My husband and I became homeowners today! And the very first things to be properly placed into the new house were....all my Harry Potter books! 😆📚⚡❤ #harrypotterfan #booklover #priorities #homeiswheremybooksare #newhouse #bookshelves #bookish #books #reader #harrypotter #jkrowling

"The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket." (p.83)
~
Boy, do I see myself here. My husband and I were together for 7 yrs before I was ready to get engaged and take on that commitment. He was super patient. To make up for it, I proposed! #girlpower #independent #marriage

"I don't really know," I heard myself say. I felt a deep shock, hearing myself say that, because the minute I said it, I knew it was true. (p.32)
~
Lord, this resonated with me in high school and early college! Everyone around me seemed to have a plan, and there I was with no pull in one particular direction and not wanting to dedicate myself to something just because I could "make a career out of it".

I turned out just fine. ?

And now, for the third time, I'm cozying up with one of my all-time #favorite novels! I read #TheBellJar my senior year of high school, again when I was 25, and now at 30. This journey may be about Esther's struggle and self-discovery, but every time I read it I feel like part of this story is my own. How does one decide what direction to take in life? Can you restart at any time? Why can't I have choices? Commitment and adventure?

I read this in 2 days, so clearly I enjoyed it!

Parts of the story were predictable, but that didn't diminish the charm of Richardson's novel. It beautifully portrayed the power of books, and served as a reminder to take nothing in life for granted. 4/5 ⭐

#recommend #fiction #thepackhorselibrary #books #kimmichelerichardson #justfinished #quickread #courage #femaleprotagonist #women #kentucky #troublesomecreek #bookwoman #bluepeopleofkentucky

"He looked up at me and swallowed loudly. "All children, except one..." [He] paused toward the end of the sentence to cough, his eyes ablaze with happiness, the fever licking his light. He coughed once more. And lifted his "grow up"."

?? Kim Michele Richardson using J.M. Barrie to make me cry on this Wednesday morning.??

P.S. I removed the character's name so as to avoid a spoiler.

P.P.S. Read this book!

What are you reading this #Thanksgiving week? I'm halfway through and totally engrossed by #TheDeathandLifeoftheGreatLakes. #Nature is a powerful and awesome beast. Highly #recommend.

And I just began #TheBookWomanofTroublesomeCreek. Yes, I decidedly picked Richardson's tale over Moyes' #TheGiverofStars after hearing all the controversy. Who knows what really went down, but I know I'd rather support a fellow #Kentuckian at the end of the day.

"I was in the hotel," he said finally. "I followed your footprints in the snow." There were tears on his face.
"Okay," someone said, "but why are you crying?"
"I'd thought I was the only one," he said.
.
.
This haunted me after I read it, which of course was right before bed. I imagined surviving some end-of-times event and not seeing another living person for 100 days. Imagine that first sighting, that first connection. Disbelief. Pain. Relief.

For a #postapocalyptic novel, the plot of #StationEleven felt fresh. It focused less on the horrors of the new world and more on the beauty, tenderness, and interconnectedness of #humanity. I often considered how I'd feel in similar circumstances (both before and after the Flu). I loved that it was largely set along #LakeMichigan and in an #airport! Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. #airplanes #pandemic #fiction #fame #survival

"I had always thought of America as a nation that looked forward; for the first time I was struck by its determination to look back."

I was moved by this book - by the narrator's perspective on a post-9/11 America, by his pursuit of love, and by the relevance this book holds in today's #political climate. I was left wanting to discuss Erica as a #metaphor for #America as well as Hamid's ending.

#moshinhamid #thereluctantfundamentalist #quote

Justifying today's #bookhaul by pointing out that these are all generally short books and are therefore equivalent to having only purchased one, maybe two, long books. Fair, right? 📚📚😆😆 I think I will start with The Secret Life of Bees!

#bookaddict #tbr #thesecretlifeofbees #washingtonblack #thedevilshighway #stationeleven #singunburiedsing #thereluctantfundamentalist #stack #bookstack

It sat on my shelf for two years, but I'm finally diving in to #TheBookofDust! I am a huge #PhilipPullman fan so my expectations are fairly high.

P.S. I just re-read #AWrinkleinTime and...meh. I barely remembered it from 8th grade so I wanted to revisit it, as I know it is loved by many. I didn't hate it, but I expected more. I wanted certain ideas to be better fleshed out, and for it to be more climactic. I'll stick with #Pullman and #Rowling.

I am supposed to be reading our family book club pick, but I grabbed this out of my nearest #LittleFreeLibrary yesterday and oops! started it instead. I think Jenny knows. 😆 Really enjoying it so far! Hoping to finish it in a day or two so I can get back to Killers of the Flower Moon before the fam realizes I started another book. 📚

#currentread #swamplandia #femaleprotagonist #booknerd #canthelpmyself #paperback #meow #catlady #pageturner

Took this to the The Islands with me today! Still loving it! 📚🧛🏻‍♂️⚜📚

#interviewwiththevampire #annerice #laketexoma #vampires #readingoutside #currentlyreading #booknerd #beachread #beachday #paperback #usedbooks

"Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult." Here's Anne Rice reminding us that what is easy is hardly ever what is right or good, but we must strive ever forward to attain it. Quite fitting for today's world.

P.S. I am in love with this book so far. Wish I could take a sick day to stay home and read! #interviewwiththevampire #annerice #thriller #booknerd #justwanttoread #currentlyreading #vampires #neworleans #goodvsevil

"He was just doing whatever he felt like doing. That was what Thor did best." #NeilGaiman #NorseMythology #Retelling #booknerd #currentread #mademelaugh #accurate #Thor

I realize this isn't Marvel's Thor (soooo many differences), but could there be any more accurate description of Thor as we know him?? Ha!

Totally stoked to start this adventure! ❤📚🏖 #currentlyreading #beachread #readingoutside #bookaddict #thanksobama #andrewshaffer #mystery #vacation #funread

This book snuck up on me and I didn't want it to end. Would definitely recommend this tale of unlikely friendship in 1870 Texas.

#newsoftheworld #justfinished #vacationread #sweetread #quickread #booknerd

Started my 5th book of 2019 this morning! Really excited for this one after our recent trip down under!

#nowreading #booklover #whatareyoureading #currentread #bookworm #billbryson #australia #travel #inasunburnedcountry #travelwriting #booknerd #kangaroos #paperback

Higgledy-piggledy. One of those words I've heard on occasion, but seldom seen in print or had a reason to write myself. Well, The Amber Spyglass and The Little Paris Bookshop both contain higgledy-piggledy, and I just happened to read these two books back-to-back! The coincidence made me chuckle! The hubs was not too impressed when I explained. He just looked at me blankly. 🤷‍♀️😆📚❤
#words #booknerd #nerd #language #higgledypiggledy #reader

Spent the last two weeks revisiting one of my favorite trilogies from childhood. Happy to report I still love it! There is some heavy stuff in here, and experiencing it as an adult was so different than when I was 11 and 12! I am really looking forward to the new tv adaptation and hoping they do these brilliant characters, worlds, and storylines justice. A must-read for anyone who likes #fantasy and sci-fi!

#hisdarkmaterials #phillippullman

This book is turning out to be just as enlightening and entertaining as I'd hoped! 😆

#wordbyword #thesecretlifeofdictionaries #korystamper #reference #englishlanguage #grammar #lexicography #words #currentlyreading #nowreading #bookaddict #booknerd #language #recommend #whatareyoureading #femaleauthor #funny

"...and no one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again." - John Green

I've never read TFIOS, and probably never will (I sometimes staunchly oppose reading super popular books ?‍♀️), but Looking for Alaska holds a bit of my soul, so I gave TATWD a shot. Glad I did. Before I knew it, I was down to the last page and half and had tears in my eyes. If you appreciate LFA or The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I recommend TATWD. ???

Dad: How about we go to #Carmichaels and the books are on me?

^^^^^^This is the result^^^^^^

Also, no trip to Louisville is complete without a visit to Carmichaels. 📚❤📚

#bookhaul #localbookstore #shopsmall #shoplocal #turtlesallthewaydown #signededition #devilinthegrove #wordbyword #thesportofkings #199cemeteriestoseebeforeyoudie #quitetheassortment #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #fiction #nonfiction #history #youngadult #thanksgivingread

This was my pick for family book club. I read it in two days, and have dreamed about it every night since I started. The characters are believable, relatable, and there is more than enough to think about as an adult reader. It is powerful. I wish I were in high school again and had this as required reading. I hope people everywhere pick it up, read it, and discuss it. Cannot wait for my parents to finish! #TheHateUGive #YALit #mypick #THUG

"Love is essential; gregariousness is optional."

As an introvert (INFJ), this book helped me feel even more at ease with myself and the way I navigate life. It was enlightening to explore the science behind introversion and extroversion, and to be reminded that both have value! Extroverts are great. Introverts are great. Together we're even better!

#quiet #nonfiction #introvert #susancain #infj #bibliophile #personality #psychology #biology

"And as the ax bites into the wood be comforted in the fact that the ache in your heart and the confusion in your soul means that you are still alive, still human, and still open to the beauty of the world, even though you have done nothing to deserve it. And when you resent the ache in your heart, remember: You will be dead and buried soon enough."

#bookquote #PaulHarding #Tinkers #human #recommend #pain #lifeanddeath #family #memory

Confession: In school, I skipped over the class that required reading Farenheit 451 and never thought much about it. Somehow the book ended up in my possession anyway and sat on my shelf for 12 years. TWELVE years! Until two days ago, when I was packing for a short trip and wanted to bring a small, lightweight book. I glanced over at my shelves, and I knew it was time. Guess what? It. Was. Time.

#raybradbury #overdue #bookaddict #Recommend

And just like that, I'm starting another. 📚📚📚

#bookaddict #booknerd #booklove #nextread #reading #friedgreentomatoes #fannyflagg

Y'all, I am kicking myself for not picking this up sooner. It is such a wonderful story! Charming seems like a cheap way to describe it, but that is what it is. You fall in love with the people of Guernsey and ache for their suffering during the war. And you cheer on Juliet in her endeavors to both begin a new book and follow her heart. I now store it on my "read again" shelf!
#Recommend #QuickRead #WW2 #bookaddict #readoutisde #girlswhoread

Can't go to the beach without a book (to read and to block the sun)! ☀️ Just started this one and so far, so good! 📚👴🏻💰
#beachreading #readingoutside #translated #novel #jonasjonasson #beachread #vacation

As far as #historicalfiction goes, this was right up there with my favorite, The Devil in the White City (which is saying a lot)! Westinghouse, Edison, Tesla, and our young protagonist, Cravath, fill out the pages of this novel and bring the battle of the light bulb and electric current to life. If you like historical fiction, particularly those with the flare of a thriller, I highly recomend The Last Days of Night! #bestseller #grahammoore

Stop what you are doing and read this book! I am about half way through, and in love with the story of how the people of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed, embraced, and took care of nearly 7,000 stranded passengers in the wake of 9/11. This book will make you cry and laugh. It will restore your faith in humanity.

#quickread #planeread #humanity #mustread #love #inspirational #books #christopheraward #recommend

Airplane reading! So far I am not *in love* with this book, but I am enjoying it enough. The story that inspired it is wonderful, but the presentation is a bit lacking.

Looking forward to the movie!

#airplanereading #books #travel #thezookeeperswife

"We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it."

It's quite frightening when something classified as "dystopian" literature has far too much in common with current events and narratives. Move aside, Hunger Games, you've got nothing on The Handmaid's Tale.

I didn't want to put this down, and I would definitely read it again! Highly #recommend! #margaretatwood #dystopia #mustread

Although I started The Handmaid's Tale last night, this morning I am back to The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman (and my favorite mug). This updated version of John Perkins' tell-all is my family's first book club pick, and an interesting (horrifying?) lens through which to consider the current geopolitical climate.
#coffee #eatsleepread #malaprops #johnperkins #politics #war #power #capitalism #conspiracy #bestseller

Starting my Friday with the moving words of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Coffee with a side of girl power! ☕💁👍 This short read is a great starting point for those interested in gaining a better understanding of feminism and how gender shapes our every day lives.

#girlpower #feminism #quickread #gender #chimamandangoziadichie #friday #booksandcoffee