And here we go again! Happy Pride Month! 🌈

@TheAromaOfBooks #BookSpinBingo

Even though I'm going to finish at least two more books this month, they're not on this list. So I'll post it the way it is. I didn't get a #BookSpinBingo but at least I managed to read both of my Spins. It was a good reading month, even though I had a little slump every now and then.

@TheAromaOfBooks

This was by far the best book of the series! Even a tiny bit better than Bullet Train. The other books only play a small part here, so if you've read BT, you can go ahead and read this one. Seriously, I loved it. Once again, we're reading about murderers, and keep on thinking “Well, they're actually quite nice“. Because they somehow are. I loved Koko-san and Soda and of course Nanao. And Blanket and Pillow. See what I mean?!

Happy #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

1. Watching the ESC 🎶
2. IDAHOBIT event in my city 🏳️‍🌈
3. The cats got their summer haircut and charmed their hairdresser 😸
4. @VaniBarelyReads took me out for a very tasty dinner 💖
5. Once again on the road with my dad ❤️

@DebinHawaii

Wow, wow, wow. I was looking forward reading this book with #StarWarsBuddyRead, but mostly thought it was going to be a nice adventure with young Obi-Wan. Well, I got this, obviously, but so, so much more! The way White portraits this troubled Padawan was so relatable, I was thrown back into my own teen years. I connected on a whole new level with Obi-Wan.

@BookwormAHN

Lia Wälti is the captain of Switzerland's National Women's Football team and this is the story of her early years. It only tells about her childhood, while I was hoping to also see her later years. But since it's a children's book and made for informing young players about the world of women's soccer, it's perfect the way it is.

Looking very much forward to my second and third #roll100 picks. “Alma's Rome“ is a very well researched HF by a local author. “Becoming a Lesbian in 10 steps“ is already a promising title for a book and “Daily Soap“ is one of the first novels with an AfroSwiss perspective. Obviously, I have to wait a rather long time until my library hold will arrive.

@PuddleJumper

❤️‍🩹🌍✊

I not only enjoy reading Warhammer 40K, I also watch and sometimes play it (virtual). When Spotify noticed a pattern, it thought I might enjoy Grimdark Tavern who makes music inspired by Warhammer 40K. And yeah, I do. Quite a lot.

“Cadia stands“ even managed to steal Nemo's crown as my Nr. 1 song. Even though Cadia falls (not a spoiler), the song lets me feel empowered during this time. Cadia stands as a human planet alone against the Warp ⬇

Well, I thought I might as well join in on #MondayMood
I de-TERF'ed my bookshelves. No Terfs on my Turf.

@Deblovestoread

For a long time this was a So-So for me. I struggled with the world and the language (and a reading slump, tbh). But the more the story progressed, the more I got drawn into it. Since it's a novella, it all goes rather fast and I would've loved a little more time for the characters to get closer. But I loved how it all came together in the end.

#queerbc @PuddleJumper

Soft pick. I like the way Stokowski writes, it's easy-going, a bit snarky and sometimes even funny. Even though the things she writes about are not funny. More than once I found myself in the episodes of her life she shares with us. We learn how sneaky patriarchy is in our daily life and how it claims to be the right way to live. Sadly, the author looses her wit towards the end of the book.

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

Next round in my #bookishmonopoly journey! I got Random.org and put all my To Read books in a huge wheel thingy. It chose Authority by Andrea Long Chu which is totally a #blameitonLitsy 😁
I preordered the audiobook and can't wait to get it.

@AkashaVampie

Happy #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

My joys this week:

1. Everything is so green! 🌿
2. Surprise visiting from a very dear friend 💖
3. Helping my dad again and making new furry friends 🐕
4. Still working on our new shop design 🙌
5. Travelling and shopping with @VaniBarelyReads

@DebinHawaii

This was so much fun! Well, as much fun as a Warhammer novel can be. If you want to get into this universe and have a weak spot for Loki - this is your entry door. Lukas is surely based on the God of Mischief and does a lot of this that drive the people around him crazy. But he also has another side, which we're going to get learn in this story. Is this now one of my favorite 40K novels? You bet!

OMG! I finally manage to participate in #tuesdaytunes 😱 Literally, each Tuesday I pick a song and... forget to post about it 😭

This day started out with one of my newest song fixations: Kieran Strange - Rock N Roleplay Baby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUcGkQdLxIs

It's just stuck in my head and won't get out.

@TieDyeDude

A very, very, veeeery soft pick. I loved all the information about Andorra Grey includes in this story. Even though a lot might has changed since the book was published, it still gives good insights into this beautiful country.

The story is set in the 00s and it shows. Too much talk about calories and being skinny 🙄 There are some other CNs you might want to look up. The plot was slow, but ok.

#bookishmonopoly @AkashaVampie

Listening to the audiobook was absolutely the right choice, because I got to hear the Vietnamese words and sentences how the really sound. And it's a beautiful language. I loved the glimpse of Vietnamese culture (and food!) I got through this book. The plot itself is a typical romance, also exactly what I wanted and needed (escape is needed right now).

Not the tagged book, but the newest one by the same author.

Whenever I start a book by Brandon Q. Morris I think I might have had enough of his works. And whenever I continue reading his books, he gets me hooked.

Happened here as well. The characters are all 50+, which I think is a fresh idea to the usual trope of sending teenagers into space 😉

Also loved Number 4, such a cute and lovable... well, robot? AI? Whatever, it's cute and adorable.

Happy belated #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

My joys this week:

1. Finished Life Is Strange 2 and got the ending I wanted 💖
2. New haircut and a lovely day with @VaniBarelyReads including some tasty Subway sandwiches 🥪
3. Helping my dad and meeting one of the cats he's taking care of 🐈
4. Tiny car family is still growing 🚗
5. Reorganising our children's book section 📚

@DebinHawaii

Christine de Pizan was a feminist before that word even existed. In 1404 she wrote this text, taking all the bad things men say about women (because they still do) and shows them, how and why they're wrong. It's a text based in the Middel Ages, so we find a lot of religious talking and the structure of the book is rooted in the traditions from back then. But I am very impressed by what De Pizan did.

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

Oh, this book put me in an ethical turmoil, because I didn't know what to think about it. But more and more I saw it as a What If. What if women acted like men and treated them likewise? This made the whole experience very interesting. We learn some new very interesting facts, people get eaten and I wanted to hit a specific character with his own book.

Exactly what I needed. I'm still surprised how much I enjoy those queer romances. The story isn't surprising, it follows the known paths, but is still very entertaining and got me hooked from the start. I loved that even though set in a gym, it doesn't reproduce unhealthy body standards or bodyshaming. Kudos for that.

Why does this feel so current? 😰 I've more than once thought of a certain orange person as Palpatine and after reading this, I think it'll stay with me. Happily, we still got Mon Mothma and Bail Organa fighting for what's right. And I also really want to watch Andor now.

#starwarsbuddyread @bookwormahn

Not the tagged book, but by the same author. Translates as: Do I have ADHD... and if so, what good can I make out of it?

I did struggle a bit with the first part of the book. It read like one of those zodiac sign book I used to read as a teen and some things I didn't agree with.
But the second part was SO enlightening. And more and more I realized how much I've learned about myself and my past thanks to this book. Many things do make sense now.

And here's my #BookSpinBingo board for May. I have no clue if I'll manage a Bingo or not. We'll see.

@TheAromaOfBooks

Not the tagged book, I guess Kracht's newest book isn't in the database yet.

I was sceptical about this, because after all the years since his last book my views and tastes have changed. But only a few pages in I knew, this is my favourite novel by him so far.

Loved the magical realism and the two plot lines that interfuse more and more. Not everyone will enjoy that, but I love it.

My dear fellow Littens,

I dare to ask you for your inputs and ideas. We are extending our childrensbook section in the bookshop and I'm working on a list on books we might get in the near future for our young customers.

Now I'd like to ask you which books do your children enjoy the most? What do you think should we have to offer? What do your teens like to read? I also want to have something in stock that would interest boys.

So, hit me!

Translates as: The White Spot. An Instructin to antiracist thinking.

I got angry, I got sad and I felt shame. But I've also learned a lot about racism in Germany (Switzerland isn't any different when it comes to that), where it comes from and also, what we can do about it. Sadly, many things the author warns about, have already come true. That's why it's so important to read those books. Even if it's uncomfortable.

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

Happy #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

Life is finally getting better again 🙌

1. Visiting an exhibition about foxes with @VaniBarelyReads
2. Having a picnic in the woods with a new friend
3. Working so many early shifts to make our bookshop beautiful
4. Surprise package from a dear friend
5. Finding out that our library has expanded their Gender and Diversity section 💖

@DebinHawaii

Thanks to NetGalley and the Lagato & Second Chances publishing houses I got the chance to also listen to the third installment of the Franklin University series, which is actually the fifth volume in the original, but who cares? Now I'm already familiar with the readers and it felt like coming home. The story is very moving and touching and let my heart melt. Really, that's why I need right now. So, so much.

What a beauty of a book 😍 The setting is really, really amazing and finally something new and fresh. The characters are morally grey, both women have their goals and are working towards them. The romance part in this first volume is small and I'm totally fine with that. I'm also totally in for volume 2.

Monthly wrap-up, including my #bookofthemonth

It was a good reading month.

#botm

Finished my #BookSpin and my #DoubleSpin, so now I need to play catch up with my reviews again. I think there are four waiting to be written? But I managed a #BookSpinBingo - yay!
Now on to Mar- I mean, May. It's May, right?

@TheAromaOfBooks

I will finish my #BookSpin today or tomorrow, so I can say I'm ready for a new round of #BookSpinBingo 🙌

@TheAromaOfBooks

Up until now I've read the books in this series as ebooks and only now discovered the audio version. And I will stay true to these. So well read! Loved listening to the adventures and once again Kianthe and Reyna show us how to communicate in a relationship and work on it. I lost track a bit about the minor characters, but that's ok. It didn't take anything away from me enjoying this book and now I'm looking forward to the next part.

Soft pick. The German translation took years to be published and a resume would've helped. Or a character sheet. The switches between the narrators were too fast and the book itself is overloaded with things happening. But it's a good ending after all and I am glad that I was able to finally finish this trilogy.

Happy #5JoysFriday 💛 Life continues to be meh, so still clinging on the small joys.

1. Colouring with Secco
2. Adventuring with Rossa
3. I've been gaming again
4. @VaniBarelyReads made me delicious dinner
5. Spent an afternoon with my dad and his dog

@DebinHawaii

This was the last short story from The Library Universe I was missing. I liked the creatures we were meeting, they're quite creative. The stories are not necessary to continue reading the books, but I like my collections complete 😅

Vol 4 out of 6, but so far there are no publishing dates for the last German volumes. I have a bad feeling about this...

This series is the one that tells me I'm not quite out of the manga genre. It speaks mostly through the artwork and shows us a dystopian world, that isn't quite that dystopian.

In this volume the girls learn about what humans are capable of doing. Like building weapons and destroying whole cities.

It's something special to have a book dedicated to you. But it feels nice. It also feels nice to see a book come to life you helped creating and which is based on you and your life. And in which you become the victim of a murder 😱

So, I may be biased when I say that I really, really enjoyed reading this crime novel set in the Bavarian alps. But it is! And it's a lot of fun too, especially because of Paula, the MCs daughter.

Anna Rosenwasser is a queerfeminist icon in Switzerland. She changed the lives of so many queer people here. I'm only one of them.

In "Heart" Anna writes about being angry, about feeling overwhelmed, about feeling feelings. About how people voted for her and how we still can go on in times like these.

It's a very personal and intimate book. A book that inspires and empowers.

So, what do we have here? A classical feminist book, a book about racismn and a modern feminist book. Sounds good to me.

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

I almost forgot it's #5JoysFriday 💛 This week has been... a week. So I'm holding on to tiny joys like

💛 Reading in the sunshine with Secco
💛 Reading in the sunshine during lunch break
💛 Had fun during Ju-jitsu class
💛 @VaniBarelyReads gave me a fun new training game
💛 It's a long weekend and I finally get some rest

@DebinHawaii

My next roll for #bookishmonopoly sent me to "World Tour", my plan to read books from many different countries. This time it's Andorra and my chosen book will be Death Has A Thousand Doors.

@AkashaVampie

This audiobook was more background noise for me, while I was doing this and that. The story got more interesting after the 50% mark, so the plot maybe just needed some time to speed up. I for myself would've loved to spend more time with the female characters, because to me they seemed more interesting than Eisenhorn. I'm still curious about what's going to happen to him next.

#DoubleSpin @TheAromaOfBooks
#BookishMonopoly @AkashaVampie

Translation: The Future is Non-Binary (while it's also possible to read it as The Future is Not Binary)

I advise to only read this book if you feel stable. Lydia Meyer directly quotes many transphobic resources, which is sometimes hard to read. I had to pause the book several times, because I couldn't deal with what some people say/think.

The book itself couldn't provide any new information for me, but I loved how encouraging the ending was.

Bookish Song Nr. ... Seriously, I've lost track...

Bring Me The Horizon - Wonderwall (cover)

The cover version really threw me back into the book. There is some kind of Wonderwall in the story, the atmosphere just fits for me and the text gets deep into the character's relationships.

I'm one of those grown-ups nobody ever thought they would get diagnosed with ADHD. Because we still need to learn so much about it. This book was my first and was a real find. It's short and focuses on the most important things, perfectly written for ADHD people.

More than once I had to stop reading and take a deep breath to stop me from crying. Roediger's even experiences matched mine so much, it hurt.

Happy late #5JoysFriday 💛💛💛

My joys this week:

1) lovely walk with @VaniBarelyReads ☀️
2) surprise gift package from a dear friend 💖
3) travelling with my dad☀️
4) celebrating Secco's 3rd birthday 😸
5) text on the entrance to our library: reading makes you smart 📚

@DebinHawaii