A gloomy day here, so I think it's a perfect day for reading!!! Our BookSpin number conveniently got slotted into a line with TWO free spaces!! 🎉 Also, when I was making this post, I realized that the BookSpinBingo “book title“ has over 2000 posts! I just want to thank all of you again for participating in this challenge and reading with me. It's SO fun to see how all of you make this work for you. I love it!!!

My standard monthly text below ⬇

Good morning, everyone! The moment you have all been waiting for!! Our official #BookSpin number is SEVENTEEN! Our official #DoubleSpin number is SIX!! I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at everyone‘s lists & am really looking forward to seeing your reviews!!

My next post will be the #BookSpinBingo card. I am NOT tagging anyone on that post!! If you want to bingo, please just check my profile for the card. This saves me having to double tag ⬇

Okay #RandomClassics friends, here is the schedule for Puck of Pook's Hill!! It seems that this is a collection of short stories and poems. So the main title for each bullet point is the story, and the parenthetical titles are the associated poems. Each story is about 25-30pgs, so 2-3 a week feels doable. We'll see how it goes!!!

@BarkingMadRead @CatLass007 @julieclair @TheBookHippie

Another soft pick. This one starts strong with 12-year-old Naomi discovering that her dad is actually a serial killer and rescuing his latest victim. It's super creepy. Adult Namoi has changed her last name and tried to put her past behind her. She's a successful and somehow stupidly rich photographer and purchases a very rundown but beautiful old house in Washington state. That's where this book got muddled. I actually didn't mind the ⬇

It's no secret that I'm a lifelong lover of horse stories of all kinds. I've read one or two other books by Lyons, so I was interested to read this one. However, it just didn't work for me. Jill breaks off her engagement with Hadley because he's a jerk, but then decides that actually she is going to show him that he was wrong about what he said, and of course he'll admit that, and then he won't be a jerk, so it will all work out. Except that's ⬇

Since I actually finished this 700pg book, you would think that I would have strong feelings about it. But I weirdly don't. There's a lot here that I enjoyed. It's a time-travel book, which isn't always my thing, but it's handled here in a way that actually did (mostly) make sense to me. I actually enjoyed the format, which is a mixture of journal entries from various characters, plus other documents, notes, transcripts, etc.

This book was ⬇

YAY!! Another fabulous outing with Trixie and Honey!!! This one definitely feels like Part 2 of the first book. While I 100% enjoyed this, some of it felt genuinely ridiculous, but in that fun, campy way that I love. And as a kid I still felt like these were adventures that could happen to me. So many characters running around in the woods in this book!! 😂 I honestly loved how the girls were terrible at directions and didn't always make the ⬇

I LOVE Genevieve Foster's “parallel history“ books. I remember reading these in middle school and realizing for the first time that even though America History and World History were two separate courses in school, the history itself all happened at the same time, and what was going on in France, China, Australia, etc impacted and influenced what was happening here and vice versa. It was fun to revisit this one. And her illustrations are adorable.

This series has really grown on me. I love Eve and Roark together. They balance each other so well. Eve is a fantastic MC and all the support characters are also so well-drawn. Reading this right after finishing the Amelia Peabody book had me wondering if Robb was giving Elizabeth Peter's heroine a nod by naming Eve's sidekick Peabody 😂

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#192025 - 1997 @Librarybelle
#100YearsofBooks
#BookSpinBingo

Rereading Crocodile on the Sandbank last month gave me the momentum I needed to start rereading this whole series. I really enjoyed this book even more the second time around. Amelia and Emerson are just a fantastic couple, and Amelia's narration is hilarious. The historical detail is also excellent. And maybe by the time I'm done rereading this series I'll remember whether it's spelled pharoah, phaoroh, or pharaoh. 😂

Another soft pick. This one had the right ingredients but somehow just didn't quite jive for me. The writing was weirdly wooden and scenes that should have felt suspenseful and engaging just... didn't. I liked the characters and the concept was great, but for me the writing kept getting in the way of the story.

#ISpyBingo
#BookSpinbingo

One of those random paperbacks someone gave me years ago because I “like to read“ haha Soft pick. A group of random citizens have to decide whether or not the town should sell a historic but ramshackle house. However, someone doesn't want them rooting around in the house's history. I enjoyed the characters and the way they became a little family unit of sorts, but the actual reveal/secrets didn't really jive for me. Spoiler below.

#BookSpinBingo

One of the few Nancy Drews I don't own for myself, so this one came from the library. Another enjoyable outing with Nancy, George, and Bess - and, finally, Ned!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Thanks as always for hosting @Librarybelle !!

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#WickedWords - Deal @AsYouWish
#BookChain
#BookSpinBingo

A short paperback I picked up years ago because of the illustrations by Wesley Dennis. Enjoyable but not groundbreaking, a story about Exterminator, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1918, despite being virtually an unknown. However, my camera wanted to focus more on Robert Plant in the background than the cover of the book. You'll have that 😂

#100YearsofBooks
#Roll100 @PuddleJumper
#BookChain
#BookSpinBingo

A collection of short stories by GLH, these were much more focused on religion than romance. Some were heavy-handed allegories, while others were just straight stories about someone realizing something important. If you're not a Christian, you probably won't enjoy these. However, I found it quite interesting to see how many of the issues Hill saw within the church almost a hundred years ago are still areas of controversy today, and I actually did⬇

Soft pick from an author I generally enjoy. While I really did like the characters, some of the “bad guy/thriller“ aspects didn't really work for me. Enjoyable for a one-off, but I'm glad I only paid a dollar for it 😂

#BookSpinBingo

Ack! June is less than a week away! WHAT IS HAPPENING?! 😂 Don't mind me, just having my monthly existential crisis LOL

Anyway, hope everyone has had a lovely spring!!! Summer is upon us!! (Well, around here anyway; I have trouble getting my head around the fact that June is December in other place haha) The garden is mostly in, and the list of summer projects is LONG so we will see how things go!!

If you're planning to #BookSpin in June, it's ⬇

It was just an absolute delight to revisit this old favorite. Mole abandoning his spring cleaning because the weather outside is so amazing is a definite mood, and I was here for it 😂 Loads of fun adventures and delightful characters make this such a fun read. I have vivid memories of Dad reading this one out loud to us because at one point Toad becomes enamored with a car whose horn (according to him) goes “poop poop“ and as kids we thought ⬇

June's book is Puck of Pook's Hill, which should, if nothing else, be a contrast to East of Eden 😂 I have several of Kipling's books on my list because I enjoyed the two Jungle Books and Just So stories so much, but I don't really know anything about this one. I don't have my copy yet, so I'm not sure how many chapters there are, either!! If anyone would like to read along, let me know!!

#RandomClassics

(thru ch 14 - I haven't finished today's chapter, but wanted to post this before I leave haha)

Sorry I missed Monday's check in!! Is everyone keeping up? Some of these chapters have been DARK and consequently a bit of a struggle for me. What do you think of Cathy? She's an interesting juxtaposition to the other women mentioned so far.

The chapter where he goes off on a tangent about Olive/narrator's mother felt super random, but the story of ⬇

Even though this is my first time participating, I really love seeing everyone's #5JoysFriday posts so I thought I would jump in. Thank you for the tag @Debinhawaii !!!

It's finally spring here!!! So my joys include being able to get out into my garden this week. Dirt, sunshine, rain, flowers, fish pond - so happy!!! Also, my uncle-in-law mowed the grass so I didn't have to. YAY!! 😂

Feel free to play along - Deb has a blank template available!

Jewell always manages to hook me in. While the ending made this one a soft pick for me, the pacing was great. I appreciated that Alix's ignoring of major red flags felt like a natural progression here - she's just too far into the story to back down now. I like my fiction tied with a bow, so some of the ambiguity at the end annoyed me (plus one major plot point wasn't how I would have gone so), but overall I couldn't stop turning pages.

This was a fun book if you're a fan of the show. Porter worked for “New Top Gear“ as the script editor during all the seasons that Clarkson, May, and Hammond were the presenters. The book is roughly linear but divided into very short chapters that each kind of read like their own little essay, so at times it felt a little abrupt, but also meant that it was easy to delve in and out of. As you'd expect, the writing is a bit snarky and entertaining⬇

Oof, what an ending! Did you find it satisfying? I wish I had gotten more details on what happens to Demetrius next, but at least he's safe for now. I really enjoyed this book and found it more gripping than I anticipated. I felt like Douglas was respectful of Jesus and His followers while still writing a compelling story. Any final thoughts?

@BarkingMadRead @julieclair @Lcsmcat @UwannaPublishme #RandomClassics

(thru ch 6) I think this is the part of the program where I remind all of you that I'm just a random person reading a random book, and actually know nothing about this book or its cultural impact, so these will literally just be my opinions, not, like, insightful commentary from a literature professor haha

So, disclaimer out of the way - what do you all think? I feel like the first six chapters have literally just been introductions! I finally ⬇

Hey friends!!! @BookmarkTavern came up with a great hashtag for us to use!!!! Thank you!!!

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed rereading The Secret of the Mansion last month and can hardly wait to pick up book two!!! Hope you all will be able to join me!!!

#BobWhiteBuddies

@curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder @MaleficentBookDragon

This month is a bit of a mixed bag. BS is set up well with two free spaces next door, but DS is sort of hanging out all by itself haha I'm excited about starting a new board!! Thank you all so much for playing along with me. There is something so fun about getting a fresh start each month and seeing where it goes!! April was really stressful for me, so I'm ready for some spring weather and good books!!!

My usual text below ⬇

Good morning, everyone! The moment you have all been waiting for!! Our official #BookSpin number is EIGHTEEN! Our official #DoubleSpin number is FOUR!! I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at everyone‘s lists & am really looking forward to seeing your reviews!!

My next post will be the #BookSpinBingo card. I am NOT tagging anyone on that post!! If you want to bingo, please just check my profile for the card. This saves me having to double tag ⬇

I always feel like such a grumpy old woman when I so fervently dislike a book that everyone else seems to love. I ranted about this one a lot on GR. My main issue probably comes down to finding Dimple irredeemably unlikable. Just because someone is a strong female character interested in computers doesn't mean she also needs to be an absolute ass who goes off on everyone who doesn't 100% agree with her, ⬇

It had been about ten years since I last read this book, and I was surprised at how many details/scenes had slipped my mind. While there are things about this book that I don't like, the writing somehow grips me every time, despite a third of it being the unnamed narrator's imagination instead of things that are actually happening. Creepy, suspenseful, twisty - this one is just SO good.

This was fairly typical “horse fare“ from the era, and which I have always collected because something about the semi-predictability of these simple stories draws me in. Hastings's book is a bit more about teaching readers about various aspects of ranching life than it is about an actual storyline, but it was still an interesting (although not thrilling) read.

#192025 - 1942 @Librarybelle
#BookSpinBingo
#100YearsofBooks

I had SO MUCH FUN rereading this and am not sure I want to stick to only one book per month 😂 I remember now how I found Trixie to be a much more relatable heroine than Nancy Drew (although I love Nancy very much) - closer to my age when I was reading these, a big family with lots of brothers, parents who make her do chores, her yearning for a horse, her enjoyment in being outside, etc. Trixie's adventures always felt more like something that ⬇

It had been several years since my last reread of this one, and this spring it just felt right to pick it up. There is SO much to love about this delightful book, and I loved revisiting it. I will say that at one point it feels like Burnett kind of gets a little weird about “the Magic“ but overall this is still a heart book.

Pictured with some of the flats of annuals I purchased today... getting ready to get my own garden going!!!

When @BarbaraJean reviewed this one last year I knew I had to read it because LOOK AT THAT COVER 😂 Overall, I loved this book - with the exception of the ending which felt strangely, almost disorientingly, abrupt. I felt that I had become very attached to these characters and their journey, and was left with a lot of unanswered questions about their future. I mean, it wasn't a cliffhanger. It just didn't tidy up. But the rest was delightfully ⬇

Pratchett has been on my radar for quite some time, but I've never actually jumped in. So when @julesg said that the #OokBookClub was starting over, this seemed like a great time to give his writing a whirl. I enjoyed but wasn't mind-blown by this one, but the consensus seems to be that it isn't his best, and this was still an easy pick. I'm looking forward to working through some of these, as I found the characters, world-building, and humor ⬇

Oh my word, I cannot BELIEVE that it's the end of April! #BookSpin day is less than a week away!!! We've had a very rainy/stormy month but it looks like this weekend the weather is FINALLY going to be cooperative. I'm ready to open the windows and let the sunshine in!!!

If you're interested in spinning with me this month, it's time to think about your lists (if you haven't already). As always, no worries if you'd like to be removed (or added) ⬇

(thru ch15) - I'm really enjoying Marcellus's journey as he learns different stories and tales of Jesus. I love the way he is coming up with “practical“ explanations for the miracles he is hearing about - but as the reader we know that at some point he is going to have to decide whether or not to take a leap of faith.

I'm anxious to find out what is happening with some of the other characters, though! Diana, Demetrius, and Marcellus's family!!

We should be finished with The Robe by the end of April, which gives us a fresh slate for starting East of Eden. I have a kind of love/hate relationship with Steinbeck's writing, so we'll see what happens 😂 Some of the chapters are long, but some are really short, so I think we're going to go with a chapter a day and hope it averages out. There are 55 chapters, so this one will carry into June. We may take a little break around Memorial Day if ⬇

This one has been on my want-to-reread list forever, so having it be a #Roll100 pick this month gave me that final nudge! While some parts of this story feel a little cluttered, overall it's just such a fun little story with some delightfully memorable characters. Feiffer's illustrations really add so much.

Despite the cover blurb, I don't think I would term this one as “nail-biting“. However, it did keep me turning the pages. This is a sort of character-study thriller, with a slow reveal of backstories and motivations, exploring both a current and past case. While I did have some mixed feelings about some aspects, overall I enjoyed it and actually reserved the second book at the library. 😁

Now that we've finished our Nancy Drew read for the month, I'm starting another childhood nostalgia series!! I read Nancy when I was younger, 9-10ish, and didn't discover Trixie until I was a little older, maybe 12-13. I remember finding her a more relatable character - where Nancy is almost superhuman in her skills, Trixie, with her everyday family, love of horses, and parents who made her do homework, felt more approachable! A few of us are ⬇

(thru ch10) No idea what is going on with this whacky cover 😂

Whew, a lot of drama in this week's chapters!!! Marcellus is on the mend, but determined that there has to be some kind of logical/non-spiritual reason for everything that has happened to him. I really loved meeting Benjamin, and the whole section where he is closely questioning M as to whether or not Jesus was really, truly dead is goosebumpy, knowing that His followers are now ⬇

Another series I'm rereading this year - absolutely LOVED the Swallows & Amazons books when I first read them, so I'm going through them again. This is the second book in the series, full of exploring, pirates, shipwrecks, mountain climbing, caves, and more! Every page was a delight.

I've been wanting to reread this series for quite some time, so I was pleased when the first book was chosen as this month's read for the #BakerStreetIrregulars, giving me an excuse to kick off the series reread!! This book was just as funny and entertaining as I remember, with just delightful characters and a romp of a mystery. I remember reading that Peters wasn't intending this to be a series originally, so this one ends with a HEA epilogue ⬇

(thru ch 5) Well! We've been given quite the set up. What do you think of the characters so far? I feel like I should make it clear that I don't know much about the culture from this era/place, so I will NOT be speaking about the inaccuracies and/or accuracies thereof 😂 Marcellus and Demetrius are both intriguing characters to me. I really admired Marcellus's determination to make the best of a bad situation, trying to live up to his ideals. ⬇

On the whole, I really enjoyed this romantic suspense, although I did find the suspense part to be a bit unevenly paced. The characters are likable and I totally shipped the main couple. I also liked that Landry was becoming part of an entire community/support system, not just learning to depend on one person. I had a few niggles, but found this to be a solid start to a new series.

Bwahaha the Fates have been KIND to us this month, friends!! BookSpin, DoubleSpin, and a free space all in the same row!!! Funny story, I had already drawn the BS number like a week ago because I'm in charge and can find out my own BS read early 😂 but didn't draw the DS number until after I had filled in the card! I couldn't believe when I pulled the 2!

Good luck, everyone!!

My regular monthly text/info below ⬇