Thankfully Reading 2024

It’s time for one of my favorite reading events of the year: Thankfully Reading hosted by Jenn’s Bookshelves. It is a relaxing readathon to do during Thanksgiving week. I am off Tuesday-Sunday so that is when I will be doing my reading.

Kick off

These are the books I am currently reading. I know I read too many books at one time. I am enjoying all of these but especially Water Moon!

I also have a hopeful stack of physical books to read in case a different mood strikes (Yes, Age of Vice was also here last year).

I also have some new ARC’s (Advanced Reader Copies) to read so I am going to see if I can get to some of them as well.

I am listening to the audiobook of The Rewind and I don’t have another audiobook on deck so I think I will be listening to podcasts this week. Here are a few I want to catch up on or listen to.

Anyway I am going to get to reading! I will be happy to finish three books because I do have to cook and do other things.

Tuesday

I definitely didn’t read as much as I expected to today. I was really distracted and ended ip having to do a lot of other things. But I did get good pockets of reading time in. Fri-Sun will probably be better for relaxing and reading.

I finished Left of Forever by Terah DeWitt. Her books are usually five stars for me but this one fell a little short for me. By the end I was a little ready for it to be over. And I usually love second chance romances.

I also listened to half of the 1912 The Forsyth County Expulsion and Its Aftermath podcast from WABE. So there is this story I always heard growing up that there was city under the local lake and that it was an all Black town. This podcast explores this legend by telling the real story. It is enraging to read about this area of Georgia that became all white because they trumped up charges and used that to expel ALL Black people. I haven’t gotten to the part about why the town is under Lake Lanier though.

I also watched a little bit of Outlander because a new season has begun but I am doing a rewatch because it’s been so long and I missed the last season. But I forgot how…objectionable it can be.

Pages Read: 190

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Wednesday

So today I was able to read a little more in between doing stuff around the house and cooking.

I finished The Rewind which I listened to as an audiobook and also read as an ebook. I think I preferred the audiobook. This was also a second chance romance. But I was kind of hoping that couple would not end up together in the end.

I also finished Hello, Cruel Heart. I really enjoyed the 60s setting. And it made me sad to think about what Estella would become.

I also have been on hold for the Remarkably Bright Creatures ebook for months and that just popped up on Libby so I started that as well. I am really enjoying it so I went ahead and got the audiobook so I can read and listen.

I made cornbread and mac & cheese for tomorrow. I can’t wait to eat some delicious food!

Pages Read: 432

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 54 minutes

Books Finished: 2

Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving! I spent the day with at my Grandmother’s and we have the best cooks in the family. I got a little bit of time to read.

Pages Read: 161

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Books Finished: 0

Friday

Finally a day just to relax! I did spend some time watching Outlander and I finished up the 1912 podcast. I also put up the Christmas tree! I did get some good reading in.

I finished Remarkably Bright Creatures. What a fantastic book! It lived up the hype. Definitely a five star read for me.

I started The Last Session the upcoming Julia Bartz book this evening info and it’s so good but I had to put it aside for the night because it was scaring me 😂

I also started The Wake Up Call which wasn’t on my list but I wanted to read it.

Pages Read: 276

Audiobook Time: 30 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Saturday

This was another relaxing day. I was so happy to just curl up under my heated blanket and read.

The Water Moon was so good! It was a beautifully written book. The world is so charming and the descriptions in this book so evocative.

Pages Read: 383

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 57 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Sunday

Today is the last day of the readathon. The time off has been really nice but back to reality tomorrow.

I finished This Will Be Fun. This WAS a fun and witty book. I liked how they took modern elements and twisted them to fit the medival theme. That’s exactly my style. I do think it was a little too long and I was not rushing to pick it back up. This cover is amazing!!

I also started two books today: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young and Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. Both of these books are highly anticipated reads and I am loving them so far.

Pages Read: 337

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 8 minutes

Books Finished: 2

Total Pages Read: 1,779

Total Audiobook Time: 11 hours 10 minutes

Total Books Finished: 7



Thankfully Reading 2022

It’s one of my favorite times of the year! Thankfully Reading with Jenn’s Bookshelves and a bunch of readers. Instead of spending the weekend shopping or watching football it’s a time to relax and read. Although this year I plan to hit some local stores and especially the new bookstore in my small town!

Kick off time!

How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving? This year my husband and I are hosting my mother-in-law at our house and I will run over to my parents to see my Grandma. Lots of food on the horizon!

  • What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend? I have a GIANT stack per usual.

These are the books I am currently reading plus I am reding an e-ARC of Alone with You in the Ether:

These are the books on my large TBR pile but per the usual this is subject to change based on mood. Plus I have a ton of romance ARCs I should start.

  • How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?

    I think this year I will have a lot of time to read. I didn’t schedule anything after Wednesday evening besides actual Thanksgiving.

  • Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?

    I am reading all formats!!

  • What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Probably talking about mysteries with my mother-in-law. And getting a list from her to take back to the library on Monday!

Happy reading y’all!

Wednesday

I was able to get some decent reading time in today. Not as much as I would have liked but I had a lot of photos to edit and I felt distracted most of the day.

I did finish The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks. This was a heartwarming and cozy book. Small town bookshop, MC searching for her purpose for the future, handsome love interest, and a town of quirky characters? Yes, please!

Wednesday Numbers

Pages Read: 301
Audiobook time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Books Finished: 1

Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving. It was a great day full of food. My husband and I spent most of the day watching 1899 which I highly recommend.

Thursday Numbers

Pages Read: 142
Audiobook time: 2 hrs 12 mins
Books Finished: 0

Friday

Today was such a nice leisurely day! I edited photos, cleaned, ate left overs, snuggled with my fur babies, watched a movie but mostly read. It was one of those kind of days that you really need to rest and recharge.

I finished The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim. This book was SO good! It was filled with delightful characters. I really loved Zahra and her struggles between what she wanted and what her family wanted. This was a really heart tugging story but also funny!

I finally started Before I let Go by Kennedy Ryan. This is one of those books that I have been anticipating reading but didn’t want to start because I didn’t want it to be over. I read almost half the book today and it was so hard to put down. It is so good!

Friday Numbers

Pages Read: 515
Audiobook time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Books Finished: 1



Thankfully Reading Weekend 2017

It is one of my favorite times of the year! I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. There is lots of yummy food, no presents and lots of time for reading. Thankfully Reading is the first readathon I ever participated in seven years ago. I love this readathon because there are no rules and I can read whenever I can fit it in. Thanksgiving is pretty busy with cooking and family time so its good to have some quiet reading time. As usual I will be starting my Thankfully Reading on Wednesday. This is the first time since I started this readathon that I am working outside my own business so I made sure to take Wednesday off for cooking and Thankfully Reading! All updates will be in this post. For more information on this readathon and to sign up head to the host, Jenn's Bookshelves website! http://www.jennsbookshelves.com/2017/11/14/2017-thankfully-reading-weekend/

ThankfullyReading.jpg

Here are all my Thankfully Reading posts from previous years!

I am getting my TBR list together and I have picked A LOT of books haha. It's as if I have two weeks to read and not just a long weekend. Here is my print book pile. I also have an audiobook and some e-books. I can't wait to get started!

IMGL0896.jpg

Kick Off Morning!

Yay Thankfully Reading starts today and I couldn't be more excited. 

  • How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving? I will celebrate Thanksgiving at my house. My immediate and extended family will be coming and enjoying the day with us. I am so excited.
  • What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend? My TBR pile is pictured above. I also hope to finish up some ARCs and an audiobook.
  • How much time do you think you’ll have for reading? I should have a lot of time for reading except for Thanksgiving Day. I have one photo session on Friday and then my husband and I will probably binge the last season on Broadchurch Sunday but that is all I have planned! 
  • What book are you starting out with? I am going to start out with Alias Grace on audio. This morning I plan to cook most of my Thanksgiving dishes so I will listen to that as I cook. 
  • Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each? Definitely all of them! 

I will check back in later today! Happy reading!

Wednesday

Day one of Thankfully Reading is in the books and it was a good day. It was so great to have an entire week day to read. 

I woke up early this morning and started cooking so my first book had to be an audiobook. I decided on Alias Grace. I am loving it. It’s such a good book. I bought the Kindle edition and added on the Audible audiobook and that is my new favorite thing. It is terrific how easily you can switch betweeen the two. I am about 40% of the way through this book. 

IMG_3258.JPG

The first book I finished was Confess by Colleen Hoover. I have a love hate relationship with some of her books but this one I liked better than any others I have read. It was a quick and entertaining read. 

IMG_3259.JPG

And then I finally dove in to The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. I loved this book of poetry so, so much. I can’t always relate to her poems on a personal level but they always crush me with the honesty and the rawness of them. 

IMG_3314.JPG

The last book of the evening that I started is the absolutely stunning The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. This book is gorgeous! The covers, the paper, the colored inks and the illustrations are just amazing. It’s so aesthetically pleasing I can barely concentrate on the content of the actual book!

IMG_3311.JPG

I am so happy that I had such a good reading and cooking day!  I am ready for Thankgiving tomorrow and so excited to spend the day with my family!

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 703

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Books finished: 2

Thursday 

Thanksgiving was wonderful! I had all my family at my house. We had four tables groaning with food and it was amazing. We have the best cooks in my family. 

IMG_3427.JPG

​I listened to my Alias Grace audiobook while getting ready and cleaning up after. It is getting really intense. I am about to find out what really happened to Grace. I was finallly ready to sit down with Language of Thorns and a glass of wine but eyes were dry so I popped upstairs to take out my contacts and I accident broke a blood vessel in my eye. 😭 My mom suggested I not strain my eye and read. So that was it for the night. I didn’t even update the blog until this morning. So sad. But I think I will be fine to read all day today. I have a photo session in a few hours and then the rest of the day to read. 

IMG_3475.JPG
Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 64

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 37 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday 

Today was another good reading day! I finished The Language of Thorns. I loved this book of fairy tales from the Grisha Verse. You really don’t have to read any of the Grisha books to appreciate this. I love the twist she puts on some classic fair tales. So good! And the book itself was gorgeous! The illustrations, the ink colors and the beautiful cover made a wonderful reading experience.

IMAGE.JPG

I also finished Alias Grace. This was such a good book! I don’t know why I have only read three Margaret Atwood books as I have loved every one of her books! I am also looking forward to watching the mini series on Netflix. 

IMAGE.JPG

​I started One of Us Is Lying. And it is so good so far. I don’t think I have figured out the culprit yet and I am enjoying the different POV. That can be a very risky way to write a story as it can get confusing but I am liking it in this book.

IMG_3552.JPG

I also started the Young Elites audiobook. I have been wanting it read this series for awhile and I have owned the second book for months. So I finally found the audiobook on Overdrive. I am really enjoying it so far. I love everything Marie Lu writes. 

IMG_3582.JPG

I had a great day of a wonderful family photo session, yummy Thanksgiving leftovers, a Christmas movie and lots of delightful reading time!

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 479

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 2

Saturday 

I didn’t get in as much reading today as I thought I would. I had a lot of stuff today so I just mainly listened to my audiobook and read print books here and there.

I finally started Shadowshaper. This is a book I have been wanting to read for ages. And when I posted a photo of my to read shelf to Litsy everyone was like read that one, read that one. It is really good. The shadowshaper stuff can be a little confusing at times though but I am thinking that is intentional.  

IMG_3652.JPG

​I finished One of Us is Lying. I loved it! I did guess part of the ending before the end but I still really enjoyed reading this book. 

I am also reading The Thousandth Floor. I got the second one accidentally at the library but luckily I had the first one on my Nook. I am really enjoying this book so far. It’s set really far the future and NYC is now all inside in a thousand floor tower. It is fascinating world building. I have also had a ton of Thanksgiving leftovers this week. I probably need to go on a long walk tomrorow to compensate for all the delicious food I have eaten. 

IMG_3658.JPG

The main reason I didn’t get much reading in is that my sister, brother in law and I went shopping this afternoon. It is Small Business Saturday so we went to our local downtown and supported our small, locally owned businesses and got some Christmas shopping done. Tomorrow probably won’t be that great of a reading day since I plan to decorate for Christmas and watch the final season of Broadchurch.

IMG_3639.JPG

​Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 453

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 17minutes

Books finished: 1

Sunday 

So sad it’s the last day of Thankfully Reading Weekend. And I ended up having an awesome reading day due to the fact that Broadchurch doesn’t come on Netflix until tomorrow. Boo!

I finished The Young Elites audiobook and was not happy with the end. Hoping that it gets resolved in book two but not hopeful at this point. I really enjoyed that book. It was very good!

IMG_3721.PNG

I about 2/3 of the way through The Thousandth Floor and still loving the concept of this book. I am looking forward to settling down and reading it more tomorrow. 

I finished Shadowshaper and it did not disappoint. I am always afraid that having a book really hype do up will cause my expectations to be overblown. But this one really came through. I loved it and I love Sierra. She was an awesome heroine and I can’t wait to read the next one! 

​I took a break from novels for a minute to see what graphic novels Hoopla has. I found the next two Archie volumes and the last volume of season nine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am loving the Archie volumes and can’t wait until the next ones come out. It also inspired me to watch a few episodes of the show Riverdale which I really enjoy. 

IMAGE.JPG

I also started the book Hanna Fell From The Sky. Whew. That’s a tough one to read! It is very maddening. It’s all about an fundamentalist LDS like cult. The men are awful and they have all the power as the young girls are forced into plural marriages. It’s truly horrible. But the book is beautifully written with some magical realism elements popping up. I am looking forward to seeing where this book goes!

IMAGE.JPG

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 644

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 6 minutes

Books finished: 4

Wrap-Up!

What a fun Thankfully Reading Weekend! I had a blast reading and enjoying some relaxing down time.

Total Numbers

Pages read: 2,343

Audiobook Time:  21 hours  45 minutes

Books finished: 9

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2016

Thankfully Reading Weekend

is one of my favorite events of the year. It is a nice break from Thanksgiving hustle and bustle and much better than all the Black Friday and shopping madness.

This year I am celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents house. I am going to make two dishes to take to our potluck. I love that we do a potluck. It takes off the pressure on one person to do all the cooking.

I have a large TBR pile for this weekend. I know I won't get a chance to read them all because I won't have that much time. My goal is to at least finish two books.

I have a photo session Friday and the Gilmore Girls comes out that day too so I won't get much reading done that day. But Saturday and Sunday I have no plans except for editing photos.

I will be reading a combination of print, ebook and audiobook. I am starting out with

The Handmaid's Tale

on audiobook read by Claire Danes. I love this book and I thought it was an appropriate time to read it again. I purchased it in the big Audible sale earlier this year and am excited to listen to the audiobook this time.

My sisters also love to read so I am sure we will be swapping recommendations at Thanksgiving. I will pass them on if I receive them.

This year I am going to do one big post for Thankfully Reading so I will update here.

Wednesday

7:30 pm

Well its been a busy day with running errands to get ready for Thanksgiving, cooking and editing photos. But I still have managed to spend plenty of time reading and listening to my audiobook. I finished

Crazy In Love

 earlier. It is pretty funny and one of my favorite Lani Diane Rich books so far.

My next book is

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

. It is a retelling of The Tempast. Loving it so far. I just realized I am reading two Margaret Atwood books. My house smells delicious from the cornbread I made for tomorrow and the mustard pork loin I made for dinner. Yummy!

11:50 pm

I am really enjoying Hag-Seed. Its a modern day retelling of The Tempast. A theatre art director who was screwed over by his right hand man seeks long term revenge. I love how he teaches prisoners how to act and put on productions. I enjoy all the characters he works with and their Shakespearian curse words! I also started a new book

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

. I saw this book all over Instagram so I thought I would get it from the library. It's about a deaf songwriter who finds a muse in his neighbor. I am loving it so far. Well I am headed to bed so I won't be totally worthless for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Pages read: 575

Audiobook time: 5 hours 6 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday

10:30am

Happy Thanksgiving! I am so excited to go to my parents house and eat lots of delicious food. We have the best cooks in our family. My Grandma's dressing is my favorite dish. It is so yummy. I am surprised how much reading I got done this morning. I am almost done with Hag-Seed and about half way through my audiobook. Well I am headed out. I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving day!

Pages read: 97

Audiobook time:  2 hours 22 minutes

Books finished: 1

Friday

10:50 pm

Well it has been a busy couple of days. I ended up staying at my parents house yesterday until about 6 pm. Once we got home and made delicious leftovers I wanted to watch the last episode of season seven of Gilmore Girls in order to be ready for the new episodes. We were about twenty minutes in when all the power went out and we heard a big boom. It must have been a transformer box exploding. It was awful. Our whole neighborhood was so dark. So I didn't get a chance to read because my book light battery was dead.

I had a photo session this morning that was so fun. It was an awesome, hilarious family. I stopped by Dunkin Donuts on the way home and got a half dozen doughnuts. And my husband and I preceded to watch all four episodes of the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life with only occasional breaks for his work phone calls. No spoilers for GG so I won't say how I felt. Still need to process.

And I have just been reading since we finished watching GG. I finished Hag-Seed. Loved it! It turned out to be such a good book and I recommend it highly. I am about to finish Maybe Someday and I hope to start another book before bed but we shall see. I bought the audiobook of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe since it was on sale on Amazon/Audible so I will start that when I finish The Handmaid's Tale. I will be listening to a lot of audio the rest of the weekend as I have five photo sessions to process.

Pages read: 326

Audiobook time: 2 hours

Books finished: 3

Saturday

7:00 pm

Well I haven't read that much today. I have been busy running errands, spending time with my husband and working. I finished the Handmaid's Tale audiobook and started listening to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I also started Lily and Dunkin which is heartbreaking.

Pages read: 298

Audiobook time: 2 hours 51 min

Books finished: 2

Sunday

12:00 pm

I have been terrible about updating my blog. But I have been reading in between doing other things. I planned to read all this morning and then edit photos this afternoon but my husband tricked me into going shopping this morning and we just got home. I am exhausted. I hate to shop with a burning passion and I tried on way too many clothes and we went to way too many stores. But I am excited for the few things I found. When we stopped for lunch I just blatantly pulled my book out of my bag and started reading as my husband was composing some work emails. I mean if he was on his phone  may as well read. Late last night I started The Last Boy and Girl in the World. I am excited to read more of it later today. For the time being I am going to continue to listen to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe while editing the sweetest newborn photos. I will check in later. I hope everyone is enjoying the final day of Thankfully Reading!

Pages read: 466

Audiobook time: 4 hours 3 min

Books finished: 2

Wrap Up

I felt like I really didn't read that much this Thankfully Reading weekend but I look at my numbers and they tell a different story. This is the first year in a long time that I didn't start the weekend on Tuesday so I had less time and was really busy during the weekend. But I still made time for reading. I didn't really get a chance to participate much on

Twitter

,

Instagram

and

Litsy

like I planned. But I finished nine books and that is WAY over my goal of two! This weekend seemed to whiz by so fast. All in all it was another fun reading even. Thanks so much

Jenn

for hosting it!

Totals:

Total pages read: 1762

Total audiobook time:  14 hours  20 min

Books finished: 9

Thankfully Reading Day 2

It has been a great day. It was far more relaxing than I anticipated. Instead of doing my cooking in one giant block I rationed it out over the day. I just took my last batch of pumpkin muffins out of the oven so I am officially done cooking. Of course I had to sample a muffin and they are delicious. Shhh don't tell. I finished Royal We and Nowhere But Here today. Loved Royal We. It was so good. The other book not so much but you can't win every one. I was listening to A Darker Shade of Magic while I cooked today and I am really getting into the story.

I am so excited to head to my parents tomorrow for our big family Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving and it is definitely my favorite holiday. We always have a great time laughing, eating and enjoying being together. I probably won't read at all tomorrow but that's ok. I hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving!

Thankfully Reading Day 1

I love fall and I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite time of year. And the last few years I have really enjoyed participating in Thankfully Reading Weekend. I decided to start today since the weekend is going to be super busy for me. I am hoping to enjoy some good books!

10 am

I am starting out with finishing up two books I started reading last week but haven't had a chance to pick up lately Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas and A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab on audiobook. The audiobook will be useful this week as I cook and drive. Cheers to Thankfully Reading weekend! 

3 pm 

I have been enjoying a day of reading, going to the grocery store (twice), editing photos and making a delicious pork chop/potato crockpot dinner. I went off recipe so hopefully it turns out ok. The house is already starting to smell delicious! 

11 pm

Dinner turned out delicious if I do say so myself! 

I finished The Crown of Mindnight. The last sixty pages were amazing and the ending made me wish I had the next book. My next read is The Royal We by 

Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. I am about half way through and I am really loving it. 

More tomorrow! 

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Wrap Up Post

Well it was another fun T

hankfully Reading Weekend

. I wish I could have participated more the last two days. But family and sick pets take precedence over reading. Shocking I know!

I ended up reading five books in total and parts of two other books. Out of those there was one Nook book, two audiobooks, four print books and one library book. I read 1,844 pages.

I would say it was successful. I read books that have been on my physical TBR pile for awhile. I enjoyed everything I read. I do wish I could have participated more in the challenges and on Twitter but I just ran out of time. I am already looking forward to next year!

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Sunday

8:30 pm

It has been another crazy day. So much for a relaxing weekend of reading. But I had a wonderful day with my family. I spent this morning with my sister and then the rest of the day at my Grandmothers house. I had a

photo shoot

with my baby cousin and then helped my sisters decorate Grandmas Christmas tree.

It was definitely a fun day. But then we ended up getting stopped in terrible traffic on the way back so I just got home. I am 186 pages into

Frostbite

and it is really getting good. Finally some action is happening. I also started a new audiobook

The Wonderful Bed by Gertude Knevels

. It is a children's adventure book that reminds me a little of Narnia except they are accessing a secret world through a bed and not a wardrobe. I have

 to prepare for a photo shoot tomorrow so hopefully I can get more reading done after I finish that. I will check in later. 

10:20 pm

I finished Frostbite. I was a little disappointed that most of the book just led up to one big scene and that was pretty much it. I did enjoy the new characters and fleshing out the main characters more. I don't think this series is a trilogy which makes it a little more palatable to have a slower book. I will still read the next one but won't jump to grab it.

I am 150 pages in to

Deja Dead

. This book is a little slower for me to get into because the subject matter is pretty grisly and I don't want to read it at night. So far I am not really getting sucked into the story or writing style. I will keep reading it after this weekend and hopefully it will pick up.

I will try to do a

Thankfully Reading

wrap up post this week. It has been a great weekend and I am really sad it is over. 

Don't forget to check me out on 

Twitter

 and 

Goodreads

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Saturday

2 pm

I managed to get some good reading in today despite the hours I have spent at the vet. My poor little kitty has been sick for over a week and not getting better. She was very unhappy at the 

vet today. She was literally climbing the walls. She is sleeping now so hopefully she will feel better soon.

I am about half way through

Frostbite

. It's a little slower than the first Vampire Academy book and a little annoying how she has three guys falling all over her. But I do love that they are in a ski lodge. I love any books written about people at ski lodges. I wish I was at one now in front of a big roaring fire. I haven't read any of

Deja Dead

today so I probably won't be finishing that one this weekend. I am on the last chapter of

The Racketeer

so I am trying to find another audiobook to read after that one. I am headed out on the road in a couple of hours so probably won't get any more reading done except by audiobook this weekend. 

11:30 pm

Just got back from an amazing

Butch Walker

concert. It was SO good. In my opinion he is one of the most talented singer/songwriters in music today. He went back to his hometown and had the show at the local theatre. The music was wonderful and it was just a perfect evening!

I finished

The Racketeer

. It was really good and I really didn't see the end coming. 

I am about halfway done with

Frostbite

. I will probably finish it tomorrow. I am headed to bed now but I can't wait to check in with everyone and see what you have been reading. 

Don't forget to check me out on 

Twitter

 and 

Goodreads

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Friday

Jenn asked us what book

we are most thankful for this year

. I would have to say that is T

o Kill a Mockingbird

. I actually read it for the first time in July. I can't believe I have never read it before. Sometimes there are these books that are so hyped up that they end up disappointing you. This book did not. It was a wonderful, beautifully crafted story. It brought forth so many emotions. It was a beautiful book.

9 pm

Well today has pretty much been a bust reading wise between sick animals and other distractions. I did finish Cinder. I definitely enjoyed it. I really want to read the next one in the series.

I just have a few chapters left in The Racketeer audiobook. The one thing I don't like about audiobooks is that it is hard to go back and figure out who people are if you forget the names of characters. 

I started

DeJa Dead by Kathy Reichs

this afternoon. It is the first Temperance Brennan book. I love her YA adult series

The Virals

. This book has started out good but it is pretty graphic so I may have to switch to something else for night time reading. I have been known to have nightmares after reading scary/graphic/bloody books at night.

I just edited my Thanksgiving phtoos and put on Facebook. I know my family hates that I take so many photos at family celebrations but I think it is really important to document our time together. It is rarer than ever these days to all be in the same house. I got some good group photos this year. I know what everyone is getting for Christmas!

11 pm

Decided to take a break from the grisly Deja Dead and start

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

. And there is a massacre in the first 20 pages. So not a good choice either! I am just going to go ahead and expect nightmares tonight. I have had Frostbite on my Nook for a few months now. I love that I am getting a chance to clear off books that I have been neglecting on my TBR pile since I have been reading so many library books.

Don't forget to check me out on 

Twitter

 and 

Goodreads

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! What an amazing, fun filled day full of family and food. I ate way too much and laughed so much. It has been a busy and crazy day but so fun! I love my family and Thanksgiving really is one of my favorite holidays. This is just part of our amazing spread!

As far as reading goes I haven't been able to do much. I read a little of Cinder this morning and more tonight. I am really getting into this book. It feels a little different from a lot of books I have read lately and I am looking forward to seeing how it develops. I also love a good alternative twist to an old fairy tale. I have had lots of driving/cooking time to listen to the audiobook The Racketeer. I am definitely loving this book. I am already trying to predict the MCs next move and where this book is going and so far I haven't been able to figure it out. I can't wait to see what happens with this one. 

I am pretty tired from this day (food coma) so I think I will call it a night soon. But I am looking forward to tomorrow which will hopefully be a read all day kind of day. What books have you been enjoying on this Thanksgiving Day? 

Don't forget to check me out on 

Twitter

 and 

Goodreads

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Wednesday

I am excited to get started on

Thankfully Reading weekend

2014! Technically, it doesn't start until tomorrow but I am starting today since I am off. I am really looking forward to reading some books that have been on my TBR pile. I will be updating this post periodically throughout the day and publishing it tonight. I will be updating

Twitter

and

Goodreads

throughout the day.  I would love to know what you are reading for Thankfully Reading.

10:30 am

Slow start this morning. The first book I am going to read is

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

. I have been looking forward to reading this book for awhile so I am excited to get into it. 

I am also planning on cooking most of my Thanksgiving dishes today so I am going to listen to

The Racketeer by John Grisham

on audiobook while cooking. I have set out my ingredients for cooking and that is about it. I can't seem to get started cooking. 

So far I am feeling as if I am getting nothing done. Maybe I should go back to bed and start again. Just kidding. 

2:00 pm

Well I just finished The Naturals and I really liked it. I really wanted to get to the end and see who the murderer was. I guessed it right before it was revealed. I definitely want to check the other book in the series. I am going to take a quick cooking break and listen to my audiobook before I start on my next print book. I will leave you with these two adorable photos of my dog cuddling in my lap. 

5 pm

Yay I am done cooking everything except green beans that I will cook tomorrow morning. I feel very triumphant. 

I started my second book earlier

I Like You Just The Way I Am by Jenny Mollen

. She is an actress and this book is comedic essays about her life. She does have some pretty funny stories but also some real cringe worthy moments. I was just in the mood for a silly memoir. It definitely is fitting the bill. And it is great paired with a nice peppermint ice cream!

9:00 pm 

Finished I Like You Just The Way I Am. It was ok. There were definitely a few laugh out loud funny parts. I am starting my third book

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

. I am really excited about this book. It is one I have been saving. Several people have recommended it to me. I am hoping it lives up to the hype!

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time. I love fall, eating and hanging out with my family so it is the perfect combination! Over the past few years I have also added my love of reading to the mix by participating in

Thankfully Reading

. Thankfully Reading is November 27-30 and is a way to stay at home and relax while shopping and Black Friday nonsense is going on.  There are no rules just to read whenever you get time. I love this challenge and really enjoy my time Thankfully Reading and blogging about it. This is usually the only time I ever consistently blog! I have been setting aside some books as they come in specifically to read that weekend. This is what I have set aside. I will probably also throw an audiobook in there to read while driving and cooking.

I actually will start my Thankfully Reading a day early on Wednesday. This year I probably won't make it through half the books as I have a

concert

Saturday and a

photo shoot

Sunday. The good news is Thanksgiving is back at my parents house so I won't have that stress the day of Thanksgiving hosting. Check back Thanksgiving week for more updates. You can also keep track with me on my

Thankfully Reading Goodreads shelf

 and

my Twitter account

. And if you want to see what my previous Thankfully Reading weekends were like check them out

here

,

here

,

here

,

here

and

here

!

Thankfully Reading 2013: Wrap Up Post

I had such a great time this year with Thankfully Reading. I definitely was able to read more than I anticipated. It was nice to enjoy some quiet time within this busy holiday. I also got to read some good books!


Finished Books
1. Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas Print Book
2. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit Audiobook
3. Neptune Noir Edited by Rob Thomas Kindle Ebook
4. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery Nook Ebook

Partially Read Books
1. Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century Print Book
2. The Christmad Carol by Charles Dickens Audiobook
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
4. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margeret Stohl Print Book

I enjoyed all the above books and can't wait to finish the ones above. You can keep up with my reading via twitter or Goodreads.

Thankfully Reading 2013: Day Five

I can't believe today is the last day of Thankfully Reading and the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. It has flown by. But it's been a great long weekend although I technically worked two days. I had a photo shoot this morning with the cutest little blue eyed boy. I am considering a nap which I rarely do during the day unless I am sick.

2:00 pm

Not much to report. Just snuggling with my puppy and reading Ender's Game. It is slightly warmer today than it has been the rest of the weekend so I am happy for that! 

10:00 pm

It has been a good afternoon and evening as all I have done is read, hang out with my sister and play with our dogs. I read more of the Liz and Dick book. I am about 100 pages from being done with Ender's Game but my Nook died and I was unable to find my charger. My sister requisitioned the Liz and Dick book so I switched to a book that I was reading before Thankfully Reading weekend which is Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It is the third book in the Beautiful Creatures series. I am enjoying this one much more than the second book in the series. 

I am going to try to read a little more before I head to bed. I will do a Thankfully Reading wrap up post tomorrow.

Thankfully Reading 2013: Day Four

I can't believe it's already day four of my Thankfully Reading. It's going to be a busy day with a photo shoot and airport drop off but I downloaded A Christmas Carol to listen to as I drive.

12:30 pm

I have had a busy morning. Had a photo shoot with an amazing family. We took photos by the river and it was COLD. Brrr. But it was fun. I was sad because the download for the Christmas Carol didn't work so I had nothing to listen to on the way to the shoot. So I am only now settling into reading for the first time today. My kitties are trying to coerce me to get in the warm bed and snuggle with them.

9:20 pm

I am exhausted. It has been a crazy weekend. I haven't had that much time to read between photo shoots, airport dropping off and photo editing. I finished Emily Of New Moon, started The Christmas Carol and Ender's Game. I  also am still reading Furious Love. My sister and her puppy are visiting me so I don't know how much time I will have to read. I also have another shoot tomorrow.