tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91741675848295776982024-03-13T13:03:02.384-06:00Victorian Soul Book CritiquesIf you are a wanderer of worlds created by the written word, a reader of discernment, an unapologetic gorger of books, you have come to the right place. I am here to guide you on your voyage of the volumes, glad to point out the captivating worlds as well as the hopeless isles of misery. If you crave a good read, find it here.Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.comBlogger551125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-39644358750078250632019-03-24T19:18:00.000-06:002019-03-24T19:18:03.542-06:00Fortnightly Update #50: Let the Gardening Begin!
Due to a surplus of procrastination on my part, I've been putting off this update, though I did manage to get some books read and make progress on my minion army- I planted them two weeks ago and I now have tiny flower seedlings to show for it, along with meticulously pruned shrubs in my garden.
Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):
the-pile Additions:
None!
the-invisible-pileLitha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-56319022063754378722019-02-24T18:08:00.002-07:002019-02-24T18:08:40.224-07:00Fortnightly Update #49: A Brief Update
After last week's fibro flare kept me in bed and unhappy, I'm glad to be back to blogging (although not as much of it as I'd like).
Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):
the-pile Additions:
None!
the-invisible-pile Additions:
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
I fell in love with the cover of this one and clicked buy before even reading much about it. This is a Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-12888553769361515792019-02-03T15:02:00.000-07:002019-02-03T15:02:01.525-07:00Fortnightly Update #48: February is For Fibro
Ah, February. It seems this is the time of year that my fibromyalgia begins to rear its ugly head again, mostly due to incoming rain. That's the reason I spent most of yesterday laying in bed and emerging only to eat buttermilk pancakes. Although this past week has been dreary due to pain, I managed to read quite a few books prior, which makes this update much more literature-focused.
Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-92038060295494869832019-01-24T19:39:00.000-07:002019-01-24T19:39:58.817-07:00"The Museum of Extraordinary Things," by Alice Hoffman
This year I decided to begin reading in earnest again, as last year I fell off the bookaholic wagon and only managed to read 31 books (if I counted right on Goodreads, because I wasn't much for social media last year). This book stood out to me on my TBR shelf because it is by one of my favorite authors, and to my knowledge I have never read halfway through an Alice Hoffman book without Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com2Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, USA40.5755438 -73.97070159999998440.527302299999995 -74.051382599999982 40.6237853 -73.890020599999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-44764510307545560362019-01-20T17:56:00.000-07:002019-01-20T17:56:53.090-07:00Fortnightly Update #47: Long Time, No Update!
I've been planning on publishing this update for so long, I've had to change most of the new/read/acquired books several times to keep it recent. I think most of my trepidation about getting back into the book blogging game comes from returning to my habit of preferring books to normal life activities like socializing, etc. I'm hopeful that I'm better at balancing things now that I have someLitha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-4213499675119964872018-06-19T16:05:00.001-06:002018-06-19T16:05:35.711-06:00I'm Joining the #SciFiSummer 2018 Readalong!
I've been absent (again) for a while, but I am popping back in to announce my goals for the annual Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge hosted by Rachelle of Fortified by Books. Below are the levels and rules:
Red Shirt – 1 to 5 books
Viper Pilot – 6 to 10 books
Jedi – 11 to 15 books
Time Lord – 16 or more books
"Any book of at least 100 pages that is classified as Science Fiction, Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-29343926793699541192018-05-27T15:48:00.000-06:002018-05-27T15:48:42.436-06:00Fortnightly Update #46: Flowers, Flowers Everywhere (But No Brandon To Be Found)
Since May 16th, I have been preoccupied with helping my mom around the house. She had a successful knee replacement surgery and only spent one night in the hospital. I am so grateful I didn't have to use my power of attorney privileges to decide anything serious and it seems she is well on her way to having full mobility again. I've also retained the full use of my legs, so I'm a Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-50509655816804462642018-05-13T23:56:00.000-06:002018-05-13T23:56:17.813-06:00Fortnightly Update #45: Mother's Day
Things have been quiet in my life lately, though I am managing to maintain my progress as far as walking goes. In the coming days I will be relegated to the caregiver role again, as my mom is having knee replacement surgery, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to read or blog. Still, the blog will go on (and hopefully I'll be back to replying to comments soon!).
Recent Acquisitions (Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-69378427504133929532018-05-08T21:51:00.002-06:002018-05-08T21:51:47.630-06:00A Short Adventure in Kindle Unlimited
As you may know, I decided to try out Kindle Unlimited when I was feeling kind of meh back in March. I read a grand total of 4 books with my two month subscription, one of them with an audiobook.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is the book I read with narration added- it really helped keep my mind on track and immersed in the book. In case you missed my review, I loved this book (and Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-49653562571745670342018-04-25T20:35:00.000-06:002018-04-25T20:35:18.245-06:00Fortnightly Update #44: Let's Do This Midweek
Spring has sprung in my neck of the woods, and with it, high pollen counts have arrived. My neighbor and I are guilty of contributing to this problem with a vast amount of perennial blooms, but it is nice to look at our yards, even if the pollen is beginning to give me headaches. I have actually read quite a bit since the last update, so perhaps some reviews will be in my blog's future.
Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-51852717642088870792018-04-17T15:13:00.000-06:002018-04-17T15:13:31.513-06:00"The Philosopher's Flight" by Tom Miller
Disclaimer: I was given a free advance ecopy of this book via NetGalley from the publisher, Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. My opinion remains as forthright as ever.
If you've ever dreamed of flying, have I got the book for you! The Philosopher's Flight is set in the early 1900s in a bit of a different world from our own. Society is matriarchal instead of Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-33273172529714721042018-04-08T20:59:00.001-06:002018-04-12T19:53:32.574-06:00Fortnightly Update #43: Time Flies
I hate to write the same ol' generic post again, but it seems time has escaped me once more! My procrastination gene appears to be fully functional, because I've been meaning to write up a few posts... and then neglected to execute the task. However, I do have a clean-ish house, so there's that.
Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):
the-pile Additions:
None!
Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-69564824182963447462018-04-04T01:00:00.000-06:002018-04-04T01:00:28.205-06:00Four Years...
...of writing this book blog/weirdly personal symptom diary.
I can't say it's all been rosy, but I think my little blog has given me plenty of reasons to persist in my endeavors, even when everything looks hopeless. After all, publishers love giving "established" blogs free books, and four years worth of book blogging (and God only knows how many reviews[!]) makes my book critiques an Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-33628317653161304762018-03-25T08:00:00.000-06:002018-03-25T08:00:29.513-06:00Fortnightly Update #42: Life, The Universe, and Everything
It has been a good two weeks. I have yet to enact my plans for world domination, but those things take all sorts of time, and so far I haven't lost any of mine. My plant minion army is progressing steadily, although I have thrown it a few wrenches by clumsily dumping over one of my units of tomato seedlings. It's been raining here, and I must admit the earthworm per square foot ratio is Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-35471269128417752982018-03-22T10:00:00.000-06:002018-03-22T10:00:00.403-06:00"The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic Prequel)" by Alice Hoffman
Disclaimer: I was given a free advance ecopy of this book via NetGalley from the publisher, Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. My opinion remains as forthright as ever.
Well, it's time to think back to all the things I loved about The Rules of Magic, because letting it sit without a review irks my perfectionism to no end, especially when the book was as powerful asLitha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com3New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972839.9423093 -75.296866299999991 41.483241299999996 -72.7150793tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-83120724764686509562018-03-20T10:00:00.000-06:002018-03-20T10:00:14.314-06:00"The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" by J.R.R. Tolkien
I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited for the first time this month because they were running a special (the first two months for $0.99) which I couldn't pass on, given Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles books are available on it. But then, I noticed The Hobbit was also available on it (a book I've always wanted to read) so I chose to read this one first.
I was a bit ambivalent about reading Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-69889176177332420102018-03-17T10:00:00.000-06:002018-03-17T17:39:28.882-06:00One Lovely Blog Award
A doe and her fawn I came upon while walking, circa Montana years
Thanks to Stephen (of Stephen Writes) for nominating me and tagging me! Although I still have more (older) tags to attend to, this is a nice short one that I could finish more quickly.
Rules
Thank the person who nominated you for the award;
Share seven facts about yourself;
Nominate 15 other bloggers and inform them.
Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-10518867354223709472018-03-11T17:49:00.001-06:002018-03-11T19:14:13.368-06:00Fortnightly Update #41: Let's Try This Regularly Blogging Thing Again!
I may not be the most efficient blogger, but I feel like blogging (particularly about books) helps keep me on track with my goals and helps keep track of my health, so I'd better start again. Lately I've been on an ARC-acquiring binge because it gives me something to look forward to (even if the publication dates have begun passing me by on a few of them).
Recent Acquisitions (or the Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-61753665362802575002018-03-07T22:46:00.000-07:002018-03-07T22:46:55.501-07:00The Get To Know Me Book Tag (Better Late Than Never!)
Jamie @ The Last Page tagged me with this Get to Know Me tag that she wrote the questions for way back in July. Since I'm having a bit of a hard time punching out reviews, I may as well complete some of these tags that I've put off for so long! Feel free to tag yourselves!
Me, feverishly happy after the Killers' concert, AKA best day of my life so far
About Me
Name: Litha
Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-43670892736469946602018-03-01T23:41:00.000-07:002018-03-02T02:06:04.840-07:00My Favorite Reads of 2017
I read a total of 85 books in 2017. Here are some of my favorites:
Standalones:
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Rating: 5 Stars
This is poetry, and though I rarely read poetry anymore, it was exactly what I needed to help me get through 2017. Fair warning though- it does have themes of sexual assault.
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I loved how deeply the magical Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-1585806409326483492018-02-11T17:11:00.000-07:002018-04-12T19:54:51.537-06:00Falling Out of the Attic
This post is more personal than bookish. I will advise you not to read it if you are triggered by sexual assault, physical violence, or emotional abuse.
Vintage Litha Nelle
I've often found myself questioning why I love the authors I love. Some of them are so different from me that it seems like we have nothing at all in common, and yet the stories that they write take me away from my Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-62398858435312190172017-12-03T10:00:00.000-07:002017-12-03T10:00:06.584-07:00Fortnightly Update #40: Flares and Five Star Reads
It's been a long time since my last update, so I'll just share the highlights of my reading life during October (lots of books read) and November (just a few books read). I've been flaring (having increased episodes of pain that usually last days) more this winter than is usual for me, which is weird because we've barely had any snow here. Of course, my room looks a much more reasonable Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-49469861636918803122017-10-16T23:07:00.001-06:002017-10-16T23:07:21.098-06:00An Update
Some of you who don't follow my social media may wonder why the heck I've suddenly stopped posting and replying to comments. My grandmother has been ill for a few years- first breast cancer, then this year, lung cancer. She died on October 3rd at the ripe old age of 91 years. Although this isn't my first rodeo in terms of grandparents dying (technically, I only have 1 left), I was very close to Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-19061642953026715622017-10-02T18:57:00.001-06:002017-10-02T18:57:57.205-06:00MMRM: "The Blue Lenses" and "The Doll" by Daphne du Maurier
'Tis the season for the unearthly, the undead, and the downright macabre. Not everyone can read an entire book in time for Halloween- some of us are too busy with other books, or even other things (gasp). For those poor souls, I offer these reviews: I will be writing my thoughts on some of my favorite short stories for this spooky season, either one at a time or in pairs.
"The Blue Lenses" Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174167584829577698.post-38366762812239011332017-09-21T17:00:00.000-06:002017-09-21T17:00:05.129-06:00Sci-Fi Summer Reading Challenge Wrap-up (Year 2)
The Sci-Fi Summer Reading Challenge Hosted by Rachelle @ Fortified by Books
My Goal: 6 Books
What I've Read: 12 Books!
Firstborn & Defending Elysium by Brandon Sanderson (Sci-fi Short Stories, 160 pages [June])
Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) by Octavia E. Butler (Dystopian, 345 pages [July])
The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser (Time Travel, 303 pages [July]Litha Nellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06350209887646891024noreply@blogger.com5