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Happy Friday y’all! It seems like this week was never going to end! Today I’m bringing you my latest audiobook, The Good Luck Charm, by Helena Hunting. It’s a happy second chance RomCom, set in Minnesota. Lila and Ethan find each other again, and their love is renewed. Things get really hot, and it has a neat and happy ending. This was a fun listen, and exactly what I needed this week! “Nothing you say is going to change the past. It could change the future though.” NUGGET GAINED: Be careful where you listen to books with a steam factor of five! Do you enjoy Rom com? Have you read this one? Do you have any fun plans this weekend? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #booknerd #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #audiobook #helenahunting #thegoodluckcharm #readingjournal #bujoideas #bujoinspiration

Have you ever lost a person so close to you that you couldn’t figure out a way to move on with your life? I have, when my first husband died in 2007. That’s a small part of the reason The World Came to Us drew me in right away. After Meg loses her wife to cancer, she is thrown into the depths of grief. She decides that she will stay home for one year in mourning. Soon Tommy, her daughter, moves home to be with her. They make a pact that they will be recluses for one year. They stay at home except for Tommy walking her dogs. As the 2 grow closer, people begin to come to them in need of healing themselves. The dogs play a major part in bringing healing and love to everyone. Ultimately Meg finds comfort by helping others who are hurting in their own unique ways. Campbell weaves sexual identity, grief, foster care, bullying, depression, and aging into her story. This sounds like too big of a stretch, but Campbell makes it flow together in a beautiful way that works. For me this book is a warm “literary hug”! Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my heart is no longer broken, and I’ve found love once again with my amazing second husband. Nugget gained: people everywhere are hurting. Who can I help today? { Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours, and @mollydcampbell, for this lovely book! } #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #bookreview #booktour #bookphotography #booksabouthealing #suzyapprovedbooktours #mollydcampbell #thestoryplant #grief

Y’all know how I love challenges that help people. Here’s a challenge I’m excited about supporting! Our friend @beritaudiokilledthebookmark suffers from a degenerative eye disease. Her vision is deteriorating and has been throughout the course of her life. This is an uncorrectable problem and recently she received news that things are progressing rapidly in a negative way. Did you know IG has an alternate text feature that helps people who have visual impairments? I’ve seen this pop up on my phone while posting, and have always wondered what this is! Please check out Berit’s story highlight on her page marked “alternate text” to learn about this feature. Share a red, yellow, and orange stack any time between now and January 31. Tag it #accessibilityawarenessstack and use the alternate text feature for your picture as well. I did it with this post, & it’s easy! Berit chose red, yellow, and orange because these are the colors most easily seen by people with visual impairments. She will donate $1 to the American Foundation for the Blind for every stack posted, so please be sure to tag her!⁣ I will match her donation as this is a cause near and dear to my heart as well since my father suffered from blindness near the end of his life. Let’s get behind Berit by LEARNING about and using alternate text. Let’s SUPPORT American Foundation for the Blind. Let’s have FUN painting Bookstagram red, orange, and yellow! #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookstackchallenge #accessibilityawareness #bookstack #bookblogger #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #beritaudiokilledthebookmark #alttext #americanfoundationfortheblind #visualimpairment #challengesthatgiveback

Jeanette Walls was raised by parents who moved their family frequently. They had to “skedaddle,” the term used by her brilliant, but alcoholic father, to run away from police (“the gestapo”), or bill collectors, or for dad to find more odd jobs. They often lived in places that had no electricity or indoor plumbing. It was normal for Jeanette & her siblings to sleep in cardboard boxes. Walls described how her father taught her to swim in a spring by turning her loose, letting her sink, inhale water, but somehow thrash back to the surface to him. She described how many days there wasn’t enough food for them. She also told how her creative mother would bring home pillowcases of library books, books that catered to each child’s interests, hand the books out, and provide a dictionary in the middle of the room to look up meanings of new words. They read together as a family. The Walls children were exceptional readers and in gifted classes at school. Their lives included neglect and abuse, and yet, Jeannette felt loved. She is now a successful writer and journalist who works for MSNBC. Her mother chooses to be homeless, even though Jeannette, and her siblings have tried to care for her. This is an amazing story that as a teacher I could relate to having taught children who didn’t have enough to eat, proper clothes for the weather, and even one 8 year old who lived in a motel and many times was alone to care for herself while her mother worked. Fortunately, public schools now provide free breakfast and lunch. NUGGET GAINED: shame will paralyze you. Tell the truth, and you’ll be set free. Do you enjoy memoirs? Have you had experiences with homeless people? Do you think some of them choose to live that way? #careylovestobook #bookreviews #booksandchucks #theglasscastle #bookstagram #bookworm #bookblogger #bookreview #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #bookphotography #homelessness #homeless #memoir #ownvoicesreviews #ownvoice

How do I get ready for hosting my IRL bookclub? I prepare Superhero Pumpkin Muffins from “Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.”! The book features delicious recipes and beautiful photographs of the authors running and cooking. Their famous Superhero Muffins (3 variations) are gluten free, and I make them regularly. You can see how much I love this book from all the sticky notes plastered to it! It’s full of recipes that are fast and easy but don’t sacrifice flavor. Whether you’re an athlete or not, I think you’ll enjoy this book! • By the way, The book we discussed was The Glass Castle, and it provided a rich discussion. • Do you belong to any IRL book clubs? If so, what is your group reading? • #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookworm #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #bookphotography #cookbooksilove #ilovetocook #runfastcookfasteatslow #superheromuffins

Has anyone else had life coming at them at break neck speed since the turn of the new year? I’ve had this post in mind for 2 weeks! • Have you heard about Whitney at the @theunreadshelf and her #unreadbookshelfproject2020? I’ve counted my unread books, and the total is a whopping 58! The books shown here on the credenza in our den are the 20 books I’ll be reading in 2020. I’ve decided to leave them right here and whittle them down one at a time. Then I plan to set them free! • Are any of you participating in these challenges? How’s 2020 shaping up in your world? Which book should I read first? • You may have wondered where I’ve been, I’m still alive! If I haven’t caught up with you, my goal is to show you some love soon! • #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookwineandmetime #bookshelf #tbrpile #tbr #bookaddict #unreadbooks #20backlistin2020

I was thrilled to find this jewel of a bookshop! Isn’t ‘The Tide’ a perfect name for a shop on the beach? Of course I couldn’t leave without buying Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate. I loved Before We Were Yours, and I can’t wait to read the true stories the book was based upon. Carolyn, I can’t wait to visit with you again soon at your cute store! How about you? Are you continually on the lookout for bookstores? What’s the cutest one you’ve been in lately? Have you read any Lisa Wingate? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #booknerd #bookblogger #bookstores #bookshop #indiebookstore #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #bookphotography #beforeandafter #lisawingate

It’s a new YEAR, a new DECADE, a FRESH start! I love the beginning of a new year. It’s a time to reflect on what worked in 2019 and what needs improvement. I like to choose one word for the theme of my year. This year I’ve chosen two words, but they kind of go hand and hand. For me 2020 will be the year of perfecting BALANCE and PRESENCE. I’m planning on balancing my days. Too many times I feel as though I spend too much time on one thing (bookstagram can easily play into this) and don’t accomplish many of the things I’d like and need to do. A plan for each day is my goal. My Bullet Journal will help me succeed with this. Each day will begin with meditation and Bujo. There will be some kind of fitness built into each day. Phone time will be limited so that I can include more reading. My second word is PRESENCE. I aim to be present in my life. Meditation will definitely help with this! I want to limit multi-tasking. When I’m talking with someone, I want to be listening and engaging with them fully, not thinking about what I’m going to say or do next. When I’m doing activities throughout my day; i.e., fitness, eating, looking outside, breathing…I want to experience it! I do much of all this already, but this will be the year I perfect this. Balance & presence for 2020! Can you relate to any of this? Do you have words or goals for 2020? Do you want to come back in one month and see how I’m doing?!?!? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #booknerd #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #goals #2020goals #bulletjournal #bujo #presence #balancedlife

This week Arroyo traveled from Pasadena,California to the gulf coast of Florida! Have you heard of the “Suicide Bridge” in Pasadena? I hadn’t, but after reading the historical fiction novel, Arroyo, I was enlightened. I’ve only visited Pasadena once, so I appreciated learning more about the history of this town. I liked the factual portions of the book and the historical people mentioned, i.e., Teddy Roosevelt, Adolphus Busch, and Upton Sinclair. Jacobs created Nick Chance, the quirky protagonist, and placed him right in the center of Old Pasadena. I enjoy books that feature fictional characters in factual settings with real life historical characters in the background. [synopsis in comments below] What about you? Do you enjoy historical fiction? What’s happening in your corner of the world today? { Thank you @suzyappovedbooktours, @cjwriter, and @rarebirdlit for this gifted book. #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookreview #booknerd #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booktour #bookreview #bookphotography #suzyapprovedbooktours #rarebirdbooks #chipjacobs #suicidebridge #arroyo

Happy 2020, my dear book friends! 2019 was an amazing year. Please check out my Top Nine! I almost set Miracle Creek on fire, perfected my homemade pizza pizza skills, and added another pair of Chucks to my always growing collection. A Breast cancer awareness and thanksgiving post made the list too. I broke the #unreadbotm challenge, and I feel good about it! Finally the posts that were the nearest to my heart featured the #bahamasawarenesschallenge and the #wellredkids challenge. Together we raised $525 for Bahamas relief and $700 for the Toys for Tots Literacy Program! All of this makes me extremely happy! I’m grateful I have all of you in my life. It’s so much fun to hang out with you and talk books! I’m looking forward to what this fresh new decade will bring our way! Have you looked at your top nine? How’s the first day of the year shaping up in your corner of the world? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #doitforthegram #bookphotography #topnine #topninelist #topnine2019 #miraclecreek #daisyjonesandthesix #toysfortots #bahamashurricanerelief #booksandchucks #thefamilyupstairs

Happy New Year, my Bookstafam! I’m wrapping up my 2019 Top 5 Countdown! Drumroll please.....My number one favorite this year is a book every woman should read. A Woman is No Man gives a voice to many women who will never be able to speak for themselves. It offers necessary insight into arranged marriages, patriarchal customs, traditions, and abuse. Author Etaf Rum, an Arab-American young woman has earned the right to write this book. She’s lived it; she knows it. If you’ve not read it, please pick it up, and you’ll understand why. Did you read this? Are you looking forward to 2020? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #booknerd #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #doitforthegram #top5reads2019 #top5 #booklist #awomanisnoman #etafrum #righttowrite

2019 Top 5 Countdown...2️⃣= Becoming by Michelle Obama. I listened to Michelle narrate her audiobook, and it seemed she was sitting beside me, like a friend, telling me the story of her life. No matter what your political affiliation, I think you’ll enjoy it. Did you read this? Audiobook or paper? What are you doing this Monday? #careylovestobook #bookstagram #booknerd #bookblogger #igbooks #bookwineandmetime #madreadersclub #booksilove #doitforthegram #top5reads2019 #top5 #booklist #becoming #michelleobama #firstlady

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