I forgot to post about this sweet book, shame on me! 😉 Picking up right where The Story Girl leaves off, this volume sees the young King cousins through the winter. They create a magazine, make New Year's resolutions, get caught in a snow storm, and show distinct signs of growing up. This sequel is a little more melancholy than the first, but isn't that how it always is in winter?

Playing catch up, since I missed last month's #bobwhitebuddies read. I enjoyed this one, even though the mystery took a backseat. My favorite part was when Trixie went dress shopping with her mom.

Going in, I knew this was just a short story collection with Anne Shirley basically forced in here and there. While, yes, that's true, the Anne bits are relatively unobtrusive. Several of the stories were sweet, like "Old Lady Lloyd" and "Each in His Own Tongue," and several had classic LMM tropes like a quarreling couple, a man hater, and old maid sisters. I enjoyed it!

I didn't like this one, but this was the line that made me want to pitch it across the room. This poor kid is being taught "correct grammar," but "it is me" isn't incorrect, it's just informal. Poor Rishi spent almost as much time in Nancy's trunk as he did safe in her house. No one seemed worried enough about him, certainly not enough to keep him safe.

This was the #EuropaCollective pick for September, which I've finally read. I ended up liking it, but I can understand why not everyone did. Jessica isn't terribly likeable at the beginning and the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. But, it started working for me around the time of the house party. Jessica changes and matures. This won't be a favorite, but I enjoyed it. (The book for December has been shipped, so maybe I'll read that one on time!)

Maybe flash fiction just isn't my thing? These were so short and yet, somehow, they couldn't hold my attention. I literally read the whole book this morning and not a single story stuck with me through listening to my son talk about video games for 10 minutes after I finished it and before posting this review. I couldn't tell you anything about it. (But apparently my kid is almost done getting the sword he wants in Armored Core.)

The writing in these stories is great and reminds me of Lorrie Moore. However, I typically like the main characters of Moore's stories and I didn't like any of these women. They collectively seemed to think being fat or enjoying "mom" activities were the most horrifying traits a woman could have. I couldn't relate to them.

Here we go for November, if you can believe it. 2025 is coming for us like the baddie in a slasher movie. My #bookspin for this month is Under the Eye of the Big Bird. My #doublespin is Kehua!, which was one of my spins last year and I didn't even start it. Thanks, as always, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

I ended up switching to the audio because, as I've described in other posts, October was A LOT and I had zero focus. I listened while I did a jigsaw puzzle, which I think improves any book. I didn't dislike it, but it seemed to be all atmosphere and no plot.

I loved this. My sister has had metastatic breast cancer for 3+ years and had a not-so-great scan this month. I was definitely in the mood for sisterhood. I loved the life that Miller imagined for Margaret in and around the storyline of Little Women, adding in some of the truth of the time period (slavery, war, poverty, infant mortality, etc). Made me want to read an Alcott bio.

My October #bookspin. @TheAromaofBooks

Catching up on posting what I read in October...
I read through a lot of this on Indigenous Peoples' Day. I read several lines (and sometimes whole poems) aloud whenever my family was in the room with me.

I'm not ready for November, but here's my #bookspin list anyway! Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

I didn't read nearly as many books this month as I'd planned. To be honest though, I'm surprised I read as many as I did. I work in royalties and October is when all Jan-June payments come in, leaving me pretty wiped out at the end of the day. I either couldn't focus or fell asleep. And we went to New Orleans for a weekend, too, in the middle of the month. So, yeah, I'm pleased with 6 books! 😜 @TheAromaofBooks

If this had been the first Nancy Drew I read, I'm not sure I would've tried another one. The mystery feels so pointless. Random dangerous things keep happening, with no effect on the plot, so it's just, "Oh no! But it's fine!" The villain is straight out of Scooby Doo. There's an unnecessary side plot where a boy has a crush on Nancy and she seems, at worst, mildly inconvenienced by it. Oh, and Nancy digs up a baby's grave. Hard pass on all that.

I don't think any of us reading this for #kindredspiritsbuddyread loved it. It was fine, I guess? I don't understand why she married that man; he seemed like such a boring, misogynistic grump. I read The Enchanted April seven years ago and I remember that I liked it, but it didn't stick with me. I doubt this one will either. This was my #doublespin for October. @TheAromaofBooks

I forgot to post about this one, which I read last weekend. This is probably my favorite Tey I've read so far. At one point, I thought I'd figured out the twist, but I was wrong and it took a totally different turn. (I hate this cover, but it was from a library book sale, so it was super cheap.)

Here's my #bookspinbingo board for October. Happy October, everyone! 😁 My #bookspin is Marmee. My #doublespin is Elizabeth and Her German Garden, which is also the current pick for #kindredspiritsbuddyread. Looks like a good month! Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

With no time to spare, here's my #bookspinbingo list for October! @TheAromaofBooks

Here's my completed #bookspinbingo board for September. I have a feeling I forgot to tag my #bookspin and #doublespin when I posted reviews. 😬 Sorry, Sarah! And thank you! @TheAromaofBooks

There are a lot more books in this series, but this is the last one by original author Julie Campbell. The Bob-Whites meet some new kids at the end of this one and we get a very quick version of the highlights of the series so far. It felt like a nice send off for and from Campbell. #bobwhitebuddies

I don't know if this was legitimately better than the last one or if I was simply glad to be back at Coopers Chase. This one did feel especially poignant though and I'm realizing I need to reread them all.

Flavia de Luce is growing up. What enjoyed most about this newest installment was the moments when Flavia was dealing with occupying the space between child and adult.

From what I've seen, this is a comfort read for a lot of people, so I'm very glad that it exists. To me, it seemed like a lot of world building, but it didn't go anywhere. It's the first in a series though, so maybe things that started in this one will be picked up later? Top marks for diversity and inclusivity!

This is another book I read while traveling, but I finished it yesterday at home. This was a departure for me, since I don't usually read anything that would be classified as romance. I enjoyed it though. It was fun.

I finished this while traveling and forgot to post about it. I enjoyed this, LMM'S favorite of her own books. It all takes place over one summer, when the cousins on the King farm are all together, at the edge of childhood. It feels like LMM crammed all her best memories into it.

The tagged location isn't the one I visited, but you get the idea! I'm so proud of myself for not buying anything I wasn't specifically trying to find. I didn't browse. I looked for specific authors, got what I didn't have, and got out of there before I lost my will power.

I hadn't visited Argosy before. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I did find these two hardcovers in decent shape in the basement.

I'm in New York City for a few days for work, and finished this tonight in my hotel room. I felt like the writing was choppy starting out. Carson Drew basically says, "Go to this cabin and solve the mystery. Take Bess and George." And then we're off to the races with just about everybody but Bess getting a concussion at some point! It was a fun read, once they left River Heights.

Well, at least it was short. 🤷‍♀️

LMM's early 30s, despite literary success and fame, seemed to have more than her fair share of sadness. Depression and loneliness were ever present in the winter months, with just her elderly grandmother for company. But when she's happy, if she's spending those happy moments writing, her words are effervescent and full of the beauty of the natural world. #kindredspiritsbuddyread

I just finished the second Dalton book and it was wonderful. I actually teared up twice during the last 60 pages. I'm so glad a third book is in the works.

I finished this over the long weekend. It's my favorite of the series so far. I thought the setup, the beginning section before Morse shows up, worked well in this one and made me care more about the resolution. It was twisty turny and I had no idea who the culprit would be.

September is here! Here's my #bookspinbingo board. My #bookspin is the next #bobwhitebuddies Trixie Belden book, The Mystery in Arizona. My #doublespin is Elizabeth and Her German Garden, which is one of this month's selections for #kindredspiritsbuddyread. @TheAromaofBooks

No bingo for August, but it was a good month! I got caught up on my #bookspin and #doublespin books from July, too. Looking forward to seeing how September will come together. Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

Here's my #bookspin list for September. I would love it if I could read part of these outside, in temps under 90! 🤞

@TheAromaofBooks

This was a gripping story and surprisingly dense considering the length.

It seems ironic that the American editions of Ditlevsen's books all have her face on them, since she seems to have not been terribly impressed by her own appearance.

This was my #bookspin for July, a month late. @TheAromaofBooks

This was well researched and had some interesting moments, but overall it wasn't great. It was repetitive and didn't spend much time on analysis.

This was my #doublespin for July, finished a month late. 😉 @TheAromaofBooks

I saw Halley's Comet when it last passed by Earth, when I was 4 years old. One set of those "eyes now unborn" were mine. ??

I forgot to post about Trixie last month, but I thought book 4 was pretty good. I can't quite say the same for book 5. I'm honestly surprised they didn't edit the language for this 2009 edition. How many times did Brian and Mart call Trixie a lazy sq***? Too many! The mystery wasn't especially great (or existent?) in this one either.

Book 2 of the Inspector Morse series. There were so many possible outcomes here, even Morse was confused!

I finished both of these this week and thought they looked so pretty together. I reread AoA for #kindredspiritsbuddyread. I had been saving what I thought was the last Flavia de Luce book and then discovered yesterday that another one comes out next month! 🩷 I enjoyed this one and Dogger's increased role.

Just stunning. I am stunned. I loved it all the way through, but the end of the third novella was wonderful. I will definitely be continuing my quest to find and read all of Ellen Gilchrist's books.

Nancy Drew #10! I liked this one a lot. Helen came back, but we still got Ned, George, and Bess -- and Bess was so brave! Nancy is apparently an expert diver, so add that to her list of skills. She got knocked out at least once. The last 40 pages were so fun. Loved the illustration of her hiding under a bed. That dog!!

The last quarter of this book makes me want to cry straight through. Firstly, my son will be 15 next month and this quote was a gut punch. More than that though, it gives me a homesick feeling for something that is intangible and yet unquestionably gone.

Here's my #bookspinbingo board for August. My #bookspin is The Golden Tresses of the Dead (the last Flavia de Luce novel). My #doublespin is I Cannot Get You Close Enough. Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

I was all over the place in July. I read multiple books I didn't expect to read...and didn't read my #bookspin or #doublespin. I am not a summer person, yall. 😜 @TheAromaofBooks

I'm behind on posting about what I've read and I've been basically absent from my buddy reads, BUT the kid goes back to school next week and I think August will be quieter. Here's my #bookspin list. 🤞@TheAromaofBooks

🐯 Nancy is much more physical when Bess isn't around to calm her down, I guess!

I didn't even like all 9 of the ones I've read. Not a fan of the list, in general. Obviously, I've only read a small portion, so I can't say they aren't good books, but I don't think multiple books from the same series should've been included (even if the whole Neapolitan series is amazing). No Lorrie Moore, Per Petterson, Mieko Kawakami, or Lauren Groff?

The third time was the charm! One order got lost in the mail and the second never shipped, but I finally got a copy. I'll try to get caught up for next weekend. #kindredspiritsbuddyread @BarbaraJean