Can't believe it's already the time for New Years. I was happy I still got plenty of reading in since I've been so ill this month. It's been a rough month for sure but that escape into reading is still great. Most of my points this round are from the wordsearch and holiday reads. My favorite book was Meet Me At Christmas by Jenny Colgan and Across The Ages by Gabrielle Meyer.

#WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks

#HolidayBookDragons

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is enjoying their time whether celebrating or not. It's supposed to be stormy tonight so I can finish up last touches on handmade gifts and the book I'm reading

A Christmas Bet by Meg Easton

#dogsoflitsy #WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons

#LitsyLove

Has anyone read The Darkest Minds series by Alexandra Bracken? I really enjoyed the first one but not the second so far. It may have to go to the DNF list. I get that some time has passed and they are further into the story now. However this one almost seems like a whole different series and writing.

#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons

Working on a Christmas present and listening to The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

#WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks

#HolidayBookDragons
##LitsyCrafters

"Ain't no sense feeling miserable about the things that make us special or wasting our time with folks who don't appreciate them"
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- Ducey Evans

Another fantastic book in the Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer. Timeless is a christian fiction series that follows the lives through a line of Time Crossers. So you get some time travel, interesting time periods and a bit of romance. They live both paths until a special birthday then they must choose which life to stay in. They go to sleep in one life and wake in the next until they decide.

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This one was my favorite so far. Super cute and sweet series. I listened to the audiobook while painting this Christmas gnome.

#WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks

#HolidayBookDragons

#LitsyCrafters @Catsandbooks

If you love cozy mysteries I highly recommend this festive series!

I also finished painting this holiday dog lamp. I just need to add the shiny top coat once the rain stops. Just ignore the eyes 🤣

#WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks

#HolidayBookDragons

#LitsyCrafters @Catsandbooks

Thanks for hosting a readathon to start us off for #WinterGames2024 @Staycurious @LiseWorks
I read 4 hours during the #FirstNowReadathon

4 x 10 = 40 points

We are finally getting chilly down here in Texas. Though the dogs would debate the comfy part. They run out first thing in the morning and then sprint back in to sit un front if the little heater. It was like just under 60 so they wouldn't survive up north either that's for sure.

For the #20in4 readathon I read a total of 8 hours. That's not too bad considering everything going on. I finished The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Robert's and Slashing Through The Snow by Jacqueline Frost.

Points for WG - 80
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons

#20in4 @Andrew65

I'll have to make a better post later when I can tomorrow. I just wanted to say I read 3 hours today total. I finished The Merry Matchmaker and started Slashing Through The Snow. I also watched the movie The Merry Gentlemen. It was a cute movie. I also watched 1 episode of Is It Cake Holiday edition. I was at the ER nothing too bad. However I'm glad I brought entertainment with me

Anybody else excited for the start of the #WinterGames fun? Hopefully you are as excited as Chase was his 1st Christmas after I adopted him. This is from last year but it will always be one of my favorites.

#WinterGames2024 #dogsoflitsy

I got 4 hours of reading in today. I finished up the 12th book in the Starry Hollow Witches by Annabel Chase. I'll have to read the rest of the series that aren't in audio yet.Then I started The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts
#20in4

"The gingerbread cookie looked more like a zombie than a man."

I couldn't tag the book but it's from Witching You A Charmed Christmas by Jenna Collett. I just checked out the sample but saving it for December.
#FirstLineFridays

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends that celebrate! I hope you all have a nice day no matter what you're doing. We aren't doing anything so I'm just relaxing with the dogs. Now that it's Thanksgiving I can finally start watching the Christmas movies and read festive books.

I'm most looking forward to catching up with the last 3 books of the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. I meant to last year but didn't get to. I saw a new one just came out. The other is some of the books on my TBR. I'd like to get around to at least 2 of them.

#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons ##EarlyBirdPoints

- Hot Chocolate! I've never tried eggnog and just realized I've never even seen it anywhere as an option. I wonder if it's just not as popular where I am.
- Open on Christmas. It's the 1 day of the year I don't mind waking up early. As a kid I'd wake everyone up at like 3 am to see what Santa brought
- None of them. We make a Mexican food buffet set up for Christmas now because by then they don't want more holiday foods either.
- Stay home

Spent the last couple of days painting ornaments for the dogs and crocheting a hat. I also finished books 6 and 7 of the Starry Hollow Witches.

#LitsyCrafters

I was in the mood for a historical fiction read when I came across The Second Life of Mirielle West. I don't think I've read anything based around the leprosy colonies. It was interesting to learn about that but I can't say I really liked this book. Some of it felt like it was dragging on to me. Then the end felt so sudden almost like there should have been a few more chapters between the last and the epilogue.

"It was a strange reality to be on the precipice of tragedy and not be able to stop it."

From: For A Lifetime (Timeless 3) by Gabrielle Meyer

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

Took Chase with me to run some errands today. He's not such a big fan of full size cows or if you roll down the window a little bit for him. We listened to Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase. I'm glad I gave this series and audiobook a 2nd chance. I love Annabel Chase's books but the voice they picked for the character was too much for me. It's a real strong New Jersey accent that you can tell they are trying too hard to make work.

Unfortunately I'm an extremely picky eater so I just eat the Mac and cheese, corn, peas, and mashed potatoes. My Thanksgiving tradition has always been pizza. I'm an odd duck I know 🤣

#ThreeListThursday #TLT @dabbe

Another fun book in the Sweet Tea Witches series down. I just realized there are 27 books in the series so far. Lots more of the shenanigans of Pepper Dunn and her crazy family left for me to go through.

I was looking for a book to fill my time between other reads and randomly came across Begin Again by Helly Acton. I loved it and the message it gets to by the end. Love yourself, appreciate the good things and take charge of your own destiny. The book starts out with Frankie ditching a potentially bad date and then dying right outside by a freak accident with a kebab.

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"It is painful to see that people prefer a bad guy who looks like an angel to a good guy who looks like a demon."

"Sometimes, as we're stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good."

I really enjoyed Angelfall and I think it was a great start for the trilogy. It is considered a YA dystopian and as you can guess involves angels. There was a lot of ground to cover getting the characters and plots set up so it's a fast paced book. Angelfall is set around a teen girl named Penryn that's only current mission is to save her little sister from the bad guys.

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This one really surprised me on how much I enjoyed it. Once I figured out what was even happening that is. It didn't really click to me until probably almost the middle of the book to really get the premise. Going into it all I knew was that it was based on retellings of some of the Grimm Brothers lesser known tales.

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October Reads - part 2

I enjoyed most of the books this month. Most of them were witchy cozy paranormal. Besides those my favorite was Greymist Fair.

October Reads - Part 1

I think I beat my record of most read in a month. I ended up reading 31 books

I'm so sorry I haven't been around. This month has just slipped away from me. So I have to apologize to my #HauntedShelf team #HexesandCrows and @Catsandbooks for disappearing.

I've read a lot this month though and I think it's been the most I've read in a month record.
I also finished my diamond painting and painted this floral halloween pumpkin following a tutorial. Painting/drawing are not my talents in life but this turned out cute

I was excited for this one after loving My Lady Jane so much. Unfortunately to me it wasn't nearly as good as the first. The audiobook performance was still good and I think that's why I'm giving it 3 stars. If I had been just reading the physical book honestly I think I would have added it to my DNF list. Maybe just not a fan of Jane Eyre times in history. I like that they are all standalones though.

Listening to my last book of September and writing postcards to some of my #LitsyLove friends to send off for World Postcard Day ❤️ Let me know if you want one too

I saw this one as a bonus borrow this month in Hoopla. It sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately this one was just boring for me.

It was really nice outside tonight here. Cooler and no mosquitos for a change. So I took advantage of it and sat out in my hammock to read more of The Vanishing Station. Of course Fancy had to join me while Chase was busy doing zoomies up and down the porch

Ghost Mortem is a cute start to the Ghost Detective series by Jane Hinchey. I'd say 3 stars but hopeful for the next book. I had to laugh because I related too much to Audrey's clumsiness. I liked the rest of the characters so far as well. Though hopefully Thor the cat gets more page time through out the series.

Absolutely loved the book My Lady Jane and it may be one of my top favorites. If you like audiobooks I'd recommend that format because it was a fantastic performance. My Lady Jane is a YA alternative history following Lady Jane Grey and her cousin King Edward. Oh don't forget her new part time horse husband G!

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#LitsyLove

"I'm marrying my cousin off to a horse"

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one but call me invested now. ?

Anybody else have some books they want to finish for the month? These two are my goal. I'm enjoying both so far and have plenty of reading time this weekend. I have an infusion tomorrow and on a completely separate issue I'm down with a severe hip sprain. Not a fun time that's for sure. I do have some cards and some other happy mail to send out tomorrow. #LitsyLove

Lately I've been working on this new diamond painting to look like my dachshund. The colorful ears are so cute. I've been listening to The Blood Destiny series by Helen Harper. Again I like that it's not been the typical witch and werewolf but I don't want to spoil it. Pretty early in you learn the leader is a panther but the mystery of the MC Mack is drawn out through several books.

#LitsyCrafters #LitsyLove

This one has one of my favorite openers I've seen lately. LOL

"There were a lot of reasons that I shouldn't use my magic. One of those was the horrified bride now standing before me, with new magical jowls that made her look like Winston Churchill. And it was all my fault."

"Dull was okay. I knew how to deal with dull. But when you've had the taste of magic it's hard to be satisfied with the ordinary again."

They need a trigger warning for clown demons chasing the character. 😆 Totally will give me bad dreams

I've been browsing for something different than my recent reads. This pretty cover grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it.

Trying to read but apparently I'm bothering Chase. Has anyone read these books by indie author Mandy O'Dell? It's one I randomly came across on kindle for free sometime. I'm enjoying it so far!

"I preferred crushes on unattainable people actors, musicians, or characters in books. Fictional boyfriends were way more satisfying in my experience. They always say the right thing and when you got bored with them you just put them back on the shelf."

-Jill

We ended up being in the direct path of Hurricane Beryl and it was a rough one. Thankfully we are all safe and no damage to anything besides branches. Lots of trees down around the area though. Hoping we get power back soon but I'm staying cool with the pups since we have a generator.

I hope any close by Litsy and #LitsyLove friends are safe as well!

I started this one last month for #ReadYourKindle but unfortunately I finally just bailed on it. I thought a cute romance plus dog themed would be perfect for me but this one just wasn't. I didn't really connect with the characters or storyline. I did find out this was book 2 of a series so I don't know if that made a difference or not. So a DNF for me but also a "win" for reading through my kindle books.

@cbee #ReadYourKindle #ReadYourEbooks

I'm just writing this about the whole series in general. I loved the characters. I always love a good funny family dynamic. There are lots of different paranormal species in Hollow Cove. I liked that the author went with a different type of main character shifter than the typical wolf. This one features a big gorilla. I also think she also did a good job with some more unique storylines especially towards the last few books.
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