This felt more like a collection of notes from a hundred interviews with a thousand names and crisscrossing timelines, rather than a book. Especially disturbing was how no editor caught the error of misquoting “daisies are the friendliest flower.”
BUT, I love these movies to death so hearing all the behind-the-scenes stuff was really cool. And it inspired me to watch The Shop Around The Corner for the first time, which is a new fave!

This book sounds so intriguing! It‘s been a while since I pre-ordered something, but this description had me at hello.

I‘m so excited about this YA short story anthology! Horror genre interpreted in many ways, with the common thread being Halloween stories with all authors and characters that are queer people of color. Edited and partly written by my friend, Shelly Page! Tonight‘s fantastic event was at Books of Wonder in NYC- which is officially my new favorite bookstore for children‘s books y‘all - and I‘m so inspired by all of these badass writers.

Quidditch Cup Reading Challenge! Here are my next five prompts completed 😍

🧹Golden Snidget: Includes a magical creature - Mooncakes
🧹Tutshill Tornados: Includes a weather event- Wilderwomen
🧹Wingtown Wanderers: Includes travel/adventure - Happy Place
🧹Hogwarts House Cup: Includes a celebration - Celebrants
🧹Double Eight Loop: Written by multiple authors - This is how you lose the time war

I didn‘t fall in love with any of the characters and their friendship felt way underdeveloped on the page. Unfortunately, that was what the whole story hinged on. Could also be because I just read Happy Place and the parallel there with BFFs from college was super believable.
Still, the plot kept me reading and gave me a lot to think about, however cliché it might be: to live life to the fullest and share your feelings with the ones you love.

“It is humanly impossible for Emily Henry to write a bad book.” - E.W., I couldn‘t agree more! These characters and their struggles felt so relatable to me and so realistically rendered. Henry devotes just as much energy to writing steamy romance as she does to writing really genuine friendships. I loved this.

My heart!!!!
Pick is not a strong enough word!!! The sheer poetry, the originality, the absolute indescribable perfection.
These two authors put pure love on the page with unabashed surrender.
As someone never prone to hyperbole (jokes!), I think this is the best book I‘ve ever read.

Graphic novels are so fun! What better way to enjoy a lovely day in a hammock? This story has multiple forms of representation, plus a happy dose of magic.
This non-spoiler page made me laugh because it‘s such a funny and relatable millennial moment.

Ruth Emmie Lang has a way with words that truly takes my breath away. This story gave me all the feels- realistic emotional connections between family and friends, set against a very out-of-this-world story. I found myself so angry at certain moments and so ecstatic at others - when you read it you‘ll understand why! 🥹 if you find magic in everyday nature, this book is for you.

Six pages in and I‘m already in total bliss!

2023 Quidditch Cup Reading Challenge! My next 7 prompts are complete!

🧹Starfish Stick: Related to the sea- remarkably bright creatures
🧹Wronski Feint: Misdirection- TMC
🧹Bludger: Knock your socks off (or off your broom!) - TMC 2
🧹Keeper: Character you fall in love with- TMC 3
🧹Firebolt: Contains a gift - matchmaker‘s gift
🧹Chaser: A hard to catch book - Cloisters
🧹Pride of Portree: Related to the LGBTQIA+ Community - charm offensive

#unpopularopinion but I don‘t understand why the “big reveal” was revealed so early on, and yet we were supposed to be surprised by the ending? I‘m very confused. It for sure had a nice ending and heartwarming moments, but overall knowing exactly how it would end was disappointing.

An epic third installment! I‘m so excited for whenever the fourth is coming out!
Osman makes me laugh and cry in the span of a sentence. I feel like in this book especially, the message is really that people will surprise you, often for the better, so don‘t underestimate them. We also added some new characters to the gang that I love equally now!

I‘m excited to try #BookSpinBingo for July! It‘s likely that I will just read the books I‘m most drawn to regardless, but I love the fun of anticipating the bingo board 🤭 This is a month where I have a lot of free time (in theory) so I hope that means lots more reading! @TheAromaofBooks

@LiteraryinLawrence Thanks for the rec!! Really inspired by the multiple forms of representation in this book, and the steaminess was on point, too!

I just absolutely adore an author who can make me laugh, cry, and gasp all in one sitting. A perfect second book after a perfect first!

There was a sale today at a local book store, so naturally I made a day of it ☺️ Here‘s my eclectic #bookhaul, plus a puzzle for good measure! Bookish Sundays are the best kind of Sundays. Besides, I was chomping at the bit to get the second Thursday Murder Club book after finishing the first late last night!

SOOOO good!! Wow, this one really had my heart pumping at the end there. So many brilliant twists and turns that had me guessing all the way through. And the MOST lovable characters you‘ll ever meet!

YAYYYY highly anticipated #bookmail!!

Nope. Super predictable plot and the writing is just not good in my opinion. Disappointing because I liked Penner‘s previous book. Anyone else feel this way?

So-so instead of pan because a) I live right next to the Cloisters and I enjoyed reading about a setting I know so intimately, and b) the last two pages were really well done.
Otherwise, I found the characters all deeply unlikeable and the central conflict just didn‘t hold enough weight for me. The plot felt really contrived and I skimmed a lot.
Tarot cards are now so mainstream that I also don‘t see how the story hinged on their “darkness.” 🧐

This book was an absolute GEM! So heartwarming and beautifully written from start to finish. I loved the interlocking timelines between the grandmother and granddaughter, mixing historical fiction with a more contemporary story. It felt like it was written for a Jewish audience (which I am ☺️) so I‘m curious if it would be as enjoyable for readers of other backgrounds. Still, definitely one I‘ll be recommending!!

2023 Quidditch Cup Reading Challenge! These are my first 6 prompts!

🧹Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland: Set in the British Isles -Boyfriend Material
🧹Holy Head Harpies: Includes a group of strong females- Memphis
🧹Katie Bell: Includes a character who gets cursed- Sign Here
🧹Alicia Spinett: Written by a female author- Dream On
🧹Draco Malfoy: A book that has a large fandom - Saga
🧹Body Blow: With a body part on the cover - Bodyguard

Gorgeous, poetic writing. Painful, gruesome story. Can‘t say it was an enjoyable read, but I was absolutely in awe of the mother-daughter-sister bonds and found the ending especially moving.

Mind is blown right now. This is such an incredible collection. I feel emotionally very hungover 😳😭

Why didn‘t I read this sooner?! I am so in love already. I just got the first volume today from the library, not knowing how long a volume is— now I need to get volumes 1-10! Gorgeous fantasy world building, relatable characters and dialogue and social commentary, stunning art. Ahhhh I‘m so excited to dive in to this fandom!

Thanks for such a great start to 2023 @Read4life @monalyisha !! #AuldLangSpine
I‘m excited to keep reading from your list! Let the fun continue…

Winners have been chosen! @BarkingMadRead and @TheQuietQuill , congrats! Please email me at suzannehutt@gmail.com with a wishlist of books, plus your address!
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who participated! It was such a joy to see all of your bookstores and memories. Thanks to you all, we will have over 40 indie bookstores to add to the world map! I‘ll retag when the map is complete and I post the link. Hopefully something for everyone to enjoy!!

Reminder: #20kgiveaway ends tomorrow (1/28) at midnight!! See my original post for details! 🙌🏻📚🌎

I‘m hosting a giveaway for reaching 20k! Winner will receive a book from their wishlist plus some goodies!
To enter, please repost or post a picture of your favorite bookstore! Please include name of the store and city/state/ country. And tag me :) #20kgiveaway
**This is Bookman‘s Alley, my favorite bookstore in Evanston, IL that sadly closed down several years ago, but now there‘s a store there called Bookends & Beginnings.
Giveaway details👇🏻

I read this in one sitting because it was THAT captivating. Loved it just as much as Shipped! I predicted one of the twists but still found it super exciting! The characters were believable and lovable. Highly recommend! I will read anything Hockman writes :)

What a wonderful romance! I really needed this! Katherine Center gave me ALL the feels with this one. I hadn‘t loved her book How to Walk Away, but this one was a home run for me. She made the premise - a Hollywood star falling for a non famous person - feel really believable. All of the dialogue and personalities were so well done, I didn‘t want it to end. **Swoon** !!

@Read4life thank you for this rec!!
@monalyisha
#AuldLangSpine

OMG!!! First book of 2023 and it was a ROARING success! Last night I could not put it down and had to see it through to its heart-pumping end. I love when authors can just shock you and do something so different and cool, both with their writing style and plot - this book was definitely like that for me. So many genres rolled into one genius book. A story that raises questions about fate, love, and the relationships that shape us - and also hell!

I had a blast doing the OWLS HP reading challenge this year! Finished 39 prompts in all! Here are my faves from the challenge. Now I‘m excited to start planning the new challenge for 2023, themed around Quidditch!
#owlsreadingchallenge

More details about the Hudson Valley Book Trail for anyone interested!!

The original site I found was https://www.hvbooktrail.com but the tote bags have updated and longer lists! Also used this blog for ideas: https://m.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/local-independent-bookstores/Content?oid=1...

So many goodies to explore! 📚📚📚

Post 5/5
My fourth stop on the Hudson Valley book trail: Magpie Bookshop in Catskill! A used bookstore with heaps of charm and two adorable zebra finches! The owner even offered me more recommendations of HER favorite indie bookstores! I got the tagged book which sounds right up my alley.

Such a successful day of visiting bookstores of the Hudson Valley! Check out my previous posts for more recs ;)

Post 4/5
A treasure trove of used books can be found in the magical Rodgers Book Barn, tucked away in the hills of Hillsdale! They have been there for 50 years! I got the tagged book plus a deliciously ancient copy of The Marble Faun. Would be fun to go back in the spring and see the gardens in bloom.

Post 3/5
Second stop on my Hudson Valley book trail was Oblong Books in Millerton! Absolutely could‘ve spent all day there. Really effective displays with so many outward-facing books, plus a robust section with stationary, calendars, games and more. They also have an attached kids bookstore and a secondary location. I got the tagged book (by a fellow NU alum!) plus two others I‘d been itching to find!

Post 2/5
First stop on my Hudson Valley book trail was Scattered Books in Chappaqua! Home of three precious book bunnies! Highly recommend checking out this friendly and inviting bookstore 🐰I got the tagged book (a new cookbook by one of my fave authors) and another by a local author, plus one of their signature mugs!

What a fun adventure! I was looking for cute indie bookstores in the Hudson Valley in NY and came upon this map: the Book Trail! This shows 17 but there‘s actually 37 bookstores on their list with even more to be found thru other blogs!

I chose 5 to visit and made a day out of it, driving in a big loop from upper Manhattan to the Catskills. Met SUCH lovely shop owners, discovered exciting new titles, and would love to do it again!
Post 1/5

Happy #jolabokaflod!! Thank you so so much to @BookNAround !! I‘m SO excited to read this book and WOW you have made my Reese‘s heart the most content in the world! Yummmm! Also the cutest card lol!

Thank you to @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing! 🥰🙌🏻🥳

The tagged book is btwn a pan and so-so for me. #unpopularopinion but the hard science/tech + an overwhelming amount of world-building and interspecies cultural context = too exhausting to be enjoyable for me.
The real redeeming quality was that the main characters were fantastic and my heart ached for them by the end. Still, not going to continue with this series right now.
BUT HEY I‘ve finally finished my next #promptmaze!! @TheAromaofBooks

Your #Jolabokaflod package should arrive by Friday! @CoveredInRust hope you enjoy!! Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon !

EEEEEE I‘m so excited, thank you @BookNAround !! #Jolabokaflod package arrived! Also umm your handwriting is so beautiful, can you sign my name all the time for me? Haha @MaleficentBookDragon Thank you for your expert organizing!

SOOO excited for this!! #AuldLangSpine
@monalyisha @Read4life
We have similar taste bc some of these are my faves, too! I loved Soulmate Equation, Book Lovers, and Aristotle&Dante!
I‘m going to start with these three! Thank you so much 🥳

Hoping to qualify for early sign ups for #AuldLangSpine, formerly NYWD with @monalyisha ! Here‘s my pen from voting Tuesday in NYC and a vaguely relevant book haha, thanks!! Love this opportunity to swap favorite book lists from the past calendar year :)

After I finished this book, I just lay there clutching it to my chest for a while. I wanted the words to seep into me. Sue Monk Kidd‘s writing was so lyrical and beautiful and feminist. The research that went into the novel was so extensive and I learned a ton, on the edge of my seat all the way up to the heart-wrenching end. Now I feel motivated to learn more about the development of early Christianity after reading this fictional take.

Added 4 more books to the #owlsreadingchallenge !!

🧮Arithmancy:
Magical numbers: a book with a magical number - 7 husbands

🔭Astronomy:
Telescope: a book you saw on litsy - red white and royal blue

🐉Care of magical creatures:
Comc: a book with a magical creature - when women were dragons

🪄Charms:
Cheering: funny or happy book - good omens

HOW BOUT THAT TWIST?!?! I haven‘t gasped like that since Big Little Lies. This book was so well written and I loved hearing how everything unfolded in their fictional golden age of Hollywood. The deep love and friendship TJR explored was heartbreaking and beautiful. Thrilled to finally know what all the hype is about.

Devoured! Absolutely lives up to the hype! What took me so long?!

I totally mistook this with the description of Boyfriend Material (aka no issue about being queer in the public eye) so then I was super surprised that a large part of the plot is grappling with that. But that just made the book feel really real.

Alex + Henry are #relationshipgoals. Almost nauseatingly so, but hey, that‘s romance novels!

Also LOVED all the friends + sisters.