The monthly reminder about #BookSpin has arrived so here's my list. I normally post the drawer/shelfie but too lazy to mess with the camera right now. Newcomers to the list this month are Pushing Ice and Hyperion. Fingers crossed the chunky bois aren't drawn because I am super busy the next couple months.
@TheAromaofBooks

#BookReport
I managed to finish three books this week which amazes me because I started a new job this week as well.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal for this week is to finish one of my current reads if not both. When I finish those it‘s on to my current library book that just came in.

Started both of these today at my volunteer job working in the bookstore at the library. The tagged is short stories and China Mountain Zhang is a mosaic novel so they kind of go together.

Historical fiction isn‘t really my thing but the promise of pirates on the cover had me all in. Despite being for younger readers this doesn‘t shy away from using more archaic word choices and vocabulary that borders on jargon for sailors. It was kind of a slow start before the piracy but I did enjoy it overall.

It‘s another double reading buddy day. This time it‘s the all girls version. I‘m finding the tagged interesting although I was promised pirates on the cover and it‘s been a slow burn to even get to sea.
#CatsOfLitsy

Heading into my next Newbery pick this morning. This edition has an intro by Lloyd Alexander which is fun since The Chronicles of Prydain is one of my favorite series.
#CatsOfLitsy

It‘s probably my fault for reading the original and not the updated version but ooof at the casual racism and white savior narrative. If you can compartmentalize that stuff there is a good message of animal welfare and taking the time to learn and think critically in even the most unusual situations. That racism though is hard to overcome.

There‘s a lovely two for the price of one sale on reading buddies today. Simon and Sierra are helping me start my second Newbery title.
#CatsOfLitsy

I was intrigued by the premise of this one: What happens when the chosen one fails? It turns out his BFF tries to take up the cause and get the job done. I loved Aaslo the reluctant hero as he tries to amass the allies needed to save the world despite the prophecy proclaiming doom without the chosen one. It did end with a bit of a cliff hanger which wasn't too fun but I think this is still a series I'll continue with.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

#BookReport
I finished both of my slow paced reads and feel very excited to move on to other things.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to get a ways into the tagged and hopefully read another on my Newbery list.

I've been reading this since last year and it was verrrrry slow to start. It's written in four sections and I don't think I became invested in what was going on until the middle of part three. I thought the biology of the aliens was interesting but the end was kind of not very satisfying at all. I did laugh a bit at the Crazy Eddie motif though.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

It‘s a book with a buddy kind of day. I do feel like I‘ll need the support to get through this one though. I feel like every time I log a session in Bookly with it the estimated time to finish adds an hour. This is deceptively chunky in that it never seems to end. I mean I never really thought 560 pages was chunky before but now. . .
#CatsOfLitsy

I was pleasantly surprised how little there was to take offense at in this considering it was written 100 years ago. There‘s optimism about clean energy and a strong message about considering the biases of historians. I mean it‘s a whole lot of information to take in all at once but I can see why it won the Newbery.

#BookReport
This week I finished two really good books that were drastically different from one another. They weren't exactly forecasted but worth the deviation.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish at least one of my two current reads. They are both a lot of tiny words per page and a naturally slower pace so while I am enjoying them they are definitely taking me longer than I expected. If I manage to finish one my BookSpin is up next.

This was a great tour of some of the overarching themes and storylines in the Marvel Comics Universe. Very beginner friendly. It reads like part literary criticism and part art history narrative but not in a dry academic way. Rather than go through chronologically in publication order he takes certain themes and character arcs an highlights the issues that are important to them.

One of my goals this year is to start the journey of reading all the Newbery winners in order. I‘m finding the tone of this conversational but man are there a lot of words per page. Like if I was younger this would take me months to get through. The illustrations are interesting though because they are a very gestural style.

I‘m dying because I just noticed what this book was shelved under. I put it on hold so I didn‘t grab it from the shelf myself but I would never have thought to look for it under graphic novel. This is 100% prose and the only illustrations are sporadic small insets of comic pages. If anything I‘d classify it as lit crit. At least I‘m enjoying it.

Starting this tonight. I never read comics as a kid so I only really have a pop culture awareness of the Marvel universe. I thought this might make a nice overview.
#CatsOfLitsy

I really enjoyed this look at gender identity and the claiming of personal power. The main character is not wholly likable but I still was plenty interested in her journey. It ended in a good place with no real cliffhanger but I still would like to know more about the world and its characters.

I decided to take a break from Mote in God‘s Eye because it was taking so long. The tagged is a much faster pace and I‘m enjoying it so far. Today I‘m lucky enough to have all three reading buddies. Sierra and Callie on the bed with me and Simon next to the bed in the desk chair.
#CatsOfLitsy

It‘s a reading and laundry type of day. Out of the three cats Sierra is probably the least phased reading buddy.
#CatsOfLitsy

Happy #BookSpin Day to all who celebrate. I am so excite to put together my tbr pile for the month. I think I was doing fine until the three library holds lol. The tagged is my book spin and the double is next to it on the side. Thankfully the chunkster curse didn‘t follow me into the new year.

#BookReport
This week I managed to finish two out of the three books I had planned which was pretty great considering post holiday lethargy and other family commitments.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish my one holdover from the previous year and then get cracking on whatever Book Spin throws my way so I don't end up behind again. Hopefully the Great Chunkster Apocalypse will not befall me again lol.

Welp I managed to finish all but one of my planned books this month. But it was nice to be able to read a more average amount of titles this month. Highlights this month would be both of the Snow Queen reimaginings and Alphabet of Thorn.
5 Physical
2 eBook
My grand total for the #BuriedAliveChallenge was 7285 with an average of 117 pts per qualifying book. It accounts for 61 of my 90 books read this year.
#DecemberWrapUp

Apart from becoming so desensitized from Grim Dark fantasy I just kind of don't really enjoy it at all. This is about a mercenary band and while I do enjoy the threads of found family and history nerd chronicling their adventures overall I just got tired of it being about Evil vs Evil. I also had trouble with the fact that there was kind of no resolution for the main characters. IDK if I want to read on tbh.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

I am always so hype for #BookSpin! I tried to be a little more methodical when ordering my new list for 2022. Like the chunksters are at the top and for the most part it alternates fantasy and sci fi. I think the only way it can do me dirty is if 1, 3, and 20 are picked with each other. FINGERS CROSSED @TheAromaofBooks

Apparently this month RNG decided that I should deep dive into snow queen reimaginings. I really liked this as it‘s definitely a sci fi take with technology taking the place of the more traditional magic. I know there‘s two other works in this world but I feel like there was definitely a resolution and not a real cliffhanger. But I did enjoy it enough to read on.
#BuriedAliveChallenge
#CalibreRoulette

#BookReport
I fell behind on my goals this week finishing just the one book instead of the two I had planned but I really loved the tagged so it was a great reading week in that respect.

#WeeklyForecast
I absolutely have to finish these three books to meet my challenge goals so it's gonna be tight but I'm optimistic I can do it. Thank goodness the chunksters are all behind me lol

Managed an awesome #bookhaul curtesy of my family giving me bookstore gift cards. I hope everyone is surviving the holiday season.

Spending Christmas Eve curled up with my book and Sierra.
#CatsOfLitsy

Taking advantage of our covered driveway to enjoy real life rain sounds as I start the tagged book.

I really enjoyed the this even though the twist was kind of obvious. This kind of reminded me of The Ten Thousand Doors of January although this precedes that by a lot. There‘s that tale within a tale motif and an orphan only this has a bit of political intrigue as well.
#BuriedAliveChallenge
#CalibreRoulette

#BookReport
Managed to finish something this week and get about 50% into my next read. I'm very close to being caught up on my BookSpin backlog.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to catch up with my Calibre Roulette picks. I should finish Alphabet of Thorn sometime today so that just leaves Snow Queen. Then it's back to the Book Spin hussle for me.

This is probably the most literary sci fi I've read recently and while it was very well crafted it's not really my usual thing. There's a lot to unpack about identity and morality as you see the characters grow and come together. Definitely more character than plot based.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

#BookReport
Managed to finish two books this week so I'm feeling pretty good. Both were excellent. Alien shore for the ND rep and Raven and Reindeer for retelling goodness.

#WeeklyForecast
Goal this week is to finish More Than Human and make progress on Mote in God's Eye. If I manage to finish both I'll only have one book left in my BookSpin backlog after.

Starting this today. It‘s such a relief to have all my chunkster commitments behind me and more manageable works left in the end of year challenge crunch.

Oooh this was so good. Retellings have been hit or miss for me but this was definitely hit. It has that folksy vibe but is also slightly modern feeling without being anachronistic.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

I was lucky enough to catch the moment I hit 10k litfluence exactly. I am so grateful for this wonderful community!

This was so good and full of ND rep. I think the thing that makes me the happiest about this one is that the masters of space travel are from a culture that accepts and nurtures the neuro diverse and mentally ill.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

It is a lazy rainy day and BooklyApp estimates I can finish this in two and a half hours. Challenge accepted.
#CatsOfLitsy

#BookReport
Managed to finish one of the ones that I've been lingering on. It was very nostalgic because the movie used to be a slumber party staple when I was growing up.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal is to finish last months Book and Double spin before heading into more of my backlog.

This is a low pick because while I get that the ending is the purpose I wasn‘t quite thrilled with how it got there. It was nice to read the book though because as much as I‘ve seen the movie it really only covers half the book.
#BuriedAliveChallenge

Our couch and loveseat face each other conversation style so what happens when I glance up from my book? Apparently I‘m good enough to stare at but not for reading snuggles. He‘s still staring as I post this lol #CatsOfLitsy

Happy #BookSpin Day to all who celebrate! This is my must finish stack to meet all my challenge commitments for the year. Tagged and the one underneath are this month‘s selections with the rest of the stack my backlog. Not pictured are my two #CalibreRoulette picks: Alphabet of Thorn and The Snow Queen. Thankfully RNGesus did not saddle me with yet another chunkster.

So November was a pretty average month in terms of number of books read but I did enjoy pretty much everything I read (excluding my one bail).
2 Physical
4 eBook
Only one book qualified for my #BuriedAliveChallenge and it was rather new to my collection so I didn't earn many points for it.
I would have to say the highlights of the month were Steerswoman and Master of Djinn.
#NovemberWrapUp

I'm calling it. I don't often bail but when I do it's a #DoubleSpin chunkster that is very repetitive and hard to slog through. It was nice to see some of the traditional tales mixed in with the more unknown but the way they were organized made it seem repetitive as variations were placed next to each other so it felt like reading the same thing more than once. Out of over 250 tales I got like 50% through and that was a slow hard climb.

#BookReport
Managed to finish two lighter reads this week. But with the stress of the holiday I needed that. I've also made good progress in This Alien Shore because I misplaced Neverending Story (It's now found.)

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish at least one of my ongoing reads. I'll probably end up reading something completely random though because that just seems to be how I roll these days.

I can't believe it's only a week until the next #BookSpin draw! As always here's my list which is the same except for the two drawn each month. I still have a bit of a backlog but I am determined to catch up and beat the list by the deadline of Jan 2nd.
@TheAromaofBooks

I really liked this and feel like it's more than just a typical example of the genre. There's the rivalry premise but also a look into families, natural and found, and the way they shape the relationships people have.

I enjoyed this because it was light and fun. The two leads were interesting together and their families are a little bit crazy and dramatic. I like that this stands alone but also kind of sets up a small town series. The little hint of magic was fun as well.