I need a low-key long weekend after a very stressful few weeks at work. I‘m looking forward to this readathon. #jumpstartsummer #thespineview

@Cuilin and I are so excited to start up #whattheDickens again in June! Read the tagged book in June and July and share the joy of one of the best authors in human history. (I‘m biased, I‘ve started already and loving his prose as always.) We look forward to sharing your thoughts about the book.

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

I love Dickens‘ personification in his stories. It‘s what made me first love his writing. And here we go, what‘s that crazy mud up to this time?

#whattheDickens @Cuilin

Monk writes intellectual experimental fiction that attracts few readers. He‘s deeply offended when a black woman writes a gritty almost stereotypical book about black life, makes millions, and sells the story to make a movie. Who could do such a thing—a sellout! But in a mad fit, he does the same thing; he calls it a parody. And it‘s a huge hit! But first he refuses to reveal that he‘s the author having written under a pen name, then he reveals ⬇️

Happy World 🐝 Day!

I‘ve decided to listen to this audiobook while also listening to Dickens‘ Little Dorrit audiobook depending on my mood. This one is short and I miss Italy. I also need to read another #Italy book for #foodandlit as we celebrate #Jubilee all year long! @Catsandbooks I also need a #letterF for #litsyatoz

I can forgive Dickens for interminably long sentences because look at this beauty! It‘s so gorgeously crafted and delivers a soft powerful punch there at the end. I love this man.

Consider this a preview of things to come reading our next book for #whattheDickens ! @Cuilin

This is a triple (& sometimes more) timeline book, or perhaps more accurately, a three places book: “house” in Philadelphia where Kevin‘s wife and kids live, Paris where he had an affair, and El Salvador (right before its civil war in 1979) where he goes with his best friend Richard to find his friend‘s brother who went missing there. The House chapters jump around in time as Kevin tells us about events in his family‘s life. The storyline ⬇️

I‘m starting this audiobook today to get a head start on our next read for #whattheDickens in June. @Cuilin

Four free ebooks today

Ten ebooks free today.

I read James last year and am reading more of Everett‘s books this month for #authoramonth. If this book of stories doesn‘t prove the versatility of Everett than nothing will. The stories are set in cold cowboy country. A man tries to save a girl surrounded by rattlers, an old woman rides off to what seems like heaven, and a father and daughter go on a quarrelsome hike but they bond over an unfortunate event. A mystery box is, well, mysterious. ⬇️

Whataweek! Lots of great kid things! Daughter was inducted into the honor society Phi Beta Kappa yesterday, and graduated summa cum laude today. Daughter and I cooked dinner together this week, and then the kids and I built our respective Lego kits. Son‘s high school senior rocket launch was finally recognized with the Goddard Award. And it‘s Norway‘s Independence Day today so Happy 17th of May!! @DebinHawaii

Two stories have stayed with me since reading this short book (although they are all memorable): the title story Igifu—Hunger and almost the opposite, The Glorious Cow, somewhat of an ode to the cow and the elixir that is milk. If you‘ve never felt starvation, Igifu describes it in agonizing detail from the perspective of a young girl praying her mother can find food each day, and sleeping, sleeping to deal with the stomach pangs. When life ⬇️

I started this book tonight. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

I‘m starting this book tonight, my fourth for #authoramonth this month

@Soubhiville

The birth of #Bangladesh was excruciating, as it tore itself away from East Pakistan. The book is told from the perspective of a mother, Rehana, whose son and daughter are old enough to take active parts in the war for independence. Even Rehana engages in acts of rebellion. This is an excellent book for learning about the war without graphic details of the violence that took place. Sadly the narration of the audiobook provided practically no ⬇️

Astounding! White men are showing up dead alongside long-deceased black men in Money, Mississippi and then around the country. Out west, the newly dead white men are accompanied by long-dead Asian men. A team of Black detectives start putting the pieces together in this deeply racist town where Emmett Till was murdered. And it seems extremely elderly Mama Z, who has recorded every lynching in the United States, may be connecting the dots, too. ⬇️

A terrible photo but isn‘t it nice to know the good ole USA isn‘t the only country banning books. Genocidal #Rwanda also banned books. 😡 #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

My daughter created the artwork I previously posted for Vesak Day. And then my coloring app had this! So I‘ll post it again! Happy Vesak Day! #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Im reading (listening to) this book next for #authoramonth

@Soubhiville

Buddha Purnima, also known as Vaishakhi Purnima or Vesak Day, is the biggest religious festival for Buddhists and was celebrated across #Bangladesh, where it is observed as a public holiday, with dignity and solemnity. Happy Vesak Day!

#foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Im reposting for @TheBookHippie Please join us!

✉️ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedO4hO64qXnbrU2YGG9Wznn3clvSDL5368mOS_...

#SUMMERCARDSWAP 2025 SIGN-UP

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Send cards OF SUMMER ☀️🌻💛🐝🌼🍋🍯⛱️

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A very very mini story today:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJhWLV0AQzw/?img_index=1&igsh=MWNiNndldTFwbmZjMQ==

To my beautiful wonderful mom @Doll8455 and all the moms out there!!

I‘ve started this next book for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

The topic of this book is so serious and sad but sometimes it‘s just so darned funny! Case in point…

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

#weekendreads #Bangladesh and #Rwanda for #foodandlit and Percival Everett book for #authoramonth @Catsandbooks @Soubhiville

@rachelsbrittain

“Rehana taught Silvi how to plunge the paratha in the hot oil, wait until it was almost crisp, then tip the egg into its centre. Mrs Imam was bringing the egg paratha in batches from the kitchen….

The egg-paratha finished, Rehana passed around a plate of wrapped betel.”

Looks so yummy!!

#Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

I‘m still reading The Trees (so good) by this author but getting close to the end so I‘ve checked out two more of his books from Libby. I may like Trees better than James, which I read last year. What an author!! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Imagine receiving this warning from your mother before heading off to school each day. #Rwanda #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Excellent chapter in the book

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

Aunt Pishi married an elderly man when she was 7, and she was widowed at 12. Our main character Somlata comes from a poor family and marries into the once-wealthy Mitra family. Somlata comes into possession of Pishi‘s box of gold jewelry when Pishi dies, gold that would help the family maintain its life of luxury but Pishi‘s ghost threatens Somlata with death if the gold is given away. So, Somlata must find another way to help this family ⬇️

This is a hard book to process as I think on reviewing it. I suspect a large part has to do with cultural differences that the translator described in a note at the end of the book. I appreciated learning this. In addition, the people of #Bangladesh have such very different priorities than I‘m accustomed to. But that‘s the benefit of reading books from around the world-learning the vast differences in our people live their lives. #foodandlit

Wartime spies were not always men. Women spies, while being highly effective during WWI, faced unique dangers. This dual timeline book tells English spy Eve‘s story from the Great War and American Charlie‘s story looking for her French cousin Rose who went missing during WWII. Scottish Finn, ex-soldier with his own grim past, is their driver through the French countryside piecing together the horrors Eve and Rose faced. The other female spies ⬇️

Im going to have to look up these dishes from #Bangladesh made by the main character

#foodandlit @Catsandbooks

This is such a good book

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJZqT1ZPcsk/?igsh=YjJ0MmE1eDdlcHAy

Too cute not to share

#tlt #threelistThursday

Faves: tagged
Pride and Prejudice
Frankenstein

I‘ve read and really liked David Copperfield. I expect to read Dickens‘ other books this year for #whattheDickens and I‘ll probably read Mansfield Park someday

I recently bought The Three Musketeers so I‘m looking forward to that one

Not a huge fan of the books I read in high school and college: The Scarlet Letter and Candide

I‘ve picked my next #foodandlit book for #Bangladesh

@Catsandbooks

All about food in this exchange between a ghost and the main character. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Audio coloring tonight

#Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Thanks to a review by @Bookworm54 I‘m reading this book for my next audiobook. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Way to win it Mr Everett! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

I‘m starting this book tonight for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Three women worked at Bletchley Park breaking Nazi enigma codes during WWII, where they became friends and even started a book club! But the friendship is torn asunder because being were sworn to secrecy, they couldn‘t reveal what they learned in their jobs to prevent unspeakable tragedy. Worse yet, a traitor may have been in their midst jeopardizing one of their lives. The remaining disenchanted friends had to decide whether they should ⬇️

I loved this reference to Manderley!! Anyone else pick up on that? #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Treating myself and daughter to pedicures while we read our books. Busy weeks ahead of us as she finishes her undergraduate classes before graduation and work is going crazy for me. Son is still sound asleep from the long trek home from his university in northern Arizona for the summer.

#authoramonth @Soubhiville