Tag: reading

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Outside My Comfort Zone

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt: Books Outside of My Comfort Zone

Hello everyone! Today I want to write about books I want to read outside my comfort zone. I actually had a goal to read some different authors and books next year, so my list of goal books are the books (plus a few more) that I will be including today. I don’t know if I will have ten, but I am excited about this goal! I like to push my boundaries sometimes as I think it is really good for our brains to be exposed to different type materials and different things.

First up, Terry Prachett. I have been toying around with wanting to read the Discworld series and next year I am going to start. I am not a binge series reader, so it will probably take a million years for me to read them all, if I even ever do. These are the ones I am planning on starting with. Let me know your thoughts about my choices!

I am hoping to read Hogfather in December, and The Wee Free Men in January. I feel like these are not too far from what I normally read, since I do like fantasy, but I honestly don’t read much comedy.

Next, science fiction and Becky Chambers and her Wayfarer series. Or at least the first book. I don’t mind fantasy but I am not usually a fan of science fiction or anything that takes place in space. And has spaceships. So, this will be interesting!

And following that, I promised Billy that I would read Dungeon Crawler Carl. Not usually my type of book at all, but I will read it for him. He has read so many of mine that I owe him. He is fairly confident that I will love Princess Doughnut. (Donut?)

Dungeon Crawler Carl

This next one is one that I have had on my TBR for a bit but I keep putting it off because the whole novel in verse is intimidating. However I do think it is sounds absolutely fascinating and like it would be a really good read!

Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit

And…I think that is it from me this morning! Not ten but I think five really solid books out of my comfort zone!

I will see you all soon!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized28 Comments

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!! It is snowing here! Our first snow of the year! I always feel like it is my personal gift from Mother Nature when it is around my birthday, which is next week. I am very Lorelai Gilmore about snow, especially the first snow. Tonight I am going to make soup and if I can, I am going to try to make cinnamon rolls for the first time as well.

What I Read Last Week:

This book was the perfect pick me up, full of cozy moments, snow, soup, and winged cats. I loved it!

Reading This Week:

I had started Shady Hollow when I finished The Enchanted Greenhouse, so I am reading that, but I also want to read A Land so Wide.

Posted Last Week:

Hello November

Good Book and a Cup of Tea Monthly Link Party

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Randomly Grabbed Off the Shelf

Introducing Soup and Story Saturdays

Comfy Cozy Cinema: The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

Billy and I must be craving cozy, because we have started our umpteenth rewatch of the BBC farm shows. We just finished up Victorian Farm again, and will probably move on to Edwardian Farm next. The hold these shows have on us! Lol. I am not the only one though. I found this reel on Instagram and it made me giggle. I even commented about how we love to watch this show, blah blah, and a bunch of people liked my comment, probably because they are the same!

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Tonight we are watching the last movie in our Comfy Cozy Cinema line up, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Then after American Thanksgiving, we will begin our Comfy Cozy Christmas link party where you can all feel free to spread the holiday cheer, all winter holidays in December btw, not just Christmas, by linking up your holiday posts! With the snow today, I can feel the winter holiday season so clearly now!

Internet Happenings:

I’ve already talked about them all a little, but Lisa and I are hosting Comfy Cozy Cinema, then Comfy Cozy Christmas together. We are also co-hosting A Good Book and a Cup of Tea, which is a monthly book linky for anything book related. And finally, I am introducing my new Soup and Story Saturdays. It is, you guessed it, all about soup! Link your posts about a soup you made or have eaten, a recipe if you made it, and either a bit about the book you are reading, or a story you want to tell us about your own life. Pretend we are at dinner together, having a meal and sharing a tale. Because I want to be a hobbit with you guys.

I also just signed up for the Library Love 2025 Challenge – I guess better late than never. I will be watching for next year’s sign up now though, if it continues. 99% of our reads come from the library and I believe wholeheartedly in supporting your local library!

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday: The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized49 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt: The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf

So today’s prompt is so random and fun! I unfortunately don’t own as many books as I once did, I use the library most of the time so I didn’t have as many books to choose from here but it was still a lot of fun!

We were supposed to “stand in front of your book collection, close your eyes, point to a title, and write it down. If you have shelves, point to your physical books. If you have a digital library, use a random number generator and write down the title of the book that corresponds with the number you generated. You get bonus points if you tell us whether or not you’ve read the book, and what you thought of it if you did!“

So, let’s get started!

Shady Hollow: I listened to this once on audio, and now I am excited to read the physical book. I want to read the whole series and need to remind myself about it.

A Natural History of the Hedgerow: I have not read this yet! Maybe this winter.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands: I have not read this yet either. I think I will next month.

Inkspell’s Enchanted Holiday: Not yet, I am saving it for December. I don’t know much about it but I bought it from a book festival of independent authors last month.

The Honey Witch: I did read this and I loved it!! This was a gift from an internet friend.

Nancy Drew The Bungalow Mystery: I did read it and I am going to read it again I think for Lisa’s Nancy Drew November. (I am not sure if this is linky event or if she is just doing it) Or maybe I will just get a new one since there are so many. Lol.

The Echo of Old Books: Jeesh, another no! But now that I have had it in my hand again I think I will soon!

Seacrow Island: Yes! I loved this book! I definitely recommend it.

The Blue Castle: Another yes, and another recommendation. And, another book gift from a friend!

The Salt Path: Yes, I read this and I enjoyed it. I did not however like the second book, sadly.

And there we have it!

Mini Book Reviews: The Late-Night Witches, Falling Like Leaves, Uncharmed

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading13 Comments

Hello everyone! I am having such a great time reading my fall picks. All the witches and ghosts and fall ambiance a girl could ask for!

I am loving Auralee Wallace’s books this fall. This is the second book that I have read of hers, and I know I want to read more of hers in the future.

” ‘There. You’re perfect. So pretty.’ She smiled. ‘But you might want to wash your hair later.’ “

I loved this book! It reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but with a suburban mom of three as the chosen one. It cracked me up, and it was not too scary or gory either, in my opinion. Sort of Buffy-like/Charmed even there, I guess! The main character Cassie is a witch from a family of witches for generations – although she didn’t know it until the big baddie vampire woke up from his quarter century of slumber. This book is about family and duty and also being true to yourself and believing in yourself. It was such a great spooky-not-spooky read, with fun characters and lots of shenanigans.

Taking a step away from the paranormal for a minute, to just enjoy a small-town fall, that could be a Hallmark movie (YA).

“Come for the apple picking and pumpkin carving, stay for the coziness.”

This book is the epitome of fall cozy, with its small town feel and endless autumn activities during it’s Falling Leaves Festival, that includes things like pumpkin proms and bonfire nights, cafes filled with cats, and delicious baked goods and coffee. If I could transport myself to Bramble Falla for their autumn fest I absolutely would.

I also appreciated this book for the just plain high school experiences that made up a large part of the plot. Ellis is not good at being a normal teenager and when her mom moves her to Bramble Falls against her will, she sees her future disappear in front of her. Or so she thinks. This is a clean YA romance that just made me smile throughout the book. 

And now, a little Mary Poppins-like witch. Wait, was Mary Poppins a witch?

“Everybody knows that any kind of productivity is at least seventy-five percent reliant on the appropriate notebook and pen selection.”

I LOVED this book, although I have to say I was uncomfortable about how closely I could relate to some of Annie’s quirks! I mean, I 100% believe in having the appropriate notebook and pen, and then of course that hesitation over even using it because “what if make a mess on the first page, ruin the whole thing with ugly handwriting, or bad spelling?” I just might be a little Type A about some things.

Annie is a witch who believes in always going the extra mile, never having a hair out of place, the perfect outfit, the perfect thing to say, perfect perfect perfect. However, her perfect life gets upended when she meets Maeve, an orphaned teenager with big big magic, and agrees to be her guardian and mentor until she gets her magic under control. This might be a task that Annie can’t keep perfectly controlled.

This whole book is a wonderful cozy journey, full of realizations and delicious sounding coffee, baked goods that inspired me to bake apple cinnamon scones, love, and finding that perfection is maybe not all that great after all.

Have you read any of these? Do you think Mary Poppins is a witch? And are you Team Pumpkin Spice or Team Apple Cider? I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized22 Comments

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 that you all had a good week! We have been just keeping on over here, having school, going to therapy, and attending appointments. We did make some time for some fun but it has just been life going on over here.

Read Last Week:

Falling Like Leaves was so adorable and the most autumn book I have read. I loved everything about it!

I am almost done with Uncharmed, and it is also pretty darn cute. It’s been a good week of reading!

Reading This Week:

I am so excited for these two. I was waiting until a bit closer to Halloween – and we are finally there!

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish I could Read Again for the First Time

Comfy Cozy Cinema: The Young in Heart

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

Billy and I have been watching a few different things lately. We were watching Twin Peaks, but then my cousin reminded me that we hadn’t watched The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix so we started that. It is so creepy but so good! We also started watching classic Twilight Zone episodes as well as episodes of The Haunted Hotel which we watch with Wyatt.

Last night we watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with Wyatt. I love that he loves Charlie Brown too – probably because Billy and I love it. It would be neat if Wyatt grows up feeling nostalgic about Charlie and the gang too.

Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and I are hosting Comfy Cozy Cinema again, and last week we watched an oldie but goodie – The Young in Heart. This week we are making things a little spookier, and we are watching Coraline.

I also just started listening to a podcast called In the Meadow. It’s been a nice, relaxing podcast to chill out to while cleaning. I have only listened to like two episodes, but they were good listens.

On the Internet:

Lisa and I decided to pause Crafternoons until after the upcoming holidays, which will put us into the new year – can you believe we are getting closer to 2026? So crazy! I am still participating in the link ups like this one, Top Ten Tuesday, The Weekend Traffic Jam, and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea too. And of course Comfy Cozy Cinema. We have a few weeks left if you want to watch along!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized44 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt: Books I wish I could read again for the first time

Do you remember the books that made you love words and writing and books, landscapes and characters, books that stopped time as you read them? That formed your thoughts and helped you escape? I feel like those are the books I would like to read again, that had such a profound effect on my life as I grew up. To feel that magic all over again.

A Prayer for Owen Meany || The Prince of Tides || All Creatures Great and Small

These three books were given to me by my mom, my dad, and my uncle, and I think that helped make them special as well. My mom gave me the whole James Herriot collection when I was probably 10ish, and I adored them. I didn’t always understand them, but it didn’t matter. I understood what these stories represented – kindness, love, and caring for all of our creatures that we share this planet with.

The Prince of Tides was a book given to me by my dad. He loves Pat Conroy (and now me too!) and despite some tough subject matter I was wrapped up in this world. I remember I even stayed home “sick” from school one day so I could finish it. I went on to read the rest of his books, and each were as amazing but none could take the place of Prince of Tides.

A Prayer for Owen Meany was from my uncle. Another book that has stayed with me all through my life, that I think about all the time. I wish I could read it again just to see how masterfully Irving had the ending all planned, right from the very beginning.

The Lake of Dead Languages || King’s Oak || On the Banks of Plum Creek

The Lake of Dead Languages was Dark Academia before that was a thing. I remember reading it and thinking about how I wanted to throw myself into academia the way that these girls did – minus the big secret in this book of course. I love Carol Goodman still, she was my entrance into a world beyond my little town in Michigan, that was all about steel mills and auto factories.

King’s Oak took me down south again, this time introducing me to Tom Dabney, a character I would love to meet and hang out with. Like Luke in the Prince of Tides, he burned a bit too brightly for his world.

On the Banks of Plum Creek of course has to be on here. Who didn’t want to be Laura when they were younger? All those adventures and animals and running wild and living in a sod house! What! I thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Franny and Zooey || Remembering Blue || Charlotte’s Web || The Great Gatsby

Franny and Zooey was probably the first book by a classic author that I read and really loved. I know Salinger gets a bad rap but I always liked his work. Franny and Zooey is my favorite though.

Remembering Blue is just like a lovely romantic sad fairy tale. I attended a writing class, a small group of maybe 10 other people, with my dad at Connie May Fowler’s house in Florida (her husband made us dinner!) and it was so cool to talk with her about this book. I wish I wouldn’t have been so young honestly when I went; I feel like I could make more of the whole experience now as an adult. It was an awesome time though.

Charlotte’s Web. Yes, I know reading it all over again for the first time will be tragic but it still makes me cry anyway. Just the love that was in these pages between Charlotte and Wilbur. I read it with Wyatt a few years ago, and it struck me just how much Charlotte was like a mother to Wilbur, protecting him. And reading it with Wyatt for the first time was almost like reading it again myself for the first time, as I was reading it with a different perspective.

The Great Gatsby is another one of the first classics that I read and loved. I wanted to go back and live in the Roaring ’20s so badly, to be a flapper and dance all night in a fringed dress.

And that is it. These books worked magic on me that is not lost, but it would be amazing to feel that first wonder all over again.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 Comments

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! That last week was a whirlwind, but we are taking it easy this weekend, and it has been a nice restful few days.

Read Last Week:

I finished up The Late-Night Witches and I really enjoyed it. It sort of reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but with a suburban mom of three as the chosen one. It cracked me up, and it was not too scary or gory either, in my opinion. Sort of Buffy-like even there, I guess! The main character Cassie is a witch from a family of witches for generations – although she didn’t know it until the big baddie vampire woke up from his quarter century of slumber. It was a fun read!

Reading This Week:

I am hoping to read these two this week. I am starting with Falling Like Leaves, which is a YA romance so it should be pretty light and breezy and full of fall ambience. Then I am moving on to Uncharmed, which just sounds so cute and pink!

I really need to do a tally of how many books I have read this year with cats on the cover.

Posted Last Week:

Mini Book Reviews: In the Company of Witches, Ghost Business, Play Nice

Comfy Cozy Cinema: The Five Year Engagement

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

Billy and I have started rewatching Twin Peaks and it is so fun to watch again. It is so different to watch it as an adult, with an adult’s perspective. I still love the music, the styling, the setting, the whole aesthetic, and it’s craziness, and I love just how 90s it feels. But certain scenes are more powerful than they were when I was younger. We watched the episode with Laura’s funeral last night, and Bobby’s anger at the town, chastising them all, struck a note with me. I don’t think I picked up on just how perceptive and mature this was for his character at the time, since when I watched this show I was in high school, and just thought Bobby was very cute and rebellious. But he was so right in this scene.

We are also watching our Comfy Cozy Cinema movies, as well as mixing in other things as well here and there, mostly YouTubers.

Internet Shenanigans:

Lisa and I are co-hosting so many things together! We have our crafternoons, which are just fun get togethers where we hang out and chat and work on whatever projects we want with other bloggers on Zoom for an hour or so. We have one this afternoon actually, at 1!

Then we have our Comfy Cozy Cinema, where we watch movies and post our thoughts about them on Thursdays.

And finally, we have a monthly book link up, where you can post any book related posts throughout the month. Book shopping, book hauls, book whatevers – you can link up there!

If you wish to participate in any of these with us, feel free!! We would love to have you!

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!

Sunday/Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

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!! We have been very busy socially this month so far! Lol. I think we are making up for our “lost summer” due to Wyatt’s surgery and recovery. We have been having a good time but this mom is getting tired! Lol. This weekend we visited a “haunted bookstore” for some shopping, spent Saturday creating Halloween decorations, then going to an outdoor movie at my brother’s, then yesterday our Blackbirds went on a nature walk and “insect encounter” on Belle Isle, then Wyatt, Billy, and I went to the Detroit Zoo Boo. Phew. I am so ready … for our busy week. Wyatt is having a great time though so it is worth it.

What I Read:

I read Play Nice by Rachel Harrison and Ghost Business by Jen DeLuca. I really loved both of them!! Play Nice was scarier, while Ghost Business was just like a cozy little romance. It is not set in the fall really, but had enough of a vibe that made it fun spooky. Plus it fit this unseasonably hot weather we are having here. One more day, and it seems like we will have better temps.

Reading This Week:

I recently read In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace and I loved it, so I am looking forward to Late Night Witches. And hopefully by the time I get to Falling Like Leaves, we will have some actual Michigan fall weather around here!

Posted Last Week:

The Gilmore Girls Episodes That I Love to Rewatch

Hello October!

Comfy Cozy Cinema: A Knight’s Tale

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

What We Are Watching:

We are watching along with our Comfy Cozy Cinema, that I am co-hosting with Lisa from Boondock Ramblings. We just watched A Knight’s Tale, and this week we are watching The Five Year Engagement, which I picked for the humorous depiction of Michigan. It is more than just the little jokes about Michigan though, and I hope you all enjoy it if you watch along!

We are also watching the cartoon Haunted Hotel, and we restarted Twin Peaks. I LOVED Twin Peaks as a teen and wanted to be Audrey Horne. I still want to be Audrey Horne, maybe. Billy and I were watching and can’t get over how much we still love it, and we both agreed I have been chasing that aesthetic my whole life. It is so weird and creepy and sad but it is so good. Very Lynch.

And that is it from me this morning! I have an eye appointment soon and I should probably get ready! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile.

Fall Reading: Let’s Get Cozy – Paranormal/Fantasy Style!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized9 Comments

I have so many fall lists of books! And really, too many books to list here on the blog. I am going to have a full list available next Friday on my Ko-Fi for anyone who will want to see alllll the books I have researched and compiled. Until then, please take this humble offering.

Love’s a Witch || Uncharmed || Rewitched

Love’s a Witch: Witchy cozy romance, set in Scotland. Enemies to lovers.

Uncharmed: Cozy fantasy, and lots of pink vibes.

Rewitched: Cozy fantasy, bookshops, cats.

The Witching Moon Manor || The Late-Night Witches || An Unlikely Coven

The Witching Moon Manor: Sequel to the Crescent Moon Tearoom, following the further exploits of the Quigley Sisters.

The Late-Night Witches: Witches and vampires and cozy fantasy!!

An Unlikely Coven: Cozy urban fantasy with LGBT representation

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy || Ghost Business || Crazy Spooky Love

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy: The publisher calls it “A COZY, GHOSTLY LGBTQIA+ ROMANCE” I can’t improve on that.

Ghost Business: I can’t wait to read this one! The second in the Boneyard Key series and the main FMC runs a ghost tour business.

Crazy Spooky Love: Cozy little ghost hunting romance. Also high on my own list to read this fall!

Potions and Prejudice || The Lone Wolf Cafe || Cat Dragon

Potions and Prejudice: Cozy witchy romance, enemies to lovers. And this cover is gorgeous!

Lone Wolf Cafe: Spooky sapphic cozy, with a witch and a werewolf. Also, baked goods!

Cat Dragon: Another that is on my own list. I just don’t have enough time to read all the books that I want to! I have to admit I just want to read this because of the idea of cat dragons. How cute would that be?

I can’t wait to get started with the spooky or spooky adjacent reads!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

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! It was a crazy muddled up week but a good one! Wyatt and I even had a “book date” at Barnes and Noble, where we got books and treats from the cafe and hung out. He loved it, my little book boy.

Read Last Week:

It was a sad reading week for me. I had a hard time settling down with a book after Cat’s People, and I floundered around while also waiting for my library holds to come in. I ended up reading an old middle grade from the 90s by Betty Ren Wright. Still good, still scary, after all these years.

Reading This Week:

I had one book finally come in from the library, and I am waiting on one more that I am going to buddy read with Lisa at Boondock Ramblings.

I am starting Isabella Nagg today, and hopefully The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder comes in within the next few days. I am sure it will. Lisa and I are reading that one together.

Posted Last Week:

Welcome September!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Occupations in the Title

Watching:

We have been sort of floundering around in tv land. I need to find some shows. We started Joe Pickett, and then halfway through the first season decided we weren’t all that interested in it. Now we are watching Renegade Nell, and Billy likes it but I sort of don’t. But it is only one season so I can handle watching a few episodes to make him happy. Lol.

We also watched Lisa Frankenstein last night and it was such a weird, fun movie! I loved the 80s vibes, which were immaculate. It had all the tropes of 80s movies, and the costumes and music were fantastic. It was silly and the horror/gore level was probably reminiscent of The Santa Clarita Diet or my Best Friend’s Exorcism, if you watched either of those. And there are fun little Easter Eggs throughout, from the name Frances Owen (Practical Magic) on a headstone in the opening, to Lisa exclaiming “Damn it, Janet” (Rocky Horror) to the end which is a nod to Notting Hill and also to director Zelda Williams’ father, Robin Williams.

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!