Welcome to Litsy!

A #Paranormal fave of mine. I recommend this one for anyone looking for Dark Academia themes without the YA drama.

#HauntedShelf #BlackCatCrew @BookwormAHN 31 pts

Hmm. I expected to like this more than I did. The ending was fairly satisfying, but I didn‘t love the characters (especially the main character) or think the magic was fleshed out enough. Oh well! At least I read it quickly. 🤷🏻‍♀️

From my August 2024 #bookspin list, I‘m determined to start with the tagged book because I‘ve had it out from the library for over a month. I‘m really excited for all of them, really! I wanted to find a way to get “credit” for all the picture books I‘m vetting lately for my bookstore, so I added 2 slots for 20 picture books each. And a few mood reads from the library and that I own, as usual.

Any favorites on the list?

Side eye from Igor who does not appreciate being woken up for photos. 😸

Sarah Gailey continues to impress me with her genre jumping! This one is a magical PI detective story. The PI, Ivy Gamble, is non-magical, while her twin Tabitha has magic. A teacher at the school where Tabitha teaches dies in the library, and Ivy is hired to investigate.

I thought this was really good. I think I only have one left to read by SG.

My first book of the #transrightsreadathon 🏳️‍⚧️

Magic

#autumnplease @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
#scarathlon #scarathlon2023 #mischiefandmayhem

This mystery grabbed me from the beginning. Quiet, strange, and warm. Estranged sisters, a magical boarding school and angsty, complicated teens make for a compelling story that screams for a sequel. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I loved this and am kind of mad at myself for waiting so long to read it! Sibling (twin) rivalry, magic school a la Harry Potter but queer inclusive and realistic, murder mystery, teen drama, an emotionally damaged hard drinking lady private investigator?? Every aspect was so well done and the writing was excellent and it made me cry and it surprised me! What more could you want? Also: superb #audiobook narration by Xe Sands and a perfect ending.

ARE U SERIOUS???? ugh. That end.
The book was good, but took a while to engage. Coulda been shorter or, even better, coulda got more story in there. I almost want to give this a so-so, as I‘m feeling a little underwhelmed after finishing it. But I did enjoy the ride.

As I write this review and think abt it, I will give it a so-so. Some of it is good, but some of it felt pointless as well. Def not bad.

Finished my #bookspin AND my #doublespin already! Making some good progress on my bingo card too. Feels good to read again :)

Ivy is a private eye & is hired by the magical school her twin teaches at to solve another teacher‘s murder. Ivy is constantly saying how out of her league she is, yet she is able to make brilliant leaps in logic to find clues & solve the case. She &all of the other adults are incredibly irresponsible and nobody seems to care there are actual children in danger.
Too much plot, too many holes, too much telling instead of showing.
Finished 5/17/2022

I keep trying, but I just can‘t get into this one…

A mystery set in a magic boarding school with a very non-magical private investigator. #scarathlondailyprompts

#scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @StayCurious

🎧 I enjoyed the story!!! Plenty of good ideas. Read this book.

It‘s like a non-magical Dresden in a magic college town.

I think the narrator might have given the MC too much of a whiny insecure spin.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There was so much potential - a non-magical PI is tasked with investigating a murder at a school for magical youth. Her twin sister, who is a mage, is a teacher there. Our MC, while personally a bit of a mess, is supposed to be a successful detective, and yet it seems as if she misses clues repeatedly. The magic, while super interesting, isn‘t really explained well. The novel could have used more world building and character development. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Up next! Book club pick! ❤️📚

This morning I put up a new book display at my library. It features books with Liar in the title.

This started out feeling like a fun read about a school for the instruction of students with magical powers. It morphs into a darker story about the dangers of interfering with non-magical problems through the abuse of theoretical magic. Told through the experiences of Ivy Gamble, a PI with no magic, who is asked to investigate the death of a Professor. Ivy‘s sister is a powerful magician at the Academy; they‘re estranged. An interesting mystery!

Book 40🎧 3⭐️

I like how this book is from the point of view of a non-magical person, wading through a murder in the magical world.

A teacher was murdered at a school for magical children. A PI is brought in. The chosen one is revealed… and a liar is found out.

How far can magic really go? How much can magic really fix? What if a mistake was made?

Finally finished listening to this one. Really good story and very different from the normal fantasy.

Have not done an audio book in a while so giving this one a shot

It‘s arrived! Thank you so much @TheAromaofBooks I‘ve been wanting to read this so so long - it‘s going to go straight on my March TBR list.

⭐️⭐️💫

Engaging, but a few things seemed odd. Ivy spends most of her murder investigation getting drinks, going on dates, and blabbing details about the case with potential suspects. She even admits towards end that she hasn‘t thought much about the victim. I liked how readers learned about magic alongside Ivy, but since it isn‘t explained, it feels elusive and superficial. Her relationship with her sister and personal growth were interesting.🎧

RATING: 5 / 5

From the moment the book started, I was hooked. We open in a library where someone is hidden among the books. A horrible crime scene, a heart-wrenching tragedy, and magic in the most mundane setting...

I couldn't put this one down and it's high on my would read again list!

#MagicalRealism #Fantasy #Mystery #MagicForLiars #FiveStars #5Stars

Interesting take on magic and those who can wield it. Twins, one magic, one not, reunite when the non-magical sister begins an investigation of a murder at a magical college.

#doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Here‘s my review for another book I listened to. I‘m counting this book for 2 reading challenges.

☑️Read A Book With A School Setting - #tbrknockout
☑️A Dark Academia Book - #popsugarreadingchallenge2021

#QotD What is the most recent book that you have finished and absolutely loved?

I've read a lot of good ones lately, but I'd have to say Magic for Liars. It's been on my mind a lot after the fact, which is always a sign of a great read.

@kathytrithardt Thanks @Ast_Arslan for the tag!

Magic for Liars begins with a body cleaved cleanly in two. It ends with someone messily trying to make themselves more whole. It‘s a story about broken people…and MAGIC, which is my favorite kind of story. I‘ve long wondered if there was a murder mystery that could make me feel like I might enjoy the genre after all. Happy to report: I finally found it!

I lIked this book exactly as much as I hoped to and far more than I thought I ever would. 🖤

I love Sarah Gailey's work, they write such great characters. Ivy is a non magic PI who is hired to investigate a murder at the magic school where her estranged twin sister works. There is a ton of mystery and family dynamics. Ivy's struggle with fitting into this other world is captivating and relatable.

It‘s a rainy, gray day — & I‘m finally reading this, instead of just toting it back & forth in my beach bag for two whole Summers in a row. 😅🙈

There were times I wanted to shake Ivy and say “It's so OBVIOUS!“ when it came to the mystery but overall I enjoyed the book. It was fun, quirky and original.

Overall I really liked this book. I felt it was a really focused story with a strong plot and world. There were times it made me feel uncomfortable. Ivy is such a wreck and her emotional upheavals through the book sometimes set my teeth on edge. I can't quite work out if that is a negative reflection on me, or on the book. Will definitely read more by Gailley.

Compulsively readable and so vivid. I loved the main character so much!

• Scribd audiobook • Kindle e-book

Everything I want in a book is in this novel:
• a great mystery
• a boarding school setting
• fantastic magic (a bit gruesome)
• family drama
all this AND an excellent ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5

This really got me. I kept changing my mind throughout the book about who the murderer must be as Ivy is forced to sort through truths, lies, and the lies she wishes were truths.

1. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey and The Handbook for Bad Days by Eveline Helsinki

2. Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

1. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey and The Handbooo for Bad Days by Eveline Helsinki

2. Hardcover

3. A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Book 3 #newyearwhodis
This mystery novel is set in a magical school with a non-magic PI investigating the death of a teacher. It was exactly the distraction I needed from work this week. It‘s not perfect, but I enjoyed it immensely. Ivy‘s difficult relationship with her sister and her issues with magic and high school made her a very real character in an unexpected setting. I very much enjoyed it.

After a long work week, I finally get to sit down for an afternoon with this book. The kiddo and I are enjoying some dedicated family reading time... and our book covers even match! 😆❤️✨

This is another one off my #newyearwhodis list from @BarbaraJean

Well I‘m out of my slump! Thanks to #anywayyoureadathon and taking some mental health time I‘ve got my reading mojo back. I finished all of these books this weekend. ❤️ @Eggbeater @MidnightBookGirl @kimmypete1

Woohoo #popsugarreadingchallenge is done! It‘s also a square for #bookspinbingo #wintergames2020 #teamrednosedreindeer @StayCurious

My current reads... and a Book Bean. I just finished a shirt story in the bottom one, part of the #adventcalendar for #ouabc #wintergames2020 #teamrednosedreindeer @StayCurious

Finally getting to this one, it completes the #popsugarreadingchallenge for me! #wintergames2020 #teamrednosedreindeer @StayCurious #crushtherush @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

I Miss have read dozens of summaries and promo blurbs about this when it was first released and was surrounded by lots of hype, and while they, and the cover image, made me pretty sure this book would be up my lane, I was just never drawn to it for some reason. BUT I‘m really glad I downloaded it from Libby on a whim a few weeks ago, because this was awesome! It really was like reading a Harry Potter book for grown ups. #votedearlyreadathon

Magic and a murder mystery! I enjoyed this a lot. I thought the main character was very clever but also very relatable, and the story was unique and it kept me guessing. So fun!
And 😍 that cover!

OMG, @MatchlessMarie ! Your package was AMAZING!!! I feel seen — & *SPOILED!* My husband looked over the towering hoard & said, “Wow. This person really gets you.” 4 books, piles of candy (including sour gummy bats!), Ray Bradbury gifts, Buffy swag (x2!), a glittering skull-shaped bath bomb, “Bite Me” socks, a ghost pin, Beetlejuice post-it tabs, & sweet, frosted cookies from a local bakery that brought me RIGHT back to my childhood. I die. 💀🍂🖤

Here‘s my potential books for the upcoming round of #lmpbc - have you read any of them? Are there any your really want to read? Any you do not want to read?
@TheBookKeepers @kellyann28 @Jerdencon
Can‘t wait to read with you all!

So this was a solid 3.5🌟 for me. I read through it pretty quickly. It was a good story, very creative. But I really had trouble with the narrator‘s outlook. Overall it was enjoyable, though, and the conclusion was well done. I recommend for some light reading.

That‘s another 15 for #TeamHarkness #scarathlon2020 #Screamathon #October20in4 #OustandingOctober and #bookspinbingo I‘m sure I‘m missing someone lol

3.5/5 ⭐️ Enjoyed the premise of the book for sure and found myself caring about the main character more than I thought I would. Picked it up hoping to feel more of the Magic universe, but found it was a tighter exploration of the characters and their relationships. Have some small complaints, and was surprised by the abrupt ending, but overall enjoyed it.