Unique Bookstore Inside A Wisconsin Airport!!

 

Wow, Renaissance Books at the Milwaukee Airport sounds like a fabulous place to purchase books!! This is not your typical airport bookstore as 95% of the books are used. 

I think I would love visiting this bookstore.

Letters by Lanternlight - Cozy Mysteries Via Letters - Subscription

 

Letters by Lanternlight sounds intriguing! I may end up adding this to my holiday wishlist this year.

As many of my followers may already know, I adore cozy mystery novels... When I learned about Letters by Lanternlight roughly two weeks ago, I was intrigued by the concept of a cozy mystery story told through a series of letters you receive in the mail!!

I love reading letters sent to me via the postal service. Written letters sent via the postal service is a dying art form and something I miss dearly. So, the idea of receiving a series of letters in the mail containing an unfolding cozy mystery story sounds like my cup of tea.

The following information comes from the Letters by Lanterlight website:

✨ Why Readers Love Letters by Lanternlight

📚 Fresh & immersive – A mystery you can hold in your hands, one letter at a time.
🎁 A gift that stands out – Thoughtful, unique, and never “just more stuff.”
🔎 Simple & inviting – Large, easy-to-read font and straightforward storytelling—no codes or puzzles required.
🕵️ Screen-free escape – Cozy stories delivered straight to your mailbox.
🐾 Connection & delight – Fun to share with loved ones (or enjoy with tea and a cat).
⏳ Savor the suspense – Stories unfold slowly, with built-in anticipation.

Does Letters by Lanternlight sound like something you'd enjoy? 

The Farmers' Almanac - The End of an Era!!

 

Sadly, it's an end of an era!! The Farmers' Almanac 2026 edition will be the final edition that will be published. 

The Farmers' Almanac was first published in 1818. 

I've never read a Farmers' Almanac before, but I like it for its nostalgia factor. 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput, which was nicely narrated by Allyson Ryan. In fact, Savannah Sleuth was my last read for the month of October.

I was able to download Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput for FREE from Chirp's website. Each week, Chirp Audiobooks offers a few free audiobooks for a limited time. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput.

Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput is the first novel in the 'Vigilantes For Justice' series. Based on the publisher's summary, I felt like Savannah Sleuth would be a good fit for me. It's a cozy mystery novel (I love cozy mysteries) set in Savannah, Georgia and the plot sounded intriguing enough for my taste.

However, Savannah Sleuth was a huge disappointment to me. I felt like there were way too many topics/bylines in this novel that received more attention than they should've. These side topics/bylines were too distracting. 

Additionally, the main character, Patricia Falcon, was too wimpy for someone who works with other women to help rescue badly abused women in Savannah, Georgia. Patricia seemed too emotionally fragile for this type of work. 

Speaking of rescuing abused women, Patricia Falcon and her crew only did one rescue of an abused woman at the start of the novel. After that, the rest of the novel was focused on other topics. If part of the novel's focus is to highlight the fact that Patricia and her crew rescue abused women, then I'd have liked to see more of that focused on in Savannah Sleuth rather then focusing on other nonessential bylines.

Savannah Sleuth also seems to fall into the Christian fiction genre as well. I don't have any specific beef with the Christian fiction genre. But Christian fiction isn't something I gravitate towards. There was too much talk about the church for me in this novel.

Below is the publisher's summary for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput from Chirp's website:

Though born to heirloom pearls, designer dresses and lush garden parties, Savannah social icon Patricia Falcon and three of her closest friends spend their days in Savannah’s dark side rescuing abused women. Patricia’s darling mother, a prominent philanthropist, drops dead, and the police are baffled by her untimely death. Patricia recruits her three friends to help her investigate what she believes is murder. “Savannah Sleuth” is a page-turning journey from Savannah’s Southern wealth and grace into the hidden corners of Savannah and across two continents in a deadly pursuit of justice.

I am giving Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars. Needless to say, I won't continue reading the remaining novels in the 'Vigilantes For Justice' series.

Listening time for Savannah Sleuth by Alan Chaput is 8 hours, 14 minutes.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

New to Me Little Free Libraries in Bakersfield, California

 

9909 Mesa Oak Dr., Bakersfield, CA

2408 Mountain Oak Rd., Bakersfield, CA

Bakersfield, California was our last overnight stay before returning home from our eleven day roadtrip to and from Monument Valley. There wasn't anything special we wanted to see while in Bakersfield, California. It was simply a city for us to stay in overnight on our return journey home. 

However, there were tons of Little Free Libraries in Bakersfield, California. We chose to find two of them near the hotel where we'd stayed the night. Both Little Free Libraries we found were super cute and filled with with many books. I loved how the second LFL shown above in my post was decorated for Halloween!

We also stayed in both Williams, Arizona and Kingman, Arizona on our roadtrip journey. Unfortunately, we didn't find any LFLs in either city on the Little Free Library app we have on our smartphones.

We loved Williams, Arizona immensely and we would like to return to Williams another time for a longer stay to see the attractions we missed seeing during our very short visit there. 

Kingman, Arizona offered a decent overnight stay. We made a quick stop to the Kingman Visitor Center before we headed out of town for Bakersfield. The Kingman Visitor Center has a drive through Route 66 sign and a museum attached to it as well. 

It's also worth noting that the Kingman Visitor Center use to be a powerhouse before it was turned into a visitor center. There's also another museum near the Kingman Visitor Center called the Mohave Museum of History and Art that I would have liked to visit during our trip along with the Kingman Railroad Museum... But alas, we simply didn't have the time to visit either museum during our quick stay in Kingman, Arizona.

We saw several places in Williams, Arizona, but the Poozeum museum was a highlight for us. It's a small museum featuring fossilized dinosaur poop. Poozeum offers free admission.

We visited the Poozeum in Williams, AZ. Free admission to see fossilized dinosaur poop!

Interior photo of the Poozeum! Small, fun museum tovisit!

Below are a few of the many photos we took while visiting the Kingman Visitor Center. I liked the drive through Route 66 sign, and the Route 66 gift shop and Arizona themed gift shop inside the Kingman Visitor Center. Plus, displays on the second floor for visitors to see.

Exterior view of the Kingman Visitor Center.

One of two gift shops within the Kingman Visitor Center. This one focused on Arizona themed items.

Two New to Me Little Free Libraries in Flagstaff, Arizona

3801 E Summer Run Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

My husband and I spent the night in Flagstaff, Arizona after visiting Monument Valley and also the Four Corners Monument.

While in Flagstaff, we found two very cute Little Free Libraries!!

2583 N Grey Fox Way, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

My husband and I stayed in Monument Valley for three full days. Monument Valley is managed by the Navajo Nation and is part of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. It was our first visit to Monument Valley and I hope it won't be our last visit!

If you haven't been Monument Valley before, it's a massive region of land that is very remote!! We stayed four nights at the View Hotel, Premium Cabins, and RV/Campground. We chose to stay in one of the Premium Cabins, which is sort of like glamping. The Premium Cabin comes with a full bathroom, bedroom, and main living area that has a full sized refrigerator, microwave, kitchen sink, coffee machine, dining table, sofa, and outdoor seating area. Plus, heating and air conditioner too.

I liked the privacy of the Premium Cabins at The View Hotel, but next time I think we will stay inside the View Hotel itself as the cabins are about a half mile away from the hotel and located on unpaved roads. Plus, staying at The View Hotel is closer to dining at the hotel itself and the tour pick up area for Navajo guided tours of Monument Valley.

The Sunrise View of Monument Valley From Our Cabin the First Morning!!

A View of our Cabin and One of the Buttes in Monument Valley.

Another View of Monument Valley

We did take a three hour tour of Monument Valley with a Navajo tour company called Native Spirit Tours. There are several Navajo businesses that offer tours of Monument Valley. We absolutely loved our guided tour from Native Spirit Tours and wouldn't hesitate using them again in the future or recommend them to others. Below are a few photos taken during our guided tour of Monument Valley.

Below are photos of the Elephant Feet roadside attraction as well as the Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks. Both attractions are free and worth the visit. Additionally, both attractions are located between Monument Valley and Flagstaff, Arizona.

Elephant Feet which is seen as a roadside attraction on our way to Monument Valley

Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks

Have you visited Monument Valley before? 

I understand that spring and autumn are the best times of the year to visit Monument Valley for the milder weather... Not too hot, nor too cold weather wise.

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

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Below are ten books I randomly grabbed from my bookshelves. Interestingly enough, I have not read any of them!

1. The Wind At My Back by Misty Copeland

2. Saints & Misfits by S. K. Ali

3. Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History by Scott Andrew Selby & Greg Campbell

4. Bone Music by Christopher Rice

5. Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts by Emily Anthes

6. The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks by Amy Stewart

7. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie

8. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

9. Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay

10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Have you read any of the above books? Which one do you think I should I read first?

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

My husband and I recently returned from an eleven day roadtrip. During our roadtrip, we thoroughly enjoyed listening to the unabridged audio version of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein, which is well narrated by Will Damron.

My husband isn't a book reader per say, but he does enjoy various nonfiction topics like I do. I'd been wanting to read Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein for quite a while. So, after sharing what this book was about with my husband, he was on board with listening to it with me on our roadtrip. He enjoyed listening to Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein as much as I did.

Essentially, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World takes readers on a deep dive as to why generalists fare much better than specialists  do in real life. Generalists tend to be more creative and make/see connections that specialists do not.

Each chapter of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World focuses on a specific topic, which makes for interesting reading. I liked the examples given throughout the book to help engage the reader and also help the reader understand the specific concepts the author was conveying in his book.

Below is the publisher's summary for Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein from Chirp's website:

Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.

David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.

Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.

I am giving Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

New to Me Little Free Library in Winslow, Arizona!!

While still on our 11 day roadtrip, my husband and I made the city of Winslow, Arizona our third overnight stop. While on our way out of town, we stumbled upon this Little Free Library. I left a book here and took one with me.

We even had a short chat with the LFL owner who came over to talk with us. She said she started her LFL at the start of the pandemic during the lockdown. There are a lot of children in her neighborhood and she wanted to provide books for kids to read while they were sheltering in place during the lockdown. What a great inspiration for starting a LFL!!

Winslow, Arizona was a fun town for us to visit. We enjoyed our very short stay there. Winslow, Arizona is located on iconic Route 66! 

By the way, this was the first time I'd left book(s) inside a Little Free Library outside the State of California.

Below are a few photographs of the various places we saw in Winslow, Arizona!

We visited the Standin' on the Corner of Winslow, AZ attraction based on the Eagles song, Take It Easy.

This is billed as the world's smallest church!! Winslow, Arizona.

Finding this painted Volkswagen Beetle on display was fun to find in Winslow, Arizona.

This larger than life bulldog statue was another find in Winslow, Arizona. The bulldog is the local high school's mascot.

We stayed one night at the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona. What a magnificent hotel with a rich history! I wish we could have stayed 2-3 nights there, but alas (hopefully) next time. 

The following information about La Posada Hotel comes from their website:

In 1930, La Posada (The Resting Place) opened to great acclaim as the crown jewel of the Fred Harvey series of luxury railroad hotels. Renowned architect Mary E.J. Colter envisioned every aspect of the design and considered it to be her finest work. Today, that vision is impeccably preserved for the modern traveler. La Posada is more than a hotel stay, it is an immersive experience in art, architecture, fine dining, and the history of early travel in the southwest.

La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona

Lobby and gift shop at the La Posada Hotel. They even have a bookstore!

I'll be sharing more LFL finds from our roadtrip and other sites we saw on another day.