The March #bookspin list is primarily #tobshortlist for #tob23. First up is the tagged novel. Wish me luck!
pickFebruary has felt a little full! Between a family ski vacation, a work conference in Orlando, and regular work fun, I‘ve been fitting in books where I can. I‘m trying to read as many #tobshortlist #tob2023 as possible, to actually participate in the tournament for once, and of course keep up with #aam and other challenges… but sometimes giant fantasy/horror chunksters get in the way 😆 I enjoyed all of these - and they were all so very different!
pickSoft pick on this #tobshortlist #tob2023
I kept comparing it to another #ownvoices book about minorities in classical music, Light from Uncommon Stars, and not enjoying VC nearly as much. Maybe I just prefer cozy sff? Oh well. I think this book felt like a debut, and I felt the music more in LfUS, too.
pickIt‘s a tale of two #tob23 #tobshortlist books! I think I am in the minority with really liking the tagged book that follows a motley bunch of refugees that all become part of a WWII-era movie production company. It lacked focus, but the language was lovely (sometimes slightly overly constructed) and the story(ies) were poignant. BUT am I am really struggling with the next tob shortlist on my list, The Violin Conspiracy!
pickThis was meh for me until about halfway through and then I thought it got a lot better. It was a soft pick for me. Marriages many times fall apart because people grieve differently and her parents definitely did. I also felt like Sally was all alone and emotionally separated from her family and that‘s why she was so drawn to Billy. #ToBshortlist #gladididntbail
Megabooks, Cinfhen, MicheleinPhilly, Suet624, merelybookish, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, Addison_Reads, Ruthiella, sarahbarnes
pickHad just burned my #audiobook credit on this when the #TOBshortlist #TOB2023 was announced. I *almost* turned it back in but the terrific reviews told me to listen to it anyway. Glad I did. Carlotta is just too lovable and it humbles me to realize that I need to open my heart and love more. God bless the Carlottas in this blasted world. Bless the down and out, the strivers and the thrivers for being true and positive and lovely.
pickI had a Tyra Bank ANTM “We were all rooting for you!” moment with this one. I wanted to like it and found the premise interesting, but it‘s another low pick on the #tobshortlist.
A man once held prisoner by a dictator struggles to live outside prison walls. Unable to thrive in a community, he operates a light house on an island alone. When a refugee from another country washes up on shore, he must wrestle with his demons.
New holiday booksleeve!
Hooked_on_books, Cinfhen, MicheleinPhilly, Aimeesue, Suet624, batsy, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, RebelReader, Addison_Reads, Ruthiella, sarahbarnes
so-soI‘m beginning to agree with folks that the #tobshortlist is not the best from the longlist. This mediocre entry ticks a lot of pet peeves - improbable scenario (Stradivarius violin hiding in an attic 🙄) and the solution to the “mystery,” which wasn‘t the main focus like I‘d hoped, came out of nowhere.
A Black violin prodigy gets his family‘s Stradivarius violin stolen. We learn his backstory and the racism he faced to get to the top. ⬇️
Hooked_on_books, Cinfhen, MicheleinPhilly, Aimeesue, Suet624, batsy, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, RebelReader, Addison_Reads, Ruthiella, sarahbarnes
Purchased this eBook due to extremely reasonable price when it made the #TOBlonglist and now excited that it made the #TOBshortlist, too. Am on a roadtrip with reading time so I might as well start it. (Spent first half of drive listening to Carlotta) #KSFlintHills #theGloaming
I've only read 2 books on the #TOBshortlist so lots of catching up to do. Starting here.
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
