pickJust what I like in a cozy mystery! Likeable characters, a smart female amateur sleuth, a friendly village setting, and a mystery that kept me guessing. I will read more of this series!
This was my July #ThematicCozies choice, for the #Festival prompt.
#Pantone2025 #CurdsandWhey @Lauredhel @BarbaraBB
We love seeing the look of delight on our friends‘ faces when they see their first white squirrel!
#HaikuaDay #HaikuHive
@dabbe
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Susanita, Reggie, vivastory, Itchyfeetreader, jdiehr, CBee, kelli7990, Jari-chan, ImperfectCJ, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me
pickThis was a fascinating historical novel about the Hindenburg airship disaster in 1937. The zeppelin burst into flames as it was landing in New Jersey, after its transatlantic flight from Germany. Told from multiple points of view, the novel speculates what the multi-day flight was like, for both passengers and crew. Secrets, schemes, romance, and lots of nail biting tension - it‘s all here. I couldn‘t put this book down!
#Pantone2025 #Bran
pickEntertaining! A refreshing take on the Cinderella story, with a strong heroine. Another excellent choice for #SundayBuddyRead with @TheBookHippie
pickLong, but very well written, with well-developed characters and relationships that have depth. But the ending…ugh… frustrating. Thanks to the always-fun #HashtagBrigade for giving me the impetus to keep reading!
#AllergicToChunksters
# Pantone2025 #Cocoon #Cocoa @Lauredhel
pickGreat practical advice, told with humor and a bit of snarkiness. This is a quick read, as it‘s not a novel, but rather an expanded version of a commencement address given by Cassandra King at her Alma Mater. Excellent introduction by Rick Bragg. Fun!
My July choice for #ReadOrDonate is Palisades Park, historical fiction about a legendary amusement park near where I grew up in New Jersey. What will everyone else be reading and/or donating?
Julsmarshall, BarkingMadRead, Cuilin, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, OriginalCyn620, BethM, gossamerchild, Booksblanketsandahotbeverage, Read4life, rmaclean4, BookwormAHN, CoffeeNBooks, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, willaful
What a delightful book! I learned so much about the shells and other various mysterious objects that wash up on the beach - mysteries no more! The author uses scientific terms, but explains them in layman‘s language. She also encourages readers to just soak up the relaxing atmosphere of the beach, being aware of all 5 senses, meditating, and pondering age old questions. Perfect reading for anyone who is at the beach, or dreaming of being there.
My #ReadYourKindle list for July. A good number of these are #CatchUp reads from prior months‘ challenges and buddy reads. 🫣
@CBee
I have 3 fun choices for #Roll100 this month: Spindle‘s End, Perestroika in Paris, and Blackbeard the Pirate!
@PuddleJumper
Looking forward to lots of fun along with our mystery in July! Our #ThematicCozies prompt is #Fair/Festival/Carnival . What will everyone be reading? And… hoping some of us get to attend a real fair, festival, or carnival in July! 🎡🎠🎢
DebinHawaii, BookmarkTavern, BarkingMadRead, ChasingOm, kspenmoll, JenlovesJT47, Graciouswarriorprincess, mhillis, Gissy, OriginalCyn620, ferskner, Librarybelle, thebacklistbook, MaleficentBookDragon, Crinoline_Laphroaig, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, TEArificbooks, Avanders, Mollyanna, PathfinderNicole, CoffeeNBooks, tdrosebud, RedxoHearts, ElizaMarie, sblbooks, Allylu
pickI thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. Despite the light-hearted title, it had a surprisingly complex plot, which kept me guessing. The characters were believable and likable. It‘s the first in a series, and I look forward to reading more.
#ReadYourKindle @CBee
#Pantone2025 #BlueGranite @Lauredhel
The #FictionalTraveler prompt for July is #Water . Hopefully our reading will bring some refreshing fictional escapism for those of us who have been dealing with oppressive heat. 🥵💦💧💦
What will everyone be reading?
DebinHawaii, BarkingMadRead, Cuilin, kspenmoll, Amiable, Gissy, Deblovestoread, ferskner, thebacklistbook, DogMomIrene, majkia, Lauredhel, Booksblanketsandahotbeverage, Read4life, Sace, BarbaraBB, TheEllieMo, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, Yuki_Onna, Zuhkeeyah, LiseWorks
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, AmyG, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Susanita, Reggie, vivastory, Eggs, Chrissyreadit, Itchyfeetreader, jdiehr, TheSpineView, CBee, dabbe, kelli7990, Jari-chan, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me
pickThis book is a balm for the soul. Calm, quiet, relaxing, filled with love. It was a perfect choice for #Naturalitsy #MidsummerSolace , as it really did provide solace for me in these stressful times. Escapism at its best. @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit #LitSolace
I love summer at the beach! We meet such nice people!
#HaikuaDay #HaikuHive @dabbe
Rental house next door,
New neighbors each Saturday.
Friends, week at a time.
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Reggie, vivastory, Eggs, Itchyfeetreader, jdiehr, TheSpineView, CBee, Jari-chan, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me
bailedNope. Not for me. Too weird. #HailtheBail #BetterBooksAhead
pickI enjoy the Lucy Stone mystery series. The books are well-written, and the characters feel realistic. This book is #31 in the series. Lucy‘s daughter is getting married, and I could so identify with the “wedding industrial complex” that suddenly takes over their lives! I also appreciated the thoughtful treatment of the history of the Native Americans in Maine. And it‘s a cozy, so of course there was a murder! It kept me guessing until the end.
pickFun! A divorced American mom books a vacation at Austenland, a Regency-immersion country house hotel in England, hoping the change of scene will help her overcome the numbness she has felt since her divorce. Romance and a murder mystery… reality or just part of the immersion experience storyline? The witty, snarky conversations she has with herself in her head are a hoot! Loosely based on Northanger Abbey. Great on audio.
#JaneAustenThenAndNow
so-soThis was a cute cozy mystery, but not one of my favorites. I actually found it a bit boring. But I did enjoy the setting at a Librarian‘s Conference. And the main character‘s Maine coon cat was a fun - if superfluous - addition.
This was my #ReadOrDonate selection for June. I‘ll bring it to our local Little Free Library. It would be a good beach read for our island‘s summer visitors - light, entertaining, and easily completed in a week.
We are loving every precious minute with our grandson! 💙
#HaikuADay #HaikuHive
@dabbe @TheBookHippie @TheSpineView @Kristy_K @JenlovesJT47 @DebinHawaii @bellabella @AnnCrystal @BooksandCoffee4Me @vivastory @Reggie @CBee @lil1inblue @Eggs @jdiehr @Jari-chan @Itchyfeetreader @mimi28
so-soI am not smart enough to understand this book. Looking forward to the #CampLitsy25 discussion on Saturday, hoping for some enlightenment. Or at least some commiseration, lol. 🤪😳😵💫
First luscious sip of
a Chick-fil-A peach milkshake.
Summer has arrived!
What foods/tastes say "Summer" to you?
#HaikuADay #HaikuHive
pickAn absolutely sweet memoir about the author‘s summer job at Tiffany in New York City. And what a summer it was! 1945… during the last months of World War II. Lots of interesting historical details of daily life are included, as well as some cute stories about working at such a glamorous place. Great fun!
Another #SundayBuddyRead winner. Thanks, @TheBookHippie !
My #5JoysFriday is all about Iceland this week. The scenery here is dramatic!
1. Sunset at 11:30 p.m.
2. Waterfalls
3. Lupines. They are everywhere. Great swaths of them strewn across fields and hills.
4. Snow-capped mountains.
5. Windswept hills.
@DebinHawaii
pickThis dual timeline historical novel about the potential authorship of Shakespeare‘s plays is fascinating read. Well-researched and well-written (although a bit too heavy-handed at times for my taste), this was very thought-provoking as well as entertaining. I think this book‘s impact will stay with me. Don‘t skip the author‘s note at the end!
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
Spending the week in beautiful Scotland has been filled with too many joys to count. The people are friendly and welcoming, the scenery is stunning, and there is so much to see and do! 🏴
For June, I decided to try making one post for the monthly challenges I host. I‘m excited to see what everyone will be reading!
#MonthlyNonfiction2025 - your choice, or if you‘re progressing through the Dewey numbers, 500-599
#FictionalTraveler - A Place You‘d Like to Visit
#ThematicCozies - Celebration
#ReadOrDonate - Your Choice
#AllergicToChunksters - Continue with whatever you‘re currently plowing through, or start something new 🙂
DebinHawaii, BookmarkTavern, BarkingMadRead, ChasingOm, kspenmoll, JenlovesJT47, Graciouswarriorprincess, mhillis, Gissy, OriginalCyn620, BethM, ferskner, Librarybelle, thebacklistbook, MaleficentBookDragon, Crinoline_Laphroaig, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, TEArificbooks, Avanders, Mollyanna, PathfinderNicole, CoffeeNBooks, tdrosebud, RedxoHearts, ElizaMarie, sblbooks, Allylu
On Sunday, we attended our first Highland Games! The Atholl Gathering at Blair Castle. It was so much fun!
Bagpipes, cannon fire,
Men in kilts throwing hammers.
Scottish Highland Games.
#Haikuaday #HaikuHive
@dabbe
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Reggie, vivastory, Eggs, jdiehr, TheSpineView, CBee, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
A joyous week for sure! We visited our grandsons in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, before flying to Scotland for a vacation. 🏴
I woke up to this cheery sound this morning!
#Haikuaday #haikuhive
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Reggie, vivastory, Eggs, jdiehr, TheSpineView, CBee, dabbe, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me
pick#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville
Well, this was one of the more unusual reading experiences I‘ve had! The main character‘s last name is Poitier, and his first name is Not Sidney. Much hilarity and clever dialogue ensues due to this unusual name. Not Sidney is Black, and is the victim of all kinds of racial prejudice - truly serious American societal issues - but somehow Percival Everett manages to write these scenes as humorous. Very skillful. ⬇️
pickThis book manages to highlight the important issue of book banning, while also being hopeful and laugh-out-loud funny. Although several members of my book club complained that there were too many characters to keep track of (keeping a character list as you read is very helpful], we had a great discussion. We have even decided to read some banned books in future months.
#Pantone2025 #ViridianGreen @Lauredhel @BarbaraBB
pickI loved the strong sense of time and place in this novel - small town Maine in the late 1700s. The main character is a midwife - a strong woman with influence in her community, which she uses for good. Based on a real midwife, Martha Ballard, who kept a diary that has survived. Superb storytelling!
#Pantone2025 #SecretSpaces @Lauredhel @BarbaraBB
#haikuaday #haikuhive
I love driving into my neighborhood in the evening and seeing these guys. 💟
Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Reggie, TheSpineView, dabbe, lil1inblue, AnnCrystal, bellabella
pickI enjoyed this story about famed interior designer‘s renovation of the iconic Greenbrier Hotel. A strong, confident, talented woman, Draper made some difficult decisions as she pursued her career at a time when it was not socially acceptable for upper class women to work. The hotel itself felt like one of the characters in the book, and it sounds like a beautiful place. I‘d love to visit in person!
#SundayBuddyRead (March) #Pantone2025
#HaikuADay #haikuhive @dabbe
Ancient live oak tree
Spanish moss dripping beard-like,
Shading my front porch.
@JenlovesJT47 @DebinHawaii @TheBookHippie @TheSpineView @Kristy_K @lil1inblue @bellabella
#HaikuADay #HaikuHive @dabbe
My first attempt. Not very melodic, but it‘s a start. 😆
My May choice for #ReadOrDonate has been sitting on my shelves for years. It‘s time!
What will everyone else be reading?
Julsmarshall, BarkingMadRead, Cuilin, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, OriginalCyn620, BethM, gossamerchild, Booksblanketsandahotbeverage, Read4life, rmaclean4, BookwormAHN, CoffeeNBooks, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, PuddleJumper, willaful
My May selection for #MonthlyNonfiction2025 is Confessions of a Bookseller, by Shaun Bythell. I‘m hoping to visit his bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland later this month! 🏴📚
What will everyone else be reading?
Sarahreadstoomuch, rockpools, kspenmoll, mhillis, Gissy, Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick, ferskner, Lauredhel, TEArificbooks, MonicaLoves2Read, Rissreadswithcats, TheBookgeekFrau, TheAromaofBooks, peanutnine, willaful
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