I had a busy but fun birthday yesterday. I even had a few moments to start a book while enjoying patio coffee. I always worry that I bring sadness to artistic baristas by opting for alternative milks that don't do well for foam art. I should probably always pick oat milk (except that I like almond better).

Today is lots of meetings, recording auditions, and later a concert my teen is playing in, so I'm glad I got a little downtime yesterday.

#NLHS and #JolabokaflodSwap went out today. #NLHS is in two boxes because one thing was the tiniest bit too big for the one box and I knew if I delayed to wait for the right size box for everything, I might not get the swap out in time.

@WildAlaskaBibliophile @TieDyeDude @MaleficentBookDragon

Maybe a little more straightforward than I'd like as far as the symbolism goes, but it's a cute idea, and I was invested for the duration of this short novel. There's a lot here about the limitations of shaping ourselves to please others, feeling like we don't belong and worrying that we'll never be loved and clinging to things and people out of fear. It's a very young book in that sense. I mean, I'm older than the MC's parents. #tob26 longlist

I've mentioned it on Litsy before, but volunteering with the literacy-focused nonprofit Words Alive is one of the highlights of my week. The organization is having a big fundraising push, and if you'd like to learn more about Words Alive and the work I do with them, please visit the link below (and if you're moved to donate, that would totally rock):

https://charity.centuryclubsd.org/fundraiser/6848737

I searched the internet hoping the reality TV show The Swan was made up for the book, but alas, it really aired. For two seasons. I would have known if I hadn't forgotten about the existence of Extreme Makeover.

When one of the avocado trees we grew from a pit died, I bought a salvia to plant in its place. I can see it from my regular reading and tea-drinking spot, and I love watching the hummingbirds and bees and hoverflies visit. It gives me the sense that I'm collaborating with Nature. (No hummingbirds in this photo, but I know they're out there.) @Eggs #MajicMonday

I finished this one late last night. It's not really my thing, but my sister and I are trying to reinvigorate our Sisters Book Club, and this book has sisters in it. I like the descriptions of New Zealand and of surfing, but there are too many emotional non sequiturs and about-faces for my taste. I felt like the author was trying to manipulate my emotions, which isn't something I enjoy. It's a decent story, though.

Received my #nlhs #naughtylistholidayswap! I opened the box not knowing it was the swap, but once I figured it out, I didn't open any of the contents and I set it aside for opening day. @BarkingMadRead

I'm waiting on one more item I ordered to arrive and then I'll be packing up and shipping my swap. Hopefully that will go out Tuesday, but I'll update when it's on its way.

@WildAlaskaBibliophile @TieDyeDude

I don't totally get this novel, but it seems to be about a true crime author who is reckoning with the reality of his profession and at a deeper level about how a story can be factually accurate without being true. There's no such thing as objective storytelling. The author has to pick sides---protagonist, antagonist, villain, hero---which is by definition not objective. There's also something vulnerable here about how we've all been children.

I audiowrapped some presents while listening to the tagged book. In related news, after 26 years, our previous little tree was too dilapidated to continue, so we got a "big" one (5.5 feet tall) to start using this year. It's our first time with a tree we put on the floor instead of on a table. I want to get some creepy ornaments for it, but my family aren't as into the idea.

This book totally hit the spot for me. It's tragic and terrifying on a global scale while at the same time fiercely personal and quiet. I love how the story unfolds and the feeling of hope that accompanies the fear and uncertainty. The way I feel reading this one reminds me of how I felt reading Smith's There But For The, which isn't really anything like this one in plot or structure. #tob26 longlist

If only Alexis Coe could write all the presidential biographies, the #USPresidents challenge would be a breeze! I tend to be very cautious about biographies because so many of them are exhaustingly detailed and give little sense for the personality of the subject. Not Coe's biography of GW! She does an excellent job of highlighting the events that illuminate his personality without getting readers lost in the weeds.

@Amiable @TEArificbooks

December #bookspinbingo!

@TheAromaofBooks

This isn't my favorite Poirot mystery, but it might be my favorite portrayal of the friendship between Poirot and Mrs. Oliver. I enjoyed the reflections on aging and the many conversations between long acquaintances that feel more at the center of the novel than the mystery itself, which isn't overly complicated (although some (in my opinion unnecessary) complexities are layered on top of the solution).

November #bookspinbingo card. I got my #doublespin, didn't get my #bookspin, but I scored a bingo, baby!

This format is oddly motivating for me, and I wonder if I can apply it to other areas of my life, like writing or household chores, or if it only works for something I'm already doing anyway.

@TheAromaofBooks

I almost DNFed this one because it dragged in the middle, but I persisted, and I think that was the right choice. This scratched the itch for contemplative literary fiction that I've had after immersing myself in horror for a couple of months. It deals with familial relationships and the ways that we can manipulate others to meet our own needs and distract from our sense of mortality and/or feelings of powerlessness. So, uncomfortable but good.

December #bookspin and #castthedie list. I might trade out one of these to put in Lion by Sonia Walger, but aside from that, this should pretty much be my list. Lots of #ToB26 longlist and my ever-aspirational #Roll100 titles.

@TheAromaofBooks @PuddleJumper

Pond lights at the Botanic Garden's Lightscape exhibit. I could make a dozen posts just with photos of this outing, but I am exercising self control. #beautybreak

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

According to Julia Cameron, I'm not the only one resistant to Artist's Dates. Hoping for inspiration (or at least more direction), I checked this book out on Libby. It's a quick read, and it did give me more ideas. More interestingly, it helped me see that I already routinely do things that I never considered Artist's Dates, like getting a massage or going to a park or baking a treat. So, yay me, I guess?

I am so lucky to have a little sister who knows that my love language is Books. (She gave me the okay to open my b-day gift early.)(And she's not on Litsy and lives across the country, so I probably could have kept it a secret if she hadn't given me the go-ahead.)

My family surprised me with flowers to celebrate the release of my first audiobook (tagged). Let me know if you'd like a promo code for a free copy. I have some for the US and the UK, and I would love to get some reviews (good, bad, or mixed)!

Email me or DM me on Instagram if you're interested: Charity at ctlvoiceover.com, ctlvoiceover on IG

Post-feast, pre-reading-and-pie-time sunset walk.

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Thursday, Happy Football, Happy Reading Time. Happy #beautybreak

A sweet and surprisingly alarmingly scary middle-grade horror. This is a genre that didn't exist when I was a kiddo, so in fifth grade I skipped straight from Beverly Cleary to Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe. This novel has narrative interspersed with poetry and shares several features with Gaiman's Coraline. It's probably around the scariness of Poe.

One last #beautybreak before I take a break from my phone for family time and food prep.

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

We do not care that the gas pump is convenient and in the shade. If you're driving a Tesla, you should not be sitting at the pump when other people are waiting to fill up their tanks. Use one of the parking spaces, buddy. #WDNCW @dabbe

#beautybreak from a walk through a county park yesterday.

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

I am excited to announce that the audiobook edition of MURDER AMONG THE MARIGOLDS by Diane Scotland, narrated by *me* is now available for purchase on Audible! I'll drop the link in the comments.

The novel is a sweet cozy mystery that takes place during a small-town fall festival. There's some G-rated romance, a quirky best friend, and a cat and a dog who help spot clues when their humans get stumped solving the mystery.

This is a love story set in the midst of an in-progess global apocalypse. It's filled with lust, miscommunication, and attempts by one party to anticipate the desires of the other (and missing the mark, as so often happens). I'm not sure I *like* this novel, but I love Xe Sands's narration and the story definitely touches on some interesting ideas about love, connection, and mortality.

This variation on a haunted house story combines elements of Poltergeist, Lovecraft, It, and The Shining, with a nod or two to Amityville Horror. Overall I enjoyed it, although the message is somewhat less subtle than I prefer in my favorite horror.

I love it when the palm trees get dressed up for the winter holidays. #beautybreak

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

My Saturday night reading companion. Trying to make some progress on this book, but I keep getting distracted.

This novel wasn't a complete hit for me, but I did enjoy the author's exploration of otherness and belonging, of watching tragedy over which one has little to no control unfolding in ways both real and absurd and not knowing the proper response. This novel feels almost existentialist or perhaps Stoic in the sense that it recognizes both the futility of action and how this futility makes our own storytelling and meaning-making all the more crucial.

This #beautybreak brought to you by sunrise and our very dirty front window. I regret not having the windows cleaned before rainy season started.

@anncrystal @dabbe @dilara @jessclark78 @amiable @tamra @originalcyn620 @sace @amyg @thebookhippie @kspenmoll @liseworks @uncommonlycozies @karisa @cuilin @jenlovesjt47 @monalyisha

I usually don't enjoy epistolary novels, but between the reviews and the fact that I know one of the narrators, I decided to pick this one up on audio, and I am so glad I did. It felt a little disjointed at first, but once I got the hang of it, I just loved it. Sybil's character arc is so moving and beautifully drawn. Now I feel like writing letters (I've already written notes to two neighbors to go with some treats we're giving them).

I really felt this book, despite not being a full-time office worker for more than a couple of years in the past 20 years. Serrano's (or at least her translator's) tone blends well both the existential despair and existential ridiculousness of being a creative---or even just a conscious, discerning, aware human being---in a corporate environment. And oh, my, did she make me crave a trip to Spain in general and El Museo del Prado in particular.

#ARichLife #Pie

About 20 years ago, my spouse mentioned to my grandpa that he heard on the radio that the average American eats something like 5 pies a year. Grandpa insisted that this was far too low as he ate pie nearly every night (Grandma was big on making Jello Pudding pies). I don't make a pie every night, but between sweet pies, savory pies, and tarts, my family definitely hits the annual average.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARichLife #Warm

The first thing I thought about for this prompt was how my cats follow the sun around the house during the day.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARichLife #Spice #HomeCooking

We are big pumpkin pie fans at my house (and kind of pumpkin pie snobs). I make from-scratch homemade pumpkin pie three times a year: Thanksgiving, my birthday, and my elder kid's birthday. My version is dairy-free, gluten-free, and rich in spices (a variation on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated). I could have saved this for #Pie on the 16th, but I have other pies for that.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This essay collection leaves me feeling seen. Like the authors here, I have loved horror from a young age, and in their essays I see many of the things that keep me returning to the genre. They also give me a sense of community as a horror lover, or at least the kind of connection that my father-in-law has with other Corvette drivers---a little secret wave that indicates our shared idiosyncrasy (or weirdness. I'm cool with being seen as weird).

Based on the title alone, this seems like an appropriate book to read after just finishing We Love You, Bunny.

My fave holiday movies:
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. Lindy West's timeless review of Love Actually: https://www.jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-...
We read this (swear-word-filled) review with our annual listen to David Sedaris's "Santaland Diaries."

@dabbe #TTT #TakeThreeThursday

This is a long, meta meditation on the corrupting effect on artist and art when the focus is too much on outcome and not enough on process. Although I loved Bunny, I don't think I would have finished this very long follow-up without narrator Sophie Amoss guiding me through. Did I mention that the novel is long? Because it totally is, Bunny. It's worth it, but it would have been more worth it had it been a little shorter.

#ARichLife #Affection

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I first read this around the time I turned 10, so not only has it been a long time between readings, but the first time I read it I lacked much of the context necessary to understand what I was reading. Reading it nearly 40 years later, I think about this what I think about most King books: Really cool idea, should be shorter. Todd in the first half (not in the second half, fingers crossed), reminds me of several of the bros in power right now.

#ARichLife #Table

Throwback to the time when Silo poked his head above the edge of the table only to find that we had already cleared Thanksgiving leftovers away.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARichLife #Fireside

Another photo from the archives, this one from a camping trip in Ohio about a dozen years ago. We used to stay at a KOA while visiting family, and it was a great opportunity for campfires and s'mores.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I really enjoy Samanta Schweblin's style in her novels and apparently in her short stories, too. Her characters are vivid and flawed and get into such bizarre predicaments that are somehow totally logical. As a bonus, two of the narrators of this audiobook are people I've met through narrator networking, which is fun.

This is a quick, tense, haunting story about the weight of grief, the emptiness that remains after a death, and how some things refuse to let us logic our way out of them. The story is told from Iðunn's perspective and the author does an excellent job keeping us in the dark as much as Iðunn is.

Photo is from nearly as close to Iceland as I've ever been (the coast of Maine. I've been to PEI, which is even closer, but it doesn't look as moody).

I just totally bombed at a piano recital, so I think I've earned a book and some cider. (If I'd done well (i.e., not completely choked on stage) I would also have earned a book and some cider. The book-and-cider was pretty much a given from the get-go.)

#Bounty #ARichLife

From back when I used to have a decent (for me) vegetable garden.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks