#hyggehourreadathon @thebookhippie @chrissyreadit @alldebooks

I‘m a bit early, I spent the day grocery shopping and taking down the rest of the Christmas decorations, so I‘m ready to sit 😆🥱 I love having my plant babies back 🥰

I think this is the 3rd book I‘ve started in the past 2 weeks, so here‘s hoping I can stay engaged and finish it. Given world events (-huge, sad sigh-), I‘m giving myself extra grace to read whatever sounds good ❤️‍🩹

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here, and I‘m impatiently waiting for my mini quiche dinner to cool down 😆 Also, Christmas decorations are in the process of coming down -sad trombone noise-

🚨🚨🚨Creative minds assemble!!! 🚨🚨🚨
A coworker gave me a $10 gift card to Target for Christmas and I don‘t know what to do with it 😑 I‘ve been proudly boycotting Target since last year because of their removal of DEI practices. Any creative suggestions for what to do with it?

Themes: Book 2 in a series, Mystery, Funny but dark

Book 1 of 2026 is in the books (hehe 🤪) and it was AMAZING! I loved this second book in the ‘Peculiar Crimes Unit‘ series, maybe even a bit more than the first one which is always fun ☺️ I bought Book 3 and will definitely read it sooner rather than later.

#FridayHappyReadingHour arrived! Drinking wine that my Mom got me (it‘s called ‘Readers‘ 👓) in the glass she gifted me. I‘m snacking on crab rangoon from our Chinese takeout dinner cuz 1. We needed spicy food and 2. I had zero desire to cook 😆
Tagging pals but the hashtag is open to all! Share what you‘re reading, eating and/or drinking
@kspenmoll @tamra @mcctrish @thebookhippie @BarbaraBB @CathyThoughts @dabbe @ruthiella @guinsgirlreads

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ Had a fun visit with my family last weekend 😍
2️⃣ Enjoyed a lovely lunch and a visit to Barnes & Noble with my BFF
3️⃣ Enjoyed a fun New Years with friends who hosted a PJ party. Actually made it to midnight without falling asleep 😆
4️⃣ Had a lazy, catch-up day on 1/1
5️⃣ I‘m back to work today (well, see pic for clarification 🤣), but then it‘s the weekend!!

I loved the graphics that Goodreads did for our year-end wrap up 🤩 As a visual person this was so much more fun!! Hoping for some more great reads in 2026 🥳🤩😍

Themes: Witty, Humorous, Odd

My last read of 2025 🥳🙌 This was a fun and odd book lol Definitely P.G. Wodehouse vibes with the writing, the characters and the humor. I‘ll definitely continue onto Book 2 and I have another book from Smith that I ordered and am pumped to read next year 😉

#TopReads2025 for December goes to “The Last Spirits of Manhattan” by John A. McDermott. This was quirky, funny, kinda dark/morbid, and everything in between 😆 The writing was so fluid that I‘d lose track of time reading.

Happy New Year, Littens! I hope everyone enjoys their night and has a relaxing day tomorrow to welcome 2026 in 🍾🥂☺️

Today‘s the day if you‘re looking to get a deal on preorders for 2026 books at Barnes & Noble!! For the past 5 Christmas‘ my SIL gets me a gift card for B&N and this is the sale I use it for 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Here‘s what I ordered:
- “Murder Like Clockwork” by Nicola Whyte
- “The Queen's Coronation: A Novel” by Jennifer Ryan
- “Marble Hall Murders” by Anthony Horowitz (the paperback ed so it matches the other books on my shelf from him 😄)

I can‘t think of anything better than my current situation 😻😍🤩 (I mean, I guess I‘d like Millie to be snoozing on my lap, but this works lol)

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here & the calm after Christmas that I live for 😍🥰 I‘m enjoying wine, a Christmas Tree cake (IYKYK 😏) and I started the tagged book and I‘m loving it! It‘s perfect for P.G. Wodehouse fans 🤩
Tagging some pals, the hashtag is open to anyone! Share what you‘re reading, eating and/or drinking to welcome the weekend 🥳
@kspenmoll @tamra @mcctrish @thebookhippie @BarbaraBB @CathyThoughts @dabbe @ruthiella @guinsgirlreads

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ I hung out with my favorite Aunt on Monday and we made shirts. I bought these cute bookish slippers too 🥰 2️⃣ I got everything checked off my Christmas to-do list 3️⃣ Had a lovely Xmas eve with my hubby‘s extended family 4️⃣ Enjoyed a chill Christmas Day with my hubby‘s immediate family and for once got amazing gifts from my MIL 🥳 5️⃣ Still good weather forecasted for visiting my family in Iowa this weekend!

Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating today! I hope there‘s a new book (or two, or three!) under the tree with your name on the gift tag
☺️🔖🎁❤️💚❤️

I hung out with my Aunt today (the fun, crafty one!) and we did iron transfer shirts. Can you guess my theme? 🤓 Monday‘s are so fun when you don‘t have to go to work 😂

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ There‘s a movie trailer out for one of my favorite books of 2025 (“Three Bags Full”) https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSaEpvakhyp/?igsh=amlyODlpNGxnejFs
2️⃣ Today is my last day of work til 2026 🥳 3️⃣ I had a fun time at Silent Book Club with friends on Tues 🥰 4️⃣ Been enjoying good reads lately 📚 5️⃣ Good weather forecasted for visiting my family in Iowa after Xmas!! 🚙🎁🎄

My actual Friday night is being taken over by my MIL taking myself, my SIL, and my husband‘s aunt (my Aunt-In-Law?) to a play (insert big introvert groan here 😑). So I‘m doing my #FridayHappyReadingHour tonight!

Feel free to use the hashtag to play along with what you‘re reading, drinking and snacking on 🤗

@kspenmoll @tamra @mcctrish @thebookhippie @BarbaraBB @CathyThoughts @dabbe @ruthiella @guinsgirlreads

Themes: Absurd British Humor, Book 2 in a Series, Mystery

Another hit from Mr. McDonnell!! I think I actually enjoyed this one a teensy bit more than the first book, so now I‘m really excited to read the third book!! 🤩👍

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here 🤩🥳 Hubby and I went out for dinner tonight but now we‘re home in comfy pants, blankets, ready to relax!

Feel free to use the hashtag to play along with what you‘re reading, drinking and snacking on 🤗

@kspenmoll
@Tamra
@mcctrish
@TheBookHippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@ruthiella
@guinsgirlreads

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ Gifting and wrapping books is just the BEST feeling 🥰 2️⃣ Crossing things off my Christmas To-Do list 📋✍️ 3️⃣ Watching all my favorite Christmas movies (Christmas Vacation, Muppets Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas) 4️⃣ Embracing Hygge time every night after dinner has been wonderful 5️⃣ Seeing my favorite Aunt tomorrow to craft and chat 🤩💕

Taking a break from Christmas books to read about vampires 🧛‍♂️🩸⚰️

Prior to this, I picked up a short story collection of Golden Age mysteries that were Christmas themed. And after reading a few of them, maybe it‘s best to just leave some things in the past 😶‍🌫️

Themes: CHRISTMAS!, Mystery, Nontraditional format (emails, text messages, police debriefings)

I love Janice Hallett‘s voice and writing style so much, and this short novella is no exception. I was immediately sucked into the world she created, and visiting with the kooky Fairway Players again was a blast! Checking off the “Set in Winter” square on my #christmascrimechallenge board hosted by @RaeLovesToRead and @Ruthiella 🎅🏼🔎

#hyggehourreadathon @thebookhippie

Dinner is eaten, the dishes are washed and drying, so it‘s time to unwind 😊 I‘ve got my blanket, my Bubly sparkling water (Bellini bliss is my current obsession!) and my new read that I‘m starting. The time for rushing around is over for the day, it‘s time to hygge ☺️♥️

Themes: Creative Prequel to ‘A Christmas Carol‘, Excellent writing, Literary-vibe

I saw someone else say that after finishing this you could pick up Charles Dickens‘ ‘A Christmas Carol‘ and immediately continue, and I agree! Clinch‘s writing style is so easy to read and get lost in 1800‘s London. I loved how he portrayed Jacob Marley, and I do think this is what could‘ve happened to make Scrooge the way he is. I have no critiques!

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here 🤩🥳 Enjoying a 7&7 along with the tagged book. No snacks but dinner is crockpot orange chicken so we‘ll be eating shortly 😋

Feel free to use the hashtag to play along with what you‘re reading, drinking and snacking on 🤗

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

Fully embracing the gift of books this year for my family 🥰 I found something for everyone!! I‘m so excited for my grandmother‘s gift though (bottom right), I found affordable and gently used large print copies of some books I know she hasn‘t read yet 😍 And my Aunt told me she wants to get into reading again so I‘m setting her up with a mini book haul (top right). Ho Ho Ho and to all a good night (of reading!!) 🎅🏼🛷

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣Christmas reads are happening and it‘s the BEST! 🤩 Pic is my TBR stack plus one that was delivered after I took this 😏 2️⃣ A work task I‘ve been avoiding didn‘t actually end up being terrible (I will learn nothing from this however 😆)3️⃣ Unabashedly listening to all the Christmas music 🎤🎅🏼🎶 4️⃣ Warm, cozy blankets & hot coffee 😌 5️⃣ Today is FRIDAY!! 🤩🥳

Themes: Classic Agatha Christie Murder mystery, Family drama, Christmas-ish

A delightful Poirot book, I enjoyed all the twists and turns that Agatha sends us on. I wish there was more Christmas in it, but oh well. Checking off the “Locked Room” square on my #christmascrimechallenge board hosted by @RaeLovesToRead and @Ruthiella

“It‘s tiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmeeeeeee” (sung in Mariah Carey voice) 🎅🏼🎄🎁❄️☃️🛷⛸️ We‘ll see how many I get through in December, but I‘m going to try participating in the #christmascrimechallenge hosted by @RaeLovesToRead and @Ruthiella

This dedication really set the tone for this book, how sweet is this?! But this really was a fun, reality-escaping read! I had to really hold myself back from doing any research while reading it because I didn‘t want to accidentally find a spoiler. Well, now that I‘ve finished it, I‘ll be falling down all the rabbit holes learning more about the party in this book 😆

#TopReads2025 for November goes to “The Stranger Times” by C. K. McDonnell. This was such a quirky, fun read and I‘m so glad I stumbled upon it. I went and bought the rest of the series when I was halfway through this one. Well, minus the newest Christmas book since it‘s only out in hardcover and the rest of the books I bought are paperback 😆

Our plans this morning were cancelled because of bad roads, so gosh darn it, I‘ll *just have to* watch the birds visiting my bird feeder while sipping my coffee in my comfy pants. Darn it all to heck 😏

#FridayHappyReadingHour time!! Enjoying some wine (my father-in-law was very stingy with it yesterday 😂 I got 1/2 a glass the whole holiday, so I‘m treating myself to an adult pour today), along with Doritos and my current read which is SO GOOD!

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@ruthiella

Hope you all get to enjoy some peace and extra reading time today! 🍷📖📚

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
My after Thanksgiving travel plans to see my family in Iowa were cancelled due to 6-12” of snow coming our way this weekend. So, I tried real hard to find some joy 🙃
1️⃣ Decorated the house for Xmas 2️⃣ Reading an excellent book now 3️⃣ Thanksgiving day at my in-laws was actually fun 🤯 4️⃣ Getting bonus relaxation days due to my travel plans being veto‘d by Mother Nature 5️⃣ So much joy for this community!!

This was a funny and quick read, just what I needed! Highly recommend if you need a short book to help make progress in any reading challenges 🤗😉

Themes: Absurd British Humor, Book 1 in a Series, Mystery

I can‘t remember how I found this title but I‘m so glad I ordered it (and it was finally delivered 🤣). The blurbs on the cover sold me, especially this one from The Guardian, “A Pratchettesque Romp”. IT WAS! This oddball newspaper and their employees are straight out of a modern Discworld 😆 If any of that interests you, definitely give this book a shot!

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here and I‘m reading the book that went from IL to NE back to IL 🤣 I‘m enjoying it while sipping on a 7&7 🍋‍🟩🥃💚 Tagging some friends, but feel free to tag yourself if you want to play 😍 Just share what you‘re reading, drinking and/or snacking on to celebrate Friday night‘s arrival 🥰🤩🥳

@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

IT‘S HERE! IT ARRIVED!! 🔔🔔🔔 And I‘m off work today (I‘m a firm believer in using alllllll your PTO, even if you don‘t have any plans with it. Use it!). This is just perfect!! And Christmas decorations are all out of the crawl space and on the main floor, so we‘re one step closer to all that happening too 😅 #bookmail

#FridayHappyReadingHour is here! Enjoying some Coke Zero along with this book from my TBR pile. Funny story: I was hoping to start the book I ordered last Friday night, but no. I‘ve been watching the tracking history on it and it got to the post office 5 miles from my house which usually means the next stop is my local post office and then it‘s out for delivery. Not this time… (cont‘d in comments)

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ What a difference a week makes looking outside my home office window 2️⃣ Silent Book Club! 3️⃣ Reading Crawl with my BFF was a success!! Doing it again in March with different stops 😍(pic is from our last stop, where 0 reading occurred LOL) 4️⃣ Feeling oddly optimistic that the Dems have a larger strategy at work since 8 senate Dems voted to reopen to the govt 5️⃣ JOY that I didn‘t vote for Mango Mussolini 😂🤣

Themes: Thought-provoking reads, Fiction mirroring Reality, Excellent character building!!

Wow. I think this is the most original piece of Fiction I have read in a really long time. I loved it, I have zero critiques and I cannot wait for my IRL bookclub discussion on Sunday!

This was a fun read, I enjoyed it!! I haven‘t done a “Who Would I Cast for this Movie” in a while so here ya go! I feel like Downton Abbey has ruined me from ever being able to cast a better Butler or Head Housekeeper 😆 (Apologies for not being able to wrap my head around who would play the MC Stephen Pike 🤔 He was too tricky)

Mr. Stokes: Jim Carter
Mrs. Pearce: Phyllis Logan
Decima Stockingham: Edith Cranwinkle (from “Bob‘s Burgers”)

#FridayHappyReadingHour The sun has set, the curtains have been drawn, but Happy Friday!! We made it 😅 I‘m sitting down to some cab, some of the Halloween candy that I bought strictly for myself to enjoy (😋) and my IRL bookclub book. Huzzah!

Tagging some friends here, but feel free to tag yourself too if you want to play 😍
@kspenmoll
@tamara
@mcctrish
@thebookhippie
@BarbaraBB
@CathyThoughts
@dabbe
@Ruthiella

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1️⃣ Tuesday was AMAZING! 🌊💙 The Dems showed up!! 2️⃣ Started my IRL bookclub book and I‘m loving it! 3️⃣ Coffee & Wine ☕️🍷4️⃣ My parents came in for a quick visit, it was so nice seeing them and we had homemade lasagna that my Mom brought 😍5️⃣ The view outside my home office window 😍🍂🍁

I enjoyed the majority of these short mystery stories, which usually isn‘t “the case” (HA, get it? 😂). I correctly guessed the outcome of one of the mysteries early on so that one was kinda a bummer. But, I loved most of their other adventures and having more of Albert too was a treat. Can‘t wait to discuss it further at the end of the month @Librarybelle #christiecapers

I am LOVING this book so much! Does anyone know if the Tommy & Tuppence books have been made into TV shows? It‘s a shame if not 😂

YESSSSSS!! Still riding the high of that BIG, BEAUTIFUL BLUE wave last night 🌊💙🌊💙🌊💙🌊

Please let‘s make this a thing everywhere!!! I‘m in one IRL bookclub and I enjoy it, but I would love the opportunity to be with others just talking about what we‘re reading; no assignments, no praying my library hold comes in time 😊 Plus refreshments and snacks!!

Themes: London during WWII, Friendship, Found Families

This fourth and final book of the Emmy Lake Chronicles is beautiful 🥹 Just as much joy, happiness, heartbreak and tears as the previous books. I‘m going to miss Emmy, Bunty, and Guy so much - I hope AJ Pearce is working on something new!

#TopReads2025 for October goes to two perfectly spooky reads that I would totally re-read next year at this time: “Full Dark House” by Christopher Fowler and “The Hearth Witch‘s Guide to Magic & Murder” by Kiri Callaghan. Both these reads had witches, ghosts, black cats, all the needed ingredients for a great October read 🧙🏻‍♀️👻🐈‍⬛🎃