My final read of 2024. I didn‘t like this one as much as I did Downpour, but I do enjoy Holmes‘ poetry style.

He killed her, but that‘s just the beginning. Robert and Gloria meet by chance and she convinces him to be her partner in a dance marathon. You get free food and a place to sleep as long as you last, plus a big payout if you win. In Great Depression-era America, that‘s a sweet deal. But Gloria wants a favor. This is bleak, American noir at its peak. 243/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not sure how to feel here. There are two different stories. One story follows an an agent involved with the Vietnam Project, his obsession, and his descent into madness. The second story is about Jacobus Coetzee, a white settler in 18th century South Africa on a hunting expeditions that goes awry. I‘m not going to sit here and say I *enjoyed* spending time with either of these men, but I think that‘s the point. 242/1,001 #1001Books

I‘m not one of those people that can give a glittering review of poetry, but I can tell you this was a nice book with which to spend my time. There were some poems I read twice, just to let them sink in. Definitely worth the read.

Wow. I bought this at Barnes & Noble as a blind-date-with-a-book promotion. It was wrapped up and the tag said “Cain and Able-esque” which is what sold me. Bonus: Obioma teaches at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, my home state. Four brothers fish in the forbidden river. A madman spits out one of his prophecies, changing the course for the family forever after.

Another fresh slate of a year!! One of my resolutions is to stay off my phone as much as possible and read instead. 🤞🏻 I wish you all a wonderful year full of light and love. Here is my list, which will remain largely unchanged for the #BookSpin challenge. I look forward to this one every year! ☺️ Side note: I read the tagged book in HS and I still remember it fondly. ☺️

Listen, are there things that I‘d change? Sure. Overall, this was fun. Harry wasn‘t some Superman-style all-powerful boy-scout of a character. He‘s kind of a dick, but I think that‘s what kept me turning pages. I wanted to know what happened to everyone. It was worth it, just to meet Bob, to be honest. Anyway, I liked the universe and will read more. August‘s #BookSpin

This is a collection of Victorian-era (if memory serves) ghost stories. Are they bone-chilling, jump-out-of-your-skin scary? No, but they‘re thought-provoking and fun, in some cases. There‘s usually a larger comment about society at play with Victorian stories. Anyway, give this one a go if only for The Monkey‘s Paw! ☺️ April‘s Double #BookSpin

This one wasn‘t for me, but I know it will work for so many others! It‘s a Little Women homage (which have not gone well for me) about 4 sisters and their messy, complex relationships and lives. I saw a lot of tell but very little show and that‘s just a personal pet peeve. If sweeping family sagas are your jam (as they *usually* are for me) I do think you‘ll like this. I‘m sorry I didn‘t. July‘s Double #BookSpin

Is this my umpteenth re-read? Yes. And I don‘t care. This is one of my comfort novels, so I was glad I could use it to fulfill my Double #BookSpin prompt for July. I love Louis and his ever-present quest to simply understand what the point of his existence even is. I love Lestat‘s sassy ass. I‘ll read it again. I‘ve seen me do it.

I can‘t shut up about SGJ. I didn‘t like this one as much as The Only Good Indians, but I still liked it. Jade Daniels isn‘t Final Girl material, but she does love a good slasher. When murders start occurring in her small town, could she actually be living in one? Or is Jade somehow involved? I‘ll be reading the rest of this trilogy and anything else SGJ wants to throw my way. My July #BookSpin (How am I still so behind on writing these!?)

This volume collects the scripts from season one of the absurdly brilliant Welcome to Night Vale podcast plus behind-the-scenes introductions to each episode. This is my brand of weird and I feel no shame about that. Actually, I feel no shame or really any other emotion…I am suspended in a jar of jelly that isn‘t really jelly, just the consistency of what you know to be jelly. Send help. Or don‘t. It‘s whatever.

This was one of those short story collections that I sat with for a while before moving on. I didn‘t want this to end and that‘s the mark of a good short story. I had this on my GoodReads TBR for a while. I went in completely blind and I think that worked in my favor. Surreal fiction is, apparently, my jam.

The plot? Where? The Bishop‘s Bedroom? What about it? Did I miss something? Most likely. Do I want to go meandering with these two misogynistic weirdos again? I‘m good, thanks. I literally grabbed this at the library because of the cover and the blurb on the back and boy did that pay off in no way whatsoever.

I am really digging science-fiction and/or speculative fiction short story collections lately. They‘re just hitting it out of the park. As with most collections, some stuck more than others, but it‘s a solid outing. I looked forward to each story, getting enveloped in each reality, and I look forward to reading more of Chung‘s work.

There really isn‘t anything I could add, or really should add, about James Baldwin‘s work, except to say, “Read him.” I fell madly in love with his voice when I read Go Tell It On the Mountain. You must read him.

This was a fascinating memoir. Cole has a brain the size of a lemon in her brain, which went undiagnosed until her mid-twenties. Her struggle to adapt to life with, what she thought, were multiple learning disabilities would be tough to read if Cohen weren‘t so wry and engaging. It‘s worth the read for her perspective alone.

I read Deesha Philyaw‘s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and have been desperately chasing that high ever since. This collection of short stories came in clutch. Absolutely phenomenal. I wanted to turn around and devour it again so I could mop up any morsel I missed. Loved it. June‘s #BookSpin

As a native Nebraskan, we love Cather, and I know why. She makes you see exactly what she wants you to see. Absolute descriptive power. This is a tale about the first European inhabitants of Quebec. Someone on GR described it as a stop-and-smell-the-roses type book and I would have to agree. It‘s a lovely, slow read. My February Double #BookSpin: OG BOTM Selection. Fun note: at the Cather museum, they said she loved fuchsia, especially as lipstick

I am probably in a good place to give a so-so rating because I do typically enjoy Palahniuk‘s work. This one, while a lot of fun at first, petered out for me. I‘m not sure where he lost me, but he did. And that‘s okay. You can‘t win them all. A 13-year-old girl is poised take over Hell. I was unaware this was a series when I picked it up, so I‘ll hold off Judgement Day until I finish it. Maybe it‘ll all tie up nicely?

SYLVIA👏🏻TOWNSEND👏🏻WARNER👏🏻 This was a ✨DELIGHT✨ to read. Lolly, the unmarried sister, is to be taken into her brother‘s home after her father‘s death. She says, “nah, peace out.” Which is just *shocking*! Why wouldn‘t she want to be a servant in her brother‘s home, he‘s literally being SO GENEROUS. 🙄 Anyway, Lolly chooses this little town and, wouldn‘t you know it? They‘re all witches. Is Lolly one of them? If so, would it be *that* bad?

I really struggled with reviewing this book. I think it‘s important. I think Mailer has a deep talent for writing. I just slogged through some of this while also being completely engrossed in other parts. So it‘s a so-so, for me. This was my April #BookSpin The-Most-Popular-Book-the-Year-You-Were-Born (1949).

There is, of course, nothing new to add plot-wise. This is Alice in Wonderland. The graphic novel adaptation is accessible to readers of all ages and the illustrations are lovely. I have started collecting different editions of this classic, and I‘m glad to add this one.

“…and they were roommates!” 😂 Hear me out, a pre-cursor to Dracula, but it‘s a thinly-veiled reference to lesbians! I can imagine the pearl-clutching this induced in the late 1800s! This was a great read, especially when you get the edition with a lovely, insightful introduction written by the editor, Carmen Maria Machado, and illustrations by Robert Kraiza. If you love vampire lore, this is a must-read!

I love the short story genre because you have to do so much in such a finite amount of time. Carver is one of the few who can do so much with so little. He just understands people, even if what you see isn‘t very fun to look at. Some of the stories are so woefully raw and human, you almost feel as though you‘re a voyeur, trespassing into someone‘s private existence.

This is another where I don‘t recall a lot about the plot, but I enjoyed the journey. This novel was written before the pandemic, so reading this in a post-Covid era is a bit jarring. It was a little too relatable. It‘s interesting how yearning for normalcy and human connection is so deeply ingrained in us. It‘s a good, contemplative read. May‘s #BookSpin

This was the text for my art appreciation class. You think about art in layers. Notice how it makes you feel, but give the art space to take to you. Take the time to really look at it. Forget your pre-conceived notions. Let go of what you think you‘re supposed to “get” & just allow the art to tell you what it‘s up to. Combine what you see/feel/know, & you‘ll find you get more about art than you think. Art is not inaccessible, it‘s for everyone.

The Anthropology class I took was a disaster, but this book was its saving grace. I actually enjoyed the readings and learned far more than I had expected. I encourage anyone to take an anthropology or sociology class if they can. I mentioned earlier that is it just so fascinating to know that you aren‘t all that different from someone from far away, yet you can learn new ways of existing as well. As we say with our boys, “Different, not less.”

I‘m only giving this a so-so because some of her viewpoints were simply outdated. I did appreciate when she would call herself out for her negative attitude. She could have edited the book in her favor, but didn‘t. I loved learning about the cultural aspects of people living in West Africa. It is also so wonderful to see how connected and similar humans are and yet how we differ also, and not in a this-is-superior/inferior way, just different. ☺️

I always find it a fun take when a classic tale takes the point of view of the villain. It served to remind us that perhaps not everything is as it seems. Maybe the hero in one narrative is a villain in another. I don‘t really remember too much, except it was a nice little YA-vibe story collection that I would read again. ☺️ March‘s Double #BookSpin

June is here and Summer too! It‘s my 21st anniversary on the 14th and I think I‘ll celebrate like we did last year: I read, he fishes. Otherwise we might find some fun NebraskaLand Days stuff to do. ☺️ Happy Reading, fellow Spinners! #bookspin

It‘s my birthday month! And my birthday happens to be on the absolute baller holiday of Cinco de Mayo! Here‘s my May #BookSpin list! I‘m juggling multiple reads, as usual, but I‘m excited to catch up on reviews soon! Also, I GRADUATE IN 3 WEEKS!!! Wooo! Bachelors of English, at your service! Anyone wanna hire me? 😂😂😂

This book was a trip. The narrator is a social worker who mostly works with children (I think). I enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look, the disjointed nature of the narrator‘s thoughts. Social work, work with the public in general, can you leave you feeling jaded and cynical, and maybe even a little deadened to things that should shock you. I look forward to reading more by Konrad. 241/1,001 #1001Books

This is my last semester of school (yay!) and I only needed American Sign Language II to complete my degree audit. However, because of grants and scholarships, I needed to be full-time. I decided to take a geography class…for fun…😂💀 Anyway, I was dreading this b/c it is NOT my forte, but the book is highly readable. It also helps that the professor is kind, massively organized, and efficient. Bonus: it has helped me when reading novels too! ☺️

I‘m sorry, this was her FIRST NOVEL!? Hang it up, everybody else, b/c dang. I know Morrison is going to chew up my soul and spit it out, but I can‘t help but keep coming back for more. Every story in here is painful. You see Pecola through a child‘s narrative. That‘s where Morrison‘s magic lies: her ability to weave and manipulate language. It‘s beautifully written, but it‘s also mean and hard and angry. As it should be. 240/1,001 #1001Books

I won‘t add anything new to the discussion, so I won‘t try. It reminds me of the adventure novels popular w/ boys in the Victorian era, but fantasy. I want to thank Christopher Tolkien for taking his father to task about remembering the small details of his bedtime story so that we could all benefit from it. The original NPR broadcast was stellar & should get a listen, if you‘re so inclined. Know what Aragon‘s shirt is made of? Husband material.

Again, I listened to the original American National Public Radio broadcast. Other than some different pronunciations than we‘re used to, this was another stellar performance. This was also around the 3-hour mark. If, like me, you‘re familiar with the story and just want to have some ear candy while crafting, give this a listen!

Some of the writing fell a *smidge* flat, for me. But, I stayed engaged enough that I wanted to finish. The narrative is split between a present-day FLDS plural wife who is charged with her husband‘s murder & her estranged son who tries to solve who-really-done-it & the story of Ann Eliza Young. Both women are the 19th wives. Ann Eliza to Brigham Young himself, & she documented their very public divorce. #ReadingAmerica Utah; February #BookSpin

I listened to the original American National Public Radio broadcast and I loved it. An ensemble cast really brought the story to life. Coming in at 3 hours, I know it‘s abridged, so I won‘t be counting it toward my 1,001 books journey until I read it in full. This was just such a nice listen while I crocheted. ☺️

This is, like, my 4th read. This time, I listened to an audiobook (not the one with Alan Cumming and Tim Curry, though, blast!) and it was so fun! This is, certainly, problematic in places. However, the lore is SO STRONG that even today, few stray from it. (If they do, we get sparkly vampires. At least she tried something new. Bless.) Anyway, still a solid pick.

This was also on the #RoryGilmoreChallenge and I couldn‘t have been more bored. Maybe I‘ll try again, but reading this immediately after a semester of Victorian Lit was not ideal…

I don‘t like kitschy. I don‘t like sappy. So I was quite worried about this. It surprised me. Eddie dies trying to save young girl in a Ferris wheel accident. We know it‘s coming, so don‘t worry, that‘s not a spoiler! ☺️ The narrative follows him as he meets 5 important people in his life. I enjoyed the contemplative nature, the inter-connectedness of humanity. If you want to get off the roller-coaster and take a nice swan boat ride, this is it.

Not me, thinking I was ahead of the game and had already posted my #BookSpin list only to realize I‘m a month behind…🙄😂💀 Sheesh. April already!? Well, the list is the same anyway, so no harm no foul! I‘m excited to pick the books to fit the spins!

March‘s #BookSpin list! An extra day in February and we still flew by it like a fence post on the interstate. Happy Reading, fellow BookSpinners! ☺️

School started again and I lost my doggone brain…February‘s #BookSpin list 🎶Second verse, same as the first🎶 Happy reading, everyone! ☺️🧡 📚

Lordt. I was ranting about this book to my husband and he said the movie was good. 🙄🤣 Well, yeah, Eastwood‘s in it. The dialogue was obnoxious (“My God, your power” Girl, no.) if I read that he was “a leopard that rode in on a comet” ONE MORE TIME. The author 100% wrote himself as the main male character. She looked down her nose at the Iowans (all they want out of life is to farm and raise families. Okay? And?) I get it. Shes lonely. 👇🏻

This book is so silly and gross. I loved it. I brought this home from the library. My daughter (15) said, “Wait! When you said Dog Man, I thought you were talking about some weird fantasy novel, not THESE! These are low-key really funny.” I agree. I was even making my husband look at panels that made me laugh audibly. Just good fun. My favorite bit was: *ring ring* Hello? There‘s been a jail break! Where? At the jail! Oh. So dumb. 🤣🤣🤣

First, I know I‘m not the target audience. Second, I get it. Middle-schoolers and the personal fable (main character energy), people are flawed, etc. I absolutely see why kids would dig this series. I just really struggled with this. There were parts that were funny, but mostly I was like, “Wow. You‘re a real d-bag…” I won‘t dissuade anyone from liking/reading them, I just didn‘t connect with this.

I‘ve never read Miss Marple, so I thought I‘d take advantage of this Nebraska Blizzard season and get a start. I love these little mysteries and Miss Marple reminded me of Father Brown. I genuinely love trying to solve the puzzle and being outwitted by Dame Agatha every time. Even if I figure out part of the mystery, I never unravel every bit.

I know some on GR felt this one was slower than the first, but I think that worked in its favor. Daine is gaining powers, learning her magic. If it were rushed it would feel cheap. Daine & Numair uncover a plot that threatens not just the throne, but all of Tortall. When Daine and Numair separate, and a magic barrier soon makes that separation against their will, Daine must work with the People in ways she hasn‘t before. Will they be in time?