The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
Best for: Those who enjoyed the first book in the series, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. In a nutshell: Taking place immediately after the end of the first book, we find a witch who has taken over her sister’s body and a lot of men who want to cause a lot of harm to women. Worth quoting: N/A Why I chose it: I enjoyed the first in the series. Review: Without spoiling the book, I appreciate that the first one had a theme that was related […]
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
After a very good experience listening to Tom Hanks read The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, I was ready for another. It just so happened that Tom Lake (2023) was on a number of Best Book Lists from 2023, so my next Patchett book was an easy decision. I think the author must have some pull with her narrators because the one and only Meryl Streep reads the Tom Lake audiobook, and it’s not surprising that she does a great job. I think it’s my favorite book by Ann Patchett. Lara […]
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. It hasn’t affected the contents of my review.. Okay, now that I’m sitting down to actually review this book, I can no longer remember why I didn’t bump my 4.5 rating up to 5 . . . so I’m just going to do that right now. There. Fixed. (To be clear, this is still a 4.5 until I can re-read, but it’s living so pleasantly in my mind right now and I’m still laughing about the […]
Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola
The voice in this was fantastic. Also terrific? The plotting, the emotional arcs of these characters, the way she develops the main characters’ relationship with scene after scene of conversation. Not to mention the great side characters, the effortless queer rep, the handling of black culture on an overwhelmingly white liberal arts college in England, the radio element, and the female friendships. Honey & Spice follows Kiki Banjo (amazing name), a sophomore at a university in England and host of her own radio show, Brown Sugar. […]
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
This book was infuriating, but very interesting. If you’re looking to rage-out at the patriarchy, The Woman They Could Not Silence will certainly do the trick. But also, because Elizabeth Packard was a badass who changed things for thousands of people in her lifetime and many more into the future, you get a happyish ending as well to lift you back from your cleansing rage. Elizabeth Packard was committed to an asylum in the 1860s by her husband; because he said she was insane, she was […]
The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
Mr. Knightley and his wife, Emma (formerly Miss Woodhouse), have been happily married for several years. They are inviting a number of friends to a houseparty; Mr. and Mrs Darcy of Pemberley with their son Jonathan, Colonel and Mrs. Brandon (no children yet, as they are very newly married), Captain and Mrs. Wentworth, Edmund and Fanny Bertram and Miss Juliet Tilney, daughter of Henry and Catherine Tilney. Unfortunately, they also receive an unexpected and unwanted addition to the party, Mr Wickham, who has unfinished business with several of the members there. The Knightleys would […]
