Hiassen does great “Florida Man” characters and what should feel like over-the-top plot lines. Putting aside the fact that, in the current political climate, the plot is all too believable, I did laugh at and enjoy most it, even as I cringed and despaired for this country. There‘s so much chaos throughout the book, but then it just fizzles. The ending left me dissatisfied, but overall the book is a low pick. It‘s a borrow not buy for me.

I‘m not crying, you‘re crying.

I love how Jack comes to understand, write, and appreciate poetry. This is a super quick read, but have tissues handy.

(April Reading Challenge selection from Park Road Books)

The original 1942 version was so much better than the 1970s rewrite, aside from the racism. I am so glad I tracked down a copy. The writing itself was better, and while there was plenty of danger and coincidence, it was much less ridiculous. It was also a bit darker. Nancy, her chums, and her dad all face serious danger. Also, I don‘t recall Bess being called plump even once, and George is the one mocked for her appetite! #NancyDrewBR ⬇️

Mini Independent Bookstore Day haul from my happy place. I had a list of 15 books, but they only had two in stock. I had them order another 4 from my list for me and I grabbed a couple of bookseller recommendations while I was there. I love this place so much.

I completed the Greater Charlotte Book crawl today. 22 independent bookstores and hundreds of miles of driving across 7 counties. I may have gone a little overboard and yes, I‘m still heading back to my favorite Indie for Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow. It was fun, but I don‘t think I‘ll do it again.

My May #bookspin list is all set to go. I should finish the Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl tomorrow and the number of books I‘ve bought this month is, frankly, obscene. I have given those purchases two spaces on my list. I plan to visit my favorite local indie for Indie Bookstore Day on Saturday, and I know I‘ll buy books there, too, so that day gets a spot on the list. May also begins a book buying ban because my bank account says 😱.

I scored a pathetic 15/100 (19 if you count ones I‘ve tried and bailed), which is mind-blowing when I think of the sheer number of books I‘ve read in my lifetime. I‘m always entertained when Flowers in the Attic pops up. I hated Moby Dick and will never forgive my American Lit professor for “inspiring” me to read it on my own. It took me an entire summer. #tlt #threelistthursday

Lately, I find myself gravitating towards fantasy stories that are steeped in (or feel like they are steeped in) folklore. This is a perfect example. Both POVs are engaging and I love the way they came together. The dual narrators work well and Darcy Little Badger's writing is a joy to listen to/read.

I‘m really hoping to finish some more books that are in progress this month, but I won‘t finish anything else on my #bookspin bingo board. So close, and yet…🤷🏻‍♀️

The “new” version set in Florida was such a mess that I had to hunt down the original. It arrived today and why did no one tell me the originals had end papers?!?!? #nancydrewbr

I picked this up for a Decolonize Your Bookshelf challenge. It‘s written by a two-spirit author about a two-spirit child who makes a ribbon skirt to wear to a pow wow. They are nervous about what others will think, but after speaking to the lake spirit and various animal spirits, they decide to do what makes them happy. It‘s a sweet illustrated graphic novel with a great message.

I‘ve read 38 cover-to-cover. My total is 46 if you count the ones I DNFd, which I am. I‘ve attempted Crime and Punishment and The Hobbit at least 3 times each. I will never finish them. The tagged book is one of my favorites from the list, although I bet it hasn‘t aged well. Several of these I read BECAUSE of The Great American Read, like Bless Me, Ultima, and I bought copies of a few others that I haven‘t gotten to like the Sister Souljah . #tlt

1. No. I used to be really good about doing them as soon as my W-2 arrived. Last year, I didn‘t get around to it until 4/11. This year, I did them Sunday night. 🤦🏻‍♀️
2. Heavy

#Two4Tuesday

Another set of quick mysteries complete with resolutions at the end. It‘s fun to match wits with Encyclopedia Brown. I got about half of these easily, but there were a couple I only half-figured out, and three that stumped me. Definitely haven‘t aged well - the Indian trials were cringey and Charlie‘s teeth collection still makes me queasy. #ebbr

That was…a lot. Not the worst of the series, IMO, but definitely jam-packed with not-goodness. 😂 I really wish I could have read the original 1940s plot, because the whole exploding oranges at Kennedy Space Center was just unbearable to this former Central Floridian . We get all of the Drew friends and family for this one, plus the Nickersons have a vacation home near the Cape with a neighboring one for sale for Nancy! Neat! 🙄

I usually don‘t add to the long list for Camp Litsy because the books that are chosen are almost always waaaaaay outside my comfort zone, which is part of the fun for me. But, I thought I‘d fully participate this year with a few books I‘m looking forward to (and one I read as an ARC that was one of my absolute favorites last December). So, without further ado…#CampLitsy25

This is a low pick for me and that‘s disappointing. I love this series and I‘ve loved all of the other books so far - some of my favorite reads of the past year. This one took forever for the story to gain traction. Most of the first half was a slog. It finally picked up and became more engaging but it‘s all a little too late. I wanted more and I wanted a little less predictability.

I adore Vera Wong and this cozy mystery series. It makes me yearn to be part of Vera‘s adopted family. She is good-naturedly nosy and manages to fumble her way into trouble and into the solution to the murder. This series is a murdery book hug and I am here for all the hugs. (Also, April‘s #bookspin)

Women have been choosing the bear since the dawn of time…

I picked this up at my first stop on the Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl. It is DELIGHTFUL. Beautifully illustrated and amusing. It‘s a light, quick read.

The tone of almost approval (or at least the lack of condemnation) of David Koresh in the first quarter of the book is appalling and nauseating. I can‘t keep going. The number of times the author mentions the ages of the girls Koresh “chooses” (rapes) and then says “her dad gave permission” like that somehow makes everything okay is repulsive. THEY WERE CHILDREN. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAVING CHILDREN!

Friendships can be complicated when you‘re 12 and school projects can be, too. Maizy learns both of these lessons as she discovers Nancy Drew and solves her own mystery with the help of old and new friends. This was cute and fun and I enjoyed watching Maizy work through some very 6th grade problems. It‘s a great homage to Nancy Drew. Also, Maizy‘s mom is a Toad the Wet Sprocket fan, so the book is a winner for that alone!

In today‘s episode of “bands I loved in high school that I NEVER expected to see referenced in a MG book published in 2022”, may I present Toad the Wet Sprocket? 😱😱😱😱 …and now I must go search for them on Tidal. 🎶

#Bookspin bingo card for April. I was so sure I had a book in my shelves that would work for Egypt for my Double Spin and I was right. It‘s just not going to be fun to read. 😭 Oh well. At least Vera should be fun!

Excited for my #bookspin. I preordered this on audiobook the second I saw it was coming out! I love Vera. I have no idea what I‘m going to do for The StoryGraph challenge, though. I have 9 countries to choose from. I‘m leaning towards Egypt, though, for Arab American Heritage Month.

While there‘s a missing hiker and the search for her is at the core of the narrative, this isn‘t really a mystery/thriller. It‘s about three women - Valerie, the missing hiker; Bev, the Maine Warden leading the search; and Lena, an elderly woman in Connecticut who remotely aids the search - who they are, what formed them, and how they navigate through the world. It‘s well-written, engaging, and I was invested in the outcome from the beginning.

My tentative TBR for April - a few book club/buddy reads, a couple of books I checked out from the library, and a handful of “just because” that I put here so I don‘t forget them (ebooks can be out of sight/out of mind for me). I‘ll update the graphic when bookspin numbers are pulled. There‘s already one book here I know I don‘t want to read, but I will if it ends up being bookspin or double spin.
EDIT to add #doublespin pick

I finished 13 books in March. Lots of middle grade and graphic novels, because that‘s all I could mentally handle. The Spear Cuts Through Water was my favorite, even though it took me two months to read. It was so worth the effort. Both of the Swifts books by Beth Lincoln were delightful. #marchwrapup

I loved the format of this graphic non-fiction book about everyday people fighting for their homes and futures.. The brief interviews provide a personal touch, connecting the reader to the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia. Even though greed, capitalism, and white supremacy win, it ends on a positive note, calling for community care. The art was simple, yet effective. Also f*ck Sen Manchin. #netgalley

There are so many POV shifts, interjections and one liners that are spoken by other people in other timelines that it is very confusing. Audio is the way to go with this one, if you can. That said, I absolutely loved the writing and the story. It was an immersive fantasy tale of two warriors journeying to free a goddess and end a kingdom. The format was inventive and clever, even if it was a little hard to follow. It‘s well worth the effort.

The chaos of communicating in multiple languages was presented very effectively. It was charming, but also made following the story a bit of a slog. There didn't seem to be much chemistry between the main characters. My first thought was the romance came out of nowhere, but I think that is part of the point, and is no less believable than insta-love. The art style isn't my favorite, but the use of color to evoke mood was done well. #netgalley

More historical romance with a supernatural element than “Romantasy”, it‘s an ok distraction from world events. While the narrative dragged in places, I appreciated the unique setting and take on the Morrigan. The villains are caricatures, Emma‘s mother is beyond horrible, and so many of the characters are obnoxious stereotypes. Rua and Finn are the only ones with depth. Recommended if you enjoy romance novels set in Gilded Age New York.

I think I missed the other two Oscar Nom list posts, so I‘ve done all three just now. Ive seen a total of 17, with 1963-1987 being my best at 10. But, the early years have some of my favorite movies ever - Gaslight, To Kill a Mockingbird, Captain Blood (OMG, Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, AND Olivia de Havilland?? HEAVEN!), Adventures of Robin Hood, and Philadelphia Story (KATE!!). This was fun @dabbe Thank you. #threelistthursday #tlt

@BookNAround I haven‘t picked which set to go with which Saturday or Sunday, but this was my pre-planning from last weekend (not at all excited, can you tell? 🤣) My boss and I are meeting for lunch to go over my annual performance review and will then be going to PRB (her idea!) and Book Rack is close to me, so I‘ll probably take a drive over there at lunch one day. That Salisbury one, though…😭😭

Where has the first quarter of the year gone. Seriously, it‘s been simultaneously too fast and the longest year ever. (I really hate it here, and by here I mean being ruled by Mango Mussolini, the Muskrat, and all their cronies. It‘s one catastrophe and atrocity after another with these idiots. Anyway…) On a brighter note, my April #bookspin list is all set and I have the Greater Charlotte Book Crawl in April to look forward to. 😮‍💨

This is both my #doublespin for March and the March pick for the Morbidly Curious Bookclub. I didn‘t realize that it‘s built around the kidnapping of two young girls, but as soon as the girls were approached by a man, my whole body went “nope” and turned off the audiobook. I can‘t bear to see how it turns out. Posting my DNF for the #bookspin record. I see high praise for it here, but it‘s not for me.

Shenanigan is on the hunt for a gang of art thieves. The search takes her to France, and the hotel owned by the French branch of the Family, the Martinets. Full of great characters with even better names, chaos and murder abound. While it is easy to give this a surface read (and completely acceptable!), it also offers a chance to deep dive into lessons on processing big emotions, reparations, legacy, and greed among others. I adore this series.

This is the Veronica Ruiz origin story of sorts. I don‘t know that it really adds much to the series, but it‘s a light, quick, entertaining read. I didn‘t love the audiobook narrator, though, and I‘m glad the novels are narrated by someone else.

Finlay and Veronica find themselves deeper in trouble. There‘s another dead body, more suspicious cops, difficult exes, lots of awkward moments, and some good laughs. This one was enjoyable, but the formula is starting to wear a little thin. This is definitely not my favorite of the series.

#bookspin for March

After finishing the first book a couple days ago, I grabbed this one from my local indie today. I‘m sorry I waited until bedtime to start it. I‘m trying not to disturb the household with my laughter and I can‘t wait for Shenanigan to visit the Family Murder Hotel in France.

Theres a lot going on in this one and none of it good or amusing to me. I‘ll leave the bulk of my review under a spoiler comment. I am looking forward to discussion though and hearing that the 1930s version had a shipboard cat makes me really sad I got stuck with the newer version. #NancyDrewBR

So much fun! I love matching wits with Encyclopedia Brown. I should probably be embarrassed at not solving all of the cases, but I deduced most of them, and I‘m totally okay with that. I love the format, and other than Charlie‘s creepy teeth collection, I enjoy the characters. Thanks @Ruthiella for starting the #EBBR! This has been so much fun!

I adored this MG mystery and its quirky cast of characters. On the surface, it‘s my favorite kind of mystery-a group of people isolated from the outside world while one-by-one bodies start piling up. Dig a little deeper, and it‘s about family, language, living up to or defying expectations, and self-discovery. Shenanigan Swift is also my favorite kind of MG character-a little wild, a little feral, a little naughty, and a whole lot of fun.

My library system is hitting it out of the park with this year‘s Community Read selections. Art Club is the MG pick and it is delightful! The artwork is colorful and fun. I love the story of kids forming an art club, exploring different styles of art, and proving to school administration and the community how art is important, too.

This is the picture book selection for my library‘s Community Read. It is adorable and I want a physical copy for my own shelves. I love the watercolor artwork and how the illustrations are all done inside watercolor dots. It‘s a great story about harnessing creativity. The whole thing just makes me happy.

A soft pick, this is book 2 in a 5 book series. I really like Wheatley‘s style, but the book is sooooooooo slow. Why she‘s stretching this story into 5 books is beyond me. I really feel like this would be better as a couple of chapters rather than 300 pages. I‘ll keep going, because I like the writing, characters, and overall story. Plus, I already own the rest of the series. 😂
This is also my February #doublespin.

Today was a good day. I went to my local indie to pick up hard copies of the last two audiobooks I listened to, got recommendations from one of my favorite booksellers, and got to hear an award winning illustrator talk about his craft and read the tagged picture book that he illustrated. Went to get 2 books, came home with 7. #bookmath

I read more nonfiction than usual in February and much of it was heavy. I did not finish my current read like I had wanted to and am already stressed about meeting my March obligations. I truly love the Litsy community but I do sometimes miss the days when I didn‘t get swept up in all the books and buddy reads. I was lucky to finish more than 20 books a year, but there was so much less stress. 😩

On a much lighter note than my most recent reads…my #bookspin and #doublespin books for March. Thankfully, both of these are already on my March TBR!

This deserves more space than Litsy provides. This offers more nuance on Israel and the October 7th Hamas attack than I‘ve seen previously, without both-siding genocide. I appreciate the discussion of language, terminology, and how those are interpreted. Beinart does a great job weaving Jewish theology into his arguments and I am grateful for the insight he provides. Thank you @JamieArc for the recommendation.
Free Palestine 🇵🇸