In the US for the first time in years. I‘m loving the heat!

Enjoying this so far. I‘m learning more details of the British in India, which I‘m largely unfamiliar with. I‘m especially enjoying the chapter I‘m reading right now about how the empire has influenced both the number of immigrants to GB from the former empire, but also Britons‘ propensity for travel and living abroad themselves.

Nope! I‘m out!

I can‘t be reading about dying kids right now. I don‘t need to be crying into my breakfast cereal.

I‘ll try to catch #camplitsy later if any of my other holds come in on time.

Starting this for #camplitsy !!!

I‘m terrible at scheduled reading, so we‘ll see how I get on. But if I do manage to read a few of the books this summer it will be great to have folks to discuss them with!

Both kids still asleep!

The tone of this is more fun than I was expecting. Exactly what I need after Sarah Moss.

Soaking up the baby cuddles because one day soon he‘s not going to nap on me anymore.

Sarah Moss as always creates a sense of dread. I‘m enjoying this one and a lot of the commentary on different reactions to the pandemic/lockdowns, but it may be just a bit too soon. I‘m not sure if I might have enjoyed it more with a little more distance.

I liked but didn‘t love this book. I was interested as I read, but there wasn‘t really much of a point.

I loved the setting of this book and would love more books from this author in the publishing world.
For me, the global conspiracy bit didn‘t work. I would rather it had been just Nella competing with Hazel who is potentially malicious.
This is the second book this year that I think is trying to do too much, especially to be thriller-y. I don‘t know if that‘s just me, but I just want more of these characters living their lives not more “plot”.

I really enjoyed that this was a story about women in their thirties with grownup problems, but a close friendship. I also loved learning more about Nigerian culture and food.
I think the manipulative Isobel angle was unnecessary and that believing her over their oldest friends was out of character. Would have much preferred a story about women making bad choices but their solid friendship getting them through.

My partner invented Cafe Puzzles, where our dining table turns into a cafe on Saturday mornings and everyone reads. The toddler loves it. Genius!

I‘m such a sucker for book suggestions from my local bookshop. I‘ve bought half a dozen books after seeing them on their Instagram in the last year. Looking forward to this one!

Really enjoyed this. Nice balance of literary description and thrilling plot. Read in 2 days, which is very rare for me.

Thank you @squirrelbrain !
I‘m going to spend all day debating what to use the notebook for 😂

Celebrating Jolabokaflod. But my father-in-law doesn‘t really understand the silent component of family reading time. 🙄

Finally on holiday! And I have a minute to get on Litsy!
Thank you for the lovely cards @jenniferw88 @kaysworld1 @youneverarrived @Cathythoughts @kathedron @squirrelbrain @TrishB
They brighten up the hall so much!

Bit of family reading time this morning

Thank you for the lovely Christmas cards Emma @Oryx and Rachel @rockpools
First ones to our house and they‘ve really brightened up the hall!

Thank you for the lovely gifts and cards @rockpools @Caroline2 @squirrelbrain and @kaysworld1 !
It‘s especially thoughtful considering how absent I have been from Litsy lately. It‘s wonderful to know that this lovely community is still thriving.
My husband was being sweet and opened all my Amazon stuff so he could hide anything birthday related. Unfortunately that means I have no idea who The Housekeeper is from! Come forward so I can thank you!

I‘m finding the “how to parent without exacerbating gender stereotypes” parts of this book good, but lots of the rest of it is crap. And it‘s not at all trans-inclusive.
I am very good at math! I love math. And spreadsheets. And engineering.
Let‘s bet Dr Spears Brown. I‘ll take all your money!

I read this on my kindle during a lot of insomnia spells.

I generally liked this book, but it ran way too long for me. Between a pick and a so-so.

First physical book I‘ve bought myself all year. So excited to dive in!

Reading Den!!!
All my childhood dreams come true 😁

Really enjoying this so far. Especially at the beach!

A funny foodie cozy mystery.
I liked the characters and LOVED the food. I did, however, find the dialogue stilted and the characters‘ reactions to the murders a bit bizarre. I‘m hoping it‘s just the author finding her stride, because I plan to read the next one!

Probably my favorite book of the year so far.

I really enjoyed this as a slow burn romance between best friends (my favorite kind!) but then in the last 10% it did that stupid thing of creating drama just to have a grand romantic gesture afterward - I really could have done without that. Still lovely though ❤️

Hilarious hijinks, but way too unbelievable!
It was fun, but not a favorite

Went an unexpected direction, although you as the reader know this 50 pages before the main character.
I liked this and some parts were really fun, but I hated the ending.
I wouldn‘t put someone off reading this, but I‘m not sure I‘d recommend it. That said, I had fun.

Also, so sorry I‘ve been MIA. I haven‘t been reading or had a lot of energy for Litsy recently. I do miss you all.

I enjoyed this. It was fun and fairly engaging. I think the premise and world building were really interesting, but it could have done a lot more with it and the characters. Good, not great. But a great book for my reading slump.

Very excited that this book I supported on Unbound is finally in print and finally here. Now if only I could find the time to read it!

This went to places I didn‘t expect it to go. I was intrigued at the start, then flooded with anxiety waiting for things to go very very wrong, then it went to comic book villain level craziness, and came around to a solid ending.
The style was innovative without being gimmicky. Solid pick for me.

April #bookreport

I really enjoyed Detransition Baby

The Lamplighters was really interesting for the lighthouse setting, but not as much the characters

Here‘s to more reading in May!

I don‘t like short story collections, but I was seduced by this cover...

We woke up an hour and a half early in our house 😭 but at least we had a reading party! 🎉

I‘m in charge of selecting my Book Club‘s next book and I need some suggestions! I‘m pretty down at the moment, so I don‘t want to read anything sad or upsetting. It doesn‘t have to be happy, just neutral.
We‘re an international group based in the UK. We read NF and Fiction. Must be less than 350 pages. Any ideas?!?!

February #bookreport

If you‘d asked me, I would have told you I didn‘t finish any books in February. But I guess I did! The reading slump is bad though!!!

Finally got a chance to read this book that @Oryx got me the birthday before last 😂
The pacing was a little uneven for me, but I loved learning about icebreakers and Finland! Very cool!
Never would have thought to pick this for myself and I‘m so glad I read it.

This was delightful! And in the end basically a love letter to Yorkshire. Who wouldn‘t love that?

I woke up before my family this morning so I could have an hour alone. It was really great. Maybe next time I‘ll do some yoga too.

January #bookreport
I started January in a reading slump like I normally do,
then Quiet Girl grabbed me and I got back into reading. I loved Who is Vera Kelly?, Winter Counts, and Addie LaRue ❤️❤️❤️ But I‘ve just finished Addie and I don‘t want to read anything else - slump is back!
The 2 on the right are what I have out from the library, but I don‘t think I want anything serious. I think I need another Fun Romp. Suggestions?

Got to read a few pages at the park today and it was glorious

“Bea insists that everyone who works in a bookstore wants to be a writer, but Henry‘s never fancied himself a novelist. “
“Henry would rather be a storykeeper than a storyteller. “
This is exactly how I feel on Litsy! So many bookish folks with writing ambitions, I‘m just really not one of them. Storykeeper here!!!

This is all of your fault - all of you.
I have MLK day off work, but still had the nanny come this afternoon, so I have 3 whole hours to read/do chores! I‘m diving into Addie LaRue because everyone seems to have read it and loved it and #Litsymademedoit

Well @squirrelbrain we certainly got snow this time.
How are things a bit further north?
I cannot wait to curl up by the fire and finish this lovely book!

My first read of the year was a great one! (I always start the year in a reading slump for some reason, so I‘m glad this finally got me going)
I have never felt so SEEN by a book. Thanks so much @kaysworld1 for sending this to me so that it would be right in arms reach when I needed it!
Does anyone know if she‘s done a book on Parenting While Introverted?

📚7 more books than last year
📚WAY more library books this year! Pandemic or because I have a kindle?
📚15% print, 41% digital, 44% audio (first full year with a kindle)
📚I tracked publishers for the first time in 2020. I‘m not sure the data is interesting. Half are PRH titles. Imprint with the most books only had 4, and five had 3. I‘ll track one more year to see if the same imprints come up.
How was your reading year? Show me the numbers!

These are my favorite reads of the year. Except for The Starless Sea, they are all 2020 releases (and even that was Nov 2019). This was a great year for books!
I love seeing all of your picks for the best books of the year, although it always makes my TBR explode and makes me wish I had read more books this year!

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! And to everybody else, I promise to get out of your feed with my Christmas tree tomorrow.
And an extra special Thank You to all the healthcare workers and other folks who are working today. You are very, very much appreciated!

Thank you @squirrelbrain ❤️ I‘m going to try really hard to start journaling in 2021, so this notebook will be perfect! (Although my daughter has already tried to draw in it 😁)
Happy Christmas to you and yours!!!