I‘ve been in a horrible reading slump, in part because I‘ve had a hard time sitting comfortably since my fall before Thanksgiving. My back is still swollen and sore , and it‘s made it hard to concentrate on whatever I‘m reading. But this delightful book took my mind off the pain and focused it on this story of the importance of friendship. Loved the setting and the characters. It was just what I needed.

Hubby and I have a 60 page rule: if we‘re not into a book by 60 pages, we can set it aside with no regrets. I‘m at 60 pages, and I just can‘t make up my mind. I wanted a light holiday read, I‘m just not sure this is it.

Whew! It‘s been too long since I‘ve been here. What can I say, life happened. I‘m taking a pass on a number of books that I read, but I just finished this and loved it. It‘s a bit different from Quinn‘s other books, more of an ensemble, multi-thread story. Wonderful characters and set at an interesting time in history. Definitely 5⭐️

Well, it‘s been that kind of year. 48 hours ago, we were celebrating my birthday. Now, I‘ve spent the past 24 hours in the hospital, after a nasty fall in the shower. Not the way I wanted to spend the day before Thanksgiving, but at least they‘re sending me home this afternoon. I‘m okay, just badly bruised and sore. Our son is taking over most of the holiday cooking duties. Oh, well, it will add to our family holiday lore😄

#tlt #threelistThursday

Interesting twist! My score dropped from 93 to 48. I included three songs where I didn‘t see the movie, but did see the show the song originally came from:

Old Man River (Show Boat)
Luck Be a Lady (Guys and Dolls)
All That Jazz (Chicago)

Thanks for putting these together, @dabbe

#tlt #threeListThursday

This was a fun one! I got a score of 93, and I‘m going to be singing these songs all day😄

Hard to pick three favorites, so I went with three that I‘ve sung in the last year or two:
🎼 Summertime
🎼 Somewhere
🎼 Stormy Weather
Honorable mention goes to The Rainbow Connection

If you want to play, see @dabbe for the link. Thanks for tagging me 😘

Publication day for this. I loved The Littlest Library, so I decided to preorder. It appeared on my Kindle this morning, and even though I had another book I‘d planned to start, this jumped to the front of the line.

So much fun! This has become a pre-order series for me, and I think this is my favorite installment so far. Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are summoned by Lady Catherine de Bourgh to investigate attempts made on her life. In addition to a fascinating mystery, I loved reading about the developing relationship between the two sleuths. The prose is so Austen-like. Mr. Collins is still a sniveling toady. And my brain heard Judy Dench whenever👇

#LitsyLoveSummerSwap @KadaGul you put together the most amazing swap! Today has been crazy, and I just got the opportunity to open my box, and I‘m blown away. Thank you, thank you! I‘m laughing, too, because it looks like we did a tea swap😄 I‘m excited to try these, and oh, do I need a quiet afternoon with one of the masks. I feel so fortunate to have you for my partner and my friend ❤️

I‘ve adored the first two books in this series, really looking forward to this.

This is a pick, but with some caveats. The author is, I think, trying to carry on the legacy of her mother, Dorothea Benton Frank, and has written a similar style novel set in the Carolina low country. The idea is good, but it needed additional editing. There are just too many side plots, a number of which are left hanging. Parts are repetitive. I felt like it really needed to focus.

I picked this up on a Kindle deal. The author‘s mother was my favorite writer of Southern women‘s fiction. So far, although she‘s clearly trying hard, it‘s not up to her mother‘s standards. The premise is okay, but lots of really annoying characters, at least to this point. I don‘t think I‘ll bail, but I doubt I‘ll be raving when I‘m done.

#LitsyLoveSummerSwap
It‘s here! It‘s going to be a long week, waiting to open this beautiful package. But not sure I‘m going to be able to tear this gorgeous wrapping 😂 Thanks again, @KadaGul 😘

Riveting reading. It‘s interesting because, pretty early on, you can figure out where this is ultimately going, but how it gets to the conclusion is fascinating. I loved these characters so much that I hated to see the book end. I wanted to know how things worked out. As with other books by this author, there‘s a basis in fact, and the author‘s notes are a must read. Definitely recommend.

#5joysFriday
Posting on Saturday, since Litsy was down last night—again😠

1. Enjoying cherry season. I‘ve been eating them like candy
2. Got the first subscribers signed up to my blog!
3. The joy of interesting plants when we walk.
4. Baking rhubarb pie
5. Helping hubby put together a new drum kit for our church, and heading one of the toms myself.

#TLT #threelistThursday

My score was 51, and my age is showing. I think I got every song before about ‘75.

Hard to pick three favorites, so this is three of probably my top 10:

🎼River-Joni Mitchell
🎼Your Song-Elton John
🎼Killing Me Softly-Roberta Flack

Who wants to come out and play?

#TLT #threelistThursday

My score was 51, and my age is showing. I think I got every song before about ‘75.

Hard to pick three favorites, so this is three of probably my top 10:

🎼River-Joni Mitchell
🎼Your Song-Elton John
🎼Killing Me Softly-Roberta Flack

Who wants to come out and play?

#whatsnewWednesday

I‘ve been trying lots of new recipes over the last few weeks, and I‘ve also started a blog, somanydishes.blog It‘s primarily a food blog, with some recipes, but also musings about the importance of food in our lives. The pictures are all new recipes I‘ve tried; three of them are from Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean. All were yummy!

#LitsyLoveSummerSwap

And it‘s off! Having been away for a week, I was sweating getting this out in time, but dropped it at the post office this morning.

#5joysFriday Boy, has it been a joyful week!

1. Spending the week on Sanibel Island, one of my favorite places.
2. Walking the beach and collecting shells.
3. Out for lunch at a favorite restaurant
4. Going out for gelato twice! (This is a small 😃)
5. Lots of relaxing and reading time.

Not exactly what you think of as a beach read, but it‘s what I brought along. I don‘t actually read on the beach; most of my reading is done on the balcony of the condo we‘ve rented in one of my favorite places, Sanibel Island. The island is still recovering from the devastating hurricane two years ago, so we feel lucky to have found a place. Best news is that the marvelous Gene‘s Books is being rebuilt! Not open yet, but next visit…

I finished this two days ago, but really needed to think about how to review it. Definitely a pick; this series is a favorite. But this takes some interesting turns that just sit a bit uncomfortably for me. It‘s wonderful to read about the twins as they grow, and I love the Proctor family, with their quirky witches and ghosts. But Diana‘s embrace of “dark” magic is changing the dynamic of her relationship with Matthew, and there‘s a lot 👇

#wondrousWednesday

1. I‘m a singer, I‘m a soprano. I‘d used Sopranolynn elsewhere, so I flipped it for Litsy.
2. I‘m not an audiobook user, so no answer to this one.
3. The Black Bird Oracle. I haven‘t posted my review yet, as we‘re on vacation and I haven‘t spent much time on social media. Opened Litsy this morning on a whim 😄

This lovely story has me tearing up. A story of love, loss, grief, relationships, and choosing happiness. Add in the setting of a restaurant kitchen, with recipes, some singular characters, and this has been a very worthwhile read.

I‘ve barely started this, but I‘m bailing. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people, and the stereotypes of the Romany people that the author includes are offensive. Life‘s too short to bother with a book by someone who can‘t be bothered to do some research.

I did something I rarely do: I stayed up late to finish this last night. What a wonderful story! Great characters, and a study in relationships. The last couple of books I‘ve read have dealt with self-discovery, and this definitely fits that description. This writer is becoming one of my favorites.

How have I missed this until now? I really like this author, and this is proving hard to put down. It has everything I love: English countryside, food, a mystery, interesting relationships. Can‘t wait see where it‘s all leading.

TBH, I started this because I felt like a bit of brain candy. And it is a sweet romance. But there‘s also a lot of depth here, too. It‘s a story about not letting others define you, and the choices we make. Just a really nice read—great characters, evocative setting. There are some real gems to be found among those Kindle deals, and this is one. I don‘t have a picture of frozen yogurt (read and you‘ll understand), so sweetest of my camera roll.

#tlt

I got 30, and a number of all time favorites were on this list. Hard to pick just three, but I‘m going with these:
⭐️ Gettysburg (we celebrated Little Roundtop Day yesterday and plan to watch this tomorrow)
⭐️ A League of Their Own
⭐️ 1776. Actually, I don‘t think the movie is nearly as good as the musical. And they cut my favorite song. I saw this on Broadway with the original cast in 1969, one of the 2 best musicals I‘ve seen.

I picked this up on a Kindle deal. A dual timeline story, plus food. Right up my alley 😄

The Lady Darby mysteries never disappoint, and this is, to my mind, one of the best. All the regular characters are here, plus an interesting assortment of members of Lord Gage‘s estranged family. The setting in Cornwall is beautifully crafted. I had no problem picturing the rugged coastal scenery. A very clever plot, but hard to describe without spoilers. Read it!

#5joysFriday
1. I finished another diamond painting.
2. I also finished reading my #chunkster, Kingdom of Ash. So good! But sooo long!
3. Hubby is doing well enough that we booked a week at the beach on Sanibel Island for next month 😄
4. Beautiful flowers on our walks this week.
5. Singing a beautiful new-to me-song.

I hope everyone has had a joyful week!

#tlt #threelistThursday

39 of 140
Favorites:
1. Oppenheimer
2. Guardians of the Galaxy 3
3. Avatar the Way of Water

My real favorites for this period include the Downton Abbey movies and the one about Mr. Rodgers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

You know I was deep into another book if I‘ve waited a week since it dropped to start this latest installment of one of my favorite series!

What an emotional roller coaster of a book! The action is simply nonstop. A satisfying end to a great series. This entire series is world building at its finest. Excellent characters, clever plot, and a great job of maintaining interest throughout the series. But now I‘m drained!

#5joysFriday

Wow, this week went by quickly!
1. A nice lunch with a dear friend.
2. My orchid bloomed! Yay for benign neglect 😂
3. Trying new recipes that turn out really well.
4. The beautiful smell of orange jasmine on this morning‘s walk.
5. Taking “me time” for a mani-pedi.

Consider yourself tagged 😄

#5joysFriday is one of my favorite times of the week!

1. Finished my diamond painting
2. Walked in the equestrian area of our community and visited with some of the horses.
3. Played in the kitchen a lot, and made stuffed grape leaves.
4. Excellent report from the cardiologist after my stress test and echocardiogram.
5. Our son is going to be with us this evening 😄

Hope you‘ll join in the joy.

#tlt #threelistThursday

Thanks for the tag, @dabbe 😘

I got 46, and it‘s hard to pick three favorites, but, before I think too hard about it, I‘ll say
Sleepless in Seattle
Pretty Woman
Home Alone

No pause between books of this series this time. I‘m ready and eager to jump right in.

After the roller coaster ride that is Empire of Storms, I needed a break before I read this. At first I was a bit thrown by how far this seemed from the main story line. By the end, I‘m not sure if it isn‘t my favorite book since the first of the series. By focusing on just a few characters, it‘s a more compact narrative. The new characters are excellent, the idea of a perfect society unraveling is compelling, and some interesting twists 👇

A treat to myself. I haven‘t bought a new cookbook in over a year, which may be a record 😄 This is my first Milk Street cookbook, and there are at least a dozen recipes I can‘t wait to try.

#5joysFriday

1. The beautiful poincianas that are in full bloom in our neighborhood.
2. Singing one of my favorite songs.
3. Hubby is well enough to walk with me in the mornings.
4. Spying the perfect hibiscus.
5. Air conditioning 😂

#tlt #threelistThursday

Late to the party, as usual 😄

I scored 37, which is pretty good for me, since I‘m not a huge movie person. But there are some real favorites on this list: Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off, Ghostbusters, and Back to the Future probably at the top of my list. Thanks for the tag, @dabbe 😘

I needed a breather after the last book of this series, but I‘m ready to tackle this now.

I‘d forgotten how much fun these mysteries are. It‘s easy reading, and while it wasn‘t too hard to figure out whodunnit, the familiar characters and their dynamics kept my interest. And there are always recipes. I feel like I gained 5 pounds just reading this 😄

I forgot to take a picture of the red velvet cupcakes I made, so you get to look at my famous pumpkin cupcakes, which, like the red velvet ones, are just holders for cream cheese icing!

#5joysFriday
1. Spending time with @Alisnazzy and our grandson last weekend
2. The beautiful desert senna in my backyard that attracts sulphur butterflies.
3. Working on my diamond painting projects.
4. Red velvet cupcakes. Need I say more 😂
5. Making music with good friends.

Sometimes the universe sends you a sign of what book to read next. I made red velvet cupcakes over the weekend (sorry, no pictures of those) and then this book showed up in my Bookbub email yesterday. I haven‘t read one of these in quite a while, so I‘m looking forward to it. I just wish I had a cupcake to eat while I read😄

#5joysFriday
1. Hubby‘s health continues to improve. It‘s slow and there are bad days, but overall he‘s headed in the right direction.
2. It‘s royal poinciana season in South Florida. Lots of beautiful red blossoms.
3. My frangipani is also in full bloom.
4. Belated Mothers Day celebration with @Alisnazzy and our grandson tomorrow.
5. This squirrel made me smile on our walk the other day.

#TLT #threelistThursday

Thanks for the tag, @dabbe

Yikes, only 16! Of course, a lot of my favorites didn‘t make the list, like Dave Brubeck‘s Time Out, or the Carpenters‘ Then and Now. And there‘s no Jimmy Buffet! A lot of my listening is classical, which will never make the top 100 for Rolling Stone 😄. But this was fun.

How can I resist a book with a title like this? I proposed a master gardener talk about essentials of a gardener‘s library; I wonder if I could include this? 😂 Looking forward to starting this.