I‘ve been busy. Not reading much. Hosted Thanksgiving, am running a bunch (8 mile trail race this past weekend), and have been swamped by trying to get everything Christmas done before we head to my parents‘, which means cooking 14 different meals to freeze as my dad‘s gift, make cheese straws and buckeyes for everyone‘s stockings, and shop, wrap, etc.). Somehow I‘m holding onto the thought it will all get done in time. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Can I finish this one in time to give it to the intended recipient for Christmas? We‘ll see! Shopping is 99% done, baking is 90% done, Christmas letter is 100% written and 0% printed, cards are 0% addressed, wrapping is 0% done. Despite the 0% stuff, I may just 100% settle into the book anyway. 😂

@MaleficentBookDragon My #jolabokaflodswap is going out today (if I ever get to the front of the line!).

Ozzie is helping me read one of my mom‘s Christmas books. Not too far in yet but it seems as if this fictional depiction is going to present a sainted Diana. ::sigh:: I do prefer real people to be real, flaws and all.

When you agree to take a friend to a doctor‘s appointment that should last 2 hours or so, it doesn‘t hurt to take a book you haven‘t started yet so you don‘t run out of reading material.

December‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo is composed of half Christmas themed books and half Christmas presents for my mom, husband, three adult children, and niece. We‘ll see how many I get pre-read by the 25h. 😁 @TheAromaofBooks

Finished three books although British Murder contains two books so maybe I can consider it four books? #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Onward to my sister‘s Christmas stocking book. I just have books for my boys, my niece, and my dad to go and I‘ll have pre-read everyone‘s presents. 😂

Penny and Josephine Williamson appear to be sweet, little old ladies attended by their lovely nephew Archie but in actual fact they have a lot of secrets and history behind them, starting with their service in WWII and ending with a crazy caper in current day Paris. This was a delight to read and deeper than expected. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-excitements-by-cj-wray.html

Pre-reading another Christmas gift.

All six books I‘ve read so far in November have been non-fiction so I thought I‘d throw in a token light fiction choice next (also known as a stocking present for my mother). #bookreport #weeklyforecast

I was at loose ends for a book last night but finally settled on this one. I went to a reading with the author and she was lovely so I hope I love the book too.

Sitting waiting in my car to be serviced. I brought this book in hopes it could drown out the news.

Read a lot this week. Now to decide if I start my #bookspin or #doublespin books, read another Christmas stocking gift, or go completely off task and pick something random, from the list or not on the list at all. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Now onto my dad‘s Christmas stocking book. 🤣

I really like Parrish‘s writing but this sequel to her novel an open door (lowercase intentional) is not her best. Her main character drifts along without much agency for too long and this resulted in me being frustrated by the story and its lassitude. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-hedgerow-by-anne-leigh-parrish.ht...

I started this one sitting in bed last night. It‘s going in my husband‘s Christmas stocking. He was in bed next to me and never noticed the cover of the book. If he had, he‘d have known something was up because I am not a bourbon fan. Now I just have to finish it before he clocks what I‘m reading.

Sneaking my #bookspin and #bookspinbingo in under the wire. It‘s a collection of non-fiction, including those I intend to give as gifts for Christmas, the last Great Group Reads book, and two last #auldlangspine books. @TheAromaofBooks

I really appreciate Cary‘s Davies‘ writing. This novel set at the end of the Scottish Clearances on a remote and forbidding island is a marvel of history, language, and love. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-clear-by-carys-davies.html

Two bingos but ever so close to four! #bookspinbingo

My last book for the month. Will I finish it or will I carry it over? It‘s an #auldlangspine choice.

As per usual, a little late on this. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Lounging on the newly finished deck (well, aside from the staining and painting) and starting this one so I can hopefully play along with #literarycrew #buddyread. Plus Miss G was never out here with me so it doesn‘t make me cry to be on this couch.

The same lap as in so many pictures but missing my sweet reading buddy Miss Gatsby. It feels so incredibly empty. I will miss her forever. 😢

I started this 4 months ago for #camplitsy but set it aside. I‘m picking it back up in hopes of finishing it this time. And yes, I know it was not universally appreciated by the readers back then but I am nothing if not contrary, so here‘s hoping I enjoy it!

His collection of interconnected short stories, an elderly friend group with a long history, and the tales of life transitions large and small is a delight to read. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/06/review-ladies-lunch-by-lore-segal.html

A day late. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

This is one of my (one of many) book club‘s book for the month so I figure I should get going on it.

A study in blue. Miss Gatsby is sleeping on my lap while I read.

Unlikely to finish any of the three in progress books tonight so I‘ll go ahead and post now. #bookreport #weeklyforecast That is my #doublespin for the month completed though. 😄

Picking this one back up to hopefully finish this time.

Happy National Reading Group month y‘all! Here‘s this year‘s Great Group Reads list from the Women‘s National Book Association. I‘ll tag the books in the comments. #WNBA #booksnotballs #GGR

October #bookspin and #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Ozzie, helping me read tonight.

I cranked through 4 books this week. If I get through 5 this coming week, I will have read all of the upcoming Great Group Reads books before they are publicly released. Not sure I can do it but I‘ll give it the old college try. #bookreport #weekly forecast

Next up.

Still reading with my cuddle puppy.

The story of a woman trying to find herself and gently reject her family‘s expectations for her to join their business as an Ayurvedic spice healer, there were a lot of plot lines here but ultimately it was a pleasant and entertaining read. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/06/review-curious-secrets-of-yesterday-by.h...

Sitting here reading with Miss Gatsby. Her beard had to be shaved off because she was so matted from her new drooling problem. This revealed a growth of some sort on her jaw. We‘re hoping for an abscessed tooth because the alternatives are far worse (not that the tooth situation is good for a 14 year old pupper). I‘m just loving her while I can.

I can‘t even remember how long it‘s been since I last posted this. I know it‘s been several weeks, at the very least. Maybe a month? More? Anyway, here‘s what I‘ve been reading (and avoiding finishing) in that time. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Before I dump last month‘s #bookspinbingo, I thought I‘d post it here. I clearly got the gold medal for avoiding bingo. LOL!

My Heathrow haul.

Here‘s my Scotland haul. (And yes, between Ireland, Scotland, and Heathrow, I had to get another suitcase to bring all the books home. Well, also because my husband‘s suitcase was overweight but it sounds better to say it was because of the books. Lol!)

LOL! Starting this one tonight.

You‘d think from my Ireland book haul that we did nothing but visit bookshops. 🤣 We‘ve actually done a lot but I did visit quite a few. Here‘s the whole whacking haul.

This is one of this year‘s Great Group Reads books (full list coming soon) so I brought it with me on holiday so I‘d start it.

I‘m currently in Scotland (after a week in Ireland) and have lost all sense of time so I‘m late posting my #bookspin and #bookspinbingo for this month. Some old friends on my board and some new choices so we‘ll see how the month goes! @TheAromaofBooks

This is an important triple-stranded narrative that is about the many facets of bodily autonomy and the right to choice for women set in Canada in 1971, 1980, and 2017. There are some predictable pieces but it was still a good and engaging read. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/06/review-looking-for-jane-by-heather.html

I have a whole collection of places I am in my books because I have bookmarks in so many!

Gold Hill, CA for On Gold Hill
Newport, RI for The Wedding People
Tokyo for Butter
Columbia, SC for The Garretts of Columbia
The future for Archangels of Funk
Santa Monica, CA for A Pair of Wings
Somewhere in England for You‘d Look Better As a Ghost

Fun idea @Cupcake12 #whereareyoumonday

It‘s my last night at the cottage this year so while I savor one final evening, I‘m reading this.