It‘s almost time for @TheAromaofBooks to reach into her magical bag of tricks for April‘s #BookSpin numbers. Here‘s my list!
Righty-O! 😸

This heartfelt collection of Conroy‘s most touching blogs, speeches & interviews is certainly a fitting tribute to this most loved author. Though he passed away almost a decade ago, Pat‘s legacy still lives on in his autobiographical novels. He loved writing, though never considered himself anywhere near the high ranks of his own favorite authors. Above all, Pat adored meeting his fans & listening to their stories.
#BookishMonopoly
@AkashaVampie

Gotta give a shout out to the coolest used bookstore in Pasadena: Book Alley! Shelves stuffed with over 50,000 titles on every subject you can imagine. Vintage signed books, kid‘s classics, DVDs & more. Got to meet owner Tom Rogers who sadly lost his home in the recent California wildfires. So If you‘re looking for a rare book, please check out www.bookalley.com Let‘s #supportindiebookstores and awesome booksellers like Tom!
#BookAlley

So thrilled to meet Nikki High, owner of Octavia‘s Bookshelf—California‘s only Black Woman owned bookstore in Pasadena, where namesake & beloved author Octavia E. Butler spent her life & writing career. During the recent California wildfires, Nikki moved all her books to the attic and opened her bookstore to neighbors who lost their homes and needed refuge. Let‘s #supportindiebookstores & community-minded sellers like Nikki!✌🏻❤️✊🏻
#OctaviaButler

This description of Pat Conroy‘s stunning writing style says it all. 😍
#BookishMonopoly
@AkashaVampie

I had this book on hold since before the election 😳 and finally got it last month. It was a tough, maddening, heartbreaking and frightening read. Not only because of the blatant lies the American public are being fed and the ridiculous rewriting of facts to cover up the real truth, but because so many people believe it all. 🤯 It‘s a shame those who need to read this book never will.
P.S. Audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Rachel Maddow.

Pocket Bonaventure(not in database)is a thought-provoking look at the philosophy & spirituality of the Italian saint. I attended many classes by author Father Tom, a Franciscan Friar who made the lives of saints such as Bonaventure, Francis of Assisi & Thomas Aquinas very relatable in their struggles to understand God and the meaning of life. Tom loved his chihuahuas and also painted all the mesmerizing illustrations.
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

I loved reading this new Copyright message and seeing how more publishers are supporting their authors and taking a stand against racism and AI. Yaass!!! 🙌🏻💪🏻🙌🏻

What I love about Anne Tyler is how she introduces me to a handful of quirky characters who I can relate to, lets me chuckle, cringe, cry and connect with them during a slice of their ordinary lives, and helps me understand a little more about myself and the quirky people in my own life through their journey. And in this book, she does it all in under 200 pages! Brilliant, engaging and another winner for me! 🙌🏻🥇

It‘s time for my monthly #BookishMonopoly! I rolled another lucky 7 and landed on “Nonfiction.” Since I was so enamored by Pat Conroy‘s beautiful writing last month, I chose the tagged book. It was published in 2016, sadly the year Pat lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. It‘s a collection of Pat‘s most charming and memorable interviews, articles & letters as well as tributes honoring his legacy. He left us too soon. 😢
@AkashaVampie

Why did I wait so long to read such stunning prose from this masterful author? Everything in this book left me gobsmacked: stirring essays on classic authors Pat obsessed about & the English teacher who challenged him to dig deeper into literature. What really got me was how beautifully this man could write.🤩Each sentence sculpted with perfectly chosen words that danced off the page directly into the heart. Genius!
#BookishMonopoly
@AkashaVampie

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for March! Quite a few memoirs and a couple oddities. 😁
Congrats on the exciting move into your beautiful new home, Sarah!
@TheAromaofBooks

I‘ve always had the hots for Al Pacino, so spending time with him via his memoir was a real treat. ☺️ You get to meet the incorrigible kid, the deeply passionate thespian & the self-reflective guy behind all those iconic movie characters. Al speaks fondly of his boyhood friends, mentors, fellow actors & his many loves who are still friends, and he‘s simply charming and quite funny! I did get to see him in a play on Broadway in ‘77: Ooh la la!

Been cheering for Katie since she won her first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. This book confirms she‘s cool, kind, down-to-earth & very passionate about enjoying life, having fun & yes…swimming! Fun to learn about her supportive family & inspiring grandmas-one who helped Albert Einstein translate his memoir! Too bad press coverage still leans toward the men. Let‘s hope Katie and more women Olympian champions will finally change that!🥇

Who knew that adored author Marguerite Henry spent her last 2 decades writing and relaxing in Rancho Santa Fe, a community known for its horse ranches & riding trails—and happens to be in my neighborhood! So off I went to the Historical Society where Henry‘s photo is featured on their wall among RSF‘s most famous residents including Bing Crosby & Howard Hughes! Will be reading this Henry bio next by Susan Friedland.
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Sarah!!! Just received your wonderful letter and package this week. OMG, I‘m speechless!!! 🤩🤩🤩😭😭😭😘😘😘 How you ever found time to make us this beautiful blanket with all that‘s on your plate. It‘s already keeping me cozy, warm and relaxed during reading time. (And as you can see, Frost thinks it‘s for him!)
We will treasure it always…and you! 🥰🥰🥰
@TheAromaofBooks

This memoir gave me a coveted backstage pass to hang out with the fashionably coolest, powerfully inspiring, fearlessly honest & hilariously outspoken global icon. No wonder I‘m still smiling! I grew up on Cher‘s music & TV show—and she‘s still impacting us all with her compassion, resistance, resilience & truth. The stories behind Cher‘s relationships with Sonny & Gregg Allman are mind-boggling. Her mesmerizing eyes made the perfect endpapers.

Finally getting back on the #BookishMonopoly bandwagon. Yay! For this month, I rolled a lucky 7 and Snoopy landed on “Bookshelf #1.” After perusing this packed shelf, I chose my first Pat Conroy read. Looking forward to learning about the books that inspired this acclaimed novelist.
Thanks @AkashaVampie for hosting this fun and creative challenge.🤗 Glad to join my cool comrade players @Jari-chan and @ElizaMarie again.🎲

I‘m back for February #BookSpin! This list caters to every mood and then some. 😁 Yay to our coolest challenge organizer @TheAromaofBooks ❤️

This book title lured me in 8 years ago when it first came out & I finally read it.😅 It‘s slow in parts, but filled with many laughs about our most beloved (and also meh) books. And who doesn‘t love a Gen X librarian with a wicked sense of humor. Extra bonus: much fodder on celebrity memoirs and of course Ray Bradbury‘s dystopian classic.🔥
Trivia Question: How do you pronounce the title: Four-Five-One or Four-Fifty-One? See below👇🏻

What a delightful #memoir from this classy, elegant & inspiring actress from Hollywood‘s Golden Age! Sophia, now 90, survived severe poverty growing up in wartime Italy & stood up to movie moguls who wanted to change her look. Not a tell-all, just sweet stories about her films, deep friendships with her leading men & her devotion to family. Loved learning she was once a lead character in an Italian magazine‘s sultry live pictorial novelization.

More oldies but goodies from my beloved Mom‘s book shelves. She loved these epic family sagas and romance novels. Do you remember any of these?

Been going through my beloved Mom‘s book collection today and found quite a few memoirs and biographies. I have a feeling many of these will wind up on my TBR list. 🤩📚

Merry Christmas dear friends! I‘m surrounded by fur babies this week. Frenchie Bowie isn‘t happy when I‘m reading Anna K. Black Lab Kona isn‘t crazy about posing for pix and my sweet Frost is just chillin!
Thx for all your letters & for being in my life. You are my most treasured gifts.
Still trying to catch up on #LitsyLove mail…thx for your patience.🤪
Here‘s to peace, joy and more great reads and memoirs in 2025! ✌🏻❤️🎄
#KareninaWinter

Loved learning about another side of Elvis, the caring Dad who adored his only daughter. Lisa Marie inherited that nurturing side as we hear sweet stories from her daughter. This audiobook is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Loved hearing the history of Graceland too. I visited there the same month Elvis passed and got to walk the front grounds and see the hundreds of flower arrangements. One from Ann-Margret was shaped like a guitar. 5⭐️‘s

So happy to be back on the #BookSpin Bandwagon! Included both my chunkiest and thinnest books plus a few holiday classics. Let the spinning begin!
@TheAromaofBooks 🤗🎰🎯📚

Very inspiring bio focusing on the spiritual life of actor and activist Martin Sheen. These are some of the religious figures who influenced the awakening of Martin‘s faith. He certainly turned his life around. What a kind, passionate and caring human being who stands up for what he believes in-no matter what. Now I want to binge-watch The West Wing and Grace and Frankie!

Okay, I‘m learning to tolerate squirrels more after reading this cute classic. Even if they do sabotage my bird feeders.😆 I was more fascinated to learn about author Burgess who adored nature & spent his writing life teaching children to appreciate all wildlife. He wrote more than 170 books! Plus he was big on conservatism and helped pass laws to protect migrating wildlife.🙌🏻
Thx @TheBookHippie for another great read!
#ChildrensClassicRead2024

Love Anne Lamott! Her faith-infused essays and honest outlook on life are always healing for the soul and just what I needed to read. Although this moving book was published in 2014, Anne‘s life lessons on grief, forgiveness, community, friendship and grace still hit home.
And yes, Anne‘s words even got Frost‘s attention! 😸
#AnneLamottRocks!

Just a little memoir humor 😁🤭🥴

This was my first experience reading Dracula in “real time,” on the day each diary entry and letter was written. It‘s the cool & creative idea of Matt Kirkland who rearranged the original book in strict chronological order. I already love this epistolary classic, but this reread was particularly fun. I kept picturing my favorite movie Draculas-the mesmerizing Bela Lugosi and creepy Gary Oldman in the provocative 1992 film version.

This memoir is close to my heart since Connie helped pave the way for women journalists like me. She faced egotistical coanchors, racial remarks & discrimination in the boys club of Broadcast News. “It was common for viewers to scrutinize a woman‘s appearance on the air, while men were allowed to be bald, fat and ugly.” 🤭 But she persisted & succeeded! She was also a role model for many immigrant families who named their daughters after her. 🙌🏻

What a sweet and empowering book! It's so refreshing during these uncertain times to meet Rowana, an uplifting young girl who radiates an abundance of positive energy and invites us to see the world as she does-full of possibilities and adventure! I also adored the gorgeous illustrations and diversity on every page. Kudos to author (and my friend!) Mary-Lauri for introducing us to such a positive and enthusiastic role model for our kids.

How cool that author Lynda Cohen Loigman based her wonderful octogenarian protagonist on her husband‘s great-grandmother. All you need are some colorful relatives to help create such a feel-good read with plenty of laughs and twists! I also loved Aunt Esther, the homeopathic apothecary who shakes up the conservative 1920‘s town with her mystical remedies. What fun!
Thanks @PurpleyPumpkin for gifting me this #BOTM gem. 🤗❤️

In case you‘re wondering what has become of your bookish friend and pen pal “UwannaPublishme,” she has decided to retire from the writing world and is embracing the literary genre that has been her favorite all along: celebrity memoirs and biographies. Especially since there are so many more deliciously exciting ones coming out this month.
#namechange
#LitsyLove

Dear Litsy & #LitsyLove friends: My beautiful 94-yr-old Mom passed away on Sept. 3rd, so I haven‘t been here for awhile. Mom taught me to be an avid reader & she was always happy to attend any & all book shows & author events. Reading has been helping me thru this tough time along with all your letters, cards and prayers. Thank you for being there. I‘ve missed you! I‘ll be answering a huge pile of letters and posting again soon. Hugs to all! 🤗❤️

These are a few of my favorite things…🎶
🤩🙌🏻

This quote says it all! I adore Harvey and this moving memoir. And listening to his distinct voice on the audiobook made it even more meaningful. So many touching stories about the many Broadway plays he wrote & starred in as well as his activism for gay rights and the many hard lessons he learned along the way. Sad that I never got to see him live on stage in La Cage aux Folles or Hairspray. But I did treat myself to his autographed book.☺️

It‘s a new month tomorrow? How did that happen? 😳 At least I somehow managed to read 5 books in July. Here‘s my August #BookSpin list.
Happy Reading to all! 🤓📖
@TheAromaofBooks

LOVE this engaging bio from another May fan like me! Elaine, now 92, certainly paved the way for today‘s female filmmakers & directors. Back in her day, she was the writer everyone called to fix a weak script. And if it weren‘t for this “Godmother of Improv Comedy,” TV shows like Saturday Night Live wouldn‘t exist! Kudos to May for her resilience & to the author for her thorough research & compelling prose. 😍🙌🏻
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

I love the premise of this series: protect & defend librarians, libraries & our right to read. But it scares & appalls me that censorship & book banning are still on the rise. Let‘s do what we can to “win the war on information, one book at a time.” (Vote!)
It‘s also my first #manga and first time reading in original Japanese format: right to left. Glad it came with instructions!☺️
Thanks @iread2much for this great gift
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

A new Anne Tyler novel coming next year: Feb 11! Woo hoo! 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 It‘s about a socially-awkward mother of the bride who attempts to navigate the days before and after her daughter‘s wedding. Time to pre-order!
#AnneTyler
#NewRelease

Best Book of the Year for me! 🤩🙌🏻 A page-turning memoir with a bonus history lesson on the 60s. Imagine going thru 300+ boxes of memorabilia, diaries & archives from this pivotal era and listening to personal & impactful stories by this historian author & her husband who worked closely with such top political figures as JFK, LBJ, MLK and RFK. The parallels between the 60s and our current decade are mind-blowing!
#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaofBooks

If you‘re a Succulent Wild Woman-raise your hand!🙋🏻‍♀️I‘ve always loved SARK & her invitation to live an authentic, juicy life & celebrate our marvelousness! Had this book since 1997. Then SARK added 4 new chapters & gave us the 25th Anniversary Edition. Finally read them both! Now I‘m ready to honor my wildness, dance with my wonder-full self & celebrate my gorgeous friendships with all my succulent friends. How about you?💃🏻
#LitsyLoveReads

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for July. I added a few library holds since they all came in at once. 🤦🏻‍♀️
Happy Reading to all!
And Happy Summer to you, Sarah! 🤗
@TheAromaofBooks

I felt quite nostalgic after revisiting this book from my childhood for #BookishMonopoly. True, it was quirky and predictable, but I loved that it was set in Hollywood and thereabouts. As Donna Parker discovered all the popular sites in California, it reminded me of this Donna‘s memories of first moving here. I even found a pressed flower within the pages.
Happy reading to our awesome host @AkashaVampie and fellow player @Jari-chan 🤓🎲📖

Now that I‘ve read this enjoyable fantasy, I can‘t help staring at my mother-in-law‘s cuckoo clock, wondering if Griselda is in there playing with that wise and enchanting bird! This charming book warmed my heart and stirred my fascination with this intricate timepiece. 🕰️
#ChildrensClassicRead2024
And yes, @TheBookHippie , I‘d love to know more of your opinion on the Mrs. We may need to read her bio. 😉

I adore Rita Moreno and this book! She‘s one tough cookie, putting up with stereotypic roles & industry BS. Now at 92, EGOT Rita is still working, calling her own shots and regarded as one of the kindest Hollywood icons. She‘s renowned for her role as Anita, but I also loved her inside stories about The Ritz, The King & I, The Electric Co, seeing MLK deliver his “Dream” speech, & her complicated affair with Brando.❤️‍🩹
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

It‘s #BookishMonopoly time! I rolled an 8 and Snoopy landed on “Bookshelf #4.” At first glance of this particular shelf of my TBR bookcase, I chose this 1961 children‘s classic. I loved reading this series when I was a kid. Especially since the protagonist and I share the same name. 😁
Thanks again to @AkashaVampie for hosting this creative and fun challenge, and comrade player @Jari-chan 🤗
Who else wants to play? 🎲

Here‘s my #BookSpin list for June! So happy to read 5 books in May, so I could add a few new TBRs this time. Happy June and Happy Reading! 🤓📚☀️🏖️
Happy almost Summer Sarah @TheAromaofBooks