Beth's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:57:56 -0700 60 Beth's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Silver Elite 217245572 In the first book of a searing new dystopian trilogy, a young woman must conceal her psychic powers—and her attraction to her handsome, infuriating commanding officer—as she works undercover to take down a brutal government from within.

The world is divided. On the Continent, you’re either a Prime—immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the Earth’s population 150 years ago—or a Modified, one who was enhanced by the toxin, developing powerful psychic gifts.

As conflict rages between the two sides, Wren Darlington lives in hiding. Occasionally running the odd op for the rebel Uprising against the Primes� oppressive rule, she must keep a low profile. After all, if the enemy finds out that she is a Mod with a staggering four psychic abilities, she won’t just be sent to the labor camps. She’ll be executed—immediately and without trial.

When a careless mistake puts Wren in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, she is taken captive and forced to join their most elite Silver Block. Unwittingly, they’ve handed her the perfect opportunity for the Uprising to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her maddeningly cocky commanding officer.

Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Cross doesn’t trust her—even as he seems determined to destroy the remaining shreds of Wren’s self-control. Yet as the war between Primes and Mods escalates, and as Wren and Cross find themselves unable to stay away from each other, they must decide how far they’re willing to go for their secrets—and how much of the Continent is worth saving.]]> 528 Dani Francis 059387546X Beth 5 arcs-2025 4.41 2025 Silver Elite
author: Dani Francis
name: Beth
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I believe this is a debut and Holy Hell this book is hot. Apparently there is a dystopian, government is evil, novel also happening but I was here for the romance. I have learned that I do not like dystopian but this ARC came to the bookstore so I thought I would just read a little bit and see if I liked it. I could not put it down. Enter Captain Cross. The nicknames he gives her, the sexual tension, when they have sex. I need Dani Francis to write a romance novel right away because the romance in this is great! Wren has been born with special powers which is a threat to the government so she has to keep it a secret. She gets caught and she is given a choice to go to jail or join their military. Captain Cross does not trust her at all but he is attracted to her and she is to him but they know they cannot get together. Obviously they get together. Wren is really working with the Uprising but lines get blurred as she gets close to the people around her. Loved it! I did not highlight anything because I was just reading it too fast. This book is over 500 pages and I want more Cross and Wren!
]]> Jilted 217388009 Bramble's first never-before-published title from #1 New York Times bestseller Vi Keeland is Jilted, a slow-burn, swooning romance where 27 Dresses meets The Hating Game.

Weddings. I spend every working minute thinking and talking and writing about weddings, when the very concept makes me want to scream. After my fiancé abandoned me at the altar last year, my dream job at Bride magazine has turned reoccurring nightmare.

To add insult to injury, I’ve been conscripted into the bridal party of some bridezilla just because she knows the owners� son. So of course I spend all afternoon bickering with one of the groomsmen and all evening making out with him.

Things only get better when I learn that of course ’s the owner’s son and I’ll have to spend the rest of the season working with him at every single wedding I cover this year.

Can the jilted bride and the man who is afraid of love find a way to heal each other?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 272 Vi Keeland 1250359856 Beth 4 arcs-2025 4.18 2025 Jilted
author: Vi Keeland
name: Beth
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I really enjoyed this one. I have never read this author but I will be looking at more of her books. I read the physical ARC. Sloane works for Bridal magazine and a groomsman, Wilder, at one of the weddings falls for her. She has sworn off men after a bad relationship but he is prepared to wear her down. I found it very sexy. Their banter was great! Obviously he eventually wears her down but there is so much more to their story. Wilder, too, has been in a bad relationship so they both are scared to get too involved but at the same time they are both incredibly attracted to each other. This was a quick fun read.
]]> Austen at Sea 217872681 Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.

In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.

The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.

It's a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.]]> 320 Natalie Jenner 1250349605 Beth 4 arcs-2025
I chose this book not for Jane Austen, but because Louisa May Alcott is in it. This book takes place in 1865. Two sisters from Boston have been corresponding with Jane Austen's brother. They take a ship across the ocean to see him. Even though Jane wanted everything of hers burned, he has some items and he wants them to go to a good home. Also corresponding with him are two brothers from Philidelphia who own a bookstore. He wants to play matchmaker as his sister did in her books so he invites them all to come see him and take the same ship. Also happening in this book, which was fun, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has a Jane Austen book club in the summer recess. So some chapters are them discussing her books. I enjoyed it overall. The time on the ship was a little long for me, even though I loved LMA being there. So lots of nods to Jane Austen and I think any fan will enjoy the book.

-"I have not had children myself, but I should think parental love was about their happiness, not yours. Frankly, I should think that the entire point of bringing them into the world."

-How he loved these moments: the eternal puzzle that was his brilliant sister.

-What if a mural on a wall, a book by Dickens, a song in the air, were all that truly bound us, far more than society or religion or law-or even blood?

-It always came too late, such understanding. Only with crisis did we achieve clarity.]]> 3.92 Austen at Sea
author: Natalie Jenner
name: Beth
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
3.5

I chose this book not for Jane Austen, but because Louisa May Alcott is in it. This book takes place in 1865. Two sisters from Boston have been corresponding with Jane Austen's brother. They take a ship across the ocean to see him. Even though Jane wanted everything of hers burned, he has some items and he wants them to go to a good home. Also corresponding with him are two brothers from Philidelphia who own a bookstore. He wants to play matchmaker as his sister did in her books so he invites them all to come see him and take the same ship. Also happening in this book, which was fun, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has a Jane Austen book club in the summer recess. So some chapters are them discussing her books. I enjoyed it overall. The time on the ship was a little long for me, even though I loved LMA being there. So lots of nods to Jane Austen and I think any fan will enjoy the book.

-"I have not had children myself, but I should think parental love was about their happiness, not yours. Frankly, I should think that the entire point of bringing them into the world."

-How he loved these moments: the eternal puzzle that was his brilliant sister.

-What if a mural on a wall, a book by Dickens, a song in the air, were all that truly bound us, far more than society or religion or law-or even blood?

-It always came too late, such understanding. Only with crisis did we achieve clarity.
]]> The Enchanted Greenhouse 217388100
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. S’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until s’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.]]> 384 Sarah Beth Durst 1250333989 Beth 0 to-read 4.45 2025 The Enchanted Greenhouse
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Beth
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Shield of Sparrows 217171544 Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?]]> 528 Devney Perry 1649378513 Beth 4 arcs-2025 4.71 2025 Shield of Sparrows
author: Devney Perry
name: Beth
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/23
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I ended up loving this one and I cannot wait for the next book. The reason for not a 5th star was because I was so excited about the secret and I told my husband I can't wait for the reveal, and then it didn't happen, and it still didn't happen, and still didn't happen. I just got completely annoyed that it wasn't happening. There is nothing worse than knowing the secret as the reader but the main character not finding out for another, oh, 300 pages! Come on! So, Odessa's sister is supposed to marry the Prince of Turah. However, when the prince comes to get his bride, he wants Odessa instead. Odessa leaves with the prince but all of the banter is with the sexy bodyguard. I loved their banter. I loved them together. There are monsters in all of the kingdoms that attack the people. So this book is Odessa traveling around getting attacked by monsters. But there is so much more going on and once secrets were revealed I did not want to put it down. The ending was great!
]]> <![CDATA[Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3)]]> 18480329 Two worlds threaten to crumble in the face of a common enemy in the epic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy -- now with a gorgeous new package! What power can bruise the sky?Two worlds are poised on the brink of a vicious war. By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera's rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her.When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited -- not in love, but in tentative alliance against their common enemy. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?The New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion as -- from the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond -- humans, chimaera, and seraphim strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.]]> 506 Laini Taylor 031628016X Beth 5 4.17 Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3)
author: Laini Taylor
name: Beth
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2014/04/17
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this whole series. There is just so much going on in all of the books that it is a lot to take in. And just when you get near the end of this book and think it is over, we get thrown another curve ball. It almost seems like there will be another series maybe. I love all the humor in these books. I laughed out loud many times. I really felt what Zuzana was feeling when she was witnessing war for the first time. My favorite chapter was 77 with Liraz. I enjoyed the whole crazy world we read about, but like I said, this is not a light read, but I found it to be a fun read. I came upon this series thanks to Cassandra Clare and I was not disappointed.
]]> My Friends 217163697 #1New York Timesbestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Beth 3 arcs-2025
There were some great quotes though they may be different in the actual copy:

-Being a parent is so strange, all our children's pain belongs to us, but so does their joy.

-It's hard to say "I love you" when you're fourteen years old. And completely impossible to dare to whisper: "Don't hurt yourself, because you'd be hurting me too."

-"Joar tried to save everyone he loved. It was like he knew he had a clock inside him, counting down to destruction, so he was in a hurry to fix everything for...all of us."

-The janitor looked ashamed at that, sometimes you don't appreciate your own blessings until you see the envy in someone else's eyes.

-You can't love someone out of addiction, all the oceans are the tears of those who have tried. We're not allowed to die for our children, the universe won't let us, because then there wouldn't be any mothers left.

-...loneliness was better than disappointment.




]]> 4.58 2025 My Friends
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Beth
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/16
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I am sort of at a loss for how to review this book. I have only read A Man Called Ove, which I loved, but I was excited to get a physical ARC of this book. This one is just so depressing. Ted is telling Louisa about one summer 25 years ago. Ted and his friends all came from horrible family lives but they were loyal to each other. I did not find this book of friendship nostalgic in any way. My friends are I were not delinquents and did not come from abusive homes. It was just so depressing and I was just on edge of who will die and when and how. I just did not connect with the characters. I also had to suspend disbelief at a lot of the things happening in the book. I also did not like the constant mention of 39 being old. Really?! Louisa is 18 and I did not feel like she acted 18 just as Ted is 39 and I definitely did not feel he was acting like a 39 year old. I think if you are a fan of Backman you will probably like it but it was just okay to me. I probably would have DNFd it if I hadn't been given the ARC. Too much depressing stuff for me.

There were some great quotes though they may be different in the actual copy:

-Being a parent is so strange, all our children's pain belongs to us, but so does their joy.

-It's hard to say "I love you" when you're fourteen years old. And completely impossible to dare to whisper: "Don't hurt yourself, because you'd be hurting me too."

-"Joar tried to save everyone he loved. It was like he knew he had a clock inside him, counting down to destruction, so he was in a hurry to fix everything for...all of us."

-The janitor looked ashamed at that, sometimes you don't appreciate your own blessings until you see the envy in someone else's eyes.

-You can't love someone out of addiction, all the oceans are the tears of those who have tried. We're not allowed to die for our children, the universe won't let us, because then there wouldn't be any mothers left.

-...loneliness was better than disappointment.





]]> <![CDATA[The Musician and the Monster (The Castamar Duology #1)]]> 205590092
Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne.

Charged with protecting the backwater city of Teneboure by the king, Drystan is failing at his task, and he can’t afford another slip up. But when fate and the very monster he means to conquer bring Ceridwen to his notice, he seizes the opportunity and presents her with an offer: play music for him at his manor in exchange for the money her impoverished family desperately needs. Music eases the strain of his magic, and who better to hire than the woman whose tunes he secretly listens to at night?

At first, Ceridwen is put off by Drystan’s unkempt appearance and harsh demeanor, not to mention the odd ailment that plagues him. But as he embraces her passion for music and she draws the recluse out of his lonely tower, the two develop an unlikely attachment. Class lines begin to blur as fearful indifference shifts to unexpected desire, and Ceridwen yearns to help Drystan subdue the monster as well as provide for her family. However, the monster prowling the night isn’t their only enemy, and as terrible secrets come to light, protecting those they love may risk their lives and their hearts.


This retelling of Beauty and the Beast incorporates themes and motifs from Phantom of the Opera, and is set in a gaslamp fantasy world with strong gothic vibes. It should appeal to fans of romantic and atmospheric retellings and fairy tales by authors such as Hannah Whitten, Tessonja Odette, and Stephanie Garber.

While this is book 4 in the Reimagined Fairy Tales series, it can be read as a standalone.]]> 382 Megan Van Dyke Beth 0 to-read 4.02 2024 The Musician and the Monster (The Castamar Duology #1)
author: Megan Van Dyke
name: Beth
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs) (The Princess Swap #2)]]> 214391303 What would happen if Sleeping Beauty had to create a poisoned apple, and Snow White faced off against a dragon? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!

As a baby, Rose was cursed to meet a mysterious fate on her thirteenth birthday, but no one bothered to tell Rose that until now . . . a week before she turns thirteen. And a week’s not nearly enough time to figure out what to do when s’s suddenly whisked from her Dreamwood cottage to a strange palace—trapped with an evil queen who hands her an apple . . .

Princess Snow is preparing for the ceremony that will prove s’s fit to rule her kingdom. The problem? Her wicked stepmother. The other problem? Without warning, she finds herself in the middle of the Dreamwood, where, on top of all her other problems, she has to worry about . . . a sleeping curse.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Rose escape the curse that’s followed her since birth? And can Snow save her kingdom from her stepmother?

For other Princess Swaps, don't miss Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper)!]]> 316 Kim Bussing 0593708091 Beth 4 arcs-2025 4.23 Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs) (The Princess Swap #2)
author: Kim Bussing
name: Beth
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I think I liked this one better than the first book. This book also has the sprayed edges. This one started off a little slow for me but towards the end I could not put it down. Rose is in the castle with Snow White's evil stepmother and Snow White is in Rose's cottage in the woods. Snow White needs to get back to the castle before the crowning ceremony or else she forfeits the crown and her stepmom will be queen instead of her. She finds a group of people to take her back only to realize they are looking for her. Her stepmom has made everyone believe that Snow White has cursed the village. As in the first book I enjoyed the twists on the original tale and the nods to it. I liked Rose and Snow and I liked how it all ended.
]]> Emma 54287737 A fine exclusive edition of one of literature’s most beloved stories. Featuring a laser-cut jacket on a textured book with foil stamping, all titles in this series will be first editions. No more than 10,000 copies will be printed, and each will be individually numbered from 1 to 10,000.

She wished she might be able to keep him from an absolute declaration. That would be so very painful a conclusion of their present acquaintance! and yet, she could not help rather anticipating something decisive. She felt as if the spring would not pass without bringing a crisis, an event, a something to alter her present composed and tranquil state.

Beautiful, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her single life and sees no need for neither love nor marriage. However, nothing delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend, Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée, Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

(Seasons Edition--Spring) is one of four titles available in March 2021. The spring season also will includeThe Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Secret Garden, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.]]> 477 Jane Austen 078523974X Beth 4 4.26 1815 Emma
author: Jane Austen
name: Beth
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1815
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
I have some pretty classics and my goal is to actually read them. The podcast Novel Pairings did a read along and I thought now is my chance. We just read about 8-10 chapters a week so I thought it was a good pace. I just finished so I have not listened to the last podcast yet but it definitely helped having two English teachers explain to me what I read. My mind wanders sometimes when I try to read a classic (do we really need one paragraph to take up a whole page?) and I found I had missed things when I listened to the recap. Also they explain things going on in the time period to help you understand more what Jane Austen was talking about. I enjoyed it. I have only read one other Austen I think, Pride and Prejudice. I liked Emma's growth and there was a lot of humor in the book.
]]> The Amalfi Curse 218707474 “Sarah Penner transported me to the sea-swept cliffs of Positano and introduced me to characters I’ll never forget. A magical read!�
�Emilia Hart,New York Timesbestselling author of The Sirens

Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse�

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?

As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art ofstregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever�

Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.
ձ> 333 Sarah Penner Beth 4 arcs-2025 4.21 2025 The Amalfi Curse
author: Sarah Penner
name: Beth
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I have not read Sarah Penner but this became available to review and it looked good. We have two timelines 1821 and present day. We have sea witches in 1821 that can control the currents so they help out the local fishermen and also keep pirates at bay. Mari is one of the sea witches but she despises the sea. Her mother and sister were both taken by the sea. She wants to leave Positano. I loved the Italian backdrop in this book. In present day we have a Nautical archaeologist, Haven, who is in Positano to investigate some shipwrecks. Her late father was pretty sure he had discovered some gems but died before he could go back out in the water so she wants to continue the search. There have been some crazy underwater activity going on in Positano and people are fleeing the area. She needs to figure out what the heck is going on. Haven discovers a diary from a man on one of the ships that sank. She starts to learn about the sea witches and wonders if it could all be true but he scientist mind finds it all hard to believe. I enjoyed this one and the characters. Sometimes with dual timelines you like one more than the other but I liked both.
]]> <![CDATA[Enigma: A Dark Academia Romance]]> 214161667 A new breathtaking tale of unforgettable romance, set in a dark academia world of secret societies, lush suspense and sizzling sensuality, from RuNyx, the New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana.

Salem Salazar comes to Mortimer University to get to the bottom of her sister's mysterious death. There, obsessed with forensics, she discovers there have been a lot more unexplained deaths on the campus. Her search leads her down a dark and dangerous path to a secret society and to Caz.

Cazimir van der Waal is in her way and another mystery to unravel. Is he just an art student, a man living a double life, or a murderer? While also at the university seeking answers for another death, Caz has a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Secret forces are at play in Mortimer and no one is safe. As Salem tries to go under radar and Caz tries to block her path, somehow, they both end up in the crossfire of a powerful, secret society. They are forced to work together to discover the truth or risk losing their lives.

In this magnificent, steamy dark academia romance from RuNyx, sparks will fly, rivals will become lovers, and terrible secrets will be unleashed.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 496 RuNyx 1250334233 Beth 3 arcs-2025
-"You're just stinking cute."
"When I talk about murder?"
"When you come alive?",]]> 4.08 2025 Enigma: A Dark Academia Romance
author: RuNyx
name: Beth
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I devoured Gothikana so I was so excited to get this ARC. This one was just okay to me. It was very slow with not much happening. At 50% I looked up reviews to give me a pep talk to finish and I did not get them. But at least I knew not much was coming and I did finish the book. It is about Salem and it is dark academia. She goes to this exclusive school in an old castle. She meets a mysterious and very handsome and dark classmate. They are attracted to each other but both are trying to stay away from each other. I enjoyed their push and pull relationship. We are told about secrets but we are not told them. At about halfway we finally get a secret about Caz, the handsome classmate, but it is a secret reveal that we, the reader, already suspected, so not a good reveal. At the beginning we are told Salem's dad killed someone, but later, several times in fact, it said he killed a family. What?! I was so confused. Maybe that was an error in the ARC? I'm not sure. We are told of students dying and secret societies and those just fell flat. At halfway when I still knew nothing since the beginning, that is not a good sign. I enjoyed Caz and Salem so take it as character driven and not much to the plot. I would read more about Caz and Salem but I felt this book, at almost 500 pages, kept promising things that did not deliver. I did end with a smile on my face though.

-"You're just stinking cute."
"When I talk about murder?"
"When you come alive?",
]]> <![CDATA[The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens]]> 85246848
Every queen had ladies-in-waiting. Her confidantes and chaperones, they are the forgotten agents of the Tudor court. Ever present and yet hidden behind the scenes, these women held the secrets and the hearts of some of the Tudor period's most powerful men and women. Experts at survival, negotiating the competing demands of their families and their queen, the ladies-in-waiting of Henry VIII's wives were far more than decorative 'extras': they were serious political players who changed the course of history, and four of them became queen themselves. The Waiting Game is the first to tell their story.]]> 293 Nicola Clark 1474622232 Beth 0 to-read 4.01 2024 The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens
author: Nicola Clark
name: Beth
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Once Upon You and Me 209770889 Charming fairy tale meets spicy bedtime story in this deliciously enchanting age-gap LGBTQIA+ romance

When Taylor Frost’s boss, Amy, flies him across the country to prep for her daughter’s sweet sixteen at the Storybook Endings Resort in the Catskills, the solo mission is well within his wheelhouse. Taylor is excellent at his job—except, ’s probably not supposed to flirt with the resort’s mountain man of a manager, Ethan Golding. Because the rugged older man is also the birthday girl’s father, aka Amy’s ex-husband. Oops.

For Ethan, his divorce seemed like the bad ending to his romantic story. And now, making his daughter’s sweet sixteen dreams come true is the closest he’ll get to the kind of magic happiness in fairy tales. Until adorable Taylor has him wondering if maybe this is just the beginning of a more erotic kind of bedtime story�

The only problem is Amy. And how very not okay she’d be with the chemistry between her assistant and her ex.

If only forbidden flings ever led to happily-ever-afters…]]> 288 Timothy Janovsky 1335574964 Beth 5 arcs-2025 3.88 2025 Once Upon You and Me
author: Timothy Janovsky
name: Beth
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I was looking at 4 stars but then the ending was so freaking sweet that I had to jump it up. I have read one other book by this author and I liked that one too so I may need to check out his other books. Ethan was married and has a teenage daughter. He runs a resort that his ex-wife and him built from the ground up. His daughter is having her sweet sixteen birthday party at the resort so his ex-wife sends her assistant, Taylor, to make sure everything is perfect for the party. Sparks fly between Taylor and Ethan but they obviously want to keep it on the down low. Taylor will only be there for a week and he does not want to get fired. I loved Taylor and Ethan! I would have liked more romance before the sex but that is usually the case with me. I guess with only a week things had to speed up. They read to each other I thought it was great. It is under 300 pages so a quick read.
]]> I Can't Even 224034951
Julia moves back into her old bedroom, the one that overlooks the neighbor’s house. While unpacking her few possessions and setting up a place to work at her the desk, she is shocked to see her old boyfriend, literally the boy next door, Liam Murphy in his old bedroom. She hides, hitting the floor and creeping back up to the windowsill to watch him as he works out in his room. The years have been good to Liam, very good, and Julia is alarmed by the attraction she still feels for the buff surfer boy, whose heart she smashed to bits when she ran away a decade ago.

While Babs's condition deteriorates, family secrets are revealed and the past comes roaring back into the present. As the clock winds down on her time in Gull's Harbor, Julia frantically tries to help her sisters, make peace with her mother, and win back the first love she has never gotten over.]]> 337 Jenn McKinlay Beth 0 to-read 3.62 2025 I Can't Even
author: Jenn McKinlay
name: Beth
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hazardous to a Duke's Heart (Lords of Hazard, #1)]]> 216971956 For readers of Regency romance by Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, and Madeline Hunter,New York Timesbestselling author Sabrina Jeffries debuts a brand new series in trade paperback in which a lord, detained in France during the Napoleonic war, returns home to find ’s inherited a dukedom and vows to make a match for his deceased mentor’s daughter.

Intriguing twists and sparkling wit entwine in this stunning new historical romance from theNew York Timesbestselling Sabrina Jeffries, as a once-exiled patriot returns home to a changed world . . .

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony . . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together.]]> 288 Sabrina Jeffries 1496751027 Beth 4 arcs-2025
I won this book from the publisher and I wanted a light read. I have to say that I did not know anything about Napoleon's War. He took prisoner anyone who was in France at the time. Englishmen were imprisoned for eleven years! So this book starts in 1814 when the war ends and Jon is now freed. I just have to say that anyone imprisoned for eleven years would probably have some PTSD and I do not feel like that was very addressed in this book. Jon just comes home and sleeps in a big comfy bed and takes over as Duke. But ignoring that, Jon's sister has a beautiful governess, Victoria. Victoria's father was imprisoned with Jon and did not survive it. Jon has great guilt and wants to make sure Victoria finds a husband to take care of her. Victoria wants nothing to do with finding a husband. Obviously, they fall in love. I enjoyed their banter and the book is under 300 pages so it is a quick read. I will probably continue the series. ]]> 3.96 2025 Hazardous to a Duke's Heart (Lords of Hazard, #1)
author: Sabrina Jeffries
name: Beth
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
3.5 stars

I won this book from the publisher and I wanted a light read. I have to say that I did not know anything about Napoleon's War. He took prisoner anyone who was in France at the time. Englishmen were imprisoned for eleven years! So this book starts in 1814 when the war ends and Jon is now freed. I just have to say that anyone imprisoned for eleven years would probably have some PTSD and I do not feel like that was very addressed in this book. Jon just comes home and sleeps in a big comfy bed and takes over as Duke. But ignoring that, Jon's sister has a beautiful governess, Victoria. Victoria's father was imprisoned with Jon and did not survive it. Jon has great guilt and wants to make sure Victoria finds a husband to take care of her. Victoria wants nothing to do with finding a husband. Obviously, they fall in love. I enjoyed their banter and the book is under 300 pages so it is a quick read. I will probably continue the series.
]]> The Never List 213879514 The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance...except for her.

Threatened by invaders, the kingdom of Lumathyst is on the verge of chaos, and no one can stop it. Unless the four immortal god-princes find their fated mate―and safeguard the throne―Lumathyst will fall.

Five women have tried. Five have failed. And tonight in the royal city, the princes need to find their Chosen and hope she can survive the transformation that will make her immortal.

Only Rylee Gray wasn’t supposed to be here. She snuck in for her own dark reasons―and now they claim they've found their perfect match. Her. Of course, they have no idea s’s concealing a secret big enough to damn them all.

The four princes have no choice. They’ll use every delectably wicked skill they have to make Rylee fall for all of them…or watch their kingdom collapse.]]> 417 Jade Presley 1649377525 Beth 4 arcs-2025
Also, the book is very pretty!

-"I'll take you sometime if you're up for it.
"You should already know I'm up for anything."]]> 4.11 2025 The Never List
author: Jade Presley
name: Beth
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I had never heard of a "why choose romance". Basically this is polyamory. There are four princes and they have to choose one mate for them to share. They are perfectly okay with sharing. Rylee Gray was born in the poorest part of town. She has magic that if anyone finds out about she could be killed. Her sister has been missing for a while and she sneaks into the Royal City to try to find out about her sister. She is there during the Choosing when the four princes are going to choose a mate. They choose her. Obviously she is shocked. Rylee is very sassy and Jax immediately falls for her. Rylee spends a month with each prince so they can learn about her and she them. I enjoyed how different all the guys were and how she was with them. At the end of the trial period she will be tested by their mothers who are goddesses. I enjoyed the story and there is obviously lots of sex. I liked Rylee and all of the princes. I did not like the ending, I'll put that in spoilers, but I did enjoy it overall and I am looking forward to the next book. [spoilers removed] I just thought that was a weird way to end a book when we know there is another one coming.

Also, the book is very pretty!

-"I'll take you sometime if you're up for it.
"You should already know I'm up for anything."
]]> <![CDATA[Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery]]> 216655567 The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanc’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes s’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!]]> 292 Rachel Ekstrom Courage 1368102972 Beth 3 arcs-2025 3.68 2025 Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery
author: Rachel Ekstrom Courage
name: Beth
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
So I am not a mystery reader but with the Golden Girls I just had to try it out. The Golden Girls and 1980s nostalgia was spot on. The author really had the characters down and I laughed many times while reading. The story itself was okay. Dorothy goes out on one date with a guy and he ends up dead a few days later. She's the primary suspect. Rose is planning a wedding for a family member and has to use all of the St. Olaf traditions. Of course the four Golden Girls are going to prove Dorothy didn't do it. It was fine. I think if you like cozy mysteries and The Golden Girls then you will like this novel.
]]> The Dead Romantics 58885776 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593336489.

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.

When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.

For ten years, s’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.

Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and ’s just as confused about why ’s there as she is.

Romance is most certainly dead... but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything s’s ever known about love stories.

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.]]> 368 Ashley Poston Beth 0 to-read 3.90 2022 The Dead Romantics
author: Ashley Poston
name: Beth
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Folklore of Forever (Moonville, #2)]]> 216536383 From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comesa steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, s’s as stuck as ever.

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.]]> 397 Sarah Hogle 059371508X Beth 2 arcs-2025
-...I would've had to hear her complaints that I don't get out of my shell enough (which is preposterous. Would she say this to a turtle? Shells have a valuable function).

-Is there anything quite like a library? No, there is not. You're allowed to walk right in, open a book, any book. You can read whatever you like until closing time, and nobody will bother you. Interrupting the immersed reader with small talk is distasteful here. I thrive like a cockroach in this social system.

-Some stories you forget about as soon as you finish the last page, and some you carry in your soul forever.]]> 3.27 2025 The Folklore of Forever (Moonville, #2)
author: Sarah Hogle
name: Beth
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I would not consider this a romance. I have been duped. Enemies to lovers is a hard trope for me because if the guy is unlikable, which this guy is, then I do not want them to get together. Also, they do not get together until 85%, that is also a problem for me if the book is considered a romance. So ignoring the romance this could be a cute story with Zelda not believing in magic even though her sisters are witches. She does not believe in any of it. Morgan wants to get with her and he comes on way too strong. Another reviewer said he made her think of PePe Le Pew and I agree with that. He tells her he only wants to be with her so he can get some of her magic. That is just gross. I then thought that he must not be the romantic lead at that point but I was wrong. She does not believe she has any magic. They both go on a quest in the woods because she starts thinking maybe there is something to this magic that everyone else in town seems to believe in. The quest in the woods was all over the place. I just couldn't follow it. The book had funny moments and some redemptive qualities but there was also a lot of chaos.

-...I would've had to hear her complaints that I don't get out of my shell enough (which is preposterous. Would she say this to a turtle? Shells have a valuable function).

-Is there anything quite like a library? No, there is not. You're allowed to walk right in, open a book, any book. You can read whatever you like until closing time, and nobody will bother you. Interrupting the immersed reader with small talk is distasteful here. I thrive like a cockroach in this social system.

-Some stories you forget about as soon as you finish the last page, and some you carry in your soul forever.
]]> Finding Margaret Fuller 221441038
Massachusetts, 1836. Young, brazen, beautiful, and unapologetically brilliant, Margaret Fuller accepts an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the celebrated “Sage of Concord,� to meet his coterie of enlightened friends shaping a nation in the throes of its own self-discovery. By the end of her stay, she will become “the radiant genius and fiery heart� of the Transcendentalists, a role model to young Louisa May Alcott, an inspiration to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his scandalous Scarlet Letter, a friend to Henry David Thoreau as he ventures into the woods of Walden Pond . . . and a muse to Emerson himself. But Margaret craves more than poetry and interpersonal drama, and she finds her restless soul in need of new challenges and adventure.

And so she charts a singular course against a backdrop of dizzying historical drama: From Boston, where she hosts a women-only literary salon for students like Elizabeth Cady Stanton; to the editorial meetings of The Dial magazine, where she hones her pen as its co-founder; to Harvard’s library, where she is the first woman to study within its walls; to the gritty New York streets where she spars with Edgar Allan Poe and reports on the writings of Frederick Douglass. Margaret defies conventions time and again as an activist for women and an advocate for humanity, earning admirers and scathing critics alike.

When the legendary Horace Greeley offers an assignment in Europe, Margaret again makes history as the first female foreign news correspondent, mingling with luminaries like Frederic Chopin, Walt Whitman, George Sand, and more. But it is in Rome where she finds a world of passion, romance, and revolution, taking a Roman count as a lover—and sparking an international scandal. Evolving yet again into the roles of mother and countess, Margaret enters a new fight for Italy’s unification.

With a star-studded cast and epic sweep of historical events, this is a story of an inspiring trailblazer, a woman who loved big and lived even bigger—a fierce adventurer who transcended the rigid roles ascribed to women, and changed history for millions, all on her own terms.]]> 432 Allison Pataki 0593600258 Beth 0 to-read 4.06 2024 Finding Margaret Fuller
author: Allison Pataki
name: Beth
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Boleyn Traitor (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #11)]]> 220235413 From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl, legendary historical novelist Philippa Gregory returns to the court of Henry VIII with this dazzling and provocative tour de force about the high cost of loyalty, love, and betrayal.

Sister. Liar. Spy. Traitor.

Her secrets shaped a kingdom.

Her loyalty was deadly.

Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where nothing is more powerful than a secret. And power rests on the edge of a tyrant King’s sword.

She wears many masks � loving wife, devoted sister, and obedient spy. It’s what a woman must do to survive.

The only weapon she has is her voice.

They say Jane’s whispers sealed the fate of two queens. They called her a liar and a traitor.

But the truth is far more dangerous�

Philippa Gregory brings the Boleyn traitor out of the shadows in an explosive story of one woman’s survival in the deadly dance of the Tudor Court.]]> 640 Philippa Gregory 0063439689 Beth 0 to-read 4.80 Boleyn Traitor (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #11)
author: Philippa Gregory
name: Beth
average rating: 4.80
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 220642729
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing ’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.t.]]> 464 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599853 Beth 0 to-read 4.07 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Beth
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Paris Express 214208227 Emma Donoghue, the “soul-stirring� (Oprah Daily) nationally bestselling author of Room, returns with a sweeping historical novel about an infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station.

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

From an author whose “writing is superb alchemy� (Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author), The Paris Express is an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.]]> 285 Emma Donoghue 1668082810 Beth 3 arcs-2025 3.77 2025 The Paris Express
author: Emma Donoghue
name: Beth
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
So this book is about the 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station. I occasionally like to read something different and this one fit the bill. I had to look up this disaster before reading so there would be no surprises at the end. Obviously this is a character driven novel because you are just reading about people riding on a train. But there is also anticipation for when the disaster is going to happen. I would recommend looking up this train disaster because the picture that comes up is fascinating. The picture is included in the book. So it was fine. In a book with so many characters there are always ones you care more about than others. It is a quick read though.
]]> <![CDATA[The Girl from Greenwich Street]]> 214210952 Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone—and no one—seemed to know.

At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin’s boarding house—and doesn’t come home.Has she eloped?Run away? No one knows—until her body appears in the Manhattan Well.

Her family insists they know who killed her.Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma.

But privately, quietly, Levi’s wealthy brother calls in a special favor�.

Aaron Burr’s legal practice can’t finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections.To defend Levi Weeks is a double a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines.

Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn’t going to let Burr monopolize the public’s attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man’s life—and destroy each other.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history—with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale.]]> 341 Lauren Willig 0063306115 Beth 5
-And by right, as Aaron knew all too well, Hamilton meant his way. If there was one thing of which Hamilton was assured, it was that he was right and everyone else was wrong, co-counsel be damned.

-"When once you let the mob have their voice, there is no hope of justice."

-"The court is trying to determine whether to adjourn. There is no precedent for a trial going into a second day."

-Everyone was lying, everyone was hiding something.

]]> 3.71 2025 The Girl from Greenwich Street
author: Lauren Willig
name: Beth
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:
I loved it! This is about America's first murder trial in 1800. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr work together to defend Levi Weeks who is accused of murdering Elma Sands. Elma went missing in December 1799 and her body was found in January 1800. Aaron Burr just wants to prove Levi didn't murder her while Hamilton wants to actually find out who did murder Elma. Obviously there is a lot of tension between the two men. Even though I already knew the outcome of the trial I was transfixed by what was going on and did not want to put the book down. I did not know all of the twists and turns of the trial and the real people involved.

-And by right, as Aaron knew all too well, Hamilton meant his way. If there was one thing of which Hamilton was assured, it was that he was right and everyone else was wrong, co-counsel be damned.

-"When once you let the mob have their voice, there is no hope of justice."

-"The court is trying to determine whether to adjourn. There is no precedent for a trial going into a second day."

-Everyone was lying, everyone was hiding something.


]]> Swordheart 218624103 448 T. Kingfisher 1250400228 Beth 3 arcs-2025 4.08 2018 Swordheart
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Beth
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
This one was okay for me. This is my second book that was labeled a "cozy fantasy" and I guess those are not really for me. This book, and the other book, had people traveling by wagon on a journey, and I just found it boring. This book had me at the beginning though. This is about Halla. Her family has locked her in her bedroom and she is trying to figure out a way to escape. There is an ancient sword on the wall so she pulls it out of its sheath and a man appears. He is sworn to protect the wielder of his sword. Their banter is great and very funny. He gets her out of the house and then they go on a journey to get a lawyer basically to sort out her family issues. Then the lawyer joins them on the journey back and then it just kind of lost me. So the book is very funny and this is not horror like other T. Kingfisher books.
]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Beth 0 to-read 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Beth
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)]]> 19161852
Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.]]> 468 N.K. Jemisin Beth 0 to-read 4.29 2015 The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Beth
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 213263148 ALL first edition copies will be signed by the author! Signed copies available while supplies last.

From V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger.

This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life�
how it ends, and how it starts.

USA Today, 15 Most Anticipated of 2025
BookBub, Most Anticipated of 2025 (and Reader’s Pick)
Readers Digest, 20 Most Anticipated Books This Year
Paste Magazine, Most Anticipated Fantasy Books of 2025
BookRiot, Most Anticipated Books of 2025
Men's Health, 25 Best & Most Anticipated Books of 2025
The Nerd Daily, SFF to Devour in 2025
ŷ, Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2025]]> 544 Victoria E. Schwab 1250320526 Beth 5 arcs-2025 4.54 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Beth
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
Fantastic! I knew lesbian vampires but that was all I knew before reading the ARC. I did not know it was also horror. It is graphic and it kind of made me think of Interview With A Vampire but it has been a while since I read that one. So it is graphic and the vampires do kill the human after eating from them or if they just want their house or something. We start with Maria in the 1500s and Alice in 2019 and then another vampire, Lottie. Lottie turns Alice and she is very mad and goes to find out why she turned her and then left. We get Maria's whole human and vampire life. I normally am not a big fan of character driven stories but I love V.E. Schwab's stories. She just has a way that I just keep reading and keep reading to see what will happen next. I never wanted to put this down. I had to know how it would all come together at the end and I loved the ending. SO good!
]]> The Magician of Tiger Castle 220999061 The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.

Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia's father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the "wedding of the century," Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.

The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.

When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?]]> 320 Louis Sachar 0593952308 Beth 0 to-read 4.10 2025 The Magician of Tiger Castle
author: Louis Sachar
name: Beth
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)]]> 222081655 Two nights with her ruined me for all other women, but I never got the chance to make her mine.

I’m the pinnacle of control. I protect the net, my team, and my daughter.
It’s my final season and I can’t afford any distractions.
Except our new assistant coach just walked in.
And I would know her face anywhere.
S’s the one I dream about.

That weekend, I was just a man—not the legend, the dad, the mentor.
I didn’t care that I was a decade older.
For the first time in my life, I was ready to risk everything if it meant having her.
Until I woke up to an empty bed and no note.
Three years of wishing I knew how to find her, now s’s my new boss.

I can be patient.
But for her—I want to break all the rules.]]> 408 Helena Hunting 1989185967 Beth 0 to-read 4.14 2025 If You Love Me (Toronto Terror, #4)
author: Helena Hunting
name: Beth
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1)]]> 25036395
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits� restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.]]> 368 Sarah Beth Durst Beth 0 to-read 3.88 2016 The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia, #1)
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Beth
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> What Alice Forgot 59000402
From the number one 'New York Times' best-selling author of 'The Husband's Secret' and 'Big Little Lies'

Alice Love is 29, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over � s’s getting divorced, she has three kids and s’s actually 39 years old.

Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that s’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over....


©2011 Liane Moriarty (P)2011 Penguin Audio]]> 14 Liane Moriarty Beth 4
-She automatically lifted his compact body up and whirled him around, while his legs gripped around her hips like a koala. (I wonder if all Liane Moriarty books have a koala reference?)

-"You and Gina were such a pair, and you and I, we've...drifted"
"Well, let's drift back."

-Early love is exciting and exhilarating. It's light and bubbly. Anyone can love like that. But love after three children, after a separation and a near-divorce, after you've hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other, after you've seen the worst and the best-well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word.]]> 3.76 2010 What Alice Forgot
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Beth
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
I was listening to the Literally Reading podcast and they did a show about Liane Moriarty. I enjoy her and decided to listen to an audiobook while I worked a puzzle so I picked this one out from the library. The author is Australian and I enjoyed the Australian accent of the narrator. This is about Alice falling and hitting her head and forgetting the last ten years of her life. In that ten years she had 3 kids and is separated from her husband. She has no memory of any of this. I thought it was very interesting because Alice is learning that she did not like the woman she turned into so she gets to reflect on that and gets the chance to change some things in her life. Sometimes I was yelling at the characters because I didn't feel like they were really treating her as you would someone who had lost her memory. They just left her alone with her kids when she had no memory of them. I don't think that would have happened. I also feel like with all of Liane Moriarty's books that they can run a little longer than they need to be but I did enjoy it and wanted to know how it all would end. Smile on my face at the end.

-She automatically lifted his compact body up and whirled him around, while his legs gripped around her hips like a koala. (I wonder if all Liane Moriarty books have a koala reference?)

-"You and Gina were such a pair, and you and I, we've...drifted"
"Well, let's drift back."

-Early love is exciting and exhilarating. It's light and bubbly. Anyone can love like that. But love after three children, after a separation and a near-divorce, after you've hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other, after you've seen the worst and the best-well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word.
]]> <![CDATA[Blood Mosaic (The Firebird and the Wolf #1)]]> 222548161
Tatyana Vorona has no idea that she just made a deal with a vampire. When the naïve human bookkeeper offers to help locate embezzled funds for a wealthy CEO, she doesn’t realize s’s being set up as bait.

Oleg Sokolov is a fire vampire as ancient as he is vicious. It’s bad enough that his daughter stole money from him, but now s’s sought refuge with one of his bitter rivals. He wants her back under his control, and he doesn’t mind using Tatyana to draw her out.

But as Oleg spends more time with Tatyana, he begins to want her for more than just revenge. When Tatyana is attacked, Oleg is forced to reveal his true nature to save her. Can he convince her to stay in his bloody world when ’s the reason s’s in danger?

Dark and compelling, BLOOD MOSAIC is the first in a new series from USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Hunter, set in her popular Elemental universe.]]> 420 Elizabeth Hunter 1959590553 Beth 4 4.33 2024 Blood Mosaic (The Firebird and the Wolf #1)
author: Elizabeth Hunter
name: Beth
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
It has been a few years since I have read Elizabeth Hunter but I enjoy her books so I don't know why I don't read them more often. She kept posting about this book and I enjoy vampire romances. I ended up ordering a signed copy from her website. This is book one but book two comes out this summer so I won't have to wait too long. This one is about human Tatyana and vampire Oleg. Tatyana starts working for Oleg to get money back that was stolen from him from his vampire daughter, Zara. Obviously Zara is not going to be happy about this. Oleg starts falling for Tatyana but Tatyana is not sure that she wants to be involved with vampires. I loved the sexual tension and their banter.
]]> Gothictown 215363236 A restaurateur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia.

The email message that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100 she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and some painful memories. Plus she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity.

After some phone calls and one hurried visit, Billie and her husband and daughter are officially part of the "Juliana Initiative." The town is everything promised, and between settling into her lavish home and starting a new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss misgivings.

Yet those misgivings grow. There’s something about Juliana, something off-kilter and menacing beneath its famous Southern hospitality. No matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, s’s starting to wonder how, and whether, they’ll ever leave. ձ> 362 Emily Carpenter 1496750543 Beth 3 arcs-2025 3.77 2025 Gothictown
author: Emily Carpenter
name: Beth
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I won this ARC from Kensington. A New York family moves to a creepy small town in Georgia. This is not my normal read but I like to read out of my box sometimes. Juliana, Georgia has a bad secret history and the descendants of the founders believe they have to sacrifice people so Juliana, a dead person, will be happy and keep the town successful. They worship a dead girl. So after the pandemic the town decides to get some new blood in their town so they send out emails to certain people to get them to move. And some do. Billie convinces her husband to move their family to Georgia. Immediately things seem off in the town and their house. Her husband has become a different person and so has their cat. Billie is not the most likable character and the plot was kind of all over the place. People are chasing her so she runs into a mine? I don't understand. But the book kept me entertained and I wanted to know how it would all end. The ending was strange but parts of the book were also strange so. eh.
]]> <![CDATA[Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of The Bangles]]> 214175147 The authorized biography of the quintessential �80s pop band The Bangles, who scored massive hits with “Manic Monday,� Walk Like an Egyptian,� “Hazy Shade of Winter,� and more From their first meeting in 1981, the Bangles were ambitious, focused, and intentional; their hard-work and determination resulted in millions of records sold across the globe, before becoming the first all-girl band to have five “Top 10� hits.Not longafter coming together, they toured the world, released #1 records, and collaborated with the biggest artists of the day. They seemed unstoppable—until tensions within the band, artistic differences, and the pressures of sudden celebrity tore them apart less than a decade later.

ETERNAL FLAME is the story of those eight of a diverse and vibrant Los Angeles music scene, unfettered work ethics and self-belief, the dawn of MTV, the unpredictable consequences of fame, life as a touring band, and their rapid rise to global domination--then imploding at the height of success. But it’s also a story of the very real challenges faced by womenattemptingto follow their artistic dreams in a media and music industry ecosystem which seemed set up for their failure from the start.

With unprecedented access to founding members Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson, ETERNAL FLAME is the first authorized biography of this iconic group, featuring exclusive stories,input, and interviews from the pioneering band members themselves as well as those that knew them best. From playing the club circuit in 1980s' LA to bunking with Sting during a PR trip to the UK to topping theBillboardcharts, to interludes with Prince and appearances on thedefinitive MTV, ETERNAL FLAME traces the band’s rise to superstardom, taking readers behind-the-scenes and sharing with them never-before-shared anecdotes and personal ephemera.

As Debbi herself notes, “I think it's about time that our true story was told. People only see certain aspects of the Bangles, especially as the media has twisted the past and we have been misrepresented for a long time. Plus, certainly in the eighties, we were women making it in a man's world. I think that needs to be celebrated.”�

Dynamic, daring, and deliciously entertaining from start to finish, ETERNAL FLAME is a tribute to one of the greatest pop bands of the 20thcentury—and a long-overdue corrective that restores The Bangles to their rightful place in music history as feminist trailblazers.]]> 416 Jennifer Otter Bickerdike 0306833344 Beth 0 to-read 3.78 2025 Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of The Bangles
author: Jennifer Otter Bickerdike
name: Beth
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Fall Risk 223199392 Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, ’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.]]> 82 Abby Jimenez 1662529082 Beth 5
-"I think you pick toxic men because it's what you think you deserve."

-"Sometimes the start of something good begins during something bad. We don't get to pick when these things happen."]]> 4.11 2025 The Fall Risk
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Beth
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
This is a short story and it is the free short story for February's Amazon First Reads. I loved it. It is about Seth and Charlotte and the stairs to their apartments accidentally got demolished so they are stranded for the weekend. It was really cute and Charlotte does have a stalker so she actually felt safe for a few days. I loved their two best friends as well in the story. Lots of laughing out loud while reading.

-"I think you pick toxic men because it's what you think you deserve."

-"Sometimes the start of something good begins during something bad. We don't get to pick when these things happen."
]]> <![CDATA[A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone #1)]]> 58750487
She remembered the words she had whispered to him in the back of the limo after La Rose. "You will worship me, and I won't even have to order you." His request felt sinful and devious, and she reveled in it.

She answered, "Yes."

---

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring in title only. Since she was a little girl, flowers have only shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hoped to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist. All of that changes when she sits down in a forbidden nightclub to play a hand of cards with a hypnotic and mysterious stranger.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible. But nothing has ever intrigued him as much as the goddess offering him a bargain he can't resist.

After her encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and his terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. The bet does more than expose Persephone's failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows―a love that is both captivating and forbidden.]]> 379 Scarlett St. Clair 1728258456 Beth 0 to-read 3.87 2019 A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone #1)
author: Scarlett St. Clair
name: Beth
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Is How You Lose the Time War]]> 43352954 Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.]]> 209 Amal El-Mohtar Beth 0 to-read 3.86 2019 This Is How You Lose the Time War
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Beth
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Situationship 217885191 Find out how Maddy and Doug met in this sweet and hilarious short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

Travel nurse Maddy doesn't have time for a relationship, not even with the ruggedly handsome farmer who she feels a spark of attraction to.

Doug is a walking green flag. After a run in with Maddy thanks to the Wakan townmascot, Kevin Bacon the pig, he can't help but feel the spark too.

Even though she doesn't plan on staying in Minnesota forever, Maddy believes she and Doug can still have a fling� or maybe they’ll just find themselves in a situationship.

“The Situationship�was originally published as a bonus chapter in the Target exclusive edition of Just for the Summer. This ebook original also includes a first look at Abby’s new release, Say You’ll Remember Me.]]> 37 Abby Jimenez 1538773724 Beth 5 3.95 2024 The Situationship
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Beth
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
This was a bonus chapter that Abby wrote from her book Just For The Summer. This is about how Maddy and Doug first met and it was really cute. I borrowed this from the library.
]]> The Door-to-Door Bookstore 62192254 The charming international bestseller about an elderly bookseller who delivers his recommendations door-to-door and an unlikely friendship with a nine-year-old girl that changes his life, for fans of The Midnight Library and A Man Called Ove.

The bookseller Carl Christian Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the picturesque alleys of the city. These people are almost like friends to him, and he is their most important connection to the world.

When Kollhoff unexpectedly loses his job, it takes the power of books and a nine-year-old girl to make them all find the courage to rebuild their bonds with each other.

A bestselling phenomenon internationally,Carsten Henn’sThe Door-to-Door Bookstoreis a feel-good novel about books and friendship.]]> 320 Carsten Henn 0369736540 Beth 4
-"Those books which lie closest to our hearts are precisely the books we should give away, so that they may bring others happiness."

-"Reading a lot doesn't make you an intellectual, any more than eating a lot makes you a gourmet. I'm an egotist, reading purely for my own pleasure, out of love for good stories, not to learn something about the world."

-But even if gifted books were never read, they were still a loving gesture-and a compliment to the intellect and taste of the recipient.

-Even when an extraordinary book ends at precisely the right point, with precisely the right words, and anything further would only destroy that perfection, it still leaves us wanting more pages. That is the paradox of reading.



]]> 4.26 2020 The Door-to-Door Bookstore
author: Carsten Henn
name: Beth
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
A friend recommended this book to me and the library had it so I borrowed it. This is translated from German so the book takes place in Germany. I think I only had to look up a couple of things I did not know what they were. This book is about Carl and he delivers books to customers' houses. He has his regulars who order books because they do not want to go out for various reasons. He has a literary nickname for all of his customers and I loved that. A nine year old girl watches him do his deliveries and she starts tagging along much to his chagrin. She calls him the Book Walker. So this is a story about their friendship and the friendship of the customers. One incident happens near the end and it did not feel like it belonged in this book. I was with it until it happened and then I was not happy with the book. Everything works out in the end but it just seemed out of place and tied up too nicely.

-"Those books which lie closest to our hearts are precisely the books we should give away, so that they may bring others happiness."

-"Reading a lot doesn't make you an intellectual, any more than eating a lot makes you a gourmet. I'm an egotist, reading purely for my own pleasure, out of love for good stories, not to learn something about the world."

-But even if gifted books were never read, they were still a loving gesture-and a compliment to the intellect and taste of the recipient.

-Even when an extraordinary book ends at precisely the right point, with precisely the right words, and anything further would only destroy that perfection, it still leaves us wanting more pages. That is the paradox of reading.




]]> The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes 220239094 A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women in this unforgettable novel from New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton.

London, 2024: When American expat Margo Reynolds is hired to source a book that’s more than one hundred and twenty years old, she thinks her greatest challenge is going to be that there’s only one copy in existence. However, it quickly becomes clear that her client isn’t the only person determined to procure the book at any cost. Thrust into a deadly quest, Margo teams up with an unlikely ally—the man she loved and lost—and is forced to confront the ghosts of her own past as the lingering feelings that simmer between them ignite.

Havana, 1966: Pilar Castillo’s days are spent working as a librarian in Havana, her nights spent hoping for her husband’s freedom after his unjust imprisonment. But Pilar has a secret that could jeopardize her life. S’s fighting Fidel’s regime in her own way, and when she comes into possession of a book that was published more than sixty years earlier, she must decide how much s’s willing to risk to protect the literary works entrusted to her care.

Boston, 1900: For Cuban teacher Eva Fuentes, traveling from Havana to Harvard to participate in the largest cultural exchange between Cuba and the United States is not only a chance to represent her country at a critical time in its bid for independence, but also an opportunity to work on the book s’s writing. When a moonlit encounter with an enigmatic stranger alters the course of Eva’s summer at Harvard, and as secrets, lies, and forbidden love rise to the surface, Eva’s life—and legacy—is irrevocably changed.]]> 352 Chanel Cleeton 0593816900 Beth 0 to-read 4.30 The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
author: Chanel Cleeton
name: Beth
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)]]> 212472603
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 Beth 0 to-read 4.54 2024 Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: Beth
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree]]> 215363278 Disguised by years in exile and a name she found on a gravestone, an unconventional young woman returns to her childhood home in rural 1967 Arkansas in this hauntingly visceral Southern tale of desperate choices, found family, folk magic and noisy ghosts.

Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, s’s wandered throughout the South, working in a Louisiana circus and as a hootchy kootch dancer in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, s’s allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.

Disguised by years in exile and a name she found on a gravestone, Genevieve intends only to visit briefly and leave. But a chance meeting with a guilt-ridden young Vietnam veteran draws her into more unexpected connections. Her hard-won independence inspires an abused woman and her daughters to find their own path to empowerment, and a hypocritical preacher is brought to a long-deserved reckoning.

With undertones of magical realism and dark humor, here is a powerful story of discovering—and sometimes rediscovering—one’s place in the world, and the unexpected challenges and gifts that present themselves along the way.
ձ> 353 India Hayford 1496753127 Beth 4 arcs-2025
-Dead people can be good company if you catch them on a day when they aren't too talkative. ]]> 4.26 The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
author: India Hayford
name: Beth
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I received this physical ARC from the publisher. Holy Cow! This book. So many trigger warnings! This is not a book I would normally pick up. SO MUCH abuse! Sexual, physical, mental. It is all in this book. And SO many snakes! I thought I would have nightmares but I haven't yet. It is a tough read and I will hopefully read something lighter next. This is set in 1967 Arkansas. It is about Genevieve and her trauma and running away from her life. She meets a guy named Mercer and realizes he and his siblings and mom are all being abused by his father. He has just returned from Vietnam so he is no condition to help his mom and siblings. I laughed, I cried, I was angry. This book has so much going on but I could not put it down because I had to see that Mercer's dad got his in the end. This book is a wild ride.

-Dead people can be good company if you catch them on a day when they aren't too talkative.
]]> <![CDATA[A Caribbean Heiress in Paris (Las Leonas, #1)]]> 59040894 Paris, 1889

The Exposition Universelle is underway, drawing merchants from every corner of the globe. Luz Alana Heith-Benzan set sail from Santo Domingo armed with three hundred casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love.

The City of Light is where Luz Alana will expand Caña Brava, the rum business her family built over three generations. It’s a mission that’s taken on new urgency after her father’s untimely death and the news that her trust fund won’t be released until she marries. But buyers and shippers alike are rude and dismissive; they can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color.

From her first tempestuous meeting with James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, Luz Alana is conflicted. Why is this man—this titled Scottish man—so determined to help her? And why, honestly, is he so infuriatingly charming?

All Evan Sinclair ever wanted was to find a purpose away from his father’s dirty money and dirtier politics. Ignoring his title, ’s built a whiskey brand that’s his biggest—and only—passion. That is, until ’s confronted with a Spanish-speaking force of nature who turns his life upside down.

Evan quickly suspects he’ll want Luz Alana with him forever. Every day with her makes the earl wish for more than her magnificent kisses or the marriage of convenience that might save them both. But Luz Alana sailed for Paris with her eyes on liquor, money and new beginnings. She wasn't prepared for love to findher.

Las Leonas

Book 1: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris

]]> 368 Adriana Herrera Beth 0 to-read 3.89 2022 A Caribbean Heiress in Paris (Las Leonas, #1)
author: Adriana Herrera
name: Beth
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent #1)]]> 61289882 Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, just wants to play music. Jazz, specifically.

Unfortunately, ’s a demon, and ’s supposed to be evil. A career as a musician isn’t exactly an option.
And ’s cursed, to top it all off.

Sick of playing by the rules, Ash and his brothers escape Hell in search of freedom on Earth, only to discover it’s harder than they thought to keep their enemies off their tail. The four rogues quickly become the Underworld’s Most Wanted, and if they’re caught�
The consequences will be dire.

Everything changes for Ash when he meets a beautiful violinist who can see through his curse. It must be too good to be true, but he can’t resist the temptation.
No matter the risk, he has to have her.

Evangeline Gregory is just your average human. She works at a jazz bar, plays gigs on weekends�
And, apparently, hallucinates demons.

At least, that’s what she tells herself happens when, moments after she meets the man of her dreams, she sees him shift into a seven-foot-tall, red-skinned monster.

Not believing her own eyes, Eva decides to investigate and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a supernatural clusterf**k of epic proportions. But Ash isn’t the only one keeping secrets, and the search for answers reveals a shocking truth that will change the course of her life forever.

Or maybe just doom it.


My Funny Demon Valentine is a steamy paranormal romance about learning how to love (and what love is in the first place) with an HEA, clothes-ripping-hot love scenes, and a crew of devilish demon brothers who are supposed to be the bad guys.
There’s violence, sex, and too much swearing. You’ve been warned.]]> 358 Aurora Ascher 1777853214 Beth 4
I won this from the publisher and the book has pretty sprayed edges. I believe the Hell Bent series is already out there but Kensington is now publishing the books and they are all going to be pretty editions. So this book is about a regular old human who falls in love with a demon from Hell. This particular demon, Ash, is cursed and women just don't pay any attention to him. He just kind of blends in with the background. Eva sees him at a nightclub and is drawn to him. He does not understand it. Obviously Eva is maybe not quite the regular human we think she is. I enjoyed the book. It was fun and some twists kept me reading and it was a quick read for me.

]]> 3.81 2021 My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent #1)
author: Aurora Ascher
name: Beth
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:
3.5 rounded up

I won this from the publisher and the book has pretty sprayed edges. I believe the Hell Bent series is already out there but Kensington is now publishing the books and they are all going to be pretty editions. So this book is about a regular old human who falls in love with a demon from Hell. This particular demon, Ash, is cursed and women just don't pay any attention to him. He just kind of blends in with the background. Eva sees him at a nightclub and is drawn to him. He does not understand it. Obviously Eva is maybe not quite the regular human we think she is. I enjoyed the book. It was fun and some twists kept me reading and it was a quick read for me.


]]> <![CDATA[The Bee and the Fly: The Improbable Correspondence of Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson]]> 59961854
What if Emily Dickinson and Louisa May Alcott had heard of each other, or, as proper Victorian ladies might, had corresponded?
It seems they did.

"The Bee and the Fly: The Improbable Correspondence of Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson" presents a lifelong exchange of letters between Dickinson, the reclusive poet, and Alcott, the most renowned author of the time. What could Alcott say to Dickinson about abolitionism and women's rights? What might Dickinson reveal to Alcott about marriage and eternity? Researched for over five years and drawing heavily on biographical facts, these luminous letters present a believable friendship that explores the questions of family responsibilities, women’s growing influence in the literary world, the cost of fame, and the power of sorority.

Voiced by two authors who fully inhabit the personae of the nineteenth-century correspondents, the letters begin with a timid request from Dickinson to a “sister writer� and end with her death and the concealment of the letters. What is ultimately revealed through a lifetime of dispatches makes their secret correspondence not only plausible but delightfully possible.]]> 266 Lorraine Tosiello 1955904030 Beth 0 to-read 4.20 The Bee and the Fly: The Improbable Correspondence of Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson
author: Lorraine Tosiello
name: Beth
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post]]> 57792084 Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . .

So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar's treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood's biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie's journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father's barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post's Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie's story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.

Bestselling and acclaimed author Allison Pataki has crafted an intimate portrait of a larger-than-life woman, a powerful story of one woman falling in love with her own voice and embracing her own power while shaping history in the process.]]> 400 Allison Pataki 0593355687 Beth 5
-I'd show them all that Majorie Merriweather Post did not follow trends-she set them.

-"My wealth would have been a burden on my soul if I did not find ways to share it with others."]]> 4.05 2022 The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
author: Allison Pataki
name: Beth
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this one. What a fascinating woman! Her father started Post cereal which changed how Americans ate breakfast. When her dad died she could not be on the board because she was a woman. That later changed. She had Post acquire many other food companies so they changed to General Foods. She was married four times, all ending in divorce, and while she built many mansions, including Mar-A-Lago, she did so many great things with her money. She built hospitals, and donated to schools and the arts and different charities. She opened food pantries during the Great Depression. She really was an amazing woman. Just not so lucky in love. This is my first Allison Pataki book but it will not be my last.

-I'd show them all that Majorie Merriweather Post did not follow trends-she set them.

-"My wealth would have been a burden on my soul if I did not find ways to share it with others."
]]> The Last American Heiresses 213870628 A dazzling novel that draws readers into the ultra-glamorous lives of legendary heiresses Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, the public rivalry that defined them, and the secret bond that sustained them both, from the author of the acclaimed Such Good Friends.

The press dubs them “the Gold Dust twins.� Born within a week of one another in Manhattan in 1912, Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton both inherit unimaginable fortunes. By the time of their lavish
coming-out balls, they are two of the richest women in the world. Barbara, heiress to the Woolworth millions, amasses seven husbands over her lifetime. Doris, meanwhile, has a sophistication and financial savvy that Barbara tries endlessly to emulate.

When filmmaker Emma Radetsky begins researching her new documentary about prominent women and their jewelry collections, s’s familiar with the lore surrounding both Doris and Barbara—the couture gowns, exotic homes, and romantic interludes—including sequential marriages to the same notorious playboy. And of course, the priceless jewels they acquire as easily as candy.

Yet delving into their backgrounds with the help of one of Doris’s closest companions, Oliver Wendell Shaw, Emma encounters a deeper story—of a private game to manipulate the media, and a hidden, life-long kinship between two complex women who understood each other as no one else could.

Interweaving past and present, filled with sumptuous details from an age of excess, Stephen Greco’s novel is also a mesmerizing story about the nature of celebrity and the transformative power of friendship.]]> 497 Stephen Greco 1496746511 Beth 4 arcs-2025
]]> 3.91 The Last American Heiresses
author: Stephen Greco
name: Beth
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I received this physical ARC from the publisher. This is historical fiction about Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton. Of course I know the Duke name but I did not know anything about Doris or Barbara. They are the heiresses of great fortunes and were born within days of each other in 1912. They were in all of the same social circles. Barbara Hutton was called the poor little rich girl and a movie was made about her with that title. Barbara Hutton's aunt was Majorie Post, who built Mar-a-lago. This book is like so many other historical fiction books where there are two timelines. Ollie is telling the story about Doris and Barbara to Emma because she is making a film about rich women and their jewelry. I would have preferred just a book in Barabara and Doris' timeline. I did not really care about the present day but I did see at the end how it all tied together. I enjoyed reading this and I kept googling images of them and their houses. Doris Duke's Hawaiin home is now a museum which is what she wanted when she died. I was right near it when I visited Hawaii and I now wished I would have seen it. They had a lot of wealth and privilege but they also gave a lot of their money away to other people and different projects. I am now going to read The Magnificent Lives of Majorie Post because I think it will tie in nicely.


]]> <![CDATA[Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2)]]> 216148977 Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, ’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that ’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, ’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option�


One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

This book is approximately 66,000 words]]> 368 Rachel Reid 1335534636 Beth 0 to-read 4.25 2019 Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2)
author: Rachel Reid
name: Beth
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love]]> 60127763
Features hypercompetent, fiery Hermione and lazy, yet dangerous, Draco. Slow burn.

Rating: Explicit
Fandom: Harry Potter
Relationship: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

Tags: Healer Hermione Granger, Researcher Hermione Granger, Auror Draco Malfoy, Slow burn, unresolved sexual tension, eventual smut, POV Draco Malfoy, Forced Collaboration, Romance, romcom, Action/Adventure, EWE, HEA, reckless overuse of author's favorite tropes, oblivious idiots, All aboard the SS Denial, late-stage pining, what is pining if not denial persevering, no first names we die like men, do not look too closely at the plot you will only hurt yourself, scandalous ankle touching, misuse of whirlpool baths, graphic depictions of competent women, eroticized arithmancy, Crookshanks will fight god or become him, human on mushroom violence, Schrodinger's ethics, nuns]]> 593 isthisselfcare Beth 0 to-read 4.57 2021 Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
author: isthisselfcare
name: Beth
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Snowbirds: A Novel 211332347 The Last Thing He Told Me meets Fleishman Is in Trouble in this page-turning story of a couple who flee winter in the Midwest for Palm Springs, where they find their relationship at a crossroads.

Kim and Grant are at a turning point. A couple for thirty years, their "separate but together" partnership is running up against the realities of late middle Grant’s mother has died, the college where he taught philosophy was shuttered, and their twin girls are grown and gone. Escaping the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter for the hot desert sun of Palm Springs seems as good a solution as any to the more intractable problems they face.

When they arrive at Le Desert, a quirky condo community where everyone knows everyone’s business, Kim immediately embraces the opportunity to make new friends and explore a more adventurous side of her personality. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to find his footing in this unfamiliar landscape, leaving Kim to wonder if their relationship can survive the snowbird season. But when Grant goes missing on a hike in the Palm Springs mountains, Kim is forced to consider two terrifying either Grant is truly lost, or this time ’s really left her.

Is it ever too late to become the person we wanted to be—and is there still time to change into someone better? The exhilarating, but often confusing transitions of midlife are pitched against the promise and glamour of Palm Springs in this tender, honest story of what it takes to commit to someone for a lifetime. With compassion and humor, Clancy explores the redemptive power of finding ourselves, and of being found.]]> 295 Christina Clancy 1250284961 Beth 4 arcs-2025
-...the only thing worse than letting a good relationship die is letting a bad one go on forever.

-If we weren't careful, we might discover that we actually enjoyed relaxing, and we would become lazy and...old.]]> 3.79 2025 The Snowbirds: A Novel
author: Christina Clancy
name: Beth
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I loved Christina Clancy's first two books so I was excited to receive this ARC from Edelweiss. This one is about a couple, Grant and Kim, that have been together for thirty years. They are not married and have twin adult daughters. They decide to winter in Palm Springs and Grant gets lost on a hike. So Kim is looking back on their relationship for the past thirty years while Grant is being searched for. Grant is someone who runs when things get tough. So is Grant really lost or did he just flee? I have to say that I am not sure if Grant and Kim should stay together after finishing book. Maybe with therapy. They both have issues to work on. Most of the time Grant was away working and would just see his family on weekends and now Grant and Kim will spend all winter together because he has just lost his job. I wanted to know how it would all end but part of me was thinking that it shouldn't take a tragedy to make you see how much you love someone, but unfortunately I guess it can take a tragedy to see things clearly.

-...the only thing worse than letting a good relationship die is letting a bad one go on forever.

-If we weren't careful, we might discover that we actually enjoyed relaxing, and we would become lazy and...old.
]]> <![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 Beth 3 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Beth
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2019/08/21
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:
I am not really sure what to say about this book or the series. I was reading some of the reviews and they are hilarious. The series was okay. I read the books quickly but there were so many eye rolling moments and there did not seem to be urgency in anything they did, even though they knew people were after Diana. I think it will make for a good TV series though so I hope the show continues. This is one where the show may be better than the book.
]]> <![CDATA[Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) (The Princess Swap #1)]]> 214391324 What would happen if Cinderella found herself in the beast's castle, and Beauty woke up in some evil stepmother's home? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!

Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, s’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more—this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.

Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, s’s going to enter—and win—a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition?

For other Princess Swaps, don't miss Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs)!]]> 301 Kim Bussing 0593708059 Beth 4 arcs-2025
-But Redmond would remind Ella that we get to choose to take a situation and make things worse, or we can try to make things good. And though goodness is harder, it grows.

-The girls' eyes meet, and Belle is surprised by how one friend can remake the world. How sometimes you don't realize what you can do until you hear it from someone else.]]> 4.10 Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) (The Princess Swap #1)
author: Kim Bussing
name: Beth
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I saw this book before it was out and it has awesome two toned sprayed edges. They are starting the kids young with the pretty books now. Half is blue and half is yellow since this story is Cinderella and Belle. I decided to get the eARC from Edelweiss immediately. I think I will buy the book though because it is pretty and I have a Belle bookshelf so...This book is about Belle waking up in the cellar of Ella's stepmother's house and Ella waking up in a beast's castle. I have to say I kept getting confused but I'm sure middle grade kids will not be confused like me. I'm much older than the targeted audience. However I still enjoyed it I just had to keep telling myself Ella is with the beast, not Belle. I enjoyed the twist with the tales and I loved all of the nods to the original tales. Ella and Belle do not know each other so they are just two confused twelve year olds trying to figure out how to get back to their original lives, but of course Ella does not want to go back to being a slave for her stepmother. I enjoyed the fantasy world that was created in the story. There are side adventures each girl is going on trying to figure out things like Ella helping the beast to stop the curse. I think I will read some of the others coming out in this series.

-But Redmond would remind Ella that we get to choose to take a situation and make things worse, or we can try to make things good. And though goodness is harder, it grows.

-The girls' eyes meet, and Belle is surprised by how one friend can remake the world. How sometimes you don't realize what you can do until you hear it from someone else.
]]> The Three Lives of Cate Kay 214152244 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781668076217.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, s’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. S’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.]]> 304 Kate Fagan Beth 4 arcs-2025
-"Don't let anyone treat you like a regular fruit snack. You are a Gusher."

-I'd always imagined the paparazzi as sexy, exciting. Instead, it felt like that moment someone pushes open the bathroom door that you've forgotten to lock-an invasion.]]> 3.75 2025 The Three Lives of Cate Kay
author: Kate Fagan
name: Beth
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
This is one I received a physical ARC. I started it but set it aside because it wasn't grabbing me. I picked it back up while I went on vacation and if I had just read one more chapter I would not have set it down. So this follows an author who has three names and she tells us that at the beginning. Cate Kay is her author pseudonym. It starts with a girl named Annie but we get all sorts of perspectives from different people in Annie's life. The beginning is basically following Annie and her best friend Amanda all through high school. They have grand plans to move to L.A. and become movie stars. We are getting different POVs from all different years and I think it was a little confusing because we don't know what has happened yet in between all the years. So finally an accident happens and that is when I was hooked. Maybe 25% in. So now Annie assumes another identity and we get her life as Cass and then her writing a book as Kate. We actually get excerpts of the book that Kate Cay writes in this book, which is apparently an actual book that the real author Kate Fagan wrote but never published. Fun tidbit. Anyway, there is a lot going on and this is the author's first novel so I thought she did a good job. Kate Fagan has written nonfiction books before this one. I did have to suspend disbelief for several things. I mean Annie would have googled some things at some point. [spoilers removed] I also don't believe an author could be not known after three books and movies. Someone would have figured out who she was. But I still enjoyed the book and all three lives of Cate Kay. Since the book has released I left my ARC on the cruise ship for someone else to enjoy.

-"Don't let anyone treat you like a regular fruit snack. You are a Gusher."

-I'd always imagined the paparazzi as sexy, exciting. Instead, it felt like that moment someone pushes open the bathroom door that you've forgotten to lock-an invasion.
]]> Say You'll Remember Me 217256824 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.]]> 361 Abby Jimenez Beth 3 arcs-2025
-"She looked soggy, like one of those koalas that has chlamydia..."

-They say that you won't remember what someone said, but you'll always remember how they made you feel.

-Even bad memories are sacred in their own way.

-There would be weeks upon weeks of boring gray without him and then two or three days of color.

-"So you're just...alone?
"I'm always alone. It's fine, I'm used to it."
"It is not fine. That's not something anyone should get used to. You have me now, okay?"

-"Some things are worth remembering, Samantha. No matter how much they hurt."

-We were a bonded pair, separated by cages two thousand miles apart.

-Sometimes the challenges we face either break us or they make us stronger. And sometimes they do both.



]]> 4.06 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Beth
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: arcs-2025
review:
I love Abby Jimenez and have loved everything she has written so I was excited to get this ARC but this was a case of it's not you it's me. I love her romances but this was a long distance relationship so they were barely together. Then I won't even get into everything bad that happens to both of them. It was just very depressing. She has real issues in her book and I am fine with that but this one was too much and not even getting a romance out of it because they were never together. It has a trigger warning at the beginning so I knew about one of the issues and I was fine with it. So Samantha has an amazing date with her Veterinarian but the problem is that she is moving the next day to California to help take care of her mom. Xavier tries to forget about Samantha but he just can't and wants to try a long distance relationship. He just set up his practice so he can't exactly just close up shop and move. So the book was fine and it still had some humorous moments but I want more romance in my romances.

-"She looked soggy, like one of those koalas that has chlamydia..."

-They say that you won't remember what someone said, but you'll always remember how they made you feel.

-Even bad memories are sacred in their own way.

-There would be weeks upon weeks of boring gray without him and then two or three days of color.

-"So you're just...alone?
"I'm always alone. It's fine, I'm used to it."
"It is not fine. That's not something anyone should get used to. You have me now, okay?"

-"Some things are worth remembering, Samantha. No matter how much they hurt."

-We were a bonded pair, separated by cages two thousand miles apart.

-Sometimes the challenges we face either break us or they make us stronger. And sometimes they do both.




]]> <![CDATA[Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)]]> 16150043
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there's an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.]]> 369 Gayle Forman 1849415668 Beth 3
I ended up liking this book. I wanted the romance but this is a coming of age story. Allyson is 18-19 and trying to figure out her life. She goes to Europe with a tour the summer before she goes to college. Her mom is very clingy and runs her life. Allyson meets a man and they have a whirlwind day in Paris. She never got his last name and she pines for him for a year. I was with the book for the first half but then it was all about Allyson trying to figure out her life in her first year of college so it was fine but dragged a little for me. She then decides in the next summer to try to find Willem. So then it is her traveling to Europe again. As a mom I cringed a lot with how she trusted so many strangers and she could have been killed. Yikes. But I knew that would end the story and I know there is a sequel. I have the next book but I need to see what it is all about. If it is just Willem's year pining I don't know if I will read it.

-"And the people we pretend at, they're already in us. That's why we pretend them in the first place."]]> 3.95 2013 Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)
author: Gayle Forman
name: Beth
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

I ended up liking this book. I wanted the romance but this is a coming of age story. Allyson is 18-19 and trying to figure out her life. She goes to Europe with a tour the summer before she goes to college. Her mom is very clingy and runs her life. Allyson meets a man and they have a whirlwind day in Paris. She never got his last name and she pines for him for a year. I was with the book for the first half but then it was all about Allyson trying to figure out her life in her first year of college so it was fine but dragged a little for me. She then decides in the next summer to try to find Willem. So then it is her traveling to Europe again. As a mom I cringed a lot with how she trusted so many strangers and she could have been killed. Yikes. But I knew that would end the story and I know there is a sequel. I have the next book but I need to see what it is all about. If it is just Willem's year pining I don't know if I will read it.

-"And the people we pretend at, they're already in us. That's why we pretend them in the first place."
]]> <![CDATA[The Last of the Mohicans � A Narrative of 1757: With 26 Illustrations and a Free Audio Link.]]> 31572547
The Last of the Mohicans was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time.

The story is set in 1757 during the French and Indian War when France and Great Britain battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results. The colonisers war however, overlays older struggles between nations of Native Americans for possession of the same lands.

Through these layers of conflict, Cooper threads a thrilling narrative, in which Cora and Alice Munro � daughters of a British commander on the frontline of the colonial war � attempt to join their father. They are thwarted by Magua, the sinister ‘Indian runner.� Luckily, the two sisters find help from a person called Hawkeye, the white woodsman, and his companions, the Mohican Chingachgook and Uncas, his son � the last of his tribe.

Cooper’s novel is full of vivid incidents � pursuits through the wild terrain, skirmishes, treachery and brutality. However, it also reflects on the interaction between the colonists and the natives. Through the character of Hawkeye, Cooper raises lasting questions about the practices of the American frontier and the eclipse of the indigenous cultures.

Highlights of this edition are:

� 26 illustrations and photos.
� A free web links to the full-length audio recording of the book � to either listen to online, or download.
� It is formatted for ease of use and enjoyment on your kindle reader.
� An active (easy to use) Table of Contents listing every chapter accessible from the kindle “go to� feature.
� Perfect formatting in rich text compatible with Kindle’s Text-to-Speech features.
� Plus About the Author section.
� 710 pages (in the kindle format) for a very low price.

This book is unabridged and the story appears as it was first published in 1826.]]> 418 James Fenimore Cooper Beth 0 to-read 3.93 1826 The Last of the Mohicans – A Narrative of 1757: With 26 Illustrations and a Free Audio Link.
author: James Fenimore Cooper
name: Beth
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1826
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> After Life 211742015 "After Life is a masterful tale about a family coping with loss, showing the way griefaffects us and people we don't even know inways we don't see. Once I met Amber and her family, I didn't want to let them go." -—Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of Carving Shadows into Stone

"Forman is a master at making her readers fall in love—with a girl whose life is over, with a community of people in a small town who are barely surviving her loss, and with the incredible, surprising way everyone's stories knit together into a heartbreaking and hopeful whole." —E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.

Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle s’s inexplicably riding now.

This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death,examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.]]> 271 Gayle Forman 0063346168 Beth 5 arcs-2024
I want to add that Amber dies while being hit by a car while riding her bike. I had a death in the family the same way and I certainly thought about that while reading. But the memories are definitely a blessing.

-Suddenly, coming back from the dead doesn't seem like a miracle so much as a curse. Because dead people don't have to see how much destruction they left in their wake. And me, I've got quite a body count going.

-Was Virginia Woolf right? You have to subtract something to add something?]]> 3.93 2025 After Life
author: Gayle Forman
name: Beth
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I loved this one and I am over here sobbing. This book is about a seventeen year old who died and comes home 7 years later. Her mom of course screams when she sees her. Amber has no idea that she died seven years ago. Her little sister is now almost her age. Amber gets to see the changes that happened to people because of her death. But while bad things obviously happened after she died, good things have come about too. We see the ripple effect of her life and death. Amber sees that she was not always the nicest friend and sister. She thinks her life and death did not matter but we get to see other people's perspectives and how their life changed for the better because of her life and death. I enjoyed the book so much. Beautiful things can come out of tragedies. The chapters are short so it is a quick read. I thought I had things figured out but I did not. Gayle Forman mentions at the end that in Judaism when a person dies they will say "May their memory be a blessing."

I want to add that Amber dies while being hit by a car while riding her bike. I had a death in the family the same way and I certainly thought about that while reading. But the memories are definitely a blessing.

-Suddenly, coming back from the dead doesn't seem like a miracle so much as a curse. Because dead people don't have to see how much destruction they left in their wake. And me, I've got quite a body count going.

-Was Virginia Woolf right? You have to subtract something to add something?
]]> The Warbler 213454093 From the author of The Lies Among Us comes a magical tale about mothers and daughters, choices and consequences, and the real meaning of home when every place feels like a cage.

Ten months. That’s the longest Elisa has stayed anyplace, constantly propelled by her fear that if she puts down roots, a family curse will turn her into a tree.

But s’s grown tired of flitting from town to town and in and out of relationships. When she discovers a small town in Massachusetts where mysterious forces make it impossible for the residents to leave, she hopes she can change her fate.

As Elisa learns about the town’s history, she understands more about the women in her family, who seem doomed to never get what they want. Now she believes s’s stuck, too—is that a patch of bark on her arm? But her neighbor’s collection of pet birds sings secrets that Elisa can almost understand—secrets she must unravel in order to be truly alive.]]> 335 Sarah Beth Durst 1662524102 Beth 4 arcs-2024
-"You want too much, Rose. It worries me."
"I don't think it's too much to want the world."

-"Also, if you hear voices in the stacks, don't be alarmed. We've been having a problem with that."
With that odd statement, she sweeps back to toward the circulation desk.

-How can anyone move on when you carry your past with you?

]]> 4.04 2025 The Warbler
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Beth
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I enjoyed The Spellshop so I was curious to read this ARC. So I couldn't decide how to write this review without giving things away and then I read the blurb and everything is given away in the blurb so I guess I can spoil some things. I like to go into books blind and I liked that those things were surprises for me. So just stay with me here but Elisa has been told all of her life from her mother that they cannot set down roots anywhere or they will turn into a tree. The women have all been cursed. So Elisa and her mom have moved usually about every ten months. After her mother's death Elisa has a mission to try to find the source of the curse and break it. She arrives in a town in Massachusetts and finds out her mother and grandmother lived there so she feels she is on the right track. But how did they live there and not have to move? Has her mom been lying to her? People in the town are very strange. But how do you bring up that you are cursed to a bunch of strangers? I enjoyed the book. I don't know if it will be for everyone but I liked all of the twists and such in it.

-"You want too much, Rose. It worries me."
"I don't think it's too much to want the world."

-"Also, if you hear voices in the stacks, don't be alarmed. We've been having a problem with that."
With that odd statement, she sweeps back to toward the circulation desk.

-How can anyone move on when you carry your past with you?


]]> <![CDATA[The Stars Are Dying (Nytefall, #1)]]> 206101574 "The brightest star needs the darkest night."

In a world abandoned by the celestial guardians and left to suffer a tyrant king’s reign, all Astraea knows is safety in seclusion. With fragmented memories of only five years of her life, s’s determined to discover more about her past, even if that means fleeing the cruel arms that hold her safe from the wicked vampires rumored to roam the land.

But when Astraea stumbles upon the mysterious Nyte, she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart. He lingers like the darkness that expands between the stars, and soon she discovers her captor’s wicked means of control weren’t based on a lie to keep her under locks after all. In her desperation, Astraea accepts Nyte’s help before she can decide if she might have sold her allegiance to one of the bloodthirsty beings the people of her world fear.

Once their bargain is struck, Astraea’s chance to escape comes in the form of accompanying her best friend Cassia to the King’s Central. There on royal territory it’s the centenary of the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. So when tragedy strikes, Astraea must decide if taking the place of a murdered participant for the safety of her kingdom is a ruse worth dying for, or if protection—and the answers to her past—really are her strongest desires.]]> 412 Chloe C. Peñaranda 1250355664 Beth 3 3.41 2023 The Stars Are Dying (Nytefall, #1)
author: Chloe C. Peñaranda
name: Beth
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:
I'm not even sure what to say about this one. 400 pages and no answers. What was the point? We have Astraea and she has been a prisoner in Hektor's house. She does not seem to have much of a memory before Hektor "saved her". Hektor abuses her but he is also her savior so she is very confused. We as the reader of course know she is probably a powerful being but typical fantasy she has no idea who she is but other people do know. No one will tell her which I thought was strange because she literally could be killed by a vampire at any point but she is the one to save the world but let's not tell her. There is nothing more frustrating in a book then when the reader knows something about the main character but they do not find out. So Astraea starts seeing some handsome guy but she does not know if he is real or not. And it is the typical that the man keeps telling her he is bad and she should stay away but she doesn't. To me the story was all over the place. It did not flow well and I still don't understand any of it. There was also a hunger games type part where there can only be one winner and Astraea is participating in it. She's the main character so you can assume how that will come out, but I still did not see the point. The book was fine but we know the whole time she is this other powerful being but 400 pages is a long time to be annoyed by her and not getting answers. At one point the guy says no more secrets. I thought finally! Nope, still more secrets. I read it all. It is what it is. It is a very pretty edition though.
]]> The Winter Sea (Slains, #1) 35894505
In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Please note: This novel has also been published under a different title: Sophia's Secret.


©2010 Susanna Kearsley (P)2011 Audible, Inc.]]> 544 Susanna Kearsley Beth 0 to-read 4.38 2008 The Winter Sea (Slains, #1)
author: Susanna Kearsley
name: Beth
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Let's Call Her Barbie 211671383 She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.

When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what s’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.

In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.

As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.

In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions� each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—s’s a legacy.]]> 432 Renée Rosen 0593335686 Beth 4 arcs-2024
-Stevie decides that grown-ups need their own Barbie dream world every bit as much as children do.]]> 4.03 2025 Let's Call Her Barbie
author: Renée Rosen
name: Beth
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I loved Barbie dolls as a child so I was excited to get this ARC to learn about Ruth Handler and how Barbies came about. My mom's name is Barbara and she received the first barbie doll. I played with it as a child not realizing what is was till it was long gone. That is sad. This book starts in 1956 when Ruth sees a German doll and takes it to her husband, Elliot, and an engineer, Jack Ryan, at Mattel and says we need to make this. Elliot and Ruth started Mattel with Harold Matson. Elliot thinks it will be a big waste of money and resources. Jack Ryan likes a challenge and is all in. So Ruth and Jack spend years trying to perfect Barbie. I was always told Ruth made the doll for her daughter, Barbara, but that is not accurate. Barbara was in high school when Ruth was creating Barbie. This book goes for about twenty years. All before I was born so I did not know really anything about Mattel and Ruth Handler. Jack Ryan was an interesting character. I know people talk about what Barbie looked like but for me it was all about the clothes. I have no sense of style and I just wanted Barbie's clothes. This book talks a lot about the fashion designers that worked at Mattel. That was a big part of the doll and I liked that that was a big part of this book. The first third of this book is making Barbie and then she sells and it is all a big success. I thought, what is left to say? A lot apparently. I was hooked at that point. I enjoyed it and of course I had to google all of the people after reading the book. It was fascinating.

-Stevie decides that grown-ups need their own Barbie dream world every bit as much as children do.
]]> The Other March Sisters 213870670 Giving all the “Little Women� the stories they deserve at last, this imaginative historical novel and companion to the much-loved classic draws Meg, Beth, and Amy March from behind the shadow of Jo � Louisa May Alcott’s alter-ego and the “author� of Little Women � asvibrant and unforgettable characters grappling with societal strictures, queer love, motherhood, chronic illness, artistic ambition, and more.

A riveting reimagining for readers of March by Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Miller’s Caroline and Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet.

I’m sure you believe you know their story from reading that other book, which told you an inspiring tale about four sisters. It told you a story, but did it tell you the story?

Four sisters, each as different as can be. Through the eyes and words of Jo, their characters and destinies became known to millions. Meg, pretty and conventional. Jo, stubborn, tomboyish, and ambitious. Beth, shy and good-natured, a mortal angel readily accepting her fate. And Amy, elegant, frivolous, and shallow. But Jo, for all her insight, could not always know what was in her sisters� thoughts, or in their hearts.

With Jo away in New York, pursuing her dreams of being a writer, Meg, Beth, and Amy follow their own paths. Meg, newly married with young twins, struggles to find the contentment that Marmee assured her would come with domesticity. Unhappy and unfulfilled, she turns to her garden, finding there not just a hobby but a calling that will allow her to help other women in turn.

Beth knows her time is limited. Still, part of her longs to break out of her suffocating cocoon at home, however briefly. A new acquaintance turns into something more, offering unexpected, quiet joy.

Amy, traveling in Europe while she pursues her goal of becoming an artist, is keenly aware of the expectation that she will save the family by marrying well. Through the course of her journey, she discovers how she can remain true to herself, true to her art, and true to the love that was always meant to be.

By purposefully leaving Jo off the page, authors Liz Parker, Ally Malinenko, and Linda Epstein give the other March sisters room to reveal themselves through conversations, private correspondence, and intimate moments—coming alive in ways that might surprise even daring, unconventional Jo.
ձ> 368 Linda Epstein 149675025X Beth 3 arcs-2024
-"Being silent is not a sign of weakness or ignorance. In fact, being more keen to listen than to talk is a gift."]]> 3.44 The Other March Sisters
author: Linda Epstein
name: Beth
average rating: 3.44
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
As a lover of Little Women, I jumped at the chance for this ARC. I was even able to get a physical ARC, not just an e-ARC. However I think I have decided retellings of Little Women are just not for me. The characters are just too ingrained in my head to try to see them any other way. This one intrigued me though as it was going to tell the stories of Meg, Beth, and Amy while Jo was in New York. I was especially excited for Amy's part as I was hoping for the romance of her and Laurie. That is not what I got. (sad face) I think I should add that this is a feminist retelling. I thought the book was fine. It is these three authors' version of events. Each sister gets one part of the book, except Amy gets a little extra part at the end. I will say that I did appreciate the authors adding in things from the real lives of Anna, Lizzie, and May Alcott and the book will still look good on my Little Women bookshelf.

-"Being silent is not a sign of weakness or ignorance. In fact, being more keen to listen than to talk is a gift."
]]> <![CDATA[The Little Women Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion to Louisa May Alcott’s Beloved Classic]]> 57136301 Devotional Inspiration from the Lives of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

The Little Women Devotional offers lovely inspiration that explores the themes of faith, family, contentment, wisdom, and joyin theclassic Louisa May Alcott novel, cherished by generations of readers.

Each reading corresponds with a chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s guiding hand in your life as His cherished daughter. This beautiful chapter-by-chapterdevotional includes original artwork throughout, and each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, and prayers perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection.]]> 224 Rachel Dodge 1636090966 Beth 5 4.65 2021 The Little Women Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion to Louisa May Alcott’s Beloved Classic
author: Rachel Dodge
name: Beth
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves:
review:
I was trying to think what I wanted to read for my 100th book and since I received this devotional last Christmas, I figured I should finish it before this Christmas. I really enjoyed it. Each chapter of Little Women has a devotional so it follows the book. I had thought about reading Little Women chapter by chapter with the devotional, but they do a good summary of each chapter before using scripture to tell you want to learn from each chapter so I decided not to. There are 47 devotionals and each day they give a summary of the chapter along with a few bible verses and then a personal application and a prayer to go with the meaning of the chapter. So yes I could have finished it in 47 days :) I do not have many quotes because I would just be quoting the whole book but I have a shirt that says "Hope and Keep Busy" from Little Women and that was mentioned in the book. And then:"Though it is small, the tongue can do a lot of damage or a lot of good." Truth.
]]> The Teller of Small Fortunes 207610813 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 0593815904 Beth 3 arcs-2024 4.07 2024 The Teller of Small Fortunes
author: Julie Leong
name: Beth
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
This one looked like a cute cozy fantasy so I wanted to read it. It was just okay for me. We have Tao who has run away from home and in hiding, but going to different villages to do fortune telling. She comes across two men who help her out when a tree is across the road. One of them is looking for his daughter. They decide to journey together. If I was looking for my daughter I would not have someone who pulls a wagon join me. That would slow me down I would think. Then they end up with a baker woman also joining them. Once again, if I am looking for my daughter I can go a lot faster without other people slowing me down. So this book is about them going from town to town and just not a lot happening. There is a brief side journey which just made no sense to me. I would call this a quiet novel but I feel like those are character driven and this did not feel like that kind of novel. I guess to me the characters did not really mesh together. I did not get why they were all traveling together. So it was fine but I needed the plot to move along and it was way to slow for me.
]]> Little Women and Me 9583143 Little Women is an easy choice. After all, if Emily can't fix things in her own family, she might as well bring a little justice to the other March sisters. Perhaps she can--spoiler alert!--keep Beth from dying? Or maybe she can prevent the boy next door from winding up with Amy instead of Jo?

But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the March sisters, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be as easy as she thought... especially when she develops a crush on the very boy she planned to save for Jo. After being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, Emily--and not the March sisters--may be the one who undergoes the most surprising change of all.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection is a journey of self-discovery that will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys time travel or a modern twist on an old favorite.]]> 312 Lauren Baratz-Logsted 1599905140 Beth 3
I did not realize this was YA when I bought it. I just saw Little Women on the cover and clicked buy on Thriftbooks. I need to pay better attention. Second YA in a row. So this was a quick read. Now anyone who sees this title and wants to read this book will be because they are a fan of Little Women. So if you are going to write a book like this and make fun of Little Women and want Laurie and Jo to end up together, you are going to get 1 star reviews. I know LMA did not want Jo and Laurie to end up together. I know this. But I can still have the fantasy and want the fanfiction where they end up together. So this book is about a girl named Emily. I believe she is 14. Her English assignment is to take a book they love and change something about it. Of course with Little Women everyone wants Beth to not die, and some people want Jo to end up with Laurie. Emily ends up being sucked into the book. She is living with the March family as if she is one of the sisters. The middle March if you will. This book basically goes through the book Little Women but with Emily inserted into the story. She feels like her only way out of the book is to change something, but what? So, it was fine and I did want to know how it would all end and how she would get back to the real world and did time stop while she was with the Marches.]]> 3.15 2011 Little Women and Me
author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
name: Beth
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves:
review:
3.5 star

I did not realize this was YA when I bought it. I just saw Little Women on the cover and clicked buy on Thriftbooks. I need to pay better attention. Second YA in a row. So this was a quick read. Now anyone who sees this title and wants to read this book will be because they are a fan of Little Women. So if you are going to write a book like this and make fun of Little Women and want Laurie and Jo to end up together, you are going to get 1 star reviews. I know LMA did not want Jo and Laurie to end up together. I know this. But I can still have the fantasy and want the fanfiction where they end up together. So this book is about a girl named Emily. I believe she is 14. Her English assignment is to take a book they love and change something about it. Of course with Little Women everyone wants Beth to not die, and some people want Jo to end up with Laurie. Emily ends up being sucked into the book. She is living with the March family as if she is one of the sisters. The middle March if you will. This book basically goes through the book Little Women but with Emily inserted into the story. She feels like her only way out of the book is to change something, but what? So, it was fine and I did want to know how it would all end and how she would get back to the real world and did time stop while she was with the Marches.
]]> My Name Is Emilia del Valle 217245557 In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

In San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia Del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman.

To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of sixteen, she begins to publish pulp fiction under a man’s pen name. When these fictional worlds can't contain her sense of adventure any longer, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at the San Francisco Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.

As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, along with Eric, and while there, begins to uncover the truth about her father and the country that represents her roots. But as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in danger and at a crossroads, questioning both her identity and her destiny.

A riveting tale of self-discovery and love from one of the most masterful storytellers of our time, My Name is Emilia del Valle introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart.]]> 304 Isabel Allende 059397509X Beth 0 to-read 4.02 2025 My Name Is Emilia del Valle
author: Isabel Allende
name: Beth
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Variation 210482187 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all s’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories s’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.]]> 459 Rebecca Yarros 1662514697 Beth 0 to-read 4.19 2024 Variation
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Beth
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 165940202
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing ’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.]]> 419 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599837 Beth 0 to-read 3.91 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Beth
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare]]> 19919839 From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assistant and petrified devoted fans worldwide. A young boy named Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire! Stever remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires. This is the beginning of Darren's story.]]> 280 Darren Shan Beth 4 4.10 2000 A Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare
author: Darren Shan
name: Beth
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves:
review:
A coworker of mine said this is one of his favorite series and the library had the first book so why not? I did not realize it was YA which is not one of my favorite genres but I'm committed now. Also horror is not one of my favorites. I'm not sure why I read it but it was good. I really thought I would have nightmares but I did not last night. It could still happen though. It is a short read so the action is always happening which I appreciated because it kept me reading. Of course the main character is doing dumb things, he is a teenage boy. So Darren and a friend go to a freak show and both of their lives change after seeing it, and not for the better. There are snakes, and spiders, and vampires. There are twelve books in the series and they are all short books.
]]> <![CDATA[Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades, #2)]]> 213581542 The lies are bigger and the plots more treacherous when your favourite backstabbers return in the mind-blowing sequel to instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Mai Corland's epic adventure fantasy Five Broken Blades

The King of Yusan may be the greatest liar of them all.

His sister's ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants. Even manipulating the five blades to steal it...

Bonded by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon's pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.

A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another, even though their lives, their families, and the realms depend on it.

They can all agree on one thing: the king can't win. But can they beat him at his own game?

Because for the blades, this time it's not just personal, it's revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but now vengeance will bring them together.

The lies have only just begun...]]> 413 Mai Corland Beth 4 arcs-2024
Quotes to come after release date]]> 3.99 2025 Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades, #2)
author: Mai Corland
name: Beth
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I loved the first book so much and I was excited to get this ARC. This one did not have the same enjoyment for me as the first but I did still like it. Our favorite group of misfits are on another mission. One of the things I liked about the first book was the little bit of romance with each couple and this one did not really have that. One couple is separated and the other two couples are mad at each other for most of the book. I still enjoyed the humor of all of the characters. I think second books are hard when there is clearly going to be another book. They are on a mission, they almost die, continue mission, almost die, continue mission, almost die. We did get some new twists though with this book so I am looking forward to the next book.

Quotes to come after release date
]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening (Leopard People, #0.5)]]> 7987309 111 Christine Feehan 1101047224 Beth 3 3.57 2002 The Awakening (Leopard People, #0.5)
author: Christine Feehan
name: Beth
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves:
review:
This is a novella and it is the introduction to the leopard people series. I have this and book 1 in the series. It was a good introduction to her shape shifter romances. I just read a heavy book and wanted something light and this fit the bill. Of course everything happens quickly, including the romance because it is a short story.
]]> Broken Country 214151202 “The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.�

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> 320 Clare Leslie Hall 166807818X Beth 5 arcs-2024 4.41 2025 Broken Country
author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: Beth
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I am crying so hard right now as I finish this book. I received a physical ARC and one of the main character's name is Beth, so why not? This did remind me of Where the Crawdads Sing. I think this book will have wide appeal because it has a mystery, romance, historical fiction, suspense, courtroom drama, just like Crawdads. It is only about 300 pages and I did not want to put them down. This book does have several triggers, dog dies, child dies, infidelity. It starts with someone has been shot dead. But we don't know who. There is also a trial going on. Beth and Frank have been married maybe 10 years or so living a quiet life dealing with the loss of their son. Beth's first love Gabriel has come back to town with his son after a divorce. His property is next to their property. Beth starts a connection to Gabriel's son. Frank does not like her getting close to Gabriel or his son, but maybe this is helping her grief. We go back in time and see Beth and Gabriel's relationship and their breakup and how Frank loved Beth first but he was too late by the time he told her. So when Gabriel and Beth break up, Frank is right there to pick up the pieces. It is quite the love triangle and when things are revealed at the end I gasped out loud!
]]> First Light (Shadowlands, #1) 220225384 In the Shadowlands, strangers wear familiar faces, myths are reality, and lies hide behind the most beautiful stories.

Lachlan Murray disappeared without a trace. As his girlfriend, twenty-nine-year-old Carys Morgan refuses to accept the police’s explanation—that he simply left her. She travels to Scotland to seek help from Lachlan’s twin brother Duncan, and learns she was right—Lachlan didn’t leave her, he left her world to return to his own.

The Shadowlands are a mirror of the world Carys knows. Every human in her world also exists in this one with one key difference�magic.

Humans aren’t supposed to be able to wield the magic of the Shadowlands, but when Carys learns she can talk to dragons, s’s drawn deeper into a complicated world that would as soon kill her as keep her. And if magic and murder weren’t enough to overcome, she must navigate complicated feelings for two identical men from vastly different worlds.

USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Hunter weaves an enchanting adventure, full of mythology and romance, in the first installment of a brand new romantic portal fantasy!]]> 430 Elizabeth Hunter 1959590502 Beth 0 to-read 4.13 2024 First Light (Shadowlands, #1)
author: Elizabeth Hunter
name: Beth
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Stolen Queen 211025454 From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.� Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. S’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.]]> 352 Fiona Davis 0593474279 Beth 0 to-read 3.91 2025 The Stolen Queen
author: Fiona Davis
name: Beth
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Finding Dorothy 40265841 A richly imagined novel that tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud--from the family's hardscrabble days in South Dakota to the Hollywood film set where she first meets Judy Garland.

Maud Gage Baum, widow of the author of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, met Judy Garland, the young actress playing the role of Dorothy on the set of The Wizard of Oz in 1939. At the time, Maud was seventy-eight and Judy was sixteen. In spite of their age difference, Maud immediately connected to Judy--especially when Maud heard her sing "Over the Rainbow," a song whose yearning brought to mind the tough years in South Dakota when Maud and her husband struggled to make a living--until Frank Baum's book became a national sensation.

This wonderfully evocative two-stranded story recreates Maud's youth as the rebellious daughter of a leading suffragette, and the prairie years of Maud and Frank's early days when they lived among the people--especially young Dorothy--who would inspire Frank's masterpiece. Woven into this past story is one set in 1939, describing the high-pressured days on The Wizard of Oz film set where Judy is being badgered by the director, producer, and her ambitious stage mother to lose weight, bind her breasts, and laugh, cry, and act terrified on command. As Maud had promised to protect the original Dorothy back in Aberdeen, she now takes on the job of protecting young Judy.]]> 351 Elizabeth Letts 0525622101 Beth 4
-Being mothered by one of America's most outspoken women made it hard for Maud to find a voice all her own.

-But Maud had learned some bitter lessons in her life- and perhaps one of the hardest was that you can't always rescue people, no matter how much you want to.]]> 4.14 2019 Finding Dorothy
author: Elizabeth Letts
name: Beth
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this one. It is about Frank Baum's wife and how the book The Wizard of Oz came about. It is has two timelines, as most historical fiction must have. We start in the late 1800s and also 1939 while the making of the movie is happening. In 1939 Frank Baum is already dead so his wife, Maud, wants to make sure it lives up to Frank's dream of Oz. Maud is not happy about Judy Garland playing Dorothy because she is too old but they end up having a good relationship. Frank Baum and his wife had a very hard life. They even went out to the Dakota Territory to try to make it there for a time. Unfortunately they arrived there just after the big boom so things went downhill while they lived there. I found the book very interesting. Most of us already know the horror stories of the making of the film and some of that is in here, at least what pertains to Judy Garland.

-Being mothered by one of America's most outspoken women made it hard for Maud to find a voice all her own.

-But Maud had learned some bitter lessons in her life- and perhaps one of the hardest was that you can't always rescue people, no matter how much you want to.
]]> <![CDATA[Christmas at Hogwarts (Harry Potter #1.5)]]> 209269064 “Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow.�

So begins Chapter Twelve of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the heartwarming story of Harry Potter’s first Christmas at Hogwarts. From the Great Hall decked with magnificent fir trees to cozy evenings in the Gryffindor Common Room to the joy of presents on Christmas morning, it’s a holiday filled with warmth, friendship, good food, and magical surprises that Harry will never forget.

With text drawn directly from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and luminous illustrations by artist Ziyi Gao, this favorite moment from one of the most beloved books of all time is now fully illustrated for the whole family to enjoy. Sure to be treasured by Harry Potter fans of all ages, Christmas at Hogwarts is the perfect gift, destined to become an enchanting new holiday tradition.]]> 48 J.K. Rowling 1546129952 Beth 5 4.51 2024 Christmas at Hogwarts (Harry Potter #1.5)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Beth
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves:
review:
Due to all the hate 1 stars I will always give J.K. Rowling 5 stars. So I thought this would be a new Christmas story but it is just chapter 12 of Sorcerer's Stone. It is edited down but word for word in the parts that are used. I pulled my book out to follow along. It is still fun and I would read it to young children. The illustrations are gorgeous!
]]> <![CDATA[Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)]]> 214310537

The viral TikTok friends-to-lovers dark romantic comedy full of murder, chaos, and spice—unlike anything you’ve read before—now available in all bookstores.


When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of like-minded, pitch-black souls. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.


But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

]]> 368 Brynne Weaver 1638932352 Beth 0 to-read 4.16 2023 Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Beth
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)]]> 59729041 For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 419 Rachel Gillig Beth 4
-"But do not let a fever eleven years past keep you from living your life."

-It was easier to hate him for being secretive and dishonest than admitting I hated myself for the same reasons.

]]> 4.40 2022 One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Beth
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves:
review:
I am a little torn on this one. I am giving it 4 stars because I couldn't put it down. It was one of those that I would see the next chapter was 20 pages and then the next thing I knew I was finished with the chapter. The pages flew by. The characters I think are maybe 20ish so there were things that felt YA to me so that is why I am torn. Elspeth's blood is infected and so she should have been turned over to the King but her father instead sent her away to live with her aunt and uncle. She has told no one of the voice she now hears in her head. Also, there is a dangerous mist that is about to engulf the town if the townspeople cannot find all of these magic cards to stop it. My feeling is, wouldn't everyone in the town be searching for the magic cards and handing them over to stop the mist? I felt like everyone was just going to wait for the mist to take them and die. Isn't this important to the whole town? Anyway, Elspeth teams up with some other people to try to find all of the cards and save the town, and hopefully cure the infected people, including herself. So I did have some issues and I have not decided yet if I will read the second book.

-"But do not let a fever eleven years past keep you from living your life."

-It was easier to hate him for being secretive and dishonest than admitting I hated myself for the same reasons.


]]> <![CDATA[Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)]]> 211481283 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; s’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now ’s faced with a terrible sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]> 456 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866936 Beth 2 arcs-2024
]]> 4.29 2025 Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Beth
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/24
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I am just heartbroken. I loved Heartless Hunter SO much and this one was not the same for me. I found it very ridiculous. Gideon and Rune are cornered and being shot at and she starts daydreaming and asks if he wants children. What?! It was a back and forth of Gideon being captured, Rune is captured, then Gideon, then Rune and of course they get out of it or there would not be a book. But one of the things that most annoyed me was I would read a chapter in Gideon's POV. The next chapter is in Rune's POV. Rune starts thinking about her latest conversation with Gideon and we get to read the whole conversation again. I just read those words one chapter ago. I don't think I forgot what Gideon said in one chapter. There were multiple chapters that we would just read the same things from the previous chapter. I understand a recap if the author wants us to remember something from the previous book, but I don't need a recap from the previous chapter I just read. And it was very convenient for her to use invisibility and then other times not use it. Wouldn't you always use it? I started reading other books and just read a little of this at night. I would have DNFd it but I loved the first book so much that I was hopeful this one would turn around.


]]> <![CDATA[The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)]]> 210163133 From the author of the Sunday Times bestseller and viral TikTok phenomenon, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes a brand new spicy romance set in Dream Harbor!

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues� she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells�

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:
� opposites attract
� small town
� forced proximity
� he falls first]]> 348 Laurie Gilmore 0008641587 Beth 5
-Cute in like a koala-napping-in-a-tree kinda way.

-"I didn't know you were into that."
"I didn't know I was into a lot of things."
"Good thing we're getting it all figured out."

-Hazel was the one person in his life who looked at him and he didn't feel like she was searching for something that wasn't there. That feeling that maybe you were enough.

-And in that moment, she could picture it. ...where they went on little adventures together and ended the day reading in bed and it was so freaking perfect, it hurt.

]]> 3.68 2024 The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Beth
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this one so much! I had a smile on my face for most of it. Hazel runs the local book store and she is finding strange messages in her books. She thinks they are telling her to go on some adventures and she wants to live more before she turns 30. She asks the hunk in town Noah to help her be more adventurous and since he has a crush on her he is all in. I loved the two of them together. They both had crushes on each other but of course neither wanted to speak up about being more than friends.

-Cute in like a koala-napping-in-a-tree kinda way.

-"I didn't know you were into that."
"I didn't know I was into a lot of things."
"Good thing we're getting it all figured out."

-Hazel was the one person in his life who looked at him and he didn't feel like she was searching for something that wasn't there. That feeling that maybe you were enough.

-And in that moment, she could picture it. ...where they went on little adventures together and ended the day reading in bed and it was so freaking perfect, it hurt.


]]> <![CDATA[The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)]]> 214591924 In the epic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Sword Catcher, praised by George R. R. Martin as “everything I look for in fantasy,� Lin and Kel must chart a perilous course between love and lies.

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk s’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.]]> 576 Cassandra Clare 0525620028 Beth 0 to-read 4.52 2025 The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Beth
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[If You Need Me (Toronto Terror #3)]]> 216875469 A standalone enemies to lovers, fake engagement, hockey romance.

I’ve been secretly in love with Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst since the third grade.

I should be the one taking her to our small-town high school reunion. The prom king finally gets his chance with the valedictorian.
Except she hates me.

To the world, I’m a pro hockey player with a million dollar smile.
To Hemi, I’m the menace who (accidentally) sank her bike to the bottom of the lake.

I never thought I’d be able to right my wrongs until she took the team’s PR job.
I’d hoped I was making progress, winning her over—one geriatric polka party at a time.

Until I got drunk one night and made a mistake. A very big mistake.
Now the world thinks we’re both very much in love–—except Hemi is absolutely in loathe.

To save our jobs and reputations, we have to convince all our friends, family, and bosses that our fake relationship is the real deal.

I’ll do anything to protect her, especially if it means I get to be the best boyfriend Hemi never expected.


*If you want to meet Dallas and Hemi before you read their story, you can start with If You Hate Me, and If You Want Me. ]]> 404 Helena Hunting 1989185894 Beth 0 to-read 4.01 If You Need Me (Toronto Terror #3)
author: Helena Hunting
name: Beth
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Her Soul to Take (Souls Trilogy, #1)]]> 199332489
The demon didn't just want my body. He wanted my soul.


My reputation among magicians is unblemished. Killer, they call me; killing is what I’m best at. One wrong move and you’re dead. Except her . The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed. The cult that once controlled me wants her, but I’m not about to lose my new toy to them.

I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient—something evil—is waking up . . . and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body—he wants my soul.]]> 496 Harley Laroux 1496752899 Beth 4
-"If you live in the dark long enough, you'll forget what the light feels like."

-"You're a light in the dark, and I've been in the dark a very long time."

-"For you, baby girl, I can kill anything."

-Love meant never fighting a battle alone.

-"So long as you wish to play in the dark, I will be there to protect you."]]> 4.22 2021 Her Soul to Take (Souls Trilogy, #1)
author: Harley Laroux
name: Beth
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves:
review:
I won this book from the publisher. I was probably going to give it 3 stars but I could not put it down so I bumped it to four. This is a VERY dark romance. It is about a college student, Rae, and she finds a grimoire. She is all into the supernatural and haunted houses so she is excited to check it out. Unfortunately there is a demon named Leon that wants that spell book. There is a story line but it is mostly them having sex. I'm fine with that but not when people and other beings are trying to kill you and you stop to have sex. Really?! Like I said though I could not put it down. There is a cult in the town and Rae is supposed to be their next sacrifice but not when she has a demon as a boyfriend.

-"If you live in the dark long enough, you'll forget what the light feels like."

-"You're a light in the dark, and I've been in the dark a very long time."

-"For you, baby girl, I can kill anything."

-Love meant never fighting a battle alone.

-"So long as you wish to play in the dark, I will be there to protect you."
]]> The Last Castle 30354429
The story of Biltmore spans World Wars, the Jazz Age, the Depression, and generations of the famous Vanderbilt family, and features a captivating cast of real-life characters including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, James Whistler, Henry James, and Edith Wharton.

Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York’s best-known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House.

Before their marriage, the wealthy and bookish Vanderbilt had dedicated his life to creating a spectacular European-style estate on 125,000 acres of North Carolina wilderness. He summoned the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to tame the grounds, collaborated with celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a 175,000-square-foot chateau, filled it with priceless art and antiques, and erected a charming village beyond the gates. Newlywed Edith was now mistress of an estate nearly three times the size of Washington, DC and benefactress of the village and surrounding rural area. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home, and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore—and secure the future of the region and her husband’s legacy.

The Last Castle is the uniquely American story of how the largest house in America flourished, faltered, and ultimately endured to this day.]]> 307 Denise Kiernan 1476794049 Beth 0 to-read 3.62 2017 The Last Castle
author: Denise Kiernan
name: Beth
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness, #1)]]> 202204672 Sarah Morgenthaler is back with a heart-mending contemporary romance featuring a single dad you'll fall for; a satisfying slow burn love affair; found family you'll root for; small town holiday magic; and all the quirky animals and snowy rustic scenes your heart desires.

Sienna Naples's family has taken care of their wild Idaho land for generations and Sienna can't imagine any other life. But at Christmastime, with her parents gone and her painful marriage finally over, it's full of memories...and incredibly lonely. Until a tall, handsome stranger and a little girl walk into her life and suddenly the holidays are alive again.

When single father Guy Maple shows up as the result of an ad meant to be a joke, the handsome Montana construction worker isn't joking. Money is tight this Christmas, and Guy's four-year-old daughter Emma has stage-five chronic kidney disease. She needs a kidney transplant, but if Guy can't prove that he can afford Emma's anti-rejection medications, his daughter isn't going to stay on the transplant list. Guy's willing to do anything, including marrying a stranger, to keep her safe. It's an impulsive marriage of convenience, and Sienna knows this isn't real, no matter how much she adores Emma, how well Guy fits in to the ranching life—or how much light and laughter is coming into their lives as a result. But the more time she spends with her new family, the more she fears losing the fragile, feisty little girl and the kind, devoted, hard-working, incredibly attractive man who is her husband—but is it only in name?]]> 304 Sarah Morgenthaler 1728249201 Beth 0 to-read 4.13 2024 The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness, #1)
author: Sarah Morgenthaler
name: Beth
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1)]]> 68045855
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?]]> 630 Cassandra Clare 0525620001 Beth 5
-And resentment was pointless. It was more than pointless. Resentment was poison.

-"As a woman, you will have worked twice as hard to get where you are. That pleases me."

-No one wants to be a responsibility, Lin thought. They want to be loved.

-"Children make you helpless. You can have all the power one can imagine, and if you cannot keep them safe from themselves and the world, it does not matter."]]> 4.07 2023 Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Beth
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves:
review:
I bought this book at a signing a year ago and just now read it. I'm sorry I waited so long. I love Cassandra Clare and I really enjoyed this book. I was nervous because this is her first non-Shadowhunter and her first adult. I should not have been nervous. Although since I waited a year the book will be fresher in my mind when the next book comes out in March so I guess that worked out. There is always so much going on in her books that I never can even try to give a summary but basically an orphan, Kel, is taken from an orphanage to be the Prince's double. Obviously they become like brothers, but Kel will always be a servant to the throne, never his own person. Lin lives in a small community of people who have some magical powers and she is a healer. Kel will do anything to protect the Prince and Lin will do anything to find a cure for her dying friend. Paths cross. Lots of secrets. They both turn to the Ragpicker King which can only mean bad things.

-And resentment was pointless. It was more than pointless. Resentment was poison.

-"As a woman, you will have worked twice as hard to get where you are. That pleases me."

-No one wants to be a responsibility, Lin thought. They want to be loved.

-"Children make you helpless. You can have all the power one can imagine, and if you cannot keep them safe from themselves and the world, it does not matter."
]]> <![CDATA[The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1)]]> 207200706 Featuring beautiful ruby sprayed edges!

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Nicholas “Coal� Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 304 Sara Raasch 1250333202 Beth 4 arcs-2024
-"We can feel like we have the best of intentions and still cause disaster."

-...but certain pains don't age, they don't shrivel up, they go dormant like a volcano, never losing their ability to be apocalyptically devastating.

-"I don't think our purpose is to prevent all the bad things in the world. I think our purpose is to help people endure those things."

-"The fantasy of you was pretty great-but everything I've gotten to know about the real you is so much better."

-"It isn't a mark of failure to support other people, and it isn't a mark of success to stand alone."

-"I believed grief had changed you. But I also know that is doesn't have to be only negative changes. We can make something good out of this too."]]> 3.96 2024 The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1)
author: Sara Raasch
name: Beth
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
First of all, the book is very pretty. I ended up liking this one but the first half I was not really enjoying it. Santa is some sort of mob boss threatening people and I just did not get that whole story line. I still do not understand why holding the Prince of Halloween at the Christmas Palace was threatening to Halloween when you are going to send him right back home. So I almost DNF'd this book but I am glad I did not because I did end up liking it. I loved the romance part! I loved Hex and Coal but not the premise. I do not like politics in my books and it was fantasy politics but I just did not get it. The chapters are long for a romcom but then I found out the author normally writes fantasy so that explains the long chapters.

-"We can feel like we have the best of intentions and still cause disaster."

-...but certain pains don't age, they don't shrivel up, they go dormant like a volcano, never losing their ability to be apocalyptically devastating.

-"I don't think our purpose is to prevent all the bad things in the world. I think our purpose is to help people endure those things."

-"The fantasy of you was pretty great-but everything I've gotten to know about the real you is so much better."

-"It isn't a mark of failure to support other people, and it isn't a mark of success to stand alone."

-"I believed grief had changed you. But I also know that is doesn't have to be only negative changes. We can make something good out of this too."
]]> <![CDATA[Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life]]> 44416437 Bestselling author and historian Lucy Worsley tracks a new course through Queen Victoria's life, examining how she transformed from dancing princess to the Widow of Windsor and became one of Britain's greatest monarchs along the way. Taking twenty-four significant days from Victoria's life, from her birth, her wedding, her coronation to her husband's death, and many more in between, allows us to see Victoria up close and personal, examining how she lived hour to hour.

Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth, this major new biography will celebrate Queen Victoria as a woman of her time, who lived an extraordinary life.

]]> Lucy Worsley Beth 4 3.94 2018 Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life
author: Lucy Worsley
name: Beth
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves:
review:
I enjoy watching Lucy Worsley's specials on PBS and I was looking for an audiobook so I thought I would try one of her books out. I borrowed it from Hoopla. I really wished Lucy had read it but that is okay. The narrator did a great job. I did not learn too much that I did not already know about Queen Victoria but I liked how Lucy Worsley picked out 24 days that impacted her life so it was not a biography from birth to death so I enjoyed that. One of the things that the author talks about is that Victoria's daughter Beatrice is the one who went through her journals and edited them, and burned some, so you do not really know how some things really happened. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary almost every day. A lot of those journals are gone forever. They are available now online but are they the edited versions? Victoria liked playing the victim and she realized as a child that the adults would worry whenever she would not eat. So sometimes she held that over them and pretended to not want to eat. She held no power over anything growing up. She could not even walk down stairs without holding someone's hand and she was never left alone. Just imagine that. Someone is always in the room with you as you are growing up. It was not until she became Queen that she could finally be alone sometimes. One of Queen Victoria's ladies said she "clings to human sympathy." That stayed with me. She really led a lonely life her entire life. At the end of the audiobook there is an interview with the author so I enjoyed that. I never read those in physical books but I do not mind it in an audiobook.
]]> <![CDATA[The Pumpkin Spice Café (Dream Harbor, #1)]]> 198100928 A spicy small-town romance and TikTok phenomenon, perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and Stephanie Archer.

When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes�

The Pumpkin Spice Café is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

� grumpy x sunshine
� small town
� found family
� spicy]]> 360 Laurie Gilmore 0008610673 Beth 3
The book does not use standard quotation marks which was annoying but I guess I got used to it. I do not know why that is a thing in some books.

-"It was more that I was climbing him like a tree and the tree grew legs and started walking."
"Okay, like a baby koala situation."
"Exactly."]]> 3.48 2023 The Pumpkin Spice Café (Dream Harbor, #1)
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Beth
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves:
review:
I jumped on the bandwagon. I felt like it was fine. I didn't really feel the connection between the two main characters but I am not a fan of insta-love so there is that. It was cozy and a quick read. I already bought book two so I will read it. It is just romantic fluff and we all need that sometimes.

The book does not use standard quotation marks which was annoying but I guess I got used to it. I do not know why that is a thing in some books.

-"It was more that I was climbing him like a tree and the tree grew legs and started walking."
"Okay, like a baby koala situation."
"Exactly."
]]> <![CDATA[Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)]]> 211164792 Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He's the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but ’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes ’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something ’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?]]> 384 Sarah Adams 0593723694 Beth 0 to-read 4.06 2025 Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Beth
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The idea of you 211863501
Saprà l'amore essere più forte dei pregiudizi e del gossip?]]> 426 Robinne Lee 8892745875 Beth 3
-"You afraid?"
I nodded.
"So am I. But I'm alright with that. If I get hurt, I get hurt. It happens, right? Someone always gets hurt. But I don't want to miss out on us because I was afraid."

-"I was just making sure it was you, and not the idea of you."

]]> 3.45 2017 The idea of you
author: Robinne Lee
name: Beth
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/29
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves:
review:
I borrowed this one from the library. I like the older women younger man trope but this book was just okay. I do not like, however, children in my romances and the woman in this one has a thirteen year old daughter. So that was on me. I definitely felt like she was being selfish when she would fly around the world to have sex with her rockstar leaving her daughter. I wanted the book to have more romance than sex and that was not the case here. Maybe 10% I love the person you are and 90% sex. So again, that was on me. The ending? Eh? I think had there been more romance and not just sex I might have felt more for their relationship at the end but I just didn't. The ending is definitely rushed though. So it was okay. I read it.

-"You afraid?"
I nodded.
"So am I. But I'm alright with that. If I get hurt, I get hurt. It happens, right? Someone always gets hurt. But I don't want to miss out on us because I was afraid."

-"I was just making sure it was you, and not the idea of you."


]]> <![CDATA[Koala: The Extraordinary Life of an Enigmatic Animal]]> 74840778 Winner of the 2023 Whitley Award for Popular Ecology

A New Scientist Best Popular Science Book of the Year



"This is the book I’ve been waiting for." —Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus



An Australian biologist delves into the extraordinary world of koalas, from their ancient ancestors to the current threats to their survival.


Koalas regularly appeared in Australian biologist Danielle Clode’s backyard, but it was only when a bushfire threatened that she truly paid them attention. She soon realized how much she had to learn about these complex and mysterious animals.


In vivid, descriptive prose, Clode embarks on a delightful and surprising journey through evolutionary biology, natural history, and ecology to understand where these enigmatic animals came from and what their future may hold. She begins her search with the fossils of ancient giant koalas, delving into why the modern koala has become the lone survivor of a once-diverse family of uniquely Australian marsupials.


Koala investigates the remarkable physiology of these charismatic creatures. Born the size of tiny “jellybeans,� joeys face an uphill battle, from crawling into their mother’s pouch to being weaned onto a toxic diet of gum-tree leaves, the koalas� single source of food.


Clode explores the complex relationship and unexpected connections between this endearing species and humans. She explains how koalas are simultaneously threatened with extinction in some areas due to disease, climate change, and increasing wildfires, while overpopulating forests in other parts of the country.


Deeply researched and filled with wonder, Koala is both a tender and inquisitive paean to a species unlike any other and a call to ensure its survival.]]> 328 Danielle Clode 1324036842 Beth 4 arcs-2023
-Koalas are simply unlike anything else we know of.

-...almost two thirds of Australia's native mammals are marsupials. No other landmass in the world is as dominated by marsupials as Australia.

-Cute and cuddly, but with razor claws.

-They have three fingers and two thumbs.

-They are also the only species to have fingerprints other than humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

-It's not like they'll eat any old gum leaves. Koalas are notoriously fussy about their food.

-Of the hundreds of species of eucalypts found across Australia, only seventy percent or so are recognized as koala food trees and, of these, any one individual koala might only eat three or five or ten different species.

-I remember reading somewhere that koala fur is so think and waterproof that it was once popular for lining the greatcoats of northern armies in Siberia and fur trappers in the depths of the Canadian Yukon.

-The technical description for koala's mating call is snoring-like inhalations followed by resonant growling expirations. Some call them tree pigs or unkindly compare their calls to the braying of a donkey or the guttural sound of something stuck in a garbage disposal.

-From conception to birth is only thirty-five days.

-But I do know that koalas, like all of us, need something to hold, whether it's a tree or the warmth of another body.

-In the end, it was not he Australian government who stopped the slaughter, but an American president. Hoover responded by prohibiting the importation of koala and wombat skins into the United States, and the trade eventually dried up.

-Koalas are the million dollar babies. They raise more funds than any other species in the world.

-Over the course of their evolutionary history, koalas have responded to climate change, disease, changing forests, increasing aridity, predation and hunting. And they have survived.

-The story of the koala has taken me into the distant past, across continent and cultures and through an incredibly wide range of knowledge systems: botany, ecology, Indigenous knowledge, evolution, palaeontology, anatomy, conservation biology, history, toxicology, psychology, veterinary and nutritional science, and animal behavior.
(I wasn't kidding about all the science in this book!)

]]> 3.80 2023 Koala: The Extraordinary Life of an Enigmatic Animal
author: Danielle Clode
name: Beth
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/06
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: arcs-2023
review:
I have been reading this one off and on for a couple of months. Nonfiction is not my thing so I just read a chapter here and there but close to the end I did not want to put the book down. I have loved koalas all of my life so when I saw this book available on edelweiss I had to have it. This book starts millions of years ago so when it says a history, it means a history. Also, the author is a zoologist and that shows as well. There are so many technical terms and you learn every piece of the koala inside and out. SO many scientific facts! My poor husband as I read and told him so many facts about the koala. I learned so much! One day I will go to Australia and see a koala in the wild!

-Koalas are simply unlike anything else we know of.

-...almost two thirds of Australia's native mammals are marsupials. No other landmass in the world is as dominated by marsupials as Australia.

-Cute and cuddly, but with razor claws.

-They have three fingers and two thumbs.

-They are also the only species to have fingerprints other than humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

-It's not like they'll eat any old gum leaves. Koalas are notoriously fussy about their food.

-Of the hundreds of species of eucalypts found across Australia, only seventy percent or so are recognized as koala food trees and, of these, any one individual koala might only eat three or five or ten different species.

-I remember reading somewhere that koala fur is so think and waterproof that it was once popular for lining the greatcoats of northern armies in Siberia and fur trappers in the depths of the Canadian Yukon.

-The technical description for koala's mating call is snoring-like inhalations followed by resonant growling expirations. Some call them tree pigs or unkindly compare their calls to the braying of a donkey or the guttural sound of something stuck in a garbage disposal.

-From conception to birth is only thirty-five days.

-But I do know that koalas, like all of us, need something to hold, whether it's a tree or the warmth of another body.

-In the end, it was not he Australian government who stopped the slaughter, but an American president. Hoover responded by prohibiting the importation of koala and wombat skins into the United States, and the trade eventually dried up.

-Koalas are the million dollar babies. They raise more funds than any other species in the world.

-Over the course of their evolutionary history, koalas have responded to climate change, disease, changing forests, increasing aridity, predation and hunting. And they have survived.

-The story of the koala has taken me into the distant past, across continent and cultures and through an incredibly wide range of knowledge systems: botany, ecology, Indigenous knowledge, evolution, palaeontology, anatomy, conservation biology, history, toxicology, psychology, veterinary and nutritional science, and animal behavior.
(I wasn't kidding about all the science in this book!)


]]> <![CDATA[What Cannot Be Lost: How Jesus Holds Us Together When Life Is Falling Apart]]> 60663140 A personal story of holding on to faith in Christ in the face of loss.

Author Melissa Zaldivar talks honestly about losing everything that once defined her and how God used unexpected opportunities, like working at Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, to spark a journey of working through her grief and encountering the all-sufficient love of Christ.

Weaving inspiring passages of Scripture and insights from Little Women into her personal story, Melissa encourages readers with her discovery that it’s when we have nothing left to offer that we can receive God’s love the most. And that’s something that can never be lost.

Readers will be reassured that God will meet them in the midst of their mess and urged to look to him for help, comfort and strength.

A great gift for those whose faith is being tested in the face of a loss of any kind—a loved one, a job or a relationship.]]> 166 Melissa Zaldivar 1784987956 Beth 4
"...when we read only the stories of winning, our faith only makes sense when we're winning. Friends, the gospel is so much more than that."

"We were made for fellowship, not followers."

"And this is what grief does to us-it pulls us away from ourselves, and we no longer feel like we know who we are or what we're supposed to be doing."

"Your body needs to pause from sadness sometimes, and that's not a reflection of how little you are committed to lamenting and honoring your loved one."

"...sometimes, the Lord provides by giving us the gift of one another."

"Grief is blinding and deafening and paralyzing, all at once and yet, we have to keep stepping forward, which feels very unfair."

"We don't just lose our loved one when they die; we lose part of ourselves."

"In the early days of grief, we're in a fog and we need friends who will not just walk with us or lift our arms, but will carry us at times."

"We have to learn to live with our grief. We adjust things and make room for it."

Merged review:

I heard about this book on From the Front Porch podcast. I am obsessed with the Orchard House and as soon as the host said the author did tours for Orchard House I had to read the book. This is a book about grief and she ties in Louisa May Alcott and her grief of losing her sister Lizzie. This is a Christian book so lots of Bible verses in it. At the same time I was reading this I was reading a biography about Louisa and her mom so there were some of the same quotes in both books which was fun. I can't say I learned anything new about grief but this book could help someone going through a rough time. This author loses her best friend and job around the same time which made her feel absolutely helpless.

"...when we read only the stories of winning, our faith only makes sense when we're winning. Friends, the gospel is so much more than that."

"We were made for fellowship, not followers."

"And this is what grief does to us-it pulls us away from ourselves, and we no longer feel like we know who we are or what we're supposed to be doing."

"Your body needs to pause from sadness sometimes, and that's not a reflection of how little you are committed to lamenting and honoring your loved one."

"...sometimes, the Lord provides by giving us the gift of one another."

"Grief is blinding and deafening and paralyzing, all at once and yet, we have to keep stepping forward, which feels very unfair."

"We don't just lose our loved one when they die; we lose part of ourselves."

"In the early days of grief, we're in a fog and we need friends who will not just walk with us or lift our arms, but will carry us at times."

"We have to learn to live with our grief. We adjust things and make room for it."]]> 4.37 2022 What Cannot Be Lost: How Jesus Holds Us Together When Life Is Falling Apart
author: Melissa Zaldivar
name: Beth
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/08
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:
I heard about this book on From the Front Porch podcast. I am obsessed with the Orchard House and as soon as the host said the author did tours for Orchard House I had to read the book. This is a book about grief and she ties in Louisa May Alcott and her grief of losing her sister Lizzie. This is a Christian book so lots of Bible verses in it. At the same time I was reading this I was reading a biography about Louisa and her mom so there were some of the same quotes in both books which was fun. I can't say I learned anything new about grief but this book could help someone going through a rough time. This author loses her best friend and job around the same time which made her feel absolutely helpless.

"...when we read only the stories of winning, our faith only makes sense when we're winning. Friends, the gospel is so much more than that."

"We were made for fellowship, not followers."

"And this is what grief does to us-it pulls us away from ourselves, and we no longer feel like we know who we are or what we're supposed to be doing."

"Your body needs to pause from sadness sometimes, and that's not a reflection of how little you are committed to lamenting and honoring your loved one."

"...sometimes, the Lord provides by giving us the gift of one another."

"Grief is blinding and deafening and paralyzing, all at once and yet, we have to keep stepping forward, which feels very unfair."

"We don't just lose our loved one when they die; we lose part of ourselves."

"In the early days of grief, we're in a fog and we need friends who will not just walk with us or lift our arms, but will carry us at times."

"We have to learn to live with our grief. We adjust things and make room for it."

Merged review:

I heard about this book on From the Front Porch podcast. I am obsessed with the Orchard House and as soon as the host said the author did tours for Orchard House I had to read the book. This is a book about grief and she ties in Louisa May Alcott and her grief of losing her sister Lizzie. This is a Christian book so lots of Bible verses in it. At the same time I was reading this I was reading a biography about Louisa and her mom so there were some of the same quotes in both books which was fun. I can't say I learned anything new about grief but this book could help someone going through a rough time. This author loses her best friend and job around the same time which made her feel absolutely helpless.

"...when we read only the stories of winning, our faith only makes sense when we're winning. Friends, the gospel is so much more than that."

"We were made for fellowship, not followers."

"And this is what grief does to us-it pulls us away from ourselves, and we no longer feel like we know who we are or what we're supposed to be doing."

"Your body needs to pause from sadness sometimes, and that's not a reflection of how little you are committed to lamenting and honoring your loved one."

"...sometimes, the Lord provides by giving us the gift of one another."

"Grief is blinding and deafening and paralyzing, all at once and yet, we have to keep stepping forward, which feels very unfair."

"We don't just lose our loved one when they die; we lose part of ourselves."

"In the early days of grief, we're in a fog and we need friends who will not just walk with us or lift our arms, but will carry us at times."

"We have to learn to live with our grief. We adjust things and make room for it."
]]> <![CDATA[Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put]]> 216725714 In her first book, the popular From the Front Porch podcast host and independent bookstore owner challenges the idea that loud lives are the ones that matter most, reminding us that we don't have to leave the lives we have in order to have the lives of which we've always dreamed.

Can life be an adventure, even when it’s just . . . ordinary?

Annie B. Jones always assumed adulthood would mean a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she’d longed to see. But her reality turned out differently. As the years passed, Annie was still in the same small town running an independent bookstore —the kind of life Nora Ephron dreamed.

During that time, she hosted friends� goodbye parties and mailed parting gifts; wrote recommendation letters and wished former shop staffers well. She stayed in her small town, despite her love of big cities; stayed in her marriage to the guy she met when she was eighteen; and she stayed at her bookstore while the world outside shifted steadily toward digital retailers. And she stayed loyal to a faith she sometimes didn’t recognize.

After ten years, Annie realized she might never leave. But instead of regret, she had an epiphany. She awakened to the gifts of a quiet life spent staying put.

In Ordinary Time, Annie challenges the idea that loud lives matter most. Rummaging through her small-town existence, she finds hidden gifts of humor and hope from a life lived quietly. Staying, can itself be a radical act. It takes courage to stay in the places we’ve always called home, Annie argues, as she paints a portrait of possibility far away from thriving metropolises and Monica Gellar-inspired apartments.

We’ve long been encouraged to follow our dreams, to pack up and move to new places and leave old lives—and past selves—behind. While there is beauty in these kinds of adventures, Ordinary Time helps us see ourselves right where we in the middle of messy, mundane lives, maybe not too far from where we grew up. We don’t have to leave to find what we yearn—we can choose to stay, celebrating and honoring our ordinary lives, which might turn out to be bigger and better than we ever imagined.ձ> 240 Annie B. Jones 0063411296 Beth 5 arcs-2024
I highlighted so many passages but they may not be in the final book:

-This book is about...the things you let go and the things you hold on to when you are the one who stays.

-If everyone around you were leaving, wouldn't that make you wonder why you were staying?

-In our culture's current crisis of loneliness, the answer, experts say, isn't to form more deep and lasting friendships. It's to stop using the self-checkout at Target. It's to stop placing a mobile order for your coffee. It's to look people in the eye and to make purchases in person and to form the societal bonds we've almost forgotten out of a desire for convenience.

-I can keep running The Bookshelf only if I hold close to the people whose voices matter most.

-Sometimes, to stay, you have to leave. It might be the best, hardest thing you ever do.

-I don't like funerals, but I do think going to them matters.

-It occurred to me then how important it is to show up when you can.

-That thing you loved in childhood? That sport or book or TV show or board game? It can bring you back to yourself, if only for a moment, and a moment might be just what you need.

-Books fill me up. Quiet fills me up. My home fills me up.

-I don't want to be known for my eye roll but for my awe.

-Love what you love, and let other people see it, so they can love it too.

-Good stories are anywhere you are. Your ordinary life matters, and the place you're living it matters too.

]]> 4.57 Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put
author: Annie B. Jones
name: Beth
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I'm sitting on my front porch swing while I write this review. Annie B. Jones owns a book store in beautiful downtown Thomasville, GA and has a podcast called From The Front Porch. I listen every Thursday to her podcast. I was so excited to be given an ARC of her debut and I normally do not read my ARCs this far in advance of when the book releases but I just had to start it. And then I just kept reading. I loved it so much! Annie is from Tallahassee, FL and had dreams and aspirations of living in New York City and having a big career. That is not where life took her. It took her down the road to Thomasville, GA and taking over a book store. This is a book about staying while so many people move on with their lives. I can completely relate. I am also a stayer. So much of this book resonated with me and I was not expecting that. It is not all about staying. Sometimes leaving is also the right choice. Annie talked about when she had to not just leave her family church but leave her Christian denomination. I did not leave my Catholic faith, but it was SO hard when I did leave my childhood church for another church that was closer. To leave behind people who knew me as a child that I had grown up with was so hard. She talks about Little Women and how Jo wanted everything to always stay the same. Why did her sisters want to marry and leave their family? I am a person who likes consistency. I get it. However, unlike Annie, I always wanted to stay near my family. I am content to live in the same area forever and never had the bigger dreams like she did so that is definitely harder to deal with. Annie has reader retreats at her store and one day I will make it to one. I cried while reading this book and also had a smile so many times. I hope Annie narrates her own book. I would love to listen to her read it. I am just so excited for Annie to have her first book published. It is a dream come true for her! I loved it so much!

I highlighted so many passages but they may not be in the final book:

-This book is about...the things you let go and the things you hold on to when you are the one who stays.

-If everyone around you were leaving, wouldn't that make you wonder why you were staying?

-In our culture's current crisis of loneliness, the answer, experts say, isn't to form more deep and lasting friendships. It's to stop using the self-checkout at Target. It's to stop placing a mobile order for your coffee. It's to look people in the eye and to make purchases in person and to form the societal bonds we've almost forgotten out of a desire for convenience.

-I can keep running The Bookshelf only if I hold close to the people whose voices matter most.

-Sometimes, to stay, you have to leave. It might be the best, hardest thing you ever do.

-I don't like funerals, but I do think going to them matters.

-It occurred to me then how important it is to show up when you can.

-That thing you loved in childhood? That sport or book or TV show or board game? It can bring you back to yourself, if only for a moment, and a moment might be just what you need.

-Books fill me up. Quiet fills me up. My home fills me up.

-I don't want to be known for my eye roll but for my awe.

-Love what you love, and let other people see it, so they can love it too.

-Good stories are anywhere you are. Your ordinary life matters, and the place you're living it matters too.


]]> <![CDATA[LOVE SAYNGS wit & wisdom of romance, courtship, & marriage]]> 28094141 142 Bradford G. Wheler Beth 5
Merged review:

This was a fun read. I liked how there was even a chapter for the love of animals. I was surprised at first because I thought all the quotes would be all lovey-dovey and some were definitely not, but it was good to see all sides of love and the humor in it. I loved the Woody Allen quotes! This book was a neat mix of art and quotes about love. It was really neat that the artists' biographies were at the end so you can reach out to them if you saw something you liked.]]> 5.00 2015 LOVE SAYNGS wit & wisdom of romance, courtship, & marriage
author: Bradford G. Wheler
name: Beth
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/04/03
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:
This was a fun read. I liked how there was even a chapter for the love of animals. I was surprised at first because I thought all the quotes would be all lovey-dovey and some were definitely not, but it was good to see all sides of love and the humor in it. I loved the Woody Allen quotes! This book was a neat mix of art and quotes about love. It was really neat that the artists' biographies were at the end so you can reach out to them if you saw something you liked.

Merged review:

This was a fun read. I liked how there was even a chapter for the love of animals. I was surprised at first because I thought all the quotes would be all lovey-dovey and some were definitely not, but it was good to see all sides of love and the humor in it. I loved the Woody Allen quotes! This book was a neat mix of art and quotes about love. It was really neat that the artists' biographies were at the end so you can reach out to them if you saw something you liked.
]]> Here One Moment 208894791 If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.�

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintaincertainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.]]> 505 Liane Moriarty 0593798619 Beth 4
-Chaos theory is the idea that a tiny change now can result in a large change later.

-Ethan admitted it really had not made him grateful to be alive, just occasionally nervous that he might soon be dead.

-You can avoid grief but you can't do it for twenty-four hours a day. You need distraction, and as long as it's legal and doesn't hurt you or anyone else, I recommend you take that distraction where you can find it.

-It's a very particular time in your life, when someone you love is dying. The world doesn't stop for you. We know this, but in our hearts we are shocked. We want to say, But don't you know what I am going through? How can you speak to me like that when my mother is dying?

-But that's the thing about life: both your wildest dreams and your worst nightmares can come true.]]> 4.18 2024 Here One Moment
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Beth
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/17
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves:
review:
I'm not totally sure how to rate this book. I have read three other books by this author but this one seemed different. I'm not sure. About two thirds I was kind of getting bored that I needed something to happen. Maybe it was too long for me. Her books always keep me turning the page and I was until a point. The chapters are short which is great because then I do keep reading. So a passenger on an airplane goes around telling everyone what age they will die and the cause of death. She does not have a memory of doing it though. Of course people are skeptical until the deaths start happening. Is she a psychic? Is it a coincidence? How would you change your life if you knew when and how you would die? Change for the better or live more recklessly? It is definitely interesting and a good book club discussion. I'm not sure how I liked the ending but I did get teary eyed.

-Chaos theory is the idea that a tiny change now can result in a large change later.

-Ethan admitted it really had not made him grateful to be alive, just occasionally nervous that he might soon be dead.

-You can avoid grief but you can't do it for twenty-four hours a day. You need distraction, and as long as it's legal and doesn't hurt you or anyone else, I recommend you take that distraction where you can find it.

-It's a very particular time in your life, when someone you love is dying. The world doesn't stop for you. We know this, but in our hearts we are shocked. We want to say, But don't you know what I am going through? How can you speak to me like that when my mother is dying?

-But that's the thing about life: both your wildest dreams and your worst nightmares can come true.
]]> <![CDATA[The Silent (Irin Chronicles, #5)]]> 35783197 kareshta, the silent ones.

But the silent are waking.

Kyra has lived her life in the shadow of a powerful Grigori brother. She's ignored her own desires for the good of her family, but an unexpected request from Thailand sends her on a mission that could change her life and alter the fate of free Grigori all over the world. Sons of the Fallen hidden in the mountains of Thailand have adapted an ancient human magic for their own purposes. Will this practice bring peace or lead to even greater danger for the Irin race?

A simple diplomatic mission sends Leo to Bangkok, but he didn't expect to see a familiar face in surveillance photographs. He's tried everything to drive Kyra from his mind, since he was convinced the gentle kareshta wanted to hide from the world. How did she turn up halfway across the globe, living with Grigori who may or may not be Irin allies?

Leo has bided his time. He's given Kyra her space.

But this scribe is ready to hear a kareshta sing.

THE SILENT is a romantic fantasy, and the fifth book in the Irin Chronicles series.]]> 342 Elizabeth Hunter 1941674135 Beth 0 to-read 4.44 2017 The Silent (Irin Chronicles, #5)
author: Elizabeth Hunter
name: Beth
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Fabled Earth: A Novel 210310415 Inspired by the little-known history of Cumberland Island, The Fabled Earth is a sweeping story of family lore and the power of finding your own voice as Southern mythology and personal reckoning collide with a changing world.

1932. Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia is a strange place to encounter the opulence of the Gilded Age, but the last vestiges of the famed philanthropic Carnegie family still take up brief seasonal residence in their grand mansions there. This year's party at Plum Orchard is a lively young men from some of America's finest families come to experience the area's hunting beside a local guide; a beautiful debutante expecting to be engaged by the week's end, and a promising female artist who believes she has meaningful ties to her wealthy hosts. But when temptations arise and passions flare, an evening of revelry and storytelling goes horribly awry. Lives are both lost and ruined.

1959. Reclusive painter Cleo Woodbine has lived alone for decades on Kingdom Come, a tiny strip of land once occupied by the servants for the great houses on nearby Cumberland. When she is visited by the man who saved her life nearly thirty years earlier, a tempest is unleashed as the stories of the past gather and begin to regain their strength. Frances Flood is a folklorist come to Cumberland Island seeking the source of a legend - and also information about her mother, who was among the guests at a long-ago hunting party. Audrey Howell, briefly a newlywed and now newly widowed, is running a local inn. When she develops an eerie double exposure photograph, some believe she's raised a ghost--someone who hasn't been seen since that fateful night in 1932.

As a once-in-a-century storm threatens the natural landscape and shifting tides reveal what Cumberland Island has hidden all along, two timelines and the perspectives of three women intersect to illuminate the life-changing power of finding truth in a folktale.

The Fabled Earth :

Is great for book clubs with its included discussion questionsMakes a great gift for readers of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, Sarah Addison Allen, and Emelia HartNew York Timesbestselling author William Kent Krueger called Brock’sThe Lost Book of Eleanor Dare, “Complex, compelling, and beautifully crafted.”]]> 398 Kimberly Brock 1400234255 Beth 4 arcs-2024
-That was the thing she'd forgotten about hope, how it only serves to remind you there's so much to lose.

-Cleo could be both practical and full of fancy ideas. She believed a life worth living required a bit of both.

-In the myths Frances studied, the stories often began with a lie, and the endings were not always happy ones.

-Rosey wants the world to be like his theater, a place where people sit in the dark and listen to stories and believe they're all friends. That's not the real world. That's not how things change. ]]> 3.96 2024 The Fabled Earth: A Novel
author: Kimberly Brock
name: Beth
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/12
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves: arcs-2024
review:
I enjoyed The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare so I was excited to get this ARC. Kimberly Brock loves Southern lore. She loves storytelling and the stories we pass on to others. This one is about Cumberland Island, GA in 1932 and 1959. Cleo has lived on her own island off of Cumberland since 1932. She came to Georgia to be a chaperone but she was hoping she could stay and be an artist in residence. This is the time of Carnegie opulence. In 1959, Frances' mom has died and she has come to Cumberland Island to get some answers about her mother from something that happened in the summer of 1932. Audrey is a widow who runs the inn on Cumberland Island. We get all three of their perspectives and also the fables from 1932. But really happened? I felt like I was right there in the heat of the south. The author gives great descriptions and making you feel apart of the story. Of course after reading I had to look up Cumberland Island and now I want to visit.

-That was the thing she'd forgotten about hope, how it only serves to remind you there's so much to lose.

-Cleo could be both practical and full of fancy ideas. She believed a life worth living required a bit of both.

-In the myths Frances studied, the stories often began with a lie, and the endings were not always happy ones.

-Rosey wants the world to be like his theater, a place where people sit in the dark and listen to stories and believe they're all friends. That's not the real world. That's not how things change.
]]>