Nicci French used to be one of my favourite mystery crime authors. I still have a few unread titles on my bookshelf, so I thought to revisit this author. Maybe I have aged, or my palate has changed, as it has turned out to be an average read for me now. Tuesday's Gone is the second book from the Freida Klein's series. I have not read any from this series and it can be read as a standalone as I didn't feel the gap. My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. 👇🏻

I have recently lost my furkid so reading this was a tad emotional for me. Mitch has written such a beautiful memoir and I can so relate to it, feeling the raw melancholy heart aches 😭 There are no words to sum up this lovely book except LOVE ❤️ Definitely a 5/5!!!

This is truly another awesome read from Freida! I was so into it and didn‘t expect that ending! Such twisted plots and dark storyline, I was truly entertained. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to explore The Inmate 🫰🏻 My rating is 4/5. Dark and filled with mystery, if you like Gone Girl or the likes of it, you can check this out! This is also my #bookspin read @TheAromaofBooks

Overall, it‘s slow paced yet with lots of mystery surrounding the castle. A historical fiction with romance that is quite exuberant and yet melancholy at times. This is book 1 of Rowley Family series about the goings on within Castle Rowley. I‘ve received this from Library Things with much gratitude. My rating is 3/5. Coincidentally this is my pick for #bookspin #bookspinbingo for February @TheAromaofBooks

Now I know why this is a highly rated book! The way the narration works, it‘s definitely expressed with clarity. Well written with great historical background like a legacy or memoir though fiction. I just can‘t stand the pace, too slow for my liking. I‘ve rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

There are 10 short stories about local Asian folk lores, some I liked but quite a few I didn‘t. No doubt it‘s well written but the stories do take awhile to set in for me. Perhaps it‘s not my cup of tea, not my kind of genre. Overall I‘ve rated it 3/5. Pick this is you want to explore something new 😅

My first 2024 read and it was the right pick! I just loved the way it was told, such an enjoyable one with all the feels! I hoped that the great books will keep on coming after this🫰🏻This is also my pick for #bookspinbingo
It‘s about a girl abandoned by her family and she has to fend for herself in the marsh. A little like Tarzan but with a different premise, I liked that the story is told until she grows old, with closure and a twist! 👇🏻

A highly rated book which turned out to be the opposite for me. I honestly thought it‘s Greek mythology but it turned out differently that confused me. In the end, though it was well written, the story is not my cup of tea. My rating is 2/5. This is the last book for the year for me and I hope for a better read in 2024!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!

The overall premise of the story dwells on Nora's mundane life and suicidal thoughts, how she finally overcame it and wanting to live her life in the end. It sure is enlightening looking from Nora's point of view, as I would never have thought of dying. It was also a well written book, I liked the clarity and easy to understand prose. This is my last pick of the year for #bookspin 🙏🏻 I‘ve rated it 3/5.
@TheAromaofBooks

Thank you so much @Smarkies I loved it all!!! I can‘t wait to dive into this book 😘 My girl has started with the chocolates without me 😅

Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organising this wonderful #jolabokaflodswap ❤️

Merry Christmas and happy holidays ya all 🫰🏻

I‘ve posted mine this morning! Hope it reaches you safely 🙏🏻

#jolabokaflodswap
@MaleficentBookDragon

My #jolabokaflodswap has arrived! I‘m excited and can‘t wait to open it as it‘s my first time joining! Thank you 🙏🏻

@MaleficentBookDragon

This is one journey that I have somewhat enjoy and yet felt a little underwhelmed. The adventure is book related focusing on book lovers weaknesses yet not as livelier, maybe due to the translation. It‘s suitable for young adults, similar to John Connolly‘s The Book of Lost Things IMO. I‘ve rated this ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

Thanks to Bonnie Meadow Publishing and Edelweiss for this awesome novel! Awesome as this is my first Forensic Instinct and it can be read as a standalone even though this is no 10! Also I‘ve only read historical romance by Andrea Kane which I‘ve enjoyed thus reading a modern mystery romance is a change from her usual genre and yet it was as good! Kept me on my toes and wondering who‘s the culprit 😅 I‘ve rated this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

This novel has given me much thought on humans, religions, choices we make and our future. I may not enjoy some of its context but overall, it was an enlightening and engaging read. So in the end, I‘ve rated this 4/5.

This novel reminds me of Nicholas Sparks - John Green type of books. Grief. Sickness. Love lost and love found. I do enjoy Leah Omar's version but with each dilly dally, I became a little more anxious to know how it ends! The self-discovery of their own individual fault was very slow indeed, thus added a little depth to the climax of the story. I liked how it ended and glad that it is a HEA one. My rating is 4/5.

I‘m glad to complete this trilogy and knowing how it ended. It was a chaotic journey with Margrete and Bash, so many hindrance in their way! In the end, it was worth all the effort. It was a nice combination of mortal-nymph-immortal story about revenge, love, empathy and more. My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks to City Owl Press and LibraryThing for this awesome trilogy!

The saga continues after the war with Isabel separated from her abusive husband and staying with Annaliese and her hubby. Isabel is doing well as head of music and Annaliese is passionate of her psychiatric practice. A new headmaster and more crooks turned up making the twins very busy. An interesting saga that will continue to vol 4. My rating 3/5. Thanks to Crepuscular Press for this volume!

My first McFadden and this book is filled with lots of twists and turns! Truly an engaging read right from the start, so intense and kept me turning the pages! The ending was not what I‘ve expected as I thought it would be more blood curdling 😅

Oh well, this is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this early copy!

Now I know why this was a highly rated book. When the ending revealed itself, I was surprised! It wasn‘t who I thought it was! This is by far the best read for me this year! I‘m so glad to finally read it and I‘m having a book withdrawal syndrome 😅 I‘ve rated this 5/5 😘 If you haven‘t yet, go read this now!
My #bookspin read for August! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I had wanted to read a romance book but I also wanted a short one which is why I've requested for this. Fortunately, it was such a breeze reading this novella! Fast paced yet in detail, this author truly knows how to tweak it! Truly was an engaging read until the end and I liked that it was not the typical damsel in distress kinda romance. But yeah… be aware that not many may like the abortion part and it is just a story. 👇🏻

I'm glad to have read this novel as I did enjoy the storyline. I liked how the author has paced the story and not going overboard especially for the romance part. It was a straightforward one that does not confuse at all even though this was her first novel. It has a little excerpt at the end of each chapter, from a ''Journal of an unknown woman, early 1700s", that adds on more to the mystery. My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ??

I‘ve enjoyed this simple, straightforward novel about Kuang, from his arrival in Singapore when he was 5 until when he grew up to became a successful braised duck seller. Atypical Asian lit that‘s enlightening for me. I‘ve rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks to Penguin Random House SEA for this awesome book! My #bookspin #bookspinbingo for July @TheAromaofBooks

Thank you, Ashley! @BookwormAHN
I loved the library card 😘

Thank you, @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😘 Came home to this lovely card 😍

Thank you, my Litsy buddy @Deifio 😍 I was away travelling and returned home to this lovely card 😘

1. Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
2. Absolution by Anna Tan
3. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
4. The American Boyfriend by Ivy Ngeow
5. Ikigai by Ken Mogi
6. Shower of Luck by Nadia Ayesha
7. Hanna Alkaf
8. Lily Adler
9. The Weight of our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
10. Silver Lady by Mary Jo Putney
11. Babel by RF Kuang
12. The Seafarer‘s Secret by Carol Ann Collins
Thanks for the tag @Eggs
@Klou #midyearbookfreakout

#usindependence #summerspecial
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#summersun is when my garden is blooming non-stop! There are more but I‘m not good with photo collages so this will have to do 😅 #summerspecial @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I‘ve recently started playing this game and it‘s quite addictive 🎉 There‘s a #boat in it! The game is called June‘s Journey. #summerspecial
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I‘ve been busy so I‘ve stopped posting for awhile but I‘m back now. Hopefully I can continue it diligently. So here‘s my first for July‘s #summerspecial #canadaday
I picked this rainbow which is so beautiful.
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Not sure if it‘s just me or the translation, this book is rather dry and uninteresting. I could have skipped it all and just read the conclusion which was good enough. Anyway I was flipping it a lot hence the speed in finishing it fast or else I would have glazed over. Unfortunately not my cup of tea. ⭐️⭐️

This is my first-time reading Fern Michaels and I have been reminded of Diva Channel's drama TV series LOL! The way it was written definitely can be turned into TV or movie anytime! It was easily understood, and I could imagine the plots, the scheme of things and all the excitement that it brought along. Though this is book 35, it was well explained and informed that I didn't get lost or confused. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this!

This is definitely an engaging read! I‘ve enjoyed it so much and it kept me guessing the outcome! I actually guessed it wrong, that was an unexpected ending for sure! I‘ve rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this feel good read! I‘ve thoroughly enjoyed the story, romance and thrills of it all! The author did take the time to intro the characters together into the story nicely. I love everything magic, so being gifted is truly an awesome experience that I wished I had 😅 My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been having slumps of all kinds except for traveling LOL! So, back to my comfort genre, romance. Overall, it has the standard romance formula that when it ended happily ever after, I felt satisfied with it and I could continue to read another book LOL! If you are looking for a light and feel-good romance read, you can never go wrong with Jude Deveraux. My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ My pick for May #bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

My current read #tbrtarot #may
A book with picture on its spine!
@CBee

I‘ve rated this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ as overall it‘s written too finely and not as local as it should be. It also includes thoughts of racism and related to the darkest time during Malaysian history. I‘ve read another book of the same era which was better, IMO. Both premise differed and the story here did panned out nicely so I did stay rooted till the end. Thanks to Penguin Random House SEA for this novel.

This sure is an inspiring novel that softly motivates and guides us to think it through. As I had gone through a miscarriage previously, this totally struck a chord with me. I am so moved by the stories shared and the everyday life problems are indeed relatable. There are 2 different sets of stories going on where the main one is about Joe whereas the secondary one is from Frank's collection which has been incorporated into this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been busy cleaning and pruning my garden lately hence the #litsycrafters prompt for April is timely! Sharing this image from a video, this Robin always come over when hubby waters the garden. It‘ll then suck some honey from my devil‘s backbone flower. A nature‘s view which I love and enjoy, making the back breaking chore worthwhile! @Catsandbooks

Thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for this copy. I am surprised that this was actually a reprint, first published on 20/6/2016. It was enjoyable but it was too lengthy (400+ pages!!!) for my liking. Also got my thinking of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. I find the plot reveal too slow and dragging. If you are into para-normal romance, this series would be up your alley. FYI this series is infused with LGBT elements and not for the faint hearted. 3/5

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC in return for my honest review. This is my first Lily Adler and I had not realized this was part of a series. Thankfully it was well written that it can be read as a standalone with a blend of Poirot and Marple and a tinge of Sherlock Holmes. If you liked lady detective mystery during historical regency era, I would recommend this. Be forewarned that it has a tiny bit LGBT. My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Old is definitely gold! I have enjoyed most of the short stories which are well plotted that it has me guessing a lot 😅 Definitely an easy read for rainy days here 🙏🏻

Based on 1 of the darkest Malaysian history, it‘s about Melati, a 16 years old with OCD mental illness. Her turbulent ride during the emergency from losing her best friend to finding her mom, it was a harrowing ride indeed. I‘ve enjoyed the book overall despite being reminded of those horror incident way back then. This is my pick for February #bookspin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This novel was inspired by Pinocchio, with the author‘s tweak and imagination. It did start slow, thankfully it started to pick up midway. I have enjoyed Victor‘s journey, who grew up surrounded by robots. It was more engaging when the chaos started and when it ended, though expected, I felt relieved Lol! Recommended especially for Klune fans but I still prefer Cerulean Sea 🫰🏻

An interesting read based on a true story. I‘m amazed with the strong willed Bethan, who sounded docile initially. Her goal to save her husband has made her stronger and gathered more friends to help her in her quest. It was slow at some point especially with the way it was written but luckily picked up towards the end. My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to Library Thing for this in return for my honest review.

There are so many things I love of this book! The many references to Peranakan culture. The innocence of love way back then. Baba Malay language and many more. The only one critic would have been the pace towards the ending which felt like being wrapped up soonest. I would have wanted to savour it more I guess and didn‘t want it to end 😅 My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks
A recap of my only read this month which I‘ve achieved for this challenge. I have yet to finish it though, what with being hospitalised and celebrating Chinese New Year. I was supposed to pick a book with either letter S or X:
Showers of Luck by Nadia Ayesha.

#litsycrafters #retro @Catsandbooks
This is something I‘ve been abandoning and crocheting, finally finishing it 😅 Now gonna sew the zip and it‘ll be a retro looking crochet case which I‘m gonna gift to my niece‘s daughter 🫰🏻

A humble thank you to the author and Teaspoon Publishing for this e-ARC in return for my honest review. I am so happy to read the remainder of this lovable series! I finally have closure now. It was filled with lots of uncertainty, turbulent thoughts and hindrance but also with lots of faith; totally keeping me on the edge. I couldn't wait to finish it, to know how it ends. I definitely felt relieved and glad that it was a HEA ending! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️