One of the things I love about getting books secondhand is finding little surprises between the pages like stickers, a bookmark added by the bookseller or left behind by a previous reader, or a sheet of tabs for marking favorite passages in the book. 🌼

What else do other readers like about secondhand books?

First book mail of 2022! 😍 I've seen this book, and the film adaptation being talked about often over the years, but I was never interested until now. I just finished the film, and I loved it, and the book came in timely today. 💝

I thought it would fit in nicely with the theme of the book to get my copy secondhand. There's nothing like giving old books new homes.

I realized that it helps me to watch the film adaptations before picking up Miss Jane Austen's books. Having watched Emma. (2020) over and over last year, the book was easier to read and understand. I had a better appreciation for the style of writing, and I think this may be one of my favorites among her novels (S&S being at the top of my list).

⭐: 5

First read of 2022. I've loved this series for so long, and it's great to see them in ebook format, particularly the omnibus editions.

Asterix the Legionary is still the best one in this collection. But maybe because it's the one I'm most familiar with. The satire in these comics just never gets old.

⭐: 5

Happy 130th Birthday, Professor! 🍷 Happy Tolkien Day, everyone! 🧝🏻‍♀️

I've never read this many books in a year in my entire life. 👀 2021 was really something else. I wonder how 2022 will turn out. 🤔

Emma is my in-between book. Started it a few days before the end of 2021, and I'm halfway through it, 3 days into the new year.

Signing off of 2021 with this last post, my favorite book of this year. ?

"People's lives never stay the same colour forever. There are times when the colour of life changes completely."

2021, you were a real challenge, maybe even more so than 2020, and that was an epic struggle in itself. No pressure, 2022, but I'm placing my hopes in you. ???

Some of these books have been on my TBR for too long. Looking forward to reading these, and a whole new year of reading challenges in 2022. 😃🎆

Hoping you all have a Happy New Year, and get to read the books you want to read, fellow Littens! 💛

It's that time of the year to plan/find reading challenges for the next year. 😄📚 I'm hoping to read a new series or two from the TBR pile, and reread some old ones.

What are your reading challenges for 2022? 🤔

It's wild how 2021 is almost ending. 👀 Sharing some books I want to read in 2022. Very ambitious, considering the length of 3 of these. 😂

Merry Christmas, Litsy friends!! 🎄💖🌟

Read these 3 this month, and The Twelve Dates of Christmas is my favorite of the lot. 👀

Grateful for books and family this season. 🙏🏻

Okay, I have to talk about this book. This stunning debut follows the story of Rae, a young investment banker, who makes this marriage plan before she turns 30 on her 25th birthday. Without spoiling anything, the marriage plan turns out to be something that a skilled investment banker can't make a reliable model of. And Rae dreams of being a poet too, someday.

This book got me through a really difficult time, and I would highly recommend it.

I really loved this, from the beginning right up to the end. The main character was the real star of this book for me. I rooted for her right from the start. The small town setting where everyone knew everyone else was a nice touch to making this story even more heartwarming. I would highly recommend not missing out on this as a holiday read.

⭐: 4.5

This was really sweet. It's certainly the kind of book you pick up for the holidays. Time travel of a sort is difficult to get right in any story, in my opinion, but ultimately I didn't mind that here. I liked how the families of the main character and the love interest were not relegated into the background, and gave meaning to the story in some way. I wasn't too sure about the ending, but that's just me.

⭐: 4

At first I had no idea what I was reading, and then I knew or started to figure out what was happening, and then it destroyed me. My word. I feel like I've been punched in the gut. I'm devastated. My world doesn't quite feel the same. I don't feel the same.

Please read this. It's not the fastest of books to get through, despite being less than 300 pages, nor is it easy to get through at the beginning, but it's worth staying for until the end.

What a story. I just finished the last book in the Camelot Rising trilogy, and I am feeling all sorts of things. I wish for so many things. It wasn't the best out of the three books, but I cannot deny that it was the perfect ending for our beloved Guinevere.

Kiersten White's writing is still what I love most about these books. Her strong cast of characters, particularly the women (you have to meet Fina!), is a close second.

A chance visit to the bargain bookshop led me to this copy of The High Lord by Trudi Canavan, thus completing my collection of the US editions of the Black Magician trilogy. 🥳

I was never into having the same editions of a series, but for my favorite fantasy series, it feels special. 😊

Happy Release Day to Kiersten White's The Excalibur Curse, the much-anticipated third book to the Camelot Rising trilogy! 🥳 I can't wait to have my heart broken, and my feelings messed with, just like with the last two books. 🥲

This was devastating to read. Kelly Yang wrote a really powerful book, and I couldn't put the book down. Readers will feel a lot of things here.

Please look up the content and trigger warnings prior to reading this though. The book could be difficult for some to read.

⭐: 5

This was really cute and beautifully written. Korean culture and the characters are the stars of this book. Jenny is a great protagonist, and is the heart of this story.

The book also tackles some issues on the entertainment industry in South Korea, which provide points to ponder without being too heavy-handed in its delivery.

All in all, a solid read. 💖

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Skyler W)

Okay, what was that??

There's no doubt that Alex Michaelides' writing is my cup of tea, never mind the overuse of metaphors at the beginning of the book. I also enjoy mystery/thriller books because I'm not one who can usually guess the culprit or the twist. I am still reeling from the end of this book. 😵

Although not as strong as his debut novel, The Maidens is still worth picking up, for the writing, for the references to The Silent Patient

About to start my first Kazuo Ishiguro book (to accomplish some arbitrary goal in life). I've read the synopsis at the back, but I really have no idea what I'm in for. 🤔

"To believe something gives it weight and meaning. It taunts the gods and goddesses to turn it true.”

Still reeling from this book. ? I read the whole thing in one sitting, and what a ride that was. It wasn't the best, but it was certainly worth the long wait to find a copy of it. ?

⭐: 4

I read a lot of great books this year, but this book easily made it to the top of my list of favorites. For such a short, simply written book, it contains volumes. Without spoiling anything, it just captures Japanese culture so well. And the titular cat. I love this book so much, and I'll probably be talking about it for years to come.

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Ken Shono)

Our silver van was like a magic carriage. Every time I got into it, it carried me to a place I‘d never been before. At that moment, we were without doubt the greatest travelers in the world. And I was the world‘s greatest traveling cat. 🐈🌼

I just finished rereading this duology, and I love it a lot more now than when it came out years ago. 💖

The author put her heart and soul into writing these books, and it really shows. 🍎

The Rise of the Empress duology was the first set of East Asian-inspired fantasy novels I read, and it'll always have a special place in my heart. 😊

Solid debut. I was planning to wait longer to read this book but I bought into the IG hype, and no regrets at all. This reminded me strongly of anime and C-dramas. I just loved it. I highly recommend this for Asian-inspired fantasy enthusiasts, particularly of the East Asian variety.

⭐: 4.5

(Photo in the background belongs to Yu Wang)

I just finished rereading Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and it turned into a 5 star read from my previous 4 stars when it came out years ago.

Maybe my rating for the sequel could go up too?

"He didn‘t have that notice in the window because business was so busy he needed help. He simply wanted somebody around for company. Dorayaki weren‘t much as conversation partners."

Give this book all the stars. It was a beautiful story from beginning to end. There's just something about Japanese literature that makes you think about the meaning of life, and it's not such a bad thing to think about that from time to time.

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Jelleke Vanooteghem)

"Isn‘t it better to wake up each day, living for the present rather than waiting for the future?"

(Re-reading this ?)

2 Classics, 1 Manga (Shoujo), and 1 YA Fantasy. 😻

My matcha-drinking cat looks good with all these books. 👀🍵

This might be my favorite book haul this year. 😃

I impulse-bought a book last Sunday while reading Tokyo Ever After, and it arrived today! 🙌🏻

Been wanting to read this since it came out in 2018 but it's been difficult to find a copy here. Was really fortunate to have found a secondhand hardcover edition online. 🌸

This wasn't bad at all. Heavy stuff, but I can see this book appealing to fans of the HBO show Rome. The characters are not immediately likeable here, but my empathy for them certainly grew as I got deeper into the book. I actually liked how it ended, although I'm not sure if I'll be looking for the sequel anytime soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sterling Publishing for the e-arc!

⭐: 4

(Photo in the background belongs to Jack Hunter)

Subtly witty, and definitely a summer read. I was intrigued by the idea of a summer writers' workshop in Italy, and this book didn't disappoint. Putting together a group of people with varying levels of writing skills under one roof for a few weeks was actually fun to read about. Culture, food, history, and writing advice. Good stuff.

⭐: 4

1. The Jewel Kingdom series by Jahnna N. Malcolm 🧜🏻‍♀️💎

2. Rainy days 🌧

3. A patient and supportive mother 💖

Thanks for the tag, @Teresereading !

🏷 Anyone who wants to play

A real comfort read, and a happy one too. Before I even made it halfway through the book, I wanted to read more from the author, and I didn't want Izumi's story to end. Thankfully, there's a sequel. 🌸

⭐: 5

(Photo in the background belongs to Cosmin Serban)

There's this #ThreeOfAKindBookChallenge happening over in IG where people choose three books that share a common theme. I went for Asian-inspired fantasy. 🎐🏮

I'm hoping to read The Girl King soon, and the second book in The Dandelion Dynasty next year. I've finished the Rise of the Empress duology, and now I'm wondering if I should get a copy of the first book that matches with the cover design of the second.

"The first horror is there's horror. The second is you accommodate it."

"Reader, I ate him."

I don't even know what to say about this book. It just rambled on and on for 300+ pages. Where was editing here? The writing really was pretentious and flowery.

I wanted to love this because from the synopsis the story seemed made for me. Sadly, it wasn't, and the time I spent reading this is time I can't get back.

Honestly, I don't have much luck with BookTok favorites.

⭐: 1

(Photo in the background belongs to Emil Widlund)

Who doesn't love a good mother-daughter/sisters story? What caught my attention initially was the premise of two estranged half-sisters being brought back together by the task of dividing their mother's inheritance. It turns out that their inheritance is a collection of vintage designer clothes and accesories, not the sizeable amount of money they were expecting and badly needed.

This ended up becoming a quick read because of how engaging the

I loved TKON. I loved the concept of creatures of Death collecting souls for a living, and having different cultures while they're at it. I've always wanted to read a story like this. This book had an interesting main character whom I could immediately get behind even before the first chapter was over.

If you like Japanese mythology, and love yōkai anime/manga, I highly recommend that you pick up this book.

⭐: 4.5

Happy Book Birthday to Kylie Lee Baker's debut novel The Keeper of Night!!

I think it's fair to say that I'll read anything Margaret Rogerson writes. She just gets better with each book, and though the wait might be long with this one, I'm glad that Vespertine is a duology (last I checked). I want more of this story!

If you liked Garth Nix's Angel Mage, you might consider reading this. It has an order of spirits, a ruling religious institution, a strong and likeable heroine, and a lot more.

⭐: 4

Happy Book Birthday to Margaret Rogerson's Vespertine!! 🖤 I read the extended excerpt early on, and I just love this book already. 🥺

The highlight of this book was the two main characters, Audrey and Grace. They're both easy to root for. The growth of their friendship, as well as of their individual selves gave this book a lot of depth and emotion. Romance is not the focal point here, even if the book's genre says otherwise. This is definitely a book to pick up when you're in a reading slump.

⭐: 4

Would highly recommend this as a breather in between the serious books. It's a fun, feel-good story, even as it takes on heavy themes of grief, loss, and moving forward after. Chelsea Martin is certainly a main character to root for. 🥳

⭐: 4

(Photo in the background belongs to Johny Goerend)

Some books I'm pretty excited to read over the next few months. ✨😃

Heard some good things about The Atlas Six (first book in a series), and The Sword of Kaigen (a standalone). Vespertine, and The Keeper of Night will be released next month; The Excalibur Curse, in December.

Maybe some books should stay in our childhood. ☹ I was tempted to DNF this so many times over the past few days, but didn't, just to see what I loved about this before. All I can say is that 15-year old me was easily impressed. 😐

Just the book I needed at this time. 💜