Pretty much the perfect book to break me out of a two year reading slump. The movie is one of my all-time favorites and now the book is too. It's definitely a bit different than Kubrick's adaptation, so it's totally worth the read.

I know it‘s not in fashion, but I would love a pair of pants that would keep me covered and warm, even when picking things up. 😤

Shameless self promotion of Jane Austen ornament that you can buy on Etsy....

https://etsy.me/2BEjsOL

Goals: finally finish this monster before #makemereadit starting in August.
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Feel free to vote here : https://goo.gl/forms/h3JbB4Cr1UQTPMHC3 or comment below!

Rachel has no idea what she‘s getting herself into when she travels with her boyfriend, Nick, to meet his family in Singapore.
So. Much. Irony. This book is quick, fun, and hilarious. Perfect for a summer read.

Overall a pick. I was expecting an adult book but a lot of the writing and plot elements seemed to lean YA (nothing wrong with YA, it‘s just not what I was expecting). There‘s a lot of info dump and, in my opinion, an unnecessary romance. However, it‘s hard to go wrong with mythology in my book, especially any Middle Eastern mythology. I‘m looking forward to the next book and hopefully more books like this will be published in the future.

The husband has the baby. I‘ve got the basement and comfy couch all to myself. Let‘s finish this!!

My favorite C.S. Lewis book is on sale for $1.99. Y‘all should snatch it up.

Here are the results so far for #makemereadit. This is turning out to be a pretty interesting challenge as these results are the exact opposite of what I would have chosen. This is good as I‘ll probably get to read a few books that I would have kept putting off.

But poor Last Temptation of Christ hasn‘t got even a single vote.

Feel free to vote again at https://goo.gl/forms/IR8vmBFChXIagXPq2 or comment below!

I
Have
A
NEEEEEED

Naptime = reading time
Naptime regression = not enough mental motivation for reading time

It looks like the City of Brass will stay unopened until bedtime, unfortunately. 😑😤

Amazon World Book Day 5:/9

Deciding to bail on this one has been keeping me from trying to continue reading through the free books amazon gave out during World Book Day. I felt like I failed in the challenge I gave myself. My opinion, however, has always been that life is too short to read books you don‘t care about and I could spend my efforts better by reading a book I enjoy than one I don‘t. Serious mystery novels have never been my thing.

Alright here are my options for #makemereadit. I‘ve opted for making an online survey as it seems like it would be easier to keep track of the responses.

https://goo.gl/forms/RHdGGA3qwIe2BpkC3

@TheReadingMermaid

@TheReadingMermaid This sounds like a load of fun So, I think I‘ll jump on the bandwagon for #makemereadit I‘ll post my stack during my daughter‘s next nap.

I love love love this book. There are so many layers to the story. Is Grace a psychopathic murderer or innocent victim? Is the story presented to us what really happened? What are Grace‘s genuine thoughts? There is so much to pick through. I can totally see this being a reread in the future.

Restarting this one so that my husband and I can read it together. Middle eastern mythology? Yes, please!

I don‘t post as much as I used to. This is the reason why. I‘m still here and reading when I can, but hopefully, if my efforts pan out, we might have a future litsy user here in the next few years.

Amazon World Book Day 4/9

Wow was this book dark. The main character, an 11 year old boy, has lives his entire life in a basement with his family. Terrible things happen and when you think it can‘t get anymore terrible it proves you wrong. It is incredibly well written, however, and if this book sounds like it fits your preferred genre then you will probably like it.

Amazon World Book Day 3/9

Definitely my favorite of the lot so far. When I first started the book I was expecting more about an exciting train ride through German occupied Europe. What it actually is is more of a drama akin to Tolstoy. The lives of people in Turkey and France intermingle in the wake of Hitler‘s control of France. It‘s a very fascinating perspective of WWII that I had yet to experience and highly recommend!

Amazon gave away nine books for world book day. This month I #will be living in a place that has no internet and little to none cell signal. So my goal is to read all nine. Two down. Seven to go.

Amazon World Book Day 2/9
The Great Passage is a cute slice of life book about those involved with the creation of a new dictionary of the Japanese language. Majime is the closest thing to a main character even though it is not always from his point of view that the story is told. Majime is passionate about words and dictionaries and how he impacts the lives of those arroyos him by just being himself is heartwarming.

Amazon World Book Day 1/9
A River in Darkness is Masaji Ishikawa‘s memoir on his life and eventual escape from North Korea. Ishikawa was born in Japan to a a Japanese mother and Korean father. Due to their poverty Ishikawa‘s father decided to leave their life in Japan for the hope of a better life in North Korea.
The struggles Ishikawa goes through is heartbreaking and a brittle reminder of the horrors people still go through every day.

The latest “Adorable Antiquity.” The Ishtar Gate Christmas Ornament. Probably my favorite thus far. https://etsy.me/2H5qDhw

Well, it‘s official. I‘ve now opened a folk art meets ancient history Etsy shop. Currently only one item up, but I plan on making more each week.
If anyone‘s interested you can check it out at https://etsy.me/2Hiyysz

The Moms of Litsy were correct, reading with a brand new baby is easier with a kindle. Welcome to the world Victoria.

Scythe is a unique take on the typical YA dystopian novel. It is actually more closely related to utopian. What can go wrong when society has become as close to perfection as it can get?

I know that I have so much more left to read, but reaching Book Two feels like such an accomplishment. 😅

LOVE!!! This manga was so worth the wait for the library to purchase a copy. This is a charming story of a little girl and the monster who takes care of her. The art is beautiful and if you are someone who enjoys cute and quirky anime and manga, you‘ll want to make sure to pick up a copy.

I‘m so close to finishing, but I think I need a break to read other things. I am enjoying it, despite Kvothe, but I can feel myself enjoying reading less and less. I want to avoid another reading rut. Hopefully I can pick it back up before baby is here...

So, when it comes to reading supernatural stories, especially short stories, I don‘t get scared very often. This one, however, had me horrified.

I‘m taking a watercolor class at the local library and while I‘m there I notice this book. I know I have other things I‘m reading and goals that need to be completed... but... come on! Look at this cover! I had to get it.

I mean, I knew I was probably going to give this a good review, but when Fairyland‘s version of Jareth shows up I was compelled to give it an automatic pick.

#bigbooks2018 The goal is to finish this monster by the time Miss Tori is due to arrive. This gives me 24 more days to work with. Let‘s see how this pans out.

A book about what the love of books can do for people. For me it‘s hard to really enjoy something written for nerds or people who are interested in a particular activity. These type of stories usually give off a feeling of pretentiousness, but I didn‘t get that feeling from The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. This is pretty much a hallmark movie in a book form. Nothing deep, but it‘s cozy, light hearted,and certainly makes you feel good.

So, this little cutie is coming home at the latest 2/14. While learning how to take care of her I would still love to be able to read, at least for a little bit, every day. However, me and audiobooks do not really get along. Do any Litsy moms or dads have tips on how they still read while juggling parenthood?

This creepy book tells two stories: one in the form of diary entries during the 1980‘s and the other in a series of illustrations that take place in 2017. One girl is tormented by a bully who lives in the orphanage, the other is lonely after the loss of her mother and absence of her father when she notices a mysterious figure outside her window. This book is intended for children, so parents should keep in mind that suicide is part of its content.

Thank you Lord for Hulu! I just noticed that the BBC made this into a show and of course the local library had 21 holds on the DVD.

“Oh wow!” That was my expression after reading this account of a woman‘s decent into madness. I certainly did not expect a short story in the public domain to be this captivating.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of those classic spooky tales that are so engrained in American culture that I‘m shocked when I think that I‘ve made it 25 years without actually reading it. The story is slow going and overflowing with somewhat unnecessary descriptions This is especially noticeable when read with the Serial Reader app. The story really gets interesting at issue 5 and that is what will keep me coming back every Halloween season.

The Buried Giant is a fantasy novel which tells the story of the elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, who journey through a just recently post-Arthurian England to find their son, who they haven‘t seen in years while also trying to regain memories lost with a mysterious mist which sweeps throughout the country. True it‘s slow paced with little action, but I‘m glad I chose this book despite its low reviews, as it has nestled its way into my heart.

I finally noticed that hoopla put the second volume of I Hate Fairyland and let me tell you, after waiting so long, I was not in the least bit disappointed! On to volume three!

Saw this at a bookstore over the holiday season and just had to pick this up for miss Victoria. Just five more weeks until we can read it together.

I don‘t think there is a Rainbow Rowell book I won‘t like. This book was a quick light romance and perfect for a thanksgiving trip to the beach.

After moving to Virginia I realized that I could finally attend the National Book Festival in DC. When I look d up the date I discovered it was that day and that Kelly Barnhill was going to be there. We were able to get there just in time for her signing. It was a very memorable experience. :) "Jessie and Sharon" was supposed to be JessieSharon, but that makes me love this so much more!

I love it when my non-reading husband discovers a book that interests him. All of his DnD friends love this series so he's listening to it on our 8 hot car trip. 😍

Got a lovely package from my sister-in-law for baby Craft. 💕Glad that we aren't the only ones who think baby's library is important!

Coming February 8th! 💕

This was a fun book themed mystery that has kept me entertained during our family vacation. Quirky bookstores and book cults (can I join?) are the highlights of the book. My complaints? This book is basically Ready Player One with all its failings, plus extra homage to Lord Google (who probably payed for this book). I think Sloan initially wanted to capture the charm of books, but ultimately failed, in my opinion.

10 months ago I started Anna Karenina on the Serial Reader app. Since then I've taken many breathers, switched media types, and forced myself through descriptions of mowing grass. Despite the struggle, I don't regret this experience. Part of me definitely changed for the better throughout this experience. If long winded classics are not your thing, that's just fine! But if you can push through the boring parts, this book is well worth the read!

Finished Anna Karenina last and finally decided my next big challenge book.You know it's going to be a long haul when, after finishing the first issue, it still says you are 0% through the book. #bigbooks17