How much childhood trauma can we fit in a single book!? The answer is...too much 🙄. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but be prepared to throw the normal limits of believability out the window. Plus it was at least 100 pages too long. An interesting concept, poorly executed.

I had to jump through a lot of hurdles to get I but it's finally here!!! Can't wait to start this one! 🖤🖤🖤

I don't usually read contemporary fiction but since it was our #booksandbrews pick I figured what the hell. The Animators is a great read--funny, touching, and messy. I was completely engrossed in it from the very beginning and was much more invested than I usually am. Mel and Sharon are great characters and they're journey is a real roller coaster. Highly recommended!!!

The first really good book I've read in a long time. I'm a huge fan of Shirley Jackson and I'm fascinated by both her writing and her life. Having also read Private Demons, I'd say this is the better biography. Demons plays up much of the myth making of Jackson's life, while Haunted comes across as much more scholarly and realistic. Jackson is an amazing figure and well worth reading about! HIGHLY recommend!

My first really good read in a while. A truly dysfunctional family in every sense, but it still manages to be funny and optimistic. I can see why it isn't for everyone, but I truly enjoyed it!

My current read as selected by the #TBRjar. Really enjoying it so far! I snagged it off the sale cart at work--we get some wild stuff donated sometimes.

So I haven't posted in an age, mostly because I've been overwhelmed with stress and a pretty aggressive reading slump brought on by said stress. But today I finished my last masters degree class of the semester and decided to celebrate. When I saw this gorgeous copy of one of my all time fav books as a kid I had to splurge! I can't wait to see how the original stacks up against the Great Illustrated Classics edition. Those pics still haunt me 😱

I made it over half way through this book--well past where I would have normally given up--and I still couldn't bring myself to finish it! It's not particularly exciting, despite all the action, and the main character was relentlessly annoying. It had its interesting bits, but I saw how many pages I STILL had left and decided I just couldn't do it anymore. I did read the last few pages--more disappointment there. WOMP

I went into this one with high hopes, but honestly I'm disappointed! I really didn't connect with this on an emotional level at all--things just happened and I was barely interested. I probably wouldn't have finished if it wasn't a #booksandbrews pick honestly. Too many barely there background characters, no emotional impact, and a crazy ending left me feeling decidedly meh about the whole thing.

My #TBRjar seems to be in a romantic mood lately! This one was surprisingly good! A bit shaky at the start but I have to say I got really invested. Although the use of Greek gods and mythology in a fantasy world that had nothing else to do with Ancient Greece was...odd to say the least. Still an exciting and entertaining read and I'm looking forward to book 2!

That awkward moment when you're super stoked to start your next book but it's trapped on your (extremely) dead kindle. 😩🕓🕘🕝🕢

I've read quite a few Atwood novels, but this one was probably the most relatable one for me. It's not as dense as many of her more recent books and it's a great introduction to her more humorous side, especially the first half.

Margaret Atwood and a bath bomb on my day off are an ideal combination

Apparently the #TBRjar decided to celebrate International Woman's Day with a pick from my favorite author! Atwood continues to amaze and inspire me with every piece of writing and I'm sure this one will be no exception. 🖤🖤🖤

Finished my latest #TBRjar pick and it was thankfully a good one! Slump successfully avoided. This one was a pretty fun one and def one of the better romances I've read. Funny, believable, and only a little bit silly. I'll have to check out more of this author in the future!

UGH. #TBRjar failed me on this one. The art in this was truly terrible. The cover is gorgeous, but the interior doesn't come close. The premise was promising--I love a good girl gang--but the story didn't have any depth to it. Stuff just happened and nobody reacted normally, facial expressions were bizarre, and the major character death was so badly drawn it was all I could focus on. 🙄 I feel a slump coming on...

Glad to be done with this one! I've read a few JCO books and never understood her appeal, so I was hoping a bio of her would offer some insight and help me understand her a bit better. Unfortunately this reads more like a bibliography than a biography--endless accounts of novels and stories and when they were published etc. If you already like JCO you'll probably enjoy this, but it didn't endear her to me at all.

A book in which a mean gym teacher is given equal emotional analysis and more pages than an actual sexual assault. Infinite ????

This book has been compared to a lot of big names in fantasy--Lynch and Rothfuss most often. The Rothfuss comparison is totally baseless, but man does this series remind me of Lynch! Like, so similar the events of the books could take place a city over from each other. So many similarities I can't list them all! That's not a bad thing necessarily--if you're a fan of fantasy heists you'll like it fine! But I certainly wouldn't call it original.

The #TBRJar has spoken! Modern Romance was my last work mandated read of Feb. which means I got to consult the all knowing Jar on which book from my massive TBR pile I should tackle next. Really excited for this one! It's been hanging around for ages but sounds great. Love a good heist novel!

An interesting and entertaining read! Aziz hits on tons of issues related to modern dating and the psychological reasoning behind them. A good pick if you're struggling to find a partner on the internet these days. This was my #BooksandBrews pick for this month so I'm excited to discuss it with ppl, especially concerning the recent allegations against him.

This series is nuts and I have only the loosest idea of what the hell is going on but it's really pretty and exciting and interesting! Reminds me a bit of GOT in the sense that no one is safe which really keeps you on your toes.

Overall a good read! Definitely an interesting concept and I have to say it didn't play out like I expected. It reminded me a lot of Holly Black (who I love!) so if you like her you'll probably enjoy this!

A decent 3.5 star read. A bit melodramatic at times, but I enjoyed reading it! Even though I only finished it last week I just realized that I've already forgotten the main characters name...probably not a good sign. 😬 But I do remember her being an unapologetic badass so that's something! A decent pick, but apparently fairly forgettable? Hoping the next installment is stronger!

My current read! I'm always a sucker for the Booker Prize haha. The styling of this book is really what makes it unique. It reads almost like a play at times, so it goes very quickly. And rather than writing his own descriptions, Saunders cobbles together quotes and descriptions from historical sources. Surprising it flows pretty well! Can't wait to see where it's going!

A truly fascinating read! Lots of interesting ideas about power and what people who have it do with it. Definitely a lot to think about so it's a great pick if you're looking to analyze something. I'm hoping we can make this one happen for book club!

A super interesting read! Equal parts memoir and history of early American medicine. A topic not for the squeamish! I found myself wishing to know more about Mutter himself (his wife is mention 3 times in the whole book) and it seemed the author sometimes brought up interesting topics--female doctors for example--without tying them to Mutter or his experiences. But overall an interesting look at a fascinating historical figure!

Another winner from Holly Black!!! She's been one of my favs since I was 14 and I'm glad she's back to writing about faeries lately. These characters are complex and the plot is full of twists and shocks. I was constantly being thrown for a loop and I loved it. After that ending I need book two NOW! Please!?

Another gorgeous graphic novel from Joelle Jones and Michelle Madsen! The mid century styling of this book is AMAZING and the whole premise of housewife turned hitman is tons of fun. Can't wait for vol. 3!

Not worth my time unfortunately. Not horrendous by any means, but I've seen the movie and for once it was better than the book! Made it half way through before bailing--just not funny/interesting/well written enough to keep going

UGH. Ok Mulan is my FAVORITE folklore figure so I'm powerless against any retelling of her story but no one can get it right! This Mulan is "not like other girls" but don't worry--if you forget she'll remind you every 5 pages or so ?. Halfway through and she hasn't even gone off to war yet, then her and the prince are "soulmates" within 10 pages of meeting and the battle to SAVE CHINA takes 5 pages! Uncool.

Another solid pick from the TBR Jar! Tana French just gets better with every book and this one was no exception. Eerie setting, spot on characters, and plenty of twists to keep you guessing!

Lizzie Borden took an axe...

The first title from my 2018 TBR jar was a good one! While this book didn't focus much on the murders it was still a fascinating read and really gave you an interesting look into the Borden household. The Benjamin character seemed like an unnecessary perspective to me--I would have preferred chapters from Uncle John's POV instead. Not for those with a weak stomach! Who knew the past was so smelly?

As usual a fascinating and thoughtful read from Atwood! I love her views of the future--as terrifying as they are, they're always scarily believable. Can't wait to talk about this one at bookclub!

Enjoying the New England Snopocalypse with coffee and Margaret Atwood is the ideal snow day in my opinion!

And so my first read of 2018 turns out to be my third! Thank god for days off and short books. Overall a fun, easy read that brought up some interesting ideas! Not perfect, but worth checking out imo

I think this will be my last Black Science. It's got a great concept--rogue scientists hopping dimensions without any control of when or where they're going--but I just don't like anyone! There's no one to root for which makes it hard to engage. But if you like morally gray characters I'd say it's worth a shot!

2018 off to an inspiring start!

My last book of 2017! A book and a bath bomb is a great way to end the year. This was a very unique read. A bit confusing at first but worth the effort! Also very well translated which is very important haha.

So this is the final result of my Birthday Week Book Haul!!! I had the week off so I did a LOT of book shopping--really the ideal way to spend a vacation. Local shopping and my trip to NYC on the top shelf, middle shelf is presents and a trip to a local book sale, and the bottom shelf has all my goodies from my library's annual book sale. 💸💸💸

Long time no post Litsy! But I just had to celebrate that I FINALLY got Tower of Dawn!!!! I'll admit I'm not as excited as I'd be if it was about literally any other character, but any new Maas is good Maas. Here's hoping I'll finally start to like Chaol after spending 660 pages with him! 😬

Found a a good mix of trash and class at the Book Barn today! Jack of Fables has been impossible to find and today I found all the ones I needed! Plus some other Fables goodies. Possession and Let the Right One In have been on my TBR for a while and I first read Karen Marie Moning when I was waaay to young so I'm giving her another go. But my crown jewel is the Angela Carter bio! Soooo excited for that one!!! 💸💸💸🖤📚📚📚

Kinda struggling through this very explicit romantic dumpster fire. I was hoping it'd be so bad it was good, but it seems to be mostly plain old bad unfortunately. Points for a next level ridiculous cover though!

Being a librarian means I have to be able to talk about a lot of different kinds of books. That's why my library has a staff book club dedicated to reading and discussing different genres. I'm SO STOKED because the next few months we're focusing on my favorite genre: FANTASY!!! Hopefully I'll be able to get through all these by October...(I'm looking at you Name of the Wind 👀😵)

My book haul from the Pequot library's book sale! The Outlanders are for a coworker and Watchman is for the book club I run at work. And how could I say no to an Atwood or a King first edition? Overall an excellent haul! I wish I could have stayed longer but my wallet is glad I didn't 💸💸💸

IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE!!!! Ugh the UK covers for this series are soooo good! Well worth the extra shipping if you ask me. I can't wait to get back to one of my favorite badass ladies!!!

If you're looking for Taylor's lyrical prose and intricate world building, you'll probably be disappointed. This one was alright, nothing spectacular. I picked it up after adoring her recent books, but this one wasn't up to snuff for me! Her other series set the bar too high I guess. Also WHY IS BOOK 2 SO HARD TO FIND!?!?

Ugh this book DID NOT live up to the hype. I was meh about this author's first book but this one just killed her for me. A do nothing heroine who mostly talks about how great she is while doing almost nothing, a magic system that's completely unnecessary and makes no sense, and don't even get me STARTED on the instalove. IM SO MAD I PAID MONEY FOR THIS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MULAN 😡😡😡

Mini impulse book haul. I'm SUPER stoked about the Valiant and The Beguiled sounds really good too. Plus who can say no to $5 bargain books!? 💸💸💸

A really light, fun memoir by a fellow book enthusiast! As someone who keeps a Bob of my own and has similar book hoarding tendencies I found myself relating pretty strongly to this one. A quick, cute memoir of a life well read!!