How is it June? Focusing on library books again this month because the holds just keep coming in. Eventually I‘ll read the books I actually own…someday…#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Low pick. I don‘t usually like short stories or short story collections but I actually quite enjoyed my time with these. Poirot is back along with his little grey cells to solve seemingly impossible puzzles. Could still do without Hastings, but he was tolerable in smaller bites. No real standout favorites from this collection but I had a good cozy time reading it. #ChristiesCapers @Librarybelle

Nope. Too bored. Took too long for someone to die and none of the characters are particularly compelling. I called it quits around the halfway point and the game hadn‘t even started yet and I thought it was supposed to be the main focus of the story! Hard pass.

Low pick. Not bad but not amazing. I really liked Muriel as a character and how she wouldn‘t bow to Jekyll despite their history. I think I‘m just not a huge fan of stories where characters from other stories are borrowed or reimagined. Some I like but most are a miss. I‘ll continue with the next book in the series and see how it goes. Overall an entertaining historical mystery.

Meh. I tried. Too big of a book to read about whiny and unlikeable characters with a very slow plot. I‘ll give other books by this author a shot but this one wasn‘t for me. If you like really messy family dynamics with unlikeable characters you may enjoy this more than I did.

Loved this! So glad it was a MCBC pick because I‘ve been wanting to read this for a long time. It‘s a fascinating look at what some bodies can do after death and the things/procedures we have today that are because of the research and testing performed on cadavers. There were several moments where I laughed out loud and Mary‘s humor really shines through in places. I‘ll be picking up more from her. #MCBC

Ordered a few books online including the tagged book and upon flipping through came across this! Thanks Bookmark Fairy! I really hope I like this novella now…😅

I didn‘t love this as much as I was hoping but I think it‘s a good start to a series! A sci-fi world where you can get a new body each time you die and you can download your memories into the books of a library in order to continue your existence in your new bodies. But what happens when someone erases some of the books, permanently. Our MC is a detective that would really rather knit but winds up having to solve a rather unusual murder.

I love the stuff that Lydia Kang writes. This is a collection of conspiracy theories and other ideas that fall in the realm of pseudoscience, why they‘re believed and why they‘re wrong. Contains topics including the flat earth theory, the “faking” of the moon landing, crop circles, spontaneous human combustion and gasoline pills to name a few. Really enjoyed my time with this.

This was….something. It‘s been a while since I read a sci-fi but I didn‘t think that I would struggle this much through a novella no less! I‘m not really sure what the point of this was. Or maybe the point was just to be confusing and talk in circles and leave you with a general feeling of “what on earth did my eyeballs just consume”. But overall it just wasn‘t for me. Sounded like a great murder mystery but didn‘t deliver in my opinion.

(This is the manga, not the light novel) I love this series so much!! But now I have to wait for the next volume 😭 Maomao is back solving mysteries at the inner court and I have a feeling that the ground is being laid for something big coming up. So looking forward to the next one!

Low pick. I enjoyed parts of the story but truthfully I prefer the “traditional” mysteries more than the adventurous espionage/heist/conspiracy plots that Christie has done in some of her books including this one. I liked it while I read it but it took me all month to get through. Once I put it down I kind of forgot about it 🤷🏼‍♀️ #Christiescapers @Librarybelle

Nearly forgot to post this. How is it already May? Though truthfully I‘m glad to see April go, what a cluster it has been. Here‘s hoping May will be better! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Love the art style and I‘m so glad that more Webtoons are getting physical publications. Ellie discovers she‘s a psychic and gets hired by Ichabod, a pumpkin headed paranormal investigator, to be his partner in investigating all that goes bump in the night. Fast read, lovable characters, can‘t wait to get my hands on volume two!

Another favorite of the year! Reread for Morbidly Curious Book Club and I loved it even more the second time through. Fascinating essays about everything from eating bugs, fatbergs, and your pets potentially eating you after death all the way to the nutshell studies, cannibalism and head transplants. Highly recommend if you like to read about the darker and weird side of science. #MCBC

Ah Hastings. We meet again. This was a reread but I didn‘t remember much of the story before going back into it. Entertaining mystery though Hastings really annoys me. Can‘t wait for the next Poirot! #ChristiesCapers

This was fine. Picked it up because I‘m a bake off fan and this is very bake off coded. It was fun enough. It‘s supposed to be a mystery but it definitely plays second fiddle to the romance. So if you want a romance with a “bake off” setting, try this. If you want a mystery with a “bake off” setting, there are others out there that are better. Won‘t be continuing in the series as the writing wasn‘t great and characters felt very one dimensional.

I really loved this! A strange little fantasy novella featuring a spider monster that eats their brides and sets their sights on the next keeper of the keys. I wish it was longer because I really loved this world and was so intrigued by Anathema. I‘m not a huge fan of spiders, but this made me like them a little more. Has elements of romance and mystery that just really worked. A favorite of the year so far!

Slowly getting caught up on reviews. Read this back in Feb and never posted 😅 I liked this more than I thought I would. Usually I‘m not one for espionage-esque plots but this one didn‘t bother me so much. The characters were endearing and I‘m looking forward to the other Tommy and Tuppence adventures. #ChristiesCapers

At first I wasn‘t sure about this when I picked it up since it‘s YA and I don‘t always gel with it, but I think this being aimed at a YA audience makes the subject much more accessible for those unfamiliar with TB and I found myself enjoying reading it. It made for a fascinating time since in the past I‘ve seen TB discussed from a historical angle and not from the present day like this one where it is still very much a problem in our world ⬇️

Really loved this! Full of twists and turns that made it so hard to put down! Six authors invited to a writing retreat on the private island of mysterious thriller writer J.R. Alastor. They think they‘re there to write, but someone has a bone to pick with the authors and they may not make it off the island alive. Isolated setting, games, getting picked off one by one. This hit all my buzzwords and lived up to the hype for me.

Results for this months Bookspin and book stack pull! Right side is my #bookspin and #doublespin respectively and left side are the books pulled from my floor stack. Really looking forward to the tagged book because I‘ve been itching for a fantasy world to fall into and so glad that Pulling the Wings off Angels is a novella so perhaps I‘ll actually make some progress this month in my goals. @TheAromaofBooks

What an unhinged governess! Quick horror novella featuring Winifred who is a little more murderous than a governess perhaps should be. I loved the underlying themes of class and what it meant/means to be a woman both in current day and in the past. It‘s just a wonderfully dark ride.

This was fine. Not earth shattering but not entirely unhelpful. All about tips and tricks for writing during hard times. There‘s some things I‘ll take away from this and I‘m glad I read it, but it‘s not my favorite writing help book. I could see others getting far more out of it than me and am glad it exists. #roll100 January pick @PuddleJumper

What a clever little mixed media mystery. I was really hoping I‘d like this and thankfully I did! The large cast of characters took some time to remember, but after I got everyone down I couldn‘t stop reading. I went into this knowing very little beside the format and I think that‘s the best way to go in. Recommend if you‘re looking for a mystery that‘s a little different.

First two books from my #bookstack. I was intending to just pull one a month but accidentally grabbed two cards so figured I might as well attempt to read them both. I‘m more hesitant with the tagged book since it‘s YA and I‘ve been moving away from that, especially YA Fantasy. But I‘ll give it a shot. Here‘s hoping!

March #bookspin and #doublespin! I‘m hoping to at least get to the tagged book since it‘s only a novella but the other is a bit of a chunker and I‘ve been struggling to pick up larger books lately. So we‘ll see how it goes. @TheAromaofBooks

I have decided to set a new challenge for myself out of necessity. This is the top of a couple book stacks on my floor, and I want/need them off the floor. So I‘m doing my own version of “Shelve it or Scrap it” inspired by Becca and the Books. I will draw a prompt/number starting in March that corresponds with a book in the stack. I either read and keep, or read and unhaul. Hoping to make a dent by years end and get some floor space back!

Read this in two days. I couldn‘t put it down! It‘s a great example of narrative nonfiction which is why I couldn‘t stop turning pages. A look at the lives and world of the men that were responsible for the “lie detector” test and the cases that made this a household name despite its flaws. Really well done. #MCBC pick for February.

Annnnd I‘m bored. DNF at 16%. There‘s nothing inherently wrong with this book. The writing is fine, the characters are fine but “fine” isn‘t doing it for me at the moment and I can feel myself sliding toward a slump considering how each time I thought about picking this book up, I would go find something else to do. So putting it aside and moving on. This was my #bookspin for Feb. @TheAromaofBooks

My favorite book of January! At first I wasn‘t sure I‘d gel with this novella since it‘s written in second person. But it‘s so good! Much cozier than the title/synopsis suggests and features one of my favorite found families so far. I really want this to be a full length novel. The world is interesting and could really be expanded upon. Recommend if you‘re a fan of found families and fantasy on the more cozy side of the aisle.

Low pick. Forgot to post this earlier in January 😅 3rd read of this and while I remembered “whodunnit” I still couldn‘t piece it together until Poirot explained. Hastings got on my nerves but I still enjoyed the story. Not my favorite Christie (though truthfully it‘s hard to top my favorite) but still a good read all the same. #Christiescapers

My #bookspin and #doublespin for February! It was kind to me this month because The Queen of Fives is a library book that I need to read and I was just about to pick up Shiver as a non-Christmas winter read. Can‘t make it into work today because of the snow so I‘m going to take advantage and get some reading done. @TheAromaofBooks

My #bookspin list for February! I wrote this in the dark by the glow of the TV so I‘m pleased that it‘s as legible as it is. Really trying to focus on the books that I can‘t wait to read instead of putting books that maybe aren‘t catching my interest now but that I really should read. January has gone well so here‘s hoping February continues! Mix of book club books, library books, #roll100 books and things from my shelves. @TheAromaofBooks

Books about winter always draw my attention because I love the season even though most hate it. This provides some good ideas and tips for enjoying the winter season more no matter where you are as well as examines how other countries (Iceland for example) survive & thrive during it and what they can help teach us about life in winter. I really enjoyed the bits about how other cultures/countries view & live during winter.

Entertaining sci-fi ish horror novella. Can an AI robot be possessed by evil? The characters are about to find out. Set during Halloween, an agoraphobic husband and his pregnant wife have invited some of her friends over to their smart house. The husband decides that perhaps they should meet William…and the story goes from there. Best to read in one sitting. Low pick. Enjoyed it while I read it but it‘s not a favorite.

This author just isn‘t for me. This is the third book I‘ve read from them and the third pan. I just don‘t get on with the writing style. It‘s frustratingly repetitive and while the topic was interesting I feel like it suffered because of the writing. Needed a few more edits to tighten it up in places and to stop explaining the same things over and over again. Could‘ve been half the size without the repetition. #MCBC pick for January.

Really enjoyed this! So glad to be back in the Xuya Universe. This novella was a little more confusing than previous ones I‘ve read. But ultimately I did enjoy the overall story. Makes me want to go hunt down the others I haven‘t read yet and dive into them immediately. Give it a shot if you like sapphic sci-fi featuring Chinese and Vietnamese inspired galactic empires rather than Western based. Highly recommend.

Rather enjoyed this! Locked room mystery you can read in one sitting. I‘ve enjoyed Japanese mysteries in the past and now I can add this to their ranks. Don‘t want to say much because it‘s so short. Recommend for those that enjoy locked room mysteries but want something different from an English manor house. This was my #bookspin pick @TheAromaofBooks

Giving this another shot! Fell off on everything last year but I‘m hoping the break did me some good and that I‘ll be able to keep up this year. Combo of library books, #roll100 titles, book club books and some “free” spaces where I get to choose a book I got for Christmas.

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspin #bookspinbingo

My first #bookspin and #doublespin of the year! Of course it would be the two chunkiest books I stuck on the list. Ah well. Maybe this is the kick in the butt I need to actually finish Fourth Wing. I‘ve started it half a dozen times but keep putting it down. Kate Morton isn‘t usually my thing, but this one has me intrigued so I thought I‘d give it a shot. @TheAromaofBooks

Ugh. It‘s been a day. All I want to do now I curl up with a stack of books and not emerge until I absolutely have to. Starting with finishing this cozy. It‘s entertaining so far, but I‘m pretty sure I‘ve figured out who the killer is 9 chapters in. I usually never figure it out so I‘m curious to see if I‘m right. Murder, She Wrote on the TV, a fuzzy blanket on my lap and an even fuzzier dog at my feet. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Only have about 4,905 points so far for #magicalmonsters but I also haven‘t been the best about keeping track of time during readathons. Too much to keep track of that way so I gave up halfway through. Been a busy month so far so maybe I‘ll be able to make up for my lack of points the second half of the month. #scarathlon @Laughterhp

Plans for todays readathon #Fridaythe13th is to make a dent in/maybe finish one or both of these. The Girls Who Fought Crime is under 200 pages so that‘s the more likely of the two to get finished. I‘ve started Everybody In My Family Has Killed Someone but I‘m not that far into it yet. @BookwormAHN #magicalmonsters

Stack for #OutstandingOctober this is definitely ambitious but I hope to get through as many of these as I can. The stack is so big because I‘m not sure what exactly I‘ll feel like picking up but these are all possibilities. Seems like I‘m forever trying to get through library books so I can read the books I actually own 😅 #magicalmonsters @Andrew65

My plan for the #popupsaturday weekend readathon is to try to get through this chunker. I‘m over 100 pages in so far and have 300 something left to go. So if I can finish it I would be thrilled. I‘ve got a concert Sunday night so we‘ll see if that actually happens but work is going to be pretty slow tomorrow so perhaps I can sneak a few pages in there.

#scarathlon #magicalmonsters

Not for me. A murder mystery at a magical school but each chapter follows a different student written by a different author as they try to discover what happened. I love the idea, love some of the characters we‘ve met because they have such interesting powers, but it‘s just not executed well. Over 100 pages in and I‘m not attached to anyone since you only meet each student once and some characters are extremely stereotypical and over the top. ⬇️

I haven‘t gone to bed yet so even though it‘s after midnight I‘m still counting “today” as the 5th. It‘s not the 6th until I go to bed 🤪 Anyway, the photo prompt today was #blood and I immediately thought of this book. Forever languishing on my TBR even though I‘ve heard good things! Fingers crossed I can get to it soon…

#magicalmonsters #scarathlonphotochallenge #scarathlon

I wasn‘t sure how I was going to feel about this one. But I actually really liked it! Not as scary as I was hoping but it was still a rather enjoyable read. I really loved the ending which brought the book up for me. This is more so a story about two friends, one selfish and one stubborn, with occult trappings than it is a horror. The backdrop of Mexico in the 90s with characters working in the film industry was also really cool to read.

Does this book have an intriguing synopsis? Yes.

Did I initially get it purely because of the cover? Also yes.

Now the trick is to get around to reading it…

#scarathlonphotochallenge #magicalmonsters #bones