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Finally finished my first book of 2025!
This was a really good showing for Agatha Christie - definitely more on me than on her that it took me almost two weeks to read.
I ask for a Christie book every year from our work Secret Santa, and it‘s always fun to see what my colleagues pick for me 🤗
And, as ever, I didn‘t come close to guessing the true culprit.

January #BookSpin list!

@TheAromaofBooks

I made it through 89 books this year, and these were my top 6!
My main genres were fantasy & romance, and I especially enjoy when the two are combined.
These top 6 show how much I like genre jumping.
My goals for next year are to continue in my book clubs, not overwhelm myself with reading, and to keep seeking out many different types of stories & experiences.
Let me know some of your best books of 2024 so I can add them to my list!

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This was a fun reread, especially to discuss with friends this time! And I definitely caught a lot that I missed on my first read.
But I read this in almost every spare minute of Christmas week, and it felt like it took forever. It‘s a fun story, great twists, etc. etc. but it is just. too. long.
I am looking forward to book 3 next month but hopefully with some stronger editing!

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Really beautiful Advent devotional.
I especially liked the first week of readings, and I think it‘s one I‘d come back to in future years.

This was the first book I read by Brandon Sanderson over four years ago, and I loved it then, but I think I love it even more now reading it as part of the larger Cosmere. I really enjoy the characters, the world is big but easily and quickly built, and the magic system is so interesting. Sanderson said he plans to write an Elantris 2, and I am definitely interested! Jack Garrett did a good job with the audiobook, too. Continuing through Cosmere!

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After hearing about this series for years from friends, I‘m so glad to have finally read this first book! I liked the story, the novella format, and the characters that felt so quickly filled out.
Murderbot is funny & relatable, and I will definitely be reading more in this series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I think my interest in/enjoyment of this second book was colored by both how demanding real life is right now & how much I absolutely loved the first one.
Seeing Lord Blackthorn again was fun as he was such a memorable side character from the first book, and I liked the upstairs/downstairs aspects and learning about more details of faerie.
So I liked it, just not as much as book 1.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This book has been on my shelf since basically the minute I finished Williams‘ Seven Days in June, so I hadn‘t read a summary of it in a long time, and that was actually a really fun way to go into it.
There‘s romance, Black history, Harlem Renaissance, and some magical realism thrown in to make it extra special. I listened to this one except the very end and I thought the two readers did a great job.
Tia Williams is a must read for me.

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It took me a little to get used to Lift‘s narration in this in this shorter novel - which is the length of some normal novels - but once I was into it, I loved it. I‘m so interested to see how everything I‘ve learned in this book fits in with the series as a whole.
There was also a great Cosmere surprise in this one that made me literally gasp. I am having such a good time traveling through Brandon Sanderson‘s universe.

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I loved this! Regency fantasy romance? Just stop right there.
It had some of the swooniest romance scenes while also letting the fantastical & historical elements shine, too.
Dora was such a lovable character, and I am looking forward to more from Atwater 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book delivered exactly what I was hoping for based on the cover, title, & summary. It was such a good time & a very fun different kind of Christmas book.
I exclusively listened to the audiobook and really liked both narrators.
I will definitely be reading more from Carter in the future! Highly recommend this one for a fun holiday read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
There were some things I really loved about this book & others that drove me crazy, but overall it was charming & it set up the series well to continue with romances for the other sisters.
I especially loved the ending which just kept growing & compounding on itself, which really reminded me of The Importance of Being Ernest, a favorite play of mine, so that was excellent 🤩

December #bookspin list!
@TheAromaofBooks

The trouble with lies is they have a tendency, if not well managed, to catch a man out.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

FYI!
Just saw Brandon Sanderson posted this on his Instagram!

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Since this is a collection of all three Binti stories, it feels harder to “rate.” All three go together so well that reading them individually would leave so much missing. There is also so much room at the end for Okorafor to come back to Binti 🤞🏻
Robin Miles is an expert audiobook narrator, so I was very excited that she read these.
I rarely read pure sci-fi, but I loved this, so I need to branch out this way more often.

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A fun reread of a favorite Christmas novella. Hibbert is the best at making you laugh, swoon, blush, and tear up all in the same quick book.
This is an expertly done novella - nothing felt rushed & everything wrapped up nicely.

I read through all five of the short stories in this new collection from Amazon. A couple I loved; a couple I hated 😂

Here are my ratings for the five stories:
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - ⭐️⭐️
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - ⭐️⭐️
All by My Elf by Olivia Dade - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a cozy mystery! The quirky, unique animal characters were a fun twist on a well known genre, and I can‘t really explain it, but it‘s just the perfect book to read in November.
I didn‘t guess the killer, so that was nice, too, to have a new world built & a strong mystery.
I think I‘ll definitely read more from this series.

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I wasn‘t sure if this would hold up for a 3rd read, but it really did. Very fun, spicy, and fast, it‘s a great time.
Rebecca Soler is a very enthusiastic audiobook reader which sometimes really adds to the story and sometimes it‘s a bit too much.
I‘m excited to be back in the world & will anxiously await book 3 coming out in a couple months.

Another 1000+ pages - 48 hours on the audiobook - in to the Stormlight Archive, and I am loving every minute!
The fact that this world is so full, the characters so real, and the whole experience so accessible - it‘s just incredible.

⭐️⭐️⭐️I didn‘t have any issue with the message of this book - I almost fully agree with his premise that we can choose to be unoffendable, reacting to people‘s anger with love.The reason I didn‘t love this one is because it felt very repetitive, &there were moments that felt like Hansen didn‘t allow for healthy ways to deal with our anger, it should just be dismissed.So it was fine for what it was, but I wish it had been a bit less…or a bit more.

“Okay. So this may sound like the dumbest thing you‘ve ever read, but here goes: you can choose to be unoffendable.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Jasnah Kholin pretended to enjoy the party, giving no indication that she intended to have one of the guests killed.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

November #BookSpin list!
@TheAromaofBooks

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I think this is my favorite TJR book so far! I had been told multiple times it would be different than what I expected, and it really was in so many ways.
The three audiobook narrators were excellent & made the three different story parts distinct.
It felt so real, I caught myself almost Googling Evelyn Hugo & her movies multiple times and then had to remind myself it was all fiction.
Loved it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I always enjoy a good sports story, and this chess-centric romance definitely scratches that itch! There were some things I didn‘t love, mostly to do with the character of Mallory and her family, but overall this is a fun, quick, heartfelt read.
Probably the most confusing thing about this book is that it‘s being called a young adult novel, and it absolutely is not.
So it‘s a good book, one I would recommend, but not to younger readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love Sharon McMahon!I love her commitment to the truth of history,her writing style,her desire to give voice to the stories that have mostly been untold.This book‘s content and the way it was written is excellent!The only reason it‘s down one star is because I‘m a bad reader of story collections, & that is more what this feels like than an overarching narrative.The audiobook is excellent,&I‘m so appreciative of what Sharon has given us!

“Alexander Hamilton was going to die. And he knew it.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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I truly do not know who Brandon Sanderson thinks he is. This book was massive - 45 hours on the audiobook! - and all I could think when I finished it was “I‘m so glad there‘s more!”
His pacing is some of the best I‘ve ever read and he builds these worlds, people groups, magic systems in ways that are so easy to read.
Very, very impressive.

“Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast.”

#FirstLineFridays
@TheAromaofBooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I can‘t pinpoint what exactly made it so different, but I thought this book was much better than Soto‘s first (Forget Me Not) in this loosely connected series. This one is still a quick, spicy read, but the characters here feel more grounded and cared for, and so I also cared for them. I thought the final conflict was realistic, and even if the end was a bit quick, it all came together well.
Definitely glad I gave Soto another chance!

October #bookspin list!

@TheAromaofBooks

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This book was fun and fast paced, pretty spicy and a bit weird. I wouldn‘t have read it if it wasn‘t a book club pick, but if Hazelwood made this into a series, I would read more.

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Keeping his signature writing style - short chapters, snappy dialogue, memorable characters, and laugh out loud moments - Osman somehow wrote a new murder mystery story that really does feel distinct.
I‘m looking forward to seeing the Thursday Murder Club characters again, but I‘ll be just as happy to return to body guard Amy, her retired cop father-in-law Steve, & spicy mystery novelist Rosie as They Solve Murders.

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I don‘t feel like I ever understood the main characters in this story but I did think their families, setting, and children (especially the children) were all written realistically. It was character driven, and Rowell did a great job compelling me forward.
I also loved it being set in 2006. The amount of times this woman put on a dress over her jeans - excellent. I think this was written specifically for us, elder millennials. Enjoy 💕

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This is such a strong showing from Emily Henry! I read it when it first came out in less than 48 hours, so it was nice to sit with it a little longer this time.
Reading through all Henry‘s books over the last few months with my friend was very fun, so I definitely recommend that, too.

**I still don‘t have my own copy cuz I‘m waiting for the paperback!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought I‘d love this low-stakes time traveling café book more than I did. I think it came down to how it‘s a short story collection and I‘m never a good reader of those. That said, I did like how all the stories were connected and how the time travel was so low-stakes. You weren‘t worried the world would be changed, just the people there.I don‘t think I‘ll read more, but there are some characters I am wondering about, so you never know!

“‘Oh gosh, is that the time? Sorry I have to go,‘ the man mumbled evasively, as he stood up and reached for his bag.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everett wrote this book with such honesty, respect, and agency. Taking a story so fully engrained in American Literature and flipping it to be something with a deeper understanding of every character must have been a massive undertaking, and there are so many impactful moments in this book. The audio is powerfully read, and I‘ll be buying my own copy and annotating all the moments that stilled my body & pushed into my heart.
A gift.

“Those little bastards were hiding out there in the tall grass.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

This is going to be one of the best surprises of the year! Told entirely through letters, articles, etc., the pacing is not fast, but it was captivating. A unique world is created, and the characters all felt distinct & interesting. I think this was helped by the excellent audiobook narration provided by four different readers. Some romance, some academia, some laughs, some anxiety-overall excellent storytelling. And also - what a gorgeous cover!

September #bookspin list!
@TheAromaofBooks

“Dear Scholar Clel,
Instead of reading further, I hope you will return this letter to its envelope or, better yet, crumple it into an abstract shape that might look quite at home on a coral reef.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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Even though I gave this book 5 stars the first time I read it, I didn‘t really remember it with great fondness. But on this reread, I found myself absolutely loving it.
I think these MCs are the ones of Henry‘s that I relate to the most, for good and bad, and I find the heartache that drives this book really beautiful.
The audiobook is excellent, the friendships represented seem realistic - Emily Henry is a master at what she does.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel like every review of Lewis nonfiction for me could be the same: it takes some work, but it's worth it.
You can trust Lewis to build (and build and build) an argument in a way that is logical, philosophical, and tongue-in-cheek and then bring you to a conclusion that has you more sure than ever of Christ and God's goodness.
This book was written 84 years ago, but its message is timeless.

“Not many years ago when I was an atheist, if anyone had asked me, ‘Why do you not believe in God?‘ my reply would have run something like this: ‘Look at the universe we live in.‘”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so different from what I was expecting - in a good way!
The time bending apartment was such a fun idea, and I really liked both main characters and their exploration of grief, though I didn‘t connect with the story as emotionally as I thought I would.
I‘m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The fact that this is Miller‘s first novel is absolutely incredible. She has this amazing talent of taking mythic characters and stories that many of us have grown up reading and studying, and turning them into, if not ordinary people, then at least relatable ones.
It‘s shocking that she can have somebody like Achilles or Odysseus as a character and they feel fresh and new when I‘m reading her work.
Definitely recommend.