We do not care that we are drowning at work and have more books on our “must read this month” list than we can possibly read this month. We are going to start this early copy of Hamburg Noir that was delivered an hour ago. We are done with the real world. #WDNCW

Out 7/29, this Persuasion retelling is one of the worst books I‘ve read this year. It is painfully repetitive. Most of it is just Anne or Frederick moaning about how they aren‘t worthy or agonizing about still loving the other person but knowing it‘s too late and the feelings aren‘t mutual (of course they are, idiots). It‘s so tedious I literally fell asleep 3 times. How dare they treat my favorite Austen novel this way. It‘s an abomination.

I enjoyed this cozy fantasy romance. The characters were fun, even the ones that weren‘t well-developed (Yael‘s parents are practically mustache-twirling villain caricatures) and the fantasy elements (magic) seemed almost unimportant, as though the authors couldn‘t be bothered to really craft a fantasy world. Still, it was a good story, even if I‘m not sold on the idea of a sequel.

This was the most predictable, unbelievable, and ridiculous thing I have read in years. Purportedly a psychological thriller, it is just a poorly conceived gothic novel. I knew how large parts of this would play out less than 1/4 of the way in and even the finer details were absurd. Don‘t even get me started on the italicized Aws, Args, and Ouches scattered throughout. Scheduled publication 7/15. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Out 7/15 I loved most of this. The writing pulled me in and kept my attention, which is no small feat these days. The characters were complex, and I loved that this had Sirens and a dark Little Mermaid vibe (the Hans Christian Andersen version 🖤). My only quibble was that it had more angst than I prefer. Be honest with each other, you idiots! That said, I will keep my eye out for the sequel, because I need to know how this story ends.

I didn‘t love it nearly as much as One Dark Window or The Knight and the Moth. I‘m actually a bit disappointed. The writing is still captivating, the characters just as interesting, but I didn‘t feel the same pull. Maybe it‘s because we go from having just Elspeth‘s POV in book one, to having 3 POVs. I understand the need for the change, but I wanted more of Ravyn and Elspeth as a couple. I‘m not sold on the other couple. Still a pick, though.

Bookspin Bingo board and July TBR with book clubs, buddy reads, NetGalley digital arcs, and library books. I won‘t get through everything. I have an extra couple of days off work, though, and that will help. Maybe. 🤣🤣

I‘m not loving the audiobook of this but it‘s not the narrator‘s fault. I am not enjoying the story. Switching to print in the hopes I won‘t just bail completely. There‘s an 8 week wait for the ebook, but no wait other than transport from one branch to my branch for the hardcover, so I‘m going to try it in print, but I‘ll miss this weekend‘s discussion. 😮‍💨
#camplitsy25

Bingo card to come later, but here are my #bookspin and #doublespin for July. Bookspin should be easy since it‘s one of the #camplitsy25 books, but I‘m not sure how I‘m going to squeeze the double spin into my TBR. 😳

I finished 15 books this month. That tells me (a) the world is a dumpster fire and I have been hiding from it by reading and (2) I did almost nothing but work and read. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Always happy to finish both my #bookspin and double spin selections and happy with 1 bingo although I‘d really hoped for two. . My faves were both by new-to-me author Rachel Gillig. It‘s safe to say I‘m obsessed with her books now. #junestats

This is a soft pick, and mostly because I love the illustrations. I met the author during the Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl and she explained the layout of the books - clearly designed to be used for teaching. I‘d hoped for more Dr. Seuss‘s ABC, but the short phrases for each letter lack that silliness and joy. The illustrations are delightful, though. (This is my #doublespin for June)

I disliked this immensely. It started off with a fast pace, but I came to loathe the main character. She is a sad, dithering woman, struggling to be noticed by her publisher, editor, and pretty much everyone else at a crime writers awards weekend (think Bloody Scotland). It reads like an episode of Murder She Wrote, only less campy and therefore less fun. The prose is okay, the investigation tedious, and the solution an annoying cliche.

I think I finally have my July #bookspin list completed. I can‘t wait to see the bingo board. I‘m hoping to have extra reading time with a 3-day weekend and at least one day off work for a doctor appointment, because there‘s a lot on here that I really want to read.

(Image updated to be legible)

F*** this book and 1000 curses on everyone who voted for it so I had to read it. When I stop sobbing, I‘ll go back to the discussion questions I‘ve missed yesterday and last week, but ugh. It‘s riveting, with complex characters you can‘t help but care for deeply, so well-written, even with multiple POVs, and heartbreaking. Absolutely devastating. I hate you all (not really, but kind of) #camplitsy25

My local indie orders these for me before I even know they are being published and then Sherri calls to tell me she has a surprise behind the counter. 💖 This is basically a Narwhal and Jelly version of Grover/Sesame Street‘s The Monster at the End of this Book (which was my FAVORITE book as a child), and it is equally delightful.

…and with that Rachel Gillig becomes an auto buy author for me. I loved this. The writing is immersive, the characters are compelling, and the magic system is unique and clever. It‘s a good thing book two is already out and that I own it. Do I read the things I‘m supposed to next or do I start book two? 🤔

An interesting look at how searches are conducted for missing hikers, the tools used by both amateurs and professionals including drones, psychics, in-person searches, and social media. It centers on 3 missing hikers, and while none are found, you get to know the hikers, their families, and the author, a former national park ranger, throughout the searches on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). It‘s informative and heartbreaking.

Gah! I loved this. It‘s my first Ali Hazelwood, and it will not be my last. I adored the banter between Maya and Conor, and the sass of other characters, particularly Nyota. The story was delightful. It was frustrating and steamy and heartbreaking and heartwarming. Problematic or not, I loved it.

I asked Bri at PRB for a book that would block out the world, a story that would pull me into its pages and keep intrusive thoughts at bay. She delivered. The writing and world building are immersive, the magic system is fascinating, and the characters are complex and contradictory. I hate that I have to wait for book 2, but I look forward to seeing the stone gargoyle again. I adore him.

I try to make allowances for the time period in which these books are written, but the racism towards Indigenous people was too egregious to overlook and it crops up in more than one case. This is one I wish I‘d skipped. #ebbr

A fun mystery for Nancy and crew. So much happens in this one! Kidnappings. Pickpockets. Ferry crashes. You name it, Nancy survives it and solves it! I actually found this one delightful despite the non-stop chaos. #nancydrewbr

Dreamscape has been releasing new audio versions of le Carre‘s work narrated by Simon Vance and they are wonderful. I‘m a huge fan of both le Carre and Simon Vance, so this was a comfort reread/listen for me. TSWCIFTC is the quintessential Cold War spy novel and it‘s the book that cemented le Carre as the master of the genre.

On Friday, I started two different books and couldn‘t stick with either. I binged the first season and a half of Slow Horses on Apple TV yesterday, started another book that I just can‘t stick with earlier today and am switching over to the tagged book that‘s been on my shelves for YEARS. I probably should wait until I finish all four seasons of the TV show, but I‘m hoping for a book I can‘t put down. 🤞🏻

Twitterpated 🥰

One of my favorite words! I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen it used in a book before.

Abysmal. Hemingway and high school assignments were four of the five. Lord of the Flies is disturbing, but is one of my favorites from this list. (So disturbing). Fun fact - I have been grumbling at most of these lists because The Quiet American is the only Graham Greene they usually list and it isn‘t the one I‘ve read. Only, I just checked The StoryGraph and apparently I read it in 2021 and just didn‘t like it. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #tlt #threelistthursday

I absolutely adored this entry in Bateman‘s latest series. Daisy Hamilton is delightful - independent, snarky, and well-armed. Lucien Vaughn is a perfectly swoony Romance hero - devious, sarcastic, and completely besotted. The banter here is hysterical and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this couple find their HEA.

WTF?

I honestly don‘t know how to rate this. It‘s so far outside of my comfort zone as to be in another universe entirely. I am so grateful that my library had a copy and I didn‘t spend money on it. #CampLitsy25 discussion is definitely going to be interesting. 🤨

This was a good combination of Romance + police procedural. I loved the characters, even if some of them were more caricature than well-developed individuals. The romance between Rav and Jack was believable, even if a little too insta-lovey for my taste. I was rooting for them the whole time. Published today (6/3). I read an ARC via Minotaur and NetGalley.

Well, at least the #BookspinGods gave me one book that was already on my June TBR. 😂 I didn‘t have any Greater Charlotte Bookcrawl purchases on said TBR, but I have several that are super short, so I should be able to squeeze one of those in. #bookspin

Golden Age Crime in Translation. I think the best thing about this is the new minimalist cover from Picador. I don‘t know if my issue is with the translation or the story itself, but I found the text choppy and the “solve” convenient. The ending epilogue was unexpected and a little weird for a mystery novel. Also, TW/spoiler in the comments which yes, I found it unnecessary and unforgivable and I‘ve been mad for more than half the book. 🤬

Lots of things I want to read in June, including finishing 4 books I have in progress. Really hoping the Bookspin gods are kind and pick things that are already in this list instead of adding to it. I know I won‘t finish everything but I‘m hoping to make a good dent in the stack. #junetbr

Finished 17 books this birthday month. I‘m honestly not sure how I managed that many. Lore Olympus is, of course, my fave of the month, but I finished strong with three stellar mysteries in a row. I managed both my #bookspin and #doublespin, and triple bingo!

Harris builds this latest Sebastian St. Cyr mystery around the 1811 Radcliffe Highway Murders. As always, the mystery is well-crafted, the story fast-paced, the writing engaging, and the characters complex. I love all of the recurring characters (yes, even Jarvis, if only because it‘s so much fun to watch him and Sebastian needle each other). Even 16 books into the series, it hasn‘t gotten old or lost any quality.

10/100 Faves in photo. All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the few books assigned in 9th grade that I managed to finish. Rereading Their Eyes Were Watching God taught me that no one reads the same book twice. Our life experiences rewrites how we respond to the text. A Farewell to Arms started my obsession with Hemingway, and it also sparked a running joke Junior year of high school about being blown up while eating cheese. Kids…🤣🤣 #tlt

I adore Bryant, May, and the entire Peculiar Crimes Unit. The solutions to the cases are not things I could predict, but they are brilliant and clever. I'm not totally sold on the audiobook narration, but this is a case where the story is so good, I can overlook any issues with it.
This is my #bookspin #doublespin for May. 🥳

I reached 67% and have 3 1/2 hours at 1.5 speed to finish. I‘ve been arguing with myself about bailing all morning, and I surrender. I don‘t know if it‘s the narrator, the translation, or the source material but I dislike the characters, the author seems oddly obsessed with menstruation, and non-white male characters are not written well. I wanted to read this before watching Dept Q, but I think I‘ll skip the TV show as well.

I love the Thursday Murder Club. The characters are wonderfully complex-clever and witty. The mystery is well crafted and I love the way it unravels. It was a delight to read.

I think this may be my favorite of the series. There's a whole new depth to Mrs. Haggerty, finally some real honestly between Finlay and Nick, and plenty of shenanigans from everyone, including Finlay's kids. It's filled with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Finished my #bookspin list for June last night. Lots of things I‘m really looking forward to reading and a couple of categories for mood reading. 💖

Just a quick birthday check in on May‘s #bookspin bingo board. I‘m frantically trying to finish four books this week. It‘s not looking good, since this is my busiest week at work, but I‘ll make myself sick trying. 🤣🤣

Note to self: do better at checking if a book is a standalone and do not read the description of subsequent books before finishing the first. The Goodreads/Storygraph description of book 2 contains a massive spoiler for the tagged book. 🤬 I mostly enjoyed the mix of likable/unlikeable characters. It‘s slow to unfold, but interesting. There‘s a lot happening but I don‘t want to say more and risk spoilers, except eff that ending.

This is an #unpopularopinion and I feel terrible about it. Renner‘s accident was horrific and his recovery nothing short of miraculous. This book, however, was so repetitive and Renner‘s insistence that he was responsible for all of the pain, fear, and stress his family experienced witnessing the accident and its aftermath bordered on performative martyrdom. I hope he‘s in therapy for the psychological trauma.

ABYSMAL. I never thought I‘d be grateful for The Great Gatsby, but at least it enabled me to check one box. Hemingway was another and I‘ve already forgotten the other two. I‘ve owned copies of three of the pictured books (two for 30 years!) and lost all desire to read them. The only one on the list I still want to read is Conrad‘s The Secret Agent. #tlt #threelistthursday You‘re killing me @dabbe 🤣😭🤣

This is a clever look at Indigenous Turtle Island history told through the lens of Native American and First Nations stand up comedians. It‘s partially a biography of comedians/Indigenous showmen going all the way back to those forced to work traveling Wild West shows in the 1800s to modern day stand up artists, and partially a history of the atrocities committed by the US and Canada (but mostly the US).

This was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that used Chinese folklore to explore themes of grief and belonging.

Ugh. I‘m not sure how to rate this. It started off fun, definitely some squicky moments, but plenty of laugh out loud moments, too. Davi is a smartass, and her snark is entertaining. But then it just becomes repetitive and I was ready for it be over. I did not realize this was a duology. I am not amused by the ending and honestly, annoyed enough to not read book two.

I‘ve got to stop doing these. I consider myself well read - I certainly have read a lot in my lifetime, but these lists make me feel ignorant, or that I need to return my English Lit degree back to UCF. 😭😭
Anywho…love Les Mis, Fathers and Sons, Middlemarch, Great Expectations, and Little Women. Dostoyevsky on the other hand can go f*ck himself. 🤣🤣 #tlt #threelistthursday

This is a fascinating look at the history of the axe as a tool of violence. The scope is huge, covering thousands of years, so there‘s not a ton of depth. That said, as an overview, it‘s interesting and held my attention. The audiobook is well narrated, too.

I‘ve seen other reviewers say something along the lines of “no matter how horrible you think Facebook is, the reality is worse”. I‘m not shocked by anything here, but I am horrified by the depths of the depravity among the executives. I would have liked was more acknowledgment by Wynn-Williams of her own complicity. There‘s an astonishing lack of self awareness, but I appreciate this whistleblowing memoir. ⬇️

…and that‘s a wrap. Plenty of convenient coincidences, multiple mysteries, a missing treasure, hidden rooms, and danger for Nancy and her pals every other chapter! This one, at least, is not nearly as ridiculous as The Case of the Exploding NASA Oranges (which I humbly suggest should be the new name of the last book 😂). #nancydrewbr
This book is also an absolute gift per my spoiler posts. 🤣🤣🤣