The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger Book Review. This story follows four women and their families interested in the upcoming opening of a gifted school in their affluent Colorado town. Jealousy, deceit, and a whole lot of bad behavior ensue. The quote “With friends like these, who need enemies?” definitely came to mind while reading this one. I tend to not like books where I don’t like any of the characters, but this book is proof that there are exceptions to that. At the beginning I struggled getting into story, because I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight. I decided to make a character chart to help…
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The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett Book Review. “He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the cocoon of books shielding him from all danger, inhaling deeply the familiar scent of cloth and leather and dust and words.” Antiquarian Bookseller, Peter Byerly, is reeling from the death of his wife. Moving to the English countryside he is daunted by the idea of beginning his life over again. In an old book he finds a Victorian watercolor portrait of a woman who looks like his late wife and it starts him on a journey. In seeking the truth behind the watercolor, Peter stumbles upon what may be one of the greatest…
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The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel
The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel Book Review. Twelve year old Quijana is trying to navigate a lot of difficulties- starting seventh grade at a new school, making new friends, her first crush, and now her dad is trying to get her to embrace her Guatemalan heritage. The problem with this is that he’s raised Quijana totally Anglo, never teaching her Spanish or much about her heritage. When some of her Guatemalan relatives move nearby all of a sudden he wants her to be more like her cousins. She’s trying to deal with that, her problems at school and now her beloved grandma is sick. I really adored…
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Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl – Book Review. I read Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl when I was a teenager and loved it! For whatever reason I haven’t read any of her other books. Actually I know the reason… I wasn’t aware she had other books! So I was so excited when I heard this one was coming out. Ruth Reichl awoke a new and deeper appreciation for food in me over a decade ago and it was so fun to remember why. This book focuses on her time as Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine, but it still describes food in a way that will make…
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The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley – Book Review. Nicola was born with the gift of psychometry – she can touch an object and see a glimpse into its past. She was raised to hide and suppress her gift. When a woman arrives with a carving of a wooden bird at the gallery where Nicola works, she knows now is the time to use her gift, if only to help this woman. With the help of Rob, who shares her talent, she follows a young girl, Anna, into the past in the search for the truth behind the Firebird. I read the description for The Firebird many times and was not…
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Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Well Met by Jen DeLuca Book Review. This was a cute one! This hate to love rom-com is set against the local Renaissance Faire. Emily is in town to help out her sister, whose recovering from an accident. She gets roped into volunteering at the Faire in her place. What’s worse is having to deal with the know-it-all in charge, Simon, who she can’t stand. Well we know that won’t last… I found the romance in this one to be a bit sweeter than some of the others in similar genres. However, I also wish there was a bit more of it. There seemed to be a lot of time…
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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – Book Review. Where do I even begin with this book? I didn’t really know what to expect when I started the audio. In fact, this book wasn’t anywhere near the top of my TBR list. It just so happened to have come available from a library hold I’d forgotten about when I was about to start some cleaning. I downloaded it and hit play. I then became addicted to it and listened to it quickly over 3 days. It was one of those novels that I couldn’t get enough of, but also didn’t want to finish it! You sometimes forget that a…
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Persephone Books – London, England
When I shared that I would be visiting London and asked for suggestions, so many people said I had to visit Persephone Books. I’m glad I took the suggestion! I wanted to share a bit about this interesting store and publisher and continue on with my England book haul by sharing my Persephone purchases. Persephone Books was founded in 1998 to publish books, primarily written by women, that had gone out of print. According to their website: The name Persephone was chosen as a symbol of female creativity, as well as of new beginnings (the daughter of Zeus is associated with spring). You can read the full history here. When…
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England Book Haul: Non-Fiction
I’ve been a bit slow with sharing my England book haul from my trip at the end of May! Last month I shared the YA/Middle Grade books I purchased and today I’m sharing my non-fiction finds. Four of these I picked up because of their beautiful covers, but it was the descriptions that sold me. They are books about gardening and nature, something the Brits do well! The fifth is historical and also works as a great souvenir from my favorite museum we visited in London. Skymeadow: Notes from and English Gardener by Charlie Hart This was one of my first purchases I made on my trip. We stumbled upon…
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The Bookish Life of Nina Hill Review
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. Nina Hill has her life all planned out… quite literally. If it’s not in her planner, it’s not happening. Her days consist of working at a bookstore, trivia nights with her friends and scheduled (and non-negotiable) reading time. I’m in agreement with Nina that these are all great things! Suddenly though, her perfectly planned life is shaken up by something very unplanned. The father she never knew has passed away and left her with something she never expected- a large extended family. This is introverted Nina’s worst nightmare! This is a really cute read with a storyline that I was drawn…
