1. Meeting son in Austin next weekend for spur of the moment trip.
2. Crazy car covered in Xmas lights!
3. Books to read, excited about the Chris Whitaker as I loved All the Colors of the Dark. Also looking forward to a book from my swap buddy, Char.
4. Really liked this Heath bar apple pie. Leaving last piece for the husband.
5. Got my Prolia shot for healthy bones!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii @thegreensofa

Auto-buy: Susanna Clarke, Chris Whitaker, Valerie Perrin
Read more: Meg Howry, Julia Phillips, Shannon Bowring
First time: Rebecca Reilly, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Penny

@ChaoticMissAdventures @Deblovestoread

This is an extremely hard book to read, giving you so much to think about page after page. Twin girls, Arc and Daffy, live with their drug addict mother and aunt, prostitutes as well. What kind of life do they have to look forward to, to hope for? Can they ever escape the life they‘re born into? Unforgettable this book is, with a gigantic twist at the end.

@Amor4Libros @AmyG

1. Fresh fruit salad every morning.
2. Just started the tagged book, but apparently the twin girls live with a drug addict mother and prostitute aunt, so I would say survival is their best trait.

@TheSpineView

Jolabokaflodswap is here! Thanks Annie Y!! Excited for the 24th🩷

#jolabokaflodswap. @MaleficentBookDragon @Marmie7

Read this in one day. A fast moving story about a brother and sister who are convinced their father was murdered, not suicide as the police have determined. Big twist! Interesting characters too.

1. Amazing sunrise from my front porch.
2. Inside of my Magic World book nook which I worked on all week. Such a fun change from jigsaw puzzles!
3. Lunch with daughter for her birthday included grilled cheese with 3 kinds of cheese, bacon and crispy onion bites.
4. Recipe for tagine reminded me of trip with my kiddos to Morocco last year.
5. Bitter cold didn‘t stop us from pizza Thursday at favorite pizza joint.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

I liked the characters in this book but I felt that 460 pages were way too many to tell this story. Star-crossed lovers and a couple of tragedies moved this book along, but a lot of it felt predictable including the ending. Took me forever to read it.

1. Me and the kiddos at the Lightscape show at the Botanic Gardens. It was SO COLD but beautiful.
2. Fun game daughter brought to Thanksgiving.
3. Birthday gift of Edward Gorey plate.
4. Favorite books reading list from @thegreensofa
5. Breakfast with two best friends. So much love!💕

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

So excited to get your list! I‘ve only read The Husbands and Yellowface. I‘m not familiar with any other book on the list. If they‘re in order of your favorites I‘m going to start at the top. Thanks so much for expanding my world!

@monalyisha You are truly appreciated!!

#Jolabokaflodswap on the way tomorrow.

@MaleficentBookDragon

1. When the kids were small, they would get into their pjs and we would drive around the suburb with the coolest lights. Now that they‘re in their 30s they probably wouldn‘t want to go!
2. On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel. Recommended by a couple of Litsy readers.

#Two4Tuesday. @TheSpineView

1. Me and daughter at my birthday brunch.
2. Gift of very cool Edward Gorey beach towel that I actually hung on the wall with Command Strips!
3. Me with oldest friend from high school.
4. Terrific movie that I highly recommend.
5. Turkey that had already eaten too much on Thanksgiving morning walk with son.
Bonus joy: Wonderful Thanksgiving with family, but we didn‘t take any pictures!

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

Really liked this Hugo award winner about six people and a baby who are traveling to a far away planet to confront the latest monster, or whatever, who is threatening other planets. The interesting thing about this book is each character telling his or her backstory, and the stories are each gripping in their own way. It takes place in the way distant future, and I really liked the occasional references to “Old Earth”.

“The Hegemony Consul sat on the balcony of his ebony spaceship and played Rachmaninoff‘s Prelude in C-sharp Minor on an ancient but well-maintained Steinway while great, green, saurian things surged and bellowed in the swamps below.”

Really good sci-fi book!

#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl

1.Worst picture of me ever, with hubby and grandson at jazz band concert.
2.Two puzzles son sent for my birthday. Bottom one is a booknook, a tiny dollhouse kind of thing.
3.Watching Day of the Jackal on Peacock, great show!
4.Frosted lemon cookies from daughter, note 2 are missing.
5.First snow yesterday was beautiful, now melted.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

Here are my two Roz Chast cartoons.

@MemoirsForMe @AmyG

1. I am a serious planner who could probably use a little more spontaneity!
2. Nothing went according to plan in the tagged book. Wild things happened until the last minute.

#Two4Tuesday. @TheSpineView

Couldn‘t put this one down. Three murdered women who are now ghosts are stalking their killer. The narration changes from chapter to chapter as we get to know the three women. Would make a good movie! At the end you can connect to the author‘s Instagram account for a follow up.

@TamTracy Thanks for recommending! 🩷

OK, week 11. I‘m staying optimistic with my Bears, Baltimore over Pittsburgh, Indy over Jets, Denver over Atl, Seattle over SF, Buff over KC, Cincinnati over Chargers, Houston over Dallas and Rams over New England. Maybe this week will be better for me as I got killed last week. Lots of chaos here with the Bears which is nothing new unfortunately.

#GridironGab @KadaGul @RamsFan1963 @AmyG @MemoirsForMe

1.Fun lunch at Women‘s Club of Wisconsin with speech about women influenced gardens in England. Who knew there‘s an underground in Kew Gardens where they cultivate 2 1/2 million seeds and plants!?!
2.Finished jigsaw puzzle that Amazon sent me accidentally.
3.Husband made ribs with his special sauce.
4.Son in Seattle says he‘s “seeing” someone.
5.Friend‘s cancer turns out not life-threatening, big sigh of relief.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Really liked this book about a woman trying to get her long lost father out of jail in East Berlin. The last 50 pages were really gripping as she travels right into the heart of the Stasi before the wall came down. So interesting to read about the part that punk rock bands played during that time.

@kspenmoll

100 pages of this book was enough for me. Long rambling passages about Neanderthal life, interspersed with witty dialogue from Sadie who seems to be in the midst of a long term spy operation. I didn‘t stick around to find out as I have too many other books calling me.

1. Spots for sure. I love polka dots.
2. Tagged book and I have eight more on my shelf (and one to pick up tomorrow)! Distracted by my jigsaw puzzle.

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

November is birthday month for one kid and two best friends!

1. Cadence travel capsules for my traveling friend, with mini spatulas to transfer products.
2. Universal Yums for the kid in Seattle who likes snacks, started with Italy in honor of a trip we took there.
3. Autumn watercolors book for the other kid with December birthday.
4. Swapped out all black utensils for neutral
5. Wonderful week of weather…again!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

The cover is so beautiful for this teeny tiny 60 page fantasy story. I love Susanna Clarke but this one didn‘t do too much for me.

Really liked Normal People. Really didn‘t like her last book which I believe I bailed on due to lots of boring people having meaningless conversations. This one is magnificent. Two brothers and the three women in their lives. And their relationships with their parents. Every word that they speak is very real, very believable. Every situation is very true. I really feel like I read something here.

This book is about one woman‘s path to self discovery. Ivy is 52 when the book opens, divorced with a small child, lots of friends, but lonely. And when a 35 year old musician ex-convict enters her life, she has to come to terms with who she really is. It‘s a long journey for her. I particularly liked her description of all the rooms she goes into, near the end of the book, as she tries to figure it all out. Who hasn‘t been lonely?

1. Daughter brought me this postcard from the Maurice Sendak exhibit in Denver. We both loved him when she was a kid.
2. Beautiful leaves on the tree on my deck. Sadly, now they‘re mostly on the deck.
3. So many library books to get to! But I love having choices.
4. Had my flu shot. Only shot left this year is Prolia.
5. Fun brunch with daughter and boyfriend. I love seeing them in love.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

At first I thought this was yet one more book about a neurotic woman, and I‘ve read a lot of those lately. But this was actually a story of discovery as Phoebe spends one week immersed in a wedding party of people she doesn‘t know in the slightest. Her life as she knew it, changes before her very eyes as she gets to know all these strangers. Very entertaining!

If you‘re a fan of RL Stine, tune in to the podcast interview with him on Chicago Humanities Tapes, on Spotify and other platforms. He‘s a character as he must be to have written over 300 horror books for kids!

1. Used my new mug for my morning tea.
2. Beautiful fall flowers everywhere at botanical garden.
3. Interesting customer at my favorite lunch spot.
4. Autumn leaves and Halloween decorations and football…I love fall!
5. Had tooth implant and all went well. In the home stretch with that nuisance.

@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

I‘ve loved all her books, from Olive Kitteridge to My Name is Lucy Barton to all the others. We follow all the same characters from book to book, and they‘re so real. Their conversations are so real, their feelings are so real, their personalities are so real. I always feel as though I‘ve really read something when I finish one.

1. I had an aunt who died young. She was the kind of person who never, ever said a bad word about anybody. Everybody loved her and I still think of her as a saint.
2. Husband, 2 kids, 2 best girlfriends.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs @TheSpineView (thanx for the tag!)

This short book reflects the history of one woman who spent many years as a sex worker. We learn her history growing up and what led her into this line of work. We learn about her long term relationship with a client and we also learn who she is today. Several insights into men and relationships hit home.

@Chelsea.Poole Ran right out and got this one. Thanks for a very interesting read!

1. Mangoes by a landslide.

2. Even though it‘s been years I remember the scene in the tagged book where the main character introduces his girlfriend to his parents over dinner.

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

A beautifully written story about Carlisle, a former ballerina. It‘s about her history, her significant moments with her parents, a lover, her father‘s partner. This book really has something to say and the characters are so richly drawn that you feel like you know them. I loved it and feel like my life is enriched having read it. Thank you @Amor4Libros

1. Borough Market in London, jam packed with retail food stalls and people.
2. Great seats at the Bears game.
3. Amazing food at the game, including this chocolate dessert to die for.
4. Flying Tiger stores out of Denmark are all over Europe. Lots of inexpensive fun stuff.
5. Art at the Tate Modern. This was a collection of old radios and boomboxes.

@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

1. Still have Halloween candy leftover from last year! Wondering if it‘s still good.
2. Ballerina remembers parents

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

1. Having a blast in London! Here‘s the floating bookstore Word on the Water. Maybe 10 people can fit in there at one time.
2. Took the Uber boat down the Thames, really fun.
3. Wicked was amazing! That‘s a ginormous dragon above the stage. Also saw John Lithgow in Giant last nite.
4. Went to changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace but couldn‘t see anything.
5. Bears Bar, hopping all week. Game on Sunday.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Just happened to walk past Greenwood, the Bears bar in London. Not going to any activities there this week, but they have trivia night tonite and meet&greet with some of the former players Friday and Saturday. Really fun to be here!

#GridironGab @KadaGul @MemoirsForMe @AmyG @RamsFan1963

1. Amazing swirling water and beautiful flowers at botanic gardens
2. Cutest airplant holders ever
3. CPA hubby says he‘s retiring now that he‘s finished filing all his client tax returns that were on extension. Spoiler alert: he says that every year
4. Got tix to Wicked in London
5. Had lunch with grandson and picked up coconut cake slices for the two of us on the way home.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread

1. Watching the leaves change color.
2. Remember the Titans
3. Anything with pumpkin, from a latte to a muffin

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

Really liked this one, the sequel to The Road to Dalton. It‘s been five years, and the same characters are still there, living their lives and carrying on after the tragedy in the first book. It‘s a slice of small town Maine, and I enjoyed every minute.

@jlhammar #EuropaCollective

1. By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
2. Pumpkin muffins from Dunkin‘ Donuts
3. Walking in the botanical garden to see all the fall flowers
4. Pumpkin spice anything for me!

#HauntedShelf #HexesandCrows

The way home gets longer, each time he returns, the miles dragging out in an unbroken chain of forest, field, sky, forest, field, sky…Greg can‘t shake the feeling he‘s fallen into an episode of The Twilight Zone, doomed to drive the same blank stretch of Route 11 for eternity.

Really liking this sequel to The Road To Dalton, same characters 5 years later.

#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl

1. Son in Seattle sold his townhouse in one day!
2. Hubby ordered a ton of assorted chocolates, popcorn and nuts but didn‘t like most of them. Giving them to grandson when he‘s home from college tomorrow.
3. Queen Bee on the New York Times daily Spelling Bee four times this week!
4. Picked up two of my favorite muffins, cherry cheesecake and apple pie.
5. Getting excited for London trip a week from tomorrow. Obsessively checking for rain! ☂️

1. Funny, self-sufficient, contented
2. Dependable, loving, thoughtful
3. Lauren in the tagged book. She kept returning those husbands until she was happy with herself.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

Finally finished this slog of a book at breakfast this morning. Not much happens in the first half, nearly 200 pages. Ophelia Bray, our narrator and psychologist, is a major whiner who tells us every thought she ever had going back to when she was 11. And she never stops…throughout the entire book! Her spaceship lands on a planet where all sorts of havoc with the crew members begins. Happy to get to the end.

#LitsySciFiBookClub

1. I have some original Wizard of Oz books from the early 1900s. Earliest is 1903.
2. The Wizard of Oz stories are still filled with fantasy and perfect for children.

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday