The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 2 Book 4/30 I think this is one of those books that I will love more and more as I inevitably revisit it again and again, but for now I’m holding strong at 4.5 stars, rounded down. Everybody I know who has read this little hidden gem loves it, and I’d sort of had it in the back of my mind for a special occasion, but my TBR Jar said now, so I read it now. And it was […]
Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 2 Book 2/30 A more than worthy follow-up to Dial A For Aunties, which was one of my favorite reads last year (and favorite audiobooks; Risa Mei is a great narrator). If you liked Meddy and the Aunties the first time, you will like them here as well. I keep seeing people describe these books as cozy mysteries, but they’re not, at all. Cozy mysteries are a very specific thing, and I wouldn’t describe this as one, despite aspects […]
The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel by Pip Williams
I would not have expected the story of the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary to be a gripping topic for a novel, but I stand corrected. Pip Williams’ historical fiction encompasses not only the work of compiling the first Oxford English Dictionary but also events of historic importance that occurred during that same time period— WWI and the women’s suffrage movement. Many of the characters in this novel are real people, such as Dr. James Murray and Edith Thompson, but through the main […]
The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby
I do not know how to put into words how much this book means, but it hits me so hard in the feelings. I’ve been obsessed with Melleby’s books since I read In the Role of Brie Hutchens… and every time I fall more in love with her stories and characters. The Science of Being Angry is no different, and especially hits me as a child who struggled with anger and lashing out when the feelings got bigger than could be contained. Joey is such […]
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
This was a perfectly fine book. I do not regret reading it. Ringing endorsement! It also isn’t really to my tastes anymore (though I think the me of ten plus years ago would have loved it). It feels too pat and constructed, not ‘optimistic,’ that’s not the right word . . . I don’t know how to explain it. Just saying it’s not to my taste really anymore seems easier than trying to figure it out. The premise is pretty high concept. A former artist […]
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
I was in the mood for escape and The Folk of the Air series really delivered for me. It is a flawed series, and I’ll mention a bit of that as I look at the individual books, but I found it a delicious treat at the end of some pretty long days. The Cruel Prince, the first book in the series, introduces us to Jude, Taryn, Vivienne, Cardan, and other key players who feature throughout the trilogy. Jude, Taryn, and Vivi are children when we […]
