#bookspin and #bookspinbingo for March: books set in Ireland, books by women, and books gifted to me in past years by Littens (thanks to swaps and such) because it‘s my birthday month. @TheAromaofBooks

Got a #bookspinbingo at the 11th hour last night. I‘ll be spending the rest of today on the couch reading toward March‘s books because I ran a 10 mile trail run this morning with 1500 feet of elevation (which probably means nothing to most of you but it was *hard*—and beautiful and made me feel super accomplished but I may not walk again for days!). I‘ve definitely earned my couch time! @TheAromaofBooks

North Carolina is warming up so I‘ve headed to the deck for some reading in nature.

I can‘t seem to settle on my next book so I‘m going to see if a mystery will draw me in enough to stick with it.

Lackluster plot, poor writing, and strange authorial choices made this one a miss of epic proportions. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-life-oreilly-by-brian-cohen.html

I was cranking along through books but stalled out to go away for a weekend race with friends so not as many books the past two weeks as I‘d anticipated. #bookreport #weeklyforecast And yes, I‘m a day late again. 😂

Identity and he marginalizing of writers of color, Yellowface is a timely and thought provoking novel. It‘s a complicated and complex novel, well written, and rife with unlikeable and yet fascinating characters. Readers who enjoy satire will appreciate this view of publishing as well. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-yellowface-by-r-f-kuang.html

It‘s gotten cold again here and it‘s rainy today to boot so I‘m going to curl up on the couch and dive into this one.

This came out today so I thought I should probably read my ARC. 😬

Found in my up next stacks as I was excavating them. So it should indeed be “up next.”

As per usual, a day late on this one. 🤪 #bookreport #weeklyforecast

As the completely wrong person to read this, it landed about as well as could have been expected (comme ci comme ça), which is to say, I didn‘t hate it but I didn‘t really like it either. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-great-british-bump-off-by-john.ht...

I got a #bookspinbingo for January! Of course, the majority of the books I read were not on my board (I need more free spaces but this is nothing new. 😂) @TheAromaofBooks

I‘m calling it on organizing for this evening and rewarding myself (not that I‘ve done enough to earn a reward) and diving into this book I unearthed from the previously tidier piles (they‘ve had to get worse so I can alphabetize and categorize).

I was redoing the myriad stacks of books in my bedroom (much work still needs to be done on this colossal mess!) but I found books to fill out my #bookspin and #bookspinbingo board. It‘s made up of of my book club read, romances of many different stripes, and Black authors. Some of the books have been on many boards without being chosen/read while others are brand new this time. @TheAromaofBooks

It snowed here in the South so I‘m calling a personal snow day and staying in to read. Ozzie is pleased with my decision. And because it‘s freezing outside, I‘m reading about a week on Cape Cod in the summer.

Definitely a day (almost two!) late on this #bookreport. Plus this is two weeks worth of reading. It was definitely a random selection of books these two weeks. No real reason, just moody. 🤪

Two weeks worth for this #bookreport and #weeklyforecast.

I totally should have been doing the things around the house I said I‘d get to in the new year, but I‘ve spent the day at run club, down Internet rabbit holes, and on the couch with this book. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ozzie thinks I need to give him an apology for making him move off my lap to go eat dinner. Now he‘s happily back on my legs as we settle down to read tonight.

Several people in one of my summer book groups read this one and loved it. I‘m very suggestible so I immediately bought it. Now seems like a good time to read it.

I‘ve been behind the eight ball for what seems like all year. I completely missed out on doing my #LastFirst this year because the end of the year snuck up on me. I completely flaked out on signing up for several swaps. And I put off creating my top 20 list until it was too late for #auldlangspine2025. The only one I can (sorta) rectify is the last one. So I present my best of list here. Anyone else want to join #LatetotheParty and post your own?

First #bookspin and #bookspinbingo of 2025. All books are from previous boards and never gotten to. @TheAromaofBooks

A little post Christmas reading with my grand puppy Fitz (Edmund Fitzgerald). He‘s just the cutest little 5 lb. piece of fluff.

This isn‘t in Litsy‘s database. It was meant to be in my mom‘s stocking this year but I didn‘t finish it in time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Presents are under the tree so it‘s time to retreat to my bed with my amazing #jolabokaflodswap from @inthegreensandblues Thank you so much!

And thank you to @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing again this year.

@MaleficentBookDragon My #Jolabokaflodswap has arrived. I‘ve propped it with the rest of the presents to take to my parents so I can open it when I should. 😁

I‘ve been busy. Not reading much. Hosted Thanksgiving, am running a bunch (8 mile trail race this past weekend), and have been swamped by trying to get everything Christmas done before we head to my parents‘, which means cooking 14 different meals to freeze as my dad‘s gift, make cheese straws and buckeyes for everyone‘s stockings, and shop, wrap, etc.). Somehow I‘m holding onto the thought it will all get done in time. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Can I finish this one in time to give it to the intended recipient for Christmas? We‘ll see! Shopping is 99% done, baking is 90% done, Christmas letter is 100% written and 0% printed, cards are 0% addressed, wrapping is 0% done. Despite the 0% stuff, I may just 100% settle into the book anyway. 😂

@MaleficentBookDragon My #jolabokaflodswap is going out today (if I ever get to the front of the line!).

Ozzie is helping me read one of my mom‘s Christmas books. Not too far in yet but it seems as if this fictional depiction is going to present a sainted Diana. ::sigh:: I do prefer real people to be real, flaws and all.

When you agree to take a friend to a doctor‘s appointment that should last 2 hours or so, it doesn‘t hurt to take a book you haven‘t started yet so you don‘t run out of reading material.

December‘s #bookspin and #bookspinbingo is composed of half Christmas themed books and half Christmas presents for my mom, husband, three adult children, and niece. We‘ll see how many I get pre-read by the 25h. 😁 @TheAromaofBooks

Finished three books although British Murder contains two books so maybe I can consider it four books? #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Onward to my sister‘s Christmas stocking book. I just have books for my boys, my niece, and my dad to go and I‘ll have pre-read everyone‘s presents. 😂

Penny and Josephine Williamson appear to be sweet, little old ladies attended by their lovely nephew Archie but in actual fact they have a lot of secrets and history behind them, starting with their service in WWII and ending with a crazy caper in current day Paris. This was a delight to read and deeper than expected. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-excitements-by-cj-wray.html

Pre-reading another Christmas gift.

All six books I‘ve read so far in November have been non-fiction so I thought I‘d throw in a token light fiction choice next (also known as a stocking present for my mother). #bookreport #weeklyforecast

I was at loose ends for a book last night but finally settled on this one. I went to a reading with the author and she was lovely so I hope I love the book too.

Sitting waiting in my car to be serviced. I brought this book in hopes it could drown out the news.

Read a lot this week. Now to decide if I start my #bookspin or #doublespin books, read another Christmas stocking gift, or go completely off task and pick something random, from the list or not on the list at all. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Now onto my dad‘s Christmas stocking book. 🤣

I really like Parrish‘s writing but this sequel to her novel an open door (lowercase intentional) is not her best. Her main character drifts along without much agency for too long and this resulted in me being frustrated by the story and its lassitude. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-hedgerow-by-anne-leigh-parrish.ht...

I started this one sitting in bed last night. It‘s going in my husband‘s Christmas stocking. He was in bed next to me and never noticed the cover of the book. If he had, he‘d have known something was up because I am not a bourbon fan. Now I just have to finish it before he clocks what I‘m reading.

Sneaking my #bookspin and #bookspinbingo in under the wire. It‘s a collection of non-fiction, including those I intend to give as gifts for Christmas, the last Great Group Reads book, and two last #auldlangspine books. @TheAromaofBooks

I really appreciate Cary‘s Davies‘ writing. This novel set at the end of the Scottish Clearances on a remote and forbidding island is a marvel of history, language, and love. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2024/07/review-clear-by-carys-davies.html

Two bingos but ever so close to four! #bookspinbingo

My last book for the month. Will I finish it or will I carry it over? It‘s an #auldlangspine choice.

As per usual, a little late on this. #bookreport #weeklyforecast

Lounging on the newly finished deck (well, aside from the staining and painting) and starting this one so I can hopefully play along with #literarycrew #buddyread. Plus Miss G was never out here with me so it doesn‘t make me cry to be on this couch.