pickThis is an awesome second book.
In YA, I often run into what I like to call middle book syndrome – where the second installment seems to lack enough content for a full story, but without that content, the final third book just wouldn't make sense.
Alexandra really nailed it with this one.
It is action packed, power driven, tense and dark featuring a high-stakes rebellion and political oppression.
👇🏼 Continue 👇🏼
so-soI'm pretty much done with the Reunion trope.
Especially when it comes to dual timelines. They all seem to blend together now. Just another close-knit group of suspects with buried pasts, set against a college backdrop that feels a bit too far removed from real life.
This book wasn't terrible, I'm just really tired of the whole "I know what you did Last Summer" theme.
#LitsyAtoZ #I @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #BronzeBrown @Lauredhel
pickI'm a Day fan!
But for some reason I never knew she wrote a memoir; How?
This was just brilliant.
Her quirky, geeky self is exactly what I expected and I got so much more.
She's brutally honest about her own struggles, and gives a fun filled overview of how she became the beloved woman who inspired so many of us gamer girls.
#LitsyAtoZ #Y @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #LavenderBlue @Lauredhel
#NonFiction
I live in Mpumalanga province, South Africa
Mpumalanga means "the place where the sun rises"
And we honestly have the most spectacular sunrise and sunsets.
Thanks for the tag @eggs
#majicmonday
pickI recently discovered a love for cozy mystery, so this series became the next natural choice, as it feels like everyone is taking about it.
I enjoyed the lighthearted, humor‑infused, octogenarian sleuths.
The fact that there are multiple cases to focus on and figure out was another plus.
👇🏼 continue 👇🏼
pickBack in 2016 I discovered Alexandra Bracken and I was ensared by her. So shortly after reading Passenger I learned she had a trilogy about kids with psychic abilities, so obviously I had to have it.
I diligently read books one and two, but for reasons unbeknown to me now, I never got around to reading the third book.
👇🏼 continue 👇🏼
pickFun, lighthearted and entertaining.
Featuring vibrant artwork.
#BookChain2025 #SameColorTitle @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Damson @Lauredhel
pickEven more magical than part one!
It's high spring and the art shows every spectacular detail of the beauty of the secret garden.
Combined with Collin's new found strength and appreciation for life it's a bitter sweet ending.
#FictionalTraveler #Trees @julieclair
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #WispyClouds @Lauredhel
#BookChain2025 #StartFirstLastLetter @TheAromaofBooks
#Classic
pickA dark, gripping, period‑set, teen‑led mystery that blends traditional crime suspense with a hint of the uncanny.
Blood‑draining murders, a teenage suspect, and a collaboration between a journalist-son and a sheriff-father to try and reveal the truth.
While some aspects of the story feel a little unbelievable, I genuinely appreciated Michael Jensen's storytelling and his subtle crush on suspect Marie Catherine Hale.
pickThis has always been one of my favorite childhood stories.
So when I discovered it was turned into graphic novels, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
The adaptation is incredibly faithful and features stunning artwork.
I found myself just as immersed in this secret garden as I was in Frances Hodgson Burnett's original.
I'm thrilled that I already own part 2.
pan½✨
The most positive thing I can express about this one is that I'm relieved it's finally over.
The sole reason I pushed myself to finish it was that it fulfills my letter Z for my #LitsyAtoZ . Under normal circumstances, I would have given up at the 5% mark.
I'm not even going to waste my time writing a review.
#LitsyAtoZ #Z @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #MagicalForest @Lauredhel
October
#BookSpin - All These Bodies [Kendare Blake]
#DoubleSpin - The Darkest Minds [Alexandra Bracken]
@TheAromaofBooks
panI've realized that I ought to have read Dickens in order of publication.
It seems I've already enjoyed the best of his works, and now the remaining ones feel insufficient, boring and lacklustre.
I thought Oliver Twist was rather dull, filled with mostly unlikable characters, and its progress so slowly that I had to force myself to read.
The ending however, did redeem some of my faith in Dickens
pickA very interesting compilation of some lesser known serial killers.
Short, sweet and to the point.
#LitsyAtoZ #F @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #PoppyRed @Lauredhel
#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks
I've now started 6 books and the only one I'm kind of enjoying is Faces of Evil...
And that's while I have nothing to do like waiting in the doctor's office or some other mundane activity
It's like my reading "want" is broken ?
so-soI attempted to read this before, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters.
This time, I decided to get the audiobook, which made it a little easier to listen to and complete the story. However, I'm not a fan.
The narrative felt redundant since we already knew Snow was an evil tyrant. The details of how it happened didn't interest me, and I believe that contributes to my dislike.
The story wasn't bad, it just wasn't needed.
pickNever in my life did I expect to root for a serial killer.
This was fun! I really enjoyed Lottie's inner musings, her self-made moral compass, and how her advance age was now working against her.
Placing the daily life of a retiree alongside that of a serial killer creates such a distinctive backdrop.
If you're looking for a clever, gripping thriller infused with humour and wit, look no further.
September
#BookSpin - Dawnshad (Brandon Sanderson)
#DoubleSpin - Faces of Evil (Dominic Utton)
@TheAromaofBooks
so-soA path of recovery, optimism, and familial affection.
But the the overwhelming nature of what feels like mental self-punishment, made it hard for me to truly enjoy it.
#LitsyAtoZ #M
#Pantone2025 #VapourBlue @Lauredhel
#NonFiction
pickI only realised after the fact that this is part of a series. Nevertheless it can be enjoyed as is.
Even without knowing the background of the sluth ladies, I really enjoyed their personalities, witty banter and internal struggles.
The plot was somewhat far-fetched, but I suppose that's typical for a cozy mystery.
#LitsyAtoZ #Q @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #PearSorbet @Lauredhel
pickThis is my favourite kind of Crime Thriller, packed to the brim with police procedures and a change to discover for one self who the culprit is.
Slaughter really has a unique ability to write characters you can't help loving; in impossible situations, you don't want to find yourself in.
I'm intrigued to know what will happen next for my new friends in North Falls.
I only have one goal for the #SummersEnd #ReadAThon:
To catch up on #RealmOfElderlings
It's 897 pages, so it should keep me occupied for the whole Readathon.
@Bookwormjillk
pick3½✨
I know this one isn't officially part of the #RealmOfElderlings read-a-long.
However, after discovering the Piebald Prince in Assassin's Quest and realizing there's a short story about him, I simply had to find out more.
As with everything I've read by Hobb this is a well tailored little tale of the first Witted Prince to take a short rule over the Six Duchies.
⬇️ continue ⬇️
pickWhat a magnificent tale of loss, grief and ethical uncertainty.
Typically, I'm not a fan of the literary genre, but this one really fascinated me.
This enigmatic, heartfelt journey through the Amazon, being immersed in a different culture while grappling with personal inner turmoil just worked for me.
Now I will also need to explore Bel Canto.
pickThis debut is the perfect cocktail of glamour and menace.
Initially, the concept of a bitter sister taking over her deceased twin influencer's meticulously crafted life, filled with dark secrets lurking beneath glossy surfaces piqued my interest.
However, I quickly recognized it as a thriller that exploits influencer culture instead of merely using it as backdrop.
⬇️ continue ⬇️
pickSurvival Guide for a Wilfully Obstinate Diva
For months, perhaps even years, my mother has been urging me to give Sophia a chance. Now that I finally have, I see that I might have benefited from listening to her sooner.
Not only is Sophia an exceptional writer, creating truly unique and relatable characters, but the topics she explores with such expertise, cleverness and empathy genuinely resonate with one's heart and soul
so-so2½✨
I really liked the mystery, the political intrigue, and the entire world that Hazelwood created.
But the sexual scenes really grossed me out. I'm usually not into overly detailed sexual descriptions, but this one went way beyond what I could handle, and I ended up skipping a lot of it.
Honestly, I think this book would have been much better if they had gotten all hot and bothered and then just closed the bedroom door and left me outside.
panSorry to say, but I don't like this one bit.
I found every character to be utterly unlikable. The narrative failed to engage me for the majority of its duration. Furthermore, I felt completely detached from what I interpreted as mere gossip.
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#LitsyAtoZ #W @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #BronzeMist @Lauredhel
#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#Classic
pickDark, atmospheric with a touch of the supernatural. A Mystery braided with Gothic dread.
The only complaint I have is the slow-burn, I was more in the mood for an immediate adrenaline hit.
#BookChain2025 #AuthorsLastNameSameLetter @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #SaltedLime @Lauredhel
pick4½ ✨
On my new Vampire kick, I'm looking back on some Vampire stories and seeing them in a new light.
Previously, I didn't know Abraham Van Helsing, so this short story was just a horrific tale of an abusive father and two scared boys.
Now I see this masterful reimagining of what could have been.
Is Van Helsing a monster hunter just trying to protect and teach his offspring, or is he a senile old man, seeing things that never were?
My August
#BookSpin - Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
#DoubleSpin - Oorlewingsgids vir ñ Bedonnerde Diva (Sophia Kapp)
@TheAromaofBooks
pickThis one started out excruciating slow. And to be honest it felt that nothing really happens for the biggest part of the book.
But then when things do start to happen... O boy!
I suspected the big twist from the very first preminision made way back in the first book, but that was also one of the reasons I wanted to continue the series.
This will be an epic ride I want to continue until the very end.
panThis one wasn't for me.
While I've lately really got into Historical Fiction, I'm still navigating the sub-genres and learning which I favour.
Unfortunately this one hit all the wrong buttons. The heroine was more annoying than redeeming. The story felt jagged and incomplete. And the writing left me baffled.
Like I said this is a personal thing, so please don't take my opinion to heart.
pickA new favourite!
I don't know why it took me this long to read the book that mostly started it all. I've always enjoyed Vampire Lore and read plenty of other Vampire stories, so I'm baffled with myself for not reading this.
An excellent story, in a distinctive writing style that kept me up way to late.
Now I need to read more of the original Vampire Lore
so-soEnjoyable, engaging, but...
In my view, Sager has a script that he adheres to for all his books, and once figured out, it reduces the suspense.
Still I'll keep reading/listening to his work because it offers great escapism.
#BookChain2025 #OppositeColor @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #M @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #WhiteGrape @Lauredhel
panI had some time to kill and had this on my phone, so I thought why not. I enjoyed some of the other short stories in the Shiver Collection.
But this one didn't work for me.
It was very predictable and the open ending left me even more disappointed.
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
#LitsyAtoZ #I @Texreader
The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl
pickFor the most part this felt more like a mysterious RomCom than a Thriller, never the less I enjoyed each minute of it. I honestly think it's the full cast - especially Dolly Parton and Kelsea Ballerini - that made it so likeable.
It's a quaint story and if you won't mind the that the thrilling part only comes way at the end, I would definitely recommend listening to the Audiobook.
pickQuick paced and horrificly engaging.
Kliewer did an explanational job creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. Adding a somewhat damaged, but totally loveable narrator made this unputdownable.
The audiobook performance was outstanding as well, it definitely added a lot to the experience.
#LitsyAtoZ #W @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Moonbeam @Lauredhel
#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks
pick4½✨
The thing with King is, it's all been said before. He is a master storyteller, and Needful Things shows it yet again.
Fiction weaved through with everyday truths that makes you go: 'this might actually just happen'
People will do just about anything for what they feel they need and deserve in life; even the honest will be blinded by what they think they need. King obviously took this to a whole new level, like only he can.
July
#BookSpin - Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2) by Christopher Paolini
#DoubleSpin - We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
@TheAromaofBooks
pickI love when McGuire gives us the in-depth dive into characters we've already been introduced too.
She not only writes epic adventures with well love characters, but she so fluently adds such hard topics that I'm always amazed by her brilliance.
Another dazzling addition to the series.
I feel like I need to re-read them all... again.
pickLow pick
This Audiobook sure made my roadtrip seem much shorter than the 7hours it was.
But in the end I felt a bit let down.
The twist was real obvious to me, and I think that took away a lot of the wonderment that this book is supposed to evoke.
I'm definitely adding Hidden Pictures to my TBR as I see everyone is recommending it.
#Pantone2025 #MistedMarigold @Lauredhel
#LitsyAtoZ #L @Texreader
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
I can't believe I never finished the series, especially with that cliffhanger ending.
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#ChunksterChallenge2025 #BitsyChunkster @Amiable
#AllergicToChunksters @julieclair
#LitsyAtoZ #N @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #CrownBlue @Lauredhel 2h