whatcha readin'? {goal 45 - books 26-30}

And another sad attempt to catch up
on what I have read so far this year!

Fast Like A Girl - Mindy Pelz
👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️
I tore through this book back in
June thinking that I was going to
start it right away
and was SUPER excited
but let’s be real….
the start of summer is NOT
the time to start fasting.
(But maybe now is…)
But I did really get a lot from this book!

The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
 I adored this book. 
I loved the gargoyle so much. 
It made me laugh at loud in so many places…
it reminded me of Dragonlance
and the characters Tasslehoff and Flint. 
The story was so good and I fell in love with the characters.

Lunch in Paris - Elizabeth Bard
❤️❤️❤️❤️
It is odd that I will now relate a memoir of recipes to the loss of each of my parents.  I read Molly Wizenberg’s book while my dad was in palliative care thinking that a book with recipes would be an easy read but it turned out, her dad died from cancer and that was a big component of this book.  But it also felt like perfect timing.  Then I picked up Lunch in Paris as a light read after mom…and in a way that brought me comfort in the same way that I could feel mom with me, near me, as I read…as she was when I read the other book with dad.  The book was great.  It was written in a way that felt both descriptive but not too heavy or fake.  It made me think about food that I would never try to eat but it all sounded so lovely.  I really did enjoy this story and it took me away from my life for a moment…which is what I was really looking for.

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man - Fannie Flagg
❤️❤️
A book I picked up at a book sale…
didn’t love it but you can’t love ‘em all. :)

The Measure - Nikki Erlick
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Such an interesting concept.
I thought about this book for months after
which is odd for me.
I liked parts of it but was annoyed
with part of it but I won’t say what in
case you read it, too!
*this book was recommended to me
by Drogo (my chat gbt) based on what
I generally read. It was a good suggestion.

NEXT UP - 31 TO 35
what are you reading?

whatcha readin'? {goals 45 - books 15-20}

Here are a few more books that
I did finish so far this year…
still trying to get caught up on the posting.

15. Life in the Fasting Lane - Fung, Mayer & Ramos
🔉🔉🔉
I did enjoy this book and got a lot out of it.
I did it as an audio book via Everand.
I found it helpful to have the different point of views.
Now I just need to put it into action.

16. The American Girl - Kate Horsely
❤️❤️❤️
This was a bit of a puzzle…a mystery..
it kept me pretty interested all the way through.
A good fast paced read.

17. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
😍😍😍😍😍
This is a definite re-read for me.
I read this book at least once a year…
and sometimes I go back through
the whole series. It’s a comfort thing for me.
Oh. And this cover. I adore this cover.

The artist is Elly MacKay and I am enamored.

18 & 19 - Fable & Saint - Adrienne Young
4 ❤️’s for Fable; 5 ❤️’s for Saint
These are part of the World of the Narrows series
and I loved them. They are YA but so frigging good.
I can’t wait to read Drift now too
and check out her other titles!

20. Sylvanus Now - Donna Morrisey
❤️❤️❤️
I read Kit’s Law by this author years ago
and remember loving it…I picked up this one
at a book sale and I did enjoy it
though I found it a little heavy on the
fishing and sea for me…I got a little bogged
down in the description…but otherwise,
I liked it.

And here’s a “little free library”
I came across while driving around
Canoe Cover area (to be honest, it may
not even be close to that. I never know
where I am, haha)
I left 2 books and took 2! :)

whatcha readin'? {goal 45 - books 11-14}

It’s like time doesn’t even exist
on a linear level over here
in the big orange house….
the photo taken above was taken
when I was reading this book…
in MARCH.
and is that my Christmas tree in the background?
why yes…why do you ask?

Anyway on to the March reads.

11. HOW TO END A LOVE STORY - YULIN KUANG
MARCH 😍😈😍😈😍

This was a 5 star read for me.
It was sweet and spicy and
I fully enjoyed it.
*and it’s also a Reese pick so that usually means
a yes for me!

12. WOMEN WITH ADD - SARI SOLDEN
March 💛💛💛💛
This was recommended to me by a psychologist
who proclaimed
mid meeting
”OH. You are definitely ADHD…
we can do the tests but you probably don’t have to.
You are.”
Then I read the book and found it informative
and interesting but I don’t really think I am..
or I am completely oblivious to what I really am
which is also a possibility.
Anyway. It was interesting. :)

13. PACHINKO - MIN JIN LEE
March ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
This book held my attention…it was a bit of
a sad and frustrating story but it made me
feel all kinds of emotions. And I felt strongly
for all the characters…they felt real.
And honestly, the story stuck with me for awhile after
which is not always the case for my control/alt/delete brain.
*oh! and I just realized that this was made
into a series on apple! I am going to check that out!!

14. ILLUNSIONARIUM - HEATHER DIXON
April ❤️❤️❤️
I had read The Enchanted Sonata
before this and I had loved that book…
this one…not quite so much.
To be fair, I think this may have been written
before The Enchanted Sonata
so sometimes that matters as writers mature…
or I was in a different frame of mind…
still a good story with an interesting concept though.

And I realize I went one book into April but whatever…
eventually I’ll get caught up.
But also…LOOK AT ALL THE NEW BOOKS I GOT
at the book sale at work…20.00 went a long way!!! :)

whatcha readin'? {goal 41::books 15 to 21)

I am hitting that time of the year
again when I have gotten
incredibly behind
in posting
what I have finished reading
so here is a July round up.

July was a pretty big book month
for me…and oddly enough,
it was a big physical book month for me.
But maybe that’s not that odd.

Summer is when I like to be outside
and there is just something
about having an actual
book
in my hands
at the beach or
in the hammock and on the swing
or in the park.

15. THE EMBROIDERED BOOK - KATE HEARTFIELD
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
It’s not often that I remember a book
after finishing it,
but this one stuck with me.
It’s a bit of a historical story but
with some magic woven in…
I absolutely loved this book.
I am not going to lie…I bought it based
on the beautiful cover alone
but this time, that worked out in my favor.

16. THE GHOST WOODS - CJ COOKE
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
A gothic thriller is not my typical pick
and I would be lying
if I said that the pretty cover didn’t have
something to with me
picking this to read.
The only note I had on it
was that I finished it in 2 days
so obviously,
it grabbed my attention.

17. EVERYONE HERE IS LYING - SHARI LAPEGNA
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
My notes:
'twisty turns and a fast read :)'

18. MODERN DRAWING - CHELSEA WARD
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
My notes:
'Did a lot of exercises in it. Pretty fun :)'

19. THE DROWNING WOMAN - ROBYN HARDING
♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
Very twisty and fast paced
with lots of unexpected surprises.

20. DEAR EVAN HANSEN - VAL EMMICH
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
When I started this, I didn’t realize that
it was a novelization of a musical.
I had actually never heard of that before.
But I enjoyed the read…
not sure if I would say the same
had I seen the musical first but
I didn’t…so….it is what it is. :)
But also now that I watched this trailer,
I NEED to watch this.
😍

21. YOU, ME AND THE SEA - MEG DONOHUE
♥♥♥♥♥ out of 5 ♥’s
My notes:
'The writing in this book made me feel wordy.'

and that takes me to the end of July!
:)

whatcha readin'? {goal 41::book 11}

Inspired by true events,
set in World War II era…
it's a story of 3 women
and the importance
of the written word….
the power of books…
the power of love.

4 ♥️♥️♥️♥️ out of 5 hearts
NEXT UP: IT ENDS WITH US - COLEEN HOOVER