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#BookReport for July

The Axeman‘s Carnival was my favourite. Woodworking, Fundamentally & Better Days were all terrific too & I wouldn‘t be surprised if they all feature in my best of 2025.

I adored this - one of my faves of the year so far. I think it‘s one worth listening to on audio, although I now can‘t get the bird out of my head! Miaow.

Tama, a magpie, is rescued by Marnie and becomes a social media star as he can talk. Marnie‘s husband is the local celebrated ‘axeman‘ but is also an angry man and takes it out on Marnie.

It was quite obvious where the story was going but, OMG, it was still so tense towards the end.

Tama is a magpie, adopted by a couple who turn him into a social media hype. Because Tama can talk, which means repeating things he‘s heard and remembers. The things he says are so funny (you recognize them from earlier conversations and they come up at the most awkward moments) and in combination with the sadness of the couple‘s daily life, it makes a book unlike any other. Brilliant.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 21 #NewZealand

The talking magpie narrator explaining the ways of birds and people is an appealing hook that frequently had me laughing out loud and is also an effective counterpoint to the harshness of conditions of the human characters. What could have been very bleak became much more palatable, but no less powerful. I loved it. A definite contender for my book of the year so far. #NZfiction
Have you read this one @Centique ?

This book felt like a hug around my heart.It was such a delightful read.I loved getting to know all of the dogs and their human's through the eyes of the bookstore owner.As with the best of heartfelt reads there were happy, joy filled moments also balanced by some of the more poignant and sadder moments that come from loving dogs and bonding so closely with them when they have such infinitely short life spans in comparison to yours.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

https://youtu.be/MX2j6NSO100

Introduction
Mystery guest
Weekly review
Shawn has bookmarks for sale
Loop Tracks by Sue Orr
Where I Live Now: A Journey through Love and Loss to Healing and Hope by Sharon Butala
Dream State by Eric Puchner
During the Reign of the Queen of Persia by Joan Chase
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5 by Beth Brower

This book is sort of light on plot but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and it's very funny. Read for June #bookclub.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This was such a sweet, funny book and just what I needed in the midst of my usual heavier reads. The writing is laugh out loud funny much of the time and the story is quite endearing. The end felt a tad rushed with all the various storylines, but overall definitely a pick. 💕💕

I listened to this over audio, which was fabulous. Although I feel like I need to get a physical copy because I loved this book. Quirky, a story about siblings, family, love, figuring out your life, academics. I also love highlighting a character, Valdin, that has OCD (representation matters). When Greta talks about how her parents are always going to worry about Valdin because of his mental health (very validating for a mom of a kid with OCD &

I look over at my sister lying on top of the piano singing 'Graceland'. I don't know if it's the best song to dance to, but V's dancing anyway, slowly, with his arms loosely around Xabi's neck, looking the happiest I've ever seen him. Happier even than when he got a flip phone for Christmas.

🤣🤣