Thank you so much @CBee ❤️ The book made it safe and sound and is now patiently waiting for me to make the time to read it.

Here are my picks! Thanks for this @Annie1215

So I wanted to give the #authoramonth another chance with this short story prequel. It definitely required a lot of out of the box thinking from me and while I found it wildly imaginative, I just couldn‘t get into the story. Part of it is this author‘s writing style but it‘s also that, as with my other read from N.K. Jemisin, I just can‘t wrap my brain around the story. I have another novella/short story so giving it one last chance. @Soubhiville

With strong Stepford Wives vibes, this book was somewhat entertaining but far from spectacular. Nothing I haven't come across before, in better written and better paced versions. ⭐️⭐️ #netgalley #BFC21 This was my #bookspin #bookspinbingo book for January @TheAromaofBooks Also works for #LitsyAtoZ #abecedarianTBR #letterB @BookishMarginalia and for my informal #ReadingUSA2021 #Minnesota

On the eve of his wife Livia's 40th birthday party, Adam receives devastating news and struggles with the dilemma of how and when to tell his family. But he is not the only one keeping a secret, and one of them may destroy his family forever. More a family drama, then psychological thriller the author is known for, I struggled to finish this book. Are there couples like this, that don‘t talk to each other? ⭐️⭐️ #netgalley #bookspinbingo #BFC21

I was about 30% in when I decided that I just couldn‘t continue. It‘s not a bad book, far from it. I quite enjoyed the writing but I just couldn‘t wrap my head around what was going on. At this moment I‘d just rather spend my time reading a book I understand and know what‘s going on. Might give it another go at a later time. #authoramonth #nkjemisin #bookspinbingo

Week 1 #BFC21 update (Jan 1-7):

Books: I finished 5 books
- 1 #netgalleyarc (review coming soon)
- 3 for #authoramonth
- 0 books from my physical TBR shelves

Fitness:
- Preparing for Orthodox Christmas prevented me from doing my daily walks/exercise for a few days. I didn‘t get 8000 steps each day but I still averaged 8192 steps/day for the 7 days.
- No runs or workouts for Week 1

Looking forward to a more active and balanced week ahead🤞

We‘ve been in varying degrees of confinement since September but as of today Quebec goes into full lockdown with a curfew between 8pm-5am for at least the next 4 weeks. I‘m ready with all the absolute necessities close at hand, including my little reading buddy Rémy.

Not book related, but as some of you know I love counted cross stitch. ❤️ You may also know that I‘ve been working on ‘The Kiss‘ by Gustav Klimt as a Christmas present for my daughter. Well, here‘s the finished product! She wants to add some gold thread and beading and then all that‘s left is to get it framed. #countedcrossstitch #gustavklimt #thekiss

I‘ve been holding on to all my #Litsy mail to open today, on Orthodox Christmas and just look at all these beautiful cards. Thank you to all the wonderful members of the #PoutinePenPals and #LitsyLove groups for this outpouring of kindness and joy. ❤️ I am thankful everyday to be part of such an amazing community.

Here‘s my January #bookspinbingo card! 📚 Really hoping to make a dent in this.

Newbie here! 🙌 Thank you for organizing @wanderinglynn My January goals for #bfc21 are as follows:

Book 📚- 2 books a week and at least 2 physical books a month from my overflowing bookshelves. Also 3 #netgalley reviews a month.

Fitness 🏃‍♀️- 8000 steps a day and 2 runs a week. Optionally, I‘d also like to do 3 body toning workouts a week but we‘ll see how that goes.

That‘s a wrap for 2020! I listened to a lot of audiobooks this year which kept me on track with my reading goal. Didn‘t finish any of my reading challenges though. 🤦‍♀️🙄 Some books I enjoyed this year: The God Game, Domestic Violets, Golden State, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Henna Artist. My goal for 2021 is to read 100 books, read books from my physical shelf and diminish my out of control #netgalley pile. How about you?

Finally posting my #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo list for January. Happy to get back to reading, reading challenges and Litsy! Here‘s to an amazing reading year! 📚

Thank you @ShelleyBooksie for the great #CanuckChristmasSwap package! ❤️ These are my favourite chocolates (which probably won‘t last to the end of the day!) and just look at this gorgeous book ❤️ Thank you @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego for organizing this wonderful #PoutinePenPals swap. Wishing you and your family all the very best this holiday season!

So this happened today! With the tagged book I reached my goal for 2020. 🎉🎉🎉 I really didn‘t think I was going to make it - thank goodness for audiobooks. 🎧📚

#audiobaking with the tagged book - overnight cinnamon buns for breakfast this morning. Recipe is from Sally‘s Baking Addiction blog but may also be in her cookbook (tagged in comment below👇🏻) This was my first time trying them and they turned out perfectly. I‘m going to have to make a double batch next time!

About to be arrested for shoplifting, a young woman claims to be Rebecca Winters, a young teenager that disappeared without a trace 16 years earlier. As the woman assumes the roles of daughter, sister and best friend, she soon discovers that behind the welcoming family and friends lies a sinister truth. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #audiobook #Australia

Thank you all so much for all the Litsy birthday wishes! @Pageturner1 @Mitch @Laughterhp @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Bookgoil @Megabooks @Graciouswarriorprincess @MySharonaK @MoonWitch94 @jdiehr @Seekingtardis @LazyOwl @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @JessClark78 @Cupcake12 And a big thank you also to everyone who reached out through email, letters and cards. I am so thankful and blessed to have Litzy and all you wonderful #Littens in my life.

Thank you @aroc @Kdgordon88 @DinoMom @Lovesbooks87 @robinb for the wonderful birthday cards, kind wishes and adorable bookmarks! ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much @BookishTrish for this awesome birthday surprise! I can‘t wait to get started on this one. ❤️

The first batch of #LitsyLove Christmas cards (some with long overdue responses) are on their way to all corners of the world 💌🌎📮

My #CanuckChristmasSwap package has arrived from my wonderful #PoutinePenPals match @ShelleyBooksie ❤️🎅 First gift under the tree! ❤️

#meetthelittens

1. Born in London, England to a French mother and Serbian father, have called Montreal home since I was 12
2. That‘s tough - The Martian (?)
3. The Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
4. Pretty in Pink
5. Another tough one - Criminal Minds (?)
6. Marianas Trench
7. Purple
8. Mysteries/Thrillers
9. Stopped working when my youngest was born - was a lab tech in the pharma industry
10. A Siberian cat named Rémy

Not book related but my little reading buddy Rémy is celebrating his 1st Birthday today! ?????#happybirthday #firstbirthday #siberiancats

Thanks @Eggs and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the tag. I absolutely agree with this and have it on repeat in my brain on a daily basis. When I‘m faced with something I can‘t control, I just stop, breathe and let it go. #thinkpositivebepositive What do you think @Kdgordon88 @IndoorDame @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @PurpleyPumpkin

Some more #audiobaking while listening to the tagged book. Spinach puffs from the November 2012 issue of #bonappetitmagazine are on the menu this dark and rainy evening, along with italian sausages and a mixed green salad. 📚🎧 #audiocooking #whatscookin #whatsfordinner

My #CanuckChristmasSwap package and Christmas Cards for all my wonderful #PoutinePenPals have all gone out in the mail today! ❤️💌🎅

Got this cookbook in this week‘s #bookmail and just had to try out something for lazy Sunday lunch. Love Ree Drummond‘s simple, straightforward recipes for comfort foods that the whole family loves. 👩‍🍳📚❤️ #thepioneerwoman #sundaylunch #whatscooking

Some more of this week‘s #bookmail and an early birthday present to myself. 🎁📚I‘ve had a soft spot in my heart for Andrew McCarthy since high school and saw him in Pretty in Pink for the first time. 🥰 #celebritycrush

My #bookoutlet order came this week and just look at these two beauties. 😍📚 The photos inside are absolutely gorgeous and her recipes straightforward. I can‘t wait to try them out! #donnahay #whatscooking #audiocooking

Making crepes for breakfast while I listen to the tagged book. Loving the Australian accent of the narrator. 🥞🎧 #saturdaymorning #breakfast #audiocooking

Thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the lovely birthday card (the 1st one) and adorable Minnie Mouse stickers. I don‘t know how you did it but this quote has been my mantra for 2020 ❤️❤️❤️ My heart is full with #LitsyLove ❤️

Rémy is a great helper when it comes to writing #LitsyLove letters and cards, making sure I don‘t forget anyone❤️?

Thanks for the tag @Kdgordon

Me Before You
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Tuesdays with Morrie
Secret Daughter
Still Alice

I‘m not a big crier but I LOVE a book (or movie) that makes me cry. Instant 5 ⭐️

#Fridayfeelings @FromMyLectory @Patchshank @rachaich would you like to play?

Coming off a binge of Narcos Mexico, this was a perfectly timed, entertaining and fast paced read, featuring police diver Sloan McPherson. The first book in the new Underwater Investigation Unit series, it follows Sloan as she investigates the connection between a body discovered at an archeological dive site and a South Florida drug smuggling ring. Original with an intelligent and strong female protagonist. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ReadTheUSA2020 #Florida

While investigating the value of a stock inherited by his client, attorney (and amateur sleuth) Gilmore Henry, unwittingly becomes embroiled in a scandalous murder mystery. For fans of noir fiction, this was an entertaining and intriguing mystery originally published in 1943, with a wonderfully quirky and awkward leading man, and many period references that enhanced the atmospheric setting of this novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #NetGalley #ReadTheUSA2020 #Kentucky

My June #bookspin #doublespin books are all titles I‘m planning to read for the summer edition of the Goodreads Seasonal Reading Challenge. I‘ve been participating since 2009 and it‘s my all-time favourite challenge. While it has rendered my TBR unmanageable 😬, over the years, the tasks have pushed me out of my reading comfort zones and introduced me to some wonderful authors and books. @TheAromaofBooks

Another pretty cover with a promising premise and an author I have enjoyed reading before. Not being a regular romance reader I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately found it disappointing and started losing interest in the characters and story after the first few chapters. ⭐️⭐️ Book 6/20 of the May #bookspinbonanza 📚 @TheAromaofBooks

It seems I'm in the minority with this one. The story started out well, with promise but truthfully, overall it was a disappointing read. The inhabitants of Promise Falls were quirky enough but dull narration and repetitive writing just put me off that I barely finished. I won't be continuing with this series. ⭐️⭐️ Book 5/20 of the May #bookspinbonanza 📚 @TheAromaofBooks

I really wanted to like this book. I mean it had so many things going for it including a colourful eye catching cover (which gets me every time!), an interesting premise and a best selling author. Unfortunately, just like Freya scoring an amazingly posh apartment for pennies was too good to be true, so was this book. Won't be recommending this one, not even for those lazy summer days. ⭐️⭐️ Book 4/20 for May #bookspinbonanza 📚 @TheAromaofBooks

Absolutely heartbreaking accounts of the individuals who witnessed first hand the Chernobyl disaster. If you haven‘t watched the HBO series ‘Chernobyl‘, which was based on this book, I definitely recommend you do. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ReadingEurope2020 #Ukraine #LitsyAtoZ #abecedarianTBR #V @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB @BookishMarginalia

This one left me with mixed feelings. While I found the writing style engrossing and the setting atmospheric and lending to a witchy and spooky vibe, the characters were distractingly unlikeable. There were some parts that I absolutely loved and others that I simply skimmed through. Would not recommend as a read but would definitely watch as a cheesy Halloween movie. ⭐️⭐️ My May #doublespin #bookspin 📚 @TheAromaofBooks

This was a quick read, fast paced and engrossing. There are two things that really keep me coming back to these books time and again; the author‘s atmospheric and haunting writing and her talent for creating believable and relatable characters. I just love how the main character, Clare, can be both flawed and vulnerable and yet so strong and hopeful. Long after I‘ve turned the last page, she stays with me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ May #bookspin book 📚Out 6/30

Ten years have passed since Laurel Mack's daughter Ellie has disappeared, and although she has never stopped hoping that one day she would find Ellie again, Laurel is ready to start living again. Then a chance encounter stirs up unanswered questions and doubts, threatening Laurel's tenuous hold on her new life. Another magnificently dark, tragic, heartbreaking read. I had a lump in my throat dreading how all the pieces would fit together. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mash up of every alien invasion movie, this book reads more like a screenplay for one of said movies than the novel it wants to be. While the premise of the book is entertaining, the overall execution is flawed. I found it had a weird pacing and required an exaggerated level of suspension of disbelief which is saying a lot when you consider that the whole plot of the book is aliens invading Earth. ⭐️⭐️ #ReadTheUSA2020 #Nevada #bookspinbonanza

Considering I have book 21 of this series on my bookshelf, I thought I‘d give this series a try by starting with book 1. 😬When world renowned conductor Helmut Wellauer is found dead in his dressing room, police commissario Guido Brunetti is called to investigate. An enjoyable read, with beautiful Venice serving as the perfect atmospheric setting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ReadingEurope2020 #Italy 🇮🇹 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Elle has been the glue holding her family together, but when she suffers a massive heart attack, her husband Felix must step in to take care of their special needs son, Henry. A touching family drama of one father‘s struggle to accept his son while overcoming his own personal flaws and limitations. I especially enjoyed Henry‘s character development and his journey to independence. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ReadTheUSA2020 #NorthCarolina

In the summer of 1970, actress Elaina Styles, her husband and their son‘s nanny are victims of a gruesome murder. Decades later, a movie is being filmed about the cult like killings. Hired to work as caterer during filming, Laurie is running from her own demons. When a number of tragic events begin to plague the production, Laurie is determined to solve the mystery. This was just a meh for me. ⭐️⭐️ #bookspin #triplespin #ReadTheUSA2020 #Washington

Angie DeRose is hired to find Nadine, a runaway who has fallen victim to a sex trafficking ring. In the wake of family tragedy, the discovery of an old photograph will uncover a long buried secret that threatens to put Angie and her investigation in jeopardy. Both storylines would make solid novels on their own. As such having them compete for my attention was distracting and diminished the enjoyability of this book.⭐️⭐️ My April #doublespin 📚