This is one of those books where there are wonderful bits of writing, but I didn‘t enjoy much of the story, and it was a slow read. As it went on, I did become more invested in knowing exactly how it would turn out, but I also just wanted to finish it. Bowen does a great job of describing how women could be incredibly conflicted between traditional expectations and the ability to live with more independence than previously.

#1001books

This book has some wonderful figurative language!

My favorite might be the comparison of a woman to a squirrel. 🐿️

#KindleQuotes #1001books

Both @JazzFeathers and I have been busy and not great readalong hosts, so we‘re not starting any new Tolkien reads until next year. However, it‘s become a tradition for us to reread this book each December, and we‘d love to have you join us.

This is the same schedule as last year. I‘m tagging my entire Tolkien list today, but please comment if you would like to be on my tag list for this specific book.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienChristmas

💛 Using fall pumpkins not only as decoration but also for delicious meals
💛 Baking pumpkin cinnamon rolls & bacon cheddar scones to share at a church breakfast
💛 Flowers from a student just because they wanted to share some joy
💛 Great colleagues at school who are also great friends
💛 Cozy blankets and snuggly pets as the weather turns cooler

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

This had an interesting story, but there were also aspects that that just didn‘t work well for me. I thought the information about virtual reality and how it could be used with hospital patients was great, and the development of the friendship between Addie & Mateo was wonderful. The backstory with Addie‘s mom and opiate addiction was originally very vague and wasn‘t resolved in a way that felt logical to me.

#MiddleGrade #GraphicNovel #TRS2024

Today while I worked in the kitchen, I listened to a few Sherlock Holmes stories and to chapter 36 of David Copperfield. I‘m worried things are going to go badly for him again.

I put up more pumpkin, which includes a good amount of frozen purée, treats/food for Luthien, pasta baked in a pumpkin, a jar of pickled pumpkin cubes, roasted seeds, and pumpkin sourdough rising.

#NoPlaceLikeHolmes #WhatTheDickens #audiobook

💛 Making simple lye soap with my aunt
💛 Fall canning - pumpkin cubes & cranberry juice
💛 A peaceful and foggy fall morning
💛 Pets, even when Luthien is napping on top of my work
💛 Veterans Day recognition at school today

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

#MiddleGrade #GraphicNovel #Memoir

#MiddleGradeMonday #MsDsLibrary

I finished my audio reread a few days ago, but this morning I revisited the postscript to more closely consider Garth‘s discussion of the way writers wrote about WWI and specifically its influence on Tolkien‘s work.

This quote emphasizes one of the key aspects of Tolkien‘s work that I love. Many of his characters are simple people who just keep going and make a difference in their own small ways.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #quote #KindleQotes

I finished my audio reread a few days ago, but this morning I revisited the postscript to more closely consider Garth‘s discussion of the way writers wrote about WWI and specifically its influence on Tolkien‘s work.

I found this quote from Verlyn Flieger enlightening as it makes such an interesting comparison between a return from war and a return from Faerie.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #quote #KindleQuotes #WWI

This was a fun and adorable read!

#GraphicNovel

💛 Homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls and the time at home to make them
💛 A beautiful fall evening and backyard fire on Halloween 🎃 🔥
💛 Always the pets!
💛 Friday night pizza and wine 🍕 🍷
💛 Spotify music with great variety for my various moods 🎶

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

October #BookSpinBingo

Thank goodness for short reads, middle grade reads, and audiobooks right now.

#MonthlyStats #ReadingStats #DaiseysReadingSummary

There‘s been plenty of preserving and a decent amount of baking in my home recently, but I haven‘t been making any new cookbook recipes. So, today I‘m sharing this year‘s final batch of candied jalapeños, a few jars of tomato sauce, and these cinnamon rolls even if they are online recipes. Since the sourdough cinnamon rolls are from the Clever Carrot blog, I‘m tagging Emilie Raffa‘s cookbook.

#MtCookbook #sourdough

This was a fun and fascinating middle grade narrative nonfiction. It describes the theft and investigation of that theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in alternating chapters with information about the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci. I may need to check it out in print at some point as well to see the illustrations.

Second audiobook completed for #DeweysReadathon #DeweyOct

#audiobook #nonfiction #MiddleGrade

This was a cute YA romance about a teenage blogger and a boy who spends his time outside of school helping in his family‘s traditional tea shop. Online, they‘re enemies, but you can guess how it goes when they unknowingly meet in real life to work together for small businesses in Chinatown threatened by a corporate buyout.

One book completed during #DeweysReadathon #DeweyOct

#audiobook #YA #TRS2024

Happy Saturday morning! I‘m starting a quiet Saturday morning with breakfast casserole and coffee while I catch up on the last few chapters of David Copperfield for October.

I have lots of things to work on at home today since I‘ve been gone the last few weekends, but I plan to listen to lots of audio and fit in some print reading for the Dewey‘s Readathon as well.

#DeweysReadathon #WhatTheDickens #audiobook #1001books #BookAndBreakfast

💛 A family wedding and spending extra time with cousins for the weekend
💛 Putting up end of season green tomato pickles
💛 Successful parent teacher conferences at school
💛 A three day weekend at home that started today
💛 Pets that are adorable and travel well together when necessary

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

Someone put this on my radar to consider for my class library. It‘s a short chapter book about a group of kids that use math and great observation skills to solve the case of a stolen diamond. It‘s more of an early chapter book than the middle grade I was hoping for, and even accepting that, the mystery only made for a so-so read for me.

On a brighter note, La Gata was happy to snuggle up with me for a bit while I read. #CatsOfLitsy

Fellow Tolkien Readers,
How are we doing on the readalong? I apologize that life has gotten in the way again, so I‘m a bit behind as well as not sharing much. I just finished chapter 6 today, ending with Tolkien going off to war and wondering if he will ever see Edith again.

#FellowshipOfTolkien #audiobook #nonfiction

A couple of these might be a bit more #YA than #MiddleGrade, and I‘m not sure they all have ghosts, but this seemed as good a time as any to share my October recommendation shelf.

The tagged is my favorite spooky read to recommend. For a long time the reader doesn‘t know if it‘s a ghost story or if the main character is hallucinating.

#MiddleGradeMonday #MsDsLibrary

This was more historical romance than I was expecting, but I enjoyed it. Nena is the daughter of a Mexican rancher as Anglos from the north threaten their way of life. At the same time, another supernatural danger reappears and a man from her past returns. These were a different kind of vampire, and I wanted a few more answers in the end, but it was a great October read.

#LitsyBookClub #audiobook

This week‘s joys are all about spending last weekend in my hometown.

💛 Beautiful weather for a local fall festival with friends, family, fun, and delicious food
💛 Working with friends friends from church serving breakfast at the festival
💛 Quality time with my family
💛 Picking pumpkins to bring back to my house
💛 Spending a little time at the farm helping with harvest

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

Maudie lives with her mom and stepdad during the school year but is starting another summer with her dad when they have to evacuate due to a wildfire. As they find a place to stay near the beach, Maudie begins making new friends. As the reader learns about autism through her experiences, she keeps secrets from her dad about learning to surf and life with her mom. I loved Maudie‘s first person story.

#audiobook #MiddleGrade #TRS2024

There are some interesting and unfamiliar to me words in this book.

#WeirdWords #WeirdWordWednesday

I‘ve barely had time to read this week or visit Litsy, but this looks like a fun one!

🚜 Hay ride
🍎 Pick apples
🌳 Nature walk
🔥 Bonfire
📖 Book
🍏 Caramel apple
🥣 Chili (but not cornbread)
🍎 Apple cinnamon

#WondrousWednesday #ThisOrThat

💛 A couple trips to UCM for a play to see a former student perform and a day of professional development where I also got to meet up with another former student for a bit.
💛 A new positive math sticker for my laptop.
💛 Homemade multigrain sourdough sandwich rolls.
💛 Steak fajitas made with leftover steak and some late vegetables from the garden.
💛 As always, the pets, this week featuring LaGata.

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

This is the start to another middle grade fantasy series about people who bond with flying creatures, and I loved it. In this case, Kei is a girl who flies as a courier (think Pony Express) on her skysteed, N‘Rah (think flying horse). Then, terrible monsters from the past called chimerae start attacking again, and Kei takes information and weapons from her uncle‘s old resources to help in the battle.

#audiobook #MiddleGrade #TRS2024

Listening to chapter 1, I realized some of these Ishnesses are included in the book about Tolkien‘s art that I have.

#FellowshipOfTolkien

Will is dealing with a diagnosis of Crohn‘s disease and how that impacts his life while also navigating middle school friendships. He goes from being an integral part of his school soccer team to not playing or even traveling with them to away games. At the same time he‘s becoming friends with Griffon who just asked another boy to a school dance. The reader experience all of Will‘s uncertainties with him.

#MiddleGrade #audiobook #TRS2024

💛 Birthday dinner with friends
💛 Lovely weather
💛 Homemade pizza & cheesy bread
💛 Going to see a former student perform in the play She Kills Monsters at a local college
💛 Always the pets

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

This novella is a wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a fascinating twist on the story we know.

#HammockReading

The #MiddleGradeMonday prompt this week was to share books with a number in the title. I completely forgot to check my shelf then, but today I found these.

I tagged Fourmile as it and other books by Watt Key are often well liked by some of my more reluctant readers and also not as well known as I think they should be.

#MiddleGrade #MsDsLibrary

Today‘s the day we start reading Tolkien and the Great War. This is a fantastic nonfiction read about Tolkien, and I‘m so looking forward to rereading and discussing with the group. Life is a bit busy at the moment, so although I have an ebook I‘ll probably listen to the audiobook more.

#FellowshipOfTolkien

September #BookSpinBingo
I‘m currently listening to a lot of audiobooks and not fitting in very much print. Sadia and Dark Fire were clear favorites in different genres. This is the first month in a while I haven‘t finished a single 1001 book.

#MonthlyStats #ReadingStats #DaiseysReadingSummary

I finished the last chapters of this book with supper tonight. This was actually the first book of the series I read, and I think it might still be my favorite. We‘ll see as I continue this series reread. I found both mysteries absolutely fascinating, and the historical setting as vivid as well. I like the continuing friendship between Shardlake & Guy, and Barak definitely adds an interesting dynamic and useful investigative skills.

I enjoyed this story of a magical family with powers connected to their family home, but I don‘t think it‘s one that will stick with me. The main character Garnet has powers associated with gemstones and their characteristics are woven throughout the story. However, the main plot is more about family secrets and power struggles.

📷: I started listening while walking with Luthien & finished as she‘s napping.

#MiddleGrade #audiobook #TRS2024

After reading Bright Young Women, I‘m glad to have also read this memoir. This is a story of survival and strength from a woman who not only survived an attack by Ted Bundy but two life threatening medical diagnoses as well. Her story starts slowly and is sometimes repetitive, but it also makes important points and speaks for the women attacked and murdered.

#Memoir #Nonfiction #audiobook #LitsyBookClub

How is it already the weekend again?

💛 Great colleagues at school
💛 A very happy beagle and two chill cats
💛 Meds for treating poison ivy
💛 Smoked chicken sandwich from a local BBQ place
💛 A beautiful sunset

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

I finished rereading Sir Orfeo this morning with breakfast. I enjoyed this poem and as before I noted some similarities to the story of Aragorn as a king returning to his land as a man out of the wild and unrecognized.

#MedievalTolkien #FellowshipOfTolkien #BreakfastWithTolkien #BookAndBreakfast

💛 A really great day of professional development with other teachers
💛 A reliable vehicle for all the driving I did this week
💛 Making it through Homecoming week at school
💛 Always the pets!
💛 Time outdoors, even though it‘s back to feeling completely like summertime

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

School is taking a lot of my time right now, so I feel I haven‘t been much of a host for our Tolkien reading. I do always love the vocabulary in Tolkien‘s writing, so a word post for today!

#WeirdWords #WeirdWordWednesday #FellowshipOfTolkien #MedievalTolkien

My final #Book2Book swap arrived this weekend. This is another book I‘ve heard great things about!

Thanks @TheBookHippie for this one and @KateReadsYA for hosting. I really enjoyed this method of clearing a few books from my shelves and gaining some new ones.

I recognize this title, but I‘m not sure whether I read it as a kid or not. It‘s not one of the Lowry books I specifically remember. I thought Anastasia‘s “mercurial temperament” and constant lists were wonderfully realistic and relatable, as well as amusing.

#audiobook #MiddleGrade #ChildrensClassicRead2024 #BannedBooks

September‘s class library display

#MiddleGrade #TeachersOfLitsy #MsDsLibrary #Football

💛 corn harvest 🌽
💛 open windows 🪟 beautiful weather
💛 new canner 🍅 homemade tomato products
💛 wild sunflowers 🌻
💛 always pets 🐶 🐈

#5JoysFriday #DaiseysJoys

This year I switched from teaching JH English & Math to JH & HS math, but I‘ve kept my class library as most of the books are mine personally. So, I‘m trying something a little different to promote a few books each month on a particular topic. This was my August display as we started the new year.

#TeachersOfLitsy #MsDsLibrary #MiddleGrade

@kspenmoll I‘ve had this for a few days and kept forgetting to post. Tonight Gandalf helped me get a photo to share. I‘m really looking forward to this one from our #Book2Book swap, especially as I‘m currently listening to David Copperfield.

#CatsOfLitsy

All the 9/11 books on my shelf have already been mentioned today, but I‘m going to share these again. Ground Zero is currently checked out. Each of them presents an important perspective for readers.

#MiddleGrade #MiddleGradeMonday #MsDsLibrary

I know the text is tiny, but I wanted to share this section about the bob & wheel rhyming pattern for those whose edition does not include the appendix on verse forms. The first time I read this translation I did not read closely enough to note this rhyming pattern on my own, but I think it‘s fascinating to see how it‘s in the original and the translation.

#MedievalTolkien #FellowshipOfTolkien #Poetry