Thank you @JessieKB for the lovely #jolabokaflod gifts! I've been wanting to read this book. I can't wait to curl up and read with the hot chocolate tonight.

@MaleficentBookDragon
#JS2024 #jolabokaflodswap2024

I did it! I completed the #52bookclub challenge! This has been a favorite challenge the last couple years.

I really like the world building. I found the outcome of the mystery less exciting than the first book, but it was still a fun journey getting there. I love how the author slipped random Easter eggs into the story (K drama reference, other popular scifi series, etc.).

I arrived at my parents' to see my #jolabokaflod had arrived! Now, to resist opening for the next few days.

@MaleficentBookDragon

And that‘s a wrap for 2024 #bookspin! I only had one book that I didn‘t finish in the selected month (River Mumma). Always a fun challenge to help keep me on top of my reading goals. A huge thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for hosting.

(Seeing the books altogether makes me realize how many genres I cover.)

A spicy read that is, somehow, also gentle. Both characters have anxiety and struggle in crowds or new social situations. Their conversations were refreshingly honest.

December #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks
“Prank or bet” #gottacatchemall (only 1 prompt left now!)

I want to make everyone read this book. The audiobook (read by the author) was fantastic. My brain can't comprehend how terrifying the migration had to be for a 9 year old boy surrounded by complete strangers. Javier's story is a powerful reminder of the risks undocumented immigrants take to enter the USA for the hope of a better life.
#nonfiction2024
December #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

A cute, quick read by a new author. I did enjoy the author's satirical take on the older white male boss. There was a purposeful misunderstanding moment that brought me joy. That said... the whole lying thing gave me low-key anxiety. I may wiggle around a straight answer sometimes, but I avoid outright lying to people. So, it was hard for me to relate to that part of Amber. The rest of the book was great.

This was my first Stevenson and I had a blast. A short but tense Christmas murder mystery that adheres to the well acknowledged literary rules of such things should be solved.

This is a soft pick for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between the main characters. The plot had some major holes that should have been tightened up by an editor.

A pet peeve I‘ve discovered this year is when publishing companies pick up self published books and don‘t bother to edit them. I get that the original version sold, but with a little tweaking the updated version would sell even better.

My Jólabókaflóð package is on its way!

@MaleficentBookDragon

#JolabokaflodSwap24 #JS2024 #Jolabokaflod

I‘m not big into holiday themed books but this one was an absolute joy (😉) to read. Hex was a lovely pumpkin spice roll of a book boyfriend. Coal wasn‘t perfect and somehow that is what made this book lovely. He acknowledged his faults, tried to make amends, and never lost sight of what Christmas means to so many.

#queerbc

A clever twist on the idea of magic being hidden from regular people. It's a magical mystery but an ordinary investigator. I thoroughly enjoyed this academic thriller.

Thank you @willaful for the great recommendation!

This was exactly the lighthearted, smutty read I needed to break the stress of prepping for the holidays and life in general.

(Please don't judge me for reading the last book first.)

I finally started the tagged book, which was loaned to me by a friend months and months ago. I'm house sitting the handsome boy using my legs as a pillow.

#dogsoflitsy

I would just like to reiterate that @meganann's #auldlangspine list is fantastic. It was hard to select only a few for the first month of 2025. I definitely plan to start the new year with Lunar New Year Love Story. I'm also really looking forward to I Married a Lizardman.

- I've already placed a couple books on hold (long wait times).
- There are a few heavy reads that I will save for after the holiday season. ⬇

Thank you @MeganAnn for the epic #AuldLangSpine list! The two I‘ve read off your list (This Could Be Us & Spellshop) were great books. Many are new to me which is the absolute best. I love discovering new books and authors. I‘ve already placed holds a few books.

Thank you for pairing us @monalyisha

I'm really enjoying the tagged book while soaking up a quiet night crocheting while the very tired pup is fast asleep in his bed.

Here is my big end of year reading goals #bookspin list. I am so so close to completing my favorite challenges. If you have any recommendations for the prompts above please share! I'm struggling with the “Arthurian legend/characters“ prompt the most. I'd also really appreciate an academic thriller that is not YA. (I enjoy YA, but I'm in the mood for adult voices.)

@thearomaofbooks

Another #bookspinbingo! I stuck pretty close to my goal of tackling remaining prompts in my main challenges. Of course Libby due dates still dictated a portion of my reads. November was an interesting mix of great reads among some mediocre duds. I enjoyed both my #bookspin and my #doublespin this month.

Time for the last month of the year! Happy reading :)

@thearomaofbooks

So many truths buffered by humor. A nod to the struggle of being a young single parent when you're still learning to find your own voice among all the opinions of others.

Meh. I could see what the author was trying to do but it fell just short for me. It felt like a really awkward high school reunion where everyone still has the emotional intelligence of a 16 year old. That said, I did like the final battle. A suitably epic ending.

#litsylove mail going out tomorrow! Thank you to everyone for being patient with my very late replies.

I love this series. The pieces are starting to fall together. The quiet moments between Kore and Hades are adorable.

I'm in full cozy mode tonight. The perfect way to wind down into the weekend.

Twists and turns abound. I liked how the timeline jumped around between before, then, and now to build a complete picture of the family and its ties to the community.

Hello, November! The end of the year is coming up fast. The only challenges I really want to complete are the #gottacatchemall, #nonfiction2024, alphabet challenge, and the diversity across genres challenge (hosted on Insta). I'm so close to finishing them. This month will be dedicated to filling most of the remaining prompts so I can have a low key December full of bonus reads.

@thearomaofbooks #bookspin

Welp. October is over. The books were great...life not so much. Books kept me from completely spiraling which means I still managed to achieve a #bookspinbingo despite the stress. I leaned into the horror/thriller theme this month and was not disappointed.

@thearomaofbooks (I wrote the correct month this time! 😆)

This was my first read of the spooky season and man did it set the tone for the month. An unsettling read with a semi-unreliable narrator who has a gruesome craving.

October #doublespin ✅ @TheAromaofBooks

A quick read with a lot of heart folded in. Esperanza speaks of her attempts to make friends, first job, and so much more as she tries to find her bearings as a young teenager.

October #bookspin ✅ @TheAromaofBooks

No bingo this month. Lots of good reads though. I made significant progress on my diversity across genre challenge. On to October! #bookspinbingo

@TheAromaofBooks

I present August‘s #bookspin list! This method of listing is getting harder as the challenges get full.

Edit: …so this is for October. I completely forgot to change the month when I copied from a previous list 🤣

@TheAromaofBooks

A series of lightly interconnected stories of Arab Americans. I enjoyed the different perspectives, though it was hard not to get frustrated with the very traditional attitude of some of the parents...which means the writing was evocative. I loved that each story featured a woman breaking from societal pressures despite the consequences.

This might be my favorite of the Meant to Be series so far. A modern retelling of The Little Mermaid with a unique Latinx flair. I was genuinely invested in Ariel and Eric's relationship.

A beautiful novella that highlights the wonders and dangers of space exploration. Ariadne and her team are accomplished scientists and engineers eager to discover what lies beyond our sun. I swooned a little at all the science jargon. Chambers did a great job of making complicated concepts accessible. #queerbc

A soft pick for me. I liked it overall, but I had to take breaks because the villainess got annoying at times though her irreverence had me lauging out loud. A fun twist on the romantasy genre: the main character falls into her favorite book and wakes up as the villainess.

Question for the crowd: what fantasy book would you like to be a part of?

For me, it would be dragonriders of pern as long as I was guaranteed a dragon.

I really liked this book. All about crushing the patriarchy and women being stronger together than alone. The caregiver aspect to the story was almost too relatable at times.

This month's #doublespin! @TheAromaofBooks

Here is my September #bookspin list. I solemnly swear I have not taken a single peek at this month's picks. The surprise is my favorite part of the month.

@thearomaofbooks

Apologies for posting my #bookspinbingo board late! The end of August and the beginning of September were a whirlwind thanks to a work conference. I have never loved my audiobooks more than when I needed a couple minutes of escaping the noise of the attendees.

I fell in love with the Apothecary Diaries Manga in August. Thank goodness for libraries with expansive online catalogs.

Also, I managed to read both my #bookspin and #doublespin :)

The Centre is complicated. There were a lot of important topics integrated into one book.

A recommend for those who like slow burn thrillers.

I caved and bought a book because it was pretty. I mean, the blurb was also good, but look at those edges 😍.

My only plans tonight are to read this book, eat too much pasta, and cuddle a tired puppy (who had a great time at doggy daycare). Happy weekend!!!

I‘m a little late but still wanted to play. #wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1. Definitely read the book
2. Mop the floor
3. Read (but I also love to listen)
4. Chocolate
5. Pen
6. Ask questions
7. Meet an author
8. Fowl
9. In-person (I enjoy browsing)
10. Both

Thanks for the tag! 😁

I'm officially obsessed with cozy fantasy. Kianthe and Reyna are adventure couple goals. Plus, little Ponder was adorable.

Please share your cozy fantasy recommendations! These are bringing me joy.

A fantastic dedication 😂

I am a huge fan of cozy fantasy. This one had a little higher stakes but never lost the cozy vibe. I loved the relationship between Reyna and Kianthe. They had hard conversations that reaffirmed their relationship in important ways.

Also, I want a griffon now.

A sweet epistolary novel about love and adventure. I always love a strong cast of voices on audiobooks with multiple POVs. It took a minute to get into the rhythm of the narrative, but once there, I was soaring (diving?) into the depths of the ocean.

I love the concept of the deep house. Can you imagine waking up to a view of a coral reef outside your window?

A fun read full of quirky characters and witty dialogue. The ending even had a surprising twist.

A world centered around an infinite library. It‘s an ode to how books have the power to shape a world.

Here is my August #bookspin list. We‘re moving into the final stretch for this year‘s reading challenges. My goal is to clear out the books friends have loaned me this year. I‘ve been sitting on a few of them thanks to the distraction of new and shiny reads.

…that said I have the final books in two series releasing this month…

@TheAromaofBooks

Bingo! As always, my reads were spread across many genres. I think most books from this month are going to live in my head for quite a while. I am rather proud of my DNF this month. I got all the way to 70% on the audiobook and I realized I‘d rather be reading literally anything else.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

1. Yup. My friends and I would bet on our March Madness brackets. Winner takes the pot. That is the limit of my gambling...minus some friendly betting on the Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants back in the day (we made teams before the first night).

2. Tagged book was the only one I could think of. I'm not really drawn to sports related books.