We often don‘t know we have wings until we are forced to fly.
How We Learn to Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Buddy

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) spring blooms are starting
2) tickets from a friend to tour George Washington‘s house
3) spring sports are starting
4) afternoon baseball games on the radio
5) beautiful skies this week
Bonus joy- Litsy is fixed!
Happy Friday all!

Just reached the part that will always make me scared of the Lincoln Tunnel. #IYKYK #LosersClub #KingFromBeginning #ITakeTheBridge

Loved this month‘s #HashtagBrigade read. The characters in this one stole the show. Thanks @BarkingMadRead for leading us.

I had high hopes for this cozy mystery set at a B&B during a letterboxing weekend but it was kind of all over the place. Not sure I‘d read more. #ThematicCozies @julieclair

This was so fun, like a Percy Jackson book with a bigger dose or girl power. Yet another book I would have never read if it weren‘t for #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Another account to block. Unless of course you want suggestions on how to jazz up Pride and Prejudice.

Got up early to make Irish breakfast tea and scones from the tagged cookbook. So good, but with 3 sticks of butter most of these will be going in the freezer to be eaten slowly. #FoodAndLit #Ireland

Happy Friday all!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) the moon this week has been extraordinary and I can‘t stop looking at it
2) flowers! They‘re suddenly everywhere 🌹🌸🌺🌷
3) heart shaped rock
4) Quote from daughter “Mom, bruh, you didn‘t tell me this tournament was at Chilton” at field hockey last weekend
5) It‘s been warm enough to open the sun room and the cats are thrilled

Have a great weekend!

#plans

It was so fun to revisit this with the #PemberLittens

I‘m glad #FoodAndLit #Ireland got me to finally read this book that‘s been on my TBR forever. It takes place in Ireland around Christmas time in the 1980‘s. It‘s short, but impactful as the main character wrestles with what his life means and what he owes to others.

I can‘t wait until Friday to share this joy. I had a little extra time today so I walked home instead of taking the bus. I listened to Pride & Prejudice and suddenly there are flowers everywhere. A great and peaceful half hour.

We visited Cumberland Island last Easter without knowing much about it. Between the beaches, the abandoned mansions, and the wild horses it was like stepping into a novel. I‘m now on a mission to learn as much as I can about it. This nonfiction book was a good starting place to learn about some of the history, gossip, and scandals.

I started cleaning up some of my gardens this morning while listening to the tagged book. I know it‘s too early but I can never help myself!

He can‘t put a tariff on joy. Let‘s do this.

1) walking by the river
2) found my cat sitting in a way too small basket in the sun room
3) sun is starting to come up when I go to work early in the morning
4) signs of spring
5) enjoying the lights of old town while picking up my daughter

Have a good weekend everyone.

I absolutely adored this book. A coming of age story about a possible alien born right around the same year I was? Yes, please. This is the second audiobook in a row that I‘ve listened to where I wanted to buy a paper copy so I can underline all of the parts I loved. This is now my pick for #TOB2025 and likely to be a favorite this year.

It took me a while to get through this book about the massacre of Nepal‘s Royal family in 2001, but I ended up liking it. I still have a lot of questions about what happened, but the authors did a good job of setting the scene as best they could. I read a lot of mountaineering books so it was good to get a different sense of the country‘s recent history. #FoodAndLit #Nepal

This audiobook hit just right this weekend. It‘s a set of interconnected short stories each read by a different narrator. Next I want to read the paper version and take notes on how they all relate. I loved the New England settings and the pace of the stories. Really good.

Reading + tea + cheesecake + Jimmy Buffet = #hyggehour

I‘m taking the cold snap today personally.

First porch reading session 2025

Strong opening line for the latest #HashtagBrigade read might make up for the wonky chapters that make it hard to read on schedule. #BoringKindleCover

Happy birthday @Mimi28 from these two who say the best seat in the house is in the freshly folded laundry

And from LibraryThing my top 12 reads from February.

This month‘s reading wrap up from StoryGraph. All of my top books were kind of depressing. Next month I vow to read something happy.

I was excited to see Michael Crichton had a pirate book because I love listening to his audiobooks when I walk. Unfortunately this one didn‘t gel with me. Oh well. #BookedInTime @Cuilin

This was a kind of textbook/workbook about privilege, power, and empowerment. Nothing new here, but it is good to have it all in one place. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1) warm days and signs of spring
2) my son was able to attend a life changing retreat at school (he‘s been doing the laundry unasked since he came back!)
3) kitchen water issues almost fixed - got a new dishwasher finally!
4) cats everywhere always making me laugh
5) physical therapy finally starting to work- feeling in my hand for the first time in months

Happy Friday everyone!

This was a fun retelling of Sense and Sensibility if murder was involved. #JaneAustenThenAndNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig

If you‘re reading this for insights on the Apollo 13 mission don‘t. However if you want fun stories about astronaut training from a guy with a laid back attitude this is worth a read. I loved the stories about the different places they traveled to study geology before going to the moon. I also appreciated his thoughts about climate change at the end too.

Lana Lee is about to go on a romantic vacation with her boyfriend when she has to stop and solve a murder. The descriptions of food in this series are as good as the mysteries. #ThematicCozies @julieclair

#HyggeHour - I‘m catching up on my daily trees then reading some more about Apollo 13. Mint tea is my beverage of choice. There‘s a lot going on this week but it‘s going to be warmer so we have that going for us. Can‘t wait to feel some sunshine on my face.

Starting my climb up #MtCookbook with homemade tortillas from the Farmhouse cookbook. Not bad for my first attempt.

I hit a wall and just can‘t bring myself to be productive right now. Second breakfast it is!

My March #BookspinBingo list
The Pod Laline Paull
The Book of Hope Jae Goodall
Untamed Will Harlan
There Is No Ethan Anna Akbari
Bright-Sided Barbara Ehrenreich
The Stand
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Brave Hearted Katie Hickman
The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
The Handmaid‘s Tale Margaret Atwood

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The brownies I made kind of fell apart so I‘m eating them with ice cream. Happy Friday all!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) more snow
2) successful trip to Lancaster, PA for a field hockey tournament with my daughter
3) cats definitely up to something but caught in the act
4) winter skies
5) getting back in the meal prep habit. Our fruit salads looked pretty. (Taste good too.)

Happy Friday all! I hope you have a restful weekend.

This was a ton of fun and I can‘t wait to read more about Tommy and Tupence. As usual I thought I figured it out but was no where close. Looking forward to discussing this next week. #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 @Librarybelle

It really is amazing how close to reality this book is. I‘ve read it before but I was glad to read it again with #WithTheBanned @Jadams89

I had the 1940 version on my shelf for next month. Looking forward to seeing what Nancy does next. #NancyDrewBR

I wanted to get a lot of reading done this weekend at my daughter‘s tournament but it didn‘t work out that way. I did manage to finish two books though: The Clue of the Tapping Heels and Show Don‘t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. I‘m glad there‘s still one weekend left in the month to hopefully get back on track. Thanks for hosting @ShananigansReads

I requested this ARC from Net Galley because it has a follow up to Prep, one of my favorite books of my early adulthood. I enjoyed all of the stories though. They were very Sittenfeld, so if you like this author you‘ll probably enjoy them too. This book comes out next week.

I like this one, but they really need to leave Bess alone! Looking forward to discussing tomorrow @Librarybelle

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1) it snowed again
2) most of the snow melted the next day
3) microgreens are starting to sprout
4) made two jars of soup for delicious lunch all week
5) cats sleeping in weird positions

I finally finished this for #JaneAustenThenAndNow

I forgot how funny this book was. I‘m looking forward to reading some of the modern retellings this month.

This was a soft pick. I‘ve known way too many people like George to give it more than 3 stars, but I didn‘t hate the book. Like someone else said I think there were books in the long list that did the details of every day life better. #TOB25

My daughter claimed not to know Robert Frost* so I took tonight‘s walk as an opportunity to introduce her.

*It‘s also possible she was trying to shut me down so I didn‘t embarrass her by reciting Robert Frost on our walk.

Oh man. George recommending books he never read. I can see why people say this is funny. But it‘s kind of we have to laugh so we don‘t cry funny, you know? #TOB2025

A good #hyggehour tonight. Cinnamon rolls and the first 50 pages of the tagged book. Nepal has a fascinating history. I‘m glad we‘re visiting it for #FoodAndLit this month.

This book was more a collection of vignettes than a story, and I think it‘s probably better suited to reading all at once than a chapter a day. I could see myself reading it by the lake on a summer day not really caring about the lack of story line, just enjoying the strong sense of time. But to discuss as a group as if any of it fit together? Nah. #ItsNotYouItsMe #ButMaybeItsYou #HashtagBrigade

Thank you @BarkingMadRead Truly heroic this one.