January #wrapup

I read 6 books in January and DNFed 2. The tagged and Cubs & Campfires were both top picks for the month, but I think I‘m going with Empire as my favorite in January.

Oof! This is my first Follett and I think he must have owed his publisher a book. I have heard great things about his historical fiction novels, but this was not great. I was expecting an exciting “stop an outbreak” kind of book. Instead, it was rather dull. I plowed on thinking there was going to be a huge twist. Nope!

Finished January 27, 2025.

I bailed on this one. It might just be me but I thought it was kind of boring. I tried print and audio and found myself not picking it up in either format.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I saw a review on GR that described it as “Agatha Christie if she wrote Wind In The Willows,” which pretty much nails it. I didn‘t have the murder figured out at all. I will pick up the next one in the series.

@MatchlessMarie has a really great review for this one. I‘m just going to add that I loved it. I loved Luca and Artair‘s banter and their 🔥. Also, the front and back covers make me so happy! I will definitely pick up the next one.

Finished January 21, 2025.

#Bookspin My list is a combination of books I own, library books, and the ones my husband picked for me last year that I never got to. 🙂

I bailed on January‘s bookspin, but am currently reading my doublespin.

I‘m looking for book recommendations for my nearly 9 year old nephew‘s birthday in April. I‘m struggling with this age range a bit. I think it‘s because I lean toward spooky, mystery and fantasy and most of my historical fiction picks are YA.

I‘m tagging a few of you who might have suggestions, but I would appreciate any suggestions!

If you enjoy The Mummy with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz (I do!), I feel pretty confident stating you will enjoy this book. This was a lot of fun. I read in print and listened to this one and highly recommend the audio.

Finished January 19, 2025.

This completes my third reading (listen) of the Harper Connelly series. I‘m kind of surprised by the 3 stars in my original review because I‘m around a 4 now. I didn‘t finish Harris‘ Sookie series as I grew bored with it and have always wished this series was longer. This time I think maybe 4 books were perfect. No chance of the series becoming boring. Of course, after reading some comments on other reviews I found out the characters show up in ⬇️

I‘m not sure where I picked up this Christopher Pike book. I enjoyed Pike as a teen but after about 50 pages, I‘m bailing to move on to other reads. This was my #Bookspin for January.

This is my second book by Harrow. I read Starling House in September 👍🏻, but I enjoyed this one more. I loved the historical setting and literary references, along with the fantasy of doors to other worlds. I also loved the characters more in this one, even ones we didn‘t get as much time with. I think Harrow could have easily made this into a duology, because I could spend more time with these characters and visit more worlds.

Finished 1/1.

@TheAromaofBooks Could you add me back to the #bookspin list for 2025?

I jotted down a list on New Year‘s Day, but just dusted off PicCollage today. My list is a combination of books I own, library books, and the ones my husband picked for me last year that I never got to. 🙂

May #wrapup #BookspinBingo

I‘m positive I won‘t finish anything today. I DNFed my #Bookspin and got a bingo. I started an #aam book, which is also my #Doublespin, but won‘t finish until June.

Total read: 10
Audio - 4
Novels - 4
Graphic Novels - 2
Children‘s book - 1
DNF - 1

Here is my #BookspinBingo for June. I will move the titles as needed when @TheAromaofBooks shares the numbers on June 2nd.

📸: Lake Erie beach in Monroe, Michigan.

#Bookspin #Doublespin

I‘m using a year long list like @TheAromaofBooks does. I moved two books from the backup list on the right to fill in the previous picks.

#BookspinBingo list to come.

I have read about 60 pages of this and I‘m confused. I just can‘t get into it. There are several GR reviews that support this, so maybe it‘s not just me. On to the next book. 🙂

This is my #Bookspin for May.

Here are my #Bookspin and #Doublespin for May. #Doublespin is #aam and this is the one I plan to try.

I‘m currently two behind for the year (not counting those above), but I‘m almost finished with one of them.

April #wrapup #BookspinBingo

I still feel like my reading is off. I DNFed my #Bookspin and got a bingo. I ended up skipping #aam for the month.

Reviews? What are those? 🤪

Total read: 9
Novella - 2
Audio - 4
Novels - 2
Children‘s book - 1
DNF - 1

Here is my #BookspinBingo for May. I will move the titles as needed when @TheAromaofBooks shares the numbers on May 2nd.

#Bookspin #Doublespin

I‘m using a year long list like @TheAromaofBooks does. This month I didn‘t move books from the list on the right. Instead I added a couple more of #MyPartnerPickedIt and ‘one gifted to me,‘ because I have neglected those a bit.

#BookspinBingo list to come.

Read in March.

This is a reread from my childhood and I loved it all over again. It will be one of the books in my nephew‘s birthday pile.

DNF in March.

I started KFL in print and switched to audio, but bailed at 60%. This is supposed to be satire, I think, so maybe I just didn‘t get it. The summary refers to this as a “female-driven, modern-day American Psycho.” That should have worked for me. I haven‘t read AP and it‘s ages since I saw the movie so I can‘t compare.

Last year I read Maeve Fly, which was also compared to AP, and loved it. The content of MF makes it hard to ⬇️

Read in March.

This was my first experience with Mary Stewart and I need to remember to remember to read more by her. Set in 1950s France, an English woman becomes governess to a young heir, who may be in danger. This gave me Rebecca and Jane Eyre vibes at times, and I really enjoyed this gothic suspense novel.

Read in March and failed to take a photo.

This is my choice for #LMPBC Group Q. Overall, this was a pick for me. I really enjoyed the time period and how atmospheric the novel was. I don‘t want to share too many details as I think the less you know the better.

@BookmarkTavern I sent this out to you yesterday.

Here are my #Bookspin and #Doublespin for April. I‘m one behind as the end of March, but fingers crossed I can catch up this month.

Here is my #BookspinBingo for April. I will move the titles as needed when @TheAromaofBooks shares the numbers on April 2nd.

#Bookspin #Doublespin

I‘m using a year long list like @TheAromaofBooks does. Each month I will move two books from the backup list on the right to fill in the previous picks. Except for the categories which I will probably leave, unless they just repeatedly get picked, lol.

*I read a couple of extras and unhauled a few, so I have updated the lists a bit.

#BookspinBingo list to come.

March #wrapup #BookspinBingo

March has been a weird month. I sort of feel like I‘m in slump, but I still read stuff. I completed my #Bookspin and got a 2 bingos! I also read one for March‘s #aam pick, but I bailed on a couple.

No reviews posted. 😕

Total read: 9
Novella - 2
Middle Grade - 1
Audio - 3
Novels - 3

Plus 2 short stories recommended by a friend a while back.

“I just like cannabilism.” - me
“There‘s a Facebook status” - my husband

I don‘t do FB so I‘m sharing with all of you. 😂

**He secretly thinks I will eat him if necessary.

Here are my #Bookspin and #Doublespin for March. I‘m still working on February‘s BS but I started Freeze which is on the shorter side.

February #wrapup #BookspinBingo

I completed my #Bookspin (working on #Doublespin 🎈) and got a bingo! I also read one for February‘s #aam Lauren Groff.

I have not reviewed any of my February reads. 😳

Total: 14
Novels: 3
Graphic Novels: 4
Picture Book: 2
Audio: 5

Hello Group Q! Here are my picks. If these don‘t work, I can definitely come up with more. I will tag them below.

Also, it looks like Ice and Salt might only be available used, so I just wanted to let you know that.

Here is my #BookspinBingo for March. I will move the titles as needed when @TheAromaofBooks shares the numbers on March 2nd.

#Bookspin #Doublespin

I‘m using a year long list like @TheAromaofBooks does. Each month I will move two books from the backup list on the right to fill in the previous picks. Except for the categories which I will probably leave, unless they just repeatedly get picked, lol.

*I might get a whim (maybe, you never know) and read one before it‘s picked so I will replace those.

#BookspinBingo list to come.

Read in January. (Last one!)

As a lover of The Mummy and other adventure rom-coms, I thought this would be my catnip. Alas, that wasn‘t the case. Even though the characters are on a dig in the jungles of Mexico, the story lacks the thrilling adventure I expected. I‘m also not sure I loved the male lead, Ford. Physically, he was fine, but I‘m not sure about the rest of the package.

Such a pretty cover though.

Read in January.

It‘s no surprise that this Steinbeck was a pick as I have enjoyed almost all I have read so far.* Ethan Allen Hawley comes from a wealthy old New England family, but there is no longer wealth, just a name and the home he shares with his wife and 2 children. Ethan is a grocery store clerk and is scrupulously honest. Until one spring/summer, when he sets in to motion a plan to restore a little of that wealth. #MyPartnerPickedIt

Read in January. 1995 movie watched today.

I wasn‘t sure I would enjoy this one as much as P&P or Persuasion, but I did. I read in print but also listened to Rosalyn Landor‘s lovely narration. I laughed out loud at some of the character‘s comments and behaviors,mainly the unsavory characters. #aam #authoramonth

Read in January.

Book 3 in the Greer Hogan Mysteries series happily, to me, returns us to Raven Hill. Book 2 was enjoyable but I love being back in the library set in a old manor house. Anita Hunzeker, disliked by almost everyone, is murdered and of course Greer can‘t help being drawn into the case. I enjoy all of the references to mystery books and characters in this series. #serieslove2024

I‘m caught up until the new one publishes in June.

Read in January.

Often with short story collections there are a few duds, but I did not find that to be true with this collection. I had previously read one story, “Incident at Bear Creek Lodge,” as it was published in a 2022 anthology. I enjoyed it all over again. Several stories are set in Gracetown, FL where her new novel(on my TBR) is set. The last few were written pre-Covid but are set in pandemic/post-apocalyptic situations. Recommend!

My #Bookspin , Under Her Skin, has been on my Kindle for several years. The Snow Garden, my #Doublespin , is 532 pages! I hope it‘s a really compulsive read. 🤞🏻

January #wrapup #BookspinBingo

I‘m not going to finish my current book or audiobook before bedtime so here is my wrap-up. I completed my #Bookspin (working on #Doublespin) and got a bingo! I also read one for January‘s #aam Jane Austen.

I have a few that I haven‘t reviewed yet.

Total: 14
Novels: 3
Short Story Collection: 1
Anthology: 1
Picture Book: 3
Audio: 6

Here is my #BookspinBingo for February. I will move the titles as needed when @TheAromaofBooks shares the numbers on February 2nd. I can‘t believe it‘s already going to be February!

#Bookspin #Doublespin

I‘m using a year long list like @TheAromaofBooks does. Each month I will move two books from the backup list on the right to fill in the previous picks. Except for the categories which I will probably leave, unless they just repeatedly get picked, lol.

*I might get a whim (maybe, you never know) and read one before it‘s picked so I will replace those. I actually did this in January. ☺️

#BookspinBingo list to come.

I really enjoyed Leslie‘s memoir. The audiobook sort of feels like she is having a conversation with you and makes the 16+ hours fly by. Leslie‘s life has its ups and downs, but throughout it she has such confidence and belief in herself. She is fucking hilarious and inspiring.

I think this might be my favorite Hendrix that I have read so far. It did start a bit slow, which was made worse because I mostly read this one at the gym. Then so much was happening. I can‘t imagine the faces I made while reading on the treadmill. Today I sat in the parking lot to finish it before I went to the grocery store. Definite pick! #Bookspin #OneGiftedToMe

It‘s continues to be a pleasure to return to Cooper‘s Chase and my favorite gang of retirees. The fourth book (they should be read in order) in the series is full of the humor and charm we expect, but also has heart-wrenching moments that had me sobbing. I love the main and recurring characters in this series, but I‘m also sort of amazed by how charming some of the criminals are, lol. #SeriesLove2024

Donna: Joyce, has anyone ever called you a pervert?
Joyce: Don‘t be such a prude.
😂

Butcher‘s memoir of being a death investigator in the NYC‘s Office of Chief Medical Examiner was really interesting. I wasn‘t aware this position existed. The author successfully weaves in details of her personal life, including an account of her alcoholism, while sharing various cases from over her twenty year career, including 9/11.

I don‘t recommend this if you are feeling down, because her job doesn‘t allow for a lot of levity.

#RushathonChristmasBingo

I don‘t think I ever posted that I was participating in this one. 😏 I started Dec 1 and my last book was finished yesterday, Jan 6. I got two bingos! Thanks for hosting @Andrew65 !

I read the first three novellas in December. When I got to the final one, I seemed to lose interest. I think the change from England/Scotland settings to New York through me, even though the fourth is called Christmas in Central Park. 😆 I decided to pick it back up today and ended up enjoying it as much as the others.

Also, maybe I was just out of it entirely because it took me until the third one to realize each one involved shortbread in ⬇️