This rather lovely graphic novel of Botticelli's “chicken girl“, who wants to be an artist but is stymied by attitudes about her gender, completes my first full board in 2025 #ISpyBingo ! #ISpy @TheAromaOfBooks

And I'm done for March! #WickedWords @AsYouWish

#WickedWords @AsYouWish. #meetcute

In this wholesome romance, the hero and heroine both have limb differences. He has a prosthetic leg, she has one small, atypical hand. So long as you can handle the surprise pregnancy trope, read this! It has stellar disability rep and banter and he's a secret giant nerd and there is all sorts of boundary respect and communication and stuff.

I read it in one sitting, and I haven't done that for quite a while. #romantsy #romance #disability

This is a sweet romantic fantasy-magic novella set in Englandtimes.

“Also, they say the ducal estate of Storm has the finest library in all the Isles. Three thousand volumes!”
“A fine library does increase the appeal of any potential husband,” Mneme conceded. She thought better of Miss Agnew, that she counted the library as a bonus to a gentleman‘s appeal. “If only one could be sure that he had ever read a book.”“

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Finished these Goodreads challenges! #readingchallenge #goodreadschallenge

Well this was perfect.

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

I was bored by nine tenths of this hot mess of a graphic novel. But would absolutely be here for an entire book of just Nora Grey's Victorian crypto-academic research hijinks.

#creepycover #clothesnotonaperson #ISpyBingo #ISpy @TheAromaOfBooks

2nd #WickedWords @AsYouWish

I'm afraid I'm Ms Unpopular Opinion for this book too, though it's not a wall-throw like Lessons in Chemistry.

The pace was glacial. Major moments of what should be emotional or character-changing events were skipped (totally skipped, as in time-jumped). The character had zero agency and less character. She was just buffeted around by life, and learned almost nothing.

[cont in comments]

First #WickedWords for March, in this poetry collection by a Wiradjuri author

 @AsYouWish

A graphic novel about Mary Shelley‘s greatx5 granddaughter. “I‘m going to my tree house!”

How beautiful is this cover?

Finished February! #WickedWords

I quite sorta enjoyed On The Way To The Wedding, with the usual caveats about problematic dude behaviour in these books. I just have to engage older-romance-novel-brain and whimsy away that nonsense in my head.

Now stalking @AsYouWish for the March words :)

For kids interested in the arts and a bit of history, this is a DELIGHT. It's the illustrated story of Clara Driscoll, who designed Tiffany lamps and other incredible glass art, with a bit of gender & labour history thrown in. The art is gorgeous.

I thought I might not find this one, but Julie Quinn to the rescue. And that's February done!

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

I finished Imaginary Numbers! It took me a minute to get into it, but I loved it in the end. Cuckoo lore! High stakes! True love!

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Yes, yes they are

#Bookchain2025 progress - first page done!

@TheAromaOfBooks

Oof.

And my third #WickedWords for the month is Yellow.

@AsYouWish

This is a good middle grade graphic novel/memoir. The central character is a parentified 12 yo girl in Indonesia, and the book tells the story of a several-week period being stuck at home while they all have chickenpox.

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

This YA novel in verse was very good, and definitely kept the pages turning. Set in a British high school, the central character is a nerdy girl who is virally shamed (combination of slut and period shaming). The shaming gets pretty intense, with a couple of rape threats, so content warning for that. The ending is perhaps implausibly happy, but for a YA audience that's to be expected.

Why did I put this McGuire series down for so long? I love it. Currently reading number 9.

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

#Bookchain2025 progress! #Bookchain @TheAromaOfBooks

This feels topical...

@TheAromaofBooks #iSpy #ispybingo progress for January! I run all boards all year, with the aim of filling them, allowing multi-dipping. Always get off to a good start as a result.

Not quite any Bingo lines yet, but I'll get there!

I was a bit reluctant to pick this up because of the hype, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The first half had been basically a slice of life cosy with time travel, but the foreshadowing and ramp-up promises a change of pace and some higher stakes to come.

Early Connie Willis vibes.

Wrap for January #WickedWords @AsYouWish

Two romance novels, two SF, and a graphic novel. I'm not sure if my pick would be Love Laodice or This is How You Lose the Time War; they're so different that I have no way to compare them.

Last #WickedWords for January! @AsYouWish

This third book in the series was a bit of a holey hot mess, plot-wise, but still fluffy fun.

Found “survivors“! In this short, somewhat disturbingly prophetic plague novel. One to go.

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Bicycle, gravcycle, what's the difference? (“Bicycle“ is also in the author bio, so it's not even cheating).

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Kate Healey has not disappointed me yet! Her Olympus, Inc series is an insta-buy for me. Greek mythology inspired modern-day romances set in and around an imaginary magazine publishing company. Love, Laodice is the second book in the second three-book arc, after Ask Cassandra and before XO, Xena (can't wait!)

It's a romantic suspense , rivals-to-lovers, fake-dating story. [...]

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Back cover

Today's library books

This is a good graphic memoir about a nerd in middle school. Weaver takes us through his bullying, mental health, and found-familiy journey with sensitivity and humour.

First Wicked Word of the year!

#WickedWords @AsYouWish

Now launching the #FourFours #readingchallenge for 2025! #FourFoursin25 is a flexible year-long challenge.

Easy: Pick 1 word; match theme, event, character, cover pic, or vibe. So for 'Frisco Disco, you might read a book set in SF. Picket Cricket might suit a book featuring a cricket match.

Hard: Both words. So for Yellow Cello - maybe a yellow cover with a a cello player MC.



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@litsyevents

And here's what I'm using for #BookChain #Bookchain2025 if anyone wants it @TheAromaOfBooks

Just sharing this little cover grid for #LitsyAtoZ if anyone wants one.

#LitsyAtoZ2025 @TexReader

OK y'all... I'm doing more #readingchallenges next year than ever before. So this post is me officially giving myself permission to double-dip, triple-dip, even quadruple-dip in any and all challenges. Mkay?

My husband and I had to go into the city to do a thing at the Apple Store. “Let‘s just drop in and say hi to Stefen at Stefen‘s Books, we don‘t need any more books but you know we‘ll just have a look”.

#bookhaul

Today in "lauredhel is picky about gratification novel lettering again ": ok, at least they picked a typeface, but why an uneven baseline one? Gah.

I can't believe it - I finished every single prompt for I Spy for 2024, even the bonus ones. This is a colossal challenge and so much fun. Thanks @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks. #ISpyBingo

And with a stethoscope on the cover of the Rez Doctor, that's #ISpyBingo finished for 2024!
@Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks

I am so here for this queer 1960 NYC baseball player - reporter romance.

“Luck“

Only one prompt to go for a clean sweep! #ISpyBingo #ISpy2024 @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks