Sequel to Firekeeper‘s Daughter, this story focuses on Daunis‘ nieces Perry & Pauline, told from Perry‘s perspective. They‘re 16, doing summer internships. Perry becomes interested in Repatriation.
Negatives—1) Boulley is heavy-handed about repatriation—museums & collectors not returning bodies & objects to tribes. Maybe because it‘s a YA novel. 2) would have liked to know more of Daunis‘ story during the intervening yrs.
Positives—👇

Finally listened to this memoir & found it really interesting. Could have done without the sex descriptions (I‘m not a fan of knowing about real people‘s sex lives), but I understand why she wrote about them. An enlightening book about eating disorders, trauma, etc. If only someone had intervened more with mother, but I‘m glad McCurdy got the help when she was ready.

I didn‘t read this when it was first released. Now, I‘m pretty sure I‘m going on a trip to Japan in 2025, which is a place I never thought I would go, but I always want to travel if I have an opportunity. I listened to a podcast (Strong Sense of Place) about Japan, & this book was recommended.
I loved this book, did the audio version. I kept rooting for the MC to keep working at the store & ignore all the traditional roles.

#bookspin list for June. This month I don‘t have anything pressing to read for a challenge, which is exciting! @TheAromaofBooks

Why am I so emotional about an octopus?! 😢❤️.
More of a review will follow after work

Could have been productive today, but I had to find out how this book ended! Definitely enjoyed the mystery, humor, & characters, I guess I now have another series to keep up with.

The only serious book I‘ve read lately, finished early May but hadn‘t posted anything yet. Took me awhile to read this, I think because of the somber tone, but I loved it. Thank you to @katiekat311 for gifting me the special edition in a swap.

This the 3rd & last of this series. I bought it as soon as I could make it to the bookstore because this trilogy makes me laugh. I think I enjoyed the first 2 a little more, but this one is still fun, full of euphemisms & metaphors about sex that are lol, & has some mystery. I love the characters & inventive premise.

Since I know the author, I gave this a 5-star rating on GR, it‘s more around a 4⭐️ for me. Told from Liam & Sloane‘s perspectives—they are lifelong bffs, she is visiting him in L.A. for the summer, & she gets talked into doing a reality dating show with the star of a YA show. Is the premise unrealistic? Yes, because it‘s a YA novel (the dating show has teens 15-17). Is it fun? Yes. Romance, awkwardness, a good ending.

Another book by Gwenda Bond, this is the sequel to Not Your Average Hot Guy. #serieslove23
The characters travel in Heaven, Earth, & obviously Hell after the MC makes a deal with Lucifer to try redeeming souls. She & Luke (prince of hell) eventually find some private time in between the adventures. Romance, adventure, family. I enjoyed this duo of books. #doublespin or #bookspin for April

I‘ve been on a fluffy book kick for a few weeks. This is Mr. & Mrs. Smith with witches, & I enjoyed it. The character development of the side characters wasn‘t the best, but who cares when there‘s a leopard, ostrich, & other animal familiars who are disguised to pass as regular pets? Flashbacks show the progression of the 2 MCs romance. Romance, friendships, magic, & fun. Think this is my #doublespin for this month.

For my library‘s book challenge, I had to read a cookbook. I wasn‘t thrilled about that, but after looking at several options, I mentioned the prompt to my friend, who gave me about 6 options from her collection. Of course, I chose the one by Snoop Dogg. It‘s amusing & had some recipes I do want to use, including this chocolate cake that looks so yummy. And his gin & juice “recipe” made me laugh (he has a fancier version in there, too).

Last minute #bookspin list. Didn‘t have a big reading month in April, hopefully, May will be better. @TheAromaofBooks

I had been looking forward to this book signing for a couple of months. Last night, I got to meet TJ Klune! There were a few people who drove up to 7 hrs to see him, I only had to drive 20 min. He was very entertaining & funny.

Listened to both of these in March.
Saw on GR that PofF is often considered Christie‘s worst book, that it was her last one when she was losing some memory. I still love Tommy & Tuppence but not much seems to happen, & it was repetitive at times. The first 3 T&T books are great, last 2 so-so. #serieslove23
The tagged was more of a classic Christie where anyone in a family could have been the killer. An interesting choice as an ending. #bookspin

Finally read this classic. Personally, I rank this in the middle between Wuthering Heights (1) & Jane Eyre (3) for the Brontë sisters. I got into this more than I thought I would, but it dragged for me by the end. It‘s been on my tbr for years, & I read it for my library‘s book challenge—an epistolary novel.
Your opinions on the Brontë sisters are welcomed.

Negatives: needed better editing—there were at least 2 times a character explained to another character the same thing they explained a few pages ago. Toward the end, 1 character was in 2 places at once.
—The 3rd in this series, all have used enemies-to-lovers trope & think all have professed love while the killer is still being taken away.
Positives—a fun, romance with a little mystery. I like the MCs. Easy read. 3.5/5 ⭐️

Top picture is the year-long book challenge through my library. I have 3 bingos currently, & they will do a drawing for a bookstore gift card in a few days (every 3 mths). The bottom is March #bookspinbingo; I actually finished 1 line this month.

My #bookspin list for April. @TheAromaofBooks
I have a few that are priorities, hoping I‘ll get to Heat Wave before meeting TJ Klune at the end on April & a couple of others for my library‘s book challenge.

After a very sad day for Ky politics (the bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth plus “don‘t say gay” in school plus some other sh.. was passed), I needed retail therapy. My kid clients love the Penelope T.Rex books, & I do, too. Plus, Gwenda Bond‘s latest & the 3rd in Manda Collins‘ mystery/romance series.

This audiobook allowed me to fangirl about Mr. Rogers last week. I‘ve read a bio of him by Maxwell King, so I knew most of the first half of the book. The 2nd half goes through 10 ways to live like Mr. Rogers. Most of those were good, I found one involving info about Andy Warhol & George Romero unnecessary. Maybe a little too fawning about Mr. Rogers but still a good book for those that don‘t want as in-depth as King‘s bio. #doublespin

Got this book at 2022 Ky Book Fair, knew it might ruin a beloved song for me but was still interested in it. I was aware that the 1st verse had a word changed, but there‘s so much I didn‘t know about its history. I think that non-Kentuckians will be interested in this book, too. Bingham starts with Stephen Foster, blackface minstrel shows in the 1850‘s and tracks the song until present day, also tracking racism. Highly recommend.

Think I saw this on Litsy, sounded interesting. Audiobook is narrated by Richard Thomas, aka John-boy from The Waltons. He was a great narrator—added some drama & suspense that I may not have gotten in reading the book. Enjoyed the story, learned some history.

This is between a pick & a so-so. It‘s been on my kindle for a long time, so I picked it as a “book about books” prompt in a challenge. It centers around the books The Red Balloon & Madeleine series, the books & authors. I haven‘t read either of these, but some of it was interesting. Premise is that a husband leaves his family, they love to Paris, & are trying to find if he is living or dead.
Loved—Paris
Story went on too long, mystery was meh

My #bookspin list for March. @TheAromaofBooks

This is the 4th book in the fun, romantic series set at Ren Faires. I still like the 1st best, followed by the 3rd. The MCs are Lulu, a lawyer, & Dex, the musician who usually sleeps around the Ren Faire circuit. Not that much depth or tension in this one, & the conflict that keeps them apart was not that difficult to fix. Had some interesting info about Tarot cards. 3-ish⭐️

Audiobook. Still love Tommy & Tuppence, but this story is a little slow. The couple is getting older, & Tuppence wants to solve a mystery after meeting an elderly lady in a nursing home. 3 ⭐️

Catching up on reviews. This was my last finished book in January, the 2nd in a YA trilogy about superheroes (The Extraordinaries). The four close friends are back, with Nick as the MC. Really enjoyed this one, will be reading the 3rd soon.

My #bookspin list for February. I was focusing on a book challenge this month, so I will have to catch up later on my bookspin & doublespin for Jan. Will see how next month goes. @TheAromaofBooks

Talking about the Devil, “I have no desire to meet Him. Not ever. I have seen too much of His likeness here in Boston, even among the saints”.
This book has gotten great reviews on Litsy, & a friend told me I needed to read it. Once I got used to the thees & thous, I found the story really interesting. It made me angry at times, I wanted to slap some fictional men (and some women). Sadly, much of this story could be true today. Women are still 👇

I don‘t have many Christie novels left to read & will probably do audio for them. I‘m loving Tommy & Tuppence. It took me a few minutes to sort out the ending; as usual, Christie has lots of red herrings. I figured out one villain quickly. The fun of this series is Tommy & Tuppence‘s conversations & ingenuity.

Suzanne, this is my favorite local bookstore, Joseph-Beth in Lexington. I love to browse there, & it was the first place I went to after pandemic lockdown. #20kgiveaway @BennettBookworm Congrats on your milestone!

Finally got around to finishing the Geekerella YA trilogy. Thought I would like this one the best because I love Belle & Beauty and the Beast. I did enjoy the MCs, enemies-to-lovers, & the Dad. Just felt the friends weren‘t as fleshed out in this one. An enjoyable & easy read though. 3.5/5 ⭐️ #serieslove2023

Audiobook. This is a series of articles published in the New Yorker by Keefe. They were all new to me, some were more interesting than others. I knew nothing about El Chapo, so that was one of my favorites. Recommend if you like a variety of subjects.

Littens, I just saw this on fb & am filled with joy! Definitely making sure I attend this so I can fangirl. I can‘t remember who lives near me except for @NatalieR

While writing the last post, I remembered I never finished the 12 books of Christmas or posted my top 2022 books. I did a Top 12 because these were clearly my favorites. Five happen to be Kentucky authors. #2022

I forgot about reviewing the tagged book on Litsy, but other Littens have given beautiful reviews. I love Silas House books, even though Lark is not my normal genre. Thought you all might be interested in this post. He is a very accessible author & has the best Ky accent to listen to.

Finished this for my irl book club next week. The story of one summer in a small town with a pastor‘s family at the center. This does talk about God, grace, wisdom, and forgiveness but isn‘t preachy. Just fyi for those that aren‘t Christian. Some themes about prejudice but mostly about grief after the death of a family member. Very good. Has a mystery in the plot but not fast-paced, a little slow in parts.

I bought this for my swap partner, then decided I need to read it myself. Got 4 books from the library yesterday, even though I have lots at home tbr. 🤷‍♀️This found family/romance/witchy book feels like a mix of others in the genre, with its own unique spin of severe disturbance of attachment for the MC & colorful characters. Really fun, lots of magic, a few emotional bits. Using it for my library‘s bingo challenge (book with magic).

I‘ve been on a reading binge the last few days, especially with books for challenges. Finally read this fun mystery. The Queen solves a murder that occurs at Windsor Castle, with help from her assistant secretary and others. She gives the pompous director tidbits that lead him in right direction, while he thinks he solved it all himself. This is the start of a series & is respectful of the Royal family.

I read a lot of books as a child, but the Anne of Green Gables series stands out. Read them several times. #sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

Finished this delightful audio several days ago. Wanted audio since Felton narrates. Enjoyed hearing about his relationships on the HP set, his family, some of his teen mistakes, & his difficulty with depression/alcohol. Glad he was able to get help & find a healthier lifestyle.

Griffin took a nap next to me earlier today while I was reading. Being in the mental health field & in Kentucky, I‘ve heard versions of Demon‘s story many times, except for the extreme foster care situations. I see a lot of kids who have a parent using, in jail, or dead. A lot being raised by grandparents. Some fortunate ones whose parent recovers & is able to be in their life again. I hope Demon‘s story allows others to empathize & increase 👇

I‘m very excited about my #winterwonderland books & gifts. Thank you, Rachel! @rsteve388
I already have places to put the pin & calendar, & the table topics questions will be fun. Can‘t wait to read the books.
Thanks for hosting, @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

My #lastfirst books. Finished Lark Ascending last night.
Started Rogues a few days ago on audio. The tagged is my first physical book of the year. @BookNAround

Not as many as the last few yrs but still a lot for me. I was busier with other activities this yr, but I listened to many audiobooks during my commute. My average page count was only 289, probably from all the Agatha Christie books.

A great NF book that focuses on why women of color aren‘t included in the white feminist movement & how all women can work together. Most of the info I knew, but it made me think about how I can put more effort into certain communities in my area. I used to be more involved when I worked at an underprivileged school, but now I mostly have white clients. Reminds me of bell hooks‘ Ain‘t I a Woman. #doublespin for September

Day 6 for 12 Days of Christmas. #12booksof2022
This was the first book by Baldwin I‘ve read & would like to read more of his work.
Cerulean Sea was a reread, so I feel I can‘t count it as my favorite of June, but it really is. Did audio version this time. ❤️
@Andrew65

My first #bookspin list for 2023. With a lot of the same books as in 2022 😂 #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas. In May, I read 2 favorites of the year, the tagged and Hamnet. I‘ll go with this as the best of the month because it‘s funny even during turbulence on an airplane. #12booksof2022 @Andrew65