@LibrarianRyan We sent off Axton‘s #nightmareswap today. This box of nightmares is heading south!

Poor kid is sick with a sore throat and head cold, but he was feeling well enough to help draw a few spooky characters on the side of the box before I brought it to the post office. 👻🎃☠️🧟‍♂️🧙🏻‍♀️⚰️

#currentlyreading this imaginative #LGPOG pick. I haven‘t had much reading time lately so it‘s slow going, but quite good.

I love the illustrations, all the bookish references, the whimsical characters. Hoping to get a little more reading in tonight and tomorrow so I can finish it.

Snow day today! Yes, this is WAY too much snow for October... even in North Dakota. ❄️🥶

School was cancelled so Axton and I got to stay home. We had reading time this morning, then spent the afternoon creating blood splatter wrapping paper with red paint for his #nightmareswap books. I think it turned out suitably creepy. 🔪☠️🖌

Axton is very excited that his #nightmareswap arrived today! Two boxes (one came from amazon earlier)
@LibrarianRyan

We are waiting on one more thing and then we‘ll get his box sent out as soon as that arrives.

I‘ve been a fan girl of Shannon since reading her debut novel (The Bone Season) and this book has cemented her as one of my favorite authors.

She has a talent for building rich, detailed worlds with characters I can relate to, cheer for, and fall in love with. By the end, I was completely enthralled and trying to savor every page. I‘m not sure how to describe it in 451 characters, but I loved it and it‘s well worth the daunting page count. ❤️🐉🍊

I wasn‘t going to, but then I saw the Urban Fantasy category still had an opening and I couldn‘t resist. I love a good UF novel! ❤️

#lmpbc #urbanfantasy #groupU

A nasty cold + busy schedules keep getting in the way of bookish things. But, I‘m off work this week and finally feeling better so I‘m taking time to reorganize my bookshelves to make it easier to find what I want. They were overflowing with stacks piled in front of other stacks and nothing in order.

We did Axton‘s room and the other side of this room Monday so this is what I have left. Somehow all these books have to fit on this shelf...🤞🏻😬📚

#7covers#7days #coverlove #covercrush Day 3

@monalyisha it‘s your fault I own this book so I felt obligated to tag you 😉 If you feel like playing along, post a book cover you love each day for 7 days with no explanation.

Also, I‘m really bad at the no explanation part.... 🤷‍♀️😆❤️

#7covers7days #covercrush Day 2

I‘m way behind on posting these so I apologize to those who tagged me @erzascarletbookgasm @MrsMalaprop ♦️ Finally got the next issue of the magazine off to the printer today so life can resume as normal now. I swear I‘ll do better!

Extra thanks to @Mommamanzi for sending this beautiful book and making the stunning bookmark as part of my #cozyswap gifts. 😍😍😍

@Mommamanzi you have thoroughly spoiled me with this #cozyswap 😍 Thank you so very much for everything! A pillowcase that is going on my couch as soon as I get a pillow form, delicious treats (the latte mix looks so yummy!), a cozy coloring book and colored pencils, a beautiful notebook (❤️❤️❤️ the saying!) and 4 books.

The embroidered bookmark you made is gorgeous and my new favorite! I love that you included your favorite cozy. 😘✨📚🌙🕵🏻‍♂️

Read this for my IRL book club.

Bhima is a domestic servant for Sera, an upper middle class Parsi Woman. We follow Sera and Bhima, and their daughters, through the ups and downs of their lives. Poignant with an undercurrent showing the vast differences between the rich and poor and how ultimately the bond of womanhood they share is tested by the divisions of class.

This isn‘t an easy read as both have difficult lives, but I did enjoy it.

#7covers7days #coverlove Day 1

I was tagged by both @erzascarletbookgasm and @MrsMalaprop to join in. Sorry it took me so long to start off! Life got in the way and it‘s been an extra busy week at work.

I‘m going to tag my most recent follower: @Easytiger would you like to join in? Post your favorite covers 7 days in a row with no explanation. Tag someone new each day (if you wish).

My #cozyswap box was sent out this morning and is currently making it‘s way south. The tracking receipt says it should arrive Monday.

Finally received the next two books for our #LGPOG postal book club! It‘s been forever since I‘ve had one from this group!

@MrBook thanks for getting them sent out. Feel free to send along the next ones as soon as you can.

@BooksTeasAndBookishThings I know you are keeping track of who has what.

@BooksForEmpathy I need to finish up the book for my IRL book club and then I‘ll start on these right after. I‘ll sent the 1st as soon as I finish it.

This box arrived with the post today! I think it must be my #cozyswap package but it‘s not marked?! It came from Florida though. I‘m not sure who to tag either.

I‘ll be sending mine out in the next day or two. Waiting on one last item that seems to be lost in the mail so I had to order a new one. It should arrive tomorrow so as long as it‘s delivered in time I can make it to the post office before closing.

@LibrarianRyan is hosting a Halloween themed swap (not necessarily all scary) for all ages! I signed Axton up because he had so much fun doing the last one and loves Halloween.

Only a few days left to get your kiddos (or yourself) signed up. See Ryan‘s original post for the signup link.

#nightmareswap #addictedtoswaps #raisingreaders

I know I was late to the party on this series, but I read it this summer and absolutely ❤️ it!

Kell & Lila & Rhy & Alucard & the alternate London captured me completely. I raced through the series, reading each book as quickly as possible. This is the kind of fantasy I fall for over and over again. Compulsive, immersive, inventive with characters who capture your imagination and make you wish you lived in their world. A new favorite🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I‘ve had this #cozymystery sitting on my shelf for months and finally picked it up for something light to read in addition to working my way through The Priory of the Orange Tree.

This was a fun mystery! I loved Lucy and Charles, the library cat. A library inside a lighthouse sounds absolutely lovely. The mystery kept me guessing and the supporting characters added to it all. I‘m going to need to look for book 2 to continue this series...

My mother-in-law asked me to read this book because she didn‘t like the ending & wanted someone to discuss it with. Just finished it & I definitely agree. I‘m left with a feeling of abruptness almost like the author rushed to end the novel with this conclusion rather than giving us a finite ending to close the book with. I saw where the story was going from the beginning but it seems unbelievable and abrupt with the information we are given.

#basicwitchswap #thisorthat

☕️ Coffee. Medium to dark roasts, preferably beans but ground is ok too*
📚 Fiction
🌓 Both, depending on my mood.
🐈 Cats!
✨ Tarot
🧙🏻‍♀️ Both. I‘ve loved a good witchy story for years, seeing other people‘s posts from the #witchpleaseswap last year got me very interested in practice and working that into my life.
♦️ Crystals. I have a black thumb when it comes to plants
⬆️ North (I‘m in North Dakota after all)

This is what the rest of my evening looks like. New book, calming candle, and a lovely cup of chamomile lavender tea while I wait for the loaf of bread in the oven to finish rising so I can bake it.

I‘m 35 pages in and I can already tell I‘m going to get lost in this novel. Shannon is so great at world building!

I wasn‘t going to buy more books for myself but after seeing B&N #bookhaul posts yesterday I went online to see which books are on sale. As soon as I saw the tagged book I HAD to go get it... and then I came home with five books + the tote + a couple more not shown because they are for my #cozyswap recipient. Oops... 😬🤷‍♀️

The top two are for my son. He‘s reading CatStrounats right now and I‘m going to start the tagged book! 🐉✨

I‘m shopping for the #cozyswap tonight. To anyone who may be stalking me... pictured are a few mystery books I‘d love to receive.

Question for anyone who may live in a southern state (TN, GA, SC, NC, AL): with the warmer weather there, do you still often use cozy blankets and scarves? Being from North Dakota, I have no reference for warmer climates and don‘t want to send something that won‘t be useful but found a great idea for the theme 🤷‍♀️❄️

I come back to Litsy after a social media hiatus and what‘s the first thing I do? Sign up for the first two swaps I see of course! 🤷‍♀️ I have zero self control and witches and cozy happen to be two of my favorite things. I love getting to know more littens and I‘ve ‘met‘ some pretty amazing ones through swaps.

#BasicWitchSwap hosted by @sprainedbrain and @Meaw_catlady

#CozySwap hosted by the lovely @Avanders

This last book from our #lmpbc group was also sent out. While I loved all four books the group chose, this one was hands down my absolute favorite! The story is told through emails and letters, mostly between Avery and Bett with a few from the grown-ups in their lives. I laughed, I cried, I finished it in less than 24 hours as I literally could not put it down (thank goodness it was a weekend so I could shirk all other duties to read this). ❤️😆😭

Finished and sent off the last two #lmpbc books two weeks ago.

Resistance was @LibrarianRyan ‘s pick. I LOVED this book! The action kept things moving along at a nice pace & holds the attention of younger readers, while still keeping the history lessons intact. I remember reading and enjoying Anne Frank as a child, but I think this book is going to resonate better as an engaging, contemporary read for kids who may not have enjoyed Anne Frank.

First, I apologize to all my lovely Litsy friends for being completely inactive here the last couple of months! Life‘s been crazy and I checked out from all social media for awhile. But, I‘ve been reading like crazy and have lots of reviews to post.

Finished this today for my real life book club. I loved Martha and I completely resonated with her journey to find herself when she discovers that her grandmother may still be alive. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was SO excited to be able to meet @BooksTeasAndBookishThings in person today! We didn‘t have much time passing through Tennessee but just enough for lunch + a lovely chat. As she said, our #LGPOG group is filled with the most amazing women. I‘m so happy to have gotten to know you all a bit.

She is the most beautiful, kind soul ❤️ We got to meet her adorable girls as well and she was so sweet to bring a book and gifts for both Axton & I. 😘

On vacation! We drove to Kentucky yesterday. Today we visited the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Park and saw where Lincoln was born and where he grew up (on Knob Creek). Pictured is the first Lincoln memorial built and dedicated 11 years before the one in Washington DC.

I bought the tagged book at the gift shop which sounds fascinating.

Looking for RECOMMENDATIONS!
We are planning a two week trip to the Smoky Mountains in a few weeks and I need many hours worth of audiobooks to listen to in the car. Plan to spend the most days around the Smoky Mountains, but will be visiting all the places in the photo during the trip.

Hit me with your audiobook recs that take place around these areas! Family friendly books are best (MG, YA) + adult books without graphic content (my son is 10).

I came home to find this absolutely lovely thank you package from @j9brown 😍 I am so truly grateful for the lovely gifts and looking forward to reading each of these books. I‘ve never heard of the Good Fairies of New York, but I think it‘ll be right up my alley. And the other two are on my TBR. I love how you coordinated the gifts with the books. I can‘t properly express my gratitude, so a heartfelt thank you will have to do. 😘✨🧜🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🐅

2/2: Axton‘s box of six books also came with treats (he wrote his name on the goldfish and said we are not allowed to touch them 😆), a fun Zeus game which I know we‘ll enjoy as we love a couple other games by the same company, stickers, colored pencils, Percy Jackson themed mad libs (never see those before) and Thor and Loki keychains. Loki is already on his backpack and Thor is on his bookshelf (because they will fight if they are together) 😆💙

1/2: We got home and Axton ran straight for his #mythsandlegendsjunior box. @sprainedbrain you and Jackson have completely spoiled us! Six books off his TBR list and he can‘t wait to read them all! 😍

Gifts coming in a second post because I couldn‘t fit everything in one picture...

2/2: And inside that gorgeous wrapping paper are lovely Indian themed books! @GlassAsDiamonds you put so much care and thought into choosing books that would not only be interesting, but would really help me learn and experience Indian mythology! I cannot wait to start reading! And a stunning hand dyed silk scarf (the photo does not do it justice!), lip cream and scrub from her favorite Indian store, and some fun page tabs. 😍😍😍😍 continued...

I am absolutely loving seeing everyone‘s opening posts for the #mythsandlegendsswap today!!

I received this gorgeous box all the way from @GlassAsDiamonds in Singapore and just had to stop and admire the gorgeous wrapping paper. 😍😍😍

Contents post coming up...

Two days until opening day for the #mythsandlegendsswap 🎉

Have you received your package yet? If you haven‘t posted it yet, please do so. Your secret sender is anxiously awaiting your post to make sure it arrived safely!! Tagging those I haven‘t seen received posts for yet in the comments.

Artwork credit: Anubis by Howard David Johnson

Came home to find my #mythsandlegendsswap box from @GlassAsDiamonds and Axton‘s #mythsandlegendsJunior box from @sprainedbrain had arrived! Only five more days until opening day!! 🎉⚡️💙🗡

Also, our new sectional couch was finally delivered today! This will be my new reading spot for the foreseeable future so you may see it in lots of posts. A gallery wall I‘ve been planning is eventually going above it. ✨

#mythsandlegendsswap #mythsandlegendsJunior
Monday is the suggested mail by date for domestic packages! If you haven‘t sent your swap package yet, be sure to do as as soon as possible. International packages should have been sent out sooner.

Tagging those below who I haven‘t seen a mailed post for yet. Let me know your status. If I missed your post, I‘m sorry and please let me know so I can mark you down!

I made time to open my #scififantasyswap box before work this morning. @HufflepuffGirl90 thank you so much! I love everything! 💕 Reign of Shadows is from my TBR - it looks fascinating, I adore the cover, and it‘s even signed! The Girl With the Glass Feet looks interesting as well. I‘m going to have to hide the candy from my husband and son. One can never have too many pairs of cozy socks and these will be perfect for Easter weekend 😊 cont‘d...

@HufflepuffGirl90 I sent your #sffs package out on Thursday before the snowstorm hit! ❄️ We got 8 inches of snow between Thursday and Friday, my husband‘s flight home was cancelled and he didn‘t get back until last night, and I had to try to work from home Friday with my son home from school.

Sorry for the late post... it‘s been a crazy week. You should have it either today or Monday. #scififantasyswap #snowinapril #waitingforspring

#friyayintro

1. The roaring ‘20s for the flappers and jazz and decadence; the ‘50s for the style; and the ‘90s for raising my son all come to mind. I grew up in the ‘90s so if I could transport my son there until he turns 18 and moves off to college that could be a good thing.
2. Physical paper books
3. Younger by two years. I‘ll be 34 on April 22nd!
4. Not quite, but same state. 172 miles to be exact which really isn‘t that far in ND
5. 👍🏻

@HufflepuffGirl90 my #scififantasyswap #sffs package arrived safely today! Can‘t wait for opening day... which is four days before my birthday so I‘m considering this an extra birthday treat! 😍🎉✨

I‘m waiting for one last thing I ordered to arrive in the mail (any day now) and then I‘ll be mailing yours next week. Should arrive in plenty of time before opening day.

This is headed out in the mail first thing in the morning for #lmpbc #mg 📫❤️🎉

This was a fun middle grade fantasy novel. It‘s been compared a lot to Harry Potter and while there are many similarities if you look for them, the story stands on its own. I‘m looking forward to continuing the series! I won‘t say much more since it‘s going out to the group, but Axton and I really enjoyed it.
P.S. 💕
@LibrarianRyan thanks for the awesome book hugger

After a busy, stressful last two weeks at work I‘m taking this weekend for self care. Haven‘t been on Litsy much, but I have been reading when I can.

Spent the day finishing this. I ❤️ the world of the Tearling! I reread book one last week (as good as I remembered) & am finally finishing the series. Kelsea is growing and becoming the True Queen in the second book. We also learn more about the Mort Queen as well as the origins of the Tearling.

The amazing @hermyknee created a great questionnaire for the #mythsandlegendsswap !! Repost with your answers so your match can get to know you!

🗡 I love them all, but I‘m definitely a sucker for the Sword in the Stone
👻 Ummm.. Bloody Mary? Basically anything that could be turned into a horror movie because I won‘t watch them!
🐍 Medusa for sure
⚡️ Hercules, Hercules!!
💰El Dorado
✨ The tagged book sounds fascinating!

The last of the match emails have been sent! Check your email and be sure to reply so I know you have received it.

#mythsandlegendsswap
#mythsandlegendsJunior

Coming tomorrow: a list of all the books wished for on the submission form!

Ever watched The Almighty Johnsons tv series? It‘s my favorite and I couldn‘t believe it wasn‘t mentioned on the form by a single person! If you like Norse mythology, check it out ⚡️🗡🛡🔨

#mythsandlegendsJUNIOR swap matches sent!

Check your email and reply so I know you received your match! Don‘t forget to post about your child‘s books or wishlists so their secret sender can do their research.

#mythsandlegendsswap adults emails are going out now as well. I‘ll send as many as I can tonight and will finish the rest tomorrow.

Last call to anyone who wants to sign up for the #mythsandlegendsswap or #mythsandlegendsJunior ⚡️ It‘s going to be LEGEND ... wait for it ... DARY!

Sign-up form: https://goo.gl/forms/2R1SApiRylVWvME53

Junior Swap sign-up form: https://goo.gl/forms/sHWlm2iF8DXT6aaa2

I‘ll leave the forms up until I wake up in the morning for any procrastinators (because I often am one 😆).
Working on matches tomorrow afternoon!

Super Axton says you only have one more day left to sign up for the Myths & Legends Swap! Did you know that many of your favorite superheroes are based on gods from ancient mythology?

#MythsandLegendsSwap form:
https://goo.gl/forms/2R1SApiRylVWvME53

#MythsandLegendsJunior form for the mini-heroes in training: https://goo.gl/forms/sHWlm2iF8DXT6aaa2

Sign-ups close: March 1
Matches sent: March 4
Open day: May 1
Be a hero, sign up now!

Check out these 9 mythic retellings from Bustle: https://www.bustle.com/p/9-mythic-retellings-that-will-give-you-a-whole-new-pers...
The tagged book keeps popping up on the most wished for books question in the Myths & Legends Swap form.

Don‘t forget to sign up for the #mythsandlegendsswap. Only seven days left to join in the fun! Sign-up form: https://goo.gl/forms/2R1SApiRylVWvME53