Mika Moon is one of my all-time favorite MCs.

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"Niceness is good manners, and stopping to give someone directions, and smiling at the overworked cashier at the supermarket. These are all good things, but they have nothing to do with what‘s underneath. Niceness is all about what we do when other people are looking. Kindness, on the other hand, runs deep. Kindness is what happens when no one‘s looking."

This was my absolute favorite read so far this year, and I have read many 5 star books so far. The writing is exquisite. I didn't want the story to end. It was an honor to exist within these pages and Florence Day. I will read anything Ashley Poston writes forever.

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I haven't been around for a while but I have been reading. I have never been big into Swift but this album HAS me. And Instagram has books/tracks lists that I am living for. I'm making my own and I'm starting with Anti Hero. If you have any comparisons, please share!

Books, like music, often leave me with feelings. I love matching the two by those feelings.

I'll be back with more! 🤍

My August reads. 11 books, 8 audio, 3 ebooks. Every single one was 4 and 5 ⭐️ for me. That's a lucky month! I honestly don't know that I could pick a favorite. I've laughed and cried and learned and grew a lot this month.

How is this book flying so low under the radar in book circles? It should be glowing up right now. It's a visit to the warmest memories of your youth. The place where you found a piece of your most authentic self in a safe and loving place. What a stunning surprise this story was. All the feels in this 70s throwback. 💜

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I am pleased with so many aspects of this story. I absolutely love non human life forms given human intelligence in a story. I really enjoyed Tova's POV in her 70s and Cameron grew on me as he was entering that big glow up we often catch around 30. All were perspectives not often read from and really worked well together in this story of second chances. This one comes out May 2nd!

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I chose this book for no reason other than Jayne Entwistle narrates it. She is amazing. I had no idea what to expect when I borrowed this from the library. I was quickly overtaken by this exceptional YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast. McBride puts love on display in a beautiful way with Merit and Tevin. The writing is truly fantastic at a YA level. I adore this story. 100% underrated. I can't figure out how or why.

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I couldn't put this one down. As I tried to put myself in Pheby's shoes several times throughout, I knew I would never be able to come close to understanding that level of hell. My favorite stories combine truth and fiction and according to the Author's Note, this story has blended the two into delicate terror perfectly. I really appreciate the finality to the story in the epilogue that ties into real history.

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Lovely War has many themes. WW1, Racism, Greek Mythology, Romance, Music, Harlem Hellfighters to name a few. At first I was sure it would be too many things in one but I actually really enjoyed it. The story comes together nicely and is pretty well thought out. I think without all those things, it would be generic historical fiction. The audio narrators are some of my favorites and that helps too!

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Nick is back and just as funny, whole hearted, brave and thoughtful as before. I don't typically love YA the way that I love this (teen perspective can be obnoxious 😅) I love the love that Klune is so expert at delivering. And the humor. I cannot wait for Heat Wave this summer with that unbelievable ending. I could read about this group of friends, family and community forever.

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This is by far my favorite CoHo read to date. And I've read Verity.

IEWU gives readers a very realistic DV situation, I saw 🚩🚩 pretty early on and was really hoping to see the results I expected, and I did. Those flags were never acknowledged by anyone in the book and I think that speaks volumes about the readers ability to see them. The ending was also crucial to the reader's understanding of the cycle. I love this story.

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I did not expect to find this story so endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed every interaction between every character. I found myself saying "huh, I didn't know that" many times and Googling information on things like neutrinos and time dilations. I don't know how a movie would bring justice to this epic space odyssey so I don't think I'll watch the movie.

There also happens to be a lot of epic fanart of Rocky out there.

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I listened to the audiobook, print would have been better. There was a need to flip back and recap people and events that I didn't get to do with the audio. That being said, the story was really in depth and well thought out. There are SO MANY moving parts; you unearth new information and plot devices regularly. I would have enjoyed a less complicated ending but it was still very good and I can see other readers enjoying it very much.

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The building terror in this story really pushes this book into the horror camp for me. I was perpetually waiting for the boogeyman to jump out with a chainsaw.

I think the story is well rounded and meets a readers expectations for a satisfying end. I was happier with the end than I expected to be (if happy is even what we want to call that).

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Little is dark, interesting, informative, strange. It is flavored "sad" with a hint of "sweet" here and there. Marie grows up during the French Revolution and there is a lot of hardship there, but sweet Marie is used to that, and she moves forward quietly and diligently.

This is one of those stories that maybe a few years after reading, you don't remember all the details, but you do remember all the ways it made you feel.

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A 4 hour audiobook with an important voice. A very good listen.

"I did not tell you that it would be okay, because I have never believed it would be okay. What I told you is what your grandparents tried to tell me: that this is your country, that this is your world, that this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it."

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Contemporary Twilight Zone is the best possible explanation for this book of short stories. Some had moral ground; others were just weird. This is my second book by Wilson and I am almost positive the man has an obsession with fire and SHC. The town I currently live in gets a mention, makes me wish I were doing some sort of reading challenge that would give me credit for that 😆 I actually really enjoyed the stories, weird as they were.

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As a childhood SA survivor, I think this book highlights how traumatic childhood events can effect generations. Elle comes from a line of women unknowingly continuing a cycle. I can appreciate that the story also reveals that we all have awful shit that we have to endure and rise above. Some traumas take more healing than others. TWs abound but an honest and sobering look into one version of reality for many SA survivors.

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"I hope that at the end of this book ... readers might feel that heroism is something that can reside in all of us, particularly if circumstances push it to the fore. It doesn't belong to men anymore than the tragic consequences of war belong to women. Survivors, victims, perpitrators, these roles are not always separate. People can be wounded and wounding at the same time or at different times in the same life."

I am in stunned awe.

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Warning: this book is LONG and begins as separate stories that eventually merge, a story that requires your full attention.

If you've ever wondered how a whole nation could become so complacent as to stand by while 11 million humans are executed, allow this book to explain. The slow replacement of empathy with apathy, love and humanity with hatred and singularity. Unaware of the hell that's become until after the fact.

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Imagine a Christmas Hallmark movie but with Halloween. It definitely had more 🌶 than I expected but I'm not complaining. I only wish the end had a little more story, it seemed rushed and missing some of the conflict that the rest of the story carried.

I wish I had read this is in the fall but 🤷🏼‍♀️ library holds come in when they come in.

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Goodness, this book was full of heat. The whole audiobook required earbuds so that my kids didn't cringe while I was folding their underwear 😆

CoHo books are pretty much guaranteed to be 100% devourable. This one hit the mark, as expected. Led me down a long, spicy road and then sent me to the site of a train wreck and then neatly placed me back in the park.

Also, f*ck Rachel. Six years? Throw the man a bone made of closure. IYKYK.

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As a 35 year old straight woman, I had no idea how much I needed a YA about gay, teenaged superheroes 😆. Klune is all heart as always, this book gave me all the feels. Nick's relationship with his dad pulled ALL my parental heartstrings. I laughed a lot along the way also, Nick is a real character and I am excited to read what's next in the series.

The audio narrator was an excellent pick for the story. He totally nailed it.

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My main takeaway from all the Gucci drama (AND THERE IS DRAMA) is that Patrizia Reggiani is simultaneously a badass and absolutely terrifying. I cannot believe the things she did and got away with. How was this real life?!

I enjoyed the history on generations of Gucci, even with their wild soap opera dramatics. It was a long story though to get through the whole brand and not just the family.

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I really enjoyed listening to Koul talk. There were many things I felt I related to, others not as much but I still found them interesting. She touches base on some of what we "aging" millennials are seeing or have seen, sexual assault/abuse, and a lot about her family. Her family was my favorite to listen about. I laughed and cried all the way through the end.

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If The Fates Allow by Rainbow Rowell

This is a VERY short novella, I feel like I'm cheating by counting it on Goodreads 😂 but it's SO GOOD.

If you, like me, tried (and still try) to do all of the right things during the pandemic you will find this to be both funny and relatable. I seriously feel a kinship here. Also, this gem is FREE for Prime members as both an audio and an ebook. I wish Litsy would get it in their library already!

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I was quickly grabbed up by this story and held hostage. I could not put it down. It went a bit off the rails with Lucy's anxiety but I kind of loved that too. Anxiety disorders deserve the representation. I don't know why I held off on this book for so long, it was so good!

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I loved that I wasn't sure what the outcome would be for the final book in the trilogy. Bardugo has been taking out characters since maybe 50 pages into the first book ? and I can appreciate her always leaving us readers a little bit of "who next?".

Without saying too much, the end was satisfying and I wasn't sure it was possible until Bardugo made it so. The series over all was wonderful YA Fantasy material that is easy to digest.

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I'm thinking that maybe I don't personally love the friends to lovers trope. I loved everything about the story other than the fact that they had been friends for 10+ years that secretly pined for one another and everyone knew but them.

Emily Henry writes really fun contemporary romance though and I will always be ready to read one of hers. If you like the friends to lovers scenario, I do think you'll love this one.

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Oddly, this story reminds me of The Mercies (KMH). It's bare bones as far as the world building goes but doesn't need much in that sense. This story is about ideas and beliefs. Good vs evil doesn't really exist, everything just is. We only need to open our eyes to see that.

It wasn't my favorite story of the year but I love the rich historical and mythological value that supports the story. And the writing/story itself is superb.

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As second books go, this one held it's own against the "second book curse". Alina's narrative drug a few times for me but the story was really pretty good. A lot of times you get romance focused fantasy in YA, but Alina is often too busy being a badass to have time to worry too much about her love interests. I like the change of pace and the tone she sets for younger readers.

I ship Alina/Mal on the run forever. Ruin and Rising up next!

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Things I want in a romance book:

1. Some spice (a little or a lot, give me SOMETHING)
2. Escapism (I want to enjoy the ride I know I'm on - AKA Hallmark movie endings with tricky yet manageable shenanigans)

This book has both, along with a good plot and well rounded characters. Hazelwood's Author's Note says that most of her books are set in academia and I'm sold. Can't wait to pick up another of hers and leave reality behind for a bit.

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This book has all the charm, sincerity, wittiness and a little more gloom than Cerulean Sea. I absolutely love that my heart swells and aches, I want to shed tears for both joy and sadness.

This book is like A Christmas Carol meets Beetlejuice, but more pleasant. I got the exact experience I was hoping for. The audiobook was excellent with well defined character voices.

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I flew through this book. As my third TJR book, I have to say, I am never disappointed in her writing. I am fully immersed in her stories and they feel SO REAL that you can't help but feel like you've just had a memory lapse of history and find yourself Googling characters to be sure they didn't actually exist.

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I had no idea what to expect going into this. Nightbitch was entirely relatable when it comes to her insight on motherhood and womanhood. The meaning behind the feral half of this book is also valid for many of us.

I won't lie, I was definitely uncomfortable at different times. I understand why the author deemed them necessary too. I couldn't have accepted another ending for this book. Nightbitch full circled her woman vs. mommy.

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I will admit that the beginning of the book was feeling VERY FBAA (similar story lines/scenarios) and I was feeling disappointed by it. However, it really picked up and became it's own story somewhere around halfway through and just like the FBAA series, this first book really gets into the thick of it as it's ending. The cover is doing wonders for me now that I've read the whole book! Can't wait for book two!

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I thought this would be more Little Red Riding Hood but really is closer to a Beauty and the Beast rewrite. It's YA in the sense that it's a pretty mild and muted story and honestly a bit confusing at times but I think I like it enough that I'll listen to the second one, For the Throne, as well.

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Thank you @wanderinglynn for gifting me all this! That was very kind of you to step in for my #HauntedHollowSwap box! I'm so excited to read all three of these books, I'll have a hard time picking which to read first. 🧡🖤

Angrboda, mother of monsters, has taken residence in my bookish heart. I've said it before here, but I love retellings. I love Mythology. Norse Mythology is something I have only explored with Gaiman. I could see the threads between his retellings and hers. The story got both emotional and tightly wound, making for a spectacular end. The audiobook narrator is a perfect fit for the story, truly. I will likely reread this in print.

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This was a clever idea for a story. The writing is good, the way the story comes together is good, the "plot twist" is even good. The MC is borderline awful though and by the time I got to the end of the book I was questioning why these people wasted 10 years of their lives waiting for the other one to openly say that they loved them?! Maybe it was just poorly executed? I felt cheated by the story even though I got the happy ending.

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I had a slow start to this one but that's probably because I watched the Netflix series first. I do like the book better (unsurprisingly 😅). I love the characters and the story. The writing was better than I think I expected, a pleasant surprise there. I will definitely be finishing the series and reading more by Bardugo.

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There are many thoughts and emotions present throughout the whole book. I've never gained so many equally important perspectives from one story. The tragedy compounded in ways I didn't know before this book. I had to pick up a lighter book several times in between this heavy hearted story but I am beyond grateful to have experienced it. The audio is amazing with a 45 person cast. May we never forget.

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A Hallmark Christmas movie but if it were done by Food Network.

Sometimes I need a simple, palate cleansing, cute story that's light and without much resistance or conflict. We know how it ends, we know what to expect and there's comfort in that laid back, easy read. This books is definitively that. I really enjoyed watching Hadley and Max play out.

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I have got to stop being a sucker for covers 😆 This story had so much potential and it just didn't follow through on any front. With the madwoman in the title, I was disappointed that she didn't carry over from the focus on the Bronte novels to the focus on the Bronte heiress. Especially with the foreshadowing of her father fulfilling a separate Bronte history. I feel burned by the lack of connectivity in this book. So much wasted potential!

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I like Greek Mythology. I like retellings. I even like smut. This book was just not the one for me. I think the biggest reason I finished it was because it's easy consumption, I was just flying through the pages so I didn't DNF it. I think the level of spice in this one is probably really perfect for others that can overlook an OK story/writing.

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My 5 year old got his Scholastic order today at school. We read The Bad Seed together for the first time and I must say, it's all too relatable. I had a misguided childhood and spent a lot of years working out trauma and depression. I'm better now, not perfect but better. This book gets me. I was a bad seed as well. 🌰🖤

With anxiety and awkwardness in tow, I mailed my very first Litsy swap box today for #HauntedHollowSwap! It should arrive at its mystery destination in 3 days! Now that I've done it once, I'm excited to participate in more swaps in the future!!

#HHS21 @wanderinglynn I've fulfilled my end of the deal to not make you more twitchy 😆🧡

This one has been my favorite in the series so far. I love Nesta's redemption and she has always deserved it. Maybe I've always felt most akin to her too. I've had my share of depression and trauma, it is a spectacular thing to claw your way out of it and take possession of yourself. I honestly hope the next book is on another character as I feel Nesta and Cassian are finally wholly complete.

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1. The cooler temps. 🙌🏻

2. Pumpkin Beer (Southern Tier, Sam Adams, Blue Moon and Fat Heads all have good ones)

3. Fridays! My youngest doesn't have preschool so it's our day to do special things.

4. Today I'm grateful that we are FINALLY getting the carpet installed in our basement. We've haven't had use of our basement since July because of water damage. It's the last piece to get us back to normal!

Thanks, @Eggs for including me! 🧡

Magical Realism + Historical Fiction is perfection when done right and this book is the perfect example. I just finished the audio and after seeing other reviews, realized that the print book has photographs and other additives that authenticate the story. I really feel like I would have been even more tied to this beautiful story if I had read it in print. I think this book will be my second ever reread. Ivey is an amazing storyteller.

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