Reading Wrap Up: January 2022

READING WRAP UP
(books not listed on book club and challenge posts)

Small Things Like These
by Claire Keegan
Historical, Christmas, Novella, Ireland | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
cozy story that packs a punch in the end
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

Five Tuesdays in Winter
by Lily King
Short Stories, Literary | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 5
collection of gems
Told in the intimate voices of unique and endearing characters of all ages, these tales explore desire and heartache, loss and discovery, moments of jolting violence and the inexorable tug toward love at all costs. A bookseller's unspoken love for his employee rises to the surface, a neglected teenage boy finds much-needed nurturing from an unlikely pair of college students hired to housesit, a girl's loss of innocence at the hands of her employer's son becomes a catalyst for strength and confidence, and a proud nonagenarian rages helplessly in his granddaughter's hospital room. Romantic, hopeful, brutally raw, and unsparingly honest, some even slipping into the surreal, these stories are, above all, about King's enduring subject of love.

Lovely Books and Things - 12.19.21

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

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HAPPY THINGS:

1. Oh by gosh by jolly, It's time for mistletoe and holly - listening to holiday tunes
2. Snail mail - Christmas cards
3. Holiday window decorations - Kung Fu Santa and Tai Chi Elf (below)

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Bought:

The Lost Daughter
by Elena Ferrante
translated by Marcello Lino
Contemporary, Italy | Published: 2008 (first 2006) | Goodreads

The Trees
by Percival Everett
Literary, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Library:

The Fir Tree
by Hans Christian Andersen
Classics, Fairy Tales, Christmas | Published: 1990 (first 1844) | Goodreads

These Precious Days: Essays
by Ann Patchett
Essays, Memoir | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

Wish You Were Here
by Jodi Picoult
Contemporary | Published: 2021 | Goodreads


To Be Featured:

Small Things Like These
by Claire Keegan
Historical, Christmas, Novella, Ireland | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!

Five Tuesdays in Winter
by Lily King
Short Stories, Literary | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!

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Virtual Author event: hosted by Alta Magazine
See archive of this (here)

Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage
by Anita Kunz
History, Art | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Murder By The Book
See archive of this (here)

The Midnight Lock
by Jeffery Deaver
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

Murder Under Her Skin
by Stephen Spotswood
Mystery, Historical | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

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AND watched: theatre

Sing 2 (2021)
Director/Writer: Garth Jennings
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon
Animation, Comedy | imdb | my rating: 5
Buster Moon and his friends must persuade reclusive rock star Clay Calloway to join them for the opening of a new show.

Tender Bar (2021)
Director: George Clooney
Screenplay: William Monahan
Based on book: J.R. Moehringer
Stars: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri
Drama | imdb | my rating: 4
A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar.

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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Lovely Books and Things - 8.2.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

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HAPPY THINGS:

1. Falling into the internet rabbit hole about puzzles. And then, starting a 1,000 piece summer themed puzzle that I won from Marlene M. Bell's book tour in June.

2. Mason Jar Smoothies - made without a blender (details) and trying out recipes from Pick Up Limes (here) - so far loving the Mango Spinach combo

3. Grabbing a burrito from local eatery next door to the laundromat on wash day.

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Library: audiobook

The Jane Austen Society
by Natalie Jenner
narrated by Richard Armitage !!!
Historical, Romance, Jane Austen theme | Goodreads

Writers & Lovers
by Lily King
narrated by Stacey Glemboski
Literary | Goodreads
For Review:

Courting the Stationmaster’s Daughter
by Juli D. Revezzo
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Historical, Romance, England | Goodreads
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Virtual Author event: hosted by Book Passages
Listen to archive of this and check out their calendar for future free author events (here)

A conversation between:
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich | Historical, North Dakota | Goodreads
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett | Historical, Literary, Family | Goodreads

A conversation between:
Deacon King Kong by James McBride | Historical, Literary | Goodreads
The Library Book by Susan Orlean | History, True Crime | Goodreads

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AND watched: online virtual theatre, Roxie

Around the Sun (2019)
Director: Oliver Krimpas
Writer: Jonathan Kiefer
Book reference: Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds by Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle
Stars: Cara Theobold, Gethin Anthony
Drama, set in France | imdb | my rating: 5
Touring a repossessed French chateau, a film location scout falls for its flirtatious representative, who recounts the story of an influential book written there. But is their connection for real, or just a projection of the book's characters?

ROMANTIC and cerebral rendezvous and déjà vu moments as a couple walks through a beautiful setting in France.


AND watched: virtual theatre for SFFILM Hong Kong Cinema (here)

Lion Rock (2019)
Shi zi shan shang (original title)
Director: Nick Leung
Screenplay: Man-Ho Cheng, Cheung Chung-Leong, Nick Leung
Stars: Alex Tak-Shun Lam, Michelle Wai, Kevin Kam-Yin Chu
Drama, Hong Kong | imdb | my rating: 4
In 2011, Lai Chi-wai - one of the top rock climbers in Asia - lost everything when a motorcycle accident took away his ability to walk. Rather than succumbing to his fate, Lai found his own way of scaling those dizzying peaks again. With his second feature, Nick Leung offers a remarkable change of pace, eschewing the macabre humour of his debut Get Outta Here for an inspiring and touching tale about how a human being overcomes adversity. Featuring a career-best performance from Alex Lam as the wheelchair-bound athlete, this incredible fact-based story is a rousing tribute to Hong Kong's never-say-die spirit.

VIBRANT positive human spirit is inspiring. Surreal scenes brought in a touch of dark humor.

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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

*** THANKS to those on the front line during these times ***
Shelter In Place - Day 139, Week 21
Stay healthy! Be safe!

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Camp ToB 2020

Camp ToB 2020
summer reading program (details)
from the Tournament of Books
Camp bylaws are the same as last summer:

- Every week we’ll read half of each book, then discuss here on Wednesdays.

- We’ll be joined in the commentary booth each week by a different member of the Commentariat. (Please volunteer for that in the form below!)

- At the end of each month you decide which of the two books we just read heads to the end-of-summer finale, where you’ll cast one final vote to decide which of our summer reads heads to the 2021 Tournament of Books.

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WINNER: Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
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The City We Became
by N.K. Jemisin
-Fantasy, New York | Goodreads | my rating: DNF

Sharks in the Time of Saviors
by Kawai Strong Washburn
-Magical Realism, Hawaii | Goodreads | my rating: DNF

The Night Watchman
by Louise Erdrich
-Historical, North Dakota | Goodreads | my rating: tba

Such a Fun Age
by Kiley Reid
-Contemporary | Goodreads | my rating: 5

Weather
by Jenny Offill
-Literary, New York | Goodreads | my rating: 4

Writers & Lovers
by Lily King
-Literary, Massachusetts | Goodreads

Camp ToB 2020 Reading Schedule:

June 3: The City We Became, first half
June 10: The City We Became, second half
June 17: Sharks in the Time of Saviors, first half
June 24: Sharks in the Time of Saviors, second half
July 1: VACATION
July 8: The Night Watchman, first half
July 15: The Night Watchman, second half
July 22: Such a Fun Age, first half
July 29: Such a Fun Age, second half
Aug. 5: Writers & Lovers, first half
Aug. 12: Writers & Lovers, second half
Aug. 19: Weather, first half
Aug. 26: Weather, second half
Sept. 2: Announce summer champion