I love everything Annie Hartnett writes. Once I started this, I was frustrated every minute I had to spend doing anything other than finish it. This will definitely be a reread at some point. There's so much death and so much goes wrong, but it's still so hopeful and funny. Five gold stars! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐

Another catch up post and another reread. I enjoyed this much more than I did the first time, in 2023. I've been reading LM Montgomery's journals with #kindredspiritsbuddyread. They give so much more context. Susan seems to echo LMM's concern over WWI. Also, the Anne books have been better in publication order, rather than chronologically. I still have the same gripes as last time (too little about Avonlea favorites), but oh well.

Catching up on posting my May reads...
I was in the middle of rereading The Golden Compass last month when the news broke that Book of Dust 3 is happening soon, so now I think I'm going to reread all the Lyra books to prepare. I finished rereading this one on May 1 & finally read Lyra's Oxford, which actually comes after The Amber Spyglass but I didn't know that. I've read the main series before anyway, so it was fine. I love these books so much.

This store is in Pensacola, about hour from where I live, so I haven't shopped there frequently, but I've gone out of my way to go there several times. Not anymore!! I'm so mad and disappointed.

A new month! May is always so busy and I have a trip planned for the end of the month. But, that trip will involve two whole days on a train, so I'm going to read that whole time. Glorious. My #bookspin is James and my #doublespin is Pollyanna (for #kindredspiritsbuddyread ). Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

This was a disjointed month and my reading was all over the place, but I got a bingo! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

I have decided not to look into who actually wrote each of these, so I can go in blind and hopeful. This one was better than the last one, but there's still a change in the way Trixie is written that I don't enjoy as much. It was fun that the kids from Iowa came to visit & I enjoyed the descriptions of 1960s NYC. I kept forgetting Dan was actually with the group this time though. Whenever he spoke, I'd think, Dan? Who is Dan? 😂 #bobwhitebuddies

This was a short collection of subtly interconnected stories set in and around a haunted hotel. It's more spooky than scary, which is what I like. Not my favorite Daisy Johnson, but still good!

My #bookspin list for May is ready! 😊 @TheAromaofBooks

I read another Oz book today. Gathering these stories into collections like this one makes sense because they're so fast-paced (and sort of...pointless?). There was an especially fun cameo appearance by a non-Baum magical being, and the book ends with Dorothy still in Oz, which is different. #beyondtheyellowbrickroad

Book review catch-up post 5 of 5:

This is the fourth volume of LM Montgomery's journals and by now I really feel like I know her, warts and all. She was not a perfect person, but she had a wonderful sense of humor and, in this volume especially, a difficult life. It was hard to hear of the pain she endured at the loss of her closest friend and the onset of her husband's mental illness. Three more volumes remain and life doesn't get any easier...

Book review catch-up post 4 of 5:

This one didn't resonate with me as much as I expected it to, but it was engaging. There were a few loose ends that I wish had been explained. I would read more by Lansens, so overall I liked it. #ohcanada

Book review catch-up post 3 of 5:

I read this for my IRL book club and it was... something. There was a lot of fat shaming and an actual rape (nonviolent, you totally see it coming), but the discussion was pretty good and that's keeping me from panning it.

Book review catch-up post 2 of 5:

This wasn't for me. As I said in one of our #kindredspiritsbuddyread discussions, it's a lot of wandering around in the woods occasionally interrupted by horrible violence. The "bad Indians" were bad because they were of a savage tribe, while the "good Indians" were held to a higher standard than the whites in both ethics and competency. The ending was a shocking disappointment.

Book review catch-up post 1 of 5:

These poems, in English and Anishinaabemowin on facing pages, cover the natural world and Native American history (distant and recent) and perspectives. I found myself staring at the Anishinaabemowin versions, which I couldn't read, picking out the rhythms and musicality. The poems were meaningful, but the experience of interacting with a Native language had the greater impact on me. Recommended.

I'm going to try to get caught up on reviews today. 🤞But, in the meantime, these are my new glasses! They're from Pair Eyewear and this bookshelf pattern attaches magnetically. I can change out the design based on mood, color, etc.

I got a new phone & remembered that the Litsy app isn't in the Android app store anymore. I tried using the web version, but apparently Litsy wasn't working for anyone last night? This morning, I could tell it was working again, but when I'd like something, the "like" would immediately disappear. So, I downloaded the APK. Because I really can't imagine getting through life, especially now, without you guys. (Image is a work email from yesterday.)

Uhh. I don't know about this. I will never read Infinite Jest. Or House of Leaves. If there was a question about a mystery in an English village, I missed it. Or, more accurately, for me "a book by an author who wrote one book you loved and two you hated, but maybe this one will be good??" Plot isn't as important to me as mood. I love a book where nothing happens, but the narrator had a lot of Thoughts. Or an English mystery. Or a children's book.

I can see see why not everyone would love this book, but it worked for me. I was racing to finish it ahead of meeting the author this evening, so I switched back and forth between audio and print. When she was signing my books, I asked her if she wrote the audio descriptions of the photographs (which mention color, even though they're printed in b&w) and she didn't! That added another layer of translation, in my mind. She gave a good talk, too.

We were in Birmingham yesterday, so I got to visit one of my favorite bookstores, Thank You Books. I got 2 books and a hoodie. Husband and teen got books, too. It's a fabulous store. I highly recommend going by, if you're in the area!

This was the sign I marched with on Saturday (picture taken before I attached two sticks for handles). There are SO MANY issues, but this was the best sign idea I had. Possibly because some of my favorite memories are from Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Acadia. 💚

I've gone completely off my plan for April and started the month with two British mysteries. I've been so angry and anxious, spending time writing postcards to voters, making signs for protests, calling my reps, etc. These were both mysteries about a detective on vacation who couldn't help but work to turn the world to rights. It was probably the most relaxing thing I could've done for myself. Now, back to my planned reading and fighting fascism.

We've somehow made it to April and I probably won't get a bingo this month either! 😆 My #bookspin is What the Chickadee Knows, which is fitting for poetry month. And my #doublespin is the next Trixie Belden for #bobwhitebuddies. I might have that backwards, actually, but I'll read them both anyway! Thanks, as always, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

Who were the kids in this book? Because they didn't act at all like the Bob-Whites from the first 10 books. Trixie was persistent to the point of being annoying. Their poor uncle! He didn't get to see them much in Iowa (& Trixie almost drowned) & they aren't paying any attention to him in Missouri either (& Trixie almost drowned). I hadn't realized that Kathryn Kenny was a pen name, but it's pretty obvious to me now. #bobwhitebuddies

I don't think I've ever come across the name Glendenning before, but here it is in the last book I read and the book I'm reading now. Weird.

My favorite part of this one was Eureka the kitten, but she did make me wonder why Toto didn't talk. I thought it was hilarious that Dorothy meets up with the wizard and they don't catch up on what's happened since they last saw each other until they've escaped death, what? 3 times? #BeyondtheYellowBrickRoad

It's interesting that the Melanie Rehak book (which is great!) has almost the same title and is the same color as the original, 1975 edition of this Bobbie Ann Mason book. Mason's book covers lots of sleuths, not just Nancy, and has Mason's personal commentary. I love Bobbie Ann Mason and her thoughts on the Bobbseys, Cherry Ames, Trixie Belden, and others were entertaining. I think I'd like to try a Judy Bolton, but probably not a Vicki Barr.

Here's my #bookspinbingo list for April, which I wrote with pen for some reason, like an April Fool's joke on myself. 😜 @TheAromaofBooks

I can't believe I didn't get a bingo! 😆 I got so close! This has been a great reading month for me. Creation Lake, How to Build a Boat (my #doublespin), A Forty Year Kiss (my #bookspin), and The Girl Sleuth were especially good. I'll get my list for April (and a few catch-up reviews) posted tomorrow. Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

I took an impromptu trip to New Orleans to hear Michael Lewis, Casey Cep, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell in conversation with David Shipley. Looking forward to reading this!

I'm going to an IRL book club meeting for this book soon. My 1st time at a book club in almost 7 years (since I sold my bookstore) & the 1st time I'll be at a book club & not leading the meeting. I really wish I'd liked the book more! The 1st part was like Cherry Ames Goes to Vietnam, then there were far too many romances & the plot twists...good lord. I felt like it went on far too long. And what's with the cover art cribbing from Miss Saigon?

My spring cards are officially in the mail! I included stickers from this National Park themed sticker book, and they vary drastically. Most of you will get flowers and birds, but one lucky duck will get the bison sticker! #springcardswap

I don't think this is Butler's best, but it's still a pick for me. His characters are always so real and his books are never even slightly pretentious. (Not that I don't like pretentious novels, of course. I often do.) I think my criticism of this one is that there were a few too many plot points and not enough character development. Having said that, I read it incredibly quickly (for me! I'm slow!) and found it engaging.

Elaine Feeney is now an automatic buy for me. I loved her first novel, As You Were, and I loved this one, too. (I'm not sure how to preorder her new book, since I can only find info on a UK edition?) I felt equally invested in Jamie, Tess, and Tadhg. I found myself rooting for each of them in different ways. I can see myself rereading this one at some point.

This was my first time reading Rachel Kushner. How have I missed her? I loved it. It made me want to watch documentaries about human evolution and cave paintings. I'm not surprised at all to find out Kushner has a book of essays. That's being added to the wishlist now!

I think I liked this better the first time I read it, 2 years ago. I still like it because there's something about LMM's writing that always appeals to me. But, this time Ellen West being a terrible sister and the way she talks to her cat irritated me. And then there was Mr. Meredith, who kept wishing a woman would come along and do all his work for him. 🙄

I finished these at the beginning of March. Ozma of Oz starts off pretty unhinged, but end up being a more coherent story that Marvelous Land of Oz. This Trixie book was one of my favorites so far. I like that these feel like mysteries a kid could actually solve. This one also included a long-past tragedy and tumbled down mansion, so it was checking all the boxes for this Kate Morton reader. #bobwhitebuddies #BeyondtheYellowBrickRoad

I've been out of town at a film festival and didn't read a word yesterday, so March is off to a great start! 😂 My #bookspin for March is A Forty Year Kiss and my #doublespin is How to Build a Boat. (Thanks, Sarah! Hope your move is going well! @TheAromaofBooks ) #bookspinbingo

I got a lot read in February, but I would've gotten a bingo if the month was about two days longer! 😆 #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Here's my #bookspin list for March! ☘️ @TheAromaofBooks

It was interesting to learn about everyday life in Gaza. This was written several years ago, so it doesn't cover anything recent. I It was part political, social history and part memoir, but it's so short it doesn't cover either aspect as much as I would've liked. Still glad I read it though.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first Cherry Ames book (my #bookspin for Feb). I don't think it's a coincidence that the doll Molly McIntire gets for Christmas in the, now out of print, "Molly's Surprise" has dark hair and rosy cheeks.

I know I'm late to the party with this one, but, wow, it really lives up to the hype! I can definitely see myself rereading it someday.

I'm sure this would have resonated a little more if I was more familiar with the Argentinian epic of Martin Fierro than just what I got from Wikipedia, but I think it stands on it's own very well. China Iron, or whatever name they're using at the time, is wonderful character. We're there for their coming of age and sexual awakening against the backdrop of the pampas.

I just about read this in one sitting. Jin, Amy, daughter Lucie, & grandmother Pauline are all dealing with a grief that's unrelated to but coincides with the 2020 COVID lockdown. Jin brings home a new pet rabbit as the novel opens, which had been much discussed. Pauline gets 10yo Lucie interested in Watership Down, which is maybe not the best book for a girl with already dark thoughts. I loved the characters and how real their relationships felt.

I didn't dislike this book. The premise is fascinating, actually, and I expected to be enthralled, but I was not. I kept putting it down and having no interest in picking it back up. Today I've decided not to try anymore and donate my copy. Was it better in French? Because this English version felt like it needed a better editor.

This is a short look into what life was like just before the turn of the century in a coastal community in Maine. The sketches of different characters and the friendships the narrator cultivates during her stay in the small town were sweet without being overly sentimental.

Excuse me, sir? Who would ever think that would come in handy? 😆

My husband is out of town, but that's okay -- I opened all my Litsy Valentines this evening. I love how different they all are! Happy reading, Litsy friends! I hope my silly dinosaur cards made their way to you. #ValentineCardSwap 💖❤️💝💘

I'm a sucker for a time travel story anyway, but it was so fun for the characters of Tatami Galaxy to be involved. I wouldn't call this a sequel, just another story with the same characters. I do think you should read this one second though, so you catch all the references.