Ooops, sorry for the delay— I could have sworn I posted this last night, but obviously I was more tired than I thought! 😳
Though I really loved Brandon Sanderson‘s Skyward series in May, I am going with this thriller instead for the monthly #12BooksOf2024 because it really hooked me in (and it‘s too hard to pick just one from a series!🤣).

Thanks, @Andrew65 for organizing!

With just a few days to spare, I finished the last state (Arkansas!) for the #ReadAroundTheUSChallenge! Set at University of AK, this follows a visiting professor/writer, an RA with goals for after graduation & a suite of young women with their own problems of varying intensity. Very different from my own college experience, the characters do come to life, but it sort of makes the reader feel like an eavesdropper along with the characters!

A 2 week fundraising fair for the library provides Jessica the perfect opportunity to share her psychic gifts with her classmates! Her two free fortunes— that Patrick & Sophia will break up & that her twin will fail her history test— come true, cementing her talent. Soon all of her predictions are coming true, but only seeing doom makes her a pariah! Meanwhile, Liz gets very bent out of shape about library fines until she discovers her own fine!

April‘s my birthday month, so I had another tough time narrowing this down to just one for the #12BooksOf2024, but how could I not go with my all-time favorite author, John Connolly?! The Charlie Parker series just gets better and better and each time I finish the latest, I just start counting down the days once more to his next! You can see my other top reads for the month from my planner!

Thanks for organizing, @Andrew65

Wow! Went in with high expectations & this still totally blew me away! I read the last 400 pgs in a breathless sitting—gasping, laughing, crying!Seriously, I loved this so very deeply that I must track down everything else he‘s written! What a talent! Great characters—not just the mains but scene stealers like Sammy & Charlotte, too! Well-plotted & epically spanning more than a quarter of a century, I didn‘t want to end, but desperately got there!

After their ship sinks in the storm, the twin & their friends wash up on a deserted island! Though there‘s fresh water & fruit, disagreements arise splitting them into two groups! But only working together do they have a chance of getting back to #SweetValley! Plus, the island has dangers of its own! And Liz sustains yet another head injury!! An exciting conclusion to this first miniseries within the #SweetValleyTwins series! A four day adventure!

Whew… March was a tough one to narrow down for my #12BooksOf2024 (as you can see, it was a month with over 10 five star reads!), but I am going with this re-imagining of Strangers On A Train! I loved it and have thought of it often since finishing it!

Thanks to @Andrew65 for organizing!!

Lillian practically raised her younger sister, Rosie, but after their parents‘ death, they haven‘t spoken in years. As Lillian struggles with her career, a newborn & her husband‘s distance, Rosie reaches out for a reunion. But a Lake Shore Drive accident leaves Lillian to put together the unknown pieces of her sister‘s life. Dual perspectives & some chilling scenes make this an absorbing & well-performed listen, highlighting medicine & therapy.

A group of 25 SVMS students are headed for a Saturday field trip for extra science credit to Santa Maria Island… but the boat abruptly leaves before the teacher or chaperones get on! At first, this only adds to the fun until they discover the real captain & first mate tied up! The boat‘s been hijacked by bank robbers who don‘t seem afraid to throw them all off into shark-infested waters! They must save themselves! What a cliffhanger of an ending!

For Day 2 of the #12BooksOf2024, my February pick was harder to narrow down— but LISTEN FOR THE LIE was one of my favorite audiobooks of the whole year, though honorable mentions must go to the other 5-star reads I read that month (my monthly calendar log in the photo lists the 5 others!).

Thanks @Andrew65 for organizing this fun countdown!

I loved THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, so I went into this with my hopes too high. It fell flat for me as distant half-siblings try to learn the truth about their father‘s unexpected death. While the plot holds some surprises, I never felt invested in the relationships described & by the end, it all felt too implausible. Maybe had I connected with any of the characters, it would‘ve been more fun to read— though I‘m sure it would be fun to discuss.

Whoah! This 3rd #SweetValleyHalloween in the #SVT series is the spookiest! Jessica finds Liz‘s Halloween “carols” & attitude juvenile so she doesn‘t want to do a joint costume. Liz plans with Amy & Maria until a stray dog leads her to a grotesque skeleton mask that she inexplicably loves. Soon she‘s acting meaner than Betsy Martin (she debuts here!) & making her friends & twin cry. Jessica braves yet another spooky house to learn how to save her!

My first #12BooksOf2024 is the first book club read of 2024! I couldn‘t put this one down, and was definitely my favorite January read— though an honorable mention goes to Anders de la Motte‘s THE MOUNTAIN KING for the month— still waiting on the sequel being translated into English!

Thanks for organizing, @Andrew65 !
 @JenlovesJT47 I am curious to see your list!! 😊

Despite the excellent audio performance & the great opening hook, this one fell apart in the end for me. Narrator Addison has been reviled his whole life— even his mother can barely stand the sight of him. After his adoptive father dies, he‘s been alone living in the under city & avoiding people, until he encounters a young woman running for her life. Their unlikely relationship takes on bigger significance amongst their tragedy filled lives.

Cousin Robin‘s in #SweetValley for 2 weeks while her parents are in Europe (but no mention of Stacey!!) & while it‘s all fun at first, the upcoming Sadie Hawkins Dance starts the titular war. Jessica wants to ask Argentinian exchange student, Juan, despite his crush on Robin. Busy Liz asks Todd to be nice to Robin, who in turn decides he‘s the love of her life! Complete with a twin switch, Jessica schemes her way to the dance while fights erupt!

Such a fun holiday rom-com!! Mystery writer Maggie has had a hard time lately after her marriage falls apart. A mysterious invitation from her editor for a trip over the holidays should be a great distraction— except her writer nemesis, Ethan, shows up on the private plane! With a locked room mystery, enemies to lovers and great banter, this is a light hearted and quick read perfect for the season! I appreciated the Agatha Christie inspiration!

Jessica‘s nearly made it to the honor roll for the month & a sugar cookie contest in home ec will give her the perfect nudge to make it! While fighting with her twin (who‘s feeling under appreciated since she‘s been on the honor roll since elementary school), she accidentally adds special ingredients to the cookies. They‘re a hit but in order to recreate them for a guest spot on Lifestyles of the French & Famous, even the Unicorns can‘t help! Fun!

I‘ve had this one on my Audible shelf for a while, & the snowy cover made this seem like a perfect time to dive in! Though well-performed, I never connected with any of the characters & the main character just grated against my nerves from start to finish (I, too, would have pushed her into the pool!). There were some interesting threads to the story & usually a fixed setting mystery works for me, but too many leaps to conclusions for me here!

Oh man, I wish I had read this for the first time back in 1995 when it first came out!! So much fun!! I love a good prank war & when Mr. Bowman starts a scary story unit focusing on classics like Frankenstein, Dracula & Edgar “Alvin” Poe‘s stories, the boys start trying to prove the girls are bigger chickens! And when the twins start using Steven as a test dummy for their revenge pranks, he gets in on the scaring! Heck, even Alice & Ned join in!

After that cliffhanger, I was glad to have this conclusion on hand! And while I appreciated that everything was nicely tied up, with a thorough epilogue, I really didn‘t like the ending twist at all. It is a wonder Inez will ever trust anyone ever with anything after this adventure! The action moves from Cairo to Alexandria with fast pacing throughout. Ultimately, there‘s too much betrayal for me & not enough real justice. Not as fun as I‘d hoped!

It‘s the 3rd #SweetValleySummerVacation & while Lila jets around Europe, the twins are bored in #SweetValley! Liz wants to write her own mystery novel & is delighted when Ned & Alice surprise them with Camp Faraway that offers writing & acting classes & traditional camp fun! A cave exploration is nearly spoiled by snooty camp nemesis Priscilla, but Liz finds a glowing fountain pen! Not only does it work without ink, but it writes its own story!

I‘m a sucker for an Egyptian mystery/adventure but when I heard it was to be a duology, I waited to have the second in hand before cracking this open! Considering that cliffhanger of an ending, I‘m glad! Main character Inez leaves Argentina after receiving a letter about her parents‘ disappearance in the desert. Always longing to join them, she hopes to uncover the truth of what happened to them. Some predictable turns & Inez‘s naïveté soured it.

After a planned Mother‘s Day party is a disaster when no one completes party errands, a debate ensues over who has it rougher— parents or kids. Alice “swaps” places with the twins for the weekend— she has to get rollerblade-a-thon donations for Jessica & complete Elizabeth‘s media report while the twins take on household responsibilities plus designing a sun porch for their neighbor. It‘s fun to see Alice really get into it despite VCR trouble!

I‘ve enjoyed several of McFarlane‘s other novels, but this one fell a bit flat for me… Georgina‘s caught in a bit of arrested development at 30. Though she wants to write, she keeps taking jobs without trajectory & not using her time to write. After an epically bad day gets worse, the silver lining lands her a temporary bartending job with a flash from her past. I struggled connecting with Georgina & her family here but liked the central romance.

The Hairnet brings in a guest teacher for them to learn about the Holocaust. On his first day, he appoints new student Brian Boyd & Brooke Dennis as leaders. Brian picks anyone he “cool” & Brooke gets the leftovers. Brian likes the encouragement of rules, expanding “IN” beyond the class. Aaron Dallas is his right hand man, but slowly realizes the real lesson. We learn Aaron‘s grandfather is a Holocaust survivor & Melissa‘s mom comes back to life!

I can see why this was a #GoodreadsChoiceWinner for the year! I couldn‘t stop listening to this one! The performance is great & all of these wedding people really came to life! When Phoebe leaves her suddenly empty MO home, she plans a nice last room service meal & that‘s it forever. But as the only non-invitee at the RI hotel for Gary & Lila‘s wedding, the bride won‘t let her lavish 6 day celebration be spoiled. The quick intimacy draws you in!

After a parent-teacher conference, everyone agrees that Elizabeth is too smart to stay in the 6th grade. She gets a whole new schedule, & to her twin‘s horror (especially since this means Liz is invited to 7th/8th only parties!), immediately becomes a 7th grader! Steven helps with a reverse psychology plan, but though Liz aces her new classes, she lacks the fashion sense needed & feels out of place with spin the bottle in particular! New to me!

I think this was my favorite book club pick of the year for our club! I literally couldn‘t put it down and stayed up late to finish it in practically one sitting! Williams manages three timelines between two main narrators with most chapters ending on a cliffhanger, making it easy to justify another chapter (or 3) at a time! It led to a very lively discussion (even among the DNFers!) & while the Egyptian storyline was a miss for some, I loved it!

This 3rd #SweetValleyTwinsValentinesDay features (another) dance to celebrate! To raise money, the Boosters are selling personalized cheers that couples can use to ask each other to the dance; meanwhile Liz gets too much into the spirit by writing overly romantic lovegrams to put in the Sixers. When Jake Hamilton embarrasses Lila by asking Brooke, she invents an 8th grade boyfriend from Lovett Academy! Will she get caught up in her many lies??

I had so much fun reading my April #BookOfTheMonth pick! I wish I‘d read it in the warmer parts of the year, but reading by tree light does add a certain magic! This adventure fantasy— complete with seadragons, neat marking magic where tattoos come to life, a quest & romance— makes for a fast-paced & exciting read! Hanalei hasn‘t returned to her home since her father‘s betrayal, but when forced her return, it‘s a different welcome than envisioned!

Despite the cold/flu season in #SweetValley, Mr. Bowman‘s English class puts on a highlights version of Romeo & Juliet. Both Jessica & Lila want the titular role, & bet that the loser comes to school wearing the warts meant for the nurse‘s costume! Jessica, despite driving the house nuts with all of her practicing, succumbs to the sickness, Liz pulls a switch & auditions for her! But with Todd as Romeo, Liz wants the part! Shenanigans galore! Fun!

The first #HitchToScreen book made for a quick (& surprisingly seasonal!) listen that was really well performed (despite the book being read by a man, when I would have expected a lady since the book is from Mary Ellen‘s POV!). After the death of her mother, she travels to the Cornish coast to live with her aunt & uncle at the titular inn. But she quickly realizes that the inn has a dark reputation & soon she strives to unmask its secrets!

This 7th #SweetValleyChristmas is another memorable one! Janet Howell‘s co-hosting a party with her older brother, Joe, Steven‘s best friend. Steven doesn‘t want to be embarrassed by his baby sisters so he schemes to get his parents to forbid them from going! All of this being treated like a kid makes the twins wish to be grown-up! A (2nd) Christmas carnival grants their wish & they‘re busting their seams & forced to join the work force! Such fun!

I‘ve been curious about this literary horror novel for a while & I was delighted to learn that my cousin had just finished reading it with her book club to have someone to immediately talk about this strange story with! I loved the audio performance… & may not have stuck with this one otherwise, considering the chaotic climax. The themes & gore balanced out here, & I loved the creative processes here but had a hard time connecting with Samantha.

Amy‘s worried her parents are about to divorce— but it turns out that Mr. Sutton‘s already been divorced & has another daughter with his first wife that he didn‘t know about until Amy was 5. A year & a half older, Ashley lives in NYC & loves ballet, but she wants to get to know her dad. Amy‘s jealous at first, but soon comes to her senses! Lila is shockingly nice here & best of all, Jessica gets a book on hairstyles from around the world!

I enjoyed listening to the first installment in the #AgentToriHunterSeries but was happy to be less distracted by constantly hearing my name by physically reading this sequel! Picking up just a few months later, this one finds Tori still finding her new career path after return to her small MN hometown. The violent murder/kidnapping from the start hooks you in, but I preferred the more personal plot of the first one. Looking forward to the third!

It‘s 2 weeks before (another) #SweetValleyHalloween when Jessica finds the perfect witchy dress & decides the Unicorns will host a “Monster Ball” with an SVH band. Liz makes friends with Kala, a Native American girl in town for the month. Fowler Enterprises has two potential sites for their spooky party— a ramshackle cabin on Sleepy Hollow that they fix up. But when they find artifacts & remains (plus a seance later), Kala helps save the property!

This #NewAdultThriller comes with a gripping premise— at a DC university, the psychology department runs a study on student psychopaths in exchange for tuition. But the participants are turning up murdered! With multiple perspectives & unlikely alliances, it‘s a fast-paced listen but the killer‘s motivation comes out in too much of a Scooby Doo-esque reveal for this to be completely satisfying. Plot holes & thin characterizations left me wanting!

Ben Oliver (no relation to Grace) is new to SVH as a freshman & despite having skipped a grade, quickly becomes popular— even taking over Steve‘s position on the basketball team! And when he runs against Steven for class treasurer, Steven declares him his sworn enemy! When Jessica goes on a date with Ben, a siblings war erupts! Steven dates Jessica‘s enemy, Veronica! Neither Wakefield likes their new dates, & it all comes to a head at Casey‘s!

I had so much fun reading this one!! My first introduction to Osman‘s writing, I already can‘t wait to dive into his earlier books! While my #bookclub didn‘t love this one as much as I did, I‘m so excited to give a copy to my own much loved, soon-to-be-retired FIL in the hopes that we may go solve murders together! Funny & gripping— though I solved the biggest twist pretty early— I loved scene-stealing Rosie & want the sequel right now!! So fun!!!

Maria Slater goes behind the camera to film the Boosters special performance for the unveiling of the #SweetValleyMall‘s new international food court— but the day‘s ruined when a jewelry store is robbed, the cheer pyramid falls. Lila & Jess start a hilarious competition to prove who is the best Booster. Liz can‘t stop trying to solve what turns into a string of mall thefts (even getting grounded!) while writing reviews of the new restaurants. Fun!

I absolutely loved this coming-of-age novel that encompasses love, family, acceptance, friendship, forgiveness & faith. I think it‘d be a great book club book with plenty to discuss in this gripping listen performed by the author. Born with ocular albinism, Sam Hill faces merciless bullying from the start when the Catholic nuns try to bar from attending their school. But the “Devil Boy” & his family never give up, spanning 1950s-80s! Excellent!

This one feels a bit different with more real-life references than the books usually have! Plus, we get to see the cat Mischief and Mrs. Harrington again who helps out Liz, Lila & Olivia with their project on McCarthyism. Oddly, Janet, Kimberly & Betsy are into beatnik poetry while Ellen‘s private phone line causes a stir until Jessica cooks up trouble with 3-way calling! Rumors almost split the Unicorns up for good! But my copy ends mid-sentence!

THE UNHONEYMOONERS was my first experience with this great writing duo, so my hopes may have been a little too high for this novella sequel giving Olive‘s identical twin her own romantic comedy. The full cast feeling is fun & it‘s certainly a quick listen, but it‘s not as funny or charming as I expected. Brody‘s big secret fell flat for me (& seemed to need more research— though throwing together a HI wedding in a week was equally implausible).

In this 3rd #SweetValleySpringBreak, the twins snorkel for treasure. Jessica talks her twin into the forbidden Pirate‘s Cove. The undertow isn‘t worth the barnacle covered findings—but they glimpse a shipwreck. Liz starts having nightmares & a mysterious chain letter arrives. Between her dreams & research—plus the discovery of what‘s beneath the barnacles make this fun! Best of all, are the disasters that befall Lila for not doing the chainletter!

Wow!! What a debut novel!! Magical realism doesn‘t always work for me, but Lang executes this brilliantly here! Even with the male performer getting on my nerves (the female one was great, though!), I couldn‘t stop listening to this blend of a feral child story, romance, magical weather & fantastic characters! Everyone really sprang to life! I didn‘t want Waylon‘s story to end! So well-written— I can‘t wait to read more from this talented author!

Annoyed with Aaron Dallas‘ immature behavior (he crushes graham crackers into crumbs before pouring them in his mouth like a total 4th grader!) & childish fashion (neon shorts & Donald Duck tees!), Jessica breaks up with him before Rick Hunter‘s party. After giving Liz the idea for a classifieds section for The Sixers, a personal ad craze takes over thanks to Jess! Even 7th & 8th graders get into it! Soon everyone is broken up & mayhem erupts!

This 2nd book in the #LadyPetraInquires series moves a bit slower than the first one. Petra‘s tasked by the queen to investigate the murder of the head matron of the London Asylum for Female Orphans—it also cleanly ties up the cliffhanger from the first book as she also learns more about her fiancé‘s death 3 years earlier. As the threads tie together, the plot falls into predictable paths. I didn‘t love the deceptive friends but did love the dogs!

Jessica decides to do her New Orleans project on voodoo… mostly because she‘s starting to think it really works! She makes a doll of Steven to get back at him & almost immediately her punishments come true! She also tries to use her powers for good to heal a boy‘s leg who lives at the shelter (she may not be as saintly as her sister, but she‘s still kind). When Steven seems to be wasting away, she needs to scale back! Lila throws a GWTW party!

I‘ve loved so many of Rowell‘s earlier novels that I had especially high hopes for her latest…but unfortunately this one just isn‘t one of my favorites. The past sections shine in capturing the unrequited love common in high school, but I just had a hard time warming up to the characters. Shiloh‘s negativity couched as pragmatism is wearying & I hated how dismissive she was of Cary‘s goals to escape their rougher part of Omaha. Just disappointing!