This was fantastic! A young teen meets her father for the first time when she goes to spend the summer with him in the brownstone he‘s renovating. They navigate language barriers and she feels like a major outsider in the neighborhood. Very sweet story.

Quick and satisfying romance…. Not ashamed to say I finished it, tears falling from my eyes while on a very full flight earlier today. And on a less important but still fun note, this gave me #bingo for #bookspinbingo, the cover crossed a lot of boxes for this year so far in #ISpyBingo, and I got one more February #wickedword - ballroom!

It‘s a tough subject, using different scenarios from refugees seeking asylum to medical staff assessing patients to blowhard corporate consultants and examining how and why some people are believed and some are not, no matter the strength of the evidence. Definitely has me thinking more about what I believe and why… and how that plays out in everywhere.

I have to admit, I *almost* bailed on this.. But I‘m so glad I stuck with it! Elle Fanning is the perfect narrator on a story about a young woman impregnated by her college professor, managing her mothers shallowness, her addict fathers WWE past, and trying to be a good person and mother while making money on OnlyFans and TikTok. It‘s funny, insightful, and filled with love. I was fully cheering Margo on by the end!

I‘m enjoyed this companion to “Alone”, but I have to say I liked Aline more. As that focused on a singular character, this was split between 4 POVs, all told in either verse, news article style, or like a script which was a little distracting and couldn‘t get as close to the characters. The story is good though, and I‘m glad to see what happened to everyone who “disappeared “ in Alone.

This was something! While there were still some classic Hazelwood elements (tall, dark male… tiny female… both smart) this went more into them being exceptional athletes with a side of kink exploration. The issues with the best friend/ex seemed to flow realistically and I liked the conclusion. The epilogue read a little weirdly, but that‘s fine. Did get my final March #wickedwords -Pen!

Hmm. I loved the first book (was on the committee that shortlisted it for the Morris Award), stayed with it for the 2nd book…. But this one just didn‘t hit the same. It doesn‘t really follow the original story- yes, it expands the world but with an entirely new enemy… it‘s like a companion more than a series ender. The audio is fantastically done with Cynthia Erivo… but I definitely felt a little jumbled w/PoV changes.

I read this for review, which usually means that I don‘t post about it here. BUT in this case, it turns out that it is my #doublespin , and covered 4 #wickedwords (manager, sea breeze, and surprisingly meet-cute as well as guests from Feb). And that‘s all I‘ll say about it here 😉

A short, playful story …. Of which I think I only got about 30%. I listened, and enjoyed the narrator‘s voice… but was easily distracted and wasn‘t paying close enough attention. 🤷‍♀️ love this cover though.

Very cool children‘s book telling the story of folk artist Nek Chand, who built a large landscape from elected materials after the Partition, to remind himself of his former village. Loved the photographs and authors note!

This is a tough book in that it‘s based on the abuse at the hands of the South Korean authorities on vagrant and/or kidnapped folks of all ages, especially leading up to the Seoul Olympics (1988). It‘s heart wrenching and disturbing and I‘m very glad my book group voted this onto our list.

The writing is beautiful. No denying that. But I also cannot deny being lost quite a bit and just blindly fumbling through this one. #wickedwords - scar

Eh…. Someday I‘ll learn not to go for character driven stories and stick to plot driven.

Wow! 9 years! 🤯 happy litsyversary to everyone else celebrating!🎉

Alright! Here‘s my March List!! Let‘s keep this good reading mojo going!!#bookspinbingo

This is a fun series! I‘m really enjoying it- the narrator is awesome and I laugh out loud and audibly gasp when something surprises me. Looking forward to the next one for sure 😁

Decent short story about neighbors stuck in the apartment building, one dealing with a dangerous stalker situation, the other with a divorce just finalized. It‘s all very quick, and while I liked it for a short story, I absolutely would‘ve read a fully fleshed out novel with this set up and characters.

Amazing. A look at the current state of rebellion under the Islamic regime of Iran, following the cruel murder of a young woman by morality police because her headscarf wasn‘t worn perfectly.

It‘s Ali Hazelwood. So, cute romcom stories about grumpy, handsome and very tall men and cute, tiny women. Everyone is smart and there‘s at least one word I can‘t pronounce. But they are fun, and even if they are similar to each other, they are different enough from other books that I‘ll keep reading them. #doublespin #bookspinbingo

Unbelievably fantastic. This takes the story we first heard in Huck Finn, turns it around and then takes it to the next level. Very powerful stuff.

Well, damn. I knew there would be a cliff hanger at the end, but I‘m still upset about it! I‘m really enjoying this series and already impatient for the rest…. And have so many questions!!

Sweet story, if a little bit of a stretch.

I‘m certain this will be unpopular, but I just bailed on this book. I‘m really only mentioning it because it‘s my #bookspin book this month. I just found it so slow and boring… to the point that I‘m not looking forward to listening to it in the car tomorrow on the way to work. I‘ll pass my library copy onto the next in line. So- DNF at 31%.

Oof. Given the political landscape of the US right now, this book is like an all-too-possible nightmare. Probably not the best decision to listen to this in terms of my mental health and anxiety…. But it‘s really so well written. I may read the next book in the duology, but I‘m gonna need a minute.

Here we go for February! #bookspinbingo

I‘ve always enjoyed Kasie West‘s books… but it had been a bit so I‘m glad my feelings haven‘t changed. This was a cute ya romance- two families on a road trip. There are secrets, love blossoming, college pressure and more.

This was such a fun book! Thanks to whomever posted about it here, because I never would‘ve picked it up otherwise. And, it got me a #bingo to start the year! #bookspinbingo

I didn‘t read the original version, but this graphic adaptation was gorgeous and fascinating! I learned so much about trees! #wickedwords : animals

Maybe I would‘ve liked this more if it weren‘t too similar in plot & theme as a couple of other books I‘ve recently read. Nice writing, but kinda blah. In this story, estranged sisters come back together and work through grief and trauma following the discovery of their mother‘s body- 15 years after she disappeared. #bookspinbingo #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Oh, this was fun and spicy! An arranged marriage between an alpha werewolf and a vampyre…. It‘s not my usual story, but I really got into it! #wickedwords: bicycle

Excellent historical mystery that truly kept me guessing! #wickedwords : Survivor @AsYouWish

I promise, #MidwinterSolace folks, I did try with this but had to give up when I found myself enjoying the illustrations more than the words. This is really not my jam, but I hope everyone else enjoyed it!

This was pretty cool- especially the way the truth is uncovered toward the end - it wasn‘t what you‘d expect in a Poirot.

This was and wasn‘t what I expected somehow…. The story of a Puerto Rican family of women from Staten Island who think they may have found their missing person on a reality TV show. I enjoyed it, but am a little nervous to see how my retired ladies in the book group will receive it. #wickedwords : hospital

Nice heartwarming story to start the year featuring a case of mistaken identity in an Australian nursing home.

Let‘s hear it for January 2025! Comin‘ in hot!! (Or, chilly here in New England) @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

A total what if?? Book about missed opportunities and second chances and life not going the way you thought…. I really love the setting and would@love to visit someday….

This came recommended, and I‘m so glad! Fantastic cozy mystery set in 1920s Bombay, featuring a female lawyer/sleuth. It involves different cultures and religions found in the city at the time, and all that goes with it. Really well done! (And it got me a #bingo to close the year #bookspinbingo )

If anyone is looking for a perpetual challenge/checklist, I‘ve got this going on StoryGraph… https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/0b32769d-c351-446f-886e-342f2f4...

Sweet holiday mystery/love story that also had my final #wickedwords : necklace!

This was such a sweet little collection of three Christmas-themed short stories by LM Montgomery. Just absolutely perfect!

Oh boy. Pretty disappointed in this… it was very preachy and condescending and even the voice of the narrator started to get to me 😞

Well, that was unexpected. Thought it was a little drawn out and dramatic, and then the whopping curveball came and woah. #wickedwords : art gallery @AsYouWish

I can‘t force myself through 20 pages; not going to try any more. Other books await!

Patrick is back, this time traveling in Europe with his nibblings ahead of their fathers wedding in Italy. It‘s been 5 years, and their bonds is still very strong. While Patrick is trying to help the kids open up to this new next chapter in their family‘s lives - a stepmother while always missing their mother- Patrick is also reflecting on the passage of time, and getting older. A pick for me, but admittedly not as good as the first.

One of my all-time favorite movies, and now I‘ve finally read the original short story! King has a way of fully developing his characters and pacing the plot so even when you know what‘s going to happen, it‘s still a revelation. I‘m just in awe. #bookspinbingo #doublespin #wickedwords - Christmas, Office

I‘ve had this book for YEARS and finally read it. Sweet story about a 13yo discovering and growing into herself and her synesthesia- meaning she sees colors and shapes in letters, numbers and sounds.

I can‘t believe it‘s December! Here‘s my #bookspinbingo list. Thank you @TheAromaofBooks for another awesome year hosting this event…. Looking forward to more next year!

A second chance story, and a sequel that absolutely needs to be read after the first book.

I just finished this audio…. And woah. I really didn‘t know much about the story when I started, but was hooked pretty quickly. It‘s the story of two kids- Patch and Saint. Patch is abducted when trying to save someone else… and Saint doesn‘t give up on finding him. The effects last their entire lives and extends deep into their community. I loved it.