Presently reading......

My tablet basically died. It was locking up, going to black screen and I couldn't turn it off.  As the tablet and blogging are my only interaction with book sites & friends, news, etc.....I had to get a new one.  It interfered with some posts I was hoping to get done but...now I am all set.

Very irritating to have to spend the money on it as I was digging in to No Buy 2025.  Here are a couple of articles about that Here and Here. 

In book news....

Just finished  The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough which was a buddy read with Deb at Readerbuzz.  It's always nice to read with someone :-)

Currently reading / Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain with JoAnn. Also started The Story of a Heart by Dr. Rachel Clarke, a page turner in nonfiction. Fascinating so far.

Sharing a couple of "new" books for Mailbox Monday (hosted by Vicki).  I have The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks from the library and  I purchased White Oleander by Janet Fitch for $2 from their sale shelves.  Not sure when I will get started on the Rebanks book as I am finishing up the nonfiction right now.

Other posts this week besides the Thorn Birds review was about Loki's birthday/ gotcha day

That's about it.  Not a crazy exciting week here but I am getting some good reading in.  I hope your week is a good one.

Sharing with:

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Vicki for Mailbox Monday

November Reading Roundup

I can't believe I am getting my November reading round up posted in November! I read four books this month and made plans for some great challenges next year.   Looking forward to more buddy reads, classics and nonfiction....but for now let's get this short post started.

📚📚   Books read  📚

 

Bullfighting by Roddy Doyle

The Woman Behind the Door by Roddy Doyle

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

November book travel took me to Rhode Island, Ireland and Italy.

📚 Currently Reading 📚

That's it for the November round up.   Looking forward to more good reading in December. I'd love to know what books you favored this month and what reading goals you may have for next year.  Hope life is good for you all :-)

Here’s a snap of Loki soaking up the sunshine.

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon. and Joy's Book Blog for Britsh Isles Friday.

Thoughts about bookish goals.....

 Here we are ushering in the end of November with December creeping up rapidly.  Or so it seems.  Time for me to think about reading goals for the upcoming year and deciding what is....achievable.  I have an ambitious list so far but some of the goals entwine with others.  

 #1 The Classics Club 

This has been a fascination for quite some time as I have seen it on bookish friends' blogs. Step one is making my list of 50 books and with a five year goal in mind, that seems like something I could accomplish.   Still making the list at present ....

#2 The Nonfiction Reader Challenge

This Challenge has been hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. and so next year I plan to join in.  Already have a few titles listed.

#3 Read what I own

A personal challenge/goal to get through stacks on my shelf and on my Kindle. I like that my Kindle has a feature to sort by newly owned books or those unread so, that part will be easy to select from.

 It's early for the goals but I wanted to get my list started.  Have any of you bookish friends started a list yet or have something new in mind for 2025?  I love new ideas so please make a suggestion and let me know about other reading groups.

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

Nebraska trip and catching up

I never. Want to fly. Again. ✈    Getting to Nebraska wasn't too awful, except the exceptionally high prices for food in the airport. It was so good to see the kids and my sweet granddaughter after a year and we sure had fun.

Getting home had it's challenges with delays in a flight and more babies and young children on one flight from Atlanta to Tallahassee than we have ever experienced. A late flight means cranky kids.....yikes!

I know most folks have cable or some tv feed but as we don't, I was so happy to watch baseball at the hotel one evening!

Before we left we had a good DVD from the library.  It's a PBS show titled Pompeii: The New Dig.  It's in three one hour segments and was very interesting.

I posted about Crocktober fest earlier, check that out HERE if interested in slow cooker meals.

I only finished one book this month - Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano

That's it.  Driving to Memphis to look at that area this week. Hope you all are well, have good books and loving life!

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

September Reading Roundup

Hello October!  Yesterday we drove to a park where Loki likes to walk and saw the parking was roped off to a small area.  The National Guard was set up, available to give people ready made meals and tarps.  It was astonishing to see the number of vehicles coming through to pick something up. What a horrible path of devastation this storm left. I am hoping, as are we all, the rest of the hurricane season is quieter.

We lost water for a bit and are still using bottled water for cooking, brushing our teeth, etc.  Water is back and we have a boil notice but that's just a minor inconvenience.

September reading was quite varied in location and genres. I  did not have a DNF this time :-)  Thanks to hurricane Helene I finished two books in record time.  This knocks out four books I had listed for my fall reading.

📚📚   Books read  📚

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

The Orchard by Peter Heller

Burn by Peter Heller

Long Island by Colm Toibin

Trust by Hernan Diaz

September book travel took me to Vermont, Maine, New York, Long Island, Ireland, England and Ibiza.

 That's it for the September round up.   Looking forward to more good reading in October. I'd love to know what books you favored this month.  Hope life is good for you all :-)

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon. and Joy's Book Blog for Britsh Isles Friday for Long Island and The Life Impossible.

Fall reading and list making

First off, a shout out to ShelleyRae at Book'd Out.  I haven't seen you post in a while, you've been in my thoughts and I miss you. 

Let's talk fall reading.  Or Spring reading if you are in the southern hemisphere :-)

I enjoy making lists as it keeps me focused.  Sometimes I deviate but overall, it's helpful. Here's what I have so far but some could get swapped out depending on interest.

Trust by Herman Diaz (currently reading)

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy (currently reading) #BriFri

Long Island by Colm Toibin  #BriFri

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig #BriFri

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante  (a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card)

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 

The Woman Behind the Door by Roddy Doyle #BriFri

This is a list in progress so I welcome suggestions and comments on any of these you have enjoyed.  Four of my books will be linked with Joy's British Isles Friday.  Love my U.K. authors :-)

 Sharing with:

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday. and Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

📚📚📚📚📚📚

Herman Diaz, Mario Batali and Peter Heller

Earlier this month Deb at Readerbuzz posted Armchair Foodie Travel Books which I found interesting.  Several I had previously read but the Batali book about Spain was one I sought out. Luckily the library had a copy.

I will go through this nonfiction while I read Trust by Herman Diaz. Trust is on my fall reading list (which is still shaping up), won a Pulitzer prize in 2023 and is grabbing me from the start. 

Finished last night - The Orchard by Peter Heller was on sale for one dollar for Kindle so I couldn't pass that up. Check that out HERE.  That's a great price for a Peter Heller novel.  I'd told a friend about it but I think this price might only apply to U.S. based accounts.

This is an interesting book as it's told from a woman’s perspective.  All the other books I have read by Heller focus on male characters in a wilderness setting, outdoorsy men who have deep thoughts, some insecurties about life choices/relationships being a key component.  The Vermont setting here features a defunct orchard, nature and living off the land.

There are haunting characters, the mother with a sad and educated background.  Frith is the daughter, named for a character in The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico.

Frith refers to her mother as Haley; this is a bit of a coming of age story.  Something which doesn't usually appeal to me.  Haley is a translater of Chinese poetry and rears her daughter in a wooden cabin with a wood stove for heat and very little money.  Haley and Frith are very well read - anything from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Treasure Island, The Old Man in the Sea, We Die Alone (about the Norwegian commando who outskied a Nazi division)  to Grendel.

There is quite a bit of poetry in this book, there are some wonderful reflective passages from Frith as an adult, an educator who teaches at Amherst, and the memories of her unusal childhood with an amazing woman.

Heller brings you straight into this unusual family situation and pulls at your heartstrings at the end. 4.5 stars 📚

On this rainy day in north Florida I am working on book lists, baking bread and reading of course :-) Hope your week is going well.

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.