I liked a lot of things about Flame in the Dark. The main story arc is good, always moves forward, and captures your attention. I have two main issues with this book: there’s a lot of rambling in the middle of narration and big problems aren’t addressed in a timely manner. I’ve noticed both of these issues is the more recent Faith Hunter books, both this and the Jane Yellowrock series. I think I got hooked on the latter before…
I really love this series. It might be my second favorite of all time (the top spot goes to the Parasol Protectorate series (also at the time of posting this the entire series in Kindle format is $16.99- a STEAL), of course). This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and I seem to love each book more and more. I laughed all through this book and kept a running list of new sophisticated Victorian words to learn. As…
Despite suffering while reading about this nightmare apartment renovation when my own kitchen redo was to start in just a few days, I really enjoyed reading this memoir. The beginning is a much more enjoyable read than later pages; he touches on his moving from Paris to San Francisco and shares humorous (and personal) stories of doing his best to integrate with Parisian culture. It has a more personal slant than his other food-based books, but there is still plenty…
I really enjoyed reading the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, so when I saw a magna version on the shelf I was intrigued. If you’re not familiar with the book, Marie Kondo is an author and consultant on tidying up. She has you sort all of your possessions by type and then ask if each item brings you joy. In the full book she goes into much more detail, often too much, and I think that the manga version is…
Oh, Shakespeare and Company. I’ve been to this store twice, the first time to buy a tote bag in 2014 and the second time to buy another tote along with a copy of To Capture What We Cannot Keep earlier this year. I knew it wasn’t the same store as the one that the Lost Generation frequented, but I had no idea of its rich history or what an interesting person George Whitman was. I first thought this book would…
Marie-Laure lives in Paris with her father and is blind from age 6. She has memorized the model of their Paris neighborhood that her father made her from wood and loves to read Jules Verne. Werner is a German boy who lives in a group home with his sister. He teaches himself how to fix a radio they found and they listen in secret while the other children are sleeping. We get to see Marie-Laure and Werner grow up into…
My shiny new bookshelves and reading chair. Note: many TBR books and all my cookbooks are missing from this picture. Recommended by a librarian: The Little French Bistro by Nina George Adapted into a movie: Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky Genre that is new to you: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty Fiction: Will You Ever Change? by Aurélie ValognesWashington state author: Winter by Marissa Meyer Choose a book by its cover: Down Among the Sticks and Bones…
Bonjour and happy Wednesday! I am currently in the air and on my way to Atlanta for a road trip to New Orleans for Nola StoryCon. I get to spend a week in the south eating the best food and enjoying one last chance at summer weather (Seattle has been very disappointing, but then again no one has AC so that’s probably a good thing). I am very excited to be meeting Charlaine Harris and Delilah S. Dawson for the…
Diane Ratican, a native Californian, gives us this whimsical book comparing two of her favorite cities in Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? Between charming illustrations of Paris by Eric Giriat and LA by Nick Lu, Ratican narrates the main points that make these two cities alike and different. I’ve seen a lot of compare/contrasts between New York City and Los Angeles, or Paris and NYC, but never LA and Paris and I like that that sets this book apart from the rest. I have…
This book was recommended to me on Amazon about a year ago, after reading Out of Sorts and The Red Notebook. I’m not sure why I was resistant to reading it at first but now I’m so glad that I did. The author was even in town a few weeks ago and I had a feeling that I should have gone but I didn’t. Next time though! Ove is the grumpiest old man one can possibly imagine. He thinks if…