Even though there were some bad news this week, there was still a lot of joy as well.

1) Nemo, of course. So much love 💖
2) Received two lovely food packages from two lovely people
3) Got two awesome books from @VaniBarelyReads ❤ (she will show up here always, because she's my #1 joy)
4) Free kiwi when I needed something healthy
5) Awesome vegan empanada at the local food festival 🎉

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

My book bestie @fabienne.luethi chooses one book for me to read each month. When she chose the second book of the FlameBringer Trilogy for June, someone (speak: me) may has gone overboard and bought the whole trilogy 😅

We are all good in book maths, right? If it's the whole series it's ONE book. 🙌

Picture from the author's FB page.

This is one of those books that has been recommended to me over and over again and I stumbled upon more than once. Now I finally read it! And yes, of course I enjoyed it. I loved the intertwined narration, but for me it could've been more. For someone's who's just starting with this kind of Inception style book it'll be the perfect book. Piranesi is lovely and I enjoyed all the ideas in this book and finding out the truth (a bit too easy for me).

Little tiny #bookhaul 📚

Can't resist Amelie Nothomb, one of my all-time favourite writers. And when I saw this hardback edition of Felix and Gotrek I was all 😍😍🤩

I don't understand how someone can give away this gem, but thanks to that person because now it's MINE! ❤️❤️❤️

This is my second book by Nastassja Martin, and while the first one was a autobiographical one, this one is what Marti's life is all about: the indigenous people in Kamchatka, called the Even. They try to live as close to their traditions as possible. We learn about them, their believes and ways. Many parts were very academical. I skimmed those, but the soul of this book is with the stories of these people.

@TheAromaofBooks #BookSpin

#notbookrelated

So, so proud of our Nemo at the ESC 2024 🥹 And I so hope that Switzerland now finally acknowledges that non-binary people exist! 🏳️‍🌈🇨🇭

Ireland was also really impressive and crept into my dreams. Loved Ukraine's song, too ❤️🫶

1) Thursday was a holiday and I slept soooo much. Secco clearly was confused 😁
2) Watching @VaniBarelyReads playing Pokémon and playing it again myself
3) Felix Ever After gave me queer joy 🌈🏳️‍⚧️
4) Could cross off the first square of my Summer Bingo ☀️
5) Customers at our shop and working there 📚
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Wow, this book! It just blew me away. Felix felt so real, even when I wasn't reading the book he was there with me. More than once I had to close the book, because my emotions run wild. Kacen states that this a very personal book, and it shows. On each page. It also shows how much pressure there is on young people. We olf folk tend to smile at what teenagers have to go through, forgetting how it feels to have the whole world on your shoulders.

Soft pick, since I think I'm way too much into feminist thinking to really enjoy this story from... 1998? But it had some good moments and some really strong King vibes. Especially how he works with sound through text. That was very well made. I also liked the dog and think that King enjoys writing about dogs 😁 🐶

#BookishMonopoly @AkashaVampie

Started out as a So-So, then a low Pick, now a Pick. There are quite a lot of characters and I had troubles telling them apart at first. I think, this would be a great full-cast audio book.
The dialogues are written in Swiss German, but since it's not my dialect, it wasn't that easy reading them. It felt like switching between two foreign languages 😅
But kudos to the four authors who managed to write a book together 👍

@PuddleJumper #roll100

Even though my last experience with Tchaikovsky wasn't that good, I really wanted to read this book. It might not be a highlight, but I still liked listening to the audio version. Of course I really wanted to tell Rex he's a good dog. But Honey was my favorite, so I want to read her story as well. It's an important topic the author writes about, because we're not far away from that reality. So we should be prepared...

Came along this for a challenge and I just couldn't stop reading. Not that I wanted to. Finished it in one sitting. I laughed and had such a good time with these characters and loved the afterword, where Muniz states that this story is loosely based on her own love story ❤

Wow, this was uncanny, uncomfortable and spooky. I loved it. The stories differ quite a lot, which is impressive. It made me shiver. Not only because the author uses the horror elements really good, but also because she writes about feminism without pointing it out. That makes it even more stunning. This book would've slipped my mind if it wasn't for the Translation Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair.

@TheAromaofBooks #DoubleSpin

I read this book as a teen and was rather disappointed. Reason enough to reread it as a grown-up. Once again I welt somewhat uneasy as the story progressed. I did not like the new Bastian and preferred the one from the beginning. But that was exactly what Ende is all about. The journey. The discovery. Learning who we are. How we grow. That we all make mistakes, but in the end we decide who we want to be. Deep and meaningful for all of us.

It's hard to put in words what this book means to me. What it did with me. It made me so angry, I wanted to through something through the room. I had to pause several times to process what I just heard. To wipe away tears. I think one time I did start to cry and couldn't continue listening. We learn about how deep patriarchy roots in our society (mainly focused on Germany, but the US is often mentioned as well) and what this means for all of us.

On to my next. #BookishMonopoly roll (almost went to book jail ?). My task is "continue a series" and I want to continue the Dark Tower series. Since it's such a short book, I also chose to read Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

@AkashaVampie

1. Went to a lovely wedding...
2. ...and had a lovely meal afterwards at a special location
3. I got an appointment with my dermatologist the same day I called, because someone else had canceled their appointment
4. Learned that a dear friend is expecting their first child
5. the amazing @VaniBarelyReads surprise gifted me with the tagged book

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

And my #BookSpinBingo board for May. I think I'll manage two 😁

@TheAromaofBooks

Not the tagged book, but my #Bookspin doesn't seem to be in the database ? It's the second translated book by Nastassja Martin.

Bora Chungs "Cursed Bunny" is my #Doublespin ?

@TheAromaofBooks

After reading a review about this comic series I was intrigued. It was a fast read for me, since it's targeted at a younger audience. But nevertheless it had a big impact on me, and I hope on other readers as well. It puts mental illness in focus and removes the stigmata. Such an important topic!

It's been quite a while since I've read the first part, but I remembered enough to read this volume. It's a typical Lukianenko, so my rating only shows that my reading taste has changed. I'm not the same I used to be, so the way females are shown, or rather not shown, here bothered me a lot. But that's only me. A few years ago I would've enjoyed it quite a lot.

#BookishMonopoly @AkashaVampie
#serieslove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

Continuing reading the GoT books in the weird German edition. This is book 8, so I completed volume 4 of the English original. I preferred volume 7, even though I can't really point out why. It didn't feel as tense to me, even though some tough things were happening.

Seemingly, I read faster than I review. So my detailed review will follow later. I still have a lot to process when it comes to the content of this book.

#bookofthemonth #botm

What a surprise - not. No explanations needed, I guess😄

#bookofthemonth #botm

This is the first part of the trilogy, but I read the second one (Bullet Train) first, and as far as I can judge it doesn't matter. It was fun to discover all the little hints and tips Isaka hides in this story. Also, you actually start liking murderers while reading this. At least I did. How twisted! Of course Isaka manages to do this. It's a bit slower than BT, but this story slowly crept into my heart and I got invested more and more.

A true Saunders book. It's uncomfortable, it makes us feel uneasy and the characters are mostly unlikable. But it's exactly that what makes those stories outstanding. They challenge us, make us see how we really are. We all have to face our own demons and fears, Saunders simply forms them into stories. We are just thrown into the world of the characters, we take a glimpse at their lives, and then we're gone again. Thinking about our own realities.

There were some good things about this book. Like how inclusive the characters are or that the grandmother doesn't hide anything from Zander. But overall this book can't keep up with the Winterhouse series. Too many characters and the setting was confusing. I wasn't very invested in the story either. The pictures weren't mine either. Younger readers might enjoy it more than I did.

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

I'm just a little bit bothered that I won't be able to finish The Neverending Story in time... Still, three Bingos for #Bookspinbingo this month. But... I'm still annoyed. Argh!

@TheAromaofBooks

Second part of the dilogy and just as good as the first book. Each can be read separately, but with both stories in mind one gets all the little details Brinkmann wove into her world. Especially loved the aro-ace rep, even though it wasn't addressed as such.

Finally read this classic - it sure took me long enough. But it is as impressive as I thought it would be. Especially how Art includes his own relationship to his dad into the story. Writing and drawing those memories must have been a hard job, but I think we agree that it was the right thing to do. What an unforgettable way to portrait the Holocaust.

It's this time of the month again. So here's my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin list for May.

@TheAromaOfBooks

Didn't manage to join in last Friday, but here we go now:

1. Went to a demo to speak up for trans rights
2. Met the amazing and astonishing Anna Rosenwasser there and got her autograph 💗
3. Redesigned our bookshop and now have a lot more space for incence and esotericism. I had a lot of fun to place the products into the new shelves.
4. Went for a small trip to Austria with the lovely and beautiful @VaniBarelyReads
5. Went to visit my mum with ⬇

Even though it's not my favorite book by Tokarczuk, it is still a very takarzuk-y book. It has all her elements: complicated characters, nature, history, magic, intertwined stories. Those stories show us that we all belong together somehow, that we all are connected. Even if it's only a tiny string. It's a slow book, like a fresh rainy afternoon in the summer. Actually, you can hear the rain hitting the leaves.

#BacklistReadathon @Clwojick

Listend to this book as English audio book and I feared that I wouldn't quite get all the nuances Lehane uses to write his stories. But even though I might haven't got it all, it was still a very good book. Even though it feels a bit off to read about the suffering of BIPOC written by a white man, as far as I am allowed to judge he does a good job. And I learned another thing or two about American history, which isn't really lectured here.

Listened to this in one day because it really drew me in. The book is a good mix - an interesting plot, some supernatural elements, secrets, emotion. All put together very well, making it an interesting book. Of course I preferred “Utopia“, but that was a whole other genre. This one shows me what good an author Theresa Hannig is and I want to read more of her books.

#BacklistReadathon @Clwojick

This book is really in the database 😂

Well, I'll be finishing my second roll for this months #roll100 tonight, so I thought I can post my May rolls today. I'll wonder how “Kruttingen“ will be. It's some sort of local story. I was attending a reading with three of the four authors and it was a nice event, so I wanted to read the book as well.

Looking forward to the other rolls as well ❤

@PuddleJumper

(just reusing the picture because I kinda like it)

Did I rush through this book? Yes. Did I want to continue reading it forever and ever? Yes. Do I want to read the next book in the series? Yes.

Alexis Hall is good for my soul. I love how these book normalize queer realities without exploiting them. That they show how our society still discriminates, but also simply focuses on the fact of two people meeting and growing together.

He's learning from his book sis and he's pretty good at it 😸😸

#catsoflitsy

Did I ask the library to get the other books by Alexis Hall after reading “Ten Things that never happend“? Did they agree? Am I excited to spend the next few days in the company of Luc? Well... 😄

This book won the Leipzig Book Fair Prize 2024. I've never heard about the author before, but she sure delivers what the title says. The book is short, but intense. I could relate to the characters and their fears more than once. It's about feeling left out, about weltschmerz, about dysfunctional families, about the situations that scare us every day (like phone calls, social interactions, bugs in our food). Reminded me of the series Black Mirror.

Bookish Songs Nr. 5( & 59: The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy & Big Bad Wolf - Roses & Revolutions

This book was so good, I found two songs for it! Or rather - they found me. First came The Phoenix and I immediately was like “That's it!“ I wasn't looking for another song, when “Big Bad Wolf“ came up and I listend to it twice, because first I wasn't paying attention too much. So I now have two songs for one book.

#StarWarsBuddyRead @BookwormAHN

How come that all those new Star Wars books are getting better and better? Iskat is so fascinating and Dawson really took her time to shape a deep character. I now also want to read the comics she's featured in. This book is a real character study and I was involved from beginning to the end. Wow!

#StarWarsBuddyRead @BookwormAHN

Even though it's Saturday already, I'd like to join in ❤
This week the following things bought me joy:

1) the cats. Just being there and being fluffy and all.
2) buying & exchanging new comfy clothes with @VaniBarelyReads (if you're reading this I ❤ you)
3) shipping and fangirling like it's 2003
4) getting new spring-y nails
5) making a new sping-y shop window (with a little help of a dear friend)

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

I think we all agree that #Litsylove letters and book mail are the best ❤ Yesterday I got lucky and had both in my mail box 💛 This little gem is due for another big journey after I read it. Really, I wanted to have this book since I first lay eyes on it. Yes, I totally judge books by their covers (and their authors).

@iread2much

The German translation uses a name more familiar with younger kids. In this case I support the change so children in German speaking countries have a better connection to the story. A story that is so simple, but some people really struggle with that: take children serious and support them. It could be so, so easy. This book shows us that children know who they are and are perfectly comfortable when the surroundings help them finding their way.

Three years have passed since I've read volume four, but I didn't have any troubles finding back into the story. This speaks for Stephen King ans his ability to create unforgettable characters and stories. Still, I guess my big King phase is over, since I'm not sure I would continue reading The Dark Tower series if it wasn't for Oy. Yes, I read the whole books solely because of that Billy-Bumbler.

#serieslove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

This book works for their age group, which I am not one of. I never got into the story and I never felt like I needed to continue reading this. Emily is way too overpowered imo and to me it felt strange that, except for Emily, all characters were males.
But I liked the setting at the cemetery of Père Lachaise in Paris. I ended up googling pictures for way too long 😅 And Gesa Schwartz did a good job of talking about death to a younger audience.

Not the tagged book, but by the same author.

Barbara Yelin spent years talking to Emmie Arbel about her life. This GN shows the whole Emmie Arbel, not just the one who survived the Holocaust. Not just a victim, because Emmie Arbel is no victim. But we see how deep trauma runs, but also that it can be overcome. We have to listen to those voices. We should never forget.

This was a moving biography, told in strong, deep pictures.

This was as good as promised! Loved it, loved it, loved it. A perfect heist book with interesting characters and a special setting. Only the showdown was a bit too confusing, so I lost track what was happening to whom. But that is such a small detail compared to so many pages of enjoyment. This could also be a good start into the Warhammer universe, I'd say.

@PuddleJumper #roll100
@TheAromaofBooks #BookSpin

This is what happens when you raise a cat in a bookish household 😸

#catsoflitsy