#PoetryMatters Day 24: #Wake - this was one of the poems I asked family members to read during my mother‘s cremation service and my college kid read it aloud again during the December break when we finally released mother‘s ashes into the Persian Gulf. Found the poem in the exquisite tagged book that gave me comfort during my time of grief.

#25Alive! Day 24: A great deal of #Positivity all around as my co-authored book chapter is finally published in this important edited book by good friend and former colleague from Singapore. Received a physical copy from the publisher yesterday. How amazing that our 2025 professional development text is listed here on Litsy! Awesome!

#PoetryMatters Day 23: #Wait

#25Alive! Day 23: The #Dreams of teenage female boxers are on display here with their feints, jabs, hyper-self-awareness. Gradually going through the #ToB25 shortlisted titles.

#PoetryMatters Day 22: #Waist

#25Alive! Day 22: Each day we find ourselves breathing is a reason to #Celebrate. I adore Maria Popova‘s bird divinations - unfortunately they don‘t ship here in the Emirates. So sad. 😭

#25Alive! Day 21: My #FaveWinterFood is seafood ramen - or any kind of soup, really. 💕

#PoetryMatters Day 20: #Wail

#25Alive! Day 20: My #FvWinterDrink is peppermint rum chata - but this one is a close second. Thoroughly enjoyed our final book for the #EuropaCollective. Scheduled my post at GatheringBooks in two weeks‘ time. 💕

#PoetryMatters Day 19: #Waif

#25Alive! Day 19: #AuthorYouLove is tagged and found in my new reading corner and working space - picturebooks now neatly categorized and shelved in this new space where our giant Christmas tree used to be.

#PoetryMatters Day 18: #Wagon

#25Alive! Day 18: #SnowyCover(ed) mountains in Mjelle Beach, Bodo Norway where husband and I went to visit middle of last year.

#PoetryMatters Day 17: #Wag

#25Alive! Day 17: My #1stBk25 #FirstBook25 is a reread of tagged book - as college kid and I read it for our book club of two this December break. It lends itself well to reading aloud, and I find it even more hilarious and soul-filling in my second reading. Finished it one day before our college kid flew back to Seattle. Full review is forthcoming.

#PoetryMatters Day 16: #Waffle

#25Alive! Day 16: #FaveBk24 or my #Top24Of2024 - how about you? Here‘s my post: https://wp.me/pDlzr-qU9

#PoetryMatters Day 15: #Wade

#25Alive! Day 15: I am sure there must be #LastingLove somewhere here with this kind of title. Starting this #ToB25 title today because man it is a chunkster!

#PoetryMatters Day 14: #Waddle

#25Alive! Day 13: #Possibility - still from Maria Popova‘s labor of love - deck of illuminated cards inspired by Audobon‘s art - too bad the full deck of cards doesn‘t ship all the way here to the Middle East - will just have to see glimpses of what she shares through Brainpickings.

#PoetryMatters Day 13: #Vulture

#25Alive! Day 13: #Memory of her mother is what Japanese astronaut, Chie, had to remember as her mother died while she was on orbit. Finished reading this novel over the weekend for #ToB25 and will hopefully share my thoughts soon over at GatheringBooks.

#PoetryMatters Day 12: This poem is from Mary Oliver‘s first ever book, No #Voyage, apparently published in 1963 when she was only 28. Found this gem in an IG account with the handle YearWithMary - I could do with a year of Mary Oliver - http://bit.ly/4gaFXJv

#25Alive! Day 12: Here is my #BookHaul for the #ToB25 - and this is just half of what had already been delivered - plus a few more titles besides. I blame @BarbaraBB for tagging me. Lols.

#25Alive! Day 11: Belle‘s #TakeCharge attitude when it comes to JP Morgan‘s collections totally impressed the brilliant man - and the rest is history. Review is forthcoming. Finished reading the book and absolutely loved it. #ReadTheWorld2025: France (translated from French) - although setting is mostly US based. #EuropaCollective

#PoetryMatters Day 10: #Vow

#25Alive! Day 11: the unlikely #friendship among the hostages and the bank robber is quite unforgettable in this tale that I reread for my book club of two with my college kid who came to spend the December holiday at home here in the UAE. Rereading this made the story even more powerful and profound for me. I will read anything that Backman writes. Perfect for #ReadTheWorld2025 - Sweden.

#PoetryMatters Day 9: #Vote

#25Alive! Day 9: This is a #FreshStart for me for the #ToB25 - it is the first time I am joining and I feel like I am crazy for even attempting. The books I ordered are arriving shortly, four have already arrived. This is really turning out more to be a reading tournament, lols. Let‘s see how much I ultimately end up reading. 🤣😂🤩

#25Alive! Day 8: Our #ReadingGoal for 2025 over at GatheringBooks is #ReadTheWorld2025. This was inspired by my reading around eight countries in 2024. See here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-qUy - do join us, and feel free to use our widgets. I have a few more in my linked post. Just use the hashtag #ReadTheWorld2025 and tag me. My goal is to read 30 countries across 15 languages.

#PoetryMatters Day 7: #Voracious

#25Alive! Day 7: Belle Greene lived a most #Prosperous and charmed life, as she served as a personal librarian to the illustrious and obscenely wealthy JP Morgan during New York‘s Gilded Age in the early 1900s. I can see this #EuropaCollective December pick being made into a riveting TV series. In my last few pages of this fascinating story. So happy to be part of the #EuropaCollective book club. Any 2025 edition, @jlhammar ? 🤩😍

#PoetryMatters Day 6: #Voodoo - featured it here back in 2013: https://wp.me/pDlzr-5zO

#25Alive! Day 6: This book - and the kunafah cheesecake plus mint tea - bring me so much #Joy especially as we celebrate husband‘s 55th birthday - same time as my departed mother‘s 89th birthday in heaven.

#PoetryMatters Day 3: #Volcano

#25Alive! Day 5: This is the #NewYrQuote #NewYearQuote I used to welcome 2025. Fats featured the book from where the poem was culled here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-jIp

#25Alive! Day 4: This labor of love by Maria Popova seems like #Blessings wrapped in divination cards of sorts. Too bad this deck of poetic cards doesn‘t ship here to the Emirates. See here for more info about these #blessings: https://www.themarginalian.org/2024/07/26/almanac-of-birds/

#PoetryMatters Day 3: #Volcano

#25Alive! Day 3: #Winter - here‘s hoping I finally get to Norwegian Knausgaard this year as GatheringBooks launched its #ReadTheWorld2025 reading theme inspired by how my travels to eight countries in 2024 shaped my reading journeys: https://wp.me/pDlzr-qUy

#PoetryMatters Day 2: #Void

#25Alive! Day 2: A strawberry mojito #Toast to our #EuropaCollective pick for December which I have not finished reading yet, unfortunately. 🙈

My #Top24Of2024 in books is now up on GatheringBooks for New Year‘s Day. Here is the full link: https://wp.me/pDlzr-qU9
My review of tagged book can be found here: https://wp.me/p7Q7pO-c3R
What is your #Top24in2024 in books?

#PoetryMatters Day 1: #Voice
Thank you to this reading community that nourishes the spirit. ✨🌷✨

#25Alive! Day 1: I find #Peace while reading this book of Consolations, thanks to Maria Popova. David Whyte is a balm to the spirit.
Happy New Year, fellow Littens! I am back from my Litsy hiatus. I hope to be more around in the coming year to check out everyone‘s lovely reads. 🙏🏼🎊🎉🤩🎆✨

#DaysDevotedTo Day 13: My mother passed away last Sunday. This poetry anthology on #Kindness, peace, and renewal comforts me.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 9: #ArtMuseum - these two books are the perfect fit.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 8: #CoffeeTea with a Norwegian novel while I was in Bodo Norway early this year. This is part of the free “fika” offered by the hotel between 3-5 pm and- said to be a big part of Scandinavian culture. Reminded me of our merienda - byproduct of Spanish colonization.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 7: there are soul-stirring real-life #FamilyStories in this journalistic memoir of sorts by Portuguese author Susana Moreira Marques. This book will stay with me for awhile. Review is forthcoming.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 6: #HealthyLifestyle means standing in awe and wonder at what the world has to offer - plus this viral cake with pistachio and kunafa filling.