Welcome to Litsy!

I have been terrible at book reviews this month, but finishing the tagged book yesterday allowed me to complete the #19822022 challenge hosted by @Librarybelle !!! Thank you so much for coming up with this one, Jess!! I also turned 40 this year and it was super fun to read a book from every year that I have been alive! And a bit sobering - four decades of books! What even! 😂

I got this book because we are doing a homeschool unit study on the periodic table of elements and my son is obsessed with the topic. I saw Bill Gates recommended it so I thought I should read it. This is a very good summary of periodic table, but also the history of chemistry and the evolution of scientific thought and technology. It is narrative, but some places require a bit more brain power to understand. Not for bedtime reading.

Brunetti is involved with murder and violence, while Venice goes through its Acqua Alta season. My appreciation for this series is growing - Leon‘s writing style can be flippant and satirical but also measured and very precise. Brunetti continues to work through “justice,” which does not always mean legal actions. #19822022 #1996

So much darkness in this book, but Leon has a way of turning phrases that are almost poetic. The casual dark and snarky humor thrown in helps to slightly lighten the subject matter. Brunetti is very methodical - he tends to build character studies of suspects and witnesses, and the reader gets to hear his thoughts thanks to Leon‘s writing. My appreciation for this series is growing. I can see why so many love this series! #19822022 #1995

The second in the series featuring Holly White and her family‘s Christmas tree farm does not disappoint! Quirky characters and a very inquisitive Holly are on the case when Holly‘s BFF is accused of murder. There‘s some light romance and a tiny bit of the supernatural in this one. And can I just say the desserts sound amazing! I love the narration of these…only one more in the series! #19822022 #2018

And with that, I‘ve finished the #19822022 challenge! Our of all of the books I read for it, this is the only one I didn‘t love. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes, which is surprising because I‘ve enjoyed all of her Christmas books I‘ve read. Also, I don‘t really know why this one is considered a Christmas one because except for a Christmas party in the beginning, there is no other mention if it #winterreadathon

I picked this one up on a whim because the book I had chosen for #2006 for #19822022 challenge was actually published in 2005. I didn‘t realize this was part of a series and I probably would have liked it even more if I had read the other books. There‘s a little bit of mystery, romance, laughter and a whole lot of Christmas! Short, fast read! #winterreadathon

The best way to kick off the Christmas season. I love the book. I love the movie. It makes me laugh and brings me so much joy. #winterreadathon #19822022 #2001

Okay, final review for this morning! It's been a binge!! I picked this one up because I needed a 1995 title for the #19822022 challenge, and this ended up being one of my favorite MHC books I have read yet. Snappy pacing with short chapters kept me going. I really like Kerry a lot and appreciated her struggle with whether or not to keep pursuing the case. The red herrings were spot-on, and I didn't guess the murderer until almost the very end.⬇️

Well I did it. I set out to listen to this entire series this year and I‘m done! I so thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series. Kinsey now feels like part of my family (even though she wants nothing to do with her found families) and I‘m sad the series has come to an end. With that being said, I‘ve been terrible about posting this year, but most of these books made it on to my #19822022 challenge list