#SelfImprovementSept #SelfHelpBook I don‘t tend to read self-help books, but I did read both of Marie Kondo‘s books on tidying. It helped me a lot. It‘s a work in progress, but I‘ve tamed the disasters that were my closets and drawers. @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#SelfImprovementSept #WhatYouLove #MuseumDay is almost here. Last year, we went to small natural history museum w/dinosaur exhibit. Lots of fun. Different museums participate from year to year. You have to sign up. Each person can bring one guest, so both my husband and I signed up so that one of us could bring our son. Definitely check it out. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day-2019/ @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#SelfImprovementSept #SomethingNew #Halloween So here are a few new decorations for fall/Halloween. Hadn‘t cared much about Halloween in years. Then my son was born. He loves going to the various stores to look at the Halloween displays. We make a special trip to Lowe‘s just for him. So now I find I am equally excited, and decorating (with some easy DIY) has definitely been good for my mental health. @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#SelfImprovementSept #flowers A day behind. I realized as I went outside to search for some flowers that I don‘t really have many. 😞 It‘s so hot in the summer and we struggle with mosquitoes, so I don‘t tend to bother with yard stuff much. The hydrangea is the only thing I‘ve personally planted and managed to keep alive. Maybe this fall I‘ll buy a mum. Definitely want to try container gardening next year. @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#SelfImprovementSept #hobby Over the years, I‘ve had different hobbies: long distance running, journaling, quilling, hiking, card making, etc. Besides reading, the hobby I‘ve done longest (for 25 years) is doll collecting. My focus has fluctuated over the years. For past 8 years, I‘ve focused mostly on limited ed Disney dolls. The funny thing is I didn‘t play much with dolls as a kid. I was a tomboy. 😂 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#BBRC #ER (Non-fiction) Bought this at Walmart during Back to School sales. For 97 cents, it‘s decent. It gives about two pages of info on the sun and all the planets except Earth (one page) and moon (one page). Has bullet list of interesting facts like how much a 100 lb child weighs on each planet, temp, average day length, etc. @LibrarianRyan

#BBRC #ER (Reader‘s Choice) We‘re a Star Wars house, and my 4 year old loves us to read him Star Wars books. Little Golden Books are fine, but these are shorter and can be used to teach him reading later on. I love the pictures and the glossy paper; most easy readers have matte paper. Title is pretty explanatory: BB-8 is saved by Rey and they become friends. Geared toward pre-k to K crowd. @LibrarianRyan

#BBRC #ER (Published Within Five Years) Pete has a great time when school gets closed for snow, but when the snow days pile up, he realizes he likes school even more than he thought. (Published Before 2000) Five stories about Frog and Toad‘s adventures. Toad is a bit gullible but Frog doesn‘t seem to mind, showing great patience. Nice stories about friendship that touch on themes of kindness, hard work, willpower, and bravery. @LibrarianRyan

#SelfImprovementSept READING GOALS: Been in a slump most of August, so my goals include keeping up on my reading schedule for Gardens of the Moon—a group read on FB—and catching up with my BBRC reading challenge. (Just added another goal: #agathachristieclubr2) @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#BBRC #ER (Popular TV Character) My son is a fan of Daniel. Every episode of the tv show and each book teaches the child how to deal with emotions and social situations. In this one, Daniel is so excited to go to the library‘s Story Time that he can‘t be still. His Dad teaches him how to calm himself. (The tv show uses songs to teach lesson.) When a friend acts up at Story Time, Daniel teaches him the technique. @LibrarianRyan

Last day of #ColormePretty. Secondary colors—green, purple, and orange—all present in one book cover. I love the Illustrated Harry Potter series. Goblet of Fire is out this year and then three more to go. ❤️ #HarryPotter @Sweetkokoro

(Day 30: Favorite color) I love sunrises and sunsets; I love autumn leaves; I love orange. Red is right up there, too. And boy do I love Conroy‘s THE PRINCE OF TIDES. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 29: Complementary Colors) Trelease‘s book is a gem. First part is a discussion of the research and filled with anecdotes. My personal input: Never stop reading to your kids. You think they‘ve outgrown it? They haven‘t. l read Dr. Seuss to high school students and Skippy Jon Jones to middle schoolers: They loved it. Last part is filled with great books for read-alouds. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 28: Pink & Green) True story, told with photographs, of a Kenyan baby hippo who lost his mother and pod during a 2004 tsunami. Alone and afraid, he attached himself to a 130 year old tortoise (Mzee) who had lived as a loner at an animal sanctuary. Inexplicably, Mzee accepted Owen, and they forged a bond. Such a sweet story. 😭 #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 27: Rainbow) (Letter R) RAINBOW SEA (not on Litsy, so I tagged one of his other books) is a beautiful book to look at with glittery paper inserts throughout. While the story isn‘t much to talk about, the book would be useful for pointing out aquatic vocabulary. Plus, it‘s just so darn pretty. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro #A2Z #BBRC @LibrarianRyan

(Day 26: Orange and Yellow) This is on my TBR. I bought it back when the ebook was on sale for a few dollars. The cover art just draws me in. I feel like even if I end up hating the book, I will want a physical copy of it (at a good price) because I think it is gorgeous. 😍 Anyone ever bought a book on cover art alone? Which book(s)? #ColormePretty #dragons @Sweetkokoro

(Day 25: Monochromatic) #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 24: Pink) It was such a struggle to find pink in my book collection. Marie‘s ribbon is pink. This is a beautiful coloring book. Sometimes I think the designs on some pages are a bit too busy, but I still love the pictures. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro #Disney #adultcoloringbook

(Day 23: Primary Colors) Radio Flyer, Dr. Seuss‘ Cat in the Hat, Curious George, and Berenstain Bears. All classics. ❤️ I will note that we prefer A TREASURY OF CURIOUS GEORGE (red book) over THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF CURIOUS GEORGE (yellow one). We found the original stories were way too long for bedtime. Each story was really enough material for three individual ones. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 22: White) THE SANTA CLAUS MAN is on my TBR—the cover has the following blurb: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York. (Sounds interesting.) #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 21: Pink and Purple) I struggled to find any pink books. I guess I just don‘t buy pink books. My son‘s book collection was a bit more promising. I had a copy of GUS WAS A FRIENDLY GHOST back in the 80s. Rat needs a place to stay and Gus is lonely. Rat starts out kind of a taker and tries to drive off the family who lives in house during warm months. Gus has to stop being so darn nice and lay down the law. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 20: Orange) Fatigue is setting in. Not even trying to take cute pictures. 😂 These are a few of a complete set of books from Disney Books by Mail from the early 90s. A friend bought my son the entire set plus the castle book ends for like 25 cents. We have a local thrift store that periodically charges a penny a book. These are cute and have added a dragon named Scales. #ColormePretty #Disney @Sweetkokoro

(Day 19: Tertiary Colors) I love Lois McMaster Bujold‘s Miles Vorkosigan series. Hugo/Nebula winning military sci-fi saga full of humor, adventure, and heart. THE WARRIOR‘S APPRENTICE is best place to start on Miles‘ journey. THE WITCH MUST DIE is an analysis of fairytales and their roles in children‘s lives. Haven‘t read GARDEN SPELLS yet. Rest are self-explanatory. #ColormePretty #VorkosiganSeries @Sweetkokoro

(Day 18: Black and Blue) Of coffee-table-sized books, I only have these two, Film Wizardry, and the Illustrated books (1-3 so far). Definitely want to add more to my HP collection. #ColorMePretty #PhotoChallenge #HarryPotter @Sweetkokoro

(Day 17: Cool Colors) The cool island colors of LOST. #ColorMePretty #LOST @Sweetkokoro

(Day 16:Yellow) These National Geographic Travelers were all picked up on various trips to #GreenValleyBookFair. While older editions and likely out-of-date on some information, these books have full-color pictures, maps, information on each country‘s history (ancient and modern), culture, etc. Major regions and their points of interest are listed. The pictures are gorgeous. #ColorMePretty @Sweetkokoro #NationalGeographic

(Day 15: Red and Black) HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON is one of my favorite animated movie franchises. This is a beautiful book full of concept art and commentary. #ColorMePretty #HowToTrainYourDragon @Sweetkokoro

(Day 14: Black) Couple days late and had to go outside in the sweltering southern evening to get any light. With exception of the archaeology book, all were picked up at the #GreenValleyBookFair in Mt. Crawford, VA, in the Shenandoah Valley. Been going there since I was a kid in the mid to late 80s. These days, it‘s a three hr trip one-way, but the prices make it is worth the drive. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Day 13: Green & Red) A collection of my son‘s Christmas books. I tried wrapping a bunch of them for book advent about two years ago. It looked great but took forever. I also felt like he missed out on them all month because some stayed wrapped until Dec 23 or 24. What is everyone‘s favorite holiday book? Any holiday. #Colormepretty #PhotoChallenge # Christmas #PictureBooks @Sweetkokoro

(Letter O) This is a cute book geared towards 5-9 year olds, teaching map skills as child explores public domain locations like Neverland, Oz, Wonderland, the Enchanted Forest, Aladdin‘s Kingdom, and the Giant‘s Kingdom. Each map is on a grid marked from A to H and 1-5 with a compass rose or a key, and you are given instructions to move around map, looking for hidden items. You‘ll use basic math skills. #BBRC #A2Z @LibrarianRyan

(Letter D) Loved this picture book about Waterhouse Hawkins. No one knew what dinosaurs looked like up until the mid-1800s when Hawkins created the first life-sized models of dinosaurs. When he was asked to come to NYC, tragic events unfolded, but Waterhouse rose above disappointment and went on to build dinosaurs for places like the Smithsonian. Fascinating read. Do yourself a favor and google his name. #BBRC #A2Z #dinosaurs @LibrarianRyan

(Day 12: CMYK) Cheated a little on yellow: it‘s a Smash journal. I haven‘t read the Christopher Milne book yet, but it and his THE ENCHANTED PLACES are on my TBR. I loved THE PRYDAIN series as a kid, so I feel like a reread is in order. I went back and recently watched Disney‘s THE BLACK CAULDRON—that was one dark film. What with THE RESCUERS and FOX AND THE HOUND, Disney in the 80s was not for the faint of heart. #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

(Letter S) This is a favorite in our house. A snail with “an itchy foot” doesn‘t listen to the other snails and instead seeks out adventure, tagging along with a humpback whale. When something bad happens, the tiny snail proves size doesn‘t have anything to do with being a hero. There are colorful pictures of diverse areas on Earth from tropical islands to icebergs. It‘s a great vocabulary builder for younger children. ❤️#BBRC #A2Z @LibrarianRyan

(Letter H) This picture book is about a baby dragon and his mom who seeks out food for him. A humorous play on the children‘s song “Hush Little Baby,” here are a few of my favorite verses: “Here she comes with a fresh magician. Don‘t mind the taste—he‘s good nutrition . . . If Mama finds a mean old queen, Honey, you are lucky—that‘s good cuisine!” If you love dragons, give this a try. #BBRC #A2Z @LibrarianRyan

(Day 11: Red) (Letter Z) Jon J. Muth illustrated and wrote books teaching concepts in Buddhism. In ZEN GHOSTS, panda Clearwater tells a ghost story that is also a koan, a story or riddle that cannot be solved through intellect but instead through intuition. In ZEN SHORTS, Clearwater tells three stories to help three children reassess beliefs or behaviors. The illustrations are gorgeous. ❤️#ColorMePretty @Sweetkokoro #BBRC #A2Z @LibrarianRyan

(Day 10: Orange & Black) (Letter L) First thing that came to mind when I thought orange & black, besides tigers, was Halloween. And when I think Halloween, I think the Headless Horseman. This edition has the original Irving text, but Gris Grimly illustrates it. (FYI, I couldn‘t find the Grimly ed in drop-down box.) #ColormePretty #PhotoChallenge #HeadlessHorseman #SleepyHollow #GrisGrimly @Sweetkokoro #BBRC #A2Z @LibrarianRyan

(Day 9: Blue) Books by a few of my favorite authors. Only book I haven‘t read is The Neverending Story, one of my favorite childhood movies. It‘s on the TBR, though. #ColormePretty #PhotoChallenge @Sweetkokoro

(Day 8: Analogous) Part of my writing book collection. Haven‘t written much in years, but I still like collecting books and reading a few. Like others, I didn‘t know what analogous colors meant. Now I do. 😀 #ColorMePretty #PhotoChallenge #RorysStoryCubes @Sweetkokoro

(Day 7: Gold) A few of my adult coloring books. My mom has colored for years (she says it helps calm her), so I was excited when adult coloring books became a big thing. It became so much easier to find some for her. I liked these and bought a few for myself. Haven‘t colored in them yet. Really beautiful just for the artwork. #ColormePretty #Photochallenge #JohannaBasford #adultcoloringbooks @Sweetkokoro

(Day 6:Warm Colors) Orange and red are two of my favorite colors, and I collect tigers—orange ones preferably. I haven‘t read Elantris yet (on my TBR). If you like mysteries and want a fun late Victorian/Edwardian series set in Egypt with a delightful squabbling couple and their precocious son, read the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. #ColormePretty #PhotoChallenge @Sweetkokoro

(Day 5: Grey) I had a hard time finding grey, but then I remembered these gems. Kay helped Tolkien‘s son edit The Silmarillion. Then Kay wrote his own High Fantasy trilogy. These may not be for everyone, but if you love beautiful prose and can handle heartbreak when favorite characters die—and they will die—you may like these. If not, try his later work. #ColormePretty #PhotoChallenge #fantasy @Sweetkokoro

(Day 4: Red, White, and Blue) A day late, but we went to friends‘ home for the 4th. These are some of my Disney books. I have a modest collection, but my wish list is growing. Anyone have any recommendations? @Sweetkokoro #ColormePretty #PhotoChallenge #Disney #redwhiteblue

(Day 3: Brown) I bought my husband the Making of series by Rinzler because he‘s a huuuuge Star Wars fan. Guess who ended up reading them? They are really interesting. And, as a bonus, if someone breaks into my house, I could kill the person with one blow. These books are crazy heavy. #ColormePretty #photochallenge #StarWars @Sweetkokoro

(Day 2: Green)This is one of my oldest books. To this day, I love archers in books and film, and it‘s all because of this book and Disney‘s foxy hero. ;) #ColormePretty @Sweetkokoro

Finished this book while sitting on my basement stairwell—what better place to read a Stephen King novel? Haven‘t read King in decades but always meant to read this. The ending wrecked me. I feel like if I had read this in my 20s, I would have shed some tears and moved on. At 45, death seems so much closer. I‘ve always felt his best work showed that the true monsters aren‘t supernatural but are, instead, we humans and what we do to each other.

I‘ve never bought a book at the airport—too expensive—but I read an article a couple weeks ago that said Paradies Lagardère-owned airport shops in US and Canada will buy back a book (50% back) within 6 months of your buying it. Any condition and all you need is the receipt. #bookwormbingo

Found signed copy of #Pachinko at local #Goodwill for $1. Didn‘t know it was signed till I got it home. (Her signature was upside down on page.) While I have never bothered to stand in line to get a book signed by author, it is still cool to think #MinJinLee touched this book . . . my book. What about everyone else? Ever found a signed book at a yard sale? Thrift store? Author signed in person? What‘s your story? #signedbook #thriftbookfind

My first Litsy post. 💕 Using BORN FREE as my first book for #MayScavengerHunt. Author born on my birthday (January 20th); more than 300 pages; a character dies; made into a movie; and written by an author from different country. #MayMadness @Clwojick @RadicalReader @TheReadingMermaid