Ok, I only had to revise it about 37 times, but here is October‘s #BookSpin list. I think.

I didn‘t post any goals because I wasn‘t sure I‘d be able to participate, but it‘s been ages since I did a #20in4 #readathon so I‘m diving in. Today I read one MGGN and finished (after months of audiobook slog) 20,000 Leagues, so I‘d like to read/finish one more by the end. I also need to finalize my #BookSpin list for October, which has been under constant revision the past few days. 🤞🏻 hoping for some reading time this weekend!

Woohee…the book itself is ok. You know how sometimes a character asks a question just so someone else can show off in their answer, to show off how smart the author is? Welcome to this book. “I‘m Jules Verne and I did tons of marine research for this book so here it is” info dump, over and over. The voyage itself was actually interesting, but it was maybe 20% of the book. No idea how this is a “classic,” TBH. 👇🏻

Today‘s library #bookhaul is one for #52Books23 (I only have three left!) and one for #PemberLittens - let‘s do this!

It‘s here! Today‘s #bookmail is making me very excited. BRB, gotta adjust my reading plans for October.

I‘m so excited to read this with kiddo! We started this morning and she already likes hobbits because I‘ve told her about their meal schedule. She approves.

Second in series, Beth and Chanda are gearing up for their first dance. Trying to find perfect outfits is stressful enough (and triggers body doubts in Beth), but when Chanda gets the idea that they need dates into her head everything gets worse. Family drama goes on in the background and Chanda makes some questionable interpersonal choices that require multiple apologies. Another good installment.

A companion series to Click, Besties focuses on Beth and Chanda. Olive and the rest of the gang (including awful Nat from Clash, who‘s up to her usual tricks) make cameos. B&C are trying to make some money to fund a goal for each of them. A posh pet-sitting gig ends with them working even MORE jobs to correct a mistake. Their friendship gets a little battered and they both learn a lot about responsibility. Really well done.

A sweet little read about a magical yet completely ordinary summer. Garnet has adventures (hitchhiking to a distant town, getting locked in the library) and grows up a little over the course of this summer, and we get a glimpse of who she‘ll turn out to be.

This book reminded me why I love Solnit‘s writing, after two in a row that were only ok. I loved the structure, in which the chapters mirror each other and the meandering musings all come back to a comfortable resting place. She‘s going through her own health crisis while her mother descends into Alzheimer‘s. She peels apart their complicated relationship while having new and remembering old adventures. Simply lovely.

Unexpected insight - not unexpected from Solnit, but at this precise moment I wasn‘t ready for it.

Another instance of book (life) synergy: this chapter has had this mention of van Leeuwenhoek, as well as mention of Napoleon challenging someone to come up with a way to feed his army, which led to the discovery of canning. Guess what kiddo‘s been studying in science the past few weeks - microorganisms and canning (in fact, we have a jar of applesauce to test this evening and see if our canning worked).

I enjoyed this one when I read it on hoopla a few years ago, so I wanted to reread it - only to discover it wasn‘t available anymore. My used copy, courtesy of Half-Price Books, arrived yesterday and now I‘m ready to plan my October reads.

I got this hefty(ish) tome from the library yesterday for #LitsySciFiBookClub #LSFBC and now I just need to start it. That‘s not at all intimidating.

And again. #DeadPhilosophersSociety

Another interesting bit to tie into #DeadPhilosophersSociety - I had no idea this book about mathematics would have anything to do with anything, really, but it‘s tying in to our Islamic philosophy book, which is thing in to kiddo‘s medieval history studies, as well as the Nikita Gill poetry I read recently…surprising.

Like The Flatshare, it took me a while to get into this, but once I did I was hooked. The Now/Then structure was annoying until it really made sense. O‘Leary writes books that seem fluffy but have serious depths eventually. Not for everybody, probably, but I‘ve liked both of her books I‘ve read.

The classification has me cracking up. I mean, sure? But…why not.

#DeadPhilosophersSociety

I laughed too hard at this.

Meh. The structure of this…biography didn‘t do much for me, but I learned something about Butler‘s childhood…so 🤷🏻‍♀️ At least it was short.

Because I used Parable of the Sower for #dystopianfiction this is #byOctaviaButler for #52Books23

It‘s like my sister really knows me - this is my birthday present (plus two bags of vegan gummy candies that she asked our mom to include in her box so that I could have them sooner and one of which may already be gone). This feels like something Littens should see (especially the sponges). 😆

Just starting this book and straight away this bit jumped out at me, as it ties into some of our discussions in #DeadPhilosophersSociety (and a bit into previous #SheSaid as well).

#DannyBoy #catsofLitsy
The slightly less loving version of Danny snuggles. Apparently it was rude of me not to want His Highness‘ rear end directly on my face.

Olive wants to do All. The. Things. and do them 100%, but she quickly discovers it‘s too much. She has to sort out priorities, balance other people‘s expectations, and learn to ask for help. It‘s a lot for an 11-year-old - and a good reminder for the grown-ups who suffer from the same problem!

In this fourth installment Olive is trying to befriend new girl Kat, who turns out to be…catty. Only interested in the popular kids, backstabbing, passive-aggressive, and status-obsessed, Kat wants Olive‘s place in the popularity race. It takes Olive a long time to stand up for herself, and longer for some of her friends to see Kat‘s true colors. Best thing is that Kat makes some changes and Olive makes sure she doesn‘t become a villain forever.

#unpopularopinion but I didn‘t love this collection. It felt more like a tumblr feed on Disney hot takes than anything else, and while there were a few good moments I was underwhelmed with the whole. I LOVED Great Goddesses (last September, actually, looks like it‘s becoming a tradition), and I‘m glad I found it first because I don‘t know that I would read more if this were my first Gill.

@HeatherBlue this is my goofball getting as close as he possibly can. I think I‘d take a foot on the head! 😆

Continuing a good series, this installment shows Olive Branche becoming aware of the unfairness around her (students who can‘t attend field trips if they can‘t pay, inconsistent dress code enforcement, etc) and deciding to get involved in the student council to address it.

Today‘s weirdest find (and there were some real contenders!). I‘m guessing a bargain knockoff of Veggie Tales, or something? But that cover, man.

#DeadPhilosophersSociety I actually found two different copies of this at the book bazaar, this one was $.75 and a trade copy was $1.25. I left them there, but it did feel like a message. Our last read left me feeling like this would be beyond me!

My favorite part of my birthday weekend is always going to the Centenary Book Bazaar. I didn‘t find as much as I‘d hoped to this year, but I‘m excited about what I did find, especially the tagged (one of my favorite movies). The Owl Diaries are for my friend‘s library, where they need young chapter books especially and these were in great shape and all four for $3!

Do you ever sit down for a snack and belatedly realize you‘ve eaten the entire bag/box/ice cream container? My kiddo calls it a snaccident, and I…kinda did it with the tagged book. I was going to read ahead a bit as this weekend promises very little reading time, and then I just…kept going. I promise no spoilers and will follow the daily updates gladly!
#PemberLittens

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/10/george-eliot-biography-marr...

Here‘s an interesting article for all the #PemberLittens who struggled through…er…read…Middlemarch earlier this year. It‘s about George Eliot‘s view of marriage and how it differs from Jane Austen‘s, and compares to her own relationship.

In Olive‘s second book, she and friend Willow head to their first summer camp. Outgoing Olive quickly dives into all the activities and makes new friends, while homesick Willow resents being left out. Bad feelings brew on both sides until an eruption threatens their friendship. Good advice from the counselor (W‘s happiness isn‘t O‘s responsibility, making herself miserable to help a friend is just trading one problem for another). Good story.

Similar to Smile, Real Friends, and Nat Enough, but enjoyable in its own right, this MGGN focuses on Olive as the fifth graders prepare for their variety show. Everybody has ideas for their groups, but nobody includes Olive. Upset at first, Olive then is inspired to make her own way. Sometimes the problem isn‘t having no friends, but having lots of friends but no best friend. It puts a little different spin on this genre.

Very good, but not the least bit enjoyable to read, IMO. Which, to be fair, is mostly how I feel about dystopian fiction in general - the present is terrifying enough, I don‘t like to imagine this very possible future! The first 90% is bleak, but some hope shows up toward the end. I don‘t think I could read the sequel. #52books23 #dystopian

Well, there‘s a happy coincidence - I finally (Finally!) got a minute to myself today and made up my #bookspin list, and when I came to post it I found the ever-awesome @TheAromaofBooks had just put up the picks. What a nice collision of procrastinator and forward-planner 😆

Picks in comments in case anyone else is running behind, too.

This was a surprising read. It looks very clinical and dry, but it‘s well written and engaging, with lots of useful information. It‘s better than The Menopause Manifesto, recently read, as the biases are handled better and the style is easier to follow. A lot comes down to: eat a balanced diet, exercise more, and consult your physician about screenings and medications. But there‘s a lot here to help prepare for those dr conversations.

Today‘s library #bookhaul was mostly for the kiddo (standard) but I‘m ready for #PemberLittens September buddy read.

I told a friend the title of this book and she just shrugged and said, “Well, somebody should.”

Whoo boy, here we go. This was…not good. I stuck it out but it was tough.

Allie falls for new neighbor Blake while doing reno work on his dilapidated ranch house. She‘s been burned before, he wants to change his wild ways (yes, expect to see the title words show up about six times).

Standard fare, but I have ISSUES. First, see above - who talks like that? The dialogue is unnatural throughout. Second, the backstories don‘t get worked out (cont)

Another good Others book, but still not as good as the original series. I love that the real monsters are human. The multiple POV format was hard to follow, but I think that‘s deliberate. I saw some of the twists coming, which didn‘t make it any less disturbing or good to read. You must have read at least the previous Lake Silence book, ideally the entire series, or you will be adrift for the whole book.

Thanks for the tag @Eggs

1 I love comedies…Bedazzled, Blast from the Past, Bringing Up Baby, Adventures in Babysitting…

2 again, thanks to @Eggs for the inspiration to watch Moonstruck last night!

3 I wish for rain and an end to this month of 100+ degree days.

Tagging anyone who hasn‘t played yet.
#wondrouswednesday

Happy to be back in this world.

What the hell?

Just went from Pt 1 Ch 19 to Pt 2 Ch 3, and from here on out the chapters bounce all over the place.

I tried a different audio version, and the narrator was great! But there was no table of contents so no way to jump to where I left off and I am absolutely not starting over. 😫

Low pick. I found the story interesting and the characters compelling, but I just had the hardest time picking it back up (some of that is literal, but I‘m seeing the rheumatologist this week for joint pain🤞🏻). It‘s hefty for sure. Meggie gets pulled into an adventure involving her father and some villains he accidentally pulled out of a book nine years earlier. Danger and misfortune ensue.

Not my usual type of romance but it‘s sweet and engaging. Single mom of two, screenwriter of cheesy romance movies, falls into a love affair with leading man. I liked the self-conscious upending of romance movie tropes but also the reconciliation. Mostly closed door. A nice, quick read.

Low pick. Not my usual genre but I needed a #setinAustralia for #52Books23 and wanted to stretch my comfort zone. I guess this is not just a whodunit but a didanyonedoitatall and a whydidithappen. The gradual reveal of convoluted backstory was both frustrating and interesting and I was satisfied with the ending.

Tagging this book because it‘s mentioned in the article. I haven‘t read most of these (just Erin Sterling‘s two) but I‘m curious - for those of you who have, thoughts?

https://www.tor.com/2023/08/08/the-problem-with-small-town-witch-romances/

Continuing with this audiobook, the narrator has also mispronounced aquatic (sounds like a duck in the middle), echinoderm (with a sh- instead of a -k), and I suspect multiple marine species but can‘t confirm any of them. How can a narrator of a book about undersea voyaging mispronounce aquatic? A lot of this is just rolling past my ears at this point, but to be honest it probably would anyway. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some really good stuff, some not great. I learned a lot about the menopause transition, which was very helpful. I found the writing style…well, bad and distracting. Poor grammar/copyediting, the conversational tidbits thrown into the technical parts halted the flow, and while I agree that misogyny has done a number on female health the snide stuff really added up. One really annoying thing was explaining this 👆🏼 mnemonic every single time 👇🏻