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.” 😊

I love Pippi Longstocking and wanted to be just like her. I still do! She‘s a rule-breaker, she‘s outrageous, she‘s fearless, she‘s self-sufficient and she has a kind and generous heart. This is the 2nd book in the series & just as much fun as the first. Only this time, we get to meet Pippi‘s almost as strong and equally outlandish seafaring Dad.
Thanks @TheBookHippie for bringing Pippi back into my reading life.😍📖
#ChildrensClassicRead2024

Perfect message for today…and every day 🙌🏻
Sending hugs to all my bookish friends and #LitsyLove pen pals.
(Yes, I‘m still answering Feb and March mail! 🤦🏻‍♀️💌)
Love this cool calendar from @PurpleyPumpkin
#ThinkPositiveBePositive

It‘s a new month and time for #BookishMonopoly!
I rolled a 9 and landed on “Fave Author.” My all-time favorite is Anne Tyler and I‘ve read all her books—except this one. It‘s a children‘s books she published in 2005 with illustrations by her daughter, Mitra Modarressi.
Thanks again for hosting this cool challenge
@AkashaVampie

Thank you @Soubhiville for sending me this cool book and helping to add more “cozy” to my reading life.
The tagline is perfect:
“You like tea. I like books. Care to open a shop and forget the world exists?“
You are the sweetest, my friend!🤗
#LitsyLove

I learned so much about the brilliant Jim Henson and all of his creative ventures in this compressive and fascinating bio. What an impact he made in the TV & film industries. I even got to meet Jim and visit the incredible NYC Muppet HQ back in the day. Whenever he was starting a project, his mantra was always: “Let‘s do something to make the world a better place.” He left us too soon.😢
#BookishMonopoly
@AkashaVampie

It‘s that time again for April #BookSpin and I‘m determined to read more of these TBRs. Happy almost Easter and Happy Reading! 🤗🐣📚
@TheAromaofBooks

Thx so much @TheBookHippie for including Heidi in this month‘s #ChildrensClassicRead2024. I finally read this gem for the first time and loved it! 🙌🏻 I also watched the film version (on VHS!) with my Mom. Of course, the book is so much better, but the movie is perfectly cast with Shirley Temple as Heidi & it‘s quite amusing too. What a heartwarming adventure!
P.S. Count me in when we all move to the mountains and tend our goats!🐐
@Morr_Books

Anytime I need a smile, I hop on YouTube to watch those now famous Tim Conway skits from The Carol Burnett Show. (“The Dentist” is still my favorite!) This comedian was a hoot and would do anything (and I mean anything!) to get people to laugh. Lots of hilarious stories here from a sweet and zany man who loved to crack us up. I forgot he had his own TV show and also wrote several screenplays. Very entertaining read!
#DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
2. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
3. Becoming (Michelle Obama)

These 3 books rocked my world! Love them all!
Thanks for the tag @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@dabbe
#TLT
#ThreeListThursday

What a delightful book about such a sweet, caring and compassionate man! Henry speaks candidly about dealing with the highs and lows of his career, being a geeky TV fan like the rest of us, and turning his struggles with dyslexia into a book series to help kids with the same challenges. So cool that his wife Stacey chimed in by narrating the chapters about her. Love this heartwarming memoir as well as his children‘s books. 🙌🏻

Finally finished my #BookishMonopoly board! 😅 I‘m not as creative as @AkashaVampie and @Jari-chan , so I used a template by #ElaineHowlin and embellished it with a bunch of bookish stickers. My first roll was 8 and I landed on #Nonfiction. 🎲 So I chose this Jim Henson book that @Beatlefan129 reminded me was on my Kindle.
Thanks for hosting and inspiring me to play, @AkashaVampie ! Now I need to learn more of the rules!

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for March…with a little more humor and some new memoirs.🤓📚
Let the games begin! 🎰
Hugs to our amazing host @TheAromaofBooks

Viola can sure rock that warrior fuel in every role she plays! A tough yet inspiring read from a fearless and empowering woman.🙌🏻
Thank you @PurpleyPumpkin for the gift of this powerful book. Looking forward to seeing your review.
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Saw this book at a thrift store & couldn‘t resist the title. Then I remembered seeing Carol‘s hilarious stand-up routine in Hollywood. Who knew she‘s an Emmy nominated writer for such shows as Seinfeld, SNL, Modern Family & Hacks. She‘s even writing for the Oscars show next month. Great pix and inside stories about the comedy biz along with fun tips for job seekers in any field. A funny & nostalgic read!
#DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Here‘s another wild adventure by the creative and oh-so-cool children‘s author Kate DiCamillo. 🙌🏻 You‘ll meet a comic-book obsessed young girl, her wacky romance novelist mom, several eccentric and philosophical neighbors and a lovable poetic rodent! There‘s also a sprinkling of graphic novel pages for even more fun. A 2014 Newbery Medal winner and a gem of a read!
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks
Photo credit: Candlewick Press

It‘s time for our February #BookSpin already?
How did that happen? 😳
Happy Feb and Happy Reading, everyone! 🤗
@TheAromaofBooks

Such a heartwarming book, even if I did sob thru those last chapters. Loved reading from the cat‘s perspective, taking an enlightening road trip along breathtaking sites in Japan & picturing Nana almost exactly as this movie poster. Made me cherish my friendships, especially those that have survived decades. Didn‘t realize Hiro Arikawa also authored the Library Wars series, which I‘m about to start.
@iread2much
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks