The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call "out there."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

"The Thing About Brandon's Flannel Waistcoat"
A timely continuation of the discussion of Colonel Brandon's underwear on the 12/2/21 episode of The Thing About Austen podcast. ?
#pemberlittens

Ready for the read-along with audio options from Joanne Frogatt (love her) and Michael Kitchen (the only male narrator I found, interestingly; also an actor I enjoy). One of the things I remember from my previous reading is sections of dialogue written in heavy dialect that I could hardly decipher, so I'm looking forward to the audio for that! And I still have my old paperback too, just in case. 😄 @Crinoline_Laphroaig @sprainedbrain

Fun bits from Goodreads Year in Books. I enjoyed all of these very much. 🤓

Just finished my last book of 2021, which I've been reading throughout the year. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love John Lewis-Stempel. Haven't picked a 2022 yearlong read yet but might very well be another JLS.

Favorite holiday card ever! My friends should be a rom-com novel 🥰

Christmas Eve and going to be 73° in northeastern Kansas. What is happening. 🥵 It's a iced treat for me while I do my last preholiday errand and listen to BEES in the car. 🧑‍🎄 Merry Christmas, all!

Mikala! Thank you so much for the Christmas package! I am so delighted with these books! 🤓❤️💚🤗
Merry Christmas!
@Laughterhp

Chasity, thank you so much for this amazing #jolabokaflodswap package! Love the book pick, and the rest is soooo nice. 🥲 The bookmark is personalized with my Litsy handle too, y'all. ❤️💚❤️💚 This is just lovely, thank you!! 🤗 @chasjjlee

Thank you Chelle for hosting this tradition @MaleficentBookDragon ❤️💚

For my cousin (11) and looks so good! The book itself is also beautiful, the windows are cutouts in the dust jacket and the actual hard cover has the house printed on it, and a map on the end paper. 😍

This is for my cousin (11) and I want to read it 🤓🔎

Yes, I'm still wrapping gifts but at least my shopping is done! 🥴 These are for my dad and represent two of our areas of interest that overlap, so I hope he will love them.🤞

Finally made it to the post office today with my #jolabokaflodswap package! 😅 @MaleficentBookDragon

Received my #jolabokaflodswap package today! 😄
@MaleficentBookDragon

#SmallBusinessSaturday bookstore purchase 🎄

Another fun one from Grady Hendrix! Got a bookplate for buying this after his event with the local bookshop. 🖤🖤🖤 His online events this year and last have been a highlight of my pandemic online book life.

Resting after an exhausting week. I think, It's such a pretty, early-autumn day; I'd like to read about a Ren fair! Surprised and delighted to find no hold queue standing in my way. 🙏🍁🍂☀️

A sweet, easy read. The first half is an imagining of Frederick's falling in love with and losing Anne back in 1806; the second a retelling of the events of Persuasion from Wentworth's perspective.

It's a low pick for me. The author doesn't measure up to Austen (not expected of course!). I enjoyed the second half more, following JA's plot and using her dialogue.

#pemberlittens

📘 Kill Creek
🍍 Pineapples and strawberries 🍓
🤩 Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone
💫 Good news at work this week!

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

I just finished this. Obviously, it's a very hard read, emotionally, but I'm so glad I did. The author did an incredible job organizing these many voices speaking of their experiences that day and after. From the terrible to the beautiful, their words will stick me.

#fortheloveofbookmarks - Advertising

🔖Independent Bookstores - My local used bookstore and two shops that I've yet to visit but have gotten books from
🔖Bookmarks advertising two years' Read Across Lawrence selections

@aperfectmjk

Made my first visit to The Raven's lovely new location this morning. My friend and I took turns stroking a snoozing Dashiell and were rewarded with hearty purring. 😻

#bookstorecats #caturday

#fortheloveofbookmarks - Travel 🧳

Bookmarks aren't one of the things I usually collect as I travel, but I did pick some up at the Library of Congress (2013) and Glacier National Park (last week!).

Haven't been to Windsor Castle yet, but likely someday!

@aperfectmjk

Came home from a weekend getaway to a most lovely birthday surprise from my pen pal Mikala @Laughterhp. I actually gasped when I opened the Devil and the Dark Water as I thought about buying it earlier this summer but decided to wait for the paperback release, what amazing timing! Thank you 🤗💚

One of my favorites so far this year.
After I finished, I googled to see if the film rights have been picked up, and they were a couple years ago when it first came out. I'd love to see a good adaptation. 🤞

I just saw The Dry at the theater and thought it was a great adaptation. I will read anything Jane Harper writes, but now I'm ready for more Aaron Falk!

I have not been on Litsy much lately because of life, and am thrilled to be back to chapter-a-day-Jane with the #pemberlittens! This is the second time I've read Emma but I remember loving it the first, years ago. Thank you to Jenni @sprainedbrain for giving me this beautiful Chiltern, which I'll be reading, supplemented sometimes by listening to Juliet Stevenson read. 😁❤️

I got this book to send to my cousin for her 10th birthday. Anyone here read it?

My faves 🎉
#Pemberlittens

Excited to begin another chapter a day, and this one I've never read before! I love that I can shop around for a narrator with classic audiobooks. I selected Pippa Bennett-Warner, so far she's fabulous.

#Pemberlittens

In 2020 I read The Wood, a chapter for each month, as a way to meditate on the seasons. I so enjoyed JLS's soothing prose, interesting little facts and history, and amusing observations of the animals, that I wanted to do it again. This year I've picked his Meadowland which is also written as a year long diary.

📚 My dad, mom, and brother are all readers.🧡

📚 My dad's and my tastes have always overlapped the most so we trade books and get each other into new obsessions. 😂

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
Thanks for the tag Andrea 😊 @Andrea313

Really enjoyed this modern version of Northanger Abbey. I thought the setting of the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh was a great update to stand in for Bath (and it happily reminded my of my own time spent in the city during festival season 🤩). The Thorpes were just as terrible and the two junior Tilneys as lovely as the originals.
#Pemberlittens

1. Long time roommate moving out and leaving Charlie 🐱 to me.

2. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone is usually rewarding, and I should be more open to taking chances.

3. With all the anxiety and doomscrolling, for a while I thought it would be a lot less, but I ended up catching up to finish the year right in my usual average. 📚

4. I don't know if it'll actually come out in 2021🤞 but if so, Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone.

My favorite books I read in 2020 excluding rereads. Several of these were Litsy gifts or buddy reads, which reminds me how much this community improves my life! 🤗

#20best2020
Thanks for the tag @Laughterhp 🥂

My 9 year old cousin, who I haven't seen since a year or so before the pandemic but always mail birthday & Christmas gifts to (usually books), sent me handmade bookmarks. 💞😭

#Audioknitting got me through this anxiety filled year and some great books. As a novice knitter, I decided to make simple scarves and hats for Christmas gifts and it feels good to see them all together. Not pictured are detachable faux fur pom poms for the hats. The red/pink ones are for my friend's two little girls, I really hope they fit their heads right as I have no kids to test on. 😂

USPS came through! Thank you, Mikala, for the lovely gift! 🎄 I've been wanting to read both of these books! Merry Christmas ☺️

PS- I was thinking, Great wrapping paper! before I even read your note 😂
PPS- Your package is still en route 🤞
@Laughterhp

A very sweet story! Excellent narration by Mr. Armitage as expected.

Started this today, loving chapter one! Recalled here that I still have not read Kipling's short story, The Janeites, so I will do so this weekend! Text here: http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/DebtsandCredits/janeites.h...
#AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead
#pemberlittens

Jenni, thank you for the amazing package! I'm so excited about every one of these books! Never expected the cookbook, I love historical cookbooks. All the other gifts are fabulous too, this is going to be my new daily mug, and I especially love the candle! I'm overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity💞 and the work you put in to the watch parties too (which I'm joining in half an hour!), you are just one amazing lady! 👑

I loved this look into Charlotte Collins's life a few years into her marriage, especially after recently re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I was satisfied with the way the author filled in bits of Charlotte's backstory, Lady Catherine was properly vexing, and Mr. Collins exasperating. Charlotte's own story is poignant.

#PemberLittens
@Laughterhp thank you for sending to me! 🤗

This is apparently the fourth book about former con artist turned defense attorney Eddie Flynn, but having not read any of the earlier books, I had no problem getting up to speed on Eddie. This story is fast-paced with chapters alternating between our protagonist and the killer and I could not put it down! I could see this being made into a movie. Great pick, Morgan! #lmpbc @mngraham @ameliashley @TorieStorieS

Your #AVAH package is on its way, expect it Friday! 🦌 @sprainedbrain

#averyaustenholidayswap @Chrissyreadit

This book blew me away as it went from mysterious to unsettling to downright disturbing. I finished it several days ago and the song still haunts me.

🎧 I actually ended up mostly listening on Libby and liked the use of different narrators.

A satisfying game of cat and mouse with a twist near the end I didn't see coming!

Thankful for #lmpbc for putting books in my hand that weren't on my radar. 😄 I'll get this sent on shortly @mngraham @TorieStorieS @ameliashley

🎉 Received my #AVeryAustenHolidaySwap package today!

I'm still waiting to receive a couple of items so I can get mine shipped out at the beginning of the week. 🧑‍🎄
#AVAH @sprainedbrain @Chrissyreadit #pemberlittens

The mayor of my city, Lawrence, Ks, issued a Proclamation affirming Lawrence as the official hometown of Sam and Dean Winchester. She said they'd had a date in the spring when Jensen and Jared could have joined in to accept the proclamation, but "then COVID happened." ? So proud! ?
(The state motto, ad astra per aspera, means 'to the stars through difficulties')

Interesting bit of news from Austenland.
https://deadline.com/2020/11/modern-austen-anthology-series-reimagining-jane-aus...

#pemberlittens

Since #votedearlyreadathon has been extended, jumping in! 😄 Have listened to 6hrs 10 min. of various audiobooks the past few days, including Northanger Abbey for the #Pemberlittens chapter-a-day. During trying times like these, I'm grateful for books and places like Litsy. 💜

@howjessreads