I tend to keep most things emotional and rough close to the vest.
This last half of the year has been rough. In late June our dog Woody was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his leg. He had been limping and wasn‘t getting better. The vet told me with his age and arthritis he didn‘t recommend amputation or chemo.
We got 12 more weeks with him after diagnosis. Ultimately, we had to let him go. It‘s been a couple month and we miss him terribly.

1. Mr puparoni Arlo while a pain is also my constant companion.
2. Miss Izzy who wakes me at all hours of the night for love.
3. What I have come to call my sanity walks. Arlo and I go for about a mile walk at lunch, then on the wknd a much longer walk often by the river.
4. My parents always there for me.
5. Man Cub my pride.
Hasn‘t felt like a joyous week. Work is stressful, people are dumb, and life is life.
@DebinHawaii #5joysfriday

Started this one the other night, Friday I think.
This was one of my first BOTM back in 2017 and had yet to read it.
So far it‘s interesting looking forward to how Finkel lays out the story.

Finished this the other night.
It was good, very predictable. The story was engaging and the writing was good.
3.8⭐️ only because of the predictability. If you like YA suspense and strong female lead I would recommend for an easy enjoyable read.

Been reading the tagged book. Life is still life-ing.
I don‘t have a pic of the book cover right now so I give you my cheese monsters (I was eating a string cheese).
#dogsoflitsy #litsypups #bookdog

Civil War era isn‘t my jam. Larson takes on what led up to the first shots being fired at Fort Sumter which then kicked off the actual battles of the Civil War. There was what felt like a lot of unnecessary details and side bits being told.
It has a very different feel to it from any of Larson‘s other books. I got through it and it had interesting information.
3⭐️ if you are into Civil War era or Lincoln.
This wasn‘t for me.

1. Man Cub has a stuffed orange moose from IKEA. When I joined different site I stuck my glasses on it and put a book in its hands and made that my profile pic and the name was also born as well.
2. Lately I work while I listen. I have also been known to craft or clean while listening.
3. The Demon of Unrest - Erik Larson
#wondrouswednesday
@Eggs

Start this audio a few days ago. I have to take it in chunks. It feels different than some of Larson‘s earlier works. This one doesn‘t have that fictional feel to it, it feels like the nonfiction that it is. Civil War era isn‘t my jam normally, however Larson is a must read on my list.
So far so good and interesting.
I‘m hoping to finish it tomorrow or Wednesday, I‘ve got about 6.5 hrs left.

This started out good and with potential. Unfortunately, it failed for me. It became incredibly predictable and you could see the twisted coming like a freight train.
There were some ridiculous occurrences that just weren‘t plausible and that made the whole story crumble.
1 ⭐️ the author tried. I would not recommend this book at all.

Started this a week ago maybe, not sure lol my days blur together. I‘m not super far in but so far I like it a lot.

A poetic retelling of Cinderella. I love Cinderella (besides books, shoes are my jam), and I love a fairytale retelling.
I liked this one. It was an interesting way to retell and revamp the story. The power and strength that Lovelace gives to her Cinderella is good, I like when a retelling shows that she wasn‘t about the Prince.
4.5⭐️ poetry and fairytale retelling.

Another good Lovelace. Her struggle with her mother‘s death and the complicated relationship that the 2 had while Lovelace was growing up. Shows how tricky and complex grief is.
4⭐️ short poetry with depth and feeling.

Not my favorite Lovelace still good though. The story of her DV experience. The monster that he was and the monster it turned her into. The journey of finding her worth again and finding a partner, a true partner.
4⭐️ short poetry with depth and emotion.

A couple Dollar Tree book finds.
I‘m kind of excited about the tagged book I loved ‘The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek‘
Arlo makes a good background for books lol
#dogsoflitsy #litsypup #dollartree

Boy Bands, Frida Kahlo, and Other Lies I‘ve Believed

Borrowed from @AroundTheBookWorld

New books
My boys- Woody, Arlo, and Man Cub
Izzy girl
I suppose for a bonus I have the privilege of having complete one more trip around the sun and am now the answer the life, the universe, and everything.
@DebinHawaii
#5joysfriday

The 3rd book Man Cub got me for my birthday finally came.
And yes I‘m still drinking coffee at 2 in the afternoon 😊

I wanted more!
Well written, engaging story, interesting characters. The characters had depth, at least most of them did. The story was interesting, an aristocrat in post revolutionary Russia put under house arrest in an opulent hotel. He is moved to a tiny attic room and spends 30+ yrs living in the hotel.
4.8 ⭐️ only because I wanted more. Highly recommend for historical fiction or human interest.

Man Cub let me pick out my own b-day present even after I told him he didn‘t need to get me anything.
These are 2 of the 3 books. I got another Lovelace book as well.
#raiseagoodkid

It‘s been another rough week, and will continue to be rough for the foreseeable future and I‘m not ready to talk about that yet.
1. My fur boys. Everyday no matter what they bring me so much love and joy.
2. Isabella.
3. Man Cub. He‘s an amazing young man.
4. A Gentleman in Moscow. I‘m coming close to the end and I‘m excited and sad.
5. The friends I‘ve made through work who have become outside friends.
@DebinHawaii
#5joysfriday

There wasn‘t much this week that brought me joy it was a rough week.
1. My litsyversary 8 yrs!
2. New plants for my front yard (the deer promptly ate all the leaves, but …)
3. New snack 😊
4. Boy child got to tick another MLB park off with his dad.
5. This book was good and I enjoyed it.
@DebinHawaii
#5joysfriday

8 Years! Wow! The best community I‘ve ever been a part of. It does not feel like it‘s been that long.

I hoped for more depth in a couple of the key characters. Good story of strong women who become trusted friends and found family. Set in WWII England just outside London, a cooking competition brings 4 women together. There is drama, love, and heart break.
3.5⭐️ we love a strong woman! Recommend.

Started this today while I work. So far it‘s good. I‘m hoping the we get a little more depth from a couple of the key characters though.
#listenwhileyouwork

Started this last night. I‘ve had it on my shelf for the longest time. In fact I think o received it in one of the first swaps I ever did here at Litsy, lol. 😂

Ng is a must read.
All of the current hot button issues balled into one story that is engaging and well written.
It started with economic collapse, then they needed someone to blame, and it escapes from there. The story centers on M and Noah/Bird, a mother and son. M is a little known poet until a young lady is killed at a protest holding a sign with a line from one of M‘s poems. It becomes a rallying cry. M must go into hiding.
4.8⭐️ READ IT!

This is the second book in the series. The MCs feel predictable and a little annoying.
Plot by anarchists to set off a bomb some where at some time during the 1893 world fair in Chicago. That however feels like background to all the other things going on in the book. It feels a little chaotic. It‘s not hard to follow and not difficult to figure out. A lot of unnecessary other going on. I don‘t know if the series is long, I‘m done though.
2.8⭐️

This deserved all of the accolades and honors and awards it won. Beautiful book. Great story, fabulous writing, characters with some depth.
A retelling/twist on the Old Testament story of Jacob. It is not his story but that of his only daughter,Dinah. Told from her point of view and it is her life. I love the way Diamant takes this briefly mentioned in the Bible character and creates this entire life for her.
4.5⭐️ badass females all around.

First in a series. Set in later 19th century India a former military Captain is hired by a family to find out how their daughters really died was it murder? The story feels like it gets off track at times and there are added events that feel like they could have been cut out. The writing wasn‘t bad. The narrator got a little annoying at times. Mostly the story dragged at times.
3.5⭐️ somewhere between cozy mystery and suspense

Started this yesterday. It is the second book in the series. I have a weird obsession with the 1893 World‘s Fair in Chicago and it has nothing to do with the H.H. Holmes connection.
This story has nothing to do with Holmes either.
So far not too bad. At times the narrator is a bit annoying and the story feels a bit long at times.

Born and raised in The Children of God Faith‘s story is both infuriating and hopeful. She is the granddaughter of “the prophet” and founder of the cult. The focus of the cult is love and that idea is twisted and mutated is ways that will make you sick.
Faith fights against the status quo and gets an education and eventually breaks from the cult (not a spoiler, the book wouldn‘t be if she was still a member).
4⭐️ if you like strong women.

I have only seen 21 out of 100
1. Young Frankenstein (I quote this movie frequently)
2. Grease
3. The Godfather
#threelistthursday #tlt
@dabbe

Started this today. It‘s interesting. ‘The Family‘ known as the Children of God was/is one hell of a cult 😯 If I remember correctly this is the same cult the River and Joaquin Phoenix grew up in.
Faith is the granddaughter of the founder of the cult.

I thought this would be a fun and interesting look at history in the US. It was going ok and then the author started to wax poetic about minstrel shows and black face. Talking about how it was for envy of the freedoms that slaves had with their bodies and dancing. Uh … WTF!?
No ⭐️ not recommend.

I have just a bit more to go on this one. It‘s interesting. The author has cover tea/coffee in the Revolutionary War and in China and India, tobacco, the opium wars, opium use in Vietnam which turns to heroin use, cocaine is where I am currently at in the book.
I might finish this while I‘m out and about today. I‘m going to need something to keep calm it will be my second day out and about in public lol.

Originally published in 2003, the edition I listened to was 2017. All of the topics are still relevant and of importance, however the discussion around them has changed. Much of the discussion/essay topic was the war in Iraq and the time between 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq.
All of the essays were about finding that bright spot, that moment even if it was a failure. Everyone could use a bit of that.
3.8 ⭐️ only because it‘s a little dated.

I was super interested in this book and then Jesus and God. I have no issue with either of those or people that believe. My issue and reason for DNF-ing was that in the description I saw nothing about religion being an aspect and seeming to be large aspect. Also there are other ways to break free of the hustle culture that don‘t involve religion. If that‘s your way fine and I support you in the way you find that balance.

Arguments are clear and reached. There are valid points made. I can agree to a point with some of them. I whole heartedly disagree with factory farming and industrial farming has its serious downsides. I don‘t believe the author has a solid feasible solution however. His ideas are great, small food producers, less chemicals, less chemical modifications. To achieve that in the US the entirety of everything would have to change.
More 👇🏼

Absolutely! Books that I love or ones that I feel I could absorb more from.
#sundayfunday
@BookmarkTavern

Started this one today. So far not bad

Still have a few book left from my last #bedsidestack from 7 months ago 😬
Decided I needed a few more to add to that #bedsidestack

Let‘s see …
❤️Time off this week to watch the Boy Child play baseball.
❤️Miss Izzy always brings me joy.
❤️got to see the Aurora Borealis for the first time ever
❤️my pupper boys
❤️coming home from my girls weekend Sunday to a clean house and a new plant curtesy of Boy Child.
#5joysfriday
@DebinHawaii

Well written, good story. I can see why it won awards.
I liked the glimpse into Baghdad during the regime change upheaval. I liked most of the characters and the building of the story.
I may have enjoyed this more than the original Frankenstein.
4⭐️ recommend if you enjoy a good retelling

Listened again to this and got lost in the same spot. He starts talking about vanilla and it morphs into talking about ice cream and how it relates to vanilla, but also then Thomas Jefferson‘s 12 steps to make ice cream. I could have done without a list of every meat dish served at a medieval king‘s coronation or a list of several flavors of Oreo.
3⭐️ if you have a passing interest in food trivia or history. More food trivia.
More 👇🏼

I actually finished this one today, but I listened while working and got distracted and missed things. It was interesting. I love my food history. I‘m going to listen to it again tomorrow so hopefully I can absorb more of the information.

I enjoyed this fictionalized telling of Marjorie Post‘s life. Starting with her time in Battle Creek when her father was visiting the Kellogg sanitarium through her marriages, and travels, and family struggles. A tidbit that I was not aware of, there were several, that struck me was she built Mara-Lago 😲
4 ⭐️ recommended you love a strong woman and historical fiction.

Oh my! This was amazing. I followed along with my physical copy as I listened to the audio edition. I think there was something on almost every page that I marked or tagged. So much information, so many points that need reiterating. Well written, concise, precise, thought provoking.
5⭐️ must read for anyone calling themselves a feminist.

Enjoyed ‘The London Seance Society‘ so I went ahead and read this one too, I did the audio edition.
I liked this one a bit more than I did LSS. Strong women, friendship, strong women. If you been around her long enough you know I love a strong female character/bad ass female. Those book had several.
4⭐️ highly recommend.

This was good. I like the writing and enjoyed the story.
The height of spiritualism in Victorian England, murder, love … what more does one need lol
3.5 ⭐️ would recommend.

Started this one today after getting bored and annoyed with my current podcast listen.