Cathy's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:02:05 -0700 60 Cathy's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Many Futures of Maddy Hart]]> 219279500 Suddenly Maddy is right there� in her very own future. And it’s all wrong, yet again.

It happens to her every time. When the kisses lead to the bedroom, just when she thinks she might have found the one� Just for a split second, Maddy disappears, and she finds that she’s living her own life. But ten years into the future.

She’s only there for a little while. But each time, it’s long enough to know that she doesn’t want to be any of those future versions of Maddy. Because every man she falls for seems to lead her to a future that is just� wrong.

Until she meets Oliver. And the vision of their future is happy. Beautiful even. A little girl runs around, her braids flying behind her, giggling about how she wants sausages for dinner. She has eyes just like Oliver’s.

There’s just one catch. If Maddy wants the family she’s seeing in her future with Oliver, she realizes she has to break his heart now�

Would you destroy your present if there’s a chance that it could give you the perfect future?

The most unmissable ‘what if?� love story of the year!]]> 318 Laura Pearson 183603458X Cathy 5 4.16 2025 The Many Futures of Maddy Hart
author: Laura Pearson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> The Butterfly Garden 209360384 A gripping and beautiful tale of love, loss and secrets.

1963: When Clara Samuels buys Butterfly Cottage, she knows the scandal she’ll cause. A single woman buying property is not the ‘done thing�, especially not in a village like Carybrook. But Clara has been in love with Butterfly Cottage, and its garden, since she used to play there before the War. And when she reconnects with her childhood friend James, her decision feels serendipitous. But the true scandal is yet to come, because within six months, Clara will leave England under mysterious circumstances, and Butterfly Cottage will stand empty for more than 50 years.

2018: No one is more surprised than Meredith when she’s bequeathed a cottage by a great aunt she’d never heard of. She hopes, briefly, that the inheritance could be the answer to her financial problems. But when she arrives in Suffolk, she is shocked to discover a man is already living there. A young gardener, who claims he was also bequeathed half of Butterfly Cottage.

As the pair try to unravel their complicated situation, they unearth a decades old mystery involving Clara, the garden, and a stack of letters left unread for over 50 years…]]> 331 Rachel Burton 1835337899 Cathy 0 to-read 4.29 2024 The Butterfly Garden
author: Rachel Burton
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up]]> 203098721 Brand new from the #1 bestselling author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont comes a powerful story of memory, loss, love, and new beginnings�

When Shelley Woodhouse wakes up in hospital from a coma, the first thing she says is that her husband must be arrested.

He’s the reason she’s in here. She knows it. She remembers what he did. Clearly as anything.

But there are things Shelley has forgotten too, including parts of her childhood. And as those start to come back to her, so do other memories. Ones with the power to change everything.

But can she trust these new memories, or what anyone around her is telling her? And who is the mysterious hospital volunteer who brings her food and keeps making her smile? Is it possible to find your future when you're confused about your past?]]> 298 Laura Pearson 1785136429 Cathy 4 4.18 2024 The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up
author: Laura Pearson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:
The thought I had when I was about 90% through this book is that THIS story is what I wish the book “It Ends with Us� had been like. This was a story about domestic violence that actually had me understanding the way it can happen generationally. I felt drawn to Shelley’s story and the way in which her life played out, though filled with tragedy, made sense. I am ELATED that she got her big dream and her happy ending, but I also felt so sad that she didn’t remember anything at the start and had to piece it all together. The building of the story really was well done and I enjoyed reading it.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bookstore Wedding (The Once Upon a Time Bookshop, #2)]]> 214128304
Isabel, the long-lost Gibson sister, is finally back home on Brinkley’s Island, Maine. With Sophie and Violet, her sister and her niece, she’s got the family bookstore—and with Johnny Lenox, she’s got something even more special.

But even as life settles, not everything is falling into place. Isabel and Johnny have set the date three times, baked three wedding cakes, invited the whole island to three parties, only to have each attempt at matrimony fall apart at the last minute. Disasters seem to be conspiring against their happy ending, and Isabel is starting to wonder if their love is meant to be.

When family history comes back to haunt the Gibson sisters, Isabel knows that if she wants to make it down the aisle with Johnny, first she and Sophie will have to face the pain of their past and their present, and decide what it means for their future.]]> 39 Alice Hoffman 1662522037 Cathy 3 3.93 2024 The Bookstore Wedding (The Once Upon a Time Bookshop, #2)
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
Read the second book because I knew it would be short and easy. Same kind of review as the first book. I didn’t really feel a draw to any of the characters and it was just a lot of stuff happening in such a short story.
]]> The Bookstore Sisters 62337113 From New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman comes a heartfelt short story about family, independence, and finding your place in the world.

Isabel Gibson has all but perfected the art of forgetting. She’s a New Yorker now, with nothing left to tie her to Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Her parents are gone, the family bookstore is all but bankrupt, and her sister, Sophie, will probably never speak to her again.

But when a mysterious letter arrives in her mailbox, Isabel feels herself drawn to the past. After years of fighting for her independence, she dreads the thought of going back to the island. What she finds there may forever alter her path—and change everything she thought she knew about her family, her home, and herself.]]> 36 Alice Hoffman 1662510500 Cathy 2 4.00 2022 The Bookstore Sisters
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
It was okay. Not amazing but fine. I knew it was a short novel but like, it was sooooo short that there really wasn’t any character development. There wasn’t anything to really hook me in. I’m on the fence if I’ll give the next one a try or not.
]]> <![CDATA[The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups]]> 25614522 A bold challenge to the conventional wisdom about early childhood, with a pragmatic program to encourage parents and teachers to rethink how and where young children learn best by taking the child’s eye view of the learning environment

Parents of young children today are embattled: Pick the “wrong� preschool and your child won’t get into the “right� college. But our fears are misplaced, according to Yale early childhood expert Erika Christakis. Children are powerful and inventive; and the tools to reimagine their learning environment are right in front of our eyes.
Children are hardwired to learn in any setting, but they don’t get the support they need when “learning� is defined by strict lessons and dodgy metrics that devalue children’s intelligence while placing unfit requirements on their developing brains. We have confused schooling with learning, and we have altered the very habitat young children occupy. The race for successful outcomes has blinded us to how young children actually process the world, acquire skills, and grow, says Christakis, who powerfully defends the preschool years as a life stage of inherent value and not merely as preparation for a demanding or uncertain future.
In her pathbreaking book, Christakis explores what it’s like to be a young child in America today, in a world designed by and for adults. With school-testing mandates run amok, playfulness squeezed, and young children increasingly pathologized for old-fashioned behaviors like daydreaming and clumsiness, it’s easy to miss what’s important about the crucial years of three to six, and the kind of guidance preschoolers really need. Christakis provides a forensic and far-reaching analysis of today’s whole system of early learning, exploring pedagogy, history, science, policy, and politics. She also offers a wealth of proven strategies about what to do to reimagine the learning environment to suit the child’s real, but often invisible, needs. The ideas range from accommodating children’s sense of time, to decluttering classrooms, to learning how to better observe and listen as children express themselves in pictures and words.
With her strong foundation in the study of child development and early education and her own in-the-trenches classroom experience, Christakis peels back the mystery of early childhood, revealing a place that’s rich with possibility. Her message is energizing and reassuring:Parents have more power (and more knowledge) than they think they do, and young children are inherently creative and will flourish, if we can learn new ways to support them and restore their vital learning habitat.]]> 400 Erika Christakis 0525429077 Cathy 0 to-read 3.68 2016 The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups
author: Erika Christakis
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed]]> 37570546 From a psychotherapist, and national advice columnist comes a thought-provoking new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world -- where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.]]> 415 Lori Gottlieb 1328662055 Cathy 0 to-read 4.36 2019 Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
author: Lori Gottlieb
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good]]> 63876551 A groundbreaking exploration of the ancient rules women unwittingly follow in order to be considered "good," revealing how the Seven Deadly Sins still control and distort their lives and illuminating a path toward a more balanced, spiritually complete way to live

Women congratulate themselves when they resist the doughnut in the office break-room. They celebrate their restraint when they hold back from sending an e-mail in anger. They feel virtuous when they wake up at dawn to get a jump on the day. They put others' needs ahead of their own and believe this makes them exemplary. In On Our Best Behavior, journalist Elise Loehnen explains that these impulses--often lauded as unselfish, distinctly feminine instincts--are actually ingrained in women by a culture that reaps the benefits, via an extraordinarily effective collection of mores known as the Seven Deadly Sins.

Since being codified by the Christian church in the fourth century, the Seven Deadly Sins--pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth--have exerted insidious power. Even today, in our largely secular, patriarchal society, they continue to circumscribe women's behavior. For example, seeing sloth as sinful leads women to deny themselves rest; a fear of gluttony drives them to ignore their appetites; and an aversion to greed prevents them from negotiating for themselves and contributes to the 55 percent gender wealth gap. Loehnen reveals how women have been programmed to obey the rules represented by these sins and how doing so qualifies them as "good."

This probing analysis of contemporary culture and thoroughly researched history explains how women have internalized the patriarchy, and how they unwittingly reinforce it. By sharing her own story and the spiritual wisdom of other traditions, Loehnen shows how women can break free and discover the integrity and wholeness they seek.]]> 384 Elise Loehnen 059324303X Cathy 0 currently-reading 3.78 2023 On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good
author: Elise Loehnen
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Cathy 5 4.18 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
I DEVOURED this book! Much like the other two books in the series, I couldn’t put it down. Nothing existed aside from finishing this book
]]> <![CDATA[Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation (Charlie Thorne #1)]]> 43259902
Charlie Thorne is a genius. Charlie Thorne is a thief. Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive. And now it’s up to her to save the world. Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it. But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger!]]> 392 Stuart Gibbs 1534424768 Cathy 3 4.29 2019 Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation (Charlie Thorne #1)
author: Stuart Gibbs
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:
It was good but not great. My boss’s daughter recommended it to me and I could see that middle schoolers would like it. For me it was just a bit too chaotic and there wasn’t enough character building.
]]> Forever, Interrupted 16130531 Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Cathy 0 to-read 3.63 2013 Forever, Interrupted
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![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 Cathy 5 4.25 2021 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1)
author: Becky Chambers
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1)]]> 52439531
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.]]> 386 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 1368052401 Cathy 4 4.13 2020 The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:
Fast read and really engrossing book. Not sure I felt emotionally connected to the characters, but I really wanted to know how the story played out so I just kept reading every chance I got. It’s good enough that I want to read the next one.
]]> Have You Eaten Grandma? 39644098 It can be much harder than it seems; commas, colons, semi-colons, and even apostrophes can drive us all mad at times, but it riles no one more than the longest-serving resident of Countdown's Dictionary Corner, grammar guru Gyles Brandreth.

In this brilliantly funny tirade on grammar, Brandreth anatomizes the linguistic horrors of our times, tells us where we've been going wrong (and why) and shows us how, in the future, we can get it right every time. Is 'alright' all right? You'll find out right here. From dangling clauses to gerunds, you'll also discover why Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

In Have You Eaten Grandma?, he waxes lyrical about the importance of language as, after all, it is what we use to define ourselves and is ultimately what makes us human.]]> 256 Gyles Brandreth 0241352649 Cathy 0 to-read 3.90 2018 Have You Eaten Grandma?
author: Gyles Brandreth
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life]]> 15843125
In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that our children, if free to pursue their own interests through play, will not only learn all they need to know, but will do so with energy and passion. Children come into this world burning to learn, equipped with the curiosity, playfulness, and sociability to direct their own education. Yet we have squelched such instincts in a school model originally developed to indoctrinate, not to promote intellectual growth.

To foster children who will thrive in today’s constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, Gray demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. This capacity to learn through play evolved long ago, in hunter-gatherer bands where children acquired the skills of the culture through their own initiatives. And these instincts still operate remarkably well today, as studies at alternative, democratically administered schools show. When children are in charge of their own education, they learn better—and at lower cost than the traditional model of coercive schooling.

A brave, counterintuitive proposal for freeing our children from the shackles of the curiosity-killing institution we call school, Free to Learn suggests that it’s time to stop asking what’s wrong with our children, and start asking what’s wrong with the system. It shows how we can act—both as parents and as members of society—to improve children’s lives and promote their happiness and learning.]]> 288 Peter O. Gray 0465025994 Cathy 0 4.24 2013 Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life
author: Peter O. Gray
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: parenting-nature-school-unschooling, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children]]> 25898058
Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble� outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses?

Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis—author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment.

Today it is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, or spinning in circles just for fun. We’ve taken away merry-go-rounds, shortened the length of swings, and done away with teeter-totters to keep children safe. Children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play than ever before, and recess times at school are shrinking due to demanding educational environments.

With this book, you’ll discover little things you can do anytime, anywhere to help your kids achieve the movement they need to be happy and healthy in mind, body, and spirit.


]]> 256 Angela J. Hanscom 1626253730 Cathy 0 4.16 2016 Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children
author: Angela J. Hanscom
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: parenting-nature-school-unschooling, to-read
review:

]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Cathy 5 4.35 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:
This book made me laugh. It hurt my heart at times. And seriously, I will miss Marcellus. He’s quite a unique character and I loved him. I love that I cared so much about every character in this story. They’re so well written. I just loved it and I’m glad I finally read it!
]]> Black Woods Blue Sky 213243955 An unforgettable dark fairy tale that asks, Can love save us from ourselves?

Birdie’s keeping it together; of course she is. So she’s a little hungover sometimes, and she has to bring her daughter, Emaleen, to her job waiting tables at an Alaskan roadside lodge, but she’s getting by as a single mother in a tough town. Still, Birdie can remember happier times from her youth, when she was free in the wilds of nature.

Arthur Neilsen, a soft-spoken and scarred recluse who appears in town only at the change of seasons, brings Emaleen back to safety when she gets lost in the woods. Most people avoid him, but to Birdie he represents everything she’s ever longed for. She finds herself falling for Arthur and the land he knows so well. Against the warnings of those who care about them, Birdie and Emaleen move to his isolated cabin in the mountains on the far side of the Wolverine River.

It’s just the three of them in the vast black woods, far from roads, telephones, electricity, and outside contact, but Birdie believes she has come prepared. At first, it’s idyllic, but soon Birdie discovers that Arthur is something much more mysterious and dangerous than she could have imagined, and that like the Alaska wilderness, a fairy tale can be as dark as it is beautiful.]]> 306 Eowyn Ivey 0593231023 Cathy 0 to-read 3.71 2025 Black Woods Blue Sky
author: Eowyn Ivey
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mirror Lake (Shady Hollow, #3)]]> 58735056 The third novel in the Shady Hollow mystery series, in which Vera Vixen takes on her most challenging case yet: solving the murder of a rat who appears to still be alive.

Change is afoot in Shady Hollow, with an unusually tense election shaping up between long-serving Chief of Police Theodore Meade and Vera's beau, Deputy Orville Braun. But the political tension takes a back seat when resident eccentric Dorothy Springfield becomes convinced her beloved husband, Edward, is dead, and that the rat claiming to be him is actually a fraud.

While most of the town dismisses Dorothy's rants as nothing more than a delusion, Vera has her doubts. More than a few things don't add up in the Springfield household, but Vera will have to tread carefully, since, with Orville's attention on the election, she may be more exposed than ever.

A VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD ORIGINAL.]]> 216 Juneau Black 0593466306 Cathy 0 to-read 3.99 2020 Mirror Lake (Shady Hollow, #3)
author: Juneau Black
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cold Clay (Shady Hollow, #2) 58735055 The second book in the Shady Hollow series, in which some long-buried secrets come to light, throwing suspicion on a beloved local denizen.

It's autumn in Shady Hollow, and residents are looking forward to harvest feasts. But then a rabbit discovers a grisly crop: the bones of a moose.

Soon, the owner of Joe's Mug is dragged out of the coffeeshop and questioned by the police about the night his wife walked out of his life--and Shady Hollow--forever. It seems like an open-and-shut case, but dogged reporter Vera Vixen doesn't believe gentle Joe is a killer. She'll do anything to prove his innocence. . .even if it means digging into secrets her neighbors would rather leave buried.

A VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD ORIGINAL.]]> 240 Juneau Black 0593466284 Cathy 0 to-read 3.91 2017 Cold Clay (Shady Hollow, #2)
author: Juneau Black
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shady Hollow (Shady Hollow, #1)]]> 58735031 The first book in the Shady Hollow series, in which we are introduced to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live together in harmony--until a curmudgeonly toad turns up dead and the local reporter has to solve the case.

Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy.

Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera's cunning and quickness to crack the case.

A VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD ORIGINAL.
]]> 222 Juneau Black 0593315715 Cathy 0 to-read 3.77 2015 Shady Hollow (Shady Hollow, #1)
author: Juneau Black
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1)]]> 50548197
A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) � until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.

There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate� or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.]]> 320 Naomi Novik 0593128486 Cathy 0 to-read 3.93 2020 A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dreadful 63051209 A sharp-witted, high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.
It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is� you.
Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.
But as he realizes that nothing � from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess � is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all � who does he want to be?
Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.]]> 344 Caitlin Rozakis 1803365471 Cathy 0 to-read 3.67 2024 Dreadful
author: Caitlin Rozakis
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[He Who Fights with Monsters (He Who Fights with Monsters, #1)]]> 57189884 Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.

It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil.

He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.

After cementing itself as one of the best-rated serial novels on Royal Road with an astonishing 13 million views, He Who Fights with Monsters is now available on Kindle.

About the series: Experience an isekai culture clash as a laid-back Australian finds himself in a very serious world. See him gain suspiciously evil powers through a unique progression system combining cultivation and traditional LitRPG elements. Enjoy a weak-to-strong story with a main character who earns his power without overshadowing everyone around him, with plenty of loot, adventurers, gods and magic. Rich characters and world-building offer humor, political intrigue and slice-of-life elements alongside lots of monster fighting and adventure.]]> 680 Shirtaloon Cathy 0 to-read 4.42 2021 He Who Fights with Monsters (He Who Fights with Monsters, #1)
author: Shirtaloon
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Back After This 198563641 From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo, a podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love?

Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. She fiercely protects her colleagues, dearly adores her friends, and never misses dinner with her sister. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she’s put romantic love on hold.

When the boss who’s disappointed her again and again finally offers her the chance to host her own show, she wants to be thrilled. But there’s a catch—actually, two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily’s dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer and newly minted relationship coach Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life.

Cecily would rather do anything other than put her singledom on display (ugh) or take advice from the internet (UGH). But when her boss hints that doing the show is the only way to protect a friend’s job, she realizes she has no choice.

To make matters more complicated, once she’s committed to twenty blind dates of Eliza’s choosing, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she helped to rescue a very big and very lovable lost dog. Even though there are sparks between the two, Will’s own path is uncertain, and Eliza’s skeptical comments about Cecily’s decision-making aren’t helping. On the one hand, Will seems great. But on the other hand . . . don’t they all?

As Cecily struggles to balance the life she truly desires and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Can Cecily sort through all the advice and find a way to do what she loves without losing herself in the process?]]> 320 Linda Holmes 059359925X Cathy 0 to-read 3.81 2025 Back After This
author: Linda Holmes
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Theo of Golden 196693307 Who is he, and why is he here?
He arrives early one spring and by chance - or is it? - he visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits are on display. Inspired, Theo sets out on a mission of purchasing all the portraits one at a time and quietly bestowing them on their 'rightful owners.'
Stories are told; friendships are born; and lives are changed.
Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.]]> 399 Allen Levi Cathy 0 to-read 4.66 Theo of Golden
author: Allen Levi
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.66
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Cathy 0 to-read 4.09 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sounds Like Love 219301810 A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.]]> Ashley Poston 0593641019 Cathy 0 to-read 4.27 2025 Sounds Like Love
author: Ashley Poston
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> Flirting Lessons 216247471 The exciting new contemporary romance—and her first to feature a queer romance—by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory

Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially other women), flirt with everyone she sees, all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One Avery doesn't know how to do any of that. She doesn't have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.

Enter Taylor Cameron,Napa Valley's biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can't make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons. It will keep her busy, stop her from texting people she shouldn't. And it might distract her from how inadequate she feels compared to her friends, who all seem much more settled and adult than Taylor.

At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. She tells herself it's because the lessons are fun, not because she kind of might have a little bit of a crush on Taylor. Taylor doesn't even try to deny that she's intrigued by Avery, but she's still got a bet to win. With Taylor’s help, Avery is finally doing what she wants to flirting with lots of women, making friends, having fun! But after a while, it becomes impossible for Avery and Taylor to ignore their attraction to one another, despite them both insisting to themselves and everyone else that it isn't serious. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn't know what to do, how to deal with it, and most importantly, if she's already ruined the best thing she's ever had.]]> 416 Jasmine Guillory 0593100913 Cathy 0 to-read 3.62 2025 Flirting Lessons
author: Jasmine Guillory
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> Say You'll Remember Me 216437557 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 0349442827 Cathy 0 to-read 4.29 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> Great Big Beautiful Life 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 384 Emily Henry 059344129X Cathy 0 to-read 4.26 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life
author: Emily Henry
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> <![CDATA[The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, #4)]]> 213186396 Fall in love with the brand new spring romance set in Dream Harbor, from the bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Café.

As a renowned chef, single-dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when Mayor Kelly suggests Archer is looking for a nanny, and Iris might be available, she shudders at the thought. But in need of money she reluctantly agrees.

As Archer and Iris get used to their new roles, is it possible that they might have more in common than they first thought, or is Olive just determined to play match-maker�

Tropes:

� single dad
� forced proximity
� slow burn
� found family
� one bed]]> 384 Laurie Gilmore 0008713340 Cathy 0 to-read 3.97 2025 The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, #4)
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> I Hope This Finds You Well 200987323 In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues� private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.]]> 338 Natalie Sue 0063320363 Cathy 5 3.75 2024 I Hope This Finds You Well
author: Natalie Sue
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> Thank You For Listening 59314736
On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel. ]]> 399 Julia Whelan 0063243156 Cathy 0 to-read 3.93 2022 Thank You For Listening
author: Julia Whelan
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Out On a Limb 182095008 406 Hannah Bonam-Young 1778027792 Cathy 0 to-read 4.25 2023 Out On a Limb
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Paradise Problem 199797582
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents � his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.]]> 352 Christina Lauren 1668017725 Cathy 0 to-read 4.07 2024 The Paradise Problem
author: Christina Lauren
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)]]> 217536270
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.]]> 624 Callie Hart 1538774194 Cathy 0 to-read 4.30 2024 Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)]]> 210714656
�'An absolutely stunning fantasy world� Raven Kennedy, author of international bestseller, The Plated Prisoner Series

‘A wild ride that thrills as much as it enchants � An instant classic� Thea Guanzon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

He's fire and brimstone.
I'm shattered ice �
I'll gladly burn beneath him until the world comes crumbling down.
As an assassin for the rebellion, Raeve’s job is to complete orders and never get caught. When a rival bounty hunter shatters her world, Raeve finds herself captured by the Guild of Nobles � a group of powerful fae.

Crushed by the loss of his great love, dragon rider Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to quell the never-ebbing ache in his chest, a clue lures him into the capital’s high-security prison where he stumbles upon the imprisoned Raeve �

Together, they seek truths that threaten to unravel everything they knew about their world � and each other.

Bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched will transport you into a world filled with magic, dragons and a love that blazes through the ages…]]> 576 Sarah A. Parker 0008710228 Cathy 0 to-read 3.92 2024 When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Serpent & the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1)]]> 180724703 Wall Street Journal bestselling Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent. Filled with heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue—perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

For humans and vampires, the rules of survival are the never trust, never yield, and always—always—guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown� and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone � but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.]]> 464 Carissa Broadbent 1250343178 Cathy 0 to-read 4.29 2022 The Serpent & the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia, #1)
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)]]> 8127 Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family� and, most of all, love.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JENNIFER LEE CARELL]]> 320 L.M. Montgomery 0451528824 Cathy 0 to-read 4.30 1908 Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1908
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
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]]> The Lonely Hearts Book Club 61341469
Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.]]> 352 Lucy Gilmore 1728256216 Cathy 5 3.84 2023 The Lonely Hearts Book Club
author: Lucy Gilmore
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
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I loved it through and through. As always, I’m a sucker for a grouchy old guy who becomes not as grouchy by the end of the story (and learns some things about himself along the way). But what I loved about this book was that, to me, every major character learned something about themselves and became more true versions of themselves by the end of the book. I liked that it was told from each major character’s perspective. It made the reading more interesting and it was nice to gain insight into all of their inner worlds. Arthur’s speech to Maisey in Chapter 32 about her relationship with her daughter was one of the sweetest and most heart-touching moments in a book that I’ve read for a long time. It’s been awhile since a book really made me cry. This one did and I loved that about it.
]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Cathy 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Deep End 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood Cathy 0 to-read 3.96 2025 Deep End
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 211721797 The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.]]> 358 Heather Fawcett 0593500229 Cathy 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes, #2)]]> 222376572 Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple�

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.]]> 336 Travis Baldree 1250334888 Cathy 0 to-read 4.06 2025 Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes, #2)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)]]> 65213543 When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.]]> 336 Travis Baldree 1250886104 Cathy 3 4.13 2023 Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:
It was good, but not amazing. It all just moved a bit slow for me. The “summer romance� really wasn’t much of anything. BUT for the fact that it’s a prequel and I really want to read the 2nd book (which was actually written first), I do feel like it did a good job of establishing characters and building a bit of the world I’d be exploring in “Legends and Lattes� (whenever I read it).
]]> Reasons to Stay Alive 25733573 Matt Haig’s accessible and life-affirming memoir of his struggle with depression, and how his triumph over the illness taught him to live.

Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from depression. Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt’s inspiring account of how, minute by minute and day by day, he overcame the disease with the help of reading, writing, and the love of his parents and his girlfriend (and now-wife), Andrea. And eventually, he learned to appreciate life all the more for it.

Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest—there is light at the end of the tunnel. He teaches us to celebrate the small joys and moments of peace that life brings, and reminds us that there are always reasons to stay alive.]]> 256 Matt Haig 0143128728 Cathy 4 4.04 2015 Reasons to Stay Alive
author: Matt Haig
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
review:
It takes a lot of bravery to write about your mental illness, and I think Matt is incredibly brave for sharing his story with all of us. It’s not exactly self-help, not exactly memoir. It rides the line between the two in ways that help give you insight into his own experience, while also sharing advice for how to handle yourself should you ever need to. What I really appreciated is how much he says “This worked for me. Something else might work for you.� It left it open to throw out things he wrote that might not pertain to you, while keeping the things that do. I liked the book a lot and I think if you have anxiety or depression (or love someone that does), you might really like this book too.
]]> Good Material 96177629
Now he is. . .

Without a home

Waiting for his stand-up career to take off

Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn't looking

Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story�

In this sharply funny and exquisitely relatable story of romantic disaster and friendship, Dolly Alderton offers up a love story with two endings, demonstrating once again why she is one of the most exciting writers today, and the true voice of a generation.]]> 345 Dolly Alderton 0241523672 Cathy 5 3.85 2023 Good Material
author: Dolly Alderton
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Another 5-star read for 2025. This one I had a hard time putting down. I loved that the majority of the book is from a guy’s perspective. It was different from any other “getting through the breakup� books I’ve read because of that. But what really drew me in is the great way in which the author explores the pain of being dumped and having to move on when you don’t wang to move on. Though Andy is an annoying character, he’s meant to be that way so that his arc of growth can truly happen. I loved the ending and truly loved getting a little insight into the breakup from Jen’s perspective too. It was just a really really good one and I’m super glad I read it.
]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X Cathy 0 to-read 3.99 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Cathy 5 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/11
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:

]]> The Life Impossible 198281740
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…�

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.

Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.]]> 324 Matt Haig 0593489276 Cathy 5 3.45 2024 The Life Impossible
author: Matt Haig
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:
I don’t even have words for how much I loved this book. I’m not a religious person, but I do believe all of us are connected to each other and the world around us. This story explores that idea so it resonated with me and I adored it. It’s fantastical, imaginative, and I loved the whole arc of it. The author paints beautiful images with his writing and that really helped with this story. It’s possible this one has moved to my top favorite books.
]]> <![CDATA[Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)]]> 205977739
Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.]]> 368 Katherine Rundell 0593809866 Cathy 0 to-read 4.13 2023 Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)
author: Katherine Rundell
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> The Magic Paintbrush 1059042 32 Julia Donaldson 0333964438 Cathy 0 to-read 4.28 2003 The Magic Paintbrush
author: Julia Donaldson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> Vespertine 56980403 Artemisia se está preparando para unirse a las hermanas grises, encargadas de purificar a los fallecidos para que sus almas sigan adelante; de ​​lo contrario, sus espíritus despiertan con un hambre voraz por los vivos. Ella prefiere tratar con los muertos, que a diferencia de los vivos nunca hacen comentarios sobre su turbio pasado.
Cuando su convento sufre un ataque, Artemisia lo defiende despertando a un antiguo espíritu vinculado a una reliquia. Es un renacido, un ser malévolo que amenaza con poseerla en cuanto baje la guardia. La muerte ha llegado a Loraille, y solo una vespertina (una sacerdotisa entrenada para controlar una gran reliquia) puede aspirar a detenerla. Pero los conocimientos de las vespertinas hace mucho que se perdieron, por lo que a Artemisia no le queda más opción que recurrir al único que puede saber algo: el mismísimo renacido.
Mientras su vínculo con el renacido se fortalece entre secretos y magia, un mal oculto comienza a surgir. Y enfrentarse a él puede requerir que traicione todo en lo que cree... si es que el renacido no la traiciona primero.]]> 400 Margaret Rogerson 153447711X Cathy 0 to-read 4.09 2021 Vespertine
author: Margaret Rogerson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> Frogkisser! 29736231 The last thing she needs is a prince. The first thing she needs is some magic.

Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother’s new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.

Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land—and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.]]> 374 Garth Nix 133805208X Cathy 0 to-read 3.78 2017 Frogkisser!
author: Garth Nix
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> Grayling's Song 26312968 240 Karen Cushman 0544301633 Cathy 0 to-read 3.22 2016 Grayling's Song
author: Karen Cushman
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.22
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> Sourdough 33916024
Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up.

When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. But then, an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly?]]> 259 Robin Sloan 0374203105 Cathy 0 to-read 3.73 2017 Sourdough
author: Robin Sloan
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Summer Tales From Cozy Vales: A Cozy Fantasy Collection #2 (Cozy Vales Collection)]]> 214484720 A delightful collection of cozy fantasy stories set in the coziest of worlds!

Grab your picnic basket and favorite cold beverage because the latest offering from the Cozy Vales scribes has hours of summer reading waiting for you!

This anthology features stories set during Summer's Tide, a two-week holiday celebrating life, love, and nature. Summer’s Tide culminates with High Summer, where residents enjoy a day of festival frivolity and an all-night celebration of revelry, storytelling, and fireworks.

Explore Cozy Vales and these summer holidays through eight different short

The Trouble With Toppers - L.A. Scott
Boule-igans - G Clatworthy
Thorne's Promotion - Bonnie Axton
Desperate at the Delphinium - Cassandra Stirling
The Green in the Mist - Rebecca Buchanan
The Hatchling Guardian - Miranda Herald
The Baker's Daughter - Phillip Sanderson
To Brew CommuniTea - Elle Steward]]> 284 L.A. Scott 1956757201 Cathy 0 to-read 3.98 Summer Tales From Cozy Vales: A Cozy Fantasy Collection #2 (Cozy Vales Collection)
author: L.A. Scott
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> Winter Tales from Cozy Vales 202729618 A delightful collection of cozy fantasy stories set in the coziest of worlds!

Grab your blanket and favorite hot beverage because this anthology of cozy fantasy stories has hours of holiday reading waiting for you! Winter Tales is set in Cozy Vales, an original fantasy shared world and home to the Heart of the Vale, the most delicious hot chocolate drink ever invented.

This debut collection features stories set during Winter's Tide, a two-week holiday of giving and gratitude that culminates with Lantern Night, an evening marked by the lighting of candles and the release of floating lanterns.

Explore the Cozy Vales holidays through nine different short

A Season of Giving - L.A. Scott
The Ballad of the Cat and the Silver - Rebecca Buchanan
Flagons and Dragons - K M Jackways
Sour at The Salt & Pickle - Cassandra Stirling
A Dress With Pockets - G Clatworthy
Dormant - Selina J. Eckert
Blizzards and Brews - Deanna and Angela Stuart
The Best Thief in Capital Vale - Nathaniel Webb
The Alchemist's Surprise - Bonnie Axton

Cozy Vales tales are low on stakes but high on adventure, excitement, mystery, and heartwarming storytelling!]]> 372 Raymond Walker 1956757155 Cathy 0 to-read 3.97 Winter Tales from Cozy Vales
author: Raymond Walker
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)]]> 76620 Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN13 9780380395866 here.

Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.]]> 478 Richard Adams 038039586X Cathy 0 to-read 4.08 1972 Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)
author: Richard Adams
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Chalice 2828595
A captivating tale that reveals the healing power of duty and honour, love and honey.
]]> 265 Robin McKinley 0399246762 Cathy 0 to-read 3.81 2008 Chalice
author: Robin McKinley
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In His Majesty's Service (Temeraire, #1-3+2.5)]]> 13518120
Capt. Will Laurence is serving with honor in the British Navy when his ship captures a French frigate harboring most a unusual cargo—an incalculably valuable dragon egg. When the egg hatches, Laurence unexpectedly becomes the master of the young dragon Temeraire and finds himself on an extraordinary journey that will shatter his orderly, respectable life and alter the course of his nation's history.

Thrust into England's Aerial Corps, Laurence and Temeraire undergo rigorous training while staving off French forces intent on breaching British soil. But the pair has more than France to contend with when China learns that an imperial dragon intended for Napoleon—Temeraire himself� has fallen into British hands. The emperor summons the new pilot and his dragon to the Far East, a long voyage fraught with peril and intrigue. From England's shores to China's palaces, from the Silk Road's outer limits to the embattled borders of Prussia and Poland, Laurence and Temeraire must defend their partnership and their country from powerful adversaries around the globe. But can they succeed against the massed forces of Bonaparte's implacable army?]]> 818 Naomi Novik Cathy 0 to-read 4.20 2009 In His Majesty's Service (Temeraire, #1-3+2.5)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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 Cathy 0 to-read 4.03 2020 A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga, #3)]]> 64105 513 Mary Stewart 0060548274 Cathy 0 to-read 4.18 1979 The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga, #3)
author: Mary Stewart
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1979
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hollow Hills (Arthurian Saga, #2)]]> 116343 475 Mary Stewart 0060548266 Cathy 0 to-read 4.25 1973 The Hollow Hills (Arthurian Saga, #2)
author: Mary Stewart
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga, #1)]]> 82192 494 Mary Stewart 0060548258 Cathy 0 to-read 4.14 1970 The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga, #1)
author: Mary Stewart
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1970
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle, #3)]]> 2173611
By opening that door, Charmain has become responsible for not only the house, but for an extremely magical stray dog, a muddled young apprentice wizard, and a box of the king's most treasured documents. She has encountered a terrifying beast called a lubbock, irritated a clan of small blue creatures, and wound up smack in the middle of an urgent search. The king and his daughter are desperate to find the lost, fabled Elfgift—so desperate that they've even called in an intimidating sorceress named Sophie to help. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind?

Of course, with that magical family involved, there's bound to be chaos—and unexpected revelations. No one will be more surprised than Charmain by what Howl and Sophie discover.]]> 404 Diana Wynne Jones 0061477958 Cathy 0 to-read 4.05 2008 House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle, #3)
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, #2)]]> 47520 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

In which a humble young carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams

Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet.

That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess....]]> 298 Diana Wynne Jones 0064473457 Cathy 0 to-read 3.87 1990 Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, #2)
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1990
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> <![CDATA[Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle, #1)]]> 6294 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.]]> 329 Diana Wynne Jones 006441034X Cathy 0 to-read 4.30 1986 Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle, #1)
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1986
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Death Beside the Seaside (Lady Hardcastle Mystery, #6)]]> 49224838 The first to disappear is Dr Goddard, a scientist doing something terribly top-secret for the government. Gone too are his strongbox and its mysterious contents. By the time Lady Hardcastle has questioned the horde of international guests, her number-one suspect has been dispatched in grisly circumstances—and then the others start vanishing too.

As the case begins to look like a matter of national security, Lady Hardcastle takes advice from her brother in the secret service. But could there be an even more personal connection at play? To solve the case, Lady Hardcastle may face a shocking discovery of her own.

]]> 378 T.E. Kinsey Cathy 0 to-read 4.34 2019 Death Beside the Seaside (Lady Hardcastle Mystery, #6)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #5)]]> 42963079
When Lady Hardcastle receives a letter from a suffragette requesting her urgent help, the retired spy turned sleuth knows only she stands between an accused young woman and the gallows. Evidence at the scene makes Lizzie Worrel's innocence difficult to believe, and with the police treating it as an open-and-shut case of arson, Lady Hardcastle faces a barrage of resistance as she tries to dig out the truth.

With her trusted maid and confidante, the formidable Flo, Lady Hardcastle sets off in pursuit of the truth as time runs out for the accused suffragette. Was she set up? And if so, is the real culprit a traitor to the cause - or part of a darker conspiracy?

Listening Length: 9 hours and 19 minutes]]> 315 T.E. Kinsey 1542041147 Cathy 0 to-read 4.34 2019 The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #5)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[A Picture of Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #4)]]> 40190686 Lady Hardcastle and her trusted lady’s maid, Florence, find themselves hosting a colourful cast of actors whose spooky moving picture, The Witch’s Downfall, is being shown to mark Halloween. But things take a macabre turn when the first night’s screening ends with a mysterious murder, and the second night with another…One by one the actors turn up dead in ways that eerily echo their film.

With the police left scratching their heads, Lady Hardcastle calls upon her amateur sleuthing skills to launch an investigation, with Flo’s able assistance. Surrounded by suspects both human and supernatural, Lady Hardcastle must use a little trickery of her own to unmask the murderer.

]]> 320 T.E. Kinsey 1542099951 Cathy 0 to-read 4.30 2018 A Picture of Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #4)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Death Around the Bend (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #3)]]> 33537259 Closer investigation reveals that the driver’s car was sabotaged—and the driver murdered. The local constabulary are quick to dismiss the case, but Flo and Lady Hardcastle are determined to find out just who has committed this dastardly act, and why.

As the pair begin to make enquiries of Lord Riddlethorpe’s servants and guests, it seems that, below stairs and above, there is more to this case than meets the eye. And, even in the quiet of the countryside, death is always just around the bend.

]]> 316 T.E. Kinsey 1503995100 Cathy 0 to-read 4.29 2017 Death Around the Bend (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #3)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In the Market for Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #2)]]> 31143583 Revised edition: Previously published as The Spirit is Willing, this edition of In The Market For Murder includes editorial revisions.

Spring, 1909, and Lady Hardcastle, amateur sleuth and all-round eccentric, is enjoying a well-deserved rest. But a week after a trip to the cattle market, Spencer Caradine, a local farmer, turns up dead in the pub, face-down in his beef and mushroom pie. Once again, it is up to Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence, to solve the case.

Armed with wit and whimsy, not to mention Florence’s mean right hook, the pair set out to discover what really happened and why. Was it poison or just ill luck?

As they delve further into their investigation, they encounter a theft where nothing is stolen, a séance with a troubled ghost and an ever-increasing number of Spencer’s family and friends who might just have motive for murder. One thing’s for sure: Lady Hardcastle has a mystery on her hands.]]> 270 T.E. Kinsey 1503993280 Cathy 0 to-read 4.16 2015 In the Market for Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #2)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> <![CDATA[A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #1)]]> 30178957 Revised edition: This edition of A Quiet Life In The Country includes editorial revisions.

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.

But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There’s a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation�

As Lady Hardcastle and Flo delve deeper into rural rivalries and resentment, they uncover a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the village. With almost no one free from suspicion, they can be certain of only one fact: there is no such thing as a quiet life in the country.]]> 257 T.E. Kinsey Cathy 0 to-read 3.96 2016 A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, #1)
author: T.E. Kinsey
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)]]> 61242426
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success � not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 296 Travis Baldree Cathy 0 to-read 4.05 2022 Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> Westering Women 45046820 From the bestselling author of Prayers for Sale, an inspiring celebration of sisterhood on the perilous wagon-trail west

"If you are an adventuresome young woman of high moral character and fine health, are you willing to travel to California in search of a good husband?"

It's February 1852, and all around Chicago Maggie sees the postings soliciting "eligible women" to travel to the gold mines of Goosetown. A young seamstress with a small daughter and several painful secrets, she has nothing to lose.

So she joins forty-three other women and two pious reverends on the dangerous 2,000-mile journey west. None of them are prepared for the hardships they face on the trek through the high plains, mountains, and deserts. Or for the triumphs of finding strengths they did not know they possessed. And not all will make it.

As Maggie gets to know the other women, she soon discovers that she’s not the only one looking to leave dark secrets behind. And when her past catches up with her, it becomes clear a band of sisters will do whatever it takes to protect one of their own.]]> 336 Sandra Dallas 1250239664 Cathy 0 to-read 3.90 2020 Westering Women
author: Sandra Dallas
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Cathy 0 to-read 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary
author: Andy Weir
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Miss Percy's Definitive Guide to the Restoration of Dragons (Miss Percy Guide #3)]]> 213817066
Unfortunately, her niece, Belinda, has recently absconded from Nyth y Ddraig with 1) a newly-hatched white dragon, 2) over a dozen (unhatched) dragon eggs, and 3) an extraordinary surfeit of hubris. All clues lead to London, and so Mildred and company have no choice but to follow her to town.

But retrieving a hoard of dragon eggs in the middle of a vast city is no easy task, especially when confronted with such impediments as journalism, pelicans, and a certain Prince Regent. Now Mildred must do everything in her power to return the stolen eggs to Wales � before they hatch! � and finally carve out the life for herself she has always wanted.


]]> 445 Quenby Olson Cathy 0 to-read 4.54 2024 Miss Percy's Definitive Guide to the Restoration of Dragons (Miss Percy Guide #3)
author: Quenby Olson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Miss Percy's Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons (Miss Percy Guide, #2)]]> 61668221
Well, it certainly was not a chicken.

Miss Mildred Percy, former wallflower and current adventurer, is now in charge of a dragon. Along with Mr. Wiggan and Mrs. Babbinton � our stalwart companions from the first volume of Miss Percy’s adventures � she embarks on a journey across Wales, in search of the mysterious Nyth y Ddraig, or Nest of Dragons.

But traveling with a young dragon in an unfamiliar land proves more difficult than anticipated. Between angry mobs, midnight rescues, and recalcitrant sheep, they battle (figuratively) their way across the countryside, defend themselves against enemies old and new, and discover something remarkable hidden in the mountains of Wales.]]> 450 Quenby Olson Cathy 0 to-read 4.33 2022 Miss Percy's Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons (Miss Percy Guide, #2)
author: Quenby Olson
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (Miss Percy Guide, #1)]]> 55040182
Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves�

Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.

The egg - as eggs are wont to do - decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower� and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.�

But England has not seen a dragon since� well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.]]> Quenby Olson Cathy 0 to-read 3.90 2021 Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (Miss Percy Guide, #1)
author: Quenby Olson
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1)]]> 34219873
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.]]> 465 Jessica Townsend 0316439959 Cathy 0 to-read 4.32 2017 Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1)
author: Jessica Townsend
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)]]> 65211701 Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.]]> 245 Martha Wells 1250826977 Cathy 0 to-read 4.19 2023 System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> <![CDATA[Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)]]> 53205854 No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!]]> 168 Martha Wells 1250765374 Cathy 0 to-read 4.25 2021 Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)]]> 52381770
It worries about the fragile human crew who've grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.

It tells itself that they're only a professional obligation, but when they're captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

]]> 350 Martha Wells 1250229863 Cathy 0 to-read 4.44 2020 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)]]> 35519109
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?]]> 163 Martha Wells Cathy 0 to-read 4.38 2018 Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> <![CDATA[Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)]]> 35519101
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

]]> 158 Martha Wells 1250191785 Cathy 0 to-read 4.21 2018 Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)]]> 36223860 alternate cover for ISBN 9781250186928

It has a dark past � one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A� stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.]]> 158 Martha Wells Cathy 0 to-read 4.23 2018 Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
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]]> <![CDATA[All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)]]> 32758901 "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.� Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 144 Martha Wells Cathy 0 to-read 4.11 2017 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Teller of Small Fortunes 207611551 A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences�

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.]]> 336 Julie Leong 0593815912 Cathy 0 to-read 3.82 2024 The Teller of Small Fortunes
author: Julie Leong
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human]]> 214025340 In the summer of 2022, podcaster and author Carlos Whittaker spent seven weeks entirely screen free, splitting his time between a monastery, an Amish farm, and home with his family. Blending the inspiring story of this experiment with practical guidance, Whittaker reveals how you can reset your relationship with screens and step into a life of real connection.

Not many people have the opportunity to spend weeks entirely devoid of phone and computer screens, but Whittaker's radical, screen-free experiment yields hope and wisdom to everyone who has felt the loneliness, low-key despair, and paradoxical disconnectedness that accompanies the always-on, always-plugged-in nature of modern life.

Readers who take this journey with Whittaker will

learn how to cut through the divisive, polarizing effects of social media and build real community, even with people who are very different from them;rediscover the joy of noticing and savoring the beauty of the world beyond their phone screens;remember how experiencing boredom, solitude, and even getting lost (all but eradicated by smartphones) can bring opportunities for new discoveries about themselves and the world around them; andreset their relationship with screens and social media forever.

Blending wisdom from the past, practices of intentionality and community, and Whittaker's engaging communication style that has led to the explosive growth of his social media presence over the past few years, this book is a compelling story, a guide for resetting your life in a tech-saturated world, and an invitation into the connection and community that feels so elusive today.]]> 240 Carlos Whittaker 1400246466 Cathy 4 4.41 Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human
author: Carlos Whittaker
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
Here’s the thing, it’s fairly god-centric. I didn’t realize the author is a pastor (or somehow works with/for churches) until I started the book. But I loved the idea of someone going screen free for 7 weeks so much that I wanted to read this book no matter what. I took a lot from it. The idea of savoring moments. The realization that I find it hard to keep eye contact with people sometimes because I’m so distracted by my phone or by something going on in the world that’s consuming my thoughts. I want to turn off my phone more often. I want to take walks without it because of this book. And I really want to strive to have family meals at the table without phones as much as possible. There’s a lot of good insights in this book and after the first kind of god-heavy bit, I didn’t mind the god references as much and found I could kind of ignore them or substitute my own belief system into the situation. Overall, it was a great book to start the year with and I hope I take a lot of the principles to heart.
]]> <![CDATA[This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom #1)]]> 56554281 Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.]]> 512 Tahereh Mafi 0062972464 Cathy 0 to-read 3.95 2022 This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #2)]]> 200034606
Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?]]> 61 Abby Jimenez 166251963X Cathy 5 3.99 2024 Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #2)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1)]]> 200033357 New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates� are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask�what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.]]> 101 Christina Lauren 1662519893 Cathy 5 4.21 2024 The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Royal Valentine (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #6)]]> 200034641
Princess Ilaria has had it up to her tiara with the paparazzi, her own wild reputation, and the public eye. Trading places with her assistant, Ilaria wants just one blissfully ordinary weekend. Then a handsome photographer with a sexy Scottish burr offers to be her guide. Sparks fly, but how long can they last? Ilaria’s secret has to come out—and it could ruin a perfectly serendipitous romance.

Sariah Wilson’s Royal Valentine is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.]]> 71 Sariah Wilson Cathy 5 3.14 2024 Royal Valentine (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #6)
author: Sariah Wilson
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> The Last Letter 40045986
Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan]]> 426 Rebecca Yarros 1640635335 Cathy 0 to-read 4.43 2019 The Last Letter
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Drop, Cover, and Hold On (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #4)]]> 200033957
This Valentine’s Day, Daisy Murray has her heart set on binge-watching rom-coms. Instead, an earthquake traps her inside a bakery with its impossibly rude and insufferably handsome owner and head baker. They already have a history: she’s always smiled, he’s always scowled. Where better to finally get to know each other than amid the disaster? Then again, they have no choice. Besides, it could have its sweet, undeniable, and unpredictable perks.

Jasmine Guillory’s Drop, Cover, and Hold On is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.]]> 40 Jasmine Guillory 1662519834 Cathy 3 2.93 2024 Drop, Cover, and Hold On (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #4)
author: Jasmine Guillory
name: Cathy
average rating: 2.93
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
Cute and flirty. Quick fun short story read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)]]> 211081101
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save� and which kingdom she’ll destroy.

Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 448 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975189 Cathy 0 to-read 4.01 2018 The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Cathy
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match]]> 59816803
For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor's ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own.

When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau (named Will for the moment) has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity. Trying to ignore their heart-pounding chemistry, Angelika reluctantly joins the investigation into his past, hoping it will bring them closer. But when a second suitor emerges to aid their quest, Angelika wonders if she was too hasty inventing a solution. Perhaps fate is not something that can be influenced in a laboratory? Or is Will (or whatever his name is!) her dream man, tailored for her in every way? And can he survive what was done to him in the name of science, and love?

Filled with carriages, candlesticks, and corpses, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match is the spooky-season reimagining of the well-known classic that reminds us to never judge a man by his cadaver!]]> 364 Sally Thorne 0062912836 Cathy 0 to-read 3.31 2022 Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match
author: Sally Thorne
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 99 Percent Mine 36300625
a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach�

� If Darcy Barrett hadn’t met her dream man when she was eight years old, the rest of the male population wouldn’t be such a let-down. No one measures up to Tom Valeska, aka the best man on Earth, not in looks, brain or heart. Even worse is the knowledge that her twin brother Jamie saw him first, and claimed him forever as his best friend.

Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. One percent of Tom has had to be enough for Darcy, and her adoration has been sustained by his shy kindness. And if she’s honest, his tight t-shirts.

Now Darcy’s got three months left to get her life together, before her twin insists on selling the tumble-down cottage they inherited from their grandmother. By night, she’s working in a seedy bar, shooting down lame pickups from bikers. By day, she’s sewing underwear for her best friend and wasting her award-winning photography skills on website shots of pens and novelty mugs. She’s enjoying living the messy life, and a glass of wine or ten� until that one night, when she finds a six-foot-six perfect package on her porch.

Tom’s here, he’s bearing power tools—and he’s single for the first time in a decade.

As a house flipper extraordinaire, Tom has been dispatched by Jamie to give the cottage a drastic facelift that will result in a ton of cash. Darcy doesn’t appreciate Tom’s unsentimental approach to knocking down walls, and he really, really doesn’t approve of her current burnout boyfriend. They can’t be in the same room together without sparks flying- and it’s not the faulty wiring. One bedroom wall separates them at night, and even that’s looking flimsy.

Will Tom ever see Darcy as anything other than a little-sister obstacle to get around? And can she stand up to her most formidable opponent—her twin? This time around, she’s determined to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers, and he’s never managed to say no to her yet…]]> 352 Sally Thorne 0062439626 Cathy 0 to-read 3.31 2019 99 Percent Mine
author: Sally Thorne
name: Cathy
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: to-read
review:

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