Really enjoyable and fun, while also heartbreaking and educational. I‘m a big fan of Lucy‘s work, and am so glad I finally got to hear all about her journey to Pal. He‘s such a cute kid!

The first in the County Cork cozy mystery series, we follow Maura as she travels to Ireland after the death of her grandmother. Someone seems to be stalking/threatening her, and two dead bodies show up all in her first week in her g-ma‘s home town. I enjoyed this but didn‘t love it, mostly bc it wasn‘t so focused on the mystery, just on her trying to figure out her life. Other reviewers mention that Maura seems too negative, but I didn‘t think so.

Another satisfying entry (the fourth) in this Regency-set cozy series. This time Lucy and the Major are engaged, and while they both long for a quick country wedding while her family push for a fancy London affair, the Major causes a ruckus at the Fair awarding the verger the lions share of prizes. When he‘s found dead soon after it opens old feuds and past history, not to mention other dead bodies and kidnappings. But Mrs Fielding got what‘s...

Well, I certainly didn‘t figure out who did it in this mystery! This second in the Shetland series (image is a map where this is set) didn‘t disappoint. Det Jimmy Perez is back at it with the overly energetic DI Taylor in tow, trying to find out who killed at least two people, and why. Reading this the last two nights made my insomnia bearable. Fingers crossed I can check out book 3 online tonight!

About a quarter of the way through this one, the second in the Shetland series. Question for anyone who‘s read the books and seen the TV series - what do you think about the adaptation? I‘ve only read and watched the first book (it‘s S2 E1 for TV) and was underwhelmed, despite liking all of the actors.

Happy Halloween to all of my Litsy pals! Hope it‘s nicer where you are than it is here in Wisconsin! 👻 🎃

My final stack (minus the ebook). I didn‘t really track the time I spent reading (I think it was around 6 hours?), but I read 1,272 pages. Most of those were illustrated, though, and two I was a quarter of the way through when I picked them up last night. It was fun to just sit down and read for the first time in months, and I added plenty of books to my TBR after seeing your posts. Looking forward to the next one in April! #deweysoct

This was honestly educational and it made me laugh too! Covering all parts of the lives of children, from getting pregnant in the first place, all the way through the teenage years. The Q & A format made it easy to read and I really appreciated the humor throughout. I liked this much better than her first book (which got too repetitive in the second half). Recommended! #deweysoct book 7
P.s. I forgot about dillweed as a burn. My new fave insult!

I haven‘t read a Nancy Drew book in such a long time, and I don‘t remember ever reading this one when I was a kid. Nancy and three friends are sailing from Rotterdam to NYC when Nancy sees someone on the dock signing her name to someone else on board the ship. There‘s a mysterious trunk, stolen jewels, masked intruders - lots of mayhem and fun! Of course Nancy figures everything out in the end. And this book made me chuckle unintentionally...

It was such a pleasure to be back in this world. Following Karluk and Amir as he learns to hunt and their relationship grows, and Henry Smith as he finally makes his way to Ankara, the detail of the story (not to mention the unbelievably wonderful illustrations) is so immersive and captivating. This is one of my favorite GN series. While I hope she doesn‘t stop writing them, I look forward to an eventual series reread back-to-back. #deweysoct bk 5

Eh. I was excited to hear about this comic (the movie is one of my favorites), but I was underwhelmed. I appreciated the diversity of the characters and the new ones added in too, but the mystery and following everyone and the butler/narrator constantly breaking the 4th wall to talk to the creators? Just didn‘t do it for me. I feel liked it either needed more time for pacing/plot, or less story threads. #deweysoct book 4

An abbreviated version of the classic story, complete with illustrations. It‘s cute, and would be good for people who are concerned about understanding the language or intimidated by the length of the original novel. One change made to the story is its narration by Margaret, the youngest sister. I liked that the back listed all the changes made, some history, and a small bibliography. #deweysoct book 3

An unusual twist to the well-known Titanic lore. A thieving couple poses as newlyweds to bilk rich people on the ship, but they both have ulterior motives, and end up all over this massive ship, righting wrongs and taking out bad guys as they try to make their way to a lifeboat. A v James Patterson book, but frothy fun, and there are worse ways to kill a half hour. #deweysoct book 2

Even through Dewey‘s didn‘t officially start when I finished it, I‘m still counting it. Thanks to insomnia I was up until 5AM so I finished the last 2/3rds of this one. Book 5 in the White House chef mystery series. I like Olivia, Gav, her coworkers in the kitchen, and the setting. This time Olivia finds two dead staffers in a nearby kitchen and gets involved in another investigation. There were a few times I got nervous but it all ended OK.

I‘m not officially signed up, but I‘ll be participating in Dewey‘s Read-a-thon tomorrow. There aren‘t any real plans except to read as much as my eyes will let me. (I‘m at the end of a two-week-straight stretch of vertigo, so it might not be that much.) Hoping to catch up with all of you here over the weekend too, I‘ve really missed you! #deweys

Four months ago when I last posted, Chico was doing well. But shortly after he got really sick and I devoted all my time and energy to him. He crossed over the rainbow bridge two months ago from severe kidney disease at 16 years old. He was my big baby and I miss him so much it‘s indescribable. I know you all liked seeing him and hearing about him. He‘s with his sister again and isn‘t suffering any more. ❤️❤️❤️

I really enjoyed this guide to traditional seasonal celebrations. Each one has lots of different activities, some crafts, ideas for celebrating alone and with a group, and what each change means in Celtic star lore, basic themes, customs, etc. It seems like it‘ll be a great resource.

Welp, it‘s been a month, and aside from a few ebooks checked out from the library, I‘ve hardly read a page. I can finally feel the read urge creeping back (thank god!), and I‘m planning on only gardening and reading this long weekend. Fingers crossed that I can move my total up by more than 2 or 3!

This series is so popular at my library, I‘m glad I waited until after the holidays to start reading. I like Anne Perry‘s work, and I enjoyed this novella set around Christmas. It features a side character, Vespasia, from the Thomas Pitt series (haven‘t read that yet) helping a friend on a sort of mercy mission to the north of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to pass along news of a suicide she thinks she played a part in. 3.5 stars, and happy to have read it!

Well after the readathon, my old iPhone decided it didn‘t like Litsy any more. 😒 Yesterday I was finally able to get a new one, and I am so happy to have something that works! Here‘s a pic of Chico just a little while ago, basking in the sun.
In the end, I only read the 3 books I posted about, in about 5H 45M. Not great, but that‘s okay. It got me back into reading again, which is what I was truly hoping for.
Now it‘s coffee time! ☕️

Book three of the #readathon! Despite reading this in two sittings (it‘s well-written and easy to read), I didn‘t like almost every character in this book. It was fun to read, and I especially liked the emails and text messages scattered throughout.
(I‘m also realizing that this is the first BOTM book I‘ve finished despite being a member for years! Totally my bad.)

The second in this Edwardian cozy series, and my second finish of the #readathon. It was cute (also it was my purse book for a couple of months, so I read it in spurts), but not altogether surprising.

An interesting look at the trial and lives of two famous and infamous “He-She ladies” in the 1870s. It‘s well-researched, and is full of details and old-fashioned vocabulary, but something about the book as a whole feels a little hollow to me. I‘d still recommend it, especially as I‘m not aware of another book with the same subject matter (barring Oscar Wilde, of course). 3.5 stars. Book 1 done for the #readathon

Well so far I have read 0 pages. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ I have, however, fed the birds, had 3 cups of coffee, made and ate breakfast, fed the cat and cleaned the litter box, talked to my mom, put clean dishes away, taken the garbage out, and written a long letter to a friend. What is wrong with me!?!?!
I‘m finally laying down with Chico on my legs, and am about to dig into this book. I‘ve been on pg 28 for a week. #notthebooksfault #readathon

Good morning, and happy #readathon! Thought I‘d try something new for the opening meme. Hope it‘s readable! 🤞🏼 No big plans for the day other than to read as much as I can. I‘m hoping for 8 hours of time, and if I could read or finish 2 books, I‘ll be happy.
What are you all starting with? I think I‘ll pick up anmystery novella.

Looks like it‘s another cold one today! I‘ve got a client this afternoon, so I need to get moving. And in typical Laura fashion, I‘m in a serious mood to do nothing but read! I managed to read a couple of graphic novels last night, and worked on a Vera Stanhope book in bed...I just want to keep on reading to see what happens! Hopefully I‘ll have the right mojo when I get home this afternoon. 🤞🏼

I‘ve been sitting here with 100 pages left for almost 2 weeks now. I read a couple of library ebooks, and then spontaneously had my mom stay with me for 8 days (she had the flu, a UTI, and gout in both feet) so any and all time was spent taking care of her, cooking, cleaning, etcetera.
After shoveling out just my front walk, I‘m wiped out and am watching As Time Goes By, with a very happy cat on my side. Hope I can wake up and finish this!

Things are really happening in the Princess Jellyfish world! In this penultimate volume, we have a daring escape from a locked room, casino ups and downs, a peek behind fashion leftovers, a proposal, and several different backstories. This is such a fun manga series, and I‘m so glad that the much-missed Landfall Freight box included the first volume a couple of years ago.

While I liked this book, and appreciate that Takano wrote a follow-up, this fell a little flat for me. I‘m sure if I‘d had a copy on my hands when I finished Orange I‘d have enjoyed this a little more. Still, if you‘ve read the first two volumes I recommend reading this one too.

A detailed, yet brief and wide-ranging history of classical music. It‘s meant for kids, but I think it‘s a nice, quick starter for anyone at about 30 pages. There are QR links to listen to music every other page (which I didn‘t use), a nice touch. Originally I bought this for a friends daughters, but based on their personality (and how atrociously they treat books) this will live a better life somewhere else.

Phew! This chunkster took me almost a year to read - no fault of the book or author! Was hard to keep my mind on the story when I already knew what was going on bc of the show. But, thanks to insomnia, I got it finished! It was good,the pages turned easily, I got caught up in whether everyone would escape each little thing, and I can‘t wait to see what happens in the next book.

Well, 2018 sure wasn‘t what I expected. Leaving aside the dumpster fire that was most of Western civilization, on a personal level it was weird. Last month I hit the 5 year anniv. of my father‘s death and mom‘s subsequent breast cancer diagnosis. And somehow I feel like I can take a breath again, & that my mental load is lighter. So I‘m not going to beat myself up for falling 12 books short of my goal. Instead I‘m hoping for a more upbeat year.

My final Readathon stack!
I finished 11 books and read from 1 more, for a total of 1,699 pages in 6 hours 23 minutes. Disappointing reading time, but if anything, this is a good reminder that I don‘t need any help with distractions when I‘m trying to read. Next time I won‘t let my friend choose the thon weekend when she needs a break from her family!
Thanks to all my fellow readers, especially @Readerann , my faithful reading pal for years!💖

Just got into bed, so it‘s time for my kindle and an easy mystery. On one hand, I hope I can stay up and finish this bad boy (recently started it), and on the other hand, I need to get some sleep! #readathon
Either I‘ll be back here around the time Dewey‘s is over, or it‘ll be much later than that if I crash.

I‘m still awake and reading, and still loving this series. I‘ve had volumes 8 and 9 on my TBR shelf for a bit and I‘m glad I saved them for tonight.
Most of my reading this time around has been mangas and GNs, but with a house guest around it‘s been easier to focus when there are pictures involved.
I‘m hoping I can get another “regular” book read, but since it‘s 2AM and the #readathon ends in 5 hours, that seems unlikely. Shorties to the rescue!

My first Dewey‘s book is all finished! Wonderful as always, this book finds Flavia & Co on a small vacation, where, of course, Ms de Luce finds a corpse in the river. A lovely cast of characters in the town, and involving more of her sisters and Dogger than we‘ve seen before. Such fun to read!

In other news, my house guest is still sleeping, I had to take an hour nap myself, and I‘m stuck between disturbing Chico and reaching a new 📗. 😳

1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
2. The tagged book. But I‘m looking forward to all the books, really!
3. Dill and garlic cheese curds. Yum!
4. I‘ve been doing the Readathon for over a decade, I‘m mom to a very cuddly 15 y.o. cat, Chico, and I have a friend staying at my house this weekend. Fun distraction!
5. My different thing this time will be sleeping. I fell asleep around 4 AM and am just getting started now, over 2 hrs late! 😳
#readathon

It‘s coming up on 2AM the night before the Readathon starts. This seems like poor planning on my part, but what the heck?! Let‘s see if I‘m able to be up and reading at my start time of 7AM.
#livingdangerously #partyanimal (#notreally)

Getting ready for tomorrow‘s Dewey‘s Readathon, a little later and more scattered than normal. But hey, it‘ll be fun regardless. I have a friend staying at my house this weekend, and she says she wants to participate too, but she reads less than I normally do, so we shall see.

I‘ll be posting here mostly, and not so much on my blog or Instagram.

Who else is joining in? #deweys #readathon

Happy to have the day free to read this one. I love these books so much! (I also love my bookmark from @rustoryhuf and am so happy that it matches the cover!)

I probably shouldn‘t be in this dangerous place (Barnes & Noble), but I had to get the newest Cormoran Strike book on release day! #bookwhore #ilovethesebooks

Hello Litsy friends! Not sure how or why it‘s been 2 months since I was last here - it‘s very much my bad.

I‘ve fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole for planners and planning. And desk/office tours and sticker organization. And speed cleaning/decluttering. One good side effect is that I‘m getting rid of stuff more often and at a higher volume. One bad thing is that I‘m buying more stickers!

Here‘s a not-great shot of some TBR in the guest room.

Glad to have this audiobook on my drive down to Janesville this morning to visit a friend! Hopefully it‘ll help distract me from my road-construction-rage. 😳

What a great book! I read the whole thing yesterday (best way to spend a Sunday!), and couldn‘t turn the pages fast enough. In this one, a monk is murdered in a secluded garden in the middle of nowhere, and Gamache and Jean-Guy are sent out to investigate. How so much can happen in just a few days is amazing to me, and it ends on a huge knife-twist to the heart. I both can and can‘t believe it. Instead of spacing out my reads I‘m on the the next!

Oh, how I have missed reading Ms Penny. I save her books for special occasions, mostly when I know I can truly sink myself into the book, and already on page 24 I am deeply smitten. ❤️ Gamache ❤️
#threepines

Well, looks like I‘m acing that whole “keeping up with social media thing”. Yikes. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I‘m noticing that I only need my glasses when I‘m on my phone (or my eyes are extremely tired), and I‘m trying to be a little more present in my real life. I‘m single, no kids, and live alone, so it shouldn‘t be as hard as I make it. One good thing out of this absence is that I broke my reading rut - yahoo!!! Finally hit the halfway point too, 101/200, yay!

I‘ve been having issues posting. 😣 I know it‘s on my end - can you see this?

Well, the reading rut drags on. About the only things I‘m able to focus on are books like this one, about houses and decluttering and things. And while I‘m certainly far from a minimalist at home, I‘m slowly but surely weeding through things and donating like crazy. (Also, I‘m hooked on YouTube videos of KonMari-ing & decluttering - if you have any favorites, let me know!) I‘m annoyed that I can‘t focus on fun stuff, but it has to break soon!🤞🏼

I‘ve been feeling a little better recently, & have been working on my house, cleaning up & out. And while I firmly believe that one can never have too many books, I‘ve started to feel the weight of my unreads (currently 2,254 physicals) & want to do something about it. Since it‘s humid & gross outside & I suddenly got the day off, I decided to pull a few off of my shelves for some Speed Dating. 20-50 pgs each, & if I‘m not intrigued, out they go!

Watching Red again this weekend while his parents are Up North. He‘s a cutie, but seems to want to attack my Starbucks straw. Every time I think he‘s forgotten about it, he resurfaces and takes a swipe at it. 😸

In Bookish news, I‘m having a hard time reading lately. Today my eyes are bothering me but I suspect it‘s because it‘s going to humid & 95 and that‘s my least fave kind of weather. Managed to get a few pages of this in, but that‘s it! 😩