As has become a habit lately, I‘m a day late to #5JoysFriday but here‘s my list:

1. I went to the Easter BYOB (bag) 20%-off sale at my local craft store chain to stock up on my favorite pens & other goodies including:

2. Washi tape. I get a lot of joy from washi tape & got a few cute rolls. I especially💛the books one so I got 2.

3. Thursday afternoon I went to an HR Director roundtable event where we made bamboo cups & got books & Kimbap

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#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished earlier in the week, this was my second book for #ThematicCozies April #Sports theme. I really enjoyed this mystery set in the world of river rafting on the Arkansas River in Colorado. The MC, Mandy Tanner is a River Ranger who rescues two people when a tour raft upsets & one of them dies—turns out he was poisoned & since the raft & guide were her uncle‘s, she gets involved in the investigation. I liked the ⬇️

#DynamicDs

Catching up & I think this mystery-thriller about 3 generations: grandmother, mother & teenage #Daughter has some #Dark humor in it.

I blinked & another Friday is upon us which means it‘s time to start posting your #5JoysFriday lists of those things big or small that brought your heart some joy this week! 💛

Make your post & tag it with #5JoysFriday making sure to tag me & anyone else you‘d like to join in to spread the joy party. You can use the background if or as you like. As usual, I‘m tagging some regulars but everyone is welcome to join in!

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished the Sunday before last for #EBBR & I need to review these right after finishing them or take notes because I promptly forgot the (2?) that stumped me & I returned the library book.🤔Ah, well… also I couldn‘t get the ebook or print from the library at first so I tried the free audible version but I find I like reading these more than listening to them so I transferred the print copy in. Fun nostalgia as always.⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 #DynamicDs

Finished this weekend for #BobWhiteBuddies there is always a chance of #Danger when Trixie Belden is around. This one was a favorite growing up probably because of the NYC setting & finally, Dan gets to go somewhere! (Granted it‘s within state lines but anyway…) I can still recite the first 2 lines of the fortune Trixie is given by a fortune teller she helps at the airport which is pretty impressive since ⬇️

Thanks to @Eggs & @TheSpineView for the #WondrousWednesday tags.🤗

1. Currently I‘m pet-less. It was 2 years ago in Feb that I lost my Max🐱💔after 19 years. He had a tough last year & my heart hasn‘t been ready for another yet. I feel I‘ll know when the time is right.

2. I read & enjoy both F & NF as long as they aren‘t sad. I just can‘t do sad animal books.😭

3. The tagged is a fave NF & Remarkably Bright Creatures is a fave fiction.💙🐙💙
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#Read2025

I finished this last week but I‘m behind in reviews. Read for #MonthlyNonFiction it was also one of my April #Roll100 picks (#16 Any Non-Fiction). It was an interesting juxtaposition to read this book while watching random famous people try to pass themselves off as astronauts & having Nancy Drew solve a mystery with exploding oranges at Cape Canaveral. I remember being in class (college) in the morning when they wheeled in a tv & ⬇️

#DynamicDs

Picking this one for #Dad not just because of the title but because it was a favorite of my Dad‘s (& mine!) & he played the lead in community theater. Also, as you can see from his script in the middle of the pile (excuse the recycled photo), his name was Don, so another “Dynamic D” for this month‘s theme. 2026 will make 30 years since he passed away & I still miss him every day.💙

Thanks @TheSpineView for the #Two4Tuesday tag!🤗

1️⃣ Yes, I always carry some hidden cash “just in case” & small bills for tips & places like the library book store that only take cash.

2️⃣ Having just reread TGG last month, it‘s definitely a book where every character is affected by money. Old or new 💵shapes their love lives & relationships, social standing & overall perception of happiness.💰

Want to play along? Consider yourself tagged!🤗

#DynamicDs

Deciding what to eat for dinner & making the best food choices is certainly a dilemma. 🤔💭

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Tired & frazzled. Work is kicking my butt this month & while this week is no travel & a little quieter, there‘s still a lot going on.

2. Most aren‘t the messages I look for so I don‘t follow them. Maybe not quite the same but I do like The New Happy https://www.instagram.com/newhappyco?igsh=b2NpNnVqcHYyZWd6 I follow on Instagram & like the daily messages/colorful graphics. I have her new book on hold at the library. ⬇️

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour with Trixie & the gang for #BobWhiteBuddies & enjoying this cocoa custard Easter Bunny roll as my snack with tea. I‘m excited about this one (book 12) in the series because I remember the first 2 lines of the fortune Trixie gets when the Bob-Whites go to NYC.

Not looking forward to it being Monday tomorrow although this is a no-travel week for me, so hopefully a bit calmer.

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished on audio a couple of weeks ago & forgot to post my review. Out of the trilogy, this one was my favorite. Although dark, it didn‘t seem like the author felt the need to be so extreme with the murdery or the sexy bits & for my ears, the narrator wasn‘t giggling every 2.5 seconds. Plus I really like Rose & Fionn (sp?) individually & as a couple. I still think I‘m a little old for this series but I liked this one.

#Read2025

I actually finished this a couple of weeks ago but haven‘t been getting to all my reviews this month. Another winner from my #AuldLangSpine list from @JacqMac I have been thinking about it since I finished it. Quill is a Native American woman living in Minnesota who is out running in the early morning & hears a scream. Caught up in finding her as the police will treat it as just another #MMIW case-som thing happening too often to ⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished last week for #ThematicCozies April #Sports theme, one of my two picks. I don‘t know that this one is really that sports related. The MC goes to Mackinac Island to help her boss‘s father with his bike shop when he breaks his leg & starts trying to solve a murder when he is accused. There‘s talk of a bike race but most renters are tourists getting around the no-car island. Still it was cute-maybe a little over ⬇️

#DynamicDs

Since it‘s Easter, deviled eggs seem like the best response to today‘s #Devil prompt. I 💛 deviled eggs & this cookbook from my collection. 🥚💛🥚

I‘ve been so absent from ThreeListThursday #TLT that I had to join in late. Interesting list of books-I feel OK with 56/100. If only you got to x it by the number of times you‘ve read it—I would be a top scorer through P&P alone!🤷🏻‍♀️

My 5 favorites:
1. Pride and Prejudice is my all-time love!💜
2. The Joy Luck Club🥠
3. Little Women of course! 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️
4. I need to read The Stand again-my fave King!👑
5. I loved The Hunger Games series 🏹

Late again with my #5JoysFriday post & another crazy week where most of my joy came from food.🤦🏻‍♀️Oh well!

1. Joy while on trips to Hilo: a glimpse of Diamond Head when landing & two upgrades-one morning & one evening with time for reading of course.🛩️🩵

2. Ramen with creamy paitan broth is joyful comfort.💛

3. A perfect poke bowl-so fresh & joyful. 🐟💙

4. I don‘t eat them often but sometimes a good loco moco breakfast brings joy.😋

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#DynamicDs

Three favorite book covers with a #Dish or dishes on them.

A slightly later start to my #ChatterDay Saturday. My plan is catch up & wind down a little from a crazy work week & Friday travel to Hilo. At my usual coffee shop haunt waiting for my Kalua pork breakfast wrap to cool a bit (it smells delicious). 🤤😋

Starting this one for #LitsySciFiBookClub #LSFBC & catching up on posts, reviews, emails & a couple of cards if I have time before running errands.

#DynamicDs

A favorite cover (& good book too) for yesterday‘s #Doll prompt.

Off to Hilo for the second time this week. 😵‍💫 There will be much caffeine involved…

Friends, I truly do not know how we got to Friday so quickly, but here we are. I‘ll be heading off to Hilo tomorrow for a board meeting but there will be joy.💛💛💛

Make your #5JoysFriday post with those 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week. Tag me in your post & you can tags others too to share the joy.

Tagging a few friends to get the ball rolling & all are welcome to join in! 🤗

Thanks @Eggs for the #WondrousWednesday tag. 🤗 I‘m a little late as usual.

1️⃣ The tagged book wrecked me emotionally as it hit too close to home & felt so real.😱 The Frozen River was a favorite & I keep thinking about it. The Feather Thief was just so interesting, I‘ve recommended it to several people.

2️⃣ I haven‘t DNFed so far this year! So far so good.

I‘m late so if you haven‘t played & want to, consider yourself tagged. 🤗

#DynamicDs

Some of the #Dessert titled cookbooks in my collection.
🍪🍰🧁🍦🍩🥧🍧

I think desserts in jars was a bit of a “thing” for a while. 😆

#DynamicDs

The third book in The Naturals series is set mostly in Las Vegas. The older cover features poker chips but this one has #Dice on it.

This looks suspiciously like one of my predawn airport pictures last week but life is on repeat lately. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyway, headed to Hilo for business review meetings so caffeine, breakfast & a few chapters. I‘m about 1/3 of the way through this one & enjoying it so far.

#Two4Tuesday

1️⃣ Hah! Close—I did them this weekend because procrastination is my name. 🤦🏻‍♀️

2️⃣ Folklore 🌺

If you want to join in, consider yourself tagged. 🤗

#DynamicDs

The second book in a cozy paranormal series in my Kindle TBR has #Denial in the title. Showing & tagging (below) the first book, which I also have not read yet. 📚📚📚🤷🏻‍♀️📚📚📚

#MentalHealthMonday

1️⃣ Well, it‘s 7PM & I just shut down my computer for the day & have a slamming headache. It was definitely a MONDAY.😵‍💫🤕🥴

2️⃣ I don‘t use affirmations much but think they can be helpful to remember when you need them. When I‘m doubting myself in general, I will say or write down, “I am enough.” When it‘s a bad day at work & I‘ve messed up, I remind myself that “I am growing and learning every day.” Sometimes it helps ⬇️

#DynamicDs

Truly a wonderful #Discovery in my mind. 🍫🤎

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

My #HyggeHour tonite is with Encyclopedia Brown for #EBBR & if I have some time, I‘ll read more in one of my other books. Drinking tea & having chocolate. 🍫

Mood is sleepy & not ready for another busy work week of meetings & 2 more Hilo trips. 🥱😵‍💫😴

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished last Sunday for #NancyDrewBR but still digesting those exploding oranges! 🍊💥🙄 This one was just a bit over the top in the villains & their evil plans (soft spoilers): we had exploding oranges, a mansion with a secret laser “beamer” in a lab to shoot down a NASA rocket, wild animals to keep people away & a steaming swimming pool full of boiling water because you should always have “a special (spa?) treatment⬇️

#Read2025

Finished earlier in the week. Sometimes the soul needs a little Ross Gay poem or essay to ground it again. 💛🧡💚

#DynamicDs

Three #Diamond titles languishing in my Kindle TBR 💎

#DynamicDs

For #Deceit — this one is in my Kindle TBR
The cover is just gorgeous.💙👑

My late #5JoysFriday list:

1-3. Loot from last week‘s makers mart & artist vendors. Post cards by Sara, who I‘m trading books with next month. I 💛them & the little bags/envelopes she makes from leftover paper. Favorite new print/card from Becky (it‘s so peaceful) who gives me free cards & positive vibes each time I see her. The cyanotype earrings I got from a new vendor, they are mother fern & beautiful. Joy from supporting local artists!
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My #Chatterday Saturday vibe is recovery. Another insane week at work with 2 Hilo trips & big meetings & next week is the same, so trying to catch up with myself, reading (this one is due back in 2 days) & snail mail for #LitsyLove & other returns. Also I need to post some reviews & my delinquent #5JoysFriday 💛 from yesterday as I crashed as soon as I got home from the airport last night. 😵‍💫😴

Hope you all are having a good weekend! 🤗

#DynamicDs

Since I‘m a day behind, I‘m catching up with both the #Dog & #Dance prompts today. I haven‘t read this book but I did see he movie years ago. 😢

At the airport, heading to Hilo for the day. Breakfast & a few chapters of this one for #RiseUpReads

Glad it‘s Friday! 😵‍💫😴🥱

I‘m running a bit on fumes this week & I‘ll be up before the crack of dawn for my second trip to Hilo this week. Still, there‘s gotta be some joys for #5JoysFriday 💛

Make & post your list of the 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week. Use the #5JoysFriday tag & tag me in your post. You can tag others to join in & use the background as you see fit or make your own.

Tagging a few to get the Joy party started & all are welcome! 🤗

#DynamicDs

I got behind so here‘s yesterday‘s #Dream prompt. I often dream of food so these 5 books on my shelves are either foodie novels or cookbooks. 🍽️

#DynamicDs

Since I missed yesterday‘s prompt, I‘m going for double Ds today! (Okay, that sounded better in my head!) 😆 Out Of My Brain is about a #DifferentlyAbled girl & told through #Diary entries. The follow-up (tagged) is still in my TBR.

Off to Hilo for meetings today & tomorrow. A little early morning airport breakfast & coffee. I‘m excited to start this one! It‘s one of my #Roll100 books this month.

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour tonight with Nancy Drew for #NancyDrewBR with tropical herbal tea & some pineapple peelerz gummy candy.🍍💛

My mood is a little tired & I am headed out early tomorrow for Hilo—doing an overnight for meetings. It will be a busy week.😵‍💫

#Read2025

Finished last week, this book was sweet & cute & exactly what I needed for a crazy week at work & the insanity of the world. It was a good mood enhancer in between some tougher books too. I love the escape of cozy fantasy where good prevails. Caz & Meep were adorable & it made me crave tea with bread and jam. A hug in book form. 💚💚💚

Here‘s my March recap. It was a great reading month & I finished 23 books! (Including 5 audiobooks, 19 fiction, 4 NF, many genres, several children‘s & classics)

I read for #SundayBuddyRead #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #AuthorAMonth #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #SheSaid #RiseUpReads #JaneAustenThenAndNow #BookedInTime #FoodAndLit #Roll100 #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #MonthlyNonFiction #SeriesLove2025 & #AuldLangSpine #SeriesLove2025 ⬇️

#DynamicDs

Each of the main characters in this second book of the Part of Your World series is a #Doctor 🩺🩻💉

The first Saturday #Chatterday of the month means the local makers market by my house where I spent a while this morning spending money supporting local artists. (BTW you know you have become a vendor regular when she tells you to pick out 3 more cards, free, for the “Deb Discount” 😆) Maybe I‘ll share my haul, later.

Now I‘m at the coffee shop relaxing from the week & self-soothing with my new magazines & a little Ross Gay balm for the soul. 💛