I‘m out of my reading slump! *happy dance all through the library* May #bookspinbingo complete.

May felt good. I had a few long flights and layovers which definitely helped me finish a couple holdouts from last month. I read both #bookspin and #doublespin, and had a few bingos. Overall, it felt nice to have the energy to fully dive into a story again.

@TheAromaofBooks

A fast-paced story full of interesting characters. I had trouble putting this book down. I loved how the different narratives intersected with each other. Plus, there are so many women kicking butt.

Epic background for an epic book. 😎

I present my June #Bookspin list. For once I don't have a long list of books I need to finish from the library, so my list is very flexible. I'm looking forward to seeing where my mood takes me this month.

A relaxing read about life with the Dalai Lama from the viewpoint of his cat. Sprinkled in with HHC‘s (His Highness‘s Cat) observations on daily life are Buddhist teachings on putting others first and the complexity of karma.

May #doublespin is complete!

An unlikely heroine fighting the most dangerous of villains, one who hides in plain sight. Marra felt like a normal person who just happened to be a princess. She was sweet and took the world at face value. To defeat an evil prince, Marra finds help in unexpected places. I liked the story though Marra‘s innocence was hard to accept sometimes.

May #bookspin complete! @TheAromaofBooks

I don‘t know how to explain this plot without sounding like a total weirdo. Big takeaways: pandemic bad, brains good, aliens are real. This was a strange read that somehow worked despite the semi-random social statements. Overall, I enjoyed it.

April #doublespin complete!

Also, this cover art somehow encapsulates the whole book in one image. I‘m genuinely impressed.

My mom always says “It never hurts to ask” in reference to finding deals or jobs. It‘s an ode I live by. You‘d be surprised at the what‘s available if you just ask instead of assume.

#mothersadvice #litsylove @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @StayCurious

A gripping recounting of one man's determination to break out from Auschwitz and warn the world. Walter was an intelligent young man who had a knack for numbers. He quite literally held the number of Jews killed at the concentration camp in his head until he could finally tell the right people.

#nonfiction2023

May #bookspin list is ready to go!

Happy reading everyone :)

I had a some memorable reads this month. Audiobooks were my saving grace since I've been too busy to curl up with a book. I didn't get to this month's bookspin selections, but that's okay. I'll try again next month.

@thearomaofbooks #bookspinbingo

This book has everything: love letters, zombies, enemies to lovers, etc. I had a great time reading this book. I didn‘t know how much I loved a good correspondence until I was hooked on waiting for the next letter to arrive. Yes, there are a lot of dead bodies, but somehow this book was a very lighthearted read.

The hype is real. This book showcases love in all its messy glory. It highlights how feelings are never black and white, but love can endure in all forms. Among all the intense feelings there is a lot of positive rep about therapy and recognizing mental health struggles. Just an all around fantastic read.

Also, I want Hendricks to be my bestie. Her one liners had me rolling.

Check content warnings!

I loved this book! It's Dragonriders of Pern meets The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik. Basically, riding dragons is an honor you're going to have to prove yourself worthy of. There was danger, magic, and bossy dragons.

I'm really loving my journey into poetry this year. Favorite poem (which is so hard to choose) was Footnotes for Kanye where she called him out using his own lyrics. I read it at least three times.

March #bookspin and #nonfiction2023

This book was an absolute delight. Even when a day was really long, I would read a few journal entries before bed to give myself a little joy. He waxes eloquent on many things: bees, drinking tea, feeding birds, etc. Highly recommend to all.

March #doublespin @thearomaofbooks

Hello, April! Life has finally evened out. I no longer feel like I'm juggling three jobs with no down time for a cozy night of reading. Yes, I am posting at the last possible moment for #bookspin, but I have not looked at this months number draws yet so it still counts.

Happy reading everyone!

March was another busy month with a bit of a reading slump in the middle. I read less than I hoped, but proud that I managed to read both by #bookspin and #doublespin.

A super late post (playing catch up after the madness that was February) to thank @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the #LitsyLove giveaway. I‘m excited to read Cilka‘s story and thank you for the additional goodies! 😁

"There was a vulture on the mailbox of my grandmother's house." #firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

Starting the ARC I picked up at work. #booksellerperks

I am so ready for a new month. Here are my March #bookspin hopefuls. Let me know if you see anything you've read and loved.

Also, for those that track on StoryGraph, here is a link to a challenge I created to track my bookspin/doublespin selections if you're interested :)

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/9f7e38af-bce7-48c6-919c-b80cc64...

@thearomaofbooks

My focus was entirely shot this month. Novellas on audiobook were my best companions. Turns out when I am beyond stressed, I turn to documentaries instead of reading. I have learned a lot of random information this month: what a pyroclastic flow is, how storms are increasing in strength, and that the law eventually catches up with you.

I did manage to complete both the #bookspin and the #doublespin though!

@thearomaofbooks

I picked up this book to escape from the day and what a perfect choice it was. I love the idea of another world being a very literal door away. There was magic and intrigue and discovering something your soul always knew.

February #bookspin completed ✔️ @TheAromaofBooks

I'm not sure who in #litsylove I've been corresponding with the longest. A few possibilities I can think of off hand are @Blerdgal_Fenix @Moonprismpower and @Sleepswithbooks. I know there are many I'm forgetting.

I may be slow to respond, but I appreciate every letter from my #litsylove friends.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @LitsyLove

I read this last weekend hoping it would get me into the romance vibes. It absolutely did not. I love me some spice but somehow all the sexy scene descriptions just made me uncomfortable. It would start strong then a weird sentence would throw off the whole vibe. Also, I felt no chemistry between the characters. Yeah, every single touch was “electrifying”, but that‘s lust not chemistry. Really should have DNF‘d this one.

After a big poop pile of a week, I‘m making my first friendship bracelet in years to get my mind back on track while watching movies. Usually I‘d listen to an audiobook but my current one is a romance novel and not feeling the flirty vibes right now.

That is all. Back to the usual bookish programming.

I don‘t how to encompass the depth of this book. Eve is drowning in her grief even when surrounded by the love of her family. The story is a very heavy one full of all the stages of grief. It speaks to how one can ache to be better, but have no idea what the looks like anymore. A beautifully written story.

Please dive into this book with care. The core of the story is Eve processing the suicide of her husband, Q. It is not an easy read.

What. A. Ride. To rescue Darlington from Hell, Alex Stern literally has to go to Hell and back. The turn of phrasing by the demons was great. Every word was part of a riddle. I loved it.

I highly recommend rereading Ninth House before starting this book. Page one picks up right where NH ended.

If you're interested in the series, please check the content warnings before reading.

“The worst part is I never saw it coming.”

@ShyBookOwl #firstlinefridays

I didn‘t know Amber Ruffin had a book until @jlhammar posted her review of Amber and Lacey‘s latest book.

This book somehow made a lot of uncomfortable experiences laughable. More than a few stories had me cackling aloud at work. I loved the banter between the sisters and the feeling of solidarity in the face of ridiculously insensitive conversations/questions.

#nonfiction2023
February #doublespin (a new personal best lol) @TheAromaofBooks

#bookspinbingo board is ready for reading! I've learned to leave space for my bonus reads because mood reading is real.

#bookspin is Ten Thousand Doors of January

#doublespin is a #nonfiction2023 pick

Happy reading everyone!

I fell in love with Amanda Gorman's words many moons ago. The poems in this book are potent and to the point. They're odes to our humanity. My favorite poem is America (not pictured). I paused and read it twice. Pictured is another favorite called Life.

"Life is not what is promised,
But what is sought."

January #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
#poetrymatters #nonfiction2023

☃️ @Eggs #wondrouswednesday ☃️

1. Going with the flow
2. Hanging with my people
3. Watching tv, video games, playing tennis

Thank you for the tag @KateReadsYA 😊

February #bookspin list is ready for reading! I tried to use my recent library borrows mixed in with books I own but have not read. I'm already curious to see where my mood reading will lead me. I do not anticipate many romance novels, but who knows.

Also, my hold for A Little Life is almost ready. I'm prepared to be among the many readers destroyed by the book.

@thearomaofbooks

A successful reading start to 2023! I discovered a new series (Heaven's Official Blessing), read both #bookspin and #doublespin selections, and scored a couple of bingos. #bookspinbingo

@thearomaofbooks

So, I‘m not a fan of the British royal family which means I walked into this book with only headline knowledge.

Harry starts at the very beginning. He describes idyllic castle country life before it shatters with the loss of Princess Diana. The remaining pages are an overly detailed explanation of his life experiences as he rages about the constant slander published by the UK press. He was understandably traumatized by the public loss of his mom.

Finally diving into this book. I bought it last January and for some unknown reason never read it.

A slow burn thriller with a clever twist. The narrator was more reliable than I expected considering her circumstances. A solid debut. I‘d read more by this author in the future.

#sharreadathon

Congrats on @BennettBookworm on 20K! Thank you for hosting a giveaway. #20Kgiveaway

Novel is my favorite spot for books and brunch in Memphis, TN. It‘s also my favorite place to find interesting kid books for all the little ones I love. They even have reading recommendations from young booksellers on their favorite books.

The second book in the Bright Falls series was even better than the first. Jordan is book girlfriend goals. Astrid, who we met in the first book, is trying to find herself after years of following her mother‘s instructions. After a rough first encounter, Jordan and Astrid find themselves working together. A spicy enemies to lovers romance ensues.

#sharreadathon

I really liked the wandering language of this book. Sometimes Tookie‘s visions were quite out there, but it all came together to create a sweeping story about heritage, books, and found family. I wish I had properly read the blurb before picking it up though. I was not expecting to relive those early days of the pandemic and the tragic event that sparked the BLM movement.

#authoramonth #sharreadathon @Soubhiville

How does this series just keep getting better? There were multiple twists I did not see coming alongside the ever present dry humor. Joyce remains my favorite thirsty septuagenarian. Somehow this one had just as much, if not more, tender moments that just made you want to give everyone a hug.

#sharreadathon

What a fun ode to the Godzilla and Jurassic Park movies. This book is cleverly written with ridiculous almost possible science and a brilliant group of young scientists. I highly recommend this short science fiction novel if you‘re in need of a happy read that doesn‘t require anyone to fall in love.

Thanks for the tag @MoonWitch94 😊

1. The dream is to be in a mountain lodge where I can ski during the day and curl up in front of the fireplace at night.

2. A cozy mystery or romantic comedy

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

A cute romance that has been on my radar since last year. Leanne and Trevor were both kind, but flawed, individuals. They have a Vegas wedding so Leanne will be appealing to voters as she runs for city council. I really liked the twist of her being pursuer and the money maker. Overall, an easy feel good read.

For once I do not recommend the audiobook. While Leanne‘s “voice” was sultry and personable, Trevor‘s “voice” was flat and unchanging.

The stories are some what interesting, but there was no rhythm to the book. It felt like a lot of name/experience dropping without a cohesive goal. The chapter that explains the title (and the theme) is near the end of the book. There is one written beautifully chapter: it‘s on the loss of her favorite her cousin. Other than that…meh. I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The story follows Dr. Mina and her friends as they help at a Syrian refugee camp in Lesbos. As Dr. Mina recounts the events through letters to a writer friend, she takes you on her journey of immigration and self discovery between reliving the struggles seen within the camp. I found myself doing research on the very real events that are referenced in this book. I am frustrated by the EU‘s and the US‘s response to the violence. A powerful read.

Imagine if words and stories had their own textures and flavors. In this creative thriller, there is a mythical race called Book Eaters who subsist by literally eating books. The words on the pages they eat stay with them, but they are unable to write anything themselves. A whole world of knowledge you can eat without ever being able to pass along your own. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on a vampiric society living in the shadows.

I already want to read this again. Ng packs a lot into this novel: the power of a parent‘s love, the insidious nature of fear/hate, government oversight, and so much more. It‘s full of the terror that comes of being singled out by American society because of your “foreign” features. That said…this book was also about hope. It highlighted how there is always a light of acceptance somewhere and more people than you think willing to help.

Happy Birthday @wanderinglynn 🎉 and Congratulations on reaching a litfluence of 300K! May the next year be full of more great reads and book discussions. #300Kbirthdaygiveaway

I‘d love As Long As the Lemon Tree Grows 🌱

Ready to start the new year strong. I'm trying something a little different this year. One of my goals is to be more diverse with my reads not only in authors but in format. To this end, I will keep the last five options standard throughout the year. #bookspin @thearomaofbooks

For all StoryGraph users, there's a link to the reading challenge I set up in the comments for tracking purposes. All prompts are bonus because reading is fun.