Bonjour and happy Wednesday! I leave for France in less than two weeks and I’m here to share a few things I’ve planned for my fifth trip there. This trip will be unique in that I’m going with a friend; no tour group, no husbands, no kids. Aix-en-Provence. We’re taking the train from the CDG airport and will be spending two nights and one-and-a-half days. I’ve never been to Provence and I’m hoping this will kick off planning for a…
Dark Tide: Growing up With Ted Bundy by Edna Cowell Martin & Megan Atkinson 5/5 StarsAt first I was unsure about this one. It seemed more a memoir of Edna’s than anything else, and it is, but the farther into the book you get you realize what a gift this is. Edna is a deeply private person and was not known publicly until the release of this book. We get her full background, and with it, Ted’s background from the…
Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley 3/5 StarsI love most of the book, especially the first half or three quarters or so. It’s such a cozy medieval read and all of the characters are unique and likable. I love the beast speak aspect. But when there was a fight scene or lots of action or even going into detail about the curse or something else really involved I found I difficult to follow. It really took away from the book as…
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer 4/5 StarsThis is such a wonderful book. I love everything about it: the characters, the world, the magic, the realness of everything is so well done. I love the real world and the magical world. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again. The reason I didn’t give it five stars is that due to the m/m love interest I, personally, was not able to get super invested, but I do…
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell 5/5 StarsDue to my being extremely picky with mysteries/thrillers, I don’t read many of them. This one surpassed my expectations; I absolutely loved it. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting and kept me engrossed the whole read. A lot of ups and downs and corners and curves. Can’t say much more without giving things away. Highly recommended. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 5/5 StarsThis book was so great…
A Northern Light in Provence was an absolutely delightful surprise. I was lost in and enchanted by the Provence of this book. I found so many aspects of this book interesting: a glimpse into the life of a translator; what it might be like to live in Greenland (definitely not for me); traveling to Provence and falling in love with life; a taste of the Provençal language; the journey of self-discovery; a book about books. Po, the poet whose book…
Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli 5/5 StarsHeartless Hunter came out of nowhere and completely blew me away. Witches, magic, and romance are some of my favorite themes and they’re done so well here. There were a few small inconsistencies (like Rune getting injured, it being a big deal for no one to see it for one evening, then never being mentioned again) and the time period is unspecified (they have gas lights but taking a “shower”…
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown 3/5 Stars The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 5/5 StarsJust as wonderful and easy to get lost in as The Name of the Wind. The second book in the trilogy picks up where the first one leaves off. I thought I’d be sad when Kvothe left the University but his adventure was just as exciting. Readers have been waiting over a decade for the third and final book in the trilogy to…
The Book of Doors has several things going for it. It’s a book about books and I love those. There are a lot of characters in the book and they’re all different enough that it’s easy to keep them straight, which is often not the case. The important books give the owner a special power and the thought behind their powers and how they work are really interesting. However, the details of the ability of the actual Book of Doors…
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young 5/5 StarsThis was my first read of 2024 and it was an amazing one. I read other reviews to make sure we’re talking about this and it seems like we are: this is an absolutely beautifully written magical realism mystery time-travel-gone-wrong love story. I feel like there’s nothing more I can say that the synopsis doesn’t cover that also wouldn’t have spoilers. I love the story. Moments from it came back to…