My first Lisa Unger, but not my last

I have chili on the stove, cornbread almost ready for the oven- and hot coffee.

I'm sitting here waiting for my oven to be done, so I can make pumpkin muffins and this cold Autumn day screams for an intense read.

So, I"ll be ending a busy October with a holiday thriller. 

I'm not much of a thriller reader, but I'm keeping my mind open these days. 

Making time for reading is a necessity. 

Someone Bought My Domain When I Let it Lapse- and I WISH I Would

 What kind of loser runs arounds snapping up slightly defunct .coms in an attempt to make money doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?

It did lapse because I thought I would change my name.. but alas... 

:) Don't let the intro fool you, I'm not mad about it. It's kinda hilariously pathetic.

You'll find me at the FREE .blogspot from here on out my friends, because I wish I would give some basement dwelling internet troll $5,095 for anything! lol

This Weekend I'll Drink Coffee and Read Books

My stress is at an all-time high. 

My days are long and longer every day.

In the past few weeks I haven't really been able to read and I miss it.

I miss the comforting feeling of being able to settle in with a novel and a hot cup of coffee in the morning, or my lighter read at night.

This will be rectified this weekend.

I have a gaggle of books on my currently reading and freshly ground coffee, and will just rest and relax. I do have household things to do (when do I NOT), but I want to settle in with reading for sure.

update: DNF @11%

As the last fews days of any daylight seem to linger, and the clouds create an overcast that induces depression... I will sink down into great literature and to find solace.

Autumn Mid-day Physical Book Shopping + Haul

I am super cautious about which physical books I line my 2 small shelves with.

Today I stumbled into a BIPOC friendly, pro-LBGT woman owned bookstore and I KNEW the full price purchases would be money well spent.

Here's what I grabbed including a blind date with a book. I was so surprised by it and I LOVED it so much.

these gourds are so gorgeous

i never tire of mums

so beautiful

this came highly recommended

have you seen a more beautiful
cover?

love a good blind book date

the reveal! I am so excited!!!

has been on my tbr forever

the entire haul

I love my ereaders, but nothing feels as good as looking at a sharply covered hardback book.

Paperbacks that I can bend and toss are great, but for my shelves I prefer hardbacks. 

I am so excited about everything I have to read this Autumn and Winter. 

Happy reading!

Autumn Book Haul: I Regret Nothing

I always laugh a little when I watch or read people apologizing for buying lots of novels. 

Not this girl... Life is hard. My life is really really hard.

Insert books. Insert coffee. Insert comfy pajamas every chance I get.

Here's my Autumn book haul and I am probably NOT done :)

Happy reading!!! ☕️☕️☕️

Autumn Morning Reading

freshly ground organic coffee

I'm so excited for a simple and easy morning with no appointments. 

I sat for an hour with my kindle and a small pot of hot coffee just bouncing around between my top novels this morning.

What a glorious way to start the day. I really enjoy exercising early in the morning, but NOTHING beat the calm and slow start to the day that reading with coffee brings.

It sets the tone for something calm and autumnal. 🍁 

🕯️ Cozy and peaceful 🕯️ 

I flipped between Yellowface (loving), The Book of Disquiet (deeply moving), Rouge (intriguing and moving in a way only Mona Awad can do), The Babysitter's Club (book two)- and I had such a great time with each one.

I'll spend this weekend getting things done around the house, and adding books to my currently reading folder.

If (like me) you're dealing with difficult life circumstances, I hope you can use reading to relax this week and find comfort. 

Reading In The 5 o'clock Hour

Busy weeks. Busy dreams. Sleepless nights.

Most times tv or youtube are what get me through because my eyes are so tired at the end of the day, and I struggle with listening to audiobooks.

However, I've found that if it's after 5 am and the sleep demons come for me (nightmares), it's okay to just get out of bed, press "start" on my beloved coffee pot and read a few chapters.

The old me would attempt an extra-early morning workout, but the new me just sits still at the kitchen table with my kindle propped on the stand and chews on a chapter on two while the coffee is blazing hot.

my early morning view

John Williams 1965 Novel Stoner: A Book Review

 

Stoner by John Williams was a surprising wind that blew in. What an intensely reflective novel.

I don't normally enjoy reading novels centered around the experience of male protagonists (for the most part), this deep look into the psyche and life of William Stoner.

This 1965 novel really does a great job of keeping you with William as he grapples with family verses focusing on his own passion. Later we see him grapple with his own family in a different way as he toys with the notions of duty and responsibility.

This novel has an academic lean to it, and places you right on the university campus and inside the lecture hall.

As someone who spent several years in academia, it was an apt description of the level of obsession and dedication that goes into studying. It was interesting for me to see from this angle how men move through the academic setting. The time period of the novel lends itself to the understanding that women had the job and role of homemaker and mother.

Witnessing Stoner's relationship with his wife Edith was quite painful to bear. From Edith's perspective, I totally got it. I love that John Williams made her life as a wife and mother so intolerable to Edith. It speaks to so many woman's dread and despair at having their only life choice be taking care of other people. A role which Edith rejects pretty forcefully from the start.

This novel will have you battling with concepts of identity, family, work, commitment, duty, loss, depression, and happiness.

Stoner goes on my list of top reads of the year.  I have to sit with this novel more, and I will add to this review). 

Books On My Currently Reading for October

I love the start of a new month.

My life is taxing and oh so stressful, and it's high time that I did two things:

1. Get my coffee pot out of storage (did I really think I could do without coffee in Autumn?)
2. Read some page-turners

Reading page-turning books is NOT my go-to, but desperate times and all.

Here's what I have lined up to start off October. So happy I skipped and will always skip Victober, but that won't stop me from reading for the SECOND time this year, my beloved Jane Eyre. I have a new physical copy that I will read slowly and deeply annotate. I am so excited about that.

Skipping the Sweet Valley High novel.
Read 2 lines. Didn't age well. Hated it.

I am so excited to read every single one of these and in true fashion, I'll have most going AT the same time. :)

I'll be re-reading for the second time this year:

My Penguin English Deluxe Edition

I will be reading the physical format of this one and I am so excited to read super slowly and annotate this. Of course, I will follow it up with watching the screen adaptation with tea and snacks hopefully one windy, blistery Autumn night in the future.

If what you're reading doesn't overly excite you, CLEAR the tbr and pick new books!

Happy Autumn Reading. 🍁 🍂