Here is my #bookspin list for April!

Wow. This is a beautifully written book. Taking place during the Troubles, there‘s a lot of heartache, but it‘s a fantastic read.

Reading in the car while my son has his piano lesson. This has started off really well! #womensprize

Since I‘m on track with my #clarissa March letters, I‘m doing a reread of one of my favorites to get myself a #bookspinbingo. This is my first month really participating in this challenge and I‘m really enjoying it! @TheAromaofBooks

Historical fiction based on a 1600s witch hunt in a remote northern island in Norway. In the opening scenes 40 men from this small community (virtually all the adult men) die in a storm while fishing. This brings the remaining community of women to the attention of the male political leaders with disastrous results.

I‘ve only read the intro, but I‘m already enamored of this book! An American history that explores the relationship between trees and the founding of our country. #conservation

I think I hated this book. Guerilla gardening group and long philosophical-political rants turn into a movie-style violent thriller. What??? And yet, Catton is such a confident writer that I think she pulls it off. Please read and tell me what you think!! ETA this was my #bookspin for March. @TheAromaofBooks

My pre-ordered copy just came today and I‘m excited to get started reading this tonight!

I enjoyed this novel written in 1948 that takes place in London during WWII. Stella is dating a man named Robert, and a stranger comes to her to tell her Robert is a spy. Meanwhile her adult son inherits some property that enlightens him about Stella‘s relationship with his father. Bowen‘s writing is dense, but the interesting plot carries the book. #roll100 #1001books

I‘m staying up to date with my #clarissa reading, still reading by letter date. This weekend was a lot of pages, but it was nice to get in a rhythm with the book. I like that Clarissa is standing her ground against intense family pressure to marry Mr Solmes!

Check out this beautiful stack of books that I got for my birthday - some as gifts and some bought with birthday gift cards. Plus 3 still in the mail. And the beautiful preserved roses that should last a year!

I‘d read enough mixed reviews to go into this with low expectations, but I really liked it! Lots of characters, but somehow Atkinson draws them all together. Not the tightest plot, but I felt the book had a lot of heart.

Sharing my March #bookspin list. Excited to try this for the first time in 2023! @TheAromaofBooks

Starting this one - I find this kind of nonfiction set in long ago times (1300s) utterly relaxing to read, even when there‘s lots of drama. The matching puppy on the lap helps too. 😁

Starting a new book and keeping half an eye on my son and his friends on a warm February day. I‘ve loved Atkinson in the past, but I‘ve seen mixed reviews on this - curious to see what I think!

Playing along with #Roll100. 53 is Irretrievable by Theodore Fontane and 36 is The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen. I messed up and read the book that was 42 on my list without replacing it, but those two should keep me busy! @PuddleJumper

This is absolute must-read nonfiction for anyone who wants to deeply experience what it was like to be a Black American in the Jim Crow South of the 1940s/50s. They say you have to hit rock bottom to turn a corner. This book describes a time in America when we hit it. #blackhistorymonth #pulitzer

I actually squealed when I got this early birthday order of books from Archipelago publishing. I had emailed that I wasn‘t able to access one of their sales (seemed like a website glitch) but just ordered the books I wanted anyway. They sent a lovely handwritten note with TWO free books. Love smaller book publishers!! #archipelagobooks

Challenging novel by a #nobelprize winning author about a group of young people living in Romania during Ceausescu‘s reign. Vivid picture of living through a surveillance police state, though I also felt kept at arms length, either because I don‘t have a good background in the era, or it was too personal for the author to really let us in to her experience.

Reread of a favorite that did not disappoint. No one is better at describing a character‘s interior life than Woolf.

It‘s #blackhistorymonth and this was one of my #roll100 books. No brainer to finally get to this Pulitzer Prize winner.

Lovely, short book about a group of women who volunteer to grow food for the WWII war effort. Lots of references to Virginia Woolf‘s To the Lighthouse, so an added benefit that it prompted a reread of that book for me.

Number 83 for #roll100 got this book off my kindle TBR pile. I read the first 50 pages and just didn‘t find it worth my reading time. Cute premise and I know a lot of people liked it, but too many other books out there!

Just got back from a vacation to Disney World with extended family and thinking about finally reading this children‘s classic. Inspired by the mug I bought at Epcot!

Eye opening book that delves beneath the narrative of the famous abolitionist Grimke sisters to explore their entire family, including the Black cousins their brother fathered with one of the women he enslaved. Highly recommended!

I didn‘t like this second book in the Perveen Mistry mystery series as much as the first. Still had good cultural details and an interesting setting, but the mystery was kind of boring and the main character started to grate on me. Not sure I‘ll continue with the series.

Recently discovered this mystery series set in 1920s India with a female lawyer for the main character. Anyone else a fan?

All the love for this little known woman American author who wrote in the late 19th century. Beautiful writing, a dramatic plot, fantastic cast of characters, and a well-drawn romance. This book deserves to be read with the other Victorians! I also thought it would be a great #persephone catalog addition

I wasn‘t a fan of this one. Couldn‘t reconcile the humor with the sad situations. And too many exclamation points!!!!

It‘s hard to wait for the mail! Sticking to the plan of reading each letter on the date it was written and anxiously waiting for the second letter on January 13! #clarissa

Starting off 2023 with this nonfiction book about medieval manuscripts. Every year I give litsy a try and fail to keep up - maybe 2023 is the year I commit!

A cold day, a warm puppy, and a good book.

My holiday book haul plus lots of gift cards for more!

We are starting a year long group read of the tagged book in 2022. I've created a discussion thread on LT at https://www.librarything.com/topic/337722 and I will also post on Litsy if there is anyone who is interested but not on LibraryThing. Please join us - it looks like a fascinating book! #1001books #nyrb #yearlonggroupread

Is anyone interested as reading this as a year long group read in 2022? Iβ€˜d love some company! #1001books #nryb

Loved this book just as much as Migrations. McConaghy does a fantastic job at combining a focus on environmental issues with great characters and plot. Highly recommended!

I loved this novel about Rosalie Iron Wing and her journey to discover her past and the history of her Dakhóta tribe. As with much Indigenous writing, rediscovering our lost connection with the earth is central. A lovely, emotional book that manages to avoid being annoyingly sentimental. #indigenousauthor

A maddening look at how women‘s issues and bodies have been ignored, abused, and unplanned for in societies around the world. Hard to read, but so important to shine a light on.

This book fit my reading mood exactly. I was annoyed at the male doctor trying to speak for and heal the voiceless woman but nevertheless I read compulsively til the end. #BOTM

Trying to pick my next book and leaning towards the tagged book. Can‘t tell if this pup is trying to help or hinder . . . #dogsoflitsy

Impressive debut novel about a 1970s logging community and a dying way of life. The characters are deeply drawn and so memorable. You‘ll be longing for a happy ending and racing to the end to see if you get one (no spoiler on yes or no!). #botm

Starting this, which I picked up in the author‘s hometown of Traverse City, Michigan at a wonderful independent bookstore.

I went to a bookstore!

Most conservation books make me feel hopeless, but this book about using native plants in your yard to create a habitat for caterpillars, butterflies, birds, and bees made me feel like I could do something to help. This is a book to convince you, not a how-to manual, which some reviewers didn‘t like. Highly recommended!

Despite the horrible cover and title, I loved this book. Told from a five year old‘s perspective, it tells the story of a selfish young mother who drags her kids with her on a spiritual journey to Marrakech. Their cultural experiences there are interesting and it‘s just a really well written book. #1001books

A ground breaking novel about transgender life experience that pushes the boundaries of who is included in motherhood. Not perfect technically, but a worthwhile book for expanding your point of view.

Once I realized this was a retelling of the Iliad and odyssey from female perspectives and not supposed to be a deep dive into a few characters, I really enjoy this Greek myth retelling.

I‘m just starting this and think it‘s going to be just my kind of book.

This was a fascinating look at intelligence in birds - solving puzzles, amazing navigation, working in groups - it was really interesting. And check out my backyard - the one time a year it looks gorgeous!

Loved this multi-generational family drama set in the Midwest. A father‘s will splits two sisters apart - will beer bring them back together?