I needed something completely different than my usual to read and remembered this one, recommended to me this summer from a friend. This was so disturbing and delightfully creepy! I loved the visual writing. And surprise! It‘s even a Christmas book!!!

A sweet and charming story about second chances, found family, and taking a stand. It‘s not quite what I expected, but it was a lovely book to read this time of year.

Folks, I am not good at reading poetry but I‘m working on it. This was difficult for me and I‘m sure I missed some more technical aspects of his pieces…. But I cannot deny the hurt and anger in this collection dealing with our prison system from someone who lived it.

This was so sweet and charming. I loved it in much the same way I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Rumor has it that tomorrow is actually December 1st! So here‘s my #bookspinbingo list for the month. I‘m still being gentle with myself…. This is always such a busy and stressful month, that I don‘t want to chance reading becoming a “chore”! Thank you @TheAromaofBooks for continuing this fun and engaging monthly event!!

Love her books, and the first book in the series/world (Bride). This is not quite as good, but once I got into it, i flew through it.

Welp this book has recently been the topic of some contentious school board meetings and some inflammatory “newspaper” articles by a local conservative-leaning paper. So, we‘re hosting a community book discussion at the library this coming week and thought I should reread it first…. Listened to it this time, and it is still just so so good!

WOW. This was recommended to me by one of my library trustees… and I am so thankful. It really gets you thinking about morality, ethics, and AI. I really really enjoyed this - it would be great for book groups too! Listened to the audio and would recommend.

There‘s a line toward the end that I‘ll probably misquote here (dangers of listening to the audio) but it caught me. It said “what is living if not for helping people?” How great is that?

Really enjoyed this one…. Got me to and from Las Vegas this weekend!

Finished this audio on a plane today…. So fun hearing all the behind the scenes stories from this incredible show. Once I get back home, a rewatch is definitely happening!

I wasn‘t really sure about this novella, and to be sure, I had a slow start with it…. But once the ghost-Ella finds a way to the Prince‘s Ball…. It moved a lot faster and got more interesting for me. It‘s a different take on the Cinderella tale to be sure! And I LOVE the cover. My photo, full of glare, does not do it justice.

Incredible. In this novel, we are plunged into a world in which all the white people in America are gone and the ones who are left - focus on the black and biracial MCs- have the opportunity to center themselves and in a new world and examine their identity, their heritage and generational trauma and what this new future could bring. I‘ll be thinking about this for a long time and I hope the rest of the book group feels the same!

Well this is certainly the latest I‘ve ever posted my #bookspinbingo list while still ahead of @TheAromaofBooks pulling the numbers…. But here we are. I‘m still in a bit of a slump, but I‘m working on it. Lots of travel this month so hope to get thru more books than I have been lately!

Loved this and not just because I am now convinced Tom Hanks should narrate everything. Wonderful story.

This was an amusing mystery in which the very accomplished detective and the MC, the new assistant, head to Vermont to see if a wealthy matriarch actually did commit suicide as the police had ruled, or if she had been murdered. I might continue the series (but I think the Finlay Donovan hapless detective books are better)…. Mostly because the Poirot-style ending reveal just went on way too long.

I probably should have given up on this, but it‘s so short so I just kept speeding up the narration 🤷‍♀️ I think I just have to leave the Booker winners alone, they never seem to resonate with me, no matter how I try. In this one, yay space- but it‘s completely observational and then reflective and has zero plot which I just can‘t do without it seems. But it did win the Booker and many readers do like this, so don‘t just take it from me!

All caught up with Abby Jimenez‘s books! This was good, of course, and I liked how everything came together. Sooo when does her next book come out ?? #askingforafriend #itsme 😁🤣

I just returned from a week in Florida helping my mom after my stepfather passed. On the flight down, I knew I needed a backup audio that wouldn‘t be all that deep, and this was available. Britney‘s got one hell of a story to tell and I can‘t believe her father/family were able to do what they did to her. It‘s not terribly well written, but she got to share her story- and Michelle Williams was an amazing narrator.

Um, I‘m not really sure about this one. Just when I would think “I expected more funny(based on the synopsis)” it would then be a bit more comical. When I thought “I thought this was a queer story too” it would add a slight bit of queerness…. And then the ending solidified that this is really based on a true story, with liberties, but I still felt fairly detached. Fully admit that could be me right now though.

Unfortunately, I‘m making an unplanned trip to Florida this week as my stepdad has taken a turn for the worse and is in hospice care. I have absolutely no idea what will happen, what or even if I‘ll feel like reading at all. So this is my very-kind-to-myself list for October.

This was not chosen by my book group for this year, but I still wanted to read it. This was so well written- I felt that I was in 19th century Iceland, and I felt all the emotions of each character, or reaction to a character. So so good on audio too, but I‘m glad the group didn‘t choose this. It‘s also incredibly sad, and the discussion would just be how terrible this or that was. Fantastic book

I loved this movie when it came out, but I had never read the story. Thanks to the publisher for sending me their reprint hardcover… my heart broke for Ennis and Jack all over again.

This was a fun and twisty time travel mystery! Did not see the ending coming.

Recommended to me from a book group member, and now I need to tell them how deeply this book gutted me. I hadn‘t really understood what was happening in Syria, and now I have a story that really puts so much of it into perspective. Fantastic and difficult and oh so necessary.

Wasn‘t sure about this one, but my Libby hold came in quickly somehow… and I ended up binging this audio this weekend! There were some parts that were a bit repetitive, but I ended up enjoying (hence the binging) redemptive family story and the romance… kinda twisted really.

Ready for September!

Stunningly beautiful children‘s picture book about grief, set on Dia de Los Muertos.

Loved this of course, I loved the characters, the settings…. And the struggle for these two is real. One more and then I‘ll have completed all of Jimenez‘s backlist.

Oof. This is a tough one… all about how personal ambition can lead people to do the wrong thing for someone else; how easy it is to push someone down for your own gain. It‘s a powerful debut, maybe not quite as strong in the second act… but lots of promise. Looking forward to book group - both of my library groups are reading this one this year!

My mistake- thinking “I‘ve only got 35min left of this audio - I‘ll finish on the way to work” knowing that the ending could be an ending, and I‘m still very much grieving the loss of our dog recently…. Folks, I was a mess. No matter what the ending was going to be, I was a mess. That‘s on me. And also, not a great way to start a day of work. It‘s my first TJR (despite 3 of hers on my shelf) and I fell deeply into the story. Not perfect but good

I definitely enjoyed reading this book, and to do so I had to forgive the very predictable plot. Still fun.

The audio really pulled me into the historical/magical realism story about three women of the same blood line who all use their inherent gifts to retaliate against some awful men. Seriously, there‘s like one decent man in the whole book. I really didn‘t know what to expect, grabbed it off Libby in an impulsive fog, and glad it worked for me! Also, #bingo! #bookspinbingo

Woah. First, probably the most accurate depiction of librarians and library work ever. Everything else? Kind of a mess. The story goes in all sorts of directions, which is a bit hard to follow at points…. And the art is just not my favorite. #doublespin #bookspinbingo

So this is an interesting mystery, great audio, and I enjoyed the mc‘s breaking the 4th wall to keep the reader “in league” with the story. But I have to admit, that gimmick got a bit annoying by the end. I‘m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the book group thinks (if I can remember enough of this by the time we meet!) but I don‘t think I‘ll continue with the series. Or maybe I will once time passes.. I‘m very indifferent here.

This series is the last one I need to read by Jimenez…. But it‘s easy to see that this is her debut. She‘s really gotten a lot better since this one. I enjoyed it, and felt plenty of feelings … I will be finishing the series, but not nearly my favorite.

Read this book today…. This vacation time is fantastic for reading all of these books! This was a cute sportsy ya romance…. Most of the conflict points were easily predicted, but I enjoyed the characters and chemistry so much that I really didn‘t mind. Fun and sweet! Pubs next month.

I really got into how this is not a typical main character… a bit unexpected framework of a story and it just worked. I don‘t think I‘ve ever rooted harder for a character before.

Here I am, another poetry book (thanks to @TheAromaofBooks and her #bookchain2025 challenge) this time I listened to the author read while reading along in my kindle- and then got to experience the gorgeous art that accompanies these poems. Beautiful.

I went looking for a shorter audio to listen to while finishing a jigsaw puzzle.. and found this one. I do t often read poetry, but the section on Italy really got to me. I was instantly transported back to the time I visited many of those locations and for that alone, I‘m sold.

I‘ve wanted to read this ever since reading Into Thin Air years ago. It‘s an interesting story- Chris was not much older than I am, and I knew people who held a moral compass *somewhat* similar to his… but should never actually go to the lengths he did. It seems a small mistake might have been his undoing, but I really don‘t know how he would have lived if he had survived.

This was a fun one…. Excellent funny dialogue, great characters, familiar friends, spicy scenes and gorgeous setting. I needed an escape, and I got it! Doesn‘t hurt that my pup will be discharged from the hospital in a couple hours, so happy endings all around!

These books are just so fun!! Really needed some light distraction today, and this completely helped. Fully laughed out loud as the strip club scene unfolded!!

I meant to do this last night, but ended up taking one of our dogs to ER Vet- she‘s still there, waiting on an update, but looks pretty good. She ate something that she shouldn‘t have and it‘s stuck. So keep good thoughts for her… and here‘s my list for August! #bookspinbingo

Woah. I gave my book group the option to read the novel or the graphic novel adaptation for our discussion…. It‘s been a few years since I read this novel but this brought it all back in a newly charged way. I‘m not sure I LOVE the style- some panels seemed messy but it really heightens the emotion of a tough tough story.

This came recommended by one of my book group members- the audio was really well done. Of course no I‘d like to delete everything and go off the grid…. But that‘s not feasible.

Beautiful, sad, and inspiring novel in verse centering on a young teen with an eating disorder that surfaced after being bullied.

This has sat on my shelf for YEARS. Why didn‘t I read it right away? It‘s a gorgeous novel.. the history of Achilles, but told from the POV of Patroclus - the one who loved him, and who Achilles loved back. It‘s the sweeping saga of Greek Myth, and just beautifully written.

Probably in the minority here, and I‘m a little surprised as I‘ve liked everything else I‘ve read by Solomon…. But absolutely nothing in this book was unexpected or surprising. Loved the setting, everything else was okay or unoriginal. That‘s harsh, but an exciting setting isn‘t enough. #bookspinbingo #bookspin

It seems like this is a hit or miss kind of book, but I liked it. It‘s different than my usual- and admittedly only read it because it‘s set in Montana. I liked the historical aspect and figuring out what the monster is…. But agree with some others that the relationships between characters could have used a bit more.