I’m not a fan of novella-length work, because it’s not long enough for me to really get into the story and its characters. That said, I’m becoming a big fan of Harrow, having read The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. A Spindle Splintered is the first of a series…
Whether you will appreciate Rose Levy Beranbaum’s newest cookbook, The Cookie Bible, will depend on a few things. First, how much direction do you want? Beranbaum meticulously details each step, including how long dough should rest in the refrigerator, exactly how to prepare your pans, how to roll each cookie dough ball, and and what…
I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I was happy to get an advanced review copy of his newest book, Under the Whispering Door. The covers appear to be by the same artist, so I’ve seen a number of people asking if this is a sequel, but it is not. Readers will disagree over…
This is a novella you won’t want to put down once you start. It’s about a couple of historic days in Edinburgh in 1566. Mary, Queen of Scots is in her castle at Holyrood and though she is beloved by her people, the kingdom is rife with religious conflicts and nobles scheming to take power.…
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books should be made into movies. I’ve read three of her books by now and thought the same thing each time. Her writing is so visual, and her stories are atmospheric and full of action. She also takes common genres and tropes but then infuses them with Mexican culture, history, and mythology. And…
I picked up this book partly because I saw Zauner interviewed on the Daily Show, and partly because it was recommended in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide. I was intrigued by the title and the subject — it’s a book about family and loss, about being biracial and the daughter of an immigrant, and…
I wasn’t initially a fan of Chambers, but after Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, I’ve come to like each of her books more and more. This one was no exception. Psalm is a novella and the start of a science fiction series about man and robot. As a novella, there wasn’t as much…
I have so many mixed feelings about this book, but in the end, Emily Henry told a story where I cared deeply about the characters. I can tell I’ve reacted emotionally to a book when I’m thinking about the characters in the days after I’ve put the book down. It’s a combination of missing the…
I really enjoyed this story about a week in the life of a young woman in Northern Ireland. Majella is in her mid-twenties and lives with her mother in the very small fictional town of Aghybogey during the time of “The Troubles”. Her day to day life is ordinary – she cares for her mother…
Angeline Boulley is a former co-worker of mine, and though I don’t know her well, I was excited for her first novel to come out, and even more excited to receive an advanced review copy. I hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed, and I wasn’t. In fact, this book was everything I could ask for, with…
As I began reading Eve Brown, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like it as much as Hibbert’s previous two books, which I loved so much I read twice (rare for me). Eve is an event planner who’s just finished a wedding where a few things went seriously wrong, so her latest career…
I was excited to receive an advanced review copy of Imbolo Mbue’s newest novel, because I loved her debut novel, Behold the Dreamers. This novel is very different from that one, and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much. The story is slow-paced and didn’t have the depth of emotion I saw in Behold the…
Based in Romania, reading all over the world. Mostly fiction, some memoires and a little bit of poetry.
A book blog and a celebration of diverse books and authors (with a side of your favorite brew)
The literary journeys of a 20-something, bilingual, elementary school teacher.
a book blog
There's always room for one more...
I read, breathe, and live in bookish worlds.
Book Reviews
"Books are a uniquely portable magic" - Stephen King
*somewhere to collect my (mostly) bookish thoughts*
