I found this a little harder to follow than the first book, and there's hardly any Red Ranger. Still very cute and sweet though.

Best bookish gift!

This was an #AuldLangSpine book for 2024 and though I only rated it 4 stars at the time, I still have such a warm impression from it that I'm choosing it for my January book.

@TheEllieMo

The night we went out we got talking about Christmas past -- our childhoods mostly, when according to memory, our affidavit against history, Christmas was commercialised, so although no one went shopping there were always presents under the tree. Kids when sledging and came home to play board games in front of the fire. Everyone had an old dog and a grandma who played piano. We all wore hand-knitted sweaters.

My #AuldLangSpine stack! Subbing for The Last Unicorn, which I've read many times, are The Last Unicorn: The Lost Story and/or In Calabria.

Not pictured: Scythe by Neal Shusterman (saving for February, when he's the #AuthorAMonth, Wayward Children book 1 or 2, Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch, and The Bone Spindle (Libby), Interview with the Vampire (on hold) and Engagement in the Digital Era, which isn't available to borrow. :-(

Inspired by the life of folk artist Mary Ann Wilson, this is considered the first lesbian historical romance, and it's a charmer. Patience, an educated woman from a prosperous family, and Sarah, brought up to be the “boy“ of her poor father's farm, fall in love and must navigate the barriers -- both societal and psychological -- that threaten to keep them apart. They alternately narrate their story and both voices are vivid and distinctive.

I'm quite fond of these odd stories. They're full of drama, and focus more on art, music, and theatrical pursuits that most of Christie's other work. The POV character, elderly, old-fashioned Mr. Satterthwaite gives some grounding to the stories, so the woo-woo feels romantic.

#ChristieCapers @LibraryBelle

I gave up this series about 10 years ago & there are around 20 new books in it. 😳 For #AuthorAMonth I picked up where I left off. It's a good, readable story of but I can't say I can really get behind a cop heroine and billionaire hero these days. Throw in a lot of sexual violence and a nasty prison rape comment and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to catch up with the missing 20 plus however many new ones there are since I started that sentence.

“Ironman, but not like Ripken.“ Her eyes narrowed. “Is this porn?“

He laughed. “It isn't, no.“

“Ironman sounds suspicious to me. What are the others?“

“There's Thor, the Hulk,“ he began.

“Sounds like porn.“

This was a lovely surprise, because I haven't previously been able to get into Klune's more fantastical books. The characters were immediately engaging, which is the big difference, I think -- and also often very funny. It went a bit of the rails for me in the second half, but the thematic core of love and steadfast loyalty for found family kept me going.

#QueerBC @PuddleJumper @Read4Life

Edward has finished two days of meditation and prayer. He is here to tell my my fate. I sit with my hands folded, meekly ready to accept it, in case it is a fate I am willing to accept.

@CSeydel

@CSeydel

This is a story of hard hearts and second chances Of the misrule of Christmas, where ordinary laws are turned upside down, of clock-time being out-chimed by significant time (a lifetime happens in a night). And of goose, puddings, fires, candles, fearsome hot cocktails (Smoking Bishop), snow so thick the city sleeps and “a Merry Christmas to us all... God Bless us every one!“

This is a story so powerful it can survive the Muppets.

Thanks to @Andrea313 for this #BlameItOnLitsy success! I really enjoyed these deep dives into Sondheim's works, especially when I disagreed with the author. 😂 (He is just so wrong about the Baker's Wife, I mean seriously!) I'm not familiar with Sondheim's later musicals but enjoyed the chapters nonetheless. The audiobook is a pleasant listen.

(I used this pic because Nina!)

#URC bk about old hobby @Faranae
#MonthlyNonfiction2025 @julieclair

Very much a “it's not you, it's me“ situation. I always knew I didn't really want to read this and I apparently still don't. I'm glad it's around for the people who need it.

#10BeforeTheEnd @ChaoticMissadventures

I am so tired of portentous -- or at this point, pretentious -- sentence fragments and there are three hours left to read! Think I'll probably DNF. 😔

I'm so impressed with my serious reading this month. 😂

#WeeklyFavorites @Read4Life

he says he want to kill us all
he says it very often
just let him know you love him
his attitude will soften

let's wait a little while
let's wait a little longer
the enemy is gaining strength
lets wait until he's stronger

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE

O apple of the world
we weren't married on the surface
we were married at the core
I can't take it anymore

surely there must be
a limit for the rich
and a hope unto the poor
I can't take it anymore

and the lies that they tell
about G-d
as if they owned the store
I can't take it anymore

I was surprised at what a pageturner this was, though I do tend to love epistolary novels. There's a smidge of a mystery element and a smidge of suspense, but mainly it's a portrait of a somewhat cantankerous woman nearing the end of her life, who discovers that it's not too late to create stronger relationships, help others, allow herself to receive help and resolve some of the question marks that have haunted her. Not soppy, just really moving.

@Crinoline_Laphroaig I was just wondering if you have a plan for #Pemberlittens next year? I have so many Austen-related books to read!

Started this last night and was up past 2 reading... I finally had to take a sleeping pill.

So cute I can barely stand it! An alien Supervillain committed to destroying humanity needs to de-stress, and nothing feels better than looking at Pandas. Or small, soft, pettable creatures. Or helping small humans. Or even helping his nemesis, the adorable Dawn Red Ranger. I guess there's nothing wrong with being kind to humans before you destroy them?

This is the first manga I've managed to get through and now I get it! Or some of it.

A very honest and moving graphica memoir about the death of Feder's mother when she was just 18. The format is perfect for her expression of so many hard, complicated emotions; I'm lucky enough to still have my mother, but I sobbed like a baby. There are also plenty of moments of wry humor, as Feder imagines her mother's reactions to the events after her death. A fantastic exploration of love, grief and survival.

This reminded me of a very dear friend, an excellent listener and advisor, who told me that the stages of grief aren't linear, but come and go. It helped a lot, especially when we lost him.

And another one bites the dust!

I enjoyed this and almost feel guilty for not loving it but somehow I don't. I kept thinking about other books; it's got kind of an Amelia Peabody-ish vibe, though with a more Lord Peter/Harriet relationship, and some Jonathan Strange-esque footnotes. I did really like the very gentle touch of sexiness -- Wendell's collarbone, OMG -- but perhaps it just didn't make Emily appealing enough for me.

I've been trying all sorts of “X“ books, and then I realized I had one from back in October. 🤦🏻‍♀️

A The Secret Adversary/Agatha Christie
B The Girl in the Blue Dress/Mary Burchell
C The Celebrants/Steven Rowley
D Legendborn/Tracy Deonn
E Miss Granby‘s Secret/Eleanor Farjeon
F From Dust to Stardust/Kathleen Roony
G Greengage Summer/Rumer Godden
H Here Comes Treble/London Price
I I Shall Never Fall in Love/Hari Connor

cont.

Have done a decent amount of reading this week. I've got 2 1/2 #10BeforeTheEnd books to go.

#SnowyDecemberReadathon
@LiseWorks

The coziest book, but with a touch of sharpness too.

One of the more interesting passages in the book. Christie was hardly free of the prejudices of her time, but she thought about things white feminists of decades later didn't.

This memoir of 1930s archeological digs in Syria is, unsurprisingly, all kinds of problematic. Still, if you're fond of Christie's voice there's a lot to enjoy, not least of which is her own enjoyment. It's kind of awesome to read about a middle-aged woman gamely heading out on adventures, and as a working member of a team. As a fan, it's also fun to notice where she used her experiences in her fiction.

#10BeforeTheEnd @ChaoticMissAdventures

@Read4Life

I spotted a menorah on the cover and grabbed this for #ISpyBingo, not noticing at the time what an unusual menorah it is. This is a delightful multicultural story about a girl visiting her aunt Luisa, who comes from Mexico. Isobel not only learns some new Sephardic Hanukkah customs, but also about her aunt's creativity and love for animals and nature. I would have loved to read this to my kid when she was little.

I enjoyed the unique voice of the main character, but the book is such a slog otherwise. Very little suspense, no sparks with the love interest, and it's so obvious where it's going.

I may just be over N.R. since this is my second DNF. I'm hoping I can find a good Julia Whelan reading for this #AuthorAMonth but they don't seem findable at the library, except one on playaway.

The three rating choices are just not sufficient for my feelings about this book. Will try to say more later. Right now I'm rereading the ending, because I read it on Ambien. 😂

@ChaoticMissAdventures #10BeforeTheEnd

This was my favorite quote from the book. I guess I find it comforting, because I often feel like a jumble of terrible feelings doing its best to somehow be a decent human being anyway.

Gilead was a bit of a slog at times, but ultimately very beautiful. There's so much kindness and thought in it.

#DoubleSpin

Down the hallway, carolers are singing, but you can't quite hear the song. As they travel closer to your room, you determine it's that Joni Mitchell song that makes everyone want to kill themselves, and if anything, the song is even more depressing when song by carolers in a hospital.

An intriguing list! The Last Unicorn is an old fav and I've also read Every Heart a Doorway, but most of the others are new to me! Right now I'm most interested in Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch and Song of the Huntress, and will probably save the Shusterman for February #AuthorAMonth.

(I think I'm missing one book though...?)

@shortsarahrose

thanks @monalyisha!

Five #10BeforeTheEnd books, and a bunch of other challenges as well. It worked out very nicely.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaOfBooks

Not a great reading month for me. Am 65% through Gilead though, so should finish that soon.

@TheAromaOfBooks

I have no particular goals for this, just want to spend some concentrated reading time each day and finish up some stragglers. I'm listening to How Sondheim Can Change Your Life and want to finish Gilead and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorow. (Maybe!)

@LiseWorks

2 #ISpyBingo lines, not bad! I had to finish Thud quickly because it was so cool that it fit “exclamation point in title“ and then it worked for “author in orange letters“ too!

@TheAromaOfBooks

Part original list, part #10BeforeTheEnd books and part other challenges.

Hey #QueerBC, here are some discussions questions for our November author, Adam Silvera. Answer some, all, or none!

Even after he broke up with his boyfriend Theo, even when Theo started seeing Jackson, Griffin expected them to be endgame someday. But then Theo died at 18 and Griffin is left a wreck of grief, guilt, and compulsion. A very intense story with intriguing twists; it engrossed and affected me but was almost too depressing to enjoy.

#QueerBC
@PuddleJumper