March recap: 14 books finished & two bingos. 9 fiction, 5 nonfiction. My top choices for the month were The Favorites and Challenger. I wanted to read more nonfiction last month and I did!

I‘m still reading my last March book, but now I‘ll be ready for April. I always say I can‘t believe it‘s another month already, but Spring is definitely here in North Carolina. Everything is covered in pollen.

If you love figure skating, villains, intense competition, and couples who are both terrible and perfect for each other, you‘ll love this book. I tore through it in just a couple of days. I‘m actually surprised by how much I loved it since I hate its inspiration, Wuthering Heights. Even though that classic doesn‘t work for me, this modern take and the nods to the original were really fun.

Switching to fiction now that my hold for this anticipated read came in from the library. A little March Madness in the background

This was pretty interesting if a tiny bit long. I realized about halfway through that I‘d heard about this when it was in the news several years ago. My main thought though was why any of these women put up with “Ethan” at all.

A picture from Elle Cosimano‘s event tonight at my favorite indie bookstore, Quail Ridge Books. Let me tell you, she wants you to sign up for her newsletter.

I had fun at Quail Ridge Books listening to Elle Cosimano talk about the Findlay Donovan series. She was in conversation with author Esme Addison so I bought both books! Happy to attend with @OriginalCyn620

Both of my #BookSpin picks are finished! They were interesting and I learned a lot from both. I love to read nonfiction but now I need to finish some fast-paced novels!

I love reading about notable women whose accomplishments are not as well known now. If you‘re looking to read about a mafia trial this is not that — that case is only a small part of the book. The rest of it is about a Black woman who became an attorney when that was rare and it covers her full life. It‘s by her grandson but he doesn‘t lionize her; her flaws are on view. It also has an added element of family lore vs public record.

Weekend reading! I‘ve heard so many great reviews of this one. It‘s a mystery set in the the tech industry but I‘ve been assured that the tech stuff isn‘t too much for an average reader.

I‘ve really enjoyed all the books I‘ve read by Gillian McAllister bc she always does something a little different. This one was enjoyable, with an opening mystery that kept me guessing. It‘s more of a relationship drama than a thriller, especially after the first section. I think it‘s more enjoyable if you go in with that expectation.

This was an incredibly thorough look at what led up to the Challenger space shuttle disaster. The author starts all the way back in the beginning of the space race to show how systemic failures, political maneuvers, and human hubris, led to the dangers being ignored. Some of the science/engineering vocabulary was a bit beyond me. But I really appreciated how much he humanized the people involved, especially the astronauts and their families.

I said I needed to read more nonfiction this month so my #BookSpin picks are trying to encourage me. Both of these sound so interesting.

I expected to really relate to the MC here but I didn‘t like her much. It may be that the book was too much in her head. She was way too involved with her kids. I understand it was partly about having to let go and find your role once your kids were grown, but it didn‘t fully work for me.

This was like the tragic version of Rob Lowe‘s Stories I Only Tell My Friends. A lot of his stories feature famous family and neighbors. Some of his stories had me thinking, why would you tell that? But others were engaging. The long chapter about his sister‘s murder and the court case that followed held my interest the most. They didn‘t get the justice they deserved.

Most of the lead characters in this novel are terrible people and I wanted to throw them all over a cliff at different points. But of course I knew what I was getting into after the first book, and I still wanted to see where these authors were taking us. Only a pick if you like reading about terrible people and people who make dumb decisions. Apparently I do.

This was my #jolabokaflod gift from @LeslieO and I finally got to finish it. I started it on Christmas Eve but didn‘t get far, but when I restarted it in February I finished quickly. I ended up loving Anna and Will plus the premise of the book made it fun getting where the author was leading. I‘ve enjoyed all the Sophie Cousens books I‘ve read so far. She‘s become a real favorite.

My February #BookSpinBingo card. 12 books finished, one bingo. Only 2 nonfiction this time, including my BookSpin pick Somebody‘s Daughter, which was excellent.

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for March. There are a couple here that I‘m really looking forward to!

I had fun meeting JoJo Moyes last night at Quail Ridge Books. She was so funny! This was one of the only stops on her US book tour. I also like the sign in the mantle behind us.

I finished both my #BookSpin picks this weekend. Somebody‘s Daughter was excellent. Ashley C. Ford writes about trauma and a challenging childhood with skill, honesty, and a lot of empathy. It would be easy for her to have written this from a place of anger but she made a different choice.

Still Life was another enjoyable installment in the Karen Pirie series. It‘s so interesting how all the story threads come together.

Thanks to library holds I‘m finally getting to read some of last year‘s top books. This one was maybe a bit over complicated but definitely worthy of the hype. At first I struggled a little because there were so many characters to keep up with and two timelines, but it all came together well. I liked that almost all of the POV characters were women, especially Judyta and Louise.

My picks for this month‘s #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin. I‘m going to be listening to the audiobook of Somebody‘s Daughter. I hope everyone has a great reading month.

Here‘s my #BookSpinBingo card from January. I got one bingo, read 13 books, and finished both my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin. The ones I enjoyed most were Don‘t Forget to Write, Five-Star Weekend, and What You are Looking for is in the Library. I also really recommend Sing Sing Files, which was not fun at all but an important nonfiction look at wrongful imprisonment.

Overall a great reading month.

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s a set of interconnected short stories about different people who are struggling when they find their way to a small library in a community center. There they are connected with books that inspire change. I read this for the #PS2025 Healing Fiction prompt. I hadn‘t heard of that genre but will definitely read more of it.

Here‘s what I‘m thinking for February #BookSpin but I might tweak it before our numbers come out. Hoping for a distracting month of reading.

I was able to finish six #AuldLangSpine books from @Jerdencon this month. I enjoyed all of them. Except for The Five Star Weekend they were all historical fiction. I enjoyed these glimpses of different lives! I will keep reading off your list this year.

Thanks to @monalyisha for hosting and coordinating this fun swap every year. This is my favorite Litsy activity! I think about what I‘m going to out on my list all year.

Another good book from the #AuldLangSpine list I got from @Jerdencon this year. I always like stories about women making their way against the grain, which is what happens in this story of life for a young widow after World War II. She gets a job working in radio, and it deals with some of the issues of the time period that I hadn‘t read about in historical fiction before.

I read this thriller about “black bag” PR, which means trying to hide/overwhelm/manage negative image problems, in this case in Hollywood. This is what is alleged to have happened in the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni situation. But in this book there‘s also murder. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the pacing was a little off and the way the 14-year-old girl character was written was not believable. Even for a jaded Hollywood teenager.

Another #AuldLangSpine winner from @Jerdencon I hadn‘t read this author before. I enjoyed how she mixed her characters on with real life celebrities in this story of life in the French Riviera before World War II came to France.

I never read a book jacket so I thought this was just going to be about Marion defying expectations by becoming a dancer. Turns out there‘s a whole other plot based on a real life bombing case. All of this was entertaining to read. My one issue was the father character was such an overbearing jerk and I think the main character was too understanding of him. I will put another thought in comments. Thanks @Jerdencon for the #AuldLangSpine pick

The cozy mystery set in a cafe or restaurant almost always works for me. This one goes into maybe a little more detail about the cafe offerings than I might need but the mysteries are always good and the cast of characters is usually fun.

This mystery had a good premise and there were secrets in both timelines, but it ended really abruptly! So abruptly I‘m not sure if there‘s meant to be a sequel or not.

Another #AuldLangSpine winner from @Jerdencon I really enjoyed this one. Marilyn and Aunt Ada were such fun characters. It ends a little tidy but I didn‘t care. I loved how rebellious both characters were.

I hadn‘t read this author before but now I want to see how the rest of her books are.

I hope all the Littens in Southern California are safe! I have family out there who are luckily ok so far. These fires are so scary and devastating. Thinking of and praying for anyone who is affected by this disaster.

Everyone should read this book, especially if you might ever serve on a jury. The author, a producer on Dateline, writes about his efforts bringing attention and justice to people with wrongful convictions in New York City. I‘ve read a lot about wrongful conviction but some of this was still shocking.

This was my #DoubleSpin for January

I enjoyed this book about a “Rosie the Riveter” who is trying to find her path after the war ends & women aren‘t needed at the airplane factory. I‘ve always been interested in this topic — where did these women go if they didn‘t want to go back home? This one is a bit more soapy as it involves artists, a little scandal, and a hotel. Hazel was a little naive at times but I was rooting for her to find her way. This was my #BookSpin & #AuldLangSpine

Elin Hilderbrand‘s books really go down easy. I have not read all her books in order but every time, I start out thinking all these people are awful, but she finds a way to make you care about them. (I really wanted to shake the daughter character throughout, though.) I enjoyed this as a fun start to my #AuldLangSpine reading for January.

My first #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin picks for 2025! The first one is from my #AuldLangSpine list from @Jerdencon and I‘m listening to the audiobook. The other is a nearly overdue library book that I didn‘t feel like reading in December so I‘m glad to have the extra push to get to it.

Starting my first #AuldLangSpine pick from @Jerdencon Seemed like the best way to spend my last vacation day. Happy New Year Litsy friends.

For the first time ever, I got a blackout on my #BookSpinBingo card! Holiday reading and novellas for the win. I don‘t know if this will ever happen again but I‘m excited to finish my year with this accomplishment.

My year in books! This is the most I‘ve ever read in one year. I‘m tagging #BookSpinBingo because it was a real motivator this year. Thanks, @TheAromaofBooks

Last book of 2024! Ending on a high note with this magical and melancholy story. Augusta is such a great character. “She believed in medicine and in miracles.” Highly recommend.

I realized I still needed to post my #Nonfiction2024 bingo card. Some of these are only lightly connected to the prompt but I did it! I always enjoy mixing nonfiction into my reading year.

Jimmy Carter was a personal hero to me for the way he conducted his life after leaving office. In 2011, I had the honor of meeting him after one of his Sunday School lessons in Plains. I have more than a few books about him, but it will take a lot to capture his legacy. There hasn‘t been and probably won‘t be another public figure like him. And amazing life as our longest lived president.

I really enjoyed this! The Christmas stories included here were often a little supernatural/ghostly. The sections with a recipe also included the author sharing the significance of the food in her own life and holiday experiences. I could see myself revisiting this one!

I thought this was a cute romance/rom com, but the main draw is the setting at the Tower of London, where the author lived. I loved the inside scoop about what it would be like to live there, with some history mixed in.

This was a great book to read uninterrupted during a holiday break. I‘m not sure this kind of small town really exists but I enjoyed how the main character, a bit of a fish out of water, found a home in this one. My favorite secondary character was the grumpy owner of the inn.

Made my January #BookSpin list. Like everyone I‘m surprised it‘s almost a new year already. Many of these (3-10) are from my #AuldLangSpine list with a few new options and some overdue library books that I didn‘t feel like reading in December.

Merry Christmas everyone! I was happy to finish this before Christmas lunch. It was as fun as everyone has said. I loved it. This was my #BookSpin for December.