I had a delightful, quiet morning reading at a local cafe the last morning in London before setting off for the trek home. This book is excellent reading. Lots to take in.

Finished reading Daphne du Maurier's first book on the train today. While not my favorite du Maurier by far, I still enjoyed reading it.

Kazuo Ishiguro's collection of the lyrics of sixteen songs he wrote for Stacey Kent is lyrical and emotive. I enjoyed reading through these this morning before getting out of bed. As a bonus the ebook includes a link to the songs on Spotify/YouTube.

When you find a Daphne du Maurier not already read, you have to pick it up, right? I found this copy at a local shop in St Andrews the other day and decided I could fit it in my bag. 😉📚🎒🙄

Reading on the train to Glasgow. This book is excellent!

Welcoming slow mornings while on vacation with cafe visits full of reading. Picked up this book yesterday while at another local Edinburgh bookstore, The Lighthouse. I'm only 28 pages in but excellent so far.

“I would go so far as to say that the natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They bear meanings. A novel is a medicine bundle, holding things in a particular, powerful relation to one another and to us.“

We enjoyed some book browsing yesterday at Armchair Books. Of course, I'm forced to exercise much constraint when traveling and have limited room in my bag. But I did manage to find a couple of slim volumes including the tagged book. It's one of Penny's early works that I've not read and am curious to check it out.

I was able to finish this little book up this morning before heading to the train station as we set out for Edinburgh today. Nice overview of several phenomenal writers.

When you see a bookstore on a boat, isn't it a requirement to visit?

Airport reading. We're traveling to London and then Edinburgh over the next couple of weeks, and we pack light so it's time for a reread of the Murderbot Diaries since I have them in ebook format. And they're great fun!

Len Pennie's poyums is phenomenal! Written in a mix of Scots and English, the collection is hard hitting and emotionally resonant. Truly brilliant writing.
5/5⭐

Excited to start Len Pennie's Poyums just released in the US yesterday!

Overall I found this collection of stories interesting with the first couple and last three capturing my attention the most. The others made less of an impression on me but still worth reading.

“I think people make themselves beautiful. I think everything on our outside is a line sketch, and whatever‘s on the inside blows those lines into three dimensions.“

Finally feels like spring this week! Front porch reading 😊

I've never been so excited for a book release. I raced down to pick up my pre-ordered copy from my local indie on lunch today. Grabbed a coffee at the cafe next door and sat simply staring at the cover almost afraid to open it up. And when I did start reading with held breath, I began to find myself on every page. Joy Sullivan has such a way of bringing beauty to the ordinary. Her poems always connect, and her writing is devastatingly beautiful.

This volume published by Taschen is a stunning volume of the gorgeous artwork of Gustav Klimt.

“This was one of the lessons I kept learning: the difference between the story of love and the texture of living it; between the story of motherhood and the texture of living it, the story of addiction and the texture of living it, the story of empathy and the texture of living it.“

This was a quick, fun read, but only a soft pick as I felt it lacked a bit of depth and background.

I was surprised at the number of mixed and even harsh reviews I've seen on Land's second memoir, which disseminates how poorly our systems are setup to support the poor. I appreciated her vulnerability in writing and bringing attention to areas needing improvement and being a voice for many that are unable or lack the platform to share, all the while acknowledging her privilege. It's a pick for me. (📷 of NYT article)

Beautifully written. I definitely enjoy Patti Smith's writing. Solid pick and Seren-cat approved!

Edgar has been my reading buddy this afternoon for this heartbreaking book

Yesterday was long. Traveling for work. 4 hour flight + 5 hour layover + 2 hour flight = lots of reading time. Finished my audiobook, an ARC, and started a reread of the tagged book, which is excellent. I love Patti Smith's writing.

Took advantage of the absolutely gorgeous evening with a walk through the park and this audiobook ☀️🦆🎧📚

Spending a cozy evening reading with Edgar

This is definitely a pick! I must admit I was disappointed at first and thought it'd only be a so-so. But by part 2, it became a solid pick. I hadn't realized the level of disrespect vets faced returning from Nam nor did I know how utterly disregarded the women were. Not only was misinformation spread in the US, but the women who served were blatantly told they were never in Nam. I also appreciated the voice given to trauma and it's potent impact.

I spent much of my time in this books saying “WTF is going on?“ and I think that was intentional (perhaps coupled with too much time passing since I read book 1). This volume was about grief, trauma, and dissociation. It's about the feeling of not being able to trust your own senses and perceptions of what's real. And the second person narration lent itself well to the storytelling IMO. And now I'm going to start book 3!

“I began reading books, reading books to delirium. I began by vanishing from the known world into the passive abyss of reading, but soon found myself engaged with surprising vigor because the things in the books, or even the things surrounding the books roused me from my stupor.“

Just wow. I was absorbed in this from the start an read it in one sitting and had no idea my partner snapped this picture until this morning. I definitely found it to be a powerful and introspective story and recommend (but with a content warning of suicide). Edgar was a great reading buddy. I don't think he moved from his spot until I finished.

Finally starting this book today. Had to do a quick refresh on Gideon the Ninth first since it's been awhile, but ready or not, I'm diving into this one!

“I was like a woman trying to make spaghetti in the dark, destroying the kitchen as I grabbed every ingredient in the cupboard just in case it happened to be the one I needed. In the midst of my verbal wandering, I inevitably reached for the word “shame”—the box where I had lived for so very long, the box I still find myself tumbling back into with less provocation than I‘d like to admit.“

“She has always felt safest surrounded by books.“

Reading time is an essential for my self-care. Paired with coffee and a croissant is a bonus.

Hooked by the tagline, I was thrilled to get this ARC! “The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats. Nor do they have tails. But they are most assuredly dead.“ Funny and dark, I was fully engaged and immersed in this world immediately. Clark's newest is fast paced with the total badass Eveen, who was also a bit of a book nerd.

Doctor office waiting means more reading time. This one is soo good too!

Memory. So incomplete and flawed...
Janet Malcolm's Still Pictures is an autobiographical series of essays or perhaps an annotated photo album. She talks about the power of images, that photographs are more than just still moments frozen in time; they are windows into our history, emotions, and an understanding of the world. She writes about the difficulty we have evoking our former selves, the many ways in which they are strangers to us.

Seren posing me with a reading challenge

This one was a lot of fun!

“We have cats because they amuse us and because otherwise our clothes would lack the texture only cat hair could provide.“

“The glitter of memory may be no less deceptive. The past is a country that issues no visas. We can only enter it illegally.“

My first SJM sucked me in so I guess I'm reading the rest of the series now.

Finally getting to this book after a week of struggling with a head cold and not being able to focus. Now to see if I can get through i
the 800 pages before it's due at the library.

And fin. This was so interesting and readable. Loved the humor she mixes in as well.

Very readable with some interesting information about how cats communicate.

Meow. This definitely made me laugh. Truth.

When you go to the library to pick up *a* book...this is the result. And, of course, it's in addition to the existing TBR pile on the other corner of my desk. 😂📚🙄

Leigh Bardugo's newest book is a standalone novel inspired by her own family history. I was pulled in immediately and absolutely loved it! With brilliant writing, wit, and the use of languages in the magic system, this historical fantasy gets all the stars! And the cover!! 😍
Release date 4/9/24
(Framed picture has nothing to do with the story. It was a gift from my partner. I find it hilarious and just love the juxtaposition of it to the cover.)

Excited to start Leigh Bardugo's newest! I love her Ninth House series, and the premise of this one sounds intriguing.