Wow, the end of February snuck up on me 😳
Here's my March #bookspin list ready or not @TheAromaofBooks

My March #Roll100 picks! Looking forward to them
@PuddleJumper

I'm really loving this series! This one reimagines the Dashwood sisters as a budding private investigator and chemist. When their father suddenly dies, they have reason to believe he was murdered and decide to investigate. I loved the sisterly dynamics. Marianne was much more brash and Elinor was still reserved but had a bigger spine when she needed it. I also loved Margaret's role, she was incredibly inquisitive, wanting new ideas for her writing

I read this last month so I could read the second in the series for #JaneAustenThenAndNow. I really loved this murder mystery retelling! The characters were great facsimiles of the originals - although their circumstances were slightly different, their motivations were true to the spirit of Austen. Lizzie's drive for an acknowledged role in her father's law firm leads her into a murder case with the proud Mr Darcy trying to block her every move

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1. Book mail 📚
2. We ate at our fav little Mexican place on Valentine's Day & they gave everyone carnations 🌸
3. Car shopping this past weekend was a bust but I got some good reading time in the car 🚗
4. Ben experiencing bubbles after my bath 🫧
5. It snowed a little this week (rare here in NC) & there was a moment at work where we all went to watch the snow fall out the front windows that felt magical & child-like ❄️

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1. We bought a new mattress and it is glorious! 😴
2. Oakley tried a paste treat for the first time, it was hilarious to watch 😹
3. Arthur's new favorite nap spot is in a basket of clean laundry - adorable if frustrating lol 🧺
4. Mental health day + Jane Austen 🎬
5. After rewatching the Good Place for the nth time I was sad it was over until I remembered the Good Place Podcast & have been relistening to it during work

#WeirdWordWednesday @CBee
I've been reading a lot of Alexandra Rowland's books lately. They use a lot of lovely language to describe nature. I had never heard this term before but I like how it can describe multiple concepts.

I spent this afternoon working on my reading journal and watching the Sense and Sensibility movie. I've always loved this adaptation. I feel that it highlights all the best parts and portrays all the relationships even better than the book 😅
#JaneAustenThenAndNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig

I read this book for a reading challenge, a book by a Sami author. I liked the insight into Sami culture. The main character is part of a family of reindeer herders. He is struggling with his new feelings for his best friend, because as far as he knows there has never been a gay reindeer herder. This story really conveys the power of representation and the strength it gives to the next generation to be confident in themselves
Finished October 2024

I read the next two books in this witchy series back in October. I really love the sisterhood the friends have created and enjoyed seeing these two women embrace their new powers. The end of book three seemed to wrap up the main conflict but I would love more stories set in Starfall Point
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

Atmospheric, mysterious, and full of longing - for connection, for knowledge, for preserving innocence. This short novella drops you into a slightly fantastic forest where nature grows from the pages.

Finished October 2024

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1. The kitties being cute as always 😻
2. Shopping dates with old friends 👯‍♀️
3. Finding a cute new shirt/overall outfit I'm obsessed with 💃🏼
4. Doctors that listen to you ❤️‍🩹
5. Getting back to a milestone in aerial class 💪🏼

My February #bookspin is The Kiss Countdown - reading with #riseupreads and enjoying it so far
My #doublespin is any memoir. I'm thinking of reading Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay for #AuthorAMonth if library holds work out
@TheAromaofBooks @Catsandbooks @Soubhiville

I've decided to do a separate Romance #ReadingBracket2025 this year. It's always so hard to choose between a complex, world-building fantasy and a compelling, heartwarming romance. So I'm not gonna lol
In January I read this lovely romance series with great disability rep and gender exploration

January Nonfiction #ReadingBracket2025
This memoir was definitely a stand out

January Fiction #ReadingBracket2025
Thanks @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm for this bracket set up, I like the idea of having a bonus pick each quarter cause it's so hard to choose!
This month's favorite was this Pride and Prejudice murder mystery retelling. I'm reading the second in this series for the #JaneAustenThenAndNow S&S adaptation in February and couldn't stand to read them out of order lol, but I'm not complaining

My final January #BookspinBingo board
I had a bunch of DNFs this month but I also got two bingos so 🤷🏼‍♀️
@TheAromaofBooks

#MonthlyNonfiction2025 @julieclair
I finished three nonfiction books this month. They were all so different but each good in their own way.

#JaneAustenThenAndNow @Crinoline_Laphroaig
1. This was my second time reading Sense & Sensibility. I listened to the audio read by Rosamund Pike, who does an amazing job. I liked it a little more this time, knowing what to expect going in. I'm still salty about the couple pairings in the end. I think I'll always ship Elinor and Colonel Brandon, although I disliked Edward less this time around 😅
Cont↩️

Most of my joy this week has come from looking through our wedding photos from October. We FINALLY got them back from our photographer and it's been fun revisiting that joyful day.
Other things that helped this week:
- bookclub with friends 📚
- therapy ❤️‍🩹
- snuggling my cats 😻
- Lewis 😘

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this memoir and loved that Elliot read it himself. His stories of growing up in Canada, experiencing gender dysphoria while trying to make it in the film industry, and struggling to find acceptance from his family and peers was so moving. I've seen some criticism about the non-chronological narrative but I thought it really suited his storytelling, allowing for themes to bloom organically. ↩️

February #Roll100 picks
I'm genuinely excited to read all of these right now! I'm gonna prioritize Six of Crows cause it's been on my list the longest and try to read at least one more this month
@PuddleJumper

I've been in a bit of a book slump lately, but a new shiny list of books to read gets me excited ☺️ Hopefully February will start off strong
#bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Finished in Sept & I still think about this book often. I've actually been talking myself out of a reread just cause I have so many library holds to read! Rowland was definitely my author of the year, their characters are so vibrant. I adore little goblin Tam & the journey of healing he embarks on. The world-building is intricate, I want to live under the seven gods system. This book just gives so many feels; it made me giddy & also want to cry
5✨

Finished in September - an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance. It is set in Scotland so I was excited to read it before our trip there this fall. I loved the combo of the rule-following archaeologist and the more chaotic curse-breaker. The bit of magical realism was fun and made the stakes seem higher. I would read another book with these two on their further adventures solving the unexplained.

Finally posting my 2024 wrap-up. It was a great reading year! My audiobook consumption went up but I'm surprised at my book count, especially with how busy the last few months were with wedding things. I still have a ton of books I'd like to review from Oct/Nov, I might start posting those this weekend 😊

"So, I‘m standing there, trapped in one of my favorite nightmares, discussing gender euphoria with the demon who lives rent-free in my head."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

This one is already shaping up to be interesting!

I devoured the first half of this book last weekend but haven't had the time to properly devote to finishing it this week. But work closed early today due to snow and I've got a Benny ready for snuggles. Time to dive back in!
#ALSpine2025

Happy #5JoysFriday ☺️ @DebinHawaii
1. Sneaking in a last bit of Christmas joy with my niece at the Speedway Christmas Lights show
2. Back on my aerial journey after a long break, feels great to be back at it! (although also sore 😅)
3. Found a new Christmas tree in a great after-the-holidays sale
4. Pets for the cat that lives at the groomer, his name is Squint & he's adorable 😻
5. Cam snuggling my shoes while waiting in my office to go home 😹

This was disappointing. I was hoping for another fun murder mystery set in a continuation of a well-read world, like Mr Darcy & Miss Tilney. Unfortunately it did not live up to expectations. I guess I didn't like the writing style. Or the characters. Rosie starts off supposedly as a mature older girl who knows she's not interested in love but then immediately falls in love with a random man (like she'd been teasing her parents about) ⤵️

This is a little hard to read, but here are my final numbers from #SeriesLove2024
I read 130 individual books that were a part of a series and finished off 22 series! Unfortunately I also added 43 new series in the process 😅
Welp that's what #SeriesLove2025 is for! Thanks @Andrew65 & @TheSpineView for hosting!

Last year my goal was to read at least two nonfiction books each month. I almost managed it, with just two months being a book or two short. This year I'd like to try again and this #MonthlyNonfiction2025 challenge sounds perfect to keep me on track! I'm interested in paying more attention to which section each book falls into, even if I don't hit them all.
Thanks @julieclair for putting this together!

I've been organizing my storygraph challenges this weekend and decided to make one to track my reads for #QueerBC
If anyone else participating wants to join, here's the link:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/eaaf6dca-2dd1-4218-887e-1df2e9c...

I've got all the authors since we started last May and will try to keep it updated as we add more ☺️
@PuddleJumper

Final Fiction #ReadingBracket2024
This was such a tough decision, I read so many amazing books this year!

Final Nonfiction #ReadingBracket2024
Many great, informative, moving reads this year but this one I read back in January and I still think about it 🐦

My January #Bookspin and #Doublespin picks!
I am very excited for Lost Story, which I bought a few months ago and is one of @xicanti 's #ALSpine picks!
Whose Body? is for #AuthorAMonth and I'm looking forward to trying out another older mystery writer, as Agatha Christie is a favorite
@monalyisha @Soubhiville @TheAromaofBooks

Second half points: 85,600
Total points; 119,228

I somehow managed to read 40 books this December 😳 A lot were short, quick reads with a ton of word search words. Overall I had a great time breezing through some silly holiday stories and seeing what everyone was reading!
Thanks @LiseWorks for hosting our team!

#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons

Woohoo!! I've been scoring up my bingo cards and this one just feels extra exciting to have completed!
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
#ChristmasAtoZ @Texreader

These three are silly little idiots in love. Jeb accidentally texts his two best friends who aren't speaking to each other, asking for help on his tree farm for the holidays. The forced proximity reveals long buried feelings and the three men must figure out how to be in a functional relationship that lasts
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
#ChristmasAtoZ @Texreader #ReadOuttheOld @TheAromaofBooks #20in4 @Andrew65

Malala is such an inspiring girl, strong in her beliefs from a young age and resilient in the face & aftermath of attack. I learned a lot about Pakistan and the Taliban. It's so eye opening to have a perspective from someone who has lived through it, without our western bias
#Nonfiction2024 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
#ChristmasAtoZ @Texreader #ReadOuttheOld @TheAromaofBooks #20in4 @Andrew65

This was a fun tongue-in-cheek Christmas caper romance. Adam is under witness protection after leaving the mob. He's trying to lay low when he suddenly needs to dispose of a body & borrows a boat, accidentally kidnapping the captain in the process. A storm hits & the two men have to work together to get through the danger. This was silly and you can't help but feel for Adam as everything goes wrong when he's finally just trying to do right.

This was a reread for me, this time on audio. It was great to listen to a story in between other listens over the month. Still love these stories better than the original film Love Actually 😅
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
Finished during #ReadOuttheOld @TheAromaofBooks #SugarRush @Bookwormjillk #20in4 #OutWiththeOldInWiththeNew @Andrew65

I won this short story anthology in a storygraph giveaway a while back & I'm glad I finally read it for my #doublespin pick of December. These were all queer retellings or stories inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, which was already my favorite Shakespeare play. Some were better than others of course but a few really stood out as unique and memorable. There are some art pieces scattered throughout as well. Definitely a worthwhile collection

This was not your normal fake dating romance. Two childhood best friends agree to fake date for the holiday but quickly realize their feelings are real. The story is more focused on Clara discovering her demisexuality after always believing she was straight, and Evan's struggle to feel accepted because of her autism and past experience with her homophobic parents. I really enjoyed it.
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks

This started out sweetly, with two lonely people before Christmas and a meet-cute in an airport. But it started to get too heavy handed explaining how not to reinforce gender roles. Preaching to the choir here! I got bored and bailed
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks

Aaaand the first #bookspin list of 2025 is finally ready! I'm excited for a lot of these ☺️
@TheAromaofBooks

Finally got my #Roll100 list finalized for 2025! ✨
Storygraph has been glitchy today, probably lots of new sign ups and people downloading their year-end review, but I managed to get them all on the challenge page as well.
Looking forward to these three in January!
@PuddleJumper

"Love that overcomes is stronger than love that settles" ?
This is a favorite read for the month! Patrick and Quinn are already having issues in their marriage when they accidentally knock out Santa and have to take over the job! I'm normally not big on the marriage-on-the-rocks trope but you see both men's struggles with the pressure of expectations and fall in love with watching them fall back in love with each other. Magical and heartfelt 5✨

Short fake dating holiday story. I liked the characters but felt like we didn't get any information about the love interest, only the main character's backstory. His family was kind of sneakily awful and the big miscommunication that stopped them realizing their fake relationship could be real was silly.
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
#Adventathon @BookmarkTavern

Another silly tentacle novel, this one with an oblivious cephalopod MC and his coworker who is happy to teach him more about human culture. Not in the database
#WinterGames2024 #HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks
#Adventathon @BookmarkTavern