Jessica this box was AMAZING!!! I‘m so excited for my All Hallows‘ Eve reading! The fuzzy little ghost socks!! The DISCO SPIDER!! 😍😍 And I have found a kindred spirit in my fellow Texan with a gluten allergy who loves candy corn and pumpkins lol! 🤣 I have been wanting A Sliver of Darkness since it released and I‘m SO intrigued by The Vile Thing!! 🫣 Love it all!! #AHRS #AHRS24 #AllHallowsReadSwap Thank you for hosting @MaleficentBookDragon !

Omg Crystal!! I am ELATED!!! Thank you so much for this “haunting” themed #HHS!! I love it!! The cute ghost socks! My fav Reese‘s which have already been opened lol. Currently using my “read in peace” bookmark and ghostly journal. The vanilla pumpkin candles smell DELICIOUS. Thank you for adding to my collection of Tananarive Due with the tagged book!! I‘m SUPER excited about A Sunny Place, Dearest, and Ghost Club!! Thank you!! #HauntedHollowSwap

Eeek!!! @MsRadioSilence I am so grateful for you!! I love my package!!! The Florida water smells AMAZING and I‘ve been using it already! And it came with a small black tourmaline and quartz stone! Did I light my shadow work candle last night?? YES!! Did I eat some almond joy too? Absolutely lol. And the books!! I can‘t wait to read them!! The card is sooo cute!! Thank you again and thank you @BookwormAHN for hosting!! #MWS #ModernWitchSwap

Received my #HHS package today, thank you @Littlewolf1 ! I also sent my #AHRS package out guarantees by Tuesday the 29th (cutting it close I‘m so sorry 😞). #HauntedHallowSwap #AllHallowsReadSwap #AHRS2024

Of course I forgot to snap a pic when I dropped it off smh, but my #HHS package is on the way, to be delivered Saturday the 26th! #HauntedHollowSwap

I received my #MWS package yesterday (eek I‘m so excited Grace, thank you again!!) and sent mine out today! There was a delay with the books but I sent it FedEx express guaranteed delivery by Thursday, the 24th. #ModernWitchSwap

I received my #AllHallowsReadSwap package yesterday!! Thank youuu @JessieKB!! I will be sending mine out this week. #AHRS

Omg!!! I was sick yesterday so sorry I missed opening day, but I am ELATED!!! @Pogue this is such a sweet box I am spoiled!!! Two of my most anticipated books, my favorite chocolate covered sunflowers seeds and toffee candy, my absolute favorite coffee, delicious smelling pumpkin candle, bookmarks, lovely mug, yummy jelly beans and a card!! You are amazing!!! #FFFS #FallingForFallSwap

The plot pulled me in faster than expected. I found the FMC a bit whiny and overly emotional, but I liked her previous and current love interests. Her previous being used as a deus ex machina was a bit too convenient. The descriptions of Paris and other European countries were immersive, and the cat-and-mouse game with high stakes was addictive. Entertaining popcorn thriller with surface-level info on blood antiquities for a light pick!

Sneaking in on the final minutes of #FirstLineFridays.
“At Nice‘s Côte d‘Azur Airport, the pretty woman coming down the jetway looked like every other bleary-eyed traveler.”

Yayyyy I got my #FFFS package today!! Thank youuu @Pogue!!! #FallingForFallSwap

My first Shari Lapena and it won‘t be my last! Very accurate depiction of how SA allegations are many times improperly handled in society (nothing graphic), and shows how many ways a human can be a monster, even if they aren‘t a killer. Recommend this for anyone who enjoys small town mysteries full of secrets covered up and murderers hiding in plain sight. 4⭐️s
TLDR: a farmer finds a dead girl in his field and there are several suspects.

Sent out my #FFFS today and it should arrive by Monday the 23rd! 🤗 #FallingForFallSwap

I got this gorgeous edition from Pango and I‘m so excited!! I started this as a library read last year but didn‘t finish because life got busy smh. However, I was loving it so I will definitely read it this fall!! 🤗 #spooky #vampire #horror #coverlove #fantasy #historicalfiction #gothic #queer #lgbt #fall

An atmospheric read set on the beautiful coast of the Georgia Golden Isles. Deena, a non-practicing attorney trying to put her life back together, finds herself in danger while trying to solve the mystery of a missing elderly man and his land that was possibly worth killing over. Includes Gullah Geechee culture, family drama, info about heir‘s property laws taking land from the disenfranchised, and magical realism with a bit of an unrealistic end.

I fell asleep last night before I could open my #AllHallowsReadSwap package and just now sitting down to do it. Omg!! @Christine you went above and beyond!! I am SO EXCITED lol. These 2 books are so high on my TBR, and the candy!! White chocolate Reece‘s, caramel M&Ms, candy corn, and my favorite, candy corn pumpkins!!! I love the card and the pencils and bookmarks are super cute! Thank you so much!! @MaleficentBookDragon thanks for hosting! #AHRS

I finally got to sit down and open my #modernwitchswap package!! Thank you sooo much @Pigpen_Reads!! I love everything!! I‘ve been wanting the tagged book for so long and I already started reading through Juliet Diaz‘s Witchery!! The trick or treat bags are so cute and perfect for my girls to use lol! I love how thick the bookmark is and I‘ve already started eating the cherry throat drops and fruit roll ups!! 😅 I‘m so happy!! #MWS

I received my #AllHallowsReadSwap package yesterday!! Can‘t wait to open it! It‘s a bit battered but I think it‘s fine lol. Thank you @Christine!! I can‘t wait to open it! #AHRS

My #AllHallowsReadSwap package was sent out and will arrive by Friday!! So sorry I was running behind! #AHRS

I‘m so behind on so many posts!! 😩😩 I sent off my #ModernWitchSwap package last week and it says it has been delivered over the weekend. I also received mine! Thank you @Pigpen_Reads I can‘t wait to open it!! #MWS

Catching up again! 😅 #AutumnPlease #PhotoChallenge Day 2: #cobwebs I didn‘t really have any books I own that fit this prompt so I searched and found this one, and I‘m actually interested in reading it now! #scarathlon #batbrigade

Is it too late to post my #autumnplease Day 1 #orangestack? 😩 I could use some extra #scarathlon points! #photochallenge #batbrigade

#ScarathlonPhotoChallenge Day 2: #Skeleton #Bones I need to finally get to this @AardvarkBookClub read! I love how the skeleton hand matches my spooky light up ones. #aardvark #aardvarkbookclub #scarathlon #batbrigade

I finished this too early for #scarathlon, but it still works for the #scarathlonphotochallenge Day 1: #black.

I‘m super interested in deep sea science, so I loved the info about submersibles & creatures that live that deep. I wish there was more mermaid horror in the middle like at the beginning & end, and I‘m not a fan of insta love or scientists making dumb decisions, but I still recommend for an Oct read! #batbrigade #pop23 mythical creatures

I am so excited about my #FFFS package! The big bag of m&ms, the candles, cute towels and pumpkin welcome sign!! My FAVORITE coffee!!! I‘ll be using my notebook starting today to track #scarathlon points/readathons!! And the books!! I just finished a deep sea horror book so I‘m super excited to read Meg! The other 2 have been on my TBR forever! I love a bloody fairy tale & quirky romance! Thank you so much!! @Mommamanzi I think this was from you?

Wow! I opened up Litsy today and my feed was full of #Scarathlon posts! I love it lol! This is my (sure to change) TBR of spooky and cozy reads! #batbrigade

As others mentioned, this was different from what I expected but I still enjoyed the story of 3 Ramirez women coping with the loss of Ruthy when she disappeared at 13 & the hope that drives them to track her down when they believe they see her on a reality TV show. Overall very light-hearted and humorous despite some tough topics, yet heartbreaking. The author narrates exactly how she probably envisioned for the reader to experience this. 3.5⭐️s

This looks fun!
1. I‘d say it‘s a tie between dinner and brunch. I love the creativity of brunch (and mimosas) but I also love a great dinner!
2. The Holiday Swap (tagged) was a baking foodie‘s dream and I loved the dual POVs of hosting a baking show and running a small town bakery. And a book I recently read, River Woman, River Demon was filled with authentic, delicious Latin dishes. 😋

#Two4Tuesday

My #Scarathlon #watchlist so far! I‘m thinking a mix of cozy and horror classics and eerie contemporary adaptations. There‘s still time to sign up! #BatBrigade

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnawYo1IDsBAr2s_LlqzBQlxM8KGwIqDxE1Dm4...

My #FallingForFallSwap package made it out today! Just under the deadline.😵‍💫 FYI it‘s in a bag they covered it with but the box is inside! #FFFS

Highlighted selections are my preferences for #MWS This or That! 🔮 #ModernWitchSwap

Eek!! My #FallingForFallSwap package came today and I‘m so excited!! There isn‘t a Litsy handle on the outside so the mystery continues for who it may be from! Thank you!!

There was a delay in my last book I ordered and it came yesterday, so I will be sending my package out tomorrow priority mail! 🍂 🍁

#FFFS

My aesthetic board for the #ModernWitchSwap! I‘m trying to learn more about cultural Magick rituals and healing, hoodoo, voodoo, brujería, etc. And I also love anything southern gothic! #MWS

I‘m reading more now than I have in years because of Fable, I think because all the groups I‘ve joined have helped take the pressure off of what I decide to read next lol.

Next up, something a bit different for me. A mockumentary set in the Mariana Trench. I‘m intrigued by anything deep sea related so this should be fun!

“Stumbling from the cool of the air-conditioned hotel foyer into the steamy white heat of the night does nothing to sober him up.”

I honestly wouldn‘t have known from this first line just how engrossing and addictive this story would be. My first Lisa Jewell I‘ve started, although I own several others from #BOTM that are unread. 🫣 Highly recommend the #audio for this. The voice acting is superb!

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Eek!! I won this gorgeous copy in a Fable book club and I‘m so excited to start it! I never win anything lol. Yay for #bookmail!

A refreshing blend of magical realism and mystery/thriller centered around brujeria, other cultural Magick, and being haunted by past trauma. The characters were complex and frustrating, yet at times relatable. Who can you really trust in life; can you even trust yourself? If you don't mind unlikeable characters, this is a great fall #witchy read full of culture! 4⭐️. #pop23 features 2 languages. The #audio was nicely done and lots of food refs!

I still have no idea what‘s going on in this book, it‘s like a fever dream. But plenty of beautiful, relatable quotes!

I should definitely be going to sleep, but I just started this book for a Fable book club and I‘m so intrigued. I went into it blind not knowing it was a #witchy read perfect for Fall reading and Litsy events!

3.5⭐️s rounded up. This is for anyone who simply wants to be entertained! A popcorn thriller if you will. Grab the kind with extra butter, suspend all disbelief, and enjoy this wild ride full of family drama, unlikely coincidences, an impressive number of twists, and the somewhat gothic atmosphere of a crumbling old mansion. A #BOTM I listened to on #audiobook. #pop23 #BookTok rec

Not a traditional romance or rom-com as the focus was on life. Isla battles depression and social anxiety and I really related to her. She is somehow able to communicate with her near future husband after a tragedy. As Isla learns to manage mental illness, she also must devise a plan to recreate her life with Ewan, who doesn‘t know her yet. Grief and second chances with a sprinkle of magical realism. 4⭐️ #Aardvark #pop23 song lyric title

I am so enjoying this. I was drawn to it before it came out and had a feeling I‘d love it. Horror, mental health, spousal weaponized incompetence, generational curses. I think I may have found my favorite book so far this year! This is a library loan but I‘ll be adding it to my personal library.

Working my way through this #Aardvark pick little by little. I identify so much with the MC‘s anxiety and bouts of depression and self doubt. I also don‘t typically do romances but this one really tugs at my heartstrings and I wish I had joined in time to get it in my box. I love a second chance romance plus a literal second chance at life theme! It‘s just a lot to take in at times lol. I‘m really hoping for a happy ending! #audio

I enjoy millennial corporate stories, especially when they highlight challenges black women face. I also didn‘t want to put this down because I just had to know how it would end. But it didn‘t fully work for me. The plot device of concocting something to essentially strip away your blackness was weird, and there was zero development of the “why” concerning who was really behind the sinister conspiracy. #BOTM #Pop23 Becomes a TV series in 2023

Be transported to the days of Partition! Three sisters with secret desires. Priya wants to be a doctor like her father & still have love, but ambition may cost her everything. Deepa‘s forbidden romance may also cost her everything. And forgotten Jamini, faithful yet overlooked, jumps at the chance to secure her own fate with love. They all must cope with death, political unrest, religious intolerance, & sexism. #BOTM #India #Pop23 Love triangle

A young black violin phenom navigates racism, financial disadvantages, self doubt, family drama, and conspiracies to steal his inherited, beloved fiddle, all while preparing for the biggest musical competition of his life.

My husband and I enjoyed this #audiobook on a couple of road trips. The terrible single black mom was too stereotypical, and many of the racist incidents were extreme, but based on his own experiences. 4⭐️ #pop23 friend rec

This was a fast-paced crime thriller offered by #aardvark. I really enjoyed Detective Rita. She‘s 60 with a fellow detective love interest (not the focus of her POV though) and I appreciated her character. I was wrong about who the killer was and although the motive was far-fetched, the small twist helped it make more sense. I didn‘t feel very connected to the MC but the plot was engaging and #audio was well done. 3.5⭐️ #pop23 book with a pet

Library loan and #Aardvark pick. Overall this debut was humorous and touched on some very real topics that need to be discussed more, but it was mostly surface level, and didn‘t truly incorporate Prince into the mix. I appreciated the commentary on weaponized incompetence and unreal expectations of working parents (particularly moms), but cringed at the cheating husband excuses and general expectation that he‘d be forgiven. #Pop23 about a family

A soft pick. I never thought I‘d read a Colleen Hoover book as her others seem to be focused on themes like domestic violence “romance” and that‘s just a no for me lol.🤮 But this domestic thriller got passed around during a group trip to India and it was a surprisingly entertaining guilty pleasure.🥴 Dark, fluffy, sexy. Like binge-watching a new series with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine. #pop23 a self-published book

I love satirical pieces on class, religion, sexism, and power, but I‘m not sure if that‘s what this was. It was almost too ridiculous. The childish lord with no ambition who played disgusting “games” with the servants, the priest who simply pretended to be religious, the townspeople too oblivious to make a connection between their famine and the manor‘s bounty. Cannibalism wasn‘t even the most disturbing part! I‘ll read Moshfegh again though.