Beth O‘Leary is an auto read romance writer (I have several) for me. I really liked this one. A romance has to have conflict, and I did not anticipate the resulting conflict here - so points for that!

I wouldn‘t consider this a love story had the words not been in the title. The unnamed bisexual MC holds a fascinating PhD from UCLA and has dual citizenship (she born in USA, her father in Iran). What I found interesting was the MC having reason to quickly get to Iran and then deciding whether or not she wanted to stay in Tehran on her own and make a life as a single woman there. It wasn‘t the crux of the story, but I wish it would‘ve been.

Yikes - attracted to and corrupted by power. I‘ve long been losing respect towards those running Facebook/Meta. But after reading this - ‘losing respect‘ forget that semantic of charity. I‘m disgusted by the powerful people that were and are behind Facebook/Meta. …This book is powerful and I applaud Sarah‘s courage to write it (even though she bears some responsibility for what she coordinated in the name of job security/health insurance).

I have neither finished a book in the last week, nor scrolled through Litsy - I miss you and need both of these things in my life! I did sneak my March #indexcard effort a into my closet for a quick pic 🤣

March 2025 #MonthlyWrapUp

I‘m knee deep in company and falling way behind in reading and Litsy this week. But typically hours in my days are spent as the wing-woman for 2-yr old as he fashions a day‘s ‘book blanket‘. Nightly collapse and reshelving of materials is the sole responsibility of said wing-woman🤣

April 2025 #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I haven‘t verified but from a solid B,4⭐️ to A+,5⭐️ this might be my overall highest rated grid of 2025. The fiction was all so good and the one non-fiction so unexpectedly interesting that I had to tag it.

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

Two of the beloved OGs from my IRL bookclub past away in 2024, one after an extended illness and another suddenly. For 2025 on their birth months, we are discussing a book each nominated in year‘s past but ultimately not selected for discussion. This was Patty‘s book. A reread for me but all the more beautiful the 2nd time around knowing how often she spoke about and loved this story.

I am essentially a medical illiterate and my understanding of tuberculosis began and ended with knowing the abbreviation is TB. I couldn‘t resist being enlightened on this topic by John Green. I was hooked the whole way through and humbled by my ignorance on this topic. I now really want to visit the YouTube channel of Henry Reider.

I mean this was near future dystopian but in some aspects felt like a current-day living off-the-grid family drama. I liked it. It was unique and I had no idea how it would end or who would survive. I loved the short 9-yo Orly chapters filled with his scientific knowledge and take on life.

This music industry story is more quiet than those told of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n‘ roll. It‘s chock full of song references made more fun because these days it‘s so easy to pull up said songs for a new listen. The setting is early aughts Berkeley and NYC, and it‘s about the love of the lyric. I don‘t know, I just really enjoyed a story concentrating on this aspect of music.

Ohh, this was so good and atmospheric. Nine times out of ten if I‘m going call a book atmospheric it‘s going to be set in the PNW and you can‘t get more north than Alaska. I loved how this one ended. Werebears anyone 🐻

I noticed this title by Graham Norton and entertained by his interviews thought it would be fun to give it a St Paddy‘s Day go - and bonus, he narrates the audio. What a fun way to commemorate the day🍀. I loved the way in which the feisty octogenarian Frankie told her fascinating life‘s story to Damian. Would that we all have a Damian when we are 83 to find our lived experiences so compelling 💕

Although I read lots of books with bits of comedy this was about the laughs from beginning to end, and it was a fun departure for me. The book speaks to the difference of irony vs coincidence. It also has a side character who happens to be the wealthiest man in the world. Realizing this book was written and likely sent to print before the IRL world‘s richest man became pseudo-POTUS - hmmm, irony or coincidence 🤔

Every couple years in March I squeeze in an MB. Her books have a pile of characters and since I don‘t read her according to publishing date (and that couple year lag) I don‘t recall if a character showed up in a previous book. I just settle in and enjoy the community she creates and what I‘ll recall here is the feeling I had reading this community minding little Frankie 😍

March #DoubleSpin Category: Family Drama @TheAromaofBooks

Five well-developed characters are key to telling this Civil War story. That the gravely injured Union captain was a professor in his civilian world gave credibility to his interactions with the four who strived to help him survive. I really enjoyed reading this and loved 12 yo Jubilee. Chris has become an auto read author for me. I‘m fascinated how his books vastly differ from one telling to the next.

I tagged what is my current favorite fiction book of 2025. I wonder when another book will become my favorite!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

I read a pile of books and I try to be forgiving of tropes because of said many books. But honestly, I think I‘m done with the 27 yo FMC having a meet-cute with her unrequited love from HS. I found Leigh insufferable even if she began to realize this of herself by the HEA ending. 👇

This was a lovely friends to lovers HEA. It was a super quick and easy read because it is mostly conversation. I‘m often dropping the tips of stars on romance because I‘m judgey when it comes to tropes. But I might have to add shiny tips here because the author so seamlessly avoided the miscommunication trope.

I was not rooting for this MC - her need for discovery was almost insufferable and she lost me with the tampon episode. The writing is quite good though.

This book is so beautifully written that I crawled my couch-sitting blanketed self into it and pretty much stayed there until story‘s end. There‘s a love triangle pushing the story forward but I wasn‘t caught up in being Team Frank or Team Gabriel. I was just there in this world taking place in the English countryside of 1968-1975. I realize the timeframe, but I would not have classified this as historical fiction. …And that last page 💕💔💕

I had someone close who lied often about inane things. That silliness was enough to long ago convince me to be comfortable with who I am and the things that might seem weird to anyone else (ie, I really don‘t merge well😞). So I wasn‘t sure if I‘d be interested in a story of a consummate liar. The first twist came earlier than expected so I anticipated more and found this entertaining.

I purchased this book based on the author and decided not to read about the story. I had a blast reading this and was almost to the end before realizing I hadn‘t spent any effort guessing that ending. It‘s always a good sign for me with a thriller when I‘m so engrossed in the current page that I don‘t consider what the next chapter might bring.

When my March #BookSpin landed on category: KindleTBR I knew what I wanted. I saw this was being adapted so pulled it from the near bottom of ever-growing virtual TBR. Shoot. I‘m disappointed. Had I gone in anticipating a romance maybe this would get a pick. But I was expecting a rhodes scholar‘s challenges as an American experiencing advanced education abroad, and there is almost none of that. This title is such a misnomer.

This was interesting story telling. The author had the chops to turn this into a legal drama but opted to keep it more family drama. I was a little frustrated the characters spent so much time inside their own heads, but as the story unfolded I was surprised at a major turn. I also thought the ending was complete, and I appreciate that in a mystery.

Barbie made her public debut in 1959. I never owned a Barbie but envied my older sister‘s Skipper and Tootie. I found this book celebrating Barbie‘s origins intriguing because as the 80s, 90s, 2000s were set to begin I always seemed to fall upon articles or interviews about Barbie‘s origins. Honestly, it would make for a fascinating limited series if it focused on the IRL people of the 19th century Mattel company.

Some quite good books outnumbered 2 to 1 some somewhat meh books. That‘s okay, sometimes an average read reminds me what I like to read. Tagged my favorite

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

I don‘t know, this was okay. I think I just need to take a long break from mystery writers being invited to writing retreats at secluded locations. All these writers are beginning to bleed (so how I worked that pun in 🤣) together. I didn‘t figure out how this would resolve but I also didn‘t care enough about the characters to care how it resolved.

Ohhh, I liked this. There‘s nothing really big or exciting in this story of what defines family after death and divorces, but there are some really sweet moments. I think for most of us life is really about those sweet moments. So different from my previously reviewed book which was also devoid of the big moments 🤣

A good thing I can say about all those cold days and nights of February is how good it feels to wrap up in a blanket and fall into a book. #indexcard collection

I‘m always down for a character moving through the 1980‘s particularly when they are navigating NYC. I didn‘t not like this book, but really nothing of consequence happens. And when nothing really happens in 528 pages, that‘s a lot of nothing.

I am so thankful February is the shortest month of year. Welcome March with all its madness! …Oh, if you love children‘s books, and are spending any time in Kansas City I highly recommend prioritizing a visit to The Rabbit Hole. It‘s less than a year old and a fantastic children‘s interactive book museum.

February 2025 #BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

This octogenarian love story is so darn cute. I really loved reading it. I thought the elements came together so well - 1920s widowed Brooklyn pharmacist assisted by his aunt, a Jewish Russian woman (I loved her) of potions, to raise his teenage daughters. The crushes his daughters had with two store employees showed just how quickly and how young women rushed to marry. …And the whole way the story unfolds in Florida is just a hoot and a half.

I struggled with this one. It was a unique and I liked it for that but boy it was a slow roll of a story. It was frustrating because there were elements (we‘re talking Feed Me Seymour here) that could have livened up the story had the garden been more character than background. I also thought too much was explained in the wrap up of the story that wasn‘t played out in earlier chapters.

Anna Parker revealed herself to be a horrible murderous woman in the first installment of this story. She has done nothing to redeem herself in the sequel - even her justification for the murders are horrible, and yet I kept reading. It‘s a well written book with an intriguing plot, but you really need to be in the mood to dislike your main character.

I love that Fiona Davis weaves a story from a NYC landmark building and describes details I wish I knew from the firsthand experience I imagine I‘d have if only my life was lived in Manhattan. In this one the Met is the bridge to get us to digs in 1930‘s Egypt, stolen artifacts, and who has the right to own them. Interesting way to tell this story. story.

I found myself yelling to Junie to jump in the river already, and except for pillows (yikes) this book didn‘t offer me insights I had not already read in other pre civil war stories of the enslaved. That‘s okay 👍 guess - this story was beautifully and at times tragically written. I respect how the author inspired by her enslaved 3x great grandmother wanted to reimagine that life despite the conditions of slavery.

I almost bailed here - too much for my current mood, but Maddie pulled me in. This is a good book to help a reader walk in the shoes of someone diagnosed with bipolar. ….TW for those feeing inundated with Taylor Swift coverage, she‘s mentioned often here🤣

I tagged my favorite and it was also my first read of this grid. I‘m glad I don‘t compare until I read all 9 books because that could prove disappointing.

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

This is full of shady high-power lawyers, pharmaceutical companies, and stock investors making as many millions as possible while a bad drug is exposed, regardless of the impact a drug has to a patient. I wanted to be done - gratuitous spending and money-grabbing is all kinds of ick. Yet, I was surprising intrigued by Washington DC public defender Clay pulled into that world and finding his way out.

#DoubleSpin Cat: Author‘s canon

The reader knows from the meet-cute how this HEA must end. I wondered , oh geez is this story going to sustain its length with a revolving door of bad dates before Maggie finally sees what is right in front of her. But it didn‘t go down that way and turned out to be a fun read.

Well, this was a fun book for yet another snow day. it didn‘t take long for the setting of this story to change from a mountain lodge to a gin joint 🤣

It took me a while to really get into this (wasn‘t sure I was ready to vibe with 1500s Catholicism) but once the MC, Marguerite, found herself and company facing the great unknownr on a deserted island I was all in. Jumping in blind to this book, I did not realize until the author‘s notethe MC was a real person from 1500s French - Canadian history. I liked it!

If anybody needs me, I‘m down the google rabbit hole as I learn more about the Harlem Renaissance and the men and women of color who were part of it. Do I wish the story had less pages dedicated to the fictional conversations of the affair that took place between Jessie Fauset and W.E.B Du Bois? Yes, but that pales in comparison to my exposure to this piece of American life.

This book was too weird for me. Since I had fun reading Nightbitch and this book gave me those vibes I‘m going to attribute mood reading issues as to why this gets a so-so rather than a pick. It‘s a wild read as the reader figures out what is real and not for this new mother, and who is good and not. I needed to go all in to enjoy this but couldn‘t find my way.

But in other happenings Go Chiefs for all who celebrate ♥️💛🏈

This was cute. The antics of this classic romance trope was fun to navigate because the FMC and MMC were both so darn likable. And credit to the author because we are entertained by just the FMC and MMC well past 60% before the supporting characters enter the story.

I loved how three distinct stories wove together to become with a single story of hope, love, and community.

Feb #BookSpin Category: Community @TheAromaofBooks

Book 2 of this family hooked me as hard as the first. No matter Isaac‘s journey to manhood the path of this confused, effeminate, sweet man would have been eased by accepting parents. What I thought turned this book to a beautiful piece of literature was Isaac learning to look inside himself for the truths to accept and forgive his parents‘ flaws that molded their lived experiences .

My favorite thing about my 3x3 grid is mapping out the back side of my #indexcard stack to determine who gets the tag. Brooke, turns out this one is for you!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

I seek out migrant stories but this one didn‘t work for me because of bad timing on my part. There is so much drudgery of life in this story offering little hope to contemplate, and currently, at least in my fiction, I need pieces of hope. Here I just wished this fictional couple parted ways before their Yale graduations.

This book brought up some feels. I wish I could write that I never experienced being on the surviving side of someone‘s suicide and those notes, but like so many that would not be my story.