I'm always late to pick my books, and this month is no different. Luckily, the slight delay for Dark Sisters will have my box arrive once I'm back from vacation. Snagging the Braithewaite this month because my procrastination caused me to miss out in November.
A random late night musing from karaoke night at the local dive bar...
Does anyone else start singing Bush's Machinehead when they see the title of this book or is it just me?
The December List has dropped & the BookSpin Powers That Be have spoken. I'll hopefully read these two books this month. The tagged is listed at 112 pages - easily readable, right? My library has Wifey on audio. I'm excited for my first "adult" Blume.
@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo
A holiday theme for a list with exactly one children's Christmas book on it! I still have a few previous selections to read, too. Why can't I take the entire month off to read?
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
1. Christmas music - Just when I'm sick of it, it goes back into the vault for another year.
2. Wrapping presents
3. Games nights
4. Twinkle lights
5. For years, I lived with my grandparents & an uncle. On the 24th, I got to place the presents around the tree for all the family coming over on Christmas. Even though we didn't have any little kids living there, making the holiday magic come alive was such a great feeling.
#majicmonday @Eggs
@Texreader @Butterfinger #foodandlit
I can contemplate this for another week and still second-guess myself, so I'll submit this list as my nominations. I mostly went with countries whose books are on my shelves to help narrow it down.
pickLet's say I've selected Madeline as 1939 for the #192025 Challenge in the spirit of diversifying genres with a children's book. It was absolutely not chosen because I'm running behind with the challenge.
This was one of my childhood favorites so it was fun to revisit Madeline - a true influencer, way before social media! 🤣 I couldn't just borrow one from the library, so i picked out two others. A cute, spunky girl and beautiful illustrations.
Nominations are open for #foodandlit 2026. We are about to visit our 60th country for this challenge. Above are the countries visited so far.
@Texreader @Butterfinger
Hey Littens,
It's the final weekend to submit your nominations for countries to explore in 2026 for the #foodandlit challenge! What a great excuse to avoid your family for a while, and if you ask me, looking at a map makes it look like important work.
We hope to include countries from these 12 regions. Regions are loose, so use your judgment on where to place a country. Feel free to nominate by commenting on this post. ⬇️
1. Entertain people.
This comes naturally to me. I'm a natural with with banter about nearby anything, can get on stage on a whim, and willing to do something wacky for laughs. I've been told I should have a one woman show.
2. Baking - It's much more precise than cooking and I like that. With experience I've gotten better and can try more involved recipes.
3. Training/ teaching things. With time, I've also developed this skill.
I've been inspired! Reading Mona's Eyes reminded me how much I enjoy art, so when I saw this advent calendar of jigsaw puzzles, I couldn't resist. I currently don't have space to do a large puzzle, but I can certainly make space and time for a 50 piece puzzle each day. I have a short vacation in December, so I'm going to start on Thursday to make up for the days away.
These are my three selections for the weekend. I've got lots to do, but if I can fully read the tagged and make decent progress on the other two , I'll be a happy camper. All are for my push to finish #192025 in a somewhat timely manner.
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain
My guy & his coworker got a hookup to attend Monday Night Raw this evening. Yes, I'm missing out on a live wrestling event, but I've got some uninterrupted reading time. Watson is concerned about the horror book, so he's staying close by, in case I need him to bark at hungry ghosts.
I'm trying to finish #192025 as soon as possible, but I really needed to read something modern to break up the older stories I have left.
#dogsoflitsy
#TTT #TakeThreeThursday on Saturday @dabbe
A few of those tiny states were difficult to select. In actuality, I had 47/50. I live in NJ. I have work and familial tires to New England, so those are on lock. I've driven up & down the East Coast a ton. It's some of those states in the middle where I get muddled up. But I'll share with you all how to always find Kentucky on a map. 😉
Testing out some earbuds that go over my ear for use on an upcoming vacation and the gym. I've got about 45 listening minutes left on the tagged book, but I had to admire the leaves on this little tree in the park. It's leaves are still hanging on & the sunlight and blue skies really make the red pop!
#beautybreak
Did anyone else here in the US totally forget about the time change today? Maybe I was just hoping that if I didn't think about it, darkness wouldn't come at 5 pm.
FIVE PM! 😩
With it being my birthday month, I decided to skip the fall foliage & Thanksgiving aesthetic and went with a birthday theme for November's #bookspin. Now, let's see if maybe this is the month I read both and get a bingo! 🤞
@TheAromaofBooks
Ugh, Covid. I come from hearty stock, so it was just a cold with a little more lethargy and for about 30 hours, I had a cough that sounded like I've smoked a pack of Camels daily since birth. I'm on the upswing again and doing some reading. My #sundaybuddyread is in the office, so I'm working on a couple of others. In tidying up & applying a layer of Lysol everywhere, I found a small stack of books that my non-reader boyfriend set aside. ❤️
I'm hoping to get some reading time this weekend to make progress on these three books. A Time to Be Born goes back to the library in about 2.5 hours. It's been a slog for me, so I'm looking to just skim these last 2 chapters for #192025 challenge. Then I have the next section of Kill Her Twice for the #sundaybuddyread and whatever time is left will be put towards the #europacollective read for the month.
#justonemorechapter @TheAromaofBooks
Fingers crossed that I read more than 4 adult books and a children's book this month!
I also am delaying my #foodandlit Samoa selections until a later date. I'm still working on the last few countries. #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
My BookSpin List for September. How are we saying goodbye to summer already?!
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
I won a book! Every week for 52 weeks, Mona's grandfather takes her to see a different masterpiece before she loses her eyesight.
This comes to me the same week I lost my grandmother.
I've also been contemplating doing an A-Z Eurpoa Editions challenge for myself, just because. Maybe this is the kick in the pants to start.
I'm visiting with family and had a little time to revise my reading plans. Let's see what I'm potentially reading (maybe, possibly, if there's time).
Is anyone watching Summer Slam night 2? My guy is there, so I'll tune in a little later once I'm back home.
#bookspinbingo @thearomaofbooks
Working on #192025 with my 1946 selection, Mr Adam. I'm not peeking at the bookspin list just yet, as I'll need to make some changes. It looks like my Hoopla options have shrunk, and some books I planned to read are no longer available. Watson is happy to take a post-walk nap before we go visit my family.
Watson isn't loving this huge thunderstorm nearly as much as I am. My workday is over, so I'm cuddling with him, playing some jazz to try calming him, and catching up on the #sundaybuddyread.
Luckily, I worked from home today & don't need to go anywhere. I'm just hoping my guy can get home in a couple of hours.
I can't believe we've entered the second half of the year already! Here's wishing you all a great reading month.
@TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I've seen this book receive good reviews, but admittedly, I wasn't sure if the basic premise would engage me. Though this book wasn't set in Greenland for as long as I'd have liked, I was really riveted by the plot. In a future or alt reality where wildlife is rapidly going extinct, Franny wishes to follow the Arctic Terns on what is, very likely, their final migration south. We get to know Franny via flashbacks & through her ⬇️
The main library in my town was rebuilt and had their grand opening this weekend. The first floor is an arts center with a black box theater and art gallery. The upper two floors are the library. It's bright and inviting, with lots of seats & tables, as well as 2 patios, study pods, and small meeting rooms for programs. I tend to use their digital tools, but I'll need to start making more of an effort to borrow a few physical items, too.
Starting to feel better, but I'm totally going to milk this head cold for a little extra reading time this weekend, but not so much that I can't tour my town's new library this weekend. 😁
My library hold came in on this one, so I'll pause my beachy read and enjoy some icy and turbulent conditions.
I love it when a book coincides with the real-life date when I'm reading it.
Bonus: sleeping Watson and our weird eyeball throw.
I stayed home sick today with a head cold. My dog is finally letting me relax. This book feels seasonally appropriate.
I needed the extra day to refer to my #192025 plans to set my list for June. I've decided to try playing catch up on #foodandlit later, so I'm hoping to jump into Greenland with two books. Let's see what I should prioritize this month!
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickI read these for the #192025 challenge, and they were both a quick & delightful way to bang out two years. Mrs Harris and the supporting characters were likeable, though I do think New York was a little less charming than the first. In Paris, we see Mrs Harris really impacting the various lives she encounters, where some of NY was swift mentions of people. Ultimately, I recommend both of you need something light & uplifting these days.
I needed the extra day to cross reference my interests for May. I'll likely read 3 of these, but it's worth a shot! Let's see what the reading gods dictate...
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
📚And Then There Were None
📚LOTR - I read the trilogy & The Hobbit in 8 days for honors English bc: procrastination
📚Their Eyes Were Watching God
📚The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - enjoyed this more than I expected.
📘The Handmaid's Tale - it was better when it was dystopian fiction & less instruction manual
📘Harry Potter - author is problematic, but I really enjoyed the series, especially Goblet of Fire
@dabbe #threelistthursday #TLT
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.
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
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
pickThe 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. ⬇️
pickAt 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.
⬇️
