Saturday, October 01, 2016

Sunday Post: Wrapping Up September & October TBR List Poll

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 

Happy October! Once October hits, the rest of the year seems to go by so fast. I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. What are you up to today?

Mouse had a better week at school. I was so pleased to find all her homework done most days this week before she got home. It's like someone from the afterschool program had read my blog post and took mercy on me. Haha. She even practiced her popcorn letters all on her own!

This past week I got the chance to hear Regina Louise, author of Somebody's Someone speak at a work event. She is a dynamic speaker with a powerful message. I don't think there was a dry eye in the auditorium when she was done talking.


In the Mail This Week(I know not bookish, but I had to share anyway.)


A birthday present from my mother-in-law, 
painted by my mother-in-law.


Wrapping Up September: 

Books Read/Listened To: 5
  • Blame It On the Cowboy by Delores Fossen
  • Fractured by Catherine McKenzie
  • The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
  • Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (Audio)
  • The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
I am smitten with Genevieve Cogman's series featuring Irene, a Librarian spy and her apprentice Kai. Of the two books I read by her this past month, The Masked City was my favorite.


What I Am Reading:  I am in the middle of Rich Zahradnik's A Black Sail, the third in the Coleridge Taylor mystery series set in 1976 New York. I enjoy hitting the pavement with crime reporter Taylor as he tries to get to the truth of whatever story he's chasing, and this time is no different.


What Am I Listening To: I am just over halfway through Glory in Death by J.D. Robb, narrated by Susan Erickson. I have the third in the series in audio too, but think I will take a break after this one.


What I Am Watching:  I really liked this past week's episode of Fear of the Walking Dead. I admit I am not a big fan of Travis, but I appreciated his frustration with his son in the episode. I was happy to see Code Black is back. I do not think any episode has ever left me dry-eyed. My daughter and I are watching Voice together this season (thanks to the DVR). I have only ever seen a season once before--about a year or so ago. Does anyone else watch it? I am not big on reality television, but I don't mind this one.


Around the Blogosphere:

This Past Week In Reading Mews:



Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you encourage other reading friends to start a blog or at least put their thoughts/reviews on public reading sites such as Goodreads, Amazon, etc?(submitted by Elizabeth

My book blogging is not something I talk about much with those outside of the blogging community. I am very shy about my blog and do not even talk about it with my family (other than my husband who used to blog himself). So, no. I cannot say I encourage other reading friends to blog or write reviews. My reader friends who are not already bloggers tend to fall into two categories: they are just casual readers or they are heavy duty readers who consider review writing too much like a chore they'd rather not bother with. However, if I thought a reader friend was leaning in that direction, I would jump at the chance to encourage them and help them in any way I could.

What about you? Have you encouraged other reading friends to start a blog or review books?

*

Help me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:


My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 



For some reason, October feels like the perfect month for cozy mysteries. I can't explain why. Most people are running for books that have the scare or creep factor, while I want to curl up on the couch under a blanket, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, and lose myself in a cozy. I thought I would enlist your help in choosing my October cozy read.

Here are my choices:


A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery #1) by Julia Buckley 
 Goodreads Synopsis:  
Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.

But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.

Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good...


The Madness of Mercury (Zodiac Mystery #1) by Connie Di Marco 

Goodreads Synopsis:  
San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti's life is turned upside down when she becomes the target of the city's newest cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet's Tabernacle. Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who's caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. Is the young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia's not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn't merely the messenger of the gods—he was a trickster and a liar as well.


The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss 
Goodreads Synopsis:

When Maddie Kosloski’s career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she’s certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she’s certain it won’t be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home.

Which one do you think I should read?



I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

60 comments:

  1. I think you're right- once it hits October the year is toast ha ha. It's all downhill now. :) With all the holidays and stuff that doesn't help. Glad to hear book 2 of the Library is good- I liked the first one. I need to catch up on FTWD. Is it bad that I hate Travis' kid? Okay maybe not hate, but he aggravated me so much in the first half.

    I was at the bookstore today and saw The Madness of Mercury in the mystery section, but I went with A Dark and Stormy Murder- it looks fun.

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    1. Greg - And from here on out the year goes fast. I'm not ready! Did you catch the season finale of FTWD? I watched the final two episodes out of order. I'm not sure how that happened. . .

      I'm looking forward to reading A Dark and Stormy Murder. It sounds like it will be fun.

      Thanks for visiting, Greg!

      Delete
  2. I'm not sure how I'd like JD Robb on audio!!!

    I haven't seen Fear the Walking Dead but watched a few episodes of the original series and then got behind and haven't ever caught up.

    I voted for your next read solely based on the cover. #trueconfession

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    1. Deborah - Her novels are working for me so far in audio format. Maybe that's the key to me enjoying her books.

      Thank you for voting! I've been known to vote by cover too, so don't feel too bad about that. :-)

      Thanks for commenting, Deborah.

      Delete
  3. I'm glad that the homework situation is going well! It's always nice to get any work done there, and not at home! Have a good week! :)

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    1. Anna - Yes, it's nice not to have our entire free time when she gets home on homework. Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I've seen The Invisible Library around a bit in the last year or so but never really heard what it was about. It has been bumped up slightly now to buy.

    Sounds like you had a good reading month. :)

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    1. Annemieke - I am enjoying the Invisible Library so far. I know not everyone is sold on it, but I found the first two books to be fun reads.

      Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  5. That’s so true.. When it’s October it always feels like Christmas is right around the corner. I have mixed feelings about that. I looooove Christmas.. but I still have soooooo much to do.

    Awesome painting you go from your mother in law. Love it! ;)

    I voted for ‘The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum’.. Since its October that felt like a good choice! ;)

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    1. Maureen - I love Christmas too--but like you, have so much to do before then! I can't think about that now. LOL

      Thank you for voting. I'm eager to read all three. I've heard great things about The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum.

      Thanks for visiting, Maureen!

      Delete
  6. I can't believe October is here already! Where did the time go?!

    That's wonderful about Mouse getting her homework done before she got home. :)

    I've that book "A Dark and Stormy Murder" on my to-read list. Hope you'll enjoy it if that book gets chosen.

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    1. Melody - Time is just slipping by us. It was nice having some of Mouse's homework before coming up. I can't believe how much work they give kindergarteners. It's crazy.

      Thank you for voting, Melody, and for visiting!

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  7. I really need to read Genevieve Cogman! The series sounds really good so far.

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    1. Kelly - I hope you do give her books a try. I'm enjoying them quite a bit!

      Thanks for visiting, Kelly.

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  8. Your mother-in-law is very talented! I don't talk about my blog either but I did finally get my sister on Good Reads.

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    1. Kathy - I think so too. She has done landscapes for many years now and we have a couple on the walls in our house.

      Thanks for visiting, Kathy!

      Delete
  9. Wow your new Tiger picture is beautiful. That's awesome she painted it for you. Looks like September was awesome. I need to check out this Genevieve Cogman I've hard her book is wonderful. Thanks for sharing this week. Have a great week and happy reading!!!

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    1. Mandy - Thank you. My mother-in-law is very talented. :-) Thanks for visiting, Mandy!

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  10. I like the idea of reading cozies in October. They are not horror, but there's the scary factor in them.

    You had a great week! I got Fractured, and hope to read it soon.

    Love the picture from your MIL.

    A while ago, I read and loved The Guest Room. Go for it!

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I'm listening to a cozy on audio right now--a bit of paranormal mixed in with the mystery. Seems fitting for this time of year. :-) I hope you enjoy Fractured when you read it.

      Thanks for visiting, Laurel-Rain!

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  11. You are so right about the rest of the year speeding past! I couldn't ever get into Fear The Walking Dead but I am so excited for The Walking Dead to return!!

    Stacey @The Bookish Loner

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    1. Stacey - I'm looking forward to and dreading the new season of The Walking Dead. I'm still not sold on Fear, but I keep watching anyway. I guess I'm still hoping it will get better.

      Thanks for visiting, Stacey.

      Delete
  12. I think fall is the best part of the year. I couldn't get into Fear the walking dead and stopped watching the Walking Dead after the motorcycle gang plotline. Have a great week!

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    1. Shandy Jo - I love this time of year too. I'm not completely sold on Fear either. I keep hoping it will get better.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  13. Yay! I'm so glad Mouse had a better week :) I really love October, I think it might be my favorite month of the school year, but you're right it goes super fast!

    Thabks for the mention :)

    I voted for The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum because they all sound so good and I like the hint of paranormal and Ghosts for October :)

    Have a great week week!

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    1. Berls - Me too! This past week was a good one too (although we got another note home from her teacher).

      Thank you for voting. I am behind in posting my winner, but will have it up tonight.

      Delete
  14. Love your painting from your mother-in-law; that is something that you will treasure and can pass down to Mouse to treasure as well. Happy to hear that homework isn't a stress this week. As much as I was often ready for the kids to be out of the house at the end of the summer, I dreaded nightly hovering over homework!

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    1. Lisa - We have a couple of her landscape paintings as well and one my husband's great grandmother painted. I would love it if Mouse inherited their artistic genes. :-)

      I didn't expect there to be so much homework in kindergarten. I knew there'd be some, but not as much as there is.

      Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  15. I keep meaning to pick up the The Invisible Library! It sounds so good and thanks so much for reminding me about it!

    I hope you have a great week further. :)

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    1. Di - It's such a fun series. I hope you give it a try!

      Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  16. oh what a thoughtful gift! I love the pictures.

    Also The Madness of Mercury looks great. I voted for that and now I am going to go look it up :D

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    1. Lily - Thank you! The Madness of Mercury does sound good, doesn't it? I can't wait to read it.

      Thanks for voting and commenting!

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  17. Glad school is going better for your daughter. Homework is always an adjustment especially as each new school year starts and the teachers expect more of you :)

    I still haven't read The Invisible Library. I need to do that soon! I always put my library books on the back burner to read review books so I've had it checked out for months. Glad to hear you like it.

    I like reading mysteries at this time of year too. I like historical mysteries and have one on my TBR list for this week that hopefully I will get to.

    Have a great week :)

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    1. Christina - I knew there would be homework, but didn't realize there would be so much assigned in kindergarten. So yeah, it's been an adjustment. LOL

      Thanks for commenting, Christina!

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  18. I enjoy the Voice as well! I don't watch a lot of reality TV shows either, but there are some pretty good ones from time to time. I'm glad your daughter's doing better in school. It can be hard sometimes, but good habits early on help later on :D

    Also, a Dark and Stormy Murder sounds great! I don't usually read adult, but I'm up for a great mystery. Hope you enjoy it~

    - Eli @ The Silver Words
    #commenting365

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    1. Eli - There's a lot of talent this year on The Voice, isn't there? I love how positive the show is. I used to watch American Idol and people could be so mean.

      I agree about setting good habits early. I'm working on it. :-) Hopefully they'll stick.

      Thank you for voting and commenting!

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  19. My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful painting also. What a terrific trait in an in-law, right? I do encourage people to join Goodreads, but not necessarily to write reviews. I just like seeing what my friends are reading! And thanks for gathering such interesting links as well. I have lots of thoughts about required reading, what with being both a reading teacher and the mother of two struggling readers.

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    1. Wendy - I wish I had such creative talent. We are really lucky to have married into families with such gifts.

      Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  20. Oh, I ALWAYS love it when October finally arrives! The weather starts to get SO cozy, even when it's hot! Lol. However, this weekend, we who live in South Florida are on pins and needles, hoping and praying that Hurricane Matthew won't take a slight jog to the west. The NOAA cone has it passing about 200 miles away from us, but that could change any minute, as hurricanes tend to be so unpredictable. Hubby and I are constantly monitoring the storm. I've even downloaded WSVN's Hutricane Tracker to my cell phone.

    How nice that this past week was better for Mouse, in regards to homework! And by the way, what are popcorn letters? Never heard of them before. They sure sound like fun!!

    I'm going to check out Regina Louise, as I've never heard of her before, either.

    I'm just blown away by your mother-in-law's painting!! WOW!! It's SO beautiful!! She sure has talent!! And what a sweet thing to do, giving you the painting for your birthday!! ENJOY!!! :)

    I can't get over how FAST you read! FIVE books in September!! I wish I could do that....I can get in two a month, and that's it. Well, it also depends on how long the books are, too. :)

    I need to get to The Invisible Library series!!!! It looks SO, SO good!!!! I'm glad you're enjoying it!!

    I MUST check out the post about coloring books, as well as the one about the Patronus!!! I have several coloring books, but, sadly, haven't been doing much coloring lately.... As for the Patronus post, ANY blog post related to the Harry Potter series will have me sitting up and taking notice!! (And yes, I have ALL the HP coloring books, too. Lol.) Thanks for mentioning these posts!! :)

    In regards to the BBH question, I'm just like you; I don't discuss my blog with non-bloggers. At least, I haven't done so very often in the past. I've recently decided to just not even mention it anymore, because on the few occasions I've done that, I have sensed nothing but polite "interest" from those I've shared it with. So, I don't bother encouraging anyone to blog. As for Goodreads and Amazon, I never mention those at all. The readers I know are all online, and they all do either one or two of the above, or all three.

    I totally agree with you that, if someone really DID show some interest in blogging, then I would definitely help them get started. Otherwise, no.

    OMG, your TBR selections ALL look SO good!!! And I ADORE the cover of "The Madness of Mercury"!! That is one VERY cozy cover, for sure! I really don't know which to pick, Wendy. One second, I'm leaning toward one of them, the next second, it's one of the other two! Lol. On the other hand....if you read "The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum", for instance, you'd be accomplishing two purposes -- reading a mystery, and a book related to Halloween! So I might be inclined to favor that one. But then, the other two seem to beckon....heck, I REALLY can't decide! So I'm not voting. Lol. Wait a minute....why don't you read all three of them, with the Paranormal Museum book in third place, so that you'll be reading it close to Halloween? You could start with either of the two other books, and then get to the third as we approach that haunted holiday! Hope you like this suggestion!

    Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my own BBH post! Hope the week ahead is a GREAT one for you, Mouse, and hubby!! HUGS!!! <3 :)


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    1. Maria - We are enjoying the cooler mornings and evenings, although the days are still quite warm. Hopefully as the month wears on, the daytime temps will cool off too. Mouse lost her jacket at school and so I imagine we'll be making a store run soon for a new one. It's not in the lost and found. :-( At least it's not a rush.

      I hope you and your husband are safe and weren't too impacted by the terrible weather that's come your way. So much devastation! I heard about the lives lost in Haiti. Heartbreaking.

      I think popcorn letters is just a catchy name the teachers gave the letter groupings the kids learn and practice each week. After they master their popcorn letters they move onto word crunchers. I'm not sure where they come up with this names. LOL

      The painting is lovely, isn't it? Such a special gift. Ones like that come from the heart and are the most valuable, you know? I wish I had half her talent. I can draw a decent stick figure, but that's about it.

      I don't know if I'll get to all three cozies this month, but that's the plan. :-)

      Thank you for visiting and commenting, Maria!

      Delete
  21. I've been loving this second half season of FTWD as well. I like Travis, but I think he's not facing reality. Chris is crazy, and he needs to cut him loose.

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    1. Tiffany - FTWD has been better this second half of the season, I agree. I am still not completely sold on it like I am the original, but not willing to give up on it yet. Did you catch the season finale?

      Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  22. I don't talk much about my blog to others besides my best friend and the man. People know I have a blog, but nobody I work with or any family/friends follow it. They may have "liked" the Facebook page for my blog, but they never leave comments.

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    1. Charlie - I don't think my blog or blogging in general is anything that most of the people I know offline are interested in. I don't have a Facebook page for my blog, but I've thought about it.

      Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  23. I suggest others give it a try, but usually no one wants to.

    Nice answer.

    I would encourage the person who mentions it, though. :)

    I hope you had a good weekend.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Elizabeth - Yeah, I don't know many people offline who are interested in spending time on the computer or keeping track of their reading. Good thing there's so many online who feel differently. :-)

      Thank you for your comment!

      Delete
  24. I still struggle with homework and my kids are much older. Well, the college student is on his own now in that area but The Girl is not. She does her work, but then forgets to put her name on it or leaves it at home so the missing assignments stack and then when she turns them in she only gets half credit. REALLY irks me because I will ask her, is your name on it? Did you put it in your bag?

    And when my daughter got help from the after school program when she was younger, her math would often be wrong so I had to check it then too.

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    1. Ti - I can just imagine how much homework she'll have in years to come. I'm hoping Mouse will have her dad's head for math (and mine for language arts), but we'll see. I check her work when she gets home and so far so good.

      Thanks for visiting, Ti!

      Delete
  25. That painting looks great!

    Oh that vote was a difficult choice. I ended up going with the Perfectly proper paranormal Museum as I've read that one and really enjoyed it. The Mercury book is still on my to-read list as well, got a review copy through netgalley, but haven't read it yet. that other cozy looks good too!

    Have a great week!

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    1. Lola - Thank you! I think it's lovely too.

      Thank you too for voting and for visiting! :-)

      Delete
  26. When in doubt, I always read the books with a cat on the cover! ha!

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    1. Rae - Haha! You can't go wrong with that method. :-) Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  27. It is always a hard decision as to whether or read or listen to the newest "In Death" series. My daughter and I watch The Voice together and have since the beginning. Beautiful painting.

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    1. Nise' - It's a fun show to watch with my daughter. She was quite taken with Miley Cyrus's outfit for the initial tryouts. LOL

      I think the next book in the "In Death" series I have has a different narrator. That's partly why I decided not to jump right into it. It might throw me off if the "new" narrator is too different.

      Thank you for commenting!

      Delete
  28. Glad that Mouse had a better week at school! I need to catch up with FTWD at some point. I didn't watch this season at all and after reading the lukewarm reviews, I'm not feeling the pull to watch it. Let's see.

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    1. Athira - FTWD has its ups and downs. I'm not as taken with it as I am with the original series. It's probably one I wouldn't miss if I stopped watching altogether.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  29. I try to encourage some of my family and friends who are readers like me but alas it goes on deaf ears, but hopefully maybe one day they will post a review or make an book blog if they can. Thank you for stopping by my blog hop.

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    1. Katiria - So many people in my offline life aren't as taken with the computer as I am. They use it for work, if that, and they are content with that.

      Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  30. Thanks for the mention, Wendy!
    I love your mother-in-law's tiger painting- the eyes are perfect.
    If I had more literate friends, I would definitely push them toward blogging as an outlet. The literate friends I have now are all chipping away at master's degrees. I find the only way I can keep track of my reading anymore is to blog about it- I am not very good at posting my thoughts on Goodreads consistently.
    ~Litha Nelle

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    1. Litha Nelle - Thank you! She's so talented, and that was sweet of her to paint a painting for me like that.

      I am always behind with posting my thoughts on Goodreads, although I do try to document having read a book as I finish it. It's a way to remind myself I need to write a review for my blog.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete

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