Litsy

I finally took the time to tally my #192025 titles read during the second half of 2024. I managed 8 titles…thank goodness for book discussions!

I still have a number of years to read by the end of the year; if I do not quite make the whole list, this has been such a fun challenge all the same. I plan to start it again in 2026 with #192030 …details later this year!

I completed the 2000s decade and am nearly finished with two more decades. Yay!

julieclair Ooohhh… I need to tally mine. 🫣 So glad you‘re going to start again in 2026! I really enjoy this challenge. 💙 16m

Librarybelle Thanks, @julieclair …I think it‘s so fun! Glad you‘re enjoying it too! 10m

Bookwormjillk 2026 still sounds so in the future 😂 4m

Librarybelle It really does, @Bookwormjillk ! 😂 now

19 likes4 comments

mabell

Dashing Through the Snowbirds: A Meg Langslow Mystery | Donna Andrews

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This was a fun installment! Meg‘s dad has a Christmas surprise - an outdoor ice rink! In Virginia! Meg is housing, as usual, a crowd. This time it includes Canadians collaborating with Mutant Wizards on a consumer DNA project. Unfortunately a few people don‘t like what the DNA results turned up…

#2022 for #192025

Librarybelle

mabell @Librarybelle Well I guess I already had 2022 😆 1d

Librarybelle 😂 I‘ve nearly doubled up on a few myself! 1d

23 likes2 comments

OutsmartYourShelf

James Dean | George Perry

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30th Sept this year is the 70th anniversary of the tragic death of James Dean at just 24 years old. This book is a look back at his short life & career, a reminiscing & a wondering of what could have been.

Even though Dean died several decades before I was born, one of my favourite films ever is 'Rebel Without a Cause' & I've always been fascinated with him. This book has some fantastic photographs of Dean & reproduced some handwritten (cont'd)

OutsmartYourShelf schoolwork & letters - for those alone I would give it 5 stars.

The issue is that the text really doesn't give us a strong idea of who James Dean was. We know he could be taciturn, & he was introverted, but it's mainly just the facts of where & when he was born, went to school, his favourite teachers, etc. It's very readable but it left me wanting to know more. 4🌟 6d

OutsmartYourShelf Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1732671538
Read 13th-14th Jan 2025

#192025 (2005) @Librarybelle
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#WinterClearDown @puddlejumper 6d

Librarybelle Wow! 70 years! 6d

See All 7 Comments

OutsmartYourShelf @Librarybelle I know! 6d

PuddleJumper ❤️❤️ 6d

Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 6d

DieAReader 🎉🎉Excellent!! 6d

29 likes7 comments

kwmg40

My Mortal Enemy | Willa Cather

An update on my #192025 challenge: these are the books I finished in the past few months. 79 prompts done and 27 left to go. I'm optimistic I can finish this by the end of the year!
@Librarybelle

AllDebooks Oooh well done. 👏 I was doing really well and need to get back to it to update the last 6 months. 1w

Librarybelle Excellent job!! I still need to update my list, but I‘m not as far as you are in the challenge. 1w

bthegood Way to go - good luck on the last 27!🥳 1w

kwmg40 @AllDebooks @Librarybelle @bthegood Thanks for the encouragement. These last slots are getting harder to fill! 4d

39 likes4 comments

AllDebooks

World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing -- Coffees Explored, Explained and Enjoyed | James Hoffman

#Midwintersolace #LitSolace

Happy #Chatterday 😊

Grab a coffee, and let's catch up. 😊

☕️ How has your week been?
☕️ Reading anything interesting?
☕️ Any good recommendations to pass on?

All are welcome to join us.

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @kspenmoll @dabbe @Sace @Bookwormjillk @Cuilin @mhillis

Bookwormjillk Hello! I just got back from dropping off my son on this snowy Saturday morning. Roads were actually in good shape which was unexpected for this city. My week was fine- work and weather added stress but nothing like others are dealing with. I‘m reading and loving

Mina's Matchbox

AllDebooks It's so cold here in the UK. I'm staying indoors to avoid an asthma flareup. The upside is how pretty the hoar frost looked this morning. I've just started #NaturaLitsy buddyread ❄️💙❄️

What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World�s Ocean

AllDebooks @Bookwormjillk It's so strange getting back into normal routines. Glad you had a safe journey. I hate driving in snow and ice. I have MM on Kindle. I'll have to bump it up the tbr pile. 1w

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Work has been hectic this week, but it's a good hectic. I'm a Sales Director for 13 hotels, so it is great that they have new accounts for me to prospect & set up on the dead of winter. I did have to wear two pairs of pants most of the week due to the below freezing temps. Not much physical reading was done, but I'm nearly finished with the tagged on audio. I haven't read it since I was a kid, so it's been good to revisit. I forgot most of it.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

TheBookHippie Snow dumped over night lake effect snow and dropping temps for the 10 day forecast… so winter is here. Exams are next week and every year we get snow days in this week messes with teachers and students, we‘ve asked to do it before holidays to no avail… Mr BookHippie came home from work yesterday sick so avoid him! My son got into Honors College at the university he was early admission to, so exciting. I read the new Danielle Steel last night⬇️ 1w

TheBookHippie No way my grandma would have ever dreamed she‘d still be writing or putting out so many books. This one was like a piece of candy. 😂 I miss gossiping about the characters with her! Book 216 read ✔️ reading this today & Happy Saturday!

The Rose Hotel: A Memoir of Secrets, Loss, and Love From Iran to America

TheBookHippie Daughter is doing well and even driving! ♥️ 1w

Bookwormjillk @TheBookHippie great news about son & daughter. My son‘s school moved finals before break for that reason! Overall it‘s a good idea but due to scheduling and a storm right after break he ended up not having classes for almost a month and that will be a rude awakening this week 😂 1w

Bookwormjillk @AllDebooks I ended up finishing. I loved it. Stay warm! 1w

TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk 😂 yah the reentry is rough!!! 1w

AllDebooks @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Wow, 12 hotels is a handful. They should keep you busy and out of trouble! I haven't read Anne Frank since my teens. Way, way back in the last century. 1w

DebinHawaii Spending my Saturday morning at the coffee shop before running errands—so nothing unusual. It was a long work week. 😬 Trying to turn it off for the weekend & do some self-care. 1w

AllDebooks @TheBookHippie Congratulations to your son, well done. 👏 I'm so glad your daughter is on the mend and getting about now. I haven't read any Danielle Steel since my teens. I used to gossip with my gran too. They were her books! I miss that so much. 🥹 I had no idea she was still publishing. 1w

AllDebooks @Bookwormjillk Yikes, he's gonna be in for a shock after a whole month free of classes. 1w

TheBookHippie @AllDebooks FOUR BOOKS A YEAR. 🤯🫠🤣 1w

AllDebooks @DebinHawaii I love that you are concentraring on yourself after a busy week. A bit of pampering never goes amiss. X 1w

AllDebooks @TheBookHippie wait, what!!! I didn't even know she was still with us. She's taking over from Barbara Cartland. 👵✒️📚📚📚 1w

AllDebooks @TheBookHippie Idk why, but I thought she was a lot older. 🤔 1w

TheBookHippie @AllDebooks she‘s 77. 1w

TheBookHippie @AllDebooks I‘ve read every single one 😅😆 with my grandma until 2009 she died at 98. I‘ve been reading them in her honor since. 1w

AllDebooks @TheBookHippie ❤️🥹❤️ 1w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @AllDebooks 12 hotels does keep me busy, but out of trouble? 🙄 Let's say sometimes! 🤣 My guy is going out with his buddies for some late evening pickleball, so I'm excited to have some reading time later. 🕯☕️🐶🛋📚 @TheBookHippie That's great news about both of your children! Perhaps I should pick up a Danielle Steel book for both #192025 and the #52Books challenge. One prompt is for an author who publishes more than 1 book a year. 1w

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick PURE SACCHARINE! You can read it in about an hour or two 😂💕 1w

kspenmoll Answering late here- my anthem for the week! I rested & read-too cold for a walk. My first 5 day work week in a month haha none of us are used to it! So spoiled! 1w

AllDebooks @kspenmoll ❄️💙❄️ 1w

32 likes25 comments

TheAromaofBooks

River's End | Nora Roberts

The husband & I have been off this week, and instead of going to FL as originally planned, we've hunkered down and had the most relaxing, chill week ever - and three days left to go!! I've been reading up a storm and have completed 6 books so far this year. None of them were mind-blowing, but since it's the beginning of the year, they check off so many challenge prompts 😂 So here's the skinny (sorry for the hosts getting tagged multiple times!):

TheAromaofBooks Sweet Tea B&B: #Roll100 #GottaCatchEmAll – Book You Own @PuddleJumper
#Pantone2025 – Limpet Shell @lauredhel
#ReadtheUSA – Georgia

Manhunt: #FictionalTraveler @julieclair
#Roll100 #GottaCatchEmAll – Fluffy Book @PuddleJumper
#ReadtheUSA – Alaska

The Story of Doctor Dolittle: #DolittleDiscussion @Roary
#192025 – 1920!! @Librarybelle
#WickedWords – Survivors @AsYouWish
#GottaCatchEmAll – Character in the Medical Field @PuddleJumper
2w

TheAromaofBooks The Haunted Bridge: #NancyDrewReadalong @Librarybelle
#WickedWords – Animals @AsYouWish
#GottaCatchEmAll – Dancing @PuddleJumper

River‘s End: #Roll100 #GottaCatchEmAll – Protective Character @PuddleJumper
#WickedWords – Rage @AsYouWish
#Pantone2025 – Cocoon #FourFoursin25 – Shiver River @lauredhel

2w

TheAromaofBooks Bluegrass Champion: #GottaCatchEmAll – Playful Character @PuddleJumper
#ReadtheUSA – Kentucky
#Pantone2025 – Yellow Jumper #FourFoursin25 – Random Fandom @lauredhel

All these books also went towards my goal for #JumpStart2025 to average 250/pgs a day (I'm actually way ahead!!!) @Lizpixie

And four of them count towards my #Read2025 goal of reading 100 books from my TBR @DieAReader

As well as my own challenges of #BookSpinBingo & #ISpyBingo 2w

See All 8 Comments

Librarybelle Yay!! I love when books fit multiple challenges! 2w

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - January read is SO satisfying 😂 2w

DieAReader 🎉🤓Wonderful! Such an excellent start to the year. Self care is so important😮‍💨🥰 So happy that you & hubby are having some r & r!🫂💖 2w

julieclair What a great start to the new year! And I agree, checking off all those prompts is sooooo satisfying! 2w

Lizpixie Brilliant start to the year lovely!👏👏👏 2w

70 likes8 comments

OutsmartYourShelf

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

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Short Review: This was an odd Poirot book for me, he doesn't appear for the first few chapters & when he does he seems to be more of a side character to Katherine Grey. The mystery itself was textbook Christie but it just didn't seem to work as well as some of her other books. I think the problem for me is that I just didn't like Katherine Grey. Don't know why, just didn't. 3.5🌟

TWs: racism/xenophobia, internalised misogyny.

OutsmartYourShelf Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6398158562
Read 7th-8th Jan 2025

#192025 (1928) @LibraryBelle
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#WinterClearDown #WinterCosy @puddlejumper
#SeriesLove2025 @thespineview 2w

TheSpineView 📖 💜 Excellent! 2w

Librarybelle Agree with this! 2w

See All 8 Comments

willaful I seem to recall this was Christie's *least* favorite of her own books. 2w

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2w

OutsmartYourShelf @Librarybelle 😀 2w

OutsmartYourShelf @willaful I wouldn‘t be surprised. 2w

Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 1w

40 likes1 stack add8 comments

OutsmartYourShelf

Young Stalin | Simon Sebag Montefiore

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Out of Churchill, Hitler, & Stalin, I know the least about Stalin so decided now would be the perfect time to read this first book in the two part series. How did Joseph Dzhugashvili from Georgia become the megalomaniac ruler of Russia & preside over millions of deaths of his own people?

OutsmartYourShelf Even from the start Stalin seemed to have innate confidence in his own abilities & judgment & a powerful personal charisma. This book deals with his life from his humble origins to just after Lenin took power. It's informative but it's very verbose & therefore the text seems very dense. It also seemed a much longer book than it actually was & there are lots of footnotes. 2w

OutsmartYourShelf Stalin comes across as a sociopath or even psychopath at times: manipulative, able to walk away from those he professed to love without a backward glance (including some of his own children), & an astounding lack of empathy with others. I'm thinking the second book will be very interesting. 4🌟

TWs: adult/minor relationships, animal death (moderate). 2w