I‘m pretty bummed to say this fell flat for me. Overall, it‘s fine - but did it need to be 500+ pages? Especially given how repetitive it was? It was a slow march to the end and getting there felt not at all worth the effort. A+ for sexy sapphic vampires without a doubt, but I‘d argue there needs to be actual arc, too.

Soft pick.

I love Hoda‘s vibe. No matter what, she always appears positive and that shone through this motivational book. Nothing earthshattering, but lots of little reminders to take things one step at a time. 💖

Photo is when I met her at a concert taping at the Today Show over a decade ago. 😳

My thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC! It‘s out in September.

June has been so busy (and hot 🥵) - I‘ve lost control of my reading streak. Determined to get back on track over the holiday weekend.

Took about a hundred pages to warm up but this vampire story is truly crackling now. 🩸

Digging in to V.E. Schwab‘s latest - perfect for #Pride or so I‘m hoping!

Nail Set was for the Stray Kids concert last night! So much fun 🤩

Elements felt heavy-handed (even for YA) in an attempt to tie up so much that arguably didn‘t need any more tying. That being said, the gruesome thought behind this series doesn‘t get easier to stomach with time. Poor Haymitch.

Off to rewatch the film series to see the implied connections. 🥹

Sharing some book ideas from my local library for great queer books to read during this #Pride Month (or anytime, tbh!)

Brooklyn Public Library coming through with the cutest book challenges via free bookmarks 🔖

Food for thought considering today‘s events in the real world.

Also no real spoilers, but I‘m 100 pages in and there‘s already two significant deaths. Suzanne, you‘re trying for tears and will probably succeed.

I didn‘t plan to read this this month but my library hold came in after months. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Given the “birthday parade” happening this weekend, perhaps it was kismet. Suzanne, you never disappoint.

I loved this. Funny and sarcastic and the plot flew. I didn‘t want it to end. I can totally see this being a hilarious TV show. 🐈🐬 #AuthorAMonth

Real Talk: I chose this Scalzi for my #AuthorAMonth bc the cover made me giggle. So far, it‘s a solid choice.

This short story by this month‘s #AuthorAMonth is available for free on Amazon/Kindle. A quick read - not sure how much of a tone it sets regarding Scalzi‘s writing, he‘s totally new to me. Sci-fi and a bit dry for my taste. Expands on the concept of AI that feels believable & vaguely upsetting.

A satisfying conclusion, though probably too long considering the final battle. Some plot omissions bothered me - but not enough to not be touched by the final outcome.

I shall return to the Grishaverse soon - especially given the hints about the series ahead. 🏴‍☠️👑

🤣 Zoya is relatable. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Had to wait over a hundred pages for the best character in this series to appear in Book 3 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️😅

This was less “the story of ABBA” and more the story of their immense impact, in Sweden and around the world, the waves still being felt to this very day. The author essentially explains *everything* is ABBA and ABBA is everything. The chapters are a little disjointed & if you‘re looking for a career retrospective, this isn‘t it. But it‘s fascinating nonetheless.

Above is my fave ABBA album by far. No contest. 👯‍♀️

What a final line to open Book 3.

Scratching the itch by finishing this trilogy out then pausing my foray into the Grishaverse in favor of the rest of the books on my actual shelf staring at me. 😂

Dropping these off at my local #LFL 💌

May is pretty much wrapped - this year is flying!

The tagged was my fave read of the month. Home Is Where The Bodies Are was my least liked. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Overall a pretty solid month.

Still on course for 100 books by years end! 🤞🏻

A cute lil YA romance but I think liking it will hinge on your knowledge of the #kpop industry overall/Korean culture. This is a sequel/companion novel to Once Upon a K-Prom, I definitely think Moonster is more endearing if you read the other book first (but it‘s not a necessity for the plot of this book).

Photo is of my concert lightstick for Stray Kids, a group mentioned tangentially in the book. I‘m seeing them live in a few weeks. ❤️

A Lee Know from Stray Kids reference?!

Literally can‘t wait to see Skz perform for the second time in a few weeks - I‘m seeing signs of them everywhere. 😅🐰

Headed out for a coffee date with friends - bringing along my library read & this lil tote thanks to @Soubhiville 🥰

#JumpstartSummer

This book was fantastic - moving, funny, emotional, and heartbreaking. I‘d argue it should be taught alongside Huckleberry Finn - if not in high school than in college.

Photo is of this past Friday‘s Girls Night outing - my first whiskey sour and it was delicious. #JumpstartSummer, am I right?

#AuthorAMonth

My plans to #JumpstartSummer ☀️🤪

-Finishing James for #AuthorAMonth
-Starting in on my library read of my fave Kat Cho‘s latest & a NetGalley biography of one of the GOATs of pop - ABBA (new bio out on 6/17, looks like it‘s not on Litsy yet)
-Digging in to these series I‘ve wanted to watch forever 🤪

This was wild, chaotic, confusing, and very funny in a nonsensical way. Plot? There kinda isn‘t one. And yet you come away rooting for Wala & Co. 🤪🤯

A fever dream-like intro this author indeed. 😅 #AuthorAMonth

One you get into the tone…this book flies and it‘s very funny. #AuthorAMonth

If you have even the smallest interest in the beginnings of Mattel/the launch of Barbie, this was highly enjoyable. My only caveat would be it‘s a “novelization” - so it‘s unclear just how much was invented for the story. (A central character, Stevie, is totally fictional.) Definitely humanized an American behemoth in my opinion.

And now to tackle my last May bucket list item: #AuthorAMonth !

James has been on my TBR since it came out so I‘m hoping to finish that as well after this. 🤘🏻😍

Elements if this felt like a solid YA-style mystery. But the more adult elements of the romance felt misguided and a little silly, especially during a shockingly obvious murder investigation with a high body count. I feel like this is the type of drama style that‘d work as cheesy television, not as a book. 😅🤷🏻‍♀️🦊 #RiseUpReads

Took a little bit to warm up to this one but it‘s proving to be fun. 🫣😅 #RiseUpReads

I definitely get the hype here - this was emotional with a lot of (sometimes heavy handed) metaphor regarding climate change. While the set up was strong, some of the plotting felt awkwardly placed and I don‘t love how mental illness was handled.

I‘d give this a 3.75 out of 5.

This months #botm box (including the limited edition book!) got a lil wet on the way here. Grateful a neighbor (or maybe the mailman?) left it on the heater in our lobby. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Miraculously I saw no damage to the actual books. 🥹🤕

Started in on the tagged on my audiobook walk today getting groceries.

Espresso martini (frozen) is from last night. 🥰

A third in and I totally get the hype around this book. 🥹

That was dark.

I feared the lyrical poetry style would grate on me at first but overall I think it ultimately added to the frenetic decent described. Looking forward to the discussion here. #WithTheBanned

I think I wanted this to be something it just wasn‘t. But considering I guessed the ending by page 25, I gotta Pan. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It‘s a definite speed read - but I wasn‘t wowed by the writing.

Bonus points for the clever cover and myriad of late 90s/early 00‘s references, though!

What a solid twisty lil thriller! I flew through this ARC, out 5/27!

Unreliable narrators, wild accusations, possessive needs for acknowledgment. The toxicity is everywhere - set against a backdrop of NYC during 9/11. If you liked the pace/tone of Yellowface or Luckiest Girl Alive, this might be for you.

My thanks to Hyperion Avenue for this ARC! 💖

Truly a sucker for sprayed edges lol 🤪

Fingers crossed this is the Romantasy that finally *clicks* for me. #botm

Clear case of Middle Book in a Trilogy syndrome at play here. The back half of this crawled in terms of plot with a ton of focus on YA willful dramarama.

No longer Team Mal…but I‘m not sure I want to be on Team Alina either. 🤷🏻‍♀️🫣 Nikolai was the best part of this book by far. ☀️ 🏴‍☠️

The love! The whimsy! The heels! 🥹

Such a cute lil coffee table book. Also would make for a solid lil gift. 💝

When YA fantasy also kind of feels relevant to real life… 🫣🤷🏻‍♀️

Words I live by, tbqh 🤘🏻🫣😅

Happy Indie Bookstore Day!

Yes, I‘m on a Book Buying Ban but made an exception for today for my local store. 💖🫣

Only 40 pages in and I already see another contender join the ring of this Love Triangle? Bardugo playing 3D Chess. Will I come out of Part 2 still playing for Team Mal? 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️🫣

Hmm. Intensely atmospheric. I felt like I could smell the wilderness when reading.

The lack of plot here leads me to docking points. But despite this being more of a love letter to Alaska rather than a “beauty & the beast” style story, I found myself caring about all of the characters, even through their shocking mistakes.

Sometime shortly, I shall delve back into the Grishaverse as promised. 🥹👋🏻

Soft pick. Layered with metaphor. The type of poetry you‘ll need to sit with a bit.
#RiseUpReads

Well. I flew through this. The plot is maybe a little obvious but the entire ensemble cast of characters - esp the narrator - are so emotionally fleshed out, it‘s forgivable. I can picture this story as a movie or a play. It‘s heart-wrenching.

Snagged this from the library today - looking forward to it! #RiseUpReads

I went into this ARC from the title alone, thinking I wasn‘t familiar with the authors podcast but…quickly realized I‘ve seen quite a few clips come along my social feeds. After reading this book - which felt like a gab fest about life, obstacles, and reality, I‘ve fully subscribed to their (admittedly political bent) podcast. While I think being a fan will lead to getting the most out of this book, it was just as enjoyable going in mostly cold.