What an unhinged governess! Quick horror novella featuring Winifred who is a little more murderous than a governess perhaps should be. I loved the underlying themes of class and what it meant/means to be a woman both in current day and in the past. It‘s just a wonderfully dark ride.

This was fine. Not earth shattering but not entirely unhelpful. All about tips and tricks for writing during hard times. There‘s some things I‘ll take away from this and I‘m glad I read it, but it‘s not my favorite writing help book. I could see others getting far more out of it than me and am glad it exists. #roll100 January pick @PuddleJumper

What a clever little mixed media mystery. I was really hoping I‘d like this and thankfully I did! The large cast of characters took some time to remember, but after I got everyone down I couldn‘t stop reading. I went into this knowing very little beside the format and I think that‘s the best way to go in. Recommend if you‘re looking for a mystery that‘s a little different.

First two books from my #bookstack. I was intending to just pull one a month but accidentally grabbed two cards so figured I might as well attempt to read them both. I‘m more hesitant with the tagged book since it‘s YA and I‘ve been moving away from that, especially YA Fantasy. But I‘ll give it a shot. Here‘s hoping!

March #bookspin and #doublespin! I‘m hoping to at least get to the tagged book since it‘s only a novella but the other is a bit of a chunker and I‘ve been struggling to pick up larger books lately. So we‘ll see how it goes. @TheAromaofBooks

I have decided to set a new challenge for myself out of necessity. This is the top of a couple book stacks on my floor, and I want/need them off the floor. So I‘m doing my own version of “Shelve it or Scrap it” inspired by Becca and the Books. I will draw a prompt/number starting in March that corresponds with a book in the stack. I either read and keep, or read and unhaul. Hoping to make a dent by years end and get some floor space back!

Read this in two days. I couldn‘t put it down! It‘s a great example of narrative nonfiction which is why I couldn‘t stop turning pages. A look at the lives and world of the men that were responsible for the “lie detector” test and the cases that made this a household name despite its flaws. Really well done. #MCBC pick for February.

Annnnd I‘m bored. DNF at 16%. There‘s nothing inherently wrong with this book. The writing is fine, the characters are fine but “fine” isn‘t doing it for me at the moment and I can feel myself sliding toward a slump considering how each time I thought about picking this book up, I would go find something else to do. So putting it aside and moving on. This was my #bookspin for Feb. @TheAromaofBooks

My favorite book of January! At first I wasn‘t sure I‘d gel with this novella since it‘s written in second person. But it‘s so good! Much cozier than the title/synopsis suggests and features one of my favorite found families so far. I really want this to be a full length novel. The world is interesting and could really be expanded upon. Recommend if you‘re a fan of found families and fantasy on the more cozy side of the aisle.

Low pick. Forgot to post this earlier in January 😅 3rd read of this and while I remembered “whodunnit” I still couldn‘t piece it together until Poirot explained. Hastings got on my nerves but I still enjoyed the story. Not my favorite Christie (though truthfully it‘s hard to top my favorite) but still a good read all the same. #Christiescapers

My #bookspin and #doublespin for February! It was kind to me this month because The Queen of Fives is a library book that I need to read and I was just about to pick up Shiver as a non-Christmas winter read. Can‘t make it into work today because of the snow so I‘m going to take advantage and get some reading done. @TheAromaofBooks

My #bookspin list for February! I wrote this in the dark by the glow of the TV so I‘m pleased that it‘s as legible as it is. Really trying to focus on the books that I can‘t wait to read instead of putting books that maybe aren‘t catching my interest now but that I really should read. January has gone well so here‘s hoping February continues! Mix of book club books, library books, #roll100 books and things from my shelves. @TheAromaofBooks

Books about winter always draw my attention because I love the season even though most hate it. This provides some good ideas and tips for enjoying the winter season more no matter where you are as well as examines how other countries (Iceland for example) survive & thrive during it and what they can help teach us about life in winter. I really enjoyed the bits about how other cultures/countries view & live during winter.

Entertaining sci-fi ish horror novella. Can an AI robot be possessed by evil? The characters are about to find out. Set during Halloween, an agoraphobic husband and his pregnant wife have invited some of her friends over to their smart house. The husband decides that perhaps they should meet William…and the story goes from there. Best to read in one sitting. Low pick. Enjoyed it while I read it but it‘s not a favorite.

This author just isn‘t for me. This is the third book I‘ve read from them and the third pan. I just don‘t get on with the writing style. It‘s frustratingly repetitive and while the topic was interesting I feel like it suffered because of the writing. Needed a few more edits to tighten it up in places and to stop explaining the same things over and over again. Could‘ve been half the size without the repetition. #MCBC pick for January.

Really enjoyed this! So glad to be back in the Xuya Universe. This novella was a little more confusing than previous ones I‘ve read. But ultimately I did enjoy the overall story. Makes me want to go hunt down the others I haven‘t read yet and dive into them immediately. Give it a shot if you like sapphic sci-fi featuring Chinese and Vietnamese inspired galactic empires rather than Western based. Highly recommend.

Rather enjoyed this! Locked room mystery you can read in one sitting. I‘ve enjoyed Japanese mysteries in the past and now I can add this to their ranks. Don‘t want to say much because it‘s so short. Recommend for those that enjoy locked room mysteries but want something different from an English manor house. This was my #bookspin pick @TheAromaofBooks

Giving this another shot! Fell off on everything last year but I‘m hoping the break did me some good and that I‘ll be able to keep up this year. Combo of library books, #roll100 titles, book club books and some “free” spaces where I get to choose a book I got for Christmas.

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspin #bookspinbingo

My first #bookspin and #doublespin of the year! Of course it would be the two chunkiest books I stuck on the list. Ah well. Maybe this is the kick in the butt I need to actually finish Fourth Wing. I‘ve started it half a dozen times but keep putting it down. Kate Morton isn‘t usually my thing, but this one has me intrigued so I thought I‘d give it a shot. @TheAromaofBooks

Ugh. It‘s been a day. All I want to do now I curl up with a stack of books and not emerge until I absolutely have to. Starting with finishing this cozy. It‘s entertaining so far, but I‘m pretty sure I‘ve figured out who the killer is 9 chapters in. I usually never figure it out so I‘m curious to see if I‘m right. Murder, She Wrote on the TV, a fuzzy blanket on my lap and an even fuzzier dog at my feet. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Only have about 4,905 points so far for #magicalmonsters but I also haven‘t been the best about keeping track of time during readathons. Too much to keep track of that way so I gave up halfway through. Been a busy month so far so maybe I‘ll be able to make up for my lack of points the second half of the month. #scarathlon @Laughterhp

Plans for todays readathon #Fridaythe13th is to make a dent in/maybe finish one or both of these. The Girls Who Fought Crime is under 200 pages so that‘s the more likely of the two to get finished. I‘ve started Everybody In My Family Has Killed Someone but I‘m not that far into it yet. @BookwormAHN #magicalmonsters

Stack for #OutstandingOctober this is definitely ambitious but I hope to get through as many of these as I can. The stack is so big because I‘m not sure what exactly I‘ll feel like picking up but these are all possibilities. Seems like I‘m forever trying to get through library books so I can read the books I actually own 😅 #magicalmonsters @Andrew65

My plan for the #popupsaturday weekend readathon is to try to get through this chunker. I‘m over 100 pages in so far and have 300 something left to go. So if I can finish it I would be thrilled. I‘ve got a concert Sunday night so we‘ll see if that actually happens but work is going to be pretty slow tomorrow so perhaps I can sneak a few pages in there.

#scarathlon #magicalmonsters

Not for me. A murder mystery at a magical school but each chapter follows a different student written by a different author as they try to discover what happened. I love the idea, love some of the characters we‘ve met because they have such interesting powers, but it‘s just not executed well. Over 100 pages in and I‘m not attached to anyone since you only meet each student once and some characters are extremely stereotypical and over the top. ⬇️

I haven‘t gone to bed yet so even though it‘s after midnight I‘m still counting “today” as the 5th. It‘s not the 6th until I go to bed 🤪 Anyway, the photo prompt today was #blood and I immediately thought of this book. Forever languishing on my TBR even though I‘ve heard good things! Fingers crossed I can get to it soon…

#magicalmonsters #scarathlonphotochallenge #scarathlon

I wasn‘t sure how I was going to feel about this one. But I actually really liked it! Not as scary as I was hoping but it was still a rather enjoyable read. I really loved the ending which brought the book up for me. This is more so a story about two friends, one selfish and one stubborn, with occult trappings than it is a horror. The backdrop of Mexico in the 90s with characters working in the film industry was also really cool to read.

Does this book have an intriguing synopsis? Yes.

Did I initially get it purely because of the cover? Also yes.

Now the trick is to get around to reading it…

#scarathlonphotochallenge #magicalmonsters #bones

It was hard to narrow down my spooky season TBR to just 20, but we eventually got there. Can‘t wait to see which numbers get chosen this time 👻 #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This is one of my favorite book covers. It‘s been a while since I read the book and remember having lukewarm feelings about it, but couldn‘t let it go because that cover! I may give it a reread and see how I feel now about it. You can‘t really tell but all the black leaves and such are actually raised on the jacket. This is one of my favorite used bookstore finds.

#scarathlon #black #magicalmonsters #scarathlonphotochallenge

This was a very different sort of haunted house book. Where the people in it actually want to be haunted. This is a very interesting look at grief and loss and what life is like in the aftermath. I loved the ongoing conversations surrounding death and how life is for the living…but is it?Very thought provoking and worth the read. The short stories included at the end were also really well done.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It started off so well and I was really enjoying it! Then it kind of lost me. The ending also wasn‘t my favorite. It was…fine? But it was almost too twisty for me and by that point I wasn‘t invested in the story anymore. Some character decisions confused me and I wish there was more resolution with the whole Detective Vick thing. Overall it was entertaining and I know a lot of people will really enjoy this.

1. Live where there‘s lots of rain and they‘re some of my favorite days to spend reading.
2. Fantasy
3. Autumn/Halloween
4. Yes
5. USA 😖
6. I‘m a huge LOTR nerd, mom to two rescue doggos, introvert and avid music listener/concert goer. Don‘t know what else to share really. I‘m not very exciting 😅

#scarathlon #magicalmonsters

My #bookspin and #doublespin for September. I‘m a little wary of the Riley Sager. It came in on Lucky Day at work so I thought I‘d give it a shot and see what I think but I‘m keeping my expectations low. Fingers crossed these both go well! @TheAromaofBooks

I‘m hoping to get through as many of these library books as I can this month for the #SummerEndReadathon. They all just show up at once! @TheSpineView

Step 1 in getting ready for fall: Re-do my bookcase with fall/spooky TBR books. This doesn‘t show a 4th shelf full of books nor the stack I have in my side room with other potential spooky season reading candidates. Can‘t wait to get started on some of these and decrease my owned TBR.

I am so excited for September and the cooler weather it brings. Hopefully with it will come more reading time. In any case, here‘s my #bookspin list for the month. Got a mix of library and owned books. I feel like I‘ve been trying to get through all my library books for months now and still haven‘t quite managed it 😅 @TheAromaofBooks

Clearly “taking it easy” is something I don‘t know how to do. My goal for #20in4 is to get through as many of these as possible while working two out of the four readathon days and while having my brother visit😅 My library recently lowered the renewal limit so I need to get through these ASAP. @Andrew65

Sigh. Made an online appointment for an oil change. Showed up and found out that their online appointment system doesn‘t actually work and that there was no record of my booking. So my half hour oil change has turned into an hour and a half because of the amount of people here 😪 At least I brought a book. Though at the rate I‘m getting through this I should have brought two!

Great British Bake Off but make it murdery. Very quick read and relatively entertaining. I think fans of Bake Off would enjoy this more than murder mystery fans. There are some good plot pieces but I think the book was too short to really give them any sort of weight. Feels a little more like a cozy mystery than anything else. Overall not amazing, but entertaining for a lazy day. Low Pick.

Beautiful art style and love the mythology coming into play here. But for being the first volume, it feels like I was dropped into the middle of volume 2 or 3. A lot of plot points weren‘t really explained. There‘s cool side characters, but they‘re just there. No info given about them at all. Overall great premise, but ended up being really confused and feeling like I‘ve missed several volumes leading up to this.

Long time no post 😅 I‘m still alive.Took an unintended social media break. I‘ve been reading, just haven‘t had energy to post on here. In any case I‘m hoping to get back to posting on here now that my life has calmed down a bit. I really need to get caught up with all the #bookspin #roll100 #tbrtarot reads I‘ve been going through 😅 But first it‘s back to the garden with me. Enjoy this picture of Delilah whose favorite place to sit is the dirt.

A little late posting my stack but I guess better late than never? My goal for the #MarvellousMarch readathon is to get through as many of these as I can. Some of these are library books, some are for #TBRTarot, some for #Bookspin but I‘ve started all and gotten into them at varying degrees. Life has been rough and my ability to focus even more so. So here‘s hoping that I can focus well enough to get through at least a couple of these @Andrew65

Question for those that have read this…does it get better? I‘m about 100 pages into it and I just…don‘t…care? It‘s not really grabbing me and I‘m not sure whether it‘s worth it to keep going or to just DNF it and move on to something else.

How is it already February? I‘m still mentally in January. We can‘t have already gone through a full month of the new year already! In any case, here‘s my February #bookspin list. Fingers crossed the bookspin Gods are kind! @TheAromaofBooks

Now that it‘s my day off, I can finally start the #JoyousJanuary Readathon! My goal is to finish A Haunted History of Invisible Women which I‘m halfway through at the moment. Start and finish both The Cottage Fairy Companion and My Hygge Home and finally to make a decent dent into my #bookspin pick Theft of Swords. It‘s a chonker, but technically it‘s two books in one so…if I get halfway through book one I‘ll be happy. @Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks

This was so fascinating! Not only is it an excellent look at cemeteries in America, but a look back at parts of our history that gets overlooked. Cemeteries can inform us of our past & the treatment of others more than you would think. Melville provides a lot of food for thought regarding the things we as a country/society are still reckoning with today that are often reflected in our cemeteries. I need to get my own copy!

I‘m a sucker for anything that remotely resembles And Then There Were None, even though I‘ve been severely disappointed in the past. I was utterly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! Even with the unlikeable characters that usually kills thrillers for me, this was compulsively readable and I got invested quickly. I‘m not sure how I feel about the ending, but it was a good time getting there!

This was fine. Not mind blowing but entertaining for what it is. Though it would have been better if I hadn‘t read the synopsis since it gives away a major plot point that I think would have made me more invested in the mystery if I hadn‘t known about it. If you like classic crime and manor mysteries full of unlikeable rich people with a murderous holiday twist, you‘d probably enjoy this one.

This was surprisingly entertaining! Narrated by the murderer and the police trying to catch them, this was a rather fun and murderous holiday read. This was written in the 70s and I‘m not sure that some of the comments or depictions of certain characters has aged well. But overall I didn‘t see the ending coming and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. This is my #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks