When the school board of the school district I grew up in decided to rescind an invitation for this author to speak at one of the middle schools, I knew I had to read this book. The whole episode was so bizarre that it made international news…and not in a good light.

This is such an amazing book, following Rahul as he struggles with so much - his identity, lack of inclusion and diversity in the community, and his overall desire to fit in. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#LiteraryCrew : We are about halfway through the month, so time for a #buddyread check-in! I know a few have finished and others are waiting for their copy from the library, but for those who have read or who are reading…any thoughts to share?

Discussion May 31st!

Great discussion for The Clue in the Diary! If you haven‘t had a chance to participate, feel free whenever you are able!

Can you believe, #LittenDetectives , that we are on book 8 in the Nancy Drew series?

Nancy receives a letter that leads her on another sleuthing adventure. #NancyDrewBR

Discussion will be June 15th. All are welcome! If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know!!

It‘s time for our #NancyDrewBR discussion, #LittenDetectives !

I posted 5 questions as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #NancyDrewBR .

This was a fun one to read! Jump into the conversation whenever. I will post the official graphic for next month‘s book, Nancy‘s Mysterious Letter, tomorrow! Thanks for reading with me!

I feel bad for not liking this one as much as other fellow #PemberLittens did. The second part was so confusing - I‘m not the strongest reader of stream of consciousness understanding, let alone from two perspectives. One has to feel sad for Antoinette whose life did not seem pleasant.

This had been on my to read list for a very long time, so at least I can check it off. #HashtagBrigade #192025 #1966

This month‘s IRL book club title, and I was left feeling meh about it. Bernadette is a mail carrier and a widow with a son who is the head high school football coach. She also randomly decides on the 10 year anniversary of her husband‘s death that she has feelings for his bff, who has remained in her and her son‘s life after her husband‘s passing. This helps because he‘s accused of murder, and she feels she must find the killer…despite the ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I just saw this on the FB Group Onward Litsy from Kate…FYI!!

“A note to let everyone know that we're aware there‘s a problem where every night Litsy is down for an hour, and we are investigating. We're hopeful it will be fixed soon!”

Nancy and her friends - and we finally have Ned in the picture! - are involved in a mystery surrounding a house explosion and a diary written in Swedish. Nancy also helps the postal service with a mail delivery issue. Fun read!

Don‘t forget #LittenDetectives that our #NancyDrewBR discussion of this book is on the 15th!

Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :

I started off strong last week, completing a few books and continuing with various #buddyread selections. Some books had to go back to the library, so are on pause.

This week, I anticipate completing a couple #buddyread titles and also going through my library book stack - my eyes are way bigger than my belly #somanybookssolittletime .

My IRL book club meets this week too, so I must start that book.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for this #ALC !

With elements of mystery & romance & set in Ireland, the story follows a family, the family manor, & a secret that can tear everything from apart. I think I enjoyed listening to the story more, with an Irish voice actress doing the narration. This is the first in a series, so I‘ll be interested to see how the series progresses. A good distraction listen. #52BookClub24 #TheWordSecretInTheTitle

This debut novel has an intriguing premise - the gods of the seasons & a disaster that leaves the world shrouded in autumn. There were parts that had me riveted, but the second third of the book really dragged for me. The MC Tirne seemed to develop an almost repetitive whining tone, and without spoiling too much, I can understand. The ending did not satisfy me either, though the narrative did pick up again the last third of the book. So-so read.

A unique almost cozy featuring an LGBT male MC…Chase is still mourning the death of his love Doug and decides to take part in a walking tour of Devon, England. He‘s a former police investigator and has to utilize his skills fairly quickly. The murder takes place against a descriptive backdrop. Slight homage to Agatha Christie - very slight, but the twists are there. I read this one in less than 24 hours! #52BookClub24 #TimeFrameSpansAWeekOrLess

I was not anticipating this #MiddleGrade to be as sad as it was in parts - the cover and synopsis made me think it would be more light and comical. Magical realism plays a role in this as the reader hears from the perspective of tween Ernest and Olivetti the typewriter. It‘s apparent early on that there is a big #ElephantInTheRoom when it comes to Ernest‘s family, and the mother‘s disappearance only adds layers to the situation. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :

I bailed on an audio - absolutely horrific (see my “review” for more details - and completed a few other titles.

This week, I have some library books that must be read, as well as keeping up with #buddyread books. We‘ll see how I do!

Happy Reading!

Thanks for the tag, @DebinHawaii !

1. My boys…always, always my boys. Recent pictures of them are shown above
2. The Morgan Library in NYC for offering virtual docent conversations regarding exhibits. Today‘s was about the Beatrix Potter exhibit
3. Finding a big stack of books for me on the library‘s hold shelf
4. Listening to the birds every morning as they chatter in my backyard
5. Practicing a nightly sleep meditation

#5JoysFriday

My April #BookSpinBingo wrap up and my May #BookSpinBingo board!!

One of these days I‘ll get a bingo!!

Oomph. I usually really like Krentz‘s stories - a good mix of suspense and romance with sometimes a dash of magical realism - but this one, nope. Originally published in #1983 , let‘s just say that it would not be published now (thoughts in the comments - it‘s a massive TW):

I tried to listen to the whole story, but I just could not. Take my advice - don‘t bother with this one.

For May‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead , we will be visiting the court of the French king Louis XV and Versailles.

Read at your own pace. I will post periodic checkins, and discussion questions will be posted on May 31st.

All are welcome! If you would also like to be added to the tag list, comment below!

#LittenDetectives : we‘re two weeks away from our next #NancyDrewBR discussion! Dare I say Nancy will find a clue in the diary???

Discussion questions posted on May 15th!

April was a good reading month, with 14 completed, including The Brothers Karamazov.

I loved Zorrie by Laird Hunt - so beautifully written. And, I really enjoyed rereading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

I admittedly picked this up because of the cover…love it!

YA Fantasy featuring sorcerers and fortune tellers and a MC with a snarky attitude and sharp wit…great story! I breezed through this one and found the layers of magic fascinating. There are grisly murder scenes - not overly graphic, but with enough detail you get the picture - and a dash of romance. One false step, and everything could #GoDownInFlames . #TeenAngst #BBRC

#LiteraryCrew , it‘s time for our discussion! This one is dense, complicated, and slowly meanders through the story. But, peeling back the layers shows the complexity of humanity and of history. Thanks to everyone for trying this one - it‘s not an easy read!

9 questions are posted as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book feed, or searching the hashtags.

I will post the #BuddyRead graphic for The School of Mirrors tomorrow!

My May #BookSpinBingo list!

I‘ve heard great things about this series for years, so was glad to give it a try for the #BakerStreetIrregulars . I‘m so glad I did! Amelia Peabody is not your typical Victorian woman, and J loved her sarcasm and her views on society. It was also a nice intro to archaeology. I‘ve already purchased book 2! #192025 #1975 #BBRC #YeahBaby #PotCallingTheKettleBlack (Peabody and Emerson are so alike, it‘s like a mirrored image!).

I‘ve had the Martha‘s Vineyard mystery series on my to read list for years, so thought I would take advantage of listening to the first one through my Audible membership. Oh boy…not for me!

Victoria I think is supposed to represent the stereotypical “crusty” New Englander - hardy, sarcastic, and set in one‘s way. I never warmed to her, and the harbor master continuously calling her sweetheart was not endearing. Sad to pan, but it felt like ⬇️

Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :

How is it the end of April already??? I‘m finishing up April #buddyread titles and am anticipating May‘s selections. Overall, a good reading week, and I should complete a few more titles over the next couple of days.

Happy Readjng, everyone!

Nearly a pan read for me, but nudged up to a so-so, as I was curious how this would end. Think Austen with magic…in this case, skilled artisans practice glamours to manipulate the setting. I felt so bad for Jane, the MC, but at times her nearly martyr stance got on my nerves. Nearly everyone else was horrid.

I‘ve had this for years on my Nook app; thanks to #PemberLittens #JaneAdjacent for finally getting me to read this.

#Xander #CatsOfLitsy

Happy #IndependentBookstoreDay ! I had to visit my favorite indie bookstore and partake of their massive sale. I think I scored some pretty great sounding books.

Recognize any you would recommend from this stack?

I just spent a month at Manderley…

This is a reread for me, and while I did not remember every twist and turn, I do remember the creepy vibes from this. It‘s a level of creepiness that slowly enfolds the reader and can make one shiver. That Mrs. Danvers…oh my! I loved it and am glad it was a #PemberLittens #HashtagBrigade read! #192025 #1938 #52BookClub24 #AnAbruptEnding

#Zeke #Vladimir #SebastianKitty #Xander #CatsOfLitsy

Another great entry in the In Death series. This one involves some super scary technology. I love watching Eve grow as a person and become more comfortable in her skin. Looking forward to the next #InDeathLongReadalong !

May‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. Read at your own pace throughout the month, and discussion questions will be posted on May 31st.

The graphic is a reminder of our yearlong list. If you would to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know!

This quiet, unassuming novel is beautifully written and tells the story of Zorrie. Zorrie sees tragedy, heartbreak, but also joy and love. Her community is one of acceptance and caring, and Hunt‘s writing makes their quirks come to life. The narrative may be short in length, but the pages pack a punch. #SundayBuddyRead

#52BookClub24 #LowercaseLettersOnTheSpine

Combined #BookReport and #WeeklyForecast :

I completed two books last week - Mr. Churchill‘s Secretary was a reread for my IRL book club, and I found I did not enjoy it as much the second time through as I did the first. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This week, I‘ll continue to make my way through #buddyread titles and knock off some titles from my to read list.

Thanks for the tag, @TheSpineView !

1. My boys…always bring me joy (and I love sharing photos of them!)
2. IRL book club this week - lots of fun
3. Chobani Zero Sugar - I‘m obsessed with this yogurt
4. Baseball season in full swing (no pun intended)
5. I received some good news related to medical tests. A procedure looms in the future, but things are fine so far. #5JoysFriday

This mystery classic had humor and some quirky characters. Published in #1942 , the setting is an academic library with librarian Gilda as the amateur sleuth. She‘s prickly, but with a flare that makes her entertaining. Johnson uses this book to softly poke fun at academia. A nice lighthearted mystery at a time where levity was needed. The audio took me awhile to get into, but I overall enjoyed this one. #192025

Thanks #NetGalley & the publisher

Thanks for the tag, @Deblovestoread !

1. Burn Out: How to Walk Away and Heal - even though I left my job in September, there‘s a lot, physically & mentally, I‘m still unpacking, diagnosing, & overcoming. It definitely takes time, & it‘s been a very slow process. Stress is no joke (maybe that‘s a chapter title).

2. I don‘t read many uplifting books, but the tagged book was such a quiet and beautiful read. So much love and growth. #Two4Tuesday