So happy to see everyone getting on board with the #christmascrimechallenge
Hope you're all enjoying it as much as I am!
I've still got a few squares to go, and I've found some great reads along the way so far 😊
@Ruthiella
pickI expected a mystery novel, but this was more like an Argentinian Desperate Housewives.
Thursday Night Widows is a portrait of social class explored through a gated community full of secrets and drama.
I'd have liked a bit more speculation about the deaths that the book opens with. A few more clues, a bit more background etc. But this was an excellent piece that satirised privilege and showed the instability of wealth and reputation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
https://youtu.be/FFIfWNyMiao?si=oMFpBk9ynW4giqFC
If you're doing the #christmascrimechallenge and want some especially xmassy mysteries, I've reviewed some here!!!!
I bought the hat just for this video 🤣
Ho ho ho etc.
@Ruthiella
This is a #blameitonLeni purchase 🤣
@Leniverse
@PuddleJumper I've got my #roll100 sorted for 2026 💕
There were exactly 100 books on this graphic in my Illumicrate book journal so I used it! 🩷
Work xmas do yesterday and my body has been totally broken from... mini golf? 😅😅😅 Oh boy.
This is one of the items from the incredible December Illumicrate box... a gorgeous, illustrated reading journal to track my 2026 year of reading!
@Branwen has one too so I can't wait to journal together 💕💕
pickThis absolutely shouldn't have worked... and yet it kinda did...
Is it a novel? Is it a collection of short stories? Is it a puzzle book?
Well... yes!
I really enjoyed this quirky, chaotic read. After the ambiguous "puzzle" elements of Miss Winter, it was just nice to have the puzzles politely announce themselves!
Flawed festive fun.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They've released the prompts for Book Riot's Read Harder challenge 💕💕
I may use this for my HRCYED readathon... or is that too ambitious 😅
Here's my video reacting to the prompts and deciding on some possibles -
https://youtu.be/aREoYEvZ0uw?si=8PifIqcwIP-Qno0q
so-soFestive mystery number 6 this year, and I'm starting to flag.
This one is a short Christmas thriller with creepy moments of neighbourly torment.
For me, if a story requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief, there has to be other stuff to outweigh it, and this one just didn't have enough to balance out the implausibility.
If you're interested in a mildly festive romp with a psychopathic heart, give it a go, but it wasn't my fave.
⭐️⭐️
so-soI would like it to be known that I solved both of the mysteries!
This was OK, but the characters were a bit two-dimensional and it didn't feel all that festive. If I'd travelled to a secluded village to play a murder mystery game, I'd expect more than a few A4 handouts.
It also stressed me out that I was supposed to be finding clues, but hadn't the foggiest what was meant by that. In the end, I solved it without writing much down.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickThis was so ridiculous, but SO funny 🤣🤣
Will make you feel amazing about being single ❤️
https://youtu.be/qlg0H-BbEIY?si=tM4w53okPnPlciuu
I made a Non-fiction November video!
#nonfictionnovember
pickA brilliantly written manifesto for inclusion, positive change, and integration. Concise, succinct, informative, and the next book you need to read on Art if you've been reading the classic texts.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickI love reading books that are about art, but also about life. We get a blend of memoir and commentary that is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Olivia Laing explores loneliness through the lens of five artists working in New York City, and the result is an incredible piece of writing.
Laing is more attracted by the provocative than I am, and I don't agree with all of their interpretations, but that's art for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
so-soIf you're looking for a murder mystery with twists, intrigue, tension, and suspicion... this ain't it. Everyone is still alive 3/4 into the story.
It was, however, a cosy slice of festive cheer. So if you can overlook the glaring lack of mystery and just enjoy it as a dinner with clashing personalities and a rustic feel, it is at least Christmassy.
Despite the festive minutiae being described, I did enjoy this more than Clement's debut.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
so-soFor anyone who is thinking about writing a cosy Christmas mystery, I have some advice. If you're going to do a cheesy set up with festive puzzles or (in this case) characters called Colonel Colman and Reverend Teal... it does not work to start tackling highly triggering subject matter.
It doesn't matter how sensitively it is handled, the book loses its identity as a cosy and leaves you feeling sad.
CW in comments.
⭐️⭐️
pickThis was a veritable festive bloodbath!
A group of VIPs get locked in a Christmas department store by a Poundland Wonka handing out sus hot chocolates... CHAOS ENSUES.
This was packed full of secrets, deception, gaslamps, creepy passages, automata, firelight, and one grisly grotto. Twists and turns galore, this was a high adrenaline page turner that somehow still managed to feel Christmassy.
Loved it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickIf you're looking for a gossipy tell-all with lots of lurid details, Tim Curry makes it clear from the start that he isn't going to spill the tea on his love life or fellow celebrities!
This is a dignified look back over the roles he has taken on over a lifetime and how they shaped a varied, ambitious and celebrated career.
My favourite of his roles is, of course, that of Long John Silver in the wonderful Muppet Treasure Island ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickThis was a big step up from the last 2 festive mysteries Benedict put out. Much more polished, pacey and fun.
The metaphors still suck, the cheese level is insane, and the 80 year olds read like 30 year olds. That said, this was a Christmassy romp with plenty of action, and I enjoyed it more than the others!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#christmascrimechallenge @Ruthiella Set in Winter!
On today's episode of "things Rae might live to regret"...
Whose idea was this?
And why did I buy them?
I read this charming little novella on Audio, and I'm glad I did because you get the full impact of the music.
It's a book about a young man who inherited his profession from his Pop - collecting shrimp with a horse and cart. He meets a film director whose acquaintance opens up his world.
At first, I thought this was going to be very boring, but there were some truly touching moments. Moving, understated, and sweet.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
https://youtu.be/QZkjTuw3Tvw?si=97d1Shc_4_tBKZbE
Thoughts on this year's Booker winner.
Still ill and droopy lol.
pickAn atmospheric, gothic historical mystery that was Rebecca-esque, and a poignant slow burn.
Usually I hate books that flick back and forth in time, but both threads were compelling, and the story had depth and intrigue.
With minor tweaks in the last quarter this could have been a 5 star read, but there were a couple of things that could have made the ending more impactful.
Still a very well executed novel and worth reading.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
https://youtu.be/Q6I18m5FRCo?si=twx12Al-7-3ij64c
@Ruthiella and anyone else joining in the #christmascrimechallenge ❄️🌟🎁🎅🎄
Please excuse the voice / face. I am still sick 🤒
@Ruthiella #Christmascrimechallenge 💕
@Leniverse @julesG @5feet.of.fury @AllDebooks
I've been thinking... if you want to show us all how many you've read, you can post a graphic like the one above with stickers for every book read at the end of the challenge!
That way if you want to read 3x Rudolph books, you can have extra stickers 😁
Sorry about the Lovecraftian looking Snowflake hehe 🤭
Optional, but I love stickers 😅😅
BOOKER ANNOUNCEMENT SOON!!!! Who do you think will win???
Here are my (brief) thoughts:
https://youtube.com/shorts/XHApzXfK7vA?si=7p6eGoxMp4E_QmQL
This is #pebblecat being adorable! She is another kitty friend of mine! #catsoflitsy
Join @Ruthiella and I in reading some mystery novels this Winter!
Feel free to do as many or as few prompts as you like and tag us to let us know what you are reading!
Use the hashtag #christmascrimechallenge 🎄🎅🦌🌟🎁🍷
Can't wait to see what you're all reading! All welcome to take part.
Lots of love ❤️
pickI found this one all the more affecting and absorbing for NOT romanticising its characters.
It's formed by layers of unresolved resentment and suboptimal family dynamics, and its very imperfection is what chipped away at my heart.
Flashlight is about family, history, migration, change, identity, Korea, America, and Japan. It's about what we take for granted and how we don't always value what is most important to us.
Quietly touching ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
https://youtu.be/etBXEVlax5s?si=VxUubwjnetfwPxnb
And here is part 2!
ONE HUNDRED BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS! Boom! 😊
pickWell, now I'm bummed out.
Istvan's story is one that holds the reader at a distance, while also giving us a visceral impression of his world.
I've never really read prose like it. It's so basic and pared back, but still manages to say everything that it needs to say. Imagine the absolute opposite of Charles Dickens' prose, but with some synergy with his story arcs!
This book felt intentionally directionless, which may frustrate some readers.
panHated this.
The main character is an insufferable misogynist with no redeeming features, and since he doesn't seem to care what's going on, there's no reason why we should either.
Read as an example of the Hardboiled subgenre, and suitably unimpressed.
⭐️⭐️
pickThis one won me over by the end. The last few chapters are explosive, and I loved the devotion of the love interest 😋
Having said that, I don't disagree with the criticism either. Fourth Wing isn't perfect. It's clichéd, the MC is annoying, and the world-building is sloppy and jars with the modern language.
Still, there is a reason why it is resonating with so many readers, and I'm invested now.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
https://youtu.be/4u0ApQUG8II?si=QSHhDG-ly5UFQ8Qi
My 100th video special!
Part 1 😁
ONE HUNDRED BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!!!!!!!
Grab a pen 😋
Reading this for HRCYED subgenres prompt and I'm not sure I can weather the sexist writing to enjoy the story.
"She was a blonde woman of a few more years than thirty. Her facial prettiness was perhaps five years past its best moment."
Feminist rage piqued.
I woke up with Vodka Cranberry by Conan Gray in my head this morning and it's been popping up in my brain all day.
I AM NOT OKAY 😭😭😭😭
Oh my days, this song is destroying me 💔💔
But you should all go and listen to it.
I'd never even heard of him until yesterday.
#Tuesdaytunes @TieDyeDude
https://youtu.be/RsFSyBiBxeA?si=NlJe9v2pXoz4lRy_
@ChaoticMissAdventures #10beforetheend
I made a TBR video for 10 before the end (with bonus Xmas Crime TBR) if anybody fancies it
Cannot cope with how cute my tiny robot paperweight is 😭💕
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wish I hadn't known who did this one because it was ingenious. I'm such a fan of the TV series that I know most of the stories...
Regardless, this was splendidly enjoyable and intricately plotted.
Probably my favourite Poirot. Maybe even my favourite Christie. Up there with Roger Ackroyd and And Then There Were None, with the added bonus that it feels like you're floating down the Nile.
Love love loved it.
10 before the end of the year?
How about these hardbacks staring accusingly at me from beside my sofa?
Or maybe just the 10 or more books I'm reading at the moment 😅😅
#10beforetheend @ChaoticMissAdventures
so-soIf you've read any Patricia Lockwood before, you'll know she has a unique way of expressing herself. She's a singular, irreverent, poetic voice, and I respect her work.
Some of her latest writing is pure fire. Some of it is so abstract that it lacks clarity and I found it a struggle to extract meaning.
This book explores how the pandemic left her feeling detached from reality both mentally and physically.
Varies from chapter to chapter!
Reading over Reality 📚📚
pickThis one has some great characters that made for some genuinely entertaining moments.
A memorable episode of the TV series, and as far as I recall, significant changes were made to adapt it.
Enjoyable despite some dodgy behaviour from Poirot!
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so-soThis one had me slumping hard for the first 40%. There just wasn't anything to draw me into the story. It would have been a DNF... but I don't usually DNF.
And I'm glad I didn't because the second half of this book was good. I started to care.
I don't feel as positively about AI, robotics and automation as the author, but by the end I was invested.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickIf you thought The Honjin Murders had an unnecessarily convoluted solution, wait till you read this one!
I enjoyed this historical murder mystery immensely, although the background events were sobering (it is set in 1940s Osaka). Although written by a modern author, it was interesting to read a Japanese perspective from this time.
The author evidently loves the mystery genre because they've lovingly thrown in all the best elements.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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