'm going to do #hyggehourreadathon on Mountain Time instead of my usually Eastern time zone. I have a Balsam & Cedar candle burning to bring a little of the outside in, I have a sleepy puppy just settled in for a nap, and a #sundaybuddyread read book to get started on.

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks

February's Book Spin list. Let's go!!!

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

I'm going outside the box for one of my reading challenge prompts this year. I'm working through a book of logic puzzles. I'm still reading, but I'm also checking for comprehension. I couldn't bring myself to write in the book in case I pass it along when I'm done, so I'm using one of my MANY little notebooks to good use. Who's doing something similar?

Which tag is everyone using? 😁
#52books #52bookclub #the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

We have Bookshop.org for physical books.
We have Libro.fm for audiobooks.
Now Bookshop.org sells ebooks so you can support local independent bookshops when buying digital copies!
I heard the news on Instagram from Deedireads. Here's a link to tell about this great news!
https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/_ZQ0FOVge

I've been reading this forever! But my guy went to play pickleball with a few buddies, so I'm winding down my Sunday night with a book and Watson cuddles!

It's #threelistthursday on Saturday! 😛

These are my three favorites from the list. I don't remember most of what I read as a child, so my number very well could be much higher. I also don't consider LOTR as children's books, but i liked it, so I won't complain.
One thing about lists like this is that good books are overlooked for multiples in a series or theme. I'd just bundle Harry Potter & the Moomins together to highlight others.

I fell off on these about halfway through. Where does the time go? Here's a recap of the second half of 2024.
July - Burial Rites was quiet, based on a true story, and had a great sense of place.
August - The Labyrinth of the Spirits was my favorite of the year & my only 5-Star book in 2024. (I'm very stingy with those). Being the fourth in a series of interconnected books, I was leery of following a new character, but it ended splendidly. ⬇️

My goals for January:
🔖Finish the 3 books I started in 2024
📚Read 3 others that finish the 52 Books Challenge from 2024
🗓Get a jump start on the last 60 books I need to read on order to finish #192025 by year's end
📘Participate in both #sundaybuddyread & #foodandlit
📖 Get at least one dang Bingo this year!

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

The sixth in A Series of Unfortunate Events was my favorite of the series and of June. I love quirky villains. The ones so damn weird, they really should be incompetent but somehow prove to get in the way of our protagonists anyway. Tim Curry's performance of Esme Squalor only enhanced her ridiculous trend following. "Children, here are some things you should know. Dark is in. Light is out. Stairs are in. Elevators are out. ⬇️

At least one of my 2024 goals has been achieved. ✅️
I set out to read all 13 books of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I moved to audio on book 5 and was rewarded with Tim Curry narration beginning with book 6, The Ersatz Elevator. It proved to be my favorite, with Curry's performance of Esme Squalor and her obsession with trends that are in and things that are out. Overall, the series was a pick, but I didn't love it.⬇️

May was another month of less than exciting books, so I pulled my 2nd favorite of December. Octogenarian Etta decides to walk from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving her husband Otto behind. He's been overseas for war and understands that she needs this experience. Their neighbor Russell is concerned, both by Etta's decision to leave and by Otto's indifference. Along the way, Etta picks up an unexpected companion in James.

Now that the hectic holiday is over, I am playing catch up on some bookish items.
So far:
January: The Honeymoon Crashers was a cute rom-com

February: LVOE is a collection of short poems. Very quotable. It's rare that I enjoy poetry, so I thought this earned a spot.

March: Everyone is Watching wasn't great but an entertaining glimpse at a live-stream competition where 5 people find out how far they'll go to win $10M.
⬇️

Since I didn't read many books last month, I only had to fill in a few selections for December. I'm still late. 😆 #StoryOfMyLife
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

The #20in4 Readathon his at a challenging time. I have a bit of a Friendsgiving later tonight and a birthday get together tomorrow with my brother & his family. I'm keeping my goals simple. Finish Red Rabbit (about 30 pages left) and see how far I can get with this one. This one covers Canada for #foodandlit and the #52books Palindrome on cover prompt.
@Andrew65 andrew65

I still have a few of the previous months' selections unfinished, but here I am, being hopeful that I'm getting through more in November. As I get closer to finishing the #52Books prompts for 2024, I'm looking to make more progress on the #192025 challenge. I still have 14 months, but it's looking like it might become the 192026 challenge. 🤣
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

My super late October Bookspin list, with help from my guy to make sure that previous BS/DS titles I included aren't the selected numbers this month. I'm hoping to finish the 52 Books challenge, so I didn't want to include a bunch of superfluous books so I could focus on these.

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

I'm on a work trip in Mansfield, MA and found a cute bookshop in nearby Plainville, An Unlikely Story. I have to acknowledge bookseller Cassie. A quite a few of her recs made me laugh. Though I didn't buy this book, it was my favorite blurb. I took pictures of her notes to order a few more at a later date through Bookshop or Libro to support the store. I'll definitely return on my next trip up here to see what else Cassie recommends.

My favorite villains are charismatic & troubled with a hint of funny, not necessarily EVIL.

The absolute worst listed: Cruella De Vil. How do you not like dogs?

Honorable Mention on the list: Man

Honorable Mention not on the list: Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves ("You. 9:30. You. 9:45. Bring a friend")

Surprising Omission: Pennywise - people hate clowns for a reason

#tlt #threelistthursday @dabbe

Let's see if I can get around to September's picks in a timely manner.
All Quiet is for the #192025 challenge that may turn into the #192026 challenge if I don't get my shit together.
Summer Heat was supposed to be July's #foodandlit read for Turkey.
No, I'm not behind...

#bookspinbingo #bookspin #doublespin

I don't have kids, nor am I a teacher.
I prefer tank tops to hoodies and sandals to boots.
Margaritas are better than pumpkin spice.
My #bookspinbingo list for September is celebrating the last remaining weeks of calendar summer.

@thearomaofbooks

Emily was ready to spend the summer with her best friend Sloane, but when summer came, Sloane and her family disappeared without a trace. Just when Emily thinks all hope is lost, she receives a list in the mail from Sloane - thirteen things Emily likely wouldn't do without Sloane's prompting. If she completes the list, will she find Sloane?
Overall, this was a cute and tame book about older teenagers. Emily's parents are preoccupied ⬇️

#5JoysFriday on Saturday

1. Grandma is out of the hospital but now in a rehab facility to help with her knees.
2. The bittersweet joy of finally finishing The Labyrinth of the Spirits.
3. This goat in a pool float is one of the that appeared on my Facebook feed this week.
4. The "Here's Negan" episode of The Walking Dead was amazing and reminded me just how freaking handsome he is. Jeffrey Dean Morgan? More like Jeffrey DREAM Morgan! ?
⬇️

I loved this. This book brings together all the different threads from the other books in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books quartet & introduces a few new faces. It took me months to read it, a little at a time, but it also allowed me to savor it. I highlighted so many more of Fermin's words of wisdom & wacky comments on life. My only regret is that I can't read the series for the first time again. If I ever get with amnesia, show me this! 😉

1. The pride I saw in Gus Walz cheering for his father at the DNC.

2. Three colleagues mentioned that my high energy when I joined Teams calls gave them an energy boost.

3. Seeing grandma. She's in the hospital right now, but it's always great to see one of my first best friends.

4. Video of a Colin Farrell interview about his special needs son for People

5. The Walking Dead - catching up on season 10 & I'm still Team Negan. #HotTake

🐶Potato the dog tries swimming (IG: canineantics)

📱Texts with one of my long-time BFFs

🏥 My longtime boss had his final cancer treatment today, and the doctor is confident in his recovery

💩Though it's a frustrating reason for the call, a colleague & I are reminded that teamwork makes the shitshow tolerable

2-for-1: Reconnected with a work acquaintance 🤝 I haven't seen since Covid at a networking event held at Bolero Snort Brewery 🍻.

I went to Maryland for work & found a Wonder Book location right near my hotel. Over that weekend, I took my parents to visit another location in Frederick. Lots of used books. I preferred the Gaitherburg spot because it just felt a little more like uncovering treasure, like The Book Loft. I recommend a visit if you're in the area. There was a good amount of international books represented - awesome for #foodandlit if you especially like NF.

August's list is finally ready! I still need to pin down my Hemingway selection and a fiction book for Jamaica, but I'm ready to see where the bookspin selections take me this month. Since I'm reading less, I've decided to focus on the 52 Books challenge, and if they hit a prompt in other challenges, so be it.

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

Well, July was a summer crazy month at work thanks to all of the obstacles that come with a new system. I feel like I've hardly been reading, but to my surprise, I read a little bit each day of the tagged book. I don't even know if I've ever scored myself a perfect week, let alone 4 plus change to make for a perfect month. I'm still not done with this chunkster, but it's CRZ, so I'm happy to slowly go along with the story and take it all in.

After a few long weeks at work and a small meltdown lamenting my lack of reading time lately (partly because my cutie pie dog barks at me when we're alone), my guy suggests a trip to B&N to browse. Yes, the answer is more books on my TBR that I'm not reading! 😂 I was really good at showing restraint until I wasn't. Once you pick up one book, you're already going to wait in line to pay, so you might as well grab two more, am I right?

I'm a week behind, but let's see if the universe will let me catch up quickly.

#sundaybuddyread @TheBookHippie

I"ve seen 34 of 80 movies. It's possible I watched a few others so many years ago that I don't even remember.
1. The Patriot
2. A League of Their Own (Have you ever really paid attention to Jon Lovitz's scenes?! Hilarious!)
3. Armageddon
4. Captain America: The First Avenger

Wanna play along? https://www.listchallenges.com/litsy-movies-to-watch-this-4th-of-july-weekend

#TLT #threelistthursday @dabbe

I didn't peek!
I very well might wish I had, who knows?! 😂

Alright, July. Let's do this! The second half of the year might have more reading time in store for me. 🤞

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I've read books 1-7 so far for my #anunfortunatereadalong but haven't posted anything. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I shared the first two books with the 10 year old girl across the hall. I left a post-it on their door asking if she enjoyed the first two and would like the next 5. This little lady will let me know! 🤣

Admittedly, I'm not very kid friendly, but this girl is delightfully weird, a reader, and her excitement about things is contagious.

Late last year, I entered to win a galley of this book. About 6 months later, I received the link to read it! I have a few others I need to get to, but I'm excited to read this one.

Excuse me while I rearrange my TBR yet again! 🤣

I have 4 friends playing pickleball in the park. Until I'm needed to give someone a break, I'll be in my hammock chair reading on my phone. Fingers crossed, I can finish the first week's section today.

Disclaimer: The hand & phone pictured is not real. I needed the phone to take the picture. I did NOT bring my Kindle because I'm an idiot.

@dabbe I went through the list rather quickly, but work got in the way of me sharing.

I've seen 68 of the 100 movies, and these are my Top 5:

Porky's (watched way too young and still going)
Look Who's Talking
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Twins
The Goonies

They're all so quotable. I was born in 1979, so I leaned more to the comedies than those with a more serious tone.
#TLT #threelistthursday

Coming in late with my list, but I've got loads of restraint and haven't peeked at the numbers. I might wish I did. Who knows?! 🤣 May was quite possibly my worst reading month in years, but I'm optimistic that June can't get any worse.

#bookspin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I'm ready for book four of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, but I'm also not ready to read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's final novel. After this, all I'll have left to explore for the first time is a collection of short stories set in this world and one more unrelated YA book.
Traveling solo to San Antonio, TX for work while nursing the tail end of a cold is a great time to make some headway.
#foodandlit #spain

I have practiced great restraint and didn't peek at the May numbers. I present you my list for May shown here over a photo of the mountains in Sedona, AZ, at sunset from my vacation.

MAY the odds be ever in our favor.
@TheAromaofBooks

I am on a MUCH needed vacation in Arizona. We spent a couple of days visiting Flagstaff & Sedona. We visited this delightful shop in Flagstaff. I have too many books (I know, I know, but I truly have too many), so I treated myself to some cards & postcards to send out some Litsy Love instead. They feature lots of staff picks, some local artist gifts, and a few store specific tote bags. I recommend popping in if you find yourself in town.

March was not a successful reading month. Fingers crossed that April is a bit better. I'm planning a vacation to Arizona at the end of the month, but we are more Urban Explorers than Relax with a Good Book people.

Photo from IG @der__tho
@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

Hot Damn! It's been a crazy 10 days, and I'm glad that things look to get back to a normal level of busy. This one went from a being a 2 month hold earlier this week to ready now just this morning.

I'm kicking off #MarvellousMarch with a lofty goal to finish:
1. Y/N 📖
2. 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster 📖
3. Korea Overview 📖
4. The Miserable Mill 📖
5. 30% of Wandering Stars 🎧
6. 75% of Wild Women and the Blues 🎧

@Andrew65

These are the ones that come to mind.

1. Ring Shout (I think it qualifies)
2. The Tell-Tale Heart
3. A Christmas Carol

#TLT #ThreeListThursday @dabbe

Solo work travel means long hours doing sales calls & staff training by day and paperwork & responding to emails by night. However, the time saved by not cooking, cleaning up, and hanging out with the dog & my guy means I get to read in bed! I'm starting this one tonight.

What's new, you ask? Watson's age! This little guy turned 9 years old today.

I'm either rather boring or an international spy who can't share any fun details about my life lately. I'll let you all decide which one you think it is. 😉

#whatsnewwednesday #litsylove @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude @Read4life

I started this #ARC last night that I won. It's due to come out at the end of the month, so no time better than the present to read it.

It's a bummer when you don't get a proper cover page in the e-ARC for posting. I had to superimpose a picture over my screen to make it look good! 😄

I'm excited to read both of this month's selections. I am taking a work trip next week so these may be coming asking for the ride.

8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster is for #foodandlit

Wild Women and the Blues has been patiently waiting for me for about 2 years now and fulfills at least one reading challenge prompt.