Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Hello everyone! Today’s theme for Top Ten Tuesday is Debut Novels I Enjoyed (A debut novel is an author’s first published book. You could also choose to share genre or age group debuts if you’d prefer, such as an adult fiction author’s first YA book or a mystery writer’s first romance.) (submitted by Angela @ Reading Frenzy)

I sort of struggled with this one. I didn’t know how far back I wanted to go, or if I should stick with newer books so I did a mix of both!

Fire Keeper’s Daughter and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Fire Keeper’s Daughter may have been Angeline Boulley’s first book but she sure came out swinging. This book was simply amazing. (as was her second book, Warrior Girl Unearthed) Boulley is on my instant buy list when she releases a new book. And she is a Michigan author, which makes me feel so much more connected to her books. I have been to the areas she writes about, grown up in this state, and did not realize some of what was happening in other parts of Michigan.

Like everyone, I was completely in love with the Harry Potter series when they were published! What a fun world that Rowling created! I mean, who doesn’t want to go to Hogwarts with those amazing holiday parties, and those awesome classes. I would like to take a magical creatures class – and probably want to raise a tiny baby dragon too. I can totally relate to Hagrid. He may be in fact the character I most relate to in the whole series. Hmmm.

Sharp Objects and Looking For Alaska

Again, two totally different authors and reads, but both of these authors pack a wallop. (I am apparently into that sort of imagery today) I don’t think I have ever read a book by either of these authors where I didn’t feel like I had been hit by a truck after finishing the book. They are just so emotional and just good. You know what I mean. Sharp Objects – dang. I also watched the series with Billy and he was blown away just by the tv show, which was very well done.

John Green has a talent for writing these compelling characters that draw you in with their charisma or bravery and then he just pulls the rug out from under you and makes you cry. Looking for Alaska was incredible.

The Hobbit and Legends and Lattes

I hope I didn’t have to be alive when some of these books debuted, because I was not around when The Hobbit was first published. I had to include it though, as it is a pretty informative book for my reading tastes and likes. As evidenced by the next book on the list, Legends and Lattes. I can’t see the orcs in Tolkien’s world opening a cafe though.

Outlander and The Hunger Games

I remember when I first read Outlander. Billy and I were on vacation at Shenandoah National Park in Big Meadows Lodge, and I fell headfirst in love with this series (and Jamie Fraser) It still remains one of my favorite series of all time.

The Hunger Games was another series that really grabbed me. It was so very different from other books when it first debuted, much like Harry Potter felt, and I gobbled them up as they were released.

Kristy’s Great Idea and Double Love

I decided to throw it really far back with these two. These were two of my favorite series as a kid!

And that is ten! I can’t wait to see what everyone else chose!

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good week! Ours was pretty good. We had trips to the library, ice cream, reading and sewing, dinner out, walks and bikes rides. It was just a really nice summer week. Today we are having our Full Blueberry Moon party with Mermaid Girl and I am looking forward to that as well. (This is a moon we decided to name ourselves- as far as I know this isn’t one of the names for the July full moon)

Read Last Week:

I love this series! I love Violet and the tree and the bookshop and Emerson. Just all of it really. I like to read them in the season that they are set so by waiting it is sort of like a treat! I have to wait now all the way until winter to read the next in the series.

Reading This Week:

Ooo I have been saving this one too and I am so excited to read it. I started it yesterday and was instantly immersed in this world. This cover is so gorgeous! My dad bought me a copy when we went shopping a few weeks ago and I love the cover and the design and I have a really good feeling that I will love this book.

Posted Last Week:

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

A Cozy Little Life – In Our Hobbies Era

Book Reviews – A Few Quick Mini Book Reviews

Watching:

We have been watching a few different things this week! We watched The Great British Sewing Bee, finished up season 2 of Dark Winds, and started Reservation Dogs.

Dark Winds is so well done. Billy and I are always hit by how well acted and just how good of a story it is when we watch. It gets intense and and emotional for me as well, as the show touches on the injustices done to the Native Americans that started so long ago and continues today. The show itself takes place during the Vietnam War, and there was a scene where one young man was being shipped off to do his duty, and he doesn’t want to go. He expresses to Bernie his reluctance to go, saying why should he fight for a country that “doesn’t even recognize me as an American”. Oof. And then the involuntary sterilizations that happened in the clinics – all such powerful, gut wrenching truths. It is not light watching. I have not read the books that they are based on by Tony Hillerman but I have been considering reading them.

Zahn McClarnon is in both Dark Winds and Reservation Dogs, and plays two very different law enforcement characters. I have loved him since I saw him in Longmire as Matthias, and it is interesting to see him in Dark Winds as just a force of strength and then in Reservation Dogs, where he is playing a more humorous, silly cop character.

And that is it from me this week! What is going on in your neighborhood?

Good morning everyone! (or afternoon or evening or whenever you are reading this) Wyatt and I have a bit slower week this week as far as appointments go, and that means longer lazy mornings, which we both love.

We have been up to quite a bit around here. Most of it in and around around our house, but also some fun times as well out and about.

Let’s start with…. the out and about.

Last Friday Wyatt and I had a big day out! We started our day at the library, where we picked books to check out and also bought a few from the book sale (even though I literally just got rid of a ton of books…you all know how it is). We also caught up on the summer reading program missions, and picked up all the National Park cards and cryptid cards that he has earned.

Next we headed down the street to the art fair, as we do every year! I usually go twice, once with Wyatt in the morning and once with Billy in the evening, but this year due to weather and schedules I only made it the one time with Wyatt. We had a pretty good time, although it was so hot and humid we were melting. Wyatt was actually really droopy by the time we started back to the car and that was after not stopping at any of the booths on the other side of the street. But that was ok! We went and had fun and then came home. I didn’t feel the need to push ourselves to see everything at the expense of Wyatt being uncomfortable.

I picked up an art print from a local artist named Anthony Brass. Billy and I picked out a squirrel print from his booth last year, and this year I had Wyatt choose a print. He picked a sleeping fawn and I love it! The artist was super nice to Wyatt. He asked Wyatt if he liked to paint, and you all know that Wyatt loves it! So we shared that, and Wyatt told him that he loves to paint snails and wolves, to which the artist agreed with Wyatt, that they are pretty cool. He also showed Wyatt a huge snail that he had painted. I loved that he got down on Wyatt’s level to talk to him – not many people do that and I was surprised to see it from a younger person. It was nice.

We were starting to get really hot and gross so we popped into the ice cream parlor and shared a gigantic scoop of Moose tracks ice cream. I asked for a single – I would hate to see the double – or maybe, I wouldn’t hate it. Hmmm.

After ice cream I scurried us back to the car in search of regular air conditioning and headed home. But first a stop at my friend’s house, who had a present for me!

My friend Mary went to a book signing the other day and had wanted me to go with her. We used to go to book signings together back in the day all the time, and unfortunately I was not able to go. But Mary being the super thoughtful person that she is, not only bought me a book and had it signed, but video called me from the signing and let me “meet” the author RaeAnne Thayne virtually! There was nobody else in line at the time so it worked out and it was really neat. Ms. Thayne also included a bookmark and book darts that she had made.

We also had our very first Cub Scout committee meeting last week as well. Our committee is made up of Billy and I, my brother and sister-in-law, and Mary (see above lol). Mary and Anthony belong to the boat club (rowing boat club) and we used the board room there for our meeting. It is such a cool spot that Billy and I are going to join as well – only $40 for the whole year and it is a very cool place to watch the river and the boats. We are that much closer to making this pack a reality! We accomplished quite a lot.

Now, the home stuff! Billy has been working super hard outside on the ramp. He poured cement for the landing pads, and cleared an area of the yard near the ramp for the A/C unit. We have to move our A/C unit a few feet over now so that is our next step. Once it is moved then the boards can be put on the ramp! We are getting closer to that goal too.

I have been working on updating Wyatt’s room for ages now. This has been a long process! I have been collecting items with his help, buying new furniture that suits him, like a new low dresser that he is able to manage. It is looks like wood but isn’t! It fools everyone. It is wood framed but the drawers are fabric so that Wyatt can open them easily and even if he pulls it all the way out he can’t hurt himself. We are working on him becoming more independent this year, and changing the house to suit him. We are also making his room look outdoorsy/campy and it has been fun to find stuff for his room to echo this theme. I found some cool vintage items and he has picked out some pieces himself, like a yellow owl lamp from Target. We had to go through his books and get rid of a bunch which made me sad but … it is time to make changes. Everything is basically in place – I still have some packing up and unpacking to do, and then the finishing touches including hanging artwork, but it is coming along slowly but surely. And he loves it. Like never wants to leave it! Oh! And we picked out the curtains last night – they are a bit maximalist but I think it will be fun. You are only a little kid once!

So. We were hoping to go to the corgi dog races at a local Celtic festival but opted not to go. The weather was just too hot and humid for kiddo, and it was $50 to get in for all of us. I just couldn’t make the hour drive plus pay that if we were only going to be able to stay 30 minutes. I really wanted to go but I also didn’t want Wyatt miserable from the heat. If anyone has any ideas on how to keep a kid in a wheelchair cool in the summer I would love to hear them. I did buy a cooling towel for him but I am open to all suggestions. He has never been great in the heat but the wheelchair makes it even hotter for him.

So, I took the $50 dollars I would have spent on the tickets and booked an Airbnb near Akron. Then this morning I bought tickets for the train that runs through Cuyahoga Valley National Park! Wyatt loves trains so I hope he will like this. I bought the dome seats, that have covered windows up and around us and I think it will be awesome! It is a two hour train ride and we are going in the fall so it should be beautiful. The dome is not wheelchair accessible but Billy will be able to carry Wyatt up the stairs to our seats.

I think this is a really cool unique way for Wyatt to experience the park. As a person with mobility issues, that can be tough at times. I think this will be a fun way to do that!

Annnnd that my friends, is a wrap! Have a wonderful day, and I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Hello everyone! This week Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie throwback week! We could choose from any previous topic, and since I am new to participating, there were a lot to choose from. I decided on Books That Feel Like Fall because I really love fall, and could very easily skip the rest of summer.

With that being said, let’s look forward to a future of warm drinks, cozy nights, crisp weather, and jeans and boots and snuggly sweaters!

Morbidly Yours and Haunted Ever After

These two contemporary romances caught my eye because of how different they seem from others. They just look like fun reads for fall, romance that is just more on the spookier side.

Well-Offed In Vermont and Berries and Bones

These give me allllll the fall vibes with these covers!

A Year in the Woods and Crow Talk

I LOVE these covers. I love getting outside in the fall, especially into the woods and these books look perfect for evoking that feeling.

The Hedge Witch of Foxhall and October, October

These are covers to just get lost in. Autumnal, dreamy, magical.

The Dollhouse and Woodwitch

I love middle grade books and these are just so spooky autumn – but not too spooky!

Well now I am definitely in the mood for a matcha latte – not iced! -, a cool evening, my favorite sweater, and a backyard fire.. how about you?