My bingo/I spy card so far.
#ispy

Starting this one today.
You have to know history even the uncomfortable stuff.

Possibly unpopular opinion, I wasn‘t impressed. I finished with hopes of getting interested. I know it‘s magical and fantasy however I just couldn‘t see it. It was a little beyond what could be possible for me. The basis works she just doesn‘t execute it well. Some of the story felt forced and odd. There were things that weren‘t needed as well.
I can see why it was/is a popular book. I personally don‘t care for it and won‘t continue the series.

I found the Mini Brand Books at my grocery mega mart! I only got 2.
I ended up with 2 bookshelves and 2 magnifying glasses. They are cute and I love them I will have to limit myself LOL

Picked this based on title alone. It was worth it. The twists are good and the build up to them is well written.

1. Creativity! I made these beaded wands for my group of ladies and I made this beaded succulent. They make me happy if nobody else.
2. The sunshine and warmer weather! Which means sanity walks with Arlo. And just around better feelings.
3. The book that brought me out of my slump.
4. My critters. I love them whole heartedly.
5. I get to see my group of ladies tomorrow! We haven‘t gotten together since October.
#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii

Two life long friends move to London just before the blitz begins. A friend of Grace‘s late mother takes them in. Both dream of being shop girls and moving on from their pasts. Grace ends up in a small messy bookshop run by a seemingly grumpy old man. The blitz begins, life changes, there is death and love and community.
Well written and worth the time.

Excellent book.
Mental health and feminism. Rebuilding yourself and understanding yourself.
Tendler told her story is a way that was easy to follow. I don‘t know if it was slightly sugar coated or more detail just wasn‘t necessary. I did get frustrated that she mentioned her divorce multiple times and yet we never get any story on that. We get the story on other men but not that one, it‘s odd to me.
Well written. Interesting.

Finished this one today. Started it a while ago and abandoned it. I did have to change it cause I don‘t “rowl” 😉with one of the authors the pa v ttern had.

1. Calcifer. Just working on it and not doom scrolling after work.
2. That I still have my job.
3. Izzy. I hate that she doesn‘t get as much love and attention as she deserves.
4. Arlo. The reason Izzy doesn‘t get as much love and attention lol he‘s my bud and wants to be with me always.
5. Reading headlines that judges are blocking and rejecting EOs every day. Seeing him lose makes me happy.
@DebinHawaii #5joysfriday

Finished!
I will eventually get it in a frame and hang it in my “library”

Started this one today.
#listenwhileyouwork

He‘s getting there
#litstitch

Araf is adjusting to life in Ann Arbor Michigan after moving from Oman. He is making new friends and finding new interests. But he still misses his home in Oman and his cat and most of all his grandfather.
This has a wonderful ending.
The writing is fantastic, the characters are fabulous. Of course the setting is the best 😉
Well worth the time.

Araf lives in Oman with his mother and father. His best friend is his grandfather whom he has great adventures. Araf life is about to change as his parents have decided to get doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan. He must leave his cat, his school, his friends, and his beloved grandfather.
Well written. Good characters. Good story.
Worth the time.

Finished this yesterday while I was out and trying not to lose my mind.
I liked the twist to history and WWI. I like that the MC is a man in a traditionally women‘s space and that he is forced to prove himself constantly. Which he does every time.
The writing is good, the characters are good, the story is good.
Worth the time.

He has eyes!
Just the bottom portion and filling in left

Just hanging out working on Calcifer

Sequel to ‘The Philosopher‘s Flight‘

So far not bad.

1. My glasses glow in the dark. I didn‘t know that when I bought them.
2. It‘s that time of year again. I‘m not much on sports but baseball I enjoy.
3. Litsy
4. Libby has been my constant the last couple weeks.
5. Warm blankets.
It‘s the little things this week 😊
#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii

Oh, Franny and Jet what tragedies you endured. It‘s not often that books make my eyeballs sweaty … this one though ugh 😩
Well written. Excellent story. Wonderful characters.
More than worth it, I did not want it to end.

The second book in the Practical Magic series. It takes place before Practical Magic. So far I‘m liking it a lot. The writing is again good. The story is engaging.
It‘s only my second Hoffman book and I think I‘m a fan.

A lot happened in 1776 in the colonies and a lot didn‘t happen. Several of the key events that we think of for the Revolutionary War happened in 1776, and yet there was a lot of just moving men and planning.
This was easy to listen to and interesting. The focus was on Washington and what he did. I wish there had been less focus on him.
Over all good worth the time.

Was scrolling through Libby and saw this one. It‘s Rosa Parks and Nikki Giovanni how could I not spend 15 minutes and listen to it?
Children‘s book written by Giovanni that tells story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The audio is read by Giovanni as well.
Loved it

Started this Friday. Haven‘t listened to it since because I listen to audiobooks while I work and I took a couple mental health days.
I like McCullough he‘s good at telling the information in a palatable way.

A day late with this, oh well.
1. Rough. The world and hormones are doing a number on me. Took 2 mental health days from work.
2. Absolutely! I can shut off my brain.
3. 90s grunge and riot grrl music lately. The louder and angrier the better.
@Kerrbearlib #mentalhealthmonday

I loved this so much! Just a fun story. So much better than the movie.
The writing was good, I liked the characters, I liked the story.
I plan to read the other in the series.

1. That I wake up every morning, even though I‘d rather not sometimes.
2. That it‘s Friday and I only have to deal with Arlo and Izzy for 2 days.
3. My Izzy and my Arlo. They annoy the giblets out of me and I wouldn‘t have it any other way.
4. My group of co-worker friends. They make the sh*tshow worth it.
5. Coffee.
@DebinHawaii #5joysfriday

Apparently it is #loveyourpetday so my pets. Yesterday was pup‘s gotcha day, it‘s been 4 years. It‘s a little bit sweet, it‘s been 5 months since we had to say goodbye to our Woody boy.
4 years with the pup and still can‘t get along with Isabella lol granted she doesn‘t seem to want to get along with him either.

Loving an addict and being co-dependent are the main topics of Nina‘s story.
She has a sister who was an addict and has a long term relationship with a man who is an addict. She never admits that she herself is an alcoholic she does mention getting sober though and going to meeting. She focuses on her co-dependency.
Interesting look at the non-addict side. Worth the time.

Nina‘s story of loving an addict. Not sure if by the end of this book she realizes she‘s an addict as well, I hope she does.
A lot of references to AA and the beginning of that organization. Which makes sense when talking about addiction.
So far it‘s interesting, a lot of repetitive stuff though. Writing is good.

This was interesting Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman admitted to medical school in the states, her sister Emily followed a few years later. Emily had a harder time being taken seriously and being able to complete her degree. They focused on women‘s health not totally by choice. They opened what would become the first women‘s hospital in NYC.
They had their flaws.
I could used more, not sure what more just more.
Worth the read and time.

If you‘ve followed me for long you know I love a strong, badass woman and the (white) woman admitted to medical school would fall into that category. The fact that the male students agreed to admit her as a joke and then she was a damned good student and earned the respect of her fellow students and instructors, perfect.
I‘ll probably finish this tomorrow.

Didn‘t care for this one too much. It felt like information/storyline that was too much to add to either the first or third books so Herbert made it its own book. Or like an after thought to connect plot lines between books.
I‘m going to go on to book 3, so this one hasn‘t put me off the series 😊

Started this yesterday almost done with it. So far not as good as the previous book. I‘m hoping that it‘s just a bridge between the first and third books.
We shall see

I figured out most of the twisty bits per usual with Kubica and per usual it did not ruin the story at all.
Another good one that kept me hooked and wanting to know how it all played out.
I like her writing and story telling. Worth the effort 👍

1. Hopeful-ish. As long as elon doesn‘t keep my tax refund I‘ll be able to pay off a lot of debt which will relieve a lot of stress for me.
2. Sleeping? What‘s sleeping? It‘s has been the worst, I‘ve had better.
3. Don‘t eat sugar after 8, don‘t drink caffeine or coffee after 3. LOL both things I ignore on a regular basis. Reading helps to calm the brain to sleep.
@Kerrbearlib #mentalhealthmonday

1. That I have a job still. It‘s been rough.
2. My Arlo pup. He‘s been a pain in the a$$ lately but I love him.
3. My Izzy girl. She doesn‘t get enough love and attention and I hate that. Reason see 2.
4. My boy child. He‘s becoming an amazing young man, however he is still a 16 yr old boy that is a pain.
5. Litsy. Coming back here has helped ease my soul a little and taken me away from doom scrolling.
@DebinHawaii
#5joysfriday

Up next. I enjoy her books. I‘ll start it tomorrow and listen while I work.

This was a good end to the original 8 books. It had the same/similar formula/plot line as the others. I kind of liked the climactic finally gets the person they love moment. I really wish though that she would have stopped with the compromising position trope and/or the ruined woman trope and yes it feels like a trope. I know that it would have happened in that era, it just got predictable.
Over all it was good. Nice palette cleanser read.

Started the last of the original Bridgerton series yesterday. I do so love the sassy of the Bridgertons.
This is the youngest son‘s love story, Gregory. So far good. It‘s a nice palette cleanser read for me.

1. Burnt out and about to crash HARD. Everything is too much right now both personally and publicly.
2. Zone out. TV that feeds my interests, try to read, try to avoid the news, less social media, podcasts, and music.
3. 🤷🏼‍♀️ my brain has checked out for the night lol
#mentalheathmonday
@Kerrbearlib

Interesting history of the deadliest hurricane in history, it hit Galveston TX. It‘s incredible to see how far weather prediction has come and how much there was to learn and understand something as “simple” as the wind.
Larson has a great way of telling the history and making it feel like a story. Excellent research involved I‘m sure.

This was a good follow up. I like the story and the characters. I liked that the world didn‘t take much stretch of the imagination. The magical elements weren‘t beyond fantastical.
I liked the end. It wasn‘t contrived or forced, it worked. It felt realistic.

On a whim decided to read this. I knew nothing except sci-fi and futuristic.
It was interesting and good enough I put a hold in on the second book.
The story was good, the writing good, I liked most of the characters. We shall see where the series takes us.

This was good. I figured out the twists, didn‘t make it less interesting. I liked how it played out. The writing was good. I‘ve enjoyed all of the Kubica that I‘ve read so far.

Started this today. I enjoy most of the books I‘ve read by Kubica. I think I may have figured out some of the twist In this one. About halfway through it.
#breaktheblock #audiobooking

It‘s been rough mentally for me lately as it has been for many. Just trying to get through the days without breaking down. With all of that reading has been tough for me. I‘ve been slowly working my way through the tagged book. It‘s good and I enjoy it when I do get to it.
Mostly I‘ve been listening to a podcast ‘Southern Gothic‘. I listen for the majority of the day while I work.
Drink your water, take your meds, and hold the line.

1. The little things in life like a building block Aldi and lighted Flamingos.
2. The boy child. He‘s a pain in my a$$, but he brings me more joy than most anything else.
3. Pupparoni of course.
4. Modern medicine.
5. My parents.
@DebinHawaii #5joysfriday

I tend to keep most things emotional and rough close to the vest.
This last half of the year has been rough. In late June our dog Woody was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his leg. He had been limping and wasn‘t getting better. The vet told me with his age and arthritis he didn‘t recommend amputation or chemo.
We got 12 more weeks with him after diagnosis. Ultimately, we had to let him go. It‘s been a couple month and we miss him terribly.