This picture looks a little like I took it in a dark cave, but nevertheless, here's my #bookspin list for May! @TheAromaofBooks
This picture looks a little like I took it in a dark cave, but nevertheless, here's my #bookspin list for May! @TheAromaofBooks
I finally broke down and ordered some Trixie Belden books from eBay, then I found a couple at a used bookstore. These were books my mom loved as a girl, but her copies have vanished. This first one was really charming (except for all the times they had chocolate with lemonade--and once it was pineapple juice 🤮). I can tell I'm going to like these.
This was just delightful. I laughed out loud more than once at the sarcastic and witty comments in the narration and dialogue. The story unfolded beautifully, definitely a "this is why it's a classic" situation. I look forward to reading the others books in this massive collection.
The last story in the collection, which was almost a novella on its own, was excellent. The others were good, but some were incredibly short. Flash fiction isn't really my thing. So, the writing is great, but not always to my taste.
This was my #bookspin for April. @TheAromaofBooks
I wanted to read this because of all that was said about it in Mary Rubio's bio of LM Montgomery. The critics in the late 1920s said Jalna was an example of the way forward for Canadian literature, with Montgomery's books being relegated to children's books exclusively. I started this with a feeling of loyalty towards LMM and wanted to hate it, but I didn't. It had some moments/lines that didn't age well, but that's true for most books from 1927.
Manazuru was the last of Hiromi Kawakami's books (that have been translated into English) that I hadn't read -- until Under the Eye of the Big Bird comes out in September. This one was quieter than some of her others. The fantastical parts weren't as colorful as in Dragon Palace or People from my Neighborhood. The pace was on the slow side, but once I got into it, I found it to be a gripping rumination on grief and memory.
"So Maudie, who had been on the verge of fainting for twenty years, finally accomplished it and was bundled back into the bedroom by Herbert." ? Also, the print in this book is so tiny!
I finally read this and of course I loved it, just like I have loved all the Elena Ferrante books I've read.
This is the only Nancy Drew book I know for sure I read as a kid. I checked it out of the school library. One day, while I was reading, a boy (who everyone universally thought was really cute) interrupted me. He asked, "What's the secret?" I said, "I don't know yet." I never thought much of him after that. ? All I remembered of the book was people walking around wearing sheets in the night. Reading it now, this was one of the better ones so far.
I enjoy reading older mysteries, but the open racism and xenophobia can sometimes be a distraction. It was interesting, then, in this one, when the main character's preconceptions caused her to miss what was really happening. I enjoyed the easy dialogue and it felt (again, except for the open racism) much more recent than the 1940s. I would like to read more in this series--if I can find them. The others might be out of print.
My son has been assigned Shakespeare for the first time. 🤎 I decided we needed to read outside with fairy lights. My husband and I read from these two copies of mine from college, while my son read his parts from his copy from school. We had snacks and the weather was lovely. I can't wait to start Act 2 and meet Puck again.
I finished Unlikely Animals yesterday, just before Annie Hartnett's speaking engagement tonight. I had met her years ago, before Rabbit Cake came out (my signed copy is an ARC). I have loved both of her novels so much. Unlikely Animals was absolutely charming. She said tonight that she has another book that will hopefully come out in June of 2025. Yay!
My April #bookspinbingo board is ready to go! My #bookspin is Sing to It and my #doublespin is The Turquoise Shop. Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks
Here's my #bookspinbingo card for March. I haven't gotten a bingo yet this year! 😂 Oh well! Family Meal was great and I love, love, loved The Postcard. A good month overall. Thanks, @TheAromaofBooks!
These PJs are ridiculous, but I'm including them b/c I neglected my TBR in preparation for and recovering from a trip to WDW with my sister. I did manage to finish this today though. It didn't grab me quite like Memorial did, but it was still great. Washington creates such complete, believable characters. His writing continues to impress me. The connection between love & food is beautifully done. This was my #bookspin for March. @TheAromaofBooks
For everyone doing the #NancyDrewBR, I just discovered there's a video game based on this one.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/572740/Nancy_Drew_The_Secret_of_Shadow_Ranch/
There's a whole series of these video games, apparently. This one is at least 20 years old and doesn't look like it has aged well. The trailer was entertaining to watch though!
It's been a while since I read the second Sidney Chambers book, and it was nice to slip back into Sidney's world again. There are four mysteries in this installment, in addition to the overarching storylines of Sidney and Geordie's private lives. I can't help but compare the books to the TV show and, at this point, they have very little in common.
This was my ##doublespin for March. @TheAromaofBooks
I liked that Nancy left River Heights and found a mystery somewhere else. Even in this updated edition, the language was a bit dated in some parts (but definitely could've been worse). The overlapping mysteries were simpler than in previous books, but I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and all the rides on mountain trails. And I got to "meet" George and Bess! #NancyDrewBR
Oh my goodness, that ending! The whole book was fantastic -- poignant, compulsively readable, wonderful characters -- but the ending was so beautiful. I've told my mom and sister they need to read it, too. I think the most powerful part, for me, was when she addresses the idea of “only being Jewish when it suits her.“ The ever-present fear she described was so palpable. #EuropaCollective
Here's my ##bookspinbingo board for March. I'm feeling hopeful that I'll get more reading time this month. My #bookspin is Family Meal and my #doublespin is the third in the Sidney Chambers series. Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks
I was so busy in February. My parents came for a visit and we spent a different weekend out of town for a robotics competition for my son's school team. That was two whole weekends with zero reading. I read my #bookspin, but I'm still working on my #doublespin. @TheAromaofBooks
Another Anthony Horowitz audiobook! I liked this better than the first one in the series. The mystery wasn't necessarily better (although it was good), but I think I'm getting used to the self-insertion of the author. I got the first three books on sale from Libro.fm, so I'll be starting the third one soon.
My #bookspin list for March is very similar to my list for February. 🤷♀️ Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks
This short novel was my #bookspin for February. I'm not sure I quite know what it is about Tove Jansson's books that appeals to me so much. These characters made me want to revisit the Moomin books. I assume that Jonna, like Too-Ticky in the Moomin stories, was based on Tuulikki Pietilä. If you like The Summer Book, I think you'd like this, too.
I finished this audiobook during our evening walk. I liked it, but there is something odd about the author being a main character in their own novel. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but there were moments that took me out of the story and made me think about what really happened, specifically where film productions were concerned. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, even if the Watson-Holmes archetype was slightly too obvious.
This one was a little too over the top. Boat wrecks, an impersonator, diving, a time bomb, stolen diamonds, AND a fake ghost? And someone throws a rock at Nancy's car? I enjoyed the first half, but it spun out of control until the end felt almost like a Scooby-Doo episode.
I went to hear Percival Everett speak last month at the University of South Alabama. After that, I was anxious to read one of his books. This one was a stunner. The subject matter was hard, but there were still bits of humor throughout and really solid characterization.
Noooo!!!! I knew she was old, but I secretly hoped I'd get to meet her one day. 😢
Here we go, February! I'm keeping my ambitions low since this is a short month, and I'm already a day late. My #bookspin is Fair Play by Tove Jansson. My #doublespin is Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami, which is the last of her books that have been translated into English (so far) that I haven't read. Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks
My #bookspinbingo card for January. I bailed on my #bookspin, A Novel Bookstore, and will be donating it. I didn't finish my #doublespin (Flights of Angels) until today, but it was fantastic. I work in royalties and accounting for a literary agency and prepared about 700 1099's in January, so it's sort of a miracle I read anything at all!
@TheAromaofBooks
What in the late-90's-dELiA*s-catalog-nonsense is this cover?! Can you tell I have a used copy of the 1998 hardcover? 😂 Regardless, the stories were great and I will continue to read everything by Ellen Gilchrist I can find.
I understand how great Anne is, I do. I actually met Megan Follows once (I rang up her purchases at the bookstore where I was working) & was so starstruck that I couldn't tell her I was a fan. I get it. But, Anne of GG is about a whole town, not just Anne. I don't believe she would have had any more sway over LMM than any of her other characters. To make Anne a voice in LMM's head didn't work for me. I feel like this focused on the wrong things.
This was a thoughtful and thought-provoking novel. It was definitely a pick, but there were some things about it I'd have changed. The whole last section seemed disjointed and unnecessary. It was a small section, in a book that was good overall, but it left a bad taste since it came last.
These all wrap up so neat and tidy! They're fun though, even though Nancy put herself in danger multiple times in this one.
I picked up another first edition Ellen Gilchrist today in New Orleans, this one from Faulkner House Books.
I'm in New Orleans for the weekend, celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary with my husband. We only live 2 hours away, so it's an easy trip. Every time we come, I get a first edition at one of the lovely bookstores here. Ellen Gilchrist is considered a local author, so there's usually something in stock. This one is from 1980. The jacket isn't in great shape, but honestly, I'm not the kind of collector who cares about that.
Yes, I finished it, but that was not a "throw confetti" kind of ending. ?
We had bad storms all night (we're fine!), & maybe it's weird to say so, but this book paired well with the storms? It was just the right amount of intrigue, with relatively quick resolutions. I don't think the episodic nature of the book worked as well in this as the 1st in the series, which revolved around the church calendar. (Sidney is a vicar, after all.) But it worked. This one had the first *huge* difference between the books & the TV show.
I finished this over the weekend. I don't think it would appeal to everyone, since it was relatively light on plot. Or maybe there was too much plot and not enough of a structure? At any rate, I enjoyed it.
70+ pages in, we're finally getting to the bookstore, and it's all wrong. Unless the French book industry is drastically different from the American one, bookstores aren't getting boxes of books automatically from publishers. What publishers are indifferent to sales? And what rare books are even still in print that the publisher is who you'd call? This was 2001, so he should've been looking online.
I'm going to bail if this doesn't get better.
My #bookspinbingo board for January is looking especially inviting! My #bookspin is A Novel Bookstore (the #EuropaCollective book I didn't get to last month). My #doublespin is Flights of Angels by Ellen Gilchrist. Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks
I just realized I never posted this picture. These are the books I got for Christmas and my birthday (Dec 29). I'm excited to dive in, especially the tagged book.
I didn't read my #doublespin or get a bingo, but oh well. December is always so busy that I'm surprised I read as much as I did. I'm planning to work on my January list tomorrow. @TheAromaofBooks
I didn't get Rashomon finished today, but I made up this challenge for myself and I'm calling it a success. 355 short stories is still a lot and I'll finish Rashomon in January. #storyaday2023
Mediocre writing, mediocre (emotionally manipulative) plot. I enjoyed the parts that were about the life of CS Lewis, but I could've done without the entire story of Megs and her unwell baby brother.
This was my #bookspin for December. @TheAromaofBooks
I finished what should have been my last #storyaday2023 book at my son's hockey practice this morning. It was one of the best collections (if not the absolute best) I read this year. Fingers crossed that I'll catch up and finish today, but I have 12 and a half Akutagawa stories to go...