Six in Six 🌸📚☕️ {Day 54}

Beauty in the midst of construction zone! 😅🥰

I’ve enjoyed Jessica’s blog for awhile now and I saw she was joining in a bookish blog hop about our 2026 reading! I used to blog hop a lot and really enjoyed linking up with others over a common topic. 😍 I’m joining her at Words & Peace for this reading meme reflecting about your first six months of reading.

Instructions from Emma at Words & Peace:

In 2021, Jo at The Book Jotter started hosting the meme Six in Six.
She stopped blogging in 2025, so I have decided to host it myself.

What is 6 in 6?

The idea is to look back at the books you have read so far in the six months of this year.
Now, I love plays with numbers, so I’m extending this meme:
you can post any time in July, or as early as 6/6, June 6th.

What do you post?

Choose 6 books in 6 categories.
You can come up with your own category, or choose among the following examples (copied from Jo’s blog):

  • Six new authors to me
  • Six authors I have read before
  • Six authors I am looking forward to reading more of
  • Six books I have enjoyed the most
  • Six books I was disappointed with
  • Six series of books read or started
  • Six authors I read last year – but not so far this year
  • Six books that took me on extraordinary journeys
  • Six books that took me by the hand and led me into the past
  • Six books from the past that drew me back there
  • Six books from authors I know will never let me down
  • Six books I must mention that don’t fit nicely into any category
  • Six books I started in the first six months of the year and was still caught up with in July
  • Six trips to Europe
  • Six blogging events I enjoyed
  • Six bookish things I’m looking forward to
  • Six Espionage or Historical Novels I enjoyed
  • Six Cool Classics
  • Six Non-US/Non-British Authors
  • Six From the Non-Fiction Shelf
  • Six books that didn’t live up to expectations
  • Six books that I had one or two problems with but am still glad I tried
  • Six books that are related to The Great War or Second World War
  • Six bookshops I have visited
  • Six books I’ve read in an English translation
  • Six books which are better than the film
  • Six books which are worse than the film
  • Six books that have sport as their major theme
  • Six favourite places to read
  • Six books read on kindle and then went and bought an actual copy
  • Six books I abandoned
  • Six classics I have read
  • Six books I have read on my Kindle
  • Six physical books I have read
  • Six book covers I love
  • Six book covers that bear no resemblance to the story contained within
  • Six books to read to avoid politics
  • Six books I have read but not reviewed
  • Six books I have read in lockdown
  • Six classic mysteries
  • Six books about Royalty
  • Six pretty book covers
  • Six books set in a country other than my own
  • Six books that feature a Pandemic
  • Six books that are great when self-isolating
  • Six books recently added to my wish list
  • Six mysteries, thrillers or crime novels NOT by Agatha Christie
  • Six books with titles connected to rivers, seas and storms
  • Six nature related books
  • Six books about Librarians and Libraries
  • Six books I really want to buy in the next six months
  • Six books that feature a building in the title

My categories I’ve chosen to share about are:

  1. Six favorite genres so far
  2. Six favorite reads so far in 2026
  3. Six favorite Booktube Readathons
  4. Six New-to-Me Authors
  5. Six Mysteries I loved
  6. Six Books I Read from My Shelf

My Six Favorite Genres: (many are a mixture of these below! I’m such an eclectic reader!)

  1. Fairytale/Classic Retellings
  2. Fantasy
  3. Historical Fiction
  4. Mystery
  5. Young Adult
  6. Middle Grade

My Six Favorite Reads so far 2026 (so hard to choose!)

  1. The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco (beautiful, heartwarming Middle Grade)
  2. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas (gorgeous, Biblical Historical Fiction)
  3. The Will of Many by James Islington (wonderful epic Historical Fantasy)
  4. Through Rushing Waters by Catherine Richmond (Heartbreaking Historical Fiction)
  5. Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery (beautifully written classic)
  6. Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw (classic fantasy story of an underdog!)

My Six Favorite Booktube Readathons So Far this Year: (You can still join these! I don’t follow the monthly prompts, I just fill them in as I go!)

  1. Jurassic Reading Challenge
  2. Read Your Bookshelf Challenge
  3. Journey Through Time Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
  4. Passport to Summer Reading
  5. Summertime Bingo
  6. Summer Book Bingo

Six New-to-Me Authors

  1. Carrie Cotten, Christian Fantasy, The Huntress
  2. Derin R. Hicks, Middle Grade, Shakespeare Mystery Duo-logy
  3. Kate Stradling, Cozy Fantasy, Deathmark
  4. Sheri Cobb South, Regency Romance, The Weaver Takes a Wife
  5. Lloyd C. Douglas, Biblical Historical Fiction, The Robe
  6. Michael Perry, Memoir, Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time
Want to try this one from Douglas soon! About Apostle Peter!

Six Mysteries I have enjoyed :

  1. Death in a Strange Country (and Quietly In Their Sleep) by Donna Leon (Commisario Brunetti Series)
  2. For Whom the Book Tolls by Laura Gail Black (cozy mystery)
  3. Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills (Romantic Suspense Mystery Thriller)
  4. Alex Rider: Scorpio (and Snakehead) by Anthony Horowitz (mystery/spy thriller series)
  5. Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson (small town mystery)
  6. Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave (and sequel Tower of Five Orders) by Deron R. Hicks (Middle Grade)
My library is currently all dismantled for remodeling! 🥲📚♥️

Six Books I actually Read from My Own Shelf (Physical/Kindle Shelf):

  1. Caddie Woodlawn (reread) by Carol Ryrie Brink (Middle Grade Historical Fiction)
  2. Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen (Cozy Mystery)
  3. This is Happiness by Niall Williams (hauntingly beautiful Historical Fiction)
  4. The Road Past Altamont by Gabrielle Roy (beautiful book in translation about Mother/Daughter relationships)
  5. Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg (charming reimagining of Disney’s Frozen, YA Fantasy)
  6. Persuasion (reread) by Jane Austen (Regency)
Polyphemus Moth on our deck!

How has your reading year been so far? 📚📖

Wonderful words from web for wandering through … {Day 53}

Sarah shares beautiful reflections on motherhood and our bodies…

Read about gorgeous trees that I love…

Intriguing thoughts on storytelling…

Kim shares her summer plans…

~

…at the close of the day… {Day 42} 🌅

…gratitudes…

•thankful for the laundry blowing on the line •the killdeers and geese•the smell of pine in the sun•delicious chicken and veggie kebobs•talking with Ricci and many others at graduation parties•for a hot shower •new gratitude journal•for a hubby who works hard•for remodeling •for gorgeous storm clouds•

Maud {Day 32}

Do you have a favorite-of-all-time author? Mine is L.M. Montgomery and I can’t tell you what a joy and delight it is to be back in her books! I finally finished the Pat Duology and Mistress Pat was such a delight. The gorgeously drawn natural world, quirky characters, human-like cats, trees, and houses that she wrote bring me untold delight. I’m currently rereading the Emily Starr books with a group even though I’m savoring them and they are flying through them. 😂 I’m slow. I also picked up Anne of Avonlea to continue my journey through the Anne series this year in honor of my own Anne’s marriage. It’s surprising and wonderful how much my gorgeous surroundings come alive with Maud’s words floating through my heart and mind. It’s actually so life-giving.

Montgomery’s stories make me think GREEN. My favorite color!!! Perhaps because of her love for trees 🌳🌿🌲 and green gables?! 😅

Unique Things We Love ♥️ {Day 29}

1. Manga Classics! Manga is a Japanese cartoon type story telling that you turn the pages left to right. There are a lot variations and genres out there ( including po*n graphic -so beware!), but our family has really enjoyed many English translated stories . Our favorite BY FAR is Manga Classic retellings of our beloved favorites. Above our just a few of the ones we own. They are a bit spendy, but we collect them for birthdays or Christmas.

    2. The Anno Math Game books were so fun for my youngest to do with my husband. Definitely for younger kids but such delightful illustrations and unique ways of looking at mathematics.

    3. I’m privileged to write and collage for this Christian homemaker women’s letter. It has grown from a few friends who met years ago via Instagram and blogs. A new website has launched for subscribers and it would make a wonderful gift for any mother!

    4. Last but not least, I highly recommend these GORGEOUS sticker packs from Peter Pauper Press. You can get them on Amazon. My favorites are definitely the Cottagecore and Enchanted Forest books!

    Happy Saturday! ♥️~

    Favorite Blogs and Booktube Channels to check out! {Day 22} 📽️📚

    Happy Thursday! I ‘tried’ to group these by main genre topic. ♥️ I’m hoping to add more for reference! A few of these don’t regularly update, but there is a TREASURE TROVE of back posts!

    Writing/General Memoir/Nature:

    Adrienne Morris

    Beating the Bounds

    Merhling Muse

    Words & Herbs

    Poetry (among other gems):

    Beautiful Messy Life

    Dreams from A Pilgrimage

    Kourtney Garrison

    Leaf and Twig

    Tea & Paper

    writing in north norfolk

    Essays/Articles:

    Enthusiastically, Dawn

    Dr. Lizzie Rogers

    The Marginalian

    Home/Domestic/Family:

    Fancied Freedom

    Gathering Light

    Good to Be Home

    Haven Hedgerow

    Heavens to Betty

    Melissa Wiley

    Rabbit Patch Diary

    Renaissance

    Reading/Homeschool:

    Sage Parnassus

    The Book Worm Chronicles

    Woldenburn

    Booktube Absolute Favorites:

    Kate Howe

    Chantel Reads All Day

    Miriam Elizabeth Reads

    Gloria Z Thompson

    Cozy Cottage Chapters

    Happy reading/watching! This would be a perfect place to dive into on your next rainy day! So thankful for creativity and words! 🌲♥️😍

    Reading stack today…📚📚📚{Day 16}

    If you could chuck your to-do list out the window today, what would you do? 😅😂 I’d find a lovely spot by water, under a tree, or in my cute local coffee shop, grab a latte , and read. I know, surprise, surprise. ☺️😉

    Here’s what’s on my stack that I’m currently interested in or really enjoying!

    Cheesy, bordering on super silly continuing cozy mystery series that pokes fun of the Regency literature era tropes 😂
    I ♥️ my Kindle! Amish in April selection (Booktube Readathon), a couple of fantasy novels, a mystery, writing nonfiction, and continuing 14 yo spy thriller series!
    Middle Grade Historical Fiction! Can’t wait to try this! I adore anything with lighthouses!
    Oh my word. I’m absolutely adoring this book. Montgomery’s writing and characters make my heart sing. 😍🥹♥️

    I love keeping house…it’s really a lovely phrase, isn’t it? Keeping it…holding it fast against the world…against all the forces trying to tear it open.

    Mistress Pat ♥️🌿

    Walking & Words🚶🏽‍♀️📜 {Day 10}

    “Marilla!” Anne sat down on Marilla’s gingham lap, took Marilla’s lined face between her hands, and looked gravely and tenderly into Marilla’s eyes. “I’m not a bit changed-not really. I’m only just pruned down and branched out. The real me-back here-is just the same. It won’t make a bit of difference where I go or how much I change outwardly; at heart I shall always be your little Anne, who will love you and Matthew and dear Green Gables more and better every day of her life.”

    ~ Anne of Green Gables

    😭😭😭 thinking about my Anne getting MARRIED. 😭😭😭 My oldest son is doing a lot and making decisions, too!! Change and them growing up is in my heart. Hard, but beautiful. ♥️🙏🏻

    If I can stop one Heart from breaking

    I shall not live in vain

    If I can ease one Life the Aching

    Or cool one Pain

    Or help one fainting Robin

    Into his Nest again

    I shall not live in Vain.

    ~ Emily Dickinson

    We are enjoying Dickinson again in our co op currently! She is one of my most favorite poets and I think this above poem IS my favorite by her. 🥲♥️ The prayer over my life. Here is a beautiful print of it for your home.

    When Marilla had eaten her lunch Anne persuaded her to go to bed. Then Anne went herself to the east gable and sat down by her window in the darkness alone with her tears and her heaviness of heart. How sadly things had changed since she sat there the night after coming home! Then she had been full of hope and joy and the future had looked rosy with promise. Anne felt as if she had lived years since then, but before she went to bed there was a smile on her lips and peace in her heart. She looked her duty courageously in the face and found it a friend-as duty ever is when we meet it frankly.”

    ~Anne of Green Gables, emphasis mine

    I’m nobody! Who are you?

    Are you nobody, too?

    Then there’s a pair of us-don’t tell!

    They’d banish us, you know.

    How dreary to be somebody!

    How public, like a frog

    To tell your name the livelong day

    To an admiring bog!

    ~Emily Dickinson

    A few favorite Emily resources ♥️

    Anne went to the little Avonlea graveyard the next evening to put fresh flowers on Matthew’s grave and water the Scotch rosebush. She lingered there until dusk, liking the peace and calm of the little place, with its poplars whose rustle was like a low, friendly speech, and its whispering grasses growing at will among the graves. When she finally left it and walked down the long hill that sloped to the Lake of Shining Waters it was past sunset and all Avonlea lay before her in a dreamlike afterlight-“a haunt of ancient peace.” There was a freshness in the air as if a wind that had blown over honey-sweet fields of clover. Home lights twinkled out here and there among the homestead trees. Beyond lay the sea, misty and purple, with its haunting, unceasing murmur. The west was a glory of soft, mingled hues, and the pond reflected them all in still softer shadings. The beauty of it thrilled Anne’s heart, and she gratefully opened the gates of her soul to it.

    ~Anne of Green Gables

    Niche YouTube ♥️🎥💻📱♥️ {Day 9}

    I don’t remember when I first encountered the wonderful world of Booktube, but it was pre-covid and I’ve been happily watching ever since! If you aren’t sure what it is, Booktube is a corner of YouTube that focuses on reading and talking about reading! 😅 I also have found AMAZING reading journalers which is like a sandwich of my two favorite hobbies ever! There are YouTubers for EVERY hobby! Flosstubers, Gardentubers, Cookingtubers! 😍😅♥️ Overall, I’ve found a small group of people in the Booktube world who are sooo friendly, welcoming, and as passionate about books and reading as I am! As with anything, you have to weed out a few thorns and balance the time spent, but this has been an enriching part of my life. Today I thought I’d share a few of my current favs! As you know 😉I read a wide variety of random things, so I’m going to share my Eclectic Booktuber favorites! I have many MORE, I love, but these are my jam currently.

    Eclectic Booktubers I currently love:

    Book Nerd K-Tree

    Hot Cocoa and Books

    Magical Emma Rose

    Paris Mae Reads

    Woldenburn Reads

    Reading Journaltubers (our book tastes may not align, but I adore their journaling style!)

    cups and thoughts

    Manda Made

    Michaela’s Cozy Life

    ReadJournalLove

    Do you have a niche YouTube corner? A hobby that you like learning about on YouTube!? I’d love to hear! Maybe I will do another of these lists later for my general favorite Booktubers!

    Wednesday Wonders ♥️🌲{Day 8}

    The Queen 😻🐈

    Good morning! ☀️ Resurrecting my Wednesday Wonders series…I recently answered these questions here, but they are always changing, so indulge me again?! 😄♥️🌷

    listening to•♥️🌲~ I’m finally getting to the sequel in L.M. Montgomery’s Silver Bush duology, using this audiobook recording of it that is fantastic! I’m LOVING Mistress Pat even more than the first. Patricia is growing up and feeling the growing pains of possibly having to leave Silver Bush and everything changing! I identify with change being hard! 🥲I also want to listen more to this Josh Garrels release!

    Music practice always going on around here! So thankful we have the ability for lessons!

    •reading•♥️🌲~ My mood shifted yesterday 😅 and I started rooting around for things to read. 😂📚 I think I’m leaning towards cozy classics, charming characters, and delicious nature descriptions. Of course, I first picked up, my gal, Maud Montgomery! Hence, Mistress Pat! A memory I have is rereading the whole Anne Series when I was pregnant with my first. Her name is Ann-E 🥹♥️😅 and she getting married later this year! Maybe I’ll reread the series this year in honor!? 😭😍

    Moody stack!

    watching•♥️🌲~ I’m slowly rereading all the greats with my younger set. The Wind in the Willows is one of the current ones. It’s such a great book for spring! I was craving the claymation? film version and so enjoyed watching it. The peaceful atmosphere (except Toad 🐸😂) was just as I remembered it.

    noticing•♥️🌲~ Our Black Willow trees sustained a lot of damage in a recent ice storm, but I salvaged a few branches with buds for the table. The robins have been so cheery even though it’s been rainy and cold. I’m waiting not so patiently for warmth and usually by the end of April, the Barn Swallows are back! 😍♥️

    Sunset 🌅
    Slow strolls and shadows
    Coming to the end of this in our homeschool co op!
    Beautiful 🤩 chaos – so thankful for life and color!

    What about you? ♥️🌲 What are you listening to, reading, watching, and noticing TODAY?! ☀️🌷💜🌿🍃

    “I am waylaid by Beauty.” {Day 2}

    New-to-me favorite poet! ♥️

    Assault

    I had forgotten how the frogs must sound

    After a year of silence, else I think

    I should not so have ventured forth alone

    At dusk upon this unfrequented road.

    I am waylaid by Beauty. Who will walk

    Between me and the crying of the frogs?

    Oh, savage Beauty, suffer me to pass,

    That am a timid woman, on her way

    From one house to another!

    ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay~

    Millay’s poetry has been recently touching me deeply. Do you have a current favorite poet? Mine is constantly changing. I’m a lover of words and Beauty of poetry often waylays me! The other morning I stopped with great delight over my steaming coffee and knew that I was hearing the spring peepers on our little pond. It brought me so much joy. I received a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas last year and I’m sooo glad I picked this giant tome of her work. ♥️♥️♥️

    What beauty touched you recently?