Was this a cheesy story? A bit, yes. Was it also a good, fun distraction? Also, yes.

I read a review of this story somewhere and was happy to see it available through the Libby app. Two people meet through a dating app and are both obsessed with a newlywed game show. When the show gets a reboot, they decide to pose as newlyweds to fulfill a dream of being on the show. What could possibly go wrong???

#52BookClub25 #AudiobookHasMultipleNarrators

It‘s time for our #ChristiesCapers discussion! I have 6 questions as spoilers posted; you can find these on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

Next month, we read the second Hercule Poirot novel, Murder on the Links. I‘ll post the official image tomorrow! #AgathaChristieClubR3

March‘s #LiteraryCrew selection aligns perfectly with the Ides of March…Julius Caesar, Rome, and politics.

For this low key #BuddyRead , read at your own pace throughout the month, and discussion questions will be posted on March 31st. I‘ll post periodic check ins throughout the month.

Please let me know if you would like added to or removed from the tag list.

Tomorrow (Sunday) is our next #ChristiesCapers discussion! Get ready to spend some time discussing Tommy and Tuppence and the Young Adventurers Ltd.

I‘ll post questions mid- to late-morning, US East Coast time. See you then! #AgathaChristieClubR3

A slow meander through a fictional look at the start of Hollywood, with a sprinkling of nostalgia for the silent film industry. Doreen O‘Dare is the fictionalized portrayal of Colleen Moore, a silent film actress and the creator of the Fairy Castle. Reading this book makes me want to watch silent films! A good choice for #SundayBuddyRead .

#LitsyAToZ #LetterF #52BookClub25 #IThinkItWasBlue

#5JoysFriday

1. Fun book haul from Barnes and Noble
2. I received my federal tax return without issue. HUGE relief! And, because of this…
3. Making contributions to the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, my local PBS station, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the National Parks Foundation.
4. Zeke is feeling better!
5. IRL book club

I enjoyed the first half of this short novel; the second half was not so much. I previously struggled the last time with Conan Doyle‘s telling of past events in America, and this one left me feeling similarly. I guess I‘m all about Holmes‘s deductions and not reading about the lawless American West through the eyes of Conan Doyle!

So-so for me, but this checks off #LetterV #LitsyAToZ and #InThePublicDomain #52BookClub25 ! #NoPlaceLikeHolmes

A fun mystery with eccentric characters but also deeper layers of meaning and subtext. I think Judith Potts is a hoot! I loved the construction of the mystery—you kind of know who did it, but not how, and then a twist. I‘ll definitely read more in the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this advanced listening copy…

Jeanne de Clisson is a forgotten real life figure during the Hundred Years‘ War—because she was a woman. And yet, she was fierce. A noblewoman set on revenge against the murder of her husband by the king. Legends abound, but she became a pirate and later retired to the English countryside.

This historical fiction account imagines her life, using rumor to play up her notoriety. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I met a friend for lunch today, and we then went to the local Barnes and Noble after. I‘ve not been inside my local store since before 2020, so was amazed by the transformation (so much better layout) and the number of people shopping. Books are powerful!

I splurged heavy—book therapy is a thing—and walked away with these gems plus another copy of the Constitution, because it‘s good to have on hand. Free tote too with my membership!

“The cruel of heart have their own black happiness.”

Yes, yes they do. Life has not changed Mr. Hugo. #ReadLesMis

We‘re a little halfway through the month, so time to check in for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead . A few have bailed, and others are enjoying it. Any thoughts to share with the group?

Discussion will be posted on the 28th, but feel free to respond whenever you can…this one is a chunkster!

As a reminder, our March title is I Am Livia by Phyllis T Smith. Official reminder will be posted soon!

Reminder: The next #ChristiesCapers discussion is next Sunday the 23rd! I‘ll post discussion questions, and feel free to respond whenever you can!

This is the first Tommy and Tuppence mystery, and judging by those who have already posted, it appears to be a popular pick. #AgathaChristieClubR3

Can you believe we‘re now up to book 17?!?

March‘s #NancyDrewBR follows Nancy on a trip—if you read the 1940 version, it‘s South America, and the 1976 version is the Netherlands. I think there must be a mystery surrounding a brass-bound trunk…😂

Discussion on March 15th! Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the tag list. Can‘t wait to see what amazing skills Nancy has this time, #LittenDetectives !

It‘s time for our #NancyDrewBR discussion, #LittensDetectives ! There are 6 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

I posted later than I had hoped—Zeke is doing better & is always hungry. Yay he‘s better, but I‘m pretty tired! 😂

Any other thoughts to share on the book, post below. Our next is The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk (very different editions). More tomorrow!

I finally made my February #BookSpinBingo board!

And, for the first time ever, I had a bingo on my board. January turned out to be a good reading month for me.

Tomorrow is the day for our next #NancyDrewBR discussion, #LittenDetectives ! Did our heroine solve the tapping noise? What‘s up with the cats? Depending upon the version read, it should be a good discussion.

I‘ll post questions under spoiler tags early tomorrow morning!

#5JoysFriday

1. My boys…always! Recent pictures!
2. Chocolate covered strawberries
3. Litsy, for giving me focus with wonderful people
4. Finished most of my taxes (not my local tax) and am hoping for my refunds to come without issue
5. My love for history and the knowledge that no matter how hard one tries, one can NEVER silence the truth.

I‘ve missed the past couple of weeks of joys, as, to be honest, I‘m struggling….

Once again, Nancy has two mysteries to solve—a tapping noise in a house of a woman whose also had a number of Persian cats stolen (and let me just say, I cannot begin to imagine the litter box smell in the garage from the large number of Persians there). Nancy faces danger, and Bess plays Cupid. Secrets galore in this one. A fast read.

And please, let Bess eat the cake! #NancyDrewBR

I‘m guessing this sentence did not appear in the original 1939 edition: “‘That would be groovy.‘” 😂

#NancyDrewBR

#MentalHealthMonday checkin!

1. If I ignore the news, things are good today. Overall, though, I‘m feeling tired…so much stress and uncertainty. Sigh..,

2. When I remember, meditation. Taking breaths and trying to ground myself, especially when my anxiety flares up. I‘m also trying to eat better—less chocolate, more almonds!

3. I think any space to talk about mental health, no matter the topic, is beneficial. ❤️

Here we go… #HashtagBrigade

I‘m currently listening to the tag, and I think I found a new favorite word: fopdoodle.

Fopdoodle means a simpleton or a fool and went out of style a long time ago. I know a few people who are fopdoodles…maybe it‘s time to bring it back??? I do see it is in pop culture already…

Image from Green‘s Dictionary of Slang online. OED‘s definition was behind a paywall, so I had to look elsewhere.

Yet another inspiration for Hester from The Scarlet Letter, #LiteraryCrew ! I am very unfamiliar with this case, as most are today, and this is the first time I‘ve seen the name Sarah Cornell linked with Hawthorne and his works. It certainly did not appear in any research I did for our discussion last month!

Though the ending seemed a bit rushed and not as smoothly written as the rest of the book, I‘m still giving this a pick. The quirky characters reminded me a bit of M.C. Beaton‘s Hamish Macbeth series and Lochdubh—if you like that series, try this one.

I liked Ally and would love to see the malt house she renovated and made into a B&B. Good mystery with red herrings. I‘d read another in the series. #52BookClub25 #WrittenInThirdPerson

It was so delightful to read the entire juvenilia canon by Austen! One can easily tell how she builds her craft, from silly stories to more well-structured story lines. My favorite was her take on British history, as told through her bias slant of the monarchs. Not exactly accurate, but it was incredibly fun to read!

She also #BreaksTheFourthWall a couple of times in her writings, so I could check that prompt off for #52BookClub25 !

I love playing with the graphics on The Storygraph and Bookmory!

I completed 14 books in January, plus one carryover from 2024. Overall, a good reading month!

1. I feel like every week for the foreseeable future will feel like some sort of a dystopian tale…and I‘m more of a Catherine Morland than a Katniss-type heroine (unlikely heroine not from a dystopian realm vs a heroine who is). One day at a time…

2. Tired but here! Currently holding a cat, so I feel great!

3. I have a couple of book group meetings this week, so that will be fun!

#MentalHealthMonday

I had my after dinner chores completed earlier than usual, so I was able to participate in the #hyggehourreadathon tonight. With my weighted blanket and Vladimir, I read a bit more of Jane Austen‘s teenage writings (the Jane Austen House is hosting a virtual discussion of this on Tuesday). So interesting to see her writing evolve!

Current candle burning is Yankee Candle‘s Sicilian Lemon. My mood is relaxed at the moment.

#Vladimir #CatsOfLitsy

I struggle with this series, and yet the cupcakes keep me coming back. This is book 7–some this far have been good, others not so much. This one I really did not like.

This one focuses more on the personal lives of Mel and Angie rather than the mystery. A woman who looks like Angie is killed at a zombie walk. It‘s pretty obvious Angie was the target (it‘s related to an ongoing situation from the prior 2 books…I‘m going to be as spoiler free ⬇️⬇️

And just like that, we‘re two weeks away from our next #NancyDrewBR discussion, #LittenDetectives !

Has anyone tapped their way into this month‘s reading yet? I have it slated to read next weekend. I‘m not graceful, so no tap dancing at my house (unless you count my cats tripping me and making me tap dance to stay upright!).

Looking forward to our discussion!

The February #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead choice is this chunkster by Charlotte Bronte. @Deblovestoread posted her daily reading schedule, in case anyone wishes to also divide this into manageable chunks!

Discussion questions will be posted on February 28th, but it‘s perfectly fine to participate whenever you wish!

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, please let me know!

I wanted to squeeze in one more #AuldLangSpine book, and I was so excited this was on @BarbaraJean ‘s list. True story: I chose to meet DiCamillo over Judy Blume (they were signing at the same time, and I had such a book hangover from reading The Tale of Despereaux).

I loved this one! Lots of fun quotes that remind one to keep hope and that love endures. It‘s sentimental and magical, and the illustrations by Sarda are exquisite.

So lovely!

Thanks for the tag, @DebinHawaii !

1. My boys…always! Photo yesterday of all 4 letting me know it was dinner time.
2. Pride and Prejudice day and an amazing webinar by Jane Austen‘s House in Chawton
3. American Dream Nut Butter—current flavor I‘m devouring is Franken Butter Peanut Butter
4. I discovered Anthony Horowitz has a new Susan Ryeland book coming out!
5. Litsy…thank you!

#5JoysFriday

It‘s time for our discussion, #LiteraryCrew ! There are 9 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag. Mixed reviews on this one, so I‘m interested to see your thoughts!

Next month‘s book is Charlotte Bronte‘s Villette; the reminder will be posted tomorrow.

Thanks for joining this #BuddyRead !