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#IspyBingo
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TheAromaofBooks
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Pickpick

Continuing my reread of the Chronicles of Ixia - as with the first book/companion, Snyder has published Valek's POV as a companion for Magic Study. I enjoyed reading these in tandem even more, as Yelena and Valek aren't together for large chunks of time, meaning that The Study of Magic has more of its own story and was less repetitive. Thoroughly enjoyable.

47 likes2 comments
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willaful
No Title | None
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Any Canva experts out there? I copied the #ISpyBingo boards from @TheAromaOfBooks but I'm having a problem with the words showing through when I put an image over them, as see above.

Amiable I think @CSeydel is pretty handy with Canva 2d
CSeydel Try clicking on “layers” and then moving the book cover up until it‘s in front of the words? 2d
willaful @CSeydel It just seems to make the words disappear.

Why am I always the only person who has issues like this. 😂
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See All 19 Comments
CSeydel Ok I‘m confused because I thought we want the words to disappear 2d
CSeydel Well I‘m also confused because I‘m not sure how the words are in a different layer than the bingo board 2d
willaful @CSeydel I meant they're deleted from the board, which isn't optimal, though I may have to do that. 2d
Faranae They shouldn't be getting deleted from the board, just going to a lower layer (that might be hard to find again). I stopped using Canva and put all the boards into a Krita file, but that might be even more confusing to learn, but I'm really liking it for bingo now that I'm used to it. I could share the krita file with you if you like. 2d
willaful @Faranae Thanks, that would be helpful. 2d
CSeydel Can you share the link to your bingo board Canva file and I can take a look? Maybe we can figure this out lol 2d
willaful @CSeydel if I can figure out how to do that! 😂 I appreciate your help! (edited) 2d
CSeydel Thanks! Ok this links to the Bookspin bingo and it seems like that one is working the way it should. Do you have a different one for I Spy? 2d
willaful @CSeydel argh, sorry, wrong link. (edited) 2d
CSeydel Haha no problem! Ok yeah - depending on what you want the final board to look like, there are a couple things you can do. If you select the book cover image and click “position” and “bring to front”, then the cover will be in front of the words. If you want to still be able to see the words a little, you can do like you did and make them gray, or you can keep them black and just increase the transparency on the ones that are over the book covers. 2d
CSeydel What‘s the end goal here as far as how you want it to look 2d
willaful @CSeydel I just want it to work like it normally does when I import the board and can then put an image over it. I think the simplest thing to do is probably just go back to importing them. 2d
CSeydel Ok here‘s one way to make that work. We can select all the text boxes and the board and “group” them. That way they‘ll behave like a single image, and when you add a book image, it should appear on top of the words. 2d
willaful @CSeydel Oh my goodness! I actually managed to make that happen and it worked! Thank you so much! 💐 🎉 2d
CSeydel Oh! That‘s great! 🎉 I‘m glad I could give a bit of help 😊 2d
TheAromaofBooks I was late to this party but I'm glad @CSeydel was able to help!! I usually download the boards as an image, and then reupload them into Canva to put the book images on them, because then the board itself is an image that you can stretch to fill the entire background, and the book images can go on top, if that makes sense. But it sounds like you figured out a system!! 2d
25 likes19 comments
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TheAromaofBooks
Poison Study | Maria V. Snyder
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My first book of 2026 is actually two books 😂 Poison Study, written from the FMC's POV, was published in 2005. In 2023, the author published The Study of Poisons, which is the same story except from the MMC's POV. I found a handy-dandy graphic on IG that had a suggested alternate-chapter reading schedule to keep the two books moving side by side. I really enjoyed this series when I first read it about ten years ago, so I'm excited to revisit it ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) with some bonus materials, like the Valek POV books and a bunch of short stories that have FINALLY been printed together in one book instead of me having to find and read them on the author's website. This is an engaging fantasy series with an intriguing world and likable characters. Valek's book was slightly repetitive when read with Yelena's, but I still really enjoyed both and seeing some of Valek's thoughts/what he was up to when ⬇ 4d
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) they weren't together.

2026 goal is, of course, to post reviews more consistently. We'll see how that goes, but here I am, off to a good start! 😁
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TheAromaofBooks #GottaCatchEmAll - Includes Poison; Morally Grey Character - @PuddleJumper
This was also one of my #Roll100 picks for January!!

#192030 - @Librarybelle you are going to get tagged in all my reviews this year 😂

#ISpyBingo #BookSpinBingo
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See All 9 Comments
PuddleJumper That's a super interesting way to read it 4d
Librarybelle 😂 No worries! It‘ll just mean I‘m adding more to my tbr. By the way, the author is so nice. She is from near me, and I‘ve met her at various mystery and library conferences. I have signed copies of a few of her books but have yet to read them. 4d
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I love this series and have the Valek pov books on my shelf. I should get back to it… 📚 4d
TheAromaofBooks @PuddleJumper - I wouldn't recommend reading them this way if you've never read Poison Study, as The Study of Poison does have some spoilers. But it was really fun to see the other character's perspective of what was going on. 3d
TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - Oh, how fun! I subscribe to her newsletter and she always seems to warm and friendly. I've really enjoyed her books - I think I've read most of them now!! 3d
TheAromaofBooks @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage - I haven't read them for several years so I've forgotten a lot of the details and I'm totally hooked!! The Valek POV is really fun, especially now that I'm reading Magic Study/The Study of Magic, where they spend more time apart, so The Study of Magic isn't nearly as repetitive. 3d
58 likes2 stack adds9 comments
review
Gissy
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Pickpick

December 2025 Book #4 last book read this month last book read in 2025📚🙌

This was an interesting book. A body was found with supposedly a Christmas‘ list. But that was a victim‘s list. The plot is discovering who is this killer, working in the profile and follow clues. Tom, the detective, also has his secrets. There is an alternate story where a narrator is telling how was they Christmas. There are two twists in the story, ⬇️

Gissy (Cont) The first twist I didn‘t see coming. The second one, well you can guess at some point. What I was a little disappointed was in the killer‘s motive to commit the crimes. But in general I like this story and characters. 3.8⭐️

#Read2025 @DieAReader
#BookSpinBingo #7 season vibes #ISpyBingo maybe he has a turtleneck sweater???😂😂😂😂😂
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DieAReader ♥️♥️♥️ 5d
42 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Gissy
Christmas Presents | Lisa Unger
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Mehso-so

December 2025 Book #3

Madeline is a survivor of a crime attempt but she can‘t remember anything. Someone is paying for that crime and now, years later request a review in his case. This famous writer find Madeline after she moved, and is offering her to reveal what real happened. A friend of Madeline disagree with this offer. Then the plot is how Madeline remembers what happened and an expected (obvious) romance rise. ⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) I found it slow and boring. The killer? It doesn‘t make sense to me why he did it, in some way because under the influence of drugs, anything is possible. But still🙄

My first novel by this author. I will read something else to see if I like it🤷🏽‍♀️3⭐️
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DieAReader 🥳🎉 5d
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 5d
42 likes4 comments
review
Gissy
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Pickpick

December 2025 Book #2

Not as good as the first one. As we saw in the first book, it has all these gossip interaction through emails or texts creating a confusing situation. Humorous tone like the first one. For a novella, wI think it was good because the is a plot development and a good closure. Are we going to see a sequel? 🤔

Gissy 3⭐️

#Read2025 @DieAReader
#BookSpinBingo #DoubleSpin season vibes
#ISpyBingo title has shining letters
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DieAReader ♥️♥️♥️ 5d
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Gissy
Immortal in Death | J. D. Robb
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Pickpick

December 2025 Book #1

I have different editions and I am only in book 3🤦🏽‍♀️Those of you ,who have read my reaction to this series, know that I see a little strange that relationship between Eve Dallas and Roarke, I think he, in some way, try to control Eve, and she, is in someway, is vulnerable, which means for me, that there is a control there,. Anyway, thats my perception as a reader. Most people love Roarke. But I enjoy this book. ⬇️

Gissy (Cont) It seems Dallas is going to take a big step in her relationship with Roarke but then occurred this brutal murder and she prioritized her job. The story has funny scenes and dramatic ones like those with Eve and her traumatic past experience😢Even when it was interesting , I noticed some procedures unrealistic, not accurate due to conflict of interest in her participation. Did I say unrealistic? 🤔Are we seeing something like⬇ (edited) 5d
Gissy (Cont.) that, now, in some “poltical world”?🤔Never mind, back to the story. Based on some legal aspects related with my past work, it could be expected not see that involvement due to conflict of interest, there…it sounds better. Well, it has a good ending because you want to know what is going to happen in that relationship…tan..tan..tan..tan…3.5/3.8⭐️ 5d
Gissy #Read2025 Book #1

BookSpinBingo #BookSpin #20 sequel #ISpyBingo (white title) Love this month prompts. I wish I could read more to find those prompts.
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41 likes3 comments
review
Gissy
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Pickpick

November 2025 Book #3

I made an incorrect comment when I was reviewing The hacienda😳I already corrected it. I mentioned that there was an attempt of a forbidden romance, but is in this novel where that incident happens🤦🏽‍♀️Both novels have the same gothic atmosphere and tone. I liked this one too. This author was added my favorite author list. The story has a slow pace and it takes a couple of pages until I was immersed in the story⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) I also like her books covers😍Again, I read the physical book with audiobooks and really liked it, so much drama😂The “horror” part, it was okay. I found more interesting the drama🙄and she is so good describing a good gothic atmosphere. 4⭐️ 5d
Gissy #Read2025 @DieAReader
#BookSpinBingo #15 wanted to read it #ISpyBingo author‘s name in orange color It looks orange to me 😜 @TheAromaOfBooks
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DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 5d
36 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Gissy
The Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Pickpick

November 2025 Book #1

There is a movie adaptation of this book, it is not bad but I highly recommend to read the book first. This is a slow pace character driven story. The book August character, is so different of the the movie one, the actor is good but not same. In the book you will understand better that great twist at the end😱Maybe there was a sensation that the story was dragged out after the half part but then…the twist⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) starts to reveal the truth behind the murders…tan..tan..tan..tan…But the movie is so good in presenting that dark, mysterious, gothic atmosphere. I enjoyed it as you can see…I love character driven novels…😍4/4.5⭐️and I like that edition cover, giving a vintage look, stained with blood😳 5d
DieAReader ♥️♥️♥️ 5d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 5d
32 likes4 comments
review
Gissy
Cackle | Rachel Harrison
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Mehso-so

October2025 Book#9 and last book read this month

Beautiful cover and loves the paperback edition too. Unpopular opinion. I didn‘t like much this stir. It was absurd to me🤷🏽‍♀️2.5/3⭐️

DieAReader 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 5d
33 likes2 comments