I chose this sweet story for Jace & I to read together for #foodandlit this month. It‘s about 2 young girls who see a man in the market selling a “magic light”, which they are convinced they need so their baby brother can sleep better & not get congested by the usual kerosene lamps. So they start selling flowers to raise money for it. Sweet & wholesome. 4⭐️🇳🇵

#Nepal
#childrensbooks

Finally finished this for the #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub - it had its funny moments for sure. The book within a book was hysterically bad but actually did hold my interest, but the last 100 pages of the book dragged on a bit. But I enjoyed my first foray into the FMBC and look forward to reading more. 3.5⭐️

It‘s Field Day at Secca Lake & nobody can stop making fun of Andy, who believes in aliens & hopes to see a UFO at the lake. Andy gets the last laugh when a few of them get lost in the woods & come across some strange looking instruments & someone they are convinced is a Martian, but is really a man in beekeeper‘s garb. Fun fun. 👽👽👽

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#nostalgia
#twins

I‘m going to see if I can track down a copy of the 1930s version of this book to see what the differences are. This one seemed a bit disjointed to me, but it has lots of Persian cats so it has that going for it! 😁 Is anyone keeping track of how many times Nancy almost dies or gets seriously injured in these books? 😆 So fun. 🐈‍⬛

#NancyDrewBR
#NancyDrew

It only took 4 months but I finally finished this 928-page chunkster! I love the Outlander show & have been having withdrawals since the new season ended, so I‘ve really been enjoying reading this for an hour or 2 every night before bed the last couple of weeks. I love these characters & I‘m a sucker for time travel stories. If you like the show I‘d highly recommend the books! Or if you like the books but haven‘t watched the show yet, it‘s great!

I have sped through these Hamish Macbeth audiobooks this past month and am almost caught up. The next one is the last one written by M.C. Beaton and it will be bittersweet. Love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries
#MCBeaton

I read this for #WithTheBanned & give it a soft pick. It‘s not pleasant to read but it does make you think. I wasn‘t a fan of the writing style format & it took awhile to get used to it. I wonder how it translates to audio. 3.5⭐️

Elizabeth befriends the new exchange student from Santa Dora, Arthur Castle. She learns he is really the crown prince of Santa Dora but he doesn‘t want anyone to know & swears Liz to secrecy. He just wants to be a normal kid for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Jess finds out & spills the beans to the Unicorns, & soon the whole school knows. He is convinced Liz told everybody & won‘t speak to her. Jess finally fesses up in the end & they all make up, & ⬇️

The class takes a trip to watch a taping of Dr. Snapturtle‘s Animal Hour. Caroline tells everyone he‘s a fake & not a real vet, and they start to believe her after the twins see him yelling at his dog, Duke. Dr. S. comes to visit the class the next day & explain his bad behavior as being upset over the death of one of his animals. And luckily he is there to save the day when a dog gets hit by a car. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#twins

Book 29 in the Hamish Macbeth series sees more messy romantic entanglements and multiple gruesome murders. I love listening to these because I love the small town village life of Hamish and all of the eccentric busybodies that live in Loch Dubh. Dunno what I‘m going to listen to after I finish this series. Does anybody have any good recs for cozy mysteries with a decent amount of books in the series? 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries

I‘ve been a fan of Tim Matheson since seeing him in a made for TV movie in the 90s. He has had a fascinating life & career & has been in so many movies & shows, including Leave It To Beaver, Bonanza, The West Wing, etc. And my forever favorite role of his is when he played Lucy‘s stepson on the hilarious movie Yours, Mine & Ours. He narrates the audiobook & does a great job. Highly recommended. 5⭐️

#audiobook
#biography
#memoir
#Hollywood

I haven‘t done an alternate cover of the day in awhile, but this is one of my faves & I just couldn‘t resist. 😆😅

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#twins
#nostalgia
#SVT
#alternatecovers
#funny

I love Jessica shenanigans & this one is full of them. Jess gets stuck doing the water balloon booth at the school fair so she wrangles her way out of it into Liz‘s babysitting job, & Liz takes her place at the booth. Much to her dismay the kids she is watching are little terrors. Liz saves the day with a hilarious twin switch which has the kids convinced Jess has magical powers. And Jess gets payback later in the form of water balloons 🎈. 4.5⭐️

Earth Day is coming up, & the 2nd grade class project is to restore a rundown area into a beautiful park. Rich Mr. Patman wants to turn it into a parking garage & make $. The kids‘ only hope is to try to get snobby Bruce Patman on their side. And of course, they do. Mr. P. sees all the hard work they did on the park & Bruce talks him into leaving it be. Cute and wholesome. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVK
#twins
#nostalgia

It‘s April 1st & the twins have decided to do something a little different this year. They usually do a twin switch every year & everyone expects it. Jess convinces Liz that this year, they shouldn‘t switch & just be themselves. Problem is nobody believes them. Liz has a very bad day as she continues to get mistaken for Jess & that means she gets punished for Jess‘s mistakes as well. This was a lot of fun. Poor Liz!

#SweetValley
#SVT

I really enjoyed reading this for #LittensLoveRomance - I‘m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, & they take it to a whole new level with their fake exes give advice podcast. Loved the ending. 4.5⭐️

I finally finished Strangers On A Train for #HitchToScreen - I‘d give it a soft pick & I really wish Goodreads did half stars. The movie, imo, is a masterpiece, & this is one of the instances where I think the movie is better than the book. My biggest gripe is that it‘s too long & dragged a lot. Guy is much more sympathetic in the movie. By the end of the book I was rooting for no one. Still, it‘s a great premise for a book. 3.5⭐️

I chose this retelling of Snow White & the huntsman for the #FairytaleReadingChallenge this month. It‘s book 4 in a series & I haven‘t read the others yet. Although there are things from the previous books referenced, it didn‘t detract from my enjoyment of the story & it can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this & plan on reading more in the series. 4⭐️

#retellings
#SnowWhite
#fairytale

Hello all! Up next for our #HitchToScreen buddy read is The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White. The movie is from 1938. We will have 6 weeks to read the book starting on Feb 1st. Read at your own pace and use the tag #HitchToScreen & don‘t forget to tag me. Anyone is welcome to join! Anyone who wants to be removed or added to the tag list, let me know. Happy reading! 🤗

#buddyread
#Hitchcock

This one was new to me & so adorable! The twins have to earn their own money if they want to go visit Great Aunt Helen, so they decide to start a dog-walking business. Jess shirks her responsibilities but Ken, who loves dogs but isn‘t allowed to have one, is thrilled to help. They get an opportunity to earn more money when Mr. Quincy brings his dog, Joe, for them to watch for a week. Joe is a Samoyed & is covered in cuts & bruises. The twins &⬇️

This is one of my favorite books & I try to reread it every few years. It starts in Switzerland in 1902, when Marta is 12. She is forced to drop out of school by her abusive father. She has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge & is very ambitious. She eventually ends up in California with her husband & children, & we follow the story of her daughter, Hildemara. Book 2 continues the story of her granddaughter, Carolyn. 5⭐️ Highly recommend.

Jace & I read these for #foodandlit this month. Strega Nona is set in Italy for #Jubilee - and the others are all set in The Netherlands. Strega Nona was very cute, and I also really liked The Hero of Little Street, which has no words but is quite the adventure when a little boy gets sucked into a 17th century painting in Holland. 🇮🇹🇳🇱

#Netherlands
#Italy
#childrensbooks

Patrick Morris has very strict parents who‘ve gotten even more strict lately. His parents forbid him to join the school band, so he practices the saxophone at Casa Wakefield in his free time. He makes the band but his parents still refuse to let him play. He decides to run away, & Winston & the twins help. Eventually he goes home & learns his dad lost his job, which is why they didn‘t want him joining the band. But all‘s well that ends well in SV.

Another solid entry in the Hamish Macbeth series. Although his romantic shenanigans do get a bit tiresome at times. He still has feelings for Priscilla, and he & Elspeth are never on the same page, as usual. But I love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#cozymysteries
#MCBeaton

I got way behind on my reviews last week! This one is all about Belinda “Billie” Layton, who is a tomboy at heart & loves playing sports. She‘s out of sorts because her mother is about to have a baby & her dad doesn‘t spend as much time with her anymore. Don‘t worry, Saint Liz will help! 😆

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyTwins
#SVT
#twins
#nostalgia

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this for #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad - I dunno about you guys but old Mombi here used to FREAK ME OUT when I was a kid, watching Return To Oz. The story in the movie is quite a bit different, but Mombi is an ever present evil throughout the book. I‘m amazed once again at the creativity of Mr. Baum & can only imagine what kids back then thought of these wonderful books. 5⭐️

I read every Freida McFadden book I could get my hands on last year. I really enjoy The Housemaid series. This is a novella set between books 2 & 3. It is Millie & Enzo‘s wedding day and someone is stalking Millie. Short & sweet & highly recommended if you enjoy The Housemaid series. 4⭐️

#FreidaMcFadden
#novella
#TheHousemaid

Book 27 in the Hamish Macbeth series is another pick. The murders are getting more and more creative, and this one had a couple of creepy children à la Agatha Christie. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries

Hamish kept me company all day yesterday as I cleaned the house and finally put the Christmas decorations away. 😆 Hamish along with Agatha Raisin are my comfort listens and I love both series. Highly recommended if you like cozy murder mysteries. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries

I tried to pace myself with this book & only read the required chapters for the week for the #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD but I could NOT put this book down! I‘m a huge fan of Old Hollywood & I loved seeing the main character interact with all of these famous people, right on the cusp of WWII. I read a lot of WWII fiction & this was from a new perspective that I hadn‘t thought about but really appreciate. I‘m also ready to dive into some more ⬇️

Book 25 in the Hamish Macbeth series is a good one. Hamish almost gets faux baby trapped at the altar. His love life is a mess as always. The murders in this book were particularly gruesome. Love this series. 4⭐️

#audiobook
#HamishMacbeth
#MCBeaton
#cozymysteries

The twins‘ grandparents send them silk orchids as a Valentine‘s Day present, so Jessica decides to start the Orchid Club with Lila & Ellen. But you have to have a silk orchid to join. Liz thinks they‘re snobs so she starts the Sunflower Club where anyone can join. Jess soon feels left out. This had a cute ending. Oh, to be a kid again. 4⭐️

#SweetValley
#SweetValleyKids
#SVT
#twins
#nostalgia

I chose this book set in Italy to celebrate #Jubilee for #foodandlit with Jace. This is a cute story about the history of pizza and Jace really enjoyed it. 4⭐️

🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹🍕🇮🇹

#Italy
#childrensbooks

I found some more books for Jace & I to read together for #foodandlit this month. This is an adorable story about a cat named Katje who lives with Nico, who works as a miller. Katje finds herself feeling left out when Nico marries and has a baby. Katje saves the day (and the baby!) when a dam bursts and there‘s a flood. 4.5⭐️

#Netherlands
#childrensbooks

I got behind last month on #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad so I spent Sunday morning catching up on this classic. I‘m a big fan of Oz in general & I‘ve only read the first book, so I‘m really looking forward to reading the whole series this year. I was thinking how mind blowing this book must have been for children when it came out in 1900. I love the magic of Oz. 5⭐️

Just a friendly reminder and check-in to everyone joining me for #HitchToScreen this month. We are about 2 weeks in & have til the end of the month to finish our current read, Strangers On A Train. I got way behind last month on doing a watch party for Jamaica Inn. If anyone is still interested in doing that, please let me know. Also, anyone is welcome to join & hop in anytime! If you want to be removed from the tag list, let me know. 🧡🧡🧡

It‘s been quite a year! I do keep track of everything, & I do mean everything, that I read. This year I read:
? 163 full-length novels
? 104 audiobooks
? 828 graphic novels
? 844 Jace‘s books
? 366 livres en français
? 68 Sweet Valley books
? 20 poetry books
? 6 art books
? 19 cookbooks
? 33 novellas/short stories
? 6 chunksters
? 133 Christmas books (including Jace‘s)

Here‘s to another year with lots of good books! ??

I‘m only a month late 😆 but I finally finished this book for #SheSaid - I really enjoyed it. It took awhile for me to get into it but once I got to the halfway mark I finished it in one sitting. I plan on checking out her other memoir, In My Own Moccasins. Thanks for organizing @Riveted_Reader_Melissa !

I‘m getting an early start on #foodandlit this month. I was scouring the internet for children‘s books set in the Netherlands that are for Jace‘s age range & this is the first one I found. It‘s a cute story but doesn‘t actually mention anything about the Netherlands. If anybody has any good recs let me know. 4⭐️🇳🇱

I‘m getting an early start on my Litsy required reading for the month. I‘ve never read this one before. It‘s interesting and did not end the way I expected it to. Thanks for organizing @TheBookHippie ! 4⭐️

#CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2025

Ok I wasn‘t sure of the best way to post this but I went back through all of the books I read this month to do the Winter Games word search. Good news is I read 114 books this month! I know the pics aren‘t very clear so if the powers that be need to see better pics let me know. I also have the breakdown of the words in each individual book in the notes app on my phone. Found 9,841 words for a total of 98,410 points. Happy New Year everyone!

I adore Moomin so I couldn‘t resist grabbing this cookbook for #foodandlit this month. There are cute illustrations and some good recipes. Can‘t go wrong with Moomin! 4⭐️ 50 points 🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮

#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons
#Moomin
#Finland
#cookbook

This cookbook was a dud. The recipes aren‘t very interesting and it desperately needs an editor because there are typos galore. No bueno. 2⭐️ 50 points

#FoodAndLit
#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons
#Finland

I chose this cookbook for #foodandlit this month. I‘m behind on posting my reviews because I was waiting until I had actually made a recipe to post. But life had other ideas & I‘ve been sick the past week. I plan on making a recipe for almond cookies from this cookbook tomorrow & will let you know how it goes. 🙃 3.5⭐️ 50 points

#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons

What better way to end the year‘s reading than with another Sweet Valley camp classic, Return of the Evil Twin?😆 I haven‘t read this as many times as the original but I still try to whip it out around Christmas every few years. This time Margo‘s long lost twin sister, Nora, makes her way to Sweet Valley & decides to make the Wakefield twins pay for “what they did to Margo”. And hatches a plot to steal Jessica‘s life & identity. Goes great with ⬇️

For #foodandlit this month I chose Evil Things, the 1st book in the Hella Mauzer crime series. It is set in 1952 Finland & Hella is a police officer sent to an isolated town on a missing persons case which turns into a murder case with Soviet spies & government coverups. Hella herself is very flawed, & although this book is rather dark & depressing at times, I enjoyed it & it had a satisfactory ending. 4⭐️ #Finland 🇫🇮

It would not be Christmas without crazy Margo & her diabolical plan to kill Liz & take over her identity. 😆 This is my all-time fave SV book & I realized I hadn‘t done a reread in 6 years. Blasphemy! I never get tired of this no matter how many times I read it. 5⭐️ 80 points

#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons
#SweetValley
#SweetValleyHigh
#SVH
#twins
#nostalgia
#Christmas

I listened to quite a few cutesy Christmas romances this month on Hoopla. Most of them were duds but this one was decent. I‘m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, what can I say. 3.5⭐️ 80 points

#WinterGames2024
#HolidayBookDragons
#audiobook
#Christmas
#romance

Unpopular opinion time: I tried to get into this one but couldn‘t. It gives Lewis Carroll writing Alice in Wonderland vibes (meaning he was definitely on something when he wrote this 😆). I‘m trying to clear out my currently reading shelf before New Year‘s Day so I had to bail on this one. But looking forward to next month‘s read for #ChildrensClassicRead2025 !

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our Litsy family! Love, Jen & Jace

❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️