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OutsmartYourShelf
All the Jingle Ladies | Beth Garrod
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Molly is your average 15-year-old, wanting to join a band, live under the radar at school, & being totally embarrassed by her parents being 'The Rocking Stockings' a Christmas band. Back when Molly was just a small child & her parents were known as the 'Brussel Shouts', they made a Christmas record called 'Love Your Elf' & Molly starred as 'Little Elf Girl'. A fact Molly has been trying to hide ever since. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Now she hears that unbelievably the song has been chosen for the soundtrack to the latest Christmas romcom out this year & her cover could be blown. If her schoolmates & neighbours find out she was the 'Little Elf Girl', her life won't be worth living.

This is definitely not my usual reading fare but I quite enjoyed it. There were some parts that made me laugh out loud, there's lots of references to British pop culture, & there was so much going
18m
OutsmartYourShelf on - not just the main plot, although I thought that the twist was a bit obvious. There's a smidgeon of romance but it's age-appropriate if a bit corny. I'm not the target audience but it was a pretty good read & definitely great for my Christmas readathons for the seasonal setting. 4🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5185482475
Read 22nd-23rd Dec 2024

7018 points #WinterGames2024
15m
Andrew65 Excellent 🎄🎅🏼🎄 12m
10 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

When Guy Haines meets Charles Bruno on the train he has no idea his life is about to unravel. On his way to see his estranged wife to hopefully obtain a divorce, Haines finds himself confiding in fellow passenger Bruno almost against his will. Bruno has his own trouble, namely his father, & during a quiet meal in Bruno's compartment, Bruno comes up with the idea of swapping murders.

OutsmartYourShelf After all, they just met & no-one can tie them together or assign a motive: “I kill your wife and you kill my father!............Perfect alibis!“. Ah but the 'best laid plans of mice & men'.

I've never seen the Hitchcock film so I've nothing to compare it to, but this was a book of two halves for me really. The first half was a bit slow & a bit disjointed to me & I was in two minds whether to carry on, but the second half was much better.
2d
OutsmartYourShelf The descent of Charles Bruno into complete psychopathy, & the inevitable tightening of the psychological torment of a guilty conscience around Guy Haines as he imagines that everyone knows were well done. Personally I found 'The Talented Mr Ripley' a better read but this was still quite good. 3.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2403220256
Read 20th-21st Dec 2024

2250 points
2d
See All 7 Comments
Andrew65 Brilliant 🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼 2d
Librarybelle Good choice! 2d
BookmarkTavern Fun pick! 2d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 now
31 likes7 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Christmas Presents | Lisa Unger
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Pickpick

This is a comparatively short read for a crime thriller at under 300 pages but it packs a punch. I was simultaneously sympathetic to Madeleine & suspicious that she might not be being completely truthful. It was fairly fast-paced due to the length but I thought that the ending was a little weak. 4🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5966872614
Read 8th-9th Dec 2024

34 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
ALONE | Cyn Balog
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I've had this on my TBR shelf for absolutely ages so decided this year was the one, & I wish I'd read it earlier. The synopsis really doesn't convey how creepy the story is & there are one or two good twists. The only weak point I thought was the conclusion, I could see what the author was aiming for but it could have been a bit stronger.
4.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2422935343
Read 2nd-3rd Dec 2024

36 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Remie Yorke took a job at the MacKinnon Hotel in the Scottish Highlands to be close to her brother, the only family she had left. Now he is dead & Remie has one shift left before she catches a flight & leaves for good. Only Remie & 2 guests are left at the hotel so it should be an easy shift but then Storm Ezra threatens to derail her plans as a blizzard hits.

OutsmartYourShelf As the lone member of staff at the hotel, Remie is manning Reception when a man raps on the door. He is injured & says he is PC Don Gaines who was escorting a prisoner out on the mountain road when an accident killed everyone else involved except the prisoner who escaped. Remie lets him in reluctantly & he says he needs to check the hotel & grounds for the escaped prisoner. A short while later, a second stranger arrives. 3w
OutsmartYourShelf He is also injured & his name is...PC Don Gaines.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while & it mostly lives up to its promise. The plot is simple & yet effective with two men claiming to be the same person & no way to tell who is telling the truth. Good pacing & intriguing characters helped the story along, but it lost me in the final third when Remie decided she was John McClane.
3w
OutsmartYourShelf Overall it was entertaining but it became less & less believable as time went on.
3.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4962954295
Read 1st-2nd Dec 2024

3099 points (including 267 words found)
3w
29 likes4 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
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It‘s HERE!!!! #Pop23 and I‘m really kind of disappointed ☹️ I think I‘m skipping it!!!
I can‘t remember who to tag so I‘m going off memory 🤪

Cortg I just saw it! Super excited even though I still need to finish this year‘s 😂 2y
Lindy Why are you disappointed? 2y
IndoorDame I have to say I kind of agree. There are a few prompts I‘m really excited about, but I think not enough (though to be fair I want to do fewer challenges next year, so I‘m probably looking for excuses to skip some) 2y
See All 43 Comments
Cinfhen Many of these prompts are repeats from the last few years @Lindy I don‘t see one original idea that I haven‘t seen before. I also dislike the fact that two prompts ask you to re-read a book and 2 prompts have to do with your birth year - plus the one about an author with the same initials as you. That‘s been done before and I really couldn‘t find any. It‘s so uninspiring @IndoorDame 2y
Cinfhen I‘m glad you‘re looking forward @Cortg but I‘m trying a new one that @jenniferw88 suggested to me #52BookClub 2y
Laughterhp Hmm kind of boring looking all these prompts. 2y
Cinfhen I‘m super bummed @Laughterhp it‘s so uninspired! It‘s literally all prompts from previous years. I know it‘s difficult to keep things fresh but this feels super lazy 🤷🏼‍♀️ 2y
Cortg I just got a chance to look through the list on my lunch break. It‘s not very challenging and I‘m much for rereading books. We‘ll see. 2y
Megabooks It‘s so blah. Like they put no thought into it. I was on the fence, and now I doubt I‘ll do it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y
Clwojick Agreed! I found way better ones on StoryGraph that I‘ll be doing this year instead. There‘s nothing super creative or challenging on this list at all. I think I‘ll be skipping this year as well. 2y
Cinfhen I hate being so negative @Cortg @Megabooks but I totally agree with @Clwojick there are MUCH better ones out there!!! The POP team didn‘t put any effort into this year‘s challenge. 2y
Clwojick Hoping #BeatTheBacklist and #PickYourPoison will make up for it. 2y
jenniferw88 Was just about to post about it - I won't bother now! 😂😂😂 2y
Cortg @Cinfhen You‘re not! I‘ve done several read harder challenges in the past and a lot of the prompts on this have been done on those as well. It is a boring challenge list for ‘23. 🙄 2y
Cinfhen @Clwojick what‘s #PickYourPoison about?? I think I might do the nonfiction Dewey Decimal Challenge over on Storygraph 2y
Cinfhen @jenniferw88 what do you think about this list, Jenny ? I‘m so happy you shared the other challenge with me!!! 2y
Cinfhen Yessss @Cortg I stopped doing Read Harder because it was well, harder!!! But at least it was a “challenge” 😂😅 2y
squirrelbrain Hmm, I‘m not overly keen on this one either, but now I‘m thinking I might not even do #52weeks either, give myself a bit of a break from too many challenges. 🤔 2y
Cinfhen I hear ya @squirrelbrain !!! 2y
KarenUK I see what you mean…. Definitely some repeats…. But I‘ll probably do it anyway… 2y
BarbaraBB @KarenUK Me too probably, just because of the planning but I admit it is not very inspiring! (edited) 2y
Cinfhen I feel like taking on less is more manageable @KarenUK @BarbaraBB plus #BookBuyingBan 😆 (edited) 2y
Megabooks What are some of the storygraph ones you‘ve seen @Cinfhen and @Clwojick ?? Part of me wants to find another challenge to replace this and part of me says I‘ve committed to enough. 2y
jenniferw88 @Cinfhen I had started planning, but was only going to do it if you were joining in to share ideas, so I'm not doing it either. Probably just as well as I've already committed to 8! 2y
Cinfhen @jenniferw88 OMG!!! 8!!!! No wonder you mixed up one yesterday!!! So I‘m doing #Booked ( obviously 🙄) #ReadingTheAmericas #52BookClub and I just joined on StoryGraph the nonfiction challenge reading one book from the ten classifications of the Dewey Decimal System ( so only 10 books) and I think that‘s enough 😅 @Megabooks (edited) 2y
Clwojick @Megabooks if you check out my profile, I‘ve been posting pics of my #bulletjournal with all sorts of challenges. There‘s a couple links to story graph challenges I‘ve made too. 2y
Clwojick @jennifer @Cinfhen this was definitely the year I attempted ALL the challenges with over 40 different challenges going on. Although I finished most, I‘ll have a more “focused” plan this year, so hopefully I can resist some of them. 😅 however I‘ve already finished laying out 100 pages in my 2023 bujo so who knows? 2y
Cinfhen That‘s INSANE @Clwojick !!!!! Do you EVER SLEEP??? 2y
RaeLovesToRead You got there first! 2y
jenniferw88 @Cinfhen 😂 I have other ones as well on Storygraph, but they're not time-limited to a year! 2y
Clwojick @Cinfhen honestly, not really. I tend to pick up a lot of overnight shifts, which means I‘m the only staff in that whole half of the hospital, so I normally get through 2-3 audiobooks a shift. 🦉 2y
Lindy @Cinfhen Ah! Your explanation makes sense. 2y
Cinfhen Thanks, @Lindy I was REALLY EXCITED for the challenge so it was a major letdown yesterday when the list was revealed (at least for me!!!) 2y
Larkken Aw, bummer! I enjoyed this challenge this last year. I guess I might do 52 books instead… hm 2y
Cinfhen There are still plenty of people still doing #pop23 @Larkken but I‘d love for you to join #52Books 😀tag me if you join, so I can add you to my reads as I go along with @jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB and maybe @squirrelbrain not sure who else is participating 🤷🏼‍♀️ 2y
Lindy @Cinfhen It seems that you already read quite widely. Maybe you‘ve outgrown this type of challenge? But I do see the fun in participating, and I‘m glad there are other challenges you have joined. 2y
Deblovestoread I‘m joining the 52 books 52 weeks challenge and was underwhelmed by PopSugar for next year. Keeping an eye out for Read Harder but will probably just do 52 and Booked 2y
Cinfhen Yay @Deblovestoread I‘ll add you to our tag list for prompt ideas and inspiration @jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain ( unless Helen decides to opt out of #52BooksClub23) 2y
squirrelbrain I‘ll probably do it @Cinfhen - you know me! 🤣 2y
Cinfhen I was hoping you‘d say that @squirrelbrain 🤗🤗🤗 2y
BarbaraBB Cindy please add @AshleyHoss820 to the #52books taglist. She‘d like to join! (edited) 2y
Cinfhen Will do - thanks @BarbaraBB and welcome to the crew @AshleyHoss820 2y
60 likes43 comments
review
Lizpixie
Clown in a Cornfield | Adam Cesare
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Pickpick

Bk13 of #Scarathlon & Bk8 of #OutstandingOctober #readathon is done! This book was insane🤡A YA slasher story about a small town in Missouri,a group of its teenagers & a murderous party of clowns. Perfect for October🪓🧨 #WordSearch #TrappedOnAnIsland #BodyCountBingo #PromptMaze #AutumnAtoZ #31x31 #Spookaween #Pointsathon #WickedWords #AutumnBingo #StabbyBingo #NoShameReadathon #OctoberReadathon #BookspinBingo #Thrillathon👇#TeamSlaughter 4,056pts

42 likes6 comments
review
Lizpixie
The Ring | Koji Suzuki, Hiroshi Takahashi
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Pickpick

Bk7 of #Scarathlon & Bk2 of #OutstandingOctober #readathon is done! I completely forgot this was on my TBR until I watched the movie the other night. Which I still have to post about. This original Japanese version is very different in some ways, but still a good read. #WordSearch #BodyCountBingo #PromptMaze #AutumnAtoZ #31x31 #Spookaween #Pointsathon #WickedWords #AutumnBingo #StabbyBingo #Thrillathon #BookspinBingo👇#TeamSlaughter 3,616pts

42 likes7 comments
review
Lizpixie
Looking Glass | Christina Henry
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Pickpick

Bk11 of January 2022 & #JumpStart2022 is done. The 3rd in the Alice series, it‘s an anthology of four short stories. The 1st is about Elizabeth, Alice‘s little sister who is lured out to release the Jabberwock from his prison, one is about Hatcher‘s early days & the rest about Alice & Hatcher‘s search for a home. All creepy & bloody, all brilliant! #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022 #Pop22 #BeatTheBacklist #FinishingTheSeries2022 #MountTBR2022👇

TheSpineView Fabulous! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Another gorgeous cover and I LOVE it when page edges are decorative!!!! 3y
Clwojick 🥳🥳🥳🥳 3y
49 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Lizpixie
Lethal White | Robert Galbraith
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Pickpick

Bk7 of January 2022 & #JumpStart2022 & Bk3 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done. The 4th in the Cormaran Strike series, it isn‘t my favourite so far but it was still a good read. A mentally unwell young man asks Strike & Robin to investigate his memory of a murder. Lots of twists & turns & the interplay between Robin, her new husband & Strike was also entertaining. #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022 #BeatTheBacklist #ChunksterChallenge #ShelfOfShame👇

47 likes4 comments