Starting my May #Roll100 today…I‘m digging the cute lil 🐿 squirrel on the cover of my edition (a gift from the wonderful @BekahPat 💜).

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I‘m so glad this was a #LMPBC selection for #GroupE. Masood weaves just two tales of two very different Muslim/Muslim-American experiences. Anvar was hilarious, definitely laugh out loud moments, but also gave good attention to parent-child dynamics…he provided the levity at times to Safwa‘s trying experience.

My kids got to see their first play today…Charlie & The Chocolate Factory at the State Theatre (in New Brunswick, NJ). It was lovely to experience the play with them; we love the book and both movies…my husband and I are partial to the Gene Wilder adaptation. 🍫🍫🍫

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book left me with a smile. Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron, & Joyce are a delightful crime-solving crew. #doublespin for May

⭐️⭐️⭐️ My first @SerialReader in too long. I like the small bites format. It always takes me some time to adjust to Poe‘s language/style; I enjoyed seeing the mystery unfold to its unexpected conclusion.

Up next…my Book Club/Double Spin selection. 🤗

This was a delight…makes sense that this library copy is so well-loved and worn. I first met The Mysterious Benedict Society through the Disney+ series, and am delighted to have finally met the source material! My TBR is overwhelming, but I hope to hang out with them again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I learned this morning that a beloved professor from my college days passed away this week. Diane Nelson was a Cultural Anthropology professor with such passion and vitality. I remember my class with her (Cyborgs) fondly, where course materials included the tagged book, Dawn. Rest easy, Diane. 💙💙💙

https://culturalanthropology.duke.edu/news/memoriam-diane-nelson-1963-2022?fbcli...

It‘s gonna be May…and I cannot help myself (N*SYNC 4 Life! 😆) - Here is my #Bookspin for May. For the record, I have not made any progress on April‘s reads, but we‘ll figure it out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A kid-friendly biography of Abe Lincoln.

My April #tbr is way off track, but when your son (7) recommends his library book to you, you jump right in.

I mean…wow…what an emotional experience. I don‘t have the right words to articulate my feelings.
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My library hold came through, so we‘re bumping this to the top of my reading list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an okay read. It moved quickly and kept me curious, but I had some issues with some plot points (or lack there of). Grief is hard…and so different from one person to the next. I think Silver did a good job taking Lydia through her devastating grief with honesty. #lmpbc Group E

I think this is the first time I‘ve “panned” a book…⭐️⭐️ - This did not age well for me. Picked up on a nostalgic whim from the library, I‘m thankful my kiddo wasn‘t interested in reading this when I first recommended it.

2.5 ⭐️ for my March #doublespin…this was cute, some Love, Actually vibes. I felt there were a few too many characters to keep track of. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My April #TBR is coming together. On top is my #roll100 pick, bottom two are my #bookspin and #doublespin picks…middle two were recent picks from the library (we‘ll see if I can make those happen…Middle Grade selections). Also my #LMPBC read…this is a bit ambitious, but we‘ll see. First I need to finish my March #doublespin! 😉

Finishing my March #bookspin before calling it a night. This got off to a slow start for me, but picked up speed about 1/3 of the way in. I enjoyed how Elvis‘s & Maite‘s storylines flowed. 3.5 ⭐️

April #Bookspin & #Doublespin list…April?!

I gotta get cracking on my MARCH spin selections!!! Too much basketball, not enough books! #MarchMadness2022 🏀 📚🏀📚

I‘ll take it. Happy Weekend, everyone!
#CoffeeandBooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a wonderful read. So many of her essays resonated with me. There is a special blend of humor and reflection, vulnerability and honesty. I‘m so glad to have finally read this for my #Roll100 pick.

I‘m looking forward to this #Roll100 pick (#5) for March! This book was shared with me by my dear pen pal, @BekahPat and came highly recommended. It‘s a long overdue read, so I‘m excited to jump in! (And I‘ll be sure to get it back to you after holding it hostage for 3 years!!! I‘m so sorry! 🤦🏻‍♀️)

This Breaking Bad quote hits for this #LMPBC selection. This was borderline my so-so/pick, and I bumped it up to “pick” given its resolution. It‘s a novel about family, relationships, and understanding (others and ourselves).

I‘ll be putting this in the mail to you soon, @kellyann28 👍🏼

Finished this in about 36 hours…with pleeeeeenty of time before my book club meets at the end of the month! I enjoyed the formatting with Pip‘s research notes and files interspersed in the narrative. 3.5 ⭐️

Also, I just love it when libraries tell you how much you saved by using their services! 💰

1. Chemistry & A Good Girl‘s Guide to Murder
2. Waiting on my Maus hold to come in
3. A Good Girl‘s Guide… & an “I Survived” book for my son (about the American Revolution)
#WeekendReads

The people you love weren‘t calculated, subtracted, or held at arm‘s length across a decimal point.

If February were just a few days longer my #DoubleSpin would have happened in the selected month! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed this dive into E.O. Heinrich‘s legacy and contributions to criminal investigations. Amazing to think about the way this man‘s mind worked & the legacy of his efforts. I like Dawson‘s writing style, and look forward to reading her next publication (research from Season 1 of her podcast “Tenfold More Wicked”).

My March #bookspin & #doublespin list!

Happily moving on to my #doublespin pick for February.

Not a love connection on this #BlindDate from my library…and there was so much promise, as the genre is 100% in my wheelhouse! Too many secondary/tertiary characters that cluttered my reading experience…and too many typos and odd editorial issues…one character‘s name was spelled wrong mere lines from another (correct) instance. All the same, this author has talent, has published other titles. I just won‘t be reading them. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2.5⭐️

A responsible #bookhaul from a weekend getaway. Not pictured are a few more comics, but I‘m very excited to have the complete Paper Girls, which I‘ve seen such good things about here. Kindred was on my #NYWD21 list, and my hubs picked up The Memory Police, which I‘m also interested in reading.

Starting my Blind Date with a Book pick from my local library…it would only be right. Will there be “No chemistry” or will it be “True Love!”?!

#LMPBC #GroupE here are 6 throwbacks on my #BOTM back list … let me know if you have any preferences.

3.5 ⭐️ - McWhorter‘s linguistic journey through the nine nasty words was rich in information and history, complete with touches of humor and context that helped this lay person keep up. (Bonus: he completed his undergrad at Rutgers! R-U-Rah-Rah)
February #bookspin

Books and beer on a beautiful Saturday in Hudson, NY. This would be a “go-to” hangout if I were a local. 🍺📚🍺📚

#LMPBC #GroupE (Round 14!!) - so excited to be paired with @Catsandbooks @kellyann28 & @sprainedbrain as we tackle the #BOTM backlog!
I‘ll be checking my shelves on Sunday and sharing recommendations soon! Happy Friday, all. 📚💜

Babe Ruth‘s parents had a rocky marriage.
#firstlinefridays

This wasn‘t a good “book fit” for me, but I‘m glad to have read it for my February #roll100 …now I can move it off my bookshelf! 2.5⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would have finished this #NYWD22 selection from @MeganAnn in one sitting easily (but, you know…life). I would love to see what happens after the story ends. And I‘m definitely interested in exploring more of Gailey‘s novels. They‘re a voice we need more of! 💜

The library was a short distance from my house, so I didn‘t have to wait to learn more about my blind date!

My public library‘s “Friend of…” is doing a blind date with a book…for a mere $2 donation. We‘ll reveal this title once I‘m home. 💜

My February #Roll100 is up next! Another from the #BOTM backlog (April 2018, I think).

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Ronnie Spector lived one hell of a life. She chased her dreams, saw those dreams come true, and fought her way through the hell of Phil Spector. Her voice shines through this memoir; it‘s like a good friend telling you their journey.

1. There are so many…📚
2. Nope!
3. Be My Baby, by Ronnie Spector 💜

#wondrouswednesday

This jumped onto my TBR after it was mentioned on #MyFavoriteMurder (a recent listen but an old episode)…so sad that we lost Ronnie in January 2022. My first exposure to The Ronettes was the opening credits of Dirty Dancing, with which 5-year-old me was *obsessed* (though clearly so much nuance of the plot flew right over my head). 💜 Rest easy, Ronnie. 💜

2.5⭐️ - this was a quick read, but just not my cup of tea. I liked seeing how the stories overlapped with one another, but didn‘t feel overly invested. #doublespin for January - now I can delete it from my Kindle. 🤷🏻‍♀️

February?! #bookspin & #doublespin list. Let‘s do this! 🤘🏼

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kate Winkler Dawson is a good story teller, and I enjoy this style of narrative non-fiction. She weaves together two threads from the same point in London history: the Great Smog of 1952 (responsible for the death of 12,000 citizens) and that of serial killer John Reginald “Reg” Christie (responsible for the death of - at least - 8 women).
My #bookspin for January 2022

“It did seem ridiculous to many. Another committee?”

I get this vibe at work, too. A committee for the committee… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

#WeekendReads

💙 Death in the Air
💙💙 Ban This Book and Becoming
💙💙💙 Wednesday is Indigo Blue