I made a special spread in my reading journal for the #NancyDrewBR. Just don‘t look too closely since I messed up some lettering and spacing. I shouldn‘t work on things when I am tired and the lighting is bad 😂

2.5/5 ⭐️
Just a so so for me. There seem to be fewer cases and lots of hints get dropped each book, but then they never get picked up again. I‘m going to take a little break from this series for a bit.

I find this to be one of the more unattractive Nancy Drew covers. #NancyDrewBR

It‘s #bookspin day! My forever list prompt number 4 is “Kindle” and 10 is “2000-2010”.

Thanks for such a wonderful game @TheAromaofBooks

I‘ve had the tagged book on my wishlist for a bit. So glad it was one of the #BOTM picks this month!

“Dina, we‘re going to host 61 space chickens.”

🤣

#hyggehourreadathon

I‘m reading the tagged book on my kindle and I‘ll read a few pages of my library book as well. If you look closely you can see my green, snuggly blanket and my flannel plaid pajamas. There‘s a gentle rain outside. Happy to be reading with everyone!

@Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @jenniferw88

17% and I‘m trying to get into it. I hope is picks up.

#furrowedmiddlebrowclub

@rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @Jess_Read_This @Kimzey @erzascarletbookgasm @catebutler @CarolynM @LeahBergen @Lizpixie @elkeOriginal @Aimeesue @batsy @Tamra @bookandbedandtea @Teresereading @kwmg40 @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @julieclair @MrsK

4.5/5⭐️

Unreliable narrator, bleak, violent, sad, dark and all the triggers.

I couldn‘t stop reading.

My 2025 #bookspin list. Can‘t wait to see what numbers February will bring.

@TheAromaofBooks

#EBBR @Ruthiella @DebinHawaii @DGRachel

I‘m ready!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
❄️Three days off of work due to snow.
📚Lots of reading time.
🍕Pizza!
💌Sending and receiving #LitsyLove
❤️Quality time with my husband (who has also started reading more).
Bonus: lots of good urban fantasy recs from fellow Littens.

tagging @xicanti @DogMomIrene @AnnCrystal @julieclair @PageShifter @Leftcoastzen @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Deblovestoread @Darklunarose @Anna40

4.75/5⭐️ (Close to excellent)

Dina is asked to protect a race that is victim to what amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The full-cast, graphic audio accounts for much or the excellence of this #audiobook, but the story/premise/world is also excellent. I love the characters. While the first two books felt almost like stand alones, this book ends up making connections from previous ones and ends with a tease of the next.

Next book for #LiteraryCrew hosted by @Librarybelle . My edition has 528 pages so it will work for the #chunksterchallenge (bitsy chunkster) and #allergictochunksters too! 🎉

Edit: And this is perfect for #LitsyAtoZ #LetterV !

@Amiable @julieclair @Texreader

Why does stuff like this drive me so crazy? It‘s jarring and sort of takes me out of the story for a sec.

#pedantry #LiteraryCrew @Librarybelle

(Images from Google and Wikipedia)

I don‘t know if #recommendsday is still a thing here, but I sure could use some recommendations. I‘ve been reading the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews and really liking it. I‘m wondering if any #Littens have other urban fantasy suggestions. The fewer vampires the better (if that even exists.)

2.75/5⭐️

I read this one for my January #bookspin (3). I had read the first two in the trilogy about 2 years ago, but the second book was a real “pan”. While I‘m glad I finished the series, this one was just barely a so-so. I don‘t like the characters being separated because it made a disjointed story for me. I liked some of the plot lines better than others. By the end I was tired of the book.

#LitsyAtoz #LetterD

@TheAromaofBooks @Texreader

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView Thanks for the tag!

1. A state department of education whose decisions affect poor minority districts differently than more affluent districts and the inequalities that it creates. (And honestly parents and a society that doesn‘t trust teachers and assumes the worst of us. Of course not many people volunteer for the job either. )

2. I honestly can‘t think of one. 😂

Consider yourself tagged!

I‘m rethinking my rating system since StoryGraph (and most people) use a five star rating. I‘ve gone from C.A.P.E to C.A.R.P.E. The “R” being for readability (font choice and size, complexity, good wordy or bad wordy). Obviously had to change my reading journal page too 😂

I am starting this one today for a read along on Annie Aboulian‘s Substack (The Tarot Professor).
#witchyreads

3.75/4⭐️(between very good and excellent)

Characters are great. Atmosphere and world building is really amazing and I love the magic system (spores). Plot is really fun and sweet. However, my engagement was only at a level three. It‘s really good but wasn‘t quite a page turner. The pacing wasn‘t consistent.

#litsyatoz #letterT @Texreader

A little late but I finally got the #journalingprompts into my journal. Thanks so much for these @TheBookHippie !

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1. Reading the tagged book with @BooksNBowls and others for #whimsicalreads.
2. Cuddly cats.
3. Wearing a warm sweater that I made for myself.
4. A long weekend.
5. Litsy friends.

I‘m so in love with my new library log page! On the left I was just jotting down titles of books I wanted to read that were at my library, but I saw this idea somewhere on a Google image search so I recreated it. Next year I‘ll have the pocket on both pages.

I really enjoyed this one. It had everything: Golf! Ghosts! Wild animals! Fire! Romance!

#NancyDrewBR @Librarybelle

#NancyDrewBR

Bartescue is just awful. Anytime he‘s in a scene I think of Julia Sugarbaker and Ray Don.

https://youtu.be/P7xS54IGEGI?si=xi9jnnFLldP2P-up

3/4⭐️ (very good)
In this installment Dina is asked to allow her inn to be the location of a tricky peace summit. The cook is a new character and I‘m glad it appears he will be a new addition to the inn. I will definitely be giving the third one a go. My library has several of the books as a full cast audio which I loved.

Also works for #LitsyAtoZ #LetterS. @Texreader I think I‘m going to try the title only route.

3/4⭐️ (Very Good) Read for January #bookspin number 17.
I still love the characters and the setting. The writing is not full of itself and fussy. I was a little disappointed that some storylines from the third book seemed to have been dropped. Hopefully they will get picked up later. Mma Ramotswe‘s cases weren‘t as interesting, but I appreciated getting to know more about Mma Makutsi.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1. My husband drove me to work every day this week because the heat works better in his car.
2. Bonus day off!
3. Litsy (always)
4. Watching bookish videos with my husband.
5. Seeing my students again after the break.

Tagging- @Kristy_K @Zuhkeeyah @Cupcake12 @Aims42 @BooksNBowls @julesG @Librarybelle @JenlovesJT47 @KadaGul @julieclair and anyone else who wants to play.

Inclement weather! No school tomorrow! Bonus reading day!

I go back to work today. Gone are the days of almost unlimited reading time. Yet I still decided to start a bunch of new books over the last two days 🤣

2.25/4 ⭐️ (the lower end between ok and good)

Started with the audiobook but finished up with the kindle edition. Lord Wimsey is one to run on. What? The antisemitism and racial slurs make it hard to say I liked the book, but it I did enjoy the mystery and the wrap up. I might even give more Lord Wimsey books a try. I‘m glad this author was chosen for #authoramonth.

#LitsyAtoZ #LetterW

3.5/4⭐️ (between very good and excellent)

I love the premise of this book and I flew through it, however I suspect I would have enjoyed it even more if I knew more about Japanese cuisine. The food descriptions meant nothing to me. The human stories resonated though.

Plot and Engagement: 4 (excellent) Character and Atmosphere: 3 (very good)

#litsyatoz #letterK @Texreader

Many thanks to @swynn for the layout inspiration! I copied it exactly 😂.

Here are my two books for #bookspin hosted by @TheAromaofBooks

3-Part of a trilogy (I read the first two in 2023 and 2024)

17-Library (it‘s on hold right now but should be in next week)

I‘m ringing in the New Year with the January #AuthorAMonth hosted by @Soubhiville. I‘m listening and reading the kindle edition. I‘m loving the narrator on the audio, but some of the attitudes of the 1920s (when the book was first published) are a little jarring. Still, I think I‘m going to enjoy this.

I‘m not starting another book until tomorrow so my reading for 2024 is officially in the books (heh). I credit my return to Litsy for the increase of my reading from 2023 to 2024. I hope 2025 will be filled with wonderful books!

3/4⭐️ (Very Good)
This is my first work by Ilona Andrews. I enjoyed the quick pace and the fact that it can be read on its own despite being a part of a series. I really liked this version of vampires and werewolves and the premise of inns and innkeepers. I will most likely give the next book a try.

Highest marks for Plot/pacing and engagement. Average marks for characters and atmosphere.

I‘m getting pretty excited about the #LitsyAtoZ challenge that @Texreader is hosting. I decided to make a place for it in my 2025 reading journal. Some of the books I‘m reading for buddy reads (such as the #LiteraryCrew, #AuthorAMonth and #HitchToScreen) will give me a boost for few letters like Q and W.

@Soubhiville #authoramonth

My guess is most people have already read this one since it‘s the first Peter Wimsey, but I thought I‘d share since it‘s such a great price. I also had the option of adding audible narration for $1.99.

3.5/4⭐️ (between very good and excellent)

The best thing about my impulsive nature and Litsy buddy reads is that I read books I probably wouldn‘t have. I‘m glad I read this for #HitchToScreen. Thanks for organizing @JenlovesJT47 !

I don‘t know if this is considered a thriller. It‘s definitely psychological and creepy.

Character and Plot received the highest scores on my C. A. P. E. rating system.

2.5/4⭐️ (somewhere between “fine” and “very good”)

Dikembe‘s story was my main interest. I didn‘t really care that much about Lowra (though I was glad she found peace). Oddly this book both felt a little longish and rushed. I have no idea how to explain that. I want a sequel in which Caroline‘s story is told.

On my C.A.P.E scale this book got the lowest marks for Characters and Atmosphere. Lowra brought down the Character marks.

Can you spot the mistake? Because I sure didn‘t and the glue is already dry! 😂

Lots of joys this week.
1. Litsy
2. Working on my 2025 reading journal.
3. Getting all caught up on #LitsyLove responses.
4. Naps!
5. Jolabokaflod (the dreamiest chocolate!)

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Tagging: @willaful @BookwormAHN @Laughterhp @GinaKButler

I‘m doing something a little different for #bookspin in 2025. I‘m such a mood reader that I don‘t really want to lock into any titles and my 2024 perpetual list didn‘t really excite me. So I came up with 20 prompts and created a spread in my reading journal. I‘m excited for the new reading year! Thanks for keeping up the spin @TheAromaofBooks !

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Thank you so much for the #jolabokaflod package @tdrosebud ! I can‘t wait to dive in!

This was my first #JS2024. Thank t for organizing it @MaleficentBookDragon

This is the third or fourth typo in this book, two like this one(the “p” right before the quote). It hasn‘t kept me from enjoying the book, though! Considering it‘s a BOTM edition I‘m not sure whether to be surprised or not.

3.25/4 ⭐️
An entertaining enough read. I just read Carrie in October so this suffered a little in comparison. It was fine and it kept me engaged. I‘ve probably been generous with my stars as I had a few nitpicks. I‘m glad I borrowed this from the library instead of buying.

I am getting in the #SnickerdoodleSpirit #Readathon with the next #HitchToScreen selection and Happy color. No goals. Just books and cozy vibes. Thanks @Bookwormjillk !

I am ridiculously excited about this feature on the StoryGraph!