"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." - - Emily Brontë

Autumn in the Pacific Northwest is a technicolor thing of beauty.

Got to enjoy the colors earlier this morning while my husband very sweetly picked up some breakfast bagel sandwiches for us.

A story in two parts.

[Part 2] We decided to be adventurous and pick up two "Blind Date(s) With a Book".

Left one is for yours truly; right one for Hubby.

And if you're curious to know the titles, spoilers will be revealed below!

A story in two parts.

[Part 1] Hubby and I dropped off my little Rey at the dealership for her oil change and tire swap the following morning (yes... it's that time of year already... winter tires 😮‍💨❄️🚗)

While we waited for dinner to be ready for pick up, we swung by B&N where I found this morbidly adorable, harvest plague doctor and nurse set.

They came home with me and are now living on our mantle.

When your husband is getting a haircut, you take full advantage of the comfy couches in the barber's waiting area and read, read, read.

Picked up the 4th and final installment of the Fangirl #manga yesterday and was beyond delighted to see stickers for our Democratic presidential nominee 🥰 Had to pick one up, of course! 🤩💙

As is customary for me with this series, I'll be starting with vol. 1 and re-reading it as well as vols. 2 + 3 before I make my way to this highly anticipated conclusion!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thoroughly enjoyed this modern nod to "Romeo & Juliet" in namesake, although it is *definitely* not a retelling.

It's contemporary YA fiction that stands on its own with well-rounded characters, a storyline that references the pandemic, familiar romantic tropes, and a realistic protagonist who isn't a cautionary tale, but rather the author of her destiny.

Will definitely seek out other works by Andreu.

(cont'd ⬇️)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exquisitely illustrated with heart-warming messages about patience, kindness, and inclusivity, without the need of extensive dialogue to convey them, as Jun navigates a new home and school. Cleverly designed, too! After you read it, look under the dust jacket for a lovely nod to one of the story's characters.

#picturebook #diversity #inclusivity #kindness

⭐️⭐️

An interesting premise... but to me, not the best storyline development/plot execution despite a clever protagonist.

Rosie, her nurse, and siblings were likable, sure... but there were additional elements that felt not fully fleshed out... maybe rushed or thrown in as an afterthought.

(Cont'd ⬇️)

Mon Rovîa describes himself as an "Afro Appalachian folk artist. Rescued by grace from the Civil War in Liberia - here to instill peace."

And his music does just that - it instills a sense of calm and melancholy when I listen to it.

I happened upon his music quite by accident on Instagram and you may have heard his song "City on a Hill" as background music on a reel or two.

Truly lovely folk musician ?

#Tuesdaytunes @TieDyeDude

1. Quite a few of them, actually! An assortment of medical appointments to go to as well as a dinner date with my husband, coffee date with a co-worker so we can discuss a buddy read we just finished (Shark Heart), and another dinner date with my favorite indie-bookstore-supporting gal pals.

2. City on a Hill - Mon Rovîa

3. BTS 💜

#MotivationalMonday @Cupcake12

Hi.

Lately, I've been trying to concentrate on my reading. A novel idea, I know.

In the past, I've chatted with my adopted sis @CBee about not feeling like a part of the Litsy community... but I realize it's my own doing, choosing to be digitally absent because I don't feel "good enough," whether it be in the quality of a review or the amount of participation I engage in.

(Cont'd ⬇️)

A very small #progressreport for the #NovelNovember #Readathon (ALL the hashtags!), but happy to've finished 2 books and be on track to finish a 3rd (even if one of the two books was a quick little picture book!)

@Andrew65

Texas game on the TV (HOOK 'EM! ??), Thanksgiving tree up and sparkly, with a hubby to my right and a cup of coffee to my left, while I continue reading "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Currently reading.

? How to Sell a Haunted House has been slow going for me, but I'm sticking with it.

? While Idaho Slept has been a tough one about the murders of 4 college students in Moscow, ID.

And the tagged title - vol. 3 of the Fangirl manga - qualifies for the November #TBRtarot prompt! "Choose a book... which has a person on the cover" ?

@CBee

Outside, it is my favorite kind of day - gloomy, foggy - and inside, I'm spending it in my new favorite place - cozy under a blanket, accompanied by candlelight, reading... and getting over COVID 😔

Didn't think Lady 'Rona and I would become acquainted... but here we are.

The book-buying ban held... until June, when we went on our family trip to Utah, and I couldn't resist an indie bookstore in Moab. And yesterday, I added 2 more titles to the collection - Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Shark Heart.

Home library organization is still going strong, and some shifting is happening... along with some weeding.

It's move-in day 🥰🥰🥰
.
.
.
I should probably elaborate... 😉

After months of cutting, affixing, sanding, priming, and painting (and then going on a family trip to Utah... and then deciding to paint the trim to match the baseboards), we're finally finished with our #homelibrary project. Yay!!

Now, on to the fun part - bringing aaaallllll the books back and deciding where everything is going to go...

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
A deeply personal and fiercely honest memoir written in thoughtful prose. At many times, vulnerable and heart-wrenching when exploring gender dysphoria and transition, while also including both infuriating details about unwelcome sexual advances and intimate details about consensual encounters.

Cont'd in comments ⬇️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It can be a monumental challenge to capture the idiosyncrasies of youth, mental health, and high school friendships in a graphic memoir... but to do so while also tackling the intersections of race, culture, family, and identity is quite the feat.

Lee tackled these subjects with grace and honesty in a stunningly delicate and detailed illustrative style that, although entirely monochromatic, beautifully complimented the themes depicted.

"Hollywood is built on leveraging queerness. Tucking it away when needed, pulling it out when beneficial while patting themselves on the back. Hollywood doesn't lead the way... it responds, it follows, slowly and far behind.

The depth of that closet, the trove of secrets buried, indifferent to the consequences. I was punished for being queer while I watched others be protected and celebrated." -- Elliot Page

Complimentary spin titles.

#Bookspin is Historical Fiction with a dash of Mystery; #Doublespin is a Young Adult Fiction, modern retelling of "Sense and Sensibility" with a sprinkle of Mystery... and a dash of nutmeg ?

July #Bookspin list ?

Currently listening to # 16 - "Pageboy: a Memoir" by Elliot Page (57%).

Currently reading # 6 - "In Limbo" a graphic memoir by Deb JJ Lee (46%).

Still searching through stacks of books on the floor to find what I'm looking for. Some days are more successful than others.

Bookshelves have been sanded and will need to be primed and painted next. I can see the light at the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Samantha Irby is hilarious.
And although there were a few essays that weren't exactly my cuppa (porn preferences, toilet tales, and gastrointestinal anecdotes), there was plenty of her signature self-deprecating humor and spot-on observations to carry this collection through. I especially loved "The Last Normal Day," "How to Look Cool in Front of Teens?", and "Please Invite Me to Your Party."

#audiobook #pantone2023 @Clwojick

You know it's gonna be a fabulous day in the library when THESE type of standing orders come in!

I feel equal parts amused and delighted and nostalgic... and slightly MORTIFIED that we are "flashing back" to the '80s and '90s. That was my youth!!

#easyreaders

#SundayFunday @ozma.of.oz

I can't say I *always* pay attention to a book's publisher, but when I like a book and appreciate some detail about it, I have to look at the copyright page.

I've noticed a pattern in loving:
• travel guides by DK Eyewitness. I adore their photography, layouts, and their illustrations of buildings' interiors.
• graphic novels by First Second as well as Graphix.
• titles by Quirk Books and Scholastic Press.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
On October 1st, 2015, students at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, lost a professor and 8 of their peers to a mass shooting. Kindra Neely, a survivor, shares her experiences coping with this tragic event and with the effects of her PTSD in her debut graphic memoir.

Cont'd in comments ⬇️

Hello friends!
A month or two in, and we've made some progress on the home library. IKEA Billys (and extenders!) were assembled, original bookcases were donated to loving homes, paint was ordered, and additional trim supplies were purchased. Wekends never seem long enough, and we've had to juggle complete dedication to this project with errands and prior commitments, but we're getting closer to me knowing, with certainty, where my books are 😁

Playing catch-up on #Pantone2023 😁
@Clwojick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bummed to learn that this would be the end of the "Great Cities" series for N.K. Jemisin... That where the author had planned for a trilogy, this became a duology. It saddens me to learn of innovative writers losing steam with a project, but I can't fault Ms. Jemisin for doing so considering she was writing this in the middle of the pandemic! An emotionally-draining time of great turmoil and uncertainty indeed.

Cont'd in comments ⬇️

Late to the party, but always delighted to be here 😁😊🥳

Many #TBRtarot titles that I DO genuinely want to get to (and am excited about!) as well as plenty of #Roll100 choices.

Not entirely certain how this will work out with so many of my books on the floor in a very haphazard, loose genre arrangement, but I'll figure it out! 😉

#Bookspinlist @TheAromaofBooks @CBee @PuddleJumper

This is what 15 years of marriage looks like in book form.

97% of the books are mine. My husband claims... maybe about a total of 40. We haven't counted them 😳

Some came into the wedded bliss chapter with me; the majority of them have been acquired since.

As I shared at the beginning of the year (for this VERY visually OBVIOUS reason!), I haven't purchased any since January 1st and have been gifted a total of 5.

I regret nothing.

We are bidding farewell to the old shelves... and entering our Billy era.

Denial won't save us...

Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, the documentary "Paris is Burning" chronicled the New York City Ballroom culture of the time, introducing us to its drag queen-organized pageants, and to a small cast of its iconic participants, among them performers such as Dorian Corey (who made headlines posthumously when a mummified body was found in her closet) and Pepper LaBeija, as well as Angie and Venus Xtravaganza.

Review & CW/TW cont'd in comments ⬇️

In recent weeks, my eyes have begun to let me know (in subtle and LOUD ways!) that my computer-heavy job is taking a toll on them. After a visit to the optometrist, I was diagnosed with SPK (superficial punctate keratitis) - a (treatable!) ocular surface disease that affects the cornea, decreasing vision and causing the eye to become red, watery, and sensitive to light.

(Cont'd ⬇️)

Here is my February #BookSpinList ?

My #BookSpin is "The Midnight Library" and my #Doublespin is "This Time Tomorrow".

Goal for the month is to read! ? And to get some of my sweet #TBRtarot as well as #Roll100 selections off their respective lists.

Fingers crossed ?? for a better reading month than January! ❄️

My gratitude to @TheAromaofBooks @CBee @PuddleJumper for all they do to help us add even more joy to our reading ?

#ManicMonday on a very late Tuesday, but here I am swooning over this lovely lemon 🍋 yellow 💛 picture background, thinking about the #LetterY 😁😊 @CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures

📚 The Year of Magical Thinking [Didion], Yes Please [Poehler], You Do You: How to Be Who You Are and Use What You've Got... [Knight], You Don't Have to Say You Love Me [Alexie]
🖊 Yakoub, Nastasia; Yancey, Rick; Yang, Gene Luen

Cont'd in comments ⬇️ 😁

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My husband and I both greatly enjoyed listening to Trevor Noah narrate stories from his childhood. Although at times tackling very difficult moments and traumatic experiences in his life, we appreciated the frankness and humor with which he approached these topics. His mom's grace and wisdom were also especially admirable.

#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

#ManicMonday #LetterW @CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures

📚 Walking Your Octopus: A Guidebook to the Domesticated Cephalopod [Kesinger]; We Don't Eat Our Classmates [Higgins]; We Were Liars [Lockhart]; The Weird Sisters [Brown]; Where I Live [Spinelli]; Will Grayson, Will Grayson [Green & Levithan]; Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death [Doughty]; With the Fire on High [Acevedo]

Cont'd in comments ⬇️

An unapologetic love letter to cultural identity, heritage, and ancestry. A visual poem honoring the beauty of one's complexion, praising the legacy written in the tresses of natural Black hair, and in celebration of self-acceptance.

#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

These are four book series I definitely want to tackle this year. Here's to hoping this will be the year I stop postponing them!🤞🍀💜📚

#SeriesLove2023 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

Let the tardiness continue! 🥳🍾🥂

I genuinely *DID* want this to be the year of organization, mindfulness, and *planning*... of being *prepared*... and I know it still CAN be... but being a perfectionist always throws a wrench into the works and I get paralyzed. I wanted to have beautiful written journal spreads, but here we are. Better late than never! 😁

Above are more of the #readingchallenges I plan to participate in this year. Yay! 💜📚

Always fashionably late to the best Litsy parties in town 😉🥳🍾🥂

Be prepared to see plenty of catch up posts from yours truly for beginning of the year reading plans that I procrastinated on because I a) was too overwhelmed by all the fabulous options and b) let the pursuit of general holiday coziness take over my life. Planning kinda went out the window. I regret nothing. 😁🤩 More to come!

#goodreads #readingchallenge #readinggoals

#ManicMonday #LetterU @CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Read4Life

📚 The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone [Griffin], Untamed [Doyle], Unwind [Shusterman]
🖊 Ukazu, Ngozi; Usdin, Carly
🎬 Under the Tuscan Sun, Up
📺 The Umbrella Academy, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries
🎤 U2

Cont'd in comments ⬇️

These are (were?) my last book purchases of 2022.

I took advantage of Barnes & Noble's 50% Off Sale after Christmas AND bought the top 2 books from a local indie on Friday.

And with that I enter the #NoBuy/#BuyLess zone to #PrioritizeMyShelves in 2023 😁

The only exceptions I plan to make are for pre-orders already made and for gifts (although I'll encourage my family to get creative and think beyond books!)

@CBee @JamieArc @RaeLovesToRead

Had I not decided that Psychology and Library Science were my academic paths in life, I think I would've liked to've given graphic design a shot!

I had quite a bit of fun digitally collaging this together 😁☺️

@Tove_Reads @Andrew65 - I humbly submit this image for your consideration for the #OffTheShelf2023 reading challenge. Hope you like it! 💜😊

@JamieArc @RaeLovesToRead

🎶 On the 4th day of Christmas... 🎶

Blame it on Netflix!

This sweet graphic novel makes me want to take all of its main characters, wrap them in a blanket of acceptance, and keep them safe in a little snow globe filled with candy sprinkles. Gives me all the warm fuzzies! 🥰

#12booksof2022 @Andrew65

"Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living" was my favorite March read.

As the owner of a disaster management company, Jensen doesn't shy away from talking plainly about recovery work after mass casualty events, from the Oklahoma City bombing to the Grenfell Tower Fire.

Not necessarily a book for everyone but one I found fascinating.

#12booksof2022 @Andrew65

Meant to post this yesterday, @Cinfhen, but I think yours truly spent WAAAYYY more time fiddling with the image and watching Christmas movies 🎄🎬

It is my sincerest wish to complete at least 2 of the books on the top row this week and to start on the 3 below as well 😁

Because I CANNOT, for the life of me, read one book at a time.

#WeeklyForecast

Cheating a tiny bit on Day 2 of the #12booksof2022, but I couldn't include one without the other.

My favorite February read was "Alone Together", edited by Jennifer Haupt, and although it took me a while to complete due to its anthology format, it was still a very worthwhile perspective on how folks coped with life during lockdown and with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Love Was Inside" gave a child's view of the same.

@Andrew65