Welcome to Litsy!

Bingo! | Roger Caron

#WinterGames #Bingo

Okay last one 😂 And just to clarify, the bottom left square does not have to be an exact quote, just the general implication of “oh my gosh you've never... decorated a tree!! Had a snowball fight!! Baked Christmas cookies!! Gone ice skating!! Had a New Year's Eve Kiss!!“ That kind of thing haha

33 likes

Bingo Love | Tee Franklin

Bingo! | Rosemary Wells

27 likes

Word Bingo | Donn Byrne

Bingo! | Rosemary Wells

#WinterGames #Bingo

PS Forget to say that one book can cover as many prompts as you find!!

Bingo's Run | James A. Levine

Bingo's Run | James A. Levine

It probably won't shock anyone to find out that I love reading bingo!!! With #WinterGames coming up, I created 7 bingo boards to try and score some extra points - bingo cards are my favorite score-racking method 😂 If you clear a board, you can restart it!!

Most of these do kind of focus on romance tropes, although there are plenty of not-genre-specific prompts as well. I have seven altogether, so I'll post them all. Feel free to use/share!!

PuddleJumper ❤️❤️ More bingo boards! 5d

33 likes1 comment

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @julieclair @Librarybelle @Sace @StayCurious @Teresereading @willaful 5d

Christy | Catherine Marshall

This post contains spoilers

show me

(thru ch21) Whew, there is a lot more drama than I remember!!! The whole thing with the new books and then them getting destroyed - so many feelings!! And now this stuff with the moonshiners and David trying to prove himself to the men in the community. Whew. I'm loving seeing Christy's friendship with Fairlight grow, though, and Christy's overall attitude towards the community and teaching evolve. Any thoughts or favorite moments to share?

Librarybelle I‘m behind on my reading, but I am looking forward to revisiting some of these scenes. I remember parts of the book and have forgotten others, so it‘s been fun revisiting. I do like that this is an easily approachable novel, so when I do pick it up to read I can read a good bit at a time. 5d

BarkingMadRead I‘m a bit ahead, so I‘ll stay as vague as I can 🤣 I just live all of the characters and their personalities are so much fun! Christy is growing before our eyes! 5d

See All 7 Comments

julieclair The destroyed books absolutely broke my heart. 💔 5d

CogsOfEncouragement My first read and enjoying it so much: Fairlight learning to read so quickly. Christy convincing Mr. Smith she had a worthy cause for him without mentioning who her father was. David and Christy‘s last conversation with Aunt Polly Teague. 4d

BarbaraJean I read ahead because I couldn‘t put it down at the end of chapter 18!! Then I set it aside for a few days so I wouldn‘t get too far ahead 😆 The books broke my heart, and the drama with the moonshine was what kept me reading. Seeing Christy and David both trying to figure out how to prove themselves and be accepted by the community—but balance that with the changes they want to make—is so compelling. I love these characters! 4d

Sace I‘m a few days behind but I am really enjoying this book! 4d

14 likes7 comments

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

(thru ch49) My goodness, so much is happening! D'A is finally a musketeer!! I am cracking up about how they are literally on a battlefield and any fighting is totally just background noise. These guys are obnoxious, but also actually do seem to be good at their job - I really enjoyed the way they held off the other soldiers just so they could have a private lunch 😂 There have been a lot of fun shenanigans, but I really am curious as to what is ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) going to happen with Milady. For real though, I'm confused about how she survived a hanging?? Did she escape before it actually happened??

Are the rest of you sticking with it, or have you bailed out of this one? Some of these chapters have been way too long, especially combined with ol' Udolpho 😂
5d

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 5d

Librarybelle I‘m still really behind! 5d

BarkingMadRead This hanging thing has me baffled! Did he not stick around to see it through? How is she alive?!? 5d

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks im still enjoying my reread and caught up with their shenanigans!!💜 3d

39 likes5 comments

Holiday Honeymoon Switch | Julia McKay

@Laughterhp - Here are your books for #SnowedIn !! I have GOT to stop participating in this challenge because all I do is add books to my own TBR 😂

@PuddleJumper thanks so much for organizing!!!

PuddleJumper 🤣🤣 That's half the fun! I love snooping on people's lists 1w

Laughterhp Thanks so much!! 1w

52 likes2 comments

TheAromaofBooks @BethM @curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder @MaleficentBookDragon @Sparklemn 1w

Trixie Belden | Julie Campbell

Hey #BobWhiteBuddies !!! Quick question - do we want to skip December and pick up in January with The Happy Valley Mystery, or are we good to read Happy Valley in December? I'm fine either way, but I know this time of year can get overwhelming, so just let me know what you think!!

⬇ ⬇

TheAromaofBooks Also, I have a tiny (like envelope-sized) present I would love to send to each of you because it's PERFECT 😂 I have everyone's addresses except Beth, Chelle, and Lora. If you could please email me your addresses at itsthegoodlife15 at gmail OR just let me know that you don't care to share your address which is 100% fine 😁

I'll be back next week to chat about The Black Jacket Mystery!! 1w

lauraisntwilder Skipping sounds good to me, but I'll fit it in, if the rest of the group wants to keep going. 1w

See All 8 Comments

BookmarkTavern I‘m good either way! It would be a nice short read for #WinterGames , but I‘m happy to do either. 1w

DebinHawaii I‘m fine either way—whatever the group wants to do. 1w

Read4life I don‘t know if I‘ll be home from caring for my father in law in time to read it (my copy is at home) so I‘d prefer to skip December but completely understand if the group wants to continue. 1w

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks im good with what everyone decides:) 1w

BethM Skipping seems good to me! 1w

30 likes8 comments

Christy | Catherine Marshall

(thru ch10; I haven't read today's chapter yet 😂) I think this is the cover of the edition my mom had when I was growing up. This was definitely one of the first “adult“ books I read. I've been thoroughly enjoying this reread. I really like Christy and feel like she is such a realistic character. I'm not a huge fan of David though; he's so condescending. Christy has faced some real dangers and some real life in the several weeks she has been ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) there. I love Miss Alice and find her conversations with Christy to be so engaging. She has some interesting perspectives on the “why does God let bad things happen to good people“ question. Dr. MacNeil, on the other hand, seems to think that the answer is because God just doesn't care or doesn't exist.

As a side note, I loved the tall tale about the giant cornstalk 😂 But who are these strange men who were hanging around??

⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I love that Christy has had to face the question as to whether she was actually called to Cutter Gap or if she was just running away from life. It's hard to know where to start when everything seems so terrible, especially when you see how (comparatively) little progress has been made by the people who have already been working here for a while. The liver-grown baby 😢 such a tragic, senseless loss!

I think this book does such a good ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) job of balancing humor, tragedy, sadness, and joy, making both readable and believable.

Obviously, I'm really enjoying this one, but what do the rest of you think?

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @julieclair @Librarybelle @Sace @StayCurious @Teresereading @willaful 2w

See All 15 Comments

Librarybelle It‘s been a good reread so far. I love the descriptions of the setting (not about the blood in the snow, though!). 2w

BarkingMadRead I‘m really loving this, I was wondering how I would feel since this is a reread for me also, but it‘s been like 20 years at least. I remember getting the book because I didn‘t like the way the series ended and I wondered if the book was different 🤣 2w

ShelleyBooksie I remember reading this book as a young teen! 2w

julieclair This is my first time reading this and I'm loving it. It really feels like a true depiction of what life was like in extreme rural Tennessee at that time. I don't dislike David, I just think he has some growing/learning to do. 2w

willaful I haven't been able to get into it, strictly mood reading right now. :-( 2w

Jadams89 This is my first time reading this one and I‘m really enjoying it! 2w

BarbaraJean I'm also really enjoying it. It's bringing up much more complex and nuanced questions than I anticipated! I've loved seeing Christy's deepening self-knowledge and wrestling with the reality of how hard life is there, and how hard it is to make a difference. I still don't really understand the whole liver-grown thing, though, and what even happened with the baby! 2w

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - I think she literally killed the baby by forcing its foot to touch its hand, or whatever the combination was. So many weird old wives' tales - I don't feel like the Dr explains the “reasoning“ behind it (I'm sure there is some “if the baby can't do this then its liver doesn't work so you have to stretch it to make it work“ kind of thinking). It's probably something most babies can do? The whole thing was just so sad! 2w

BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks That all makes sense when I re-read that section. I think my brain just couldn‘t accept that‘s what actually happened—there HAD to be some other reason, some illness or something!! 😭😭 2w

CogsOfEncouragement @BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I was so bothered and confused I shut the book and did some googling. I didn‘t make a note of the source, but it explained that Mrs. McHone broke the baby‘s back. Such a devastating truth, you don‘t want a mother to do that to the next baby, but how do you convince her she killed the baby she loved dearly? You know that would devastate her worse than the loss of the baby already has. 2w

TheAromaofBooks @CogsOfEncouragement @BarbaraJean - It seems like the actual term “liver grown“ is that they thought that the liver was actually attached to the ribs, so the idea of forcing the foot/hand to touch was that you were “freeing“ the liver. Interestingly, being liver-grown seems to be a wide-spread concept, although various regions deal with it differently, including spinning the baby around head-over-heels multiple times, or passing the baby under a ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) table (?!??!). Old midwives like the Granny described in the book had an immense amount of sway among the womenfolk in these communities because they literally saved women's lives in childbirth, so you can also see why her word would be accepted as truth/they wouldn't want to accept an opposing viewpoint, especially considering that so much of their lore WAS correct. 2w

41 likes1 stack add15 comments

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

(thru ch39) - I haven't enjoyed the last week of chapters as much, since the guys' way of earning money mostly seems to be manipulating the women in their lives 🙄D'Artagnan really is showing is youth and inexperience here as well. At least he found Kitty a new job 😑 I've missed the slapstick from the earlier section of the book, but we'll see what happens if they ever actually head off on their tour of duty. I AM intrigued by some of the ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) mystery and court intrigue. Like @ChaoticMissAdventures pointed out in her review, this book was written about 200 years after the time in which is set, which makes it historical fiction when it was published - this is kind of like us reading a book about American rebels during the Revolution and even with my footnotes, I am sure that if you actually LIVED in France when you read this, you would get a lot more of the subtle humor and ⬇ 2w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) political digs.

Anyway, how are all of you holding up? I know a few have bailed and at least one person has already finished, but I am still trying to chug through a chapter a day!!

@BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 2w

Jadams89 I‘m still enjoying it, but I agree that the last week has been rough — Porthos is a piece of work 2w

See All 14 Comments

Librarybelle Still behind! I hope to catch up soon! 2w

BarkingMadRead I‘m still reading a chapter a day, and I‘m thinking that once they go out on their campaign things should be ridiculous again 🤣 2w

wordslinger42 I‘m still behind, but enjoying it so far! 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures Totally agree, they honestly seem like jerks. The opening couple of chapters were so funny and filled with literature references and all of that seems to be gone. It is interesting that their job is musketeer but they never seem to be doing their job. 2w

TheBookHippie I finished it 😅😵‍💫😝🤷🏻‍♀️ not sleeping helps the reading part. 2w

TheBookHippie I agree about France. I think there are nuances that they get that we do not. 2w

TheBookHippie Also I‘m so old a Leave it to Beaver came to mind when he watched 3 stooges instead of reading the book. 😝😅🤷🏻‍♀️😂🤣 2w

AnishaInkspill I 😍 reading all your comments, I haven't read this one but I have MonteCristo on my tbr 2w

CatLass007 Would you please remove me from your tag list for #RandomClassics? Everyone is great, but I‘m trying to cut back on my Litsy buddy reads for next year. Thanks.😚 2w

TheAromaofBooks @CatLass007 - Absolutely!! The buddy reads can definitely get overwhelming!! You're always welcome to jump back in if you want!! 2w

CatLass007 Thank you.♥️ 2w

41 likes2 stack adds14 comments

Christy | Catherine Marshall

(thru ch5) Goodness, so much has happened already! I am remembering why I enjoyed this book so much in my teens. Like Christy, I grew up in a safe, happy, religious household, and while I love my family I can remember wanting more, wanting to do SOMETHING, wanting to find a way to make my beliefs more than just words and feelings, wanting to wrestle with those beliefs and make them my own, not just my parents'. In this readthrough, I already have⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) a lot of respect for Christy. She has grit! I can't believe the hike she took to get to the mission. And the crazy emergency surgery on poor Mr. Allen! I already love Miss Henderson, too. I'm so curious to see what happens as Christy meets her new students and their families. Are you all enjoying this one so far?

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Librarybelle @Sace @StayCurious @Teresereading @willaful 3w

Librarybelle I am enjoying it. I can remember why I read it so quickly in school—it‘s an easy read, and I like the view of the rural community. It was an eye opening read for me in ways—so different from where I grew up, and it‘s historic, so definitely captured my interest when I was a tween. Now, I‘m appreciating the descriptions and the setting. This is a good read for this time of year! 3w

BarkingMadRead This is a reread for me, but I still love it just as much! 3w

See All 9 Comments

kspenmoll I remember reading this as a teen too! 3w

Suet624 Oh boy! I read this as a teen too! Haven‘t thought about it in ages but I know it had an impact on me. 3w

Teresereading My first read. When I started, I wasn‘t sure that it was m6 thing. Then all of a sudden I was racing ahead and had to remember is was a chapter a day! 3w

Sace I only just got to chapter 5 but I‘m really enjoying it. I particularly like the way the residents of Cutter Gap speak. (edited) 3w

BarbaraJean I got behind on my reading this week, then forgot to come back to comment when I caught up! I‘m really enjoying this so far, and amazed by the fact that I remember basically nothing from reading it as a teen 😂 I didn‘t realize how Christian-y it is, but I like the way it portrays faith and its conflicts so honestly. It doesn‘t feel preachy even though it‘s very upfront about its Christian message. And I love Miss Henderson, too! (edited) 2w

CogsOfEncouragement This is my first time reading, I‘m a bit behind but I‘ll catch up. I‘m enjoying it. 2w

49 likes9 comments

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

Here's the #BookSpinBingo card! First, I put our official numbers (12 & 1) back in the mix. Then I drew them all out & wrote them down as I went, meaning the official numbers are just mixed into the card with the rest! As you can see, 21-25 are both labeled with their numbers & also as free spaces, so you can use them to match however you wrote your list. To score a bingo, just read books (in any order) that are in any row or column!! MORE INFO ⬇

TheAromaofBooks 1 - I don't tag anyone on this post except for @LitsyEvents but anyone is welcome to play along!!
2 - Remember – NO PRESSURE!!!! If this starts to stress you out, just take that page right out of your journal and pretend it never existed!! This challenge is to encourage you to read, not to make you feel like reading is a chore!!!
3 - FREE SPACES can be filled with any book that is NOT already on your list!! ⬇
3w

TheAromaofBooks 4 & final - As a reminder, only the “official” BookSpin/DoubleSpin numbers will count towards giveaway entries. I don‘t want the giveaway to be stacked against people who aren‘t able to read lots of books each month. So basically there is still a maximum of 2 entries possible per month no matter how many books you read from your list. This bingo card is just for fun & glory! 😁

Thanks for playing & happy reading!!!
3w

bthegood Thank you!! 3w

See All 6 Comments

DGRachel Woohoo! Thank you for continuing to host this! Off to build my board graphic…💃💃 3w

GinaKButler When those books you‘re definitely reading all line up…chef‘s kiss! Thank you for hosting! 3w

claudiuo Thank you so much for hosting this every month! 3w

83 likes6 comments

TheAromaofBooks @MittenGirlPeach @Itchyfeetreader @Lcsmcat @wanderinglynn @RaeLovesToRead @Bookwormjillk @Soubhiville @IndoorDame @kwmg40 @staci.reads @LeslieO @Bookworm04 @BookishMadHatter @BookmarkTavern @ChelseaM6010 @Allydanielle88 @ElizaMarie 3w

Spin of Fate | A. A. Vora

Good morning, everyone! The moment you have all been waiting for!! Our official #BookSpin number is TWELVE! Our official #DoubleSpin number is ONE!! I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at everyone‘s lists & am really looking forward to seeing your reviews!!

My next post will be the #BookSpinBingo card. I am NOT tagging anyone on that post!! If you want to bingo, please just check my profile for the card. This saves me having to double tag ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont‘d) everyone/keep track of who wants to bingo and who doesn‘t!!

I use the same tag list for the entire year, so if you would like to be added or removed, please just let me know. It takes me a while to tag everyone (there are over 200 of you!!!) so I will add “FINISHED” to the last tag batch so you know whether or not I missed you. If I did, it was completely inadvertent. Sometimes I just spell someone‘s username wrong. ⬇
3w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) As always, the link to the masterpost about how this challenge works can be found on my profile or here - https://thearomaofbooks.wordpress.com/bookspin-bookspinbingo-litsy-challenge/ - and the link to the Google Form where you can track your reads for the end-of-the-year-giveaway can be found here - https://forms.gle/4kTBMWAsCa9Cvmqs6

Thanks for playing, everyone!! Please know that I read EVERY comment on this post but don't always ⬇
3w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) have time to reply to them all!! Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and for making this challenge SO much fun!!

I'm going to post the Bingo board, and then come back and start the tag list on this post. Happy reading!!!
3w

See All 33 Comments

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck @bekakins @Daisey @Mollyanna @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @kimmypete1 @rabbitprincess @DGRachel @Librarybelle @PageShifter @RebelReader @Sarahreadstoomuch @Jari-Chan @behudd @peanutnine @PuddleJumper @Laughterhp 3w

TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @vlwelser @majkia @Larkken @claudiuo @MallenNC @sebrittainclark @Maggie4483 @AmandaBlaze @BooksNBowls @JamieArc @Yuki_Onna @JenReadsAlot @OriginalCyn620 @katiekat311 @Liz_M @BarkingMadRead @Pageturner1 @robinb @tdrosebud 3w

TheAromaofBooks @ImperfectCJ @sherrisilvera @Julsmarshall @BookwormAHN @bookandbedandtea @Eggs @Clare-Dragonfly @nitalibrarian @RainyDayReading @zezeki @Kirstin_Reads @Bookzombie @ChaoticMissAdventures @yourfavouritemixtape @GirlNamedJesse @BarbaraJean 3w

TheAromaofBooks @TheBookgeekFrau @LeafingThroughLife @Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures @Pigpen_Reads @JoeMo @Librariana @NikkiM @ShananigansReads @Deblovestoread @Monica5 @Kimberlone @Coffeymuse @Bklover @Clwojick @gossamerchild @DieAReader @mrp27 @Kristelh 3w

TheAromaofBooks @candc320 @JackOBotts @dabbe @Read4life @Chili @CoffeeNBooks @Allylu @willaful @AnneCecilie @Bookworm54 @LitsyEvents @TheLudicReader @rachelk @HeyT @hissingpotatoes @tokorowilliamwallace @Grrlbrarian @JenDR @AudioBookingWithLeah 3w

TheAromaofBooks @marleed @Bluebird @Suet624 @Karisimo @CharityAnn @BookNAround @Prairiegirl_reading @GinaKButler @Chelsea.Poole @julieclair @booklover3258 @Scochrane26 @hes7 @Zuhkeeyah @Charlie0007 @CSeydel @Lizpixie @LeticiaToraci @guinsgirlreads @Crazeedi @Megabooks 3w

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon @lauraisntwilder @Marmie7 @faelinwolf @BookKenz @KatieB @kstadt929 @Flaneurette @Whollybologna @Singout @BacklistReader @mrsmarch @Caryl @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @Bookgoil @SusanLee @Bookbuyingaddict @Ash.on.the.line 3w

Librarybelle Yay! An audiobook selection and The Fishing Fleet are mine! 3w

TheAromaofBooks @UwannaPublishme @Amandakay @Chrissyreadit @llwheeler @ferskner @TieDyeDude @Airykah13 @TheQuietQuill @AsYouWish @Gissy @theokiereader @silentrequiem @Elizabeth2 @mamareading @rockpools @triplem80 @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @VeganCleopatra 3w

TheAromaofBooks @majkia @vonnie862 @Jess861 @Kristin_Reads @Roary47 @Fortifiedbybooks @throwmeabook @Sargar114 @Nessavamusic @keys_on_fire @TheSpineView @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Littlewolf1 @SpookyMazeOfBooks @Jadams89 @KristiAhlers @merelybookish 3w

TheAromaofBooks @MatchlessMarie @CBee @Read-y_Picker @AshleyHoss820 @Rachel52 @melissajayne @aperfectmjk @CloakNQuill @magyklyXdelish @kspenmoll @andreadmw @kelli7990 @jessicamichelle @BeeCurious @lil1inblue @beccaortiz @Sace @Magoose @brittanyreads 3w

TheAromaofBooks @CoffeeK8 @rachelsbrittain @LaraReads @AllDebooks @michellelav @readmyeyes @maich @SusanOrnelas65 @SamAnne @wordslinger42 @LiteraryinPA 3w

TheAromaofBooks That is everyone I have on my tag list, so if you didn't get tagged and would like to be added, please let me know!! Happy reading, everyone!! 3w

Soubhiville Yay! I‘ll be reading How to Fly in Ten Thousand Easy Lessons (poetry! Haven‘t done that in a long time!) and a reread of one of my favorites- The Starless Sea! Thank you Sarah! 🙂📚 3w

bekakins This is amazing, in a happy coincidence I had just started reading number 12 on my list anyway! 😁 3w

Lcsmcat I‘ll be reading Sea Runners (Doig) and Trying to Save Piggy Snead (Irving). 3w

Suet624 It's time for me to come up with a whole new list. I've been slacking because I didn't want to read the books I had selected! :) 3w

Julsmarshall Woohoo! Finished my #1 yesterday on a long drive while traveling for work. Great way to kick things off! Thanks for organizing this, it has made me really look forward to the 2nd of every month! 3w

GinaKButler Woo-hoo!! I got

The Thorn Birds

3w

Singout Also our #SheSaid book,

Becoming a Matriarch

3w

bookandbedandtea Good morning, Sarah. Yay for #BookSpin day! 3w

AmyG

Things We Lost in the Fire

3w

claudiuo Indeed what I was waiting for 🎉 Thank you so much! 3w

BookmarkTavern Woohoo! 🎉🎉🎉 3w

DieAReader I‘m gonna skip this month & next to try catching up lol😂 3w

dabbe Thank you! #yourock 🤎🍁🧡 3w

willaful Oooo.... two toughies for me this month! But both in my #10BeforeTheEnd list, so that's excellent. 3w

Sace I‘ve got a week off for Thanksgiving so I‘m hoping for lots of reading time this month! 3w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Looks like I need to prioritize A Series of Unfortunate Events #12 The Penultimate Peril and the tagged that I've wanted to get to for years.

Elizabeth Is Missing

3w

102 likes33 comments

Silly Noodle Cheats in the Readathon | Rae Shagalov

Had so much fun with #HauntedShelf this month, especially with these four month-long readathons!! I had set a goal of averaging 210pgs/day for the #Spookoween readathon and ended up at 216pg average, so I was pretty stoked!! I completed 24 books/short stories, so not quite 31 but close!!! This also means 24 Pumpkaboos captured (8 short, 8 medium, 6 large, 2 super!!). And finally I also captured 8 Pokemon for the #SpookyEdition challenge.

TheAromaofBooks Thank you all for hosting!!! @TheSpineView @Catsandbooks @PuddleJumper

And also a thank you to @Bookwormjillk for the bonus weekend readathons!! 4w

PuddleJumper Whoop whoop! That's an amazing month! 4w

TheSpineView YW! Congrats on an awesome month! 4w

Catsandbooks Awesome job! 👏🏼 🧡 3w

43 likes4 comments

The Last Time I Lied: A Novel | Riley Sager

pick

Fifteen years ago, Emma's three cabinmates at summer camp disappeared in the night without a trace. Em is still haunted by that event. When the camp's owner decides to reopen the camp, she invites Em to come as an art instructor and Emma agrees, wondering if this could bring her the closure she needs. But of course instead things get really scary haha As with the other Sager books I've read, when I got done I still had a few questions, but ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) while I was reading it I was completely engaged. The pacing is great, and despite not being sure what Emma was holding back as a narrator, I still liked her.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SpookyEdition (Ghost) #AfterDarkBingo #BodyCountBingo #Pumpkaboo (Large) @PuddleJumper
#AtoZ @Texreader
#31by31 (20/31) @Catsandbooks
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#LongNightsReadathon @Bookwormjillk
#BookSpinBingo 4w

TheAromaofBooks This one is on its way to you @bookandbedandtea !! Hope you and @Jerdencon enjoy it. 😁 I mailed it yesterday, so technically during the month I was SUPPOSED to mail it, which has to be a first for me 😂 4w

OriginalCyn620 Love Sager! 🖤 4w

TheSpineView Fantastic! 4w

DogMomIrene Loved this one too! 4w

48 likes5 comments

Dracula | Bram Stoker

pick

This month's #HashtagBrigade pick was kind of a reread for me. I read it last year with #DraculaDaily which, while super fun, is also not exactly the best way to read this book for the first time. So I liked reading it in order and in one month instead of six 😂 Now I might do Dracula Daily again next year lol Anyway, while there are places where the action bogs down a little, and the ending feels a little rushed, this book still has some ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) delightfully terrifying scenes. As always, thanks for hosting @BarkingMadRead !!

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#SpookyEdition (Haunting) #AfterDarkBingo #BodyCountBingo #Pumpkaboo (Large) @PuddleJumper
#31by31 (19/31) @Catsandbooks
#BookSpinBingo 4w

BarkingMadRead I‘m glad you liked the format! Dracula daily sounds intriguing but I wonder of i would last long that way! 🧛🏻 4w

PuddleJumper I've been receiving the Dracula Daily emails for 3 years and I've still not finished it 🤣 4w

See All 7 Comments

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @PuddleJumper - I love the concept of Dracula Daily, but when you get into October sooooooo much happens on certain days that it really gets bogged down. Combined with the fact that you go WEEKS in the summer without anything happening, so I would kind of forget what was happening 😂 I think I may try it next year now that I know how the story goes and who all the characters are. 4w

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 4w

TheSpineView 🖤🧛‍♂️🖤📖🖤 4w

inthegreensandblues I agree; last year I went to the book launch for Dracula Daily but ultimately decided to read it the old fashioned way for my first read. Some of the out of order entries work best the way Stoker wrote them. This year, I've re-read through DD (still going!) and it's fun to revisit this way. 🖤 4w

50 likes1 stack add7 comments

Eclipse the Moon: A Novel | Jessie Mihalik

pick

I really enjoyed the middle book of the Starlight's Shadow trilogy. If you want romance with a scifi setting, Mihalik is a great pick. Fluffy, but there is some action, too. In this series, the setting is a few years after a war has finally ended. It seems like someone is trying to eradicate the uneasy truce. This crew of people from both sides of the war are working together to prevent it... all while falling in love haha

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView
#SpookyEdition (Disguise) #Pumpkaboo (Large) @PuddleJumper
#31by31 (18/31) @Catsandbooks
#BookSpinBingo 4w

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 4w

Schnoebs Love this series! 4w

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 4w

TheSpineView Fantastic! 4w

45 likes5 comments

Trixie Belden and the Mysterious Code | Kathryn Kenny

pick

Book 7 in the Trixie Belden series is the first book not written by Julie Campbell. However, I felt like if I hadn't known that, I wouldn't necessarily have guessed it haha There were several things about this one that I liked, and a few things that kind of annoyed me. The entire premise of the school forcing the Bob-Whites to disband felt unrealistic (can the school control what you do at home??) ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (con'td) especially since the Hawks just got a “oh yeah you're cool“ with zero effort. It just seemed like they could have done this entire fundraiser without the weird school board potentially breaking up the club. Someone else who reviewed this book this week (I can't remember who, sorry haha) mentioned the outdated stereotypes of the Japanese men in the story. While this is definitely true, this book was published in 1961, a time when many ⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) people were still biased against the Japanese, despite them technically being our allies. So the fact that the author chose to present them as kind and helpful, instead of making them the villains of the piece, actually seemed like a solid move to me. We also get a little glimpse into the idea of the Japanese having a beautiful, rich, interesting heritage.

I was a little let down by how little the code actually figured into the story??⬇ 4w

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I also JUST read the Sherlock Holmes story that involved a similar code - do you think that's where the author got the idea?? I know St. Nicholas was a real magazine, but I couldn't find out if the code actually appeared in it at any point.

I actually really enjoyed a lot of the scenes of the club just being friends, plus the little spark of (very innocent) romance between Trixie and Jim. I shipped them soooo hard growing up! 😂 ⬇ 4w

See All 7 Comments

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) So, any thoughts from you all? This one didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed it. Can't wait to hear what all of you thought!!

#BobWhiteBuddies @BethM @curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder @MaleficentBookDragon @Sparklemn 4w

Read4life Due to some unavoidable circumstances, I haven‘t finished yet. But I will. I love this buddy read. 4w

BookmarkTavern The beginnings of the romance were very sweet, and felt really age appropriate! You make an excellent point about the context of the inclusion of the Japanese men. And the code made me think of that Holmes story too! I looked up those ones and while the actual code is different, the dancing men are the same style! 4w

TheAromaofBooks Tagging everyone on this post again because I found a little something-something that I would LOVE to send to each of the #BobWhiteBuddies (very small, like in an envelope haha) If you all are willing to do so, could you email me your mailing addresses?? itsthegoodlife15 at gmail

@BethM @curiouserandcurioser @BookmarkTavern @DebinHawaii @Read4life @lauraisntwilder @MaleficentBookDragon @Sparklemn 2w

49 likes7 comments

Christy | Catherine Marshall

I picked up my edition at a yard sale for a dime a few years ago 😂 Looking forward to starting this one with you all on Friday!!

#RandomClassics @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Librarybelle @Sace @StayCurious @willaful

Soubhiville Looks like that book has been through some things! 🙂 4w

BarkingMadRead Mine has its dust jacket but it‘s the same version, I think. I‘ll take pics later 🤣 4w

StayCurious I‘m going the audiobook route - read by the actress that played her in the movie I think 4w

Librarybelle Yay! My paperback copy looks a little rough from me taking it back and forth from school. Looking forward to this! 4w

Sace I was just thinking about this yesterday. I‘ll pull out my copy tonight. 4w

51 likes1 stack add5 comments

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

(thru ch30) Okay, I've not been doing a great job hosting this one 😂 But I actually am really enjoying it! These guys are so ridiculous and over-the-top. And D'Artagnan finally gets to be a real musketeer... if he can find the money to get all his gear. Of course he's too busy chasing the mysterious stranger all over town haha And what do you think has happened to poor Constance??

Are you all enjoying this one or no?

Once we get to where the ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) days of the week don't match the chapter numbers anymore, I start to get confused 😆 So here is November's reading schedule. We are going to use the first weekend and the last weekend as catch-up days, especially with Thanksgiving (US) at the end of the month. There are 67 chapters, so we'll wrap up in early December!! 4w

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 4w

CatLass007 I‘m enjoying this one quite a lot. I‘ve been trying to come up with a word that summarizes our Musketeers. They seem to be such scoundrels. They don‘t pay their bills. They‘re always tricking someone into doing something else. Scoundrels. But very funny scoundrels. 4w

See All 12 Comments

wordslinger42 I‘m really enjoying it as well!! Their antics are amusing 😄 4w

Jadams89 I‘m really enjoying it!! 4w

BarkingMadRead I‘m loving this so much! Thanks for the schedule, this is really helpful! Looking forward to more hijinks 4w

julieclair I haven‘t even started this one yet, but really want to. Fingers crossed I can catch up! 🤞 4w

Librarybelle Thanks for the schedule! Still catching up but am still liking it! 4w

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks im loving this, as well! 4w

CatLass007 I‘m not quite sure how it happened but as of 11/03/2024, I‘ve finished through chapter 32, which would put me only one day ahead of the group. Except, @TheAromaofBooks, your book has 67 chapters and my audiobook has only 56 chapters. All my chapters have named titles. So actually, I may only think I‘m a day ahead. I could be behind. Because using different translations can really screw things up. So, while I am still confused, I am enjoying it. 3w

TheAromaofBooks @CatLass007 - Sometimes audiobooks divide things differently, or even have an abridged edition instead of the full version. In my book, chapter 32 is titled “A Procureur's Dinner“ - does that match up with anything at your end? 3w

CatLass007 @TheAromaofBooks Yes, that‘s what my chapter 32 is called. I go out of my way to avoid abridged books. In fact, if there‘s more than one translation of a particular book, as there is with the current one, I always choose the one that is longer (if there are only two), or if there‘s more than two, I choose the longest. Abridged books and Astroturf should be outlawed! 3w

35 likes12 comments

Untitled | Untitled

I picked up this book from 1965 because it's illustrated by Sam Savitt, and it's staying on my shelf for that reason despite it being a pretty so-so story. It's only 89 pages long, and some brief research makes me think it's a sequel to an earlier book about a Shetland Pony named Christy. There just isn't much story here, but I'm sure 10-year-old me would have been enthralled by a girl being gifted her own pony 😂

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#PSReadathon @Bookwormjillk
#31by31 (17/31) @Catsandbooks
#Roll100 #Pumpkaboo (Small) @PuddleJumper
#BirthdayBashReadathon #BookSpinBingo #100YearsofBooks 1mo

Bookwormjillk 🐴🐴🐴 1mo

OriginalCyn620 🐎🐎🐎 1mo

See All 7 Comments

TheSpineView ❤️🐎❤️🏇❤️ 1mo

PuddleJumper Wahoo! 1mo

LeahBergen It‘s so cute! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐴🧡 1mo

56 likes7 comments

Untitled | Untitled

An old Scholastic Book Club book from 1935 that isn't in the database. Another soft pick, this was perfectly fine but somewhat boring fare. A brother and sister at the seaside on vacation meet up with a local boy with a semi-tragic backstory involving a lost inheritance. In the end, they find the long-lost will and happy endings are handed out all around. There's birdwatching, too, so I probably would have loved this when I was younger haha

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#Roll100 #SpookyEdition (Family) #Pumpkaboo (Small) @PuddleJumper
#PSReadathon @Bookwormjillk
#31by31 (16/31) @Catsandbooks
#AtoZ @Texreader
#BirthdayBashReadathon #BookSpinBingo #PromptMaze #100YearsofBooks 1mo

Bookwormjillk 😻😻😻 1mo

OriginalCyn620 Cute kitty! 😻 1mo

See All 12 Comments

TheSpineView Awesome!❤️🐾❤️ 1mo

PuddleJumper 😻 😻 1mo

Texreader ❤️🐈‍⬛❤️🐈‍⬛ 1mo

Gissy 😻🖤🖤🖤 1mo

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 1mo

AnnCrystal 💕😻🐾💝. 1mo

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo

Catsandbooks Sweet kitty! 🧡🐈‍⬛ 1mo

CatLass007 😻🐾🐾🐾 1w

61 likes12 comments

The Little Grey Men | B B, Denys Watkins-Pitchford

pick

This story, about the last three gnomes in England, seems like it should have been a book I loved. Three brothers traveling to try and find their lost brother and running into plenty of adventures and animal friends along the way. However, it somehow just didn't quite work for me. Maybe it was the random murder in the middle? I liked it but didn't love it. Soft pick.

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 (15/31) @Catsandbooks
#PSReadathon @Bookwormjillk (yeah, I'm reviewing last weekend's books 😂)
#WickedWords - Accident @AsYouWish
#ISpyBingo - Bug, Insect @Clwojick
#SpookyEdition #Pumpkaboo (Medium) @PuddleJumper
#BookSpinBingo #BirthdayBashReadathon #PromptMaze 1mo

Bookwormjillk Random murder will sometimes put a damper on things 😂 1mo

OriginalCyn620 Random murder 😂 1mo

TheSpineView Excellent! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻💚 1mo

52 likes5 comments

TheAromaofBooks @MittenGirlPeach @Itchyfeetreader @Lcsmcat @wanderinglynn @RaeLovesToRead @Bookwormjillk @Soubhiville @IndoorDame @kwmg40 @staci.reads @LeslieO @Bookworm04 @BookishMadHatter @BookmarkTavern @ChelseaM6010 @Allydanielle88 @ElizaMarie 1mo

Sweet November: Music from the Motion Picture | Various Artists

Oh my word, October is almost over!! November is right around the corner, so if you would like to #BookSpin next month, it's time to be thinking about your lists!!

And for those of you who REALLY like to plan ahead, I have every intention of continuing this challenge (+ #BookSpinBingo of course!) into 2025... even if it's absolutely bonkers that next year is going to TWENTY-FIVE YEARS into the 21st century! What. Even.

Anyway, can't wait to see⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) everyone's November plans!!

Also, don't forget, there is a giveaway associated with this challenge!! I'll be picking five people to receive a book!! Every BookSpin and DoubleSpin book completed (or DNF'd in good faith lol) counts as an entry!! The form to track your reads/enter the giveaway can be found here: https://forms.gle/Cb63LhTodq5CoRhHA You can edit the form so you can either fill it out as you go or all at once at the end of ⬇ 1mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) December. As always, let me know if you have any questions!! 1mo

See All 42 Comments

BarkingMadRead Hooray for #bookspin 2025! I‘ve been slowly making my pile, I will double down in the next couple days! 1mo

Bookwormjillk I was working on my list this morning but realized I left out #FiidAndLit and #AuthorAMonth so I still have some work to do. Hooray for 2025! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck @bekakins @Daisey @Mollyanna @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @kimmypete1 @rabbitprincess @DGRachel @Librarybelle @PageShifter @RebelReader @Sarahreadstoomuch @Jari-Chan @behudd @peanutnine @PuddleJumper @Laughterhp 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @vlwelser @majkia @Larkken @claudiuo @MallenNC @sebrittainclark @Maggie4483 @AmandaBlaze @BooksNBowls @JamieArc @Yuki_Onna @JenReadsAlot @OriginalCyn620 @katiekat311 @Liz_M @BarkingMadRead @Pageturner1 @robinb @tdrosebud 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @ImperfectCJ @sherrisilvera @Julsmarshall @BookwormAHN @bookandbedandtea @Eggs @Clare-Dragonfly @nitalibrarian @RainyDayReading @zezeki @Kirstin_Reads @Bookzombie @ChaoticMissAdventures @yourfavouritemixtape @GirlNamedJesse @BarbaraJean 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @TheBookgeekFrau @LeafingThroughLife @Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures @Pigpen_Reads @JoeMo @Librariana @NikkiM @ShananigansReads @Deblovestoread @Monica5 @Kimberlone @Coffeymuse @Bklover @Clwojick @gossamerchild @DieAReader @mrp27 @Kristelh 1mo

Lcsmcat I‘m in! Thanks for taking this on! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @candc320 @JackOBotts @dabbe @Read4life @Chili @CoffeeNBooks @Allylu @willaful @AnneCecilie @Bookworm54 @LitsyEvents @TheLudicReader @rachelk @HeyT @hissingpotatoes @tokorowilliamwallace @Grrlbrarian @JenDR @AudioBookingWithLeah 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @marleed @Bluebird @Suet624 @Karisimo @CharityAnn @BookNAround @Prairiegirl_reading @GinaKButler @Chelsea.Poole @julieclair @booklover3258 @Scochrane26 @hes7 @Zuhkeeyah @Charlie0007 @CSeydel @Lizpixie @LeticiaToraci @guinsgirlreads @Crazeedi @Megabooks 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon @lauraisntwilder @Marmie7 @faelinwolf @BookKenz @KatieB @kstadt929 @Flaneurette @Whollybologna @Singout @BacklistReader @mrsmarch @Caryl @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @Bookgoil @SusanLee @Bookbuyingaddict @Ash.on.the.line 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @UwannaPublishme @Amandakay @Chrissyreadit @llwheeler @ferskner @TieDyeDude @Airykah13 @TheQuietQuill @AsYouWish @Gissy @theokiereader @silentrequiem @Elizabeth2 @mamareading @rockpools @triplem80 @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @VeganCleopatra 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @majkia @vonnie862 @Jess861 @Kristin_Reads @Roary47 @Fortifiedbybooks @throwmeabook @Sargar114 @Nessavamusic @keys_on_fire @TheSpineView @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Littlewolf1 @SpookyMazeOfBooks @Jadams89 @KristiAhlers @merelybookish 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @MatchlessMarie @CBee @Read-y_Picker @AshleyHoss820 @Rachel52 @melissajayne @aperfectmjk @CloakNQuill @magyklyXdelish @kspenmoll @andreadmw @kelli7990 @jessicamichelle @BeeCurious @lil1inblue @beccaortiz @Sace @Magoose @brittanyreads 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @CoffeeK8 @rachelsbrittain @LaraReads @AllDebooks @michellelav @readmyeyes @maich @SusanOrnelas65 @SamAnne @wordslinger42 @LiteraryinPA 1mo

CoffeeNBooks How is it almost November?! 😁 1mo

janeycanuck I do not agree with your premise that 2025 is 25 years into the century. 1mo

TheSpineView Can't believe how fast this year has gone! 1mo

Librarybelle Can we just ask time to pause for a moment??? 1mo

Sace Yay! I‘m going to try to get a bookspin list up this week. I‘m so glad you will continue into 2025! Thanks so much for this fun activity. (edited) 1mo

Jari-chan Well, I'll totally be in in 2025 as well. You don't seem to get rid of me 😁 1mo

CSeydel Thanks, Sarah! I think I need to take November and December to get caught up on the earlier months that I haven‘t read yet 😬 but you can keep me on the list, and I‘ll definitely keep playing in 2025! 1mo

Deblovestoread Yay! Thanks, Sarah! 1mo

Megabooks Yay!!! I know I haven‘t been posting much, but I‘ve been faithfully reading those two books every month! 1mo

Eggs Thx Sarah! I‘ll make the list 🥰🥰 1mo

kelli7990 I want to keep playing in 2025 and I will be making another list for November even though I‘m not finished with this month‘s list. I‘m enjoying making my lists and bingo boards. The bingo boards are my favorite to make because I find the most beautiful backgrounds to use for them from Pinterest. 1mo

dabbe Thanks for all your hard work, Sarah. I can't wait to update the form for the entire 2024 year! 🤩 1mo

Soubhiville Thanks Sarah! I‘m in for next year too. 🙂 1mo

sherrisilvera Love these lists!! 1mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick No! I need a few more months to complete my 2024 challenges! 🤣 I found a book on my shelves published in 2000 titled Internet Cool Guide or something like that. I'm tempted to post about it daily comparing what sites are still around, which are defunct, how they've changed, etc, as a way to celebrate the last quarter century but I don't know if I can commit. 1mo

vonnie862 I haven't been doing my best this month. Let's see how November goes. 1mo

CloakNQuill Just waiting on my GR partner to choose my PIFM & I‘ll post my November list 1mo

Allydanielle88 How dare October end so quickly! I've only read one book. 😭 1mo

BookmarkTavern I‘m not ready! 🤣🤣🤣 1mo

bekakins Omg how is it almost 2025 😭 1mo

MaleficentBookDragon I‘m in for next year! I love making my boards even though I mostly go rogue every month. 😜 1mo

PuddleJumper Yay! I'm here for the long haul! 1mo

Bookbuyingaddict Hooray 🙌🏻 so glad 😌 your continuing next year love 🥰 our monthly bingo boards and altering mine every month 😂 1mo

claudiuo Thank you so much for continuing next year, I really love both challenges and they help me so much to read more! Thank you! (edited) 1mo

julieclair Yay for 2025! Thank you, Sarah, for continuing. 😘 1mo

105 likes42 comments

The Last Close Call | Laura Griffin

pick

A traveling book that I was supposed to read in September, whoops. This one was borderline so-so for me, mainly because the two MCs were inconsistent and kind of annoying. Also it felt like the overall message in the end was that in the nature vs nurture debate, you can't escape nature (more details in the spoiler), and I didn't care for that. However, the use of forensic genealogy was intriguing and I enjoyed the secondary characters.

TheAromaofBooks The criminal in this one is a serial rapist. He was given up for adoption by his 16-year-old birth mother. At the end, you find out that she had gotten pregnant because she had been raped, and there is this overall vibe that the reason this guy was a rapist was because his dad was a rapist, and that was just the way it had to be, despite him being adopted and raised in a loving home. This isn't stated explicitly, but combined with the fact that ⬇ 1mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) after they capture the criminal the reader never gets any explanation/viewpoint from him at all - we never find out what his motivation was, if something triggered him to start this, why he left Texas for five years, why he came back, whether or not his girlfriend was remotely suspicious, etc. NOTHING. So all we're left with is “his birth father was a rapist so“ and that just didn't sit well with me. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#AtoZ @Texreader
#SpookyEdition (Midnight) #BodyCountBingo #Pumpkaboo (Medium) @PuddleJumper
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 (14/31) @Catsandbooks
#PSReadathon @Bookwormjillk
#BookSpinBingo #BirthdayBashReadathon 1mo

See All 13 Comments

TheAromaofBooks @Jerdencon @Bookandbedandtea - FOR REAL I am also going to finish my pick for October and then mail them both to Paula before the end of October 😂 I would be interested to hear if you had any thoughts on the nature vs. nurture aspect of this book - was that just me reading too much into it?? 1mo

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo

Jerdencon @bookandbedandtea honestly I do believe nature plays a part (I work as a school psychologist so seen this happen) - kids are raised in a wonderful home but still have issues BUT I‘ve also seen the other side of it too - think it‘s one of those mysteries of life and genetics. Also my books will be in the mail beg of next week! (edited) 1mo

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 1mo

bookandbedandtea @Jerdencon @TheAromaofBooks I did feel this leaned a little hard on nature because I've always wanted to believe nurture weighs heavier in that balance. I'll send my books out next week as well. 😄 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @Jerdencon @bookandbedandtea - It seems like nature has to play a substantial role because, like Denise said, you see kids raised in lovely homes and still turn out troubled. Just looking at myself and my five siblings (including one adopted) all raised by the same parents, but all really different as adults, it's obvious that nature is there haha But it felt weird that the conclusion was kind of “oh his birth dad was also bad, that explains why ⬇ 1mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) this guy was also bad“ without any real nuance or exploration of other influences/aspects of the bad guy's life. Anyway, it was an interesting book and I didn't dislike it, but I felt like the ending dragged out kind of purposelessly haha 1mo

bookandbedandtea @TheAromaofBooks I think you have a good point, Sarah, about the lack of nuance regarding the bad guy and that more explanation about him would have made for a better story. I could have stood for more if that and less of the romance between the leads. 1mo

Jerdencon @bookandbedandtea I agree about the romance part 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🦇🖤 1mo

56 likes13 comments

Cover of Night: A Novel | Linda Howard

so-so

I know going into it that this type of romantic suspense is going to need me to gloss over a lot of ?!?!?! moments to make it work, but this book was really pushing the limits haha Pretty ridiculous on the whole, but sometimes that's what you need. A long while back someone gave me a box of random thrillers/romantic suspense, and this was one of them. Mildly entertaining, but off to a new home now.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620

TheAromaofBooks #BirthdayBashReadathon
#PSReadathon @Bookwormjillk
#SpookyEdition (Vigilante) #BodyCountBingo #Pumpkaboo (Medium) @PuddleJumper
#AtoZ @Texreader
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 (12/31) @Catsandbooks
#BookSpinBingo 1mo

PuddleJumper 🧡🖤🧡 1mo

TheSpineView Well done! 1mo

OriginalCyn620 At least it‘s off the tbr now! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐦‍⬛❤️ 1mo

50 likes5 comments

The Willows in Winter | William Horwood

pick

The first book read for my #BirthdayBashReadathon was a bit of a random choice - a sequel to The Wind in the Willows, written by not-the-original-Willows-author. I'm always somewhat leery of people piggy-backing off of someone else's work, but I think Horwood makes it work. It's obvious that he has a great deal of love and respect for Grahame's original characters, but says he was always a bit saddened by the ending of Willows, which reassures ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the readers that Toad was “indeed an altered Toad.“ Horwood says he could never believe that a rascal like Toad could ever be completely reformed, and from that thought, this book was born. It's a soft pick for me, and I'm perhaps able to be more generous with it because while I like Willows, it isn't a heart-book for me, so the fact that Horwood doesn't *quite* get the tone right doesn't horrify me haha The pacing is a little uneven ⬇ 1mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) but for the most part this is a warm, respectful sequel to a beloved children's classic. Horwood went on to write three more books about the Willows characters, which I seem to have collected over the years, so I'll hopefully be reading them this year as well.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView
#100YearsofBooks #192025 (1993) @Librarybelle
#WickedWords (Winter) @AsYouWish
#AtoZ @Texreader 1mo

TheAromaofBooks #SpookyEdition (Lost) #Pumpkaboo (Medium) @PuddleJumper
#31by31 (11/31) @Catsandbooks
#BookSpinBingo 1mo

See All 8 Comments

Librarybelle Oddly, I‘ve never read The Wind in the Willows! 1mo

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo

TheSpineView Excellent! 1mo

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐈‍⬛💜 1mo

54 likes8 comments

Hideaway: A Novel | Nora Roberts

pick

Soft pick. I liked the main character and her close family ties, but this book was very slow paced, and the motivation of the bad guy just never really made a lot of sense. I get it that revenge is a dish best served cold... but sheesh. Nice for a one-off read, but this one is headed to the giveaway pile.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#ReadOrDonate @julieclair
#AtoZ @Texreader
#PromoptMaze
#BookSpinBingo

TheAromaofBooks #Roll100 #SpookyEdition (Vengeful) #BodyCountBingo #Pumpkaboo (Super) @PuddleJumper
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 (10/31) @Catsandbooks 1mo

TheSpineView Great job! 1mo

OriginalCyn620 Pretty cover though! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 1mo

54 likes4 comments

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

(thru ch21) How is it going, friends? I know a few of us are a little behind 😂 So without getting into too many spoilers, I have to say that the action has been quite exciting over the last couple of chapters!! (Although I felt terrible for the horses! 😢) I didn't realize there was going to be so much political intrigue, but on the whole I feel like Dumas keeps it light enough to stay entertaining.

I am planning to stick with the chapter-a-day⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) plan through October, but would you all like to take the first weekend of November as catch-up days, and then pick up with chapter 32 on November 4? Let me know what you think!!

@BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 1mo

janeycanuck I‘m on chapter 10 but I think I need to reread a couple of chapters so a bit of extra time to catch up would be awesome! 1mo

TheBookHippie Yes catch up would be wonderful!!! I struggled the first bit but now I‘m hitting my stride. 1mo

See All 8 Comments

ChaoticMissAdventures I am trying to catch up with 2 chapters a day which is doable for me, but goodness he really likes his words huh? Did he get paid by the letter in writing this? 😂. After watching King James and George it is interesting to see the Duke here running around France wooing the ladies 1mo

BarkingMadRead I‘m loving this, it‘s still very Don Quixote-like without the insanity 🤣 1mo

Librarybelle Sounds good to me! I‘m very behind still and hope to read more this week. 1mo

nanuska_153 @ChaoticMissAdventures yes, Dumas actually got paid by word/line 😅 It's kind of like when series were on tv rather than streaming and seasons where 20 episodes, some of them where nothing happened: Halloween episode, Christmas episode,etc Now with streaming it seems like there's only 8 episodes and all of them important.Dickens is particularly obvious cause he was paid by installments and there are chapters that have a Thanksgiving episode's vibe 1mo

CatLass007 I‘m enjoying this much more than Don Quixote, something on which I quickly bailed. It was just too depressing. So much of this current book is tongue in cheek. Not depressing at all. Audible lists this as the first book in “D‘Artagnon: The Musketeers Cycle.” Depending on how this one winds up, I probably would enjoy listening to more in the series or other books by Dumas. 1mo

36 likes8 comments

TheAromaofBooks @Meshell1313 @nanuska_153 @Read4life @SamAnne @StayCurious @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 1mo

Christy | Catherine Marshall

In November we will be continuing to read the rollicking adventures of the Three Musketeers, but also will be starting another book: Christy, by Catherine Marshall. First published in 1967, Marshall drew on stories from her mother's experiences teaching in a remote area of eastern Tennessee circa 1912. I read this book as a teen an enjoyed it, but I'm interested to see what I think of it now that I have some more life under my belt 😂

TheAromaofBooks As usual, I am tagging the entire #RandomClassics crew, and you all can let me know if you're planning to join me for November's read or not. 😁

@AnneCecilie @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @BookingitwithSandra @Bookwormjillk @catiewithac @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @CoverToCoverGirl @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @eeclayton @janeycanuck @julieclair @Lcsmcat @Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 1mo

nanuska_153 Sorry, I am still interested in this club, it's just that I'm struggling to meet my TBR targets for the year, but I'll be more of a participant next year when the pressure is off! Any chance of joining Crime and Punishment for next year? I really want to re-read it and my head remembers Raskolnikov as an extremely meme-able character. No pressure if you read it recently or are not interested in Russians! 1mo

See All 24 Comments

Librarybelle I too read Christy as a teenager and am interested to see what I think of it as an adult. Looking forward to it! 1mo

Lcsmcat I‘m going to sit this one out. But keep me on the list for future months please. 1mo

janeycanuck No Christie for me! I‘m behind on Three Musketeers (obviously…) and I still haven‘t picked Don Quixote up again. But I‘m at 78% complete for Evelina! 1mo

wordslinger42 I‘m going to sit November‘s read out and keep enjoying Musketeers! I‘m excited for next year‘s reads (and can‘t believe it‘s almost November already 😳😂) 1mo

BarkingMadRead I read this as a teen as well and watched the series. Can‘t wait to read it again 1mo

TheBookHippie I‘m sticking with Dumas. And November ?!?! 😅🤣 1mo

BarbaraJean I shouldn‘t commit to another chapter-a-day style buddy read at this point, but I‘m going to anyway 😂😂 I just pulled my copy (also from my teen years) off the shelf and have it ready to go for November! 1mo

StayCurious I‘d love to join - I enjoyed the series so I‘d like to read the book. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @nanuska_153 - No worries, this group is set up so people can dip in and out as it suits their tastes and schedules!! So the way that it gets the “random“ part of its name is that I have all the titles I'm thinking about reading in a spreadsheet and choose a number at random to read each month 😂 So Crime & Punishment is a possibility, but it may or may not come up any time soon!! 1mo

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks i think ill stick with Three Musketeers for November:) im looking forward to next years reads!! 1mo

Sace I plan to dip in for Christy! Read it in my early twenties while working on my degree in education. 1mo

willaful What's the format for the read? Can't remember if I've joined in this group or not. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @willaful - A chapter a day until we finish - looks like there are 46 chapters in Christy, so we will carry into December a bit. Usually I will check in a little before we start to see if the group would prefer to double up on chapters and do two a day, but we usually end up going with just one to make it harder to fall behind haha 1mo

willaful I think I'll join! Haven't read Christy since I was a teen. 1mo

Teresereading I‘d like to join, is there a start date? 4w

TheAromaofBooks @Teresereading - I always start on the first of the month, so Christy will start on Friday!! Would you like to be added to the tag list? We will be reading one chapter a day until we finish. 4w

Teresereading @TheAromaofBooks yes please 4w

CatLass007 @TheAromaofBooks I think I asked to be removed from your master tag list. But it‘s a woman‘s prerogative to change her mind (Does anyone remember what product for which that was the slogan? It‘s driving me slightly nuts that I can‘t remember.) so I‘d like to be re-added. That doesn‘t mean I‘m actually going to read any of them, but I like knowing that if I want to read them I will be able to discuss them with others. And if I read (cont)⬇️ (edited) 1w

CatLass007 something, I might read it all at once instead of a chapter a day. That seems to help me keep my focus. (edited) 1w

TheAromaofBooks @CatLass007 - No worries, I added you back in!! This is one of those challenges you can take a book at a time, depending on how your schedule is looking!!! 1w

CatLass007 Your schedule, the availability at the library, and your wallet…💸 1w

48 likes24 comments

TheAromaofBooks #31by31 @Catsandbooks #Spookoween @TheSpineView #PSReadathon @bookwormjillk #BirthdayBashReadathon #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious 1mo

Cover of Night: A Novel | Linda Howard

A little late with my weekend readathon plans, because I was offline yesterday and forgot to post on Thursday haha I got a lot of reading in yesterday and am almost finished with the tagged book. Hoping to get through at least two more books by the end of Monday - it's looking like a chill weekend so it's pretty doable as long as I don't get toooo sucked into playing Stardew Valley 😂

TheSpineView Enjoy! 1mo

Catsandbooks 🧡🖤 1mo

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks Happy Birthday!!🎉🎉 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @curiouserandcurioser - Thank you!!! 💕 1mo

40 likes5 comments

Dead Man's Folly: A Hercule Poirot Mystery | Agatha Christie

pick

While not my favorite Poirot, this one does involve Mrs. Oliver (although not nearly enough of her haha). I still haven't decided whether or not the ending is a bit of a cheat. Soft pick.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SpookyEdition (Fiendish) #BodyDouble #Pumpkaboo (Medium) @PuddleJumper
#CozyReads @Bookwormjillk
#AtoZ @Texreader
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 (8/31) @Catsandbooks
#PromptMaze #BookSpinBingo

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 1mo

PuddleJumper 🧡🖤🧡 1mo

TheSpineView Fantastic! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐦‍⬛💜 1mo

57 likes4 comments

The Message in the Hollow Oak | Carolyn Keene

so-so

Like many of the other buddy readers, I found this one to be one of the weaker entries of the series so far. The plot felt jumbled and unrealistic (more so than usual haha) and the whole “jealousy“ side line definitely felt like padding. Definitely not my favorite.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView
#SpookyEdition (Scream) #Pumpkaboo (Medium) #BodyDoubleReadathon @PuddleJumper

TheAromaofBooks #CozyReads @Bookwormjillk
#AtoZ @Texreader
#31by31 (7/31) @Catsandbooks
#PromptMaze #BookSpinBingo 1mo

OriginalCyn620 I love your ghost! 👻 1mo

PuddleJumper 🐈‍⬛🖤🐈‍⬛ 1mo

See All 8 Comments

TheSpineView Awesome! 1mo

Bookwormjillk 🌳🌳🌳 1mo

Librarybelle Cute ghost! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @OriginalCyn620 @Librarybelle - I'm not usually a ghost girlie, but something about the shades totally sold me on this one 😂 1mo

55 likes8 comments

Hunt the Stars | Jessie Mihalik

pick

I really enjoyed another trilogy by this author that I read last year. These are what I think of as sci-fi lite. They're set in space, we're zipping around the spaceships, but these aren't super science-y haha It's more about the romance, and I'm cool with that. I really liked the way these two crews, from opposite sides of a recently-ended war, had to get over their suspicions and work together. The pacing was a little a slow in spots, but ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) overall this is just outer space fun.

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#CasttheDie #GottaCatchEmAll (Found Family) #SpookyEdition (Loyalty) #Pumpkaboo (Large) @PuddleJumper
#SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView
#WickedWords (Rings) @AsYouWish
#ISpyBingo (Planets) @Clwojick
#AtoZ @Texreader
#31by31 (6/31) @Catsandbooks
#PromptMaze #BookSpinBingo 1mo

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 1mo

Texreader Sci fi lite! Perfect! 1mo

See All 6 Comments

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo

TheSpineView Great job! 1mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 1mo

50 likes6 comments

Audiobooks on the Go | Audiofile, Robin Whitten

Question - my husband is interested in listening to audiobooks at work. This is so not my thing so I don't know anything about them haha He mostly likes to read nonfiction. Any thoughts out there on which of the audiobook options is a good deal/user friendly/more likely to have nonfiction available?

wanderinglynn Any of the audiobook providers have nonfiction. But I recommend using Libby, which allows you to check audiobooks out from the library. After Libby, to purchase audiobooks, I recommend Libro.fm because it supports independent bookstores. He‘s welcome to use my referral code: https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm99480 (edited) 1mo

DogMomIrene I use the Libby app from my library combined with an Audible subscription. Some libraries allow you to access their digital collections if you‘re in the state, but not that metro area. Others have subscription fees to access digital. Google that one for sure. I know book bloggers have covered it. Audible has a lot of “free” material as well, and it usually covers a variety of genres, incl NF. Get on their email list for sales too. 1mo

Laughterhp You can also see if your library has hoopla. I use Libby and hoopla for audiobooks (both through library) and refuse to pay for audiobooks lol. 1mo

See All 15 Comments

CogsOfEncouragement My library no longer uses Libby, now it uses CloudLibrary which is also great. So just check to see what yours gives you access to. 1mo

JenReadsAlot I can only do NF on audio! I use Libby through my library and Audible. 1mo

AmyG I use Libby and love it. I say try the library first and see how that works. (edited) 1mo

Ruthiella Definitely go the library route first if that‘s an option. There‘s also an unlimited subscription service for a fee through Scribd.com which I used to use and https://www.chirpbooks.com/ has good deals if you prefer to buy. 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I agree with others if he is just getting started the library is always the best option. If you don't have access I also use Everand (used to be called Scribd) they are something like $10 a month and have tons of books. Also if you already have Spotify they have some audio - just make sure you don't have shuffle turned on! 1mo

TieDyeDude If he has access to a CD drive at work, you can also check out used book sales at your local libraries. They will usually have audio books on CD for sale as well. 1mo

shortsarahrose Echoing what everyone else has said about checking your local library - mine has Libby, Hoopla, and Cloud Library! 1mo

BarbaraJean Here‘s yet another recommendation for audiobooks on Libby and Hoopla! I find SO many nonfiction audiobooks on Hoopla that I want to read, but audio is NOT my preferred format for NF so they sit in my “favorites” forever 😂 1mo

lauraisntwilder My library doesn't use Libby, but other places I've lived had it and it's great. I use libro.fm a lot now, since my library's selection on Hoopla and CloudLibrary leave a lot to be desired. 1mo

MonicaLoves2Read Check with your local library and see if they offer Libby. I get a lot of my nonfiction audiobooks from Libby. 1mo

Bookwormjillk I agree with others that Libby is a good starting point. I also use Everand and Libro.fm. Both have a good NF selection. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Thank you all sooo much for your insight and recommendations!!! I'm definitely going to get him hooked up with Libby and see what our library has to offer and go from there. I really appreciate everyone's comments!!

@wanderinglynn @DogMomIrene @Laughterhp @CogsOfEncouragement @JenReadsAlot @AmyG @Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures @TieDyeDude @shortsarahrose @BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @MonicaLoves2Read @Bookwormjillk 1mo

33 likes15 comments

Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service

Hey friends!! I think I'm actually going to get tomorrow off, so I've decided to kick off a weekend of reading to celebrate my birthday!! 😁 Tag me with your reads, and feel free to eat some birthday dessert in my honor 😂

If you're participating in HauntedShelf you can totally use this for bonus points, but even if you're not, I hope you'll still join me in the worthy goal of trying to work as much reading into the weekend as possible! 😉

TheAromaofBooks @LitsyEvents @PuddleJumper @OriginalCyn620 1mo

AmyG I‘m in….and I will celebrate with you as my birthday is the 21st! I might not eat cake but I will be eating Halloween candy. 🤣 (edited) 1mo

OriginalCyn620 I am in! Happy early birthday! 🥳 I probably won‘t have cake but I am planning to make chocolate chip pumpkin bread. 1mo

See All 27 Comments

Meshell1313 Fun! And Happy Almost Birthday! 🎂 🎉 1mo

Mollyanna I‘ll read along with you too. Have a Happy Birthday weekend. 🎈🎂🥳 1mo

TheBookgeekFrau Early Happy Birthday!!! 🎉🎊 1mo

Cuilin Happy Birthday 📚 🎂 1mo

Yuki_Onna I'll totally read (and eat 😁) and celebrate along! What a fun way to celebrate your birthday! 🧡 1mo

dabbe HB! 🤩🤩🤩 1mo

PuddleJumper Have a great birthday! 1mo

Seabreeze_Reader 🎈🥳🎂🎉 1mo

kspenmoll Happy birthday!!!🎊🎈🎉 I will read sling with you! 1mo

Gissy Nice! 🙋🏽‍♀️🎂🥳📚🎉📚 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @AmyG - Birthday buddies!!! 🎉 Hope you have a fabulous weekend/birthday, too!!! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @OriginalCyn620 @Meshell1313 @Mollyanna @TheBookgeekFrau @Cuilin @Yuki_Onna @dabbe @PuddleJumper @Seabreeze_Reader @kspenmoll @Gissy - Thank you!!! And I just found out I don't have to go anywhere this weekend after all, so my birthday got even better! 😂 1mo

AmyG @TheAromaofBooks Same here. i am home ALONE. My husband is away on business. So read ALL weekend! 1mo

BarbaraJean I love this—I will join in where I can! And a very Happy Birthday weekend to you!! 1mo

Gissy Started on the 17th, They Never Learn. Already motivated😃Is there a hashtag related with this Readathon? 1mo

Sace Happy Birthday 🎉🎂🎁 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean @Sace - Thank you!!! 💕 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @Gissy - Sorry, I was offline yesterday haha The hashtag is #BirthdayBashReadathon - hope you having a great time reading this weekend!! 1mo

kwmg40 I hope you're having an excellent birthday weekend! 1mo

BennettBookworm Happy happy birthday!!! 1mo

willaful Hope you had a good birthday! A friend of mine has the same birthday so I actually ate some cake on yours. :-) 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @kwmg40 @BennettBookworm - Thank you!!! It was a fabulous birthday weekend!! 1mo

TheAromaofBooks @willaful - Nice!!! I'm always excited to hear about birthday buddies haha Funny story, my family was out of town so we aren't going to do my actual cake until this coming weekend. I still treated myself to some other goodies, though 😁 1mo

willaful @TheAromaofBooks Your birthday buddy is my daughter's aide and an extremely nice person! 1mo

51 likes27 comments

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

We're 14 chapters in and I'm only just now checking to see how everyone is doing 😂 The first couple of chapters were a bit of a struggle for me, but I am starting to enjoy it now. This book is a lot more snarky than I was anticipating. And even though D'Artagnan is a hot-headed mess, I'm finding him entertaining. How is it going for all of you? Have any of you decided to bail? Any favorite characters/scenes?

TheAromaofBooks #RandomClassics @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 1mo

Librarybelle I‘m behind! Not because of the book but because of life. I‘m liking it so far, but admittedly I‘m not very far into the book. 1mo

BarkingMadRead It‘s starting to get interesting now, a little dramatic, and still a cooler version of Don Quixote 🤣 1mo

See All 11 Comments

Clare-Dragonfly I bailed 😅 I agree that it was snarkier than expected, but I wasn‘t having fun. 1mo

CatLass007 I‘m really enjoying this. I‘ve been listening to an Audible free selection but it‘s going to stop being free toward the end of the month so I went ahead and bought it. I‘m loving the snark. I‘m not sure why it would be compared to Don Quixote because that was incredibly depressing and I definitely bailed. This isn‘t depressing at all (yet). 1mo

Jadams89 I agree, the first couple of chapters were strange, but now I‘m enjoying it! 1mo

TheBookHippie @Librarybelle same!!! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I loved the name dropping of other books (Don Quixote and Gulliver's Travel) this is my first Alexander Dumas and I am really enjoying the humor and the political commentary..I am a couple of chapters behind already but I am enjoying it. 1mo

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks this is a reread for me:) im enjoying it again this time around, though its been such a long time, its like reading for the first time! 1mo

janeycanuck I‘m on chapter 8! Not as behind as I expected I‘d be. Like everyone else, I‘m enjoying the snark. I was hoping to buckle down and get caught up this weekend but it didn‘t happen. I think I‘ll double up on chapters for the next few days instead. 1mo

Read4life I‘m enjoying the snark. Love me some snark 😂😂. I‘m a bit behind but will catch up this week. 1mo

43 likes11 comments

Hunt the Stars | Jessie Mihalik

Several readathons this weekend and I'm ready!! Like @PuddleJumper said, I could definitely use a #BodyDouble to do my chores while I do my reading 😂 @Bookwormjillk is hosting a #CozyReads weekend as well. I am hoping to finish the tagged book and read at least one more!! @TheSpineView my #Spookoween goal for the month is to average 210pgs/day - currently I'm only 238pgs behind, so I'm going to try and catch up this weekend!! Also still ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) trying to achieve 31 books in 31 days for the #31by31 which I just realized I think I have been tagging 31in31 in all my other posts 😅 @Catsandbooks Currently I'm only at 5 books for the month, but I have several short stories that should boost the number.

Thanks to everyone for hosting!! Looking forward to getting some reading in this weekend!!
#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620 2mo

OriginalCyn620 🧡🧡🧡 2mo

TheSpineView You got this! 👍📖📚 2mo

Catsandbooks No worries! 😂 Great job so far! 🙌🏼 1mo

47 likes4 comments

Good Girl's Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson

pick

Five years ago a high school senior disappeared. Although her body was never found, police decided that she was murdered by her boyfriend, who committed suicide a few days later. However, Pip - who is now a high school senior herself - has never believed that the boyfriend was the murderer. With the help of the boyfriend's younger brother, she sets out to reexamine the evidence. I really liked the format of this book, with parts of it Pip's notes⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) some in the form of transcripts of people she was interviewing, and other sections just regular third-person narration. It did drag a little in the middle, but I really did want to find out what happened and I liked the way the different pieces of evidence kept shifting the pointing finger. While the ending did make sense on the whole, I was actually convinced that it fit the personalities of the characters. There were also a few things ⬇ 2mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I found kind of unbelievable/a big stretch. But on the whole, an enjoyable YA thriller, and I'll probably pick up the sequel soon.

This was a #TrappedinaHauntedHouse pick (thanks @Charityann !!) and also my list to read for the #AcquiredViaLitsy challenge @MatchlessMarie - it was gifted to me as part of the #Bestof2021Swap by @kellyann28 back in - you guessed it - January 2022!

#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620 2mo

TheAromaofBooks #SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#ReadtheUSA - Connecticut
#GottaCatchEmAll - Grey Cover - #SpookyEdition - Forest - #BodyCountBingo - #Pumpkaboo - Large @PuddleJumper
#HauntedShelfScavengerHunt - Grey
#AtoZ @Texreader
#31by31 - 5/31 @Catsandbooks
#PromptMaze
#BookSpinBingo 2mo

See All 7 Comments

TheSpineView Awesome! 2mo

OriginalCyn620 Me and my youngest love this series, but I agree that some things are a big stretch! 2mo

MatchlessMarie Awesome! It seems to have a similar vibe to One of Us Is Lying series by Karen M McManus which I really enjoyed. 2mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🐦‍⬛🧡 1mo

58 likes1 stack add7 comments

Elizabeth and her German Garden | Elisabeth Von Arnim

so-so

The consensus for this one seems to be a sense of mild disappointment lol There were parts of this I really enjoyed and that resonated with me, but on the whole I found Elizabeth herself to be too self-absorbed and condescending to really like her/enjoy being in her head for an entire book. Also, I honestly wanted more garden. 😂

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead @BarbaraJean
#HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620

TheAromaofBooks #31by31 - 4/31 @Catsandbooks
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#SpookyEdition - Solitude @PuddleJumper
#AtoZ @Texreader
#PromptMaze
#BookSpinBingo 2mo

julieclair I‘m with you 💯 2mo

OriginalCyn620 They can‘t all be winners, but at least it‘s off your TBR! 2mo

See All 8 Comments

TheSpineView Well done! 2mo

Bookwomble I despised her attitude and gave up after about 30 pages! Urgh! 2mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 1mo

Gissy But beautiful edition😍💛💛💛 1mo

lauraisntwilder I wanted my gardening, too! More flowers, less complaining about friends. 1mo

51 likes8 comments

Silver in the Bone | Alexandra Bracken

pick

First off, how gorgeous is this OwlCrate edition?? I LOVE hardcovers with pretty (not-jacket) covers. I ended up enjoying this one more than I anticipated. The pacing was a little off for me, and the MC was a little too prickly for too long, but on the whole it was an engaging story with some twists I wasn't expecting, and I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel.

This was one of my #CasttheDie picks @PuddleJumper !!

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#WickedWords - Gothic @AsYouWish
#BookChain
#GottaCatchEmAll (Arthurian Legend) #Pumpkaboo (Super) #BodyCountBingo #SpookyEdition (Bones) @PuddleJumper
#31by31 - 3/31 @Catsandbooks
#AtoZ @Texreader
#HauntedShelfScavengerHunt - Dark
#PromptMaze
#BookSpinBingo 2mo

OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 2mo

TheSpineView 🖤 cover! 2mo

PuddleJumper Very pretty! 2mo

Catsandbooks Pretty edition! 💙 1mo

51 likes5 comments

The Spellshop | Sarah Beth Durst

pick

This one was a soft pick for me. It had a lot of the right ingredients and I did enjoy it, but it still somehow felt flat. I love the concept of cozy fantasy, but like any other book, you need a sensible conflict/resolution to go with pleasant characters and an intriguing setting. This book tried to have an absolutely gigantic political upheaval in the background, but this either needed to not exist or be a bigger part of the story. I found it ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) hard to believe that everyone was so ambivalent towards the fact that the entire government had been completely overthrown. There were a lot of fun moments and some really fun critters, but while I liked reading this, I wouldn\'t ever pick it up for a reread. 2mo

willaful Oh my, sounds like not the book for me right now. 2mo

TheAromaofBooks #HauntedShelf #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620
#GottaCatchEmAll - Character Has Horns (Dubwool) #Pumpkaboo #GottaCatchEmAllSpookyEdition - Love @PuddleJumper
#31by31 (2/31) @Catsandbooks
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#AtoZ @Texreader
#BookSpinBingo 2mo

See All 12 Comments

PuddleJumper 🍵🍵 2mo

OriginalCyn620 That cover though! 💚 2mo

TheSpineView Awesome! 2mo

LiteraryinPA Great review! I‘m planning to start this one soon and it‘s good to hear what you think. 2mo

mrp27 I‘m currently reading this one and I‘m feeling the same. Not as good or cozy as I was hoping. 2mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🎃🖤 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @OriginalCyn620 - I gave it an extra half-star on GR because of that cover 😂 It also has sprayed edges!! 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @mrp27 - It wasn\'t terrible, but it somehow just didn\'t completely click for me. I loved so many of the ideas and concepts, but the actual story felt kind of meh. 2mo

TieDyeDude Good to know! \“Cozy\“ isn\'t a go-to genre for me, but that cover! 🤤 If I do get around to reading it, I\'ll keep this in mind 2mo

65 likes1 stack add12 comments

The Adventure of the Norwood Builder | Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir

pick

First read completed for #HauntedShelf was this week's #NoPlaceLikeHolmes read. I really liked this one! I felt like it was very solvable for the reader (although not THIS reader haha) and the solution did a great job making all the “weird“ clues make sense.

#DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620

TheAromaofBooks #SeriesLove2024 #Spookoween @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#31by31 (Bk 1/31) @Catsandbooks
#Pumpkaboo (Small) @PuddleJumper
#AtoZ @Texreader
#BookSpinBingo 2mo

dabbe YAY! We just discussed it this morning! There\'s more where that came from! 🤩😂🤗 2mo

OriginalCyn620 Nice! 2mo

TheSpineView Excellent! 2mo

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo

59 likes5 comments

BookSpinBingo | Untitled

Good morning, good morning, here is October's #BookSpinBingo card ready for all you crazy people who love to play this game with me every month 😂 I LOVE seeing how everyone makes this challenge work for them!!! It's just so fun to see how creative everyone is, from their lists to decorating their boards. Thank you all so much for reading with me every month!!!

A reminder that if you are participating in HauntedShelf this month, BookSpinBingo ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) counts as a readathon, so embrace the points!!! As always, let me know if you have any questions, and I can\'t wait to see everyone\'s boards!!

Standard monthly text/info below ⬇ 2mo

TheAromaofBooks Here\'s the #BookSpinBingo card! First, I put our official numbers (9 & 4) back in the mix. Then I drew them all out & wrote them down as I went, meaning the official numbers are just mixed into the card with the rest! As you can see, 21-25 are both labeled with their numbers & also as free spaces, so you can use them to match however you wrote your list. To score a bingo, just read books (in any order) that are in any row or column!! MORE INFO ⬇ 2mo

TheAromaofBooks 1 - I don\'t tag anyone on this post except for @LitsyEvents but anyone is welcome to play along!!
2 - Remember – NO PRESSURE!!!! If this starts to stress you out, just take that page right out of your journal and pretend it never existed!! This challenge is to encourage you to read, not to make you feel like reading is a chore!!!
3 - FREE SPACES can be filled with any book that is NOT already on your list!! ⬇
2mo

See All 10 Comments

TheAromaofBooks 4 & final - As a reminder, only the “official” BookSpin/DoubleSpin numbers will count towards giveaway entries. I don‘t want the giveaway to be stacked against people who aren‘t able to read lots of books each month. So basically there is still a maximum of 2 entries possible per month no matter how many books you read from your list. This bingo card is just for fun & glory! 😁

Thanks for playing & happy reading!!!

2mo

Bookwormjillk Looks like a winner. Thanks! 2mo

BarkingMadRead Great placement on those free spaces! 2mo

claudiuo Thank you so much! 2mo

willaful This will be a fun month! 2mo

SusanLee Thank you 🙏🏻 2mo

Bookbuyingaddict Love it 🥰 so much a. Huge thank you 🙏 for making us all happy 😃 every month 😍😍🥰😘 2mo

76 likes10 comments

TheAromaofBooks @MittenGirlPeach @Itchyfeetreader @Lcsmcat @wanderinglynn @RaeLovesToRead @Bookwormjillk @Soubhiville @IndoorDame @kwmg40 @staci.reads @LeslieO @Bookworm04 @BookishMadHatter @BookmarkTavern @ChelseaM6010 @Allydanielle88 @ElizaMarie 2mo

Shadow Spinner | Susan Fletcher

Good morning, everyone! The moment you have all been waiting for!! Our official #BookSpin number is NINE! Our official #DoubleSpin number is FOUR!! I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at everyone‘s lists & am really looking forward to seeing your reviews!!

My next post will be the #BookSpinBingo card. I am NOT tagging anyone on that post!! If you want to bingo, please just check my profile for the card. This saves me having to double tag ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont‘d) everyone/keep track of who wants to bingo and who doesn‘t!!

I use the same tag list for the entire year, so if you would like to be added or removed, please just let me know. It takes me a while to tag everyone (there are over 200 of you!!!) so I will add “FINISHED” to the last tag batch so you know whether or not I missed you. If I did, it was completely inadvertent. Sometimes I just spell someone‘s username wrong. ⬇
2mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) As always, the link to the masterpost about how this challenge works can be found on my profile or here - https://thearomaofbooks.wordpress.com/bookspin-bookspinbingo-litsy-challenge/ - and the link to the Google Form where you can track your reads for the end-of-the-year-giveaway can be found here - https://forms.gle/4kTBMWAsCa9Cvmqs6

Thanks for playing, everyone!! Please know that I read EVERY comment on this post but don\'t always ⬇
2mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) have time to reply to them all!! Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and for making this challenge SO much fun!!

I\'m going to post the Bingo board, and then come back and start the tag list on this post. Happy reading!!!
⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 2mo

See All 36 Comments

TheAromaofBooks PS Just a reminder that if you are playing HauntedShelf this month, this challenge counts as a readathon!! 😁 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck @bekakins @Daisey @Mollyanna @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @kimmypete1 @rabbitprincess @DGRachel @Librarybelle @PageShifter @RebelReader @Sarahreadstoomuch @Jari-Chan @behudd @peanutnine @PuddleJumper @Laughterhp 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @vlwelser @majkia @Larkken @claudiuo @MallenNC @sebrittainclark @Maggie4483 @AmandaBlaze @BooksNBowls @JamieArc @Yuki_Onna @JenReadsAlot @OriginalCyn620 @katiekat311 @Liz_M @BarkingMadRead @Pageturner1 @robinb @tdrosebud 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @ImperfectCJ @sherrisilvera @Julsmarshall @BookwormAHN @bookandbedandtea @Eggs @Clare-Dragonfly @nitalibrarian @RainyDayReading @zezeki @Kirstin_Reads @Bookzombie @ChaoticMissAdventures @yourfavouritemixtape @GirlNamedJesse @BarbaraJean 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @TheBookgeekFrau @LeafingThroughLife @Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures @Pigpen_Reads @JoeMo @Librariana @NikkiM @ShananigansReads @Deblovestoread @Monica5 @Kimberlone @Coffeymuse @Bklover @Clwojick @gossamerchild @DieAReader @mrp27 @Kristelh 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @candc320 @JackOBotts @dabbe @Read4life @Chili @CoffeeNBooks @Allylu @willaful @AnneCecilie @Bookworm54 @LitsyEvents @TheLudicReader @rachelk @HeyT @hissingpotatoes @tokorowilliamwallace @Grrlbrarian @JenDR @AudioBookingWithLeah 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @marleed @Bluebird @Suet624 @Karisimo @CharityAnn @BookNAround @Prairiegirl_reading @GinaKButler @Chelsea.Poole @julieclair @booklover3258 @Scochrane26 @hes7 @Zuhkeeyah @Charlie0007 @CSeydel @Lizpixie @LeticiaToraci @guinsgirlreads @Crazeedi @Megabooks 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @MaleficentBookDragon @lauraisntwilder @Marmie7 @faelinwolf @BookKenz @KatieB @kstadt929 @Flaneurette @Whollybologna @Singout @BacklistReader @mrsmarch @Caryl @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @Bookgoil @SusanLee @Bookbuyingaddict @Ash.on.the.line 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @UwannaPublishme @Amandakay @Chrissyreadit @llwheeler @ferskner @TieDyeDude @Airykah13 @TheQuietQuill @AsYouWish @Gissy @theokiereader @silentrequiem @Elizabeth2 @mamareading @rockpools @triplem80 @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @VeganCleopatra 2mo

Allylu Woohoo! 🎃🧙‍♀️👻📚my two books are definitely on theme: #9 is The Witches of Moonshyne Manor and #4 is My Roommate is a Vampire!!! Happy Reading everyone! 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @majkia @vonnie862 @Jess861 @Kristin_Reads @Roary47 @Fortifiedbybooks @throwmeabook @Sargar114 @Nessavamusic @keys_on_fire @TheSpineView @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Littlewolf1 @SpookyMazeOfBooks @Jadams89 @KristiAhlers @merelybookish 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @MatchlessMarie @CBee @Read-y_Picker @AshleyHoss820 @Rachel52 @melissajayne @aperfectmjk @CloakNQuill @magyklyXdelish @kspenmoll @andreadmw @kelli7990 @jessicamichelle @BeeCurious @lil1inblue @beccaortiz @Sace @Magoose @brittanyreads 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @CoffeeK8 @rachelsbrittain @LaraReads @AllDebooks @michellelav @readmyeyes @maich @SusanOrnelas65 @SamAnne @wordslinger42 @LiteraryinPA 2mo

TheAromaofBooks That is everyone on my tag list, so if you didn\'t get tagged and would like to be added, please just let me know!! 2mo

GinaKButler Thank you for hosting! I got:

Diary of a Young Girl

2mo

Bookwormjillk Yay! My bookspin is the book I‘m listening to now.

Lost Man's Lane: A Novel

(edited) 2mo

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I totally spaced on what today‘s date was so I was extra excited when I got the notification. 😅🤣 2mo

Lcsmcat Thanks again for organizing this! My bookspin is

Daisy Darker

2mo

Librarybelle Mine is The Secrets of Hartwood Hall and Conspiracy in Death! 2mo

peanutnine Wow this is the fourth time 4 has been drawn this year! Lucky number!! I'm excited for my picks, Pilot X and

Sing Anyway: A Moonlighters Novella

2mo

AmyG Yay!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

2mo

Eggs Thanks Sarah 🧡🎃🍁 2mo

TheQuietQuill Woohoo! Looking forward to my picks this month 🥳 2mo

claudiuo The bad part of traveling to Europe on #BookSpin draw day is I had to wait until the afternoon to get the numbers 🤩 Thank you so much! 2mo

Gissy #BookSpin number is my birthday day🙌😃 2mo

bookandbedandtea Yay for #BookSpin day! Thanks Sarah! 2mo

dabbe Thanks again for all your hard work, Sarah! 🧡🤎💛 2mo

CSeydel Thanks so much for doing this! I‘m skipping bookspin this month because my trapped-in-a-spooky-house list includes two from my bookspin list. But I‘ll post my picks again next month! 2mo

bekakins 4 again!! Crazy! Thanks for organising!! 2mo

CoffeeK8 Thanks for organizing! 2mo

TheSpineView Thanks! 2mo

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Spirits Abroad, last month's #foodandlit book that I never got around to reading, and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, this month's #foodandlit selection. 2mo

96 likes36 comments