Midweek watching, after finishing the book today.

#AuthorAMonth

Gabilan deserved better. I‘m only through the first chapter, but I‘m sad now.

#AuthorAMonth

It seemed appropriate to finish this book yesterday, on International Women‘s Day, with Eve and Charlie. Although I wasn‘t sure about it at first, I really grew to enjoy the story and was eager to see how it all played out. It was hard not to root for our heroines.

Thanks to @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks for another great #ALSpine pick!

Y‘all, if Elizabeth freaking Taylor, at 32, though she was too old and too fat, it‘s no wonder so many of us are victims of unattainable standards.

#februaryrecap #februarywrapup

#readingbracket2023 #nonfiction

#readingbracket2023 #fiction

Still thinking about this book after finishing it earlier this month. It was an easy choice for winner this round.

You know how they say you hate what is mirrored about yourself in others? Well, as a person who often keeps things inside as if people are psychic, it‘s no wonder practically every character in this book pisses me off. Good lord! 😬😁🤔

Remembering Fred Rogers on the twentieth anniversary of his passing. He was such an integral part of my childhood - one of my first teachers. It‘s because of public television like Mister Rogers‘ Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and Reading Rainbow that I became a voracious reader.

Thank you, Mister Rogers, for creating a space safe for children to learn and imagine. It‘s you we like.

I had these 3 TJR novels hanging on #MtTBR for various lengths of time, and #AuthorAMonth was the impetus to finally get them off the mountain! I enjoyed all of them, with Evelyn Hugo being my fave of the 3.

With the Daisy Jones series coming next month, I‘m glad I get to stay in Reid‘s world a bit longer this time around!

If I‘m not mistaken, today‘s chapter is the longest thus far, as Jean Valjean struggles with making a choice between admitting his identity or letting another man go to the gallows in his place. What would you do on his shoes? 🤔

#LesMisCAD

I just clipped a tablet mount to my headboard and am expecting a Bluetooth page turner from Amazon tomorrow.

Have I reached peak bookworm or am I now in too much lazy territory?

#AuthorAMonth Kindle deals!

They‘re both from Random House, too, so eligible if you‘re signed up for Penguin Rewards.

I had been wondering how Rushdie was doing since the attack on him last summer. Here‘s a new piece leading up to the release of his new book.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/salman-rushdie-recovery-victory-ci...

I‘ve read the first two sections of this book and I‘m really enjoying it.

It could be too much nineties nostalgia this week, but I‘m really worried right now that Emma is going to pull a Kelly Taylor-esque “I choose me.” Should I prepare to throw this book across the room?

No, don‘t tell me! 😬😂

#AuthorAMonth

I love reliving the BSC with these graphic novels!

Mr. Pike‘s Daddy Stew always made me smile because it reminds me of my mother‘s Mommy Soup.

#readingbracket2023 #fiction

Taking a page out of @jenniferw88 ‘s playbook and doing separate brackets. Up first #readingbracket2023 #nonfiction

I think I started off the year well! I definitely didn‘t stick to my planned TBR for the month, but I finished 2 #AuldLangSpine picks, one for #AuthorAMonth, and 3 off my owned TBR.

I will say, I‘m struggling to get into Harlem Shuffle. Whitehead is very hit or miss for me… might he be the year‘s first DNF? 🤔

#januaryrecap #januarywrapup

As a human who reads, I feel judged.

Part One of the book is named for Fantine, and we finally meet her just over 100 pages in! It‘s interesting to hear about her before she was Cosette‘s mother.

#LesMisCAD

If you‘re following along with our Les Mis chapter a day, I know we‘re only just getting to know Jean Valjean. Care for an interlude?

Randy Rainbow had released his first video of 2023, and the clusterfuck that was the Speaker vote(s) was just asking for this!

https://youtu.be/tXoJd4BoZTQ

#LesMisCAD

I‘m a sucker for how Emily Henry writes banter. Throw in childfree leads in the book industry and I‘m trash for the story. I‘m also pretty sure Henry is an auto-read author for me. This is my second favorite read of the month 😉

The month isn‘t over yet, but so far, Evanna Lynch‘s memoir is my top read for January. Often difficult and beautifully written, Lynch recounts her experience with anorexia, the troubling ways the system tried to help her, and what it‘s like navigating the world in recovery. You needn‘t be a fan of Luna Lovegood to admire Lynch‘s story.

I of course urge careful reading as the topics of self-harm and eating disorders are discussed throughout.

I‘m watching a swat team in California searching a van after a mass shooting while reading about George Floyd and Philando Castile and hell if this country doesn‘t make me incredibly sad in so many ways.

#AuthorAMonth

Full disclosure: I was a huge Dawson‘s Creek fan but I‘ve pretty much never seen anything else Busy Philipps has starred in. We‘ve lived very different lives, but were both born in 1979 and the chapter titles here show we both have great taste in music.

I‘m so glad this was on @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks #ALSpine list, as I‘d been meaning to pick it up for awhile and needed a nudge. Busy writes like she‘s chatting with the reader 👇🏻

I‘ll take “Things I never expected to read about the Royals” for $200, Alex.

In the time that I‘ve read the first 50 pages of Les Mis, I‘ve also finished 6 books 😆

The first 14 days of #LesMisCAD acquaints us with the bishop who will play an important role in the life of a convict we haven‘t met yet up till this point!

Yeah, so if no one gets me this for my birthday later this month I am absolutely using a B&N giftcard I‘ve been saving because I don‘t have the patience to wait for 129 people before me 😆

Just finished my first #AuldLangSpine read and can‘t recommend it enough! I‘m ashamed to to admit my knowledge of Deaf culture is limited to what I saw in the show Switched at Birth, so I learned some surprising things here (Alexander Graham Bell, anyone?). I was also infuriated on behalf of Charlie, Elliot, and Sky.

My only complaint is how quickly the ending crept up. I wonder what comes next for everyone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2023 is only hours old, but week one is in progress! I‘ve begun my #LesMisCAD journey, started two of @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks picks for #ALSpine, and even got the first freebie of my birthday month (thanks, Simon & Schuster!).

What is everyone selecting for Amazon First Reads? We get two this month… 🤔

I can neither confirm nor deny that the lyrics to “Seasons of Love” are on loop in my brain, but I can confirm the stats pictured here for 2022.

I have my first 2023 reads queued up. Whether I‘ll be awake to crack them open at midnight remains iffy!

Happy New Year, bookish friends!

Anyone who wants to join @MatchlessMarie and I is welcome to crack open a copy of Les Mis on Sunday for #LesMisCAD! We‘ll read a chapter each day in 2023 and finish up at the end of the year. Feel free to post with the hashtag if you‘re taking the plunge with us!

I‘ve been watching this YouTuber react to the 10th Anniversary Dream Concert as a first time watcher and it brings back great memories of my first intro to the story:👇🏻

The tagged book was a charming way to wrap up this year‘s #AuthorAMonth reads. I‘m really pleased with most of the books I read this year. As far as authors go, I got to revisit some and discover some new favorites! Thanks as always, @Soubhiville , for organizing this each year! 📚♥️

#AAM2022

I‘ve been reading Middlemarch throughout 2022 and will complete it this weekend; it was great to take it on in digestible chapters each week!

For 2023, I‘m considering tackling this beast. 365 chapters means daily reading, so I‘m a little intimidated. For those who have done this before, how did you fare?

It‘s my first weekday of Christmas vacation, and I‘m spending the afternoon watching the final January 6 Committee hearing, where charges are expected to be recommended against the disgraced, twice-impeached traitor and former POTUS. I recommend Adam Schiff‘s book and I‘m grateful for the work of him and so many others during the hellscape of the past few years.

What‘s everyone reading today? Ariel is my favorite Disney Princess - she has been since I was 10 or 11 and heard “Part of Your World” for the first time.

I had no idea Jodi Benson had written a book till I saw it in the new release section at the library the other day. I also had no idea how important faith is to Jodi. While I can‘t say I relate, I‘m interested in hearing about her life. So here we go!

I was scrolling Tik Tok a few minutes ago instead of reading and saw the sad news that Bob McGrath has died.

We‘ve lost Luis & Bob in one year. It‘s sad to see these faces from our childhood go away, isn‘t it?

I thought @monalyisha suggesting we make an About Me post for #AuldLangSpine was a great idea, and I know tomorrow‘s start to the work week means I‘ll be busy, so early is better than late!

I‘m looking forward to reading from your list, @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks !

#ALSpine #aboutme

It‘s always exciting when the #ALSpine match lists arrive, and @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks has great picks to choose from! As usual, I‘m going to take my potential reads beyond January!

The checked books are ones I‘ve already read, so to start 2023 I‘ll be reading a couple from my owned TBR 📚and a couple library reads 🔍. I already have True Biz waiting on my airplane moded Kindle, and Night Film was a #NYWD pick I never got to a couple years ago.

Two weeks till Christmas vacation means I‘m in the home stretch, right? Working for a greeting card company can feel like being an elf this time of year. Visions of my last few 2022 reads are dancing in my head as I start to think of that 2023 TBR stack! I‘m considering a Harry Potter reread, Rowling be damned!

Humor me, reader - what elf name would you give me? What would yours be?

I figured I would sync my Goodreads shelves in preparation for #AuldLangSyne, but it added my To Read shelf to my Read list!

@monalyisha - Sorry if I made things harder! I‘m trying to correct but I have a huge TBR shelf!

I‘ve been vegan for thirteen years today. Thinking of my fellow vegans, and of those who are a voice for the voiceless. Thank you for choosing compassion, on Thanksgiving and every day.

So, um, I may have a teeny memoir problem 😬

I‘m enjoying listening to Ralph Macchio talk about The Karate Kid and just started Matthew Perry‘s new book today. Looking forward to the other 3 as they come in… hopefully not all at once!

I seriously can‘t deal with Elon Musk‘s Twitter takeover. I gave up on Facebook years ago.

Haggling with Stephen King for a checkmark. Something tells me one of them needs the other more. Hint: it‘s not Sai King.

Thank you to those who gave advice on whether the cardboard backing makes a difference on cube shelving! I‘m giving it a go without. I moved mostly read books to the shelf yesterday. Don‘t ask how many unread books are still stacked elsewhere 😬 #shelfie

For those of you who don‘t follow my bookstagram, I‘m looking for bookshelf advice! Can I get away with no cardboard backing? It‘s a 12 cube shelf.

Whatever your feelings on Jo Rowling and what it means to separate art from the artist, we lost Robbie Coltrane today, and he embodied the character of Rubeus Hagrid as perfectly as anyone could. Rowling‘s transphobia can‘t deaden the example of friendship and chosen family that The Keeper of The Keys and Grounds provided to anyone who spent some time in the wizarding world.

Wands up, wizards.