Bk3 of April is done! 2 books in 3 days, getting better fingers crossed.🤞The 3rd DS Kate Miles book, a series set in the Northern Rivers of NSW, was another great read. Kates brother Luke is in town for the funeral of a childhood friend when the 2nd of their teenage trio is shot & killed. The main suspect, Kate has to tread a fine line of trying to get the truth without compromising herself for her brothers sake. #BookspinBingo #SeriesLove2024👇

Bk2 of April is done! I absolutely loved this. From the author of Rizzoli & Isles series, it‘s the 1st in a new series called The Martini Club. A group of retired CIA agents living in a small seaside town in Maine are dragged back into action after a dead body is left in Maggie Birds driveway. Loved it, it‘s a more serious version of Killers Of A Certain Age or the movie RED. Highly recommended.🔫 #SeriesLove2024 #BookspinBingo #FourFoursIn24👇

Bk1 of April is done.🙌A reread, it‘s still one of my favourite thrillers.It‘s not just the cat & mouse chase, it‘s the evocative descriptions of the marshlands of Michigan‘s Upper Peninsula.Reminds me a bit of the mangrove swamps surrounding our Hawkesbury River & of Kakadu National Park in the NT of Australia. Without the crocodiles!There‘s a lot of similarities between Native American culture & the Aboriginal peoples as well.Highly recommend.👇

Look! I‘m reading a book for the 1st time this month. It‘s a reread but at least I‘m reading. This is the worst slump I‘ve been in in over 10yrs, I‘ve read less books so far this year than I usually read in a 2-3 week period!🤦🏻‍♀️ I just watched the movie based on this book, loved Ben Mendelsohn(another Aussie🇦🇺)as the dad but not happy with Daisy Ridley as Helena. Cinematography was beautiful though. Highly recommend this book, my 2017 No1.

And this is my April #Bookspin #Doublespin & #BookspinBingo list as well. Which I forgot to post last week. Lots of new books, some buddy reads & extra free spaces. Which book would you read first?

Bk25 of my 2024 #BookMail is this stunning edition,I absolutely loved her Winternight trilogy. Jan 1918, Laura Iven has been discharged from her duties as a nurse & sent back to Nova Scotia, leaving behind a brother still fighting in the trenches at Flanders. Home, she receives a telegram informing her of his death, but it doesn‘t make sense. Determined to find out more she returns to Belgium.Their stories twist around ghosts & a strange inkeeper.

Bk24 of my 2024 #BookMail (so far😋)is the last in the Realm Breaker trilogy. The Companions are scattered, torn from each other. Corayne barely escapes with her life, continuing alone with her blade broken & her allies behind her. The only consolation: she now has Taristan‘s sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can‘t rip open any more Spindles, without it he can‘t end the world. But he will burn it down to find her.

My 4th and last book of March is the last in the Prefect Dreyfus Emergency trilogy. Panoply is a police force of sorts in the Glitter Band, a conglomerate of habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone. Dreyfus is stunned when Tench, another prefect, walks unarmed into a dangerous habitat & is killed. When the coincidences add up to a grand plot by the insane & very dangerous AI Aurora, Dreyfus puts everything on the line to stop her. Brilliant🙌 👇

Bk23 of my never-ending #BookMail is the Waterstones signed edition of the 2nd Empire of the Vampire book. Gabriel de Leon has saved the Holy Grail from death but his chance to end the endless night is lost. After turning his back on his silver saint brothers for good, Gabriel & the Grail set out to find how DaysDeath might finally be undone. Kristoffs writing is very dark & sarcastic but he tells a beautiful story.

Bk22 of my 2024 #BookMail is a signed edition of the authors new standalone thriller. Nina & Simon are the perfect couple. Young & in love, until the weekend they both go to his family‘s cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home. Nobody knows what happened to Nina & Simon‘s explanation doesn‘t add up. Her parents push the police for answers & his parents rush to protect him. How far will his family go to keep him safe? Sounds brilliant👍

Bk21 of my never ending #BookMail is another beautiful edition. In White Roaring,Arthie Casimir runs a tea shop by day, at night it‘s an illegal blood house, catering to the vampires.But when it‘s threatened, she strikes a deal with an adversary to save it.So she brings together the city‘s most skilled outcasts to infiltrate the Vampire society called the Atherium. But not everyone is on her side & she finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy.

Bk20 of my 2024 #BookMail is another gorgeous edition. This novel is based on Eastern European mythology.Raised in a village near the spirit-wood, Liska knows magic is dangerous & its practitioners monstrous. After a deadly mistake, Liska travels into the dangerous wood guarded by a demon to steal a mythical fern flower. Pluck it and she can use its one wish to banish her own power. But to survive she has to face the secrets & ghosts of the past.

Bk19 of my 2024 #BookMail is another gorgeous edition. I may be still struggling to read but I‘m collecting pretty books! A Norse inspired fantasy,Freya spends her day gutting fish, bound in an unwanted marriage, but dreams of being a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband‘s back. When he betrays her to the regions jarl, she ends up in a fight to the death against his son. But Freya has a secret, she possess a drop of goddess blood.

Bk18 of my 2024 #BookMail is one of a few absolutely gorgeous editions that have come in. The 2nd in the Fallen Gods series, it follows Godkiller(which is also a beautiful edition!)Professional Godkiller Kissen & her companions, young noble Inara & knight Elogast, return in a world of magic, beauty & danger. A world with a dark truth at its heart. A world of Gods & demons.

Bk17 of my unending 2024 #BookMail is this small town magical romance. Jasper North Carolina, June Farrow is working in the family‘s flower farm & waiting for the curse to find her. The whole town knows of the madness that led to Susanna Farrows disappearance leading June to be raised by her grandmother. Determined to be the last of her name & never fall in love, fate has other ideas.After her grans death, a door may lead to the answers she needs.

Bk16 of my ongoing #BookMail is this gorgeous edition. NYC, bookseller Cassie Andrews is given a gift by a fave customer, a book full of strange writings & drawings.In front is a handwritten message to Cassie telling her this is the Book of Doors & that any door is every door. It gives who possess it extraordinary powers. Cassie & her bf Izzy are swept away by what it can do, but it‘s not the only magical book & dangerous people want what she has.

Bk15 of my ongoing #BookMail is this Dark Academia novel. Set in Saint Perpetuas College in Massachusetts, it‘s isolated,ancient & not a place for timid girls.Secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood & strange ceremonies welcome new students.Her 1st day, Laura is thrust into a rivalry with Carmilla. Together they are drawn into the confidence of poetry professor De Lafontaine who has her own obsession with Carmilla. Full of dark magic & blood.

Bk14 of this years #BookMail is the latest from the author of Rizzoli & Isles. This is a spy thriller about a retired CIA operative who lives in Purity, Maine, a seaside town with a few ex CIA residents. When she wakes to find a dead body in the driveway of her chicken farm, Maggie Bird knows it‘s a message that her former foes haven‘t forgotten about her. Turning to her local circle of old CIA friends, she tries to find out who wants her dead.

Bk3 of March is the 2nd Prefect Dreyfus Emergency. I‘m loving this series, so much so I‘ve put the authors backlist on my wishlist.Dreyfus is now Senior Prefect after Aurora & the Clockmaker but still works in the field when people start dying after their neural implants melt their brains. A world of hyperpigs, abstraction, light hugger ships, augmented humans & quickmatter! #SeriesLove2024 #BacklistReadathon #Readaway2024 #BookspinBingo

Bk13 of this years #BookMail is the red special edition of The Expanses 2nd book that matches Leviathan Wakes pink one. After Eros crashes onto Venus, strange things are being built on its surface. Meanwhile on Ganymede Station, the bread basket of the Belt & outer planets, a monstrous super soldier tears through a Martian platoon before disappearing. Avasarala tries to hold a diplomatic balance in check & the crew of the Rocinante are back.

Bk2 of March is the 1st in the Prefect Dreyfus Emergency series. A brilliant blend of SciFi & police procedural, Dreyfus is a Prefect of Panoply, the beat cops of The Glitter Band. Made up of 10,000 different habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone, Prefects enforce the voting laws of the system. Until an entire habitat is killed, an open & shut case,but Dreyfus starts looking deeper & encounters things powerful people would rather stay hidden.👇

Bk12 of this year‘s #BookMail is the 3rd in McKenzies Detective Kate Miles series. Set in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Kate is a 2nd generation cop with 2 kids & a father that was under investigation for corruption. Now her estranged brother Luke is back for the funeral of a friend, dead by suicide. But when another of his friends turns up dead, Luke is a suspect, putting Kate in the middle of another media storm & torn between family & the force.

My 1st bk of March is the latest in the Crescent City series. I enjoyed it, but I thought the connection to ACOTAR could‘ve been used more effectively. I like how it concluded I suppose but it wasn‘t the big finish I was hoping for. Bit of a bummer, but still a good read. #SeriesLove2024 #BookspinBingo #FourFoursIn24 #Readaway2024

Bk11 of this years #BookMail is a unique horror novel. Jack Sparks died while writing this book. Researching the occult for his new book, he‘d already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he‘d witnessed. Then there was the 40 seconds of chilling video that he claimed he didn‘t make yet was posted on his YT account. Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed, until now.

Bk10 from this years #BookMail (so far!🫣)is an historical magical realism novel. In the slums of 19th century New York a tattooed mystic fights for her life. Whilst living as a canvas for an abusive tattoo artist,Flora meets Minnie,a circus performer who offers her love & a home. While reading tarot for money, her gift, the Knowing, accidentally summons a murdered boy prostitute, setting off a deadly chain of events. Circus, tarot & tattoos.🙌

Bk9 of my recent #BookMail is a fantasy.A young woman descends into a magical underworld of power-hungry scholars & fickle gods bent on revenge to break her family‘s curse. For centuries Everlys have seen best vanish, payment for a crime no one remembers & a purpose no one understands.Their tormentor Penelope,never ages or gets sick & never forgets a debt. Violet is the last Everly, given 10yrs to find her mother before the family is gone forever.

The 6th book I read in February is the 5th & final book in the Dante Valentine series. After being violated by Lucifer in Hell, Danny‘s dropped back in the real world with her mind & body scrambled, barely knowing her name let alone who to trust. A pawn in Hells war, she has to decide whether Japhrimel is on her side or if she on her own against both Lucifer & his daughter. #SeriesLove2024 #BacklistReadathon #ReadAway2024

Bks6, 7, & 8 of my recent #BookMail are the first 3 books in the Prefect Dreyfus series. A SciFi Cop drama, set in the utopia of the Glitter Band of Space Habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone.Panoply enforces the law, but when Dreyfus investigates an attack against a habitat it looks open&shut, until he looks under some stones that very powerful people rather he didn‘t.10,000 city-state habitats orbit Yellowstone & Panoply ARE the law.

Bk5 of my recent #BookMail is the memoir/autobiography of the goddess herself, Barbra Streisand! One of the few to win the EGOT(Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony)she is one of the most recognisable voices in music. I grew up watching her movies, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, What‘s Up Doc, The Way We Were etc, she‘s a total iconoclast with a nose to match. Absolute Legend!

Another one finished last week is Bk4 of the Dante Valentine series. After the betrayals in Bk3, Danny is called back to Saint City to help her oldest friend track down a murderer. She ends up losing way too much & is hunted by police for something she did not do while Lucifer has his hot dirty little fingers in nearly every pie. This book is not perfect but it is heartbreaking & well worth a read. #SeriesLove2024 #BacklistReadathon #ReadAway2024

Bk4 of my #BookMail is the last of my #RoyalMail This one‘s about Dickie Mountbatten, King Charles fave uncle, and his wife. Mountbatten was Prince Phillips uncle & a major figure in his life, manoeuvring him into Princess Elizabeth‘s notice then blatantly enjoying his proximity to the crown. His wife also had a colourful life with many lovers & questionable decisions. And there‘s a lot that was covered up as “damaging to the crown”. Hot pick👍

Not a great photo but here‘s my March #Bookspin #Doublespin & #BookspinBingo list! First one for the year I think🤔There‘s some great books on here, all books from my #TBRShelvesAndStacksOfDoom Can‘t wait to get stuck into most of them, hopefully my health gets with the program too! PS: Why are so many book titles so LONG lately??

Bk3 of my recent #BookMail is another #RoyalMail book! I saw an interview with this author by Andrew Gold on YT & he said the Govt tried to block him accessing info for his research on the next book up. The above book is about QEII uncle, who abdicated for his lover & forced her father to take a throne he did not want. Then him & his new wife aligned themselves with the fascist govt rising in Germany ie: Hitler. One of the OG Royal Scandals!

Bk2 of my NY #BookMail is one of a few new ones about the British Royal Family. As a citizen of a Commonwealth country, I‘ve always been fascinated with our “ruling” family, especially now with the death of QEII & the hijinks the current crop of royals are increasingly displaying. This one is about the power behind the throne, the “men in grey suits” Diana complained about, their history & what they‘ve been involved in since.

The 3rd book in Dante Valentine is not my fave in the series but still a good read.After defeating the ‘ka‘ of her evil headmaster, Danny & Japhrimel have left Saint City to recover from the psychic damage to her mind. But Lucifer doesn‘t let go so easily & wants Danny to roundup 4 Demons for him. But everyone knows the Devil can‘t be trusted. For people who like dark, violent fantasy & don‘t mind a lot of swearing & hellraising. Like me! 👇

I finished this whole series last week but I‘m still having ups & downs with my health, which is honestly worse than being flat on my back constantly. Just when you think you‘re getting up it‘s WHAM! Sucks balls. But this book was great👍The 2nd Dante Valentine, Danny‘s struggling after the death of her mate with Lucifer double crossing her. But psychics are being murdered & it‘s all tied to the boarding school hell she lived through as a child.👇

Bk2 of February was the 1st in another Saintcrow series. It‘s fitting seeing as my year so far has been touched by the 😈I think this was her debut novel? Dante Valentine is a Necromance,minding her own business when the demon Japhrimel knocks on her door & tells her she has an appt with Lucifer. He wants her to track down an escaped demon by whatever means & gives her no choice in the matter. It‘s another dark & violent ride👍 #SeriesLove2024

Kicking off the #BookMail that has trickled in since January is this crime thriller by one of Oz‘s greatest actors. If you haven‘t watched Two Hands with him & Heath Ledger you‘re missing out! A young teenage boys body is found on the beach of a sleepy NSW north coast town. 3 weeks before a backpacker went missing after her shift at the local cafe. And a bikie gang is waiting for a large consignment from South America. Murder, drugs & lies.

I have been extremely unwell the last month. Apologies for disappearing but there are reasons. I‘m slowly getting better but I‘m hanging by fingernails still. My 2nd book of the year(that should say how sick I‘ve been!)is the last Kismet novel. Jill wakes up in her own grave & is given a message that she‘s the only one to stop Perry from opening the doors of Hell. I love this series, very dark & violent, a lot like Constantine but a badass woman.

Bk2 of my #BookMail sounds like a horror road trip! A father & son set out after being devastated by the death of the wife & mother they both loved. Traveling to her ancestral home they face her family, called The Order, that commit horrible acts to achieve immortality. Gaspar, the son, is pulled in to their evil but his father will stop at nothing to save his boy. Moving from London in the 60s to Argentinas military dictatorship & its aftermath.

I‘m about 3/4 through Revenge so far but I‘m taking it slow. First time I‘ll have read 1 book in a month! Starting the #BookMail that‘s been trickling in since the NY, beginning with this gothic mystery. Billed as And Then There Were None meets The Woman In Black, it sounds right up my alley. Helena is sent to be governess in a beautiful but crumbling manor house on the edge of a causeway in the North Sea but storms & secrets soon cause chaos.

I‘m back!! Well, at half working capacity but I‘m at least able to listen to audiobooks now. What an awful start to 2024😵‍💫Thank you to everyone who sent well wishes and asked where I was, I‘ve been very ill with a hospital stay & a week long migraine being the highlights. Still having trouble with reading & screens but I‘m trying! Well done too to everyone that‘s participating in #JumpStart2024 I‘ll be around for the rest of the ‘thon👇

Welcome to the new year my fellow Littens! My #JumpStart2024 #readathon starts today. I‘ve been very ill the last few days so no bingo board sorry, thinking is too difficult right now, but the readathon itself is a go! I‘m kicking off my New Year reading with a local author, Darcy Coates lives on the Central Coast of NSW where I‘ve spent a LOT of time, her horror novels are highly readable. Good luck everyone!

Announcing my annual #JumpStart2024 #readathon Starting 1st January, it‘s a no rules start to the reading year, make your own goals or have no goals! It‘s a jumpstart to your 2024 reading, coz lord knows I need a kick to start mine! My usual partner is busy planning a new addition to her family so it‘s just me this year, but I‘ll do my best to engage with you all. I‘m planning on adding a bingo board as well so Good Luck & Happy Reading!🙌

Spending this storm tossed day in bed reading after a filled Xmas. It‘s perfect reading weather, it‘s thunder hailing outside, our lovely Aussie summer giving its regular 30C 80% humidity storms interspersed with blazing hot sunny skies. Just once I‘d love a cold White Xmas! At least the cover matches the sky outside. Without the lake unfortunately😔 Oh, I‘ll be announcing the annual #JumpStart2024 casual readathon for January later today too.

Happy #JolabokaflodSwap Thank you @Teresereading (it was you right?)for my gifts! I‘ve been wanting to read this since it was released, a good trashy memoir is always fun! The chocolate looks lovely(I‘ve always wanted to go to Tasmania)& the notebook is so cute. Merry Xmas to you & yours😘♥️💚♥️💚

Thank you Chelle once again for organising what‘s always a fun swap. Merry Xmas!♥️💚♥️💚

Thank you to my #aussiesecretsanta Whoever you are! I only know you‘re from Victoria. I‘ve been meaning to read the Stevenson but I‘ve never heard of the other. Everything else looks really nice too. Merry Xmas to you & yours♥️💚♥️💚♥️

Lucky my daughter had to go to the post office to pick up a delivery for her coz my first #JolabokaflodSwap parcel was sitting there with the wrong address on it! The AusPost staff recognized my name luckily and gave it to her🙌Thank you to my gifter, I think I know who it is but I‘m not positive yet.

Checking in with my #HalfwayPoints for #TeamEvergreen I know I haven‘t been posting much, but I have been reading & keeping records in my #WinterGames #bujo along with the Week1 games etc. which will be posted as soon as I get my crap together. Well done to my team & team leader @Clwojick

Sorry guys, I forgot to post that I‘ve sent both my #AussieSecretSanta parcel & both of my #Jolabokaflod swap parcels on Friday by express post. Fingers crossed they all arrive on time🤞