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

This is my last semester of school (yay!) and I only needed American Sign Language II to complete my degree audit. However, because of grants and scholarships, I needed to be full-time. I decided to take a geography class…for fun…😂💀 Anyway, I was dreading this b/c it is NOT my forte, but the book is highly readable. It also helps that the professor is kind, massively organized, and efficient. Bonus: it has helped me when reading novels too! ☺️

I‘m sorry, this was her FIRST NOVEL!? Hang it up, everybody else, b/c dang. I know Morrison is going to chew up my soul and spit it out, but I can‘t help but keep coming back for more. Every story in here is painful. You see Pecola through a child‘s narrative. That‘s where Morrison‘s magic lies: her ability to weave and manipulate language. It‘s beautifully written, but it‘s also mean and hard and angry. As it should be. 240/1,001 #1001Books

I won‘t add anything new to the discussion, so I won‘t try. It reminds me of the adventure novels popular w/ boys in the Victorian era, but fantasy. I want to thank Christopher Tolkien for taking his father to task about remembering the small details of his bedtime story so that we could all benefit from it. The original NPR broadcast was stellar & should get a listen, if you‘re so inclined. Know what Aragon‘s shirt is made of? Husband material.

Again, I listened to the original American National Public Radio broadcast. Other than some different pronunciations than we‘re used to, this was another stellar performance. This was also around the 3-hour mark. If, like me, you‘re familiar with the story and just want to have some ear candy while crafting, give this a listen!

Some of the writing fell a *smidge* flat, for me. But, I stayed engaged enough that I wanted to finish. The narrative is split between a present-day FLDS plural wife who is charged with her husband‘s murder & her estranged son who tries to solve who-really-done-it & the story of Ann Eliza Young. Both women are the 19th wives. Ann Eliza to Brigham Young himself, & she documented their very public divorce. #ReadingAmerica Utah; February #BookSpin

I listened to the original American National Public Radio broadcast and I loved it. An ensemble cast really brought the story to life. Coming in at 3 hours, I know it‘s abridged, so I won‘t be counting it toward my 1,001 books journey until I read it in full. This was just such a nice listen while I crocheted. ☺️

This is, like, my 4th read. This time, I listened to an audiobook (not the one with Alan Cumming and Tim Curry, though, blast!) and it was so fun! This is, certainly, problematic in places. However, the lore is SO STRONG that even today, few stray from it. (If they do, we get sparkly vampires. At least she tried something new. Bless.) Anyway, still a solid pick.

This was also on the #RoryGilmoreChallenge and I couldn‘t have been more bored. Maybe I‘ll try again, but reading this immediately after a semester of Victorian Lit was not ideal…

I don‘t like kitschy. I don‘t like sappy. So I was quite worried about this. It surprised me. Eddie dies trying to save young girl in a Ferris wheel accident. We know it‘s coming, so don‘t worry, that‘s not a spoiler! ☺️ The narrative follows him as he meets 5 important people in his life. I enjoyed the contemplative nature, the inter-connectedness of humanity. If you want to get off the roller-coaster and take a nice swan boat ride, this is it.

Not me, thinking I was ahead of the game and had already posted my #BookSpin list only to realize I‘m a month behind…🙄😂💀 Sheesh. April already!? Well, the list is the same anyway, so no harm no foul! I‘m excited to pick the books to fit the spins!

March‘s #BookSpin list! An extra day in February and we still flew by it like a fence post on the interstate. Happy Reading, fellow BookSpinners! ☺️

School started again and I lost my doggone brain…February‘s #BookSpin list 🎶Second verse, same as the first🎶 Happy reading, everyone! ☺️🧡 📚

Lordt. I was ranting about this book to my husband and he said the movie was good. 🙄🤣 Well, yeah, Eastwood‘s in it. The dialogue was obnoxious (“My God, your power” Girl, no.) if I read that he was “a leopard that rode in on a comet” ONE MORE TIME. The author 100% wrote himself as the main male character. She looked down her nose at the Iowans (all they want out of life is to farm and raise families. Okay? And?) I get it. Shes lonely. 👇🏻

This book is so silly and gross. I loved it. I brought this home from the library. My daughter (15) said, “Wait! When you said Dog Man, I thought you were talking about some weird fantasy novel, not THESE! These are low-key really funny.” I agree. I was even making my husband look at panels that made me laugh audibly. Just good fun. My favorite bit was: *ring ring* Hello? There‘s been a jail break! Where? At the jail! Oh. So dumb. 🤣🤣🤣

First, I know I‘m not the target audience. Second, I get it. Middle-schoolers and the personal fable (main character energy), people are flawed, etc. I absolutely see why kids would dig this series. I just really struggled with this. There were parts that were funny, but mostly I was like, “Wow. You‘re a real d-bag…” I won‘t dissuade anyone from liking/reading them, I just didn‘t connect with this.

I‘ve never read Miss Marple, so I thought I‘d take advantage of this Nebraska Blizzard season and get a start. I love these little mysteries and Miss Marple reminded me of Father Brown. I genuinely love trying to solve the puzzle and being outwitted by Dame Agatha every time. Even if I figure out part of the mystery, I never unravel every bit.

I know some on GR felt this one was slower than the first, but I think that worked in its favor. Daine is gaining powers, learning her magic. If it were rushed it would feel cheap. Daine & Numair uncover a plot that threatens not just the throne, but all of Tortall. When Daine and Numair separate, and a magic barrier soon makes that separation against their will, Daine must work with the People in ways she hasn‘t before. Will they be in time?

Bartley Alexander is larger-than-life and it‘s destroying him. He‘s restless and hates that about himself, yet he can‘t stop it. Happily married, yet continuing an affair. Alexander is living not a double-life, but a triple one. Work Alexander, Home Alexander, In-Pursuit-of-Youth Alexander. The various cables of his life are threatening to pull him asunder, just like his bridges. What will become of this man who is too full of life? #ABCChallenge

Pontius Pilate offered the people a choice (to keep his own hands clean): The Messiah or Barabbas. Pilate was sure no one wanted to free Barabbas, but he was wrong. No one talks about how this substitution affected Barabbas. What made him worth this 2nd chance? What if he just can‘t make himself believe? I love this short search for identity. Excellent read. 239/1,001 #1001Books December‘s #TBRTarot: author whose last name begins w/ “L”

After much finagling, I settled on a perpetual list for #BookSpin 2024! I added more prompts to give me more options. I also added some of my bookshelves from GoodReads to really force me to chip away at that TBR! Happy Reading Year, everyone! ☺️☺️☺️

This was my December Double #BookSpin, but I‘m going to have to pick this one up another time. I don‘t want to mark it as DNF. I don‘t wanna ruin its stats. It‘s definitely me, not the book. Happy New Year, everyone! Happy Reading in 2024! Thank you for hosting again, Sarah!

🎶 HE HAD IT COMIN‘! HE HAD IT COMIN‘! 🎶 This was a good outing by King. This isn‘t horror, but it‘s terrifying all the same. The ways we hurt each other, the ways we save the ones we love. #TBRTarot A book dedicated to Mum/Mom (I ransacked my books until I found one. 🤣)

I mentioned to my friend that I needed a palette cleanser after finishing this last semester. She got so excited and told me all about this series she had read and loved as a young girl. When someone‘s eyes light up when discussing a book, you read that book. I am SO glad I did. Strong female characters, good world-building, the magic made sense. I loved the dialogue. A young girl who can talk to animals!? Middle-school-me would‘ve swooned! ☺️

I loved this one. It‘s terrifying because it takes such a practical view of what would happen when the world ends. The Triffids are, of course, terrifying, but it‘s the survival that‘s daunting too. One night, green lights are seen all over the world. The next day, any one who saw the lights is now blind. The Triffids are lurking, waiting. Can society rebuild? 238/1,001 #1001Books #TBRTarot Choose a Book Which Has 5 Words in the Title

I‘m not the biggest fan of poetry, but this is an excellent overview for Victorian poetry. The editors of Broadview always add helpful notes and intros in their anthologies that help make the works more accessible to a modern audience. #TBRTarot Choose a Book Which Has the Word “And” in the Title.

A short story? novella? about a monk and his back-and-forth feelings about the hangman‘s daughter. A hangman‘s family was reviled by the townspeople, due to the nature of the job. They weren‘t allowed to be buried on consecrated ground, for instance. This book was so much more than I expected. December #BookSpin prompt: Litsy/GoodReads TBR

I took an intro to sociology class this last semester to stay full-time, and I really enjoyed it. It made me think about things in new ways, which, at my age, is always a bonus. ☺️ I found this textbook readable.

I read this a year ago, for fun, and just finished it for Victorian Lit class. Still freaking hilarious And scathingly witty. There are so many quotable one-liners. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a reading of this one.

A soft pick, but I think it‘s still worth the time since it‘s one of the first detective novels. I kept thinking I had it right, then I got super duper confused, then it turned out I *was* right…mostly…Anyway, it‘s a ride, for sure. They got paid by the word at this point, and it was published serially, so take that into account. Also, Wilkie‘s mom died while he was writing this and it affected the narrative. 237/1,001 #1001Books #TBRTarot

You have GOT to read this! It is so sweet and funny! The town of Cranford is basically an Amazonian village if the Amazons had been little old ladies. I freaking loved this story! 236/1,001 #1001Books Double #BookSpin for November: #52BookClub (City Name in the Title)

Battered Woman Syndrome. Lack of autonomy for women (gender inequality). Social isolation and class distinctions. The effect of alcoholism, not just on the alcoholic, but the ripple effect as well. This is a relevant work of fiction and I think Anne was more in tune with the world than she gets credit. (Read up on their brother Branwell.) This is worth the read. 235/1,001 #1001Books November #BookSpin Litsy/GR TBR #TBRTarot Person on the Cover

Whenever a book/author is popular, I go into it with much trepidation. This time, I was not disappointed. I never had firm footing (indeed no one in the novel did either) and I was delightfully surprised by the twists and turns. I kept thinking I had it down, then the floor would drop out from under me. Really well done.

There is so much going on in this delightful Victorian children‘s novel! Class distinctions, hybridity, gender distinctions…but I have always found it a lovely little story about the power of friendship and positive thinking. Mary‘s parents die of cholera in India. She is sent back to England to live with an uncle she‘s never met. A garden that has been locked-up for 10 years is waiting to work its magic on the manor‘s inhabitants.

Sometimes your brain needs a break, so I got this from the library. My daughter (15) saw it on the table, gasped, and lovingly held it. She looked at me and said, “My childhood!!” I think that‘s all the review a classic like this needs.

My final #BookSpin list for 2023!!! 😱😱😱 I can‘t wait to spend my holiday time reading! Thank you, Sarah, for all the work you do! This is my favorite challenge!

My list for November‘s #BookSpin! I‘m really hoping to get some good reading time over the holiday breaks! ☺️ 🦃

Another read for Victorian Lit. This book was published anonymously in 1808. The fact that the main protagonist is a woman of color is amazing. There are still some problematic issues, of course, but more texts from marginalized voices are being recovered. That‘s pretty neat! #TBRTarot Which has a Picture on the Side

I know these books are ridiculous and can be formulaic. However, they can be fun, silly, and a comfort read. I will say, though, that the boxer in this one is too much for me and I often skip some of the details. 😕 I love Grandma Mazur. Double #BookSpin for September #BarnesNobleChallenge One You‘ve Already Read

What more can I add about a classic? I can tell you that I read this for my Victorian Lit class and we roasted Rochester on the daily. 😂 234/1,001 #BookSpin for September #FlourishAndBlott Set/Written Before 2000 #TBRTarot Which Has a Person‘s Name in the Title #RoryGilmoreChallenge

What if androids were made so well, you didn‘t even know they were an android? What if simply being an android were illegal, punishable by death on-sight? What if all the rich folk peaced out and left earth to the rest of us? Can we ever really define what makes us human? This book covers a lot of territory, so it can get in its own way at times, but it‘s a thought-provoking work all the same. 233/1,001 #1001Books #FlourishAndBlotts Set After 2001

What if the story you know is completely wrong. What if Cain, because of his mark, lived outside the rules, outside of time. What if Cain & God had a theological argument that spanned centuries? This is one of those novels I wish I could read again for the first time. 232/1,001 #1001Books #BookSpin for August #Pop23 A Modern Retelling of a Classic (I‘m stretching it a little, but hey. It‘s my challenge. 😄) #TBRTarot 4th in from Left of Bookshelf

Corpses are being drained of all their blood all over the city and Darren starts to question how well he really knows Mr. Crepsley. The mystery is far worse than he suspected. Another page-turner. ☺️ (I haven‘t read the manga, but it looks fun!)

This was pretty decent! It‘s hard to fool me, which is why no one likes to watch murder mysteries with me. This book had me spinning in circles. I couldn‘t trust my instincts, even when my instincts turned out to be right, I was STILL thinking I was chasing a red herring. This is 7th in the Harry Hole detective series, but that didn‘t affect the reading. July‘s #BookSpin #BarnesNobleChallenge About a Murder

This is just a page-turner of a series! Darren is learning some hard truths about what it means to be a vampire and the prices you must pay to be one. We get more characters to know and love in this volume. June‘s Double #BookSpin #FlourishAndBlotts Includes a Magical Creature

I bought part of the series, years ago, at a garage sale. The lady said her son devoured them when younger, but he was headed to college in the fall. He came out and smiled as I talked to him about the books. I have to say, the hype is deserved. Spooky, mysterious, fun. I‘m looking forward to the rest. June‘s #BookSpin #52BookClub: Includes a Funeral

I‘m also late to the party with my October #BookSpin, but since it‘s the same all year, I‘m sure no one is bovvered. ☺️ 🎃

I DIDN‘T POST MY SEPTEMBER #BOOKSPIN LIST!? Ugh. This has been one heck of a year. Nothing changed on my list, but still…

I never bail, so… Bella Lugosi‘s screen test as Frankenstein!? A murder mystery!? Sounds good, right? Valentino, the protagonist, is such a pain to be around. Referring to Detective Yellowfern as “the Indian” put me off, but I kept reading (benefit of the doubt & all). Halfway through, he meets a person w/ albinism and says “or whatever they like to be called these days. ‘Genetic freak‘ wasn‘t it.” Um, it never was? ✌🏻 I can spend my time better.

I want to preface this by saying I will 100% read Alice Hoffman again. I loved the premise: man raised by wolves found, Wolf Man meets girl, girl sneaks him out of hospital, teaches him how to be “civilized,” we learn who the real savages are. But…This book was just going in so many different directions, it did itself no favors. I don‘t even like being critical because she writes so beautifully. I‘ll say this: animals are better than humans. 😂☺️