I'm not a huge thriller reader, but this one was really good!

I don't know if I am filling this in right because I have the same book going against itself but whatever the case, I think I have my favorite book of the first half of the year!

A great reading month--my faves were Chain -Gang (which I found to be entertaining and just...brilliant) and I Have Some Questions For You. Flora Lea was delightful and House on Fire was captivating. Girls Like Us, I read as a possible alternative for my students who can't read Of Mice and Men, and it was good, and Landslide was so relatable as a parent of nearly adult children.

I had this one tied with I Have Some Questions For You, but the social critique Chain Gang made through the footnotes nudges it just barely ahead.

Hello, Beautiful will be in my top 10 of the year, I am pretty sure! I foresee The Winners going far, too.

It was a tough choice! Thank you @chasjjlee for the bracket!

A woman is supposed to be quarantining for 14 days, but she heads out for a hike that takes a bad turn. Very introspective as the narrative focuses on the inner thoughts of the characters. It took me a bit to get used to the stream of consciousness, but the author accurately captured a lot of the fear and panic that occurred in the beginning of the pandemic. I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 #netgalley

I think the writer tried to do too much and ended up spreading herself too thin. We get pieces of stories that go back and forth in time, and some of the topics didn't seem to be necessary or fit the main narrative.⭐⭐⭐/5

Really enjoyed this book--it had a Great Gatsby feel to it. Good writing and a morally gray main character. At times it felt a little slow, but I think this was all a part of the character and plot development.⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This book was so good! Really well developed characters and a very engaging story! Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I will read anything this author writes. He gets what it is to be human. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Kept me guessing! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Excellent book--mysterious and atmospheric.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Barnes and Noble Book Haul!

Absolutely loved this wintry, cozy Christmas-y little book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I mostly enjoyed this cozy read. I wished it focused a bit more on the Bookshop aspect of the story instead of the romance aspect, but that's just my personal taste. Loved the Scottish setting, was annoyed by the best friend. I don't know that I am interested in reading any more in the series. They seem to have mixed reviews. ⭐⭐⭐/5 stars

Highly recommend!⭐⭐⭐⭐

This YA novel was excellent! Highly recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I really enjoyed this slower paced futuristic novel. Reminded me of a tamer version of a Black Mirror episode with more character development. I felt so connected to the "Artificial Friend," Klara. Some parts were a little slow, but overall, a really good story! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I didn't love this book--I felt that it didn't deliver on the main conflict and it couldn't decide which characters to focus on. #moremehthanyeah ⭐⭐⭐/5

I thought this was just a book about a woman following migrating birds , but it is so much more! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A group of children strike out on their own during a hurricane into a post apocalyptic like world after their parents remain completely clueless of the impending danger. A great story with dark undertones!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A multigenerational story of the women starting on. slave plantation in Puerto Rico. I enjoyed this for the most parts--some women's stories were stronger and more memorable than others, and some chapters left me wanting more. ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

This book was fine--My interest was held for most of the book, but about halfway through I was just reading it to finish it. It is told from multiple viewpoints, but there were a few characters whose stories weren't developed enough and seemed unnecessary to the story. The book tried to address too many social issues but without the depth that they necessitated. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

This book was excellent! I was swept up into the story immediately and it did not let up. I felt the ending was a little rushed, but that is my only issue. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I am not a big fan of short stories, but this collection was really good!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This book was good--not great but a solid good. Character development was a little flat and the ending was rushed. I didn't love the characters, not that I need to like all characters in books I read. Still, it kept my attention and I would recommend it as a quick, light read ⭐⭐⭐/5

Such a sad story but superb writing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The day was flat. #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

This book. Wow! I was instantly absorbed into these characters' lives. I learned so much about the fear, horror and stigma regarding the AIDS virus in its early days. I was a child then and wasn't aware of much more than "it was bad to get" and that a boy named Ryan was ostracized for having it. I didn't know about the fear it caused in the gay community, nor did I know about the horrible journey from diagnosis to death. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

1. Teaching during Covid--switching constantly between virtual and hybrid.... 😫
2.Today I am grateful for meditation.

Excellent book! It was a little slow at the start, but then I couldn't put it down.⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 /5

This book did not live up to my expectations. There was a lot of telling and not showing in character development. I like books where characters are developed through their actions and thoughts. Things happened too fast. Characters would meet up and all of a sudden they are confessing things to each other, or they change their mind on an issue and we don't see any inner conflict over it. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I finally read this book, and I loved it. It is a book about a hostage situation and the lives of the hostages and terrorists as the lines between the two groups blur. It is much more serious than Anxious People...very character driven vs. plot driven. The plot is secondary to the character development. Great writing, too. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Happy New Year's, my Litsy friends 🎉

Meh...⭐⭐⭐/5 Well-intentioned YA plot that didn't necessarily deliver.

A heartbreaking read, but so good. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Look what arrived @Bookish_AF! Thank you so much! I have been wanting to read this one, and the chocolate looks delicious. #Jolabokaflod @MaleficentBookDragon

This book was excellent! A mystery with an eccentric older lady as the main character, and such an atmospheric feel--perfect for winter. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

My Jobakoflod package is on its way to @LeslieO from snowy Colorado! @MaleficentBookDragon

This book is a welcome distraction! Hilarious quote: "'You have all these books and not a single Harry Potter?And they let you fix people whose heads are broken?'"

Congratulations on the milestone @magyklyXdelish ! Thanks for the opportunity to win! 🥳#ILoveYou3000

This book was amazing! Well-developed characters, a compelling plot and beautiful writing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 I think this is even better than Bennett's debut, The Mothers, which I also really liked.

#bookspin 20 The Ten Thousand Doors of January it is! @TheAromaofBooks

I flew through this, my February #bookspin! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Thanks, @TheAromaofBooks for doing this...who knows how long it would have sat on my shelf?!

1. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson--my current #bookspin read for February.
2. Disappearing Earth
3. Stickers on the spines of my books that I buy used.

Getting ready to read my #bookspin for this month. @TheAromaofBooks

Between a pick and a so-so for me. I prefer the depth of The Hate You Give to the glossed over version of events that this book presented. I think this would be good for kids who aren't at the Hate You Give level of reading. ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

So....I have to teach this book to my sophomores, and I just read it for the first time. I found it totally underwhelming. Maybe I was expecting it to change my life, like it seems to have done for so many readers, but I just felt like it was a bunch of platitudes with little substance. I'm hoping my students will at least get into it more than I did!