Colonel Mustard used a FOREIGN object & a Rope in the Ballroom

It feels like a stretch for FOREIGN to describe Britain, but I'm going for it.

For the prompt FOREIGN I'm using the 1st book from the Casual Christie Club: (which cover do you prefer? There are dozens more, if these don't suit you!)

   
      
 

Regardez!  La version française - maintenant, c'est plus éstranger!

March Mystery Madness challenge #5 The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Dame Agatha Christie (#Iamnotworthy).

This is the first of her books & we meet M.Poirot.  Club lead by my booktube crush, The Big-Haired Bookwork.  

This is a reread but it's been decades.  
(And is there a more yucky color than mustard?  I don't think so...)

sash

Professor Plum gave a(n) HISTORICAL lecture in the Study with a Candlestick

There are so many great historical mysteries.  In fact, my selection for the SHELF challenge is set between the wars.

Hmmm - I'll select an audiobook for this one.  One already loaded to my phone.

For the prompt HISTORICAL I'm going with 

March Mystery Madness challenge #4 A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang.

The setting is New York City (1918-1919) - just past the gilded age & right in the midst of the influenza epidemic.

It seems funny that this "historical" piece is about the year my sweet daddy was born (1919).  I guess we all become history eventually, yeah?

sash

The OTHER March Madness!!

Mystery Madness


296 members
2018 March Mystery Madness Challenge Group.

The center of every mystery novel is a puzzle. A puzzle for the reader and sleuth to solve as one. Through a thread of events stretched into a 200+ page funhouse of mirrors. If you love puzzles and the deconstruction of peace in the face of chaos. Or have an appetite for "sleight of hand" narratives and misleading plots (add a stream of frustrating red herrings). Then you’re in the right place to share your delight in the mystery genre.

View this group on Goodreads »



What a PERFECT reading challenge, right??  I might have a couple mysteries on my TBR list (just a couple though).

So grab a cozy or a true crime and join me!  There are groups on Goodreads & hashtags on Instagram & many videos on booktube.  

Go Read!  (and watch out for those red herrings!)

xo

sash

I wanna be Miss Armstrong!!

These

 Three

Books!     

I stumbled upon the first one, which was WONDERFUL.   Excited to read the whole series, I devoured book 2 & then discovered, woe is me, that book 3 was only just released!!  Why did I assume there were 10-15 of these in the world already?

Sigh.

Cozy mysteries with amazing female characters & a delightful supporting cast, these are a perfect summer read.

The audible version is terrific.  I "read" it at 1.35 speed.

xoxo
sash

Goals

I've got all the books.  I know that the way to success is setting goals, planning your work, working your plan.  Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Francis Martin, Zig Zeigler - I've read them all.

But this isn't that kind of goal.

In fact, less & less of my life is set up with that kind of goal.  I understand the value &, if inspiration strikes, I will fall back on those techniques.  But for 2017, I'm setting some goals that are less about achieving & more about being.

Goals 2017

1. Stop doing shit I don't want to do.
2. Believe that "I don't want to" is a completely valid reason.  Maybe not the most important reason, but still a valid point to consider!
3. Keep reading the things I love & stretch to add a little more non-fiction, poetry, & the classics.
4. Remember the things I enjoy.  Sewing, puzzles, cooking, hitting things with sticks - those are all things that I want to do more - I just have to remember to DO THEM.

I think that's it.  Yeah - I wanna be healthier, be more accountable, clear out clutter.  Floss more.  There's always that list.  But my goals are about happiness, calm, family, & peace.  Right now, as our world shifts around us, those things seem the most important.

Oh yeah - my reading goal.  That's why I STARTED this post.  I like to see how many books I've read in a year.  A good way to keep a tally is the Goodread's goal.  But because it's more about record keeping than about achieving a goal, I always dither about the number.  If I set it too low, I end up changing it over and over.  But heaven help me if I set it too high & feel like I'm somehow FAILING at reading?  Last year I set it at 78.  That's 1.5 books per week.  I ended the year at 119, so that was definitely a safe number.  So I wanna bump it up this year.  I thought 8/month would be good.  That's 2 per week, almost.  But that is 96 and my favorite number is 97 so, duh, time to round UP.

Therefore:

      5.      Read 97 books this year.  Or more.  Or less.  Whatever

You have goals for the year?  Wanna hang out & work on a puzzle?  Whattya gonna read this year?  Can I borrow it when you're done?

Oh - and no matter what - remember that I care about you.  Things feel uncertain (at best) right now.  We need to stick together.  I see you.  I'm here for you.  Really.  

xo
sash

Binge Reading

How did I find the first book?  NO IDEA!  Goodreads or Amazon or Bookbub... I seem to add to my TBR list everywhere.  So THANK YOU to the universe for this one:

Which is the fourth in a series, but it totally didn't matter.  I was HOOKED on the story, the setting, & the characters.  The lead is a strong woman - flawed but not ridiculous, with passion & problems & massive skills.  

 So I quickly devoured:

       

                          And this great 
                           little novella: 






They were ALL delightful.  The audible versions are great fun.  They are perfect cozy romps & I hope that Gretchen Archer is busy writing the next installment.  I can hardly WAIT to see what's next!!

xo
sash

Starting by listening

First small thing.

Hearing more voices so my heartsick mourning can find
a respectful, supportive, EFFECTIVE outlet.

This can't continue.
This violence & fear & hatred.  This death.
This is one little step.

Diversity in books

Click through to that website.

Or look at the lists with which I'm starting. (In my list of lists section over there -------> )

Don't fail to take any step because they all seem so small.

Be safe, my beloved family.  Even the ones I haven't met.

auntiesash

Cat's out of the bag!

What's not fascinating about Egyptian Mythology?

Amazing creatures, complex family trees - groves - whatever.  Violence, seduction, double-cross, & heroism.

In Daughter of the Sun by Zoe Kalo, the full drama of Egyptology is the backdrop for this fantasy, thriller, coming-of-age story.

Book One of the Cult of the Cat Series, introduces us to plucky orphan, Trinity.  We go with Trinity when she is reunited with her only living relative.

On an island.

Full of cats.

Things get weird fast.  First just "that was odd" kinda weird.  Then "What?  WHAT?!?" kinda weird.

The story & characters pulled me into the book.  The backstory was richly non-obtrusive.  It's a fantasy, sure, but I never felt my credibility over-stretched.

I give the book a 4 out of 5 & recommend it for advanced middle school & up.

Important note:  I received a free advance copy of this book.  All opinions & ratings are my own.

This Review is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours

So, this is cool...

Yeah - clearly I'm more active on Goodreads than I am here, on my very own blog.  Hey - I'm working on it!

On Facebook this week, the question was asked: if we wanted to summon you, what 3 items should be placed in the circle?  Well, obviously a bobbin, a bokken, and a book!

xo
sash

Books of the ******FUTURE*****

Let's ignore, for the moment, that I have several (dozens) of physical books at home that I have not yet read.

Let's also set aside the knowledge that my Kindle contains a few (scores) of books that I also have not read.

There may be some (a large stack of) untouched quilting magazines too.

Click Here For More!

Forget all that.

Because LOOK!!   

     Books from the 
        FUTURE!!!!

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I'm quite excited about the release of Adulthood is a Myth: a Sarah's Scribbles Collection. 



Here's a sample of this awesome comic & a link to check out more.

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I'm a big fan of Augusten Burroughs & this book just popped up the Goodreads New Releases email:


Expected Release Date:
29 march 2016

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And then there is this:



Yeah.

I love me some Rainbow Rowell.

This is one of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day 

Release date (& world book day) - 
3 march 2016

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Another upcoming release is 

EDGE: A YA/New Adult Paranormal Collection

This cool collection - 20 shorts stories by best selling YA authors - will release on 5 april 2016.  I love short stories. Such a great way to meet new authors & to see how favorite authors unfold & conclude a story in a limited space.

I've been asked to give an honest review of this collection in exchange for a free copy.  There is no ARC, so I'm on the pre-order list & am super excited to read & review this set.

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It's a grey day in February.  I can't promise that the immediate future is BRIGHT, but I'm pretty sure it will be full of BOOKS, & what's better on a cloudy day than books?

xo

sash