auldLangSpine

Run | Blake Crouch

pick

#Read2025

Finished a few days ago, the 4th book from the #AuldLangSpine list of @JacqMac & another really good one that‘s on the dark side. (I‘m sensing a pattern… 😱😂 but I like it!) It‘s also my 3rd pick for February‘s #Roll100 (#42 Any Mystery-although it‘s more dystopian horror thriller than mystery). Bizarre & very brutal murders start happening in every state & a few days later the killers start to mobilize & start reading the names of ⬇️

DieAReader, monalyisha, PuddleJumper

DebinHawaii …those to be killed on the Emergency Broadcast System. Told from the POV of the husband & father, a family goes in the run when complete madness seems to have taken over. That madness seems to be related to an aurora borealis event that affected those that watched with this urge to kill. It‘s very brutal (if you can‘t read about graphic murders this isn‘t your book) & somewhat disjointed, but that adds to the tension & thrills. ⬇️ (edited) 1d

DebinHawaii … Timing also adds to the chills as with the way the US is currently, it actually feels slightly & uncomfortably plausible. I‘ve somehow only read Dark Matters by Crouch & this is one of his early books, rereleased I think. It‘s not perfect but it certainly kept me tensely reading (& comforting myself with chocolate) & I liked the thrills. (edited) 1d

monalyisha I approve of comfort by chocolate! 1d

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1d

JacqMac My husband calls me dark sunshine. I might like the dark ones a little bit. lol 14h

53 likes1 stack add5 comments

Clare-Dragonfly

Primer | Thomas Krajewski, Jennifer Muro

so-so

Fun story. The characters felt pretty flat and, well, cartoonish—especially the villain. I thought everything came too easily to the main character. The idea of body paints that confer superpowers is very cool.

The art is incredibly fluid and vibrant. I felt like I was watching a really well-animated movie (Lilo and Stitch came to mind) instead of reading a book at times!

@Ellie_H #AuldLangSpine @monalyisha

TieDyeDude Good review! I think this character has a lot of potential, but it was definitely geared towards a young audience and focused more on the fun of becoming a hero than the challenges. 3d

Ellie_H Yay!!😁 I am so happy you liked some parts of the book!! (edited) 3d

31 likes1 stack add2 comments

TheKidUpstairs

Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon

pick

Whew, what an emotional experience! When 6 year old Alex Selky goes missing on his walk to school one day, police are baffled - no one just disappears without ANY trace. As time goes by and leads dwindle, we follow his mother Susan as her determination to find him alive never falters, despite the changing attitudes of those around her.

Cont'd in comments

#AuldLangSpine @CarolynM @monalyisha

TheKidUpstairs I particularly appreciated the depiction of what happens after a case leaves the news cycle (and this was in the 80s, such a drop would happen so much quicker these days), and it is left to those who care to try and keep a case and a memory alive, as other people move on with their lives, and disinformation muddies the waters.

cont'd 3d

TheKidUpstairs As it is from the 80s, you can expect some things to be a bit dated. I particularly felt it in the depictions of gay men. While it does strive to point out that there is no correlation between gay men and pedophilia, there is a certain scene that really clouds the line in a way that I did not feel was necessary, and did a disservice to the issue.

TW: child kidnapping, pedophilia, child physical and sexual abuse 3d

BarbaraBB I still remember this one 3d

See All 6 Comments

sarahbarnes This one sounds like a lot. 3d

TheKidUpstairs @sarahbarnes it is, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to read it, considering the subject matter (I have a hard time with anything involving children in that way). But it's so engagingly written I found I couldn't put it down. I did have to skim through one part, involving discussion of a child exploration ring, but for the most part the focus is on the process for the mother and the lead detective. 3d

CarolynM I had grave reservations about reading it for the same reasons, but I‘m glad I was brave enough to do it. I‘m also glad you “enjoyed” it. It‘s just so well done, I think. I agree about the attitude to gay men, but I think it was very prevalent at the time the book was written. I liked that the mother refused to accept that solution. 2d

62 likes6 comments

JamieArc

Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata

pick

I have been curious about this book for a while and am glad I had an impetus to finally read this. What a great little book exploring the life of a neurodivergent person. A lot of great ideas were explored including what it means to live your best life in the space of societal expectations. I was surprised to find myself often tense, wanting the best for Keiko. Another great one for #AuldLangSpine. I continue to read the list as promised!

Billypar

Billypar I was also on edge, hoping things would work out for her! It's a great character study - Keiko feels like a real person, not some kind of case study like she might be in a lesser novel. 3d

Reggie The part where she couldn‘t hear the store anymore killed me. I felt so bad for her. 3d

Cathythoughts Such a good , lovely book. ❤️ 3d

sarahbarnes I‘ve been wanting to read this one. Great review. Stacking. 3d

45 likes1 stack add4 comments

JamieArc

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness | Kristen Radtke

pick

I finished this at the end of January completing 5 books from my #AuldLangSpine list. This was as great as expected and really interesting to explore loneliness through different lenses with art that complimented the text. I hope Radtke keeps her graphic novels coming.

Billypar

TheBookHippie He has the best books on his list!!!! 3d

JamieArc @TheBookHippie He really does! I‘ve enjoyed them because many were not even on my radar. 3d

Billypar Glad you liked it! I do need to try another from Radtke given the amazing blend of artwork and exploration of a topic like loneliness. And I've enjoyed #AuldLangSpine so much, even if I need to extend it past January due to my reading pace, lol. I'm excited to have started the Brandi Carlisle memoir - I can tell from the first pages that this is an artist I need to know more about. 3d

See All 8 Comments

Billypar @TheBookHippie I visited Northampton, MA recently, and i realized Amherst is nearby. So I definitely want to return in the spring to visit Dickinson's home: I still think about that book from your 2024 list on her gardening. With times we're in, it makes for good mental imagery to reduce anxiety! 3d

JamieArc @Billypar I read the tagged some years ago. I don‘t remember liking it as much as this one but I want to revisit it because I think I might appreciate it more now. And no pressure to read more from my #ALS list!

Imagine Wanting Only This

TheBookHippie @Billypar I hope you get to visit it!!! Dark Times indeed. I‘ve been reading gardening books, art books and decor books for anxiety reduction🤪… I just keep remembering my grandma telling me you always must live in community and we will survive them. ♥️ 3d

Billypar @JamieArc That was the one of hers I was thinking of picking up. I really like the title. 2d

Billypar @TheBookHippie Those are some wise words from your grandma: really important to keep in mind now 🙏 2d

43 likes1 stack add8 comments

TheKidUpstairs

Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon

My ILLO on this one finally came in, so I'm returning to @CarolynM 's #AuldLangSpine list and preparing to be devastated.

@monalyisha

TrishB A good read 👍🏻 7d

Cathythoughts It‘s good , and yes , devastating ❤️ 7d

Tamra 😬 6d

TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @Cathythoughts @Tamra My daughter was begging me to walk to school on her own this morning. She's 5, and it's a 20 minute walk, so it would be a no anytime, but this morning it was a "heck no!" 6d

CarolynM It‘s tough but worth it. 5d

58 likes1 stack add5 comments

Larkken

The Mysterious Affair at Styles | Agatha Christie

pick

I liked this first Poirot novel enough that #christiescapers made my final #weeklyfavorite for January but I didn't love it. Red herrings everywhere, and so much talking it almost felt like a play, but an impressive 1st novel! My favorite reads this month are all from the #tob2025 longlist (one from the shortlist) so I'm happy to see it is still capable of introducing me to new authors to watch.
Lots of books in January! And a #bookspinbingo! 🔽

Read4life, TheAromaofBooks

Larkken I finished both #bookspin and #doublespin books, one each #roll100 #readyourebooks and #auldlangspine picks, and our #LSFBC buddy read. I enjoyed both Redshirts and The Gilded Ones and plan to continue reading from @Lin3han list - in fact September House just came in from the library! In comparison February is off to a slow reading start, but I'm ok with that 😌 1w

Lin3han @Larkken Same here for your list! I‘m just waiting on tons of holds from Libby and hoopla. I loved September House much more than Gilded Ones so I hope you love it too!! 1w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 7d

Read4life Wonderful month!! 💙📚💙 7d

32 likes4 comments

Billypar

James: A Novel | Percival Everett

pick

#AuldLangSpine @JamieArc @monalyisha
I devoured most of this book on a plane ride from Newark to San Diego and wondered when I was passing over the Mississippi, where the action of this excellent novel plays out. I've been reading Huckleberry Finn at the same time, and what a complicated relationship there is between the two novels. I like how Everett didn't feel constrained to follow the original step by step, as a lot of retellings do. 👇

Billypar Instead, it seems like he wanted to explore James' and Huck's relationship in more depth. Those moments of Twain's novel are the most interesting, but also too few and far between. One that sticks out is when Huck tries to gaslight James into thinking he was imagining something. In Twain's novel, Jim is hurt that Huck would do that. But in Everett's novel, he's playing a role, and actually worries that he makes Huck feel too guilty. 👇 1w

Billypar It's the difference between a friendship and a paternal relationship. In Everett's version, James has to lie, not only out of self-preservation, but also because he knows how much Huck won't be able to understand about his situation. There's lots to appreciate about how this relationship develops, and throughout their story, Everett is very skilled at subtly shifting between comedic moments and the nightmarish realities of the time. 1w

monalyisha What an excellent review! 1w

See All 9 Comments

CarolynM Fabulous review. You‘ve actually made me consider reading it. 1w

BarbaraBB Fab review 1w

Anna40 Great review! 1w

Billypar Thanks all! 😀 @monalyisha @CarolynM @BarbaraBB @Anna40 1w

JamieArc I read this review but apparently forgot to comment. It‘s been years since I‘ve read Huck Finn and decided not to revisit it while reading James. I‘m sure it would have made for much more interesting thinking if I had. You make a great point about Everett expertly shifting between comedic moments and horrific realities. That‘s how I felt about The Trees too. I‘ll get to Dr. No at some point soon though I now have high expectations of his books. 3d

Billypar @JamieArc I'd say that the comparison is interesting only for the first half of the novels. After that, the plots are totally different. And Huck Finn gets SO tedious. The dialogue goes on forever, with back and forths that are like unedited transcripts of real conversations (and ones full of racism and lame gags 😵‍💫). 3d

56 likes1 stack add9 comments

CSeydel

The Friday Afternoon Club | Griffin Dunne

pick

Last one tonight. Another #auldlangspine - I listened to this one, and Griffin Dunne did an excellent job narrating this memoir of his extraordinary family. He begins with his mother‘s grandparents (I think) and touches on his father‘s difficult early life to set the stage for the family dynamics that infuse his life story, mostly his early years. Hilarious and wrenching. The climactic event is the 1983 trial of his sister Dominique‘s killer.

47 likes

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books