so-soI expected Marcellus to be more central and necessary to the story than he actually was. I liked the beginning and the end, but was bored by the rest.
Tova reminded me so much of Britt-Marie that I kept forgetting the book took place in the Pacific Northwest 😂
2/80
#BookSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#Read2026 @DieAReader
pickFirst book finished in 2026! A group of aspiring mystery writers, including Vera‘s neighbor, is gathered at a writers‘ retreat in a windswept seaside manor. And then someone is murdered!!
I liked this better than Silent Voices, and the narrator did a good job with the audiobook. It‘s a pick. However: Way too much of Vera‘s cranky interior dialogue. Also too much of some of the witnesses/ suspects calling her fat. #serieslove2026 #bookspin
pickThis was a beautiful and touching story!
I loved the premise. It‘s about a magical bookshop that only appears during cherry blossom season and when certain conditions are met (the person has to be reading the same passage at the same time as the owner). I love reading books about books so naturally the story appealed to me.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/review-the-vanishing-cherry-bloss...
pickThank you to the Litten who put this book on my radar. I couldn't put it down. I loved how she wove together the stories with the history of organ transplants. I knew how it all ended, but I still held my breath once everything was put in motion. So many moving parts that had to be orchestrated perfectly. What a way to kick off my nonfiction goals in the new year.
#blameitonlitsy
January #bookspin complete @TheAromaofBooks
#nonfiction2026
pickThis chunkster is a soft pick. Powerful generational story of a predominately Black family with Native American and white ancestors woven in. Storyline of the early family members is incredible, as is the modern day one. But dang, this beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful novel needed an editor! Too many details, words, on the less than interesting love life of one of the young modern female characters. #chunksterchallenge2026. #bookspin
pickThis book is a pick for me - although not a standout. A quicker and enjoyable read about women and how they assisted with the radar work during WWII. Loved learning about how radar played a roll in WWII despite it being a new technology. It was a good blend of learning about how radar technology worked/was used with the other storylines going on. It is pretty easy to see where the book is going but still well written and an enjoyable read.
#BookSpin #DoubleSpin #Roll100 #ReadYourKobo #ReadYourKindle #ReadYourEbooks #Read2026 #Wardens2026
These are my January challenges picks📚🤓Thanks so much for hosting♥️♥️
Last but not least, December! The tagged book would have been among my favorites no matter what month it was read, but for this month it was no contest.
Inner Harbor was a page turner, and I appreciated the local setting, but the story was OTT.
The two anthologies were disappointing. I‘d started both previously (should have been a clue?) and wanted to clear them out by year-end. Blanket Cats was my #bookspin choice.
#wrapup #12booksof2025
Yikes, I did my #bookspin list, but forgot to post it in December!
1. Plainsong
2. We should not Be afraid
3. Crossings
4. An immense world
5. Swimming in the Dark
6. Art of Gathering
7. Future Is Disabled
8. Barnabus Project
9. Waiting to Be Arrested
10. Saved by a Song
11. Every Day
12. Stone Yard
13. The Details
14. We Kept Her
15. The Weight of Ink
16. You Dreamed of Empires
17. Nanette
18. The Circles
19. Beautyland
20. The Cheese
