You know, I *really* enjoyed this one, even if I didn‘t think it was *quite* perfect. I loved the nerdy magical history discourse, and I thought it all went how it should. There was a little bit of a slow patch around the 75% mark, but… maybe to be expected in a novel this length. 🤓

Now listening to Carl and the audio is (so far) fanTAStic.

Also @AmyG I received this package from you! Is this #jolabokaflodswap? So excited!! 🎄🍫📖♥️

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

🦃🍁♥️

Finished 3 more for #10beforetheend !

Tagged ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed so much of this. But felt that Lena‘s story was unnecessarily weak. Maybe it was originally intended to go elsewhere?

Dream Hotel: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed

Late Night Witches: idk ⭐️⭐️💫 I guess it wasn‘t for me🤷‍♀️

Reading Katabasi & Atmosphere for #reallifebookgroup & intend to read at least 1 Xmas book this year. And that‘ll get me to 10!

Oh 🎃🫅 is what I‘m reading w bubs 🥰

So close to being done w this book. It is so good. But it‘s a lot right now - it‘s a lot of “wait, is this supposed to be *speculative* fiction??” It‘s intense. And, look, I don‘t 💯 agree w the main character, but I do *know* her. She‘s pretty much my mom…. 😅

Also enjoying (tho struggling w focus) the 🧙🏼‍♀️ book.

And guys! 2 more Holiday swaps!! Wish I could do them all, but I have *done* them all and you should too!! 🎄🎁🤡❤️🖤

I don‘t know what‘s going on with me these days… but this is another miss for me. It just… definitely wasn‘t for me. I didn‘t really love how it started, how it middled, or how it ended. 🤷‍♀️ There‘s a good piece there… felt like some potential. But… kinda fell flat for me.
⭐️⭐️

Also, that‘s 4 in #tenbeforetheend

Favorite. Swap. Of the year.

@MaleficentBookDragon ‘s 6th Jólabókaflóð Inspired swap. But you do not have to celebrate Christmas to participate.

This is a simple, budget friendly swap. You will send ONE book to your recipient AND some chocolate. Opening day is December 24th.

Sign up here-
https://forms.gle/AVnqdj6quby9jLyZ6

#JolabokaflodSwap

Ooooh 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Thank you so much @Graciouswarriorlibrarian !!! I‘m so excited for these books!! And that skeleton corner bookmark is so cool! Love the packaging, candy, alllll the stickers, flags, bookmark, and of course the book catalog! Thank you thank you!! Happy All Hallows Read!
🖤🧡🎃🧡🖤#allhallowsreadswap #ahrs2025

And thanks for hosting one of my favorite swaps again @MaleficentBookDragon ! ♥️♥️♥️

Picked the tagged up to (quickly) get my spine tingling award on GR… and it was really just so good. Intense, raw, dark, horrific - nothing new to say about it, but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Also finished the 13th Child and… man, I just didn‘t love that one. I struggled to get through it and ultimately thought she (author) made some… questionable choices. 🤷‍♀️ Not terrible, but not amazing. ⭐️⭐️💫 or maybe ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#tenbeforetheend #10beforetheend

♥️🥰🤗♥️ Thank you soooo much @Chrissyreadit !!! This is such a cool autumnal housewarming gift!! You‘re always so thoughtful & sweet & I so appreciate you!! Everything is just perfect, the candle smells sooo good, the popcorn is delish, & I can‘t wait to try the coffee!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Malachi & I also finally finished The Christmas Pig! He loved it. He even pulled it down to read to me this morning ☺️. 1 down in my #Tenbeforetheend #10beforetheend

My #tenbeforetheend #10beforetheend

Including some I‘ve already started, because #beingkindtomyself #selfcare #🫩

Finally made reading progress! Admittedly, while on a long solo road trip (#notAllFoursrelated), but yay!
Tagged: long, involved, v good, worth reading 4⭐️
Ghost Writer: not shocking, but fun novella 4⭐️
Lies: another quick-read thriller 4⭐️
Cuckoo: finally read! A little slower (more police procedural), but v satisfying 4⭐️
Spires: fun, quick read; not surprised by end 3⭐️

Also rec‘d #AHRS! Can‘t wait!

And baked LOTS of fall-Christmas cookies🥰

It‘s finally October!!!

🍁🍂🎃🖤🧡😭🧡🖤🎃🍂🍁

Left/vertical is #bookofthemonth #botm (finally getting that cute corduroy hat!), and bottom/horizontal is #aardvark #aardvarkbookclub … which gave us IMPOSSIBLE choices this month, so, alas, I couldn‘t get all I wanted. Why are they so good at that?? 🤔🥲 Tagged is the one I‘m moooost excited for, but it‘s a close call - their exclusive short story collection is also 🔥

Happy October!!! 🎃🍁🖤

@MrsGagnonreads2024 this box is spectacular!! The book choices are 🤌🏼 & the tea smells divine, but I absolutely adore all of the gifts you _made yourself!!_ The bookmarks are gorgeous, the leaf tchotchke-holder is so pretty, & I love the skull & claw decos! That cup is sooo pretty too! My pics do none of this justice, but I 🧡 everything!

Also, pic w wrapped books chosen bc you can see buggy‘s hand reaching for them 😉

Thank you!!! 🍂🍁♥️♥️♥️

It‘s #FallingforFallSwap open day!

OmG @dabbe I could barely fit this all in 1 pic!! Thank you so much for ALL this - I 🧡 everything!!! The books are *perfect* picks, all the fun masks are going to make me glow!, the candle, coffee, pouch, & socks are perfectly fall & bookish, & the candy is 🤤! Also, the stationary, bookmarks (those corner ones 😍), & stickers are so fun! & that soap scent is my FAVE. Thank you so much for everything!! 🍁🍂🧡🥰

Hi all! It‘s starting to feel a liiiiiitle like fall… {trying not to jinx it} 🍁🍂♥️

Here‘s an updated view of the (still not quite complete but almost there) living room in my new home, and buggy reading under his new loft bed! 🥰

Also, received my 2nd #FallingforFallSwap #fffs package(s)!! Thank you @dabbe - I‘m so excited!!
💛🧡🤎🧡💛

Received #AardvarkBookClub books (*so* impossible to pick just 3 this month!) *and* #FallingforFallSwap #fffs “medium” package (2&2 size) today — @MrsGagnonreads2024 I‘m so intrigued!!

Also sent my own FFFS packages (a 2&2 and a 3-4&3-5) last night! 👏🏼👏🏼

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🧡🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁

It‘s been an exhausting couple of weeks, but I‘m moved, unpacked, & mostly set up! I still need to get a few boxes of books out of storage, but happy to have my reading corner ready. 🥰

I‘ve been unable to read much, but have these 5 books pending! Christmas Pig, I‘m slowly but surely reading with bugga, I Killed the King is NetGalley (I know, I was supposed to stay away, but that cover!), Long Island is audio, & tagged is #RealLifeBookGroup… 😅

Oh guys, it‘s time… @MaleficentBookDragon ‘s #AllHallowsReadSwap is back!
Opening Night is Oct. 30th.

This is a simple swap - You will be sending 3 Items-
1 BOOK From Your Recipient's Wish List
1 SCARY BOOK you recommend.
Halloween Candy or other treat.

Sign Ups are open until Sept. 21st .
https://forms.gle/yF672JHARgW4fB85A

See her page for more details!

@Callemarie !! I double-checked my usps notifications & still nada, but I went down to check the box & it was there!!

Thank you so much for all the extra goodies!!! I looove blind date books, the coffee smells soooo yummy, the socks are perfect, & I love the book plates, bookmarks, & stickers!! Thank you so much!!♥️♥️♥️

Also, Nicole, this is my book back! I still have yours - will send within the next week! #CoffeeBeanBookClub #cbbc round done!

Welp here we go again… getting ready to move!
Status: ahead of the game!

I‘m also making progress on the laaaast book for #coffeebeanbookclub #cbbc !! @Mommamanzi I should be sending this back to you by next wknd! ( @Callemarie - depending on when you send mine back, you may need my new addy - lmk!)

And you may spy one lone book left on my shelves - next up for #RealLifeBookClub .. anyone read it yet? I hear it‘s anxiety-inducing 😁

♥️🍁🍂♥️

#FallingforFallSwap #fffs matches sent!

If you haven‘t received yours, please check your spam first and if it‘s not there, let us know!

🍁🧡🍂💛🌾♥️🪾

Rounding the final corner for sign-ups for #FaingforFallSwap #fffs !!

Sign up by tomorrow, Aug 6th!

Also, we have just a few Canadian/UK littens who‘ve signed up for now — hoping we have enough so we can match people… pass it on!

https://forms.gle/91qM8obD1LkfEBkA6

🍁🧡🍂💛🌾♥️🪾

It‘s heeeeeere!!
#FallingforFallSwap 2025 is on! #fffs

@Chrissyreadit and I are hosting our annual kick off swap again!

Dates in pic above; sign-up sheet below. Yay!!!
🍁🍂🍃🧡♥️💛🍂🍁🍃

https://forms.gle/91qM8obD1LkfEBkA6

(Tagging some people for interest; feel free to pass on!)

And this fun reminder of how much I treated myself while in Austin! In addition to seeing Silvia Moreno-Garcia & getting her (autographed) book, I treated myself to this amazing crane, 2 journals, 1 amazing felt pouch, and 2 new books! ✨✨✨

Also, upper right…. It‘s almost time! This is just a teaser… #savethedate #startofswapseason #FallingForFallSwap #fffs @LitsyEvents

Woo hoo!! Got the last book in this round of #coffeebeanbookclub #cbbc (before I get mine back)!! The accompanying notebook is pretty sweet, Nicole!

Thank you @Callemarie for my faaavorite coffee!!
🤗♥️☕️🫘♥️ I can‘t believe we‘re at the end of this round!

Also re books: finished Final Girl, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and read this intervening novella in the cozy series I started for this round of CBBC ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hope you‘re all staying cool!

Austin! @bookpeople ! #BookPeople #SilviaMorenoGarcia ! #TheBewitching!

Drove to Austin w Buggy to see one of my favorite authors talk about her new book! 🤓🤓🤓

Also, stopped at IKEA of course 😁

Hi all!
As I told @AardvarkBookClub - while I would 🩷 to receive 6 #aardvark books in a month, this month it was bc I rec‘d 2 of my July box! In their graciousness Aardvark told me to share!

So - if you would like *the whole box,* comment below - 1st come, 1st served. 🩷Aardvark

In other news, for my last #bookofthemonth #botm month, I picked this audio. Why cancelling? Let‘s say their customer svc (even for bffs) leaves much to be desired.

Omg guys I almost forgot to show you this amazing Russian tea glass as part of my #staycationswap package! 🤩🤩 sooooo cool - thank you again @TheBookHippie - this was so thoughtfully curated and generous! ♥️♥️♥️

(Also showing the 3 books I picked for #aardvarkbookclub ;))

💃🏽🪩🕺🏼
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you for my #Staycationintimeswap package @TheBookHippie !!! I‘m so excited to read these Russian books ♥️♥️ The stickers are sooo cute, the cookies look yummy and will definitely be accompanying my dinner, and the tea smells soo good!! I love my trip to Russia!! 🥰😍♥️ Thank you!!!

And thank you @Chrissyreadit @DinoMom for hosting this super fun swap! 🤗♥️😘

#staycationswap #staycationintime

I have very little to update book wise - but I‘m meeting my Goodreads goals, and am still reading these 2! Have had 0 time to read in over a week 😳

But bugs, my sister & I went to denver to see meow wolf - very cool!!

Crazy busy for various work reasons, but hoping everyone else‘s summers are going well!

Oh! Also received 4 Amazon packages & another package!! Thank you @TheBookHippie - can‘t wait until #StaycationSwap #SITS open day!!

Loved this. Dark, disturbing, gory, unhinged.
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Also mailed #StaycationinTimeSwap #SITS and #CoffeeBeanBookClub #cbbc (along with some extra goodies for your birthday, Nicole!! 🎂💝) today!

New month, new books coming in!

On the left, #bookofthemonth #botm

Up top, 3 of the ALL books I wanted from #aardvarkbookclub #aardvark @AardvarkBookClub this month… (w/ a squishy maybe on the romance). The tagged is my “pick” for the month & the one I‘m most excited about!

On the right, 2 add-ons from b&n (that‘s Vandermeer‘s first, re-designed).

And in the middle, my sister got bugga that “treehouse” for when he goes over to her house. 🥰🥰

Ok maybe not *quite* like that… but I did take a bath and listen to jazz while reading for #hyggehour #hyggehourreadathon

And Bunny? Yes…. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me a little bit to get into… but now that I‘ve finished, it was all worth it. Go in blind, as others have said.

These may be all that I‘ve retained/kept out of storage for the time being, but they‘re pretty and make me happy to gaze at! Also, I feel like just a glance tells you pretty quickly what kind of reader I really am… 🤓

#shelfie #illshowyoumineifyoushowmeyours

Happy Weekend! Today we rearranged our little apartment and I got to re-do books again! Though I packed away more for storage, the remaining ones are beauts (not shown: my rainbow set for bugs to pick from).

Tagged (audio): great in parts; slow in others; felt a little ya, but overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Death Row? Good, but not great. Unexpected ending - not my fave. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading Rabbits & listening to Crescent City 2 (audio), but with a full cast!

Oooh, this is #owlcrate‘s first quarterly horror subscription pick … and it. is. beautiful. 🤩

And Yay!! 🎉👏🏼👏🏼 #CoffeeBeanBookClub #cbbc arrival! Thank you so much @Callemarie for the best coffee ever and that adorable blind book date with stickers and bookmarks!! ♥️♥️

Well, I stuck it out. After posting before, I gave it one last li‘l try. That did the trick. I got over the hump & dove fully in. This is a police procedural meets psychological foray into a serial sex killer‘s mind. It‘s *dated* insofar as the lgbtq+ community is concerned, there are TWs for days, and the “twist” isn‘t really a twist. But it was well written & earned its stars.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Also, for Mother‘s Day, treated myself to a few treats. 🤩

It is literally the perfect reading weather ⛈️💙⛈️, but I‘ve been having the *hardest* time getting into this book. I‘ve been trying for about a week now, and I‘m just stuck in the beginning…. 😩

May need to move on and return when the brain‘s in a more focused place….. 🤔

But trying in earnest: #hyggehour #hyggereadathon #hyggereadinghour (I can never remember which 🫣) @Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie

Tagged 🌳🔪🩸: loved the convoluted everything here🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼

Xmas Pty 🎄💃🏽🪩: disappointing 🪼🪼🪼

Desert Places 🏜️, even more so🪼🪼(+ major TWs)

Reading Crescent City (🎧) and 🧜🏼‍♀️🧜🏼‍♀️🎤🎶

Bottom left = #BOTM #BookoftheMonth. Excited for the North, but a little lackluster otherwise

Top left, coming in with the WIN is #aardvarkbookclub #aardvark. I just always 👏🏼 fill 👏🏼 that 👏🏼 box 👏🏼
🦦🐗🦫 (dreaming of an aardvark emoji)

Tagged, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but it takes a bit to sink into the dreamy, foggy, atmospheric, slow-burn, esp when the world around you constantly races past. Once you do, you see the intention. Also, a favorite line: “His voice sounds like shattered glass, like a shadow that‘s being cast by nothing, like all the shrieks from all the nightmares that have ever been.”

The Heiress & Wolverton, both just ok at ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading the others…

Oh & Happy Easter! 🐣

🤩💫✨ #SanAntonioBookFestival #SABF 2025 done!

It was great! I spent tons of money 💸 on books I definitely don‘t have room for, had a couple of them signed, & discovered that the duo of Ashley Winstead (her book is in that pile ☺️) & May Cobb (Hollywood Assistant) is my new favorite authors-speaking combo. So entertaining & enlightening! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

AND THEN I got to go to ✨Nowhere Bookshop✨!!
😍🥰♥️ (tagged)

Now, off to read some more…

Came to San Antonio by myself for the Book Festival (today!)! #SABF 👏🏼♥️🍷📖 And getting some pre-festival reading in… of course. ☺️

Also finished the tagged (audio - 2 readers) on the plane. Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And finished Wild Dark Shore for #RealLifeBookGroup (also audio - 3/4 readers). Brutal & brilliant. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ too!

Reading Desert Places next on audio!

Today was the day! (That I decided to open this lovely pkg early ;))

Thank you @AmyG !! You always pick just the perfect book - I‘m so excited to read this!! And thank you too for the extra bday treats! That notebook is so cute, I love lavender, the face mask will come in handy while I‘m traveling this weekend, and of course the coin pouch says it all 😉 Thank you so much for thinking of me this month and I edge my way into “late forties”!!♥️♥️♥️

Upon finishing, this was the most prominent image/thought that came to mind.

starting top right: rec‘d a pkg from the ever-sweet @AmyG — thank you, I‘m so excited!! ♥️🥰

The next two, clockwise, are #aardvarkbookclub books for this month.. most excited for the tagged!! 🤩 @AardvarkBookClub (pic stolen from your Instagram page 🥸)

Some books bought at Barnes & Page 1 (local used/new) this past weekend….

And last, this yummy protein bar that tastes kinda like those chocolate covered marshmallows 🤤

A good coupl‘a days ☺️

Oh nooooo. I can‘t keep up with my acquiring!😩 (not really mad 😎)

Ok top left is #BOTM incl (free) book about … falling in love w a plane? Not in the sci-fi way?…

Bottom right is #aardvark. Couldn‘t pass up the special ed, of course, of one my fave books by one of my fave authors & the 2nd in that series.

Also, tagged is excellent 2nd in series 4⭐️
And piper‘s diary, linked to Santa Fe‘s Meow Wolf exhibit - cool & am going back next wk! 4⭐️

Books!
Tagged: 4⭐️ romance; you have to suspend some disbelief. Written by my friend‘s sister!
James: 5⭐️ as expected
Echoes: intriguing! She does “something different” so well 4⭐️
Malerman: 5⭐️ short story; loved!
Pyramid: decent historical cozy! 3⭐️
Secret Zoo: great mid grade audio (w buggy) 4⭐️
Exorcism: gross, fast, not perfect; fun nods to childhood 4⭐️
Mother Dear: showed up unannounced, but good thriller audio - ended better started! 4⭐️

@Chrissyreadit thank you so much for this early bday pkg!! Every 👏🏼 single 👏🏼 thing👏🏼 is 👏🏼 Amazing!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 The popcorn is soooo yummy, coffee smells deviiine, coffee candies will be perfect pick-me-ups, can‘t wait to try the bath salts, & the book will be a perfect escape during a time when it is much needed. Thank you!!! 🫶🏼♥️🫶🏼♥️🫶🏼 you are always so thoughtful & generous, & it is extra appreciated during these hard times. 🤗

Updates!

Tagged: quick, fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Starless: lovely, poetic, complete ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darker audio: great (as expected) short story collection from the King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Family Upstairs: yes, immediately ordered #2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Here Comes the Body: great, fun, not-as-typical cozy (Queens, e.g.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That‘s a lot of stars!

Buggy‘s new 8-year-old haircut!

#coffeebeanbookclub #cbbc pkg headed to you - smaller one w next book 2b sent in 1-2 wks!

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 (is that enough? Maybe a few more) 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Yay for #coffeebeanbookclub #cbbc

Thank you @Callemarie for this yummmmmy package and the books! We opened the bones coffee this morning and it is SO. GOOD. And those strawberry cream truffles are delish! And the second coffee also smells amazing!

Yay, thank you!! ☕️🫘📖♥️🤎♥️