A couple Goodreads giveaways I‘ve recently won arrived in the mail today!

I didn‘t care for the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard when it originally came out, and I don‘t think I read beyond the first book, but I am totally open to giving her new series a fresh shot.

So excited for my July #BOTM picks! I was definitely tempted by The Bodyguard also since I‘ve liked all the Katherine Center books I‘ve read, but I‘m going to try to get that one from the library.

Finished one book yesterday, and immediately started into this one! Feeling Rebecca, House of the Spirits, and Mexican Gothic vibes.

Light pick. I was emotionally affected, and was really rooting for April throughout, but felt a bit cheated in character growth, seeing April repeatedly cycle through the same behaviors and patterns over the course of several years. Actions I could sympathize with when she was a neglected & abused 16 yo, were less excusable in her early 20s, still driven to escape out of convenience and embarrassment rather than stay and confront her issues.

I appreciated the peek into deaf culture that the book provided, especially the controversies over cochlear implants, and the characters‘ perspectives coming different backgrounds within the deaf/ASL world. The brief forays into ASL linguistics and deaf history were super interesting. Overall, the plot was a bit weak, though, and the book ended kind of abruptly without much resolution. I was hoping for more payoff w/the revolution subplot.

I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately it was just okay. Most obviously inspired by Frankenstein, the plot was kind of underbaked and had a fantasy/supernatural element I wasn‘t expecting that I think it would have been better without. The romance was sweet, but a bit underdeveloped; somehow they did make a gravedigging make out scene work. 2.5 ⭐️ just for the book, but an extra 1/2 star for a fabulous cover. 3⭐️ final, mild pick.

This was just okay. I think the STEMinista novella series has been a tale of diminishing returns. They‘re too short to really develop the romance sufficiently and the characters are all too interchangeable. Both female & male MCs basically have the same physical and personality traits, minus having different hair colors/styles. I really liked The Love Hypothesis and I think the premises of the novellas were interesting but ultimately underwhelming

@Saknicole has been recommending this to me for a while, and since watching the lovely Netflix series adaptation (also so good!), I finally got to it! Such a sweet story and the comic style illustration is so well done and unique. I read the two chapters included in Volume One as the webcomic version, and the scrolling aspect was really effective.

Onto the next chapters included in Volume Two!

5🌟

Started reading yesterday and now about 60% in!

A few days late posting my June #BookspinBingo. I‘ve already finished a couple books and have started my #DoubleSpin book The People We Keep. I don‘t think I‘ll be as successful this month as I was in May, but fingers crossed 🤞🏼 that I will finish this month‘s #BookSpin and maybe catch up on some lingering options from previous months.

May reading stats from Storygraph. I finished 14 books, and even made a slight dent in my physical and Kindle TBR. My favorite and only 5 ⭐️ read in May is the tagged book, but overall I had a really good month of reading. I have a lot more going on life-wise in June (two weddings, including my sister‘s) so I don‘t think I‘ll be as productive this month. According to Goodreads I am 10 books ahead of my 2022 goal (100 books).

Final #BookspinBingo results for May. I finished both my #Bookspin and #Doublespin and got a bingo! May was a really good month for reading.

If the tagline to Station Eleven is “Survival is insufficient,” then the tagline to this novel would be “No star burns forever.” A really beautiful novel - it is slim, but packs a huge punch. It didn‘t affect emotionally the same way as Station Eleven, but I was still profoundly moved by Mandel‘s treatment of the themes of fate, limitations/extent of human empathy, and the moral implications of technological advancement. Third 5 ⭐️ read of 2022

The Village comparisons are apt, but perhaps give too much away about the mystery at the heart of the community of Pastoral. While I enjoyed this book, and it had a really interesting premise, I feel like it left too much of the world building out of the narrative in order to make the mystery more mysterious. Despite that, I still was able to guess at the main twist. I was more interested in the framing device than the mystery of Pastoral.

I watched the Apple TV series adaptation of this book and really enjoyed it, so needed to checkout the book. This was a fun post-Cold War spy novel. The “slow horses” of Slough House are has-beens and fuck-ups, who have been relegated to busy work outside the MI5 inner circle at Regent‘s Park. The TV series is a very faithful adaptation of the first book, and I hope future seasons are in the works. Just started the 2nd book in the series.

Unfortunately my least favorite of the three Sally Rooney novels, though I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I‘ve been wanting to dig into the new Hulu adaptation after loving Normal People, so I needed to finish this book first. Similar themes/motifs present in her other novels: characters who can both express themselves beautifully in long discursive conversations and emails but also keep their truest feelings opaque to each other.

My bad timing this month meant I didn‘t finish this until after the final #SundayBuddyRead discussion. If you like Simone‘s other supernatural historical mysteries, then this one will also be right up your alley. Elements seemingly inspired by Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the least problematic romance of any of this author‘s books I‘ve read, make this more of a standout. However, I didn‘t really care for the main character or the ghost story plot.

Book review catch up time!

One of the things I miss most about having traditional cable tv is access to the TCM channel. I love the pre and post movie commentary by the hosts and the in between movie featurettes. Alicia Malone is a newer TCM host (post Robert Osborne) and this book is part memoir, part exploration of the women in film that have inspired her. I enjoyed the film history aspects more than the autobiography.

Anyone else underwhelmed by the June picks? I decided to skip this month.

Another day, another book to start…

No big plans for Memorial Day today. Probably meet up with some friends later, but gonna start by digging into my new magazine.

Getting Sunday started off on the right foot.

Came home a bit early from work and was able to sneak in about an hour of reading in the sun. This summer I‘m really trying to make an effort of catching up on my unread #BOTM books. Of course I start with last month‘s pick instead of the ones that have been languishing on my shelf for years…💁🏽‍♀️

A centuries spanning, multi-POV epic, interconnected by a translation of the fictional “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” a lost Ancient Greek text by Antonius Diogenes. Doerr writes lovely prose, but I never felt a strong emotional connection with any of the characters. The ending felt like it was building up to something grand; however, the resolution fell a bit flat for me. Well-written, but didn‘t strike the same chord as All The Light We Cannot See.

Washed and cleaned my car this morning and then set up the hammock for the summer. Chores done, now time to read in the sun!

I originally started this book ages ago from a digital library loan, but I felt I would get more out of it reading in physical format, so I eventually bought the hardback and am finally getting back to reading it. About 60% in and hoping to finish today.

In unrelated, but personal news, my bf proposed on Thursday night with this gorgeous ring! We have been together for 6 years 💗

Loved the premise: August meets a mystery girl on the subway, leading her on an investigation to discover that Jane is trapped in a mysterious time loop. August and her new NYC friends work together to solve the mystery. The cover is also 💯. Great LGBTQ representation, but I felt like some of the character wokeness was a bit over the top and presented without much interrogation of certain characters‘ actions. Also the subway sex made me cringe.

A little bit of forward momentum, but ends on another cliffhanger. While it‘s fun to keep up with these issues as they are released, I definitely enjoyed devouring them in bigger chunks with the collected volumes more. It‘s hard to be as immersed in the story, when I can blow through an issue in less than 30 minutes :/

Mixed feelings on this one. This was my first Franzen, though I am familiar with his books by reputation. If you prefer a book with forward moving plot and a conclusive ending, this isn‘t the book for you. If you‘re looking for richly drawn characters with deep backstories, who are struggling with moral ambiguity, mental illness, temptation, crises of faith, and complicated relationships, then you might love this book. 👇🏼

Cute new bookmarks from @Saknicole 🌷🌺🌸

I‘m confused by the final product of this book. I was definitely interested as I was reading; how could I dislike the novelization of a movie I liked so much written by Tarantino himself? But despite what I liked about it, I can‘t understand why the entire final scene at Rick‘s house isn‘t even in the book. Much of the movie‘s ambiguity about Cliff‘s character is also lost by filling in his entire backstory.

My second STEMinista novella after Under One Roof. This one suffers from the same weaknesses as the other I read: namely, it‘s too short to fully develop the plot or characters. Seems like an unfair criticism of a novella, but both of these would have been much more effective had the story/characters been fleshed out more. I was excited by the Arctic setting of this one only to be majorly disappointed that it was barely an interlude! 3.5 ⭐️

Fresh #BookspinBingo card for May. Mostly #BOTM holdovers from last month, plus a couple others from my #TBR I‘d like to prioritize this month.

BookSpin: A History of Wild Places
DoubleSpin: Cloud Cuckoo Land

I also have a bunch of library borrows I‘m hoping to use for my free spaces. Fingers crossed that 3 free spaces on one line means I‘ll actually get a bingo this month 🤞🏼

Not the best stats for April, but I finished 6 books total and had two really excellent reads: The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. I also finished The Stand, which felt like an accomplishment, if a bit of a letdown, after 4 months of listening.

I made very little progress on my physical TBR, but May is the month I really get serious about finishing the rest of my in-progress books and make a dent in my #BOTM #TBR.

I don‘t read a lot of memoirs, but as a huge Foo Fighters fan, I knew I needed to listen to the this one, narrated by Dave Grohl himself. Full of heartfelt and honest tales from his childhood, years on the road as a rock star, and his family life. The chapter about the grief of dealing with the deaths of Kurt Cobain and his childhood best friend was extra sad knowing of the recent tragic passing of his band mate Taylor Hawkins. 👇🏼

May #BOTM picks are up early! Surprised myself by choosing an add-on this month. I never was into Holly Black‘s YA fantasy books, but her adult debut sounds so interesting! FYI If you choose Book of Night as an add-on, your box won‘t ship until next week.

Borderline pan for me, but I know this will appeal to some readers so going to leave it as a so-so. The premise was cute (romance develops through editing notes in the margins of a manuscript) , but the execution just wasn‘t fully there. I don‘t believe the MC‘s age is ever given, but she seemed immature and unprofessional given her work position and life situation. The slow burn romance is not effective enough to make the ending satisfying.

I was waiting for a library loan, but I couldn‘t wait another 10 weeks, so I ordered this and it arrived today! I need to finish Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and then this will be my next read!

Spent the weekend in Soldotna, AK to visit @Saknicole for her bridal shower! We of course had to make a bookstore stop. This is a small but very cute bookstore attached to a cafe that also sells fancy cheese!

Controversial opinion incoming 🚨

To preface, I 100% understand why this book is considered King‘s masterpiece. I don‘t know if it was just overhyped to me, but it just did not live up to expectations. I think it represents all the best and worst in King‘s writing. It is an epic story (in both premise and length), but ultimately the length feels like it does a disservice to the story and its characters. More thoughts below, spoilers hidden 👇🏼

This was the magical dark academia novel I have been waiting for! Features similar elements to books like The Magicians, A Deadly Education, and The Starless Sea, but this book is more than the sum of its parts. The narration by a full cast really brought the characters to life, and the plot is pieced together perfectly so that some late book reveals have the intended impact. Apparently book 2 comes out later this year - can‘t wait! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Went out to grab coffee and made myself a breakfast bagel sandwich. Hoping to get some reading in today in between chores (so much laundry 😩).

I originally started reading this while on vacation over New Years but got distracted by other books when I got home. Going to dig back in and plan to finish this month!

Is April the month I finally finish The Stand? I finally broke past 50% and am making lots of progress the past week.

Heads up: my final review will probably be an #unpopularopinion 🤫

Updated my letter boards and added this cute new bookshelf print that my bf‘s sister sent me 🌸🌺🌷💐

Thrift store book haul from Saturday. $1.50 for the lot!

I‘m always on the lookout for leather bound volumes in good condition. I‘m pretty picky when it comes to paperbacks. I actually prefer paperbacks because they are so much easier to travel with and I can fit more on my bookshelves. But even when they are really cheap ($.10 each at the thrift store), I only want copies that are in like new condition. This helps me limit myself!

A few pages from the graphic novel that struck me as good examples of the artistic style and use of vibrant color and contrast of light and dark.

First 5 ⭐️ read of 2022!

Clue meets Cabin in the Woods meets Lost? Walter invites his interconnected group of friends on a weekend getaway at a lake house…then chaos ensues? This genre mashup features a gorgeous art style, and it‘s the first graphic novel that has truly gripped me since discovering Saga. The vibrant cast of characters, with Walter at the center of the web, narrate the story in a past/present/future structure. Can‘t wait for more!

Here is my April #BookspinBingo! Carried over all of the #BOTM books from last month. I am hoping I will have a more productive reading month in April, and I will finally make some progress of my BOTM backlog.

BookSpin: The Silence of the Girls
DoubleSpin: True Biz

Not a great reading month for me - I only finished 6 books, and I didn‘t do very well on my bingo card. Both #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin are still on my TBR. I will be keeping all of the #BOTM books from this month for April‘s board too.

This is the last book I finished in March, but it was a good one. It might be my favorite Lucy Foley mystery so far. Foley is skilled at writing unlikeable rich people, and this translates well to the Paris upper class. The MC Jess was the most likeable of the POV characters she‘s created, and I thought the couple of twists thrown at the reader were actually surprising. My attention wandered at bit in the middle section, but I was pulled back in.