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A good old fashioned murder mystery. A cast of many interesting suspects. I did pick the murderer early, but it had me flip flopping often! 3.5 ⭐️

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This was my school bookclub pick. It is written by a psychiatrist and the author of The Rosie project. It reads a bit like non fiction. I found it very engaging and interesting. 3.5 ⭐️

This book was delightful! Oh to be young and silly again and have your whole life ahead of you! And who doesn‘t want to live in a castle with an eccentric family surrounded by nature?!?!?!? I found a lot of this book to be amusing but especially the shenanigans on the train! Hilarious! 💙💙💙💙💙

Loved this, but wonder if I would have loved it more if I‘d read Huckleberry Finn? Percival is now a must read author for me.
Story‘s like this are so important!
“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else‘s shoes for a while”.
Let‘s see if this book ends up being banned in America as part of its plan of action to ignore and erase its unpleasant black history. I just can‘t understand this way of thinking! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love stories about the Berlin Wall and this was another fascinating addition. 29 people escaped from East to West Berlin in 1962 and it was documented and funded by the American news broadcaster NBC. ‘The tunnel‘ won 3 Emmy awards.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Monthlynonfiction @julieclair

3 siblings are placed into foster care. Their biological father is a narcissist, who only sees the world as it pertains to him and sees his children as property. Their mother is severely mentally unstable and both of them are Christian fanatics. The children win the lottery when they are placed in the home of the Blaine‘s who are total opposites. They are hard working publicans, Australian bogans, rough around the edges, but with hearts of gold ⬇️

Latest book club pick. 🩸🩸🩸🩸 🎧
I cannot understand how she got away with this for so long?!?!? Did she start out actually believing or hoping her idea would work or did she know from the beginning that it would never work? I find it fascinating the kinds of people who can be so brazen with their lies and how they manage to fool intelligent people. Ego is definitely a dirty word. Greed is another.
#MonthlyNonfiction2025 @ julieclair (Jan) ⬇️

This book made me catch my breath more than once whilst reading it. I felt like the author was tapped into my thoughts and feelings about life, aging, menopause, family etc Many passages sent me back into the delight and despair of motherhood with small and grownup children. The smell of small children, of the beach and ocean. Many passages resonated with me so strongly that I shared them with friends. Newman is now a must read author for me. ⬇️

I couldn‘t wait for my physical copy to arrive in the mail so I listened to this in one day. I follow him on Instagram and plan to listen to some of his podcasts about ADHD this year. It was great, I got a lot from it (except where he was talking about entrepreneurs). I would recommend this. Lots of good advice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#LitsyAtoZ Letter P @Texreader
#MonthlyNonfiction2025 @julieclair (Jan)

Latest school bookclub book. I listened to it. I picked the killer out at the beginning. A soft pick. #LitsyAtoZ Letter W @Texreader

A haunted hotel with giant topiary animals that come alive, sensational! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read somewhere about the similarities in the character Jack and King. Alcoholic, writer, teacher, young family etc. I couldn‘t stand Jack. What a man baby, always playing the victim and he was just plain mean!
Time to finally watch the film, I‘m sure I will be disappointed!
#Bookchain2025 New book different genre @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ letter K @Texreader

#Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
I really enjoyed this and found myself yearning for my youth also in the 80‘s. The music, the fashion, life without phones and freedom to roam around the bush and neighbourhoods. I also remember that feeling of dread at trying to avoid certain kids who were mean and relentless.
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#LitsyAtoZ @Texreader Letter D

Latest bookclub pick.I listened to this. Just a light and cozy read. Very predictable but I‘m still a sucker for a happy ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
#Ozfixtion
#LitsyAtoZ Letter L @Texreader

I just realised I didn‘t post my review of this book that I read last September whilst in Egypt. I know I really enjoyed it but I can‘t think of much to say about it now. That‘s the problem when too much time passes and too many more books! I will say that I think the author had too much to say about women‘s vaginas. He is obsessed with them. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m no longer just Rissreads, I‘m now Rissreadswithcats! I‘ve had to change my username because I want to have the same name across all my reading accounts - StoryGraph and Goodreads. 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 🐈 ♥️

This book had me ugly crying but with happiness at the end. I borrowed it from the school library where I work. Such an important book for children to show them empathy and respect for the animal world. It‘s heartbreaking because a lot of it is true.
🦍 🦍🦍🦍🦍

#BookChain2025 “A” or “The” in the title @TheAromaofBooks

#LitzyAtoZ Letter A @Texreader

Williams quiet strength, resolve and integrity throughout life‘s injustices was both heartbreaking and inspirational. In some ways he reminded me of my ex husband. Never being pulled into the drama and behaving badly.

#LitsyAtoZ @Texreader Letter S
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Favourite quote ⬇️

Stunning! This is a little book but it had a big impact on me. So atmospheric, I wish I could spend time reading on this island.
Aghh Mary, you are definitely a keeper! The ending was perfect. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I‘m so glad this was my first read for 2025.
Thanks for the gift @LeeRHarry 🤍🩵💙🩶
#LitsyAtoZ @Texreader Letter C

Best of 2024 for me. If I had to pick just 1 it‘s the tagged book (I think! 🤣)

I read somewhere in a review about this book that it is a flawed masterpiece. The same article said that it is about death, especially regarding Mark who has a death of character. These two statements rang true with me. I can‘t say anymore about this book without spoiling it for future readers but it is definitely worth the time. The art descriptions/analysis alone are breathtaking. All those miniature boxes. Last book of 2024. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Romance is SO not my thing! This is obvious when I‘m more invested in finding out at the end of the book what he wrote in his article than if they ended up together! 🤣 I often felt like I was reading a relationship instruction manual rather than a romance story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @Reggie for gifting me this book, and thanks @Centique for the easygoing buddy read ♥️

Another wonderful catch up with Serena. Book shopping and cocktails! 📚 🍸 We know how to spoil ourselves!
I purchased Orbital by Samantha Harvey & Sandwich by Catherine Newman.
Perfect evening out! ♥️
@MrsMalaprop

Yeah, I don‘t. Not anymore!
Clem is a brilliant Australian journalist, feminist and activist. I learn so much from her books and they are very amusing as well.
But the sad reality is that the people who should read these books and gain a new perspective of things never are the ones who do.
#Oznonfiction

@LeeRHarry Thank you for my gorgeous gifts! I‘m SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about both of these books! How awesome is this #aussiesecretsanta swap?!?!?!
Thanks for organising @CarolynM and for starting it all @thegirlwiththelibrarybag
Sorry I‘m late, I totally forgot! ♥️💚
Merry Christmas Aussie Littens x

This the book @Centique ?
It sounds fantastic! Thanks so much! You have brightened my world again. 🤍🩵💙🩶

Some very generous person has sent me these 2 books in the mail! How lucky am I? But I have no idea who they are from? It just says ‘Merry Christmas‘. I would love to thank whoever you are properly! ♥️
Is it @Centique or @Reggie ?

Meet my son‘s new kitten Earl.
Well this book was extrordinary, profound and devastating.
Basically it‘s about the last woman alive who could just lie down and give up but refuses too as she has a cow, dog, bull and some cats to look after. She struggles through everyday for them. Her family now.
Even though her future is bleak and uncertain the book is contemplative and beautiful too. It‘s a book that I will think about often.
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I read this on my kindle. I love so many of the covers for this book.
This was a warm and fuzzy read. Penelope is a wonderful protagonist but can‘t kids be such shit heads sometimes! Loved it!
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This is a story of grief, horror, trauma and madness. I could not stop thinking through this book that we could slide down the slippery slope of denial that nothing will ever get that bad. That we have people and laws and blah, blah, blah that would never let this happen to us in the real world. But so much has happened in 2024 that I never thought I would be watching. That I‘m constantly shaking my head at in disbelief.
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It‘s arrived!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks @LeeRHarry
#Aussiesecretsanta
@CarolynM

@Centique
Thank you very much for this gorgeous gift! It actually arrived a few days ago, according to my son. Who then proceeded to put it under a pile of crap!
You have made me feel fabulous!!! ❤️💚

I will read anything Hannah writes. She is such a smart and articulate young woman.
This book is so important. I wish all young people could read it. But it is usually those who don‘t need to read books like this who do. According to a 2020 research study, Australian men hold some of the most misogynistic views in the Western world.
We obviously have a long way to go. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our latest book club pick.
Too 🤮 sweet for me! I found it so annoying all the repetition, I could tell you the time travel rules in my sleep! I don‘t like books that describe every detail of every single thing going on and every single emotion. Why tell me how much the actual coffee is and how much money you gave and how much change you get and how you put it in the till……….You get the idea.

Grace Tame was Australian of the year in 2021 for her advocacy for legal reform regarding sexual assault survivors being able to speak publicly #LetHerSpeak. She was also responsible for changes of the wording of the crime noting that “the word relationship has connotations of consent”. What a fierce and inspirational woman.

Winton is a must read author for me and I devoured this. The dystopian landscape is set in Western Australia around the location of Exmouth, where my parents lived for 29 yrs. What is particularly confronting and frightening is that it stated in a review that everything he writes about is a likely climate science scenario. It‘s based on scientifically accepted and understood evidence and models. A Sobering and chilling thought. 4.5⭐️ #Ozfiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was not the usual book I would read. I picked it up because it is being made into a series staring Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pheiffer and Elle Fanning. It was actually quiet amusing and something a bit different and I enjoyed it very much. I had heard of OnlyFans but didn‘t know much about it, I do now!

I‘m so behind with my book posts that by the time I get to them I have nothing much to say! 🤣 I loved this but not quite as much as Migrations. I found it so interesting about why wolves were being reintroduced to Scotland in the hope of regeneration of the ground cover. I just watched a program on an Australian grazier doing a similar thing but with donkeys. Fascinating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This book was the opposite of Betty and I am grateful for that. I needed to quiet my brain. I loved all the small stories of the narrators life. All those thoughts you have that you file away, that then pop up later. Some are profound, enlightening and instrumental to your past, while others are just bits of fluff, insignificant observations. #Ozfiction

School book club pick. Just catching up. Listened to it a while ago. I‘ve always loved birds. I would love to have a pet crow!

Bookclub. Soft pick. One of the most harrowing books I‘ve read. It‘s definitely a pick but it‘s a strange one as I could have quite easily have closed it at anytime and not picked it up again. Because of the material not because of it being badly written etc. I‘m still trying to process what I think and I may come back later and add to this review but I just wanted to get it done as life is hectic at the moment and my time on Litsy has suffered.

I read this in April but forgot to post about it. I loved it and I love this cover! 💛♥️💚

I actually read this a couple of months ago but forgot to write a review. This is the second novel I have read by Claudia Pineiro. She is a fantastic storyteller. I seem to be reading a lot of books about motherhood lately. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to this. I was thoroughly captivated by the characters and the insights into the gaming world. It‘s a story about the ups and downs of friendship. Looking out and after your friends in the good times and the bad. One of life‘s greatest gifts is the love of friends. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I picked this book for our book club because a lot of it is set in Egypt and I am going there in a month‘s time for a holiday! Everyone gave it 3 stars or above.
Most people will not like Claudia, who is on her death bed, reminiscing the past. I‘m ok with unlikeable narrators. Claudia was way ahead of her time in so many ways. All the things that made her unlikeable as a woman, would be overlooked if she were a man. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to this.
Northern Ireland in the 70‘s is a scary place! I was most affected by the young school children who are forced to grow up way before they should. Their childhoods stolen by the reality of life in conflict. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

😬 This book is bloody terrifying! So brutal in so many ways! I haven‘t been able to stop thinking about it. Who is the monster exactly? The fifth child Ben or the mother, the family or society? It also made me think about motherhood and how you are damned if you do and damned if you don‘t. Someone always suffers. The depictions of the pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding of Ben made me feel really squeamish 🤮
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Another comfort read from Anne Patchett. This was lovely. 🥰

This book rips your heart out! Again and again, and again. I realised as I was reading it that I had read it before, but it must have been when I was a teenager I think. I couldn‘t remember most of it but it seemed familiar. Anyway brilliant book showcasing the best and worst of humanity. It was never going to end well. 😭

Thank you sooooooooo much @Meshell1313 for this thoughtful and gorgeous gift. It made my day brighter! Litsy people are the best people! I‘m excited to use it all ♥️♥️♥️

This was a soft pick and I do think it was a case of me and not the book. I would usually love this kind of book but my life is so crazy busy at the moment that I feel like I just couldn‘t concentrate and give this book the attention it needed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️