I was surprised by how much I liked this book club read, since video games don't normally interest me. But the virtual world and the real world the author created melded together so seamlessly, that I really got sucked in. I also liked the idea of marginalized groups creating unique spaces for themselves and think it will make for an important discussion. The book kept me hooked throughout and I did not see the ending coming.

So I go in to the optometrist for a routine eye examination and come out with a diagnosis of cataracts and macular degeneration. The cataracts are from steroid injections I get for a joint disease and can be surgically removed. The macular degeneration is really scary and could eventually lead to blindness. My solace in life is reading and I may lose it. I was not prepared for any of this. At least I have Rose. #dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy

I met my Goodreads goal of 105 books read in 2019 already. Only Littens would appreciate this geeky celebration. I'm thinking I might actually hit 125 by the end of the year. 📚

A very action-packed, imaginative space opera with endearing and complex characters. There were some great surprise twists and I loved the ending.

This book had great atmosphere. It was like a snarky Dick Tracy with a little sci fi thrown in. I laughed out loud a lot and I could really picture the setting and the characters like an old 1940s movie. There were a few scenes that made me cringe because they were a little too over-the-top.

All excited! This just arrived. New book by Leigh Bardugo. It is next on my list after I finish Christopher Moore's Noir. I think it goes nicely with my spider table cloth.

This was a unique and violent book. The characters were very human. Reese was like an abusive boyfriend. I liked the fact that I didn't like her. I wish the ending had more closure. There has to be a sequel in the works, right? Right? Apparently not.

hi @hermyknee ☺

1. Decorated my door with spider window stickers for Halloween.
2. Read, listen to music, and snuggle up with the dog.
3. Reading Wilder Girls and American War, listening to Leviathan Wakes and maybe crochet if my hands are good. I'd like to get out, but I don't have definitive plans.
4. @petersonks15 @MidnightBookGirl

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Here is my goal for the month of October. Noir and Slay are book club books. I am really looking forward to Leigh Bardugo's new book. I have just started the top three books. I tried to pick some with a good Halloween theme. 👻

I met all my reading goals for the month of September plus 2 more!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Institute
The Raven King
We Hunt the Flame

Like all of his books, parts of the story are delightfully bizarre; some might even say twisted. There is a common thread of sexual exploration, liberation, comedy, and even hidden depths of feminism for its time. Unlike his other novels, I didn't find these characters endearing and I don't think I was supposed to, but the book was entertaining and explicit.

I tried listening to the Audible book for this and the narrator was so bad I actually sent it back for a refund. Some of the accents portrayed were really insulting and made me uncomfortable. I also couldn't tell the difference between Jack's thoughts and reality. I love SK, but I don't think this one translates well into audio.

#24B4Monday #readathon total 17 hrs 33 min. I got a little distracted today and couldn't decide on what to read so I missed my goal by 27 min. Thank you so much for hosting @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72 ! I look forward to next month! 😙

So I'm trying to decide if I want to finish up the #24B4Monday #readathon with Zora Neale Hurston or Stephen King for my audio book selection. Choices, choices...

I'm finishing The 158-Pound Marriage on Kindle and about to start Wilder Girls in print.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

I'm hoping I make my 18-hour goal.

2nd book for the #24B4Monday #readathon completed

There are some good, hard truths about racism and immigration in this book that I needed to hear. A few sections felt slightly drawn out, but I was really invested in the characters and I learned a lot about modern Nigeria.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

"Racism should never have happened and so you don't get a cookie for reducing it." --Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanh

BAM! Some good, hard truths in this book.

#24B4Monday #readathon

#24B4Monday #readathon Day 1 closing with a respectable 6 hrs 56 min, 2 books at least started begun, Shiver finished. And here's a dog frog butt! 😂

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

First book down for the #24B4Monday #readathon. Off to a good start time-wise with 4 hrs 40 min.

I'm disappointed. The Raven Cycle series is so excellent, it's hard to believe it's written by the same author. I wanted more wolfy world building and less kissy-kissy, sappy-sappy. The writer has grown a lot since she wrote this.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

Here is my stack for the #24B4Monday #readathon . It may be overly ambitious considering my plans on Friday, but I like to be optimistic. My goal is 18 hours.
Thanks for hosting
@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72 !

It's the best time of the month! I am assembling my stack for the September #24B4Monday #readathon. Except for Friday, when I have relatives visiting, I am looking forward to a weekend of reading and shutting everyone else out.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

One of Stephen King's best! The characters are so realistically drawn that though they go through insane circumstances, their responses and the way they evolve and forge bonds is right on point. This book isn't as gory as some of his others, just intense and entertaining. I think readers with more delicate stomachs might be okay.

#7days7covers Day 7 #covercrush

This book was very much a memoir focusing on how this author uses her personal experiences to inform her fiction. The title intrigued me because I have wanted to be a writer myself for so long. I have never read her other work, so I can't speak to her creative writing style. The book did inspire me and help stir up some motivation with exercise ideas. And isn't that what you need out of any writing tutorial?

@hermyknee

#7days7covers Day 6 #covercrush

#7days7covers Day 5 #covercrush

#7days7covers Day 4 #covercrush

#7days7covers #covercrush day 3

#7days7covers day 2 #covercrush

Thanks for the tag @Trashcanman #7days7covers #covercrush
I tag @petersonks15 but only if she wants to play

A darkly farcical journey into teenage drama and the 1980s "War on Drugs" and other vehicles of evil. The book has that tongue-in-cheek "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" feel to it, if you find the idea of teenage demonic possession and 80s satanic paranoia funny (I do). It might be a bit too dark for some. It gets into the intense drama of teenage relationships in a realistic way. High School was a bit like an exorcism for me too.

This would actually be feasible if I wasn't constantly getting distracted with more books every month. And these are just the books I own, not all the books I want to read. 😂
https://www.readitforward.com/tbr-time/

The book starts out heavy on the snark, which I always appreciate. I love how much the characters evolve throughout this series and the author always drops little surprises along the way. The series was gripping and the world building original. I will be re-reading these books again the way I revisit Harry Potter.

Ronan is by far the most intriguing character and I am happy the new series will feature him.

This book starts off so cuuute and funny and it's like a little moral dilemma with Ewoks. And then it turns into something that could be classified as a legal sci fi thriller if the characters weren't so adorable. But it also brings up uncomfortable ethical and environmental points as Scalzi novels are wont to do. A very quick and enjoyable reading experience.

Book mail! 🙌 The new Stephen King just arrived and it smells so good. Yes, I smell books, don't judge me. I have several other books to read before I can get to it though. I plan on reading a lot this week. I am so excited! Squeeeee!

Look at the surprise care package that arrived from @hermyknee in the mail today! 💕

I was so touched! 🤗 You have no idea how much I absolutely need to read that book. My writing has been stifled for years because of my own inner gunk. Thank you for the adorable mug, the perfect tea (you remembered I only do tea), the cute bookmark that made made me laugh, and the sober card. 💜 You are an incredible friend!

Not only is this novel creepy, it is also really sad when certain people don't make it, because some characters are really endearing and I was pulling for them. A most enjoyable horror read and alternative take on what happened with the Donner Party. This one will stick with me. It's a bit like Surivivor, you know, with a few subtle differences.

This was an excellent desert fantasy written in an almost poetic manner. The plot was riveting and devastating and the characters were teasing in their slow reveal. It's a compelling story. I can't recommend it enough if you like YA fantasy.
?????
Favorite quote: "If you want me obedient, Prince, kill me and carry my corpse."

Compassionate and heartbreaking, read with tissues. The book must be listened to on audio in order to hear it magnificently performed by the author. Kate Mulgrew paints a vivid picture of a close-knit, large, Irish Catholic family coping with the impossible, yet all too common tragedies of Alzheimer's and cancer.

Here is my tentative plan for the month of September. I hope to read more, but I don't read as fast as some of you. I think I picked a nice variety. I am really looking forward to the new Stephen King coming out on the 10th! Anybody see anything they liked?

1. The Help
2. It by Stephen King
3. 64 on my Kindle and about a dozen more print books *blush*
4. She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan 🌟🌟🌟🌟
5. @hermyknee @magoose

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

My #24B4Monday #readathon totals: 25 hrs 34 min, 3 books finished and another 1 started. Thank you for hosting @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72 ! I had a great time as always and I made a good dent in my TBR. 🎉 I look forward to seeing you next month!

Third book completed for #24B4Monday #readathon. My attention waxed and waned with this book. The plot devices used were interesting, but the actual action didn't flow as well for me and some of the characters felt vague. It could be that I am not used to middle grade books in general and it was just too young for my taste. I did like that the setting was in Nigeria and Yetide Badaki was a great narrator.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

Initially, I thought the characters and circumstances reminded me too much of Stephen King's "It." Then the novel took a completely different turn and I became really absorbed into it. I bonded with the reclusive main character and was invested in his outcome.

Ended yesterday with 17 hours 20 sec so far for the #24B4Monday #readathon .

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

I had to reset my timer for the #24B4Monday #readathon because I accidentally left it running on its own. Luckily, I'd been keeping track of my time by hand as back up. I only clocked 2 hrs 48 mins today because I had other fun stuff to do, so my running total is 10 hrs 13 mins. I did make some headway on the above two books and the dog kept me company, plus she is cute.

#dogsoflitsy #pitbullsoflitsy

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

I really like this version of the future. This is a fun, peppy space read that gets right into the action. The diverse, quirky characters are the best part of the book. Now I want my own ship!

Day 1 of #24B4Monday #readathon completed 1 cute sci fi YA book. @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

I didn't realize this weekend was the #24B4Monday #readathon . I am so behind on posts! Anyway, it was a nice surprise. If it's 4 days long this time, I might actually hit 24 hours. I hope We Hunt the Flame counts as summer reading because of the word "flame" because it's all I have. Thanks for hosting @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72 !

I found Robert and Hanna's story to be the most compelling, dating back to World War II. Eleanor-Rigby and George-Harrison felt a little flat and predictable. I thought the mysteries were given away in the plot too easily, but the characters kept me interested and the story itself made up for it.

The character development is wonderfully insane in this book. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of casually psycho Piper and fussy Malory. These books are so well crafted and so much fun. Ronan is by far my favorite. I am excited to read the next one.

I'm feeling guilty about not giving it a higher rating because it has such great themes about culture, family legacies, and discovering one's own course in life. I felt like it went overkill on sentimentality and was too innocent and slow for my taste. Then again, my heart is probably three sizes too small.

I got this Moaning Myrtle terrarium to commemorate my #LeakyCon adventure. I won't get into detail, but because of my IC, there was a portable toilet along for the ride, so this was perfect. We had a blast!