Litsy

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver | E.L. Konigsburg

pick

I had to finish reading Wolf Hall before I started this one, so I wouldn‘t get my Henries mixed up 😆

I didn‘t know much about Eleanor of Aquitaine going into this, but now I realize why E.L. Konigsburg found her so fascinating. Headstrong, determined, wife to two major figures of her time, mother of Richard the Lionheart and the infamous King John—and with a finger in a LOT of different political pies! The narrative frame here felt a bit odd:⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …Eleanor and three of her contemporaries are waiting for Henry II‘s arrival in Heaven, and as they wait, each one recounts a chapter of Eleanor‘s life. That setup felt contrived—especially when Lincoln and Churchill randomly show up at the end! I prefer Konigsburg‘s books with contemporary settings, but still really appreciate the way this children‘s book from the 1970s brings a strong female historical figure to life. 4d

BarbaraJean This was my 1973 pick for the #192025 challenge. 🎉 (edited) 4d

TrishB I‘d recommend Sharon Penman‘s and Elizabeth Chadwick‘s books on Eleanor if you want to read more! 4d

BarbaraJean @TrishB Thanks for the recommendation—I‘ll take a look at those! 3d

50 likes4 comments

BarbaraJean

May Flowers | Louisa May Alcott

Here are my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin picks for May! Iron Widow is my IRL book group‘s pick for this month. #BookSpin landed on a category: I need to choose something from the 1920s-30s for the #192025 challenge. These three are leading the pack—any recommendations?

willaful Behold Here's Poison is an old fav, such fun characters! And I recall Lolly Willowes as pretty interesting. I have to reread it one of these days. 6d

BarbaraJean @willaful All three are so different--one reason I'm having a hard time choosing! 5d

31 likes2 comments

TheAromaofBooks

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel | Colum McCann

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 ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont‘d) everyone/keep track of who wants to bingo and who doesn‘t!!

I use the same tag list for the entire year, so if you would like to be added or removed, please just let me know. It takes me a while to tag everyone (there are over 200 of you!!!) so I will add “FINISHED” to the last tag batch so you know whether or not I missed you. If I did, it was completely inadvertent. Sometimes I just spell someone‘s username wrong. ⬇
7d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) As always, the link to the masterpost about how this challenge works can be found on my profile or here - https://thearomaofbooks.wordpress.com/bookspin-bookspinbingo-litsy-challenge/ - and the link to the Google Form where you can track your reads for the end-of-the-year-giveaway can be found here - https://forms.gle/4kTBMWAsCa9Cvmqs6

Thanks for playing, everyone!! Please know that I read EVERY comment on this post but don't always ⬇
7d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) have time to reply to them all!! Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and for making this challenge SO much fun!!

I'm going to post the Bingo board, and then come back and start the tag list on this post. Happy reading!!!
7d

See All 41 Comments

TheAromaofBooks @MittenGirlPeach @Itchyfeetreader @Lcsmcat @wanderinglynn @RaeLovesToRead @Bookwormjillk @Soubhiville @IndoorDame @kwmg40 @staci.reads @LeslieO @Bookworm04 @BookishMadHatter @BookmarkTavern @ChelseaM6010 @Allydanielle88 @ElizaMarie 7d

Bookwormjillk Yay!! 7d

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck @bekakins @Daisey @Mollyanna @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @kimmypete1 @rabbitprincess @DGRachel @Librarybelle @PageShifter @RebelReader @Sarahreadstoomuch @Jari-Chan @behudd @peanutnine @PuddleJumper @Laughterhp 7d

TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @vlwelser @majkia @Larkken @claudiuo @MallenNC @sebrittainclark @Maggie4483 @AmandaBlaze @BooksNBowls @JamieArc @Yuki_Onna @JenReadsAlot @OriginalCyn620 @katiekat311 @Liz_M @BarkingMadRead @Pageturner1 @robinb @tdrosebud 7d

TheAromaofBooks @ImperfectCJ @sherrisilvera @Julsmarshall @BookwormAHN @bookandbedandtea @Eggs @Clare-Dragonfly @nitalibrarian @RainyDayReading @zezeki @Kirstin_Reads @Bookzombie @ChaoticMissAdventures @yourfavouritemixtape @GirlNamedJesse @BarbaraJean 7d

Librarybelle Hooray!!! Mine this month are a library book and Ceremony in Death! 7d

TheAromaofBooks @TheBookgeekFrau @LeafingThroughLife @Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures @Pigpen_Reads @JoeMo @Librariana @NikkiM @ShananigansReads @Deblovestoread @Monica5 @Kimberlone @Coffeymuse @Bklover @Clwojick @gossamerchild @DieAReader @mrp27 @Kristelh 7d

TheAromaofBooks @candc320 @JackOBotts @dabbe @Read4life @Chili @CoffeeNBooks @Allylu @willaful @AnneCecilie @Bookworm54 @LitsyEvents @TheLudicReader @rachelk @HeyT @hissingpotatoes @tokorowilliamwallace @Grrlbrarian @JenDR @AudioBookingWithLeah 7d

TheAromaofBooks @marleed @Bluebird @Suet624 @Karisimo @CharityAnn @BookNAround @Prairiegirl_reading @GinaKButler @Chelsea.Poole @julieclair @booklover3258 @Scochrane26 @hes7 @Zuhkeeyah @Charlie0007 @CSeydel @Lizpixie @LeticiaToraci @guinsgirlreads @Crazeedi @Megabooks 7d

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon @lauraisntwilder @Marmie7 @faelinwolf @BookKenz @KatieB @kstadt929 @Flaneurette @Whollybologna @Singout @BacklistReader @mrsmarch @Caryl @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @Bookgoil @SusanLee @Bookbuyingaddict @Ash.on.the.line 7d

TheAromaofBooks @UwannaPublishme @Amandakay @Chrissyreadit @llwheeler @ferskner @TieDyeDude @Airykah13 @TheQuietQuill @AsYouWish @Gissy @theokiereader @silentrequiem @Elizabeth2 @mamareading @rockpools @triplem80 @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @VeganCleopatra 7d

TheAromaofBooks @majkia @vonnie862 @Jess861 @Kristin_Reads @Roary47 @Fortifiedbybooks @throwmeabook @Sargar114 @Nessavamusic @keys_on_fire @TheSpineView @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Littlewolf1 @SpookyMazeOfBooks @Jadams1776 @KristiAhlers @merelybookish 7d

TheAromaofBooks @MatchlessMarie @CBee @Read-y_Picker @AshleyHoss820 @Rachel52 @melissajayne @aperfectmjk @CloakNQuill @magyklyXdelish @kspenmoll @andreadmw @kelli7990 @jessicamichelle @BeeCurious @lil1inblue @beccaortiz @Sace @Magoose @brittanyreads 7d

TheAromaofBooks @CoffeeK8 @rachelsbrittain @LaraReads - Finished!! If you weren't tagged and wish you were, just let me know!! 😁 7d

RaeLovesToRead C'mon May! Let's do this!! 😁 7d

CoffeeNBooks Yay! 7d

Soubhiville I‘m excited for my books this month! Thanks Sarah 🩷📚 7d

TheSpineView My BookSpin is an impulse read and my Double Spin is my BOTM. I got this... 6 think😋😆 7d

kelli7990 Yay! 7d

claudiuo Thank you so much! Both my books are TBD, I'll pick them soon. May officially starts now. 😊 7d

CoffeeK8 Thank you! Yay! 7d

BarbaraJean 🎉🎉BookSpin is something from the 1920s-30s for #192025, and DoubleSpin is this month‘s IRL book club pick (tagged)—super helpful that they‘re “required” reading for the month! Now to peruse the bingo board…

Iron Widow

Sace So I‘ll be reading another Nancy Drew (4) and something from my kindle (18). Woohoo! 🎉 Thanks for creating such a fun way to pick my next reads! 7d

bookandbedandtea Yay for #BookSpin Day! Thanks Sarah 💜 7d

AmyG Manhattan Girls and Mad Honey! Thanks Sarah!!! 6d

julieclair My BookSpin is The School of Mirrors for #LiteraryCrew, and my DoubleSpin is a book from my #AuldLangSpine choices! Yay! 6d

Eggs Thx 🙏🏻 6d

robinb I‘m excited about my books this round! Play Dead is the next Kim Stone in series, and Miss Moriarty, I Presume? is the next Lady Sherlock for me. I‘m behind on both series so it‘ll be nice to be moving forward. 😊👍 Thanks Sarah! 🩵 6d

TieDyeDude Thanks for organizing! I think I'll be able to catch up on this year's bookspins this month, head strong into summer 😁 🌼 6d

CSeydel Thanks Sarah! 🩷 My bookspin is Tender at the Bone (memoir) by Ruth Reichl & doublespin is Rebecca Wait‘s

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

willaful My Name is Lucy Barton and I Was Born for This for me! 6d

Clare-Dragonfly Two baking cookbooks. In a month when I‘ll probably be too weak from surgical recovery to bake much 😂😅 6d

staci.reads The tagged is my #Bookspin, and The River We Remember is my #Doublespin!

Profiles in Courage

UwannaPublishme Yay! Best day of the month! 🤗 6d

Bookbuyingaddict Thank you thank you 🙏 I‘m late as Wev been away so I will post my list this weekend much love ❤️ and happy 😃 reading 📖 x x x 6d

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Two total opposites. My bookspin is Lumberjanes Volume 10, and DoubleSpin is the non-fiction book Come As You Are (and it's not about the band Nirvana). 3d

tokorowilliamwallace I just made my spring list, and one of my draws was BOTM backlist, which is interesting because last night I just started one of my BOTM picks from April. 11h

tokorowilliamwallace @staci.reads Nice nonfiction pick you got; it suits Taurus season, too. 11h

107 likes41 comments

TheAromaofBooks

Top Horse of Crescent Ranch | Howard L. Hastings

pick

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

Librarybelle That‘s interesting - teaching about ranch life 1w

57 likes1 comment

TheAromaofBooks

The Secret of the Mansion | Julie Campbell

pick

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 ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) almost COULD happen in real life haha

Friends, we need a hashtag for our little reading group!! I'm open to suggestions - something with Bobwhite???

Did you enjoy your reread? Were there parts that you hadn't remembered or that surprised you? Was there anything that surprised you in a bad way?

I had forgotten that Trixie is kind of mean to Honey at first - thinks she's a wimp and laughs at her. I enjoyed seeing Trixie soften as the ⬇ 1w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) story went on. It felt like their friendship developed well.

One thing that seemed weird to me on this reread - Trixie has so much love and respect for her parents that it honestly felt a little odd that she wouldn't trust them with Jim's secret. I understood why, but I honestly feel like in real life she would have confided in them for help. What do you think?

I was a bit shocked by the entire stray/“mad“ dog storyline. Why did this ⬇ 1w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) dog keep chasing them!? And Jim just SHOOTS it?!!? My goodness!

I also hadn't realized that this book was originally published in 1948. My edition is 1977. I couldn't find any information as to whether these books got rewrites like Nancy Drew and some of the others did, but I think maybe no? Or not dramatically?

The ending feels a little abrupt. I know it's leading right into book two, where they head out to try and find Jim, but it ⬇ 1w

See All 18 Comments

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) still felt sudden.

As an adult reader, I'm now somewhat interested in the adults in the story. What do you think of Trixie's parents, Honey's parents, and Honey's substitute parents aka Reagan and Miss Trask?

I honestly could talk about this book all day and how much I enjoyed it, so please let me know your thoughts and feel free to ask questions of your own!! There are only six of us, so when you comment, do tag everyone else who ⬇ 1w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) has commented so we can keep the conversation going 😁 And let me know if you have any hashtag ideas 😂 #BobwhiteBash? #TrixieTroubles? Should we just be #BobwhitesoftheGlen?

@curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder 1w

TheAromaofBooks Oh, and my actual hashtags for this book's review...

#192025 - 1948 - @Librarybelle
#100YearsofBooks
#WickedWords - Athlete @AsYouWish
#ISpyBingo - Blue Eyes, Front Porch
#BookSpinBingo
#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65 1w

Librarybelle Oh wow! 1948! 1w

TheSpineView Fantastic! 1w

MaleficentBookDragon I ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ these as a kid! My parents would buy me a new one for birthdays, doing chores, good grades, etc. BUT, never fast enough for my reading speed. I actually just donated my collection to the library and kind of regret it.😞 1w

MaleficentBookDragon @TheAromaofBooks 1948?!?! I too thought they were written in the 70s. Can I join? 1w

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon - I would love to have you along!! We are planning to read one book a month with a discussion around the 30th of each month. 1w

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon - My understanding is that the same person wrote the first six books, which were published in 1948 and then throughout the 50s. Then, similar to the way Nancy Drew, etc., were written, the rest (33 more books!) were written by several people under the name of “Kathryn Kenny“ in the 60s through the 80s. I also always thought of these as more 70s books (maybe because of my editions) and hadn't realized they started so early! 1w

lauraisntwilder My mom read these when she was about the same age as Trixie, which would've been in the early 60s. She told me the first one she got was the 3rd one and she spent Christmas day reading it and was "no help to anyone." ? I don't know what happened to her books though because I've never read them. I can see why she liked them though! I understood why Trixie didn't tell her parents about Jim. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but that she ⬇️ 1w

lauraisntwilder (Cont'd) wanted Jim to trust her. He asked her not to tell & she didn't want him to doubt her. I was surprised at how many things went wrong. A snake bite, both girls being thrown from horses or nearly being run over on a bike, the mad dog, a plane crash, a house fire, & I don't think that's everything! Trixie feels much more like a real person than Nancy Drew, who can do everything. @curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life 1w

BookmarkTavern #BobwhiteBuddies ? I hadn‘t realized just how much happens in just one book! But I totally got Trixie‘s hesitance. Making real solid friends for the first time, and then being trusted with their secrets? I would have kept my mouth shut too. 😄 And I love how the parents aren‘t stupid, evil, or absent. Except Honey‘s parents. 😅 @lauraisntwilder @DebinHawaii @curiouserandcurioser @Read4life (edited) 1w

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder @MaleficentBookDragon I had forgotten how much I LOVE Trixie!:) i also love Nancy Drew so much, but I think Trixie is probably much more relatable! Even though Trixie was kindof mean to Honey at first, I really enjoyed how their friendship developed. I also wouldnt mind reading more than one each month!❤ 7d

TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder @BookmarkTavern @curiouserandcurioser - There were definitely a LOT of adventures in just one book 😂 I loved how while Trixie was a “natural“ at riding a horse, she still wasn't perfect right away and made mistakes. And like Krysta said, I really like how Trixie's parents seem like regular, kind, reasonable parents. I can definitely remember Trixie feeling more like a real person to me because she also had to do chores and ⬇ 6d

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) and babysit her little brother!! I'm already so excited about reading the next book!! 6d

55 likes1 stack add18 comments

TheAromaofBooks

Sourcery | Terry Pratchett

pick

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 ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) to be quite engaging.

#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#192025 - 1988 @Librarybelle
#100YearsofBooks
#ISpyBingo
#TPRC - James Hurley @Yuki_Onna
#BookSpinBingo 1w

Librarybelle Nice! I‘ve yet to read anything by Pratchett! 1w

BarbaraJean Ohhh, I hadn't seen that #OokBookClub was starting over... I may have to jump into that! Because I need more buddy reads 😂 I've only read Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series, and then Mort--and I loved all of them. 1w

See All 9 Comments

TheSpineView Great job! Currently working on this book. Maybe will finish tomorrow. 1w

Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 1w

julesG @Librarybelle you can always join us for a book or more 😉 1w

Librarybelle Thanks, @julesG ! Maybe someday I will pick up the book… #somanybookssolittletime 1w

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - Yes, and that group runs from the 8th of the month to the 8th of the next month, so if you want to join you still have over a week to read the first book!! 😁 1w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks My thought exactly!! I just checked it out on Hoopla…😁 1w

59 likes9 comments

Librarybelle

Crocodile on the Sandbank | Elizabeth Peters

pick

I‘ve heard great things about this series for years, so was glad to give it a try for the #BakerStreetIrregulars . I‘m so glad I did! Amelia Peabody is not your typical Victorian woman, and J loved her sarcasm and her views on society. It was also a nice intro to archaeology. I‘ve already purchased book 2! #192025 #1975 #BBRC #YeahBaby #PotCallingTheKettleBlack (Peabody and Emerson are so alike, it‘s like a mirrored image!).

LibrarianRyan, StayCurious, CatLass007

Librarybelle This is my #DoubleSpin for April‘s #BookSpinBingo ! @TheAromaofBooks 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! I really enjoyed this one. 1w

dabbe Still can't believe #1975! 🤩😱😂 1w

See All 9 Comments

Librarybelle I know, @dabbe !! 1w

CatLass007 @librarybelle @dabbe @thearomaofbooks I‘m so glad everyone is enjoying this new-to-me series. The author‘s real name was Barbara Mertz and in 1952 she earned a PhD in Egyptology. Under her own name she published two books of nonfiction that have never been out of print. She also wrote under the name Barbara Michaels. (edited) 1w

UwannaPublishme I really need to continue this series. I loved Amelia in this one! 1w

Librarybelle @CatLass007 I had not realized she wrote nonfiction too. Thanks! 1w

Librarybelle @UwannaPublishme It was so fun! 1w

CatLass007 You‘re welcome. 1w

63 likes1 stack add9 comments

BarbaraJean

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for May! Lots of spots for #192025 options since I realized I‘m at the point where I need to read 2 or 3 each month. Looking forward to seeing where the BookSpin fates take me in May!

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I'm feeling pretty good about the #192025 challenge. I seem to read a lot of old books in my regular reading 😂 1w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Haha—yessss! I feel like I tend toward backlist books more than newly-published, especially in my efforts to read down my TBR. Combine that with the Little House buddy read last year, Kindred Spirits reading, and various classic mysteries, and it‘s been easy to haphazardly check off a bunch of years! But now I‘m a little over halfway through and I will need to be more intentional about which years to fill in! 1w

26 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

The Velvet Room | Zilpha Keatley Snyder

pick

First of all—the variety of covers for this is hilarious! I read a digital copy (top left) that makes it look like a ghost story or gothic thriller. I see where this image comes into the story, but—it‘s so exactly wrong that it‘s maddening. If I‘d found this as a kid, no doubt it would have been the Dell Yearling edition there on the bottom left. 😆 This was a sweet, nostalgic hug of a book. It‘s exactly the kind of book I‘d have loved as a kid ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)—and I loved it as an adult. I completely resonated with that childhood magic of finding a perfect secret place that‘s all your own, where you can read and think and wonder. Even though I saw the ending coming, and it ties everything up far too neatly, I didn‘t care. This was a delight. Thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for this recommendation (several months back!!), and for pulling the right number to assign it as my April #BookSpin! 2w

BarbaraJean And… this is my 1965 pick for #192025. @Librarybelle 2w

Ruthiella That Dell cover looks familiar. Maybe I need it in elementary school? 🤔 2w

See All 7 Comments

Librarybelle Thanks for posting the variety of covers - you‘re so right about the one looking spooky and gothic! 2w

LeahBergen I remember the bottom pink cover! 2w

willaful I have the pink cover. 😁 2w

TheAromaofBooks The bottom right is my cover - it's a small book and so perfect for reading!! I'm really happy you enjoyed this one - it's one of my childhood heart books, so I'm not remotely objective about it haha - but rereading it as an adult didn't lessen my love for it at all. I've tried reading a few of Snyder's other books, but haven't found any others that come remotely close to this one. 2w

37 likes7 comments

mabell

The Daughter of Time | Josephine Tey

pick

Loved it. Absolutely perfect ❤️

#1951 for #192025

Librarybelle

Librarybelle This is a good one! 2w

Chrissyreadit yay!!!!! I 100% Agree! 2w

rubyslippersreads One of my all-time favorite books. 👑 2w

See All 14 Comments

jlhammar Such a good book!! 2w

Aimeesue LoveLoveLove this one 💙 2w

LeahBergen So good! 😍 2w

CarolynM I love Josephine Tey. This is my favourite. 2w

BarbaraJean Yes!!! This was my first Tey—SO GOOD. 2w

Tamra I remember enjoying this and I think I need a reread! 2w

mabell @Librarybelle @Chrissyreadit @jlhammar @LeahBergen Yes! I‘m so glad I finally read it! 2w

mabell @rubyslippersreads @CarolynM This is one of my favorites now, too! ❤️ 2w

mabell @Aimeesue It was so, so good! 2w

mabell @BarbaraJean My first, as well! I‘m definitely going to read her others! 2w

mabell @Tamra It was so good! I could definitely see myself rereading it in future! 2w

31 likes14 comments

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