My least favorite of the Norendy Tales…but I could read these bite-sized books, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by some of her favorite artists, forever and ever. “Least favorite” means little when the bar is so very high.

I‘m supposed to have strong feelings about this, right? But, I guess…sometimes I liked it a whole lot (eg, “I stood holding the note with that funny little abandoned feeling one gets a million times a day in a domestic setting. I could have cried, but why?”) and sometimes I felt like rolling my eyes — HARD (eg, “The future itself was another lover, reaching backward in time to cup my balls”). I bet Miranda July gets that a lot. 👇🏻

Actual photographic evidence of me, working on #AuldLangSpine matches.

My plan is to begin the process this Friday or Saturday. And my goal will be to finish up by midnight on the following Sunday (December 7th). Announcements will follow immediately after!

That should give folks *more than enough* time to start compiling their stacks — and even to add titles to your holiday wishlists! 👇🏻

Registration for #AuldLangSpine2026 is officially CLOSED.

What a whirlwind of an afternoon! We have our crew of 60. Thank you!

I‘ll make an announcement soon about when I‘m hoping to get started on matches (& when I‘m hoping to have them done). No promises but if there are only a handful of folks who‘ve missed the deadline, and it‘s an even number, AND you contact me quickly, I *may* be able to work some magic. ✨ Email me at monalitsy@gmail.com.

As it turns out, this is a slower year for sign-ups. Some years are like that. 🐌

We‘re just over halfway full for #AuldLangSpine2026. Remind your friends!

Registration can be found here:
https://forms.gle/h23Juf2B35oYUEXn7

Loving all your lists so far!

Here I am, enjoying conservation land managed by The Nature Conservancy on the coast of Maine.

*Added for any Auld Lang Spiners who may be considering donating to the cause! 🌎🍃🌊

https://www.nature.org/en-us/

#AuldLangSpine2026

Registration for #AuldLangSpine2026 is now OPEN!

https://forms.gle/h23Juf2B35oYUEXn7

For more information about this annual reading event, check out the #AuldLangSpine tag.

Please note: once we hit 60 or so participants, the form will close. Godspeed! ⚡️🤩

#BeautyBreak

When the days get colder, we end up at totally different restaurants than we would in the summer. There‘s an Irish Pub in downtown Bristol with a stone fireplace that we sometimes tuck into for curry fries & beer. The sky let us know we made the right choice tonight!

@AnnCrystal @JessClark78 @dabbe @Amiable @Tamra @OriginalCyn620 @Sace @AmyG @LiseWorks @kspenmoll @uncommonlycozies @JenlovesJT47 @TheBookHippie @ImperfectCJ @Cuilin

Perhaps the most delightful email header & subject combo I‘ve ever received in my inbox. 😅

Awful as it is to say this “grew” on me, it‘s the truth. Forgive me! 🙈

Green Man novella with a woodland cottage, gentle queer romance, fickle cat, and a peculiarly loyal dryad named Bramble. The turning point for me was the introduction of Mrs. Silver. She is Buffy (plus Giles), closer to the Old Slayers Home than to adolescence, and I am *here* for an aging, no nonsense folklorist + monster-hunter.👇🏻

Just an update!

This #10BeforeTheEnd thing isn‘t happening. 😆 Mood reading strikes again! But I did actually pick up some of them, which may not have happened otherwise (and I may sneak some of them in still — especially the book club picks in the upper left).

Thanks for a fun concept, @ChaoticMissAdventures ! I am hereby releasing myself from any semblance of obligation, imaginary or otherwise. 🙃

It‘s perfect that this book ended with a postscript because the whole thing almost felt like a P.S. Just an, “Oh! By the way…” But then, it‘s fitting because it‘s the little things that make up a life. It‘s just that usually, the “little” things don‘t include a pygmy hippopotamus. Which is even more fitting still, because the “little things” are never really so little, are they? 👇🏻

My book club should totally let me choose our selections for all 12 months, right?

In reality, we have an elaborate voting system & all 7 members get to pick at least one book. Still, a girl can dream…

Wishlist titles for 2026 tagged below.👇🏻

A sci-fi middle grade novel that‘s definitely written for its intended audience (eg, the MC‘s dad is a proctologist & that goes exactly how you‘d expect). Still, I love the storyline of using music & love to save the world. And the lessons van Eekhout incorporates are nuanced & worthy. I cheered when Agnes tells Jake that “just because something is illegal doesn‘t mean it‘s wrong,” using the example, “It used to be illegal for women to vote.” 👇🏻

This is the *perfect* blend of what I studied in undergrad. And yet, I‘m bailing. But I‘m doing so without a rating attached!

I‘ve come leaps & bounds with my audiobook skillset in the past 15 years or so… but it‘s still not my primary mode of learning and I think I‘ve finally hit my limit. Listening to an academic, philosophical text is, apparently, beyond me. I may come back to this…but I also may not. 👇🏻

REG OPENS: Sun., Nov. 23, 2025 @ 6pm (EST)

#AuldLangSpine is an annual reading event, which technically begins Jan. 1 but there‘s a lot of lead-up. 🙃 Space is limited.

When sign-ups go live, you‘ll fill out a Google Form including a list of 7-20 of your favorite reads from the past year. I play matchmaker & intentionally pair you with another Litten (based on genre preferences, etc). You begin the New Year by reading from your match‘s list.👇🏻

I understand why Humphreys titled the book The Ghost Orchard. It is absolutely the strongest section (followed by that on Robert Frost, and The Imagined Discovery of the White Winter Pearmain). The way in which she grafts the story of her relationship with both her friend and her father, and their deaths, onto the story of the apple is brilliant. The Parafilm that seamlessly binds the stories is Frost‘s friendship with the poet Edward Thomas.👇🏻

“It was all praise and miracle. Edward Thomas was right about a line of apples being the same as a line of poetry in another language.”

It‘s fun to be reading about the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail.

I always stop on the way home from visiting one of my friends in VT. It‘s not a long trail (nor is it The Long Trail) but it‘s one of my favorite little walks!

It‘s nice to remember, especially in November, that it can be a blessing to live in New England. Romanticize your life, right?

I‘m reading a book set in Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan.

It‘s weird to keep reading almost-but-not-quite my name!

A deep dive into the ways in which 4 Canadian artists — Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, & Sarah McLachlan — “Ruled the 90‘s & Changed Music”, *and* the author‘s life.

This is an updated version of Warner‘s first edition, originally published in 2015. I don‘t know how the texts differ but this version makes a conscious effort to be intersectional.

An incredibly nostalgic trip down memory lane for me (an American, sadly 🫠).👇🏻

We got the barest hint of first flurries today in Mass & Rhode Island. Not enough to appear in a #BeautyBreak photo. BUT! I went to college in VT & I have friends who are still there. One of them shared a picture in our group chat of the view outside her window. ❄️💜

ALL THE STARS…even if it sometimes made me uncomfortable (given my mother‘s secret infidelity (TMI?) & my own chronic monogamy & Capricorn tendencies toward extreme loyalty).

So relatable (& also not). Eliot‘s character is startlingly familiar. But am I Cora? We all are, at least in part. Women are constantly navigating their desire & obligation, which are often at odds. And do I know a “charming” “dad” like Sam? 😈

…Yes. But not intimately.👇🏻

What if a Swiss sanitarium could fix me? 😅

My New Year‘s resolution (which I‘m hoping to put into effect before New Year‘s) is to start journaling.

Do any keen journalers have resources they love? I‘m open to whatever — specific notebook brands, pencils (not an inkling), advice about repeated prompts or a general structure that works for you, books about the topic, etc?

Thanks for helping me get excited!

Last night was Tunesday, my favorite local bookstore event featuring a circle of musicians, clogging, and cocktails. I traded in three books and came home with two. And I ate some Portuguese Kale soup while I listened. A delight, as always.

Before I leave my last read behind, I‘d like to use it as an excuse to post another dog photo.

You may not be able to see his teeth in this picture…but check out that tongue! 🥱

This werewolf novel was my first Rachel Harrison. It feels very trendy, like she‘s got her finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist. And I think she & I have the same taste in men. The love interest is tall, wears glasses & band t-shirts, was a nerd in high school, has a vinyl collection, & teaches guitar. BUT…the book isn‘t subtle AT ALL. The metaphors are in your face & I knew who the werewolf that bit Rory was from get-go. Also, “Rory.” A low pick.

“It‘s so itchy underneath. [So,] I scratch…It feels so good. I keep going past the point when I know I should stop…I keep going…until I feel the fur. I look down…There‘s no red, no blood. Only silver. I‘m all oozy silver inside. Silver and fur.”

This is unexpectedly relatable given that it‘s the time of year when my eczema flares up. I wonder if my dermatologist ever considered that I might just be a werewolf? Occam‘s Razor. Simplest explanation.

This walk in the woods today was grounding.

I had an interview on Wednesday that went really well, and I‘ve been deliberating all week about whether I should leave my job. I‘ve ultimately decided against it but it wasn‘t an easy call. How do you say “no” to a job where your would-be employers kick-off the interview by asking you to do a chicken impression? What a silly time we all would‘ve had…

I don‘t think I‘m ready for a new week to begin!

Jess Zimmerman has birthed a beast of a book, about how to reclaim female monster myths, and it is Too Much. Namely, it is Too Fucking Cool. At one point, she admits to her readers, parenthetically, “I want you to think I‘m cool.” Mission fully accomplished! She‘s not cool in a superficial way, either: perfectly imperfect, intentionally curated to be relatable at every turn. Her mistakes are messy and sometimes ugly and she admits those, too.👇🏻

Is anyone else excited to have one whole side of the board done — AND a contender for Best Book in the final showdown slot? 😍

I‘m less enthused that I had to choose between The Usual Desire & Sleep. They‘re both fabulous. I think my decision was probably driven by recency bias...

With November‘s arrival, I‘ve got #AuldLangSpine on the brain. Registration usually goes live around Thanksgiving. As of now, that‘s still the plan! 🍂

Regrettably, I found sections of this “monumentally” boring. Gallot‘s tone is respectful & dedicated but it also feels strangely administrative: infused with professionalism at all times (except for the oddly endearing moment when he admits to being an ornithophobe).

It‘s clear that Gallot, head curator at Pere-Lachaise, has found his true vocation, & I‘m happy for him! But in demystifying the death industry, he‘s made the text *too* mundane.👇🏻

I labored under the delusion that I‘d finish one more book by the time the witching hour struck…but I‘ve come to grips with reality now. While I‘ve got some lingering spooky season reads that I‘ll carry with me into the next month, 12 books is a quite a harvest for me!

And honestly, November is a pretty scary month, too - especially if you‘re a cold, cold baby living in New England. 🥶❄️👶🏼 It‘s not *inappropriate* to be reading chilling tales!

Happy Halloween from Angelina Ballerina and Felix “the Cat!” 🐭🩰🐈‍⬛🐶

The social media algorithm delivered this gem (which I missed when it originally aired back in 2009) unto me. It brought me a few minutes of joy, which I‘d love to pass on! 💎

Joseph Gordon-Levitt performs “Make Em Laugh” from Singin‘ in the Rain on SNL. Live! In one take!

I grew up watching this movie with my grandma. Core memories.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCvOLqMvVQD/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet...

Not my favorite Mary Roach but that‘s because I‘m more interested (for better or worse) in topics like the afterlife, wildlife, & outer space than I am in care of the human body while we‘re alive. Wise? No! Yet true.

Still fascinating (though it made me grimace a few times & I‘ve got a pretty strong stomach).

I remain convinced that Mary Roach is THE coolest person. I hope she gets a personal pig so she can live & write for a very long time. 🐷

Nell is an artist, studying time, infinity, and impermanence, using her body and the landscape around her as her materials.

As winter draws near, Nell is approached by the “head” of a group of women inhabiting an old convent on the west side of her Irish island.

“Maman” wants to commission a mixed-media book about their community. The deadline is Samhain.👇🏻

We booked an Airbnb in NH to belatedly (& quietly & cozily) celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We arrived in the cold, and the dark, and the rain to find that our host had double-booked the cottage. They found us a pet-friendly hotel room to stay in overnight and refunded us (after some not so gentle nudging). Drove the 4 hours home this morning.

Definitely not our best weekend! Photo of Jett to add some cuteness to a very not-cute post!

I didn‘t mean to read this. I mean, I did *eventually*…but it was sitting in my stack the other night when I was really tired & I didn‘t think my brain could handle anything else. So, it got bumped up!

I‘ve been reading a lot of romance lately, in an attempt to recover from all the horror I read at the beginning of the month. 🙈 This was one of the better ones! Tender & sexy, with incredibly moving side relationships (father-son, & two sisters).

I read this quickly, mostly because I was mad at myself for not abandoning it early when I had an inkling that I should. But I kept thinking. “How could I *not* grow to love the story given the premise?” After heartache, Evie, the 30-something American MC, absconds to Northumberland (coastal plains, moors, & castles) to run a bookstore as part of a holiday let. She meets a local farmer — and his dog.

But guess what? Writing matters, buddies!👇🏻

There was a small chunk of this (the part featuring cult leader Jane) where I was a lot less scared than I should have been.

Grateful for King of the Hill, always.

Mamas, hold your coven close. 🖤

True horror. Death, blood, vomit, dirt, bugs…and no happy endings. But that doesn‘t mean the ending wasn‘t satisfying.

Still, I‘d take less blood, vomit, dirt, and bugs, please! 😅 As it turns out, true horror‘s not really my thing. But I kind of knew that. I‘m more of a camp/comedy-horror kinda gal. Still, it‘s good to try something new every once in a while!

A fast read. Low pick.

Oh! It‘s time for #TuesdayTunes.

I‘ve been fighting a cold, so I haven‘t felt like listening to anything too energetic or frenetic. Mellow vibes only. Ella Grace brings them. She lists “Sexuality, Identity, Spirituality and Mental Health” as the pillars of her album. I‘m into it.

Vibes here:
https://spotify.link/L28rDDGWEXb

Adorable juv graphic novel about an anxious little garlic bulb who‘s brought to life to help her witch mother in the garden. When a vampire comes to town, the other animate veggies elect her as their defender.

Includes lessons about judging a book by its cover, finding your own path, being brave, & how to be a good (& a bad) friend — & a good (& a bad) parent. Delightful produce puns made me laugh aloud. I‘d willingly read the next in the series!

Tomorrow is the October meeting of my children‘s fantasy book club at the library. As an icebreaker, I like to start with a themed personality quiz and then we all share our results.

I‘m particularly fond of the quiz I found to match the tagged book this month. If you‘re happy to waste a few silly moments, you can take it, too! It‘s…unique. 😅

https://sophie006liu.github.io/vegetal/

#SundayFunday

It feels like I‘ve been trying to get people to read this slow, quiet, rural ghost story with a strong setting for aeons! It floated under the radar when it was published in 2015, which I think is a travesty. I‘ve been chasing this book‘s vibes for years.

“Thinness isn‘t considered beautiful because it‘s objectively good, but because it signals abstemiousness and fragility and a dedication to staying small. The kind of men who have been in a position to influence the culture like these things.”

*Pictured: Me, this morning, as I inhaled maple cookies for breakfast. Abstemiousness is not my strong suit.

A risky move for me, a mood reader, to try to choose 10 books I‘ll definitely read by the end of the year. As Beth Orton would say (in the spirit of number 9 on my list), “can‘t pin this butterfly down.” Yet, here we are!

1. All Fours
2. The Rachel Incident
3. Wild Dark Shore
4. Rapture
5. Mina‘s Matchbox
6. Small Things Like These
7. Normal Rules Don‘t Apply: Stories
8. Lost Evangeline
9. We Oughta Know OR Pretend We‘re Dead
10. On Mysticism

Although this literary family dramedy (with ducks! & llamas!) took a melancholy turn, it‘s VERY funny.

A daughter/stage actress visits her British parents in the French countryside. They are the quintessential old married couple, bickering in a delightfully wordy (though exasperating) way. He‘s a retired philosophy professor. She‘s Mum & has been for 50 years but was once a vivacious student eager to eat up the world.

A favorite novel this year!