Happy Day After Thanksgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading!
For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it! Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments).
This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading! This is the eleventh year of this read-a-thon. Oh, the memories!
While it was started as a means to avoid the crowds who were Black Friday shopping, this year it’s transformed a bit. Given the pandemic, it’s safer now for us all to stay home, so why not spend that time curled up with a book!!
Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook!
If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!
How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
What book are you starting out with?
Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time.If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone throughout the world.
Come back a little later today for the first Thankfully Reading Weekend challenge!
Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.
On Sunday afternoon, I’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.
With all that said….let’s get this read-a-thon going!
2020 has been full of cancelled plans and traditions. Not to worry, one that will NOT change is Thankfully Reading Weekend!
I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 26-29 (Thursday through Sunday! I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?
New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:
There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page, or Instagram account!
Want to host a challenge? Email me directly at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.
We’ll also be checking in on Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!
Fans of Amy Bruni know her as the co-star of Kindred Spirits and a member of the team from Ghost Hunters, two of the most renowned paranormal television series. Her history of the paranormal, however, extends back to her childhood years. Living in a home that was haunted, Amy treated spirits she saw no differently than she would a living person. Rather than fearing them, she wanted to learn more about them. This lead directly to her eventually giving up a full-time job to pursue her passion: to understand the dead that has not yet departed.
It’s no secret that I’m quite obsessed with paranormal television series, so when I was pitched Amy’s book for review, I squealed. No, seriously. I squealed.
I’ve long been a fan of Ghost Hunters and then Kindred Spirits. Unlike other paranormal series, the teams that make up these two genuinely care about their clients, living or dead. They don’t put on a ridiculous display of taunting or using questionable methods to get the results (and the ratings). Instead, they do an exceptional amount of research in their investigation. Additionally, their intent isn’t to prove that there are spirits, but instead provide assistance to their clients, whether or not a haunting exists.
In Life with the Afterlife, Bruni provides a history of her fascination with spirits and what led her to be a part of the Ghost Hunter family. The paranormal is a passion for Bruni that goes beyond “hunting;” she also owns a company called Strange Escapes which offers paranormal excursions to some of America’s most notoriously haunted destinations.
This title is a great read for any fan of the paranormal. Amy uses her own experiences to shed a light on the wide range of paranormal investigation methods currently in practice. Most importantly, however, she shares the importance of relying upon one’s own feelings and senses rather than relying on extensive technology. It’s written in a style that can be read by all ages, so it’s quite perfect for both the budding young paranormal enthusiast as well as someone well-versed in the practice.
All in all, quite the fun and enlightening read. Highly recommended.
I’m off to a late start. I stayed up way too late finishing the last few episodes of Suits and I forgot to set the cinnamon roll dough to rise. Oh well, we’ll have cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning. We have some cinnamon doughnuts from our favorite apple orchard to hold us over!
I’m starting off with LIFE WITH THE AFTERLIFE: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts by Amy Bruni. Kindred Spirits is one of my favorite paranormal television series and I’m looking forward to reading this one!
I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!
Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us! Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!
The October read-a-thon is always my favorite. It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky! The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!
Here’s my readathon pile so far:
Our menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast (tradition!)
Totinos Pizza rolls (tradition!)
Nuts & cheese
Carrot sticks & ranch dip
Apples and peanut butter
Evening tradition: bake chocolate chip cookies!
Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Recently divorced and not exactly thrilled move back home, Kara readily accepts an invitation to help her uncle, Earl, with his curiosity museum. The Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy is filled to the brim with strange and unique items and taxidermy animals of all varieties.
She settles in quickly, determined to catalogue the museum's vast and unusual collection. She divides her time between work for the museum and her own graphic design business. She often finds company with Simon, a quirky and offbeat barista from the coffee shop next door.
Earl's age has caught up with him and, when knee surgery is required, Kara takes over the routine daily business of the museum.
As they are patching a hole in the drywall one day, they discover a dark corridor, a space that shouldn't exist. The corridor leads to a doorway, beyond which a world of unimaginable horrors.
I know each time I read a novel by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) that I’m in for a treat. This is no exception.
Inspired by a novella by Algernon Blackwood called, The Willows, Kingfisher introduces her reader to a terror like none other, the horror in a world just beyond our own.
Don’t let the chilling premise stop you from reading; one of the things I love about this author his how she takes you to the brink of fear and terror. Sure, it’s scary but will it leave you with nightmares? Not likely.
She does this through truly genuine and relatable characters. Kara (nicknamed Carrot) and Simon are hugely entertaining individuals. Kara is going through this horrible divorce, yet who can think about that after what she seen!? She’s full of snark and humor and I want her and I to be best friends. Simon is a hoot as well. Often adorned with a top hat (of the mad hatter variety), Simon claims he has a special view into the paranormal due to an…interesting “event” that happened in utero (I’ll leave it to you to discover.)
Bottom line: if a dark and twisty Narnia grabs your attention, this is a must read for you! Spooky, but not utterly terrifying.
I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The year is 1714. The night before her wedding, twenty-three year old Adeline LaRue should be excited to be wed to her betrothed. Yet the opposite is the case; Addie can't accept the life she'll have to endure once she's married. She wants a life beyond the small village of Villon-sur-Sarthe, she wants a freedom she won't have as a wife and mother.
Desperate for a way out, Addie reluctantly makes a deal with a demon. The deal isn't without consequences. While now immortal, everyone Addie meets will forget her the moment she leaves their sight.
Fast forward three hundred years to New York City. Addie has learned to live with her gift, and her curse. She survives by stealing and keeping residence in the homes of past lovers while they are away. The relationships she's held over the last three centuries are shallow; her lover never remembers her the next morning. She is truly, totally, alone.
One day, Addie visits a bookstore to return a copy of The Odyssey she'd stolen just the previous day. Addie's plan is thrown off course when the bookseller, Henry Strauss, recognizes her. Addie is drawn to him, both desperate to keep her secret but also compelled to understand how this man is immune to her curse. It turns out Henry has a secret of his own. Theirs is a story worth remembering, one they will never forget.
This is one of those titles that crosses over so many genres, one that evokes so many feelings in its readers. I’ve been shouting from the rooftops about this book since I finished reading it just a few days ago.
It’s rare lately, it seems, to find a book that truly transports you from the daily struggles of life. Yet once I sat down with this book, it was hours later that I took a breath, looked up, and recalled the world around me.
Schwab builds Addie’s character slowly. She rushes nothing; we learn about Addie’s trials and tribulations, desperate to make a mark on the world only to be erased. She’s escaped war, the plague, meets famous artists and writers. Though no one remembers Addie, she recalls every experience and every relationship. A true punishment, to remember all those you have loved and lost.
A truly unique character is that of Luc, the demon Addie made the deal with so long ago. He visits her on their anniversary each year. Her life will only come to an end once she surrenders her soul to him, a feat she resists year after year. Their relationship is an interesting one, one full of tension and competition.
Schwab’s talent has no end; her books are all addictive and mesmerizing. Yet there is something about this particular title that is pure magic. I won’t ever forget that feeling I felt the first time I read this book; it’s an embodiment of the magic and hope I feel we should all find in books. I can’t wait for others to feel, and share, that magic. Highly, highly recommended.
It’s October 1st or, as I like to call it, the first day of Halloween! Fall temperatures are finally here! Cool, brisk mornings, the smell of leaves in the air. Ahh, pure bliss.
Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!
To say that 2020 as been a year of horrors is an understatement. Many have asked me how I can stand to read horror, when what’s going on in the world is pretty horrifying. Horror has, and always will be, my escape. Why? I have control. I can put that book down. I can walk away. It’s allowed me to deal with terrifying things in real life. Reading it as a child, yes, it was pretty terrifying. However, in the end, I knew that monster or that thing that terrified me can be beaten. I survived. We can survive.
So, to kick off Murder, Monsters & Mayhem, share why you read horror!
Share your responses in the comments or using the link-up.
It’s almost that time of year again! October, the most wonderful month of the year for horror-loving fans!
Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite horror and thriller titles, both new and old.
Want to participate alongside me? Feel free to include your sign up link below! You don’t have to have a blog to participate, feel free to link up to Twitter, Instagram, or whatever social media vehicle you’ll be using! Your sign-up post can be simple, just indicate you are participating, maybe mention a few books you look forward to reading!
At the start of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (October 1) I will post a link-up post so everyone can see what spooky books other participants are reading! Also, I’ll have some giveaways for participants throughout the month!
Interesting in hosting a giveaway or contributing a guest post? Reach out to me using my Contact Me page.
