Mika Moon has been alone and neglected since childhood because that's the way witches stay safe, even in the modern era. She moves every year or two aMika Moon has been alone and neglected since childhood because that's the way witches stay safe, even in the modern era. She moves every year or two and doesn't really make friends. She meets with a group of witches a few times a year, mostly to be reminded by their leader, Primrose, that the first rule of Witch Club is: you do not talk about Witch Club (Terrible paraphrasing is all mine).
But Mika is lonely. She loves people. So she decides that it can't hurt to make witchy social media videos. No one will believe they're real in this AI/Photoshop world, right? But someone does notice they're real and reaches out with an enticing job. Would Mika be interested in tutoring not one, not two, but three young witches? And more importantly to Mika--can she keep Primrose from finding out what she's up to?
I was in the mood for something sort of cozy or feel-goodish, kind of like The House in the Cerulean Sea or Legends & Lattes. I searched around and found this book recommended several times. Wherever I found it, they were right! I mean, it isn't great Literature and in all honesty, I'll probably forget a lot of details pretty quickly, but it was just the right book at just the right time. 4.5 Stars.
How can you not love a character named Mika Moon? And the found family that surrounds her new young charges is absolutely delightful. Quirky, caring, funny, interfering, determined, mischievous... I could go on but I won't. I love stories of found families and what a family this one is.
There's romance because of course there is and it got spicier than I expected. It's just one scene but it was sort of like finding a hot pepper in my cotton candy. I don't think the story needed it but it's easy enough for me to overlook. Still, this is definitely a book for adults. I liked that the romance took some time to build and felt pretty natural and unforced.
If you're looking for a cute, cozy romantasy to read as you're curled up under a blanket with a mug of tea, this is the book for you....more
There is an element of found family throughout all aspects of the book and I always like stories with t3.5 Stars.
I liked this book but didn't love it.
There is an element of found family throughout all aspects of the book and I always like stories with that trope. But I tend to struggle a bit with multiple timelines. At least this one took place over the span of a few weeks so I could easily remember when I was, but I always strongly prefer one plot over another. I sort of slog through one in little more than an effort to get to the parts I like. This was no different, but I was surprised that I preferred the story set in the book's present.
It took quite a while for things to get going, and when they did, Kivrin's experience in the past was so grim. I have to say that it brought a very dark period in human history to life for me in a way that other books set in a similar time haven't. It's one thing to read about humanity-defining events in a textbook but I felt like I lived through this. Hats off to Ms. Willis for that but I felt traumatized.
I had to keep rechecking the copyright date of the book (1992) because there's a localized disease outbreak in the book's present and the author's descriptions of what happened were prescient. Everyone is unaccountably worried about toilet paper supplies. People who don't understand science in the least are behaving as if they have PhDs. Protestors are protesting the most random things. Conspiracy theories are flying. Officials who don't know anything about anything are making life harder for everyone. Visiting Americans are screaming about their civil liberties being violated (I'm American so I can agree with this). It all sounded so very much like what happened in the real pandemic that I just couldn't convince myself that the book was published almost thirty years earlier. I frequently say that people are people, no matter where you go, but I guess the same is true no matter when you are too.
The Doomsday Book won all kinds of awards when it was published, so I'm obviously in the minority. If you generally like both parts of a dual-timeline book equally and like a slow pace more than I do, I think you'll like it. I'll read more of Connie Willis's books (I love her collection, A Lot Like Christmas), but I don't plan to continue with this series. ...more
I truly enjoyed the first book in the loose Kirrinfief series by Jenny Colgan, The Bookshop on the Corner, so I was looking forward to listening to thI truly enjoyed the first book in the loose Kirrinfief series by Jenny Colgan, The Bookshop on the Corner, so I was looking forward to listening to the second one. I didn't realize until I started it that it's not a direct sequel; Nina, the first book's protagonist, makes some appearances but she's mostly in the background. This is very much the story of Zoe, a new character.
The Bookshop on the Shore was quite a bit darker than the first book. There are scenes of a character cutting and mental health is a definite theme. I felt that it was handled with sensitivity, but others might disagree. Nina really doesn't come off well in this book, which was a bit startling, considering how much I liked her in the first book. She's dealing with some of her own issues in the background, but she's really not nice.
Zoe and her son Hari are delightful though. Zoe is trying so hard as a single mom but the cards are stacked against her. She's hired as a nanny for three children whose mother has abandoned them. Zoe does her best to be their Mary Poppins but they really are not welcoming. Still, I loved any scenes that featured Patrick, the youngest child. And Scotland and Loch Ness are practically characters themselves, they're described so beautifully. I've read quite a few books by this author now, and she always makes me want to visit whatever corner of Scotland she's describing.
If you've read the synopsis, you can probably guess who Zoe's romantic interest is. Even though I found it predictable, I wish there had been more time spent on it. I felt that it almost happened out of the blue. And I wish they had more page time together, instead of everything happening right at the end.
Speaking of the end, I was so ready to find out how everything wrapped up that I finally sat down with my phone and just listened to this book for a couple of hours while mindlessly tapping away at my coloring app. I believe that's a first for me!
Eilidh Beaton's narration is beautifully done. I don't think I've listened to any books she's read before but I'll be seeking her out in the future.
I reservedly recommend this to readers who aren't going to be upset by the issues of mental health, abandonment, and substance abuse. Zoe and Hari are charming and I'm happy to have spent several hours in their company....more
JG (Introverted Reader)
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