JS's bookshelf: read en-US Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:47:13 -0700 60 JS's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Detective Aunty (Kausar Khan Investigates, #1)]]> 217223370 When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.

After her husband’s unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she’d receive another phone call as heartbreaking—until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she's been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.

Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana’s landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.

And the facts of the case are Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar—a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years—senses there’s more to the story than her daughter is telling.

With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…]]> 336 Uzma Jalaluddin 0063434873 JS 0 to-read 4.24 2025 Detective Aunty (Kausar Khan Investigates, #1)
author: Uzma Jalaluddin
name: JS
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder (Happily Ever Homicide, #1)]]> 102777361
There’s just one problem: she can’t seem to stop killing off her main characters.

After accepting that a genre change is in order, Juniper sets out to do some research. What’s the best way to carry a dead body? How exactly does one pick a lock? Juniper is going to find out—with the unwilling help of her new roommate, Aiden.

But Juniper’s plans go haywire when she stumbles across an actual, real-life dead body—and before she knows it, she and Aiden are thrust into the middle of a murder mystery that seems suspiciously tied to Juniper’s past.

Who killed the girl in the woods? Can Juniper ever get the hang of mystery writing? And, perhaps the biggest question of all: Why the heck does Aiden look so good in a tweed jacket?]]> 368 Gracie Ruth Mitchell JS 5 mystery, recommend
Rating: I only remember PG? Maybe a bit more because, you know, murder. But otherwise not a lot of PG-13 content that I can remember.]]> 4.02 2023 Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder (Happily Ever Homicide, #1)
author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
name: JS
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: mystery, recommend
review:
Really enjoyed this one. It's a mystery and romance with just a bit of philosophy in the side. Some comments about how we deal with death and grief really struck me. Overall a great read.

Rating: I only remember PG? Maybe a bit more because, you know, murder. But otherwise not a lot of PG-13 content that I can remember.
]]> Untraceable (Tracers, #1) 62919421
Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened.

Using every resource she can get her hands on—including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective—Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth. But as far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. Yet his instincts—and his visceral attraction to Alex—won’t let him walk away.

As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer to the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear.

Reissue]]> 353 Laura Griffin 1668019493 JS 0 to-read 3.91 2009 Untraceable (Tracers, #1)
author: Laura Griffin
name: JS
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> This Is How It Always Is 34275215
This is how a family lives happily ever after…until happily ever after becomes complicated.

This is how children change…and then change the world.

This is Claude. He’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess.

When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.

Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes.

This Is How It Always Is is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it’s about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. And families with secrets don’t get to keep them forever.

"This is a novel everyone should read. It’s brilliant. It’s bold. And it’s time.�
―Elizabeth George, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Banquet of Consequences]]> 336 Laurie Frankel 1250088569 JS 0 to-read 4.28 2017 This Is How It Always Is
author: Laurie Frankel
name: JS
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story]]> 8129439 An introspective and beautiful dual memoir by the #1 New York Times bestselling novelist and her daughter. Look out for Ann Kidd Taylor's new novel, The Shark Club, which will be published in June 2017.ĚýSue Monk Kidd has touched millions of readers with her novels The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair and with her acclaimed nonfiction. In this intimate dual memoir, she and her daughter, Ann, offer distinct perspectives as a fifty-something and a twenty-something, each on a quest to redefine herself and to rediscover each other. Between 1998 and 2000, Sue and Ann travel throughout Greece and France. Sue, coming to grips with aging, caught in a creative vacuum, longing to reconnect with her grown daughter, struggles to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel. Ann, just graduated from college, heartbroken and benumbed by the classic question about what to do with her life, grapples with a painful depression. As this modern-day Demeter and Persephone chronicle the richly symbolic and personal meaning of an array of inspiring figures and sites, they also each give voice to that most protean of the bond of mother and daughter. A wise and involving book about feminine thresholds, spiritual growth, and renewal, Traveling with Pomegranates is both a revealing self-portrait by a beloved author and her daughter, a writer in the making, and a momentous story that will resonate with women everywhere.]]> 322 Sue Monk Kidd 1101144912 JS 0 to-read 3.72 2009 Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story
author: Sue Monk Kidd
name: JS
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Horace & Bunwinkle (Horace & Bunwinkle #1)]]> 49397996 An anxious Boston Terrier and an exuberant potbellied pig team up to solve crimes in their barnyard.

Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Eleanor, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.

Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffy demeanor of her new canine brother. She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.

When the duo discovers that neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their new detective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountain lion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians?

Only one thing seems certain: if they don’t figure it out soon, one of them might be next!]]> 208 P.J. Gardner 0062946544 JS 5 4.14 2020 Horace & Bunwinkle (Horace & Bunwinkle #1)
author: P.J. Gardner
name: JS
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: children-books, humor, loved-it, my-kids-reads, quirky, rrc2024
review:
This book was a delight to read with my kids. So fun, and the POV characters are good times. Just a really cute kids book that I was happy to read with them. Will read the next one soon and check out the author's other books.
]]> <![CDATA[Beauty and the Werewolf (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, #6)]]> 12471196
Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf--who turns out to be a cursed nobleman! Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh--when he isn't howling at the moon.

Breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending....]]> 258 Mercedes Lackey 145921532X JS 0 to-read 4.01 2011 Beauty and the Werewolf (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, #6)
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: JS
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Shadows 17840319 �
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.
�
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.]]> 368 Robin McKinley 0698135377 JS 3 ya, fantasy 4.05 2013 Shadows
author: Robin McKinley
name: JS
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: ya, fantasy
review:

]]> Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1) 12581138 416 Alan Brennert 1250004683 JS 0 didn-t-finish, literary 4.19 2003 Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1)
author: Alan Brennert
name: JS
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at: 2014/01/07
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves: didn-t-finish, literary
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts]]> 42478640
Tuesday Mooney is a loner. She keeps to herself, begrudgingly socializes, and spends much of her time watching old Twin Peaks and X-Files DVDs. But when Vincent Pryce, Boston’s most eccentric billionaire, dies—leaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan Poe—Tuesday’s adventure finally begins.

Puzzle-loving Tuesday searches for clue after clue, joined by a ragtag crew: a wisecracking friend, an adoring teen neighbor, and a handsome, cagey young heir. The hunt tests their mettle, and with other teams from around the city also vying for the promised prize—a share of Pryce’s immense wealth—they must move quickly. Pryce’s clues can't be cracked with sharp wit alone; the searchers must summon the courage to face painful ghosts from their pasts (some more vivid than others) and discover their most guarded desires and dreams.

A deliciously funny ode to imagination, overflowing with love letters to art, from The Westing Game to Madonna to the Knights of the Round Table, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is the perfect read for thrill seekers, wanderers, word lovers, and anyone looking for an escape to the extraordinary.]]> 359 Kate Racculia 0358023939 JS 0 to-read 3.84 2019 Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts
author: Kate Racculia
name: JS
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen]]> 15765147 The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship�

Samantha McDonough cannot believe her eyes--or her luck. Tucked in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book is a letter she believes was written by Jane Austen, mentioning with regret a manuscript that "went missing at Greenbriar in Devonshire."

Could there really be an undiscovered Jane Austen novel waiting to be found? Could anyone resist the temptation to go looking for it?

Making her way to the beautiful, centuries-old Greenbriar estate, Samantha finds it no easy task to sell its owner, the handsome yet uncompromising Anthony Whitaker, on her wild idea of searching for a lost Austen work--until she mentions its possible million dollar value.

After discovering the unattributed manuscript, Samantha and Anthony are immediately absorbed in the story of Rebecca Stanhope, daughter of a small town rector, who is about to encounter some bittersweet truths about life and love. As they continue to read the newly discovered tale from the past, a new one unfolds in the present--a story that just might change both of their lives forever.]]> 422 Syrie James 0425253368 JS 3 book-club, literary, romance 3.83 2007 The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen
author: Syrie James
name: JS
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: book-club, literary, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Seven Sorcerers (Seven Sorcerers #1)]]> 6265292 352 Caro King 1847248381 JS 0 to-read 3.90 2009 Seven Sorcerers (Seven Sorcerers #1)
author: Caro King
name: JS
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic]]> 75532088 For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

Readers who love the magic of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and the sense of community found in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will enjoy this warm, witchy novel.]]> 322 Breanne Randall 1639105735 JS 0 3.16 2023 The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
author: Breanne Randall
name: JS
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking]]> 54369251
But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…]]> 306 T. Kingfisher 1614505241 JS 4 4.02 2020 A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
author: T. Kingfisher
name: JS
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves: fantasy, loved-it, middle-grade-ish, ya
review:
So delightful, while having a bit of depth to it as well. Reminded me of Tiffany Aching (Terry Pratchett series) a little bit. Same vibe of kind of wacky adventures with a hint of a moral to the story that doesn't feel pat and easy. Also: there's sentient sourdough. So ... awesome.
]]> <![CDATA[Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy]]> 23271418 New York Times bestselling memoirist Donald Miller takes readers on his year-long journey to learn to abandon performance-based relationships and find real intimacy.

After decades of failed relationships and painful drama, Donald Miller decided he'd had enough. Impressing people wasn't helping him connect with anyone. He'd built a life of public isolation, yet he dreamed of meaningful relationships. So at forty years old he made a scary decision: to be himself no matter what it cost.

Scary Close is an audiobook about the risk involved in choosing to impress fewer people and connect with more, about the freedom that comes when we stop acting and start loving. It is a story about knocking down old walls to create a healthy mind, a strong family, and a satisfying career. And it all feels like a conversation with the best kind of friend: smart, funny, true, important.

Scary Close is Donald Miller at his best.]]> 5 Donald Miller 1501222325 JS 0 to-read 4.04 2015 Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy
author: Donald Miller
name: JS
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Agent 355 202016880 A novella

A fictional portrayal of a real-life Revolutionary spy and her daring deeds, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room.

Agent 355 is a result of author Marie Benedict’s quest to bring history’s most fascinating and courageous women to life for contemporary readers. Known to history only by her alias, this mysterious female spy, able to move freely and unobtrusively in loyalist circles, became a member of George Washington’s New York–based Culper Ring. This thrilling novella depicts who Marie Benedict thinks Agent 355 could have been, though her true identity remains unknown. During the sweltering summer of 1779, eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Morris attends the social events of the British-occupied city, but the forced merriment holds no charm for her.

She finds herself in the company of enemy soldiers, who think nothing of discussing matters of government and war in front of mere women. This invisibility becomes Elizabeth’s greatest asset as she offers her services to Robert Townsend, a Continental sympathizer. Her bravery will bring down one of the most notorious traitors in American history and ultimately seal her fate as a woman willing to sacrifice everything for love and country.]]> 75 Marie Benedict 1504090942 JS 4 It was an interesting and enjoyable read, especially once I realized it was based on an actual person who was involved in some pretty important deeds in the Revolutionary War.
I'm sad that it ended badly, but that's part of history, so...

Rating: PG, but there is some oblique mention of sex (married, hooray!), so if your kid isn't ready for that and for major sadness and injustice, then buyer beware.

Merged review:

I've listed this as "nonfiction," which isn't actually true, but it's an account based on the author's conjecture about actual historical info, so for my own sake, this is where I'm putting it.
It was an interesting and enjoyable read, especially once I realized it was based on an actual person who was involved in some pretty important deeds in the Revolutionary War.
I'm sad that it ended badly, but that's part of history, so...

Rating: PG, but there is some oblique mention of sex (married, hooray!), so if your kid isn't ready for that and for major sadness and injustice, then buyer beware.]]> 3.74 2020 Agent 355
author: Marie Benedict
name: JS
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/10/29
date added: 2024/06/11
shelves: biography, history, middle-grade-ish, nonfic, rrc2020
review:
I've listed this as "nonfiction," which isn't actually true, but it's an account based on the author's conjecture about actual historical info, so for my own sake, this is where I'm putting it.
It was an interesting and enjoyable read, especially once I realized it was based on an actual person who was involved in some pretty important deeds in the Revolutionary War.
I'm sad that it ended badly, but that's part of history, so...

Rating: PG, but there is some oblique mention of sex (married, hooray!), so if your kid isn't ready for that and for major sadness and injustice, then buyer beware.

Merged review:

I've listed this as "nonfiction," which isn't actually true, but it's an account based on the author's conjecture about actual historical info, so for my own sake, this is where I'm putting it.
It was an interesting and enjoyable read, especially once I realized it was based on an actual person who was involved in some pretty important deeds in the Revolutionary War.
I'm sad that it ended badly, but that's part of history, so...

Rating: PG, but there is some oblique mention of sex (married, hooray!), so if your kid isn't ready for that and for major sadness and injustice, then buyer beware.
]]> <![CDATA[Junkyard Cats (Junkyard Cats #1)]]> 50001285
After the Final War, after the appearance of the Bug aliens and their enforced peace, Shining Smith is still alive, still doing business from the old scrapyard bequeathed to her by her father. But Shining is now something more than human. And the scrapyard is no longer just a scrapyard, but a place full of secrets that she has guarded for years.

This life she has built, while empty, is predictable and safe. Until the only friend left from her previous life shows up, dead, in the back of a scrapped Tesla warplane, a note to her clutched in his fingers - a note warning her of a coming attack.

Someone knows who she is. Someone knows what she is guarding. Will she be able to protect the scrapyard? Will she even survive? Or will she have to destroy everything she loves to keep her secrets out of the wrong hands?]]> 5 Faith Hunter JS 3 rrc2020, sci-fi
It's funny because it reminded me of the short story I'd just published. Except grittier. And sci fi instead of fantasy. But anyway, it felt weird reading it so soon after my story. ]]> 3.47 2020 Junkyard Cats (Junkyard Cats #1)
author: Faith Hunter
name: JS
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/02/28
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: rrc2020, sci-fi
review:
I rather enjoyed the concept of this one, including the slow unrolling of all the crucial details and the whole story.

It's funny because it reminded me of the short story I'd just published. Except grittier. And sci fi instead of fantasy. But anyway, it felt weird reading it so soon after my story.
]]> The Seven Day Switch 56125813 Two moms as opposite as a Happy Meal and a quinoa bowl. What a difference a week makes in a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud novel by the Washington Post bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler.

Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers� nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets.

Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can.

Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighborhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew about the “other kind of mom� is flipped upside down—along with their messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.]]> 314 Kelly Harms 1542027101 JS 0 to-read 3.94 2021 The Seven Day Switch
author: Kelly Harms
name: JS
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Almost Surely Dead 180320288
Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life—or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!� In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her someone tries to murder her. When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone—or some thing —is truly after her.]]> 298 Amina Akhtar 1662507593 JS 0 rrc2024 3.69 2024 Almost Surely Dead
author: Amina Akhtar
name: JS
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/12
shelves: rrc2024
review:
This one got off to such an epic start, I was really excited. Unfortunately, for me it didn't fulfil the promises as well as I wanted it to. I still enjoyed the book, but I wanted more cohesion, more of the folklore, some things to come together in a different way.
]]> <![CDATA[Friends Don't (Fall in Love #1)]]> 130902908 A heartfelt and hilarious romantic comedy, loosely inspired by While You Were Sleeping.

As the oldest of three sisters, Poppy Kasper doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t the glue holding her siblings—and their lives—together. So moving across the country to Cashmere Cove, the hometown of her new boyfriend, is completely out of character. Add in the fact that said boyfriend is leaving for a months-long pro-golf tour, and it’s enough to make Poppy question her sanity. But it’s fine. Everything’s fine. She can still be a good sister from a distance, and she’ll keep the spark in her relationship alive with calls, texts, and old fashioned love notes. See? Fine.

Quiet and serious Mack Bradley is used to playing second fiddle to his famous younger brother, especially since his own reputation was ruined nearly a decade ago. He’s made his peace with his circumstances, but when his brother begs him to show his new girlfriend the Cashmere Cove ropes, and then ups the ante with an even bigger request to stand in as her pen pal, Mack finds himself thrown into the path of the effervescent Poppy Kasper. She’s his foil in every way…she also makes him feel things he’s never felt before.

A summer of pranks, late-night swims, and stargazing finds Poppy and Mack forging an unlikely friendship—one built on laughter and pushing each other to see life in a different light. But when Poppy’s relationship with Mack’s brother unravels, will she leave town? Or is there another reason for her to stay?

After all, friends don’t fall in love…do they?

(Friends Don't is the first book in the Fall In Love series, which follows three sisters as they find love after moving across the country to the small town of Cashmere Cove, Wisconsin. This is a closed door romcom with plenty of sizzling chemistry and romantic tension, but no spice.)]]> 269 Leah Dobrinska 1737448394 JS 0 rom-com, rrc2024 Cute, fun, sweet. Very PG. 4.26 Friends Don't (Fall in Love #1)
author: Leah Dobrinska
name: JS
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/12
shelves: rom-com, rrc2024
review:
Cute, fun, sweet. Very PG.
]]> <![CDATA[Strawberry Fields for Never (Sweet as Sugar Maple, #1)]]> 149116523 She’s the desperate CEO hired to rebrand a sleepy Southern orchard. He’s the stubborn heir determined to see her fail.

All’s fair in love and farming.

Jane

I fix things. It’s what I do.

So when I’m hired to fix what’s broken at Sugar Maple Farms, I see an even bigger project in the form of the sexy, surly, six-foot-five owner, Tripp Carville.

Tripp may be a thorn in my side, but lucky for him, I can see beyond his impressive, prickly front to the wounded boy underneath.

And I know exactly how to fix I’m going to make him fall back in love with Sugar Maple Farms.

Now if I can just keep myself from falling in love with him in the process.

Tripp

I’ve never been enough for the people around me, not for my parents before they died and not for the tough grandfather who raised me. When he unexpectedly passes, leaving me the famous (and failing) Sugar Maple Farms, all I want is to sell so I can leave the weight of being a Carville behind.

Until Jane shows up.

The woman is smart, salty, and sexy as can be. I can't admit it, but her vision for Sugar Maple Farms is captivating. Everything about her is captivating. While we spend every day arguing, I spend every night thinking about her.

I’m damaged beyond repair, and after never being enough for the people in my life, if I can’t be enough for Jane, I don’t think I’ll ever recover.

So I can’t let Jane in.

No matter how badly I want to.

Strawberry Fields for Never is a swoony closed door romcom full of delicious banter and crackling chemistry, but with no explicit scenes. It's the first in a series of standalone novels featuring five best friends. ]]> 282 Kate Watson JS 0 rom-com, rrc2024
Content: PG, very sweet]]> 4.09 2023 Strawberry Fields for Never (Sweet as Sugar Maple, #1)
author: Kate Watson
name: JS
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/12
shelves: rom-com, rrc2024
review:
I enjoy Watson's writing and look forward to reading the test of the series.

Content: PG, very sweet
]]> Glass and Feathers 205779671
They can bring you a night out, a gown, even a pair of slippers. Or something you never should have wished for in the first place.

After the royal wedding, the girl in the glass slippers has everything she ever wanted: an escape from a life of drudgery, an innate magical gift, and a devoted husband who looks at her like she is the only one in the room. But all wishes come with a price. To the people of the palace, she is an outsider, nothing more. Even her famous shoes cannot help her--the glass slippers no longer fit.

Glass and Feathers is a continuation of the traditional Cinderella tale. It transforms "Happy Ever After" and soars beyond it.]]> 337 Lissa Sloan JS 0 to-read 4.32 Glass and Feathers
author: Lissa Sloan
name: JS
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)]]> 58416952 At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

AUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic � the Hierarchy � may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus � what they call Will � to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.]]> 639 James Islington 1982141190 JS 0 to-read 4.60 2023 The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)
author: James Islington
name: JS
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Acceptable Time (Time Quintet, #5)]]> 24761 Why has a time gate opened and dropped Polly into a world that existed three thousand years ago? Will she find her way back to the present before the time gate closes—and leaves her to face a group of people who believe in human sacrifice?

]]> 368 Madeleine L'Engle 0440208149 JS 0 to-read 3.81 1989 An Acceptable Time (Time Quintet, #5)
author: Madeleine L'Engle
name: JS
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All Your Twisted Secrets 55338939 A thrilling debut, reminiscent of new fan favorites like One of Us Is Lying and the beloved classics by Agatha Christie, that will leave readers guessing until the explosive ending.

“Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. NowĚýyouĚýmust do the selecting.â€�

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill...or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead.

As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something.

And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?]]> 396 Diana Urban 0062908227 JS 3 rrc2024, suspense, ya 3.53 2020 All Your Twisted Secrets
author: Diana Urban
name: JS
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves: rrc2024, suspense, ya
review:
Didn't like quite as much as Lying in the Deep, but a solid entry in the genre. Once again, it's one of those cases of "everyone sucks here," but that's also standard in the genre. Comps: One of Us Is Lying, Pretty Little Liars, etc.
]]> <![CDATA[That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga, #1)]]> 195660507
Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.

Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.]]> 368 Brittany N. Williams 1419758659 JS 0 to-read 3.57 2023 That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga, #1)
author: Brittany N. Williams
name: JS
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lying in the Deep 61442283 A juicy mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal set on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship, with a diverse cast of delightfully suspicious characters who’ll leave you guessing with every jaw-dropping twist.

After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime�11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.

But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with�.before anyone else winds up in body bags.

Perfect for readers of Natalie D. Richards, E. Lockhart, and Karen McManus!]]> 384 Diana Urban 0593527607 JS 3 mystery, rrc2024, suspense
Content: Had a bit of language and sex (not on page, just mentioned). And, of course, since it's a murder mystery, everyone here is a hot mess. :)]]> 3.62 2023 Lying in the Deep
author: Diana Urban
name: JS
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/02/28
shelves: mystery, rrc2024, suspense
review:
Decent YA mystery/suspense. Along the lines of other YA mysteries like One of Us Is Lying, etc. Characters are older, in college, but still has a YA feel. Will read the author again when I'm in the mood for this genre.

Content: Had a bit of language and sex (not on page, just mentioned). And, of course, since it's a murder mystery, everyone here is a hot mess. :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, #1)]]> 49511423
In his first new project since Lockwood & Co., Jonathan once again fuses action, humour and mystery to create a uniquely exciting adventure with two fascinating heroes at its heart.]]> 397 Jonathan Stroud 1406394815 JS 0 to-read 4.05 2021 The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, #1)
author: Jonathan Stroud
name: JS
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors]]> 39074550 An international bestseller

The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, "When am I ever going to use this in the real world?"

"Fun, informative, and relentlessly entertaining, Humble Pi is a charming and very readable guide to some of humanity's all-time greatest miscalculations--that also gives you permission to feel a little better about some of your own mistakes." --Ryan North, author of How to Invent Everything

Our whole world is built on math, from the code running a website to the equations enabling the design of skyscrapers and bridges. Most of the time this math works quietly behind the scenes . . . until it doesn't. All sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.

Math is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean.

Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.]]> 314 Matt Parker 0241360196 JS 0 to-read 4.11 2019 Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
author: Matt Parker
name: JS
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tending Roses (Tending Roses #1)]]> 514301
When Kate Bowman temporarily movesĚýto her grandmother’s Missouri farmĚýwith her husband and baby son, she learns that the lessons that most enrich our lives often come unexpectedly. The family has given Kate the job of convincing Grandma Rose, who’s become increasingly stubborn and forgetful, to move off her beloved land and into a nursing home. But Kate knows such a change would break her grandmother’s heart.
Ěý
Just when Kate despairs of finding answers, she discovers her grandma’s journal. A beautiful handmade notebook, it is full of stories that celebrate the importance of family, friendship, and faith. Stories that make Kate see her life—and her grandmother—in a completely new way...]]> 336 Lisa Wingate 0451205790 JS 4 book-club 3.94 2001 Tending Roses (Tending Roses #1)
author: Lisa Wingate
name: JS
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/27
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood & Co., #4)]]> 23922381 The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative, hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment. Penelope Fittes, the leader of the giant Fittes Agency wants them--and only them--to locate and remove the Source for the legendary Brixton Cannibal. They succeed in their very dangerous task, but tensions remain high between Lucy and the other agents. Even the skull in the jar talks to her like a jilted lover. What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving Steve Rotwell and Penelope Fittes just may do the trick. But, in a shocking cliffhanger ending, the team learns that someone has been manipulating them all along. . . .]]> 445 Jonathan Stroud 1484709675 JS 5 4.51 2016 The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood & Co., #4)
author: Jonathan Stroud
name: JS
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Benny RamĂ­rez and the Nearly Departed]]> 195430694 A hilarious and heartwarming story about a boy who can suddenly see the ghost of his famous musician grandfather!

After moving cross-country into his late grandfather’s Miami mansion, Benny discovers that the ghost of his famous trumpet-playing abuelo, the great Ignacio Ramírez, is still there . . . and isn’t too thrilled about it. He’s been barred from the afterlife, and no one can even see him except his grandson. But Benny’s got problems of his own. He’s enrolled in a performing arts school with his siblings, despite having no obvious talent.
Luckily, Abuelo believes they can help each other. Abuelo has until New Year’s Eve to right his many wrongs and thinks that teaching Benny to play the trumpet and how to become a school celebrity might be his ticket into heaven. Having no better ideas, Benny finds himself taking Abuelo's advice—to disastrous and hilarious results.
Benny and Abuelo will find that there’s more than one way to be great in this unforgettable, laugh-out-loud tale of family, music, and self-discovery.]]> 272 José Pablo Iriarte 0593703715 JS 0 to-read 4.51 Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed
author: José Pablo Iriarte
name: JS
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney, #1)]]> 59089898 A summer house party turns into a whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys� eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.]]> 386 Claudia Gray 059331381X JS 4 mystery, rrc2024
I enjoyed this one for the most part. I thought Gray did a couple of the Austen characters dirty (Edmund and Fanny, I'm looking at you), but it seems that everyone loves to hate Edmund and Fanny, so I guess we should be used to it by now?

I liked seeing how Gray wove together all the main characters from Austen, giving them different parts of the Regency era to be from (so they're different ages--from the Darcys, who've been married for 20ish years, to the Brandons, who are still newlyweds). And of course there's a certain glee to seeing Wickham die gruesomely.

It was fun to see the various marriages suffering through some challenges and see them resolve things. I think in that Gray did handle the characters well--she seems to realise that fundamentally all of Austen's characters were going to get through the tough stuff, together.

And of course I loved the young Mr Darcy (who is clearly autistic, FYI) and the sweet Juliet, and I would read their further investigations.

Rating: PG for murder most foul and deeds at least a bit dastardly.]]> 3.65 2022 The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney, #1)
author: Claudia Gray
name: JS
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/15
shelves: mystery, rrc2024
review:
* minor spoilers ahead, nothing specific *

I enjoyed this one for the most part. I thought Gray did a couple of the Austen characters dirty (Edmund and Fanny, I'm looking at you), but it seems that everyone loves to hate Edmund and Fanny, so I guess we should be used to it by now?

I liked seeing how Gray wove together all the main characters from Austen, giving them different parts of the Regency era to be from (so they're different ages--from the Darcys, who've been married for 20ish years, to the Brandons, who are still newlyweds). And of course there's a certain glee to seeing Wickham die gruesomely.

It was fun to see the various marriages suffering through some challenges and see them resolve things. I think in that Gray did handle the characters well--she seems to realise that fundamentally all of Austen's characters were going to get through the tough stuff, together.

And of course I loved the young Mr Darcy (who is clearly autistic, FYI) and the sweet Juliet, and I would read their further investigations.

Rating: PG for murder most foul and deeds at least a bit dastardly.
]]> <![CDATA[Single All the Way (Sweet as Sugar Maple)]]> 200410448 When a secret billionaire and his obnoxious(ly pretty) upstairs neighbor get stuck together on an elevator, their sparks could light a Christmas tree.

Juliet

I go through crushes faster than a little kid goes through presents on Christmas morning.

But when I crash into my annoying(ly hot) nemesis and we get stuck on the elevator during a blackout, the last thing I expect is to develop feelings for him. Nate Cruz is opinionated, a stickler for justice, talks with his hands, and is the space heater keeping me safe while we’re stuck on this freezing metal box.

He’s also the first person to ever push past my defense mechanisms and see me as more than “the girl who messes up everything� that my family sees. And when the blackout ends and we’re back in the real world, he’s the first person to ever stand up to my family…for me.

Now that I’ve fallen for Nate, I’m determined not to mess up things with him, and I know exactly how: we’ll fake date to get through the holidays.

Because a fake relationship can’t leave me brokenhearted on Christmas.

Right?

Nate

Juliet Shippe is the loudest, most obnoxious(ly pretty) upstairs neighbor in the world.

But after six hours on an elevator with her, I’m fighting feelings deeper than I’m willing to admit. And after the power is restored and she manages to drag me to my apartment and give me my insulin shot, I’m all in.

When Jules suggests I come to her identical twin’s wedding as her “fake date,� I agree, but only if she comes to my ultra ambitious parents' holiday party as my real one.

Because I know the truth she’s too scared to admit: she isn’t faking. And I’ll do everything I can to help her realize it.

All I want for Christmas is Jules.

Single All the Way is a sweet closed door romantic comedy in the vein of your favorite festive Hallmark movie, but with more swooning and a lot more banter. Happily ever after guaranteed!]]> 186 Kate Watson JS 4
One thing I really truly liked about it was how Nate actively processed the annoying things about Juliet. Her tendency to rub it in people's faces when she wins--I kinda hate that, and I hate devil's advocate type behaviour too, which she also has. But Nate sees it too and recognises that no one is totally perfect and that love is about whole people. I just really liked the way it was shown here.

Was the resolution with the family drama maybe a little easier than was deserved? Yes. But again, the reasons felt real and a lot more true to what sometimes happens in generally loving families and their misunderstandings, etc.

It was a fun, charming rom com, better than average, and I look forward to reading more of Watson's books. Next up: Strawberry Fields for Never.

Rating: G]]> 3.91 Single All the Way (Sweet as Sugar Maple)
author: Kate Watson
name: JS
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/11
shelves:
review:
I thought it was super cute, with likeable characters (mostly; Juliet in particular has a few quirks that are personal pet peeves, but I'll get to why that works for me in a minute). The banter was cute, the relationship was charming and fun.

One thing I really truly liked about it was how Nate actively processed the annoying things about Juliet. Her tendency to rub it in people's faces when she wins--I kinda hate that, and I hate devil's advocate type behaviour too, which she also has. But Nate sees it too and recognises that no one is totally perfect and that love is about whole people. I just really liked the way it was shown here.

Was the resolution with the family drama maybe a little easier than was deserved? Yes. But again, the reasons felt real and a lot more true to what sometimes happens in generally loving families and their misunderstandings, etc.

It was a fun, charming rom com, better than average, and I look forward to reading more of Watson's books. Next up: Strawberry Fields for Never.

Rating: G
]]> <![CDATA[Dear Writer, You Need to Quit (QuitBooks for Writers, #1)]]> 43700669
But what if you could quit other things? Things that weren’t moving the needle? Things that weren’t bringing you the outcome you want? And there are *so* many things you do need to quit, if you want to be a career author.

How do I know this? Because I’ve coached thousands of writers. Six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike. And there are very important patterns to what writers need to quit, what we need to keep, and what we need to question.

Those patterns are why I’m here, writing to you.

Anyone can tell you what worked for them, and of course they can say, "it might not work for you," but they can't tell you why. I can tell you why.Ěý

- Becca]]> 154 Becca Syme JS 0 to-read 4.48 Dear Writer, You Need to Quit (QuitBooks for Writers, #1)
author: Becca Syme
name: JS
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction, #1)]]> 13511668
Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.]]> 320 Jen Turano 0764210181 JS 0 to-read 3.97 2012 A Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction, #1)
author: Jen Turano
name: JS
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt, #2)]]> 62649010 A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .]]> 544 Erin A. Craig 0593482557 JS 0 4.11 2023 House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt, #2)
author: Erin A. Craig
name: JS
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/05
date added: 2023/12/05
shelves: fairy-tales, fantasy, horror, rrc2023, ya
review:
I have mixed feelings, which is why I'm not rating it. On the one hand: Craig is awesome at atmosphere and creating a very gothic horror vibe in her writing. Really good. Love the style. On the other hand: I don't love some of the content, and I have a LOT of feelings about the climax and ending. Like... a lot.
]]> Love and Other Puzzles 58848432
A witty, warm-hearted and appealing novel about how stepping out of our comfort zones can sometimes be the best � and worst � thing that can ever happen to us.

Rory's life is perfectly predictable, ordered and on track � just the way she likes it. She walks her 12,000 steps a day, writes her to-do list, and each night she prepares her breakfast chia pods and lays out her clothes for the next day. She's doing everything right. So why does everything feel so wrong?

Deep down, she knows her life and career � not to mention her relationship � are going nowhere, and so Rory, in a moment of desperation, takes an uncharacteristic step: letting the clues of The New York Times crossword puzzle dictate all her decisions for a week. Just for a week, she reasons. Just to shake things up a bit. What could possibly go wrong?

A delightfully witty, deliciously original and astringently refreshing romcom that reads like you're inhaling a zingy citrus cocktail made by Nora Ephron, at a party thrown by Dolly Alderton and Beth O'Leary.]]> 288 Kimberley Allsopp 1460761189 JS 4 romance, rrc2023
That said, I thought it was fun and funny. The main character is completely ridiculous in her efforts to change her life through the crossword. It just made me laugh. The situations are ridiculous, but charmingly so. I guess what I'm saying is don't expect anything realistic and just enjoy the goofiness. Which is really all I personally want from a rom com, so that worked for me.

]]> 3.16 2022 Love and Other Puzzles
author: Kimberley Allsopp
name: JS
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/05
date added: 2023/12/05
shelves: romance, rrc2023
review:
The caveat: Not a sweet romance (actually, now that I think about it, I legitimately can't remember if there's sex on the page; but there's definitely discussion and a couple living together, etc.), and a fair amount of swearing. So not one I'd recommend to my clean-reading friends. It's also only barely a romance, much more of a women's fiction.

That said, I thought it was fun and funny. The main character is completely ridiculous in her efforts to change her life through the crossword. It just made me laugh. The situations are ridiculous, but charmingly so. I guess what I'm saying is don't expect anything realistic and just enjoy the goofiness. Which is really all I personally want from a rom com, so that worked for me.


]]> Gilead (Gilead, #1) 51321772 Gilead is the second novel by Marilynne Robinson, one of our finest writers. It is a hymn of praise and lamentation to the God-haunted existence that its narrator loves passionately, and from which he will soon part.

In 1956, toward the end of his life, the Reverend John Ames begins a letter to his young son, an account of himself and his forebears. Ames is the son of an Iowa preacher and the grandson of a minister who, as a young man in Maine, saw a vision of Christ bound in chains and went west to Kansas to fight for abolition. He preached men into the Civil War, then, at age fifty, became a chaplain in the Union Army, later losing his right eye in battle.

Reverend Ames writes about the tension between his father—an ardent pacifist—and his grandfather, whose pistol and bloody shirts, concealed in an army blanket, may be relics from the fight between the abolitionists and those settlers who wanted to vote Kansas into the union as a slave state. He tells a story of the sacred bonds between fathers and sons, bonds that have been tested in his tender but strained relationship with his namesake, John Ames Boughton, his best friend's wayward son.

This is also the tale of another remarkable vision—not a corporeal vision of God but the vision of life as a wondrously strange creation. It tells how wisdom was forged in Ames's soul during his solitary life, and how history lives through generations, pervasively present even when betrayed and forgotten.]]> 247 Marilynne Robinson 1250784018 JS 0 to-read 3.96 2004 Gilead (Gilead, #1)
author: Marilynne Robinson
name: JS
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> How I Met Your Brother 31455393
Back in college, Marco Dawson never thought of Belle as anything more than a friend. If she had crossed his mind on his wedding day, it was probably only to wonder why she hadn’t shown up to be a bridesmaid. After all, his new wife was her old roommate. Seven years have passed since then, and Belle just found out that Marco is divorced and vacationing with his family in an elegant Cancun resort. She’s not about to let the right man get away twice. She heads to the resort where she plans to casually bump into Marco and ignite some romantic flames.

But Belle hadn’t planned on one thing: Flynn Dawson, Marco’s handsome, charming, and determined twin brother. He thinks Marco and his ex-wife can make amends and he’s not about to let Belle stand in the way.

Part Sabrina, part While You Were Sleeping, romantic comedy readers will eat this book up!
]]> 241 Janette Rallison JS 4 humor, romance
Merged review:

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's a light, clean romance and so fun. I love Rallison, and this may be one of my favorites of hers for adults. It's not life altering, but if you're in the mood for a contemporary romance, it's perfect.]]> 3.85 2016 How I Met Your Brother
author: Janette Rallison
name: JS
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/11/18
shelves: humor, romance
review:
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's a light, clean romance and so fun. I love Rallison, and this may be one of my favorites of hers for adults. It's not life altering, but if you're in the mood for a contemporary romance, it's perfect.

Merged review:

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's a light, clean romance and so fun. I love Rallison, and this may be one of my favorites of hers for adults. It's not life altering, but if you're in the mood for a contemporary romance, it's perfect.
]]> Wolf at the Door 63856779
It’s been four years since June Chambray’s beloved husband George disappeared. Her family has accepted that he is gone and have moved on � but June cannot give up on her soul mate so easily. She senses he is out there, and she feels things awakening in her ninety-two-year-old body that she cannot explain.

When she follows a mysterious wolf into the woods to find her George, her family is convinced the elderly woman is slipping into dementia and is no longer safe living alone. But June has other plans; she knows she is of sound mind, and she knows there are answers beyond what seems rational. Something is growing deep within June, something animalistic and powerful, something that has always been with her but is only now ready to be unleashed.

Is it madness? Or is it magic?

Find out in this story, not about new love, but about the power of true, enduring love � love that transcends time, space, and imagination.

Wolf at the Door is Book One in the Chambray Shifter series.]]> 194 Tana Jenkins JS 0 to-read 3.73 2023 Wolf at the Door
author: Tana Jenkins
name: JS
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snobbery with Violence (Edwardian Murder Mysteries, #1)]]> 87521
After his success in uncovering Geoffrey's dishonorable motives, Harry fashions a career out of "fixing" things for wealthy aristocrats. So when the Marquess of Hedley finds one of his guests dead at a lavish house party, he knows just the man to call.

But when Harry is caught between his client's desire for discretion and his suspicion that murder may indeed have been committed, he enlists the help of Superintendent Kerridge of the Scotland Yard and Lady Rose, also a guest at Lord Hedley's.

Set in the Edwardian world of parties, servants, and scandal, Snobbery with Violence is a delightful combination of murderous intrigue and high society.
]]> 243 Marion Chesney 0312997167 JS 0 to-read 3.59 2003 Snobbery with Violence (Edwardian Murder Mysteries, #1)
author: Marion Chesney
name: JS
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)]]> 8130423 In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.]]> 361 Rick Riordan JS 4
First of all, the setting continues to be one of the best things about the books. The mix of myth and modern society makes me laugh. Also, the fact that Percy isn't a whiny brat most of the time (unlike certain other, lightning-scarred heroes from YA series set in magical modern times) is a major bonus.

Next: Tyson says some awesome stuff, like "Hooray! We get to blow things up!" and "Underground smells like monsters and dead milk people."

Next: The scene with the sphinx. This must have been an intentional slam on the public school system (because how could it have been such an awesome slam without being on purpose?). I laughed and laughed--particularly when the sphinx said that they didn't test people on their ability to actually think anymore.

Am looking forward to the final book.]]> 4.44 2008 The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)
author: Rick Riordan
name: JS
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/10/16
shelves:
review:
A few of my favorite parts (curses! I already returned the book to the library, so I won't be able to directly quote):

First of all, the setting continues to be one of the best things about the books. The mix of myth and modern society makes me laugh. Also, the fact that Percy isn't a whiny brat most of the time (unlike certain other, lightning-scarred heroes from YA series set in magical modern times) is a major bonus.

Next: Tyson says some awesome stuff, like "Hooray! We get to blow things up!" and "Underground smells like monsters and dead milk people."

Next: The scene with the sphinx. This must have been an intentional slam on the public school system (because how could it have been such an awesome slam without being on purpose?). I laughed and laughed--particularly when the sphinx said that they didn't test people on their ability to actually think anymore.

Am looking forward to the final book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Clackity (Blight Harbor #1)]]> 59365597
Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie reluctantly embarks on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls. Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister?]]> 288 Lora Senf 1665902671 JS 0 to-read 4.03 2022 The Clackity (Blight Harbor #1)
author: Lora Senf
name: JS
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3)]]> 58658940 Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.]]> 400 Jennifer Lynn Barnes JS 0 4.10 2022 The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: JS
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fable (The World of the Narrows, #1)]]> 55752958 A previously published edition of ISBN 9781250254368 is here.

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men. Fable takes you on a spectacular journey filled with romance, intrigue, and adventure.]]> 357 Adrienne Young 1250254361 JS 0 to-read 4.06 2020 Fable (The World of the Narrows, #1)
author: Adrienne Young
name: JS
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Life of Alexander the Great]]> 398122
The Life of Alexander the Great is one of the ď¬rst surviving attempts to memorialize the achievements of this legendary king, remembered today as the greatest military genius of all time. This exclusive Modern Library edition, excerpted from Plutarch’s Lives , is a riveting tale of honor, power, scandal, and bravery written by the most eminent biographer of the ancient world.]]> 96 Plutarch 0812971337 JS 0 to-read 3.99 100 The Life of Alexander the Great
author: Plutarch
name: JS
average rating: 3.99
book published: 100
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Namesake 35960006 428 Kate Stradling 1947495011 JS 0 to-read 4.32 2017 Namesake
author: Kate Stradling
name: JS
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Beggar Prince 144730074
Diplomacy and a demanding mother send Thorben of Hauke to a neighboring kingdom, there to present himself as candidate for marriage to their princess. Beautiful Leonie of Elisia is famous for insulting every suitor she receives, and Thorben banks on her dismissing him as well—which she does, with vicious aplomb.

This time, though, her ridicule proves her father’s breaking point. The King of Elisia vows that Leonie will marry a beggar, and Thorben departs inwardly applauding the punishment� until a terrible storm deposits him tattered and bedraggled at the castle’s kitchen door. Before he can weasel out of his mishap—or even pull rank—the marriage is done.

But what’s legal in Elisia might not be in Hauke. Disguised as a beggar, Thorben leads Leonie home to secure an annulment.

If he’s lucky, he’ll get it without revealing his true identity� and before losing his heart to his exquisite but sharp-tongued bride.

The Beggar Prince, a retelling of King Thrushbeard, is book 2 of Once Upon A Prince , a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.]]> 224 Kate Stradling JS 0 to-read 4.15 2023 The Beggar Prince
author: Kate Stradling
name: JS
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Trespassers 136287374
Damon Hale is an invaluable asset to the government. As a Trespasser himself, he is perfectly positioned to determine how to handle others like him. When a series of unexplained deaths is connected to Rayna, Damon is assigned to go undercover to her California hometown to determine whether she’s the killer they suspect she is. As he gets to know this kind and charming woman, he’s determined not to allow his growing attraction to her to shake his objectivity. But the deaths surrounding her are no coincidence, and as his suspicions about her guilt begin to fade, he realizes he and Rayna must work together to discover the truth or risk becoming the next victims.]]> 288 Stephanie Black 1524424544 JS 0 to-read 4.16 The Trespassers
author: Stephanie Black
name: JS
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor 62315608 Ěý
Poppy Woodlock believes in magic, but so far, she hasn’t found any. It’s been two weeks since her parents moved their family to Oregon to undertake their biggest project revitalizing the once-grand Lark-Hayes Manor. Her older brother instantly found his place, but after being thrown into middle school midyear, Poppy is feeling…invisible. So she retreats to where she’s always felt most at books and magic. And if the fantastic and supernatural exist, certainly they can be found in this mysterious old estate.
Ěý
A late-night prowl leads Poppy to a desperate water nymph, with whom she strikes a dangerous bargain. In exchange for the thing she loves most—her favorite bookâ€� Poppy now has the secret of a her very own flying lion. Sampson is exactly what she needs to prove magicĚý does Ěýexist and, more importantly, that she is not to be so easily dismissed.
Ěý
But the cost of ancient magic is astronomic. With every night Sampson grows, another book disappears, and Poppy soon faces the harrowing reality that without their favorite stories, the lives of everyone around her begin to unravel.
Ěý
Fixing the chaos will require Poppy to be clever and bold, and even at her smartest and loudest, she’s not sure it will be enough. But she has to try.
Ěý
Ěý]]> 320 Aubrey Hartman 0316448222 JS 0 to-read 4.31 The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor
author: Aubrey Hartman
name: JS
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) 64004637
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local police seem adamant to deny.

While Abigail finds herself drawn to Jackaby’s keen intelligence and his sensitivity to phenomena others barely perceive, her feelings are confused by the presence of Charlie, a handsome young policeman willing to help Jackaby and Abigail on the case. But is Charlie’s offer a sincere desire to be of service, or is some darker motive at work?]]> 320 William Ritter 1523523980 JS 4 3.82 2014 Jackaby (Jackaby, #1)
author: William Ritter
name: JS
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ticket to You (Wonderings, #1)]]> 177025938
Ophelia writes for a fashion magazine; Adam writes for an outdoors magazine. She loves beautiful gowns and haute couture; he likes puffy coats and Vibram-soled shoes. She’s bubbly and outgoing; he’s broody and composed.

Adam and Ophelia’s paths collide during a disastrous set-up, that leaves behind a ruined Dior dress and two bruised egos. Ophelia swears she never wants to lay eyes on Adam again, but fate has other plans when their publishing company faces mass layoffs.

With her life hanging in the balance, Ophelia reluctantly relies on Adam to save her career. She joins him on a week-long work trip in Europe complete with picturesque scenery and adrenaline-rich interviews. Throughout their journey, the two of them find they have more in common than they ever imagined, but every trip must come to an end eventually.

Ticket to You is a mild spice, fade-to-black rom-com.]]> 302 Florence Fields JS 0 not-to-read 3.91 Ticket to You (Wonderings, #1)
author: Florence Fields
name: JS
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/13
shelves: not-to-read
review:

]]> Love Unseen 123177920
To members of the ton, Jonathan Carter is undeniably unsuitable. Though he is in possession of a massive fortune and is handsome as well, there remains an insurmountable black mark against him: his is new money. Even so, he’s caught off guard when his enchanting neighbor, Miss Hadley, flatly rejects his offer to dance. Despite their rocky introduction, however, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But when circumstances force Hannah from her home, the couple’s warm association comes to an abrupt end. Now, Jonathan must find a way to rescue the woman he just might love or risk losing her forever.]]> 248 Rachel Kelley Stones 1524422991 JS 4 4.24 2023 Love Unseen
author: Rachel Kelley Stones
name: JS
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves:
review:
A sweet romance, likable characters and interactions. Would read this author again.
]]> The Dictionary of Lost Words 49354511 Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the â€Scriptoriumâ€�, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word â€bondmaidâ€� flutters to the floor. Esme rescues the slip and stashes it in an old wooden case that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. They help her make sense of the world.

Over time, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. While she dedicates her life to the Oxford English Dictionary, secretly, she begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.

Set when the women’s suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. It’s a delightful, lyrical and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words, and the power of language to shape the world and our experience of it.]]> 384 Pip Williams 1925972593 JS 0 didn-t-finish, dnf-ed 3.97 2020 The Dictionary of Lost Words
author: Pip Williams
name: JS
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: didn-t-finish, dnf-ed
review:
I really really wanted to love it. And I did love a lot of the word stuff and the world surrounding the words. But I DNFed eventually because it just wasn't for me. I wanted a word book, not a sexual awakening/taboo word exploration.
]]> Thorn (Dauntless Path, 1) 53327838 528 Intisar Khanani 0062835726 JS 4 Side note though: Didn't love the audiobook, largely because the narrator felt very white American, which is not what I expected. I really love to get an accent if it feels like the story merits an accent. So the audiobook wasn't bad or anything, just not amazing.

Content: There's violence, domestic violence, and implications/assumptions of off-screen rape. Nothing is gorily described and definitely not glorified, but it's definitely there. ]]> 4.04 2012 Thorn (Dauntless Path, 1)
author: Intisar Khanani
name: JS
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: fairy-tales, fantasy, rrc2023, ya
review:
Really enjoyed this one. A retelling of "The Goose Girl" with a very different feel and a lot of other stuff going on that isn't present in the original. Also probably the first time I truly loved Falada (I know, you don't have to tell me what a terrible person I am for not loving animals). Will definitely read the second.
Side note though: Didn't love the audiobook, largely because the narrator felt very white American, which is not what I expected. I really love to get an accent if it feels like the story merits an accent. So the audiobook wasn't bad or anything, just not amazing.

Content: There's violence, domestic violence, and implications/assumptions of off-screen rape. Nothing is gorily described and definitely not glorified, but it's definitely there.
]]> All American Boys 25986903 A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature.

In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviewed tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken directly from today’s headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.]]> 7 Jason Reynolds 1442398671 JS 4 issue-driven, rrc2023, ya
Has a LOT of swearing. (Please, if you are a random stranger: this is not a critique or an evaluation of how much swearing is acceptable, etc. This is just a statement of fact for those who might care.) And of course it's got the thematic content.]]> 4.46 2015 All American Boys
author: Jason Reynolds
name: JS
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: issue-driven, rrc2023, ya
review:
Good book, hard read. I really appreciated the look at some members of the cop's family and friends to try to see why it was hard for them to accept the reality of what happened. Read this one in an attempt to find a good YA response novel to go with To Kill a Mockingbird. Not the one I'm going to use, but I can see it being a good option.

Has a LOT of swearing. (Please, if you are a random stranger: this is not a critique or an evaluation of how much swearing is acceptable, etc. This is just a statement of fact for those who might care.) And of course it's got the thematic content.
]]> Brine and Bone 38097007 170 Kate Stradling 1947495038 JS 5 4.41 2018 Brine and Bone
author: Kate Stradling
name: JS
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: fairy-tales, rrc2023, squeaky-clean, ya, short
review:
Loved it. Accidentally wrote my review on a different page, and now I will eventually get to adding it here. But this was exactly what I wanted from this book without knowing it.
]]> Love and the Platypus 3476511 341 Nicholas Drayson 1921215208 JS 0 to-read 3.77 2007 Love and the Platypus
author: Nicholas Drayson
name: JS
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)]]> 42815556 A gifted tailor in disguise.
Three legendary dresses.
The competition of a lifetime.

On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.

When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

The competition is cutthroat, and Maia's job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them . . .

Book 1 in the Blood of Stars duology]]> 392 Elizabeth Lim JS 0 to-read 3.97 2019 Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: JS
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I'll Stop the World 62649600
Is it the right place at the wrong time? Or the wrong place at the right time?

Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents. The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but the ripple effects are still felt after thirty-eight years. Justin always knew he wouldn’t have much of a future. He just never imagined that his life might take him backward.

In a cosmic twist of fate, Justin’s choices send him crashing into the path of determined optimist Rose Yin. Justin and Rose live in the same town and attend the same school, but have never met―because Rose lives in 1985. Justin won’t be born for another twenty years. And his grandparents are still alive―for now.

In a series of events that reverberate through multiple lifetimes, Justin and Rose have a week to get Justin unstuck in time and put each of them in control of their futures―by solving a murder that hasn’t even happened yet.

CW: I’LL STOP THE WORLD contains depictions of emotional abuse, alcoholism and excessive drinking, underage drinking, smoking, racism, discussions of homophobia, and violent bullying.]]> 446 Lauren Thoman 1662509979 JS 4 -Lots of POVs
-Moving back and forth in timeline
-Teens being teens


Really enjoyed this one, for reasons that aren't ready to explain. It was a very issues-heavy book--abuse, alcoholism, racism, LGBTQ prejudice, depression, etc, etc. But it didn't feel like it was just about those things. It felt like it was about *people.* And those people were dealing with all the stuff. This distinction makes sense to me, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else.
I enjoyed how the time travel stuff worked out, and I liked the conversations about it.
I liked the main characters, even when I really didn't like them.
Something I didn't love, that I've seen others complain about, is the lack of grounding in the setting. I get if you're writing a time travel book and trying to hide that it's time travel, then you maybe want to be sneaky. But we know from the get-go, so I think for me it would have been nice to have a little more grounding in the time period earlier in. Nevertheless, even with that, I enjoyed it.
I also thought it was funny that I got the song stick in my head every time I went to open the book. :)

I'll give the content rating now, and then I'll discuss something spoiler-y afterward, so you can skip that if you want.

Content rating: Honestly, it was probably R for swearing. There's a fair amount of it. There's a little bit of sexual discussion but nothing explicit, very tame. And then there's all the heavy thematic stuff.

Now for the spoiler-ish stuff:
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Midway through this book I was starting to think it was going to end really badly and just super duper nihilistic, and I was preparing myself emotionally for that. It was therefore both refreshing and a pleasant surprise when it turned out really well. And even more so, it turned out well in a way that implies faith, or at least the possibility of faith, in a divine being. That was lovely to see, and I think it was done naturally and in an interesting way.]]> 3.82 2023 I'll Stop the World
author: Lauren Thoman
name: JS
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/12
shelves:
review:
Edited to add: Things I liked about this book that are extremely YMMV (these are the things I'm seeing people complain about the most):
-Lots of POVs
-Moving back and forth in timeline
-Teens being teens


Really enjoyed this one, for reasons that aren't ready to explain. It was a very issues-heavy book--abuse, alcoholism, racism, LGBTQ prejudice, depression, etc, etc. But it didn't feel like it was just about those things. It felt like it was about *people.* And those people were dealing with all the stuff. This distinction makes sense to me, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else.
I enjoyed how the time travel stuff worked out, and I liked the conversations about it.
I liked the main characters, even when I really didn't like them.
Something I didn't love, that I've seen others complain about, is the lack of grounding in the setting. I get if you're writing a time travel book and trying to hide that it's time travel, then you maybe want to be sneaky. But we know from the get-go, so I think for me it would have been nice to have a little more grounding in the time period earlier in. Nevertheless, even with that, I enjoyed it.
I also thought it was funny that I got the song stick in my head every time I went to open the book. :)

I'll give the content rating now, and then I'll discuss something spoiler-y afterward, so you can skip that if you want.

Content rating: Honestly, it was probably R for swearing. There's a fair amount of it. There's a little bit of sexual discussion but nothing explicit, very tame. And then there's all the heavy thematic stuff.

Now for the spoiler-ish stuff:
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Midway through this book I was starting to think it was going to end really badly and just super duper nihilistic, and I was preparing myself emotionally for that. It was therefore both refreshing and a pleasant surprise when it turned out really well. And even more so, it turned out well in a way that implies faith, or at least the possibility of faith, in a divine being. That was lovely to see, and I think it was done naturally and in an interesting way.
]]> <![CDATA[The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games, #4)]]> 62804258 Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher. Ěý
Ěý
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
Ěý
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
Ěý
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.]]> 480 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316480770 JS 0 to-read 3.90 2023 The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games, #4)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: JS
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Famous for a Living: A Novel 61349385 She's Insta-famous. He uses a flip phone.

When her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, superstar influencer Cat Cranwell—an engineered marvel of beauty, energy, and fun—falls from her penthouse perch. Des­perate to get away from the online trolls and paparazzi docu­menting her disgrace, Cat accepts her uncle’s offer to work with him in Kannery National Park, Montana. About as far as possible from life as she’s known it.

Cat’s world shifts from the swirling haze of likes and comments to lit­eral blizzards of frostbite temperatures and waist-deep snow. In place of negotiating brand deals, she finds herself negotiating at the ledge of a frozen lake with her die-hard Polar Bear Plunge coworkers. Instead of padding through the marble kitchen of her Manhattan loft, she’s sharing a tent-sized cabin with a roommate eager to bond like characters in sitcoms. But something curious is also happening in this overwhelming breath of fresh air as she reacquaints with the most honest parts of her­self and begins to ask the hard questions. Can Cat love herself with, and without, the world watching?

Then there’s that other tiny problem—she’s falling for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome park ranger—and he hates anything remotely connected to social media, quite possibly her included.]]> 309 Melissa Ferguson 0840702485 JS 4
Rating: G]]> 3.48 2023 Famous for a Living: A Novel
author: Melissa Ferguson
name: JS
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves:
review:
Enjoyed it. Fun, light mostly, cute romance. Melissa Ferguson seems to be a good pick for squeaky sweet romances with a bit of a message. Sure made me want to put my phone away more!

Rating: G
]]> A Heart Worth Stealing 61446353 Little Sowerby, England, 1802

Miss Genevieve Wilde—a magistrate’s daughter and independent heiress—is determined to meet life’s challenges all on her own, just as her late father had taught her. So when her father’s pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent.

Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It’s a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she’ll be able to resist such a man.

But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack’s help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade—pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life.]]> 328 Joanna Barker 1649331568 JS 4 romance, rrc2023
Rating: PG, squeaky clean minus thematic stuff (I mean, there's death and some peril)]]> 4.13 2023 A Heart Worth Stealing
author: Joanna Barker
name: JS
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves: romance, rrc2023
review:
An enjoyable, mostly light Regency. More enjoyable than many I've read, and it felt different enough to be fresh. I have looked the Barker novels I've read so far and will happily continue for light, sweet, romantic fare.

Rating: PG, squeaky clean minus thematic stuff (I mean, there's death and some peril)
]]> The Thief and the Noble 60059164 "LeCheminant’s progressive aristocratic protagonists are refreshing and appealing as they discover love along the way in their quest to help those wronged by their fellow nobles. Fans of earnest, chaste romance and characters who defy societal norms will be well pleased." -Publishers Weekly

"A delightful retelling of the Robin Hood tale, “The Thief and the Noble� takes the lighter aspects of the original and gives them a dreamy lift." -InD'Tale Magazine

As the daughter of a marquess, Lady Marian Russell is poised to impress in her first London Season. She is young, beautiful, and wealthy—but catching an eligible husband is the last thing on her mind. Marian is disillusioned with how the upper class lives while the poor of London suffer, and she is determined to right this imbalance. When she comes face-to-face with a mysterious man who steals from arrogant aristocrats and redistributes the spoils to the poor, Marian recognizes a motivation that mirrors her own. She is determined to discover the true identity of the unscrupulous hero and offer her assistance.Ěý

When she unmasks the bandit, however, Marian is he is none other than the elusive Lord Robin Loxley. In exchange for her silence, Robin begrudgingly agrees to train the lovely Marian in the art of thievery, quickly realizing that his heart may be stolen next. But when Robin and Marian discover a copycat thief operating in London, they are faced with a foe whose purpose is far from noble. Amid distracting suitors, becoming champions of the poor, and a growing attraction they can’t ignore, can they expose the renegade pilferer without risking themselves—and each other?]]> 268 Dana LeCheminant 1524417106 JS 0 3.84 2022 The Thief and the Noble
author: Dana LeCheminant
name: JS
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love on Camera (The Wonder Boys, #1)]]> 61053282
When wedding photographer Madi is challenged to find herself ten dates in three months, she turns to her older brother’s three best friends to be her stand-ins. It helps her win the challenge without having to deal with the stress of dating. What could go wrong?

Oliver hasn’t had much to do since selling his company, and helping Madi has given his life meaning again. But when she asks him to pose as her boyfriend—more than just a date here and there—he suddenly finds himself questioning his feelings toward the girl he always saw as a little sister. Feelings that would get him murdered by his best friend.

No one sees the real Oliver the way Madi does, and Madi has never been as comfortable around anyone as she is with Oliver. With the fake part of their relationship feeling less and less fake, they both have to decide if they’re brave enough to take that first step toward something real. Is a chance at love worth risking a lifetime of friendship?]]> 324 Dana LeCheminant JS 0 4.09 Love on Camera (The Wonder Boys, #1)
author: Dana LeCheminant
name: JS
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Fool Me Twice 6894965 Book 293 Stephanie Black 1598115278 JS 0 3.82 2008 Fool Me Twice
author: Stephanie Black
name: JS
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/27
shelves:
review:

]]> The Bear Upstairs 2173507 The ups and downs of living in an apartment building

The upstairs bear moves in with a BIG BANG. KLUNK! KLUNK! BUMPETY-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP-BUMP!

"I can't write like this," says the downstairs bear. After several noisy days, she can't stand it any longer. She climbs the stairs, determined to give her new neighbor a piece of her mind. Instead, she finds a sizzling surprise.

The humorous text and whimsical illustrations, filled with fun details, will have young readers in stitches as they follow the characters from page to page.
]]> 32 Shirley Mozelle 0805068201 JS 2 2.90 1987 The Bear Upstairs
author: Shirley Mozelle
name: JS
average rating: 2.90
book published: 1987
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)]]> 27774758 Alternative Cover Edition #1

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Ěý
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
Ěý
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
Ěý
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
Ěý
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 446 Sabaa Tahir JS 0 rrc2023, fantasy, ya 4.23 2015 An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: JS
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/12
shelves: rrc2023, fantasy, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember]]> 60113442
With her signature sense of humor and down-to-earth storytelling, Lauren Graham opens up about her years working in the entertainment business—from the sublime to the ridiculous—and shares personal stories about everything from family and friendship to the challenges of aging gracefully in Hollywood. In "RIP Barneys New York," she writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department store -- and the time she inadvertently shoplifted; in "Ne Oublie" she warns us about the perils of coming from an extremely forgetful family; and in "Actor-y Factory" she recounts what a day in the life of an actor looks like (unless you’re Brad Pitt).

Filled with surprising anecdotes, sage advice, and laugh-out-loud observations, Graham's latest collection of all-new, original essays showcases the winning charm and wit that she's known for.]]> 186 Lauren Graham 0593355423 JS 3 humor, memoir, rrc2023
Rating: PG. There were a few comments about Hollywood sexism and double entendre type things, but very light. Little to no mild swearing.]]> 3.66 2022 Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember
author: Lauren Graham
name: JS
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/04/12
shelves: humor, memoir, rrc2023
review:
Fun, light. Graham is engaging and fun to listen to, especially if you liked Gilmore Girls. It's mostly not deep or full of amazing insights into life, but it's got a few good nuggets and it was a fun listen while I was doing chores, etc. It was also refreshing in its overall lack of swearing or graphic content.

Rating: PG. There were a few comments about Hollywood sexism and double entendre type things, but very light. Little to no mild swearing.
]]> <![CDATA[A Song of Flight (Warrior Bards, #3)]]> 56987049 464 Juliet Marillier 0451492838 JS 0 to-read 4.23 2021 A Song of Flight (Warrior Bards, #3)
author: Juliet Marillier
name: JS
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Buffalo Flats 61828399 Based on true-life histories, Buffalo Flats shares the epic, coming of age story of Rebecca Leavitt as she searches for her identity in the Northwest Territories of Canada during the late 1800s.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Leavitt has traveled by covered wagon from Utah to the Northwest Territories of Canada, where her father and brothers are now homesteading and establishing a new community with other Latter-Day Saints. Rebecca is old enough to get married, but what kind of man would she marry and who would have a girl like her--a girl filled with ideas and opinions? Someone gallant and exciting like Levi Howard? Or a man of ideas like her childhood friend Coby Webster?

Rebecca decides to set her sights on something completely different. She loves the land and wants her own piece of it. When she learns that single women aren't allowed to homestead, her father agrees to buy her land outright, as long as Rebecca earns the money --480 dollars, an impossible sum. She sets out to earn the money while surviving the relentless challenges of pioneer life--the ones that Mother Nature throws at her in the form of blizzards, grizzles, influenza and floods, and the ones that come with human nature, be they exasperating neighbors or the breathtaking frailty of life.

Buffalo Flats is inspired by true-life histories of the author's ancestors. It is an extraordinary novel that explores Latter-Day Saints culture and the hardships of pioneer life. It is about a stubborn, irreverent, and resourceful young woman who remains true to herself and discovers that it is the bonds of family, faith, and friendship--even romance--that tie her to the wild and unpredictable land she loves so fiercely.
]]> 232 Martine Leavitt 0823443426 JS 0 to-read 4.20 2023 Buffalo Flats
author: Martine Leavitt
name: JS
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love Letters of the Angels of Death]]> 17897591 176 Jennifer Quist 1927535158 JS 0 to-read 3.82 2013 Love Letters of the Angels of Death
author: Jennifer Quist
name: JS
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[That Self-Same Metal (The Forge & Fracture Saga #1)]]> 61783760 A stunning YA fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Justina Ireland, about a Black girl (and sword expert) fighting a Fae uprising in Shakespearean London

Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.

Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.]]> 352 Brittany N. Williams 1419758640 JS 0 to-read 3.74 2023 That Self-Same Metal (The Forge & Fracture Saga #1)
author: Brittany N. Williams
name: JS
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[You: The Story: A Writer's Guide to Craft Through Memory]]> 62296519 Life is story in motion. Each day, you add to your story, revise it, and view it from a different angle. You erase things. Tear pages out. And sometimes, in hindsight, wish you could put them back. A day is a story. A year is a story. A life is a story.
You are a story.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys is known for creating vivid characters and harrowing plots. After five award-winning works of historical fiction and countless hours of meticulous research, she can affirm that the secret to strong writing is embedded within your life experience.

You: The Story is a powerful how-to book for aspiring writers that encourages you to look inward and excavate your own memories in order to discover the authentic voices and compelling details that are waiting to be put on the page. Masterfully weaving in humorous and heartfelt stories from her own life that illustrate an aspect of the craft of writing (such as plot, character development, or dialogue), Sepetys then inspires readers with a series of writing prompts and exercises.

Perfect for fans of Burn After Writing and Bird by Bird, You: The Story awakens the emerging writer and reveals that with some reflection, curiosity, and courage, you have a story to tell.]]> 224 Ruta Sepetys 0593524381 JS 0 to-read 4.24 2023 You: The Story: A Writer's Guide to Craft Through Memory
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: JS
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Come, Sweet Day: Holding On To Hope In Dark Times]]> 54655844 Come, Sweet Day is for anyone feeling weighed down by life. This collection of poems and essays, written by an award-winning author, reminds each of us that we are not alone. God is good, and we can see His love even in dark times.

Though loneliness and despair may at times seem overwhelming, the words on these pages encourage us to seek for grace, to find the light and let it in, and to hold on to hope.

There are good days coming.]]> 96 Julianne Donaldson 1629728446 JS 0 to-read 4.41 2021 Come, Sweet Day: Holding On To Hope In Dark Times
author: Julianne Donaldson
name: JS
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Buried and the Bound (The Buried and the Bound, #1)]]> 60316880
As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts―an uncommonly magical place―Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger―to herself and others―becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.

Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.]]> 384 Rochelle Hassan 1250822203 JS 0 to-read 4.01 2023 The Buried and the Bound (The Buried and the Bound, #1)
author: Rochelle Hassan
name: JS
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Abeni's Song (Abeni's Song #1)]]> 61076345
You ignored my warnings. It’s too late to run. They are coming.

Warriors with burning blades storm the village. A man with a cursed flute plays an impossibly alluring song. And everyone Abeni has ever known and loved is captured and marched toward far-off ghost ships set for even more distant lands.

But not Abeni.

Abeni is magically whisked away by the old woman. In the forest, Abeni begins her unwanted magical apprenticeship, her journey to escape the witch, and her impossible mission to bring her people home.

Abeni’s Song is the beginning of a timeless, enchanting fantasy adventure about a reluctant apprentice, a team of spirit kids, and the village they set out to save.]]> P. Djèlí Clark JS 0 to-read 4.12 2023 Abeni's Song (Abeni's Song #1)
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: JS
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Braiding Sweet Grass 54684590 323 Umes Santilal JS 0 to-read 4.17 Braiding Sweet Grass
author: Umes Santilal
name: JS
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> We Are All So Good at Smiling 63133240 They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.]]> 281 Amber McBride 125078039X JS 0 to-read 3.95 2023 We Are All So Good at Smiling
author: Amber McBride
name: JS
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus]]> 33986447
Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.]]> 262 Dusti Bowling 1454923458 JS 4
I really liked Aven and her attitude of being confident but still needing to learn and grow.

A fun middle grade.]]> 4.27 2017 Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
author: Dusti Bowling
name: JS
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/01/17
shelves: diversifying, middle-grade-ish, rrc2023
review:
A really interesting look into living with some pretty significant challenges (Tourette's, no arms, etc.). It's a fun, light-hearted story overall, definitely firmly middle grade. A couple parts of the mystery didn't really work for me, but that felt pretty secondary to the dealing with personal challenges.

I really liked Aven and her attitude of being confident but still needing to learn and grow.

A fun middle grade.
]]> <![CDATA[Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House, #1)]]> 60596112
Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has been trained in taming such structures in order to preserve their historical and magical significance. She understands the dangers of bespelled homes given to tantrums. She advises that it’s in Merritt’s best interest to make Whimbrel House their ally. To do that, she’ll need to move in, too.

Prepared as she is with augury, a set of magic tools, and a new staff trained in the uncanny, Hulda’s work still proves unexpectedly difficult. She and Merritt grow closer as the investigation progresses, but the house’s secrets run deeper than they anticipated. And the sentient walls aren’t their only concern—something outside is coming for the enchantments of Whimbrel House, and it could be more dangerous than what rattles within.]]> 347 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662500335 JS 4 fantasy, romance, rrc2023
The villain was interesting though very dark and rather gross/creepy.

Rating: PG-13 only for the villain's major ick/creep/evil factor. As in, I thought about suggesting it to my 15yo kid but she's quite sensitive to scary stuff and would nope right out of that. There's also about 3-4 uses of profanity maybe? And there's backstories of illicit sex with zero description. Without the villain factor, I'd rate it much closer to PG.]]> 4.14 2022 Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House, #1)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: JS
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/01/11
shelves: fantasy, romance, rrc2023
review:
Really enjoyed this one and the magic of this world, especially the house itself, which is delightful. I liked the characters a lot, though their foibles were occasionally a bit much. (Side note: My phone does not recognise "foibles" as a word.) But I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters' personalities and seeing them grow and affect each other.

The villain was interesting though very dark and rather gross/creepy.

Rating: PG-13 only for the villain's major ick/creep/evil factor. As in, I thought about suggesting it to my 15yo kid but she's quite sensitive to scary stuff and would nope right out of that. There's also about 3-4 uses of profanity maybe? And there's backstories of illicit sex with zero description. Without the villain factor, I'd rate it much closer to PG.
]]> <![CDATA[A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)]]> 58132544
As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.]]> 480 Rebecca Ross 0063055988 JS 3
On the other hand, I didn't love the way it ended and I'm hoping that book 2 makes it better.

Rating: PG-13? There's some very low-descriptive marital sex and a bit of thinking about it as well. There's a fair bit of violence hinted at and occasionally seen, though zero gore. Kinda thematically heavy, with clan feuds and violence and kidnapping and pretty big secrets.]]> 4.06 2022 A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: JS
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/01/11
shelves: fantasy, mystery, romance, rrc2023
review:
I really enjoyed the writing of this book, as well as the world of Cadence and the various characters. The audio narration I listened to had an accent that added to it as well. A reality lovely read.

On the other hand, I didn't love the way it ended and I'm hoping that book 2 makes it better.

Rating: PG-13? There's some very low-descriptive marital sex and a bit of thinking about it as well. There's a fair bit of violence hinted at and occasionally seen, though zero gore. Kinda thematically heavy, with clan feuds and violence and kidnapping and pretty big secrets.
]]> The Emperor's Soul 16131932
When Shai is caught replacing the Moon Scepter with her nearly flawless forgery, she must bargain for her life. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos.

Shai is given an impossible task: to create—to Forge—a new soul for the emperor in less than one hundred days. But her soul-Forgery is considered an abomination by her captors. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Shai's only possible ally is the emperor's most loyal councillor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent.

Time is running out for Shai. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape…]]> 144 Brandon Sanderson 1938570022 JS 4 fantasy, own-it
But after that, it wasn't my favorite of his. I liked the idea and the characters and the way it was executed and the magic system (again, of *course* I liked the magic system--remember? Brandon Sanderson?). I think what I wanted was just a little something more, plotwise. I think that's at least partially because short fiction tends to throw me off that way.

Anyway, let's toss on a little more Brandon Sanderson love, then acknowledge that I probably should have given it 4 stars just for sheer Sandersoniness.

The end.]]> 4.42 2012 The Emperor's Soul
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: JS
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/01
date added: 2023/01/04
shelves: fantasy, own-it
review:
Well, first of all: Brandon Sanderson! Of course I liked it!

But after that, it wasn't my favorite of his. I liked the idea and the characters and the way it was executed and the magic system (again, of *course* I liked the magic system--remember? Brandon Sanderson?). I think what I wanted was just a little something more, plotwise. I think that's at least partially because short fiction tends to throw me off that way.

Anyway, let's toss on a little more Brandon Sanderson love, then acknowledge that I probably should have given it 4 stars just for sheer Sandersoniness.

The end.
]]> Miss Adeline's Match 44287832
As Adeline takes on the role of reluctant matchmaker, she discovers more than one obstacle in her path. Not only does Charity prefer escaping in books to socializing, but Adeline soon finds her own attentions distracted by the standoffish—and irritatingly handsome—Mr. Evan Whitfield. Amidst an eventful foxhunt and the unexpected arrival of Charity's former betrothed, Adeline simply doesn't have time for a battle of wits with Evan. But the two are continually drawn together until Adeline begins to question her tightly guarded convictions about love and marriage.

However, when secrets are revealed and truths made known, Adeline must face her most fearsome obstacle yet: herself.]]> 263 Joanna Barker 1524408808 JS 0 audiobook, romance, rrc2023
So I will continue to check out Joanna Barker novels, but this one didn't work for me.]]> 3.95 2019 Miss Adeline's Match
author: Joanna Barker
name: JS
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/04
shelves: audiobook, romance, rrc2023
review:
I continue to enjoy Joanna Barker, but this book was not for me in several ways, so I'm going to refrain from giving it a rating. The female MC really pushed buttons for me, which made it extremely hard to like her. I also listened to it, and unfortunately I did not enjoy the narrator.

So I will continue to check out Joanna Barker novels, but this one didn't work for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Agent in Old Lace [Paperback] Tristi Pinkston; Cedar Fort and Inc.]]> 6456297 184 Tristi Pinkston 1599553082 JS 0 3.73 2009 Agent in Old Lace [Paperback] Tristi Pinkston; Cedar Fort and Inc.
author: Tristi Pinkston
name: JS
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/04
shelves: romance, rrc2023, suspense, squeaky-clean
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nothing Left to Lose (John Cleaver, #6)]]> 23629844 Hi. My name is John Cleaver, and I hunt monsters. I used to do it alone, and then for a while I did it with a team of government specialists, and then the monsters found us and killed almost everyone, and now I hunt them alone again.

This is my story.

In this thrilling installment in the John Wayne Cleaver series, Dan Wells brings his beloved antihero into a final confrontation with the Withered. Nothing Left to Lose is a conclusion that is both completely compelling and completely unexpected.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

]]> 320 Dan Wells 1466874996 JS 4 horror, rrc2023, ya
I loved John's growing sense of morality and explaining how he managed to do right even when he didn't personally "feel" right and wrong. I liked the ending, thought it wrapped things up well. I definitely liked that it was a little less gruesome (though definitely still had gruesome bits).

I think the thing I loved most was that despite it being a horror book with horrific monsters and a sociopathic main character, it was also moving and moral. There was depth there. Some favourite quotes:

"Because I don’t let a broken brain tell me what to do. Because who you’re supposed to be has nothing to do with who you actually are.�


“Choosing to follow rules isn’t giving up control,� she said, “it’s controlling yourself. That doesn’t seem like a superpower, but try it for sixty years and tell me what you think about it then.�


There are also a couple about wonder and what makes life worth living, even for thousands of years. And there's some great stuff about not giving up the bad parts of your life because they are part of what makes you who you are. (That's an oversimplification, but the quotes don't work out of context.)

Anyway, PG-13+ for violence and a couple of gory murders. Also a couple low-level swears.

Happy I finished the series, especially glad I read the second set of three books.]]> 4.12 2017 Nothing Left to Lose (John Cleaver, #6)
author: Dan Wells
name: JS
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/01/03
shelves: horror, rrc2023, ya
review:
I think #5 was probably my favourite of the John Cleaver books, but I also really enjoyed this one. I can see why some fans of the series didn't live it, but some of those things they complained about are the things I loved about it.

I loved John's growing sense of morality and explaining how he managed to do right even when he didn't personally "feel" right and wrong. I liked the ending, thought it wrapped things up well. I definitely liked that it was a little less gruesome (though definitely still had gruesome bits).

I think the thing I loved most was that despite it being a horror book with horrific monsters and a sociopathic main character, it was also moving and moral. There was depth there. Some favourite quotes:

"Because I don’t let a broken brain tell me what to do. Because who you’re supposed to be has nothing to do with who you actually are.�


“Choosing to follow rules isn’t giving up control,� she said, “it’s controlling yourself. That doesn’t seem like a superpower, but try it for sixty years and tell me what you think about it then.�


There are also a couple about wonder and what makes life worth living, even for thousands of years. And there's some great stuff about not giving up the bad parts of your life because they are part of what makes you who you are. (That's an oversimplification, but the quotes don't work out of context.)

Anyway, PG-13+ for violence and a couple of gory murders. Also a couple low-level swears.

Happy I finished the series, especially glad I read the second set of three books.
]]> <![CDATA[Peanut Butter and Jelly (Narwhal and Jelly, #3)]]> 35138181 Narwhal's obsession with his new favorite food leads him into hijinks and hilarity in the third book of this all-star early graphic novel series!

Narwhal and Jelly are back and Narwhal has a new obsession . . . peanut butter! He's so obsessed he even wants to change his name to . . . that's right . . . Peanut Butter! Ever-sensible Jelly isn't so sure that's the best idea, but is all for Narwhal trying new things (instead of just eating waffles all the time, no matter how delicious waffles are).

In this third book, Narwhal and Jelly star in three new stories about trying new things, favorite foods and accepting who we are. Always funny and never didactic, this underwater duo charms again through their powerful combination of positive thinking, imagination and joyfulness.]]> 72 Ben Clanton 0735262454 JS 4 4.33 2018 Peanut Butter and Jelly (Narwhal and Jelly, #3)
author: Ben Clanton
name: JS
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/01/03
shelves: children-books, graphic-novel, rrc2023
review:
Cute and silly. Fun to read with the 6yo. The 8yo will join us for them too, or just read them on his own.
]]> Secrets and Suitors 50065384 Until James returns unexpectedly and Nora's feelings once again rush unbearably close to the surface. Determined to save what is left of their friendship, Nora ignores her own heart and allows herself to be swept up in the London Season, soon finding herself the object of two very different gentlemen's affections. Though she should be thrilled, both men come with a glaring fault: neither is the one man who holds her heart.

But there is much more at stake than heartbreak. When long-kept secrets are laid bare, Nora must face the fears that have plagued her all her life and decide what true love is worth.]]> 256 Joanna Barker 1524411728 JS 3 romance, rrc2022 4.00 2019 Secrets and Suitors
author: Joanna Barker
name: JS
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: romance, rrc2022
review:
Charming and sweet. I didn't like it as much as Otherwise Engaged (which had a male MC who was awfully dreamy), and for me the female MC was a little more subdued than I really enjoy. But that was part of her character arc. It was a fun light read in the clean Regency romance genre.
]]> Otherwise Engaged 54144135
When Rebecca’s quick thinking saves the life of a young girl, she unwittingly attracts the attention of the child’s dashing brother, Lieutenant Nicholas Avery. As that attention turns flirtatious, Rebecca is forced to tell him the she is secretly engaged—to the one man her family would never approve of. Fortunately, Lieutenant Avery is a navy man with no wish to marry, or so they both assume as they enter into a friendship. Rebecca hopes to change her family’s mind about her betrothed, but the more she comes to know the handsome lieutenant, the more she wonders if she promised her hand too hastily.

After all her carefully laid plans are shattered during a family crisis, Rebecca must force her heart to decide. Should she stay true to the promise she made or fight for the future she’s only just begun to imagine?]]> 266 Joanna Barker 1524413720 JS 4 romance, rrc2022 4.24 2020 Otherwise Engaged
author: Joanna Barker
name: JS
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: romance, rrc2022
review:
A sweet, enjoyable Regency romance. I've now read a couple by Joanna Barker, and I am enjoying them. Clean but with nice buildup, likeable characters. Of course things turn out neat and HEA, and sometimes I want things to be a little more complicated. But for filling this happy Regency romance niche, I will definitely continue checking out Joanna Barker.
]]> <![CDATA[A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)]]> 40864002 ASIN B08H831J18 moved to the more recent edition

Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.

Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?]]> 151 Becky Chambers JS 0 to-read 4.25 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)
author: Becky Chambers
name: JS
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer, #1)]]> 57064814 A middle-grade mystery series that's spooky, creepy, and filled with gothic twists! Meet the Sinister-Winterbottom twins, who solve mysteries at increasingly bizarre summer vacation destinations in the hopes of being reunited with their parents—or at the very least finally finding a good churro.

Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides—er—walks.

When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool.

Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?]]> 235 Kiersten White JS 4 to-read 3.73 2022 Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer, #1)
author: Kiersten White
name: JS
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hide 58890948
The prize: enough money to change everything.

Even though everyone is desperate to win--to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts--Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that.

It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.]]> 240 Kiersten White 0593359232 JS 0 horror, rrc2022 3.30 2022 Hide
author: Kiersten White
name: JS
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: horror, rrc2022
review:
This one wasn't for me. I enjoy Kiersten White a lot, but sometimes it's hit or miss. This one was a miss for me, lacking what I have loved in a lot of her younger stuff. To me, even adult horror doesn't have to be bleak, but this one was.
]]> When Stars Are Scattered 51215165
With a heart-wrenching fairytale ending, this incredible true story is brought to life by Victoria's stunning illustrations. This book perfectly depicts life in a refugee camp for 8-12 year olds.]]> 264 Victoria Jamieson 0571363857 JS 4 4.75 2020 When Stars Are Scattered
author: Victoria Jamieson
name: JS
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: graphic-novel, history, memoir
review:
A really good glimpse into the life of this refugee in this camp. Definitely worth the read, also a very quick read. It's been a while since I read it, so I can't give a lot of detailed review, but I was glad I read it.
]]> <![CDATA[Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)]]> 54351235 The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer....

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block�
]]> 336 Mia P. Manansala 059320168X JS 3
Fun enough to listen to the next one, but not enough that I'm going out and telling everyone they must read this book!

Rating: probably low PG-13? Pretty sure there was some swearing, but can't remember how much. This means it wasn't overloaded with F bombs but doesn't necessarily mean there weren't any--1-3 usually sail past my memory pretty quickly.]]> 3.54 2021 Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)
author: Mia P. Manansala
name: JS
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: diversifying, mystery, rrc2022
review:
A fun, fairly cozy mystery. Loved the food descriptions and the tiny peek into this family and some Filipino food culture. I pretty much figured out most of the mystery (though not quite all) fairly easily, but I still enjoyed the journey. The family dynamics drive me crazy, but I generally feel this way about this style of family dynamic, even though it's super common, especially in other cultures. So basically that's a me problem. :)

Fun enough to listen to the next one, but not enough that I'm going out and telling everyone they must read this book!

Rating: probably low PG-13? Pretty sure there was some swearing, but can't remember how much. This means it wasn't overloaded with F bombs but doesn't necessarily mean there weren't any--1-3 usually sail past my memory pretty quickly.
]]> <![CDATA[Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver, #5)]]> 23629836 303 Dan Wells 0765380692 JS 4 horror, rrc2022, ya
This particular book has probably been my favourite so far. John has grown a lot and takes on a lot more responsibility, and there's less gore. Also, some slightly spoiler-y great quotes:


“Maybe she wanted a strong relationship with someone who loved her,� said Regina. “That’s not a trap.� I thought about my own parents. “Sometimes it is.� “And sometimes you get a stone in your shoe,� said Regina. “That doesn’t mean all shoes are full of stones.�


She shook her head. “I didn’t date you because you were dangerous, I dated you because you were the only boy in school who knew he was dangerous, and was actively trying to stop it.�


“All of her lives were perfect,� said Regina. “She just never saw it.� “Perfect until she got there,� I said. “No,� said Regina. “That’s not what I mean. There were problems in every life before she came into them, and there would have been problems after. What I mean is that life is work and pain and trial, and that’s what makes it worth living. The only thing broken about Nobody was that she didn’t want to admit it.� “I don’t think anybody wants to admit that,� I said. “Everybody has to eventually,� said Regina. “It’s how we grow up.�

Anyway, no I don't suggest them to people in general, and I have mixed feelings, but I'm still reading to the end.]]> 4.08 2016 Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver, #5)
author: Dan Wells
name: JS
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: horror, rrc2022, ya
review:
Okay, here's the thing about the John Cleaver books: They tend toward the extremely gruesome. The main character's head is very uncomfortable to be inside sometimes. I am definitely not going around recommending them to my family and friends. And yet... I have by and large enjoyed them. Admittedly, I would have preferred a lot less of the violence and his violent fantasies, but I also get why the books have been that way. Anyway, that's a big part of why I don't recommend them to my friends.

This particular book has probably been my favourite so far. John has grown a lot and takes on a lot more responsibility, and there's less gore. Also, some slightly spoiler-y great quotes:


“Maybe she wanted a strong relationship with someone who loved her,� said Regina. “That’s not a trap.� I thought about my own parents. “Sometimes it is.� “And sometimes you get a stone in your shoe,� said Regina. “That doesn’t mean all shoes are full of stones.�


She shook her head. “I didn’t date you because you were dangerous, I dated you because you were the only boy in school who knew he was dangerous, and was actively trying to stop it.�


“All of her lives were perfect,� said Regina. “She just never saw it.� “Perfect until she got there,� I said. “No,� said Regina. “That’s not what I mean. There were problems in every life before she came into them, and there would have been problems after. What I mean is that life is work and pain and trial, and that’s what makes it worth living. The only thing broken about Nobody was that she didn’t want to admit it.� “I don’t think anybody wants to admit that,� I said. “Everybody has to eventually,� said Regina. “It’s how we grow up.�

Anyway, no I don't suggest them to people in general, and I have mixed feelings, but I'm still reading to the end.
]]> <![CDATA[The Stranger Diaries (Harbinder Kaur, #1)]]> 40796097
To make matters worse, the police suspect the killer is someone Clare knows. Unsure whom to trust, she turns to her closest confidant, her diary, the only outlet she has for her darkest suspicions and fears about the case. Then one day she notices something odd. Writing that isn't hers, left on the page of an old diary: "Hallo, Clare. You don’t know me."

Clare becomes more certain than ever: “The Stranger� has come to terrifying life. But can the ending be rewritten in time?]]> 338 Elly Griffiths 1328577856 JS 0 mystery, rrc2022 So, fine, but in the end it didn't really suit me.]]> 3.81 2018 The Stranger Diaries (Harbinder Kaur, #1)
author: Elly Griffiths
name: JS
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: mystery, rrc2022
review:
Enjoyed the deliberately over-the-top atmosphere during the story-within-a-story. Mystery fairly decent. Didn't really love or root for any of the characters, especially unfortunately the main detective character, whom I found to be too judgmental (yes, I recognize the irony of me judging her judgement).
So, fine, but in the end it didn't really suit me.
]]> Things in the Basement 63005199 From New York Times bestselling author Ben Hatke comes Things in the Basement, a young readers graphic novel about Milo, a young boy who discovers a portal to a secret world in his basement.

It was supposed to just be a normal basement—some storage boxes, dust, you know, the usual basement stuff. But when Milo is sent by his mother to fetch a sock from the basement of the historic home they've moved into, Milo finds a door in the back that he's never seen before. Turns out that the basement of his house is enormous. In fact, there is a whole world down there. As Milo travels ever deeper into the Basement World, he meets the many Things that live in the shadows and gloom...and he learns that to face his fears he must approach even the strangest creatures with kindness.]]> 240 Ben Hatke 1250347351 JS 0 to-read 4.20 2023 Things in the Basement
author: Ben Hatke
name: JS
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Must Betray You 56970272 Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

A gut-wrenching, startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the number one New York Times best-selling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.]]> 321 Ruta Sepetys 198483603X JS 5
Rating: PG-13. I mean, it's basically set in a real-life dystopia, so Bad Things happen. Nothing feels gratuitous, nor does it feel like the story is relishing the terrible stuff. Quite the opposite. So, hard subjects, but very reasonable to the story.]]> 4.38 2022 I Must Betray You
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: JS
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/09/28
shelves: historical-fiction-recs, history, rrc2022, ya
review:
Really really good, an intense story about the paranoia and fear and the struggles of this time period. It gives you the feeling so well, immersing you in the time and place and atmosphere. History is my weakest subject area, and I appreciated learning a lot here, as well as knowing that real life isn't always very neat.

Rating: PG-13. I mean, it's basically set in a real-life dystopia, so Bad Things happen. Nothing feels gratuitous, nor does it feel like the story is relishing the terrible stuff. Quite the opposite. So, hard subjects, but very reasonable to the story.
]]> Chains (Seeds of America, #1) 3002300 From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Reading Level: Age 10 and Up ]]> 316 Laurie Halse Anderson 1416905855 JS 0 to-read 4.10 2008 Chains (Seeds of America, #1)
author: Laurie Halse Anderson
name: JS
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>