I enjoyed the first series in this universe, but this one is so much stronger. Bardugo really learned the lesson of not making the villain the most interesting character in the story; instead we have a crew of six young adults, all with their own challenges and darkness to overcome, on a terrific heist adventure. Can't wait for the next one.

#AAM

Perhaps the original fake engagement romance? In WWI London, Patricia is mortified to overhear fellow boardinghouse “guests“ gossip about her lonely state, and invents a date with a fiance. When she's followed to the “date,“ she spies a likely man in uniform and begs him to help her out.

The romance that follows is chock full of gender essentialism and not that interesting, but there are some fascinating and funny portraits of the time. cont.

Your aunt's sense of duty is the most offensive sense I have ever encountered.

Laughter is a protest scream against death.

I remain the champion of filling squares without ever getting a bingo!

#ISpyBingo @TheAromaOfBooks

Not an easy choice because both books are unique in their own ways, but this one stands out.

I'm trying to get away from numerical goals but the satisfaction of a full board does make it harder. 😋

#Roll100 The Hazelbourne Ladies (and still working on last month's The Book of Love

#AAM Opnions

#AllergicToChunksters The Hazelbourne Ladies, Legendborn, Bloodmarked

#RiseUpReads DNF

#ReadOrDonate Mistress to a Millionaire (DNF & donated)

#QueerBC DNF

#MonthlyNonfiction2025 Navigate Your Stars, How We Learn to be Brave

“Oh, Patricia! why will you persist in being a cold douche!“

Took me a second to realize he meant a cold shower. 😂

What on earth? When did Ozma grow up and join the Ziegfeld Follies? 😂

This is one of my childhood favs. The lunchbox trees, with the napkin leaves, could anything be more tantalizing? And I love all the adventures and the sneaky Nome King.

@BookmarkTavern #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad

“Do you expect me to believe all that rubbish about the land of Oz?... your impossible stories about animals that can talk...“ -- Bellina, the hen. 😂

@BookmarkTavern #BeyondTheYellowBrickRoad

The book is “a product of its time,“ sure, so let me just say that said time and the people who lived in it were plain terrible.

For @Soubhiville . Sorry, I've forgotten who shared it with me. 😳

Previously published short essays on politics, pop culture, interviews with celebrities, and a snippet from Gay's advice column. I enjoyed the pop culture pieces the most, because Gay geeks out in a way that makes you see the appeal of the stupidest things. (Except the Bachelor. Nothing can make me see the appeal of The Bachelor.) The political sections were hard to read--because now they rhyme. The rest was pretty meh. A soft pick.

#AAM

Afrofuturism. Aliens from outer space have immigrated to Earth and become helpful citizens... but some seek to ban them. Future, a doctor who treated humans and aliens in Nigeria, flees to America with a dangerous secret. There she joins her civil rights lawyer grandmother in fighting for the rights of aliens.

Not sure how I feel about the metaphor, and there's a ton of loose ends, but it's enjoyably weird.

#BookSpin March

(This cover is so much better than any of the English language ones!)

One of Jones' lighter and more accessible books, with a funny cast and a lot of magic to figure out. Unfortunately it's very attached to the grand comedic tradition of lots of fatphobia.

#DoubleSpin @TheAromaOfBooks

The author-illustrators bring their own fascinating culture into the future in this delightful middle grade graphic novel. Indu is found alone on a moon by an Indonesian astronaut who adopts Indu and supports him when he decides he's a boy. When they return to New Earth, Indu faces hard changes, including bigotry from his new classmates. But he also discovers new friends and allies, and that his adopted culture has a long queer history.

cont.

Immersive historical fiction set in an English tourist town just post World War I, as a competent young woman, a naturalized German citizen, and a now-disabled fighter from the upper class try to find their places in a changing world that's still chock full of classism, sexism, ableism and bigotry. Well drawn, lovable characters, lively action, and some slow-burn romance make it very much my cup of tea, but I was thrown by the ending (cont.)

Well now you tell me.

When I searched for this, it brought up another book with the same title and the subtitle: “Grace for Every Kind of Broken.“ That kind of fits this too. It's a quiet, slightly mystical, very sentimental story in which every character learns how to be a better, more loving person through some kind of grace passing amongst them. A comfortable read right now.

#BookSpin

I found this too meh to finish. It had quite a lot in common with I Think They Love You -- romcom cliches by the bushel! -- so I'll count that as my #RiseUpRead for the month. 😜

The United states has become ungovernable not because of political differences or protest or a lack of civility but because this is a country unwilling to protect and care for its citizens--its women, its racial minorities and especially its children.

When politicians talk about civility and public discourse what they're really saying is that they would prefer for people to remain silent in the face of injustice.

#WhereAreYouMonday I'm in post WWI England - twice, since I'm also reading The Secret Adversary. It's a rough time but perhaps things are looking up.

Plus chapters of my buddy reads for The Bell Jar, From Dust to Stardust and The Secret Adversary.

#ValentinesDayReadathon

There is no educational resource in the cosmos greater than a nerd who thinks you're wrong.

Even more applicable now than when it was published 2 years ago. I'm not Christian, nor very religious, but Budde writes with so much openness and inclusion, I felt welcomed into the book. She also uses examples from various cultural touchstones and from a diverse group of people, as well as from the bible. Very worth a read, though I disliked her tendency to paraphrase in quotation marks.

#MonthlyNonfiction2025 @julieclair

We do not choose where we are in the human story, only how we live in the time we are given.

A much nicer Valentine's Day read! Denz runs into the man who broke his heart in college, just when he needs a fake relationship to prove he's serious enough to take over his father's party planning company. I enjoyed his twitterpated pining and the big wacky cast of family and friends, plus there's a nice growth arc for him. If you yearn for romcoms with black and queer characters, this was literally written for you.

#ValentinesDayReadathon

Of all the depressing rom-coms to listen to on Valentine's Day! This is the sequel readers of Who's That Girl wanted, but frankly, I would've been happier with a nice epilogue. It's just hurt and insecurity over and over again, and the prose seemed oddly dull. The best part is in the acknowledgements: “Apologies to Tara, given she always wants more filth, though. May your ice planet be always full of Barbarians.“

Happy? Valentines Day. 😂

I read a quarter of it with interest but it just got too weird for me. I couldn't see myself believing in a happy ending.

#QueerBC @PuddleJumper

A beautiful little book, in which Ward talks about her hard road to fulfilling her dream of being a writer. This is for the people to whom things don't always come easily, who have to keep their vision in mind and take step after patient step to reach it.

#BookChain book #6
@TheAromaOfBooks

An excellent read in many ways, but it's driving me crazy that she misquotes from “Lord of the Rings.“ If you're going to paraphrase, don't use quotation marks!

#TLT #ThreeListThursday @dabbe

I appreciate what the author's doing here, but I just couldn't handle all the endless discussions.

I'm more likely to DNF a book and then find I love it on the second (or even third) try, but this one I loved for the first half and then hated for the second. Something had turned around when I next tried it -- ten years after the first read -- and discovered it now completely worked for me and is a 5 star read.

If Moist was any judge, the man in front of him was the biggest fraud he's ever met. And he *advertised* it. That was... style. He told them what he was, and they laughed and loved him for it.

A soft pick, because most of it is really not my cup of tea, but the illustrations bring a humanity and authenticity that save it from being the above image.

I just noticed this blurb for thebook: “A potent and electrifying critique of today‘s feminist movement announcing a fresh new voice in black feminism.“

Seems like whoever wrote that really wasn't paying attention.

I'm calling this a pick because it was an engaging listen with some very good characters, but I have very mixed feelings about it. The arc for the main character is good... we gradually find out that she had been really crushed and made small by her ex, and needs to grow into herself again. But I felt like almost every “lesson“ presented by the book was wrong and I was kind of horrified by the overall idea of a website spewing your worst thoughts.

“No offense, but I'm not sold on romance. The relationships portrayed in these books are problematic. They're not realistic or attainable.“

“Problematic relationships are completely attainable.“

Attractive, expressive art is the highlight of this Regency romance graphic novel. The characters really come to life and I especially love how George, a trans man, is drawn, always completely himself even when forced to wear a skirt. (There's a wonderful section at the end in which the characters themselves explain the historical basis for the black and queer characters in the story.) cont.

I'm feeling very behind from last month and have a lot of library holds coming in, so giving myself a nice stress-free board. I hope!

#BookSpinBingo

Three bingos this month! I added my extra books to the sides for a complete record.

#SeriesLove2025 : Rattling Bone; The Shadowhunter series graphic novels; The Cruelest Month; A Rule Against Murder

#AllergicToChunksters: Lark Rise to Candleford; Project Hail Mary

#ReadOrDonate: The Prince by Elizabeth Minogue, donated

#MonthlyNonfiction2025: Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana White;
Congratulations, the Best is Over by R. Eric Thomas

I included ebooks I deleted under donated and did *not* include freebies under bought. 😏

Thanks to Puddlejumper for the template.

A remarkably good month! I made an attempt to fill the last three spaces but just didn't have anything I wanted to read. On the bright side, I deleted some freebies. 😇

All books that I might never have gotten to if it weren't for Litsy. ❤️

#WeeklyFavorites @ReadForLife