I’m so excited for this weekend because mine starts now! I’m taking a couple of days off from work and of course there’s Labor Day holiday so I get a nice bit of a break to enjoy my books. We’re also expecting a cold front. Ha. Hey, I’ll take anything that takes us below 100+ degrees.

So wanted to share what my current reading stack looks like even though it’s not that big. Of course I’m sure I’ll add another book soon.

First up is The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I initially picked this up for Spanish Lit month and even though that is over, I’m still reading this. The story is about a book detective in search for a missing manuscript and it’s set in Spain. I think if you are at all interested in antiquarian books this would be a great read. While it’s taking me a while to read this, I’m very much enjoying the setting and the characters. There is just something a little unreliable about all of them.

My other read is Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle. Lil and Frank after many years of marriage and now having grown children, move back to Frank’s hometown. Frank wants to revisit his childhood home where now Shelly, a single mom, and her son live. I’m not very far into this book but I love the way Lil is worried about keeping track of memories and recording events for her children. As someone who loves to journal, I really appreciate this.

Finally, yes, I’m still making my way through Devotions by Mary Oliver. Such beauty in these poems. Just take a look at this:

Eat bread and understand comfort.
Drink water, and understand delight.
Visit the garden where the scarlet trumpets are opening their bodies for the hummingbirds
who are drinking the sweetness, who are thrillingly gluttonous.

For one thing leads to another.
Soon you will notice how stones shine underfoot.
Eventually tides will be the only calendar you believe in.

From To Begin With, the Sweet Grass

Alright friends, I going to enjoy a bit of a blog break but I’ll be back next week for more book talk. Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

It’s baaack… Are you ready for some spooky and thrilling reads? I know I am and so once again very excited to join in the Readers Imbibing Peril Reading Challenge, which is now in it’s 15th year. Isn’t that amazing?

And, this year it’s even easier. You don’t need to have a blog or post all your reviews. All you need to do is tag @PerilReaders and #ripxv in your Instagram posts. It’s that easy. 

The challenge starts September 1 and runs through October 31st. You can read as many reads as you want and you decide how spooky your reading can be.

I tend to read a lot of mysteries throughout the year so for this challenge I try to focus on more ghostly/horror type stories.

The past few years I’ve tried reading a classic horror/mystery story and have finally read Frankenstein and Dracula.

This year maybe I’ll finally get to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James or maybe do a re-read of Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice which I read when i was in my 20s. Well no matter what I end up choosing, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it.

Last but definitely not least, thank you to Carl V. who started this wonderful challenge and for Andi and Heather who’ve continued the tradition.

Who all is in and what are you reading?