#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.

Although this is one of my favorite authors, I didn‘t buy this immediately when it was released. I was hesitant to read a story about passengers on the Titanic. After all, we know basically what happened. I was wrong. This is a well written, thoroughly researched novel about family dynamics and the choices we make - not only how they affect us, but those around us. Definitely worth reading.

Reading time in doctor‘s office, with both hubby‘s Kindle and mine on my lap while he‘s having his procedure. Getting lots of reading done.

I had started a book not in the database, a historical romance that was described as steamy. I bailed. I‘m no prude, but it was just over the top. Instead, I‘m going to start this new novel by one of my favorite authors.

A fascinating and satisfying read based on the true story of a group of American women who worked in France during WWI to ease the suffering of the French people. Told as a dual timeline story, I thought at first that the contemporary story was weak, but changed my mind as the plots drew together. The author also provides extensive information on the historical characters. Definitely worth reading.

#5joysFriday

✈️ Reminiscing on the 31st anniversary of when we arrived in Prague for hubby‘s sabbatical.
🌹 Hubby got me roses and dark chocolate for Mother‘s Day
🌿 The sea grape is fruiting and the frangipani is finally blooming
🎼 I made music with friends
🥎 Enjoying watching the college softball tournaments

Thank you, @DebinHawaii for this great challenge. With all we‘re going through with hubby‘s current medical situation, 👇

#twoforTuesday

1. I can sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame one word off. In other words, if “me” is the first word and it ends with “take.” It‘s not a useful talent, obviously 😄

2. In the tagged book, Sylvia is a paper magician.

Consider yourself tagged.

This is a new author for me. The story sounds fascinating, as it‘s based on true events. So here I go with another book that involves books!

#5joysFriday

Thanks for the tag, @DebinHawaii

1. I got to take a walk on my favorite path.
2. I had fun creating little dish gardens for hubby‘s therapists.
3. We started rewatching The IT Crowd. So many laughs!
4. My song went really well on Sunday.
5. I‘m cooking one of my favorite dishes tonight (pasta with shrimp vodka sauce).

Have a great weekend!

#wondrousWednesday. Running late, sorry.

I. The snowbirds heading north. Trust me, this is worth celebrating.
II. The Memory Library.
III. Hubby‘s epidural is scheduled for the 13th. Hoping that after that we can plan something really special.

#tlt #threelistThursday

29/187, for 16%. I‘m hanging my head in shame 😂 Clearly, I‘m not a big movie person. And I know some I didn‘t see until the last few years. But then, I‘ve watched Amadeus, Annie, and Ferris Bueller so many times, I‘ve lost count!

Not in the database, although another book in this series is. I think a little brain candy is in order tonight.

I don‘t think this is one of Griffith‘s best, but still a solid mystery and a fun read. Harbinder Kaur makes a more-or-less cameo appearance, but the story focuses on the three amateur sleuths from The Postscript Murders, and alternates through their points of view. It‘s a bit of a slow build, but an interesting premise, and I love these characters. Recommended, but I suggest Postscript Murders first.

#5joysFriday
A day late, but better than never.
1. The weather here is glorious!
2. Hubby has been feeling well enough to play drums at church two weeks in a row.
3. Got results from hubby‘s MRI, which gave us some definitive answers and a treatment plan.
4. I made lots of progress on my diamond painting.
5. I get to sing one of my favorite songs tomorrow (Desafinado)

US release day for this, and it landed on my Kindle this morning. Started it this evening, and already hooked. Mystery reading in the dark 😄

While I didn‘t think this was as good as the previous books in this series, it was still an enjoyable read. In searching for clues about Sylvia‘s parents, she and her friends investigate the disappearance of a man who might have been her father. At this point , I don‘t think this would have been interesting if I hadn‘t read the previous books in the series. Great characters, and I‘m hooked on the story line.

Another morning spent in a doctor‘s office, getting a lot of reading done. The MC of the tagged book, Sylvia, is searching for answers about her mother‘s life. I think it‘s analogous to hubby‘s search for a conclusive answer to his medical issue. Sylvia is making progress; so are we.

I‘ve enjoyed the previous books in this series, so I preordered this one, only to pass it up for a couple of months. Time to rectify that situation. Starting this now.

A really lovely story about a mother-daughter relationship, and the importance of understanding, patience, and forgiveness. Maybe it‘s because my mother fractured our relationship so badly at the end of her life, or because Sally, the mom in this story, is my age, but I cried at the end. Definitely recommend.

#5joysFriday
1. Loved having our son with us for two nights!
2. Helped at state choral performance assessment event, and got to listen to some fantastic choirs.
3. Finished two excellent books this week.
4. Tried a really great new recipe this week.
5. Unexpectedly met one of my former voice students, who is now a music teacher. Lots of hugs🤗