3.5/5

In this workplace enemies to lovers romance, Genesis and Will get partnered with each other in a competition to get a song they create onto the company's upcoming album. This is Genesis's best shot at achieving her dream, but being paired with her workplace enemy Will is not how she wanted this to go. I didn't love the pacing at the every beginning or the very end, but I loved the chemistry Genesis and Will ended up having with each other.

1. The Unexpected Fall by Anna Salcedo and Good Enough by Kate Bowler

2. Snowy and cold

3. Coffee & blankets

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

5/5

Life is Huaxia is fueled by the deaths of girls in metal mechs. When Zetian's sister is murdered by a pilot, Zetian volunteers to join their ranks knowing that she'll have a chance at vengeance before her life is sacrificed, but instead she finds her will is strong enough that she survives and sacrifices her partner her first time piloting a mech. It's an incredible story of power, propaganda, and vengeance. I cannot wait to read the sequel!

3.5/5

This is a gender-swapped My Fair Lady inspired romance. I found both characters pretty difficult to like early on. Violet, as the Henry Higgens-type character, is a snob and Cain, as the Eliza Doolittle stand in, was unnecessarily rude in the early part of the book, but as the story went on both characters grew on me. I liked the journey that both characters went on to make themselves over internally to have the life they wanted.

5/5

Electric Idol is everything I hoped for in a Cupid and Psyche retelling. Eros isn't a god of love in this world, but a killer for Aphrodite, but when Aphrodite commands him to take Psyche's heart, he decides there's a different way to save Psyche, who has never been anything but kind to him. I love the way the Dark Olympus world continues to expand. I can't wait to read more in this series.

4/5

This was a super interesting look at the intelligence of octopus. It follows Montgomery's relationship with four Octopus: Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma. It was a fascinating read that I really enjoyed.

#newyearwhodis @monalyisha @Johanna414 #nywd22

1. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne, and Good Enough by Kate Bowler

2. The main goal is to read every #bookspin and #doublebookspin this year. I'd also like to also fully complete 1 reading challenge, but that's more of a bonus goal.

3. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Violet Victoria Townsend was plenty aware that she was the very epitome of a stock character for snob.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

5/5

My first 5 star read of the year! I absolutely loved this Central American inspired epic fantasy full of gods and adventure. I am glad I only read it four months before the sequel comes out because the ending left me absolutely shocked. I cannot wait to pick up the sequel as well.

Thanks @Johanna414 for the #newyearwhodis list. I absolutely loved my first read off your list. @monalyisha #nywd22

This month has worked out perfectly because my #bookspin and #doublebookspin ended up being the two books I wanted to read in December and didn't have time to get to.

Bookspin: Iron Widow
Double Bookspin: The Unexpected Fall

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

2021 stats

Romance is my comfort genre and this was a tough year, so I'm honestly pleased that 50% of my reading was other genres. 0 shock that all my most read authors are romance authors.

This was my first year tracking publishers and it was cool to see how much of my reading is self published.

I'd like to manage a few longer reads in 2022, but I suspect audiobooks, novellas, and short stories will be more my speed once my baby arrives.

1. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, and Good Enough by Kate Bowler

2. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

3. Electric Idol by Katee Robert and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers are probably my top two right now.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Last book of 2021: The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev

First book of 2022: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

#lastfirst @BookNAround

And with my last read of the year I got my third bingo for #bookishbingo and my second on #bookspinbingo

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames @StayCurious

4.5/5

The Wedding Setup isn't on Litsy, so I'm reviewing under a different Sonali Dev novel.

Sometimes romance short stories feel rushed to me, but The Wedding Setup was perfect. Ayesha's grief and her relationships with Emmett, Bela, and her mother were all so well done is so few pages. It was a quick, emotional read, and I loved it.

#wgwordsearch - 1
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - Jingle Bells
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

Got my 3rd bingo in #AVeryMerryBingo @Jadams1776

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

4/5

My last holiday read of the year that includes celebrations of Diwali and Christmas. When Niki's laid off from her job, she decides to be more adventurous and travel to India for her best friend's wedding. She gets more than she bargained for when she meet's her best friend's friend Sam, an attractive musician.

#wgwordsearch - 35
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

I got my first #bookspinbingo and my second December #bookishbingo

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

I've got my January #bookspin list finalized, featuring 5 #newyearwhodis books from @Johanna414. I was hoping to finish Iron Widow and The Unexpected Fall in December, but with 24 hours left and 3 books currently in progress, I've accepted that those two will have to wait for January.

#nywd22 #bookspinbingo #doublebookspin @TheAromaofBooks

It's a hot chocolate with fancy marshmallows and audiobook kind of evening.

#selfiescavangerhunt #WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

I've been really inspired by everyone posting their book challenge tracking spreads, so here are a few of the ones I've set up for 2022.

#booked2022 #readharder #litsyatoz #popsugarreadingchallenge #bulletjournal

Got my second bingo with #AVeryMerryBingo @Jadams1776

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

1/5

This one just wasn't for me. I found all the characters really unpleasant and just couldn't power through.

#wgwordsearch - 43
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - O Christmas Tree
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

3/5

I think it's hard to nail the friends to lovers trope in a short story since the characters really need time to grow in their relationship, but I enjoyed how the story played with the trope as well as the classic snowed in at Christmas holiday trope. It was a very quick read.

#wgwordsearch - 100
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - All I Want for Christmas
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

There were definitely a few times this year I didn't think I'd hit my reading goal, but with 4 days to spare I've read 150 books.

3.5/5

I really enjoyed how much this book suggests exercises and practices that push back against the perfectionism that can make it hard to stay with a drawing practice. All the exercises are pretty quick and encourage the reader to start drawing wherever they are with whatever they have with them.

@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - This Christmas
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

This year's Christmas book haul.

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers #FestivePhotoChallenge #SelfieScavangerHunt @StayCurious

4/5

I've been entertaining myself over the holiday with some fun holiday novellas. This is another steamy romance, set during a holiday cooking competition in Scotland where the two Dominican contestants, Sully and Kiskeya are paired up to compete. It's a fun read, and I always love baking competition romances.

#wgwordsearch - 32
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - Feliz Navidad
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

1. Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera, Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli, and Drawn on the Way by Sarah Nisbett

2. A Muppet Christmas Carol

3. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Completed my first bingo in #AVeryMerryBingo

@Jadams1776 #TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

Running a bit behind this year, but I finally got all my wrapping finished.

#selfiescavengerhunt #WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames @StayCurious

In love with this lovely #jolabokaflodswap package from @Blerdgal_Fenix

@MaleficentBookDragon

4/5

Another fun and steamy holiday novella. When Cash witnesses the barista he's been harboring a crush on, Bailey, get fired, he offers her a job at his tattoo parlor, and tries to navigate their new relationship.

#wgwordsearch - 84
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

4/5

I think Grumpy/Sunshine has become my favorite romance trope, and this book absolutely nails it. Stella is hired by the absolutely charming Aiden Cook after telling him everything wrong with a department store's holiday window display, unaware that it was his department store. It's fun and steamy holiday romance.

#wgwordsearch - 97
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - Deck the Halls
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

4/5

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is living two lives. She is a chronically ill, Jewish woman, but she's also Margot Cross, best selling Christmas romance author. But now her publisher wants her to write a Hanukkah romance, which puts Rachel back in contact with her first love and childhood nemesis: Jacob Greenberg. I loved the journey Rachel and Jacob go on to figure themselves out as they reconnect with each other.

Got my first bingo with #bookishbingo

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

3.5/5

This novella follows Lucas and Alex across 10 years of Christmases and the enter adulthood and their relationship grows apart and then back together. It's a short, sweet read.

Small TW: This released about a year before Elliot Page came out and does use his deadname in a short scene.

#wgwordsearch - 75
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

1. The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer and Drawn on the Way by Sarah Nisbett

2. hot beverages

3. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

3/5

I was a little frustrated in the early parts of the book, when Charlie was ignoring the seriousness of her concussion and both Cass and Charlie were doing a terrible job of pretending to be each other. But I enjoyed the end of the book, especially Cass's journey to be come more confident.

#wgwordsearch - 97
@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - White Christmas
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

4/5

A collection of 9 short, steamy romances all leading up to Gigi's Nochebuena party. I really enjoyed each story, but Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Priscilla Oliveras was my favorite.

@Jadams1776 #AVeryMerryBingo - We Wish You a Merry Christmas
#Wgwordsearch - 67
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

1. Amor Actually by Mia Sosa, et al and The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

2. I've been sick all week, so my main goal this weekend has been to rest.

3. The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Got my #jolabokaflodswap package!

Will the sixth time be the charm? Hide your men, ladies, Vivi G is back on the market

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

My #jolabokaflodswap package is on its way.

@MaleficentBookDragon

4/5

This was a cute, very slow burn romance. Savannah is an editor at a publishing house that absolutely does not deal with commercial fiction, so when her brand new publisher, William Pennington, sees the first page of her secret romance manuscript she's certain she's about to be fired. Instead she finds a secret editor at the company who helps her polish her manuscript in secret all while the two get closer together over their notes.

3.5/5

A short, steamy holiday romance. Shae is looking to start dating again after her divorce and matches with her former co-worker, Aidan on a dating app.

#AVeryMerryBingo @Jadams1776 - Let It Snow
#Wgwordsearch - 76
#TeamGameSleighers #WinterGames2021 @StayCurious

A little evening reading and chilling with assistance from my cat Dora who would never dream of missing an opportunity for a lap nap.

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers #FestivePhotoChallenge @StayCurious

1. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox and Wrapped by Rebekah Weatherspoon

2. My TBR is 50% festive reads this month. I'm planning on reading The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer after I finish The Holiday Swap

3. Planning to watch A Castle for Christmas with @rachelsbrittain this weekend.

#weekendreads

1. @carlthecattt
2. @Lynnsoprano
3. @dainarmb
4. @thespineview
5. @laugherhp
6. @Bookworm54
7. @PuddleJumper
8. @peanutnine
9. @galueth28
10. @StayCurious

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #TeamGameSleighers

4/5

This book was fascinating. It chronicles the journey from the time when women were warned not exercise at all lest their uterus fall out to the boutique fitness classes of today. The book primarily focuses on American women. It was very interesting to see how the culture of a specific tied in with exercise culture.

#netgalley