Checkout today‘s episode of The Checkout Stack for some great X-Rated romance reading material just in time for Valentine‘s Day! What romance novels have been tickling your fancy lately?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6G2j6sX1se6AT4nug3S0rs?si=w_w6OfQyRM60uYYJr8uzp...

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) We bought a bed frame this week and I love it.
2) Snuggles from my little dog Tucker.
3) Daily walks with the big dogs, at our recent vet visit I was told regular walks were one of the best things I could do to help slow Zeeba‘s hip dysplasia from progressing.
4) Home made lattes. I can almost do the milk art (but not quite)
5) Fresh eggs from the chickens, no one tell them it‘s January!

Deciding to put this one down. I love the octopus parts and am meh about everything else. Made it about halfway.

I think if it was 200 pages shorter OR had more of a plot line in the family drama aspects of the book I would have loved it. But at 500 pages it was just too slow to keep me engaged, I ended up skimming the last 100 for dialog and major plot points.

“And the dog goes about one of her favorite reconciliatory pastimes, trying to lick the inside of Julia‘s mouth”

So many good quotes from this novel today. Photo of my personal mouth licker in the midst of attempting to lick his own butthole. Gotta be careful of yawning too close to this one.

An ambitious and astoundingly successful memoir that aimed to shed light on and de-villainize the sociopathic personality disorder. Patric Gagne did not hold back on her story and my world is a bit more empathetic because of it. An excellent read.

Todays episode of The Checkout Stack features jukebox heroines - books of women in the music industry. Tune in for a great set of recommendations and to learn a little bit about our guest librarians self designated title of book club therapist wherever you listen to podcasts!

You are in charge of your list. Your list is not in charge of you.

An amazing portrait of womanhood in middle age in a beautifully mundane and relatable life.

2 things:

1) I love this book
2) My husband bought me a pillow for the bath that I was very skeptical about for Christmas and now can‘t live without. If you, like me, are a chronic bath reader, treat yourself. It‘s worth it.

The years of processing and healing between Tia‘s escape and the writing of this book made this memoir incredibly powerful. Tia clearly lays out all the steps that led to her horrific marriage and how she became mentally trapped in it. I was able to escape my patriarchal religious group as a young adult but have spent years dealing with the damage from it. I‘m so glad women like Tia are strong enough to share these painful stories.

Today‘s episode of The Checkout Stack features a book end of celebrity memoirs! My personal favorite celebrity memoir is by far Bossypants by Tina Fey. I didn‘t know I could laugh so hard at a book. Tina‘s life story is fascinating and her comedy hilarious. What celebrity memoirs have you read?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/40RJV3bdZwISTmKCtQEYFc?si=zWMEjcadTlOwKnbsH8n2z...

Nothing makes me happier then a combo pet snuggle during reading time 🐕🐈📚

[edit] My husband has asked me to clarify that the trim in the window is not done, but will be soon so don‘t judge him 😂🔨

I don‘t know what it is but I can‘t get enough of this series. Following Georgie through the English countryside solving murders and helping the crown has become my ultimate comfort read and I can‘t wait for the next one.

Happy New Year! May your TBR be always filled and your current read unputdownable. 💕📚

So excited to be starting the newest title in my favorite cozy mystery series: A Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen.

This was discussed as a recent read on the episode Cozy Reads With Megan and Alyisha in MA on the podcast. I found it a delight. It was compulsively readable and a fun idea for a book.

I was delighted to unwrap this little book today from my mother in law. It just so happened to be a rec in the latest episode of the podcast for the theme of “Resetting in the New Year”. Can‘t wait to dive in.

I pushed through and ended up liking parts. The tempo was weird, it was fun at times and slow at others. I felt like the mystery was introduced very late in the book so I wasn‘t even looking for clues until the end and I‘m not sure I would have been able to see them anyway. Sometimes the MC would ask a question I wanted to understand and the author wouldn‘t answer it which was super annoying. Overall an interesting read but not a home run for me.

Halfway through and debating whether or not to finish. I loved the start of the book where she was getting to know the time travel “expats” but I felt like it started to slow down when the mystery element was introduced. Did anyone else who read this feel that dip in the middle? Should I push through? Or if I‘m not feeling it at this point it‘s a sign to quit?

A new episode of The Checkout Stack dropped this morning featuring Kelly from Waukesha WI. The book-end topic for today‘s episode was “Books to Reset in the New Year”. I tagged a bonus pick from myself, Digital Minimalism which is a great read if reducing your screen time is a goal in the next year. What other book would you recommend?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2dHWnbUv1y05B1lCMsLq22?si=tuXVyWocSO-zzfE7mnKCp...

I gave it a shot but pretty quickly figured out this wasn‘t for me. I think my history with oversleep to deal with depression made it not fun to read about a main character who takes sedatives so she can sleep for a year. I was expecting something less literal from the title.

I loved this book. Sisterhood, grief, and the different facets of addiction were masterfully handled. It had the perfect amount of plot to keep me turning, and reflectiveness to slow me down and make me think. I especially loved and related to the eldest sister Avery who hides behind a facade of perfection while secretly falling to pieces and struggling to identify what she actually wants. 10/10 one of my top reads (the top?) of the year.

My first #HyggehourReadathon turned into a family reading session with the pups. Made myself a virgin hot toddy, lit a candle, and wrapped up in a blanket and my LL Bean slippers. A delightful end to a busy holiday weekend.
@AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

I was worried I might be in a reading slump when I ended up not loving Intermezzo which I‘d been so excited for. Happy to report it‘s not a slump, I‘m gobbling up Blue Sisters. Still too soon to say but it may just end up being one of my top books of the year!

I did love the story and themes of this novel which are right up my alley, but I couldn‘t get over the multipage paragraphs with dialog and no quotations marks. For some reason seeing an entire wall of text page after page made turning the page feel overwhelming and had a surprisingly large effect on the quality of the reading experience for me. I might just be in a reading funk?

For some reason it has taken me way longer to get into this book than her last few novels, but I‘m halfway through now and finally getting hooked into the story.

I released a new episode of The Checkout Stack with Maddie from Natrona County Library in WY today 🎉Each episode we share our recent reads, our guest librarian shares a recommendation from the new releases, a backlist title, and a local author. Then we get a stack on any topic the librarian chooses. This episode we got a non-traditional Cozy Winter Reads stack including The Shining by Stephen King. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts 💕🎧📚

A wonderful afternoon inspired by The Little Book of Hygge. 🎄❄️☕️

I loved this book. I‘ll be making glogg this weekend to enjoy with friends while hunting for a Christmas tree in its honor.

I avoided picking this up because I didn‘t see how a sequel could live up to the original. I was wrong, this book was wonderful and the best YA exploration of healing from trauma I‘ve ever read hidden inside a WW2 story.

Currently recovering from a cold and hosting my parents for thanksgiving so comic books are about all my brain can handle. Get Fuzzy and Pearls Before Swine are my go to for times like this.

A new episode of The Checkout Stack featuring @monalyisha and Megan Tully from the Ames Free Library in MA just dropped this morning. Tune in for a great set of book recommendations and a bonus cozy TV show which I enjoyed while recovering from a cold.

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JU1bQWMEki01hPJrcZQuD?si=0DwvYDT5RdKiZ14TMKCuS...
Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-checkout-stack/id1770678271?i=10006781...

An excellent little crime mystery/family drama told in reverse. I checked it out serendipitously on Libby without knowing anything about it and was very pleasantly surprised with how engrossing I found it. Engrossing enough to read in the AirBNB hottub instead of socializing with coworkers.

I‘m at a work retreat this week and decided to bail early after dinner to curl up in my Airbnb with this book and a cup of tea. 📚☕️🤫

This was recommended by a coworker and has a chapter on Bridger Bowl (my home mountain!). Saving to read once the lifts start turning.

This was recommended to me from the Ames Free Library in MA on episode 6 of The Checkout Stack. I'm saving it for this winter post holiday season when the darkness starts to feel overwhelming.

Hello Litsy! My name is Maria Skogen and I'm new here. I recently launched a podcast called The Checkout Stack where I interview a different librarian for book recommendations each episode. I learned about Litsy today from my 7th guest on the show and am excited to join the platform. If you are interested in getting book recs straight from a new librarian every other week, please give the podcast a listen

This was not a knock out for Liane Moriarty, I felt like it was written to be made into a TV show and that affected the quality of the reading experience. I'll keep reading everything Liane Moriarty writes, but if this is your first intro to her try What Alice Forgot or Nine Perfect Strangers first.