Deerskin by Robin McKinley 5/5 StarsThis book cements my new obsession with the fantasy genre, and I love that this is a historical fantasy/magical realism combination. Lissar had a really weird upbringing for a princess; after her mother dies it nose-dives and she ends up fleeing her home with her beloved dog and best friend, Ash. The experience they have in the mountain cabin is, though still a very difficult time for them, a magical realism cozy transformation of my…
Carnival Quest has been the long-coming finale to The Candy Shop War trilogy. It’s been many years since I’ve read the first and second books and I was able to easy jump right back into the world. Despite being a middle grade reading level, I was engrossed in and excited for the adventure that Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon found themselves on. The premise of the carnival reminded me so much of Meow Wolf in Santa Fe (which I absolutely…
An American in Provence is a special book. It combines almost all of my most favorite things: France, cooking, motherhood, photography, seasonal living (I mean what am I missing from this list… cats and books? That’s a pretty good ratio). The book is divided by season and each season has essays, photography tutorials, and recipes. On every page are the beautiful photographs you know to expect with Jamie’s work. Each page is such a delight and a treasure. The first…
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 5/5 StarsKristin Hannah sure can write to play with your emotions. There were a few things I didn’t like about this book, mostly excessive details in the beginning. It took me a while to get into this book as an audiobook and I absolutely could not get into it reading on my kindle. In the beginning it was really irritating how immature Isabelle was and how uptight Vianne was. My absolute favorite part about this…
Happy Wednesday! I’m here to share a few French-related items that have been keeping me going through a very cold New England winter. An American in Provence by Jamie Beck has been inspiring me in every possible way. I enjoyed reading the physical book the first time around, savoring the essays and getting lost in the photographs. I also got the audiobook version and have been re-listening to my current favorite sections, finding something new each time. I will have…
Destroyer (The Shattered City #1) by Meg Smitherman 4/5 StarsThis is a delightfully engrossing and unique book. The world it’s set in is explained simply and clearly, which I’m always thankful for in a fantasy novel. I love the fact that the main character, Ru, is an archeologist and an underdog, and I really like all of the supporting characters. The first half has some clunky phrases or wording that distract from the story and fade as it goes on;…
I try to make the first and last books of a year special ones, and I was really happy to have this one be the last one I finished in 2022. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries is a wonderful lady-explorer adventure book (can we get that made an official genre?) which is one of my very favorite types of books. I love the journal format, the adventure, the mystery, the traveling to a faerie world, and we even get a…
Flight Risk is the second book in Cherie Priest’s newest series, The Booking Agents. (I loved the first book and you can read my review here.) Cherie does a great job reviewing important details from the first book so I *think* you could probably read this one if you haven’t read Grave Reservations yet (though you’ll be missing out on a great book). As with the first, Flight Risk takes place in Seattle and the surrounding areas, with an emphasis…
An Impossible Imposter (Veronica Speedwell #7) by Deanna Raybourn 3/5 StarsIn this book we learn of a HUGE detail about Veronica that we didn’t know previously, and I don’t even recall a hint to it. This new development was terribly exciting, but the way Veronica behaves is so frustrating and, to me, inconsistent with the rest of her direct personality. It’s as if along with her feelings for and relationship with Stoker, her ability to follow through with reason has…
Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan by Liz Michalski 4/5 StarsI love a modern retelling of a classic tale, especially if it is made more real or gritty. I didn’t love Holly, Wendy’s granddaughter, or her mother, Jane, but I did like the uniqueness of the rest of the characters and story. There are a few things at the end that are conveniently, magically “fixed” that seemed like an easy way out for the author. I think this would…