Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
#wintercleardown
blurb
LitsyEvents
Untitled | Unknown
post image

Repost for @AllDebooks

I'm updating the spreadsheet we use to admin the @LitsyEvents page and share all your great events/games/buddyreads/readathons/competitions, etc.

It would be a great help if you could help me out by tagging the details of your events, hosts, dates/times, info about the group/event.

Original post - https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2752549

Cont. ⬇ 💻 📓 📅 🤓

LitsyEvents Additionally, if you no longer run an event, please let me know so I can remove it from the taglist.

Please tag me @AllDebooks or @LitsyEvents #LitsyEvents

TIA x
3w
PuddleJumper I'll add you to the tag list of all my stuff. Do you want information about future events? I'm currently planning all my stuff for October/December 3w
AllDebooks @PuddleJumper yes please, that would be a big help x 3w
See All 21 Comments
Liz_M Thanks for doing this! 3w
PuddleJumper #roll100 Year long challenge to tackle your TBR pile. Dice are rolled every month and you read the corresponding book. Monthly posts.

#queerbc A queer author is selected for each month, you read something written by them. Monthly voting and check ins. There will be buddyreads in October and December, haven't decided if they will be tagged separately. Information will go up the month before.
3w
PuddleJumper #gottacatchemall Catch Pokemon by reading books that match prompts. Year long challenge. Monthly check ins. There will be special challenges in October and December. Same tag.

#castthedie Seasonal versions of #roll100. October is 13 books and December is 24. Same premise.
3w
PuddleJumper #afterdarkbingo October bingo board for all things paranormal

#bodycountbingo October bingo board for mystery and murder

#trappedinaspookyhouse October challenge, things will start behind posted in September. Make a list of books, someone picks 5/10 books from your list for you to read
3w
PuddleJumper #pumpkaboohunt October challenge, you catch different sized Pumpkaboo for each book you read e.g less than 100 pages is a tiny pumkaboo. See who can catch the most.

#wintercosy Two bingo boards December-January. One is geared towards being cosy and the other is more cosy books.
3w
PuddleJumper #wintercleardown Bingo board December-January, last chance to clear down your TBR

#snowedin December challenge, you make a list of books you want to read and then someone else picks 5/10 books from that list for you to read. Information will go up a month or so in advance
3w
PuddleJumper #monsterfuckbingo 1 or 2 bingo boards for er monster fucker books 😅 Likey to be mini bingo boards. October challenge. 3w
PuddleJumper I think that is all of mine. Hmmm. That's a lot 😂 I'll add you to ask if the tag lists. If you need anything else just poke me. I get this stuff prepped in advance 3w
AllDebooks @PuddleJumper yikes, you are gonna be busy. I love ALL of these 😍 3w
AllDebooks @Liz_M tis a pleasure. Hopefully, it will make it quicker and easier to check through the lists x 3w
Faranae I run an Ultimate Reading Challenge (and companion Formidable and Modest challenges) both here and through my blog and on StoryGraph. Info here: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2686930 This year's tags are #URC2024 #FRC2024 and #MRC2024

I run them every year. The idea is to widen one's reading, as well as tackling TBRs. I review the submitted books from the previous year on my blog, which is how I widen *my* reading haha.
3w
AllDebooks @Faranae thank you, @Faranae That's very helpful 😊 3w
PuddleJumper @AllDebooks Yeah, I didn't realize how many there were until I started typing it out lol 3w
TheAromaofBooks I'm behind on Litsy so I'm just seeing this post 😂 I'm obviously still doing #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo. I'm also still hosting my #RandomClassics buddy reads each month. I'm technically hosting the #ISpyBingo boards but haven't been posting about them monthly - I posted them at the beginning of the year and then fell of the bandwagon with posting the reminders each month, but it's still an active challenge that I'm planning to revamp but ⬇ 2w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) keep going in 2025. I have no plans for discontinuing BookSpin so it should also be going for next year unless life takes an unexpected turn!! That's all I have for now, I think. I try to remember to tag you all whenever I come up with new wacky ideas 😂 I really, really appreciate this account and check it regularly for updates!! 2w
LitsyEvents @TheAromaofBooks that's a great help. Thank you 🙂. 1w
BookwormAHN I'm still doing #StarWarsBuddyRead and plan to do another witch swap around Halloween. I'll post details in August. 1w
AllDebooks @BookwormAHN thanks 😊 6d
39 likes21 comments
blurb
PuddleJumper
Untitled | Untitled
post image

December – January will have #wintercosy which will be 2 bingo boards again and #wintercleardown

December will be #castthedie #gottacatchemall winter edition, #queerbc buddy read and #snowedin

All my other regular stuff will be running alongside these. You don‘t need to be part of #queerbc to join in or whatever.

#puddlejumper

Deblovestoread Loved #SnowedIn last year! Look forward to all the Winter fun. 💜 1mo
PuddleJumper @Deblovestoread 💙💙 It's one of my faves too! 1mo
26 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Murder on the Links | Agatha Christie
post image
Mehso-so

Hercule Poirot receives a letter begging him to travel to Merlinville-sur-Mer immediately. The writer of the letter, millionaire Monsieur Renauld, is worried about something that he doesn't do more than allude to & Poirot's curiosity is piqued. When Poirot & Hastings arrive at the Renaulds' estate, they are shocked to hear that their mysterious letter writer was murdered the night before. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Renauld was found in a hastily dug grave on a nearby golf course, The Links, whilst his wife had been bound & gagged in her room. It seems the couple were the victims of a botched break-in & robbery, but Poirot is not convinced.

I have a mix of emotions about this one. The mystery itself was good, well thought out & intriguing, but Hastings ruined it. I seriously wanted to throttle him - I don't know how Poirot kept his cool.
(edited) 6mo
OutsmartYourShelf Heaven knows what Christie thought she was doing writing this character as such a silly man & my dislike of him here brings this book down to a 3⭐

To read my Hastings rant: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5070336354
Read: 25th-27th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024 #WinterClearDown #BacklistReadathon #SeriesLove2024 #192025 (1923)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@clwojick @thearomaofbooks @puddlejumper
@TheSpineView @Librarybelle
6mo
Librarybelle Hastings can be too much sometimes, for sure! Great review! 6mo
See All 6 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Oh what a fun cover for this one!! 6mo
TheSpineView Well done 6mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 6mo
36 likes6 comments
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Anonymous
post image

Completed the full board for #WinterClearDown with a few days to spare!
Thanks to @puddlejumper for hosting.

PuddleJumper Amazing! Well done! 6mo
BookmarkTavern Nice! 🎉 6mo
23 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
post image
Panpan

Hungary in 1929 saw the exposure of over a hundred deaths which were linked to a small group of people in a village called Nagyrev. For over a decade, Auntie Suzie, the local midwife, had helped local women get rid of inconvenient relatives by means of poison. They came to be known as The Angel Makers.

Given the source material this should have been an interesting read, but it turned out to be a chore to get through.

OutsmartYourShelf I struggled with the author's writing style I think, especially the way they seemed to be obsessed with conveying that Suzie was fat. Countless uses of “waddled“, “plopped“, “heavily“ etc - it was just relentless & not needed. I think she was compared to a cow at one point! Suzie committed some terrible acts, which should be the focus, so being told just once that she was overweight would have been enough & I think it detracted from the book. 2⭐ (edited) 6mo
Librarybelle That‘s a shame! 6mo
jlhammar I didn‘t really get on with her writing style either. Still a pick for me, but I didn‘t like it nearly as much as I expected to and it took me ages to get through (kept setting it aside). The story is fascinating, but it was missing that narrative drive for me. 6mo
DieAReader 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻Bye! Bye! 6mo
32 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
post image
Pickpick

One early morning sees Dolly Bantry wake up to find the dead body of a young woman in their library. Neither Dolly nor husband, the Colonel, have seen her before but it's not long before the local gossip starts up. Dolly knows this could end up ostracising them from the village so she reaches out to long-time friend, Jane Marple, for help & her enquiries see them head off to the Majestic hotel for a short stay. (Continued)

OutsmartYourShelf When another body is found in the charred remains of a car in an abandoned quarry, Miss Marple realises she is dealing with a well-planned murder.

I was a bit disappointed with the first book in this series but this one was much better. The characters are not quite so dreary & the plot clips along at a fair rate. I remembered quite a bit of this one from the 1980s TV series but it was still a great read.
6mo
OutsmartYourShelf Miss Marple came across rather well & it's clear that she is nobody's fool. Obviously there are one or two places where attitudes have changed such as the disapproval for an unmarried couple living together, a situation which wouldn't turn a hair nowadays. Overall though I really enjoyed reading this one. 5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4882843898
Read 13th-14th Jan 2023
6mo
See All 8 Comments
TheSpineView Sounds good. Great review 👏 6mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 6mo
Librarybelle Oh! Good choice!! 6mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 6mo
PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 6mo
35 likes8 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
post image
Pickpick

Although a great deal of the original contemporary documents & files have now been lost, those that remain are here examined to see what they tell us about the thoughts of those investigating the crimes at the time. It follows the murders chronologically with a great deal of cross-referencing to provide an objective look at the killings. This is not a seamless narrative of the crime that reads like a novel. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf This is a meticulous examination of the remaining physical evidence (letters, reports, interview transcripts etc) of the crimes of Jack the Ripper. There's a lot of additional information about the people named & events that occurred on the periphery of the murders contained in the references & I spent a lot of time flipping back & forth between the main book & the reference section.
7mo
OutsmartYourShelf It's definitely given me a lot to think about. This is definitely more of an academic style read & can be a little tough-going at times, but I found it worth persevering.
5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1377863926
Read 4th-7th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024 #WinterClearDown #192025Challenge (1998)
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@Librarybelle @Puddlejumper
(edited) 7mo
Librarybelle Sounds very interesting! 7mo
Andrew65 Sounds an interesting read, if we only knew what did happen. 7mo
DieAReader 🥳Awesome! 6mo
26 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
post image
Pickpick

The first book to feature Hercule Poirot is told from the point of view of Arthur Hastings, a soldier on leave from the Front in WWI. Hastings visits an old friend, John Cavendish who lives at Styles Court owned by his stepmother, Emily Inglethorp. John's wife, his younger brother, Lawrence, & a family friend, Cynthia Murdoch also live there, along with Emily's new husband, younger man, Alfred Inglethorp. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf When Emily suddenly dies & the local doctor is certain that it is murder, Hastings is relieved to run into Hercule Poirot, a former detective in the Belgian police force who is now a refugee living near Styles Court & whose benefactor was the same Emily Inglethorp. Poirot agrees to investigate Emily's murder & uncovers a family full of secrets, resentment, & greed. 7mo
OutsmartYourShelf I've seen the TV adaptations of the books starring David Suchet but I really couldn't remember this one. It's incredibly well thought out & kept me guessing - I only hope the rest of the books follow suit. 4🌟

TWs: antisemitism, racism.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4915426668
Read 3rd-4th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024 #BacklistReadathon #SeriesLove2024 #192025 (1920)
#WinterCosy #WinterClearDown
(edited) 7mo
See All 8 Comments
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 7mo
Librarybelle Good choice for the #192025 challenge! 7mo
TheSpineView Great job!🌞 7mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 7mo
Andrew65 The start of a great series, although dated now with some views expressed or words used. 7mo
35 likes8 comments
review
Andrew65
Christmas at the Cat Caf | Jessica Redland
post image
Pickpick

Having discovered Jessica Redland last Christmas and enjoyed her books since, I was keen to jump into this book about Tabby setting up a Cat Cafe, which seems a novel concept. Unfortunately just before opening her partner deserts her and if that isn‘t enough she also is suffering from the debilitating condition of fibromyalgia. There also seem to be people around her that want to stop the cafe opening.

Andrew65 I loved this book as much as her previous books and do enjoy the writing style of her books, and the romance style of them. I do feel it‘s good that people write about people suffering with medical conditions, and I learned a lot about fibromyalgia in this book which will make me understand it better, but I can see how this might put some people off who read books for escapism. 7mo
Andrew65 However I have to say I felt this was written very well into the book, and only added to the reading experience and the story for me.

I felt the story was very well written, and in particular the slow burn of the developing relationship in Tabby‘s life, and found myself rooting for them. I loved the main characters and was very glad to spend some of the Christmas season with them.
7mo
Andrew65 I‘m not particularly a cat person, but despite that I did love the story and the unique cat part of it, although I‘m sure I wouldn‘t spend the extra money to go to a cat cafe. Just a word of warning if anyone is a cat lover there is one part of the story that could be upsetting. However, even that I feel was very well written in the story.

7mo
See All 6 Comments
Andrew65 Overall if you enjoy these romance style of books I would definitely recommend this book, and gave it five stars. There isn‘t one book by Jessica Redland that I haven‘t enjoyed very much, and look forward to reading more books by her.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
7mo
BookmarkTavern Lovely! 💖💖 7mo
76 likes6 comments
blurb
kwmg40
Bingo! | Rosemary Wells
post image

Here's how I did with #wintercosy, #wintercleardown, #longdarknights and #brightcolddays bingo cards in the month of December! #wintergames #snowangels

I still have January to work on finishing #wintercleardown but I thought I'd post my progress.

Thanks to @Emilymdxn and @Puddlejumper for hosting these challenges!