A solid collection of poetry, as was expected. I began collecting these during my Poetry Boot Camp class. I wanted to get an idea of what has/hasn‘t changed over the years. I‘m curious about form and how to stretch the rules without breaking them.

I had no idea about the Highland Clearances before this novel. People were being forcibly removed from their homes in the Highlands & the islands by their landlords. It‘s bleak and devastating. This novella follows John, a minister-turned-errand boy who is sent to evict Ivar, the last inhabitant on his island. John becomes injured and Ivar saves his life. Their growing bond, and the arrival of John‘s wife Mary, challenge what family really means.

A friend from work adores this series & she really wanted me to read it b/c she felt alone in her fandom. Are there flaws? Sure. Is Poppy frustrating? Yeah. But I think humans are like that too. So smart but so dumb. I appreciated the world Armentrout is building. I was invested enough to finish. Not everything has to make sense. Sometimes it‘s okay to just enjoy the ride. This was a nice, popcorn read & I will continue the series for my friend.

This book is honestly beautiful and so well-crafted. It‘s a war novel. It‘s a romance. It‘s a mystery. You have damaged souls all circling each other, scared to get too close lest they detonate like the German mines that surround them. A lovely adventure to be on, this novel. I can‘t wait to watch the movie. 246/1,001 #1001Books

As an avid fan of all things myth (from a multitude of cultures), this wasn‘t anything mind-blowing to me, but I absolutely had a good time reading it. I enjoyed her connections to modernity. I like her wit. It‘s always fun to take a feminist critique, which is what I often did with my own scholarly papers. It‘s important work, but it‘s also important to be accessible and Haynes accomplishes just that.

I read this for a work group. I didn‘t hate it, I just think the people who need to apply it the most are not the ones reading the book. This was a good read, nonetheless, and we had some great conversations because of it.

Goodreads has those little side challenges, and this was one of the qualifying books. This is not my preferred genre, so when I tell you this was a fun little smutty read, I mean it. I liked their banter, the premise was fun, it doesn‘t take itself too seriously. The Devil‘s Manor pops up in cities for centuries. Can you survive the week and earn your Devil‘s Boon? But is there more to Phantasma? Follow Ophelia to find out.

Jesmyn Ward has the gift of prose. I‘ll say that. I had a hard time putting this one down, even though it‘s a miserable subject. I can‘t add to the conversation about this novel, so I won‘t try. I‘ll only say that I will continue to read Ward‘s work.

This was a fun little read. This is a fairy tale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. What if the fairy gifts weren‘t to protect the Princess, but to protect others *from* the Princess? It really is a charming little novella. Give it a go!

People of the 1800s must have been GAGGED when this book came out. Wells takes aim at several societal institutions, which may be why it‘s hard to nail down a central theme. Also, it‘s hard to escape the times in which this book was written. That said, I think it‘s a scathing indictment of “civilized” people. For all your pretenses at being better than anyone else, your behavior is no better than an animal‘s. 245/1,001 #1001Books

What if you killed someone? What if no one knew the crime had been committed yet? With an axe hanging like a pendulum over his head (will it land, will it miss?), our narrator returns home after killing a one-night stand. How does one deal with this internal knowledge? What does it reveal about oneself? 244/1,001 #1001Books

This is a soft pick for me. I really enjoyed the storyline based on her grandfather. I didn‘t hate Patrice‘s story, I just felt it could have been its own narrative? I‘m not sure. Either way, it‘s an engrossing read. Erdrich doesn‘t miss.

Let‘s be clear: this is not close to the Disney-fied version. This story is basically, “Hey, what if we show everything that happens in nature, including Man hunting animals, in all its reality, from the *animal‘s* perspective?” And it works. This was cute, playful, maddening, and devastating. Here, read it. 📸: Instagram @ heartstriingz

Judas Priest, this novel is a tough read. This is McMurtry‘s debut novel and it is a bleak, realistic, coming-of-age tale. Life on a Texas cattle ranch isn‘t easy. There are hard lessons to learn at such a young age. Unfortunately, Hud (the biggest pile of walking excrement I‘ve ever had the misfortune of meeting on a page) teaches Lonnie every lesson the hard way. First in a trilogy.

Much like the black cake in the book, good things take time, patience, skill. A woman dies and her two children learn there was more to their mother than they could have ever imagined. I normally don‘t read sweeping family dramas, but this one needs to be on people‘s radars. It was a lovely journey.

This book was batshit. It‘s amazing. I can‘t even tell you anything about it or it will ruin it, break the spell. Look, if you‘re also a bazaar reader, dive in. If not, dive in anyway. What‘s the harm, Bunny? Don‘t you want to belong, Bunny?

I‘m late getting this up, but since my list doesn‘t change, no harm, no foul. ☺️☺️☺️ I‘m excited to figure this one out! It‘s a short month and my goal is to finish at least 4 books a month, so we shall see! Happy Reading, fellow Spinners!

My final read of 2024. I didn‘t like this one as much as I did Downpour, but I do enjoy Holmes‘ poetry style.

He killed her, but that‘s just the beginning. Robert and Gloria meet by chance and she convinces him to be her partner in a dance marathon. You get free food and a place to sleep as long as you last, plus a big payout if you win. In Great Depression-era America, that‘s a sweet deal. But Gloria wants a favor. This is bleak, American noir at its peak. 243/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not sure how to feel here. There are two different stories. One story follows an an agent involved with the Vietnam Project, his obsession, and his descent into madness. The second story is about Jacobus Coetzee, a white settler in 18th century South Africa on a hunting expeditions that goes awry. I‘m not going to sit here and say I *enjoyed* spending time with either of these men, but I think that‘s the point. 242/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not one of those people that can give a glittering review of poetry, but I can tell you this was a nice book with which to spend my time. There were some poems I read twice, just to let them sink in. Definitely worth the read.

Wow. I bought this at Barnes & Noble as a blind-date-with-a-book promotion. It was wrapped up and the tag said “Cain and Able-esque” which is what sold me. Bonus: Obioma teaches at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, my home state. Four brothers fish in the forbidden river. A madman spits out one of his prophecies, changing the course for the family forever after.

Another fresh slate of a year!! One of my resolutions is to stay off my phone as much as possible and read instead. 🤞🏻 I wish you all a wonderful year full of light and love. Here is my list, which will remain largely unchanged for the #BookSpin challenge. I look forward to this one every year! ☺️ Side note: I read the tagged book in HS and I still remember it fondly. ☺️

Listen, are there things that I‘d change? Sure. Overall, this was fun. Harry wasn‘t some Superman-style all-powerful boy-scout of a character. He‘s kind of a dick, but I think that‘s what kept me turning pages. I wanted to know what happened to everyone. It was worth it, just to meet Bob, to be honest. Anyway, I liked the universe and will read more. August‘s #BookSpin

This is a collection of Victorian-era (if memory serves) ghost stories. Are they bone-chilling, jump-out-of-your-skin scary? No, but they‘re thought-provoking and fun, in some cases. There‘s usually a larger comment about society at play with Victorian stories. Anyway, give this one a go if only for The Monkey‘s Paw! ☺️ April‘s Double #BookSpin

This one wasn‘t for me, but I know it will work for so many others! It‘s a Little Women homage (which have not gone well for me) about 4 sisters and their messy, complex relationships and lives. I saw a lot of tell but very little show and that‘s just a personal pet peeve. If sweeping family sagas are your jam (as they *usually* are for me) I do think you‘ll like this. I‘m sorry I didn‘t. July‘s Double #BookSpin

Is this my umpteenth re-read? Yes. And I don‘t care. This is one of my comfort novels, so I was glad I could use it to fulfill my Double #BookSpin prompt for July. I love Louis and his ever-present quest to simply understand what the point of his existence even is. I love Lestat‘s sassy ass. I‘ll read it again. I‘ve seen me do it.

I can‘t shut up about SGJ. I didn‘t like this one as much as The Only Good Indians, but I still liked it. Jade Daniels isn‘t Final Girl material, but she does love a good slasher. When murders start occurring in her small town, could she actually be living in one? Or is Jade somehow involved? I‘ll be reading the rest of this trilogy and anything else SGJ wants to throw my way. My July #BookSpin (How am I still so behind on writing these!?)

This volume collects the scripts from season one of the absurdly brilliant Welcome to Night Vale podcast plus behind-the-scenes introductions to each episode. This is my brand of weird and I feel no shame about that. Actually, I feel no shame or really any other emotion…I am suspended in a jar of jelly that isn‘t really jelly, just the consistency of what you know to be jelly. Send help. Or don‘t. It‘s whatever.

This was one of those short story collections that I sat with for a while before moving on. I didn‘t want this to end and that‘s the mark of a good short story. I had this on my GoodReads TBR for a while. I went in completely blind and I think that worked in my favor. Surreal fiction is, apparently, my jam.

The plot? Where? The Bishop‘s Bedroom? What about it? Did I miss something? Most likely. Do I want to go meandering with these two misogynistic weirdos again? I‘m good, thanks. I literally grabbed this at the library because of the cover and the blurb on the back and boy did that pay off in no way whatsoever.

I am really digging science-fiction and/or speculative fiction short story collections lately. They‘re just hitting it out of the park. As with most collections, some stuck more than others, but it‘s a solid outing. I looked forward to each story, getting enveloped in each reality, and I look forward to reading more of Chung‘s work.

There really isn‘t anything I could add, or really should add, about James Baldwin‘s work, except to say, “Read him.” I fell madly in love with his voice when I read Go Tell It On the Mountain. You must read him.

This was a fascinating memoir. Cole has a hole the size of a lemon in her brain, which went undiagnosed until her mid-twenties. Her struggle to adapt to life with, what she thought, were multiple learning disabilities would be tough to read if Cohen weren‘t so wry and engaging. It‘s worth the read for her perspective alone.

I read Deesha Philyaw‘s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and have been desperately chasing that high ever since. This collection of short stories came in clutch. Absolutely phenomenal. I wanted to turn around and devour it again so I could mop up any morsel I missed. Loved it. June‘s #BookSpin

As a native Nebraskan, we love Cather, and I know why. She makes you see exactly what she wants you to see. Absolute descriptive power. This is a tale about the first European inhabitants of Quebec. Someone on GR described it as a stop-and-smell-the-roses type book and I would have to agree. It‘s a lovely, slow read. My February Double #BookSpin: OG BOTM Selection. Fun note: at the Cather museum, they said she loved fuchsia, especially as lipstick

I am probably in a good place to give a so-so rating because I do typically enjoy Palahniuk‘s work. This one, while a lot of fun at first, petered out for me. I‘m not sure where he lost me, but he did. And that‘s okay. You can‘t win them all. A 13-year-old girl is poised take over Hell. I was unaware this was a series when I picked it up, so I‘ll hold off Judgement Day until I finish it. Maybe it‘ll all tie up nicely?

SYLVIA👏🏻TOWNSEND👏🏻WARNER👏🏻 This was a ✨DELIGHT✨ to read. Lolly, the unmarried sister, is to be taken into her brother‘s home after her father‘s death. She says, “nah, peace out.” Which is just *shocking*! Why wouldn‘t she want to be a servant in her brother‘s home, he‘s literally being SO GENEROUS. 🙄 Anyway, Lolly chooses this little town and, wouldn‘t you know it? They‘re all witches. Is Lolly one of them? If so, would it be *that* bad?

I really struggled with reviewing this book. I think it‘s important. I think Mailer has a deep talent for writing. I just slogged through some of this while also being completely engrossed in other parts. So it‘s a so-so, for me. This was my April #BookSpin The-Most-Popular-Book-the-Year-You-Were-Born (1949).

There is, of course, nothing new to add plot-wise. This is Alice in Wonderland. The graphic novel adaptation is accessible to readers of all ages and the illustrations are lovely. I have started collecting different editions of this classic, and I‘m glad to add this one.

“…and they were roommates!” 😂 Hear me out, a pre-cursor to Dracula, but it‘s a thinly-veiled reference to lesbians! I can imagine the pearl-clutching this induced in the late 1800s! This was a great read, especially when you get the edition with a lovely, insightful introduction written by the editor, Carmen Maria Machado, and illustrations by Robert Kraiza. If you love vampire lore, this is a must-read!

I love the short story genre because you have to do so much in such a finite amount of time. Carver is one of the few who can do so much with so little. He just understands people, even if what you see isn‘t very fun to look at. Some of the stories are so woefully raw and human, you almost feel as though you‘re a voyeur, trespassing into someone‘s private existence.

This is another where I don‘t recall a lot about the plot, but I enjoyed the journey. This novel was written before the pandemic, so reading this in a post-Covid era is a bit jarring. It was a little too relatable. It‘s interesting how yearning for normalcy and human connection is so deeply ingrained in us. It‘s a good, contemplative read. May‘s #BookSpin

This was the text for my art appreciation class. You think about art in layers. Notice how it makes you feel, but give the art space to talk to you. Take the time to really look at it. Forget your pre-conceived notions. Let go of what you think you‘re supposed to “get” & just allow the art to tell you what it‘s up to. Combine what you see/feel/know, & you‘ll find you get more about art than you think. Art is not inaccessible, it‘s for everyone.

The Anthropology class I took was a disaster, but this book was its saving grace. I actually enjoyed the readings and learned far more than I had expected. I encourage anyone to take an anthropology or sociology class if they can. I mentioned earlier that it is just so fascinating to know that you aren‘t all that different from someone from far away, yet you can learn new ways of existing as well. As we say with our boys, “Different, not less.”

I‘m only giving this a so-so because some of her viewpoints were simply outdated. I did appreciate when she would call herself out for her negative attitude. She could have edited the book in her favor, but didn‘t. I loved learning about the cultural aspects of people living in West Africa. It is also so wonderful to see how connected and similar humans are and yet how we differ also, and not in a this-is-superior/inferior way, just different. ☺️

I always find it a fun take when a classic tale takes the point of view of the villain. It served to remind us that perhaps not everything is as it seems. Maybe the hero in one narrative is a villain in another. I don‘t really remember too much, except it was a nice little YA-vibe story collection that I would read again. ☺️ March‘s Double #BookSpin

June is here and Summer too! It‘s my 21st anniversary on the 14th and I think I‘ll celebrate like we did last year: I read, he fishes. Otherwise we might find some fun NebraskaLand Days stuff to do. ☺️ Happy Reading, fellow Spinners! #bookspin

It‘s my birthday month! And my birthday happens to be on the absolute baller holiday of Cinco de Mayo! Here‘s my May #BookSpin list! I‘m juggling multiple reads, as usual, but I‘m excited to catch up on reviews soon! Also, I GRADUATE IN 3 WEEKS!!! Wooo! Bachelors of English, at your service! Anyone wanna hire me? 😂😂😂

This book was a trip. The narrator is a social worker who mostly works with children (I think). I enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look, the disjointed nature of the narrator‘s thoughts. Social work, work with the public in general, can you leave you feeling jaded and cynical, and maybe even a little deadened to things that should shock you. I look forward to reading more by Konrad. 241/1,001 #1001Books