@StayCurious I'm sorry for the delay and lack of participation but this month has been even more hectic than I was expecting. My #WinterGames2024 total so far is 535pts for #TeamChaCha

If only I was able to sit down and finish my #Naturalitsy read, I'd rack up a ton of extra points on the word snow alone 😅

For those into stationary, like me, here is my xmas gifts to myself. Aren't they cute?

Day 2 Points Tally:

Posts: 4 x5pts= 20pts

Tbr Read: 50pts

Reading: 5h x10pts= 50pts

Words (x10 each):
- Cold: 3
- Cozy: 2
- Fireplace: 1
- Party: 3
- Present: 1
- Shop: 8
- Snow: 3
Total= 210pts

Daily total= 230pts for #TeamChaCha

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha #FirstSnowReadathon

I'm always afraid to start an ARC, especially one as big as this one, because you never know what you're getting (and I like to finish them to give a review). My last one was a pain to finish... But this one! It started off beautifully written and it's only getting better! I hope it carries on like this and it's not one of those books that starts loosing steam towards the end.

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts
#FirstSnowReadathon #TbrRead

Next one on the list is this ARC from LoveReading, which I have to review so I'd like to “get it out of the way“ now, just to make sure I don't miss the deadline 😅
If I manage to read these 500 pages until Saturday I'll treat myself to another “Spooky Cat“ book.

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts
#FirstSnowReadathon #TbrRead

What a wonderful short story! If cats, demons and adventure are your thing, you're going to love this book. It's a very entertaining and fun read, with kindness, warmth and new friendships. 5/5 ⭐

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts
#TbrRead +50pts
Words Found: Cold x1, Shop x2 (I was so into the story I probably missed some)
#FirstSnowReadathon

Starting my Monday with a short read. Why does this title remind me of Phoebe's “Smelly Cat“ song? 🤣
🎶 Spooky cat, spooky cat, what are they feeding you? / Spooky cat, spooky cat, it's not your fault 🎶

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts
#TbrRead #FirstSnowReadathon

I was too tired to do this last night but here it is. I know it isn't required but it helps me keep things organised.

Points for Day 1:

Posts: 5 x5= 25pts

Words: x10 each
- Candy x2
- Celebration x1
- Cold x3
- Cozy x1
- Christmas x1
- Delivery x1
- Giving x1
- Party x3
- Present x5
- Shop x2
- Tradition x2
Words Total = 220pts

Reading: 6h x10= 60pts

Daily Total= 305pts for #TeamChaCha

#WinterGames2024 #FirstSnowReadathon #XmasChaCha

This month's #Naturalitsy pick led me on a journey through the world of plants and how humans have interacted with these fascinating creatures throughout history. It fell short of what I was expecting but it was a pleasant and interesting read nonetheless, and the author is simply a wonderful writer.

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts

Speaking about Darwin's Finches (on my last post), if anyone is interested in the theory of evolution and Darwin's work, you might enjoy the tagged book.
Now, it's been almost two decades since I've read this (and it was a translation) so I was very young then and I'm hoping the writing isn't actually as dry as I remember 😅
Still, it's an interesting book and I'd love to read it again soon.
#Naturalitsy
#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts

“Endemism is an ambivalent existential state. It may represent the last rites for a wild species (...) bedded down in a single vulnerable, vanishing habitat with no long-term future. Or a new stage in its evolution, as it adapts genetically to a new refuge. Endemism is still a condition through which species enter and exit the world (...)“
#Naturalitsy

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha +5pts
#FirstSnowReadathon #HyggeHourReadathon

Getting on my focused mode so I don't miss a word (I'll probably miss many 😅). Hopefully I'll finish my #Naturalitsy November read today, so I can move on to my December tbr pile 🎄

#FirstSnowReadathon #WinterGames2024 #ChristmasChapterChasers #XmasChaCha

Starting my #FirstSnowReadathon for the day. Hoping for at least 5h today!

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha #ChristmasChapterChasers

My updated #EarlyBirdPoints come to a total of 70 points.
@StayCurious thanks for reminding me that posts also rack up 5 points
#WinterGames2024 #ChristmasChapterChasers #XmasChaCha

#Samphire(...) makes it's terror untenable for itself. It seemed to me to fly against every principle of evolution(...) I eventually learned that this wasn't how evolution worked outside the laboratory. Plants may be overridingly concerned w/ the survival of their own genes, but (...) none of them manipulate their habitats to ensure their own continuance over other species. That is our species' dubious perogative.“
#Naturalitsy

For other #tarot lovers/hoarders like me: how cool is this deck with story types? Isn't it gorgeous? They're sold on #etsy by Dizzy Hazel and you can buy individual cards or the full deck. Wouldn't this be a fun way to choose a next read? The universe might not give you the book you want but can now lead you to the book you need 😂
Anyway, here's the Etsy link if anyone else wants to check these out: https://shorturl.at/8M983

#etsyfind

“In the West, cognitive behaviour therapists treat tension headaches by coaching sufferers in imagining, then relaxing, the 'tight hands' round their head. Four hundred years earlier their professional forebears would have recommended doses of walnut. For better or for worse, across centuries and cultures, metaphorical images of plants and vegetation have been a fundamental ingredient in their power to heal.“
#Naturalitsy

These are my usual four go-to playlists on Spotify that I listen to while reading, depending on my mood and on the book.
Do you have any favourite music or playlists you like to listen to while reading?
Do you have any recommendations to those who are tired of always listening to the same music and are looking for something new?

#ReadingMusic
#playlist
#music

Now that the #LitsySciFiBookClub pick has finally been announced, I've updated my #DecemberTBR list. I also included a new book which funnily enough is about a cat. As if my tbr list wasn't optimistic enough for a busy month 😅 I blam... I mean, thank @Kenyazero for sharing what seems like a very irresistible read.
Does posting this again before December get me any extra #EarlyBirdPoints? No? Just checking...😋

#WinterGames2024 #XmasChaCha

My #EarlyBirdPoints come to a total of 50 points.
#WinterGames2024 #ChristmasChapterChasers #XmasChaCha

I FINALLY have time to relax under a cozy warm blanket, with a good coffee and my #Naturalitsy book of the month.

#SaturdayChatterday

My first time cooking a meal after my latest surgery. I've really missed cooking, being in the kitchen, dicing the vegetables, smelling a hot boiling pot, adding the spices, choosing ingredients and combinations... I love it! The result wasn't as tasty as I was hoping but it wasn't bad either. Just the first of many from now on. It's a delight to be able to feed my loved ones again!

#SaturdayChatterday #cooking #chronicillness #disability #food

Plans for today:surprising my mom w/ a nice lunch, chatting w/ my bf and continue reading"The Cabaret of Plants" which I'm hoping to finish tomorrow. I really need some rest today, after a very busy week! Just me, loved ones, a good coffee and a great book. ?️❤️☕?

@theasianyenbear you're it!

"A check-in for all Littens to share your plans, recommendations, what's on your mind, etc.
Don't forget to Play ☕️ Tag ☕️ Share ☕️" @AllDebooks

"As millions of Americans sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving, many around the world don‘t know the racist history behind the holiday. But Indigenous people have kept the true story alive for generations. Here‘s a brief look at the holiday‘s origins." (see tagged book).
From AJ+
Full Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC7E-x1RJnW/?igsh=cndibnJ0b3JkbGE=

#thanksgiving #indigenouspeople #history

“The question we should ask of a myth is not whether it is true or false, whether it did or did not happen; but whether it is living or dead, whether it still carries existencial meaning for us in our time.“
#Naturalitsy

I gave it a go creating a #shelfie on #fable and I have to admit that the result is pretty cute. And also fairly accurate...
Does anyone use Fable for anything other than this? What are some cool features I should be checking out?
I already have 3 book apps on my phone, I'm really not planning on keeping a fourth one unless it adds something new.

#WinterGames2024 #ChristmasChapterChasers #EarlyBirdPoints #DecemberTBR #ChristmasReads

Here's my own drawing of my shelfie with a VERY optimistic tbr list for December.
I don't yet know which book will be chosen for the #LitsySciFiBookClub but I've included it and will replace the title once they pick one.
Merry solstice readings everyone! ❄️

#wintergames2024 #XmasChaCha #ChristmasChapterChasers #EarlyBirdPoints

Here's my most anticipated read for December. I'm a sucker for tales and Hans Christian Andersen and Angela Carter are two of my absolute favourite authors.

For those of you who would fancy exchanging lists of books to read during the month of January, registration is still open for #AuldLangSpine. But spots are almost all taken so hurry up!
If you want to know more and sign up ask @monalyisha or follow this link https://forms.gle/Mq4PNFyVrDMmrbTd8

#wintergames2024 #XmasChaCha #ChristmasChapterChasers #EarlyBirdPoints
Hot chocolate ☕ BUT I've never tried eggnog. If anyone has a good recipe they care to share, I'd love to try!
We open presents on Xmas eve but only after midnight (although if we're too tired we do it sooner) 🎁
Star 🌟
Turkey 🦃 BUT my family's traditional meal is boiled dried cod. However I grew tired of it as a kid and now eat Salmon instead.
Stay at home 🏡

@StayCurious

I have recently come into contact with a secret society here on Litsy apparently called #CoffeeBeanBookClub or #CBBC. I am SHOCKED! I'm not quite sure how it works but they seem to prey on victims of both coffee and book addiction and reward their affliction with gifts. It's absolutely wicked! How do I sign up?

I'm afraid there's no cure...

#bookworm

“Standing in its aqueous shade is like being inside some immense beached cetacean. Tawny owls, flocks of fieldfares, rising moons, the sentence I was mulling over as I wandered up to look at it, can vanish in a trice in its surf of flickering leaves.“
#Naturalitsy

“The coal-forest plants they were most closely related to have long vanished from the earth, and the cycads find themselves 'rare, odd, singular, anomalous, in a world of little, noisy, fast-moving animals and fast-growing, brightly coloured flowers, out of sync with their own dignified and monumental timescale'.“
#Naturalitsy

Jesus, this guy is such a wonderful writer!
#Naturalitsy

“It is as if individual trees with character and rich biographies can continue to have an existence only through the pickling(...)of their unique genetic identity; and that being carried forward by the eddying, unpredictable streams of reproduction, as all other organic life is, would obliterate their authentic essence. As a principle guiding our treatment of nature as a whole this(...)would have stopped life on earth in its tracks.“
#Naturalitsy

“I doubt there will ever be definitive answers to these questions. For many under the spell of Taxus this is not a search for the history of the yew, but for a kind of spiritual genealogy, a quest for Avalon, for the deciphering of a symbol that shows how we left the path of natural religion.“

This page is a short summary of the story of the yew, which Mabey talked in more detail throughout this chapter. It's so beautiful written!
#Naturalitsy

This is a gorgeous photograph by the late Tony Evans, the photographer mentioned by Richard Mabey in the second chapter. I wish there were more of his photographs in the book (there's only one), especially some of those he talked about in depth.
But I found some of his work here: https://www.tonyevans-timelapse.com/landscape
Let me know if you find his photo of the ancient decaying pine with marigolds, I'd love to see it.
#Naturalitsy #photography

To answer my last post:
“Then he went to the moors of Inverness-shire and brought home a photograph of an ancient pine stump (...) heraldically studded with five marsh marigold flowers, kingcups rampant. They were rooted in damp crevices and pits in the rotting wood, portals into the boggy northern past, and Tony had achieved what he always insisted photography was incapable of, showing something that was not there.“
#Naturalitsy

“If photography can stop time, freeze it, representational painting contains it, not just because its making takes time, and therefore incorporates it, but because it can hint at what might have gone before and might come after. Might it be possible for the photograph of a plant to have something of this painterly quality, and record not just an isolated moment but suggest the organism's past and the invisible dynamics of its life? “
#Naturalitsy

The next couple of books for #Naturalitsy just arrived! It feels so nice to have brand new books I can sniff... I mean read... 😅

What a wonderful little story! Can't wait to read the second book.

Written during the pandemic this tiny but hilarious erotic story was a way to spread awareness about the prevention methods available (washing hands, coughing into your arm, self isolation, etc...). Digital copies are available for free on the author's website.

I didn't realise this was an evangelical book when I picked it up at my local free library. It's a short story about "Jiro", a Japanese kid the author taught at the Christian College in Tokyo. It would be "So-so" if there wasn't some judgment passed on Japanese culture. It's mostly a nice story about a boy who becomes disabled and struggles with it throughout his life. Then he gets seriously ill and is saved by God ?
Not my cup of tea.

"After a heavy storm one night the snow had piled into four-foot-high drifts outside the classroom window. So Jiro suggested to the boys in his class in a second-floor room that when the next teacher was busy writing on the blackboard, they should all jump quietly out of the windows onto the snow below. (...) When the surprised teacher finally turned around, there wasn't a boy left in the class!"
Now that's a pretty cool prank!

A beautifully written book that cleverly explores the hidden roots of racism and how they affect both sides. It describes the random acts of violence faced by black people in South Africa and the context that often leads white people to violence.
For those born in this context, racism can be internalised and may come out in small, disparaged and escalating acts before it reaches full violence. 1/3

Not one of her best books but it's a light horror story. Creepy, unsettling and well-written. I'm not a big fan of the petty drama between a group of friends who aren't actually much friends at all, especially when it all boils down to who slept with who, and who's got a crush on who. But that is a personal thing of mine.
It's a light creepy read. If you're also a fan of this genre, I'd definitely give it a try.

"Her hourglass is malfunctioning, someone has put funeral-urn ashes in it instead of sand. There are odd whispers in her icebox door. The ice falls inside the fridge at midnight and sounds like the wrong kind of laughter. The toilet across the hall gargles all night. The termites under her chair are going to gnaw through and drop her to hell. The spiders in the wall are mending her shroud."

"Only the projector and the films in the parlor. Time only works well in one direction. Back. I control the past. I'll be damned if I know what to do with the present, and to hell with the future. I'm not going to be there, don't want to go there, and would hate if you made me. It's a perfect life."

"(...) did strangers lie there, holding on their insides as if they were broken glass?"

"Cal, I thought. Snip away the darkness.
Short in front. So I can see.
Short on the sides. So I can hear.
Short in the back. So I can feel things creeping up on me.
Short!"