The Broken Circle by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller: Book Review
3 Stars. Hmmm. It’s hard to write reviews of memoirs that don’t exactly work for you, isn’t it? I don’t want to discount someone else’s life experiences. But I personally felt there were some serious issues with the writing. Enjeela and her family experienced a terrifying journey when they left Afghanistan […]
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai: Book Review
3 Stars. I’m not a foodie but my husband is so I thought he would like this book as a road trip listen. It’s a cozy, gentle read with lots of descriptions of Japanese food (and even one Italian dish) that probably leave real foodies drooling. That’s not me so I missed a lot of the appeal of the […]
Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston: Book Review
3 Stars. This series is still a lot of fun but it feels a little too directly derived from Harry Potter. There’s a game between magicians, a character who is very reminiscent of Dolores Umbridge, and more that I won’t mention because of spoilers. I’m trying to convince myself that a lot of these are just […]
We Are Here to Stay by Susan Kuklin: Book Review
4 Stars. I try hard not to get political in my reviews, though if you look back through the books I read, you’ll get at least a sense of my political leanings. It’s impossible to review this book without discussing politics though, so bear with me. I wish all the politicians who love to speak so loudly and […]
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland: Book Review
3 Stars. I’ve been a fairly loyal listener of the Pantsuit Politics podcast for a couple of years now. I like the perspectives Beth and Sarah bring to the conversations they have, whether they’re about current events or pop culture. After the most recent election, I felt that their first book would be a […]
Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery: Book Review
3 Stars. I read and loved Sy Montgomery’s earlier work, How to Be a Good Creature. I loved it so much that I literally read it twice back to back. So my expectations were high as I started this book. I was a little disappointed but that’s partly because of my own unrealistic expectations. In the early days […]
The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan: Book Review
3 Stars. I adored Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, the first book in this series. Dash was just enough of a curmudgeon and Lily was a delight. They were quirky together, they had funny friends, and seeing their relationship develop against the backdrop of Christmas in New York was the stuff that holiday rom-coms […]
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper: Book Review
3 Stars. The book was a little bit of a slog but that’s partly on me. I can only remember one scene from the movie and it’s a sad one. I don’t particularly like sad books so I kept avoiding it. The writing is also an odd mix of a lot of action buried under very dense sentence structure. I had to take my time […]
Head to Head by Linda Ladd: Book Review
3 Stars. First of all, this is a disturbingly violent book. I didn’t have nightmares or anything but it is graphic. Horrific domestic abuse, very violent death, and a brief mention of rape. Sensitive readers should steer clear. That out of the way, there’s a lot of potential here. I really didn’t know who […]
Pages to Fill by Travis Baldree: Story Review
3 Stars. When I realized this short story is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, I knew exactly which incident from Viv’s earlier life that I hope it addressed and that’s exactly what I got. Yay! It’s so strongly related to the book, that I really think it could have been edited a bit more and turned […]
The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig: Book Review
3 Stars. I am a surprisingly big fan of Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation series for someone who doesn’t consider herself a fan of romances. But the witty banter, intrigue, and Napoleonic settings sucked me right in. I inhaled that entire 12-book series and wished for more. The author’s newer books look more serious to me so I’ve […]