This was okay. Reading about how state borders came into existence was way more boring than expected. These facts were so obscure they‘ll never even show up on Jeopardy. Worst of all, the book was organized in alphabetical order instead of by region, so there was a lot of repeat information. For example you learn about the border between North and South Dakota when you learn about all of North Dakota‘s border and then again when you get to SD.

This is the story of how a swampy area of MD and VA ended up as the US capital. The story seems perfect for a Cohen brothers movie with incompetency, corruption, stubbornness, and dumb luck eventually resulting in Washington DC becoming a reality. The whole process was quite the shit show, from being selected over various locales in PA (take that Columbia), to its design, to getting funding and then built, burnt to the ground and built again!

This book tells the history of the US national anthem. The highlight is the story behind the song and Francis Scott Key‘s retelling of the attack on Fort McHenry. It was also interesting to learn about how the song evolved to include verses being added/subtracted to attempts to standardize it. The problem was the book never found a happy medium. The first half was too exhaustively detailed at times while the latter half had too much filler.

This was a reread for me and I still love it! It‘s a multigenerational novel about a Lebanese family that infuses classic Middle Eastern tales. It‘s a story of Osama, a son who returns to Beirut after many years in the US to see his sick father. What unfolds is a series of memories from his youth and the stories of his family‘s previous generations mixed with the stories that his grandfather, a hakawati, shared with Osama during his childhood.

So I‘ve known a little bit about Todd‘s music for a while now. Recently I ended up doing a deeper dive one night while working. I liked some of his music, but I found my self paying more attention to the stories he told between songs. Then I found out he had this book of stories about his career. It ended up being a lot of fun, partially due to the tales, and partially due to the fact I ended up going down so many other rabbit holes.

This is Everett‘s collection of short stories about the West. I didn‘t particularly love the book, and none of to the stories are a must read, but I was entertained throughout. My faves included The Day Comes, which had a suspenseful ending, and Wrong Lead about a horse trainer and riding instructor who mistakenly becomes enmeshed with one of his student‘s romantic lives. I think Everett‘s novels seem more impactful than his shorts.

In the past year I‘ve learned I love books about presidential elections. It‘s crazy how much insiders share once the campaigns are over. This one was a bit raw but it also served as therapy in a way. In some ways the book was too polite . It could have been more gossipy and more honest. Biden was doing really weird things in early 2022 if not before and the media mostly ignored it. How anyone ever thought “this guy should run,” I don‘t understand

I found this at my local library and picked it up for its art deco style. These are three novels “told in pictures.” The artwork is beautiful. God‘s Man was solid, but the other two became a bit convoluted in terms of understanding their plots. It was a way to pass twenty minutes while waiting in line at the DMV. 😴👴☠️

This was a thorough rundown of several J&J scandals. Mostly widely known were the cancer-causing talcum powder and the poisoned Tylenol ones. Harris delves into so many additional areas I didn‘t know about like cancer drugs that killed patients, poor hip joints, false claims about Risperdal, their role in the opioids crisis (they were the main supplier of poppy plants). The things this corporation has been involved with are absolutely horrific.

Here‘s my list for the month of July!
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This is the story of two orphans, Rose and Pierrot, who fall in love as children before being separated in their teens. Their lives are hard and challenging and at times cruel. They never forget about one another and at various points try to find each other. This author excels at writing about hardship and tragedy while maintaining a comedic although dark tone. I‘ve recently read two different books by this author and just want more and more!

This was a rather lighthearted look at cults and specifically the language and tactics they use to attract followers and more importantly, convince them to remain in a cult. My issue is I wanted more….specifically about cults! A large portion of the book is spent examining other cult-like groups to include multi-level-marketing companies and fitness programs. It was fun, but I would have preferred a more detailed exploration on this subject.

Here‘s my TBR and #Bookspinbingo list for June!

@TheAromaofBooks

This is a dystopian novel in which cannibalism is legalized due to a virus making animal meat poisonous to humans. The scary thing is I could see something like this possibly happening. This is a dark story and I‘ll admit the characters aren‘t really likable….but the story was unique enough with effective world-building to the point it kept my attention with a twist or two I wasn‘t expecting at the end!

This is the second book I‘ve read by Vlauntin. He writes so well about people who are struggling. This books focuses on three people, Freddie, who is struggling to make ends meet since his family left; Pauline, a nurse at the local hospital who also cares for her father; and Leroy, a war veteran whose never been the same since suffering a TBI while serving his country and whose medical care loosely ties things together.

With his recent passing at the age of 60 and the odd story of his retirement barbed wire death match shortly before his death, I decided to finally read this book. It didn‘t disappoint from the stories of his start in support of his uncle in the territories, to building his skills in Japan, to coming back to America to become a hardcore innovator and legend between the major promotions and indies.

This was an interesting and heartbreaking work about the history of tuberculosis and how it is treated very differently today depending on what part of the world you live in. It will also be interesting to see if Green researches and writes more nonfiction books like this.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This is the story the KKK‘s rise to prominence in the state of Indiana and throughout the US and the crime and subsequent court case that resulted in the high-water mark for the organization‘s power and influence. This is American history that everyone should know, but that no one learns in school. I was left wondering, if it wasn‘t for Grand Dragon D.C. Stephenson‘s violent and criminal behavior, how much more power would the Klan have amassed?

This book kind of had the vibe of a Tom Waits album from the perspective of an 11-year-old girl. The reader meets a ton of characters living on the edges of society. The tale is fast-paced and everyone is unique. I started to hope Baby would make it through relatively unscathed…and then the wheels fell off the bus. Her drug-addicted man-child father is drowning and his decisions and attempts to teach or punish his daughter throws her to the wolves

What would happen if all of the adults in the world suddenly had the ability to know how long they will live. Who would embrace this knowledge? Who would avoid it? What would the effects be on one‘s personal life, but also on the community and societal levels? I think the author did a commendable job of telling a satisfying, multi-faceted story around this intriguing premise. One which shows both the beauty and ugliness of humanity. 4/5

This tale is about a small Armenian village whose population has dwindled to the point it faces extinction.

This book seems to represent the best & worst of magical realism. The reader meets a quirky group of villagers who believe in curses and folklore. The reader meets so many people, generations of them in short order, it can be tough to keep names and stories straight. Also the major plot twist seems like a bit much even for magical realism!

Hers my #bookspinbingo for May!

@TheAromaofBooks

This was a quick, interesting read. Clavin did his best to separate the man from the many myths about him. I found it most interesting to learn how quickly the west and country as a whole had changed over Hickok‘s 39 years. Hickok had a bold style of dispensing the law that had become outdated by his death. I‘d love if there had been more insight into the man himself, but I get the vibe he wasn‘t much for sharing his feelings.

#bookspinbingo

I loved this book. It‘s a straightforward travelogue of the author‘s time in Nepal. What made it special to me was that it brought back tons of memories of my own trip to Nepal from 21 years ago. This almost makes me want to get in shape, renew my passport, and head back to the “Roof of the World” before I‘m too old to do so. Or maybe I‘ll just go eat more fried momos at a local Nepali restaurant I just found last weekend!

#bookspinbingo

I read the first three volumes of The Girl from the Other Side. It‘s still early in the story, but I‘m intrigued and picked up the next three installments from my local library. The general plot involves a curse that is passed by touch and which turns typical humans into huge, dark, antelope-like creatures. Which would cool for death-metal bands, but the “insiders” seem to want to avoid such a transformation at all costs

#bookspinbingo

Picture a small town in the American west in the year 1912. A Lutheran pastor is visited by a mysterious Piegan man, who claims to be a monster who has committed unforgivable acts and requests to give his confession. The reader learns of how this man transforms into a monster and of his subsequent deeds, which are interwoven with the tale of the Piegan people and of the buffalo they depend on. It is a dark tale of suffering, brutality, and revenge

The book follows James Flynn, a man who is a long-term patient at a mental health facility who believes he is a Bond-like spy. For me, the premise grows stale pretty quickly. The book has great reviews overall, which made me think this book was going to have more depth or at least be more unique than just following the shenanigans of an escaped psychiatric patient and his two friends. To me it was mostly forgettable with a few cute moments.

This book earns a weak recommendation for me. It provides a variety of content to include scientific facts, geography, its history in culture, moon-gazing tips, and much, much more. Certain parts were odd to me, like the collection of poetry. I‘ll admit, I‘ve already forgotten most of the facts. But, tonight when on trash duty, I looked up into the sky and it was like truly noticing an old friend that I‘ve taken for granted for much too long.

My list for April #Bookspinbingo!

@TheAromaofBooks

In this book, a retired US Army Brigadier General challenges many of views and myths about the Civil War and the Confederate cause that remain to this day. The author shares how his views evolved from idolizing Robert E. Lee to thinking of him as a full-fledged traitor. It is hard to oppose the points Seidule makes, especially when he shares Lee‘s own words taken from his letters and speeches.

This book tells the stories that transpired on a wooded plot of land over hundreds years. The premise may sound bland (according to friends) but this is among my favorite novels that I‘ve read over the past five years or more. This book is unique in structure and the writing style is beautiful. I could have just read descriptions of the orchard and forest and been quite happy. The narration in the audiobook edition is top notch.

#bookspinbingo

I listened to this last weekend for St Patrick‘s Day. It was interesting to learn how Guinness began and even more how it influenced culture and made things better related to health and hygiene in Ireland. However, the author was like a full-fledged cheerleader of constant praise for the Guinness family. You learn at the end that the family has quite the history of suing authors….that may have played a part in the tone and content of the book

I absolutely love the more modern storyline in the book. The author has a style of writing that really pulled me in. However, there‘s a story within the story that almost ruined the entire thing for me. It‘s basically about the legend and folklore about this particular fishing spot the the town that used to exist around it. The owner of a local diner tells the tale to two fisherman in an attempt to scare them away….and he drones on for hours!!!

I listened to this while my stepdaughter reads it for English class….I was shocked that I loved it. There was a lot more compassion and tenderness than I anticipated for a book about a gang of teenage boys. I see why this is considered to be the start of YA fiction, even though most of what I‘ve read in the genre pales in comparison. My stepdaughter, she‘s still working on it, but she read ahead to the ending (what‘s with young people today?).

Here is another audiobook from the haze that was February. It‘s a gritty tale of two brothers who have been surviving on their own since their teens. Everything gets turned upside down early one morning when one of them has an accident. The book walks a fine line by making the reader empathize with everything the main characters have been through while not hiding how absolutely stupid and horrible some of their decisions are.

Before reading this, I have to admit I didn‘t know much about Captain Cook outside of the fact he‘s a pretty solid guess on Jeopardy in the topic of 18th century European explorers. This is a thoroughly detailed book of his epic final journey. I enjoyed how the author contrasted events and Cook‘s decisions and tendencies to those from earlier expeditions. I hope to read more by the author and about Capt Cook in the future!

Here‘s my TBR and Bookspin Bingo list for the month!

#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

This is a work of fiction inspired by real-life events that may tell the story more effectively than a nonfiction piece could. It focuses the victims and their loved ones. It also does a phenomenal job of dismantling and destroying a lot of the lies and myths the press built up around Ted Bundy, which are still too prevalent to this day. I strongly recommend.
#bookspinbingo

@TheAromaofBooks

Here‘s my TBR List for February!
#bookspinbingo
@thearomaofbooks

This is a true story of corruption within the Baltimore Police Dept. When reading this, I can‘t say that I was really surprised. But, part of me wondered how a division could get away with so much…the lack of real oversight that was in place was ridiculous!

#bookspinbingo
#auldlangspine2025
@Amiable
@TheAromaofBooks
@monalyisha

Fuzz is yet another entertaining book by Mary Roach. This one explores how humans react when nature and civilization collide. As you can probably guess, things typically don‘t go well for the animals. Among the parts I most enjoyed was the inclusion of the book‘s footnotes, which is rare for an audiobook. This was fun even if I don‘t love it as much as her earliest works, Stiff and Spook.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Who knew a book about mysterious revenge killings related to lynchings and other violent, racial-based crimes could be so fun? This is one of the more unique works of fiction I‘ve read. The author achieved an odd balance of dark subject matter mixed with humor. If anything, I would have loved it if the book was a bit more serious. A less-skilled writer could never have pulled this story off. I can‘t wait to read more of Everett‘s work!

This is a memoir of the author‘s time profiling serial killers and violent criminals. It‘s informative but far from prefect. The author spends a bit too much time boasting of his accomplishments. I think it helps to keep in mind this was published in 1993. I have a high tolerance for tragedy, but I have to admit I was a bit disturbed at times with the constant barrage of violent stories told in the author‘s direct and somewhat dispassionate style!

15,680 points for part II and 19,930 points total

It was fun…but it‘s over. I don‘t know about anyone else, but I just couldn‘t read anymore holiday-related stuff the past few days. 😂🤷‍♂️ I‘m so glad #Wintergames returned this year!

#wintergames2024
#christmaschapterchasers
#xmaschacha

@StayCurious

Here‘s my list for January and to kick off 2025!

#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

This is a novelty item that I purchased as part of a Die Hard-themed white elephant gift I put together for a family gathering! Of course I had to read it before wrapping it up in the wee small hours of Christmas morning. It‘s cheesy, light, and fun!

#DieHardisaChristmasMovie
#BookSpinBingo #WinterGames #WinterGames2024
#XmasChaCha

This was a nonfiction piece that was originally intended to be an expose‘ on the commercialism and corruption of Christmas. Instead, it became a slice of life piece of the suburb of Frisco Texas as it prepares for the Christmas 2006 holiday. The author follows the stories of Tammie, a home decorator; Jeff & Bridgett, homeowners with a ridiculous light display; and Carol, a single mother.

This was a reread/listen for me and I absolutely love it!

I‘m loving the season to include the holiday-related reads…but I‘m really looking forward to the new year and the return to reading “more serious” stuff. #Auldlangspine has added an extra jolt to my TBR as I‘ve been paired with @Amiable and am intrigued by a number of her favorite reads from the past year. Above are just a few of her recommendations I plan to check out in January and well into 2025!

#auldlangspine2025
#ALSpine2025

This was a short but solid title that focused on the Victorian era tradition of telling ghost stories by the fire on Christmas Eve. Far from scary though, these tales are served with healthy portions of wit and sarcasm.

#bookspinbingo #wintergames #wintergames2024
#XmasChaCha #littenlisten @TheAromaofBooks @StayCurious @aperfectmjk

This book covers the history of Christmas in small, focused snippets. It covers subjects that range from fruit cake to wrapping paper to Santa Claus and everything in between. I‘ve heard of many of the subjects before on the podcast of the same name, but I loved revisiting them and prefer the audiobook version thanks to better sound quality. I‘ll be revisiting this book and its various subjects for years to come!