Kristy's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 11 Apr 2025 06:01:45 -0700 60 Kristy's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle 32105 410 Georgette Heyer 0373836082 Kristy 4 audio, would-recommend 4.11 1957 Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle
author: Georgette Heyer
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1957
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: audio, would-recommend
review:
I listened to an abridged version, narrated by Richard Armitage, at the suggestion of a friend. This story was great fun! A bit over the top at times, but a good time from start to finish. One day I'll come back and read the full novel.
]]> <![CDATA[The Impossible Princess (Royals of Sondmark, #1)]]> 60907651
"Princess. Yes. I asked Princess Clara out. It seemed the gentlemanly thing to do after groping her on live television."

Hoping to carve out a meaningful role in the royal family of Sondmark, Clara needs to prove to her mother that she can be the perfect princess. Perfect means opening mass-transit car parks and giving speeches on childhood nutrition, without a hair out of place. Perfect doesn't mean developing a crush on an unnamed military officer she sees once a year. But infatuation is a victimless crime, and nobody ever has to know.

When Princess Clara falls into his arms in front of a bank of photographers, Lieutenant Commander Max Andersen of Her Majesty's Royal Navy is thrust into the tabloids, the gossip threatening his promising career. He hates the sudden glare of media attention and hates how it diverts focus from his job. But the way Clara feels in his arms is a different story.

"The Impossible Princess is the perfect sweet romance!"]]> 273 Keira Dominguez Kristy 5 favorites, would-recommend
I'm so glad that Keira Dominguez (and her books) have blessed my life.
.
This book is a departure from her usual magical regency and it is just perfection.
.
The writing, the dialog, the characters, all of it, just perfect.
.
Knowing what she was going through, personally, while she wrote this book makes it even sweeter.]]> 3.69 The Impossible Princess (Royals of Sondmark, #1)
author: Keira Dominguez
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: favorites, would-recommend
review:
4/11/25: reread this on a whim, and it was just as delightful as I remembered. It was fun to read it again after reading books 2 and 3 to see the tiny crumbs of those stories being laid out from the very start.

I'm so glad that Keira Dominguez (and her books) have blessed my life.
.
This book is a departure from her usual magical regency and it is just perfection.
.
The writing, the dialog, the characters, all of it, just perfect.
.
Knowing what she was going through, personally, while she wrote this book makes it even sweeter.
]]> <![CDATA[Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating]]> 45730892 Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison takes on diet culture and the multi-billion-dollar industries that profit from it, exposing all the ways it robs people of their time, money, health, and happiness. It will turn what you think you know about health and wellness upside down, as Harrison explores the history of diet culture, how it's infiltrated the health and wellness world, how to recognize it in all its sneaky forms, and how letting go of efforts to lose weight or eat "perfectly" actually helps to improve people's health -- no matter their size. Drawing on scientific research, personal experience, and stories from patients and colleagues, Anti-Diet provides a radical alternative to diet culture, and helps readers reclaim their bodies, minds, and lives so they can focus on the things that truly matter.]]> 336 Christy Harrison 0316420352 Kristy 4 nonfiction, would-recommend
I've been troubled by the rise of the wellness industry in recent years, particularly the wellness influencers peddling supplements and preying on desperate and vulnerable people. It's gross.

This book really tries, and mostly succeeds to separate body appearance from innate worth. It strives to drive home that what someone's body looks like is the least interesting thing about them, that using body size as a metric of health is flawed, and that constantly pivoting to the next diet causes more health problems than the alleged "obesity epidemic" has caused when you look at overall health. Anti-diet attempts to foster a peace between us and food, giving permission to eat when we're hungry, to advocate for ourselves at the doctor, and to stop wasting time worrying about what our bodies look like.

"The average weight in the U.S. may have crept up a little from 1985 to 1998, but that was hardly a mass outbreak of disease. Instead, the "obesity epidemic" is really a moral panic that has a lot more to do with diet culture's skewed beliefs about weight than with any actual threat to public health."]]> 4.28 2019 Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
author: Christy Harrison
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
I read this for my Nutrition class this semester. I think I would have liked it better if I had read it straight through, rather than jumping around from section to section each week, but it was still an interesting read.

I've been troubled by the rise of the wellness industry in recent years, particularly the wellness influencers peddling supplements and preying on desperate and vulnerable people. It's gross.

This book really tries, and mostly succeeds to separate body appearance from innate worth. It strives to drive home that what someone's body looks like is the least interesting thing about them, that using body size as a metric of health is flawed, and that constantly pivoting to the next diet causes more health problems than the alleged "obesity epidemic" has caused when you look at overall health. Anti-diet attempts to foster a peace between us and food, giving permission to eat when we're hungry, to advocate for ourselves at the doctor, and to stop wasting time worrying about what our bodies look like.

"The average weight in the U.S. may have crept up a little from 1985 to 1998, but that was hardly a mass outbreak of disease. Instead, the "obesity epidemic" is really a moral panic that has a lot more to do with diet culture's skewed beliefs about weight than with any actual threat to public health."
]]> <![CDATA[Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection]]> 220341389 John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease.

Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, John Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone while traveling with Partners in Health. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal and dynamic advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing 1.5 million people every year.

In Everything is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.]]> 208 John Green 0525556575 Kristy 5
You cannot call yourself pro-life while hoarding resources from the less fortunate. You cannot call yourself pro-life while putting a price on disease treatment and deciding it is too expensive to spend the money. You cannot call yourself pro-life while defending, endorsing, or cheering on the dismantling of public health agencies. You just can't.

"What's different now from 1804 or 1904 is that tuberculosis is curable, and has been since the mid-1950s. We know how to live in a world without tuberculosis. But we choose not to live in that world."

"It reminded me, that when we know about suffering, when we are proximal to it, we are capable of extraordinary generosity. We can do and be so much for each other. But only when we see one another in our full humanity. Not as statistics or problems, but as people who deserve to be alive in the world.�

"TB in the twenty-first century is not really caused by a bacteria that we know how to kill. TB in the twenty-first century is really caused by those social determinants of health, which at their core are about human-built systems for extracting and allocating resources. The real cause of contemporary tuberculosis, is for lack of a better term, us.�

I haven't always enjoyed John Green's fiction, but he is a wonderful and powerful voice for suffering people in both his nonfiction writing and in his advocacy.

This book is raw and difficult to read at times. It's also something I would recommend to anyone and everyone.]]> 4.55 2025 Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
author: John Green
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: audio, favorites, nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
This was an incredible reading/listening experience. This book had me in tears and reconfirmed exactly why I want to be involved in public health. I've been feeling despondent about the dismantling of public health agencies in the US, but this book is a powerful reminder that every person is valuable, that disease eradication is a multi-faceted conundrum, and of the power that resides in each person who tries to make the road easier for those who come after.

You cannot call yourself pro-life while hoarding resources from the less fortunate. You cannot call yourself pro-life while putting a price on disease treatment and deciding it is too expensive to spend the money. You cannot call yourself pro-life while defending, endorsing, or cheering on the dismantling of public health agencies. You just can't.

"What's different now from 1804 or 1904 is that tuberculosis is curable, and has been since the mid-1950s. We know how to live in a world without tuberculosis. But we choose not to live in that world."

"It reminded me, that when we know about suffering, when we are proximal to it, we are capable of extraordinary generosity. We can do and be so much for each other. But only when we see one another in our full humanity. Not as statistics or problems, but as people who deserve to be alive in the world.�

"TB in the twenty-first century is not really caused by a bacteria that we know how to kill. TB in the twenty-first century is really caused by those social determinants of health, which at their core are about human-built systems for extracting and allocating resources. The real cause of contemporary tuberculosis, is for lack of a better term, us.�

I haven't always enjoyed John Green's fiction, but he is a wonderful and powerful voice for suffering people in both his nonfiction writing and in his advocacy.

This book is raw and difficult to read at times. It's also something I would recommend to anyone and everyone.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hero and the Patriot (Heart of the Revolution Book 2)]]> 230904883 In a world where every good thing comes from God, a man shouldn't have to choose between friendship and love. But when the war becomes personal, the time for sitting on fences is past.
Emmeline Gardiner uses the written word to escape the dreariness of her never-ending chores. When a political pamphlet reaches her hands it inspires her to the patriot cause. What the colonies need is a hero to defend their freedoms, like the great men of ancient Greece and Rome. Her idealistic thoughts are listened to with respect by her cousin's friend, Quillan Morris. He doesn't look or act anything like the heroes of her imagination. But maybe that isn't what she--or the colonies--need.

Book FeaturesBest friend's little "sister"Scottish immigrant familyModerate age gapFinding her voiceNo third-act 1775 Virginia; Lord DunmoreChristian faith, prayer, church attendanceSteam just kisses
The Hero and the Patriot is the second book in the Heart of the Revolution, a series which follows the fictional romances and real conflicts of Virginians from 1774 (just before the war) through 1781 (Battle of Yorktown).]]> Stephanie McRae Kristy 0 to-read 0.0 The Hero and the Patriot (Heart of the Revolution Book 2)
author: Stephanie McRae
name: Kristy
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]]> 60531416 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?]]> 480 Brandon Sanderson 1938570375 Kristy 5 favorites, would-recommend
I just loved this! I'm still a bit confused about some bits, but that's pretty standard for me with Brandon Sanderson.

The illustrations added so much to an already lovely story.

I loved all of the bits about art and how we determine the value of items and people and ideas.

You should read this, even if you've never read a Brandon Sanderson book before.

"The thing is, everything is useless, intrinsically.Ěý Nothing has value unless we grant it that value. Any object can be worth whatever we decide it to be worth.
And to these two, Yumi's painting was priceless."]]> 4.46 2023 Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: favorites, would-recommend
review:
it took me a while to get around to reading this, but it ended up being the perfect book at the perfect time.

I just loved this! I'm still a bit confused about some bits, but that's pretty standard for me with Brandon Sanderson.

The illustrations added so much to an already lovely story.

I loved all of the bits about art and how we determine the value of items and people and ideas.

You should read this, even if you've never read a Brandon Sanderson book before.

"The thing is, everything is useless, intrinsically.Ěý Nothing has value unless we grant it that value. Any object can be worth whatever we decide it to be worth.
And to these two, Yumi's painting was priceless."
]]> <![CDATA[There Goes the Groom (A Romance of Rank, #3)]]> 203699121
Matthew Harrison has only one task in life, to marry money. After failing miserably in London, his family takes matters into their own hands by arranging his marriage to the wealthy Lucy Bateman. But when he meets Lucy for the first time, his resolve to save his family from ruin crumbles. Lucy looks to be nothing more than a child, and he cannot fathom going through with the union. Without a thought for the consequences of his actions, he runs away.

Lucy Bateman didn’t like the idea of an arranged marriage, but she agreed to save her sister from suffering the same fate. However, when she played a trick on her groom-to-be by sending her younger sister to meet him in her place, he fled without a word. Now, three years later, Lucy stumbles upon her long-lost fiance working as a cart driver. Fate has given her a second chance and this time there will be no tricks� other than pretending to be someone else entirely in order to convince him to come home and marry her.

This book was orignally available in a shortened form as part of a promotion.]]> 234 Esther Hatch Kristy 4
I got this novella as a newsletter freebie.]]> 4.22 2024 There Goes the Groom (A Romance of Rank, #3)
author: Esther Hatch
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, readwhatyouown, would-recommend
review:
I read this in its novella form and thought it was a quirky, off the rails good time. I don't know that I would have liked it as much as a full-length novel, though.

I got this novella as a newsletter freebie.
]]> The Friendsgiving Fake-out 223959225 Have you ever just flown across the country to be a stranger's fake date for Friendsgiving? Me neither. There's a first time for everything.

Based on a TRUE STORY!

In November, 2024, a reader tagged me in a post of a social media influencer (@kaelidance) on Instagram. A video creator who lived in L.A. popped into her DMs and they started chatting.

He mentioned needing a date to Friendsgiving. She flew from her home state (not Tennessee) to Los Angeles and went to his Friendsgiving.

Followers on Instagram went wild and kept “shipping� Sully and Kaeli. She mentioned in one of her posts about their trips back and forth to see one another that she would love to see a movie or story written about them.

So, I did it. It’s short. It’s sweet. And it’s only loosely based on them. But Sully and Kaeli, you inspired this novella.]]> Savannah Scott Kristy 5
I love that it's based on a true story, one that I was also invested in a few months ago!

I got this delightful novella as a freebie for signing up for the author's newsletter. On my Kindle since 2025.]]> 4.54 The Friendsgiving Fake-out
author: Savannah Scott
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.54
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, readwhatyouown, would-recommend
review:
This novella was adorable from start to finish. I loved every bit of it.

I love that it's based on a true story, one that I was also invested in a few months ago!

I got this delightful novella as a freebie for signing up for the author's newsletter. On my Kindle since 2025.
]]> <![CDATA[The Austen Sisters: A Modern Day Tale of Pride, Persuasion, and Sensibilities]]> 228947150
As the festivities unfold, tensions rise, misunderstandings abound, old flames reignite, and the sisters find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of romance that feels strangely familiar. After all, love, even in the modern day, still follows the timeless wisdom of Austen’s pen.

Full of sparkling wit, slow-burn tension, and heartwarming romance, The Austen Sisters is the perfect escape for Jane Austen lovers, rom-com fans, and anyone who believes in happily ever afters.]]> 258 Dee Blankenship Kristy 5 favorites, would-recommend
Everything about this story was charming. I loved imagining Jane Austen's heroines (Elinor, Elizabeth, Emma, Anne, and Catherine) as sisters, with Fanny as their cousin. It was sweet to see the sister relationships and to watch the story within a story version of each major novel play out with the backdrop of Fanny and Edmund's wedding setting the scene.

As an eldest daughter, I saw a bit *too* much of myself in eldest daughter Elinor. It was like looking into a mirror of bossiness.

The only unbelievable part of the story is imagining Edmund Bertram with so many friends. (Ha!)

This is such a great debut novel and an excellent ode to Jane.

HUGE thanks to the author for offering an advanced copy for me to read. I couldn't say yes fast enough. The Austen Sisters is available 4/9/25.]]> 4.86 The Austen Sisters: A Modern Day Tale of Pride, Persuasion, and Sensibilities
author: Dee Blankenship
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.86
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: favorites, would-recommend
review:
Loved loved loved this sweet love letter to Jane Austen!

Everything about this story was charming. I loved imagining Jane Austen's heroines (Elinor, Elizabeth, Emma, Anne, and Catherine) as sisters, with Fanny as their cousin. It was sweet to see the sister relationships and to watch the story within a story version of each major novel play out with the backdrop of Fanny and Edmund's wedding setting the scene.

As an eldest daughter, I saw a bit *too* much of myself in eldest daughter Elinor. It was like looking into a mirror of bossiness.

The only unbelievable part of the story is imagining Edmund Bertram with so many friends. (Ha!)

This is such a great debut novel and an excellent ode to Jane.

HUGE thanks to the author for offering an advanced copy for me to read. I couldn't say yes fast enough. The Austen Sisters is available 4/9/25.
]]> Arlene, The Rebel Queen 17239410
Inspired by a social studies unit on our country’s biggest social movements, and perhaps prompted by the cafeteria’s overflowing garbage cans, Arlene and her friends launch a campaign to reduce their school’s carbon footprint. Like most rebellions, they face stiff opposition, in this case from principal Musgrove and his love of budgets, order, and apparently, Styrofoam.Ěý But these mini versions of Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Cesar Chavez are not deterred. They knock fists and pronounce, Si se peude!

Yes they can. They can get themselves in quite a heap of trouble. And while leading this revolution, Arlene finds herself marching farther away from the friend she always thought would be there.

]]> 230 Carol Liu 1937110508 Kristy 0 middle-grade
This book is only 2 hours long (according to my kindle), yet I've been struggling to get through it for 4 days. Obviously it's not a book for me. I did find the info about CMT interesting; I'd never heard of that condition before.

On my Kindle since 2021.]]> 3.55 2013 Arlene, The Rebel Queen
author: Carol Liu
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: middle-grade
review:
DNF @35%

This book is only 2 hours long (according to my kindle), yet I've been struggling to get through it for 4 days. Obviously it's not a book for me. I did find the info about CMT interesting; I'd never heard of that condition before.

On my Kindle since 2021.
]]> <![CDATA[Tolerable: Inspired by Pride and Prejudice]]> 227754440
When I receive a Thank You note from my client Mr. Darcy, I picture a genteel white-haired gentleman. Then I Google him. Turns out, Mr. Darcy is HAWT! And much younger than I expected. Thirty-one and head of an almond empire, here I am 26, working two jobs and barely scraping by.

After seeing his photo, I must admit, I dress a little nicer whenever I go to Pemberley for a work meeting,

But Liam Darcy is a total disappointment.

Sure, he's just as tall and handsome as his photos. But he's rude and awkward. And that's before I overhear him telling his friend that I'm barely tolerable!

The first time I met Lettie Benson I called her tolerable. Oof!

And she will NEVER let me forget it.

She says I'm the last man she'd ever kiss.

I'm hoping she means that as much as I meant it when I said she was tolerable.

Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Emma St. Clair and Cindy Steel, this charming love story is full of humor, heart and scorching chemistry but no steam. (Just epic kisses.)]]> Ruth Mitchell Kristy 5
Where this story really shines is in the way it addresses feelings. So often the focus is on Elizabeth's feelings after Darcy calls her "tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me," while discounting and glossing over how Darcy is affected by the sharp words that Elizabeth hurls at him. This book confronts those feelings openly and honestly, and I loved that.

Lady Catherine's character in this is a complete surprise and a delight. She is captured absolutely perfectly.

Translating Mr. Collins into a modern-day man is tricky, but this Collins is brilliantly done.

Mr. Wickham is an absolute fiend. Like, unimaginably terrible. I love that for him.

This book is also a nod to Georgette Heyer's novel, Sylvester, which I am slowly making my way through. I love that Ruth pulled from so many sources for this book!

And finally, Caroline. Oh, Caroline. I never know how to feel about her. I loved this representation of her character, and can't wait for her book to come next.

"A good romance should be a series of delightful twists. I'm only arguing that the ending should never be a surprise."

Read this. You won't be disappointed.]]> 4.35 Tolerable: Inspired by Pride and Prejudice
author: Ruth Mitchell
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: favorites, readwhatyouown, would-recommend
review:
This modern twist on Pride and Prejudice is SO FUN! It's not a straight retelling, which I think really works to make it something completely unique.

Where this story really shines is in the way it addresses feelings. So often the focus is on Elizabeth's feelings after Darcy calls her "tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me," while discounting and glossing over how Darcy is affected by the sharp words that Elizabeth hurls at him. This book confronts those feelings openly and honestly, and I loved that.

Lady Catherine's character in this is a complete surprise and a delight. She is captured absolutely perfectly.

Translating Mr. Collins into a modern-day man is tricky, but this Collins is brilliantly done.

Mr. Wickham is an absolute fiend. Like, unimaginably terrible. I love that for him.

This book is also a nod to Georgette Heyer's novel, Sylvester, which I am slowly making my way through. I love that Ruth pulled from so many sources for this book!

And finally, Caroline. Oh, Caroline. I never know how to feel about her. I loved this representation of her character, and can't wait for her book to come next.

"A good romance should be a series of delightful twists. I'm only arguing that the ending should never be a surprise."

Read this. You won't be disappointed.
]]> <![CDATA[Slumber (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles, #1)]]> 32622383
Everything Charlotte Winston thought she knew has been thrown out the window. From the moment she opens her eyes, the world she remembered ceases to exist, and in its place is a post-apocalyptic realm filled with unimaginable dangers. And one very smoking hot guy who has an uncanny ability to make her blood sing, then boil in a blink of an eye.

Dash Darhk is everything her parents would hate. He’s six feet and two inches of dark temptation and a killer smile, that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in his wake. But her parents are nowhere to be found. Charlotte is alone in this new world. Destroyed by a toxic mist, the land isn’t the only thing altered, but the inhabitants as well.

As Charlotte begins the hunt for her family, gifts she’s never fathom awake inside her. And with the gifts come problems. Enormous ones. Charlotte is running out of options and places to hide. If she can’t figure out who to trust—and fast—she will lose more than her heart.

Fans of Hunger Games, The 100, and Divergent will fall in love with Slumber.

Featured in OK Magazine ]]> 305 J.L. Weil Kristy 0
I must have been intrigued by the idea of a dystopian Sleeping Beauty tale when I downloaded this back in 2017. What I read of this was super cringe and gave me serious secondhand embarrassment. No need to spend any more time on this book, nor to keep it on my Kindle.]]> 4.10 2017 Slumber (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles, #1)
author: J.L. Weil
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: clearthekindle, i-quit, kindle
review:
DNF @ Chapter 4

I must have been intrigued by the idea of a dystopian Sleeping Beauty tale when I downloaded this back in 2017. What I read of this was super cringe and gave me serious secondhand embarrassment. No need to spend any more time on this book, nor to keep it on my Kindle.
]]> Fighting Words 48945757 fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf -- her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud.

In this powerful novel that explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.]]> 272 Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 1984815687 Kristy 0 not-right-now
I'll come back to it in the future.]]> 4.64 2020 Fighting Words
author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: not-right-now
review:
I'm setting this aside for now. I've read too many heavier things recently and don't have it in me for what this book is about.

I'll come back to it in the future.
]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Kristy 5 would-recommend, ya
So much has happened since we last visited Panem. Parts of the Hunger Games no longer feel all that far-fetched.

I loved the messages of humanity that are subtle yet powerful throughout this book. Terrible things happen when we stop seeing people as people, when we call them monsters and animals and strip them of their humanity.

This book is tough to read despite knowing how it ends. Watching Haymitch become Haymitch is devastating. Watching Haymitch refuse to let the Capitol win, though? A solid reminder that rebellion and revolution are a long game, a continuous fight to keep the darkness from victory.

There are so many cameos and Easter eggs throughout this book, and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

"I didn't want to let them in, her and Peeta, but the walls of a person's heart are not impregnable, not if they have ever known love."]]> 4.66 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: would-recommend, ya
review:
"The snow may fall, but the sun also rises."

So much has happened since we last visited Panem. Parts of the Hunger Games no longer feel all that far-fetched.

I loved the messages of humanity that are subtle yet powerful throughout this book. Terrible things happen when we stop seeing people as people, when we call them monsters and animals and strip them of their humanity.

This book is tough to read despite knowing how it ends. Watching Haymitch become Haymitch is devastating. Watching Haymitch refuse to let the Capitol win, though? A solid reminder that rebellion and revolution are a long game, a continuous fight to keep the darkness from victory.

There are so many cameos and Easter eggs throughout this book, and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

"I didn't want to let them in, her and Peeta, but the walls of a person's heart are not impregnable, not if they have ever known love."
]]> <![CDATA[Daisy Cooper's Rules for Living]]> 44492397
Bridget Jones meets “The Good Place� in this witty and poignant novel about a woman whose untimely death sparks the journey of a lifetime

Rule anything can happen

Daisy Cooper’s life is just getting started, when suddenly it ends. Surprised to find herself in an Afterlife processing center, she is even more stunned to learn that she wasn’t meant to die for another fifty years. One terrible, embarrassing clerical error is behind it—and an administrator named Death is to blame.

But death, as they say, is final, and Daisy must now navigate this impossible new world. With the help of an unlikely ally, Daisy begins to realize that letting go isn’t just a challenge faced by those left behind. And as she learns how to survive this strange reality, friendship, hope and love begin to come alive in the most unexpected ways.]]> 329 Tamsin Keily 0778309746 Kristy 0
I made it about 50% before I just didn’t want to read anymore. It started out interesting, and the premise was unique. But Daisy was pretty insufferable, and I found her more grating as the story went on.

On my Kindle since 2020.]]> 3.56 2020 Daisy Cooper's Rules for Living
author: Tamsin Keily
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: clearthekindle, i-quit, kindle
review:
DNF

I made it about 50% before I just didn’t want to read anymore. It started out interesting, and the premise was unique. But Daisy was pretty insufferable, and I found her more grating as the story went on.

On my Kindle since 2020.
]]> <![CDATA[The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska, #1)]]> 43352294
Two weeks in Alaska isn't just the top item on Zoey Caldwell's bucket list. It's the whole bucket. One look at the mountain town of Moose Springs and she's smitten. But when an act of kindness brings Zoey into Graham's world, she may just find there's more to the man than meets the eye…and more to love in Moose Springs than just the Alaskan wilderness.]]> 352 Sarah Morgenthaler Kristy 0 audio, i-quit
Wow, this was terrible. I can't force myself to listen to anymore of it.]]> 3.47 2020 The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska, #1)
author: Sarah Morgenthaler
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: audio, i-quit
review:
DNF @13%

Wow, this was terrible. I can't force myself to listen to anymore of it.
]]> <![CDATA[Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park]]> 42034231
When Conor Knighton decided to spend a year wandering through "America's Best Idea," he was worried the whole thing might end up being his worst idea. But, after a broken engagement and a broken heart, he desperately needed a change of scenery. The ambitious plan he cooked up went a bit overboard in that department; Knighton set out to visit every single one of America's National Parks, from Acadia to Zion.

Leave Only Footprints is the memoir of his year spent traveling across the United States, a journey that yielded his "On the Trail" series, which quickly became one of CBS Sunday Morning's most beloved segments. In this smart, informative, and often hilarious book, he'll share how his journey through these natural wonders, unchanged by man, ended up changing his worldview on everything from God to politics to love and technology. Whether it's waking up early for a naked scrub in an Arkansas bathhouse or staying up late to stargaze along our loneliest highway, Knighton goes behind the scenery to provide an unfiltered look at America. In the tradition of books like A Walk in the Woods or Turn Right at Machu Picchu, this is an irresistible mix of personal narrative and travelogue-some well-placed pop culture references, too-and a must-read for any of the 331 million yearly National Parks visitors.]]> 323 Conor Knighton 198482354X Kristy 5 .
I took my time wandering through this trip through National Parks, learning so much about each one. I have many trips tentatively planned in my head. First, I need to visit Zion and Canyonlands to finish The Mighty 5.
.
"Moses didn't go to a building in the middle of a city when he wanted to talk to God, he went to the top of a mountain."
.
"I don't know what, if anything, comes after this life. But I can tell you this: if there is a heaven, I bet it looks a lot like Yosemite."
.
"Parks are the homes we've taken off the market. Despite their often painful origin stories, our national parks have become our collective sanctuaries, places that welcome us back through their gates with open arms no matter how long we've been away."

3/20/25: I think about this book all the time, so it was time to read it again. Loved it just as much the second time.]]> 4.24 2020 Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
author: Conor Knighton
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: favorites, memoir, nonfiction, would-recommend, re-read
review:
I knew I would like this going into it. I didn't know it would end up being one of very favorite books I've read this year.
.
I took my time wandering through this trip through National Parks, learning so much about each one. I have many trips tentatively planned in my head. First, I need to visit Zion and Canyonlands to finish The Mighty 5.
.
"Moses didn't go to a building in the middle of a city when he wanted to talk to God, he went to the top of a mountain."
.
"I don't know what, if anything, comes after this life. But I can tell you this: if there is a heaven, I bet it looks a lot like Yosemite."
.
"Parks are the homes we've taken off the market. Despite their often painful origin stories, our national parks have become our collective sanctuaries, places that welcome us back through their gates with open arms no matter how long we've been away."

3/20/25: I think about this book all the time, so it was time to read it again. Loved it just as much the second time.
]]> <![CDATA[Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology, #2)]]> 54245639 Dead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished.

Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them.

With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands.]]> 301 Charlie N. Holmberg 1542022584 Kristy 3 clearthekindle, kindle
After enjoying Spellbreaker, Spellmaker was kind of a letdown. It felt too long, and I was never invested in the story or the characters. I normally love Charlie Holmberg books, but this was a miss for me.]]> 4.20 2021 Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology, #2)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle
review:
2.5 stars

After enjoying Spellbreaker, Spellmaker was kind of a letdown. It felt too long, and I was never invested in the story or the characters. I normally love Charlie Holmberg books, but this was a miss for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Just Add Water: My Swimming Life]]> 203931794 A candid and inspiring memoir from Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and one of the best swimmers ever to compete: Katie Ledecky.

Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.

Again and again, Ledecky has broken records: those of others and, increasingly, her own. She is both consistent and innovative—consistent at setting goals and shattering them, and innovative in the way she approaches her training. A true competitor, she sets her goals by choosing the ones that feel the scariest. But, crucially, she never sacrifices the joy of competition, even in the face of adversity. Her positive mental outlook and a great support system provides the springboard to her success.

Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she played sharks and minnows and first discovered the joy of the pool; her early foray into the Olympics at the tender age of fifteen where, as the youngest member of the American team, she stunned everyone by winning her first gold medal; her time balancing competition and her education at Stanford University; how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds. You learn how every element of her life—from the support of her family to the tutelage of her coaches, from her childhood spent in summer league swimming to the bright lights of Olympic pools in London, Rio, and Tokyo—set her up to become the champion she is.

In the end, Katie’s story is about testing yourself against the difficult, and seeing who you become on the other side.]]> 256 Katie Ledecky 1668060205 Kristy 0 to-read 4.13 2024 Just Add Water: My Swimming Life
author: Katie Ledecky
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Adorkable 28791088
Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.

Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.

Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.

The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.

This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:

Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?]]> 283 Cookie O'Gorman Kristy 5
11/16/18: I usually don't reread books so soon, but I needed something light and fluffy after finishing a heavy book earlier this week, and this was perfect. This story is so cheesy and angsty but I just love it!

5/15/19: It's official...I'm obsessed with this book! I needed something light to read while reading an extra-heavy nonfiction and Adorkable was perfect. I just adore this story, teen angst and all.

8/13/20: I needed to read something to take my mind off everything, and this was a perfect distraction. I love this story. It's so cheesy and predictable, which is probably why I love it so much.

6/24/21: The first book I've been able to read in over a month. I love this story and I love that it was the one that was finally able to overpower my anxiety over my health problems and give me some escape for a bit.
.
2/11/24: I discovered this audiobook in the Audible catalog and started it immediately. Happy to have yet another way to enjoy this book!]]> 3.84 2016 Adorkable
author: Cookie O'Gorman
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: would-recommend, favorites, re-read, clearthekindle, kindle, readwhatyouown, ya
review:
This was adorable in the same way the 1999 teen comedy Drive Me Crazy is adorable. I actually stayed up late last night to finish it because I had to see if it would end the way I thought it would. Not a literary masterpiece in any way, but a solid in-between book, and an overall enjoyable couple of hours spent reading.

11/16/18: I usually don't reread books so soon, but I needed something light and fluffy after finishing a heavy book earlier this week, and this was perfect. This story is so cheesy and angsty but I just love it!

5/15/19: It's official...I'm obsessed with this book! I needed something light to read while reading an extra-heavy nonfiction and Adorkable was perfect. I just adore this story, teen angst and all.

8/13/20: I needed to read something to take my mind off everything, and this was a perfect distraction. I love this story. It's so cheesy and predictable, which is probably why I love it so much.

6/24/21: The first book I've been able to read in over a month. I love this story and I love that it was the one that was finally able to overpower my anxiety over my health problems and give me some escape for a bit.
.
2/11/24: I discovered this audiobook in the Audible catalog and started it immediately. Happy to have yet another way to enjoy this book!
]]> Pride and Prejudice 1885 Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679783268]]> 279 Jane Austen 1441341706 Kristy 5
5/25/22: listened to the audible original, narrated by Rosamund Pike, and it was fantastic. I never tire of this story.
.
2/14/21: Another excellent listen of this amazing story!
.
I listened to this as a bedtime story, but then it started consuming my waking hours as well. This pandemic is making me do all sorts of weird things...audiobooks have never been something I was interested in before now!]]> 4.28 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1813
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: classics, favorites, re-read, would-recommend, audio
review:
3/14/25: I don't know how this story gets better every time I read it, but I sure am glad it does! (Rosamund Pike Audible version this time.)

5/25/22: listened to the audible original, narrated by Rosamund Pike, and it was fantastic. I never tire of this story.
.
2/14/21: Another excellent listen of this amazing story!
.
I listened to this as a bedtime story, but then it started consuming my waking hours as well. This pandemic is making me do all sorts of weird things...audiobooks have never been something I was interested in before now!
]]> <![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 Kristy 4 audio, would-recommend
Great found family, wonderful characters, excellent story about love.

Audiobook narrator was excellent.]]> 4.13 2024 The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness, #1)
author: Sarah Morgenthaler
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: audio, would-recommend
review:
Really enjoyed this marriage of convenience story set in Idaho.

Great found family, wonderful characters, excellent story about love.

Audiobook narrator was excellent.
]]> Wild Reverence 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 Kristy 0 to-read 4.70 2025 Wild Reverence
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Driving Maisie Crazy (Men of the Isles Book 2)]]> 213120935 “What happens on an Irish bus tour stays on an Irish bus tour…�



This is the second book in the clean and sweet romcom Men of the Isles series by Deborah M. Hathaway. Although this clean, road trip, forbidden romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order.

Don't miss the other novels in this series!
Book 1: Winning Winnie's Hand
Book 2: Driving Maisie Crazy - 2025
Book 3: TBA 2025
Book 4: TBA 2025]]> 362 Deborah M. Hathaway 1956091106 Kristy 5
Swoony romance, adorable family members, a really touching father-son scene, and characters you can't help but root for combined to make this a most wonderful reading experience.

This is the 2nd in a series of connected stories. Characters from Winning Winnie's Hand show up a few times, but you don't have to read Winnie to appreciate Maisie. But you should read Winnie.

I wasn't expecting the teaser for book 3 to be at the end of the epilogue, and it was quite a gut punch (no spoilers!).

I received an advanced copy of Driving Maisie Crazy from the author, but I already pre-ordered this book all on my own. I'm thinking I need this one in paperback in addition to kindle! Publishes 3/17/25, naturally. â️]]> 4.67 Driving Maisie Crazy (Men of the Isles Book 2)
author: Deborah M. Hathaway
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
This was the most darling story I've read in a while! The Northern Ireland tour bus setting was perfection...now I'm itching to go on a bus tour to see all of the sites mentioned!

Swoony romance, adorable family members, a really touching father-son scene, and characters you can't help but root for combined to make this a most wonderful reading experience.

This is the 2nd in a series of connected stories. Characters from Winning Winnie's Hand show up a few times, but you don't have to read Winnie to appreciate Maisie. But you should read Winnie.

I wasn't expecting the teaser for book 3 to be at the end of the epilogue, and it was quite a gut punch (no spoilers!).

I received an advanced copy of Driving Maisie Crazy from the author, but I already pre-ordered this book all on my own. I'm thinking I need this one in paperback in addition to kindle! Publishes 3/17/25, naturally. â️
]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2)]]> 127280062 Torn apart by war. Reunited by love?

Two weeks have passed since Iris returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over.

Roman is missing, lost behind enemy lines, with no memory of his past, or Iris. Hoping his memories return, he begins to write again � but this time for the enemy.

When a strange letter arrives through his wardrobe door, he strikes up a correspondence with a penpal who seems at once mysterious� and strangely familiar.

As their connection deepens, the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.]]> 420 Rebecca Ross 1250857457 Kristy 5 .
This picks up 2 weeks after the events of Divine Rivals. I read DR a few months ago and didn't have any problems getting right into Ruthless Vows at all.
.
I loved the fantasy aspect of this book, something that was lacking a bit in Divine Rivals.
.
I cannot wait to read this series again
.
"There is always pain in healing. To fully avoid it is impossible."

"Sometimes," Iris began, "I don't think we know what we're made of until the worst moment possible happens. Then we must decide who we truly are and what is most important to us. I think we're often surprised by what we become."

3/6/25: I loved it just as much, if not more, the second time. I really love this world Ross has created. The mythical lore is much stronger in this 2nd book, making it a very satisfying conclusion to the duology.]]> 3.99 2023 Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: favorites, would-recommend, ya, re-read
review:
This highly-anticipated sequel delivered in every way! I loved it SO MUCH!
.
This picks up 2 weeks after the events of Divine Rivals. I read DR a few months ago and didn't have any problems getting right into Ruthless Vows at all.
.
I loved the fantasy aspect of this book, something that was lacking a bit in Divine Rivals.
.
I cannot wait to read this series again
.
"There is always pain in healing. To fully avoid it is impossible."

"Sometimes," Iris began, "I don't think we know what we're made of until the worst moment possible happens. Then we must decide who we truly are and what is most important to us. I think we're often surprised by what we become."

3/6/25: I loved it just as much, if not more, the second time. I really love this world Ross has created. The mythical lore is much stronger in this 2nd book, making it a very satisfying conclusion to the duology.
]]> <![CDATA[Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation]]> 200298052 260 Jim O’Heir 0063293501 Kristy 3 audio, memoir, nonfiction 3.71 2024 Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation
author: Jim O’Heir
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: audio, memoir, nonfiction
review:
I wanted to love this more than I did. It was fine. Many of the stories were charming. There was too much filler about non-Parks things in a book that should be about Parks and Rec. It did make me want to re-watch the series, so there's that!
]]> The Magic of Light 220681813 How do you build a life when yours has been shattered to dust?

Sawyer spent her childhood bouncing from one foster home to the next. As an adult, she spends her days advocating for those in the same broken system. When a child in her care runs away on a rural road in Kansas, it starts a chain reaction that unravels memories from her past. At the center is a grumpy rancher she can’t seem to stay away from. Sawyer wasn’t built for love and relationships. In the end, everyone always leaves.

Soren is no stranger to tragedy. Over the last eight years, he has rebuilt his life from the ruins of his greatest regret. When he returns from feeding cattle to find a beautiful woman sitting on his porch, he can’t shake a sense of déjà vu. Soren feels desperate to know her—especially when he finds out how closely connected she is to his past.

Is it possible for a relationship to last when love may not be enough to hold you together?

The Magic of Light is a contemporary romance novel about love, loss, and the power of hope against all odds.]]> 361 Jordan Abitz Kristy 4
I loved so much about this book. It gripped me from the very first chapter, and I just never wanted to put it down.

This is an incredible debut novel, and I can't wait to see what Jordan Abitz has ahead of her.

This story deals with the harsh reality of the U.S. foster system. Sawyer, the main character, endured hell at the hands of her many foster families. Watching her try to navigate adulthood after what she endured as a child is an experience that I won't soon forget. I wanted to give her a hug through most of the book, after asking her permission, of course.

This book definitely lit a fire of indignation inside me, and I'm grateful to the author for using her personal experiences to help others understand the situation many kids are in.

The character development in this story is amazing. You want to be friends with so many of these characters, and I hope some of them will get their own stories.

So why only 4 stars? After raving about this book and its impact on me, it seems petty to say that the pet name "Pretty Girl" was so viscerally grating to me that I contemplated abandoning this book altogether. It felt so cringe and disrespectful, given all that Sawyer had gone through, to reduce her to a "pretty girl," as if being pretty was the most important thing about her. And girl? Come on now. Hard pass.

This is definitely a book I would recommend, provided you check out the content warnings ahead of time.

"...but no matter the distance, light did what it always does. It traveled the vastness of time, no matter the expanse, and was still creating luminosity years later because in the end, that was the magic of light. Regardless of the hurdles of our pasts or our fears of the future, we were determined that light would always lead the way."

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are mine.]]> 4.47 The Magic of Light
author: Jordan Abitz
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
4.25 stars

I loved so much about this book. It gripped me from the very first chapter, and I just never wanted to put it down.

This is an incredible debut novel, and I can't wait to see what Jordan Abitz has ahead of her.

This story deals with the harsh reality of the U.S. foster system. Sawyer, the main character, endured hell at the hands of her many foster families. Watching her try to navigate adulthood after what she endured as a child is an experience that I won't soon forget. I wanted to give her a hug through most of the book, after asking her permission, of course.

This book definitely lit a fire of indignation inside me, and I'm grateful to the author for using her personal experiences to help others understand the situation many kids are in.

The character development in this story is amazing. You want to be friends with so many of these characters, and I hope some of them will get their own stories.

So why only 4 stars? After raving about this book and its impact on me, it seems petty to say that the pet name "Pretty Girl" was so viscerally grating to me that I contemplated abandoning this book altogether. It felt so cringe and disrespectful, given all that Sawyer had gone through, to reduce her to a "pretty girl," as if being pretty was the most important thing about her. And girl? Come on now. Hard pass.

This is definitely a book I would recommend, provided you check out the content warnings ahead of time.

"...but no matter the distance, light did what it always does. It traveled the vastness of time, no matter the expanse, and was still creating luminosity years later because in the end, that was the magic of light. Regardless of the hurdles of our pasts or our fears of the future, we were determined that light would always lead the way."

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
]]> <![CDATA[Tell Me Twice (Los Morales Book 2)]]> 223506768
If you read first in series SHALL I STAY, you know next up to get her happily-ever-after is little sister, agent-of-chaos Mariana. You may recall a certain beautiful hacienda-turned-nature-preserve. And a certain more-serious-than-he-needs-to-be executive director. We're going for very reluctant, work-related forced proximity in the western natural landscape of Puerto Rico where former school rivals have so much room for animosity to run wild.]]> Nuria Muñoz Kristy 0 to-read 0.0 Tell Me Twice (Los Morales Book 2)
author: Nuria Muñoz
name: Kristy
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)]]> 60784546 After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again�

All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands � that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper � an unlikely magical connection forms.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.]]> 357 Rebecca Ross 1250857430 Kristy 5 .
Darn near perfect! The slowest of slow burning enemies to lovers light fantasy.
.
The pen pal aspect was so charming and powerful. Great character development, beautiful writing. Setting feels like WW1, only it's a war between gods, adding a nice fantasy aspect to the whole thing.
.
I docked 1/2 star because I'm confused by some bits that happen at the end. Hopefully those things will be cleared up in book 2, which, honestly, cannot come out soon enough!
.
There's a lot of hype surrounding this book, and I think it absolutely lives up to it!

3/1/25: I may have liked this even more the second time! I found the fantasy elements less confusing this time around, probably because I still remember a bit of what happens in book 2. I love the slow burn romance, the war setting, and the sense of urgency that runs through this whole story.]]> 4.14 2023 Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: would-recommend, ya, favorites, re-read
review:
4.5 stars
.
Darn near perfect! The slowest of slow burning enemies to lovers light fantasy.
.
The pen pal aspect was so charming and powerful. Great character development, beautiful writing. Setting feels like WW1, only it's a war between gods, adding a nice fantasy aspect to the whole thing.
.
I docked 1/2 star because I'm confused by some bits that happen at the end. Hopefully those things will be cleared up in book 2, which, honestly, cannot come out soon enough!
.
There's a lot of hype surrounding this book, and I think it absolutely lives up to it!

3/1/25: I may have liked this even more the second time! I found the fantasy elements less confusing this time around, probably because I still remember a bit of what happens in book 2. I love the slow burn romance, the war setting, and the sense of urgency that runs through this whole story.
]]> <![CDATA[When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)]]> 59627675
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?]]> 384 Gabrielle Meyer 0764239740 Kristy 3 audio
Things went swimmingly until the last 1/3, when the book took a religious turn. I have absolutely no problem with the idea that God is involved in our lives and has a plan for us. But I will NEVER accept that sexual assault, which Libby endured at the hands of her husband, is part of God's plan. That whole idea turned me off of the rest of the book.

I'll pass on the rest of this series, despite finding the whole premise fascinating.]]> 4.37 2022 When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)
author: Gabrielle Meyer
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: audio
review:
I found the first 2/3 of this book to be incredibly unique and gripping. The time travel aspect of this story was unexpectedly fascinating, particularly the years in which Libby alternated her days.

Things went swimmingly until the last 1/3, when the book took a religious turn. I have absolutely no problem with the idea that God is involved in our lives and has a plan for us. But I will NEVER accept that sexual assault, which Libby endured at the hands of her husband, is part of God's plan. That whole idea turned me off of the rest of the book.

I'll pass on the rest of this series, despite finding the whole premise fascinating.
]]> <![CDATA[Make Mine Sweet: A Grumpy-Sunshine Small Town Romantic Comedy (Love in Sunshine)]]> 224041344 My heart's had a No Trespassing sign on it for years, but my next-door neighbor is tempting me to lay out a welcome mat.

When I took my friend’s offer of cheap rent for me and my five-year-old son, I knew it came with a reclusive neighbor attached. I just didn’t realize he’s the same guy I adored from afar fifteen years ago.

Back then, Ian was all smiles and flirty banter, and my teenage heart couldn’t help but fall. Now? He’s a grouch who’s more likely to glare at me than accept my neighborly offers of fresh cupcakes from my bakery. This version of Ian wouldn’t know flirty banter if it bit him in the man bun.

It’s just as well, since my hopes for my love life burnt to a crisp along with my last relationship. I can’t risk my heart again, not when my son’s happiness is on the line, too.

But when I need last-minute childcare for my son, I can’t believe Ian volunteers. Even more unbelievable is how quickly the two bond over a shared love of his dog and silly jokes.

It turns out the grumpy man still has a surprisingly sweet center. And when his devastating smile returns? Protecting my heart is more important than ever.

Make Mine Sweet is a grumpy-sunshine slow burn rom-com with sizzling kisses but no spice. The Love in Sunshine books can be enjoyed in any order.]]> 325 Genny Carrick 1957745185 Kristy 5
If you love a grumpy neighbor, a loyal dog, a small town bakery, and an adorable kid, Make Mine Sweet is the book you're looking for!

Deeper than that, this book dives into life as a single mom trying to prove herself in an unforgiving small town. It shows characters being brave and going for what they want, even in the face of fear.

Where this book really shines is in the Type 1 diabetes representation. I loved watching Tess navigate the T1D experience. I felt her struggle to give her kid as normal a life as possible while helping him manage an uncertain and potentially life-threatening condition.

Ian, the pirate neighbor running from his past, was a delight. I loved watching him become less guarded as he got to know Tess and August.

This is part of a connected series, but you can absolutely read this as a stand-alone story.

"August's blood sugar numbers are the never-ending background noise in my head. Sometimes, they're accompanied by alarms, both figurative and literal. Too high, too low, pump out of insulin, one of the canulas has come loose--no day is ever completely free of a minor complication. The best days, they're only minor."

Make Mine Sweet is available 3/26/25. I received an advanced copy of this book to get my opinion on some of the T1D elements.]]> 4.59 Make Mine Sweet: A Grumpy-Sunshine Small Town Romantic Comedy (Love in Sunshine)
author: Genny Carrick
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars

If you love a grumpy neighbor, a loyal dog, a small town bakery, and an adorable kid, Make Mine Sweet is the book you're looking for!

Deeper than that, this book dives into life as a single mom trying to prove herself in an unforgiving small town. It shows characters being brave and going for what they want, even in the face of fear.

Where this book really shines is in the Type 1 diabetes representation. I loved watching Tess navigate the T1D experience. I felt her struggle to give her kid as normal a life as possible while helping him manage an uncertain and potentially life-threatening condition.

Ian, the pirate neighbor running from his past, was a delight. I loved watching him become less guarded as he got to know Tess and August.

This is part of a connected series, but you can absolutely read this as a stand-alone story.

"August's blood sugar numbers are the never-ending background noise in my head. Sometimes, they're accompanied by alarms, both figurative and literal. Too high, too low, pump out of insulin, one of the canulas has come loose--no day is ever completely free of a minor complication. The best days, they're only minor."

Make Mine Sweet is available 3/26/25. I received an advanced copy of this book to get my opinion on some of the T1D elements.
]]> Snow & Rose 33972789 A New York Times bestselling author-illustrator brings readers into the woods to meet two young sisters and a strange bit of magic in this reimagining of the classic but little-known fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red."

Snow and Rose didn't know they were in a fairy tale. People never do....

Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.

Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.

But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.

This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.

Bestselling author-illustrator Emily Winfield Martin has created a world that sits on the border of enchantment, with characters who are grounded in real emotions that readers will recognize in themselves.]]> 213 Emily Winfield Martin 0553538209 Kristy 5
2/25/25: This is the most enchanting fairy tale. I'm happy I read it again.]]> 4.04 2017 Snow & Rose
author: Emily Winfield Martin
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: children-s-books, would-recommend, favorites, re-read
review:
I loved everything about this book. The illustrations were magical. I started it this morning and couldn't put it down until I finished. Definitely a book to read with my kids.

2/25/25: This is the most enchanting fairy tale. I'm happy I read it again.
]]> Miss Classified 62313693 She’s always excelled in school, but now she’s struggling, and she can’t join clubs unless her grades are high enough. Her dad expects her to join Math Club, even though her secret passion is photography. The way things are going, she won’t get to do either one.
But her parents can’t know that.
When Bly teams up with her nemesis Cherie to cheat her way to good grades, she doesn’t expect to keep failing anyway. And the more she cheats, the worse she feels. She’s trapped. Confessing the truth about her grades and cheating might cost her the love of her family, her friends, and her chance at the photography contest she’s dreaming of winning. But the cost of continuing her lies could be even worse.
How can she get her life to come into clear focus like one of her developing pictures?]]> 224 Susan Phelan 1953743161 Kristy 4 middle-grade, would-recommend
Miss Classified is, in fact, a wonderful middle grade story about the perils and adjustments of starting 7th grade.

Blythe has always been smart, gifted even. But something shifts when she starts 7th grade. Suddenly, she's forgetting assignments, zoning out in class, and failing her classes. In a panic, she turns to her archenemy for help.

In the end, MIss Classified is a story about embracing our imperfections and finding new ways to manage.

I really enjoyed this book. It has so much of what I love about middle grade fiction.]]> 4.52 Miss Classified
author: Susan Phelan
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: middle-grade, would-recommend
review:
I bought this on a whim at a recent author event, not knowing a thing about it aside from the elevator pitch the author gave me as I stood in line.

Miss Classified is, in fact, a wonderful middle grade story about the perils and adjustments of starting 7th grade.

Blythe has always been smart, gifted even. But something shifts when she starts 7th grade. Suddenly, she's forgetting assignments, zoning out in class, and failing her classes. In a panic, she turns to her archenemy for help.

In the end, MIss Classified is a story about embracing our imperfections and finding new ways to manage.

I really enjoyed this book. It has so much of what I love about middle grade fiction.
]]> <![CDATA[More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament]]> 48930276
—Chelsea Clinton

Positive body image isn’t believing your body looks good; it is knowing your body is good, regardless of how it looks.

How do you feel about your body? Have you ever stayed home from a social activity or other opportunity because of concern about how you looked? Have you ever passed judgment on someone because of how they looked or dressed? Have you ever had difficulty concentrating on a task because you were self-conscious about your appearance?

Our beauty-obsessed world perpetuates the idea that happiness, health, and ability to be loved are dependent on how we look, but authors Lindsay and Lexie Kite offer an alternative vision. With insights drawn from their extensive body image research, Lindsay and Lexie—PhDs and founders of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined (and also twin sisters!)—lay out an action plan that arms you with the skills you need to reconnect with your whole self and free yourself from the constraints of self-objectification.

From media consumption to health and fitness to self-reflection and self-compassion, Lindsay and Lexie share powerful and practical advice that goes beyond “body positivity� to help readers develop body image resilience—all while cutting through the empty promises sold by media, advertisers, and the beauty and weight-loss industries. In the process, they show how facing your feelings of body shame or embarrassment can become a catalyst for personal growth.]]> 352 Lexie Kite 0358229243 Kristy 4 nonfiction, would-recommend 4.5 stars. Review to come. 4.16 2020 More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament
author: Lexie Kite
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars. Review to come.
]]> The Sweet Rowan 57441514
Penny Thornton loved her magic with all her heart. After being burned in a barn fire while trying to save people and creatures, she despaired she’d never feel magic again.

When her fingers brush a letter from Scotland addressed to a neighbor, Penny’s heart soars. There’s magic in that letter, and she’s certain the source of the magic is its author or his location.

Defying convention and general good sense, which does not recommend a high-born young lady travel alone, she constructs a tangled ruse to deceive her family, and takes off to the wilds of Scotland.

What awaits her are challenges she never bargained for. But in navigating the obstacles and hurdles she encounters, she finds a man with a heart of gold, and a family in need of the magic of her love.]]> 344 Keira Dominguez 1953810381 Kristy 5 .
2/9/22: I don't know that I'll ever get tired of reading this book. Its message of healing and finding joy in unexpected places really speaks to me.
.
8/18/21: This book is just magic. I'm ready to read it again already
.
This book was like a big, comforting hug that I didn't know I so desperately needed. It may be my favorite from this author...so far.]]> 4.54 2021 The Sweet Rowan
author: Keira Dominguez
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: favorites, kindle, would-recommend, re-read
review:
2/19/25: It's been dar too long since I last read this book. This story is so beautiful.
.
2/9/22: I don't know that I'll ever get tired of reading this book. Its message of healing and finding joy in unexpected places really speaks to me.
.
8/18/21: This book is just magic. I'm ready to read it again already
.
This book was like a big, comforting hug that I didn't know I so desperately needed. It may be my favorite from this author...so far.
]]> Not Quite by the Book 213724356 A bookstore owner discovers that life as a recluse isn’t for everyone in this sharp yet sweet novel about how sometimes you need to abandon the quest for love to find your true passion.

Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.

In fact, she can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. When her parents assume she’ll take over the shop for them without a break, she realizes she needs to get away—back to the nineteenth century. Channeling her favorite poet recluse, Emily Dickinson, Emma rents a crumbling manor house outside Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly, blissfully alone.

But becoming a world-weary spinster isn’t easy. She can’t start a fire or reason with the bunnies that are destroying the garden. She finds herself sparring constantly with the grumpy-hot architect who is renovating the manor. And then there’s the secret admirer who keeps sending her complicated floral messages�

No matter what she does, the outside world keeps knocking, and Emma starts to dream about the future. Will she forgo love for the family legacy? And will she shrink away or become the sort of bold person fortune favors?]]> 317 Julie Hatcher 1662523459 Kristy 3
I managed to get through 65% before skimming to the end, finding the main character more and more exhausting as the story went on.

This book did spark some interest in learning more about Emily Dickinson, so it wasn't a total waste.

Parts of the book were adorable, don't get me wrong. It was just trying to be too much.

I got this as a Kindle First Reads choice for January, meaning it's only been sitting on my Kindle for 6 weeks or so. That's some kind of accomplishment to read it so soon!]]> 3.87 2025 Not Quite by the Book
author: Julie Hatcher
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
If you like "You've Got Mail," this might be the book for you. I find YGM tedious, so I found this book tedious.

I managed to get through 65% before skimming to the end, finding the main character more and more exhausting as the story went on.

This book did spark some interest in learning more about Emily Dickinson, so it wasn't a total waste.

Parts of the book were adorable, don't get me wrong. It was just trying to be too much.

I got this as a Kindle First Reads choice for January, meaning it's only been sitting on my Kindle for 6 weeks or so. That's some kind of accomplishment to read it so soon!
]]> Light Remains 33904829 Shadow Passes. Light Remains.Light Remains contains three short works of fiction that examine dark subjects with a touch of levity. In Celebrity-Prayers.net, a Boston teenager with an Adderall addiction hires a B-list celebrity to teach him how to pray as he tries to win the affection of a classmate. But even as the prayers seem to be working, the celebrity's depression causes the teenager to question the nature of fame.In Can You Hear Me Now?, a cellphone button designer treks though Seattle in search of his lost iPhone. And the longer he's away from his beloved device, the more he is overwhelmed by the isolation and alienation he experiences without it.In The Last Day on Earth of Zelta Jones, Starwoman, a middle-aged line cook from Blue Mountain, Alabama believes she's been sent from another planet to teach humans about space travel. After years of being ignored and ridiculed, she decides to take her own life. But her last day on earth proves much more complicated than she expected. Scroll up to grab your copy of these impactful stories today.]]> 71 A.C. Fuller Kristy 0 3.69 2017 Light Remains
author: A.C. Fuller
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: clearthekindle, don-t-recommend, i-quit, kindle
review:
DNF @40%. Too much swearing for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Outside the Limelight (Ballet Theatre Chronicles, #2)]]> 32733484 Named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews Rising ballet star Dena Lindgren's dream career is knocked off its axis when a puzzling onstage fall results in a crushing a brain tumor. Complications from the extraction surgery kick off a long and difficult recovery, prompting the company’s artistic director, Anders Gunst, to shift his attention to an overshadowed company dancer -- Dena's older sister, Rebecca, with whom Anders once shared a special relationship. Under the heady glow of Anders� attention, Rebecca thrives, even as her sister languishes. While Dena’s strength returns, residual facial paralysis sidelines her indefinitely, amid a world that demands beauty and perfection. Rebecca soon faces a painful play by the artistic director’s rules and profit, or take shocking action to help her sister. Exposing the glamorous onstage world of professional ballet, as well as its shadowed wings and dark underbelly, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT examines loyalty, beauty, artistic passion, and asks what might be worth losing in order to help the ones you love.]]> 390 Terez Mertes Rose 0986093424 Kristy 0
There weren't really any characters that weren't dreadfully selfish and terrible. Without anyone to root for, this story was a slog.

Some of the ballet parts were interesting, as were the medical bits, but not enough to save this book from itself.

On my Kindle since 2017; got as a freebie.]]> 3.98 Outside the Limelight (Ballet Theatre Chronicles, #2)
author: Terez Mertes Rose
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: clearthekindle, don-t-recommend, kindle
review:
I got about 60% through before I started skimming, then eventually skipping, to the end.

There weren't really any characters that weren't dreadfully selfish and terrible. Without anyone to root for, this story was a slog.

Some of the ballet parts were interesting, as were the medical bits, but not enough to save this book from itself.

On my Kindle since 2017; got as a freebie.
]]> <![CDATA[You're My IT (Nerds of Happy Valley, #1)]]> 58856224 Dice meets derby in a new contemporary romance novel by bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Fourth try’s the charm� or is it?

The first guy Blaine ever confessed her feelings to dismissed her. The second made her friendless. The third, a viral internet sensation.

And Blaine is praying the fourth will be different.

After two years of pining for the aloof and secretly hilarious IT guy at work, roller-derby-warrior Blaine creates a master plan: after Lysander returns from his transfer in California, she’s going to spill everything. And why not? She’s got a killer undercut, thighs of steel, and shares his love for superheroes. In her book, they’re a match made in heaven.

Lysander has enough self-esteem to fill a thimble and has always struggled with his place in the world. When his father has a health scare, Lysander takes charge of his own, and consequentially loses fifty pounds. Suddenly the people around him think he’s worth his space—especially the women. And when Lysander fishes the literally shallow waters of dating and returns with a girl on his arm, Blaine fears she may have lost her chance with him entirely.]]> 242 C.N. Holmberg 1737016419 Kristy 4 .
This contemporary romance was so freaking adorable!
.
I like that it takes place in Utah Valley; it's fun to be familiar with all of the places.
.
But seriously, such a cute story!

2/11/25: This was even more adorable than I remembered it being. Listened on Audible, and the narrators were excellent.]]> 3.64 2022 You're My IT (Nerds of Happy Valley, #1)
author: C.N. Holmberg
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: kindle, would-recommend, audio, favorites, re-read
review:
4.5 stars
.
This contemporary romance was so freaking adorable!
.
I like that it takes place in Utah Valley; it's fun to be familiar with all of the places.
.
But seriously, such a cute story!

2/11/25: This was even more adorable than I remembered it being. Listened on Audible, and the narrators were excellent.
]]> <![CDATA[Gruff (Once Upon a Western #1.7)]]> 48576863
Deputy Christopher Small is running out of time. He doesn't want to disappoint his little brothers by neglecting to play the annual autumn prank they're anticipating, but he needs to get himself all slicked up for dinner. Why? His parents have invited Miss Mary Rose O'Brien, the girl he's sweet on. Will he have time to do both?

Find out in this new short story that follows both the book "Cloaked" and the short story "Blizzard at Three Bears Lake," all part of Rachel Kovaciny's Once Upon a Western series of fairy tale retellings.]]> 16 Rachel Kovaciny Kristy 3 4.08 Gruff (Once Upon a Western #1.7)
author: Rachel Kovaciny
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: clearthekindle, fairytales, kindle
review:
This was a newsletter freebie I acquired a few years ago. The story is fine, kind of a bridge between some of the other books. It was too short to be super memorable, though. If you like pranks, you'll likely enjoy this quick read.
]]> A Kingdom to Claim 185724509 Aisley lost everything in a Viking attack. Now, working alongside the one man she trusts, she is ready to fight for her people—and for love.

Wessex, AD 878

Aisley’s young life was changed forever when her father accompanied King Alfred into battle and lost his life in a deadly skirmish with the Vikings. Now, almost seven years later, the Vikings are once again rallying on Wessex’s borders, and Aisley fears that her older brother may have treacherous plans to betray the king by aligning himself with the invading Norsemen. But when Aisley encounters a handsome nobleman in the market, she feels the first stirrings of hope. Though they met only once when Aisley was little more than a child, she recognizes him immediately as one of King Alfred’s most trusted men.

It has been years since Brecc has seen Aisley, but when he spots her in the marketplace, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the copper-haired young lady with a gift for healing. Before his fledgling feelings for her can develop into something more, however, a Viking attack tears them apart. King Alfred is forced into hiding, and in a matter of days, the Saxon nation is brought to its knees. Unwilling to forsake their people, the king and his men embark on secret raids of Viking encampments. But when Aisley joins the fight, Brecc must reconcile his steadfast loyalty to King Alfred with his growing love for the king’s newest warrior.]]> 352 Sian Ann Bessey 163993247X Kristy 5
The amount of research that went into this story is amazing; you're instantly transported to 800s England.

The romance that develops over the course of the book is epic. You feel the genuine peril as the specter of further Viking aggression hangs over every bit of the story.

This is an age of history I know next to nothing about, and I loved learning more. The author's notes at the end were a wonderful conclusion.

This is easily one of the best books I've read.

(On my Kindle since July 2024. I got to this one relatively quick!)]]> 4.25 2024 A Kingdom to Claim
author: Sian Ann Bessey
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
I didn't know much about this book going into it other than there were Vikings involved. I was surprised and delighted to learn about King Alfred of Wessex, the only English monarch given the title "The Great."

The amount of research that went into this story is amazing; you're instantly transported to 800s England.

The romance that develops over the course of the book is epic. You feel the genuine peril as the specter of further Viking aggression hangs over every bit of the story.

This is an age of history I know next to nothing about, and I loved learning more. The author's notes at the end were a wonderful conclusion.

This is easily one of the best books I've read.

(On my Kindle since July 2024. I got to this one relatively quick!)
]]> <![CDATA[Granted: Curse of the Emerald Jinn]]> 55513918 But today Kenna saved his life. And he just made enemies with the biggest jock in school. And worst of all, the strange conch shell he brought home from the dunes today is making the colors brighter.]]> Rachel Huffmire Kristy 4 .
This story grabbed me from page 1. Rachel Huffmire has a brilliant way of hooking you on her story early on; I love that about her writing style.
.
You can tell a lot of research went into bringing this book into existence. It was easy to become completely invested in the characters and the story.
.
A solid fantasy book (hopefully, series) for that between middle grade and YA group!
.
(I received a free copy of Granted in exchange for an honest review.)

2/9/25: Listening to this book was basically experiencing it again for the first time, thanks to my rampant book amnesia! I remembered liking this story, and I still like it after all these years. The narrator did a great job capturing the tone of a teenage boy. I definitely need more books set in this world! I received a complimentary Audible version of this book from the author. All thoughts are mine.]]> 4.63 2020 Granted: Curse of the Emerald Jinn
author: Rachel Huffmire
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: kindle, middle-grade, would-recommend, ya
review:
A very clever story about a seriously underrepresented mythological powerhouse. Outside of Aladdin, there really aren't many Jinn stories.
.
This story grabbed me from page 1. Rachel Huffmire has a brilliant way of hooking you on her story early on; I love that about her writing style.
.
You can tell a lot of research went into bringing this book into existence. It was easy to become completely invested in the characters and the story.
.
A solid fantasy book (hopefully, series) for that between middle grade and YA group!
.
(I received a free copy of Granted in exchange for an honest review.)

2/9/25: Listening to this book was basically experiencing it again for the first time, thanks to my rampant book amnesia! I remembered liking this story, and I still like it after all these years. The narrator did a great job capturing the tone of a teenage boy. I definitely need more books set in this world! I received a complimentary Audible version of this book from the author. All thoughts are mine.
]]> A Constellation of Roses 41021973 Perfect for fans of Tell Me Three Things and The Astonishing Color of After, A Constellation of Roses is brimming with a magic all its own—lovable and flawed characters, an evocative setting, and friendships to treasure.

Ever since her troubled mother abandoned her, Trix McCabe has preferred to stay on the move.

But when she lands with her long-lost relatives, she finds out that the McCabe women have talents like her own that defy explanation: pies that cure all ills, palm-reading that never misses the mark, knowledge of secrets that have never been told.

Before long, Trix feels like she might finally have found somewhere she belongs. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she’ll have to decide whether to take a chance on this new life . . . or keep running from the one she’s always known.

More magic awaits in the stunning companion novel, The Deepest Roots, which Booklist called “a must-read� in a starred review!]]> 336 Miranda Asebedo 0062747134 Kristy 4 would-recommend
This book was hard to read. It's uncomfortable reading about child neglect because then you have to accept that it's the reality for so many children.

I loved the magical realism in this story. It reminded me a bit of books by Sarah Addison Allen.

The small town setting was charming, as was the bakery the family owned.

I love a found family story, and that aspect of this book was perfection. I just wanted to hug Trix as more of her past came to light as she learned to embrace the experiences that made her her.

There are all sorts of content warnings for this book: drug abuse, child neglect, abandonment, underage drinking, prostitution, criminal activity, and a tad too much swearing for me. I don't think any of these things should stop you from reading this book, but I think it's important to know that this book is heavy and deals with hard things.

"I'm going to look down at my scars and know that they point north, past all the things that hurt me, to a future that's beautiful."

I acquired this book from a Little Free Library in 2023.]]> 4.11 2019 A Constellation of Roses
author: Miranda Asebedo
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: would-recommend
review:
3.75 stars

This book was hard to read. It's uncomfortable reading about child neglect because then you have to accept that it's the reality for so many children.

I loved the magical realism in this story. It reminded me a bit of books by Sarah Addison Allen.

The small town setting was charming, as was the bakery the family owned.

I love a found family story, and that aspect of this book was perfection. I just wanted to hug Trix as more of her past came to light as she learned to embrace the experiences that made her her.

There are all sorts of content warnings for this book: drug abuse, child neglect, abandonment, underage drinking, prostitution, criminal activity, and a tad too much swearing for me. I don't think any of these things should stop you from reading this book, but I think it's important to know that this book is heavy and deals with hard things.

"I'm going to look down at my scars and know that they point north, past all the things that hurt me, to a future that's beautiful."

I acquired this book from a Little Free Library in 2023.
]]> <![CDATA[My Favorite Husband (Romantic Comedy Duo, #1)]]> 23356374 Pick A Husband...

Chaz Vincent disappeared years ago on an expedition into the wildest reaches of the Amazon jungle, leaving his wife, Kelly, to wait and wonder - and finally have him declared legally dead. How was she to know he was being held hostage by a tribe of Pygmies with a talent for complicated knots? It took forever and a day for him to finally escape but he's back - and he can't wait to see her......Any Husband!

Kelly Vincent knows she'll never forget Chaz - especially since the intrepid adventurer's memorial service was accidentally scheduled only hours after her second wedding. Stranger still, that tanned, rugged man in khakis who just walked into the funeral parlor is a dead ringer for him. But wait a minute - that is Chaz. And he looks like he's ready to sweep her off her feet all over again...

]]> 283 Pam McCutcheon 1941528112 Kristy 0 i-quit
Chapter 1 was dreadful, and Chapter 2 wasn't better.

No wonder this has been sitting, partially read, on my Kindle since 2016.]]> 3.31 2003 My Favorite Husband (Romantic Comedy Duo, #1)
author: Pam McCutcheon
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: i-quit
review:
DNF.

Chapter 1 was dreadful, and Chapter 2 wasn't better.

No wonder this has been sitting, partially read, on my Kindle since 2016.
]]> <![CDATA[Influence: A Modern Take on Austen's Persuasion]]> 223396330
Not going to lie. There are some perks to being a rock star.

The money, the adoring fans, the grammy—rubbing it in my ex’s beautiful face.

Five years ago April Rain dumped me after her celebrity father convinced her that I—a lowly law student—wasn’t rich or famous enough to date a pop star.

Now everything has changed. She's left the spotlight and I've made a name for myself.

Can't say I mind watching her squirm as I flirt with her friends at my beach house or catching her sneakily checking me out when she thinks I’m not looking.

The only drawback? We’re expected to sing a duet at my best friend’s wedding.

How am I supposed to write a love song with the woman who broke my heart? How can I keep pretending that I’m over her?

Sparks fly in this dual POV, second-chance romance, packed with witty banter, yearning, and sizzling chemistry but no spice. (Just epic kisses)]]> 298 Ruth Mitchell Kristy 5
This Persuasion retelling was so clever. It captured all of the awkwardness and aggravation of the original, but put a spin on some of the characters that worked so well in this modern setting.

I tried to pace myself to make this book last longer, but I ended up speeding through the last half because I couldn't put it down.

I loved learning the history of this book from the author's notes at the end.

"On television shows like The Bachelor, they make finding love look like some sort of competition. Love goes to the "best" or the "winning" candidate. But love is not some prize for the most deserving. It's the magical combination of two people that, for whatever reason, just works. When you are with the right person, you are your best, most interesting self."

Read this book. You won't be disappointed.]]> 4.57 Influence: A Modern Take on Austen's Persuasion
author: Ruth Mitchell
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: clearthekindle, favorites, kindle, would-recommend
review:
I adore Ruth Mitchell, the human and the writer.

This Persuasion retelling was so clever. It captured all of the awkwardness and aggravation of the original, but put a spin on some of the characters that worked so well in this modern setting.

I tried to pace myself to make this book last longer, but I ended up speeding through the last half because I couldn't put it down.

I loved learning the history of this book from the author's notes at the end.

"On television shows like The Bachelor, they make finding love look like some sort of competition. Love goes to the "best" or the "winning" candidate. But love is not some prize for the most deserving. It's the magical combination of two people that, for whatever reason, just works. When you are with the right person, you are your best, most interesting self."

Read this book. You won't be disappointed.
]]> <![CDATA[Forbidden (Arotas Trilogy, #1)]]> 13010376 278 Amy Miles Kristy 0
Writing felt really juvenile, not invested in the story.

Got this as a Kindle freebie in 2017.]]> 3.67 2011 Forbidden (Arotas Trilogy, #1)
author: Amy Miles
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: clearthekindle, don-t-recommend, i-quit, kindle
review:
DNF around chapter 5.

Writing felt really juvenile, not invested in the story.

Got this as a Kindle freebie in 2017.
]]> <![CDATA[Expanding the Borders of Zion: A Latter-day Saint Perspective on LGBTQ Inclusion]]> 75575306
Expanding the Borders of Zion bridges the gap between religion and the LGBTQ community in a way that is both bold and inviting. It will undoubtedly inspire you to love deeper, grow closer to Christ, and expand your heart to more fully embrace all of God’s children.]]> 225 Charlie Bird Kristy 5
This book gave me a lot to think about and shifted my perspective a bit.

I'm glad I read it.]]> 4.76 Expanding the Borders of Zion: A Latter-day Saint Perspective on LGBTQ Inclusion
author: Charlie Bird
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.76
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: memoir, nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
I've followed Charlie Bird on Instagram for a few years and have enjoyed his perspective on many things.

This book gave me a lot to think about and shifted my perspective a bit.

I'm glad I read it.
]]> <![CDATA[A Monstrous Place (Tales From Between, #1)]]> 26883731 Things live between awake and asleep. In the moment after your eyes grow too heavy to stay open, but before the dreams take you... Molly lives with her Mother in a large, creaking house that she wishes were haunted. There may be no ghosts, but what about monsters? Monsters with an unending appetite that like to steal people away in the black of night. When, one morning, Molly wakes to find her own Mother missing, she discovers she has a potentially fatal task ahead of her. With only her dead Gran and a retired adventurer by her side, Molly must travel to a dangerous and untrustworthy land somewhere between awake and asleep, before her Mother finds herself planted in a most monstrous garden. Read A Monstrous Place now for a page-turning, spooky, and charming tale. You’ll fall in love with plucky Molly, who won’t run away when the monsters come a-knocking.]]> 178 Matthew Stott Kristy 0 clearthekindle, kindle
This is a huge departure from my preferred types of books. Horror isn't really my thing, and this was so creepy and scary.

If you like Coraline, this might be a book for you. But be warned: it's a lot darker than Coraline.

This has been on my kindle since 2016, so it was definitely past time to read it.]]> 3.84 2015 A Monstrous Place (Tales From Between, #1)
author: Matthew Stott
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle
review:
I have no idea how to rate this story, so I won't.

This is a huge departure from my preferred types of books. Horror isn't really my thing, and this was so creepy and scary.

If you like Coraline, this might be a book for you. But be warned: it's a lot darker than Coraline.

This has been on my kindle since 2016, so it was definitely past time to read it.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Key (Green Ember Lost Tales #1)]]> 221458732 208 S.D. Smith 1951305833 Kristy 0 not-right-now 4.41 The Lost Key (Green Ember Lost Tales #1)
author: S.D. Smith
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: not-right-now
review:
It's been too long since I read The Green Ember for me to really enjoy these stories, so I'm going to set this aside for a bit and try to refresh my memory before proceeding further.
]]> <![CDATA[Confessions of the Scandalous Mrs. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation]]> 55931974
Miss Elizabeth Bennet never meant to compromise Mr. Darcy. Indeed, she had hoped never to speak to the odious man again, but after an accidental entanglement the argumentative pair find themselves on the road to matrimony.

A marriage of inconvenience. . . .

Now the new Mrs. Darcy, Lizzy find herself at the center of scandal with gossip mongers judging her every misstep. Adding to the challenge is her new family, a cast of characters colorful enough to rival her own absurd relations. And perhaps most provoking of all is Mr. Darcy himself who seems determined to avoid her.

The journey to love is a twisted road, indeed. . . .

With her charm and sharp wit, Elizabeth Darcy makes her place in this new life. But can she capture Mr. Darcy's heart?

Havoc and hijinks abound in this sexy, humorous Pride and Prejudice variation.]]> 318 Darcie Rochester Kristy 0 i-quit
I don't mind if a retelling strays a bit from the original, but this one was ridiculous from the getgo. Elizabeth Bennett would never.

I've had this Kindle book since 2020 and now I've deleted it.]]> 4.27 Confessions of the Scandalous Mrs. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
author: Darcie Rochester
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: i-quit
review:
DNF

I don't mind if a retelling strays a bit from the original, but this one was ridiculous from the getgo. Elizabeth Bennett would never.

I've had this Kindle book since 2020 and now I've deleted it.
]]> <![CDATA[Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2)]]> 209997824 From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign� this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!]]> Kristy Boyce Kristy 4 would-recommend, ya
This was a bit heavier on the D&D, which made it harder to follow as one virtually ignorant of the game.

But I'm here for a sweet romance, involved parents, solid friendships, and an over the top grandmother that really reminded me of my own.

"All ww can do is live it." She looks straight in my eyes, her expression almost stern. "Live your life, Quinn. Every minute of it. Don't drift through it--live it."]]> 4.02 2024 Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2)
author: Kristy Boyce
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: would-recommend, ya
review:
Not *quite* as charming as Dungeons and Drama, but completely adorable nonetheless.

This was a bit heavier on the D&D, which made it harder to follow as one virtually ignorant of the game.

But I'm here for a sweet romance, involved parents, solid friendships, and an over the top grandmother that really reminded me of my own.

"All ww can do is live it." She looks straight in my eyes, her expression almost stern. "Live your life, Quinn. Every minute of it. Don't drift through it--live it."
]]> <![CDATA[Love in Bloom (Some Kind of Love #4)]]> 59410953 Hating Cameron Hunter shouldn't be this easy.

I'm basically a golden retriever puppy. I love everyone and want everyone to love me.

Cameron is the singular exception to my love-everyone rule, and the hatred goes both ways.

First of all, he’s one of those guys, the kind that looks like he belongs on the cover of Yacht Club Weekly. Second of all, he’s way too good at his job. The man is a walking Wikipedia; his walking tours of historic downtown Charleston stay booked weeks in advance.

Did I mention I run tours along the same route?

When we’re both up for a magazine feature that could kick our respective careers to the next level, our rivalry turns into a heated competition.

Then we unexpectedly kiss (it's a loooong story), and things get really complicated. Now, my blood is boiling over Cameron for an entirely different reason.

Only one of us can win. Can I trust a man who used to be my enemy, or is everything—even our relationship—just part of his plan to take me down?

Love In Bloom is a full-length enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy with characters you'll love and the sizzling chemistry you want in a closed-door romance.]]> 305 Jenny Proctor Kristy 3 clearthekindle, kindle Cute and predictable. 4.07 2021 Love in Bloom (Some Kind of Love #4)
author: Jenny Proctor
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle
review:
Cute and predictable.
]]> <![CDATA[Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World]]> 199798305 A historical adventure story about the eccentric Victorians who discovered dinosaur bones, leading to a new understanding of human history

In the early 1800s the world was a safe and cozy place. But then a twelve-year-old farm boy in Massachusetts stumbled upon a row of fossilized three-toed footprints the size of dinner plates—the first dinosaur tracks ever found. Soon, in England, Victorians unearthed enormous bones—bones that reached as high as a man’s head.

Outside of myths and fairy tales, no one had imagined that creatures like three-toed giants once lumbered across the land. And if anyone conjured up such a scene, they would never imagine that all those animals could have vanished hundreds of millions years ago. The thought of sudden, arbitrary disappearance from life was unnerving and forced the Victorians to rethink everything they knew about the world. Celebrated storyteller and historian Edward Dolnick leads readers through a compelling true adventure as the paleontologists of the first half of the 19th century puzzled their way through the fossil record to create the story of dinosaurs we know today.]]> 352 Edward Dolnick 198219961X Kristy 3 nonfiction
If "Dinosaurs" is the first word in a book title, I expect there to be an abundance of dinosaurs in the actual book. Not so with this book.

It was fine, even interesting in places, but there weren't enough dinosaurs. Instead, it was filled with accounts of weird men trying to make sense of their discoveries.

Alas, not one I'd really recommend.]]> 3.76 2024 Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World
author: Edward Dolnick
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: nonfiction
review:
"Now, eventually, you do plan to have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?"

If "Dinosaurs" is the first word in a book title, I expect there to be an abundance of dinosaurs in the actual book. Not so with this book.

It was fine, even interesting in places, but there weren't enough dinosaurs. Instead, it was filled with accounts of weird men trying to make sense of their discoveries.

Alas, not one I'd really recommend.
]]> Heart of Snow 219390097
As a huntsman’s page, Friedrich has had enough of nobles to last him a lifetime, so when Countess Margaretha asks for his help, he has no intention of saying yes—until she offers a bargain he cannot refuse, giving him the ability to decipher a puzzling letter from his past. Soon, harmless lessons evolve into something more as Friedrich finds himself falling for the beautiful countess, but Margaretha’s plan to save her brother is not her only deceit. She is harboring a shocking secret, the weight of which may shatter the romance blossoming with Friedrich.]]> 349 Rachel Grow Law 1524427748 Kristy 5 fairytales, would-recommend
It took a bit of time for the Snow White aspect to show up, but it was worth the wait.

This is a lovely historical fiction, based on real events from 1500s Germany. I loved learning a bit more from the author's notes at the end.

Read for:
✔️fairytale retelling without magic
✔️the slowest of slow burn romanced
✔️a genuine motive from the villain
✔️a history lesson about the Reformation
✔️lessons about forgiving yourself

"Some men are born noble. Others must create nobility in themselves. Never does a man exhibit truer nobility than when he forgives the undeserving."]]> 4.29 Heart of Snow
author: Rachel Grow Law
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: fairytales, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars

It took a bit of time for the Snow White aspect to show up, but it was worth the wait.

This is a lovely historical fiction, based on real events from 1500s Germany. I loved learning a bit more from the author's notes at the end.

Read for:
✔️fairytale retelling without magic
✔️the slowest of slow burn romanced
✔️a genuine motive from the villain
✔️a history lesson about the Reformation
✔️lessons about forgiving yourself

"Some men are born noble. Others must create nobility in themselves. Never does a man exhibit truer nobility than when he forgives the undeserving."
]]> <![CDATA[I Wish I May (Once Upon a Wish)]]> 216075938

Lonely Crown Prince Leo has no interest in becoming king. When he wishes away his crown, he sets off a series of events that risk upsetting the balance of magic in the modern world. The fairies need an ally on the throne to keep magic under their control and as a lover of the magical sciences, Leo is the perfect candidate.


Now Zelda must convince Leo to keep his crown, but that's easier said than done. When they discover a magical organization bent on stealing magic for themselves - and taking out the crown prince with fairy sympathies - every Happily Ever After and even their lives are on the line.


For fans of royal romances, magical boarding schools, and quirky fairytale mashups as in The School for Good and Evil and Ella Enchanted. ]]> 358 Adelyn Belsterling Kristy 4
This spin on Cinderella was a fun one! I really liked the world building and character development. I did think it was a bit too long, and some of the plot lines got a bit confusing at times.

I think this book would translate well into a movie.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book.]]> 4.60 I Wish I May (Once Upon a Wish)
author: Adelyn Belsterling
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
3.75 stars

This spin on Cinderella was a fun one! I really liked the world building and character development. I did think it was a bit too long, and some of the plot lines got a bit confusing at times.

I think this book would translate well into a movie.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book.
]]> <![CDATA[Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses]]> 87040 Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide, nor is it a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of linked personal essays that will lead general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to redwoods and rednecks. Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.

Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.

Gathering Moss will appeal to a wide range of readers, from bryologists to those interested in natural history and the environment, Native Americans, and contemporary nature and science writing.

]]> 168 Robin Wall Kimmerer 0870714996 Kristy 0 audio, i-quit, nonfiction
I think this book would be better read than listened to, so maybe some day I'll come back to it in print.]]> 4.39 2003 Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses
author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: audio, i-quit, nonfiction
review:
I have just under 2 hours left in the audiobook, but I think I've learned enough about mosses for now.

I think this book would be better read than listened to, so maybe some day I'll come back to it in print.
]]> <![CDATA[Wizard of Most Wicked Ways (Whimbrel House, #4)]]> 208283672 When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend him off, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves; one way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.]]> Charlie N. Holmberg Kristy 4
Started off a bit slow, and I was confused by some of the magical system, but I settled in nicely as the story found its rhythm.

Found family is one of my favorite story tropes, and what a family we've found.

The last few chapters made me sob like I was watching the end of RoTK. Just waves and waves of emotions.

Despite the title, this is an absolutely beautiful story of love.

I snagged an advanced copy from the author herself at an event I went to. Lucky day!]]> 4.05 2025 Wizard of Most Wicked Ways (Whimbrel House, #4)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: favorites, would-recommend, ya
review:
"I have all of this because of you," Merritt murmured, sober. "Do you realize that? We're afraid because we have so much to lose. And we have so much to lose because of you."

Started off a bit slow, and I was confused by some of the magical system, but I settled in nicely as the story found its rhythm.

Found family is one of my favorite story tropes, and what a family we've found.

The last few chapters made me sob like I was watching the end of RoTK. Just waves and waves of emotions.

Despite the title, this is an absolutely beautiful story of love.

I snagged an advanced copy from the author herself at an event I went to. Lucky day!
]]> <![CDATA[Shall I Stay (Los Morales Book 1)]]> 220691276 Like it or not, it's fight or flight when it comes to love and legacy.

Professor Magdalena Martín needs to find a man—or at least find out why he disappeared in the sixteenth century. Research leads her from Spain to picturesque Puerto Rico. Accustomed to being a team of one, she finds herself working alongside a too-charming-for-his-own-good fellow historian who proves to be an unfortunately distracting necessity.

The last thing Rico Morales expected when he left Wall Street was to end up going on a wild-goose chase with a snooty academic. Can't a man aimlessly search for his life's purpose in peace? His loose itinerary did not include bantering through a genealogical investigation with a captivating colleague—or grappling with their undeniable connection.

'Lena' is on a singular mission to solve this career-defining mystery and return to her life in Salamanca. Yet the more time she spends with Rico, the more she falls for the enchanting island and his smoldering smile. When they're together, possibilities hum. Like the possibility of something that would stand the test of time—if only she were the sort to stay.

First in the Los Morales series, "Shall I Stay" is an opposites-attract, witty contemporary romance with swoony kisses only and no swearing. Extra dose of yearning tension included.]]> 259 Nuria Muñoz Kristy 5
Everything about this book made my soul happy. A lovely family dynamic, food cravings thanks to such wonderful descriptions, rogue chickens, paso doble, a rich education in early Puerto Rican history all worked together to make this story come to life.

I loved the genealogy aspect. It added a nice lesson about roots and tethers, in addition to a lovely mystery to be solved.

"History is history, but it's the simple stories of community that are a true heritage. Staying and belonging, no matter the odds. That means a lot to me."

It is my soul's truth that a fair and favorable wind delivered Nuria Munoz to my life. We started as Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ friends, evolved into Instagram pals, and now I'm unbelievably happy to be an early reader and reviewer of her soon to be published debut novel! I pre-ordered this book approximately 19 seconds after the link went live, but I also received an advanced copy from the author. All thoughts are mine.]]> 4.53 Shall I Stay (Los Morales Book 1)
author: Nuria Muñoz
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: clearthekindle, favorites, kindle, would-recommend
review:
I loved this love letter to Puerto Rico. The tourism board should really consider hiring Nuria as a consultant because she's definitely convinced me that I need to add this treasure island to my travel bucket list!

Everything about this book made my soul happy. A lovely family dynamic, food cravings thanks to such wonderful descriptions, rogue chickens, paso doble, a rich education in early Puerto Rican history all worked together to make this story come to life.

I loved the genealogy aspect. It added a nice lesson about roots and tethers, in addition to a lovely mystery to be solved.

"History is history, but it's the simple stories of community that are a true heritage. Staying and belonging, no matter the odds. That means a lot to me."

It is my soul's truth that a fair and favorable wind delivered Nuria Munoz to my life. We started as Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ friends, evolved into Instagram pals, and now I'm unbelievably happy to be an early reader and reviewer of her soon to be published debut novel! I pre-ordered this book approximately 19 seconds after the link went live, but I also received an advanced copy from the author. All thoughts are mine.
]]> <![CDATA[The Vet at Noah's Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital]]> 60471998
The life of a veterinarian is challenging: keeping up with advances in medical care, making difficult decisions about people’s beloved companions, and, in Dr. Doug Mader’s case, navigating the social unrest in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. As one of the few exotic animal experts in California, he was just as likely to be treating a lion as a house cat.

The Vet at Noah's Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital follows Dr. Mader and his staff over the course of a year at Noah's Ark Veterinary Hospital, an inner-city LA area veterinary hospital where Dr. Mader treats not only dogs and cats, but also emus, skunks, snakes, foxes, monkeys, and a host of other exotic animals. This real life drama is set against the backdrop of the trial of four police officers in the Rodney King case, as well as the violent aftermath following their acquittal.

This is a book about survival, both of the pets that Dr. Mader and his staff try to save on a daily basis, as well as the staff themselves. Living in the harsh reality of the city, surrounded by gangs, drugs, violence, traffic, smog, and deadly riots, they must overcome and rise above, for their own survival and that of the animals who need them. This awe-inspiring account is told through Dr. Mader's riveting storytelling―as Carl Hiaasen writes, "Doug is fearless and dedicated," and "a damn good storyteller."]]> 392 Doug Mader 1954641044 Kristy 4
This is essentially a modern-day All Creatures Great and Small, set in inner-city Los Angeles in the 1990s. I had never heard of Doug Mader before this, and now I think of him as one of the best of the best veterinarians there is.

I really loved the stories of veterinary hospital life and was so touched by so many of the stories. There were some really emotionally wrenching stories that brought me to tears, particularly towards the end of the year that is chronicled in the book.

"First patient: emergency. Dog hit by car. Severe injuries. Dog died. Owner screamed at us because we couldn't save her pet. Emotion: failure.

First room of the day: old man with a dying cat, his last link to his deceased wife. Euthanasia. Emotion: sadness.

Four feet away, forty-five seconds later: an excited family with their new puppy. Emotion: jubilation.

Return to the first room: jerk owner with mildly injured, easily treatable kitten. Owner too cheap to pay for medical care. Owner wants to kill it. Emotion: anger.

Four feet away: loving couple with cancer-stricken family pet. Money no object, but unable to help the old dog. Euthanasia. Emotion: helplessness.

I leaned against Wok's broad shoulders. He was strong and always there for me. Emotion: love."

Read this is if you love stories of humanity at its best in the midst of humanity at its worst. Read this if you love heartwarming tales of animal companions. Read this if you want to experience a life perspective different from your own. Read this if you wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid.]]> 4.44 The Vet at Noah's Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital
author: Doug Mader
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: memoir, nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars

This is essentially a modern-day All Creatures Great and Small, set in inner-city Los Angeles in the 1990s. I had never heard of Doug Mader before this, and now I think of him as one of the best of the best veterinarians there is.

I really loved the stories of veterinary hospital life and was so touched by so many of the stories. There were some really emotionally wrenching stories that brought me to tears, particularly towards the end of the year that is chronicled in the book.

"First patient: emergency. Dog hit by car. Severe injuries. Dog died. Owner screamed at us because we couldn't save her pet. Emotion: failure.

First room of the day: old man with a dying cat, his last link to his deceased wife. Euthanasia. Emotion: sadness.

Four feet away, forty-five seconds later: an excited family with their new puppy. Emotion: jubilation.

Return to the first room: jerk owner with mildly injured, easily treatable kitten. Owner too cheap to pay for medical care. Owner wants to kill it. Emotion: anger.

Four feet away: loving couple with cancer-stricken family pet. Money no object, but unable to help the old dog. Euthanasia. Emotion: helplessness.

I leaned against Wok's broad shoulders. He was strong and always there for me. Emotion: love."

Read this is if you love stories of humanity at its best in the midst of humanity at its worst. Read this if you love heartwarming tales of animal companions. Read this if you want to experience a life perspective different from your own. Read this if you wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid.
]]> Fern of the Forest 223536304 Ready for a game? It’s called two truths and a lie. You guess the

I am a skilled violinist and have taken lessons since I was four years oldI was found abandoned in the woods as a babyI can’t always control my temper, and sometimes people get hurtThink you’ve got it? Here’s a hint . . . I’m terrible at violin.

No one knows where Fern Masden came from, and no one knows who—or what—she’s becoming. Abandoned in the woods as a baby, Fern is discovered by a hiker and later adopted by the doctor who cared for her.

Flash forward thirteen years and she’s living in NYC, her mother the top pediatrician at Children’s Hospital. Only, Fern is sick; she can’t keep down any food, can’t sleep, and has terrible headaches and coughing fits. After months of inconclusive tests, her mother wakes her in the dead of the night and moves them to a cabin in a mysterious town in the middle of nowhere. Within a few days of living at the cabin, Fern feels extraordinarily better, but she soon discovers that her new home is in the wilderness for a reason.

It turns out that Fern has emerging powers, and now she has another battle to fight. She has to figure out what’s going on inside her before the creature within takes over the human girl she longs to be.]]> 143 J.L. Thaxton Kristy 5 middle-grade, would-recommend
This book is so sweet! It's billed as Percy Jackson meets Fergully, and I think that's a pretty accurate comparison.

This short book teaches some great lessons about the power of friendship and connection, the idea that everyone is dealing with something, and the importance of learning to control your emotions.

The writing is descriptive and beautiful. The characters are absolutely wonderful. I even learned of a new to me mythical creature.

I really hope it's the start of a series because I need more!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All thoughts are mine. Fern of the Forest is available 3/4/25.]]> 4.87 Fern of the Forest
author: J.L. Thaxton
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.87
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: middle-grade, would-recommend
review:
"I may know next to nothing about mythical creatures, but I do know that when times are tough, you need your friends."

This book is so sweet! It's billed as Percy Jackson meets Fergully, and I think that's a pretty accurate comparison.

This short book teaches some great lessons about the power of friendship and connection, the idea that everyone is dealing with something, and the importance of learning to control your emotions.

The writing is descriptive and beautiful. The characters are absolutely wonderful. I even learned of a new to me mythical creature.

I really hope it's the start of a series because I need more!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All thoughts are mine. Fern of the Forest is available 3/4/25.
]]> <![CDATA[Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology, #1)]]> 49338237 A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?]]> 305 Charlie N. Holmberg 1542020107 Kristy 4
There are shades of some of her other characters in Elsie and Bacchus, but also bits that are completely unique to them.

I didn't appreciate the cliffhanger, but am relieved that book 2 is already published and loaded on my Kindle!

"But men determined to be uncaring were never persuaded otherwise."]]> 4.07 2020 Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology, #1)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: kindle, readwhatyouown, would-recommend
review:
The story was a bit disorienting and confusing at first, but it quickly became something I didn't want to put down.

There are shades of some of her other characters in Elsie and Bacchus, but also bits that are completely unique to them.

I didn't appreciate the cliffhanger, but am relieved that book 2 is already published and loaded on my Kindle!

"But men determined to be uncaring were never persuaded otherwise."
]]> I Was Anastasia 33998348 333 Ariel Lawhon 0385541694 Kristy 0 to-read 3.72 2018 I Was Anastasia
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry]]> 173476119 Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers—and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking�

Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor’s child should be) has been frightened of the water ever since she lost her father at sea. But with no one else to care for her, she’s sent to foster with the Martins—a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior.

The Martin family is big, hard-working, and close, and Lucy—who has always been a dreamer—struggles to fit in. Can she go one day without ruining the laundry or forgetting the sweeping? Will she ever be less afraid of the lake?

Although life at the lighthouse isn’t what Lucy hoped for, it is beautiful—ships come and go, waves pound the rocks—and it has one major advantage: It’s near the site of a famous shipwreck, a shipwreck that went down with a treasure her father wanted more than anything. If Lucy can find that treasure—a priceless ruby necklace—won’t it be like having Papa back again, just a little bit?

But someone else is hunting for the treasure, too. And as the lighthouse company becomes increasingly skeptical that the Martins can juggle Lucy and their duties, Lucy and the Martin children will need to find the necklace quickly—or they may not have a home at all.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry is a timelessly sweet tale of found family from rising Ojibwe voice Anna Rose Johnson, author of NPR Best Book of the Year The Star That Always Stays. Perfect for fans of L.M. Montgomery and Karina Yan Glaser!]]> 192 Anna Rose Johnson 0823453634 Kristy 0 audio, i-quit 3.80 2024 The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry
author: Anna Rose Johnson
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: audio, i-quit
review:
I made it 50% and just can't do it anymore. I don't find Lucy charming enough to care how this ends.
]]> Bea and the New Deal Horse 61391157 This lyrical middle grade historical novel set during the Great Depression from award-winning author L. M. Elliott is a moving tale of the spirit of American persistence, found family, and the magical partnership between girl and horse. Bea wakes to Daddy’s note in a hayloft, where he abandoned her with her little sister after the stock market crash took everything: Daddy’s job at the bank, their home, Mama’s health and life. How is Bea supposed to convince the imposing Mrs. Scott to take in two stray children? Mrs. Scott’s money and Virginia farm are drying up in a drought and the Great Depression, too. She might have to sell her beautiful horses, starting with a dangerous chestnut that has caused tragedy in the past and injures her stableman shortly after Bea arrives. But wrestling with her own hurts and fears, Bea understands the chestnut’s skittish distrust.ĚýShe sees hope in the powerful jumper—if he can compete at horse shows, they might save the farm, and maybe Bea can even win a place in Mrs. Scott’s heart.]]> 384 L.M. Elliott 006321900X Kristy 4
After finishing, I'm ready to watch Wild Hearts Can't be Broken! (This book takes place during the depression and involves horses; those are the only similarities between it and Sonora Webster.)

I'd probably recommend reading it instead of listening to it, though.]]> 4.17 2023 Bea and the New Deal Horse
author: L.M. Elliott
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: audio, middle-grade, would-recommend
review:
I was initially so annoyed by the narrator that I nearly gave up in chapter one. I'm glad I stuck it out, though, because I really loved this story!

After finishing, I'm ready to watch Wild Hearts Can't be Broken! (This book takes place during the depression and involves horses; those are the only similarities between it and Sonora Webster.)

I'd probably recommend reading it instead of listening to it, though.
]]> Flipped 331920 Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That's pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn't as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.]]> 212 Wendelin Van Draanen 0375825444 Kristy 4
1/5/25: I saw a clip from this movie a couple of weeks ago, which reminded me that it's been forever since I last read this book. I'd forgotten a lot about it, so it was a delight to get re-acquainted. This is one of the first books I fell in love with in my post-college reading for fun again days.]]> 3.99 2001 Flipped
author: Wendelin Van Draanen
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: favorites, middle-grade, re-read, would-recommend
review:
I re-read this one for about the 6th time last week. It never gets old. And the movie was great--because it didn't deviate from the book. Why can't more movies be like that?

1/5/25: I saw a clip from this movie a couple of weeks ago, which reminded me that it's been forever since I last read this book. I'd forgotten a lot about it, so it was a delight to get re-acquainted. This is one of the first books I fell in love with in my post-college reading for fun again days.
]]> Songs of the Sun 220768538 142 W. Scott 1957362324 Kristy 5
But I cannot get enough of W. Scott's poetry. He speaks to my soul. He makes me think. He gives me hope.

I adored Songs of the Sun. I had to stop myself from highlighting the entire collection. So many verses spoke softly to me, telling me to pay attention.

This book of poetry is a gift, and I'm glad to have read it.

"those moments when i seek joy
and i can still find a little
tucked inside the pocket of my chest.
it is here. it is here."

Many thanks to Owl's Nest Publishers for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.]]> 5.00 Songs of the Sun
author: W. Scott
name: Kristy
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
I don't read a lot of poetry. In fact, I usually gloss right over most poems and songs quoted in books...ahem, The Fellowship of the Ring.

But I cannot get enough of W. Scott's poetry. He speaks to my soul. He makes me think. He gives me hope.

I adored Songs of the Sun. I had to stop myself from highlighting the entire collection. So many verses spoke softly to me, telling me to pay attention.

This book of poetry is a gift, and I'm glad to have read it.

"those moments when i seek joy
and i can still find a little
tucked inside the pocket of my chest.
it is here. it is here."

Many thanks to Owl's Nest Publishers for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
]]> <![CDATA[Stay This Christmas (Magnolia Ridge #3)]]> 176509977
My ex-boyfriend is back in town. It’s fine. I’m fine.

Who cares that Sam Donnelly has spent the last ten years having adventures all over the world? Not me. Who cares that he’s become a Christmas-hating Grinch since we dated? I sure don’t. Who cares that the years have only made him hotter and an even bigger flirt? Hadn’t noticed.

I’m too busy jump starting my social life before it completely flatlines. Even my patients at the retirement community lead more exciting lives than I do. I’ve got a list of activities to try, but my awkward attempts would go a whole lot smoother if Sam didn’t keep turning up to witness them.

When he offers to help me tackle my list, I agree on one condition—he has to let me get him back in the holiday spirit. If he’s going to coax me up a rock climbing wall, I’m going to rekindle his love of Christmas.

But that’s the only rekindling I’ll allow. Because if we reignite the spark between us, I’ll just wind up heartbroken all over again when he leaves on his next adventure.


Stay this Christmas is a closed door romance without implied intimacy.]]> 320 Genny Carrick 1957745061 Kristy 4
I really love the family dynamics in this book, and will likely read the rest of the series.]]> 4.19 Stay This Christmas (Magnolia Ridge #3)
author: Genny Carrick
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend
review:
Second chance romance isn't always my favorite, but this one was cute. It takes place around Christmas, but doesn't necessarily scream "Christmas!" while you're reading.

I really love the family dynamics in this book, and will likely read the rest of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 8]]> 221735399
The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian's. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 339 Beth Brower 1957492031 Kristy 5 favorites
"All of May was a race. Against my aunt. Against time. Against the portions of life which were simply too much, even if many of them are good. I am saturated and ready to bleed out the intensity of the colour. I intend to trap serenity if I can catch it."]]> 4.76 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 8
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.76
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: favorites
review:
This latest volume of Emma's journal was a lot. It really drags you through the emotional wringer. I love these book friends nearly as much as my beloved Circle of Friends.

"All of May was a race. Against my aunt. Against time. Against the portions of life which were simply too much, even if many of them are good. I am saturated and ready to bleed out the intensity of the colour. I intend to trap serenity if I can catch it."
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7]]> 185965151
The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 313 Beth Brower 1957492015 Kristy 5 kindle, would-recommend .
I didn't love this latest addition quite as much as books 4-6, but it was still a solid journal entry.
.
I was happy with the character development of a certain pirate.
.
I'm not so happy with the number of unsolved mysteries, but that's probably because we're now waiting for book 8.
.
I adore Emma and her ever-expanding circle of friends.

12/27/24: I'd forgotten so much of what happens in this volume, so it was nice to revisit before letting volume 8 become my entire life.

"Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to me, shout,
and laughingly dash with your hair."
(Walt Whitman)]]> 4.78 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.78
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: kindle, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars
.
I didn't love this latest addition quite as much as books 4-6, but it was still a solid journal entry.
.
I was happy with the character development of a certain pirate.
.
I'm not so happy with the number of unsolved mysteries, but that's probably because we're now waiting for book 8.
.
I adore Emma and her ever-expanding circle of friends.

12/27/24: I'd forgotten so much of what happens in this volume, so it was nice to revisit before letting volume 8 become my entire life.

"Long have you timidly waded holding a plank by the shore,
Now I will you to be a bold swimmer,
To jump off in the midst of the sea, rise again, nod to me, shout,
and laughingly dash with your hair."
(Walt Whitman)
]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Kristy 5 audio, nonfiction .
I listened to this on Audible and am looking forward to revisiting my favorite parts.
.
"I think it's helpful to know how sunsets work. I don't buy the romantic notion that scientific understanding somehow robs the universe of its beauty, but I still can't find language to describe how breathtakingly beautiful sunsets are--not breathtakingly, actually, but breath-givingly beautiful. All I can say is that sometimes when the world is between day and night, I'm stopped cold by its splendor, and I feel my absurd smallness. You'd think that would be sad, but it isn't. It only makes me grateful."]]> 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/12
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: audio, nonfiction
review:
I was a bit nervous going into this, as I don't have a great track record with John Green's books. I'm so glad I gave this a chance because I really loved it!
.
I listened to this on Audible and am looking forward to revisiting my favorite parts.
.
"I think it's helpful to know how sunsets work. I don't buy the romantic notion that scientific understanding somehow robs the universe of its beauty, but I still can't find language to describe how breathtakingly beautiful sunsets are--not breathtakingly, actually, but breath-givingly beautiful. All I can say is that sometimes when the world is between day and night, I'm stopped cold by its splendor, and I feel my absurd smallness. You'd think that would be sad, but it isn't. It only makes me grateful."
]]> Let It Snow 61087087 Curl up with the perfect cosy read and the latest novel by the bestselling author of Just the Way You Are.

After the end of a long-term relationship, local weather girl Bea Armstrong has been avoiding her family, and their inevitable â€I-told-you-sos.â€� But with Christmas fast approaching, she is finally on her way home to Charis House, the school in Sherwood Forest that her mum and dad run in their old family home. And to top it all off, the insufferable Henry Fairfax â€� who her parents have always wanted her to marry â€� has also been invited.

Relief comes in the shape of a last-minute interview for her dream job. There are just a few minor problems� The interview is in Scotland, Bea has no car, and the snow is falling already. The only solution is for Henry to drive her � could this Christmas get any worse�

But during an unforgettable two-day interview, a stay in a log cabin and a nightmare journey through the snow, Henry turns out to be nothing like she thought. And when Bea’s first love and recent ex shows up, Bea has a difficult choice to make…]]> 367 Beth Moran 180280644X Kristy 4 kindle, would-recommend 4.13 2022 Let It Snow
author: Beth Moran
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: kindle, would-recommend
review:
This book had just about every holiday romance trope you could possibly imagine, but it somehow worked beautifully.
]]> A Lot Like Christmas 33998355 This new, expanded edition of Miracle and Other Christmas Stories features twelve brilliantly reimagined holiday tales, five of which are collected here for the first time.

Christmas comes but once a year--which is too bad, because the stories in this dazzling collection are fun to read anytime. They put a speculative spin on the holiday, giving fans of acclaimed author Connie Willis a welcome gift and a dozen reasons to be of good cheer.

Brimming with Willis's trademark insights and imagination, these heartwarming tales are full of humor, absurdity, human foibles, tragedy, joy, and hope. They both embrace and send up many of the best Christmas traditions, including the Christmas newsletter, Secret Santas, office parties, holiday pageants, and Christmas dinners (both elaborate and spare). There are Rockettes, the best and worst Christmas movies, modern-day Magi, Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come--and the triumph of generosity over greed. Like the timeless classics we return to year after year, these stories affirm our faith in love, magic, and the wonder of the season.

Stories included:
- Miracle
- All About Emily
- Inn
- All Seated on the Ground
- In Coppelius's Toyshop
- Adaptation
- deck.halls@bought/holly
- Cat's Paw
- Now Showing
- Newsletter
- Epiphany
- Just Like the Ones We Used to Know]]> 518 Connie Willis 0399182349 Kristy 0 currently-reading 3.94 2017 A Lot Like Christmas
author: Connie Willis
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cupcakes for Christmas (Return to Willoughby Close, #1)]]> 41051606 Welcome back to Willoughby Close, with four new residents and happy endings to deliver�

Olivia James has always been happy running a tea shop and bakery in the Cotswold village of Wychwood-on-Lea, and helping her friends find their happily-ever-afters, topped by the perfect wedding cake. But as Christmas approaches, Olivia is home alone and questioning her choices while eating too many of her own specialty confections.

When Simon Blacklock, a handsome, whimsical stranger, breezes into her shop and buys a cupcake and then returns the next day and the day after, Olivia begins to dream. Can romance blossom amidst the sugar and flour? And after a lifetime of living on the side lines, is she brave enough to star in her own story?

Simon may be hiding a painful secret, but Olivia harbors secrets of her own. If they can dare to risk their hearts, this Christmas might be the most magical yet!]]> 186 Kate Hewitt 1949068900 Kristy 3 audio
This was a bit heavy for a Christmas story, but it was worth the time I spent listening to it as I finished up Christmas tasks.

Be aware that this book deals with a parent with Alzheimer's Disease and a character with mental health struggles.]]> 3.40 2018 Cupcakes for Christmas (Return to Willoughby Close, #1)
author: Kate Hewitt
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: audio
review:
I laughed, I cried, I craved cupcakes.

This was a bit heavy for a Christmas story, but it was worth the time I spent listening to it as I finished up Christmas tasks.

Be aware that this book deals with a parent with Alzheimer's Disease and a character with mental health struggles.
]]> A Holiday by Gaslight 41295548 A Dutiful Daughter

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run of the mill London merchant. He's grim and silent. A man of little emotion--or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she's ready to put an end to things. After all, even a dutiful daughter has her limits.

A Taciturn Tradesman

Ned has come a long way since his days working as a draper's assistant. He's wealthy, ambitious, and eager to take a wife. But the courtship advice issued in The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette isn't all it's cracked up to be. Though he's followed it to the letter, Miss Appersett still doesn't wish to see him again. Frustrated and hurt, he's more than happy to oblige her.

A Christmas Courtship

Severing ties with her former beau isn't as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there's Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What's a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to the annual Christmas party at Appersett House and give him one more chance to win her? But this time there'll be no false formality. This time they'll get to know each other for who they really are.]]> 175 Mimi Matthews 0999036467 Kristy 5 .
12/13/22: This Victorian Christmas novella is so wonderful. I'm glad I made time to reread it this month.
.
"It hadn’t been love at first sight. That was too trite. Too simplistic. But something within him had recognized something in her. Had understood that she would be important to him."
.
(12/2021) A sweet romance I never wanted to put down. I'll probably bump it up to 5 stars when I read it again, which I definitely will.]]> 3.93 2018 A Holiday by Gaslight
author: Mimi Matthews
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: clearthekindle, kindle, would-recommend, favorites, re-read
review:
1221/24: another excellent reading experience!
.
12/13/22: This Victorian Christmas novella is so wonderful. I'm glad I made time to reread it this month.
.
"It hadn’t been love at first sight. That was too trite. Too simplistic. But something within him had recognized something in her. Had understood that she would be important to him."
.
(12/2021) A sweet romance I never wanted to put down. I'll probably bump it up to 5 stars when I read it again, which I definitely will.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6]]> 63027990 There is bedlam, and there is delightful bedlam.
This afternoon touched on the second, much to my pleasure.

The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 249 Beth Brower Kristy 5 kindle 4.79 2022 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: kindle
review:
I am not okay after reading this volume of Emma's Journal!
]]> <![CDATA[The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (The Herdmans, #1)]]> 239810 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history of the world.� The siblings take over the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds, and six rowdy kids.

Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are an awful bunch. They set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s toolshed, blackmailed Wanda Pierce to get her charm bracelet, and smacked Alice Wendelken across the head. And that’s just the start! When the Herdmans show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids are shocked. It’s obvious that they’re up to no good. But Christmas magic is all around and the Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, start to reimagine it in their own way.

This year’s pageant is definitely like no other, but maybe that’s exactly what makes it so special.]]> 128 Barbara Robinson 0064402754 Kristy 5
I'm not sure how I've gone my whole life without knowing about this book, but that's a travesty.

What a delight this story is. Definitely one to read each year.

12/21/24: listened to the audiobook and it was wonderful. This is such a great story.]]> 4.24 1972 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (The Herdmans, #1)
author: Barbara Robinson
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: children-s-books, would-recommend
review:
Hey! Unto you a child is born!

I'm not sure how I've gone my whole life without knowing about this book, but that's a travesty.

What a delight this story is. Definitely one to read each year.

12/21/24: listened to the audiobook and it was wonderful. This is such a great story.
]]> <![CDATA[A Christmas Carol / The Chimes / The Cricket on the Hearth]]> 169848 A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth, by Charles Dickens, is part of the Barnes & Noble ClassicsĚýseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:
All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.
Ěý

Generations of readers have been enchanted by Dickens’s A Christmas Carol—the most cheerful ghost story ever written, and the unforgettable tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s moral regeneration. Written in just a few weeks, A Christmas Carol famously recounts the plight of Bob Cratchit, whose family finds joy even in poverty, and the transformation of his miserly boss Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

From Scrooge’s “Bah!� and “Humbug!� to Tiny Tim’s “God bless us every one!� A Christmas Carol shines with warmth, decency, kindness, humility, and the value of the holidays. But beneath its sentimental surface, A Christmas Carol offers another of Dickens’s sharply critical portraits of a brutal society, and an inspiring celebration of the possibility of spiritual, psychological, and social change.

This new volume collects Dickens’s three most renowned “Christmas Books,� including The Chimes, a New Year’s tale, and The Cricket on the Hearth, whose eponymous creature remains silent during sorrow and chirps amid happiness.
Katharine Kroeber Wiley, the daughter of a scholar and a sculptor, has a degree in English Literature from Occidental College. Her work has appeared in Boundary Two and the recent book, Lore of the Dolphin. She is currently working on a book on Victorian Christmas writings.]]> 304 Charles Dickens 1593080336 Kristy 5 .
12/15:22: This year's reread was a Hugh Grant narration on Audible. It was wonderful! This story just never gets old.
.
12/16/21: Just when I thought I couldn't love A Christmas Carol any more than I already do, I discovered a Tim Curry narrated version on Audible. It was simply magnificent.
.
A Christmas Carol may be the best book Dickens wrote. I do love David Copperfield and Great Expectations, but there's just something about the simple message in A Christmas Carol.

The Chimes was the strangest of these stories. It has an It's a Wonderful Life vibe to it, pointing out the importance of keeping hope, and the importance one person has to those around him.

The Cricket on the Hearth was a crazy rollercoaster of emotions. It was so funny and lighthearted at first, but turned pretty dark in the second chapter. It ultimately ended on a happy note, pointing out the importance of family and home, whether that's a family you're born into or a family you create from the circumstances you find yourself in.

Dickens in so unbelievably clever in everything he does. The chapters in A Christmas Carol (staves) and The Chimes (quarters) are musical terms, and the chapters in The Cricket on the Hearth are "chirps." His character names in all 3 works are so clever and descriptive...I mean, Mrs. CHICKENSTALKER?! Brilliant.

These 3 stories are definitely worth reading!

12/15/19: Reread A Christmas Carol. What a wonderful story. I'm not sure if I'll get to these other stories again this year or not.

12/8/2020: I listened to the librivox audio and I thought the narrator did an excellent job in his performance. I love this story so much. God bless us, every one.]]> 4.15 1843 A Christmas Carol / The Chimes / The Cricket on the Hearth
author: Charles Dickens
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1843
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: favorites, would-recommend, re-read, classics, audio
review:
12/19/24: This year was another Tim Curry audio year. He's simply divine.
.
12/15:22: This year's reread was a Hugh Grant narration on Audible. It was wonderful! This story just never gets old.
.
12/16/21: Just when I thought I couldn't love A Christmas Carol any more than I already do, I discovered a Tim Curry narrated version on Audible. It was simply magnificent.
.
A Christmas Carol may be the best book Dickens wrote. I do love David Copperfield and Great Expectations, but there's just something about the simple message in A Christmas Carol.

The Chimes was the strangest of these stories. It has an It's a Wonderful Life vibe to it, pointing out the importance of keeping hope, and the importance one person has to those around him.

The Cricket on the Hearth was a crazy rollercoaster of emotions. It was so funny and lighthearted at first, but turned pretty dark in the second chapter. It ultimately ended on a happy note, pointing out the importance of family and home, whether that's a family you're born into or a family you create from the circumstances you find yourself in.

Dickens in so unbelievably clever in everything he does. The chapters in A Christmas Carol (staves) and The Chimes (quarters) are musical terms, and the chapters in The Cricket on the Hearth are "chirps." His character names in all 3 works are so clever and descriptive...I mean, Mrs. CHICKENSTALKER?! Brilliant.

These 3 stories are definitely worth reading!

12/15/19: Reread A Christmas Carol. What a wonderful story. I'm not sure if I'll get to these other stories again this year or not.

12/8/2020: I listened to the librivox audio and I thought the narrator did an excellent job in his performance. I love this story so much. God bless us, every one.
]]> Booked for the Holidays 221571058 Brighten the holidays with this funny, heartfelt rom-com about the stories—and the love—that we never forget.

When mystery author D. B. Ziegler is late delivering her book, Abi Schore steps in to help. Surely she can give her favorite author moral support over the holiday break and get the manuscript to her boss at Tea & Sympathy Publishing in time for the new year.

When Abi shows up on Ms. Ziegler’s doorstep bearing holiday treats, she’s met by the author’s handsome grandson Dov, who reveals a startling plot twist. His grandmother isn’t able to finish the book and Dov promised he’d complete it so fans won’t be disappointed—a task that’s harder than he ever imagined.

As Hanukkah unfolds, Abi and Dov cozy up in his grandmother’s brownstone apartment working their way through his writer’s block and untangling plot threads. Before long, the novel starts taking shape ... and so does their simmering attraction. Will their own story end once the book is written, or is this just the first chapter?]]> 4 Liz Maverick Kristy 4 audio, would-recommend
I listened to the audiobook, and, while I liked the female narrator, the male narrator sounded too angry the whole time, which I found distracting.

Still, I'd recommend this.]]> 3.49 2024 Booked for the Holidays
author: Liz Maverick
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: audio, would-recommend
review:
3.5 stars for this cute Hanukkkah romance.

I listened to the audiobook, and, while I liked the female narrator, the male narrator sounded too angry the whole time, which I found distracting.

Still, I'd recommend this.
]]> A Curse for Christmas 74044776 "Christmas Eve was off to a rough start, and that was before I was cursed by a Christmas cookie."

Jinny’s not home for Christmas, and she’s fine with that. So what if she’s spending yet another Christmas Eve endlessly enchanting drinks at the café she works at, only to go home to an empty apartment? She’s definitely okay, no matter how many people keep asking—will people stop asking, please??

But when an old lady gives Jinny a Christmas cookie and she shares it with her coworker and friend Tate, things get a little complicated. Complicated as in the cookie was cursed and suddenly Jinny and Tate are madly in love with each other. Um, awkward.

Now Jinny and Tate are spending a snowy Christmas Eve searching for a cure, but as the night goes on, Jinny struggles to tell the curse from her true feelings. She and Tate need a Christmas miracle, because even dragon magic and peppermint hot chocolate might not be enough to fix this…]]> 80 Anna Christine Kristy 4 kindle, would-recommend, ya 4.52 A Curse for Christmas
author: Anna Christine
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: kindle, would-recommend, ya
review:
This Christmas novella was adorable! I'm ready for a full-length novel in this magical world.
]]> <![CDATA[The 101 Dalmatians (The Hundred and One Dalmatians, #1)]]> 511614 184 Dodie Smith 0760704066 Kristy 4 .
This book was more delightful than I expected! I adore this movie, and the book is, somehow, even better.
.
12/15/24: This book is the perfect way to end another year of reading Disney Origins books.]]> 4.12 1956 The 101 Dalmatians (The Hundred and One Dalmatians, #1)
author: Dodie Smith
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1956
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: audio, disneyorigins, would-recommend, re-read
review:
4.5 stars
.
This book was more delightful than I expected! I adore this movie, and the book is, somehow, even better.
.
12/15/24: This book is the perfect way to end another year of reading Disney Origins books.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5]]> 59041700 “What a lovely bible,� Mrs. Tribly said.
“Isn’t it just?� I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.
I do not believe the psalmist wrote,
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 247 Beth Brower 0998063657 Kristy 5 kindle, would-recommend .
I'm absolutely certain that my love for these latest volumes is due to my own experience with grief after the loss of a loved one. The way Emma gives words to her own grief echoes so much of mine. I love a book and a character that shows you bits of yourself.
.
"Through fire, nature is reborn whole."
.
12/14/24: This volume of Emma's journal is jam-packed with adventures, tenderness, and life lessons. I think it's my favorite (so far). Reading it in December was a real treat.

"He pulled the book of Whitman's poetry from his pocket and handed it to me. 'Thank you. I think you will find something here.'

'Did you?'

'A reminder that living is a thing of wonder.'"]]> 4.77 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.77
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves: kindle, would-recommend
review:
I didn't think anything could beat the tenderness of volume 4, but then volume 5 swooped in and delivered with the final entry.
.
I'm absolutely certain that my love for these latest volumes is due to my own experience with grief after the loss of a loved one. The way Emma gives words to her own grief echoes so much of mine. I love a book and a character that shows you bits of yourself.
.
"Through fire, nature is reborn whole."
.
12/14/24: This volume of Emma's journal is jam-packed with adventures, tenderness, and life lessons. I think it's my favorite (so far). Reading it in December was a real treat.

"He pulled the book of Whitman's poetry from his pocket and handed it to me. 'Thank you. I think you will find something here.'

'Did you?'

'A reminder that living is a thing of wonder.'"
]]> <![CDATA[Hauntings and Humbug: A Steampunk Christmas Carol (Steampunk Christmas Fairy Tales)]]> 49086428 Hauntings and Humbug is a retelling of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol , set in New York Times bestselling author Melanie’s Karsak’s steampunk universe.]]> 100 Melanie Karsak 1707609608 Kristy 5 kindle, would-recommend
I didn't expect a steampunk retelling of A Christmas Carol to make me cry on the treadmill this morning, but here I am.

I loved this gender-swapped ACC. There are so many little nods to the original, and so many new elements to the story that helped it feel unique while also feeling familiar.

Ebony Scrooge has lived a life of sorrow, and it has made her hard and protective of her heart.

The three ghosts help her confront the grief that has overwhelmed her, helping her find the light again.

"I had allowed myself to fall into a pit of despair and had never recovered. I had thrown myself into my work to numb myself to the world around me. But when I blocked out the pain, I had also blocked out the joy. To my own doom."]]> 4.04 2019 Hauntings and Humbug: A Steampunk Christmas Carol (Steampunk Christmas Fairy Tales)
author: Melanie Karsak
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: kindle, would-recommend
review:
4.5 stars

I didn't expect a steampunk retelling of A Christmas Carol to make me cry on the treadmill this morning, but here I am.

I loved this gender-swapped ACC. There are so many little nods to the original, and so many new elements to the story that helped it feel unique while also feeling familiar.

Ebony Scrooge has lived a life of sorrow, and it has made her hard and protective of her heart.

The three ghosts help her confront the grief that has overwhelmed her, helping her find the light again.

"I had allowed myself to fall into a pit of despair and had never recovered. I had thrown myself into my work to numb myself to the world around me. But when I blocked out the pain, I had also blocked out the joy. To my own doom."
]]> <![CDATA[Loveday Brooke: The Black Bag Left on a Door-Step]]> 34740402
Craigen Court is burgled, Lady Cathrow’s juwels have been stolen, and her French maid is the prime suspect. In a neighbouring town a black bag is found on the door-step of a respectable old spinster. Inside are some clearly clerical belongings and a queer farewell note. Is there a connection?

This is the first short story in the Loveday Brooke series.]]> 48 Catherine Louisa Pirkis Kristy 4 classics, would-recommend 3.39 Loveday Brooke: The Black Bag Left on a Door-Step
author: Catherine Louisa Pirkis
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.39
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: classics, would-recommend
review:
There are no clues given about this mystery until Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective, lays out her case. This didn't bother me, as I never pick up on clues in a mystery anyway.
]]> <![CDATA[Old Hooker's Ghost; or, Christmas Gambols at Huntingfield Hall]]> 56195923
[(Synopsis pulled from "The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories" edited by Tara Moore)]]]> Anonymous Kristy 4 classics, would-recommend 3.75 Old Hooker's Ghost; or, Christmas Gambols at Huntingfield Hall
author: Anonymous
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: classics, would-recommend
review:
I thought this was a fun ghost story. It reminded me a bit of The Canterville Ghost.
]]> <![CDATA[Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)]]> 62005119 One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.]]> 340 Cindy Steel Kristy 5 .
Another winner from Cindy Steel! I did miss her typical Idaho/Wyoming/Montana ranch setting, but Christmas in Vermont really grew on me.
.
The balance of light-hearted banter and serious lessons on grief and living life to the fullest had me laughing and crying throughout.
.
Loved all of the literary and movie quotes. Definitely one to read again!
.
10/31/23: bumping up to 5 stars because it's just so good! Audiobook narrator was fantastic.
.
12/11/24: if you only read two books this Christmas, let one be A Christmas Carol, and let the other be Faking Christmas!
.
"But now I started to wonder if maybe being broken wasn't a flaw. Maybe it was a beautiful shard of glass that could one day be made into a vase again. Maybe the flaw gave it character. It couldn't be whole again but it could be pieced back together--each unique shard helping to press and hold the others into place, some glue around the edges. Almost like new."]]> 4.14 2022 Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)
author: Cindy Steel
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: kindle, would-recommend, audio, favorites, re-read
review:
4.5 stars
.
Another winner from Cindy Steel! I did miss her typical Idaho/Wyoming/Montana ranch setting, but Christmas in Vermont really grew on me.
.
The balance of light-hearted banter and serious lessons on grief and living life to the fullest had me laughing and crying throughout.
.
Loved all of the literary and movie quotes. Definitely one to read again!
.
10/31/23: bumping up to 5 stars because it's just so good! Audiobook narrator was fantastic.
.
12/11/24: if you only read two books this Christmas, let one be A Christmas Carol, and let the other be Faking Christmas!
.
"But now I started to wonder if maybe being broken wasn't a flaw. Maybe it was a beautiful shard of glass that could one day be made into a vase again. Maybe the flaw gave it character. It couldn't be whole again but it could be pieced back together--each unique shard helping to press and hold the others into place, some glue around the edges. Almost like new."
]]> <![CDATA[Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America]]> 90590139
“A vibrant, and essential history of America's unending, enraging and utterly compelling struggle since its founding to live up to its own best ideals� It's both a cause for hope, and a call to arms.�--Jane Mayer, author Dark Money

From historian and author of the popular daily newsletter LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN, a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back.

In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. It soon turned into a newsletter and its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers who rely on her plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America.

In Democracy Awakening , Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history they have led us into authoritarianism -- creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Their dedication to the principles on which this nation was founded has enabled us to renew and expand our commitment to democracy in the past. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future.

Richardson’s talent is to wrangle our giant, meandering, and confusing news feed into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to, what the precedents are, and what possible paths lie ahead. In her trademark calm prose, she is realistic and optimistic about the future of democracy. Her command of history allows her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Goldwater to Mitch McConnell, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus and birth of “movement conservatism.�

Many books tell us what has happened over the last five years. Democracy Awakening explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history really tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.]]> 286 Heather Cox Richardson 0593652967 Kristy 0 to-read 4.38 2023 Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
author: Heather Cox Richardson
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Christmas Mummers 131741904 156 Charlotte Mary Yonge Kristy 4 3.94 1858 The Christmas Mummers
author: Charlotte Mary Yonge
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1858
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: classics, kindle, would-recommend
review:
This is my first experience with Charlotte Mary Yonge. I really like her writing style, so I'll definitely read another of her stories. I didn't know about Christmas Mumming before this, so it was fun to learn something new. This story got a little too preachy towards the end, and I felt bad for Belinda, who just wanted her scarf back!
]]> A Dog of Flanders 753065 A Dog of Flanders,. First published in 1872, A Dog of Flanders tells the moving story of Nello, a gentle boy with aspirations of becoming a painter, and Patrasche � his devoted Belgian work dog. The two, along with Nello's grandfather, live in a little village near Antwerp where Nello's idol, the artist Rubens, once worked. Nello and Patrasche suffer countless hardships � poverty, hunger, cruelty, and rejection. But they persevere in the face of adversity, up to their tragic, bittersweet end.
Rich in the sentiment of its Romantic tradition, yet convincing in its portrayal of both human and animal nature, this touching classic has tugged at the heartstrings of readers and listeners alike for generations. It remains one of the nineteenth century's most imaginative and arresting works of fiction for children.]]> 80 Ouida 0486270874 Kristy 5 4.06 1872 A Dog of Flanders
author: Ouida
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: audio, classics, would-recommend
review:
A beautiful and tragic story of love, devotion, and the responsibility we have to care for one another.
]]> Echoes 34301 Clare and David--divided as children by a rigid social code that branded her as shanty Irish and him as gentry...brought together as adults by a desire that knew no class, no barriers, only the urgent hunger of two people destined to love--and ready to defy a world determined to keep them apart.

Even at fifteen, David Power knew the echo would answer eleven-year-old Clare O'Brien's dearest wish, to win a school prize. But it was years before Dr. Power's cherished only son saw in the huckster's daughter the answer to his own heart's desire.

Here in Castlebay, perched precariously on the seaside cliffs, the lines between them were clearly drawn. Clare's only hope is to leave the town where time stopped, propelled by scholarships to Dublin, fueled by her own drive and brilliance, far from the insular, gossipy world of Castlebay and those in its thrall... Angela O'Hara, beautiful, isolated, a teacher trapped in the convent school, who risks everything to help Clare escape... Gerry Doyle, the town charmer who finds in Clare the woman he vows to have at any price... Caroline Nolan, the beautiful, rich outsider who comes to plunder...

For Clare, that was before the wild freedom of Dublin, and love. And David.ĚýĚýBefore fate drove them back to Castlebay, and the past...]]> 496 Maeve Binchy 0440122090 Kristy 5 re-read .
12/3/24: the older I get, the more devastated I am by the last 1/3 of this story. Knowing as well as I do, I could physically feel myself tense up with dread over what I knew was coming. The storytelling in this book is absolutely brilliant, the characters are all incredible (even the villainous ones), and the setting is a dream. So often I seek out books that make me feel good in the end, but it's important to read books that leave me completely emotionally drained. This is that book.]]> 3.79 1985 Echoes
author: Maeve Binchy
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: re-read
review:
Reread for the 10th+ time this week. I live this story, but it's never made me as sad as it did this time around. So many lovely characters, so many old friends.
.
12/3/24: the older I get, the more devastated I am by the last 1/3 of this story. Knowing as well as I do, I could physically feel myself tense up with dread over what I knew was coming. The storytelling in this book is absolutely brilliant, the characters are all incredible (even the villainous ones), and the setting is a dream. So often I seek out books that make me feel good in the end, but it's important to read books that leave me completely emotionally drained. This is that book.
]]> <![CDATA[Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1)]]> 40425
But disaster falls. Great Apes raise the small son, destined to be Lord of the Jungle.]]> 323 Edgar Rice Burroughs 0809599813 Kristy 4 .
There is some pretty awful characterization of African people in this, but that is an unfortunate product of the time period.]]> 3.89 1912 Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1)
author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1912
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: audio, classics, disneyorigins, would-recommend
review:
It took me a while to get into this book, but by the end, I wasn't ready for it to be over.
.
There is some pretty awful characterization of African people in this, but that is an unfortunate product of the time period.
]]> Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Kristy 5 .
Fanny Price is not Elizabeth Bennet. But why does she need to be? She's more like Anne Elliot than i remembered from previous readings.
.
I'm sad that Thomas Bertram is portrayed so incorrectly in the Johnny Lee Miller film version. I loved Sir Thomas so much this time through!
.
Mrs. Norris is just dreadful. I felt so much sympathy for Lady Bertram and her struggles.
.
Edmund, while not my favorite hero, really grows on you after awhile.
.
I'll never be ok with first cousins marrying, though.]]> 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/06
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: audio, classics, favorites, re-read, readwhatyouown, would-recommend
review:
So glad I listened to this; i got so much more from it this way.
.
Fanny Price is not Elizabeth Bennet. But why does she need to be? She's more like Anne Elliot than i remembered from previous readings.
.
I'm sad that Thomas Bertram is portrayed so incorrectly in the Johnny Lee Miller film version. I loved Sir Thomas so much this time through!
.
Mrs. Norris is just dreadful. I felt so much sympathy for Lady Bertram and her struggles.
.
Edmund, while not my favorite hero, really grows on you after awhile.
.
I'll never be ok with first cousins marrying, though.
]]> <![CDATA[Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology]]> 10045945 656 Elaine N. Marieb 0321695984 Kristy 0 3.83 1986 Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology
author: Elaine N. Marieb
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:
I read every word of this textbook this semester, so you know I'm going to count it in my reading total for this year.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4]]> 56553921
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 208 Beth Brower Kristy 5 .
Emma continues to withstand the many disappointments in her life, and her loyal friends continue to be there for her when everything seems hopeless.
.
11/24/24:
Dear Lord,
Bless Young Hawkes.
And keep him.
In St. Crispian's.
Forever.
Amen.]]> 4.75 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: favorites, kindle, would-recommend, re-read
review:
This series is such a treat, and this 4th installment was a very touching addition to the story.
.
Emma continues to withstand the many disappointments in her life, and her loyal friends continue to be there for her when everything seems hopeless.
.
11/24/24:
Dear Lord,
Bless Young Hawkes.
And keep him.
In St. Crispian's.
Forever.
Amen.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 3]]> 55138117 "It has been a day ordained by the fates, for how else could one explain the wholly cursed chain of events?" The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London Neighbourhood of St. Crispian's. But Emma's plan for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian's. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House. Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 229 Beth Brower Kristy 5 .
"I learned a long time ago that my happiness has to be separate from the things beyond my control."
.
11/19/24: I'd forgotten much of the quirkiness of this particular volume: Julius Caesar, a broken leg, a shocking painting, and The Reprobates Ten. All good fun.
.
One thing I love about this series is the way grief is talked about and portrayed.
.
"On the floor was the war where he died. The very year. And I was feeling somewhat blank. Realizing this, a thousand questions went through my mind. Am I getting better? Is three years grief enough payment? Does the heart not always have to wear black? Is this a sign I am moving forward in the way Arabella keeps insisting? Am I simply mistaking paralysis for healing? Will all of these questions seem foolish when hindsight has entered the messy equation?"]]> 4.65 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 3
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.65
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/19
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves: would-recommend, favorites, re-read
review:
Spending time with Emma Lion is a delight.
.
"I learned a long time ago that my happiness has to be separate from the things beyond my control."
.
11/19/24: I'd forgotten much of the quirkiness of this particular volume: Julius Caesar, a broken leg, a shocking painting, and The Reprobates Ten. All good fun.
.
One thing I love about this series is the way grief is talked about and portrayed.
.
"On the floor was the war where he died. The very year. And I was feeling somewhat blank. Realizing this, a thousand questions went through my mind. Am I getting better? Is three years grief enough payment? Does the heart not always have to wear black? Is this a sign I am moving forward in the way Arabella keeps insisting? Am I simply mistaking paralysis for healing? Will all of these questions seem foolish when hindsight has entered the messy equation?"
]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Filigree Wall (Rivenwilde, #1)]]> 62653656 A dark curse. A deadly secret. The ill-fated girl at the heart of both.

Antonetta Ostwind is about to get everything she’s ever wanted. If all goes to plan, she’ll end the fae, steal back what was stolen, and win the post she’s dreamed of since she was a girl.

There’s just one problem. His name is Gideon Alexander.

Gideon holds the key to her coveted post. He’s fantastic with a sword, looks amazing in uniform, and commands even the adoration of his great, beastly dog. He’s living the life Etta needs.

Gideon doesn’t believe Etta should have any of it. In fact, he’s planning to make sure she never does. And that’s a real problem, because if Etta can’t take her post as marshal, how can she have her vengeance and save the kingdom from the prince of the fae?

Slip into clean, slow-burn romance with a properly stabby heroine and the low commitment of a standalone series in this light regency fantasy romp for fans of Enchantment of Ravens and Little Thieves.]]> 205 Melissa Wright Kristy 3 .
I fell prey to an Instagram ad promoting this book. I couldn't resist the cover, and immediately borrowed it with Kindle Unlimited.
.
There were a few interesting parts, but I was frustrated by the lack of information about the Fae and what exactly I was supposed to be rooting for. I needed more details throughout the entire book.]]> 3.45 2022 Beyond the Filigree Wall (Rivenwilde, #1)
author: Melissa Wright
name: Kristy
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars
.
I fell prey to an Instagram ad promoting this book. I couldn't resist the cover, and immediately borrowed it with Kindle Unlimited.
.
There were a few interesting parts, but I was frustrated by the lack of information about the Fae and what exactly I was supposed to be rooting for. I needed more details throughout the entire book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2]]> 48677941
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
]]> 162 Beth Brower Kristy 5 .
The secret Jane Eyre society was a nice addition.

On to book 3!
.
11/15/24: I initially called this book charming, and, indeed, charming it is! I'm thoroughly enjoying my reread.
.
"Our conversation was very June and very Afternoon, meaning it meandered like a honey bee."]]> 4.60 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: kindle, would-recommend, favorites, re-read
review:
I didn't think I'd like this book, but it totally won me over. It's just so charming, from the one-sided point of view, to the random side characters.
.
The secret Jane Eyre society was a nice addition.

On to book 3!
.
11/15/24: I initially called this book charming, and, indeed, charming it is! I'm thoroughly enjoying my reread.
.
"Our conversation was very June and very Afternoon, meaning it meandered like a honey bee."
]]> Hold Back the River 201086628 Three lives shattered by trauma. Two fatal decisions. One new beginning.

Returning to his empty childhood home by the river is harder than Patrick Moore expected. His memories of the riverbank were tainted the night he was arrested and his high school sweetheart went missing. After a fourteen year prison sentence, he searches for her, hoping to find companionship and a normal life.

Julia Collins is an adrenaline-junkie with one mission: outrun grief or die trying. After being furloughed for her mental health, she’s forced into sobriety and must navigate life without her poisons of choice � tequila and her job. That’s when she hits it off with the mysterious Patrick at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Fresh hope dawns in her heart, and she wonders if she can thrive despite her secrets and enjoy life again.

But it isn’t long before currents of regret rip them apart.

Can Patrick and Julia outlive the past? Or will they succumb to the river’s fury?

Hold Back the River, a contemporary romance set in Middle Tennessee, is a heart-rending story about how a lonely soul, a guilty conscience, and a broken heart find healing together at the river.]]> 396 Ashley Dill Kristy 4 kindle
I was originally on the ARC team for this book, but it was too heavy for me then and I backed out.

It was still too heavy for me this time, but I powered through.

I started skimming around 75% because I was frustrated with Jules and her immaturity. She needed more help than it seemed like she got when all was said and done.

If you love books about facing your trauma, this might be for you. Be warned that this book is heavy and has all of the content warnings, aside from swearing.]]> 4.34 2023 Hold Back the River
author: Ashley Dill
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: kindle
review:
3.5 stars

I was originally on the ARC team for this book, but it was too heavy for me then and I backed out.

It was still too heavy for me this time, but I powered through.

I started skimming around 75% because I was frustrated with Jules and her immaturity. She needed more help than it seemed like she got when all was said and done.

If you love books about facing your trauma, this might be for you. Be warned that this book is heavy and has all of the content warnings, aside from swearing.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1]]> 52085140
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 125 Beth Brower 0998063614 Kristy 4 .
Told through journal entries, this was reminiscent of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and The Princess Diaries.
.
"While there are many things beyond our control, I've always thought the cruelest is that we mortals are not told when our last glance is just that."
.
11/7/24: rereading this series in preparation for book 8's release next month. This first book was a lot funnier than I remembered, but I also think that might be a fortunate consequence of knowing how many things pan out as the series goes on. I'm still saying 4 stars for this first book.]]> 4.24 2019 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1
author: Beth Brower
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: kindle, would-recommend, favorites, re-read
review:
4 stars might be a bit generous as I skimmed a bit towards the end, but that could just be the day I'm having and not the book, which was delightful.
.
Told through journal entries, this was reminiscent of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and The Princess Diaries.
.
"While there are many things beyond our control, I've always thought the cruelest is that we mortals are not told when our last glance is just that."
.
11/7/24: rereading this series in preparation for book 8's release next month. This first book was a lot funnier than I remembered, but I also think that might be a fortunate consequence of knowing how many things pan out as the series goes on. I'm still saying 4 stars for this first book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism]]> 112975131
For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God. This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry thatĚýtrivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump's presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster. Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity and journeys with readers through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is "woke" and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD.

Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom. He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting—and the weapons of their warfare—to demonstrate the disconnect from Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today's believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting. Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing.

Sifting through the wreckage—pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes—Alberta If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, what is its purpose?]]> 506 Tim Alberta 006322688X Kristy 5 .
This is a look behind the curtain of the evangelical movement, told from the perspective of a pastor's son who is sounding the alarm about troubling things he's seeing inside the church.
.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS, Mormon, etc. The SBC, in their "great" wisdom, has declared that I am not a Christian, which is fine as thisbrand of "Christianity" isn't for me. This has given me a sort of outside-looking-in perspective, although many of the issues Tim Alberta brings up in this book are troubling things I see in my own congregation.
.
Ultimately, this book made me incredibly sad. There's a deep sadness and grief that permeates the entire thing.
.
Jesus Christ is not and has never been a political savior. Twisting His words to fit into your politics is taking His name in vain.
.
Reading this book filled me with empathy and opened my eyes to what we're dealing with in this disturbing Christian Nationalist movement.
.
I'd recommend this to anyone. I'd also recommend pairing this book with Jesus and John Wayne, another eye-opening look at how we got to this point.]]> 4.42 2023 The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
author: Tim Alberta
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: audio, nonfiction, would-recommend
review:
I don't quite know how to review this book.
.
This is a look behind the curtain of the evangelical movement, told from the perspective of a pastor's son who is sounding the alarm about troubling things he's seeing inside the church.
.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS, Mormon, etc. The SBC, in their "great" wisdom, has declared that I am not a Christian, which is fine as thisbrand of "Christianity" isn't for me. This has given me a sort of outside-looking-in perspective, although many of the issues Tim Alberta brings up in this book are troubling things I see in my own congregation.
.
Ultimately, this book made me incredibly sad. There's a deep sadness and grief that permeates the entire thing.
.
Jesus Christ is not and has never been a political savior. Twisting His words to fit into your politics is taking His name in vain.
.
Reading this book filled me with empathy and opened my eyes to what we're dealing with in this disturbing Christian Nationalist movement.
.
I'd recommend this to anyone. I'd also recommend pairing this book with Jesus and John Wayne, another eye-opening look at how we got to this point.
]]> <![CDATA[Dungeons and Drama (Dungeons and Drama, #1)]]> 160047094
Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...]]> 304 Kristy Boyce 0593647017 Kristy 5 .
A fake dating high school romance, with A game store setting, a highly entertaining game of Dungeons and Dragons, musical theater references, and the sweetest gang of friends.

I loved everything about this one.
.
11/5/24: If I read a book twice in the year, it's a good book! If I own the book in multiple formats (Kindle and paperback), it's an even better sign.]]> 4.14 2024 Dungeons and Drama (Dungeons and Drama, #1)
author: Kristy Boyce
name: Kristy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves: favorites, would-recommend, ya, re-read
review:
This was the most adorable story!
.
A fake dating high school romance, with A game store setting, a highly entertaining game of Dungeons and Dragons, musical theater references, and the sweetest gang of friends.

I loved everything about this one.
.
11/5/24: If I read a book twice in the year, it's a good book! If I own the book in multiple formats (Kindle and paperback), it's an even better sign.
]]>