Friday Five: A Rainy Day

Friday was a professional development day at school which meant sitting in meetings, but also gave us a little free time to catalog new books that have come in.  I've been asked by many people if this year at school is better than last.  There are some things that are better, but overall, when cutting a department from seventeen people down to four and replacing certified librarians with paras, there is nothing that is "better." There is just a lot of frustration and disappointment in being spread so thin that you can't do any job well. There aren't enough hours in the day.  

I've found several things this week that I like, although I don't need anything.  I've enjoyed beautiful weather this fall weekend and saw all three of my daughters which doesn't happen that fequently. 

 

1.  Wide Leg Corduroy Pants

2.  Pilcro Long Sleeve Nico Bubble Sweatshirt

3.  Sienna Frill Cotton Shirt

4.  Birdette Leather Bootie

5.  In The Spirit Cream Christmas Tree Sweater

6.  Anessa Stripe Wide Leg

7.  Women's 1986 Barn Jacket

8.  Fine Line Stripe Quarter Zip Pullover

9.  Fine Line Stripe Pants

10.  Tatiana Coated Dress in Black

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: Based On a Love Story

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Based On A Love Story by Suzanne Rindell

Due out: March 30, 2027

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the author of Summer Fridays, a swoony second-chance love story following a struggling author whose fresh start in a new city is interrupted when she’s reunited with the ex who inspired her bestselling novel

Jonah Kelly’s debut novel is a hit love story. The problem is, she might have been thinking about a certain someone from her past, and the time they crossed paths backpacking in Europe, when she wrote it.

Now, Jonah’s in a rut—living in New York but avoiding all the publishing parties (really avoiding someone at those parties) and feeling stuck on her next book. When her best friend invites her to move to San Francisco, Jonah decides to go. At first, it seems like Jonah’s new chapter is coming together nicely: new city, new love interest, words finally filling the page. But when a big-time magazine asks to do a feature on her, the reporter they send to interview her is none other than Jake, the ghost from her past.

As part of the interview, Jonah must spend three days visiting the most romantic spots in San Francisco, while being flooded by memories of a long-ago summer in Oxford, Paris, and Greece. Adding to that tension is the fact that Jake clearly suspects he’s the inspiration for her great love story—and is on a mission to get Jonah to admit it. She’s tempted to let her guard down . . . but what if her feelings are not only in the past but in the present?

Friday Five:

 

1.  The Mila Sweater in 100% in Softwool

2.  Lana Tassel Loafer

3.  Form Knit Shawl Collar Sweatshirt

4.   Landon Quilted Sweatshirt

5.  Pull-On Knee Length Skirt

6.  Navy Irene Cardigan

7.  Zip-Up Knit Cardigan

8.  Jessie Cardigan

9.  Faux Fur Combined Jacket

10.  Disquette Heritage Slippers

That's it for me this week. What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: Two Lives

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Two Lives by Alexis Schaitkin

Due out: January 26, 2027

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the author of Saint X and Elsewhere, a stunning novel about the fate of two children sent from Europe to the English countryside to escape the onset of World War II and the aftermath of the decisions they made there

Evelyn Lieberman has always been good at carrying her grief while carrying on. A widow in a Florida retirement community, she keeps busy with regular visits to her grandchildren and a full social calendar with her friends, the Girls. She speaks little about her past and is proud of the life she has built in the present.

When Evelyn’s friend recommends a book by a prominent British author, Simon Glaser, Evelyn is startled to find that the novel tells a hauntingly familiar story. She decides to seek out the book’s writer, the only other person who could have known the details of what happened all those decades ago.

Spanning prewar Vienna, the Yorkshire moors, postwar New York, a Florida retirement community, and the London literary world, Two Lives is a sweeping and masterful exploration of heritage, memory, and the human yearning to reconcile our pasts with our present and take the measure of our lives.

Friday Five: Feels Like Sweater Weather

It's sweater weather!  I'm enjoying the mornings that are a bit cooler, and I think we finally have sun in the forecast.  

My husband was gone for work this past week, but unfortunately any hope of extra reading time was eliminated by going to bed extremely early and resting in an effort to get rid of the cold I caught somewhere.

We've got a cross country meet in Minnesota on the docket for Little Sister tomorrow which will provide me with reading time on the trip there and back.  

I found plenty of things that caught my eye this week. 

Enjoy!

1. Fair Isle Zip-up Sweater

2.  Cashsoft Crewneck Sweater

3.  Merino Wool Blend Roll-Neck Cardigan

4.  Oversized Rounded Sleeved Anorak

5.  Cotton Blend Fringe Shawl Cardigan

6.  Mountain High Half-Zip Fleece

7.  Women's Textured Chunky Cardigan

8.  Women's High Rise Twist Seam Wide Leg Jeans

9.  Birdie Madras Popover Top

10.  A Different World Reboot

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: Members Only

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Members Only by Emma Rosenblum

Due out: January 12, 2027

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From bestselling author Emma Rosenblum comes a fast-paced, satirical thriller set at an exclusive country club, where a sudden death on the day of an important wedding unravels the carefully held secrets of its status-obsessed members.

Harrington Country Club is a carefully manicured haven for Greenwich’s wealthy residents. Middle-aged blondes (icy, honey, and golden, respectively) and their khaki-clad husbands sunbathe at the Olympic-size pool, traverse the massive golf course, and play heated tournaments on the much fought-over newly installed pickleball courts. And yet below that shiny veneer bubbles a much messier reality.

Ted Flynn, the president of the club and father-in-law of the bride-to-be, hasn’t been entirely truthful about his financial situation. Despite her mother’s wishes, Jessie Summit doesn’t actually want to marry her Ken doll fiancé, Patrick Flynn. And the chef, Mike Lightbody, who was inexplicably poached from a trendy Brooklyn restaurant to cook at a country club in Connecticut, has more than his fair share to lose.

When a body hits the ground on the morning of Jessie and Patrick’s wedding, everyone is a suspect.

Funny, propulsive, and quietly shocking, Members Only is a story about privilege and the lengths to which people will go to protect it.

Non-Fiction Tuesday: Swan Song

 My love of the royal family started back in 1982 and still continues.  I thoroughly enjoyed Swan Song by Princess Diana's brother, Charles. 

Charles' recollects and shares stories and memories of growing up with his sister, a public person who is instantly recognizable.  I've read everything I could get my hands on about Diana for decades now, so the memories that Charles Spencer shared were a pleasure to hear.  

Charles gained some notoriety for the eulogy he gave at Diana's funeral, and the text of that is contained at the end of this book.  His recollections of Diana's death and the preparations for her memorial do not paint King Charles in a positive light, yet he stated several times how much he cared for his nephews William and Harry.  Although his feelings about Charles are justified, dragging the King's name through the mud seems unlikely to be helpful to his nephews, and run counter to his claims of trying to protect them.

That aside, this is well written and an enjoyable read for anyone who wants a glimpse at Diana's early life by the younger brother who knew her best.

Monday Mini-Reviews: It's Been A While

 Time seems to go so quickly on weekends and my best intentions of getting some blogs written ahead of time seem to go by the wayside rather quickly.

This weekend I woke up on Saturday with a cold and ended up resting much of the day.  I picked up Jodi Picoult's newest book, Hollow Bones, and spent the day curled up on the couch, or resting in bed, while reading.

Picoult always finds a hot-button topic and presents multiple perspectives through her characters and this is no exception.

Molly's mother died in in September 11 attacks and although she had a happy childhood, she has always grieve the loss of her mom.  Now as she is about to become a mother herself, she longs to have known what her own mom was like.

There were a few twists to this story I didn't see coming (Picoult's secret superpower), and I am waiting for a few of my friends to read this one so I can talk with them about the few things I found problematic (that contain spoilers).

My book club is discussing this one in a few weeks as well, so I am curious how other readers found it.

Friday Five: Rainy Weather and Cold Weather Clothing

 So many great clothes come out for the fall and winter.  I love the warm summer weather but it is truly the cold weather clothing I love the most.  We are in the middle of an incredibly rainy and gloomy September.  I think that makes it feel a little bit more like cuddling up in some thick sweaters and sweatshirts, and there are plenty to choose from.  

Enjoy this week's finds!

1.  Aylesford Wool Coat

2.  Low Rise Loose Pant in Corduroy

3.  Mollie Sweater Vest

4.  VintageSoft Oversized Half-Zip Wedge Pullover

5.  Velvet Track Pants

6.  Cashsoft Crop Cardigan

7.   New Balance Women's 327

8.  Casemate Jelly Tote

9.  Current Air Cable Knit Wrap Cardigan

10.  2025 Rollneck Sweater in Tweed Stitch

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?