My #Chatterday vibe is field trip. Headed to Kailua to visit a local bookstore & my favorite Japanese grocery & favorite natural foods store.

It‘s a 30-40 pretty drive depending on traffic so I can get a chunk of the audiobook of the second in this Decoupage Mystery series for #ThematicCozies March #Hobby I liked the first book so I‘m continuing. Fueled by coffee & a tuna onigiri/musubi

Looking forward to a relaxing Saturday. 😌

#CoverStories

When I think of pastels I think of baking & especially cupcakes with #Pastel icing & sprinkles. Here‘s some related covers from my stacks. 🧁💛

Today was long & jam-packed but I‘m finally done working & ready to share my #5JoysFriday list for this week!💛

1. This morning as I was getting ready there was a rather loud “lecture” going on between 2 birds outside my bathroom window. Identifying a Red-Vented Bulbul as the lecturer with the Merlin app gave me joy!🐦

Favorite foods give me joy! 😋
2. I ate 2 poke bowls this week &
3. had grilled smoked pork belly at a brunch with vendors.
⬇️

#CoverStories

A #Clock title from my e-book TBR. I really like the bright & cheerful cover! 💛🩷💛

It‘s Thursday night here which means it‘s almost time for #5JoysFriday & time to list the 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week.💛💛💛

Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post as well as others if you want to help spread the joy. You can use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

I'm tagging a few friends to get the Joy party started, but as always, anyone who needs a spot of joy is welcome to join in! 🤗

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished Book 2 in the series Sunday for #EBBR & I did pretty well solving the crimes. I only one that I didn‘t completely get was The Case of the Ambushed Cowboy as I knew what it had to do with but not exactly why (no spoilers here!) 😉 I‘m not saying I‘ve gotten smarter as an adult—I could just be remembering bits from my childhood. My favorite thing is when “Leroy” Brown solves his dad‘s cases at the dinner table.

For any #SundayBuddyRead ebook readers or those who like a back up, our June pick is on sale for $2.99 for Kindle & it looks like at Barnes & Noble too.

#CoverStories

A #Bridge title & cover. This is the first book in the Sonoma Witches series (witchy/paranormal cozy-ish) which I read & enjoyed a couple years ago.

I recently learned there was a 6th book so I‘ll be reading it soon for #SeriesLove2025.

#CoverStories

I have eight #River books on my Kindle. I just finished & LOVED Frozen River & read Follow the River Home several years ago. The the others are still in my TBR. 🏞️

#CoverStories

I recently rewatched this book to film movie (I read the book years & years ago) & immediately thought of it for today‘s #Shoes prompt. 👠

Thanks for the #Two4Tuesday tag @TheSpineView ! 🤗

1️⃣ I can‘t just name one favorite spring flower but my Top 5 are probably lilacs, pansies, daffodils, cherry blossoms & violets.🪻🌼🌸

2️⃣ The tagged book was one of my favorite books I read last year & I‘ll recommend it until the cows come home.🐮 I also love the big bouquet of flowers on the cover. 💐

Anyone want to join in & share your favorites? Consider yourself tagged! 🌺

What happens when Ireland meets a Hawaii institution. Thought I‘d share my lunch & dinner for St. Patrick‘s Day. I didn‘t feel like cooking this weekend but wanted corned beef & cabbage. The closest easiest thing was to run to Zippy‘s (think Hawaii Denny‘s) for their special today. No potatoes, it‘s served plate-lunch style with 2 scoops rice & mac salad! 😂 And of course I had to add-on the drink lilikoi punch & Napple special (apple turnover).⬇️

#CoverStories

The books on my Kindle “shelves” with a #KeyHole on the cover. I‘ve only read the tagged book so far although I‘ll be reading The Briar Club next month for #AuthorAMonth & @JacqMac ‘s #AuldLangSpine list. The other 2 are in my #TBR

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

My #HyggeHour tonight is being spent with Encyclopedia Brown for #EBBR & my favorite Dried Cinnamon Fuji Apple slices & apple tea. I‘ll finish the book pretty quickly so I will probably visit some #5JoysFriday or crash & go to sleep.

Mood is fairly neutral but not excited for Monday tomorrow & another busy week ahead.

#Read2025

Finished this one yesterday, it‘s the 2nd of my March #Roll100 picks (#51 Any Library Book) & the 5th book from my #AuldLangSpine list from @JacqMac & I loved it! A historical mystery centered around a real-life midwife, Martha Ballard. I found the mystery gripping in how it unfolded & the look at midwifery in 1779 in Maine was interesting. The author‘s notes in the back about the choices she made in telling Martha‘s story were also ⬇️

#CoverStories

I was just reminded of this 1988 movie & it‘s what I thought of immediately for today‘s #Running prompt.

A family on the run from the FBI (due to the parents protesting & blowing up a lab in the 1970s) & the oldest son is looking at stoping running & starting his own life.

#CoverStories

A favorite campy #Reflection cover🪞

It was such a fast work-filled week, not a lot of different types of joy in my #5JoysFriday list:

1. The morning sunrise from the plane takeoff yesterday was so pretty, the bad photo doesn‘t do it justice.🌅

2. I was behind this pretty & sleepy service pup in the boarding line. While I was sad to not be seated next to her it always gives me joy to see animals on planes! 🐕 ✈️

3. I went for a walk between meetings at our corporate office ⬇️

My #ChatterDay started late as it was hard to get going this morning because I left my house at 4:15 AM to get to the airport & got back home from Hilo at 10 PM.😵‍💫

So, breakfast, coffee, finishing this book (I‘m at 84%) which is SO GOOD & then finishing my #SpringCardSwap before running errands. (Yes, they‘ll probably be a little late).

How‘s your Saturday/weekend going?

#CoverStories

Non-fiction/true crime #Feather book. I finished this one last month & enthusiastically recommend it. It will be on my 2025 favorites list. 🪶📚

Headed to Hilo on the first flight & what will be a long day of meeting & a retirement party before I fly home tonight.

My usual airport breakfast & starting this book.

How is it almost Friday so quickly again?! That means it‘s time to list the 5 things big or small that brought you joy this week for #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post as well as others if you want to spread the joy. You can use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

I'm tagging some of our regulars to get things started, but as always, anyone who needs a spot of joy is welcome to join in! 🤗

#CoverStories

I couldn‘t think of a #Chapel book but the prompt makes me think of the song Chapel of Love which is featured heavily in one of my favorite rom coms, sung by Elton John. 💒💍🥂

#CoverStories

I couldn‘t think of a book with a #Tuxedo on the cover that I own or have read but I think this cover with a tuxedo cat on it is cute! 🐈‍⬛🖤🤍

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished Book #11 for #BobWhiteBR on Sunday. Trixie & the Bob-Whites (sans Dan of course & Di this time) are off to Uncle Andrew Belden‘s lodge in the Ozarks. Trixie is obsessed with finding rare cave ghost fish to win $500 to buy a station wagon for “crippled children.” As a child, I remember being fascinated with the ghost fish & admiring Trixie‘s bravery in spelunking in the caves. (My claustrophobia could never!)😱

#CoverStories

A #Reptile on the cover of this semi-true tale of a road trip with an alligator that I read for review about 10 years ago. (Yikes!)

The cover on the left is the original & the right, a newer version.🐊

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Tired & a bit overwhelmed work-wise. Having a little extra time off was helpful in some ways but put me behind in others.

2. I‘m excited to read this mental health fiction book with #RiseUpReads next month. Including the post from @Catsandbooks in case anyone wants to join in.
Catsandbooks's post on Litsy https://litsy.com/p/YUV3NTJOeWw4

#CoverStories

Some covers with #Direction from my stacks. 🧭

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

My #HyggeHour tonight will be spent with my purple Trixie Belden book for #BobWhiteBuddies & a matching bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs (Yay 🎉for the Easter candy season!)

My mood is tired. 😵‍💫 I‘m so not ready for a full & busy work week! 😬

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished the audiobook this weekend as I ran errands, I enjoyed this pick for #ThematicCozies March #Hobby Brenna has been in her small New England town, a refugee of Boston where the art gallery she ran was violently robbed. She teaches decoupage art in the paper craft store her friend Tenley owns & gets involved in solving the mayor‘s death when her landlord is accused. The characters show promise & I like that there⬇️

My library #BookHaul last week. I went in to pick up my hold on Brave-Hearted for #RiseUpReads The library book store was having a half-off sale on adult fiction & I got the tagged book (from my TBR), Frozen River (in case I don‘t finish my library e-book loan in time), & Magic Steeped in Poison (because it is pretty & the story looked good) for $1 each. The book🐔says it was a good deal & haul!😉

#SundayFunday “What‘s the last book you bought?”

#CoverStories

Some of the #Umbrella covers of books either read or in my TBR ☔️🌂☂️⛱️ I'm sure there are more that are not coming to mind.

#Read2025

Finished yesterday for #Roll100 (#90 Any Backlist) & as a prompt for my #OUABC 2025 40 Book Challenge (Any Hugo Award Winner). I loved this one! T. Kingfisher writes fun characters & found family with a sly dark humor. All the characters in Marta‘s ragtag group were endearing & I enjoyed this fantasy paranormal fairytale. Looking forward to working my way through the rest of the author‘s backlist. Pretty sure it will be a 2025 fave.🖤

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

So I‘m not sure why I felt I needed to read both the 1940 & the 1976 versions for #NancyDrewBR but I did. My library only has the latter version but I found the 1940 versions online, free to download & read it the other night. Although they both feature brass-bound trunks, ocean liners & stolen jewelry, they are pretty different. I liked 1976 slightly better (Nancy George & Bess cruise from Holland to New York & end up⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Finished earlier this week. I had been hearing about this series for ages no & decided to finally give it a go as a quick listen. It was enjoyable although not as laugh out loud funny as I‘d been led to believe, I liked Murderbot & I‘ll read/listen to more. The first book was free through Audible & I put the next audiobook on hold through Library Libby (19 weeks wait! Probably due to the upcoming Apple TV series.)

Thanks for the #ChatterDay tag @TheSpineView 🤗 I‘m back at the coffee shop to try to finish up my work project after getting a little reading in while I have breakfast.

I hope to get to addressing my #SpringCardSwap envelopes & catching up on some #LitsyLove mail before I run my errands.

#CoverStories

Three books about #Trees that I own. I read Into the Forest for a review a while back, I‘m currently reading A Tree a Day & the tagged book is in my TBR. 🌳🌲🌴💚

Happy Friday! It‘s not been a perfect week but there was joy! 💛 Here‘s my #5JoysFriday list:

1. I took a few PT0 days this week that were a joy even if I had to work on a project during them. ⬇️
2. It was a joy to not get work calls & work out of a coffeeshop to make it seem less work-ish & get fed & caffeinated.

3. An underrated joy is to see a book come out Tues, put a “notify me” on Libby, get the book added notification & be the first ⬇️

#CoverStories

The #Stairs book that introduced me to Stacey Lee & her wonderful YA historical fiction.
(Thanks #SundayBuddyRead !)

Our first Friday in March & I don‘t know about you all but I need to find some joy somewhere in this week & this world. 🫣

Think of the 5 things big or small that brought
you joy this week. Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post & tag others if you want to spread the joy. You can use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

I'm tagging some friends to get things started but as always, all are welcome to join in!

Lunch today was my slightly delayed Momos & a few other Indian/Napalese dishes for my review of the tagged book (see tagged book post before this one) for #FoodAndLit #Nepal

I tried:
-Momo-dumplings of ground chicken, greens & spices & tangy tomato dipping sauce
-Himalayan naan-stuffed with spinach & shredded chicken tikka
Sides of dal (Nepali yellow lentils in ginger, garlic & tomatoes), Himalayan Mash Potato (curry & peas), raita & rice.😋

#CoverStories

I missed out on reading this last year with #Naturalitsy so it‘s still in my TBR

The background is #Clouds from a somewhat recent neighbor island flight. ☁️🌥️🤍

#CoverStories

Personally, I find hammocks to be too tippy & I‘m too clumsy to fully relax in them-especially drink in hand, but the #Hammock on the cover of this cookbook (from my collection) looks pretty comfortable. 🤷🏻‍♀️

#CoverStories

Two #BodyPart covers from my #Aardvark books.
I‘ve not read the tagged book yet but A Sweet Sting of Salt was one of my favorite books last year.

#CoverStories

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a VERY #LargeAnimal & a favorite of mine growing up. I had most of the early books but the first & Clifford‘s Halloween were my favorites. 🐶❤️

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Just okay, still stuffy & wheezy so not as much sleep as I wanted to get but I have the next few days (mostly) off which makes me happy.

2. “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha
I find it is very easy to forget this sometimes.🪷🍵 I actively try to be kind & loving to myself🩶

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Hanging out with Nancy Drew tonight during my #HyggeHour with herbal tea & a soft & chewy chocolate chunk/chip oatmeal raisin cookie. (So good!)🍪😋

Mood is tired. My asthma/allergies are still bugging me & I have to work tomorrow, but then I‘m taking some PTO days so I don‘t lose it. So, I‘m grateful to have much of the week officially off (even if I‘ll be working on a big work project part of the time).

My TBR for March includes books for #SundayBuddyRead #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #AuthorAMonth #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #SheSaid #RiseUpReads #JaneAustenThenAndNow #BookedInTime #FoodAndLit #Ireland #Roll100 #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #NonFictionReads #SeriesLove2025 & #AuldLangSpine

Whew! It‘s a lot of books but I feel good about it!
📚📚🤷🏻‍♀️📚📚📚

A couple of #SundayBuddyRead books where F. Scott Fitzgerald is mentioned have made me want to reread The Great Gatsby again (my first time since high school) so I‘m making it my pick for #FictionalTraveler March: #BigCity

While I‘m reading the edition with the iconic blue cover, the 2013 movie tie-in cover & the movie itself have more than one beautiful #EveningGown soI‘m using it for today‘s #CoverStories prompt.

February Recap: Finished 15 books & started/made progress with 3 more. Completed books for #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #EBBR #AuthorAMonth #SheSaid #AuldLangSpine #JaneAustenThenAndNow #FictionalTraveler #YhematicCozies #FoodAndLit #Nepal & SeriesLove2025 & #MonthlyNonFiction #Roll100

Favorites were The Feather Thief, Margo‘s Got Money Troubles, Sense and Second Degree Murder, From Dust to Stardust