Did I finish anything from my February TBR? No.

Did that stop me from creating another monthly tbr? Also no.

I went with some categories this time around.

#apriltbr

I would have loved this book if I read it when it was first published. I loved Lennie‘s family, the exploration of grief, and of course, Joe. I could have done without the love triangle, Toby (sorry, not sorry) and the choices Lennie made, but I enjoyed the journey.

I spend too much time overthinking TBRs, so this month I randomized my Goodreads TBR and picked the first five that were available on Libby and Everand to focus on.

#focusreads
#Februarytbr

Probably my favorite so far of the Deb Caletti books I've read, but not wow worthy. Her main characters are starting to mature a bit, aside from the slurs thrown around in the last 20% of the book. Her boyfriend was an ass and the parents deserved better. I loved all the characters at the diner.

I'm so glad there is one more volume after this, because I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to these characters.

Could have been a four or five star read, but the second half made it so-so. There was great writing and thoughts about grieving an imperfect person, but the dark tones and unnecessary animal abuse made me sick to my stomach.

Between starting a new job last month and losing my dad suddenly, I needed something silly and mindless to focus on. The main character made stupid as hell choices but this was fast paced and entertaining enough to distract me.

Not perfect but it broke me out of a almost three month reading slump. Short and fairly fast paced, I wanted more to the mystery but it held my interest.

Much better than the previous in the series. I loved the characters and the day to day details of working in a library. Also enjoyed the audiobook narrator. The ending was sad and I thought the culprit and the why of the murder was anticlimactic, especially because it could have gone a different way. I am hoping we get a resolution to the Danny storyline in the next book.

Disappointed with this one, especially after I really liked the first in the series. I couldn't get into the ebook version and had to switch to audio. I liked the narrator but it took almost 40% for the murder and mystery to start. I found the ending lackluster, but I am looking forward to the next one in the series, which takes place at the library again.

#bookreport
Want to start this up again…
"The Summer After You and Me" is my physical book I take to work for lunch breaks. Not pulling me in quite yet.

The murder just happened in “Shadow in the Glass.” Very slow, but I like the narrator.

And I‘m hosting July‘s book club at work, so I just started “Wild."

@Cinfhen

This was so flipping cute. Gideon was the best and I loved the friendship between Claudia and Iris. Can‘t wait to read more by Emma Mills.

Creepy and atmospheric. The last half fell flat for me and I wasn‘t a fan of the sudden, unexplained ending.

I liked this book from the beginning, thought about DNFing in the middle, and ended up finishing it. I don‘t know what it is about Deb Caletti‘s books, but there is always something missing for me. I liked how honest the discussion around anxiety was, but didn‘t care for the romance or the dramatic second half.

This was cute and funny-a nice palate cleanser from my previous paranormal reads. Loved the family relationships and how the romance didn‘t take center stage.

More paranormal/spooky than my previous read and I liked the plot better, but I wasn‘t as entertained by it as I wanted to be.

Why yes, I did create another mood board for this book. ? I was entertained for most of it, but the cardboard dialogue and cheesy "horror" scenes got old, plus a student/teacher 'romance 'that was constantly referred to as "providential"? Ugh.

In a reading slump (again) so I've been catching up on my comic backlog. Entertaining enough to get through, but I felt like some of the story and worldbuilding were missing. May pick up the 2nd one.

This was readable and entertaining enough, but also slow and frustrating. I'm late in the game for this series and college me would have loved it. 30 something me was just exhausted by the insta love and wishy washiness of the main character. Might pick up the second book to see if the world building gets any stronger.

Not wow-worthy, but an entertaining story. I loved the audiobook narrator and the 90s throwbacks. The characters got on my nerves and the ending felt incomplete, but I enjoyed it for the most part.

First book for my library's new book club! This was pretty cute and an easy read. I was invested in the story and characters, even if they did make me cringe sometimes with their actions. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

I‘ve been in such a terrible reading slump since mid-October and did enjoy most of Wild Roses. Probably my favorite out of the three Deb Caletti books I‘ve read so far, but I still get annoyed with the protagonists and their throwaway comments. I‘m still waiting for a Deb Caletti book that I love.

This was so entertaining and a breeze to read. I liked the main character and how she viewed the world. The mystery kept me guessing throughout and I‘m looking forward to picking up the sequel.

Sometimes I think series just aren‘t for me. They tend to drag on too long and I‘m always disappointed by the last book.

I think this series would have been better as a dulogy or a standalone. And it didn‘t need the love triangle, or the many times the main character thought of her love interests using their full names. But it did break me out of a slump and I finished a series.

I really enjoyed this! A solid debut and I liked how I was able to follow along and even guess whodunnit, without feeling over my head. The setting was so creepy and enchanting and I loved the small town atmosphere. Plus the main character is a librarian and there were a lot of moments that were realistic to my job. (Not so much the murder-solving, but the stacks of Publishers Weekly on our desks!)

Oh, I love this series. It was so refreshing to read about a character struggling with their mental health in a way that was both realistic and hopeful.

I love all the characters so much, but Nick‘s mother and Tori were the absolute best in this volume.

I wanted to love this book but there was never a point where I fell in love with it. A page turner for sure, but too much drama and the ending left me wondering what was the point.

Above is my mood board for this book. 😅

Another great volume. I adore all the characters and their relationships. There was some heavier topics in this one which were hard to read, but important to include.

Book two of my attempt to read Deb Calletti and I think I like the idea of her books more than I actually like them. This one was far better then The Queen of Everything, but I still have some problems with her protagonists and the throwaway comments they make about other people. There was some beautiful writing, but I think too much was going on in the storyline for me to be fully invested.

Just as cute and fluffy as the first volume. ❤

Deb Caletti has been on my TBR for quite some time.
I was easily pulled into the story and loved the writing style. I didn't like Jordan and how judgmental she was. Published in 2002, this book definitely shows its age- I got tired and angry with all the fatphobic comments, homophobic slurs, and indifference toward animal cruelty.
Hoping her next book is better.

This was a very strange little book. It pulled me in right away and there was more to the story than a typical dystopian tale. But the last half of the book was too metaphoric and ambiguous for me and I wanted more.

Sometimes you just need a cute and fluffy read. I adored this and cannot wait to read the next volume.

This book had such a cool concept-a senior female Korean assassin-but fell flat for me. It was interesting enough that I wanted to see it through the end, but I wasn‘t wowed by it. Some of the timeline was confusing and I wanted more from the ending.

This book broke my heart, but I loved every minute of it. It had pretty much everything I love-strong characters, a touch of fantasy and paranormal mixed with contemporary, found family, and an atmospheric setting.

This was a cute, entertaining read. The tropes were cute and Theo was all sorts of adorable. I wasn‘t a fan of the love triangle (I rarely am) but I loved the characters and look forward to reading more by the author.

This wasn‘t for me. It started off well, but not much happened plotwise. I would have preferred an adventure story instead of adding in a romance. Most of the side characters were forgettable and I didn‘t like the main character-she came across as too perfect in everything she did.

I won‘t be picking up the sequel, but at least this one is off my TBR shelf.

Still catching up on my #Owlcrate backlog…. This could have been really good, but I struggled to finish it. The pacing was off and as much as I love beautiful writing, it was too much.

I wish the focus would have been more on Scarlett and Tella, instead of the instalove. The fantasy and worldbuilding were lacking in any real consequence and the ending was too tidy. Not sure if I'll pick up the sequel.

A bit predictable and the teenage drama was too much at times. I think it could have been cut down a few hundred pages, but it was entertaining enough to hold my interest.

I flew through this book-the plot, mystery, and atmosphere kept me riveted to the end. My heart absolutely broke for the friend group. While the characters weren‘t perfect or likable by any means, their history and chemistry made them feel alive. A book that will stick with me and one to reread very soon.

I'm so glad this series got revived... But did Marvel really have to cancel it again? With all those cliffhangers??

I first read this book in 2012, which was a Year for me. Rereading this as we approach a third year of a pandemic was a gut-punch, but I‘m grateful for this lonely, lovely book.

A bit of a slow start but an action packed middle. I love the romance and that cliffhanger of an ending gutted me. Can‘t wait for the next book in the series.

The audiobook and the two narrators were fantastic and I loved the first half. But the tense atmosphere quickly gave way to catty characters and an underwhelming ending.

I try to give all my Owlcrate books a fair chance and completely read them, but I struggled with this one. The premise sounded promising, but the writing dragged, both in page count and in scenes.

I usually like supernatural elements in books, but this one was just all over the place and left me frustrated.

I flew through this in two days. The writing, pandemic backdrop, and the general unease of it all kept me riveted to the end. A fantastic, thrilling gothic.

Thank you to NetGalley.

A soft pick, didn‘t like this as much as the first one. Found the mystery to be both underwhelming and confusing. I am really hoping the love triangle has been put to rest, too. I‘m still invested in how it ends and the characters, so I‘ll read the final book.

I like Mary Downing Hahn‘s older books, (Wait Til Helen Comes is my favorite of hers) but this one was disappointing. It wasn‘t very scary and had a slow moving plot. Some of the writing and dialogue was juvenile and others didn‘t seem like it fit with a twelve-year-old. The ending was underwhelming and left me wanting more.

I‘m kinda torn on this one. I‘m not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and thought this origin story needed better pacing and action. The 180 turn of several characters and their decisions left me frustrated and I thought the romance was a little boring. The last fifty pages were gripping and dark and it was unputdownable in several spots. Wouldn‘t pick it up again, but an entertaining- if frustrating- read.

A quiet, heartwarming story of found family and new beginnings. I guessed one of the two major reveals and the pacing was a little slow. But the audiobook narrator was fantastic and I loved the ending.