It’s getting a little lighter and a little closer to spring so I’m walking more in the daylight now. This week I treated myself to 2 hours PTO at the zoo to see the new pandas. These are new DC residents I can get behind!
For my audiobook listening I’m about to start Entitlement by Rumaan Alam. I have high hopes, but the reviews have not been great. We’ll see.
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Stock photo- but what my tbr feels like at the moment
January Beginning TBR: 466
January Ending TBR: 459
Better late than ever here’s my February TBR. (Full disclosure it’s almost halfway through February and I’m still working my way through my January list as well.)
Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda Dean
Never Panic Early by Fred Haise
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Ten Birds That Changed The World by Stephen Moss
Love and Death in Kathmandu by Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker
A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen
Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
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Happy weekend all! I took a little screen break last weekend. I needed a break from headlines, so I shut down my laptop and cleaned out closets instead. This weekend I’m doing some meal prep for the busy weeks ahead, cleaning some more closets, and probably not watching the Superbowl but maybe eating snacks and watching the commercials.
We’re expecting snow this afternoon so I’m really hoping all of my chores will be done so I can hunker down with a bowl of chili and a good book.
“Is your book a good one?
Nancy inquired.
Bess made a face.
The title sounded great, but it turned out to be about medieval history.”
Kindle - Night Shift by Stephen King - At first I was going to read a short story every few days in between other things, but my mood this morning is telling me to binge them all at once. Preferably after dark. In the middle of a storm. Just before the power goes out.
Audiobook - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I had been reading this on paper, but I kept falling asleep so I switched to audio. I love Jane Austen and I love this book, but this time of year I’m just too tired at night.
In Print - Love and Death in Kathmandu by Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker - I don’t know why I’m thinking this will keep me awake any more than Sense and Sensibility did, but I’m going to give it a shot since it’s for a book club.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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It’s a hard time of year to get outside during the day. Add to that the sub freezing weather, and walking has not been great. I wonder if there’s a way to listen to audiobooks while swimming indoors.
I started listening to The Beastie Boys Book. It’s fun!
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last weekend’s read
I’m up early working today. It’s dark outside but at least I have my sun lamp to wake me up. January is the worst.
Quote of the Week:
“Only juvenile delinquents are still awake at eleven at night.”
What I’m Reading This Week:
Kindle: Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson - Reading this a chapter a day with a group on Litsy. I don’t love it, but I can see why it would make a good TV show.
Audiobook: Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu - This is the one I’m looking forward to the most from the 2025 Tournament of Books. Fingers crossed.
Paper: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - This week didn’t work out for reading at night. Will try again this week.
tournament reading
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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It’s still definitely winter, but it’s really not long until I start to see crocuses and snowdrops starting to poke up. Early spring after a short winter is a great advantage to living in Virginia!
I’m between books right now, but looking for something from the Tournament of Books short list. I want to read them all before March.
Happy Walking!
Sunrise a few days ago
I need to get organized this week. I have sticky notes everywhere with lists of things I need to do or remember that need to be transferred to my calendar. I need to see what I committed to and figure out if I can actually get it done. I also have a stack of ARCs to read and review. There’s a lot going on in the world now and these are things I can control, you know?
Is anyone an Everand user? This new plan they have is driving me nuts. I don’t want to switch to their new system, but I also don’t like how titles are suddenly unavailable without notice. I might cancel my subscription and get more credits from libro.fm instead.
Quote of the Week:
“There were bookshelves in every room, so that a volume would be close at hand as soon as one thought of it, and children were free to read the adults’ books.”
What I’m Reading This Week:
Kindle: The Girl Without Skin by Mads Peter Nordbo - For a book club. I started yesterday between games at my daughter’s tournament and it’s a surprisingly good read for this particular book club!
Audiobook: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner - I gave up on a few books the other day before I settled in on this book about what makes happy countries happy.
Paper: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - Another project for a different book club. We’re re-reading Jane Austen’s books and some adaptations. I’m looking forward to reading this at my table at night with some tea and cookies.
tournament reading
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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Loving my snow walks! I even got to pull my snow shoes out. I swear the year I got them for Christmas it stopped snowing. Before that we used to have at least one big storm a year.
I’m about to start Hard Times by Charles Dickens. I missed reading A Christmas Carol this year so I wanted to try one of his other books.
Happy Walking!
I took a break in December so this is actually a list of 4 and 5 star reads for November and December. Although December was not a great reading month for me so this was mostly great reads from my non-fiction November reads, which was amazing. I’m happy to say January has started stronger than December.
So here they are, the best of the best from November and December 2024 (not including re-reads.)
Coming Home by Brittney Griner - This book was something. Russian prison is something I haven’t thought a lot about, but now I will never forget it. And I will always empty my bags before I travel.
Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins - I loved this memoir. Jedidiah and his mom drive from Louisiana to Oregon to retrace the route she walked in the 70’s. They have fundamentally different beliefs but their love for each other and their willingness to keep talking is inspirational and hopeful, especially at this particular moment in time.
Janesville by Amy Goldstein - This book was excellent. It was about Janesville, Wisconsin and what happened in the 5 years after the GM plant in town closed. I‘m glad I got to this one finally.
The Break by Katherena Vermette - This book was sad and covered some hard topics, but an incredibly good read. I didn’t want the story of these women to end
Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn - This was a tough read, especially now, but I wasn’t going to extend my hold after waiting for it since July. The whole book was interesting, but I preferred the parts that pertained to more modern medicine. I wish there was something about how to advocate for myself, my daughter, and my mother
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - I loved that there was a character that had books just appear when she needed them, and the winter setting let me pretend it wasn’t 80 degrees in November.
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny - The story lines in these later books are kind of off the wall, but I still love every minute of them. This one didn‘t have as much Three Pines action as I like, but I did love revisiting some of the monks from A Beautiful Mystery. Sounds like a new one is already in the works.
Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice - I’m so happy Rice wrote this follow up to Moon of the Crusted Snow. This one wasn’t as good as the first, but it was a satisfying follow up. The audiobook had the same excellent narrator as well.
The Healer by Antti Tuomainen - I enjoyed this dystopian crime novel about a man searching for his wife in Helsinki. In the days before Christmas the world is falling apart, climate change is a done deal, and the police don’t have the resources to look for a missing woman. A quick read, perfect for holiday reading when you don‘t want to think too hard.
Happy reading everyone!
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Wouldn’t it be nice to be a cat napping in the sun without a care in the world these days?
We had snow all week plus President Carter’s funeral. My office (not too far from the National Cathedral) decided we would work from home another week. This Massachusetts girl got to test out her snow driving chops a few times here in Virginia and it turns out I’ve still got it. I’m not as good at shoveling snow as I used to be though. I think I pinched a nerve in my neck or something. Don’t get old if you can help it.
Quote of the Week:
“Patience! Have patience, my son,” his mother had exhorted. “Remember Job.” “Job!” scoffed the boy. “What did he know about patience? He didn’t have to wear no leather breeches.”
What I’m Reading This Week:
Kindle: The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene - Starting this for a buddy read. Reading through this series you can tell some ghost writers were better than others.
Audiobook: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden - Another one from The Tournament of Books. Loving this one so far.
Paper: Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott - I’ve been reading this a little bit each night before bed, but I love it so at a certain point I will just finish all at once.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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Whew, it’s definitely winter walking weather out there. With no holiday decorations to look at I’ve been changing my routes so that I can find new things. Pretty soon I’ll be seeing signs of spring- or at least that’s what I tell myself!
I’m listening to The Mysterious Affair at Styles for a buddy read. The discussion isn’t until the end of the month, but the library wants it back sooner than that.
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Happy New Year! Am I the only one who loves spending time looking at my reading stats and making totally unreachable reading goals for the New Year? Ah, January. In 2025 I want to read at least one non-fiction book a week, read a book set at least partially in every state in the US and every province in Canada, and increase my reading time by decreasing my social media time. Fingers crossed!
I didn’t read as much as I hoped over the holidays, but I’m hoping now that I’m back in a good routine I can start reading more again.
Quote of the Week:
“I had discovered that learning something, no matter how complex, wasn’t hard when I had a reason to learn.”
What I’m Reading This Week:
Kindle: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - This is a re-read for me. It really suits this week’s weather! It adds something when you can hear the wind howling outside.
Audiobook: Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman - Loving this book I heard about through Tournament of Books Long List.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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December Beginning TBR: 456
December Ending TBR: 466
Happy New Year! Last month was way more than I bargained for, so I had to stop doing everything that wasn’t necessary to keep me employed and my kids fed and where they’re supposed to be. I’m excited to be back journaling what I want to read and what I’ve actually read. (Totally different lists most months.)
Here’s 20 books I’m hoping to read in January:
1) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
2) The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
3) The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene
4) Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
5) Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
6) Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
7) Whose Body by Dorothy L Sayers
8) What The Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales
9) The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
10) The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Brown
11) Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott
12) Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir
13) Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us by Joe Palca
14) Your Teenager Is Not Crazy by Jerusha Clark
15) The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy
16) Fire Weather by John Vaillant
17) There Is Nothing For You Here by Fiona Hill
18) The Book of George by Kate Greathead
19) Fix Your Fashion by Laura Strutt
20) The Girl Without Skin by Mads Peder Nordbo
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I started my annual cookie making extravaganza yesterday. I froze most of the dough to bake and give out later this month, but I had to make a few for my family and the various teenagers who wander in here throughout the week.
Here are the recipes I’ve used so far if you’re looking for some new ones:
Chocolate gingerbread cookies
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_gingerbread_cookies/
Mexican hot chocolate cookies
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024782-mexican-hot-chocolate-cookies
Finnish Cardamom Cookies
https://www.food.com/recipe/finnish-cardamom-cookies-369337
Peanut Butter Blossoms
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-peanut-butter-blossom-cookies/a3563f6e-96b0-443f-ae0a-53cef4be6db6
Have a great week everyone!
“If we had thought far enough into the future, things might have been different. We might not have saved the monarchs, but we might have seen the world we were making and decided to make a different one.”
Kindle - Six Cats A Slaying By Miranda James - I’m about 40% in and there’s no mystery yet, but there are kittens so I guess I can forgive that.
Audiobook - Mission: Nutcracker by Cecilia Dominic - When I found a steampunk Nutcracker retelling on Everand I had to add it to my TBR for December right away. I had a lot of fun listening to this while I made cookies yesterday. I’ll probably finish today when I finish decorating.
Paper - A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett - This is a fun book of short stories that I’ve been dipping in and out of. Not all of them are holiday related, but some are.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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Another week of walking mostly in the dark and cold. I had a goal of getting outside in daylight every day in November, but that goal didn’t go so well. I’m going to try again in December because it does really help to get a bit of the weak vitamin D this time of year.
I’m listening to an old favorite this week- Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery.
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November Beginning TBR: 417
October Ending TBR: 456
It’s the end of the year, and my TBR has exploded. I’m not mad. The Tournament of Books long list had so many good sounding books that I had never heard of. I’m really excited to see the short list. It must be a hard job to decide!
My December reading list is super-sized as well. I decided to do one list for my regular TBR and one for holiday/winter reads. I know this is ridiculous, but it’s fun to try!
Here are 40 books I want to read in December:
The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
Pearly Everlasting by Tammy Armstrong
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
The Mystery of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Joy In The Morning by Betty Smith
A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett
Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe
Moonflowers by Abigail Rose-Marie
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Tortise for the Queen of Tonga by Julia Whitty
The Meeting Point by Lucy Caldwell
King of the Yukon by Adam Weymouth
Six Cats A Slayin by Miranda James
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
The Secret of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen
Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Mistletoe Murder by PD James
The Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
The Sphynx Who Stole Christmas by MR Diamond
Killer Christmas by Harper Lin
An (Un)Orthodox Christmas by Ana T Drew
Resting Scrooge Face by Meghan Quinn
Walking The Himalayas by Lev Wood
Mission: Nutcracker by Cecelia Dominic
Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton
Plus 4 books from the Tournament of Books list TBD
Whew, thank you very much if you stuck with me through that.
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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.”
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.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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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.”
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.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these. Not because I haven’t been walking, but because it’s dark outside when I do! This is not my favorite time of year, but I keep looking for bits of light and joy the best I can.
I’ve been listening to Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice. The narrator is excellent, and I’m enjoying the book very much.
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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!’”
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.
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
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