It‘s May! Time is flying by. The Hugo award shortlist is out and ready for reading. I‘m excited to tackle the list which has always resulted in some of my favorite books of the year.

Happy reading! #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Bingo! April #bookspinbingo was a success. As always, my reading is all over the genre map. I‘m happy to report that I completed both my #bookspin and #doublespin this month. Those books were my favorites of the month. I had two DNFs which is unfortunate, but I‘m also kind of proud that I‘m getting better at acknowledging what isn‘t working for me.

@TheAromaofBooks

Here‘s a quarterly update of my progress in the #nonfiction2024 challenge. I used stars to note which prompt books I‘ve read already. The blue ones are those I‘ve read this year. I‘m hoping to have a blackout board twice over by also reading the prompts.

@Riveted_Reader_Melissa

I didn‘t dislike this book despite the bail. It was more of being unable to stay engaged in the story. I could feel it weaving it‘s way to a poignant ending, but I‘m not really in the mood for such a slow read right now. Maybe another time I will pick it up again.

#authoramonth

I don't think this author is for me. I wasn't a fan of her first book and this book was also a miss. The main heroine was annoying. I was constantly frustrated with her decisions.

I finished this book through pure stubbornness. I'll admit the ending was unexpected, but not really worth the effort.

I escaped the city to spend the weekend with my aunt for her birthday. I want my retirement space (many years in the future) to have a porch just like hers for all day reading.

[Kindle off screen]

“TEN. That‘s how many bullet holes I counted puncturing the rusted brown Bardell County highway sign.”

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

A beautifully written story that intertwines multiple narratives along with the past and present. My heart went out to each of the ladies as they struggled to carve out space in a culture where they are seen as less than. You know the writing is good when you‘re able to empathize with a character you don‘t even like.

Please check the content warnings.

April #bookspin complete! @TheAromaofBooks

I stayed up way too late finishing this book. It was really good. Fast paced with a few interesting twists at the end. I will definitely read the sequel when it comes out in a couple months.

A short, creepy read. Alex‘s bumbling investigations and attempts to charm the grumpy widow were entertaining. T. Kingfisher has a way of describing the goriest scenes that make you feel like it‘s happening to you.

A twisty game of cat-and-mouse where you‘re not always sure who is doing the hunting.

This was a very fun read. I plan to check out more books by this author.

"A poet once wrote that the woods of Gallacia are as deep and dark as God's sorrow."

An appropriately eerie beginning.

#firstlinefriday @ShyBookOwl

🦕 Jurassic Park

💔 A Walk to Remember (book and movie were very different but I loved them both)

🪄Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone

#TLT @dabbe
Thanks for the tag @Eggs

April #bookspin list is ready to be read!

Happy reading everyone ☺️

Well, I have definitely found my reading groove again. Look at all the bingos! March was a good month for reading and life in general. I felt like I finally had space to breathe after months of going nonstop.

Thank you @TheAromaofBooks for hosting this challenge! #bookspinbingo

I had great time with this challenge. Turns out my library has a lot more manga available via hoopla than I realized (some is labeled as comic). I also used this challenge as an excuse to buy a few books of series I‘ve been wanting to read. Thank you @Nessavamusic for hosting! #mangamarch

Now, I‘m off to read all of Attack on Titan.

Reading the tagged book while Pixel bird/people watches. Loving our chill time after a long morning walk.

#dogsoflitsy

1. Puppy play date and working
2. Finally read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - it put me to sleep
3. Imani in the Belly

#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12
Thanks for the tag @Eggs ☺️

Another read pulled from the #nonfiction2024 prompt list. I like her humor and honesty during a very turbulent time in Iran. I can‘t imagine how you make the mental shift from freedom of speech to restrictions everywhere. Her parents were great in that they made their home a safe place to speak out.

Anyone have another nonfiction recommendation that covers the rise of the Islamic State? I‘d like to know more.

I bought this because I really liked the cover. Thankfully, the book itself was entertaining. Zhao Yunlan was equal parts annoying and impressive. He was understandably confident considering his successes in the Soul Guarding Order. I guessed one of the twists, but a couple others caught me off guard. Next book in the series is out next week!

March #doublespin complete @TheAromaofBooks

This was a hard listen. We know what happened that day, but it was so much more intimate to hear the stories from survivors and the families of those lost. The bravery of the first responders cannot be overstated. Many went in that building with the full understanding they probably won‘t make it out.

I highly recommend the audiobook. It features a full cast representing all the stories being shared. Audio of select phone calls also included.

1. Thanksgiving and Christmas - one with holiday with my mom‘s side and the other with my dad‘s side
2. My parents - both usually have really good advice
3. Family trips were the best

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Everyone is welcome to play!

A heartwarming read with great artwork. The cheese theme had me cackling (Guoda is a great name for a dog). I finished it and then promptly read it again.

A big thank you to @sebrittainclark for her glowing review of this book.

🌼 Be kind to yourself and others. Mistakes happen, just try again.
🌼 Researcher - currently working in hematology lab
🌼 In another reality I‘d like to be a writer of ya fantasy

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

An appropriately twisty ending to this duology. I‘m a huge fan of the magic system in this world. Honestly, I‘m a fan of all of it. Props to the author for coming up with all those creepy rhymes said by the nightmare.

Highly recommend to anyone interested a darker fantasy story.

February #doublespin complete! @TheAromaofBooks

#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12

1. Pixel goes to the groomer and cleaning my kitchen
2. Veterinarian because I love animals and didn‘t want to be a people doctor
3. The only one so far is to visit my bestie in Chicago for her baby shower in the spring
4. I caved and started a new light novel series

I did the book lover game of "just one more chapter" last night...and ended up finishing the book.

I liked this one a lot. Kolis' character was incredibly unnerving. His intelligence paired with a twisted sense of empathy made for a tense read. Sera showed a lot more restraint in this one than the previous books, but still remained her sassy self.

A chill Friday night with a tired puppy (he went to daycare today). I'm starting this month's #doublespin, which was to read a book I own.

Not pictured: glass of red wine and a sleeve of thin min cookies 😋

#dogsoflitsy

Not at all the ending I was predicting! This was a great thriller. The audiobook made it hard to know which moments were recounting of the past versus current day, but you usually could figure it out after a few sentences.

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

A lighthearted paranormal was exactly what I needed after a streak of rather intense reads. I loved this book. The main character, Misery, is delightfully sarcastic at all times. Props to Ali Hazelwood on a successful foray into the paranormal side of romance.

A thought-provoking story about the power of an individual's spirit to enact change outside of the physical body. There's so much more to this story than just that, though. It captivated me in a way I can't quite explain.

I'm working on reading the books used for this year's #nonfiction2024 prompts.

Did I use #mangamarch as an excuse to start a new manhwa? Absolutely.

A heartless cardiac surgeon playgirl meets the happy-go-lucky patient in need of a new heart. I like that there aren't any immediate sparks, but more of a slow burn start to their friendship. I'm excited to see how things develop.

@Nessavamusic

A lazy Saturday afternoon on the couch. I now know to time my reading with his midday nap.

This book has me hooked! I have no idea what is coming next.

#dogsoflitsy

First bingo of 2024! February #bookspinbingo was a success.

I haven‘t been churning through books like I usually do thanks to a busy schedule, but I‘m enjoying the ones I manage to finish.

@TheAromaofBooks

Safiya Sinclair is a brave human to revisit the traumas of her youth. Her father was a strict Rastafarian who hated all things Babylon (aka the modern world) and believed women could never be as pure as men (bleh). Despite all of the restrictions that kept Safiya under her father‘s control, she obtained scholarships to the best schools and wrote herself to freedom with her poetry. Fantastic memoir.

January #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

#whatsnewwednesdays

I've officially started planning my summer trip. Not sure where I'm going yet, but plan A is to find a good weekend hike to go on with pup.

Thanks for the tag! @Eggs (and happy early birthday 🎉)

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude @Read4life

"Hero. The word slithered nastily in his mind. An honour bestowed upon you when you had killed all those who would have called you a mass murderer."

Only a couple pages in, but this quote makes me think I'm going to really like this book.

March #bookspin here I come! I opted to use the same list as last month. Turns out giving myself a loose list is the perfect solution for all the mood reading I do. Plus, it helps me work through all the challenges I‘ve joined.

@TheAromaofBooks

#currentlyreading Another #becauseoflitsy read. Very thankful Spotify allows free (if limited) access to audiobooks for premium members. I use it when there is a several month wait at the library.

This book is wonderfully done. Many of the stories are hard to hear.

Overall, it's a good read, though there's no strong plot. You follow Marie as she morphs from unwanted orphan to powerful abbess. I wish we had more of her life as a crusader.

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

I enjoyed this poetry collection that @IndoorDame put on my radar with her review. My favorite were the stories where she rewrote the ending of a bad situation.

Another #auldlangspine recommendation by @HOTPock3tt that I quite enjoyed. Bridget is as lucky as her distinctive red hair... until she isn't. I don‘t visit the wild west often, but it's always a fun ride.

@monalyisha

Thank you, Misty! @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I adore Jacqueline Woodson ❤️

#litsylove

#motivationalmonday
1. Nothing big planned
2. I have tennis practice that night, so I'm thinking I'll take treats for those playing
3. I'd be a prostitute who is very good at her job

@Cupcake12

The nonfiction mood reading continues with a harrowing survivor story. Misty Griffin's journey to her current life is remarkable. You feel her frustration with how the Amish lifestyle protects repeat offenders from repercussions.

This was an intense read that was only possible to finish because I knew she got out. #nonfiction2024

#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12

1. I just downloaded the peloton app, so I plan to try some new workouts
2. Google calendar and a notebook with a running list
3. I wish I was currently reading in a little country cottage.

Thanks for the tag! @Eggs

Okay. Wow. Did not see the twist coming. Such evocative writing by the author. I could almost feel the wind and mist brushing my skin.

Thank you @HOTPock3tt for getting me into this fantastical duology! #auldlangspine

“I am but a verse inspired by your chorus, and I will follow you until the end, when the isle takes my bones and my name is nothing more than a remembrance on a headstone, next to yours.” - A River Enchanted

A great recommendation by @HOTPock3tt - I just started the sequel and cannot wait to see how this story ends.

#auldlangspine @monalyisha

January was a good start to the reading year! I read my #bookspin and loved it. No bingo, but that‘s okay. Turns out I‘m in a nonfiction mood. I have two more lined up including January‘s #doublespin (which I plan to finish this weekend). My brain has been craving serious reads for some reason.

@TheAromaofBooks

I struggled with this one. Catherine‘s naivety was almost painful. Quite honestly, it put me to sleep every time I picked it up. There was a glimpse of the witty banter that made me fall in love with Emma. I‘m glad Jane Austen continued to hone her craft after this rather rough beginning.

#authoramonth completed at the last possible moment
@Soubhiville