January 2025 #Bookspin and #Doublespin picks.

Happy New Year everyone!
I‘m starting my new year with murder and hot cocoa.
How about you?

I had to hit Barnes and Noble to return some Xmas duplicates today and picked up these three beauties ties. For the life of me I couldn‘t find my copy of The Ex Hex anywhere so I bought a new one.

My wintery bookspin list for January 2025.
It may not be cold in Virginia but it is in my #TBR. 😁

@thearomaofbooks

12/31/24 Updated with 4 new choices. including January's #LitsySciFiBookClub ( #LSFBC ) and #AgathaChristieClubR3 ( #ChristiesCapers ) picks.

Thank you so much @alexus_sb for this scare-tastic #NaughtyListHolidaySwap! I love it! Agreed that these are the best Reese‘s shapes. I‘ve beenvery into space horror this year, so what better one is there but Alien?!?
The book sleeve! It is one of the best I‘ve ever seen. Did you make it?
Thank you so much. It was a perfect morning opening up these gifts.
Thank you @WildAlaskaBibliophile for hosting this creepily festive holiday swap. 🖤🖤🖤

Sorry for the late post. Thank you @TexReader for this #jolabokaflodswap24 book. I've been wanting this one for quite a while. I feel I may need some tissues though.

Sorry for the late post; I've been dog sitting and then with the family since yesterday. Thank you @Forestandcrow for the book and candy. This was my number one book wish for the holidays. Happy Jólabókaflóð!

Sorry for the late post. Thank you @Catsandbooks for this fun @jolabokaflodswap24 gift. I am all about the chocolate orange this year and I'm thrilled to be continuing on this series I recently started. And I really like the bookmarks.
Happy Jólabókaflóð!

It's #jolabokaflodswap opening day!!!
Post your gifts so we can all ohh and ahhh over them.
I will not be able to open mine until later today as I am puppy sitting my sister's dogs until this evening. The wait is torture.

This new release is a #kindledailydeal today for $2.99 if you haven‘t picked it up yet.

I already have it as a #botm selection but I did get these four other books.

There are a lot more holiday themed books on sale today as well.

There are some cute looking holiday cozy mystery #kindledailydeals today. 🎄🧑‍🎄🎁🎅
I managed to only buy one.😹

We are down to the wire for this year‘s #jolabokaflodswap
If you HAVE NOT received your package yet please let me know and I‘ll try and get some tracking for you.

After 2 disappointing holiday cozies I‘m hopeful for this one.

@Avanders the 📦 finally made it here!
Is it for a swap?
You should be getting one from me by the end of the week. I‘m keeping my eye on the tracking. It has a #JolabokaflodSwap gift in the bag, and everything else in the box is for the #NaughtyListHolidaySwap.

I also got another one of my #jolabokaflodswap packages today as well.

I wish I had discovered this before I sent out my #naughtylistholidayswap 📦.
Best. Ornament. Ever.

I got my #naughtylistholidayswap package today.
It is Harpy approved.

I am in ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️ with my #stuffedstockingswap 🎁. Thank you so much @Laughterhp ! Everything is perfect for a cozy night in. I‘ve already started raiding my bar to see what I can put in the infusion jar. It goes perfectly with the cozy witchy books. Thank you!!!
And thanks to @Avanders for hosting this wonderful swap. It is the perfect mid-holiday pick me up.

A nice London Fog with this holiday Christie.

Finishing wrapping and packing all my swaps to take to the post office this morning.
#jolabokaflodswap #littlechristmasswap #lcs #naughtylistholidayswap #nlhs

12/17/24 Update. This was just bad. Ugh.

Number 3 in my “cold weather holiday themed mystery/thriller quick reads” book binge.

So far this month-
Five Total Strangers
Christmas Presents

This was an okay mystery.
I l❤️
-the book references
-the quirky characters
-competent police & an amateur detective working together

I did not like
-so many minor character POVs throughout the book
-never got to really know anyone well because there were so many characters
- I didn‘t hate it, but I it was slow & I found myself skimming a bit in the middle.

Thanks to #netgalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay teen thriller that I really sped through. No big surprises, but entertaining enough.
What I did love was the atmosphere. I felt the cold & snow, the carsickness. I used to drive from Scranton to school in the Poconos on I-80. I‘ve done 360s on that highway, so their struggles driving through the blizzard rang true.
Living in Virginia now & missing the snow, this was a nice treat to read w/ cocoa on this rainy day.
So it‘s a pick.

Waiting at the emergency vet. My sister‘s rescue dogs attacked each other today. It was very frightening trying to separate them.

My (late) #naughtylistholidayswap aesthetic.
#nlhs

I‘ve been either in bed or on the couch sick this week.
Harpy and my sister‘s new rescues (Prue and Piper) kept me company.
I did manage to stay awake long enough to finish these two short novellas.
I liked them both but this one a bit more.

I was enjoying the story, and then…
It ended. Not very satisfying.
I feel there was more to tell.
Oh well. ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

Received my #stuffedstockingswap package last week but forgot to post. 😔
#sss

Next up from the library.

December #bookspin and #doublespin picks.
@thearomaofbooks

Harpy is “helping” me knit a Sophie Scarf for one of my holiday swaps. I‘m usually all about bright and obnoxious colors, but right now I‘m loving these moody neutrals. I think it will go really well with denim. I hope my match likes the scarf and this yarn.🤞
#knittersoflitsy

I MAY have gone a little wild buying ebooks lately.
Damn those daily deals and Cyber Monday specials.
The problem is (well, one of the problems) is that I tent to forget what I have on my kindle. Which is why I have multiple copies of books. 😔 😠 Not good for the budget. 😞
Have you read any of these? What‘s a good one to start with?
I loved The Answer Is No.

Oh #BOTM you got me again!
I had skipped a lot of months this past year and was going to cancel my membership.
My membership was on hold and I had to either keep it or cancel my it this month.
I caved. There were at least 10 books I wanted to get between this month‘s selections and recent add-ons.
So I renewed for another year. 🤷‍♀️
What did you all get?
I‘m excited for all three of these.

All #JolabokaflodSwap24 matches have been sent out.
We have 108 people participating this year!

Remember to post when you send out and recieve your packages.
Opening day is December 24th.

#JS2024

Thank you for those that have already emailed me to confirm receiving their matches. There were a couple of people whose email addresses got bounced back. I've left comments for them to email me so they can get their matches.

My holiday-ish themed book list for #bookspin and #doublespin.
@thearomaofbooks

Last call to sign up for this year's #jolabokaflodswap.
I‘m closing the form tomorrow afternoon so I can make up the matches.

We have almost 100 participants.

Sign-up here-
https://forms.gle/sVGxyNA5aQzFfdZA7

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChmgxDAZbW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzR...

@litsyevents

Cold rainy day reading. I feel like I need another creature feature, forest horror.
PA and NY got snow. This will be my first winter in Virginia and I‘m missing the snow already.
I won‘t miss driving in it to work though.

#bookmail!
3 for Christmas swaps and 6 for me.
Sounds about right. 😊
#bookhaul

And with that I‘ve completed my #GoodReadsChallenge for this year.
Though I did read about 5 short stories recently so I think I still have 5 more books to read to REALLY reach my goal.

This rainy day called for a mocha and some Sager.

#bookmail!
My #aardvarkbookclub is the tagged book.
And I always like adding to my Coates collection.

I just got back from visiting PA. Just in time too since I wanted to read this one next and it was at home.

Hello everyone. Get ready for this year's #jolabokaflodswap. I think this is our 6th year!

Sign-ups will be open until Sunday, November 24th.
You can sign-up for up to three swaps.
I hope you are all as excited as I am.

Sign-up here-
https://forms.gle/sVGxyNA5aQzFfdZA7

If you have never heard of Jólabókaflóðið check out this story-
https://jolabokaflod.org/about/founding-story/

#jolabokaflodswap2024

@litsyevents

I‘m currently up in PA with the #manpanion.
This morning I had tea with a cinnamon swirl donut.
I just finished putting pork stroganoff into the crockpot for dinner.
Then I‘m cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry.
I plan on spending the evening reading, knitting, and playing backgammon with the manpanion (who does not have WiFi so no computer work or tv streaming😬).
Tag @BookwormAHN @Avanders @dabbe
#saturdaychatterday ⬇️

Some #audioknitting while working on Steven West‘s Botanic Shawl last night; with Asuka‘s “help”. She kept chewing on the grey yarn.🧶 🐈
#catsoflitsy #knittersoflitsy #charityknitting

2 insomnia driven $1.99 kindle buys this evening.😁
#kindledailydeal #kindledailydeals

Books Three/Four:
This is not a recommendation per se.
These just look like fun and they are on my Xmas wish list.

#threelistthursday

Book Two:
This is a light fluffy Christmas installment of the Vampire Knitting Club cozy series. It is #4 in the series but I think it can be read alone.
#threelistthursday

Book One:
This is a fun Christmas horror by the author of the Bernie Sanders and the Obama/Biden cozy mystery series.
I also love his Mothman Cryptid comics.
#threelistthursday

Two down and two in the works for #tenbeforetheend
I‘m thinking I might actually make it.
That would also put me on track to complete my #bookspin and #doublespin reads 100% this year; something I have never done before.😸

My November #bookspin pick is up next. I need something a bit lighter after The Silent Companions, a few episodes of the 4th season of The Boys,and yesterday‘s events.
The black blob in the bad lighting photo is Harpy, thrilled that I‘m reading another book with a cat in it. 🐈‍⬛
Unfortunately my paperwhite is dying and won‘t hold a charge for very long. 😿

Sunsets (sunrises are beautiful and peaceful but I am not a morning person)

Ghosts, Gaslighting, Both?

#two4tuesday

Tag you‘re it @Sace @Avanders