Judging this book by cover and title, I was expecting laugh out loud hijinks, but that‘s not what this was. It‘s more about siblings coming to terms with who they‘ve become as adults after experiencing dysfunction in childhood. That nontraditional family can leave its scars, but when the sibling bond proves its strength, scars just tell the story of life.

Think a Survivor/Big Brother ‘ish competition in the not to distant future where the end-date of the game is negotiable and the small amenities of life (received as rewards) as we currently know it have significant value on the open market. With a dwindling ensemble cast of 19 characters I liked this but it was a slow roll for me. With the ensemble I was expecting multiple perspectives but we only got the perspective of the FMC, Lily.

That‘s a wrap for June reading. How is it possible that my 2025 #indexcard collection is half way completed! #MonthlyWrapUp

This mashup of Grimm‘s fairytales from once upon a time when the world was younger and magic abundant is a hoot and half. I took breaks between chapters to better appreciate the pace of the witty writing. In a month I‘ll forget the specific hijinks, but will remember comedic writing style.

Another grid full of picks - I‘m swinging for the fences in summer ‘25 reads! The tag though goes to the grit!

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

I was intrigued by this story because I‘ve had those hardships in life where I imagined some prescription magically erasing any memories of that situation. I liked the full circle experience of her characters because it would have been easy to leave this story hanging where the reader ponders moral dilemma and a where-are-they-now of characters.

Well these two remind me I could create some domino art with my physical TBR🤣

July 2025 #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This was entertaining and I didn‘t stop until I was done. The MMC is despicable, we know this from the get-go and have a little faith in a redemption. What makes this so fun is the women within don‘t know what the reader knows, and as said reader I just wanted to jump into the pages and tell them, ‘No. Really. Don‘t let him in!‘. ….This narration is great!

The reality that any 10 year old girl moves through the world as her own caretaker rips at my heart. I wish all those 10 yr olds had a Lettie standing in the shadows understanding they have no choice but to care when they sense something amiss.

June #BookSpin Category: Paperback Shelves

I‘m not a lover of all books in the fantasy genre but count me in on any VE Schwab book every time. There are three MC‘s here and while I was ready for a Sabine‘s timeline to give way to the worlds of Lottie and Alice, all 3 timelines were great and in the end I appreciate the chapters given to Sabine. …Also pride month so might as well make it gay🏳️‍🌈

Did you ever read a soso book but in a good way? This is one of those times for me. This story is processed sugar straight to the veins when a financial crisis turns strangers into instant besties. There‘s a twist I didn‘t see coming, but that couldn‘t dampen the the love and support found in within the walls of this beach momune. If you want a story where everything goes the protagonist‘s way this might be the ticket!

I think it‘s fun when authors give a nod to a good ‘ol train murder mystery so when it‘s a whodunit train ride my only requirement is to be entertained. And I was!

I was interested in this story from start to finish but kept thinking - this is a weird one… pencils, really. Also intriguing was the idea that the user of a match-making app submit past personal journal entries for their connection to a match. This cover - irresistible!

The coincidental timing of this book release along with James Frey‘s newest made this particularly interesting and fun to read. The FMC is hired to act the role of author to a newly released romance as the actual author opts anonymity. The media and the public love her until they don‘t. It‘s an HEA and of course we root for Kate. I couldn‘t help but to think of the James Frey brouhaha all those years ago when his first book went awry.

This is gritty, dark, violent, very well written, and most certainly not a beach read. Twice, I audibly gasped at the reality to which these two brothers bore witness. …I‘m grateful I‘ve never witnessed a gun pointed at me or anyone, never had to hide from the bad guys, or worry that a police officer had ill intentions. It‘s out there, close by, and yet I feel so far removed from it. How privileged I am.

It‘s a grid full of picks! One book gets the tag and so unfair to eight other books when TJR s in the mix!

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

For several years I wanted too visit EH where her Nantucket series began. But when older books are not on my physical shelves it‘s hard to pull them from my TBR. I was thrilled when my June #DoubleSpin challenged me with category: Ebook TBR. Some of this 2000 contemporary writing doesn‘t quite work as contemporary fiction 25 years later, but still it was a fun to read the book where the Nantucket series began.

This wasn‘t my favorite book in the trilogy of three female best friends, but it was still really good- an HEA romance following a unique path devoid of typical tropes. I also liked the nod to Atlanta and how the city has been a place where black entrepreneurs have thrived.

This had two timelines - a summer romance in 1996 and then those ex-lovers winning their parties nomination for governor of Virginia in 2021. I knew none of the details going in and to write much I fear provides spoilers. Having recently read The Names, I‘ll say this story telling one path was ripe to tell multiple trajectories based off one decision.

I wish I could report suspending disbelief to consider a disenchanted IT prodigy chucking it all to live off the grid in the Bridger Mountains of Montana (pre-Bozeangeles) while he raises a daughter and writes his own manifesto. But damn, this is way too plausible🤯

Well this was entertaining and comically twisted. Even though a pile of characters come in and out of the story, they really weren‘t too distracting (just funny) allowing the reader to know that Florence could be headed in all sorts of haphazard directions as she tries to save her 10-year-old son from suspicion in the disappearance of his classmate.

Oh, wow. I wasn‘t expecting the impact this story had on my heart. I didn‘t connect immediately and put it down for another book. I came back to it deciding to give it an hour then stayed it one spot reading until I was done. This is such a good read for Pride Month. I was essentially adulting in both timelines (1982 & 2022). Gosh, we cannot allow intolerance to take us back again.

Like others, this was not my favorite of Catherine Center romances but I enjoyed the dynamic between the FMC and MMC and had fun reading this. I loved the Key West setting and the nod to the Coast Guard. … I‘ll always believe (excepting 1st responders) travelers to an area under a hurricane should be among the first to get out of dodge so as to leave rescues to the locals who remained through the storm.

This goofy series of five books (so far) is just mindless fun to read. I believe these dead bodies happen to this cast of characters in just 4 short months. I‘ve read the books in order within months of release but the recap written into each new book serves as a sufficient key to unlock that dark little corner in my brain I seem to have reserved for this motley crew!

TJR is a pre-order author for me. I love the characters (even when I don‘t 🤣) she creates and the voice she gives them. 1980s, NASA, the space shuttle era - this story was so good . It was a perfect month to publish this beautiful love story, and the family drama highlights how important it is to insure those we love know they matter.

Ohh, I really enjoyed this grid, and I can‘t stop thinking about the tagged.

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

I was ready for a thriller and this was a good one. The story was set up in a way that it could have gone in several directions. I never figured out the ending and that‘s always entertaining.

This was a fast moving, well told story and I couldn‘t wait for the HEA of Jane and Dan. It was even fun to read the romance conflict resolve. The side characters were entertaining, as well. This reads as a standalone, but honestly, I would love to read another episode in this world of characters.

Although this is a love story, it is not a story of happiness. I do think there‘s a lot of truth in it. We just aren‘t all equipped with the mental capacity to be happy with what we have even when we know what we have is good. The writing is very good and I‘m glad I had a hard copy (picked up from an LFL). This is a pick for me but hard to recommend to others because it left me feeling empty. I did love that Central Park was a character.

That‘s a wrap on the lovely month of May!

May 2025 #Indexcard #MonthlyWrapUp

I enjoyed the uncomplicated setup for this dystopian world, but Wren constantly lusting over Cross was way too distracting to the buildup of this world. I stopped midway to read a bit about the series and the author specifically wanted to spice up a dystopian story. Well, I‘d have been fired as an editor 🤣. I‘m struggling between a pick and so-so. I‘ll go slow pick since I‘ll likely try Book2.

So many books, so little time.

June 2025 #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I don‘t think this is the most well-written of memoirs, but it‘s a gut punch nonetheless. It is a testament to the poor who fight the wealthy man‘s war. I can‘t stop thinking of so many starry-eyed young lovers who are so ill-equipped to be caretakers when the ravages of war takes hold.

Several years back during a read across the USA challenge I realized I‘d never read a book set in Puerto Rico. Ever since I‘ve been drawn to read this location. This was very good story telling using 3 generations to weave together a story of displacement, assimilation, and rediscovering of roots (as well as which roots and why you are drawn to the discovery).

Although this was a HEA summer beach read romance, I thought the romance was secondary to the MC, 34 yo Addison, resetting her life after being tired from her position in Manhattan then soon after inheriting her estranged aunt‘s Fire Island summer home. There were characters introduced unnecessary for the romance but integral to learning about Addison‘s life journey.

May #BookSpin Category: From my Paperback Shelf

Deleting my original comments for this post. My IRL book club (7 present) met to discuss this last night with Amy leading discussion. Her maternal grandfather was one of 93 family members captured from Salonika, Greece and taken to Auschwitz, and 1 of 3 family members to survive (1st wife and 9mo daughter killed upon arrival). He saved all documents from liberation, return to Greece, immigration to America. It made this story so real.

This book is powerful. If one is to judge a book by its bookclub discussion worthiness, this hits every mark. I‘ll be monitoring bookish podcasts so I can be a fly on the wall to those discussions. I could do nothing but read in one setting the trajectories of Cora and her children‘s lives following the 3 distinct names she bestowed on her infant son.

It‘s always great when my 3x3 grid is built entirely of 👍 reads, but I had a clear favorite to garner the tag!

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

What is it about mermaids - they make for such compelling stories? Maybe it‘s the girl power.

Sometimes generational family storylines can be these grand sweeping sagas that I hold off on awaiting the time and mindset. But this one was a quick read with fast pace. Inherited addiction is the antagonist here but the story is also full of hope and repeated forgiveness. I liked it.

As a final book of a series I thought this was a fitting ending - we get Gran‘s full back story and I‘m content with the HEA for Molly and Juan. I might be tempted with another short story installment, but am satisfied to leave the story here as anything more for Molly would be sugar overload.

I don‘t know if any author speaks to my heart as often as Fredrik Backman. The current story between Louise and Ted is so kindhearted and everything one needs in a friend. The backstory set 25 years earlier with four 14yr best friends - all can say is Here Here Here Here. I didn‘t just love this book, I loved every page of this book.

I‘m an auto read for this author and this is a pick with issues. I love the Ontario settings for Carly‘s stories. I enjoyed these characters (the return of Charlie😃) and their backstories. The meet cute between Alice and Charlie was fun. My issue was spending so time in Alice‘s head as she contemplated Charlie. I wanted Alice out of her head and out on that beautiful lake with Charlie.

Sometimes a girl just needs to read a boy book and a good ol‘ western fits that bill. (This is not a story where the indigenous people‘s perspective is considered -so there is that). I saw this movie years back with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the part of Hugh Glass as he‘s viciously mauled by a grizzly bear. But I gotta say, reading an account of that attack might have been even more visceral.

May #DoubleSpin Cat: Pub in Aughts

This story was fun and over-the-top as I‘ve come to expectations with Jesse‘s books. Perhaps my biggest suspension of disbelief though is placing Vera at 61 🤣. I looked up Jesse‘s age (37) thinking surely she can‘t be more than 22 to write a 61 yr old as she does. Nope, and she knows why she‘s writes Vera‘s age as such! Aside from cozy murder there are some serious elements that must leave a lot to consider when writing comedy.

I‘m always intrigued by stories returning the MC to live in their hometown some 10+ years after initially leaving. This was good and hell, I‘d be hard pressed to return if my parents colluded with my sibling(s) to make my life an upstream battle. An interesting sideline is when the story is tabled to allow the reader to consider who it is that gets to define ‘truth‘ and history.

This was all sorts of twisty turns fun. I feel like I should not have liked the MC, Liz, because she was bad. But I found myself entertained and pulling for her.

My big thumbs up favorite is tagged, and the disappointment with this grid is that I own a physical copy (for now) of my least favorite but not the physical copy (yet) of my favorite🤪

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

I‘ve always been fascinated by the election of a pope. I get this book is fiction, but dang you sure don‘t get to cardinal status by being a meek/humble parish priest. When I think about the billionaires buying themselves a POTUS this book makes me wonder what shady things could be happening now for politics to underwrite some cardinal votes. 👇

I rather loved road tripping with 63yo PJ (who lived a vacant life for the previous 15 years) before he sets out to find the 2nd love of his life with his newfound family to include Pancakes - a death predicting cat😱 I so-so‘d my last post for misery after misery but was immediately immersed in this one with its lovable characters defining this charming and bittersweet story. Strong pick but with a TW for the casual take on death.