A day late with my #5JoysFriday post again. It was a busy long & emotionally tough week but there were joys.

1. Silent Book Club remains a joy, after missing December‘s I was happy to catch back up.🤫📚

2. Upscale short rib loco moco (rice, o/e egg, meat & gravy) with tender short rib replacing the hamburger patty & the most delicious gravy. Mouth joy.😋

3. Lilikoi Bowls bring me joy. Like acai bowls but lilikoi sorbet at the bottom.😋
⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

I had to drop off old equipment at the cable store which put me in forced proximity to Barnes & Noble. I shopped a little ?with a gift card & points. The tagged book is the café $5 special. A slow start to my Saturday & it inspired today‘s haiku.

Book browsing, shopping
Coffee, quiche at the café
Slow start Saturday

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

This week has been a week & I‘m behind on haikus. I wrote this one last night inspired by Silent Book Club. I missed December‘s meeting due to work events so it was nice to be back, although the early bird small talk was an effort!😉

Early to book club
Awkward small talk with other
Early introverts

The tagged book is the book I brought (along with my Kindle for after dark) reading it for #AuldLangSpine #AuthorAMonth

This week has been difficult for some many reasons but I have to believe that as bad as it‘s been, there are still joys to be found. If you feel the same, I invite you to #5JoysFriday that time of the week where we list 5 things big or small that brought us some joy & comfort this week. 💛💛💛

Make your post, tag it with #5JoysFriday & tag me & anyone else you want to share joy with.

ALL are welcome to join in. 💛🤗💛

#Read2026 #SeriesLove2026

Finished Sunday for #NancyDrewBR this is quite the caper as Nancy (with George & Bess) tries to help a captain uncover the mystery of a ship‘s figurehead & the mysterious happenings on the ship at night. Overall I was entertained (& sometimes annoyed with Bess‘s “plump pretty neck” & Ned‘s sexist comments about having women on boats.) *** #NNK SPOILER ALERT!!!*** It‘s a dilemma, Nanners does get “knocked out” but by a ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

This came across my Instagram page today & as I try to ease my way into January & 2026, I liked the message of setting “sweet intentions” & borrowed it for this haiku. ❄️

No lofty goals or
Grand tasks and resolutions,
Set sweet intentions

#12BooksOf2025

December also had a lot of good books (Winter in the Blood, The Women of Wild Hill, Automatic Noodle, & The Hollow Places) but I have to give it to King Sorrow because I have a hard time sticking to chunksters & this almost 900 pages or 26 hours on audio held my attention & was deliciously dark. The audiobook was excellently done.

Thank you @TheEllieMo for hosting/bring back this event! It‘s been fun to see what everyone picked!

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour with Nancy Drew & the gang for #NancyDrewBR I‘m snacking on Peppermint Pocky & one of my last Hint seasonal Peppermint Bark flavored waters.

Mood is sad tomorrow is Monday & unsure how I am going to make it through a whole week of work. The January blues. 😔

Finished tonight, this was my other ebook on hold for #AuthorAMonth #December #NoraRoberts & when the hold came I started reading a few pages & then got hooked & had finish. I am a fan of thrillers about religious zealots & serial killers & here we have a good combo. It‘s a bit long & as most romances, a bit too buttoned down & predictable, but it kept me turning the pages. Apropos of not much😉this sushi I enjoyed with it last night was ono.😋

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

It‘s been a grey, drizzly Sunday which works well for reading & haiku inspiration.

Skylight Musings

Rain patters softly
Against the skylight, marking
A Sunday held close

#12BooksOf2025

November was another tough month to pick (The Serviceberry & Life With Picasso were right up there) but ultimately, I chose the tagged book because while not perfect, the premise was so unique that I am still thinking about it. I listened to the audiobook but might go back & read my #BOTM copy.

Well, might as well post mine too although I‘m not very consistent with getting my books on #Storygraph I do take part in challenges on there.

#12BooksOf2025

I am still sorry I didn‘t put this one on my #AuldLangSpine list (I thought it might be too extreme for some) because it is one of the most memorable books I read in 2025. Gleefully gory horror, it won‘t be for everyone but I enjoyed it & I‘m looking forward to the movie coming out this year.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Spending the morning at the coffee shop with a background of soft jazz & the quiet rumble of conversation as people come & go. I have my journal, a few newly arrived swap cards. I‘m sneaking in my #SundayBuddyRead chapters for tomorrow & writing today‘s haiku.

Weekend morning vibe
Tucked in at the coffee shop
Savoring the peace

My first #5JoysFriday list of 2026!💛

1. Zippy‘s chili & rice & an apple Napple gave me lunchtime joy today!😋

2. I smashed my Goodreads goal of 155 books with 198 read this year thanks mostly to all of the great Litsy challenges!📚💛

3. Clouds, sunrises & sunsets always bring me joy & “Light” (my word for 2026)🌅☀️🌄

4. Tonkatsu Ramen with a jammy egg gives me mouth joy!😋

5. The library & the New Book section with all its treasures! 💛📚

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

I‘m in a Zoom generational introversion webinar this morning on World Introvert Day. Just FYI, there‘s about 100 people on this & less than 20 have their cameras on & most of them are the panel or special guests. 🫣😂 Anyhow… it inspired today‘s haiku.

No RSVP Needed

World Introvert Day
We‘ll all celebrate solo
Quietly, of course

#12BooksOf2025

September‘s #SheSaid selection gets my pick as my September favorite. I found it fascinating-an engaging blend of science & history. I didn‘t realize I knew so little about my body, women‘s bodies & why we are made the way we are. I‘ve recommended this book to several people.

Thought I‘d share my #WordOfTheYear too for #JournalingPrompts with @TheBookHippie I‘ve chosen “light” to be my word for 2026. I find light in all its forms beautiful. I want to be lighter, feel lighter, be a light for others & look for the light & not let the dark times & dark things get me down. I‘m still working on my journal spread but this is a mood board I put together. ✨🌙☀️🕯️⭐️

I‘ve not read the tagged book but it‘s in my TBR.

Our first #5JoysFriday of 2026 is upon us, so it‘s time to list those 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week. 💛💛💛

To join in, just make your post, tag it with #5JoysFriday & tag me & anyone else you want to share joy with.

Everyone is welcome to join us & start 2026 with some joy! 🤗

First book of 2026 finished. Overall I liked this romantasy/dark academia novel. Set in a school for “wielders” that the MC, Sophia, infiltrates to take part in the “Ordeals” a set of dangerous magical trials that the “hopefuls” must succeed in to be admitted to the college. Sophia is plucky & I liked her & the magical world it‘s set in, which also throws in vampires (the Cold Ones) & werewolves. The gifts attached to the #OUABC box were not ⬇️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by my New Year‘s Eve library haul. I went in for two holds & walked out with 3 more. There is so much possibility in the first haul of 2026.

( @TheBookHippie I saw the tagged book on the New Books shelf & immediately thought of you & #SundayBuddyRead🖌️🎨)

New Year, New Haul

Small library stack
Some shiny new, some well-read
New Year in pages…

I thinking I‘m keeping my 2025 #Roll100 list because it is by category rather than book & it served me well this year.

My January picks:

36 Any Kindle: Slow Noodles*
#51 Any Library Book: The Library at Hellebore
#100 Any ARC: The Whisking Hour**

*Also my pick for #FoodAndLit #Cambodia
** Also my pick for #ClearTheCozies

I had a great December reading month, buoyed by days off at the end if the month. I finished 22 books A couple were short stories & the cumulation of a year-long daily read but I also had one chunkster of an audiobook.

I finished books for #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR
#BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #MonthlyNonFiction #ThematicCozies
#FictionalTraveler #Rol|100 (3) #AuthorAMonth
#Naturalitsy & #SeriesLove2025

⬇️

#12BooksOf2025

August was another month full of great books: The Weeding People, King of Ashes, A Witch‘s Guide to Magical InnKeeping, The Compound… The one I still think about is Tilt, read for #CampLitsy Having grown up in Southwest Portland, the setting made it even more compelling.

Starting my Up All Night New Years Eve book box from #OUABC

I‘m too old to be up all night but I do hope to read until midnight & finish the book tomorrow.

Happy New Year! 🖤🎊🖤

#Read2025 #Naturalitsy #WinterSolace

I‘ll close out my 2025 reading with this final book. I admit that I was not great about reading it daily & would have to catch up sometimes, but I quite enjoyed this daily look at trees. Beautiful photos & great writing & a blend of nature, science, history & folklore.

On to my transition book & 2026 reading. 🎊

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished today for #SheSaid December pick. I struggled a bit with this one but I‘m glad I stuck with it as I ultimately ended up liking it & giving it a soft pick for its imagination & world building. It did slog a bit through the first 1/2 & I struggled with all of the characters & the back & forth-but when it kicked into gear, it was much better. Will I read the next one in the series? Maybe, but not for a few months.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

I needed a quick, driving around book the last few days to finish a Kindle Challenge so I picked this holiday novella reread from my Kindle library. It makes me want to read the whole Half-Moon Hollow & Jane Jameson series again.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished last night for my third & final #Roll100 pick, #58: Any ARC

I feel lucky to have gotten this ARC for one of my favorite series—it‘s Book #4 in the Haven‘s Rock series, a spinoff of The Rockton series. This book finds Casey & Dalton balancing family life with keeping their secret town in the Yukon safe when they come across two hikers near their territory. When one turns up dead, they need to find the ⬇️

#Read2025

Glad I finally read this one (even better that it came with yummy chocolate as my #jolabokaflodswap) even better. It was a very unique story set in Seattle where a zombie apocalypse occur & our MC, S.T., a semi-domesticated crow who loves humans (mofos) fights for survival with his best friend, a bloodhound named Dennis. It‘s not perfect & slogged a bit but it made me laugh, cry (especially hard at one part 😭), & appreciate Seattle.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

A mellow NYE day so far, picked up groceries & reading snacks, holds from the library & an Rx. Stopped for ramen with a few chapters of my final 2025 book. Eating long noodles on NYE is supposed to be lucky & bring longevity & a fresh start to 2026. 🍜 I‘ll take I‘ll the luck I can get!

New Year Noodle

Long noodles mean luck,
Cutting hardship from the past,
Welcoming the new

Happy New Year‘s Eve & New Year everyone! 🎊

#12BooksOf2025

Another semi-difficult choice for July as I also read & loved Death of the Author & I Who Have Not Known Men, but this #CampLitsy2025 pick really had my heart. ❤️❤️❤️

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Two days of work felt like a week & I‘m happy to have the next two days off. It inspired today‘s haiku.

Two days, long enough
To remember how to rest
The new year beckons

#Read2025

Finished the audiobook yesterday & while I didn‘t love this one as much as The Change (the dark humor was less), I still really enjoyed it. The narration of the audiobook was excellent & once we got through the characters‘ backgrounds & stories, I was caught up in the story. For some reason, I was midway through the book before I realized it was set in the same place as The Change & I liked revisiting some of the characters. I do ⬇️

Joining in the #Welcome2026Readthon officially in 90 minutes when work ends. 😉

Hoping to close out my 3 in-progress books (I‘m almost done with the #2 & midway through The Fifth Season for #SheSaid ) by tomorrow afternoon & then The Ordeals will be my crossover NYE/Day book with Cold Wire #CholeGongReadAlong & H&S #AuldLangSpine & #AuthorAMonth2026 what I start first for 2026. 📚🎊📚

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished Sunday for #BobWhiteBuddies I kinda sorta remember this one from my childhood. A bikeathon through the preserve to raise money for the high school art program that stops at Mrs. Vanderpoel‘s for her cookies & Mr. Maypenny‘s for hunter‘s stew? Sign me up! Trixie & the gang (with Di & Dan along for most of it) have to also solve a potential counterfeit ring & figure out who wants to stop the fundraiser. I liked ⬇️

#12Booksof2025

I tossed & turned on whether to pick this one or Wild Dark Shore for June but Starter Villain was such a delightfully unique surprise (& my first from Scalzi) & it made me laugh a lot, so it gets the win.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku is inspired by this photo & the beauty of clouds.

Cloud Collector

I collect cloud views
Puffy dots of latte foam
Cushioning my soul

#MajicMonday

I‘ve celebrated the past several years by getting the #OUABC Up All Night box & starting the book NYE & finishing it New Year‘s Day. The tagged book is this year‘s & it comes with gifts to open along the way, so it makes it fun. I get favorite snacks & shut my house down so I don‘t breathe in firecracker smoke. 😷

For 2026, my word is “Light” to look for the light, be the light for others & just be lighter in this dark world.🕯️

#12BooksOf2025

Would I have predicted a non-fiction book about Tuberculosis would have been my top book in May? (Another great reading month.) No, but this one got me in the heart & I keep recommending it to people.

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

My #HyggeHour tonight will be spent with Trixie & the Bob-Whites for #BobWhiteBuddies

On the couch, drinking a Peppermint Bark Hint Water & noshing on some of my #Jolabokaflod chocolates from @JamieArc (thanks again!)

Mood is sad that 6 days of PTO flew by & tomorrow is Monday but relieved that it‘s another short week with 2 days work, 2 off, 1 day work, then the weekend.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Yes, I did spend literal hours getting my internet working this weekend so to avoid a tech appointment tomorrow, simply because I hate making awkward small talk when people fix stuff at my house. But me & my new customer service chat buddy Saron, finally got ‘er done.

Here‘s my haiku about it. 😉😂

Introvert Logic

Hours spent chatting
With customer service reps
No tech visit, please!

#12Booksof2025

Another tough month to choose a favorite, but I‘ll go with this one because the audiobook had me captivated.

#Read2025

Finished this morning for #SundayBuddyRead this is not a book that I normally would choose or even knew anything about but I found myself caught up in it. The writing is bleak & beautiful & a lot unfolds in 160 pages. I found myself both frustrated with & rooting for our unnamed narrator, a young Native American man, living on the res in Montana. Of course the usual careful research & discussions led by Christine made it come to life.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Just this for today‘s haiku.

Quiet can be good
It does not ask the questions
That have no answers

#12Booksof2025

March was a good reading month too but I‘ll give it to this one, excellent historical fiction & a compelling story.

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

Today‘s haiku was inspired by my Friday, mid-morning hangout at the coffee shop reading my ARC of a new book of a favorite series, not out until February. It was quiet, slow & pretty perfect.

A Perfect Friday

Hot coffee, soft bread,
Long-awaited series book,
Nothing else needed.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Snuck this cozy in to fill my last #OUABC 40-Book Challenge prompt “Mass Market Paperback” as I picked it up for 50 cents at the library book store. First in the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, I liked it fine, so it gets a soft pick. The usual small Southern town with too many characters to keep good track of, book club made of multiple generations & a hot sheriff love interest. I might read another or I might not.

#Read2025

This one has been on my TBR & I needed a short book to fill a Goodreads “Favorite Fiction” prompt so while it wouldn‘t be a typical December read for me, I went for it. It‘s somewhat depressing but the writing is beautiful & it‘s well worth the read.

#Read2025 #MonthlyNonFiction

Read as my second #Roll100 December pick #73 Any Memoir/Biography & to fill a prompt in my Goodreads challenge. I wanted to like this book for it to be funnier & more about actual cults. I just didn‘t get it or like it, especially the audiobook. I didn‘t know this comedian so I tried watching her special on Netflix & it didn‘t help me find her less annoying. I sped through the last third for the sake of the prompt.