A charming and likable conman resurrects a post office and takes on a ruthless oligarch. In this satire, the target of Pratchett's jabs is government.

A noteworthy quotation: “What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.“

#OokBOokClub @julesG
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#gottacatchemall (Marshadow: sneaky character) @PuddleJumper

I have a much better appreciation of this book than I did when I had first read it a long time ago. I love how Anne has matured and evolved over the series but still retains much of what made so many people love her from the original Green Gables book.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean
#52bookclub25 (character with red hair)
#gottacatchemall (Dhelmise: set on an island) @PuddleJumper

There was a lot about this novel that I enjoyed: the diverse collection of characters, the pokes at conventional ideas about women's work, and even the unusual combination of first and third-person narratives.

#ToB25
#52bookclub25 (breaks the fourth wall)
#gottacatchemall (Drampa: protective character) @PuddleJumper

This novel was a weak pick for me. I can't say I enjoyed reading the book but it was hard-hitting and felt very honest. I was going to abandon it at first but then wanted to see how the main character would evolve.

#ToB25
#gottacatchemall (Eevee: book you borrowed) @PuddleJumper

January was a great #BookSpinBingo month for me. I don't think I've ever had this many squares filled! @TheAromaofBooks

A very enjoyable and informative book about eels. I hadn't realized that the reproductive cycle of the eel was so fascinating!

#gottacatchemall (Goomy: slimy character) @PuddleJumper
#BookCrossing

One of my favourite Stephen King books. This was a reread for me. I watched the movie for the first time recently and it was great too but the book had much more interesting character development.

#LosersClub @BarkingMadRead
52bookclub (Genre Three - horror: Set in Autumn)
#gottacatchemall (Psyduck: psychic character) @PuddleJumper

My #BookSpinBingo list for February! @TheAromaofBooks

This might be my favourite of the #ToB25 books so far. This book consists of interconnected stories that bring together not just characters but past and present. I loved the New England setting and Shattuck made its history so vivid. It's been several years since I last visited the US but now I have a longing to visit New England again.

#gottacatchemall (Pikipek: featuring a musician) @PuddleJumper

While reading the tagged book for #FoodandLit, I enjoyed an excellent Gouda from a local business run by a family that had immigrated to Canada from The Netherlands.

I visited their farm once and asked the cheesemakers for their personal favourite, out of all the flavoured and aged types of Gouda they offered. They didn't hesitate -- it was the plainest and mildest basic one that they preferred to eat themselves!

@Catsandbooks @Texreader

A low pick. This feels rather dated and the writing seems a bit awkward in places (this could be because of the translation). However, I like the quirky detectives and can see myself warming up to them even more as I continue the series.

#FoodandLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#192025 #1975 @Librarybelle
#BookSpinBingo #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#gottacatchemall (Spinda: someone is drunk or high) @PuddleJumper

I was happy to reread this novel with #ClassicLSFBC. The setting doesn't match what we know about Mars. However, in these stories, Bradbury explores social and environmental issues related to colonizing a new planet and raises questions still very relevant today.

@RamsFan1963
#52bookclub (Title starts with letter “M“)
#gottacatchemall (Sliggoo: re-read a book) @PuddleJumper

I enjoyed reading this installment in the Nancy Drew series. Other than the fact that Nancy turns out to be as accomplished at golf as she is at everything else, the story felt more plausible than some of the earlier ones.

#NancyDrewBR @Librarybelle
#gottacatchemall (Rockruff: jewellery is important) @PuddleJumper

I found this novel quirky and charming, but plodding as well. It's billed as sci-fi, but it mostly shows the insightful perspective of a woman who is different from everyone else.

#ToB25
#FrozenSick #gottacatchemall (Lillipup: dog or wolf companion) @PuddleJumper
#BookSpinBingo #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

Another good installment in the Dr. Siri Padiboun series set in Laos. I love the curmudgeonly but compassionate Siri, as well as his interesting and often humorous observations on Laotian culture and politics.

#gottacatchemall (Goomy: set somewhere humid) @PuddleJumper

The first 3 books in the Giver Quartet each packed a big punch in a very compact story. This one didn't seem as strong, but it still gave a satisfactory conclusion to the series and answered questions about what happened to the various characters.

#gottacatchemall (Raticate: someone has to swim) @PuddleJumper

Two Metis cousins steal a herd of bison to release in an urban area, as an act of environmental activism. A good story, with plenty of humour and some suspense, that looks at the complexities of Indigenous issues.

I'm glad I found a book for the #52bookclub25 “includes a heist“ prompt, though I hadn't expected it would involve bison!

#gottacatchemall (Psyduck: someone loses control ) @PuddleJumper

An update on my #192025 challenge: these are the books I finished in the past few months. 79 prompts done and 27 left to go. I'm optimistic I can finish this by the end of the year!
@Librarybelle

A reread of a favourite from the Anne series. This one is an excellent coming-of-age novel, with Anne going to college and living on her own. There are both hilarious episodes and very moving moments.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMReread @BarbaraJean
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

I enjoyed this novel much more than I had expected to. It's a good exploration of grief and depression that is also funny and uplifting. The characters, most of whom were initially unlikable, grew on me as the novel progressed.

#ToB25
#52bookclub25 (standalone novel)
#gottacatchemall (Oricorio: a book with dancing) @PuddleJumper

This is the book that first got me hooked onto the Vorkosigan series, one of my all-time favourite sci-fi series. It's a later book but was fine as an entry point. Now I'm rereading the entire series for a third time, this time on audio during long car trips with my husband.

#52bookclub25 (Title is ten letters or less)
#gottacatchemall (Komala: someone naps) @PuddleJumper

I enjoyed reading this one with the #OokBOokClub. Pratchett pokes fun at gender stereotypes, the military, government propaganda and much more. I loved the diverse cast of characters. @julesG

#52bookclub25 (A crossover - Set in a shared universe)
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

These are the series I hope to focus on for the #SeriesLove2025 challenge hosted by @Andrew65 and @TheSpineView.

I only have 2 more to read before finishing the 10-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen but both are about 1000 pages so it'll definitely be a challenge!

Here's my wrap-up for #SeriesLove2024 -- 2 books in the October Daye series, 3 each for Inspector Rebus and The Expanse and 7 for Discworld (thanks to the encouragement of #OokBOokClub @julesG).

Thanks @Andrew65 @TheSpineView for hosting the challenge!

I was so pleased to complete the 2024 #gottacatchemall challenge. Thank you @PuddleJumper for creating this fun graphic and for hosting the entire year!

I did the #52bookclub challenge for the first time last year and enjoyed it so much that I treated myself to the 2025 reading journal. Looking forward to filling out my #52bookclub2025 entries!

My January #BookSpinBingo list. @TheAromaofBooks

My point total for the second half of #WinterGames2024 was 13170, to make a grand total of 30245!
@LiseWorks #HolidayBookDragons

Thanks to the organizers and all those who hosted activities for a great event!

Reading this lengthy classic gothic romance was a slog but the process was made more enjoyable with #hashtagbrigade! @BarkingMadRead

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (mountain) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterR @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#1001

I felt so-so about the first book in The Midsolar Murders but I'm starting to warm up to the main character and the cast of strange aliens. The mystery aspects in this one were pretty good too.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (new) @PuddleJumper
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I enjoyed this mystery, typical of Christie's English country-house stories but not featuring any of her famous detectives.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#FrozenSick @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterC @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittenListen @aperfectmjk
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (Agatha Christie) @RaeLovesToRead

A short but poignant novel set partly during the Christmas season. I love the #VMC covers and was happy to have found this edition at a used book store.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (tbr) #FrozenSick @PuddleJumper
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#192025 #1926 @Librarybelle

Third book in the wonderful Giver series and a reread for me. In addition to moving the series along, this is an excellent coming-of-age novel.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (nature) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterM @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittenListen @aperfectmjk

Vicki Delany mysteries are a guilty pleasure for me. They're somewhat formulaic but always cozy and relaxing reads. This is the first in her series featuring the owner of a Sherlockian bookstore.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (cosy) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (recommended) @RaeLovesToRead
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterV @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittenListen @aperfectmjk

A short companion book to Scalzi's Locked In series, worthwhile for fans of the novels.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (frozen) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterU @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This novel, a retelling of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, lived up to all the hype. I've loved everything from Percy Everett that I've read so far.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (friendship) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterP @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#ToB25

This is the beer advent calendar that I made for my husband, with a different beer in each bag. He's been enjoying opening a bag each day, though he's not necessarily drinking a beer every day! 😄
#wintergames24 @Liseworks #holidaybookdragons #photochallenge

Rereading the Giver quartet. Kira is such a wonderful character, and I'm looking forward to rereading the final two books where the storylines all come together.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (blue) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterFree @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittenListen @aperfectmjk

A very good installment in the Inspector Rebus series, in which Rebus investigates a school shooting that involves a family connection.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterQ @TexReader
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (thriller) @RaeLovesToRead
#BookSpinBingo #BacklistReadathon @clwojick @TheAromaofBooks
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

This novel is slow-paced and the characters unreliable, but I found the story very moving and I expect it will stay with me for a long time.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemall (Escalavier: Arthurian) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterI @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#LittenListen @aperfectmjk

I was so happy to see a new book in the Fjällbacka series! I love the mix of cozy mystery and dark thriller. This one involves a murder in the art world and a parallel mystery decades earlier.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (in translation) @RaeLovesToRead
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterL @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This was a weak pick for me. The mystery element wasn't especially strong but it was a nice, light and heartwarming Christmas story.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 #MidDecemberReadathon @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition (gift)l @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (supernatural) @RaeLovesToRead
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterA @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

I enjoyed the story and discussion with the #NancyDrewBR group. I'd read the 1937 edition and I love the cover. It did feel very dated, however. Another car runs into Nancy's, and it costs her only $5 to get the bumper repaired!
@Librarybelle

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 #MidDecemberReadathon @LiseWorks

Here are my points for the first half of #WinterGames2024: 17075
#HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks

In this Inspector Alleyn mystery, Alleyn investigates a grisly murder that happens during the performance of a ritual English folk dance and mummer's play to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

I'm using this for my final prompt of #52bookclub24, “Set during a holiday you don't celebrate,“ and with this, I've completed my 2024 challenge!

In this Brother Cadfael mystery, a priest is discovered murdered on Christmas morning. I especially liked the historical context, which showed the strife among people supporting different political factions in 12th-century England.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks

Pratchett's satirical look at news, politics and “the truth“ seems frighteningly representative of today's world, despite the fact that it was written a quarter-century ago and involves some hilariously ridiculous situations.

#OokBOokClub @julesG
#BacklistReadathon @clwojick @TheAromaofBooks
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

I really enjoyed this Inspector Grant mystery -- the final one that Josephine Tey had written. Grant stumbles upon a murder while travelling to the Scotland Highlands for a much-needed vacation.

#HolidayBookDragons #WinterGames2024 @LiseWorks
#gottacatchemallwinteredition #gottacatchemall (Farfetch'd: Set in the spring) @PuddleJumper
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterJ @TexReader

I managed to get 660 words for game 1 #WinterGames2024. I only got as far as words starting with 'F' before running out of time. I used to play competitive Scrabble so spent a lot of hours of my life making anagrams for fun. 😂

#HolidayBookDragons @LiseWorks

Hope it's OK that I didn't mark this as a spoiler. I figured that, if anyone wants to cheat with the words, there are easier ways to do it! 😁

This was close to being a “so-so“. The plot was convoluted and barely plausible, and I would have liked to spend more time in Three Pines, but it was still a page-turner with a big finish.

I also liked the new French Canadian audiobook narrator. The previous narrators were great (arguably better) but the mispronounced words made me cringe.

#20in4 @Andrew65
#ChristmasAtoZ #letterG @TexReader
#BookSpinBingo #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks