whatcha readin'? {goal 35:: books 15-20}

I have had a weird mix
of books this year….
I seem to rotate between
desolate, heartbreaking
war torn loss and incomprehensible cruelty
to
fluffy and light,
fun and silly,
romantic young adult books….

My brain is mystery even to me.

Here are 5 more reads so far this year.
And honestly….all I might tell you is if I liked it or not…
because my brain ALSO sees no need
to retain ANY information about a book (or movie)
after I finish it…or sometimes, while I am reading it.

(Again, my brain=mystery)

16. The Exiles - Christina Baker Kline ♥♥♥♥♥
Heartbreaking. Brutal. Cruel

17. To All The Boys I Loved Before - Jenny Han ♥♥♥♥
Light. Airy. Fluffy. Sweet. Romantic.
Made me incredibly happy :)
The Netflix version…not so much.

18. The Last Story of Mina Lee - Nancy Jooyoun Kim ♥♥♥
19. PS I Still Love You - Jenny Han ♥♥♥♥
PS….I still love this series. Enough to read another one right away….heh.

20. We Begin At The End - Chris Whitaker ♥♥♥♥♥
Note I had written to myself after finishing this book:
I had zero expectations of this 2.00 book I bought
at a convenience store but it brought me to my knees
sobbing on my deck.

friday i'm in love.... ♥

I had planned to have a
friday adventure
today but then a
half-headache
(which is an annoying headache
but not bad enough to render me useless
if you are wondering about my
definitions…a frigging rotten headache
really ruins my day…a migraine incapacitates me)

So instead,
I gave the big orange house
a much needed cleaning
and then spent some time
working on some new plans…
health-wise and creatively.

(The irony that I am eating 3 large
sugar coated gumdrops while writing
this is NOT lost on me…heh)

But I am thinking about making some
small changes to my lifestyle
and possibly some large ones…
like maybe joining a gym…
and maybe finally creating a calendar
with some doodles to sell…

I like fall.
It makes me feel
inspired….
even on days I have
half a headache.
:)

FRIDAY I AM LOVING:

♥ this blog post definitely made me wonder. There were a lot of “oh…that is so me moments while reading it.
♥ my glow in the dark skeleton pjs
♥ this series….though not gonna lie (ironic given the name of the series….heh)…but it’s a little bit soft core porn-ish. Just a warning. :)
♥ heeheehee….as I become somewhat jaded about dating apps (they were so fun and shiny in the beginning) THIS made me laugh out loud. Yes for wearing red.
♥ Love this guy’s channel

Happy Friday….I hope it’s fantastic, just like you. ♥

and it's time for tuesday truth again...

Last week was a whirlwind of a week…
two different friends home from away
and lots of time spent
adventuring and exploring
and reminiscing and
laughing…
so much laughing.

There was ice cream (multiple times)
and fall drives,
horses, black bogs, and lighthouses…
cake for breakfast,
cedar’s eatery and
starlite diner…

There was even a little
mushroom-y village
that made us very happy to find…

And the weekend was topped off
with a visit to my parents for Thanksgiving
where almost everyone was able to make it
(missed Kiki & J)
and it was so great to see the kids
and reconnect in a big rowdy way…
I took zero pictures that day
because I just wanted to be
in the moment…♥

It was a fantastic week
but the truth is
I am not used to
being quite so social….
it takes more out of me
than I realized…
this week will be all
about rest and recovery
and maybe a stolen nap
or three…
♥♥♥

but I wouldn’t have
changed a thing about
last week….
I’d do it all over again if I could.

tuesday truths...you know...the posts where i overshare & get too wordy...heh...

The truth is that
after days and days
of not being able to come
to the page,
to any page,
virtual or paper…
I am suddenly
on fire with
wanting to
write and document,
note and number,
doodle and draw,
plan and pretend and
scheme…

I am hyped about
Inktober
and planning a
2nd annual pumpkin carving day…
I am driving dirt roads,
listening to music
I forgot that I loved,
making connections
with friends that I have missed
and redecorating my deck
with pumpkins and
purple flowers.

I feel alive and
almost humming with
excitement
like a power line
on the edge of spontaneous combustion….
and while that sounds
dangerous
it’s also
exhilarating.

I’ll ride it out while it lasts.
Winter hibernation
will set in soon enough….
♥

whatcha readin'? {goal 35::book 11-15}

It is has been a very long time
since I talked about any books that I have read…
so I am going to share a bunch right now
to try to get caught up.

The Book of Longings: ♥♥♥♥
I love Sue Monk Kidd. Love.
This story did not disappoint
even though it is somewhat
religion based which is not always
my thing for whatever reason.
But I enjoyed this.

The Book Thief: ♥♥♥♥♥
This I loved.
In an all encompassing laugh out loud
cry ugly tears kind of way.

The Dictionary of Lost Words: ♥♥♥♥♥
I love words. Like….love words…
so this book was like magic.
Inspired by actual events,
it is so interesting to read about
how the dictionary came about…
with nuances as well as to how
women did or didn’t play a part in the
creation…

The Vanished Days: ♥♥♥♥♥
The note I wrote in my book list
after reading this was,
”I frigging loved this from start to finish.”
:)
And I did….it was vast and pretty and
gritty all at once and reminded me
of Diana Gabaldon’s books.
I would definitely read more of hers.

Magpie: ♥♥♥♥
This was a pretty good
fast pace summer read
full of twists and turns…
I enjoyed it

Stay tuned for next week
when I will share 5 more
and we get into my odd shift
into YA novels….heh.
Don’t judge me. :D