Philippa Gregory is known for historical fiction about royalty but this is nonfiction about the normal women who are often left out of the history books. It was VERY detailed and it was interesting to see all the challenges women have faced over time. Ideally, i think this one should be read in short installments. I‘ll probably come back to again in the future to absorb a bit more detail.

This was my #DoubleSpin for November.

I kept seeing rave reviews for this so I dropped what I was planning to listen to and picked up the audiobook. It was such an engaging story, which may be a weird to say about a cult story. I feel so bad that she was taken advantage of in this way! So I was really rooting for her to find her way out. I am not really familiar with her acting but based on her audiobook performance she must be great. I finished this in just a couple of days.

Reading this right after the election was an interesting experience. The stories in this book were heartbreaking and the author took an empathetic approach to them. She helps her readers understand how people came to believe in these conspiracy theories and how much damage this did to their families. There isn‘t as much resolution of some of the stories but unfortunately that‘s probably the case in real life. This was my #BookSpin for November

I had hesitated to read this for years, but finally read it bc I was in the mood for misery. Because of that, I think my expectation for how sad this book would be was maybe mistaken. It‘s a hard story and sad things happen, but not as much as I thought. The worst parts were how mean people were to the main character. It was a good look at a point of history I didn‘t know much about. I did cry a little at the end.

The Women is the only book I‘ve read by Kristin Hannah bc I know the reputation of her books for being sad. But I‘m in the mood to read about other people being miserable so I‘m finally giving this one a go.

It works out well that my picks for this month‘s #BookSpin are nonfiction. I have the audiobook of Normal Women, and it‘s about 18 hours long so that is going to take a chunk of the month to finish.

Here‘s my #BookSpinBingo card for October! I read 16 books (including one that didn‘t fit the card). I got one bingo but was close on a few other rows. Guide Me Home was my favorite fiction and The Third Gilmore Girl was my favorite nonfiction.

This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Highway 59 trilogy about Texas Ranger Darren Mathews. There‘s a mystery in the story but that‘s only part of the narrative. A lot of it is about Mathews, his family history, and his current relationships. I especially enjoyed how this explored his difficult relationship with his mother. I‘ve heard this may become a TV show and I really hope it does.

These are what I read and enjoyed for election season. Justice Brown Jackson was honest about the challenges she faced in her path to the Supreme Court, including how tough it was to balance a career with parenting. Something Lost … is an essay collection filled with HRC‘s political and personal experiences since 2016. And Thanks, Obama was a fun reread of one of my favorite Obama staffer memoirs. I put my early vote sticker on my Kindle cover!

Here‘s what I‘m thinking for November #BookSpinBingo — I included a lot of nonfiction options for Nonfiction November along with some novels and mysteries for variety. I know we say this every time but I can‘t believe it‘s time for another new month already!

In Kelly Bishop‘s memoir, she shares how she went from her childhood in ballet to Broadway and iconic roles in A Chorus Line, Gilmore Girls and Dirty Dancing. This book isn‘t really gossipy at all — the biggest controversy might be her take on which boyfriend was right for Rory! — but I enjoyed it. I especially liked how she shared her relationships with her second husband and with her Gilmore TV family. I was excited to see her on her book tour.

The tagged book was featured in a book talk held tonight at the college where I work. I always volunteer to usher at these so I can go for free! I‘m not a big One Tree Hill fan but her life — in a cult — sounds so interesting. I look forward to reading her book.

I finally found time to read this one! I can‘t believe the author of cute and fun Tokyo Ever After wrote this! It‘s pretty dark subject matter. I enjoyed the twists it took and the way it handled two main narrators. I wish there had been a little more at the end but overall it was a page turner.

This is an out-of-season read but I had to take it when the library hold came in! I love the Olympics so this story set at a fictional Summer Games was really fun. I especially liked Olivia and her strong career focus. The athletes featured had a lot more free time than I imagine they really do, but I let that go because it was fun.

Short stories are not my thing, but the Ruth Galloway mysteries are my favorite so I had to give this a try. Unsurprisingly my favorites are the stories about Ruth, especially the one that is set after the last book in the series. Some of these are novellas that are set earlier in the series but they were still fun to hear. I also liked the Max Mephisto and Harbinder Kaur stories. Some of the stand-alones ended kind of abruptly though.

I really enjoyed this! I thought it was going to be straight forward for some reason but it was a little twisty! The premise is really clever and a little scary. Felix, the MC, is such a well-drawn character. I don‘t think I‘ve read this author before and after this I‘d definitely read more of her work.

This was my #BookSpinBingo #DoubleSpin for October.

This was ok, but more of a cozy mystery than I was expecting. I wanted it to be more spooky! Another review called it Scooby-Doo plus Hallmark and I think that‘s a good description. The narrator of the audiobook did not help. Very monotone.

This was my #BookSpin for October.

My #BookSpin picks for this month. I‘m listening to A Death in Door County and reading a paperback of Exit. I have some vacation time to take this month so I hope to read a lot!

My #BookSpin list for October. I don‘t really read much horror so I went mostly with mysteries for spooky season.

Here‘s my #BookSpinBingo card for September. I didn‘t get as much read as August, but it wasn‘t a bad month. I finished 9 books, including my BookSpin, and got one bingo. I really enjoyed The Sicilian Inheritance and Rogues.

Just finished my #BookSpin for September. I have read a lot of books set in reality shows lately and find them fun. This one was good and I enjoyed the game, which was a take off on Survivor. I enjoyed this but the main character (and the alliance names) felt a little silly sometimes. I wanted just a little more of the game aftermath.

I read the first book in this series years ago and finally came back to it. This is a spy novel/historical mystery. I like Maggie Hope as a main character and it was fun to read a mystery set in places I‘ve been. I‘m going to try to read more of this series— sooner this time!

Really enjoyed hearing Kelly Bishop talk about her new memoir The Third Gilmore Girl tonight. My picture isn‘t great but the conversation was!

This was a really good read. Dual timelines sometimes annoy me but this one was paced well and the little cliffhangers kept me turning pages. I think this would be a good book club pick with a lot of discussions about women‘s lives at different points in time. The end got a little crazy but it was satisfying.

PRK is probably my favorite long form journalist. (Empire of Pain gets a lot of attention but Say Nothing is my #1 pick.) This is a collection of his work for the New Yorker. Like any collection, some appeal more than others. The best for me were his profiles of Anthony Bourdain, Mark Burnett, and the defense attorney for several notorious death penalty cases. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author.

I really enjoy this cozy mystery series and I‘m already looking forward to the next one. Lana is a great main character. Along with the mystery I always enjoy how she navigates her relationships with her family and customers.

I will read everything Elly Griffiths writes, so I was excited to pick up this one, which is part of the Harbinder Kaur series but really more about three characters from that series‘s first book. I liked revisiting those characters and the mystery was an interesting one. I also liked the writing retreat and book club being part of the story. It felt a little long but I still enjoyed it.

My #BookSpin picks for September! Both are books that I just got in August so it will be great to get to them so soon.

This was a quick read with good pacing. I started with the audiobook and switched to print to finish faster. I hadn‘t read this author before but I will definitely read more by her. It reminded me of a not as dark Strange Sally Diamond.

Reporting my August #BookSpinBingo results before seeing what September has in store! August was a busy month but thanks to audiobooks and a few days off I got a lot of reading done. 15 books done, including my BookSpin and DoubleSpin.

Looking forward to a lot of good reading in September even though it is a busy time at work!

#BookSpin #BookSpinBingo

Thanks to everyone who posted happy birthday wishes to me last week! I celebrated about as well as one can when their birthday is on a workday. Here are the books and bookish gifts I got. Plus the pouch that says In a world full of Jolenes be a Dolly. Everyone should try to be more like Dolly.

I hope all East Coast Littens are staying safe today! Thankful that the worst seems on its way out of my area.

Here is my #BookSpinBingo card for July! I finished 13 books and got two bingos. And if it hadn‘t been for the Olympics I may have finished a couple more! I really enjoyed Stone Blind, The Husbands, The Queen of Sugar Hill, and Game of Lies. Parable of the Sower was a re-read and it was creepy because the future in that book starts in July 2024.

My #BookSpinBingo list for August. I have one week of vacation in August but it is also a super busy month at work. I‘m hoping to have time to read!

This was my #DoubleSpin for July and I managed to finish it before the Olympics arrived to distract me. This book covers Hattie McDaniel‘s life after she won the Oscar for her role in Gone With the Wind. It was well-written and I enjoyed it but it was hard to read about all the racism and backlash she endured. One thing that was fun were all the celebrities and notable people who come into her story.

My lunchtime reading today. I‘m trying to finish it before the Olympics start on Friday! (I don‘t count anything before the Opening Ceremony!)

I really enjoyed this! Its premise is so clever and I totally bought into the idea that a magic attic provided a seemingly endless supply of husbands. I thought the way changing husbands also changed her life was so interesting to think about. My only small complaint is that there‘s never any explanation for why this was happening to her. But I just went along for the ride.

I enjoyed the first Guncle book and thought this was a cute sequel. It‘s nice to check in with the characters, especially Patrick and his niece and nephew.

This was a fun thriller featuring some retired spies whose past comes to their doorsteps in Maine. The main character, Maggie, was really great. This is sort of like The Thursday Murder Club but not played for laughs. I‘m looking forward to the next in the series.

The cover makes it seem like this is a light little story about a 77-year-old woman who decides to apply for a British Bake-Off style show. (It‘s great to have a story centering an older person.) But Jenny has a sad secret, and her story unfolds throughout the book. I loved the MC and her relationships with her husband, extended family, and a fellow contestant. I wish the last chapter had gone a little further. I read it in just a couple of days.

This was even better than the first installment of this new series by an author whose standalone novels I‘ve really enjoyed. The reality show setting was so good and allowed the reader to try to guess what was happening. I am hoping this series grows into a lengthy one!

I‘m not really reading much YA any more but I enjoy Elizabeth Acevedo so I wanted to read the one YA book of hers I hadn‘t yet. I really liked Emoni and her family and friends. Her challenges were realistic and her talent for cooking was a fun angle.

This was my #BookSpin for July.

Another fun installment in a series where you just have to buy into the craziness. Finlay and Vero end up in Atlantic City with most of the series side characters. I still wish they‘d toss her ex-husband off a bridge. He is so annoying to me.

The audiobooks are the way to go for this series!

My #BookSpin picks for this month!

June was a great reading month! I got two Bingos, and finished 12 books. Standouts for me were The Situation Room, Run Towards the Danger, The Woman on the Ledge, and Annie Bot.

#BookSpinBingo

I can‘t remember why I got this audiobook but I ended up really enjoying it. A modern woman is able to go back in time in an old house. There‘s the time travel, a romance, some ghosts, and a mystery. It all worked for me. There are other books in this series but they seem to work as stand-alones.

I read this after hearing the author on The Stacks podcast. It‘s an interesting premise, and the author does a great job making Annie seems human to the reader. The ending was a little different than I expected but I‘m still thinking about this one.

This is a short book that tells us a little about Vero before she meets Finlay Donovan. It‘s cute and I enjoyed how clever she was on her own. The narrator is different from the main Finlay books, which was a little jarring.

I was not very familiar with Sarah Polley before reading this collection of essays but now I am a fan. She covers a lot here, from her life as a child star in Canada, coming to terms with her celebrity, and in the last essay, her recovery from concussion. She‘s an engaging writer.

Thanks to the #SheSaid group for putting this one on my radar.