Although marketed as a romance, it is also about family, self discovery, and that things aren‘t always as they seem with magical realism thrown into the mix. I enjoyed both Katy and Carol‘s stories plus you can‘t beat an Italian coast setting.

Yes, the cover is eye catching but there wasn‘t very much substance given the title. It felt choppy, like random ideas about a character‘s life were thrown together and was published as a book. If you ask me a week later about this book, I probably couldn‘t tell you anything.

Question - has anyone ordered a new book fulfilled by Amazon that arrived in a plastic bag like this before? In all my years I‘ve never seen this.

Normally not the biggest fan of short story collections but I‘ve enjoyed all the other works I‘ve read by C. J. Tudor. All the stories were enjoyable, rather short, and often left you hanging at the end (which is frustrating but quite fun). I loved how the author introduced each short story - their idea behind it.

My partner recommended it to me (both him and his mom liked it) so I grabbed it from a local indie. I decided to read it the other day as a palette cleanser and OMG it was amazing. Seriously couldn‘t stop reading this queer summer camp YA romance book. Now it‘s over and I want more 😂

Would have loved to see more trans representation in the book.

Alice is enjoying my current read too.

#Caturday #catsofLitsy

Unsettling but not very thrilling. Middle of the road read for me.

This is going to have some mixed reviews but I loved it. Deeply unsettling and that ending! 😱 Can‘t wait to see what other works the author comes out with.

A good read taking place during Covid that went somewhere I didn‘t expect!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Non-book related life update:

-divorce paperwork submitted
-my dad‘s health is still a roller coaster but still with us!
-came out as as a gay trans man
-ended up catching feelings for a close friend and we are now dating. Him and his family are really supportive of my journey.
-trying to focus on things that bring me more joy this year
-since 5/2020 I‘ve lost 100lbs
-both cats are still with me

Happy New Year and reading to all!

I really enjoyed this thriller! The author did a terrific job keeping the reader guessing and so many secrets!!!

A feminist Western - sign me up! I enjoyed this twist take on Billy the Kid.

A clever thriller with some plot twists. I liked The Silent Patient more but still enjoyed The Maidens.

I finished this in one sitting! Not a lot of action but the plot was interesting and I really wanted to know how the book ended.

Normally not something I‘d pick up and I should listen to my instincts/judging a book by it‘s cover. It‘s not atrocious to the point of not finishing it, but it was irritating and just meh.

Let me start out by saying I LOVED the author‘s book Sadie so I was very excited for this, especially since it was dealing with cults. It was a letdown for me but still a good read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Simon St. James is an auto-buy author for me now. I love her mystery/paranormal books. The setting for this books is great, a run down motel, and the story is intriguing.

Wow. Just wow. This was powerful and I applaud Carmen Maria Machado for writing this harrowing memoir about queer domestic abuse.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

A YA book that‘s main character is a Black, gamer girl is amazing. This covers deeper topics like racism and relationships than just murder and video games. Extra bonus points for the author being a POC.

This is a book I‘ll definitely be going back to sometime in the future.

A murder mystery take on the White Elephant gift exchange for Christmas. Interesting premise which made it entertaining but nothing spectacular and unlikeable characters.

It‘s Stephen King…need I say more?

A YA horror/mystery that features supernatural/urban legend/mythology elements and is set in Puerto Rico.

I was excited about the premise and it‘s diverse horror but it fell flat for me.

Cute take on Beauty and the Beast. Vance is a celebrity, who is known for being in the Starfield universe movies. To get away from the paparazzi, he heads to a small town to hide. Rosie is a huge book nerd who lost her mother, is obsessed with the Starfield universe, and ends up working at the house Vance is at.

Very cheesy (love Rosie‘s dad) and a quick read. Nice break from reality and mystery/thrillers.

Okay, I have a huge backlog of book reviews I need to post. Since I haven‘t written the reviews and am clearing out pics for my new phone, I‘m just going to post ratings/quick comments for a lot of them. Sorry for the huge amount of reviews you all will be getting. Let‘s just say I have ones read from 2019 that I still need to do 😬

This dystopian novel gives a glimpse into what humanity could really look like in the future (imo). The premise sounded great and I like the cover but it just was meh for me. Some parts felt slow while others felt rushed.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I haven‘t really purchased many books this year and in fact got rid of over 250. But I had a little fun this week. 5/7 of these books came from the tagged indie and the other 2 came from White Whale Bookstore (along with the otterly adorable bookmark).

Starting “Hell Followed With Us” tonight. What are you reading this weekend?

I‘m alive! Picked up this interesting read at a local indie and had a pumpkin latte with a friend.

Once again, life has kept me away from this wonderful community.
-Still going through a divorce but finally moved out
-My dad‘s health continues to decline and he is permanently in a nursing home
-Figuring out my gender (definitely not female)
-Losing friends in the process

But getting life back on track and hope to be more active on here! ❤️

A horror book with a map! I‘m in 🤣

Taking a break from the realities of life to enjoy the weather, drink a beer, and actually crack open a book.

This had a lot going for it to make it a spectacular horror novel but it fell flat for me. After awhile I found it boring and was disappointed (especially since there is a quote from Stephen King on the cover).

One thing I‘m going to miss about living in my house (ex is keeping it), is enjoying some reading time on the back patio. Nothing beats good weather, a book, and a beer!

Oh how I love this book and the main character in my odd sort of way. How can I not love a book featuring women‘s empowerment in a literary horror novel? If Bret Easton Ellis wrote a book featuring a female Hannibal Lector like character, it would be this.

Sorry I‘ve been so MIA lately and oh how I miss this community!!! Litsy is the only social media I actually enjoy ❤️ Summary of why I‘ve been not active: one of the new cats (Sally) had a cancerous tumor and had to have her leg chopped off, came out as queer, going through a divorce, and my dad‘s health has been declining. 2022 has been a great year so far 🤣

Pictured: Alice bestowing her great wisdom on me. #CatsofLitsy

I really enjoyed this novel set between different time periods and the same family, but the ending didn‘t leave me satisfied. It felt like there was more to be said.

Both of my #BOTM boxes arrived! Are there any I should consider putting at the top of my tbr pile?

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Annie seeks a fresh start after a breakup with her boyfriend. She takes a teaching position in a small town where everyone seems to be friendly and rents a cute place (minus all the spiders). Soon she befriends Sophie, who seems so refreshing and cool, but soon Annie begins to notice that something is off.

If you are looking for an actual horror/scary read, choose another book. The Return by the same author was spookier to me.

I loved this one and it actually ended up surprising me at the end (didn‘t see that twist coming). At first I was nervous going into this book since I wasn‘t the biggest fan of “Sometimes I Lie.” 4.5/5 stars for me!

No. 2 for #NewYearWhoDis

Thanks for the fun reads @Bookish_AF and I will continue reading ones off your list through out the rest of the year.

Ryland Grace wakes up in a spaceship all alone. He doesn‘t remember who he is or even what he‘s supposed to be doing in space. Grace starts to piece together some memories & realizes he‘s out to try & save Earth but his 2 other crewmates are dead. Will Grace save humanity & what will he find along the way?

I really enjoyed this book even with all of science talk. A great start to #NewYearWhoDis

Thanks for the tag @TheRiehlDeal

🖤 American Gods or anything by Neil Gaiman
🖤 All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
🖤 The Hike
🖤 Sweet Tooth
🖤 Ready Player One
🖤 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
🖤Only Killers and Thieves
🖤The Discovery of Witches
🖤Clown in a Cornfield

I tag @perfectsinner

#Sundaysoapbox

It‘s a rare occasion when both cats are on the same bed snuggling me. Alice is snuggled in the crook of my arm (don‘t mind her bald spots) and Sally is between my legs on top of my wedge pillow 😂

Over half way done with this monster of a book. It‘s been a while since I‘ve read anything over 400 pages!

#Caturday #catsofLitsy

My January #BOTM picks. I tend not to read non-fiction but have heard great things about Crying in H Mart.

Romance isn‘t my most favorite genre but this sounded like fun and good break between all the horror books for the month of October.

It was cute but the pacing seemed a little off to me and there wasn‘t much substance. The ending felt super rushed compared to the rest of the book too. Overall just a so-so.

Starting a few days later than planned but finally sitting down to my first book from my #NewYearWhoDis list. Of course I got one of my cats to join in on the fun.

Sorry it‘s so tiny but here‘s my list for the #roll100 challenge! Time to get some of my backlist tbr cleared.

1st roll was 24 so I‘ll be reading the tagged book this month. In the future I hope to squeeze in the double roll but have another reading event that‘s only in January.

My #NewYearWhoDis stack for January (and the rest of the year). Starting with the tagged book first.

My husband went to B&N for me (with a list) to take advantage of the 50% hardcover sale since I‘m currently not near a store. I‘d say he‘s a keeper ❤️

Little to his knowledge, I ordered some online too 🤣

I‘ve been reading this book the past couple days. Hoping to finish it today!

Cat update: Don‘t believe when a shelter says a pair is bonded. They may have been dropped off together but they don‘t get along. I have to split my time between them and it‘s nerve wracking, causing stress and anxiety, plus guilt.

Picture: top is Alice and bottom is Sally

🖤 Hardcover (easier to prop open)
🖤 Fiction to escape from the real world
🖤 Meet favorite author (Neil Gaiman I‘m looking at you - May 2022)
🖤 Not allowed to re-read? I buy books way too much and only keep my favorites in case I ever want to re-read them
🖤 Stand-alone unless it‘s a series that‘s finished and shorter
🖤 Fantasy
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🖤 Bookstore

Want to play a game? Come join the fun if you haven‘t.

#thisorthat

My list of books from my #NewYearWhoDis match, @Bookish_AF . I‘m really excited since it looks like we have similar tastes. All the ones pictured I already own (plus some), a few I‘ve loved, and one that hasn‘t even been on my radar.

The books slightly intimidate me since they are longer than I have been reading (hooray for depressive reading slumps but also trying to meet your yearly goal). I may be bad and start during my Christmas break.

Some new reads I scored over the past 2 weeks! Any I should push to the top of my list?