Welcome to Litsy!

I have TWO books remaining for #10beforetheend—those two are also my remaining unread BookSpins, and the final two I need to complete #192025. Five days to finish two books and knock out three challenges… I think I can do it! (I am less confident I‘ll be able to finish the 20+ reviews I‘d like to catch up on…)

Squeezing in another belated review before joining the family for Christmas celebrations…

This was one of the best books I read this year, but it didn't make it onto any of my favorites lists. I can't bring myself to call a book a favorite when it inflicted this much angst and emotional frustration! In some ways it felt (borrowing an analogy from a former professor) like pounding on my thumb with a hammer: “it feels so good when I stop.” 😆 ⬇

This was a fun, enjoyable MG fantasy + mystery—with a dragon, an ogre, two castles (naturally), and a young girl making her way in the world. As an adult reader rather than the intended middle grade audience, I had a few issues with the writing. But I liked the characters, I liked the mystery, and I probably would have loved this when I was the target age! This was a soft pick… and my 2011 read for #192025.

My issues: ⤵️

I read this in October—an account of a mother & daughter forced to flee a life of privilege in Mexico and settle in a California farm labor camp during the Great Depression. It was fascinating to have read this *right* before starting Grapes of Wrath. Same era, same destination, different focus. As I read Grapes of Wrath, and the Joads headed for California, dreaming about living in a little white house and picking all the oranges they wanted, ⤵️

Patriarch Simeon Lee invites his adult children home for Christmas. Faithful Alfred has done his duty in looking after the family business when his father retired & Simeon resents him for it, whilst George is an MP but still relies on his father's money & isn't allowed to forget it. Meanwhile Simeon has been estranged from Harry & David for 20 years. (continued)

It felt like King could have been describing social media and the terrible hold it has over some young men when he was talking about Arnie and Christine. Creepy.

This book always reminds me of the Chevy Nova my mom had when I was 13. She was warming it up one day when it somehow slipped out of gear, drove into the street, and hit a kid who was driving illegally the day before he was to get his license. #192025 #losersclub

Judy, such saucy language! I like it! 🤣

This was a wild ride through my neck of the woods in New Jersey. Plainfield? Know it. Watchung? Shop there often. Has a good cheese steak place. Hillside? My guy's parents still live there, & he works there. Clinton Manor? I went to a wedding there once. It got run down recently & was torn down earlier this year to make way for more Subaru dealer parking.

1978 #192025 @Librarybelle
Spoilers below⬇️

Another solid book with Hercule Poirot getting to the bottom of things. One perk of audio is that I find it more difficult to figure out the killer, so I just go along for the ride.

Published 1936 for #192025 @Librarybelle and my November #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

In this noir thriller, a student murders his pregnant girlfriend and then starts pursuing her sister. This was a very suspenseful read that I found hard to put down!

#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (noir) @Ruthiella @RaeLovesToRead
#52bookclub (author has won an Edgar award)
#192025 #1953

I had this at 4+ stars until the last chapter. I… can‘t.

It‘s a nicely twisty mystery, populated by semi-unlikable characters with questionable integrity and dubious motivations. I figured out bits and pieces, but not how they all fit together—and of course it‘s all cleverly unraveled by Poirot. Then there‘s the last chapter. 😬 Nope.