Saturday, March 18, 2017

Sunday Post: A Jump Start on Spring

New to My Shelves: The March  My Lit Box came my way this month. It's always a treat to find my subscription box in the mail. This box included a copy of Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give, which has been getting good reviews. The subject matter is very relevant to today.



What I Am Reading: I stayed up Friday night finishing The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel. Those of you voted for it as my March read, have good taste! I am in the middle of Allen Esken's The Life We Bury, which is also very good. I am not reading as much as I had hoped this month, but then, I kind of expected that. I went five days without cracking open a book--not even on my e-reader. How terrible is that?! When I finally did find time to read after that long absence away, I felt such joy and peace when I settled into my book.

What I Am Watching: We went to see the new Beauty and the Beast this weekend after Mouse's soccer class. Oh my gosh, what fun! We all enjoyed it very much. 

What's Going On Off the Blog: While some of you have been buried under more snow, spring has definitely decided to push winter aside early here. The weather has been beautiful. Most days we open our windows now. It did reach over 90 one day this past week, but we decided against starting up the air conditioner just yet. We are expecting more rain this coming week.

One of the trees in my yard

Mouse had a blast at her birthday party last weekend. We hosted it at a local pizza/game restaurant, and it was worth every penny. We had family in from out of town to celebrate as well. Things are just now getting back to normal.

Making birthday cupcakes for her class

 Mouse's family birthday cake

Since we last "talked" there was a Girl Scout meeting, soccer classes, homework, mailing my postcards on the 15th, work meetings, and all the other usual activities. Mouse brought her report card home this past week. Parker isn't feeling too well as of late, and a visit to the veterinarian may be in order soon. That's really about all the news I have right now.

Tell me about what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your week? Do you have anything planned for this coming week?

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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 read a lot of diverse or own voices books? Why or why not?
While I enjoy reading books in which I share a similar world view or lifestyle, I also really like to read books featuring diversity or by diverse authors. I love stepping outside my own reality and lifestyle through books and seeing the world a bit differently than what I'm used  to. I confess I do not read as many books of diversity as I would like to, but I am making an effort to do so. It is one of the reasons I subscribe to the  My Lit Box, which focuses on promoting authors of color. I do not have a good excuse for not reading more diversely than I do, other than perhaps the sheer volume of books out there I want to read, many of which don't fall into the diverse category. And frankly, the genres I gravitate most toward could use more diversity. It's there if you look, but not always easy to find.

For a number of years, particularly before I began blogging, it was something I never thought about at all. It wasn't until I started more closely tracking my reading that I began paying more attention to diversity in my reading. I think reading outside one's own "voice" or experience is important, especially in this day and age. Gaining insight and learning about other ways of life, cultures, beliefs, traditions, and ideas only benefits us. Reading diversely challenges me to think differently and more compassionately. Diversity in books empower and normalize those who may feel forgotten, invisible or marginalized by providing voices that are sorely lacking in the majority of mainstream literature. And, most importantly, reading diversely isn't just about acknowledging and celebrating differences, but also in recognizing how alike we are deep down inside. We are all humans, after all. Diversity in books is a good thing, and I am glad to see more of a movement out there to bring diversity in books to the forefront.

What about you? Do you read a lot of diverse books?


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Every Sunday, Kendra Allen of Reads and Treats comes up with a theme for a Sunday list  of 5 things (because making lists are fun!) and asks participants to share.


Today's 5 Things on Sunday theme is my favorite songs. Always a tough one because my favorites are always changing. I'm going to go with the current top five songs on my playlist. At least for this week.

1. Demons by Imagine Dragons



2. Anyway by Martina McBride



3. Hello by Adele





4. Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson



5. Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys


What songs are you listening to a lot these days?


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




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. 


© 2017, 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.

67 comments:

  1. Sounds like a busy week...and fun, too. Love that photo of Mouse making cupcakes.

    Her cake is adorable.

    I want to read The Hate U Give. Thanks for sharing...and have a great week.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - It was busy and fun (except maybe the work part-haha). Mouse enjoys baking. :-) The Hate U Give sounds like it will be good. I am looking forward to reading it as well. Hopefully soon. I hope you have a great week too, Laurel-Rain! Thanks for visiting.

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  2. I've been planning to read "The Hate You Give". Yes, it's been getting lots of great reviews and I love the sound of it.
    I'm planning to read different genres or themes than I'm used to, hopefully starting this month. Variety is important. It keeps the adventure through books fresh and interesting. :-)
    I hope you have a great week. Happy reading.

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    1. Geybie - I confess I hadn't heard much about The Hate U Give until it showed up in my mailbox. I'm really excited about it now though. I hope to read it soon-ish.

      I need variety in my reading or else it can lead to burn out. I like how you worded it--"it keeps the adventure through books fresh and interesting." So true!

      Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

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  3. What a pretty tree. Wow, you guys got pretty warm. It hit 80 here, but is starting to drop back down next week. What a cute cake!

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    1. Christy - Thank you! The blooms don't last ling, unfortunately, but they are pretty while they do. :-) It's about 80 here today and is expected to get cooler again here too.

      It was such a cute cake! It was tasty too. :-)

      Have a great week and thanks for visiting!

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  4. Busy but good week it sounds like :) And now I want cupcakes for breakfast today...
    Spring has arrived here, too, and even with the pollen I am so happy to see the sun, and how mother nature wakes up :)
    Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.
    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Lexxie - Haha! The cupcakes turned out very well. She's good little baker. :-) I am loving the blooming flowers and green around us. The allergies . . . not so much. My poor daughter has it the worst right now, I'm afraid. I hope you have a wonderful week too! Thanks for visiting.

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  5. Wow! You sure had a busy week! Glad your daughter had fun making her cake!


    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays!

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    1. Ronyell - My daughter loves to bake. :-) Thank you for visiting! Have a great week.

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  6. Books in the mail is the BEST! :D

    AHHH! I'm jealous that you've seen Beauty and the Beast already!!! I can't wait to watch it.

    Regarding diversity in reading I do enjoy a diverse book and I have been actively trying to read more - but it's not the be all and end all to me. I'm glad there is a #weneeddiversebooks movement and I support that, but I don't like authors adding diversity just for the sake of it - it should feel effortless and natural when reading.

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    1. Di - I love getting books in the mail. :-)

      I hope you enjoy Beauty and the Beast when you see it. We were supposed to go with the Girl Scouts, but no one in our house wanted to wait. LOL

      You make a very good point. Adding diversity just for the sake of it isn't a good thing. The reader is rarely fooled by that.

      Thank you for visiting! I hope you have a great week.

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  7. The Book Club Murders sounds like a book that I would like to look into! Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

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    1. Cindy - Definitely check out The Book Club Murders. You won't regret it. I hope. LOL Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

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  8. That certainly is a busy week - but they tend to be something a whirl during termtime when they are at this age. I love Mouse's birthday cake. Thank you for sharing and have a happy, if busy week:). My Sunday Post - https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2017/03/19/sunday-post-19th-march-2017/

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    1. Sarah - It does feel like we are always on the go in one way or another. :-) I hope you have a great week too! Thanks for visiting.

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  9. Happy Belated Birthday to Mouse!
    I do enjoy reading diverse voices and about different lifestyles and cultures--fiction is a great and very personal way to learn about others, those whose lives and cultures differ from our own. Fiction allows us to become more familiar and comfortable with vastly different situations and traditions. Fiction also leads us to nonfiction about those differences, broadening our horizons even more.

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    1. Jenclair - Thank you! Mouse cried the night before her birthday because she was sad to be leaving behind five, but she woke up with a smile on her face the next day, saying she felt different. :-)

      Everything you said about reading diverse voices is so true. yet more reason why it is so important.

      Thank you for visiting. Have a great week, Jenclair!

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  10. So happy to hear that you enjoyed Beauty and the Beast! I really want to go see it soon. Hopefully I can find a babysitter so I can drag my husband to see it. lol!

    I've heard really great things about The Hate U Give. I hope you get a chance to read it soon and love it!

    Have a great week!

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    1. Julie - I hope you get to see Beauty and the Beast soon! I had been hoping to see it Friday on my own, but ended up spending the day waiting for the electrician who never showed instead. Luckily, my husband really wanted to see it and so we were able to go with my daughter.

      The Hate U Give sounds like it will be very good. I hope to read it soon too!

      Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

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  11. I have been curious about The Hate U Give.

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    1. Kelly - It sounds like it will be an emotional read. Thanks for visiting. Have a great week!

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  12. Oh wow, the tree is beautiful and the cake is adorable!

    The weather was pretty good today, so here's hoping that spring is here in Japan too :D

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    1. Eustacia - I just love our tree. We have two other trees in our yard, one the same as that one and the other, which is still quite bare of any leaves.

      I hope you have a great week, Eustacia. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. Happy Birthday to her, so cute! I want to watch Beauty and the Beast too, it looks good. I love Adele.
    Happy Sunday.

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    1. Naida - Thank you! She had such a fun birthday. :-) I hope you get to see Beauty and the Beast. It turned out well, I thought. And I like the new songs they added.

      Have a great week! Thanks for visiting.

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  14. Oh the birthday cake is adorable!!! Glad you liked beauty and the beast-I have heard good things.
    I love Imagine Dragons. So good!
    Have a great week!

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    1. Samantha - I thought it was really cute too. :-) She had a Pokemon cake for her party with her friends. She's really into Pokemon, although we haven't let her play Pokemon Go yet.

      I love Imagine Dragons too! I hope you have a great week as well. Thanks for visiting.

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  15. Happy birthday Mouse! Sounds like she had a fun time. I am looking forward to watching the Beauty and the Beast movie when it is on DVD. The animated version was one of my favorites when I was a kid.

    Love the picture of the tree. Flowering trees are my favorite part of spring (as well as the warmer weather).

    The Hate U Give is on my TBR pile and I plan to read it soon. Sounds like a powerful story and definitely timely.

    Hope you have a great week and find more time for reading :)

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    1. Christina - Thank you! She had a nice birthday. It turned into a week of celebration, just about. LOL I loved the animated Beauty and the Beast too. I thought they did a good job recreating some of that in the live version. I hope you like it when you get to see it.

      I love the spring--except for the allergies that come with it.

      I hope you like The Hate U Give. It does sound powerful--and I imagine emotional. I look forward to reading it too.

      Have a great week, Christina! Thanks for visiting.

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  16. Such a busy week, that cake is adorable. We are going to see Beauty and the Beast next weekend. I don't do opening weekend. I can't wait to see it with my daughter!

    I hope you have a great week, Wendy! Happy Reading! ox

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    1. Michelle - It was busy. They all seem busy these days, but the past two weeks especially! I hope you enjoy Beauty and the Beast! The theater was pretty packed, but we were able to reserve decent seats, which was nice.

      I hope you have a great week! Thanks for visiting!

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  17. I'm glad to read you all enjoyed Beauty and the Beast! I can't wait to see it myself.
    Congrats on Mouse's birthday. That looks like an awesome birthday cake.
    Have a great week and happy reading!

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    1. Maureen - I hope you get a chance to see it soon. It's worth it. :-) Thank you for the birthday wishes. She is so happy to be a year older--while most the rest of us wish we wouldn't age anymore. LOL I hope you have a great week too! Thanks for visiting. Congratulations again on your blog anniversary!

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  18. I'm finding it hard to read right now, too, so I know where you're coming from. I can't believe Mouse is 6 - I feel like I've watched her grow up!

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    1. Kathy - I can't believe she is six either. I remember stressing over when she turned five and would start kindergarten. I told my husband the other day I never thought beyond that to six and now we are here already! I hope you have a great week. Thank you for visiting!

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  19. Reading books written by folks from cultures other then our own is important. Reading books from people of our culture with different backgrounds is also important. With that I really need to read more diverse books myself. Part of the problem os time. There are so many books to read!

    Happy belated birthday to Mouse!

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    1. Brian - I agree. Even within our own culture, there are plenty of diverse books to explore that are important. I wish there was more time to read--more time to do a lot of things, really. One can dream. :-) Thank you for the birthday wishes for Mouse. Thank you too for visiting. Have a great week!

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  20. Happy birthday to Mouse! She is adorable.

    I should check out The Book Club Murders. It sounds like a novel that would be right up my alley.

    I've always enjoyed "diverse books," even before I knew that was "a thing." LOL. For me, that's one of the greatest pleasures of reading, exploring lives and cultures that are foreign to me.

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    1. Steph - Thank you! She is too adorable for her own good, I sometimes think. :-)

      The Book Club Murders was a lot of fun to read. I really enjoyed it.

      I did read diversely before I began blogging--somewhat at least--but it wasn't something I recognized or paid attention to.

      Thanks for visiting, Steph! I hope you have a great week.

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  21. Wow, you are certainly a busy bee! I also enjoy diverse books, because it shows me things I could never experience on my own. But, your right. I never even considered what a diverse book is until I started blogging. Having a blog has opened up my world in so many ways. Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Ardis - Yes, blogging has definitely opened up my world as well. I hope you have a wonderful wee as well! Thank you for visiting.

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  22. Great choices for the videos! I love them all. Sounds like Mouse's birthday party was a success. I'm all for an out of the house location. We did the Tornado's at a bounce place and it was worth every penny because you show up, pay and when it's over you leave. Glad you enjoyed Beauty and the Beast! I may have to wait till it comes out on Netflix or whatever or go by myself. I tried to talk the Tornado into going but I was informed that it was too girly for him.
    Glad you liked The Book Club Murders! I think I have one but if I don't I need it because it sounds like a book I'd like!

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    1. Katherine - Thank you! Maggie's recently discovered Martina McBride, which has gotten me back into listening to her music again. The place we had Mouse's birthday took care of everything just about once we were there. It was so nice. With a March birthday, I couldn't be sure we'd have sunshine and so having it at my house wasn't something I really wanted to do.

      I hope you do get to see Beauty and the Beast at some point! Mouse was nervous about seeing it at first. She hates going to the movie theater--until she's there.

      I think you would like The Book Club Murders.

      Have a great week, Katherine! Thanks for visiting.

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  23. That Lit Box is so pretty! And wow, someone actually had good, warm weather this week?! It seems every blogger I've visited has complained about the cold, and I've also had colder weather where I am than I had all winter. Your tree looks pretty! And I'm glad Mouse had a good party :-)

    I too never really thought about diverse books before I started blogging, but now I realize how important they are. It's great that it's a topic that being talked about and that diverse books are being promoted so much.

    Ooh songs! I also like the Imagine Dragons song. But yeah, out of all my favorites, songs is the one that seems to change the most often lol.

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    1. Kristen - It's a great Lit Box this month! Of course, I have liked them all so far. :-) Yes, it was actually warm here. I'm loving this weather. Although my allergies are acting up now--and I don't care for that much.

      I'm not sure why that is that our favorite songs change so often--maybe because it's easier to overdose on them?

      I hope you have a great week. Thanks for stopping by!

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  24. Happy Birthday to Mouse! It's wonderful that she's making cupcakes for the class. Sounds fun and not to mention the sincerity she put in for her classmates, too!

    I think I started to read more diverse books thanks to blogging. Knowing what others are reading helps me to be aware of these books since I think they could be easily neglected due to the hype of other books.

    Hope you've a great week, Wendy!

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    1. Melody - Thank you! We went out for Farrell's ice cream today, which is a nice birthday treat--and tradition for us. She got to wear one of her princess dresses and that made her happy. :-)

      I hope you have a great week too! Thanks for stopping by, Melody.

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    2. OMG, you brought me back about 40 years! We used to have a Farrell's here, but they've been gone so long. I'm just assuming it's the same franchise. I can't remember what the GIANT bowl of ice cream was called. Just loved that place :)

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    3. Donna Marie - Farrell's has made a comeback and opened a few restaurants (some have already closed, sad to say). They serve food now too and not just ice cream. They still have that same feel though--and have the pig trough and volcano on their menu. The wait staff still put on a big performance and sign for guests. Lots of jokes. It's a lot of fun. We've made it a tradition to go around our birthdays. I remember going once or twice as a child and being in awe of Farrell's. :-)

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    4. That was supposed to be "sing for the guests" not sign. Oops!

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    5. So funny, I knew what you meant so my mind skipped over the mispelling! lol They used to serve food years ago, too, though I can't remember what. We typically went there for the ice cream (this was back in the 70s when I was in high school). It was so much fun :) It's nice to hear it's around again and that you're enjoying :D

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  25. Happy Birthday to Mouse! :) The cake is just adorable :) And I'm guessing you live further south than I do 'cauae that's an early-bloomin' tree! Beautiful :)

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    1. Donna Marie - Thank you! She fell in love with that cake. It really was cute. :-) We're in Southern California. It's been really nice weather wise. I'm looking forward to the rain later this week though. I love rain. I hope you have a great week! Thanks for visiting!

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  26. Happy Birthday to Mouse! That whale cake is ADORABLE! I hope Parker starts feeling better soon!

    I've started appreciating diverse books more and more recently, though I can't say that I go out of my way to find them. I have, however, always really enjoyed books that take place in a world inspired by different parts of ours (like the middle east or India or East Asia or Africa ... or just about anywhere very NON-European).

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    1. Michelle - Thank you! Mouse also says thanks. :-) I hope Parker is feeling better soon too. He's old and has health issues, unfortunately, but they are manageable for the most part.

      It's only been in recent years that I started seeking out diverse books more and more. I really think my reading has benefited from it.

      Thank you for visiting! I hope you have a great week.

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  27. Time sure flies. I'm glad Mouse had a great birthday!I love the whale cake.

    The weather was warm but very nice last week. Of course today the newscast was full of rain predictions for tomorrow. It doesn't feel like rain is coming but then again, I just took a look outside and it is a little overcast.

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    1. Ti - It does. You blink and they are older.

      My daughter will be happy to see the sun came out today. She was a bit worried when she left this morning in the fog. I wouldn't mind more rain this week, and so am hoping the predictions are true. I just want to put off the hot spring and summer as long as I can. LOL

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  28. Oh my gosh...Mouse's cake is adorable! Birthdays are so much fun when they are little but it is a lot of work. Worth it in the end. Last week was pretty cold around here but today was beautiful. I am kind of on the fence about going to see Beauty and the Beast. I may wait for it to come out on video so I can watch it at home. Have a great week!

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    1. Carole - Thank you! Yes, those children's parties are so much work. And they take so much energy. I am glad it's behind us. I hope you have a great week too!

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  29. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOUSE!!! WOOT, WOOT!!! I KNOW you and your Mom and Dad had a WONDERFUL time!!! HUGS to you and Mom, sweetie!!! <3 <3 :) :)

    Wendy, I LOVE your answer to the Book Blogger Hop question! I'm just like you -- I never did give much thought to reading diverse books until now. This has recently become a very important topic, and rightly so, especially in "The Age of Trump".

    The book you received in your Lit Box, "The Hate U Give", is on my Boodreads shelves. I need to add others. I'm Hispanic myself, BTW, and want to read more books about people from my background. In this light, and since you read YA, I'd like to recommend "Future Shock" and "Future Threat" to you. These are books 1 and 2 in a new series by Elizabeth Briggs. (No relation to Patricia Briggs, who writes UF.) The female protagonist is a gutsy Mexican=American who is also a strong leader. So this book also has a feminist viewpoint.

    We're having some cool weather here in Miami for a change. YAAAAY!!! It's been in the 50s and 60s at night, and in the 70s during the day. I can't believe you guys have had temps in the 90s. WOW. I'm not looking forward to that, but I know it's coming. UGH.

    Thanks for all the AWESOME music videos, as well as for all your great bookish and non-bookish news!! Thanks as well for visiting my blog and commenting on my own BBH post!! Hope you're having a LOVELY week with your hubby and birthday girl!! HUGS!!!! <3 <3 :) :)

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    1. Maria - Thank you for the birthday wishes for Mouse. She had a very nice birthday. We celebrated for the entire week practically.

      Blogging has certainly made me more aware of the world around me in many respects, including opening my eyes to books I might not have read or even known about otherwise. I will always be thankful for that.

      The Hate U Give wasn't even on my radar before it came in my subscription box. Now I can't wait to read it. Hopefully soon. I think I have a copy of Future Shock--either that or it's on my wish list. I would really like to read it as well as Future Threat. Thanks for the recommendations.

      Enjoy your cool weather while you can! I have a feeling it will be a hot summer . . . We got some rain yesterday and are expecting more today. As long as it clears up in time for soccer on Saturday, I'm good. :-)

      I hope you have a great week, Maria. Thank you for your wonderful comment.

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    2. You're very welcome, Wendy!! LOTSA HUGS to you & Mouse!! <3 <3 :) :)

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  30. I hope Mouse had the best time at her party! She's such a cutie and sending her lots of birthday wishes! Such a beautiful tree and sign of Spring in your yard. We have had high temps and finally broke down and turned on the AC this week. I wouldn't mind a bit more cold weather. Enjoy your Lit Box - looks like you've got some great stuff.

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    1. Iliana - She did. She had a great time. Thank you. :-) Our weather has turned cooler again, which is nice. I'm not ready for the heat. I hope you have a great week! Thank you for visiting!

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  31. Yes Yes Yes great answer to the blog hop question and so true! I totally agree with you about the reasoning to read diverse books. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog hop.

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