Totally forgot to do this yesterday…
⭐️ Snow day! Got to work from home thanks to a snowstorm.
⭐️ Watching Pixel and his doggy friends have an absolute blast in the snow
⭐️ Thankful for how my family shows up for one another
⭐️ Books always bring me joy
⭐️ My car stuff is finally getting resolved

#5joysfriday @DebinHawaii
Thanks for the tag @Sace 😊

I discovered my library has the entire light novel series of The Apothecary Diaries last night. I got hooked on the manga last year. I‘m already loving the extra insight into Maomao's thoughts. She's so aloof but caring at the same time.

“The modern world is severely lacking in magic, and those who crave it are at a constant disadvantage because they are desperate and it‘s in short supply.”

@ShyBookOwl #firstlinefridays

This book hit my radar thanks to the Jolabokaflod swap. It's a short but poignant story about maintaining hope in the face of hardship.

A low drama spicy monster romance that brought all the feels. I‘m already looking forward to a reread.

 @MeganAnn Your #auldlangspine list is on point.

Lord Peter Wimsey is too long-winded to follow any of his deductions. This man loves a soliloquy. Also, the random singing is weird.

First DNF of the year. I wanted to like this book because I love a good old school style whodunit.

#hailthebail #authoramonth

I'm glad to be back home after the holidays. A tired Pixel is helping me read the tagged book. It's interesting, but the flowery language makes it a little hard to parse out what exactly is happening.
#authoramonth #dogsoflitsy

Happy New Year to all the lovely Littens! May all your books be 5 star reads.

January #bookspin is ready to go. I'm going to continue with the format that focuses more on the challenge than a specific book title. Since I depend heavily on the library for my books, it can be hard to stick to a list when holds expire before I can get to them.

@thearomaofbooks

First read of the year. First five star of 2025. This is a beautiful story of discovering love in different spaces: family, friendship, and romance. The past of others does not write someone else's future.

A big thank you to @MeganAnn for great the #auldlangspine recommendation!

@monalyisha

December was a really good reading month. This is the first time I‘ve almost had a blackout board for #bookspinbingo. It helped that I had specific books lined up for some of the challenges.

I read my #bookspin and #doublespin in December along with other great reads. @TheAromaofBooks

I didn‘t really participate in reading challenges before Storygraph because I was absolutely terrible at tracking. Now, I can‘t get enough of them. Cheers to a fun year of reading!

A heartbreaking tale of sisterhood and the complicated relationships that tie sisters together. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you @BookmarkTavern for the recommendation! I have completed all the prompts for #gottacatchemall. @PuddleJumper

I've finalized my reading challenges for the year and made my tracking pages (I'm a visual person). They are a wonderful mix of Litsy and Insta based challenges. Do I have too many? Probably. (I'm not even showing all the trackers 😅) The challenges are a fun way to find new authors I wouldn't have tried otherwise.

I adore Ruby Dixon. I kept taking reading breaks on Christmas Day so I could find out what happened next. A big thanks to @MeganAnn for the recommendation. (I was putting it off until I read your review.)

Another challenge down. The #nonfiction2024 challenge hosted by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa remains a favorite. I liked the double challenge to read nonfiction and the banned prompt books. Those with a yellow star represents banned books I read before this year and the blue star are those I read in 2024. All of the books above have been memorable. The tagged book left the strongest impression and has led to great conversations about immigration.

Thank you @JessieKB for the lovely #jolabokaflod gifts! I've been wanting to read this book. I can't wait to curl up and read with the hot chocolate tonight.

@MaleficentBookDragon
#JS2024 #jolabokaflodswap2024

I did it! I completed the #52bookclub challenge! This has been a favorite challenge the last couple years.

I really like the world building. I found the outcome of the mystery less exciting than the first book, but it was still a fun journey getting there. I love how the author slipped random Easter eggs into the story (K drama reference, other popular scifi series, etc.).

I arrived at my parents' to see my #jolabokaflod had arrived! Now, to resist opening for the next few days.

@MaleficentBookDragon

And that‘s a wrap for 2024 #bookspin! I only had one book that I didn‘t finish in the selected month (River Mumma). Always a fun challenge to help keep me on top of my reading goals. A huge thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for hosting.

(Seeing the books altogether makes me realize how many genres I cover.)

A spicy read that is, somehow, also gentle. Both characters have anxiety and struggle in crowds or new social situations. Their conversations were refreshingly honest.

December #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks
“Prank or bet” #gottacatchemall (only 1 prompt left now!)

I want to make everyone read this book. The audiobook (read by the author) was fantastic. My brain can't comprehend how terrifying the migration had to be for a 9 year old boy surrounded by complete strangers. Javier's story is a powerful reminder of the risks undocumented immigrants take to enter the USA for the hope of a better life.
#nonfiction2024
December #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

A cute, quick read by a new author. I did enjoy the author's satirical take on the older white male boss. There was a purposeful misunderstanding moment that brought me joy. That said... the whole lying thing gave me low-key anxiety. I may wiggle around a straight answer sometimes, but I avoid outright lying to people. So, it was hard for me to relate to that part of Amber. The rest of the book was great.

This was my first Stevenson and I had a blast. A short but tense Christmas murder mystery that adheres to the well acknowledged literary rules of such things should be solved.

This is a soft pick for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between the main characters. The plot had some major holes that should have been tightened up by an editor.

A pet peeve I‘ve discovered this year is when publishing companies pick up self published books and don‘t bother to edit them. I get that the original version sold, but with a little tweaking the updated version would sell even better.

My Jólabókaflóð package is on its way!

@MaleficentBookDragon

#JolabokaflodSwap24 #JS2024 #Jolabokaflod

I‘m not big into holiday themed books but this one was an absolute joy (😉) to read. Hex was a lovely pumpkin spice roll of a book boyfriend. Coal wasn‘t perfect and somehow that is what made this book lovely. He acknowledged his faults, tried to make amends, and never lost sight of what Christmas means to so many.

#queerbc

A clever twist on the idea of magic being hidden from regular people. It's a magical mystery but an ordinary investigator. I thoroughly enjoyed this academic thriller.

Thank you @willaful for the great recommendation!

This was exactly the lighthearted, smutty read I needed to break the stress of prepping for the holidays and life in general.

(Please don't judge me for reading the last book first.)

I finally started the tagged book, which was loaned to me by a friend months and months ago. I'm house sitting the handsome boy using my legs as a pillow.

#dogsoflitsy

I would just like to reiterate that @meganann's #auldlangspine list is fantastic. It was hard to select only a few for the first month of 2025. I definitely plan to start the new year with Lunar New Year Love Story. I'm also really looking forward to I Married a Lizardman.

- I've already placed a couple books on hold (long wait times).
- There are a few heavy reads that I will save for after the holiday season. ⬇

Thank you @MeganAnn for the epic #AuldLangSpine list! The two I‘ve read off your list (This Could Be Us & Spellshop) were great books. Many are new to me which is the absolute best. I love discovering new books and authors. I‘ve already placed holds a few books.

Thank you for pairing us @monalyisha

I'm really enjoying the tagged book while soaking up a quiet night crocheting while the very tired pup is fast asleep in his bed.

Here is my big end of year reading goals #bookspin list. I am so so close to completing my favorite challenges. If you have any recommendations for the prompts above please share! I'm struggling with the “Arthurian legend/characters“ prompt the most. I'd also really appreciate an academic thriller that is not YA. (I enjoy YA, but I'm in the mood for adult voices.)

@thearomaofbooks

Another #bookspinbingo! I stuck pretty close to my goal of tackling remaining prompts in my main challenges. Of course Libby due dates still dictated a portion of my reads. November was an interesting mix of great reads among some mediocre duds. I enjoyed both my #bookspin and my #doublespin this month.

Time for the last month of the year! Happy reading :)

@thearomaofbooks

So many truths buffered by humor. A nod to the struggle of being a young single parent when you're still learning to find your own voice among all the opinions of others.

Meh. I could see what the author was trying to do but it fell just short for me. It felt like a really awkward high school reunion where everyone still has the emotional intelligence of a 16 year old. That said, I did like the final battle. A suitably epic ending.

#litsylove mail going out tomorrow! Thank you to everyone for being patient with my very late replies.

I love this series. The pieces are starting to fall together. The quiet moments between Kore and Hades are adorable.

I'm in full cozy mode tonight. The perfect way to wind down into the weekend.

Twists and turns abound. I liked how the timeline jumped around between before, then, and now to build a complete picture of the family and its ties to the community.

Hello, November! The end of the year is coming up fast. The only challenges I really want to complete are the #gottacatchemall, #nonfiction2024, alphabet challenge, and the diversity across genres challenge (hosted on Insta). I'm so close to finishing them. This month will be dedicated to filling most of the remaining prompts so I can have a low key December full of bonus reads.

@thearomaofbooks #bookspin

Welp. October is over. The books were great...life not so much. Books kept me from completely spiraling which means I still managed to achieve a #bookspinbingo despite the stress. I leaned into the horror/thriller theme this month and was not disappointed.

@thearomaofbooks (I wrote the correct month this time! 😆)

This was my first read of the spooky season and man did it set the tone for the month. An unsettling read with a semi-unreliable narrator who has a gruesome craving.

October #doublespin ✅ @TheAromaofBooks

A quick read with a lot of heart folded in. Esperanza speaks of her attempts to make friends, first job, and so much more as she tries to find her bearings as a young teenager.

October #bookspin ✅ @TheAromaofBooks

No bingo this month. Lots of good reads though. I made significant progress on my diversity across genre challenge. On to October! #bookspinbingo

@TheAromaofBooks

I present August‘s #bookspin list! This method of listing is getting harder as the challenges get full.

Edit: …so this is for October. I completely forgot to change the month when I copied from a previous list 🤣

@TheAromaofBooks

A series of lightly interconnected stories of Arab Americans. I enjoyed the different perspectives, though it was hard not to get frustrated with the very traditional attitude of some of the parents...which means the writing was evocative. I loved that each story featured a woman breaking from societal pressures despite the consequences.

This might be my favorite of the Meant to Be series so far. A modern retelling of The Little Mermaid with a unique Latinx flair. I was genuinely invested in Ariel and Eric's relationship.

A beautiful novella that highlights the wonders and dangers of space exploration. Ariadne and her team are accomplished scientists and engineers eager to discover what lies beyond our sun. I swooned a little at all the science jargon. Chambers did a great job of making complicated concepts accessible. #queerbc

A soft pick for me. I liked it overall, but I had to take breaks because the villainess got annoying at times though her irreverence had me lauging out loud. A fun twist on the romantasy genre: the main character falls into her favorite book and wakes up as the villainess.

Question for the crowd: what fantasy book would you like to be a part of?

For me, it would be dragonriders of pern as long as I was guaranteed a dragon.