Last year I did a Top 10 of 2020, so I thought, I should do it again this year, just one last post before I bid 2021 goodbye and pray hard for a better 2022. Moreover, I did have some luck, stumbling across some really good reads before the closing of the year. A good sign for my 2022, I hope? #top10of2021 Blog post here: https://bit.ly/3Jzg2vA

HAPPY 2022, everyone! May this year be better for all!

Thank you @Jas16 for the gifts! Another book which I now can read without waiting for my turn on Libby! 🙌 thank you! And I love the idea of Novel Teas! Being a coffee lover, I haven‘t drank tea in a long while so I definitely can‘t wait to try these! I especially like the whole idea of it with quotes from authors! 😍😍and chocolates for my tummy! Ahhh bliss..Happy holidays to you, my dear friend. Stay safe & well! 💕

Now I don‘t have to wait my turn on Libby to read Will! Woot woot! Thank you @Soubhiville for the wonderful gifts! The beautiful bookmark has been added to my collection 💕💕 Can‘t wait to use the socks 😍😍and I‘m saving the chocolate for later. I love anything dark chocolate!! Hope you had a great Christmas my friend and happy holidays to you!

Loved it! A timely read, written in a conversation-like manner, making it digestible and accessible. Many inspiring stories shared along the way. Bought two copies as gifts post-reading! Full review here: https://bit.ly/3IZhrLF

Thanks #CeladonBooks for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

😅

What a fun ride! Absolutely loved this book. Great for readers who don‘t mind a slow read and doing a little bit of work, figuring out the puzzle and putting the pieces together.

Full review here: https://bit.ly/3dxmip7

My first Michaelides book. Had high expectations because of the rave reviews his debut has gotten. Unfortunately, this book didn‘t work for me. Plot and characters were a little flat and ending unbelievable. Full review here: https://bit.ly/3daIBAE

The holidays might be challenging for some for many reasons. If you are alone or feel alone, if you are struggling, if you just need someone to listen, please use #HolidayHugs.

This community is amazing!

#holidayhugs #litsylove

I‘m a fan of the series especially the last two, but the finale didn‘t quite work for me 😭 maybe because I had high hopes. I felt the new characters a little underwhelming and the plot dragged on in the middle. Full review here: https://bit.ly/3xp3npt Thank you Simon & Schuster for the galley of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

What‘s the weirdest thing you use or have ever used as a bookmark? My daughter used a pair socks! Lol Check out other weird stuff we use or have used as bookmarks! https://bit.ly/3AZMFgA

Do share with us yours too!

I‘ve got to share this! I 💕 this book so far & I‘m excited to have this #giveaway! Just follow blog & leave a comment on https://hookedonbookz.com/2021/10/12/giveaway-the-magic-book-by-ahoffmanwriter-t... Feel free to tag a friend if u think they‘d be interested!This is on Twtr Hooked_On_Bookz too! @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Jas16 @UwannaPublishme @AmyG @Soubhiville @Sleepswithbooks

I‘m ambivalent abt this because on one hand, like many of her books, I got to learn something abt subjects that are foreign to me; on the other hand, it was this factor too that made it difficult for me to enjoy the story. ⬇️

Or read a full review: hookedonbookz.com

This was such a fun book to read! Had a few good laughs! Loved the dad and Prof Steg and her special names for her hot air balloon and coconuts! 😂😂 a great getaway for me after some heavy reads recently 😅

Thank you, @Soubhiville for the gift! 🥰💕

A heartbreaking yet most moving, powerful book I‘ve read this year! ‘Betty‘ is about a family who, despite their idiosyncrasies & dark secrets, learned to cope & survive with what they had. It also gives voice to all victims of rape & abuse; to all the Bettys who are told they don‘t deserve anything good in this world, that they‘re worthless, that they should just sit at the sidelines and watch the world go by. Full review: https://bit.ly/3h7NE4v

I was surprised by how much I loved it. The straightforward, clean writing style allowed me to focus on the story & almost immediately I was drawn to Ting and her family‘s life in Shanghai, & how they were living during & after Mao‘s Cultural Revolution, while Mini & her family on the other hand, were trying to survive the pre-war days of Shanghai in the 1930‘s.
A great debut indeed!

Full review here: https://bit.ly/3lkC8WA

I hardly ever read an entire collection of short stories, and this is one of the few that I did! I enjoyed 8 of the 11 stories! Come check it out and win a copy for yourself! :) *ends Aug 22, 2020

Full review here: https://bit.ly/2Cyd0KE

Would you like to win a copy of ‘Paris Never Leaves You‘? Just post a comment on my blog to enter! US & Canada only. Ends Aug 12. Winner will be randomly chosen. Here‘s the link: https://bit.ly/33ALerM

A book about the livelihoods of people struggling to find their footing in a country they call home, which keeps robbing them of their identities, freedom & independence, repeatedly. And they stood their ground, fought back, rebelled, & self-immolated as a call for the freedom of their people & to bring their Dalai Lama back home.This is the Tibetans‘ story of their long fight to freedom while trying to preserve their culture, beliefs & language⬇️

To my #litsylove pen pals, my daughter insisted on drawing hearts for all of you on the mails. Pls forgive the uneven shapes of some of them. She just learned how to draw hearts 😅 and she wanted to help with the stamps too, so some of your stamps might be crooked 😩I hope you all don‘t mind...

So expect some mails coming your way! 😀

This book, to borrow a line from it, is a story ‘full of lyric and rhyme and hope and laughter and joy and pain…‘. And beneath all its wit and humor, beneath all the ugly truths about race and class is a poignant story of community and humanity, love & kinship. It just showed that no matter our race & status, lay our desire to live a life with purpose, to be significant, to leave our mark, to love & to be loved. Full review: https://bit.ly/2D2qZYM

A shocking and heartbreaking novel about beauty, patriarchy, sexism, class, filial piety and friendship with intricately drawn characters, making this an unforgettable debut! Full review here: https://bit.ly/3haNOIR

Getting a birthday wish from one of my favorite authors definitely made my day!! More so when we share the same DOB!!💃🏽💃🏽🎂🦀🎊🎉

Thank you all for your #LITSYLOVE mails and birthday wishes! I haven't got the time to open them yet. Will post a picture when I do! Thank you for thinking of me and making my day so special!! I'm grateful and touched and so happy to have found such wonderful friends here!!!

💕💕💕

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @LitsyBirthdays

Thank you so so much @Jas16 @Soubhiville! These beauties absolutely made my day!! I'm touched by your kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness and very grateful for your friendship!!

Jivan‘s life changed for the worst when she posted a message on Facebook in response to a post about a train being attacked by terrorists, that burned and killed 100 people. Just like that, her dreams of working up her way to ‘just middle-class‘, turned to ashes. This 22-year-old Muslim girl was charged for working with terrorists and was incarcerated.

An absolutely brilliant debut! A must-read!

Full review here: https://bit.ly/2AtqSow

What a timely and beautiful reminder. Thank you, Misty @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for you #litsylove mail and a 'Life is Beautiful' quote. I appreciate it 💕 Hope you're feeling better today and that all's well with you 😘😘💕

Sex scenes aside, overall, I thought this was an interesting & a daring ‘What-if‘ story. However, I was more fascinated by how Sittenfeld was able to weave fact into fiction to create a plausible plot for fictional Hillary, than the story as a whole. Did I regret reading it? Definitely not! It turned out to be quite an interesting & at times, amusing story! One that I'd remember for some time :) Full review here: https://bit.ly/2VqwDdU

What an immersive, thought-provoking story. Totally lived up to its hype! The story explored racism, class, identity, family, love, mother-daughter relationships and marriage, and its ripple effects on the twin sisters, their families and those around them.

Full review here: https://bit.ly/384GZF9

Have you read it? What did you think?

75 at the moment
Hmmmm...stayed up to read a book..
Tagged book

@MoonWitch94 #ThoughtfulThursday

Thank you for the tag @Mynameisacolour 💕

This book reads like a semi-autobiography, interspersed with themes that are connected to each other by chapters, making the entire book flow seamlessly. A thoroughly researched book, written in a clear, concise manner making it very accessible and readable. Thank you Dr. Ibram for writing this book! #BlackLivesMatter

Pls visit https://bit.ly/3dlai7D for a full review. Would love to know your thoughts and have some discussion there! :)

This is a book about books about stories about stories, interspersing with one another, Zach‘s being the main, interspersing with stories of the pirate and the girl, Dorian, Fate & Time, Simon & Eleanor, Mirabel and the Keeper, the Moon & the Innkeeper & a few more others. I enjoyed them all, & seeing how they all came together was so satisfying & beautiful.

Might not be everyone's cup of honey, though.

Full review: https://bit.ly/35Jrjo3

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191 passengers died in a plane crash, including Edward‘s family. Edward was the only survivor.
This is a tough read on many levels. How do you deal with loss at such a young age? Loss of loved ones is unfathomable, let alone dealing with it. What happens to your life? How do you move on? And the constant question of ‘Why me?‘

Full review: https://bit.ly/37QOQF2

TBC 👇

Have you voted? This is the final round of #LitsyAwards!

Pls go to @LibrarianRyan page for more info.

Thank you for all your work, Ryan!!💕

Link to form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgNoFeK0raCgXZhZoL_Rn1TAX-bP8BsJaPYLUp...

#LitsyAwards is here! Final day to vote! You do not have to vote in each category.

https://bit.ly/2T3Yq3i

Thank you @LibrarianRyan for doing this! 💕

This is such a great book to start the new year with! It's a book about kindness, love and friendship. It's inspiring and uplifting, and it makes such a great gift!

Full review on https://bit.ly/39vL31B I've also included some of its gorgeous illustrations and quotes!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! May this 2020 bring you all that you wish for and more!!💕💕

Three strong, resilient women whose lives are connected through their family and stories spanned over a century, are told through Ava and her great-great-great grandmother Josephine. A heartbreaking yet powerful and compelling story of racism, motherhood, love and loss.

This is the kind of book you'd want to savor!

Full review: https://bit.ly/2SBKvBu

Dear @TorieStorieS @LibrarianRyan I'm so so sorry. In the midst of all the rush, I forgot to include postage for your cards!! 😭😭 I hope you don't mind a belated wish...So so sorry 🙏

Woah. What a thrilling ride this was! The novel was fast-paced, kept me turning the pages, and when I wasn‘t, I kept thinking about Jazz. She is unlike any other protagonists in all the psychological thrillers I've read so far, a reliable narrator for one, and not an alcoholic! She‘s tough, no-nonsense, smart, funny and one helluva bad-ass!

Full review: https://bit.ly/34QIaou

I must admit this novel wasn‘t love at first read, but it grew on me especially towards the second half, where I felt the characters were slowly opening up, and the story became more fluid. I loved watching how Eve and Daniella changed over the years; how the changes in themselves affected their relationship and perception of each other. (Full review: https://bit.ly/2PLlSjL)
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This is dysfunctional family drama at best. Many tender moments between the siblings, their caretakers and stepsisters, but also infuriating moments with their stepmother, Andrea. Celeste was a close second. Elna surprised me most of all. And the ending was just the way I like it! Beautiful, just beautiful! And yes, I teared up a little. My first Patchett & won't be my last!

A book meant to be savored!

Full review: https://bit.ly/2DD5qLs

Sorry kinda late 😅
1. The cold temps brrrr ❄️🧥 👢 🧣
2. Tagged.
3. Sales! 😅
4. I'm a little late... But you're tagged if you haven't been tagged and wanna play!

Thank you @AmyG for the tag! ❤️
@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

A #star read in my book! The cover is also covered in stars 😊🌟

#hollyjollyreading

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

Love the illustrations! But overall, I find it a little too wordy.

#hollyjollyreading #sleigh

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

#hollyjollyreading #snowman

He makes his appearance every year, although in different parts of the house 😅 ⛇

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

Saw the classic last night and decided to introduce this book to my LO. It's another one of my fav reads by Dr. Seuss! 😁

#hollyjollyreading #holidayread Sorry this is a day late as I kept getting interrupted yesterday when trying to post 😔

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

The novel opened with Tim Jamieson, an ex-police officer whose life was about to change when he decided to give up his flight seat to a federal officer. Instead of New York, he ended up in DuPray as a night-knocker. We then meet Luke & his other friends at the Institute where they were abused & tortured for reasons only known to the staff.

Dark, disturbing & thought-provoking!👍🏼My first King! Full review on https://bit.ly/2DD5qLs

#lights at a light show we went to last year 😊🎄

#hollyjollyreading
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

Time to vote 📚📚! Woot woot! 💃🏽Please head on to @LibrarianRyan 's page for the #litsyawards form and info!

My #decemberTBR for #hollyjollyreading prompt. I don't really have a monthly TBR coz I'm your typical mood reader 😅

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

This looks like fun! #AuthorAMonth2020 hosted by @Soubhiville! It's a no-pressure challenge! Head on to her page for more details! ❤️