A short but powerful read with very scary statistics around birth and motherhood for black women in the UK. #booked2021 #antiracist

My list for July‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This was the only book on my shelf with a #MusicalInstrumentOnCover so had to be my choice for #booked2021 I wasn‘t too keen as I‘d tried to start it a few years back and given up but it was better than I expected. Found myself skimming over the descriptions of shipping stuff but liked the bits in between. Still not as enjoyable for me as others I‘ve read by him.

Pretty sure the author‘s motto is ‘why write one joke when you can write three in a row?‘ Every other sentence was a metaphor/simile/sarcastic comment and it was grating. The son with asperger‘s kept being blamed as the reason her dating life was unsuccessful but I‘m pretty sure it was mainly down to her. The son was the most likeable character!

Well… this was not the ‘book about books‘ I was expecting when the title caught my eye at the library! Comes with a lot of trigger warnings, a really heartfelt story about found family.

What a wonderful thing to come home to - thank you so much @TheBookHippie this was a lovely surprise. I will do my best to catch up for #sundaybuddyread but even if I don‘t manage it, I still really appreciate your generosity and kindness!

I‘m not sure Winterson‘s books are for me… they always make me feel like I‘m missing something! I enjoyed most of the story for the story‘s sake but I kept feeling like there was a deeper meaning that I just wasn‘t spotting!

I just loved this. It was so funny and I fell for the main characters completely. I‘m itching to watch something regency based now! Thank you for sending this in a swap, @Cupcake12 - perfect choice!

Could pretty much have just posted the same list I used in May as didn‘t get very far this month but here are my choices for June‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo

#ThinkPositiveBePositive
Thank you for the tag @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I see you and lots of people on here practising this all the time!

This is the fourth in a series and while none of them have been as good as the first, I am still enjoying and continuing them. I think I read this one after too long a gap though, I‘d forgotten a bit of the back story which probably would have made it even better. Read for #booked2021 #hear/here - creepy murders set in the city where I live!

I didn‘t quite manage to finish this in April for #authoramonth but I‘m so glad I‘ve read it. The relationships in this book are beautiful and heartbreaking. There were many lumps in throat and needing tissue moments. I think I need to re-read the ending though, some of it was lost on me as I pushed through to finish whilst half nodding off!

My list for May‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo

Finishing this one a little late for #sundaybuddyread. I really liked it to begin with but the ‘disappearing‘ characters and plot lines brought it down a notch.

Thankfully our libraries opened up just as I started this one - it made me desperate to go! Took my 20 month old for the first time since he was a little baby and he kept looking around saying ‘wow!‘ 😍 Arthur loves his digger book, I‘m not sure how he will react when I tell him we have to return it... #booked2021 library in title

Didn‘t expect to find myself on the side of a murderer but this book had me sort of rooting for the main character, wanting him to escape the life he was describing. #booked2021 Set in UN peacekeeping country.

My list for April‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo mainly showing how far behind I am with #whattheDickens read along!

My #bookspin choice, just in time! I liked most of it but it didn‘t match up to the previous Peter May‘s I‘ve read.

For saying I don‘t normally read short stories or sci-fi, I didn‘t dislike this, but I didn‘t love it. Scientists experimenting with life after death. Dubious ethics and outdated mindsets made me feel equally uncomfortable! #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

A bit repetitive at times but intriguing storyline and kept me wondering! My final pick for Winter #booked2021 #covidheroes nurse as MC.

Thank you so much @DinoMom for my #litsylovespringswap
The books are especially great choices - I‘ve been so intrigued by all the reviews for Braiding Sweetgrass, glad to hear you enjoyed it. And I‘ve wanted the other for ages! I‘m already wearing the socks and as soon as my toddler gets taken for a walk in a minute I‘m going to be opening the fudge with a cup of tea. Thank you!

Thank you ever so much for the birthday cards #litsylove folks! Really appreciated 😊

All the reviews and quotes say how ‘spellbinding‘ and ‘magical‘ this book is, which it was but the magic was mostly used to control and manipulate people and I found it more sinister and sad than spellbinding. A good read though! #booked2021 Author‘s name begins with A/B/C

I went for this one as I used it in a presentation to parents this week about helping their children to love reading. Which I think would be a positive thing!! #ThinkPositiveBePositive @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks thanks for the tag 😊

📖 forbidden
📖 sinister
📖 secretive
Thanks for the tag @Cupcake12
#3WordReviews @ShyBookOwl

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks these are some of my favourite reading quotes which I have as prints, waiting to be framed and put up! Hope you‘re doing ok! #ThinkPositiveBePositive

I am loving the #booked2021 challenge for getting through books that have been on my shelf for years! Here‘s another for #SetInAustralia. I wonder how long it will take me to get to the next in the trilogy!

I didn‘t know much about this before going in. Everything I‘d heard made me expect a light hearted, unlucky in love type romance. Nope! So much more than that, so much deeper and more important. And all the better for it. Great pick #sundaybuddyread

March #bookspin and #bookspinbingo list. I have a good feeling about this month!

Today one thing arrived in the post and one thing was sent off!
Looking forward to the next #sundaybuddyread, I love Spain!
#litsylovespringswap on its way.

Not quite as productive as I was hoping for Feb #bookspinbingo but that‘s ok! On to March‘s list! @TheAromaofBooks

Thanks for the tag @Cuilin - sorry for late response! #Two4Tuesday

1. I have a soft spot for reading about Spain as I lived there for a year but anywhere that‘s described well enough for me to picture is good enough for me!

2. It‘s definitely not something I consciously think about when choosing books, no. 😊

@TheSpineView

Started off thinking this would be a bit like Chocolat or Like water for chocolate but not quite as good. Then it got bizarre!! It was an easy read and removes a book from my shelf as well as meeting #bakedgoodsoncover prompt for #booked2021

Thanks for the tag @Cupcake12 !
1. Try out some new toddler snack recipes for batch baking. 🥣
2. No! I would have liked a cat, my partner wants a dog... we compromised and said one day we‘d get a rabbit. I do have an 18 month old who waits by the door for walks and wraps himself round my leg when hungry though so...
3. Complete Jane Austen if that‘s not cheating!
#motivationalmonday
Tag @DinoMom @Cuilin @Mrs_B

I am so blown away to have received this gift in the post! Thank you so much @Cuilin it‘s incredibly kind and generous. We have just read the Alfie story before nap time which was a big success and there are so many practical ideas I can crack on with straight away in the Montessori book. Arthur and I are very lucky! Thank you!

It took me a while to get into this, I think I probably need more plot-driven reads at a time when my life doesn‘t involve much plot! I was convinced that I didn‘t like any of these characters up until the last 50 pages when I was welling up, rooting for and worrying for some of them. It‘s been on my shelf for such a long time, now ticked off thanks to #authoramonth ! @Soubhiville

Thank you for the lovely delivery @Mrs_B !
I‘m off to check reading challenge categories to see if this fits any so I can get to it sooner!

Thank you so much Kay @kaysworld1 - I really can‘t wait to read this. Some chocolates were eaten in the making of this photo. #bookcupidswap
@candority

I found this book so fascinating. I thought it might be a ‘dipping in‘ book where I‘d only fancy reading a chapter every so often but I wanted to read it cover to cover! This is my #booked2021 choice for science non-fiction by a woman.
I‘d never heard of this author until I saw the 2020 author a month posts by @Eggs so I will have to thank you and @Soubhiville for a great choice!

I enjoyed this but would have liked even more of an insight into the witchcraft and suspicions of the time and felt the part about the actual trials was a bit rushed. It‘s a good job I have other read that will do that bit! Gives me a line in #bookspinbingo at least!

February #bookspin and space for #bookspinbingo !

@TheAromaofBooks

1. My current read is set to the backdrop of the Pendle witch trials - lots of women being accused of having the ‘devil in her heart‘.
2. I think I have more mugs than anything else!
3. I‘ve never really thought about it. I think their character matters more than their age.

Thanks for the tag @EadieB ! @Eggs

#bookcupidswap sent off yesterday @candority

I nearly skipped on this #sundaybuddyread when I couldn‘t get a physical copy but I‘m so glad I didn‘t. Thank you for choosing it and for the discussions so far @TheBookHippie - looking forward to the next two in the schedule by same author.

This was my #bookspin choice and another box on #bookspinbingo.
I‘m also using it as my first #booked2021 for #moustacheoncover
It was short and bizarre but I think I enjoyed it!

Match matched, book bought. Chocolate will have to wait until last minute or I‘ll just end up eating it. @candority #BookCupidSwap

Nap time. Finally starting this for #whattheDickens

Just finished this for my IRL book club which has been postponed because every member just felt this week was too much! We have all enjoyed the book though! Some awful plantation scenes which were hard to read. Still can‘t decide if I‘m left feeling vaguely hopeful or desperately sad for the main character.

I was given this for Christmas by my brother, without him even knowing it was on my wishlist! Really enjoyed it and makes me feel I should move ‘how to stop time‘ higher up my TBR as I also own that one.

First box ticked off for #bookspinbingo