4⭐️
This book went off the rails in the best way for me, because it lived up to its building tension and weirdness and bad vibes with a reveal that was as bonkers as it needed to be to not fall flat for me.
This was definitely a favourite last year when I read an advance copy, and one that I will be recommending a lot this year!

This so appealed to me: gothic suspense, an Italian villa, murder, and a book about books.
I couldn‘t put it down! I enjoyed the two time periods in the storyline, with my favourite being Emily and Chess‘s story. And there were some fun twists and turns set against the sunny backdrop of the villa in Orvieto where they‘re staying.I don‘t think this does anything new but I loved the setting and the focus on writing and books. Recommended!

3⭐️ This started off really fun and interesting, but became repetitive and dragged. Definitely like the set up for the next in the series so I'll be checking that out, but I had higher hopes for this one.

I've been away from Litsy for some time but I missed it and wanted to come back. Here's my kitty Walter Waffles helping me decide on my next read! #catsoflitsy

4⭐ I loved this! It was funny and romantic and I liked Izumi‘s exploration of her family past. I can‘t wait for the sequel!

4⭐ Lovely slow burn story; the lighthouse keeping details drew me in.

3.5🌟 I found this book creepy as I am not an outdoorsy person and camping scares and annoys me. So YMMV. The bulk of the story is camping and hiking, where so much goes wrong before anything that‘s more ‘horror story‘ actually happens. When it does get to the horror, it is such a small part of the story.
What really irked me was the abrupt ending, and the length. This book was short! It felt like a lot of set up that didn‘t totally pay off.

I enjoy Kara Thomas‘s books so I was definitely looking forward to this one.
While this isn‘t my favourite of her books (Little Monsters), this was a good, twisty read. The story started out really strong for me, and I quite enjoyed trying to unravel the mystery and that this took some unexpected twists.
This one just didn‘t grab me more, I think because I liked the plot but didn‘t connect to the characters, but it was a fun read. #arc

5⭐I was on the fence about this book initially, because as much as I loved The Martian, I really disliked Artemis. But I started to hear such great things about this book that I couldn‘t resist.
I loved this book so much, and was hooked by the end of the first chapter!
I‘ve read so many books this year but very few that intrigued me, entertained me, made me laugh, and connected with me on an emotional level like this did.

4⭐ This was a dark, strange story that I quite enjoyed! As what I consider a devoted fan of of some musicians and authors, there was a lot for me to take in and sit with here. #advancecopy

3⭐ I really liked this at first, but as it went on I began to lose interest, and it was a bit of a struggle for me to finish. I liked it, generally, but while the fandom aspect was so interesting to me, I didn‘t care for the fanfic excerpts and found them distracting and confusing.
The romance was cute and I liked the chemistry between Marcus and April, but I guess I just wasn‘t feeling all that invested in this one by the end.

My reading buddy this morning! Patiently waiting for his next meal while I read before work 😄

4 🌟This was a really intriguing fantasy that felt fresh and different and surprised me quite a few times. I loved how so much it was such an adventure, but the last third or so felt so slow and almost boring by comparison.

Some #bookmail today to brighten my Monday! #arc #ya

4⭐ Was there entirely too much going on? Yes. Did I anticipate the big shocker within the first chapter? Yes. But did I enjoy the wild ride this book took me on and finish it in 2 sittings? Big yes!

Trying to get some reading in before work! Very excited about the new Riley Sager! #amreading

Some exciting #bookmail today!

4 stars - This was a delightful read! I loved reading about the motel and the people Mia met there, and I loved her friendship with Lupe. There are some tough subjects that Mia and her parents face including racism, poverty, discrimination, and immigration, and Mia's challenge of being the new kid in class. There were moments of sadness and heartbreak, but also joy and happiness. loved Mia‘s bravery and optimism in the face of so many challenges.

4⭐While I read the first half, which is strange and formless, I enjoyed the moments of recognition I had at various memes and tweets and events referenced throughout. It felt surreal and satirical at the same time, hazy and unfocused, but I was happy to keep reading and see if it went anywhere.
The second half was told in the same style, but suddenly was much more focused. It had a huge emotional payoff for me, and I shed some tears by the end.

4⭐(ARC) This was an intriguing story. It gave me dark Gilmore Girls vibes, if Lorelei and Rory had been con artists. The relationship between Phoenix and Nina was the most interesting part of the whole story. There was a darkness to their relationship, and it kept me uncertain about who could be trusted.The story pulled me in right away, and once Phoenix got in with the Bowmans, it was clear that nothing was quite as she had been led to believe.

4⭐ This started as a slow burn for me, but it got its hooks in me and kept reeling me in. I loved piecing things together (sooner than Jacob did, which certainly increased the tension!), and seeing events unfold, and the pace really kicked into high gear towards the end.
If you are looking for a different kind of mystery/thriller, particularly one that starts out slow but manages to pull you in deep before you know what‘s hit you, check this out!

4⭐I loved this book! It‘s a super fun read. I loved the focus on Kat and Stevie‘s friendship, and the way the story took me on their adventures. Honestly, stories that involve miscommunications or bad timing can make me anxious, but this one was a fun ride.

There are a lot of characters, and there is a lot going on but somehow Morgan Matson makes it all work! I laughed, I smiled, I swooned. Recommended!
(Received from the publisher)

I treated myself to some books earlier this month as a birthday gift to myself, and all but one (MINA AND THE UNDEAD, Amy McCaw) arrived today - just in time for a long weekend! Happy Friday!

4 🌟This is the first book in the series that I struggled to get into. The murder mystery didn‘t really grab me at first. I was most interested in the arrival of Carlotta and her claim to be the Duke‘s presumed-dead daughter.There were parallels between Carlotta and Kendra‘s entries to the Duke‘s household.

Overall, while this entry in the series took its time drawing me in, once it did I was happy to be immersed in Kendra‘s story.

A #caturday play session with my recently-adopted cat, and new best friend, Walter Waffles. My reading time is gradually turning into play time 😆

Up next! I'm really excited to get into this book! #currentlyreading

4⭐This collection was so funny (I laughed out loud multiple times), but it was also sharp and insightful, and had a lot of heart. Casey Wilson‘s stories felt honest and open, which I really appreciated when it came to her mental health and grief, and her love for her family, especially her mother, really came through. This was heartwarming, but also unexpectedly tugged at the heartstrings. Casey Wilson is a delight and this was a great read! #arc

5 🌟A great read! Fantastic setting. Reading about New Orleans was fun, and spooky! This book had some of the creepiest and most haunting moments in the entire series. I loved seeing Lara again, and getting more of Jacob and Cassidy‘s friendship. But the stakes were so high that I was so nervous for Jacob. I loved this book, and I‘m satisfied if this is the end of the series, but I would absolutely read more stories set in this world! #middlegrade

4⭐This was a really absorbing, twisty, fun read. There were plenty of surprises and it gripped me from the start. I quite enjoyed this, and it was the first book in a while that really pulled me in that I couldn‘t put down.
It‘s definitely best to go in without knowing too much in advance so that‘s all I‘ll say, but if you want a fun, sharply-written story that will keep you glued to the page, I definitely recommend this one!

4 🌟Pip's struggle with the events in AGGGtM added depth to this story for me.
The mystery was really well done! I had so much fun trying to untangle it, and the author was one step ahead of me and kept me guessing the whole time. Every time I had a suspicion so did Pip, and it was fun to follow along on another investigation with her. I like the incorporation of the podcast and interview transcripts and Pip‘s notes. I could not put this down!

5 🌟 I read this in one day. It was so compelling and because it was about experiences in Canada, it definitely hit close to home and opened my eyes to the way we Canadians love to position ourselves as better than (or “not as bad“ as America), which is unhelpful and is a way of denying what is really happening. This book included stories that made me put the book down and really sit with and examine my privilege, and I highly recommend it.

4 🌟I loved the world and the magic system and the characters! It got a bit info-dumpy at times and I had to really take my time reading it because the magic system was sort of confusing, but I really liked this one and can‘t wait to read the sequel!

#ya

3.5 🌟This was a decent page turner and I liked it overall. The jumps back and forth in time were fun and kept me engaged because it constantly kept me wanting to know more. And while I do enjoy a story about female friendships, when the story became more and more about the girls‘ relationships with the professors at their school, my interest waned.I thought the story was at its strongest when exploring the push and pull between Mac and Gwen.

4 🌟I was pulled into Penny‘s story right away. I saw so much of myself in her that I immediately empathized with her. And my heart went out to Sam. Both POVs were strong and I loved Sam and Penny‘s relationship.But there was more going on than that. Several characters intertwined around Sam and Penny‘s relationship and while it did occasionally feel like too much was going on, I loved that there was more to the story than the romance.

4⭐I was so absorbed in the first half of this book and couldn‘t stop thinking about it.The second part was faster-paced but captivated me less.I loved how things came together (but I struggled with the abrupt ending). The pacing added tension the hectic, frantic scenes in the end and the book weaves matters of race, exploitation, class, and gender into a tense story in a historical setting, in a way that shows how significant they still are today.

4⭐This was a funny romp with a good mystery! I was apprehensive at first-I don‘t always find witty books as funny as they‘re intended, but this was a fun read.Finlay was so easy to root for and I liked how she dealt with the more and more intense and dangerous situations she found herself in. And I liked her relationship with Vero and how it grew into friendship.
I read this as on audio and the narrator was good and kept me engaged the whole time.

3⭐I had high hopes for this book, so perhaps it was a case of misplaced expectations, but I thought it was just okay. It definitely wasn‘t as creepy as I hoped it would be, and while I really liked the historical fiction aspect of the story, the present day story was much less interesting.

There was so much going on, and maybe I would have enjoyed this one more had the focus been on just one story or the other, but I struggled with this one.

This was a fun follow up to The Babysitters Coven. The story gave me a little more insight into the world of the Sitters and their magic, thanks to the Summit. I enjoyed meeting other Sitters and learning about what they could do. This also had an ending that got me looking forward to the next in the series.
The audio was fun too, with the narrator infusing the right amount of snark and attitude to match the writing.
#ya

#currentlyreading Happy Saturday! This is the first book of my #libraryloot that I'm hoping to finish in the next few days

4⭐ This was so fun! I really enjoyed this story about a sorority of witches. The dual narration was effective and I was pleased with myself for solving the mystery! I am looking forward to the sequel! #ya #libraryloot

And with this Friday #bookhaul my Christmas gift cards are finally all spent!

3.5⭐ The first half of this was really effective at showing how Emily got pulled into The Kingdom. I found the second half less satisfying as it felt disjointed and somewhat rushed, but overall this was a tough, unsettling and tense look at cults and how someone can get roped into that world. #ya

A nice little Tuesday #bookhaul !

3⭐ The dialogue and writing were clunky, awkward, and stilted, but the story was inventive enough, and Josie's character development/growth felt insightful enough for me, that I had fun reading this one. #arc #ya

2⭐ This is the second of Rupi Kaur's books I've read and I have to conclude that her work just isn't for me.

3⭐ This was a cute, fun story but at times I felt overwhelmed by how much was going on. I did like the focus on the sister relationship. #arc #ya

4⭐ I read this on audio via Scribd. The narrators were pretty good, butone of them did the most annoying voice for some of the side characters. But this is the first audiobook I‘ve ever finished, so it must be a sign that this was a good audio pick!
As for the story, I've never read Jane Eyre, so I had no idea where the story was going. I really enjoyed the twists and turns!
This was a sharp, twisty, tense read that I quite enjoyed!

4⭐ This was a challenging read for me and I enjoyed taking my time with it and really thinking about what I was reading. The essays were dense and much more thought-provoking than those in other essay collections I've read lately.

3.5⭐ This was a really tense page turner but it also left me feeling kind of wrung out and bleak by the end. #arc