The mail just came! Thanks so much for the books, @Soubhiville - I enjoy reading for #AuthorAMonth with every new story.

As I‘m sure many of you will attest to, this week has been a difficult one and the package on my doorstep definitely brought a moment of joy amidst *all of this* going on out in the world right now.

Next up in Chronological King is Lisey‘s Story. I recall that the first time I tried to read this, I DNF‘d because there was some self-harming that I find nearly impossible to read without feeling faint. But so far, nothing. Did I misremember? If not, can someone give me a heads up on when I need to be alert?

While I‘m waiting for my Osman hold on Libby, I started this one via Hoopla today. #AuldLangSpine is under way!

I hope you all are reading a great story to start 2026 off.

I got multiple emails this morning about this deal, but I‘m firm in my decision not to read this book.

If you‘re braver and haven‘t yet, though, here‘s your chance!

Gosh, this is terrible news. I‘m so sad. #SophieKinsella #fuckcancer

So thrilled to find the tagged book at my library today! Also scored blind date with an ARC as part of their holiday celebration. So pleased today ❤️

I‘m so excited to dig into the possibilities from @DGRachel ‘s #AuldLangSpine2026 list! I don‘t own a single one of these yet, but they are almost all available on Libby through my library! I love having choices with genre and audience, too.

I think I‘ll be starting with the tagged book as I‘ve heard nothing but good things about the series. Time to see how many books fit the 52 Books Club prompts!

#AuldLangSpine

I‘m so proud of myself for sticking to only nonfiction for an entire month! These are the books I finished for #nonfictionnovember

Now it‘s time to let fiction back into my reading world!

Early voting is open in NJ, and mail in drop boxes are plentiful. Here‘s your reminder to vote - I know we aren‘t the only ones with an important election this Tuesday.

And you may call me petty, but I argue I‘m consistent. If you voted to make America great again, you own what‘s happening in DC right now. You own the shutdown, you own what‘s happening to benefits and healthcare. Sit with that and do not engage with me. Sit in your bigotry.

Should I be lucky enough to take early retirement some day, I will have no trouble filling my days. 😳

This was so fun! Short due to a quick deadline in preparation for the fortieth anniversary of BTTF, but it was so nice going back in time to hear about the insane double duty MJF did as Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly.

Just finished listening to Kamala Harris‘s firsthand account of her run for president. When I got to the acknowledgments, where she thanked every American who voted for her, I felt the weight of the last eleven months. It‘s been hard. I will never understand giving him the keys for a second time. I will never forget.

I would say I need a shower from the ick, but that reminds me of Margo‘s hot tub and no.

Are you there, God? It‘s me, Daria. Everyone in this book is bananas.

#AuthorAMonth

It‘s finally neither raining nor oppressively hot! Spending some porch time with a current read.

I appreciate a good King meme in describing my feelings last night when I finished this book.

Weekend reading. I don‘t know how we‘re halfway through 2025, but I‘m going to keep reading even though my retention is crap!

Does no one eat stew?

I posted this on Threads last night but thought I‘d share it here, too. Thank you to everyone here who practices inclusiveness, compassion, and allyship every day. 💕

https://open.substack.com/pub/unplanned/p/an-open-letter-to-jk-rowling-from?r=rm...

#marchrecap

And with that, my journey through Throne of Glass has ended. I feel like that chunkster has to count for extra boons in my total 😜

This month was rough, as we had to say goodbye to Millie the rescue beagle and losing her just sucks. Grateful for books as always, for providing escape when the world is worlding. #februarystats

I‘m never not impressed when the literary gods let me know they pay attention. I checked this book out from the library on the same day as I checked out Anne Heche‘s twenty year old memoir, which I‘ve been meaning to read since she died. And here Anne is, referenced in an unexpected place.

#januaryrecap

This is my favorite read of the month, and I‘m still missing Yale and his chosen family after finishing the book earlier this month. It breaks my heart that we treated a community of people like we did when the AIDS crisis was in its early days, and I wish we would learn lessons instead of repeating mistakes.

Wonderfully written. So glad to have finally gotten to it!

#auldlangspine

I sped through the first 4 novellas in December so I could read this one for #AuldLangSpine and this series is so fun! I decided to go with the dramatized adaptations and I think they make me relate to Murderbot even more.

And ART was back for this novel! Yay! 4⭐️

Current mood. Context: Roscoe.

#AuldLangSpine

My #JanuaryTBR started this morning as I started the tagged book. Hoping to get to 3 #AuldLangSpine picks but am likely to take some of @willaful ‘s list into 2025 as is my habit.

Happy reading, all!

That‘s a wrap on the books I‘ll complete this year.

Whether you read 1 book or 500 books, I hope you found a story you love. And I hope we all find new worlds to escape to in 2025. I think we need that more than ever.

#2024stats

I am so excited by the possibilities on @willaful ‘s #AuldLangSpine list! The tagged book is the only one I own, so that‘s what I‘ll be starting with. I have some other books but Rebecca Searle and Kate Clayborn on my TBR and I‘ve been thinking about starting the Murderbot series, too. Lots of choices! Fortunately, most books are available on Libby or Hoopla. 🤗

#AuldLangSpine
General Facts About Me: 2025 Edition

I like the annual updating of this list. It mostly stays the same, but I do some tweaking. Kind of like me as I get older!

Happy weekend! Current and next reads on the Kindle. What are you reading?

I realize that most average humans don‘t read 5 books a YEAR, but this was a low month for me. Such is life working in greeting cards when Christmas is coming. 😴

I know I‘m not here as often as I once was but I came here today to give a virtual hug to those in this community who I am grieving with today.

And if you voted for Trump? I don‘t want your book recommendations, or your well wishes, or your stupid bookish games and fake declarations of love for all. You don‘t care about us. And you don‘t care about this country or those in other countries.

May paper cuts abound with every page turn.

I‘m still not over 2016, and I‘m stress eating and nail biting as we await next week. I still managed a few chunksters in October. #octoberrecap

This is my #AuthorAMonth read, and I‘m interested, but I‘m not sure how it‘s all going to come together 🤔

This is the second book this year where my name makes an appearance! I never see it in normal life!

Ok, I‘ll bump it up 1/2 a star. 😉

I don‘t laugh out loud at books but this one kept me doing so. Highly entertaining and I‘m always pleased to see asexual rep, which we need more of in fiction!

Still waiting in line for Somewhere Beyond the Sea, but I may go ahead and check out the sequel to this one on Hoopla in the meantime.

#AuthorAMonth

Ok. I‘m lawling at this book. Loling? Sorry, Gus. I‘m way older than you but you‘re hysterical!

#AuthorAMonth

I‘m amazed that I‘ve had no DNF‘s this year and we only have 4 months to go!
#augustwrapup

After more than 7 years of using Leio to track my reading, I had to look to an alternative as the app broke sometime this spring and stats aren‘t accurate. So giving Bookly another go.

Does anyone know if there‘s a way to mark a book Finished without rating it? I‘m terrible with rating and I had to start RuPaul this morning before I could close the figurative book on this one.

July was a slow reading month, comparatively speaking, but comparison is the thief of joy, right?
#julywrapup

Here are the books I finished in June, courtesy of The Storygraph‘s new graphic generator!

I cannot believe 2024 is half over. 65 books down. Let‘s see where we are in six months. #junerecap

You know that expression on Brian‘s face as he watches Allison construct her lunch? Not the one here, it‘s a bit more grossed out than this.

That‘s how it feels to peek inside Celeste Price‘s head reading this book. The story is a bad car accident that you can‘t help but show down to look at. When you think it can‘t get worse, it does.

And now I‘m realizing Brian Johnson is already too old for Celeste and I‘m disgusted all over again.

Name sighting! It‘s always nice to see it in print, even though the audiobook narrator pronounces it the “other” way 🤷🏻‍♀️

#authoramonth

From the chapter “How Diet Culture Steals Your Well-Being.” This is my nightmare fear.

What are we thinking, you guys? Tempted or not?

Hm. Well, this was my first Jane Harper, and I‘m not sure how to feel. Seems like such an abrupt ending, with no resolution.

I did like the atmosphere and I think I‘d give the author another try, but I‘d say I‘m just whelmed by this one.

#AuthorAMonth

Ok, really considering this readalong! I have almost all of the books on my TBR abut have yet to read ‘em. Anyone else considering it? #maaseffectreadalong

“Clutter, like emotional chaos, has a way of running in families, passed down like curly hair or blue eyes or musical ability.”

Scarier than King meant in the late nineties…

I think my jaw actually dropped as June‘s thoughts and beliefs were vomited into the page. What a terrible person! And yet, there are no angels in this story. What a twisted tale Kuang weaves here; I‘ve finally read her for the first time, and surely not the last.

Another winning #AuldLangSpine pick courtesy of @jenniferw88 !