2026 reading year is starting off well. This was my first by T. Kingfisher and I enjoyed it.

@Soubhiville

#AuthorAMonth

#12Booksof2025

Last spot goes to the tagged. A year long read that surpassed my expectations.

@TheEllieMo

#MondayMood”

Make a mood board for whatever mood you‘re in, post it and tag me.

#WeeklyForecast

Starting Nettle & Bond tomorrow for #AuthorAMonth. It will be my first Kingfisher so I have no idea what to expect.
Picked up The Paris Express after setting it aside early last year. So far I‘m finding it more engaging. Washington I‘m reading a few chapters a day. Liking Mob Queen and Shirley is a bit of a slog so far. Next up should be my library books for TOB26. It feels like it should be a good reading week.

#GoodNewsSunday

Out January 20th is Jeanette Winterson‘s new book. I am all in because of this line “I can change the story because I am the story” I think that will be my 2026 mantra.

And in case you missed it there was a huge win for libraries last November 21 and December 3.

I cannot pick between these two memoirs.

Virginia Giuffre‘s bravery in telling her story. I do not want this book to be forgotten.

And the tagged book I don‘t even have words.

@TheEllieMo

My 2nd book off my #AuldLangSpine list and my first 5 🌟 of 2026. Every time I think I‘m done with WWII history another book comes along with a missing piece in my knowledge and understanding.

For those participating in #BookedinTime this would be a great read for June‘s prompt LGBT History Berlin 1930‘s

@ncsufoxes @monalyisha @Cuilin @dabbe

#Bookspin/Doublespin

@TheAromaofBooks

Sarah, please add me back to your tag list. I am going to try to read more off my shelves this year and hope this will help. Thank you!

#ReadYourKindle

Starting with The Paris Express. Another ARC that I started and set aside.

@CBee

I love Storygraph! Have the same handle there. If I haven‘t found you please find me.

#USPresidents

Just finished chapter 2. I love a map especially in history books. A couple of whoa! moments already. First, a potential ancestor connection on my mother‘s side to the Virginia Lieutenant Governor and second, Washington lived because of a bullet that missed. How different our country‘s history might have been.

@Amiable @TEArificbooks

Decided to use #ReadMyKindle for my #NetGalley ARCs. I had forgotten how many I had and feel bad that I ignored them for most of the year. Hoping 2026 is better.

@CBee

#12Booksof2025

My October favorite was this imagining of Anne Frank‘s life before going into hiding. Starting out as just a young girl with young girl problems and then her world begins to change.

@TheEllieMo

My favorite stat every year is the number of new authors I‘ve read. So many #BlameitonLitsy choices as well as #TournamentofBooks and #WomensPrize.

#WeeklyFavorite

Finishing up with a couple final 2025 reading posts.

If you haven‘t read the tagged I highly recommend the chapter a day route, even though I was rarely on task. Most chapters are short and it fits perfectly from Jan 1 to Dec 31.

@Read4life

My favorite of September was the tagged. Such a good read about female resistance during WWII from France before their arrests and later when they were sent to Ravensbrück. I will say that reading this history during our current political climate gave me strength to continue to speak out against our current government.

@TheEllieMo

No sophomore slump from Leila Mottley. My first finish of 2026 and the first off my #AuldLangSpine list. It is a bit of a cheat as I read about the first 3rd earlier this year and set it aside when the world felt too heavy. I needn‘t have worried. Mottley writes about young women in hard circumstances but hope shines through. I sm so grateful @ncsufoxes had this on her list. I might not have picked it back up and that would have been a shame

#12Booksof2025

I don‘t think you can be an Oregonian and not be aware that the “big one” is coming. This is an excellent debut. Knowing the locations enhanced this read for me.

@TheEllieMo

After crashing and burning on all challenges and most buddy reads last year (has anyone been more glad to see a year end than 2025) I feel hopeful and excited to be reading the above books.

#USPresidents2026 - Washington: The Indispensable Man
#BookedinTime - The Rival Queens
#SundayBuddyRead - Mob Queen
#AuthorAMonth - Nettle & Bone
#EuropaCollective - The Hottest Dishes
#AuldLangSpine - The Lilac People & The Girls Who Grew Big

May 2026 shine!

#Top25of2025 Part Two

These 11 books were the best of the 135 books I‘ve finished in 2025.

Happy New Year!

#Top25of2025 Part One

This was a weird reading year. Lots more fluff than normal but I still managed to read some great books.

These 14 books ranked 4.25 and 4.5 🌟

#12Booksof2025

Favorite in July by far and a favorite of the entire year.

@TheEllieMo

Evelyn and Lily are tucked away from the outside world. Their lives are guided by the rules and schedules compiled in an almanac by their mother as the world was changing. The outside world continues to changes, unpredictable things happen and secrets are revealed leaving them to question what they were taught.

#TOB2026LL

@squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @merelybookish @Bookwormjillk @Chelsea.Poole @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @ChaoticMissAdventures

There were a couple of contenders for best June book. It is one of those times where today‘s best is the tagged but tomorrow‘s might be either Lamentations by C J Sansom or The Wreath the first book in the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy.

@TheEllieMo

Very readable but calling it All Fours lite. Maybe because I am at least 20 years past where these characters are at in life I just don‘t get it.

#TOB26

@squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @merelybookish @Bookwormjillk @Chelsea.Poole @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @ChaoticMissAdventures

Tagged is my favorite read in May. Not my favorite Hartnett but enjoyable. It edged out Morgan is My Name and The Rushworth Family Plot.

@TheEllieMo

#MondayMood

Thanks to Littens everywhere for helping me survive this 💩 show of a year.

I still need all of those things especially the margarita and books.

Throwing confetti and tooting a horn to celebrate finishing Les Mis today. I did not stick to chapter a day, I often fell behind and occasionally read ahead, but I finished! Although Hugo would go off on tangents that meandered I loved it all. Thanks to @TheBookHippie for the check ins which helped keep me reading. So happy to finally read the work behind one of my favorite musicals.

#12Booksof2025

Easy pick for April.

@TheEllieMo

#WeeklyFavorites

Even though it‘s a reread it is the better of the two I finished this week.

@Read4life

#12Booksof2025. Playing catch up today.

January: The tagged book was from my #AuldLangSpine list from @LapReader
February: Beautyland was a gem of a book.
March: How the Light Gets In is the sequel to Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard which was on my 2023 #AuldLangSpine list from @Amiable Loved both.

@TheEllieMo Thanks for bringing this back. I love reflecting back on my reading year.

@Readergrrl What a great Jolabokaflod box and how nice of Amazon to screw up and add to the fun. Thanks for the great book choices and all the goodies. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

I love this swap @MaleficentBookDragon Thanks for all you do and Happy Holidays! ❄️

#WDNCW

We do not care that we have a cupboard full of awesome mugs. We have been using this mug daily since Election Day 2024. It remains to be seen if the trend will continue. I do have a new coaster courtesy of @Chrissyreadit ❤️

@dabbe

#TuesdayTunes

My latest Christmas song find. I love it so much. When a Child is Born Sinéad O‘Connor and Danny O‘Reilly

https://youtu.be/OWiRB43oej8?si=4mQZy8TTmNLAFcx8

@TieDyeDude

#MondayMood #HolidayEdition

Thanks to all the creators out there who create the content that expresses all the the things. Feel free to join in and tag me.

#BookedinTime. Belle Époque Paris

It has been months since I‘ve completed a prompt for this challenge. Thanks to @ChaoticMissAdventures for this recommendation. I really enjoyed it.

After confiding in her grandmother that she sees her deceased grandfather, Eugénie finds herself committed to the Salpêtrière asylum.

@Cuilin @dabbe

#TOB26

I liked this well enough but agree with Helen. I would have liked it to circle back to adult Vera for the conclusion. It was a quick, easy listen.

@squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB @merelybookish @Bookwormjillk @Chelsea.Poole @sarahbarnes @ChaoticMissAdventures @ImperfectCJ @BkClubCare

#TOB26

I think I know where this is going and in light of all the recent tragedies I cannot go there. If you read it and think it has something profound to say let me know. Moving on….

@squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @merelybookish @Bookwormjillk @Chelsea.Poole @sarahbarnes @ChaoticMissAdventures

#MondayMood

Tired in my bones, not an asshole, get thee MAGA Jesus behind me, and trying to choose Joy even as it feels elusive.

Feel free to make a mood board and join in.

#WeeklyForecast

Only a couple of chapters into the tagged but think it is going to be a great read. Got about halfway through Heartbreaks driving today. I enjoy reading a holiday themed book this time of year especially one with a different culture or religion. This one has some heavy themes but author promised an HAE in her forward. I‘m about 25% into The Passenger Seat. I‘ll read a bit more tonight but it‘s feeling like DNF is a possibility.

#BookReport

The tagged book has some beautiful writing but it is full of misery. It has been on my shelf for a few years with my brother insisting it‘s well worth the read and I‘m not sure I agree. He loves a bleak book. A low pick for me. Glad to have had a couple of lighter books to read amongst the heavier topics.

#GoodNewsSunday

There aren‘t many books releasing for the rest of the month so I‘ve started looking into 2026. I love books about books and this one sounded good.

Here‘s the link to the article about Nihar Malaviya if your interested:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/art...

Happy Sunday!

Alice is an ordinary kid growing into an ordinary young adult until her world begins to shift during her first year of college. The failings of a healthcare system that waits until you are a danger to yourself or others to act and the struggles a person deals with when their own brain lies to them are well represented. I didn‘t love it but think it was well done. And I hate the cover.

#TOB26

#WinterNatureCardSwap cards are arriving brightening each day. Thank you @CrowCAH @WildAlaskaBibliophile @BarkingMadRead @BookwormAHN

#JolabokaflodSwap started its journey today to the east today. Due to arrive the 15th. @MaleficentBookDragon Wishing you a happy holiday Chelle.

#MondayMood

#WeeklyForecast

Have Sonia and Sonny cued up for a listening opportunity. Will likely finish Death and make progress in Red Sky today now that chores are done. I‘m liking the tagged so far for #TOB2026. Caught up with buddy reads.

#BookReport

Three very different books read this week. A friend asked me to read Awake. I went in not knowing very much and thought it was going to lean in a way I wouldn‘t like but thankfully it didn‘t so I didn‘t hate it. Really enjoyed the tagged and Nightmare was ok.

#GoodNewsSunday

Releasing Tuesday The Bird Watcher.

In news Amanda Gorman is UNICEF‘s newest ambassador. Pictured is part of the poem she wrote for the occasion.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR5QBFRktXR/?igsh=MTVvc21kNTlqbGV5OQ==

Link is to her reading the whole poem. She is amazing.

#5JoysFriday on Saturday

1) #WinterNatureCardSwap cards were mailed Thursday @TheBookHippie
2) Shardlake goodies from @dabbe Really enjoyed this series and reading along with the group. A highlight of the year.
3) Christmas mail and goodies from lovely friends.❤️ @AmyG @TheLudicReader
4) Picking out new flooring! We might have restoration done before Christmas 🤞🏼
5) I have been picking up a book rather than my IPad more often. Goodbye funk!

Definitely outside my wheelhouse but fun. A little too 🌶️ for my taste. And you know it not really your thing when you finish and you are hung up on a quick reference to an unnamed Christmas movie about a father trying to buy a gift to make up for not being around the rest of the year and wondering if it‘s The Man in the Santa Claus Suit that you remember from way back when and that it had Bert Convy in it and down that rabbit hole you go.