Finished this over breakfast at my favorite cafe. I love this story and really never knowing what‘s going to happen next. The final pages were such a flurry of action too! Now the wait for the next volume begins…. #bookspinbingo #doublespin
Finished this over breakfast at my favorite cafe. I love this story and really never knowing what‘s going to happen next. The final pages were such a flurry of action too! Now the wait for the next volume begins…. #bookspinbingo #doublespin
I‘m a fan of Emily Henry, and this could be my new favorite. I‘ve always been impressed by her ability to write actually witty sarcasm in her dialogue, and she‘s got it again here in spades. Loved it!!
Great finale to this trilogy! Spicy and with a good balance of romance and mystery/thriller as our team works to stop the bad guys in stealing all the magic in England for themselves.
As expected, April was a pitiful month for me and reading. So here‘s looking to a better May! #bookspinbingo
Cute YA romance involving a Korean-American cellist and a K-Pop idol. Pretty surface level, no real surprises, but still fun and adorable. Didn‘t really like the audio narrator- seemed a little wooden in delivery, and I hope that wasn‘t a choice. Still, there‘s a companion book now that I might check out.
What gorgeous writing! This is more like short stories or vignettes with the setting as the common theme. But as we move through time, the overall story is woven more tightly together…. It‘s beautifully layered. The audio is perfect too, with a half dozen or so voices adding to the feel and atmosphere.
This was a fun addition to the series… this time we‘re with Lulu Malone, a hardworking lawyer facing a personal and professional crisis and Dex MacLean, Renn Faire lover boy who is more than his reputation. They are a fun matchup but I did wish for a little more for Dex.#bookspinbingo #bookspin
Pretty okay…. Kinda figured out most of it pretty early on. The cast of characters could‘ve been fleshed out a bit more… utopia to see what the book group thinks about it. Definitely like that narrator.
This had been in my radar for awhile now, and I am SO GLAD I‘ve finally read it! Trans teen Yadriel is trying to prove himself to his family, looking for acceptance as not only a boy but as a brujo among his family of brunjx. He finds himself tethered to the spirit of Julian… and together they need to unravel the mystery of their circumstances and ultimately save the living and the spirits of Yads family. Wonderful book.
Had a great week at the PLA Conference, including an awesome author lunch with Rainbow Rowell! She‘s so funny, and can‘t wait to read her new book, out in July❤️. Yes, it‘s true - I am not a great photographer. But I wanted to just take one pic and stay in the moment.
Definitely the slowest burn romance I‘ve ever read, but ultimately worth it. I got a little annoyed with the main character, but I enjoyed her journey of finding strength in herself after two very different losses and her growing relationship with Rhodes & Amos. And I‘m getting used to kindle reading again! Total win. #bookspinbingo #doublespin
Oh I liked this so much! Set in the same world as “Part of Your World “, but it stands completely on its own. I really appreciate the mental health aspects of this story and how love shows up, and all the ways it can.
Alright! Here‘s my list for April. I‘ve got 2 trips planned this month. One for a conference, the other a family vacation and neither will lend itself easily to a lot of quiet reading time. So this is really a fingers crossed, let‘s see how I do kind of list.
Oh this was fun! A cozy mystery featuring a sassy southern lady of a certain age who investigates the apparent suicide of her best friend, Sister Amity Gay.
Aw, this 2024 Stonewall winner perfectly captures that awkward time just before high school when it seems everybody around you is maturing and you aren‘t sure how to catch up, or even if you want to. Add in that Tuva might not want a boyfriend, but a girlfriend. Fantastic graphic novel.
This is a sweet little book… not quite a novel, maybe more connected vignettes? Surrounding a father-daughter team who run a restaurant that specializes in recreating a meal the customer is trying to remember from their past. Very cozy.
Omg this is such a wonderful treat of a book! Such lovely characters… it centers in the titular siblings, and extends outward to include their complicated family dynamics, their partners/ex-partners, and the life challenges they face: relationships, finances, racism, mental health, etc. I want them to adopt me.
Reading the print was fine, but I had to switch quickly away from the audio. It was too confusing and it hates the narrators voice for Marcus on the audio. Better experience in print, though as I don‘t read fanfic, a lot was probably lost on me. I liked the emotional development of the relationship.
I‘m really enjoying this series! Totally outlandish, and so fun. This time, Finlay‘s trying to keep her ex-husband from being murdered, figure out what‘s going on with Vero, and digs a little deeper into her feelings toward Officer Nick and Law Student Julian.
I was interested in this as a concept, but it is not working for me.
Ok, I‘m going to have the #unpopular opinion here, but I thought this story was way too slow. I liked the characters, the beachy small town setting, even the premise. But it was just a little *too* cozy for me, and I liked the first book much better.
Eh, not really for me (but finished for book group). I don‘t know any of these people, except Truman Capote but never knew all that much about him. Now I really don‘t. But this book was very confusing on audio, especially at first, and I didn‘t really like the casual changing of POV. Also, is the point to feel bad for rich people? Or at least for the nice one who ended up sick? #bookspin book at least!
Holy crap. This narrator is right up there with Humbert Humbert. I could feel my face screw itself up in disgust at something he said. Truly vile. And that‘s what made it such a compelling book to take in. I canNOT wait for book group!
This was an incredible listen. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, and the narration for this is audiobook was spot on. #bookspinbingo #bingo
I enjoyed this…. But not as much as the 1st and 3 rd books in the series. It just seemed a bit dragged out. But I‘m all caught up now, so if a 4th comes next year - I‘m ready!
Fun Snow White retelling in which every character (except the Huntsmen) are female. An enjoyable ride, very meta at times…. Good audio narration.
So this was a bit spicier than I expected, (which I‘m okay with-not a complaint) and a fun romance between a writer who had terrible sex with a one night stand… only to be hired to ghostwrite his memoir. While working on the book, she agrees to help him learn how to be a better partner physically. Of course they catch feelings and it‘s complicated and messy and worth it.
This has been on my radar a bit, and the audio was available on Libby at just the right time. As for the story…. It‘s pretty character driven, about Mike, a half Latino guy in his early 20s, trying to catch a break while also figuring things a#out about himself, his goals, and his sexuality. Overall, it was alright - the narrator eventually grew on me, but it‘s a shame it gets challenged in high schools for what it is.
I am not great with poetry, but always want to do better. I saw this on the New cart at work and grabbed it. It‘s set up separated into Volumes, and each poem is a Track, complete with an outro - to help provide context and discussion on themes, structure, etc to help folks like me get the most out of the piece. Each poem reflects on an aspect of Black culture, history, life. And while some hit me harder than others, I‘m glad I read them all.
I basically read this entire book today…. So many tears, smiles, and heartwarming moments. This slow-burn romance also deals with quite a bit of tragedy and grief which I didn‘t expect. Really looking forward to reading the next book (and not only because I‘ve already accidentally read the third book!)
Eh, this just isn‘t hitting me right. Feels like mostly complaining and not humor…. But I‘ve liked some of his stand up so this may just not be the medium for me
Wow. This book has been on my shelf forever, and has has shown up on my #bookspinbingo lists for at least the past year. So why did I wait? This was a beautiful exploration of grief, loss, betrayal.. and of slowly working your way back, of letting go of the dark and lonely feelings. Beautiful.
Good second book - but def read the first one first, and not only because it‘s better. This is good - action packed and fast moving,,, but a little too much set up and unnecessary gimmicky tries for humor at the start. The ‘Great Game‘ doesn‘t even start until halfway, and then gets rushed to the finish. But I don‘t think a kid reader will mind any of the things that bothered me. Like at all
Brilliant. Morrison‘s only short story is about two girls, one black and one white. Race is important to their story, but Morrison wrote without giving any context as to which is which, leaving the reader to wonder, guess, or make peace with not knowing while also thinking about why they want to know. Does it matter? Do you feel differently about either? What exactly are the “clues” you‘re looking for? Zadie Smith‘s intro is not to be missed.
Decent debut historical mystery set in colonial Fiji dealing with the complicated and corrupted indentured servant system where European land owners used Indian indentured servants in their plantations in Fiji. The investigation is lead by an Indian Sikh and explores (maybe not enough) of his feelings in this environment and the inherent racism. Not perfect, but series has promise. #bookspinbingo #bookspin 😊
Pretty good thriller/mystery set in an old ornate apartment building in Paris. Big twists to the story, some of it I had guessed very early on, others I hadn‘t. Cleverly structured, and I‘m sure the book group will have a lot to say.
Here‘s my list for February! January has worked out pretty well, reading wise. Looking forward to the next month! #bookspinbingo
Listened to this on a whim and glad I did! It‘s about an American musician traveling Europe, playing music for a living. She lands in a small town in Ireland and everything is stolen. She meets the owner of a pub, who hires her to help revitalize said pub & bring in more customers. The blurb told be she had ADHD, but I was blown away by the realistic exploration of his OCD. I‘m thinking I‘ll read more by the author tbh, as I quite liked this
This was fun! Quick romance set in the world of chess, but layered with so much more. #bookspinbingo #bingo
I liked this way more than I expected! This is the story of three Filipina women working as maids in Singapore. It showcases and explores the different ways (mostly, but not all terrible), the varying situations in the Philippines that made them pursue this work in a different country, the the friendship and solidarity they find in each other and their community of workers.
This has been on my shelf forever… and while it took a few pages (I had to reread the first 5 pages) to get a handle on the writing style, and then it blew me away. I could almost feel this story settling over me like a blanket while reading. Set in Cairo, this tells a story in 4 different perspectives.
Straightforward advice on how to develop good habits and break bad ones. This complements other books I have read- including just about anything by Brene Brown and Unwinding Anxiety. I‘m not sure it adds anything to the topic, u less of course you just starting to think about this- then it‘s a very good introduction.
This was alright. I liked the banter… an early scene in a bar involving a “glass eye” had me in tears laughing…. But there‘s a lot in here about grieving, guilt, and forgiveness. Almost 4 star read, but not quite. #bookspinbingo #bookspin
I just love Nick & Charlie.
Woah. So much happens in this book… much of it pretty intense. But there is still the spiciness, the banter that makes me chuckle, and the friendship bonds I cheer for. I know I maybe should read this more critically, but I‘m fully invested in this world and that definitely sways my opinion. Love it.
Emotionally difficult read, but an important story based in fact surrounding terrible practices by government medical programs in “helping” poor black women in the south in the 1970s. Investigations that came from this case expanded victims to include women of Latin descent. The authors note includes examples of this practice still happening today.
This was a sweet ending to this trilogy. It did take a beat to find its way, but I‘m so happy to have gotten this closure for Wendell, Marjorie and Eliza.
Didn‘t do quite as well during the second half of December, but still ended up with 5,261 points. That makes my grand total of points for #wintergames team #restinggrinchface: 12,228!
Thanks for all the fun, and for being a great captain @Julsmarshall !!
In all the New Years busyness, I nearly forgot to post my January list! This year, it m focusing more on library books and getting rid of (slowly) my physical TBR Books.. so I may have to also think a little harder about creating these lists. It will be good for me to be a little more intentional!