ABYSMAL. I never thought I‘d be grateful for The Great Gatsby, but at least it enabled me to check one box. Hemingway was another and I‘ve already forgotten the other two. I‘ve owned copies of three of the pictured books (two for 30 years!) and lost all desire to read them. The only one on the list I still want to read is Conrad‘s The Secret Agent. #tlt #threelistthursday You‘re killing me @dabbe 🤣😭🤣

This is a clever look at Indigenous Turtle Island history told through the lens of Native American and First Nations stand up comedians. It‘s partially a biography of comedians/Indigenous showmen going all the way back to those forced to work traveling Wild West shows in the 1800s to modern day stand up artists, and partially a history of the atrocities committed by the US and Canada (but mostly the US).

This was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that used Chinese folklore to explore themes of grief and belonging.

Ugh. I‘m not sure how to rate this. It started off fun, definitely some squicky moments, but plenty of laugh out loud moments, too. Davi is a smartass, and her snark is entertaining. But then it just becomes repetitive and I was ready for it be over. I did not realize this was a duology. I am not amused by the ending and honestly, annoyed enough to not read book two.

I‘ve got to stop doing these. I consider myself well read - I certainly have read a lot in my lifetime, but these lists make me feel ignorant, or that I need to return my English Lit degree back to UCF. 😭😭
Anywho…love Les Mis, Fathers and Sons, Middlemarch, Great Expectations, and Little Women. Dostoyevsky on the other hand can go f*ck himself. 🤣🤣 #tlt #threelistthursday

This is a fascinating look at the history of the axe as a tool of violence. The scope is huge, covering thousands of years, so there‘s not a ton of depth. That said, as an overview, it‘s interesting and held my attention. The audiobook is well narrated, too.

I‘ve seen other reviewers say something along the lines of “no matter how horrible you think Facebook is, the reality is worse”. I‘m not shocked by anything here, but I am horrified by the depths of the depravity among the executives. I would have liked was more acknowledgment by Wynn-Williams of her own complicity. There‘s an astonishing lack of self awareness, but I appreciate this whistleblowing memoir. ⬇️

…and that‘s a wrap. Plenty of convenient coincidences, multiple mysteries, a missing treasure, hidden rooms, and danger for Nancy and her pals every other chapter! This one, at least, is not nearly as ridiculous as The Case of the Exploding NASA Oranges (which I humbly suggest should be the new name of the last book 😂). #nancydrewbr
This book is also an absolute gift per my spoiler posts. 🤣🤣🤣

I love Lore Olympus so much and this volume is one of my favorites to date. Hades and Persephone are EVERYTHING. 💖💙💖💙

Another fun set of quick mysteries. Encyclopedia Brown does indeed always get his man, and in this one, he even solves an international mystery! I didn‘t pay close enough attention to solve very many of these, and maybe that made it more fun? I‘m just ready for Charlie‘s collection of teeth to disappear forever. What his mother did with them…🤢 #ebbr

Picked up Volume Eight from my local indie today and had to be sure to wear an appropriate shade of nail polish (this is House of Hades by Mooncat). I love Lore Olympus so much. I‘ll be back in a couple of hours with my sure-to-be-gushing review. 💙

#unpopularopinion Oh how I wish the inside of the book was anywhere near as beautiful as the exterior. It has sprayed edges and exquisite end papers. The text? It did not work for me at all. The writing feels choppy and juvenile and I already dislike the MC. 😭

Growing up, I never got into comics. Even now, I can‘t follow ones with complicated panels like most of the Marvel or DC comics. I Hate Fairyland is one of the first comics I ever read and I‘m absolutely hooked on it, but I still don‘t go into comic book stores. I feel out of place because I read two or three series and that‘s it. Fortunately, Skottie is giving away copies of his Free Comic Book Day IHF with each order of a creator owned book 😍

Misunderstandings, misdirection, misinformation, MURDER - all the things I‘ve come to expect from a Finlay Donovan book. They‘re fast, unbelievable, and filled with shenanigans. If you‘re a fan of Janet Evanovitch/Stephanie Plum, you‘ll most likely enjoy this series. I think I liked this one better than the last, but I am tired of the secret keeping from Nick. I‘m ready for that to blow up. 😂 #bookspin for May

I love Murderbot, but considering the Litsy rating I was worried about this one. Bri at PRB recommended this on IBD, so I bit the bullet. I loved this. I found myself completely immersed in this world, able to block out the chaos of current events, and I appreciated the escape. I enjoyed the world building via dual timelines. I loved the characters and would read a sequel without hesitation.

May‘s #Bookspin bingo board! Based on my May TBR, I don‘t think I‘m going to manage bingo this month, but I should be able to at least get through bookspin and double spin. 🤞🏻

May #bookspin is the tagged book which cracks me up because Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead was January‘s bookspin. 😂 #doublespin is the next book in the Bryant & May series which I love but forget about. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Pretty bingo board to come later today.

I didn‘t think I‘d actually finished 14 books. This month felt kind of sluggish. I liked almost everything, but didn‘t love anything. Favorite of the month is probably a toss up between Vera Wong‘s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Guy) and A Snake Falls to Earth.

This was both delightful and disturbing. I enjoyed a lot of it, but some of the experimentation especially head transplants with monkeys and dogs was truly awful. I wish I‘d been able to skip those sections, but that‘s challenging with an audiobook.

Hiassen does great “Florida Man” characters and what should feel like over-the-top plot lines. Putting aside the fact that, in the current political climate, the plot is all too believable, I did laugh at and enjoy most it, even as I cringed and despaired for this country. There‘s so much chaos throughout the book, but then it just fizzles. The ending left me dissatisfied, but overall the book is a low pick. It‘s a borrow not buy for me.

I‘m not crying, you‘re crying.

I love how Jack comes to understand, write, and appreciate poetry. This is a super quick read, but have tissues handy.

(April Reading Challenge selection from Park Road Books)

The original 1942 version was so much better than the 1970s rewrite, aside from the racism. I am so glad I tracked down a copy. The writing itself was better, and while there was plenty of danger and coincidence, it was much less ridiculous. It was also a bit darker. Nancy, her chums, and her dad all face serious danger. Also, I don‘t recall Bess being called plump even once, and George is the one mocked for her appetite! #NancyDrewBR ⬇️

Mini Independent Bookstore Day haul from my happy place. I had a list of 15 books, but they only had two in stock. I had them order another 4 from my list for me and I grabbed a couple of bookseller recommendations while I was there. I love this place so much.

I completed the Greater Charlotte Book crawl today. 22 independent bookstores and hundreds of miles of driving across 7 counties. I may have gone a little overboard and yes, I‘m still heading back to my favorite Indie for Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow. It was fun, but I don‘t think I‘ll do it again.

My May #bookspin list is all set to go. I should finish the Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl tomorrow and the number of books I‘ve bought this month is, frankly, obscene. I have given those purchases two spaces on my list. I plan to visit my favorite local indie for Indie Bookstore Day on Saturday, and I know I‘ll buy books there, too, so that day gets a spot on the list. May also begins a book buying ban because my bank account says 😱.

I scored a pathetic 15/100 (19 if you count ones I‘ve tried and bailed), which is mind-blowing when I think of the sheer number of books I‘ve read in my lifetime. I‘m always entertained when Flowers in the Attic pops up. I hated Moby Dick and will never forgive my American Lit professor for “inspiring” me to read it on my own. It took me an entire summer. #tlt #threelistthursday

Lately, I find myself gravitating towards fantasy stories that are steeped in (or feel like they are steeped in) folklore. This is a perfect example. Both POVs are engaging and I love the way they came together. The dual narrators work well and Darcy Little Badger's writing is a joy to listen to/read.

I‘m really hoping to finish some more books that are in progress this month, but I won‘t finish anything else on my #bookspin bingo board. So close, and yet…🤷🏻‍♀️

The “new” version set in Florida was such a mess that I had to hunt down the original. It arrived today and why did no one tell me the originals had end papers?!?!? #nancydrewbr

I picked this up for a Decolonize Your Bookshelf challenge. It‘s written by a two-spirit author about a two-spirit child who makes a ribbon skirt to wear to a pow wow. They are nervous about what others will think, but after speaking to the lake spirit and various animal spirits, they decide to do what makes them happy. It‘s a sweet illustrated graphic novel with a great message.

I‘ve read 38 cover-to-cover. My total is 46 if you count the ones I DNFd, which I am. I‘ve attempted Crime and Punishment and The Hobbit at least 3 times each. I will never finish them. The tagged book is one of my favorites from the list, although I bet it hasn‘t aged well. Several of these I read BECAUSE of The Great American Read, like Bless Me, Ultima, and I bought copies of a few others that I haven‘t gotten to like the Sister Souljah . #tlt

1. No. I used to be really good about doing them as soon as my W-2 arrived. Last year, I didn‘t get around to it until 4/11. This year, I did them Sunday night. 🤦🏻‍♀️
2. Heavy

#Two4Tuesday

Another set of quick mysteries complete with resolutions at the end. It‘s fun to match wits with Encyclopedia Brown. I got about half of these easily, but there were a couple I only half-figured out, and three that stumped me. Definitely haven‘t aged well - the Indian trials were cringey and Charlie‘s teeth collection still makes me queasy. #ebbr

That was…a lot. Not the worst of the series, IMO, but definitely jam-packed with not-goodness. 😂 I really wish I could have read the original 1940s plot, because the whole exploding oranges at Kennedy Space Center was just unbearable to this former Central Floridian . We get all of the Drew friends and family for this one, plus the Nickersons have a vacation home near the Cape with a neighboring one for sale for Nancy! Neat! 🙄

I usually don‘t add to the long list for Camp Litsy because the books that are chosen are almost always waaaaaay outside my comfort zone, which is part of the fun for me. But, I thought I‘d fully participate this year with a few books I‘m looking forward to (and one I read as an ARC that was one of my absolute favorites last December). So, without further ado…#CampLitsy25

This is a low pick for me and that‘s disappointing. I love this series and I‘ve loved all of the other books so far - some of my favorite reads of the past year. This one took forever for the story to gain traction. Most of the first half was a slog. It finally picked up and became more engaging but it‘s all a little too late. I wanted more and I wanted a little less predictability.

I adore Vera Wong and this cozy mystery series. It makes me yearn to be part of Vera‘s adopted family. She is good-naturedly nosy and manages to fumble her way into trouble and into the solution to the murder. This series is a murdery book hug and I am here for all the hugs. (Also, April‘s #bookspin)

Women have been choosing the bear since the dawn of time…

I picked this up at my first stop on the Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl. It is DELIGHTFUL. Beautifully illustrated and amusing. It‘s a light, quick read.

The tone of almost approval (or at least the lack of condemnation) of David Koresh in the first quarter of the book is appalling and nauseating. I can‘t keep going. The number of times the author mentions the ages of the girls Koresh “chooses” (rapes) and then says “her dad gave permission” like that somehow makes everything okay is repulsive. THEY WERE CHILDREN. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAVING CHILDREN!

Friendships can be complicated when you‘re 12 and school projects can be, too. Maizy learns both of these lessons as she discovers Nancy Drew and solves her own mystery with the help of old and new friends. This was cute and fun and I enjoyed watching Maizy work through some very 6th grade problems. It‘s a great homage to Nancy Drew. Also, Maizy‘s mom is a Toad the Wet Sprocket fan, so the book is a winner for that alone!

In today‘s episode of “bands I loved in high school that I NEVER expected to see referenced in a MG book published in 2022”, may I present Toad the Wet Sprocket? 😱😱😱😱 …and now I must go search for them on Tidal. 🎶

#Bookspin bingo card for April. I was so sure I had a book in my shelves that would work for Egypt for my Double Spin and I was right. It‘s just not going to be fun to read. 😭 Oh well. At least Vera should be fun!

Excited for my #bookspin. I preordered this on audiobook the second I saw it was coming out! I love Vera. I have no idea what I‘m going to do for The StoryGraph challenge, though. I have 9 countries to choose from. I‘m leaning towards Egypt, though, for Arab American Heritage Month.

While there‘s a missing hiker and the search for her is at the core of the narrative, this isn‘t really a mystery/thriller. It‘s about three women - Valerie, the missing hiker; Bev, the Maine Warden leading the search; and Lena, an elderly woman in Connecticut who remotely aids the search - who they are, what formed them, and how they navigate through the world. It‘s well-written, engaging, and I was invested in the outcome from the beginning.

My tentative TBR for April - a few book club/buddy reads, a couple of books I checked out from the library, and a handful of “just because” that I put here so I don‘t forget them (ebooks can be out of sight/out of mind for me). I‘ll update the graphic when bookspin numbers are pulled. There‘s already one book here I know I don‘t want to read, but I will if it ends up being bookspin or double spin.
EDIT to add #doublespin pick

I finished 13 books in March. Lots of middle grade and graphic novels, because that‘s all I could mentally handle. The Spear Cuts Through Water was my favorite, even though it took me two months to read. It was so worth the effort. Both of the Swifts books by Beth Lincoln were delightful. #marchwrapup

I loved the format of this graphic non-fiction book about everyday people fighting for their homes and futures.. The brief interviews provide a personal touch, connecting the reader to the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia. Even though greed, capitalism, and white supremacy win, it ends on a positive note, calling for community care. The art was simple, yet effective. Also f*ck Sen Manchin. #netgalley