Eliza and Will have made a lovely home for themselves and their two children in Kansas but when Will goes to fight for the Union against the “seceshes” (secessionists), Eliza must run the farm mostly alone and face life as “just a woman,” in a very man‘s world. She must decide whether to help an escaped slave, how to deal with brutal thugs who would as soon kill her and her kids as look at her, and whether she should let a secesh help her when ⬇️

This is an oddly entertaining and satisfying murder mystery—the victim performing his own investigation to find his murderer while trying to save his organic mushroom business against a fierce competitor in this quiet Finnish hamlet. Jaakko has been poisoned over a long period of time such that he became used to it while it damaged all of his internal organs. He‘s on borrowed time. And does he ever make use of it. There are only two suspects ⬇️

My next audiobook

#Christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious #littenlisten @aperfectmjk

https://time.com/7199834/best-fiction-books-2024/

When your Finnish sister-in-law and her mother agree your attempt at a Finnish recipe is spot-on. 🎉🎊

#Finland #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Tonight I tried making “PANNU KAKKU (FINNISH OVEN PANCAKE)” for #Finland for #foodandlit. It was ummm, good, but very sweet. Maybe not the best breakfast-for-dinner plan. So we ordered pizza. We will try the remaining Finnish sweets I ordered another day while we all recover from the sugar high here. @Catsandbooks

Audiocrafting gets quite messy!

#letterQ #Christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious #littenlisten @aperfectmjk

It‘s always a good day when my #foodandlit book talks about food! #Finland #letterM #Christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious @Catsandbooks

I adored this graphic novel about a cat who can appear out of nowhere, multiply, and be downright spooky. When a kitten briefly enters the story, it steals the spotlight but only briefly. The main character can only deal with “one” creepy kitty! It did take me some time to get the format, reading from the end to the beginning. Just tonight I realized I should have been reading the pages similarly, left to right. Lesson learned. ⬇️

This author! I‘ve now read two of her books and I‘m a big fan. A sad, older couple want a child so badly. So when they build a darling little snow girl and wrap her in a red scarf, is it any wonder when they “imagine” her alive? In deep winter in Alaska, a little girl with striking blond hair starts to visit their homestead and in her own way helps them survive their first harsh winter there. But she refuses to stay with them; how can she ⬇️

The local police have their hands full when a famous author‘s wife is found dead in what appears to be a ritual murder. Multiple murders later, it seems they are linked…someone is looking for and killing witches. But oddly they seem to have a role in their own murders. So for most of the book, the police are following this very logical conclusion…until it goes off the rails in an almost completely different t direction. Sadly this feels like 2 ⬇️

What an excellent book—a huge shoutout to the power of women over misogyny early last century, mostly set in #Canada but a few important moments in #Boston. The main character was raised to be a midwife. When a male doctor comes to town, he insists the old ways are dangerous and his newfangled ways (including forceps) are safer. There is so much to unpack about this book a short review cannot do it justice. In general, it speaks to the power ⬇️

I guess, whatever it takes to get kids to eat vegetables...tell them Santa eats Brussel sprouts so he has the strength to deliver gifts to all the children in one night. It's cute, but so-so for a holiday book. #xmaschacha #wintergames #letterD #christmasatoz @StayCurious

My next audiobook #letterQ #Christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious #littenlisten @aperfectmjk

My next #authoramonth book. #letterH #christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious @Soubhiville

My next ebook for #Finland #foodandlit and #letterM #Christmasatoz #xmaschacha #wintergames @StayCurious @Catsandbooks

Still trying to finish my cards so I can send for #naturalLitsy and #litsylove cards!! Audiocrafting to the last two hours of this book

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterS #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #snowedin @CSeydel @PuddleJumper @TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude

#wintergames #xmaschacha @StayCurious

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDeq0EVMCjS/?igsh=Z2RwZTB4YTR0b2k5

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

#wintergames #xmaschacha @StayCurious

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDcGCrAst6U/?igsh=YjZpc2U1cTRlbGw2

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

Movie poster for Romance in Rome. See my previous post for my Hallmark movie description. Would you watch it? #wintergames #week2minigame @StayCurious #xmaschachacha

Hallmark movie blurb! Who‘d watch this one? Cover to come! #wintergames #week2minigame @StayCurious #xmaschachacha

Imagine you‘re 17 again, sitting in your living room with a massive carpet underfoot. Your creative juices are flowing and you imagine miniscule people who live their entire lives in the carpet, with its deep forests and city walls built of dust. The “fray” is quite scary to the people and traversing the entirety of the carpet would take a lifetime. 17-yo Pratchett wrote a version of this somewhat mystifying book in serial form for his local ⬇️

To my surprise #jolabokaflod recipient on the east coast: Your gifts will arrive from Amazon in two parts. If this might be you, keep a lookout!

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDZhOVKP9fM/?igsh=dmwxOTB1Ymltb3J0

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

My next audiobook

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterS #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #snowedin @CSeydel @PuddleJumper

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDW8dDvIYKx/?img_index=1&igsh=M2Y2YzM4Ynp5M21l

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

I missed posting #5joysFriday after Thanksgiving AND this last Friday so I‘m making up some time. Son comes back home on Thursday this week! And we will celebrate Christmas with Mom and Dad soon! So a lot to look forward to. @DebinHawaii

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

Bunions. Yep

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDUXqHvsEh4/?igsh=eTdpbDlqcm5ydDIy

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

8 pages of words! The photos has the last of them—1 11-letter word and 7 10-letter words!

#WinterGames #Week1Game #XmasChaCha @StayCurious

A Hanukkah holiday story, publisher employee Abi wants to help her favorite writer meet her deadline but is waylaid by the author‘s grandson. With the author unavailable, Abi and Dov set out to finish the last in the author‘s most famous series. Corny and frustrating dialog of the getting to know you type. But the underlying story is good and Oslo the dog is pretty cute. And the food sounds delish.

A famous singer known for her Christmas songs hasn‘t been home in 15 years, but when she briefly comes home to pick up her father for vacation events unfold to keep her there. She receives mystery cards with Christmas song lyrics and she‘s taken on a scavenger hunt to figure out who it is. Told like an old-fashioned radio show the best part is the singing. A fine uplifting Christmas story.

Thank you @Bookwormjillk for the Finnish cookies recipe! I had a little spare time and cooked some myself. Mmm. Tastes like Christmas! #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Recipe:

https://www.food.com/recipe/finnish-cardamom-cookies-369337

My first #authoramonth book for December and next audiobook @Soubhiville

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterC #littenlisten @aperfectmjk

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

Yikes! https://www.instagram.com/p/DDRy5dKNZdS/?igsh=bjU4NDY0aGdwZ2h0

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

Awwww. https://www.instagram.com/p/DDPODpYpDIK/?igsh=dnV4ZG9rZzZpc3F1

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

It‘s#Finland National Day!

“Finland‘s National Day…is observed on December 6th, marking the historic 1917 declaration of independence from Russia. More than just a celebration, it‘s a solemn remembrance of the journey to sovereignty and the sacrifices made.”

More here: https://thenordicnomad.com/nordic-lifestyle/december-6th-the-story-behind-finlan...

#foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Also see post from @Dilara

My next audiobook

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDMpQC4MCdA/?igsh=azFoZW40dXF1a3k5

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious

Love this

#Finland #foodandlit @Catsandbooks #wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterW #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #serieslove @TheSpineView

Three professors at an online college take a holiday job to pay the bills, even though the job is humiliating—driving a weenie truck around Virginia to sell holiday treats. The two women are best friends and one of them, Nina, sadly thinks her friend Claudia is in a relationship with the hot male prof William. She‘s sad because she‘s had a crush on William for years. So…what happens when Nina and William get stuck in the truck overnight ⬇️

#two4Tuesday Thanks @TheSpineView for the tag!

1) Now-Little Christmas Eve, a tradition husband brought from Norway where we open one gift each 2 nights before Christmas

Then-as a kid we opened gifts on Christmas Eve (& still do). For Santa to have time to visit we went out to eat dinner. Mom @Doll8455 would “forget” her purse, run in the house, set out Santa gifts, and take bites from the cookies. Eventually we figured it out. ⬇️

I‘m starting this book tonight for #Finland #foodandlit @Catsandbooks #wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterW #littenlisten @aperfectmjk

And it‘s book 1 in a series in case I like it I can keep reading!! #serieslove @TheSpineView