I sent my niece my copy of Convenience Store Woman because she liked the cover and thought it sounded interesting. She had it with her while out to dinner with a friend. They decided to see if they could copy the rice ball on the cover. I think they did a pretty good job.

I took a walk through my old neighborhood, walked past a restaurant I used to go to all the time 25 years ago, and saw this sign. Harper Lee Way. Apparently she had an apartment upstairs at 1st Ave and 82nd St.

Even though I already have 5 different editions of HP and the Sorcerer‘s Stone I couldn‘t resist buying this new edition illustrated and designed by MinaLima. It took 3 paperweights to hold this foldout page of Diagon Alley open. The matching poster is below the book. The illustrations are intricate and beautiful

Yesterday I went shopping for gifts for my niece and two friends. I got two books for two of them. But then I bought 10 books for myself. I have no idea where I‘m going to put them now that my Halloween decorations are taking up an entire bookshelf. I have no self control.

Reading about surfing on a cold, dark and windy beach day. We are all wrapped in beach towels and wraps. At least it has stopped raining - for now

A mini book haul. Really looking forward to reading Empire of Gold for an August reading challenge at #LibraryThing
I‘ll actually be reading it on my Kindle because it‘s huge. I just want the physical book to complete my book set.

In June I read ( well, listened to)!this non-fiction book about the children‘s television revolution of the early 1970s. Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and Zoom are amongst the shows discussed. I also learned about Ursula Nordstrom, the Children‘s book editor and publisher responsible for Harriet the Spy, Charlotte‘s Web, Stuart Little, Where the Wild Things Are, and other great children‘s books.

The hallway and elevator walls in the hospital where I work are covered with drawings and letters from kids from all over the world. Probably from school projects. The outpouring of love and support during a crisis never ceases to amaze me. This note in one of the elevators is my favorite. I like to imagine that it is from a young book lover.
#nursesoflitsy

1) I just read this delightful book two weeks ago so it was the first title that popped into my head.
2) Green has been my favorite color for the last 45 years. Lately I‘m liking yellow also.
3) Advocating for others, esp those that can‘t advocate for themselves.
4) Anyone who hasn‘t joined in already - feel free to post- even if it isn‘t Friday any more.

#Friyayintro
@4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads

Thanks for the tag @TieDyeDude

I read these two graphic novels, plus FCBD: Our Favorite Thing is My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris on my Kindle for #comicthon Loved Locke & Key and the Ferris. I remain so-so on the Umbrella Academy books but I love the show.

I‘m currently reading this book and finding the information fascinating. I got to the section about “drunken forests” and had to go searching for images. Poor trees- but they keep on fighting to live and grow.

So the shortest day came, and the world died, and everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world came people singing, dancing, to drive away the dark. They lighted candles in the winter trees; they hung their homes with evergreen; they burned beseeching fires all night long to keep the year alive. And when the new year‘s sunshine blazed awake they shouted, reveling.

I ordered this book for Winter Solstice. It arrived in March. Beautiful.

I received this book through #LibraryThing ‘s Early Reviewers Program.
Peters pairs 24 classic poems with beautiful illustrations. My favorites are Juke Box Love Song by Langston Hughes, Birches by Robert Frost (both pictured) and Conscientious Objector by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The illustrations throughout are gorgeous

Linus: “Yes, a shower and a nap. I might not even wake up until morning. I can certainly miss a meal. Especially after having cherry ice cream. (He paused) I didn‘t even like it.”
That was a lie. It had been delicious. It tasted like childhood.

I listened to this delightful book on Audible. It was just the right, light, charming read I needed to help me relax during these hectic Covid days.

In case any #BookCon attendees didn‘t get the notification: #BookCon2020 has been postponed until July 25 & 26 due to Novel Corona virus concerns.

I really enjoyed this series. It‘s filled with characters I instantly liked and cared about, amazing world building, beautifully written dream sequences, and a story I didn‘t want to stop reading. Heartbreaking but beautiful.

This Japanese novella was first published in 1961. It was translated into English and published in 2019. Mishima was a famous director, actor, and author.
Rikio is a 23 year old actor, a “heart throb”, with legions of fans who follow his every move. He‘s exhausted from working and being unable to escape the gaze of others. He feels disoriented and about to lose everything.
The book is about how we can‘t escape how others perceive us.

I regret listening to this on audiobook. There are a large amount of characters with long names and shortened names and houses with different focuses. There is a lot of fast action. I was often confused and had to rewind. I loved the two main characters and the story. Actually I often hated Harrow more than loved her. The ending was devastating. Will definitely get the sequel in a physical book form. Any book with necromancy makes my TBR list.

The third book I read from the #NewYearWhoDis list from @Bookishthoughts .This was my favorite.
A middle grade read. Milo‘s family owns an old inn that primarily caters to smugglers. Five guests unexpectedly show up at Christmas time. When things start disappearing from guest rooms Milo and his new friend Meddy, begin playing an RPG with the goal of finding the missing objects and the thief.
I enjoyed this start to finish.I already have the sequel

A city doctor moves to a Georgia mountain town, where he witnesses the amazing healing abilities of the local practitioners of herbal medicine, the Winter Sisters. He decides to join in practice with them. When a beloved daughter of the town gets rabies the Sisters are blamed. The doctor and the sisters must use all their knowledge to win against superstition.
This book is a pick but I was somewhat disappointed. I expected more.

A woman, Ludo, survives 28 years alone in a penthouse apartment during the Angolan civil war. The narrative goes back and forth between her story and a few other people, mainly revolutionaries. These short vignettes seem all over the place but by the end it all makes sense.
This is the 2nd book I read from the #NewYearWhoDis list from @Bookishthoughts
I liked it and have already passed it on to a coworker.

I‘m hoping to finish this book later today. There are major plumbing repairs happening in my apartment- and the two below mine. I‘m hanging out in the library. I did a couple of Pediatric Continuing Education modules this morning. Planning to pleasure read this afternoon. After that I guess my plan is to clean my bathroom. And check the apartment for any critters that might have come in via the open bathroom wall. So gross.

I finished this the other day. I had started it in August but stopped around page 40 and put it aside. I don‘t remember why. It didn‘t take long to get back into the book and once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved the descriptions of the marsh and it‘s inhabitants. I loved all the science. I liked Kya, Jumpin‘, Mabel and Tate and their story together. A part of the ending related to poetry was a little weird. I expected the rest of the ending.

Today‘s book mail. Two witch related books I pre-ordered a while ago were finally published. The tagged book is one of the #NewYearWhoDis books on my list from @Bookishthoughts . The story sounds really interesting. I am a little worried because it was short listed for the Man Booker prize. I have a bad history with the Booker winners I‘ve read. Whatever the Booker committee looks for in a book is not what i look for in a book.

I have known the story of Nellie Bly‘s stay in the Asylum on Blackwell‘s Island for some time. Thanks to #NewYearWhoDis and @Bookishthoughts I have finally read her words. I live on Roosevelt Island- formerly Blackwell‘s. My friend Judy is the island historian. She dresses like Nellie Bly to give tours to tourists. She has shown me papers in the archives about the madhouse and Bly. It was fascinating to read her firsthand account.

This represents my planned reading for January. I‘ve already started the tagged book. I‘m reading 10 Days in a Madhouse and Greenglass House on Ebook for #NewYearWhoDis. A 3rd book, A General Theory of Oblivion should be here on Friday. The earphones represent Gideon the Ninth on audiobook. Cursed is a book I‘d like to get to this month but won‘t push myself if it doesn‘t work out. The purple notebook is my 2020 reading tracker.

In 2019 I managed to read 70 books. 5 books over my planned 65. A big plus, I also managed to get more sleep which was my main overall goal for the year. For next year I‘m only planning to set a goal of 50 books. I will likely read more but I have some projects that will take up time and I don‘t want to stress myself. I‘ll once again be doing the Category Challenge at #LibraryThing, NonFictionCAT, and #NewYearWhoDis. Happy Reading in 2020!📚

My New Year‘s Eve reading and dinner. (Black eyed pea salad and an orange for good luck)! I‘ve had a migraine since work yesterday. I‘m planning to relax and read, and most likely be in bed before midnight. Unless all the caffeine I ingested for the headache keeps me awake. Happy New Year!🎉🎊

My last books of 2019. Little,Big is a re-read (4th time) that I read slowly through the year. The tagged book is a pretty good collection of poetry about finding identity. I also listened to two Audible originals: Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons and Holiday Greetings from Sugar and Booze. Both were cute and short. Still trying to finish Fascism: A Warning.

I spent the holidays working Pediatrics with this crew. Most of us in this photo celebrate Hanukkah, Solstice or Kwanzaa but a couple celebrate Christmas. This is our yearly unit Christmas photo. I spent today vegging and ordering Kindle book deals. I got 8 books including the tagged book which I got for #NewYearWhoDis
I hope everyone is recuperating from their holiday fun.

Today I celebrated Solstice/ early Christmas with my family. I got a couple of books. On the right is my Jolabokaflod book- Barbarian Days - and chocolates from my niece. Initially we planned to open the Jolabokaflod books on Christmas Eve as per tradition. We realized that none of us will see each other that day and decided to open those gifts together.

This is the reading list from @Bookishthoughts for #NewYearWhoDis. I haven‘t read any of these books. Some I had never even heard of.
I‘m planning to start with Ten Days in a Madhouse by Nellie Bly. I live on the island where the “madhouse” is located. In January the editor of the latest edition of the book is coming to the island to speak. Seems like a great time to finally get this one off the TBR pile.
Also planning to get to # 1 and #7.

Happy Winter Solstice!!🕊❄️

Happy Winter Solstice! 🕊❄️
Blessed Yule! 🎄

Four hours away from actual solstice at 2319 here on the east coast of the US. I‘m hanging out with my mother. We‘re having a Solstice/ Early Christmas brunch with the family tomorrow.

I‘m watching the movie adaptation of Stardust. This is one of my favorite book to movie adaptations. Plus, it‘s such a fun movie. This is my third viewing this week. Has this become a holiday classic?

My sister came into the city yesterday for holiday shopping and sightseeing. Of course we stopped by the main branch of the library and it‘s gift shop. This is me in front of one of the NYPL lions, Fortitude, dressed in his winter holiday greenery.

I have been busy studying for my Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification test this coming Monday. Luckily I don‘t actually need it for my job. I set it as an extra goal for the year and have been procrastinating on getting it done. I can‘t imagine how stressed I would be if my job depended on my passing. As an introvert I stress over these group scenario simulation tests.

Happy Thanksgiving from the vegetarians at my house. My niece made this vegetable turkey. Now it‘s time to relax.

I had never heard of this comic until my friend and her children had their photo taken with the author at NYCC. They explained the comic to me and it sounded cute. I saw the book at the store and decided to see what this alien comic is all about. I‘m so glad I did. It‘s so funny and adorable.

I finished this nonfiction audiobook yesterday. Jamail travels to various locales- the top of glaciers, the Great Barrier Reef, forests, and coastal villages- to assess the effect of global warming on glaciers, trees, sea life, animals and humans. His findings and those of the scientists he interviews indicate that the sixth extinction is well underway. And that humans will be one of the species that is lost- and soon
Eye-opening and frightening.

Poetry and hot chocolate on this cold, rainy Sunday morning. Relaxing before I do some online Continuing Education this afternoon.

I did some holiday shopping today. Picked up these for myself. This Macmillan Collector‘s Library edition is my 4th copy of Leaves of Grass. That makes Leaves of Grass the book of which I own the most copies.

I‘m bailing on this one. I‘ve been reading it all year and I‘ve only gotten to page 83. I really do want to know what the filthy rich right wing libertarians are doing in their think tanks to change our Constitution and country to their liking but I just can‘t make myself finish reading. At least not right now. I‘m finding the book densely written and boring. With so much going on in politics I just can‘t deal with more right now.

I received this book through Library Thing‘s Early Reviewers program.
Hartley Staples becomes obsessed with the artist who makes the handmade art postcards he keeps finding at random places around town. The artist is Gretchen Oyster.
This is a good middle grade read but it feels unfinished. I expected more to happen when Hartley and Gretchen finally meet.

This is my tbr pile for the rest of the year. The books in the top two rows are already in progress- one since last year. Little, Big is a re-read I‘m purposely stretching out to last the year. I‘m disappointed in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl- she‘s kinda boring. I‘ll probably try to squeeze an audiobook in there, if I get the time. I‘m loving Strange the Dreamer and The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster.

“So this is a witch‘s house?” she said. She checked the spiraling ornaments of the porch lamps and the handrail, the silent wooden wind chime, the withered Christmas wreath on the door. “Looks like the place of an old lady that never got married “
“That‘s Puritan for witch” Nate said, as he knocked again.

I liked this book well enough though the format was weird- novel like and then script like-, with overly descriptive action sequences.

#screamathonphotochallenge
#halloween
@4thhouseontheleft

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain to all!
I have the day off today. A noise woke me at 0430 and I‘ve been awake since. My building is having a Halloween party in our newly decorated lobby this afternoon. I‘m making myself go for 25 minutes so people don‘t think that I‘m antisocial.
I got this image off Pinterest from Witch of Howling Creek.

#screamathonphotochallenge
#treat
@4thhouseontheleft

Some Halloween related treats I bought myself- the Occult Edition of Sabrina and a new tarot deck.

#screamathonphotochallenge
#shadow
@4thhouseontheleft

The shadow monster lurks behind the fake library binding cover of this Stranger Things book. I wonder if he got locked out of the Upside Down.

#screamathonphotochallenge
#glow
@4thhouseontheleft

I like the glow from the witches ovens on the cover of this book. This is a re-telling of Hansel and Gretel from the point of view of a grown up Gretel. Told in poems. I love this collection.
(The description on Litsy is NOT for this book).