On My Nightstand November 30, 2024

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We had a great Thanksgiving, and I am making the most of my five day weekend. The only problem is I have completely lost track of what day it is. It seems as if tomorrow might be December 1st, but can that really be true?

Have a great week everyone.

“Barbara Jenkins. Relation: mother. If she lives to be ninety and I’m a solo man in this life, I’ll still write her name. Expecting her to scale Mount Whitney or charter a helicopter to come rescue me from a shipwreck. Something in me will always believe she’ll come find me.”
— Mother, Natue by Jedidiah Jenkins

On My Nightstand This Week:

On My Kindle - Between A Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews - Thought this one would be about Thanksgiving. It is not. Still I hope to finish it today.

Paper Book - Pink Slime by Fernanda Trias - This is a weird little book, but I like it. It’s my first new read from the Tournament of Books long list, so starting on a high note.

Audio Book - Janesville by Amy Goldstein - The last of my Non-Fiction November reads. This one is a heart breaker.

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On My Nightstand November 24, 2024

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It’s already 6:30 am but it is so dark out. Why is it the time of year when I should be most productive is the darkest? Oh well, at least I get to see the sunrise every day.

I plan on listening to all the audiobooks this week while I’m cooking. It’s just the four of us this year for Thanksgiving so no pressure if I try a bunch of new recipes that don’t work out. We can just pretend it never happened.

I’ve also been on a cleaning spree, and am having fun re-connecting with my Buy Nothing group. I love when I find something random in my house that is just what someone else needs. I know some people have had Buy Nothing nightmares, but my group is great and low drama.

Have a great week everyone.

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”
— A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde

On My Nightstand This Week:

On My Kindle - Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins - I’m almost done with this one. It’s a good read.

Paper Book - The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny - Another one almost done. I’ll be sad when it’s over. I love this series.

Audio Book - Salem’s Lot by Stephen King - I just started this, but even the author’s forward had me riveted.

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On My Nightstand November 16, 2024

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My kid and I were running errands this morning and wow, the stores are full on Christmas. I picked up some lights for outside and they were almost gone already! I think if I would have waited for December I would have been too late. I did take a peek at Target’s buy 2 get 1 one free book sale, but didn’t see anything I wanted.

Have a great week everyone.

“Imagine a morning in late November. A coming of winter morning more than twenty years ago. Consider the kitchen of a spreading old house in a country town. A great black stove is its main feature; but there is also a big round table and a fireplace with two rocking chairs placed in front of it. Just today the fireplace commenced its seasonal roar. A woman with shorn white hair is standing at the kitchen window. She is wearing tennis shoes and a shapeless gray sweater over a summery calico dress. She is small and sprightly, like a bantam hen; but, due to a long youthful illness, her shoulders are pitifully hunched. Her face is remarkable—not unlike Lincoln’s, craggy like that, and tinted by sun and wind; but it is delicate, too, finely boned, and her eyes are sherry-colored and timid. “Oh my,” she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, ‘it’s fruitcake weather!’”
— A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

On My Nightstand This Week:

On My Kindle - Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins - I bought this when it was on sale in August and I’m about to start it in November. Not a bad turn around for me!

Paper Book - The Break by Katherena Vermette - I had to put this down during the week because the short chapters from multiple points of view were hard to follow when I didn’t have big blocks of time to read. Now that it’s the weekend again I plan to dive in again because this one’s really good.

Audio Book - The Vanderbilts by Anderson Cooper - I switched from paper to audio for this one on the recommendation of another reader. I’m glad I did since Cooper reads it himself. It does add a lot to the story.

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Show Us Your Books November 2024

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My October reading was up and down. I hit a slump mid-month and then was on a roll at the end of the month. Here are the best of the best:

Five Stars:

Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson - I’ve been eagerly awaiting Stranger Things Season 5 so when I heard about this book I knew I had to read it- supernatural elements, mysterious disappearances, set in Indiana- I was in of course. It didn’t disappoint. Lost Man’s Lane definitely scratched my Stranger Things itch.

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin - Possibly the scariest book I’ve read this month. Whew. This one really packed a punch.

The Witch Elm by Tana French - I liked this one a lot. Messed up families, spoiled guys dealing with their privileges, unreliable narrators, atmospheric old house, buried secrets. It really worked for me.

Dracula by Bram Stoker - I never read this one because I have a deep aversion to Vampires, but I did it for a book club this month. I’m so glad I gave it a chance! An excellent October read.

Four Stars:

Carrie by Stephen King - Read this on a train to train to Hoboken, NJ. 13 year old me thought I was so badass sneaking this book from my Dad‘s shelf and reading it. I swear I managed to work my knowledge of telekinesis into every conversation for 6 months because I wanted people to know I read adult books. It’s still good (and appreciated the brevity compared to King’s later books.)

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - I’m glad I finally got around to reading Gilead. The story was different but the writing and the pace reminded me a lot of a favorite of mine- Crossing to Safety.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow - I enjoyed this MG book about a kid living in the quiet zone of Nebraska.

Thanks for reading!

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On My Nightstand November 10, 2024

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I had a couple of days off last week so I took a screen break. I did take some time to start figuring out what I want to study through my reading next year though. I identified 52 books I want to read in order to learn more about the environment, AI, social media, and politics. I’m hoping if I stick mostly to audio books one book a week is do-able. And of course there will be plenty of cozy mysteries in between because aren’t predictable endings exactly what we need right now?

Have a great week everyone.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
— Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

On My Nightstand This Week:

On My Kindle - The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker - I have this ARC from Net Galley. It’s a retelling of Little Women that’s no so Jo focused. I love Jo though so not sure how much I’ll like that.

Paper Book - The Break by Katherena Vermette - This book wasn’t what I thought it would be, but I’m liking it more now that I’ve adjusted my expectations.

Audio Book - The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny - I started reading her new book, but when the characters from this book started appearing I had to pause and go back and re-read this one.

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My November TBR

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On My Nightstand October 26, 2024

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someone we ran into on a walk

Can you believe it’s the last weekend before Halloween? There’s so much fall stuff I wanted to do that I didn’t get to. Excuse me while I enter a corn maze while eating a caramel apple dressed like a Gilmore Girl. I haven’t even watched The Great Pumpkin yet!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“You can go through life and make new friends every year - every month practically - but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steel.”
— The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

my neighbor’s amazing trees

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- Rocket Boys by Homer Hikam - I’m re-reading this one. It holds up!

Audio- The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - Another re-read. We’re doing Botswana for #FoodAndLit on Litsy this month.

Paper- The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin - I needed a book set in Connecticut for my #ReadingUSA challenge so decided to finally read this short classic.

physical book stack for the rest of the year

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On My Nightstand October 19, 2024

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Looking at the new york city skyline from jersey city, nj

I took the train to New Jersey Thursday for a work event, and then I came home Friday. I was going to drive, but switched to the train at the last minute. It was a little bit more complicated to get where I needed to be, but I loved having all of those hours to read.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“There are such beings as vampires; some of us have evidence that they exist.”
— Dracula by Bram Stoker

reading on the train

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- I’m in between a few books on my kindle, but mostly reading my chapter a day of Dracula for a buddy read.

Audio- In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet - An interesting NF account of witch hunts and their legacy today.

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - Just finished Carrie, so I’m going back to this one. I really love short stories this time of year!

cat naps

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Show Us Your Books October 2024

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September was another slowish reading month for me, but it included some really good books. I’m really trying to stay off my phone but with the election coming and all of the bad storms I’m finding it really hard.

Here are the good ones from September:

Five Star Books:

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane - This was the perfect read for the start of fall reading season. The less you know going into it the better, but if you want something atmospheric and chilling this is it!

Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford - This book about volunteer missing persons searchers and investigators on the PCT was fascinating. It was sobering, but so descriptive it made me want to head out west and hike.

Four Star Books:

Micronesian Blues by Bryan Vila - The memoirs of a man working on starting the Micronesian police force in the late 70’s to early 80’s is kind of random but not terrible to read about.

You Like it Darker by Stephen King - Like with any short story collection some were better than others, but overall a really good read. I appreciate that King’s characters seem to be aging right along with him. It‘s nice to read about people 40-60 being haunted.

Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew - A decent read about an immigrant family in Canada. In order to learn the truth about her mother the main character travels to Brunei and Malaysia.

The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen - This started slowly, but picked up in part 2. It was a great ode to creepy gothic novels with the extra spooky setting of a mansion in Block Island, RI during the off season.

Thanks for reading!

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On My Nightstand October 12, 2024

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very faint northern lights

I am up late tonight waiting for my son to come back from his homecoming dance. Seems like just yesterday he was a freshman and now he’s a junior. Yikes. I also spent a long time today cleaning my pantry and making making soup and bread for the week. I will sleep good tonight!

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books.”
— Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Soup

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- See Something by Carol J. Perry - This month’s work book club book. It’s a quick read.

Audio- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - I started this today while I was doing my kitchen work, and it was perfect!

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - Still working on this one!

how i feel waiting for this kid to get home

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On My Nightstand October 6, 2024

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sunset

I am behind in everything this week, but figured I was better late than never on this post.

My thoughts are with everyone who was in the path of Hurricane Helene. I worked at the Biltmore Estate the summer I turned 21, and have visited the area most years since then. My heart breaks for the residents of the impacted areas. I understand the immediate needs for shelter and supplies, but I think soon I will be donating to the Friends of Pack Library.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“We talk and talk and cancel out each other’s ideas until it all comes down to what it was before: that we do not agree.”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

yard work is pretty this time of year

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- The Witch Elm by Tana French - This one didn’t get the best reviews, but I’m loving it. It’s a family drama told from the point of view of an unreliable but privileged narrator. The characters are all sorts of messed up.

Audio- Lost Man’s Lane by Scott Carson - The premise of this book reminded me of Stranger Things When I heard about it. (Mysterious disappearances, supernatural, set in Indiana.) It’s one of my most anticipated books in October.It was a bonus that it was available on Everand!

Paper- Best American Mystery Stories 2018 ed. by Louis Penny - I love these anthologies this time of year when all I want to do is read, but my schedule is also so packed. They’re great to bring along on errands and to tournaments.

neglected gardens=volunteer pumpkins and mushrooms

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On My Nightstand September 28, 2024

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cozy cat time

It’s Saturday night and I am attempting to stay up for the premier of the 50th season of Saturday Night Live. The odds aren’t good, but we’ll see.

We’re all feeling better and it’s already time to start figuring out winter sports. But first it’s the best reading month of the year- October! I just love to curl up with spooky stories or atmospheric mysteries this time of year.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“You know she would make a splendid Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

cat after the sun came out today

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- Vanished by Wil Hylton - I just started this book tonight and so far I’m fascinated. It’s about finding wreckage from WWII in Palau.

Audio- Pacific by Simon Winchester - This one’s interesting too. It’s all about the nations surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - Still working on this one! I should finish before the end of the weekend. I’m enjoying it and am glad there’s a couple more in the series.

reading by the fire

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On My Nightstand September 21, 2024

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reading with a cat

This week passed by in a haze of ginger ale and vicks vap-o-rub. Me and both kids were sick with various maladies. We’re all on the mend now, but this weekend has been busy catching up with what we missed when we slept last week. I knew when the kids went back to school this was bound to happen.

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“With rifles twirling and hands slapping stocks in unison, it was a picture to warm and drill instructor’s heart, if drill instructors had hearts.”
— Micronesian Blues by Bryan Vila

My Nancy drew collection

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen - This has been living on my kindle for a while. I decided to pick it up this week because I need a book set in Rhode Island for my challenges. It’s a great ode to gothic novels from the past, and perfect reading for this time of year.

Audio- You Like It Darker by Stephen King - I am loving these short stories so far.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - Never got to this last week. I’ll start tomorrow.

full moon

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On My Nightstand September 15, 2024

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a tuxedo cat peers over the top of a nancy drew book- this cat ignored me all day until this moment

I’m waiting for the Solstice on the 22nd to fully declare it full on Spooky Season, but I’m starting to let my Halloween stuff creep into my every day life. Yesterday my daughter and I went thrifting and we bought a few things for the upcoming weeks. Maybe also I am safe to start buying some candy to keep and give out to trick or treaters, but only the things we don’t really like. The good stuff will be bought as late as possible.

My September reading is going well. I’ve been enjoying all of my Reading Around The World books. I am also finally watching through The Gilmore Girls (official last woman on Earth to do so I think.)

Have a great week everyone!

Quote of the Week

“Why is everything banana colored?”
— The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen

thrifted glass pumpkin

On My Nightsand This Week

Kindle- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane - Taking a break from my reading challenges for a bit because the change in weather made me in the mood for some Lehane.

Audio- You Again? by Nick Spalding - I picked this only because I knew it was set in the Maldives, but it’s actually been a lot of fun. It’s kind of romanceish, and full of shenanigans. I found it on Everand, but it’s also included on Kindle Unlimited at the moment.

Paper- Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - I’m about to start this mystery set in the Solomon Islands tonight, and really looking forward to it.

Cat naps

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Show Us Your Books September 2024

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August was a slowish reading month for me. I’m not sure why other than getting used to a new school schedule with the kids and working more than normal. Actually now that I say that out loud it totally makes sense. Never mind.

Anyway, here is the best of what I did manage to read.

Four Star Books:

Walking to Samarkand and Winds of The Steppe by Bernard Ollivier - I really enjoyed the last two books in the trilogy of Olliver’s epic walk of the Silk Road. It made me sad though that this is probably a trip I could never take as a woman. (I read the first book, Out of Istanbul, back in July.) At the time of this writing these were all included in my audible membership although I listened to them on Everand.

Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky - I’ve been reading this series for about 30 years now and it’s still going strong. In this one VI is in Kansas trying to track down a missing soccer player. Chaos ensues.

Pirate Queens by Rebecca Alexandra Simon - The life of a woman pirate was something I never knew I was interested in until I read this book!This was a short book well worth the time.

My Specific Awe And Wonder by Reuben Jackson - I feel so lucky that I got this slim book of poetry from LibraryThing and the publisher. Reuben Jackson’s poems about Vermont were spectacular, and I loved that he gave a section of his book to his friend Kelly Donaldson.

Reuben passed away in February so the last part of the book is drafts and transcribed voicemails. As a non-poet it's fascinating to see his process for creating his art.

Thanks for reading!

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On My Nightstand September 7, 2024

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September skies

I didn’t join in last weekend because I decided to take a screen break. Three full days without looking at a laptop did my brain some good!

This weekend it’s back to normal with work and a big yard project. The weather is perfect and I’m hoping I’ll get some good audiobooks in.

Have a great week!

Quote of the week:

“Management everywhere!”
— Bear by Julia Phillips

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Micronesian Blues by Brian Vila - Reading this for a challenge, but the memoir of a 1970’s police officer in Micronesia is pretty interesting.

Audiobook - Sunburn by Laura Lippman - A friend recommended Lippman this year, and I’m loving her books on audio.

Print - 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer - For a book club. This book is extremely well written, but I’m still not at a place where I want to read about Sep. 11. The memories are still too close. I’ll be glad when I’m done.

so many cat toys

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September 2024 TBR

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August Beginning TBR: 416
August Ending TBR: 416

(This is two months in a row that my TBR count has stayed the same despite reading 10+ books.)

Books read in August as of 8/25: 10

Reading USA progress: 34/51

Reading Canada progress: 3/13

Reading The Americas progress: 24/46

Reading Africa progress: 31/53

Reading Asia progress: 35/45

Reading Oceania progress: 7/15

Reading Europe progress: 7/51

For several years now I have been working on reading a book set in each country on Earth. Also I set a yearly goal to read a book set in every US state (plus DC) and every Canadian province.

I spent the summer chasing the new releases and reading what I wanted. But now it’s back to school time and I’m getting serious about working towards my reading goals. I’m hoping that aside from finishing my Reading USA and Reading Canada challenges before the end of the year I can also finish Reading Asia and Reading Oceania. I’ve found some great titles for September so I’m really looking forward to my reading this month!

My September TBR:

1) 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer (work book club)

2) Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater (Reading Oceania Fiji)

3) Micronesian Blues by Bryan Vila and Cynthia Morris (Reading Oceania Micronesia)

4) Pacific by Simon Winchester (Reading Oceania Tuvalu)

5) Vanished by Wil Hylton (Reading Oceania Palau)

6) Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (Reading Oceania Papua New Guinea)

7) Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent (Reading Oceania Solomon Islands)

8) A Tortise for the Queen of Tonga by Julia Whitty (Reading Oceania Tonga)

9) Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins (Reading USA state TBD)

10) The Daughters of Block Island by Crista Carmen (Reading USA Rhode Island)

11) Sunburn by Laura Lippman (Reading USA Delaware)

12) Moonflowers by Abigail Rose-Marie (Reading USA Kentucky)

13) Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe (Reading USA South Carolina)

14) Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew (Reading Asia Brunei)

15) Central Asia by Adeeb Khalid (Reading Asia Tajikistan)

16) You Again? by Nick Spalding (Reading Asia Maldives)

17) The Meeting Point by Lucy Caldwell (Reading Asia Bahrain)

18) The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Food And Lit Litsy challenge Malaysia)

19) Author A Month challenge on Litsy- something by TJ Klune

20) The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen (Chapter a day buddy read on Litsy)

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On My Nightstand August 24, 2024

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lets go freshmen!

We’re fully back to school now and sports are on every day. That means a lot of outside time for me, but also creating a schedule and sticking to it. Due to all that I’m exhausted, but in a good way. I’ve been mostly working from home this summer so we’ll see what heading back to the office does to all of this careful planning come September.

Reading wise I had been in a bit of a slump at the beginning of the month, but I can feel myself coming back now. I finished 3 books this week, and I’m hoping to do the same next week. I think I just had to give up on some of the books I wasn’t enjoying.

Quote of the week:

“Similarity of opinion is not always—I think not often—needed for fullness and perfection of love.”
— Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell - I’m reading this a chapter a day with a group on Litsy. It’s good so far! (And free on Kindle if you’re interested.)

Audiobook - Winds of the Steppe by Bernard Ollivier - This is the last of 3 books in Ollivier’s series about walking The Silk Road. They’re fascinating.

Print - An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells - This is a fun series about law enforcement officers in the National Parks. This one takes place in Alaska.

It’s a standoff

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On My Nightstand August 18, 2024

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almost full moon

I know it’s gotten boring and people say this every month, but where did this month go? I can’t believe we’re more than halfway through August. Of all the fast months this year this has been the fastest.

We’re volunteering this morning, and then we’re going to see a movie for my birthday in the afternoon. School starts tomorrow, and the first field hockey games are Tuesday and Thursday. In between all that I plan on finding as much time as I can to read on my porch in between watching the moon and listening to baseball.

Quote of the week:

“It pays to do your best work even when you think there’s no point.”
— Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky

On My Nightstand This Week:

Kindle - Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky- This is the book I needed right now. I’ve been reading this series since I was in high school, and I love it. I was so excited when the e-book of the latest one came from the library, and I started it as soon as I could.

Audiobook - The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan - This was another very anticipated summer read for me, and so far it is not disappointing me.

Print - Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater - I should probably give up on this one soon, but for now it’s what I’m reading when I’m sitting in my car.

Reading in the yard

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Show Us Your Books July 2024

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July was a great reading month for me. We were away for a week, and then my kids went to Ohio for a week. All of that added up to some quality reading time.

Here are the best of the best:

Five Stars:

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - Whew, what a ride!

An excellent summer read about a brother and a sister who disappear from camp 12 years apart. I loved it- couldn’t stop reading.

My Own Country by Abraham Verghese - Verghese wrote two of my favorite works of fiction so I had to read his memoir about his time as an infectious disease specialist in Johnson City, TN during the early days of the AIDS crisis. His perspective as an immigrant was really unique, and I thought and the stories of his patients were very touching. This was another Verghese five star read for me.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a re-read for me, but it hit much differently in my 40’s than it did in my 30’s. I loved the three stories of women breaking the mold in Appalachia and how they came together at the end. I forgot how funny this book was too. Truly some laugh out loud moments.

Four Stars:

The Suspect by Alexander Kent - I heard about this book a year or two ago and I bought it the same day, but it took to Paris Olympics to actually pull it from my TBR.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It wasn’t just about Jewell although he certainly features, but also about the reporters and FBI who investigated.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali - I loved this book about two young women growing up in Tehran. A really good read about friendship and life under a totalitarian regime.

Thanks for reading!

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