Well, my #20in4 #readathon has been a complete bust so far. Ended up with severe heat stroke on Australia Day & have been paying for it since(my useless body doesn‘t take kindly to misuse)but I‘m hoping to rally to reread the 1st in a favourite fantasy series. Wish me luck! #JumpStart2023

I‘ll be joining this weekends #20in4 #readathon but I‘ll be going on EST this month as I‘ll be babysitting my grandson all day, which is NOT conducive to great read time. All the Can I, What‘s That & I‘m hungry kinda ruins concentration. So I‘ll be raring to go by 4pm! Prob start with some audio journaling to a new audiobook(have a credit burning a hole in my virtual pocket)& I‘m still working on my bujo.🙄Looking forward to achieving 20hrs!

My Australia Day🇦🇺was spent with family at Australiana Pioneer Village, until the heat drove us home!(37C today🥵) This is where I used to have my Lolly Shoppe & hubby was the blacksmith 25yrs ago. It was brilliant watching my grandkids running around, feeding the animals,riding the train & going on a wagon ride. And the re-enacters were amazing, one of the red coats even shook my grandbaby‘s hand & let him follow him around. Going back in May💗

My stats for the #JoyousJanuary #readathon is here. Sorry it‘s late, we‘ve had a gastro bug go right through the house, I‘ve only just finished my bout of it. Fun times🤢 I managed 5 books with a total time of almost 46hrs. I‘m pretty happy with that. Also hit all 3 formats with physical, audio & digital books in the mix. Thanks again to our brilliant leader for the motivation🙌. Great start to the year💥

Bk9 of #JumpStart2023 & Bk5 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done. This was another winner for me, I totally enjoyed it. Reminded me of Red, the Bruce Willis movie if Willis, Malkovich & Freeman were women. Really hope there‘s another book, these women were awesome! Highly recommend. #BookspinBingo #Booked2023 #SetIn2TimePeriods #FourFoursIn23 #FunnyMoney #ISpyBingo #Pantone23 #CherryTomato #NoBuy2023Bingo #Pop23 #ReadYourShelf2023

I have been thoroughly enjoying this romp/revenge story about four women, recruited into an elite group of off government assassins in the 70s, only to be put on a kill list when they retire 40yrs later. Forced to use the skills the agency gave them to survive the attempts on their lives, they decide to go after the asshole men responsible. Halfway through already and totally loving it! #Jumpstart2023 #JoyousJanuary #readathon

Bk8 of #JumpStart2023 & Bk4 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done. This was brilliant! Had no clue what it was about, saw it on Waterstones cheap & loved the cover so I preordered it. Glad I did. It‘s a YA(sort of)thriller/horror about a group that meet online & decide to meet irl to play a “game”. Trust me, it‘s really good. #BookspinBingo #Booked2023 #WeirderThanExpected #WickedWords #ISpyBingo #Pantone2023 #BeetrootPurple #NoBuyBingo #ImpulseBuy

Bk7 of #JumpStart2023 & Bk3 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done! I finished this one on Thursday night but been haven‘t been on till now. Listened to this while #audiojournaling it wasn‘t a bad insight into Chris Watts personality, but the narrator was awful, which is why it‘s a so-so. At least I got some challenges in my bujo. #BookspinBingo #NonFictionBingo

Currently doing some more #audiojournaling as I‘ve somehow ended up with a list of about 50-60 #ReadingChallenges for 2023. And I might have gone a little crazy acquiring a #stationeryhaul that may or may not be larger than what is in this picture🤦🏻‍♀️And I‘m no artist!! Why do I do this to myself?!? #JumpStart2023 #JoyousJanuary #readathon

Bk6 of #JumpStart2023 & Bk2 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done. Took me longer than I expected as I‘ve been doing Nanna duties(school holidays🙃).One of my favorite Will Trent books, it brings Will & Sara together in Atlanta. It‘s also one of her more gruesome murders(cringeworthy), with an unexpected killer. 4.5⭐️ #BookspinBingo #SeriesLove2023 #NoBuy2023Bingo #Pop23 #ReadItAgainSam #BacklistReadathon #CloakDaggerChal

Bk5 of #JumpStart2023 & Bk1 of #JoyousJanuary #readathon is done! The 2nd in the Will Trent series, this is the book the new tv series is based on. I enjoyed this much more than Triptych, there‘s more Will & Faith joins the cast. I just wanna give Will a big hug! GBI is called to a scene as a favor to the governor. But Will sees what the cops don‘t, the wrong girl is dead & there‘s another missing. #BookspinBingo #SeriesLove2023 #NoBuy2023Bingo

Excuse the awful photo, it‘s past 4am and I‘m still up reading this, the 2nd Trent novel. This is the one the current TV series is based on, rich white girl is found dead at home, mother kills “attacker” except dead girl is not the supposed girl & the “attacker”was really a victim too. Cops realize first girl has been abducted, chaos ensues with lots of finger pointing & blame. Media,predictably, go wild. Loving it at halfway point. #JumpStart2023

Bk4 of #JumpStart2023 is done! A reread, it‘s the 1st in her Will Trent series & was just as fabulous the 2nd time round. I‘d call it Trent 0.5 really as he‘s not the MC of the book, it‘s told from multiple POVs including his, Angie‘s & another Atlanta cop. A woman is found dead, mutilated & raped which at first is written off as one of her johns, until Trent links it to 3 other vicious rapes. #BookspinBingo #Booked2023 #WronglyIncarceratedMC 👇

After trying a few new books and none taking, I‘ve decided to try a reread of the Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter. The new series isn‘t available in Aus, unless you do the whole VPN pretending you‘re in the US thing, which I cannot confirm or deny that happened😉but it seems alright. Not sure about Angie though, she‘s not psychotic enough yet. #JumpStart2023

Bk3 of #JumpStart2023 is finally done! This is over 31hrs long, but so worth it. About the beginning of the AIDS crisis, it infuriated me, made me think & most of all made me so sad. The infighting & bullshit from gov, doctors & the gay community is just unfathomable. The fact it hit them first complicated the issue unnecessarily & caused so many needless deaths.😢 #BookspinBingo #Booked2023 #AboutAPandemic #NonFictionBingo2023 #IWillSurvive👇

#JumpStart2023 Spent today trying to sort through all my 2023 Challenges for my bujo(why do I do this to myself every year??🤦🏻‍♀️)and listening to this NF audiobook about the start of the AIDS crisis 40yrs ago. It‘s making me so mad it‘s getting harder to concentrate. I knew the first years were bad, but the apathy of the government, doctors & even the community it hit the hardest is just unfathomable. Prolonged deaths by the thousands😠

Got some #audiojournaling done today,finally! I only just got my new journals, auspost is really doing a great job lately.Not.😠At least they‘re here now.Do you like my new journal? Special edition with my name on the cover. I love it!Totally worth the extra money. I‘ve been meaning to read the tagged book for years, finally getting to it for the 40th anniversary of the start of the AIDS epidemic.So infuriating and so so sad🏳️‍🌈🫶 #JumpStart2023

Bk2 of #JumpStart2023 is done! And yes, it was an all nighter which is why I‘m only now posting after passing out! A reread, it was just as fabulous as the 1st time around. It‘s a 60s SFF that‘s definitely stood the test of time & is on my list of #TopTenSFFOfAllTime I loved the new movie but the book is SOOO much better. #BookspinBingo #SeriesLove2023 #ChunksterChallenge2023 #FourFoursIn23 #TreasonSeason #NoShameReadathon23 #Pantone2023

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge Today is apparently Women Rock day & so the prompt was post the women in any field you think rock. In authors, it had to be Karin Slaughter. Brilliant writer & lovely person. And then my bold women rockers. Janis Joplin of course, Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Pink, Lady Gaga & the incorrigible and totally irreplaceable Miss Chrissie Amphlett. All women who are completely & unashamedly their badass selves.🤘

I‘m about 2/3rds of the way through this chunkster on the 3rd day of #JumpStart2023 Hope to maybe finish it by the morning, I think an all nighter is in the works! I‘m astounded once again, how a SFF book written in 1965 can sound so current & meaningful. It‘s basically a book about climate change with a Messiah story woven through. Brilliant🌵🪱🏜️

Oh Sharni! You are simply the nicest person I‘ve yet to meet. Thank you so much for the replacement package for the #AussieSecretSanta swap. I‘ve been dying to get my hands on a hard copy of Surrender & the #ozfoction book looks very intriguing. The bookmark is gorgeous & I can‘t wait to dig in to that chocolate(unfortunately it‘s still breakfast time here). I‘ll let you know the minute my original package shows up(if it does🤷🏻‍♀️)

Currently rereading Dune as my 2nd #JumpStart2023 book, and it‘s just occurred to me that maybe Robert Jordan in his Wheel Of Time series patterned the Aiel on the Fremen. Both desert people, both with a reverence for water & both a brilliant fighting people. And both looking for their Messiah. Food for thought🤔

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge Todays prompt was post something that made you laugh. This audiobook had me giggling to myself in a corner like a madwoman. It‘s a ridiculous story, about a child that gets an angels Xmas wish & ends up creating zombies. But it‘s the whole thing that shines, the place, the characters. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook, read by a newscaster, the juxtaposition between his voice & the ridiculousness going on is just👌

I completely forgot I haven‘t posted my #Bookspin #Doublespin & #BookspinBingo list for January yet! So here it is, with one book already read🤷🏻‍♀️

Congratulations & Happy Birthday @wanderinglynn A brilliant achievement lovely! I‘d love to receive the tagged book, I‘ve heard great things about it👍

#300kBirthdayGiveaway

Bk1 of #JumpStart2023 is done! This is officially the 1st book in the Witcher,though it‘s more an anthology of short stories about Geralt the 1st seasons of the tv series have been based on. While it doesn‘t have the same charisma as Henry Cavills Geralt(the man says more with a hmm than Shakespeare could!)it‘s still a great intro to that world. #BookspinBingo #Bookspin #FourFoursIn23 #ArmourCharmer #NoShameReadathonChallenge2023 #SeriesLove2023

For my #JumpStart2023 I‘m not writing out a list, I‘m absolutely awful at keeping to lists🙄,so I‘m just hoping to clear a few books off my huge #MountTBRShelvesOfDoom Not only do I have the large double stacked bookcase in the spare room, there‘s stacks all over the place as well. The only ones that are definitely on my list are Babel & The Last Wish(which I‘ll be starting the year with)Good luck to all our participants, let‘s make 2023 awesome!

Happy new year from Sydney! My new year resolution is to get back to my reading best🤞🤞🤞and hopefully get my garden back up & running! What‘s yours? #HappyNewYear

Yay! Finally received one of my #JolabokaflodSwap packages today. Thank you so much Krysta, I‘ve been dying to read this book, plus it‘s a B&N exclusive hardcover edition🙌The chocolate also smells amazing. I‘m so sorry postage was that much, I thought AusPost gouged prices!😱

A very Merry Xmas from Australia to all you wonderful Littens. I hope your holidays are full of love, food & dysfunctional family members like mine. And if you‘re feeling alone, I hope our Litsy community makes you feel less so. Much love & best wishes ♥️💚♥️💚♥️💚

Bk7 of #WinterReadathon & my final book of my #GoodreadsChallenge (110 books in a year that‘s been pretty awful reading wise)is done! The latest Miss Phryne book, it‘s not my favourite but was still an enjoyable read.With multiple storyline‘s involving an opium smuggling gang, fraud at the Blind Institute & anonymous letters, it was certainly a busy novel. But Phryne was her fabulous self & really, that‘s all I need. #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022

Bk6 of #WinterReadathon is done! Pandora‘s Star, while a great read, was a bit much for my brain today(yay Xmas🙄)so I switched to a much lighter, and much more raunchy, SciFi instead. And found myself enjoying it too. It‘s kinda like Fifty Shades but without the handcuffs, & if Mr Grey was a 7ft tall blue alien with horns & a tail. A dozen women are kidnapped by mean aliens & crashland on an ice planet. Sexy times ensue. #BookspinBingo

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge today is either #WinterSolstice theme or #SummerInTheSouthernHemisphere This is a collage of an image from the last 11 Xmas/new years Sydney summers. I know all you Littens out there shivering through the festive period are envious, but we‘re down here wishing for a white Xmas! Honestly✋

Decided to take a break from The Expanse but keeping it in the same genre for Bk6 of #WinterReadathon Got this in last years #JolabokaflodSwap & wanted to (hopefully) finish it before this years (holding out hope both my packages come before Xmas Eve🤞🤞). It‘s a large book at over 1,000pgs but we can dream right?

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge Todays prompt was #ChristmasDecorations and I was gonna go with some tree baubles, but my fave Xmas decorations were the blowups & lights on my house in 2018. We had moving carousels, seesaws, presents that opened up with pop up polar bears, Santa in a dunny, a bikie Santa, a pig in a Santa hat, a TRex, a hot air balloon on the carport, waving Santa on the roof & an exploding star above the verandah. Among others!

@Mitch is starting the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub in 2023. Starting in January, there‘ll be a book each month from one of the best golden age crime writers published, including Dame Agatha, Miss Sayers & many more. Original post is on his page, if interested let her know there. And let other Littens know if you think they‘d be interested too & repost away!

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge I‘m not much for hard lollies(we don‘t call it candy in Aus)but I‘ve always had a thing for Fruit Tingles. They‘re kinda in between a hard & soft lolly, they dissolve on your tongue with a tingly feeling(hence the name).

Bk5 of #WinterReadathon is done! The 4th in The Expanse series, Holden & the crew of the Rocinante have been hired by the UN & the OPA to mediate between a group of Belters who‘ve run the Ring & are living on one of the new systems, and the scientific company that‘s been given the charter for it. Complication is there‘s alien ruins on the planet that start to wake up. Not the best so far but still a good read. #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022

Bk4 of #WinterReadathon is done! I actually finished it Thursday and am already 12 chapters into Cibola Burn on audio. Really need to buy the rest of the series in physical form. Another brilliant instalment in The Expanse series, this one was about Holden & the Rocinante at the Ring with Melba in pursuit. IYKYK. Highly recommend this space opera, the characters are brilliant & the story is gripping👍 #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022

Let‘s start off 2023 right with flying through some books that have been sitting on our TBR way too long! Join @Clwojick & me in a friendly, stress free readathon to start the year, make your own goals, choose what targets you want to hit & clear some room for those new releases(like, I know you‘re buying anyway but it‘s a great excuse!) Let‘s have some fun.🥳

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Finally got most of my #JolabokaflodSwap & #AussieSecretSanta packages in the mail yesterday. Didn‘t get a photo coz my daughter took them to the Post Office & forgot to get a pic! Two of my giftees will be getting another package hopefully by next week(buying online is a crapshoot)but their books will be there at least. And my overseas recipient will be also getting two gifts, one directly from the bookstore as I don‘t trust auspost mail times!

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge Todays challenge was Xmas lights so I thought I‘d be a bit nostalgic and show you what my house looked like for Xmas 2018. This is just a few spots of my yard, it had sooo much more going on! I‘ve always loved the lights, being able to walk out my front door & be among them was fantastic. Unfortunately haven‘t put them up since then, but I live in hope. My favourite display was the top picture with the cactus & dog!

Bk3 of #WinterReadathon is done! The 2nd book in The Expanse series & Avasarala is introduced,which is brilliant. I love that the tv series has her from the get go as she‘s one of the best characters of the lot, the grumpy potty mouthed grandma we all need! This book is about Ganymede, the battle, the protomolecule & the search for Prax‘s daughter. Can‘t wait to start the next, if you haven‘t read this yet, why not? #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022

I‘m hoping to move straight into the 2nd book in The Expanse as Bk3 of #WinterReadathon, I‘m looking forward to it as it‘s where Avasarala is introduced, and she‘s my favourite protagonist of the lot! Foul mouthed, bad tempered & a consummate politician, she kicks arse &(maybe)asks questions later. Gotta love a ballsy women.💪

Bk2 of #WinterReadathon is done! I enjoyed this more the 2nd time around as I read a physical copy instead of an audiobook so didn‘t miss anything due to inattentiveness. It‘s not highbrow SciFi but space opera done right & is easily read by non SFF readers. If you watched The Expanse, you need to read the books, there‘s a lot that hasn‘t carried over & they‘re the better for it. Highly recommend #BookspinBingo #SeriesRead2022

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge This menace gives me equal parts frustration & exasperation, but mostly an overwhelming joy. I love him to bits. #grandkidsarejoy

Halfway through Bk2 of #WinterReadathon & am very much enjoying it. It‘s a reread but the 1st time was by audiobook & there‘s a lot I missed due to inattention so it‘s almost like reading it for the first time. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story, regardless of whether you‘re a SciFi reader👍

#WinterReadathonDailyChallenge A few years back we were going all out decorating our house for Xmas for the grandkids. These days we‘re too tired honestly, but we had an inflatable Santa that was almost as tall as my house. Cost a bloody fortune too. I‘m working on my husband to set them up next year for Jaxon🤞🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

Finally got our tree up today as well with help from @Ciara_Rosey Not a real tree this year unfortunately, with all our wet weather lately, Pine trees have suffered so supply is limited and EXPENSIVE! So it‘s an artificial tree but I‘m missing the scent of pine sap badly. Thinking of buying a pine candle or plug in instead🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

“The Scopuli had been taken eight days ago, and Julie Mao was finally ready to be shot.”

My next book has one of the best first lines I‘ve read. It‘s a reread as I‘ve started watching The Expanse again on Prime & need a refresh of what‘s happened so far. And I‘m in the mood for some epic space opera!🚀🪐 #WinterReadathon