#bookspin for Jan was 3 more Sherlock Holmes stories… fairly enjoyable

Final #roll100 read for Jan. really picked itself up for me in the final chapter, but not quite enough to be a pick. Very very weird and disengaged - I would read something else by this author though after the ending!

#doublespin for Jan - the writing was beautiful, this just wasn‘t my cup of tea. Found it a bit of a slog.

Second #roll100 read, and I enjoyed this near-future dystopia, although it‘s was frighteningly plausible. Not sure about the bovine chorus, but I liked the intertwining stories and some interesting themes raised.

Getting the year started off right with a #roll100 read. Not TJR‘s best, can def see how she has matured as an author, but a sad, quick, enjoyable read.

Super interesting retelling of the period between the sack of Troy & the Greeks returning home… a part of the myth I don‘t believe I‘ve ever read about in this much detail. Loved it! Plus #bookspin lost for Jan (how on earth is it 2025 tomorrow?!?)

Final #roll100 read for 2024 - I got through 47 of these - excited to continue in 2025! This was ok sci-fi - clearly taking some inspiration from the Martian but didn‘t quite pack the same punch. Soft pick.

David Mitchell writes exactly how he speaks 🤣 really enjoyed this for #doublespin in Dec - going over well trod territory but adding his own spin - def recommended for anyone interested in history

A soft pick for #roll100 - reminiscent of Good Omens, but I think the idea could have been more fleshed out and also could have done with a good edit. The plot surprised me though and I would read something else by this author

Well it‘s been 8 years since I first posted about this book when it arrived in a mystery box and I‘ve finally gotten around to reading it! A bit more battered now after the dog got hold of it as a puppy 🙈 but quite enjoyable. A soft pick.

Absolutely beautiful book for my first December #roll100 definitely not one for feeling festive but a really interesting and important tale of nazi Germany. Fantastic character development and really interesting plot.

#bookspin done! Enjoyed the start of this second series set in the grishaverse - looking forward to reading the sequel!

Gorgeous cover, pretty good story, and a soft pick from me!

#roll100

#roll100 really enjoyed this poetic novel set in 1984/2018 - interesting story of friendship, family & identity

Totally heartbreaking. Really brutal true crime.

#roll100 well this book was batshit crazy. And I thoroughly enjoyed it! Loved trying to unpick all the metaphor vs reality, a wild ride.

#doublespin for Nov and my new favourite Discworld book! I‘m a bit sad that I‘m nearing the end of this series, it‘s so funny & clever. This one I found particularly good, really enjoyed the character of Moist 😆

It‘s late but read my final #roll100 pick for October. Really enjoyed this retelling of an old Briton myth, I enjoyed the different perspectives, and although the plot wasn‘t a surprise it all kept me entertained!

#bookspin for November and this was WILD. I really enjoyed the story of Nell & how the primer helped to shape her - some interesting concepts here

I haven‘t been as active as I would have liked during #hauntedshelf because… life! But I‘ve enjoyed it regardless and finishing on 500 pts total for #skeletoncrew 🎃👻 happy Halloween!!!

Just. Beautiful.
#roll100 #hauntedshelf #sleletoncrew

A reread for October‘s #doublespin & second time round I still loved it. Properly cosy sci-fi, I really enjoyed the exploration of different gender/sexuality/parenthood etc across different alien species

#hauntedshelf #skeletoncrew

Another book ticked off for #roll100 #hauntedshelf #skeletoncrew this was really unsettling, very sparse, but really built tension. Enjoyed it!

#bookspin for October - LOVED this! So sad, yet uplifting, really makes me want to walk the south west coast path one day!

#hauntedshelf #skeletoncrew

Book club read - I enjoyed this! Always like a small town American novel that really focus in on familial relationships. Behind on collating #hauntedshelf points as been laid up with some horrible cold/flu, but it has let me do a lot of reading, so every cloud!!

Unsurprisingly, given the authors previous book, this was absolutely heartbreaking. So well written, there were a couple of moments where I had to have a little break because it‘s SO. HEAVY. But absolutely beautiful.

And #bookspin #doublespin for October! Looking forward to ticking some off for #hauntedshelf 😁

Another #roll100 read and this was… ok. Like other readers I found the backstory slightly confused and didn‘t really understood what the Wilderwood was or exactly what the point of the Kings was. Probably won‘t read the sequel.

Another non fiction #bookspin and I absolutely loved this! Really entertaining, funny and also super interesting to learn more about a weird little river creature (water voles)!

A bittersweet moment as I finally finish the culture series for September‘s #doublspin
Not my favourite in the series, but still enjoyable! I particularly liked the idea of the elevenstring

Not my favourite Greek retelling, but pretty good, and final #roll100 read for Aug. Like others, I was expecting more from Elektra‘s POV, but actually got a lot of Clytemnestra & Cassandra too (I would like more Cassandra tbh!)

Catching up on the weekends reading- this was my #doublespin for Aug and I found it absolutely riveting! Probably not for everyone but I found it genuinely suspenseful & also enjoyed the extracts from various diaries of those on the original Endurance expedition!

#roll100 read - This was ok. I guessed some of the twists along the way and wasn‘t quite as gripping as some of the reviews make out

#bookspin - and my favourite novel in the Culture series to date (and there‘s only one left!) Brilliant characters, some great twists and turns in the broader, political story, and very entertaining Minds & Ships as always!

A so-so apocalyptic novel for #roll100 - it was quite a good premise but it just didn‘t really grip me..

Final #roll100 read for July and enjoyed this one. Quite slow paced and atmospheric, but I enjoyed the different perspectives and enjoyed it being a bit meandering. And #bookspin #doublespin list done for August!

Scored a line in #bookspinbingo for the first time in months with this one! Really enjoyed it, great character development, and managed to be uplifting even though the subject matter at times was super dark

A soft pick for this #roll100 read (I was really torn between pick & so-so) - I was really into it at first, very reminiscent of NOS4R2 / IT / Stranger Things - but I felt like the author was pushing his agenda a bit too much and also really needed a better edit as there was far too much repetition.

#doublespin LOVED this! I think the Tiffany Aching books might be my new favourites in Discworld. Granny Weatherwax is an utter legend and the Nac Mac Feegle are blooming hilarious

#roll100 - not David Nicholls strongest, but quite sweet

I really enjoyed my #bookspin pick for July - seems to have gotten mixed reviews but I liked this alternate history with a feminist slant, imagining if Britain & Nazi Germany became an alliance. Loved the literary references scattered throughout. It‘s definitely derivative as others have mentioned but still a pick from me!

Final #roll100 read for June and I really enjoyed this slightly-supernatural reimagining of the Donner Party - something I knew nothing about prior and found extremely interesting! A slow burn but that helped ratchet up the tension - really enjoyed it!

#bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo

Excited for both picks this month 🤩

Slow, and quite difficult in parts to follow, but some really interesting sections, this fictionalised account of an African dictator makes me feel as if I need to learn more about actual modern African history. #roll100

A really beautiful collection of essays for #doublespin this month - some super short, some extended, all thoughtful and interesting.

#roll100 I always enjoy a book that references Greek tragedy so this was good, but not great. I was expecting some sort of twist or reveal which didn‘t come but good nonetheless!

#bookspin for June - didn‘t really get all the hype with this one - it was ok ands quite funny in parts but felt a bit too try-hard for me..

Thanks so much Lindy for hosting this #buddyread - as others have said, slowing down really enriched this read for me, I read Les Mis last year by doing a chapter a day (pleasingly, it‘s 365 chapters) but I enjoyed even more doing this in step with other readers and getting to share thoughts and opinions!

I was disappointed not to get a last minute twist in the main storyline but nevertheless really enjoyed this one!

Final #roll100 read from the May list. I feel like this would have been really shocking when it first came out but there‘s so much erotica around these days I didn‘t really think it was anything special. Onto the next one!

Finally finished my #doublespin pick for May! This was epic, I really really like the culture series, especially the ones which have a less developed civilisation like this one… almost done with the series!!

Love a retelling of Greek myth! I really enjoyed this interpretation of the Iliad (and a bit before/after) primarily from the POV of Briseis. I‘m not sure how I felt about a book positioned as giving women a voice having some chapters from Achilles POV though. A good #roll100 choice though!