My #bookspin list for July. My library is starting a new challenge for the next 6 months, so I‘ll be working on that. Some of the prompts on the bingo card are really easy this time—read what you want, read comfort fiction, read a book set outside North America, & read a book with a crime. So, my usual books. @TheAromaofBooks
Oops, just realized I left one blank. #9 The British Booksellers

Audiobook—Litsy recommended (which now gets me into yet another series). This story has elements I love—Victorian England, great banter, feminist protagonist, paranormal characters including a hot werewolf, mystery, & romance. The narrator is wonderful with all the accents. My only issue is that I don‘t normally listen to steamy books & this has a few scenes. Still, the narration is so good that I‘ll continue the series on audio.

I‘m going to complain about this book, but I actually liked it. It just seemed to take forever to read; I made it to about page 230 & thought I‘d never finish.
This has been on my tbr for yrs. A family saga full of inbreeding that results in the narrator being intersex. The family has interesting characters. It‘s a story of immigrants, imperfect people, & identity. 3.5/5 ⭐️ Good book for Pride month

I always say I don‘t like sci-fi books, but what did I end up reading? A sci-fi book—because I love TJ Klune & the name of the female child protagonist, Artemis Darth Vader. This story is also a gay romance, suspenseful adventure, & emotional story of found family. Not as funny as other Klune books I‘ve read but his typical heartwarming relationships & unique child.

I read A Dangerous Collaboration back in March & the tagged in May, trying not to rush through this fun series. These 2 books are when the romance heats up, although the part that‘s supposed to be steamy was anti-climactic to me. Loved the different mysteries in both, the tagged upped the danger & had a good villain. Excited for the next one!

I listened to several shorter audiobooks in a row, this one is also about 4 hours. A new-to-me author, these essays are about Crucet‘s life, growing up in her culture & then adjusting to living where she is a minority. She narrates it very well. My last couple of audios have been from the bottom of my TBR Litsy list—trying to cross some off. Good recs from Littens.

This short book taught me so much about our “democracy”. I did find myself losing focus at times & thought it was a little weird in how it was written. Afterward, I realized that‘s because it‘s written from interviews Chomsky did, so that‘s why it‘s more casual in its tone. Enlightening for me though & only about 4 hours in audio format.

I love John Green, especially when I listen to him. I wasn‘t sure if I was that interested in learning about TB, but it‘s John Green, so I decided to. The personal story woven throughout about Henry gives you someone to root for. The history & current lack of availability to treatment makes you mad. Of course, this was written before the US withdrew from WHO & shut down USAID, so I couldn‘t help but think of how many more are dying right now. 👇

I love this series! We return to our 2 middle-aged spinsters, with Gus trying to solve the mystery of who really killed the man her love interest was convicted of killing. Also trying to evade his brother, who is searching for their sister to lock her away again for sin of being a lesbian. Took a little longer for the action this time, but then there was a lot of it, as well as character growth, a lot of feminism, & romance. 5⭐️

A friend recommended this book to me, & I‘m glad I listened to it because I got to hear the Farsi pronounced correctly instead of me butchering it in my head. I got a little emotional towards the end, a really good story about Darius going to visit family in Iran for the first time. He deals with depression, bullies at school, negative thoughts, & relationship with his dad. Also learned a lot about culture, a bonus to a great YA story.

This book made me mad at men again (not all men) but also myself, for not thinking enough about the responsibility of men in preventing pregnancies and abortions. Of course, I‘ve said they should do more but still fell for the propaganda. Such a simple solution when so many have been arguing for so many years. This book goes really well with All in Her Head by E.Comen. I wish it was required reading for men—they‘re who needs to hear it. #bookspin

This story, set on an island where things disappear & almost everyone loses the memory of them, made me ponder a lot. Very mysterious about where & what happens to the people who remember & are taken by the memory police. Author was able to instill sadness, suspense, the terror & threat of the police, as well as joyful moments between the main characters. Dystopian relevant to our current dystopian country. This was my #doublespin for March.

Actually got a bingo in May, mainly because Affrilachia is a short book. #bookspin

My #bookspin list for June, which is my birthday month 🌻🧁 @TheAromaofBooks

It‘s hard for me to rate this book properly because I read part of it on a trip, then got distracted, then finished at least a month later. I did remember what had happened & was able to get right back into it.
Set during Napoleon‘s last efforts to rule, this is told from 2 sisters perspectives, but they don‘t know about each other at first. Both have magical gifts with flowers. I didn‘t love it for some reason but still a pick. 3/5 ⭐️

This was a good audiobook. I‘m not a teacher, but I know a lot of teachers & have worked in a couple of schools. I was expecting her to have more public school experiences instead of college level. I also was irritated with how they dismissed the troubled teen she talked about, but I assume there were no therapy options available to help. Overall, it‘s an entertaining book.

Holton has not let me down yet. I was sad when her previous trilogy ended, but this one is great, too. This is the 2nd book in the series, featuring Gabriel, who is obviously on the autism spectrum, & Elodie, 2 geographers who need to stop magic from destroying England & finally admit they love each other. Love fantasy elements, humor, & their banter in this story. The word thaumaturgic is used a lot. If you love a mix of genres, this is for you.

I‘ve been reading Collins‘ series for awhile, so I was happy to see another one at the bookstore. I liked this story, it‘s an easy, light, romantic mystery when that‘s what you need. My issue is that this is the start to a new series even though it has mostly the same characters & plots as the other 4. No big deal, just something that annoys me. A soft pick, I‘m probably going to start getting this series at the library instead of buying.

Now that I finally found Deanna Raybourn last year, I can‘t stop reading her books. I was excited to read this sequel to Killers of a Certain Age. The now 62 year-old female assassins have to get involved in another mission, with their support team assisting. Suspense, action, murder, disguises, complaints about age-related aches, one escape that is a little impossible, it‘s all great!

I teared up during Sunrise on the Reaping but didn‘t fully cry. #sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern
I‘m so glad it‘s a 3-day weekend. Hope everyone gets to rest & read.

I listened to this around the time of Independent Bookstore Day, & it got me in the mood for visiting the indies in my state. BTW, 5 of the indies in my general area did a bookstore crawl, such a good idea!
Really liked this book, enjoyed the history of bookshops, learned a lot (had no idea about the Nazi bookstores), & would love to visit some of the ones featured. Highly recommend

I loved this book! Definitely on my list of favorites for 2025. I kept describing it as brutal & it is (not sure how they‘ll make a pg-13 movie out of this one). As I‘m sure everyone knows, this is Haymitch‘s story, so readers of the trilogy know how it‘s going to end. That doesn‘t take away from the emotions throughout. There‘s also a lot of connections with characters from Catching Fire & Mockingjay. 5/5 ⭐️

This was a long audiobook, but I stuck with it. This is really 2 stories in 1, which seems to be a common comment after people read it. NF about the building & celebration of the World‘s Fair in Chicago 1893, but also about a serial murderer who was in Chicago at the same time. Both were interesting, especially the World‘s Fair part. Chapters go back & forth between the 2 stories. IMO, it would be a better book if it just focused on World‘s Fair.

I loved Dear Martin & Dear Justyce, so I read this as soon as I could. Jared has been on a journey since the 1st book from a jerk white guy to a guy trying to improve himself. Still coping with his friend‘s death, he writes to him during a time when he is running for college class president & truly realizing his white privilege. I enjoyed seeing character growth but don‘t think this story has as much emotional depth as the first. 4/5⭐️

I heard about this book on a podcast & decided to listen to it. It was not exactly what I expected but still interesting & full of unique characters that eventually all tie together at the nightclub, The Cat‘s Pajamas. The young girl is a really fun MC because of her sass, but you will feel sad for her at times.

Couldn‘t find these 2 GN‘s in database, but Plume is Smith‘s other work. We met Smith (author/illustrator) at a Comic-Con, so I have to show off the artwork she did of my cat! Isn‘t it cute?
For Goodness‘ Sake is about a sarcastic guy that has a curse making him have horns. He meets a girl, they road-trip, try to figure out how to get rid of his horns. Really good.
The House of Lowther Vol 2– continues the story of Sawyer & the cryptids 👇

I expected a light read about a small town & their amateur detective who is a librarian with some supernatural elements. Which is what I got but with a twist thrown in. An enjoyable read, really loved the cat.

I listened to this book in March, & I love it! The narrator is great—she gets all the sarcastic comments right. Warning—This book will probably make you mad about the history of women‘s medical treatment. I learned so much. I think it‘s obvious in our history that 1) men are terrified of women & our vaginas & 2) men only care about a woman‘s uterus. I laughed while driving several times from the sarcasm, so I hope you all will read this. 5⭐️

I feel like I‘m one of a few who didn‘t read this when it was published. One reason I didn‘t is because I dislike the cover. So, I finally read it after a librarian picked it for me.
I liked this story, but not as much as many other people. It was sweet, I liked the message, a quick read. 3/5 ⭐️

This book may be harder to find because it‘s not well-known. But it should be! Written by a local author, this story follows a family gospel group through decades. Their father comes up with the idea, they sing at local churches, & then the evangelist enters the picture. This follows the family‘s personal lives, as well as corruption in their singing life (remember the 1980‘s televangelist scandals?). You don‘t need to be religious to ❤️ this.

As a person who has grown up in a church & been on church committees, I knew I would relate to this book. A little weird because it‘s basically a memoir told as a novel. A pastor search committee is formed, taking the reader through the whole process, with some humor & all the arguments, frustrations, etc. I did audio for this book. The only prob I had was the MC was a bit unlikeable at the end, & I would have liked more self-awareness of that.

Best dedication ever? Makes me even more excited to read this book.

Last-minute #bookspin list for May. Just hadn‘t written it down but ready to read more than in April. @TheAromaofBooks

No bingos for March, & I‘ve gotten distracted with all my holds on new books coming in at once. Hopefully, I can get closer to finishing the book challenge I‘m doing in April (It doesn‘t have to be done until end of June). #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

My favorite bookstore is Joseph-Beth in Lexington. Another indie bookstore I love is Sassafras in Black Mountain, NC. There‘s several indies around my state, & I‘m planning to road trip to some this summer. #sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern

Hey Littens! One of my adult clients wants to read more about Malcolm X but isn‘t sure which book is the best. Do you all have a favorite biography about him?

The 2nd in a series but is fine as a stand-alone. A home health nurse finds an older client dead & thinks it‘s murder, even though it looks like natural causes. Then, a friend of the victim & a business owner get involved with the nurse to investigate. Harbinder Kaur is the detective heading up the case. I think this would be considered a cozy mystery. I liked the characters, setting, & how the mystery unraveled.

Trying to catch up on reviews. This is a very different story than Makkai‘s previous book—The Great Believers. A story that has a lot packed in it—maybe too much. A woman returns to her private high school to teach about 2 weeks but ends up dealing with her past time there, including what may have really happened to a girl murdered during their senior year. Ties into our obsession with true crime & brings up racism & violence against women. 4 ⭐️

Yes! I only lend to a few people now who I know will eventually return the book. @BookmarkTavern #sundayfunday

I enjoyed this story where gossip is important to solving the case. A couple of new characters that were fun. I hope a few of the characters stay around in the later books. Some progress in the romance between the MC & her neighbor. A fun story.

I heard about this book on a podcast & thought it sounded fun. More action than I thought it would have. Two rival actresses in the late 50s go to an isolated island set, then end up witnessing criminal activity. They end up on running from bad guys through Monaco, the Alps, & Rome. I enjoyed the MCs creativity, courage, & feistiness.

This one has been on my tbr for years, but I would forget to actually write it on my tbr. Finally listened to it. May get the physical copy at some point because I would like to review some info. An interesting, informative book about how this author divides the US into regions that explains so much of our history & current interactions.

I love teeturtle shirts & saw that there‘s a 40% off sale on their shirts about reading. This is a great time to get one because they‘re $12-15. I love this shirt—it‘s so me right now. Just want you all to have some nerdy reading shirts!

Audiobook. I found this a little basic for me, but it was more interesting to me when the author focused on Christianity and how churches can change. Some of the book I felt just focused on racism in general. Would be a good intro for a group at a church to discuss. Was written a few years ago, but it was very relevant to the present moment—he had a whole section on diversity, equity, & inclusion.

This story came to me from one of my librarians. It‘s the 1st in a trilogy, with Mrs. Rodd as the amateur sleuth. She is a widow & has a lawyer brother who often sends her on mysteries to help with his clients. I liked this mystery a lot—you can guess the killer early on, but the way it is revealed is very good. Will read the other 2, sadly the author died a couple of yrs after the 3rd one.

Sorry, I know the list is hard to see, but here‘s my #bookspin list for March. I can‘t wait for spring—here in Kentucky, we‘ve had false spring this week because we will have at least 1 more round of winter. @TheAromaofBooks

Did someone already post about this?
IMO, this is how wealth should be spent. Kingsolver took some of her proceeds from the book & built a substance abuse facility for women in her area, where so many need it.
“This is the house that Demon built. Higher Ground Women‘s Recovery Residence..”
Another reason she‘s a favorite author of mine.

I‘m giving this a low pick because I liked the history & characters. My library‘s book challenge has this book as a prompt—they‘re going to do a book discussion & podcast ep about it, so I read it. It started out good, there‘s a lot of action, but it just seemed so slow to me. Based on the history of the Battle of Blair Mountain, the coal miners‘ fight to have unions & safer working conditions. Maybe I would have rather read a NF account. 👇

I always learn so much when I read or listen to a Coates book. I listened to this one, mostly because I love his voice. This one is about his first trip to Senegal, a visit to South Carolina to defend his book from being banned, & his experience in Palestine & Israel. The last one was the longest, & I feel I learned the most from that one. I think Coates is a wise person who is always trying to grow & learn more.

Continuing with the Veronica Speedwell series, I read these 2 back to back. Both had interesting stories—Perilous Undertaking had a sex orgy room & tagged was about Egyptian artifacts. Love Veronica, as well as Stoker & the side characters. Veronica & Stoker need to hook up soon—so much angsty lust.