‘Tis the season for a #readathon or two…or more!

First up is #20in4 and my goal is to finish the tagged book and at least one more December book club selection.

Also starting today is #Adventathon and my goal is to finish the rest of the book club selections and then lean into some seasonal books on my TBR.

All month is #rushathon and my goal is to finish as many books on my 2023 TBR as possible.

In other words, read all month!

📚A Redbird Christmas
🎥A Christmas Story
🎶Silent Night
#TLT

I loved rereading ROTK, but nothing of the new reads really jumps out at me. However, I did enjoy Ripley enough to deem it my favorite book read in November. It took me forever to read it, but once I got some momentum it moved pretty quickly. #wrapup

1. We didn‘t put up a tree when Kili was a kitten, and we haven‘t done it since then.
2. I have a few tabletop decorations. My favorite is a tiny nativity scene from Central America, that‘s painted on the hull of a seed about the size of a peanut.
3. Silent Night
#wondrouswednesday

1. I haven‘t read it yet. 🤷🏻‍♀️
2. Tagged! A holiday cozy mystery would hit the spot about now.
#two4tuesday

Mission accomplished! I finished the two BSBC books I could find, The Remains of the Day, and ROTK Appendix A. #novelnovember #friendsgiving #readathon

I‘ve had this on my TBR list for a while, but if not for #authoramonth I might have bailed. I just wanted it to go somewhere! Literally and figuratively. While on a traveling vacation through the English countryside, an aging butler reflects on his career and congratulates himself for maintaining the “dignity required of his profession,” instead of ever recognizing his emotions. BUT the writing is lovely, and ultimately the story is poignant.

I would be happy to see just about any books on my new friend‘s shelf, especially books I would want to borrow. #sundayfunday

Several years ago my friend and I went to fancy #tea at the Willard hotel in Washington. She has moved away, so I need a new tea buddy. Or go by myself? 😮 #humbleharvest

-The Exiles (Jane Harper)
-Tagged! Note: both of these are #authoramonth selections for 2024
-This isn‘t really a trope, but I especially like a feisty female detective/investigator
#ihavequestions

Sunday after church some of us made #gratitude jars and then walked out to the new outdoor space in the woods behind the building. I‘m not sure if I‘ll use mine for that purpose, but I always enjoy grownup arts and crafts. That‘s me in front. #humbleharvest

I think I first did a #redstack picture a few years ago for another Litsy challenge! The bookcase later went to my coworker, but I still have all the books except the tagged one. Kili is swooping in from the left because he‘s fascinated by the netting. #humbleharvest #catsoflitsy

I‘m ready for Bloody Scotland Book Club next week. I couldn‘t find a copy of the third book, but I have thoughts on the other two.

The Monkey‘s Raincoat-Phillip Marlowe meets Rambo. Fast paced, firmly set in the 1980s, a little ridiculous.

A Fatal Inversion-Not fast paced. College students hang out in an old manor house and make terrible decisions that come back to haunt them ten years later.

#NovelNovember #friendsgiving #rushathon

1. We will probably spend the day with to the “out-laws” (my husband‘s brother‘s wife‘s sisters and their mother and kids).
2. I like to watch the dog show, but we usually leave for ⬆️ right in the middle of it, so I have to record it and then (unsuccessfully) avoid spoilers.
#two4tuesday

Yesterday I went to a book talk by local authors at Savage Mill. Today it‘s a quirky shopping and gathering space with two different walking trails through the #trees nearby, but there‘s a lot more to the story. Of course, I bought a copy of the book! #humbleharvest

If you couldn‘t tell from my profile picture, I‘m thankful for Sue Grafton. I heard an interview with her on NPR and decided to check out the series. While I didn‘t necessarily “love” the first book, I liked it enough to keep going. From there I branched out to Nevada Barr, Sara Paretsky, Linda Barnes, and other mostly female mystery writers. You could say she was my “gateway drug” to the genre. #sundayfunday

It‘s time for a #readathon or two! I‘m currently working on two of the Bloody Scotland selections, and the library doesn‘t have the other one. The #authoramonth selection isn‘t working for me, but it‘s still early days. In the middle I‘ll keep going on the #LotRChapterADay endeavor.

-A Fatal Inversion
-The Monkey‘s Raincoat
-The Remains of the Day
-Appendix A ROTK

1. Beads
2. BuJo
3. Baseball (watching, not playing)
#TLT

I‘m not sure how to review this book that deals with such a serious subject as the Bosnian war and the massacre at Srebrenica. I‘ll be thinking about it for a while, but at the same time I found the mystery elements to be a bit lacking.

In any event, I finished this mystery and two other books (The Beauty in Breaking & The Return of the King) during the #35by35 #readathon and will keep working away at the mysteries. #wrapup

Happy birthday to @MatchlessMarie and I hope you have a great day!

Will post my wrap up later.

These are just things that are close at hand. 😌
1. Coffee in my oversized Washington Nationals mug
2. A black cat sleeping on the carpet
3. Litsy…books and friends right in my phone!
#wondrouswednesday

1. I love Mexican food but don‘t like cilantro or peppers.
2. The tagged book is a quirky story about a lonely professor whose life is changed when he finds a cat on his doorstep on New Year‘s Day.
#two4tuesday

Over the weekend my brother-in-law gave me the tagged book. It only required minimal reorganization to fit it into my bookcase BUT of course I didn‘t stop there.

While I was at it, I decided to pull potential 2024 #authoramonth selections (plus one for #randomclassics) and see what I have. It‘s an interesting mix!

When you leave your colonial settlement and strike out into the wilderness on your own, you might eat a lot of #berries #hopefulharvest

This year I didn‘t want to set a numerical goal on Goodreads. I couldn‘t track my reading on the phone app without a goal, so I set an arbitrary target of 12, which I reached months ago. With book clubs, ongoing series, new books I hear about along the way, and other reading challenges, I‘m already keeping track of enough. #sundayfunday

I took a break from the mysteries I‘m reading in order to finish this month‘s book club selection before Libby snatches it back. Sometimes it‘s a little woo woo, but the stories are moving and insightful.

1. COFFEE
2. Bath & Body Works Stress Relief
3. The sidewalk after it rains
#tlt

1. Graduated from college in 3.5 years.
Post-Harvey mission trip to Houston where I interpreted for Honduran homeowners.
Been married 30 years.
Drove multiple shelter cats to their new homes. Recovered from knee replacement surgery.

2. Finish cleaning out master bedroom closet.
Read 11 mysteries.

#wondrouswednesday

Happy almost birthday to @MatchlessMarie !

For this #readathon I‘m doing something a little different. Instead of #35by35 I want to read 35 mysteries by the end of the year, but I can make a lot of progress toward that if I concentrate on mysteries for the next ten days. So far I‘ve read 24 mysteries, which leaves 11 more to go to reach the goal. They may or may not all be the ones in the picture, but I‘m currently reading the tagged book.

Interesting story about a young woman who flees her home in colonial Virginia to avoid famine and a plague. When she found a cave for shelter, I wanted to tell her: Don‘t go in there! It‘s a trap set by goblins!

I liked this book but didn‘t love it. The concept was interesting, and I loved the cranky old man octopus, but things were drawn out too much. It reminded me of one of those romances where people just. Don‘t. Talk to each other. I also didn‘t like the 30-year-old man child. OTOH I appreciated the PNW setting. Overall, a soft pick.

My great aunt painted this picture of the #farm where my grandparents lived in Pennsylvania. Her twin brother and his wife founded the original library in the nearby town. Now the farm is townhouses and the library has relocated. #humbleharvest

1. Philip Marlowe is a HARD BOILED detective. 🤩
2. I ask my husband to make them for me.
3. Egg roll wrappers are dipped in eggs to make them crispy when fried. This may or may not account for the name. #deviledeggday

1. TheOneRing.net
2. Tom and Lorenzo
3. Facebook
#TLT

Found on Facebook

#allsaintsday #humbleharvest

Spreadsheets
Puns
Journaling
State capitals
Spaghetti
Petting cats
Laundry
Flipping calendar pages
Reading mysteries
Back scratches

#wondrouswednesday

This is Corey, the outgoing guy among my friends‘ cats I watched earlier in October. He‘s missing a tooth which makes him look a little cranky, but he‘s actually very sweet. Eventually the two girl cats came around and tolerated my presence.

Anyway, I didn‘t get that one last book finished, but I still think my #wrapup is pretty respectable. Tom Lake was my favorite for the month.

#rushathon #31by31

1. I might finish one more book before the end of the day, but I don‘t think it will take the place of the tagged book.
2. Yesterday was our anniversary, but myspouse had to work, so we‘re celebrating today.
#two4tuesday

I parked across the street from this house the other day when I took my sister to lunch. I especially liked the little pink dog and the I am Kenough t-shirt. #Halloween #Barbie

He‘s maybe not my favorite fictional ghost, but Hamish in this series is an interesting character. He‘s a little bit Jiminy Cricket and a little bit Dr. Watson to the MC Inspector Ian Rutledge. There‘s a bit of #betrayal in this story too. #autumnplease #sundayfunday

The Marylandalorian never removes their #mask

This is the way, hon

#autumnplease

A disgraced nurse and a failed writer work together at a small town library where they develop an uneasy friendship. Things get weird, especially after the #death of an annoying patron.

I don‘t know what I expected, but this wasn‘t it. There were some interesting moments, but I didn‘t particularly enjoy it. The cover is intriguing, though.

#autumnplease

1. I think a positive attitude goes a long way, but I don‘t believe in manifestation.
2. Tagged.
#two4tuesday

In happier reading news, I really enjoyed Tom Lake. It‘s a quiet and wistful family story with humor and heart, but it‘s not maudlin or twee. Even though we have cherry trees in abundance here, now I want to go to Michigan to see the orchards!

If I have a specific goal for the rest of the month, I‘d like to finish three more books…but we‘ll see.

#31by31

Hispanic Heritage Month has ended and so too has my #ReadingTheAmericas endeavor. I was very excited to start but got bogged down in finding books and slotting them into my other reading. I still plan to read many of the books I found, but not necessarily this year. In addition to three “traditional” book clubs, I‘m participating in #authoramonth and various readalongs.

There‘s more that went into this decision that won‘t fit into 451 characters…

My sister‘s birthday was several days ago, but since I was house sitting we didn‘t get to celebrate until today when I took her to lunch. I also had a couple small things I‘d picked up at the Jane Austen centre in Bath. She especially liked the Colin Firth Mr. Darcy refrigerator magnet. #Pemberlittens

I still miss this show #lost #autumnplease

I think this is a good time for me to retire this #bookreport exercise. New endeavor TBD.

But first!
-I‘ve been reading Ripley in dribs & drabs for months and will likely continue the same.
-Two books in a row set in a library with unhinged characters is maybe a bit much. I pivoted to Tom Lake which I‘m enjoying more.
-Percy Jackson is back! Without spoiling, I think I can say there will be more books to follow.

Miss you, Cindy. 🫂💔

I loved the first book but haven‘t really gotten into the next one so far. I‘m debating whether to keep going or to take it to the LFL now. Spending a week in my friends‘ overstuffed house has inspired me to step up my game of streamlining my own home. It‘s more than books, but that area requires constant diligence.

One day I was feeling especially stir crazy and decided to revamp my TBR list. More to come!

#eyesoncover #autumnplease

1. Stuart Little
2. When I was in high school, my mom gave me a copy of the tagged book, just because.
3. Eating brunch at the Pump Room in Bath.
Thanks @Bklover for the tag! Cool picture @Eggs
#wondrouswednesday