Finally getting back on the #BookishMonopoly bandwagon. Yay! For this month, I rolled a lucky 7 and Snoopy landed on “Bookshelf #1.” After perusing this packed shelf, I chose my first Pat Conroy read. Looking forward to learning about the books that inspired this acclaimed novelist.
Thanks @AkashaVampie for hosting this fun and creative challenge.🤗 Glad to join my cool comrade players @Jari-chan and @ElizaMarie again.🎲

I‘m back for February #BookSpin! This list caters to every mood and then some. 😁 Yay to our coolest challenge organizer @TheAromaofBooks ❤️

This book title lured me in 8 years ago when it first came out & I finally read it.😅 It‘s slow in parts, but filled with many laughs about our most beloved (and also meh) books. And who doesn‘t love a Gen X librarian with a wicked sense of humor. Extra bonus: much fodder on celebrity memoirs and of course Ray Bradbury‘s dystopian classic.🔥
Trivia Question: How do you pronounce the title: Four-Five-One or Four-Fifty-One? See below👇🏻

What a delightful #memoir from this classy, elegant & inspiring actress from Hollywood‘s Golden Age! Sophia, now 90, survived severe poverty growing up in wartime Italy & stood up to movie moguls who wanted to change her look. Not a tell-all, just sweet stories about her films, deep friendships with her leading men & her devotion to family. Loved learning she was once a lead character in an Italian magazine‘s sultry live pictorial novelization.

More oldies but goodies from my beloved Mom‘s book shelves. She loved these epic family sagas and romance novels. Do you remember any of these?

Been going through my beloved Mom‘s book collection today and found quite a few memoirs and biographies. I have a feeling many of these will wind up on my TBR list. 🤩📚

Merry Christmas dear friends! I‘m surrounded by fur babies this week. Frenchie Bowie isn‘t happy when I‘m reading Anna K. Black Lab Kona isn‘t crazy about posing for pix and my sweet Frost is just chillin!
Thx for all your letters & for being in my life. You are my most treasured gifts.
Still trying to catch up on #LitsyLove mail…thx for your patience.🤪
Here‘s to peace, joy and more great reads and memoirs in 2025! ✌🏻❤️🎄
#KareninaWinter

Loved learning about another side of Elvis, the caring Dad who adored his only daughter. Lisa Marie inherited that nurturing side as we hear sweet stories from her daughter. This audiobook is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Loved hearing the history of Graceland too. I visited there the same month Elvis passed and got to walk the front grounds and see the hundreds of flower arrangements. One from Ann-Margret was shaped like a guitar. 5⭐️‘s

So happy to be back on the #BookSpin Bandwagon! Included both my chunkiest and thinnest books plus a few holiday classics. Let the spinning begin!
@TheAromaofBooks 🤗🎰🎯📚

Very inspiring bio focusing on the spiritual life of actor and activist Martin Sheen. These are some of the religious figures who influenced the awakening of Martin‘s faith. He certainly turned his life around. What a kind, passionate and caring human being who stands up for what he believes in-no matter what. Now I want to binge-watch The West Wing and Grace and Frankie!

Okay, I‘m learning to tolerate squirrels more after reading this cute classic. Even if they do sabotage my bird feeders.😆 I was more fascinated to learn about author Burgess who adored nature & spent his writing life teaching children to appreciate all wildlife. He wrote more than 170 books! Plus he was big on conservatism and helped pass laws to protect migrating wildlife.🙌🏻
Thx @TheBookHippie for another great read!
#ChildrensClassicRead2024

Love Anne Lamott! Her faith-infused essays and honest outlook on life are always healing for the soul and just what I needed to read. Although this moving book was published in 2014, Anne‘s life lessons on grief, forgiveness, community, friendship and grace still hit home.
And yes, Anne‘s words even got Frost‘s attention! 😸
#AnneLamottRocks!

Just a little memoir humor 😁🤭🥴

This was my first experience reading Dracula in “real time,” on the day each diary entry and letter was written. It‘s the cool & creative idea of Matt Kirkland who rearranged the original book in strict chronological order. I already love this epistolary classic, but this reread was particularly fun. I kept picturing my favorite movie Draculas-the mesmerizing Bela Lugosi and creepy Gary Oldman in the provocative 1992 film version.

This memoir is close to my heart since Connie helped pave the way for women journalists like me. She faced egotistical coanchors, racial remarks & discrimination in the boys club of Broadcast News. “It was common for viewers to scrutinize a woman‘s appearance on the air, while men were allowed to be bald, fat and ugly.” 🤭 But she persisted & succeeded! She was also a role model for many immigrant families who named their daughters after her. 🙌🏻

What a sweet and empowering book! It's so refreshing during these uncertain times to meet Rowana, an uplifting young girl who radiates an abundance of positive energy and invites us to see the world as she does-full of possibilities and adventure! I also adored the gorgeous illustrations and diversity on every page. Kudos to author (and my friend!) Mary-Lauri for introducing us to such a positive and enthusiastic role model for our kids.

How cool that author Lynda Cohen Loigman based her wonderful octogenarian protagonist on her husband‘s great-grandmother. All you need are some colorful relatives to help create such a feel-good read with plenty of laughs and twists! I also loved Aunt Esther, the homeopathic apothecary who shakes up the conservative 1920‘s town with her mystical remedies. What fun!
Thanks @PurpleyPumpkin for gifting me this #BOTM gem. 🤗❤️

In case you‘re wondering what has become of your bookish friend and pen pal “UwannaPublishme,” she has decided to retire from the writing world and is embracing the literary genre that has been her favorite all along: celebrity memoirs and biographies. Especially since there are so many more deliciously exciting ones coming out this month.
#namechange
#LitsyLove

Dear Litsy & #LitsyLove friends: My beautiful 94-yr-old Mom passed away on Sept. 3rd, so I haven‘t been here for awhile. Mom taught me to be an avid reader & she was always happy to attend any & all book shows & author events. Reading has been helping me thru this tough time along with all your letters, cards and prayers. Thank you for being there. I‘ve missed you! I‘ll be answering a huge pile of letters and posting again soon. Hugs to all! 🤗❤️

These are a few of my favorite things…🎶
🤩🙌🏻

This quote says it all! I adore Harvey and this moving memoir. And listening to his distinct voice on the audiobook made it even more meaningful. So many touching stories about the many Broadway plays he wrote & starred in as well as his activism for gay rights and the many hard lessons he learned along the way. Sad that I never got to see him live on stage in La Cage aux Folles or Hairspray. But I did treat myself to his autographed book.☺️

It‘s a new month tomorrow? How did that happen? 😳 At least I somehow managed to read 5 books in July. Here‘s my August #BookSpin list.
Happy Reading to all! 🤓📖
@TheAromaofBooks

LOVE this engaging bio from another May fan like me! Elaine, now 92, certainly paved the way for today‘s female filmmakers & directors. Back in her day, she was the writer everyone called to fix a weak script. And if it weren‘t for this “Godmother of Improv Comedy,” TV shows like Saturday Night Live wouldn‘t exist! Kudos to May for her resilience & to the author for her thorough research & compelling prose. 😍🙌🏻
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

I love the premise of this series: protect & defend librarians, libraries & our right to read. But it scares & appalls me that censorship & book banning are still on the rise. Let‘s do what we can to “win the war on information, one book at a time.” (Vote!)
It‘s also my first #manga and first time reading in original Japanese format: right to left. Glad it came with instructions!☺️
Thanks @iread2much for this great gift
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

A new Anne Tyler novel coming next year: Feb 11! Woo hoo! 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 It‘s about a socially-awkward mother of the bride who attempts to navigate the days before and after her daughter‘s wedding. Time to pre-order!
#AnneTyler
#NewRelease

Best Book of the Year for me! 🤩🙌🏻 A page-turning memoir with a bonus history lesson on the 60s. Imagine going thru 300+ boxes of memorabilia, diaries & archives from this pivotal era and listening to personal & impactful stories by this historian author & her husband who worked closely with such top political figures as JFK, LBJ, MLK and RFK. The parallels between the 60s and our current decade are mind-blowing!
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

If you‘re a Succulent Wild Woman-raise your hand!🙋🏻‍♀️I‘ve always loved SARK & her invitation to live an authentic, juicy life & celebrate our marvelousness! Had this book since 1997. Then SARK added 4 new chapters & gave us the 25th Anniversary Edition. Finally read them both! Now I‘m ready to honor my wildness, dance with my wonder-full self & celebrate my gorgeous friendships with all my succulent friends. How about you?💃🏻
#LitsyLoveReads

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for July. I added a few library holds since they all came in at once. 🤦🏻‍♀️
Happy Reading to all!
And Happy Summer to you, Sarah! 🤗
@TheAromaofBooks

I felt quite nostalgic after revisiting this book from my childhood for #BookishMonopoly. True, it was quirky and predictable, but I loved that it was set in Hollywood and thereabouts. As Donna Parker discovered all the popular sites in California, it reminded me of this Donna‘s memories of first moving here. I even found a pressed flower within the pages.
Happy reading to our awesome host @AkashaVampie and fellow player @Jari-chan 🤓🎲📖

Now that I‘ve read this enjoyable fantasy, I can‘t help staring at my mother-in-law‘s cuckoo clock, wondering if Griselda is in there playing with that wise and enchanting bird! This charming book warmed my heart and stirred my fascination with this intricate timepiece. 🕰️
#ChildrensClassicRead2024
And yes, @TheBookHippie , I‘d love to know more of your opinion on the Mrs. We may need to read her bio. 😉

I adore Rita Moreno and this book! She‘s one tough cookie, putting up with stereotypic roles & industry BS. Now at 92, EGOT Rita is still working, calling her own shots and regarded as one of the kindest Hollywood icons. She‘s renowned for her role as Anita, but I also loved her inside stories about The Ritz, The King & I, The Electric Co, seeing MLK deliver his “Dream” speech, & her complicated affair with Brando.❤️‍🩹
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

It‘s #BookishMonopoly time! I rolled an 8 and Snoopy landed on “Bookshelf #4.” At first glance of this particular shelf of my TBR bookcase, I chose this 1961 children‘s classic. I loved reading this series when I was a kid. Especially since the protagonist and I share the same name. 😁
Thanks again to @AkashaVampie for hosting this creative and fun challenge, and comrade player @Jari-chan 🤗
Who else wants to play? 🎲

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for June! So happy to read 5 books in May, so I could add a few new TBRs this time. Happy June and Happy Reading! 🤓📚☀️🏖️
Happy almost Summer Sarah @TheAromaofBooks

This was a tough read, but also an inspiring one. Pamela put up with a lot…abuse, media slurs, unscrupulous people & some very outrageous men. Still, she persevered. She found much solace & courage in a variety of spiritual books. I had no idea she was such an avid reader or that she appeared on stage as Roxy in Chicago. Loved the stories about her sons & her empowering posse of friends.
Thanks @catiewithac for the gift of this moving memoir.🤗❤️

Don‘t Mess with Angelique! Loved this character but she sure scared me when I ran home to watch DS & saw those bewitching eyes. 👀This 1st essay wasn‘t my favorite. Ballet analogy? Angelique stirred up big trouble when anyone came between her & her true love Barnabas, which made the show!Thrilled when Lara Parker wrote her riveting steamy novels but so sad when she passed last year.
#buddyread
#hometoshadows
@rubyslippersreads @tpixie @CatLass007

“Reading by Candlelight” for #BookishMonopoly is quite a sensory experience! Seeing the pages in soft light, hearing the flicker of the flame, feeling the crisp pages & smelling the fragrant candle.🕯️I didn‘t realize reading by candlelight could be so calming & peaceful, especially with inspiring stories & quotes by Jim Henson & friends.
Fave candle scent: Market Square: a sweet blend of gardenia and tuberose.
@AkashaVampie
@Jari-chan

Entertaining memoir by popular child actor who starred in a ton of TV shows. He worked with greats like Lucille Ball & Paul Newman. Barry, now 70, credits his baldness for helping him shed his nerdy kid persona & land more current roles as a shrewd villain or lawyer. 😁 Filled with memorable stories & fun trivia: They‘d put peanut butter behind his ears so Tramp the dog would lick his face on cue!
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyLoveReads

Repost from @rubyslippersreads Come join us!
Any Littens with fond memories of Dark Shadows? We are starting a #buddyread of the tagged book, and we‘d be thrilled to have you join us for our journey back to Collinwood.

We‘re starting today with the Foreword by DS actress Kathryn Leigh Scott and Introduction by the author. A chapter a day after that, but please feel free to jump in at any time. 🦇

#hometoshadows #TheresNoPlaceLikeCollinwood

These albums changed my life and rocked my world. (Yes, I‘m showing my age!)
1. Tapestry by Carole King
2. The Good Book by Melanie
3. Graceland by Paul Simon

#ThreeListThursday
#TLT
@dabbe

I always feel better about life when I read Anne Lamott‘s beautifully crafted words. She‘s “a woman of faith and crazy optimism,” and struggles like us trying to make sense of the crazy world we live in. This time Anne gives us profound stories centered around love. Her chapter on community made me appreciate Litsy and our #LitsyLove group even more. “Love is nearby…if you know what to look for. Love is always there for the asking…always…somehow.”

I really enjoyed this compelling historical novel about the conversion of the Roman soldier who won Jesus‘ mystical robe in a dice game at the crucifixion. What helped make the insanely long chapters more palatable & the story more inspiring? 1. Being already familiar with the film & 2. Sharing the experience with the #RandomClassics buddy read group. Now I need to watch the movie again & its sequel about Demetrius. Thx Sarah!🤗
@TheAromaofBooks

It‘s time for this month‘s #BookishMonopoly! I rolled a nine again and landed on “Read By Candlelight.” Not sure where I found this prompt! 🤓📖🕯️I thought I‘d go with more wisdom from Jim Henson and The Muppets. It‘s been on my TBR for awhile. Thanks again to @AkashaVampie for inspiring me to take on this challenge and to fellow player @Jari-chan
Now I need to search around for some candles!

I listened to one of the 1st Zoom talks in 2020 with Isabel about this powerful book. It‘s part memoir but mostly a tribute to the resilience of women. What feeds a woman‘s soul? “To be safe, to be valued, to live in peace, to have their own resources, to be connected, to have control over their bodies and their lives, and above all, to be loved.”
I wish I could hand this book to any women young or old who still believes voting isn‘t important.

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for May! Just added a few more books that are gathering the most dust on my TBR shelves. 🤓📚
@TheAromaofBooks

When this classically trained singer teamed up with this guitarist & future husband, who knew they would rule the 80s & create an explosion in rock music with 4 Grammys, 15 top hits & vocals that knocked you off your feet! Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo truly ROCK! 40+ years later, they‘re still touring! Pat certainly paved the way for female rockers, standing strong in a misogynistic industry. She was also the first female artist played on MTV!👇🏻

Here‘s an adorable picture book about a boy who is resistant to any change in his routine…until he sees how much fun a little diversion can be! This is my #FavoriteAuthor Anne Tyler‘s 2nd children‘s book. It also marks the completion of my longtime quest to read all of Anne‘s books: 24 novels, 2 kid‘s books and 2 short stories made into ebooks. What a joy ride! Now I‘m ready for Anne to publish a new one!🤓📖
@AkashaVampie
#BookishMonopoly

Saw this in a Book Riot newsletter & had to share! You can read epistolary novel Dracula by Bram Stocker in real time! Starts May 3. And it‘s free! Details here: https://draculadaily.substack.com/p/dracula-daily-starts-in-two-weeks-24c?utm_ca...

I laughed, I cried, I cheered and I wanted more! All the ingredients for an enchanting read. Oh and let‘s not forget all that Dolly Parton fanfare. Loved it all! 🙌🏻
Too bad it only took me 3 years to finally read this gift book from @Sleepswithbooks 🙈🕸️
#BookSpin #DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Wow! Thank you so much Misty, Andrew and Lynn for this wonderful package. You sent the best stickers and #LitsyLove swag! And those cool cassette earrings! Love it all! Let‘s see if my beautiful new #LitsyLove notebook will help me finally get organized. ☺️
#LitsyLove Rocks!
Hugs to you all for everything you do! 🤗🤗🤗
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude @Read4life

Took a little break tonight to dive into this whimsical book guaranteed to hydrate your mermaid soul. What fun! Stunning artwork as well as comical and sage advice for all areas of life. My fave tip: “Hang on to your integrity and misbehave with dignity.” 😊