living read girl

One last slice of birthday book haul cake

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:34:08 +0000

Well, my birthday weekend was eventful to be sure and yet I did have some fun. My movie going plans went awry(more on that later) but that turned into an opportunity to do a little in-person book shopping.

Before that happened, one of the gifts I received that morning was a lovely edition of Swordheart by T.Kingfisher, a charming fantasy novel that I’ve nothing but wonderful things about.

Our leading lady is Halla,a widow who has just come into a sizable inheritance from a distant relative and already her family is trying to force her into a marriage arrangement that would benefit them much more than her.

Coming across an ancient sword, she releases it from its scabbard which also frees a knight named Sarkis from the blade as well. Due to a curse, Sarkis must defend the one who wields the blade and Halla does need the help, only she’s not too keen on resorting to a killing spree in order to solve her problems.

Can the two of them find a way to better their situations without bloodshed yet take a moment for a bit of romance for themselves?

Like I said, praise for this book has been solid and while I do already enjoy Kingfisher’s unique and occasionally gritty style with fantasy stories, this particular title has been compared to the iconic The Princess Bride in terms of tone. That sounds like a fictional flavor worth indulging in indeed:

Later that day, I wound up going to a bookstore instead of the movie I was planning to see(a last minute change that worked out better in the end) and the first book added to my purchase pile was Marian Kamali’s The Stationary Shop.

Starting in Tehran of 1953, Roya at seventeen is able to attend university for what her father hopes will be practical purposes but her love of fiction leads her to the literary establishment of the title where she finds true love with one of the other regular readers.

Bahman and Roya keep meeting each other at the shop on Tuesdays, forming a romance that leads to a proposal of marriage. Yet, his political activism leads him to disappear with the only remaining connection between them being letters that the shop keeper accepts on their behalf. Plans are made for their future, however, the forces of change are upon their country and even love has its limits when it comes to that.

Having read the amazingly wonderful The Lion Women of Tehran last year, I was thrilled to find a copy of this earlier work as it should hopefully tide me over until this author blesses us with another bookish delight:

Then, I came across Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower and eagerly placed it among my purchases.

This modern classic about a not too distant future, where climate change and economic collapse are holding hands and holding what remains of society down, has become a generational touchstone for many a reader and it certainly feels like a good time to explore this groundbreaking book and it’s many wonders.

While I’m not in an in-person book club at the moment, it certainly would be great to engage with the wider conversation that those groups have had and are still having with this novel, once I finish it and have something meaningful to contribute in that regard:

To finish up my shopping, The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst was the ideal topping for my bookish birthday sundae.

This YA fantasy introduces us to Calista, who is sent to her Aunt Zee’s inn over the summer for a much needed change of scenery.

While she quickly realizes that this place is no ordinary hotel, Calisa is delighted to help out as much as possible despite her aunt’s reluctance to accept any assistance, especially from her.

One day, Zee is not to be found and until she decides to return, Calisa has to keep things running as smoothly as possible and with the help of Jack, the groundskeeper’s charming son, she seems to be doing well. But how long can she maintain the magic required to hold the inn together and what will be the price of doing that for all concerned?

The word of mouth on this cozy fantasy has been lovely to say the least and I have been wanting to dive into more of Durst’s work since throughly enjoying her breakout hit, The SpellShop. This story is not part of that series but a good magical inn tale on its own is worth checking into there:

So, all in all, it was a pretty good birthday, especially when it came to books. I am definitely taking a book buying break next month(already paused my Book of the Month Club subscription) but will have to return a couple of library loans soon so not completely book acquisition free there.

To be honest, I did feel a bit bummed about missing out on the movie that I planned to see-with the world being as chaotic as it is right now, perhaps my expectations were a bit too high- but fortunately, I still had fun with family and friends which, if you’re lucky, is a year round source of comfort and joy.

On the bright side, we were able to switch our tickets for the movie we arrived very late to for another special showing in June for one of my all time favorites: Death Becomes Her!

This is a movie that I have loved since first seeing it when it was originally released in theaters (yes,

am that old and then some) and I immediately adored the Tales From the Crypt vibes of this wild ride that gleefully satirizes female rivalry, the seemingly insatiable quest for eternal youth and celebrity culture.

This cult classic will be well worth the wait to revisit on the big screen and the perfect belated birthday present, if you ask me. In the meantime, I am happy to have plenty of new books to open again and again without the need for a warning (if you know, you know)…:

A page turning playlist of Summer Romance Reads

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:49:00 +0000

Despite the ups and downs of the weather this spring(experiencing quite the cold snap at the moment!), summer is not too far off and considering the financial state of the world these days, a good book is still the best staycation, if you ask me.

In highlighting this trio of upcoming romance reads, I decided to pair each one with what I consider to be the best song for their potential soundtrack in case of potential adaptations. Even if these particular titles remain page only pleasures, a little playlist fun only adds to the love factor there.

Let’s start with Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood, due out in June, where a broken hearted writer finds quite the muse on and off the literary ranch series she’s created.

Gertie Bickerstaff has a two week deadline to deliver the last entry in her cowboy romance novel series but her recent breakup is stalling her writing skills big time.

While having a good crying session in her bathtub, Gertie is interrupted by one of her own fictional characters, River Oakley, the main villain of that world. He’s just as surprised to see Gertie (plus, not as bad of a guy as she’s made him out to be) and eager to return home.

In order to set things right, River offers to help Gertie get her exe back by pretending to be her new boyfriend and making said former lover jealous enough to make up with her. As time goes on, however, Gertie starts to wonder if she really needs to be back in that relationship or is this the start of something truly new and better with River?

I did throughly enjoy Greenwood’s prior book(The Love of my Afterlife) and this sounds like as much good quirky yet sincerely compelling storytelling here. As for my song choice, it’s a bit obvious but hey, worth holding out for:

Set for a July release is the latest from Christina Lauren, The Romantic Revival, a light and lively take on a classic sci-fi trope.

Dr. Emory Martin is as devoted to her work as a biomedical scientist as she is to her beloved husband Luca yet those two passions become one and the same most unexpectedly.

When Luca dies in a tragic accident, she uses her experimental project to hopefully bring him back to life. It does work, with the catch being that he has no memory of their life together.

In rebuilding what was lost, Emery decides to become the perfect partner that she felt that she wasn’t before. Yet, isn’t the best love not meant to be perfect?

Lauren’s work has dipped its toes in scientifically themed waters before and this sounds more about romantic chemistry rather than laboratory lore. That’s perfectly fine with me as this sort of reminds me of the oddly engaging 1987 romcom Making Mr. Right, where a quirky PR woman and an android she is supposed to teach to act more human have quite the interstellar romance.

The main love song from that film is extremely suitable for this offbeat tale of renewed love in my opinion (also, if you can find Making Mr. Right on streaming, definitely check it out):

Also due in July is Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst, the third in her cozy fantasy SpellShop series.

We met Marin, who has been a sea faring supply runner for some time now, with a crew consisting of a friendly sea serpent and a sentient shrub.

Upon arriving at the capital city of Alyssium, Marin quickly realizes that there’s a fiery revolution going on and that her good friend Dax is in need of escape from the angry mob.

Rescuing Dax and giving him cover as a member of her crew comes with a price as Marin is in need of a fake boyfriend for the annual End of Harvest Festival back in her home town. The deal is made yet Marin begins to wonder who is actually getting the true benefit of this bargain indeed.

SBD has blossomed into quite the cozy fantasy/romance sensation with her charming characters and graceful writing that does cast a storytelling spell on its readers. Speaking of spellcasting, this magical cover of “Somebody to Love” from the 2004 adaptation of Ella Enchanted just feels so right for this one:

It may be extremely difficult to look forward to anything good right now but letting our spirits be permanently sunk low isn’t going to make things better.

Allowing ourselves moments of joy is important and celebrating the arts in all forms is vital to keeping our collective home fires burning, so to speak.Yes, romance novels are a part of that grand tradition and shouldn’t be scorned on that account.

I will be highlighting some more upcoming releases from other genres as summer grows near and like I said, books offer some reasonably priced vacation relief (especially when you calculate transportation costs alone!) there.

That doesn’t mean you have to constantly stay at home; for my birthday this weekend, I’m going to a special showing of a classic romcom that promises to be fun and audience participation friendly, just the kind of pop culture party many of us need right now.

Romance is a time honored genre with well known tropes that can still surprise and delight you when creatively written and presented. I have high hopes for this particular trio of love lorn stories that, much like a great song, can put a much needed spring in your step despite the season you’re currently in:

My April Aardvark box and a slice of deadly cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:04:00 +0000

As my birthday comes closer, the urge to buy books grows stronger and since I fully intend to take a break from biblio purchases in May, getting an Aardvark book box definitely was a good choice right now.

For the main selection, I went with Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham,a debut science fiction novel that blends reality dating shows with interstellar drama.

As a trash collector on a remote planet, Artemis intends to do nothing more than help her ailing mother survive yet a chance encounter with visiting royalty gets her an invite to the ultimate love matchmaking event in the universe.

With Prince Nix finding her forthright ways appealing and his sister Spielan promising her more than enough money to save her mother and then some, Artemis signs up despite having a few doubts about what’s to come.

Those doubts were good to have as Artemis meets up with several unexpected challenges during the competition, including a murder. In addition to that, she also finds herself attracted to the princess all the while, talk of revolution swirls around them…

This just sounds like glorious galactic fun and I plan to read this during the summer for the Sci-Fi June readathon (more on that particular TBR to come!). It’s also the first in a new series, one that should be quite the rocket ship of romance indeed:

I paired that with a book that I have eyeing for some time here, Keith Rosson’s Coffin Moon.

Set in 1975, Duane is a Vietnam veteran who has enough trouble in his life before a vampire biker gang invades the bar run by his in-laws.

The leader of the gang, John Varley, makes a point of brutally killing Duane’s wife Heidi as well as her folks, leaving him with only his distraught niece Julia as the lone ally on a road trip of revenge.

The rough and ready vibes of this story have serious pulp fiction energy but I suspect there’s more to this terror tale than that. Nonetheless, this puts me in mind of Kathryn Bigelow’s sleeper classic , Near Dark, which showcased a more down to earth style of vampire and who knows, maybe this book will be a future popcorn thriller someday soon:

Meanwhile, I did have to make a library trip sooner than I intended (ran out of renewals on a book that thankfully I finished in time) and naturally, added on a couple of paperbacks to my library loan pile.

Interestingly enough, both books had TV themes- one having recently adapted to the small screen (yes, Heated Rivalry and looking forward to season two!) and the other being adapted from a sitcom classic.

Murder by Cheesecake is the first entry in Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s cozy mystery series featuring the iconic Golden Girls as sleuths.

We begin with Rose arranging a St. Olaf traditional wedding in Miami for her visiting cousin. Such an occasion has Dorothy seeking a date from a VHS dating service(something that Blanche has no need of!) and despite the caustic commentary from her mother Sophia, Dorothy thinks she’s found the right guy.

While Mr. Right turns out to be a dud of a date, Dorothy is determined to make the best of things, especially since Rose is anxious about the wedding. But when he is discovered to be dead, face first in a perfectly good cheesecake, it’s up to Dorothy and friends to solve the case before more than just the wedding goes off the rails!

As someone who’s seen numerous GG episodes over the years, this sounds like excellent escapist entertainment to dive into. The second book in this series, Death on the Lanei, is due out this summer and it’s great to get a chance to check this out first via my local library.

I do know this show well enough to hear the characters’ voices in my head, not to mention that there was at least one or two episodes where Dorothy revealed a talent for detective work that makes me regret that Bea Arthur didn’t have a Murder She Wrote type of show of her own back in the day. Well, these books may give us a great idea of what that could’ve been like:

Speaking of libraries, next week is National Library Week starting April 19 and ending on the 25th(my birthday, btw) and now more than ever, it’s a good time to appreciate all that those literary institutions do for us.

In addition to providing people of all ages with plenty to read, other benefits such as computer access, research opportunities for students and outreach for each particular community’s needs are available at your local library.

Sadly as funds are being cut by cold hearted politicians and censorship threats are becoming all too real, this oasis of intellectual freedom is one of the many targets under fire these days.

Fortunately, we still hold true to certain establishments that provide true and lasting benefits to our society and the library is the steadfast standard bearer in that battle for preserving the best in our collective selves.

I know that there is so much going on just about every day now but do try and spare a moment to look in on your nearest library to see what they have to offer. You might be pleasantly surprised there:

Making my bookish birthday fantasies come true with BOTM

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:02:00 +0000

April is one of my favorite months, due in part to being my birthday month as well, which makes ordering my Book of the Month club box all the more special.

To that end, my main selection was a deluxe edition of Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter(a writing duo who combined their last names here), that is as beautiful looking as any gift wrapped gem.

Our story is set in a mythical realm where in order to save her people from a deadly plague, Astrid must take up her mantle as heiress to the throne as well as the last witch of her order and journey to the Kingdom of Vatra to duel with Prince Zryan for control over all magic.

This duel requires them both to ride dragons, which is challenging in more ways than one. Astrid winds up also having to deal with Skylar, whose mother was killed by the king’s guard and has since become part of a traveling band of entertainers.

When she fears her best friend has been forcibly recruited into the royal army, Skylar seeks her out among the regals that she despises, only to be thrust into this battle to the death that decides the fates of the many. Can both of these women find a way to save themselves from being destroyed by such manipulative forces or is victory truly theirs for the taking?

This is a debut novel that is meant to be the first in a series and I hope that BOTM keeps up with these books as this initial outing is quite the pop culture package. Not only does this book have sprayed edges and gorgeous endpaper artwork (check my Instagram for a better look!) the cover jacket is reversible to boot. The couple of extra dollars that I paid this time around was definitely worth it.

Plus, a plot line where a witch and a wicked prince have to duel while riding dragons? Such a “Yes, Please “ and a please pass the popcorn while you’re at it there:

One of the fun bonuses of Book of the Month Club is that longtime members can get a free book for their birthday month and one that I chose was rather fitting for a lifelong reader indeed.

Meg Shaffer’s The Book Witch has the enchantress of the title seeking out a literary character to aid her in a real life quest.

Rainy March enjoys following in the magical footsteps of her family’s ability to hop in and out of the pages of books as a means of protecting those fictitious worlds from enemies both without and within. One major rule of her profession, however, is not to cross the line between reality and the written word for the good of all concerned.

However, when her beloved grandfather goes missing right around the time a rare volume is stolen, Rainy’s best chance to solve both mysteries is by enlisting the aid of her favorite British book bound detective known as The Duke of Chicago.

This team up could get Rainy expelled from her literary coven(not to mention surrendering her powers) yet the risks may be well worth the reward in more ways than one.

I did enjoy Shaffer’s The Wishing Game(and will soon catch up with her other novel The Lost Story) very much and this latest work sounds like a real page turning treat with perhaps a touch of noir, we shall see!:

To round this set of new reads off nicely, my final selection here was This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews(another writing duo, this time a wife and husband; twice in one box no less!).

Our leading lady is Maggie, who has been reading and rereading her favorite fantasy book series for years while waiting for the final entry to be released. She knows it so well, she’s practically living in that world far more than the real life she has in Texas.

Well, imagine her surprise when Maggie wakes up one morning to find herself in the kingdom of Keir Toren, only to die before the first chapter ends!

That death is brief but her time as a resident of Keir Toren is not(think Enchanted meets Groundhog’s Day) soon she is known as Maggie the Undying, whose near immortal status and through knowledge of the plot makes her a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Hoping to avert the gruesome event that the books bring the characters (some of whom have become her new found friends), Maggie creates a motley crew of unlikely companions to aid in her mission. Even with the likes of a former swordsman, crafty crooks and cranky servants, Maggie soon realizes that even an unfinished tale can be hard to complete and perhaps not easy to lead towards a happy ever after.

This is my first time reading an Ilona Andrews novel ( which is also the first in a trilogy) and I am looking forward to this twisty time loop of a book that promises a fun mix of humor, pathos and magic for quite the reality bending ride:

You may have noticed that all of my picks have been from the fantasy genre and it’s not a complete coincidence there.

Given the ever growing horror that our daily news headlines have morphed into, is it any wonder that a fantasy realm filled with otherworldly dangers sounds ideal right now?

I’m not the first person wanting some sort of escape from a reality that’s truly getting out of control yet what little I can do about this includes still holding on to hope. Yes, greater things are happening that are in dire need of serious attention and those with the power to affect the possible outcome of such actions ought to be doing so as we speak.

That doesn’t mean that I or anyone else stuck here on the sidelines have to put our lives on hold while this is going on. Give voice to your concerns to those in charge but don’t let this disaster in waiting overrun your whole life.

We’re not the first generation to go through incredibly challenging times yet I do wish that once this crisis is resolved, that it’s a good long while until another arises that we’re better prepared for.

So I am still finding good things to focus on as we move forward and so can you.

Whether it’s a good book, an upcoming TV show or the Supergirl movie due out this summer, there’s nothing wrong in lighting that spark of inspiration for better things to come. Sorrow is strong but so is joy, even during our darkest hour:

Sometimes you just need a little library love to sing about

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:01:00 +0000

The weekend before last, I made an unexpected trip to my local library; my sister suggested it as a good plan for the two of us and since I was feeling a little restless myself, it seemed like a good idea.

Turns out that was a much needed
outing for me there(the reasons which I’ll get to in a moment) in more ways than one but first, let’s look at the books I borrowed that day:

First up was Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman, set in modern day New York yet possessed of very Golden Age detective vibes.

Our leading lady is Tory Van Dyne, the curator of the title location in Greenwich Village, who spends her days caretaking the literary establishment set up by her late grandmother and is pleased to have such a quiet, uneventful life.

One evening as she’s closing up, a peculiar elderly lady has made herself comfortable in the building’s replica of Agatha Christie’s home library. This mystery guest is rather knowledgeable about the place and as she claims to be Mrs. Christie incarnate, it’s somewhat logical.

While Tory is convinced that her newfound friend is simply delusional, finding the right way to make her leave becomes rather awkward as she claims that her arrival from the great beyond is to help Tory solve a murder.

Just as Tory is about to send this charmingly determined woman packing, the doorbell rings and a series of events unfolds that does bring a murder mystery into Tory’s life, with her guardian angel of a writer popping in and out most conveniently to aid in the case. Is Tory being visited by the true Queen of Crime and if so, can such classic detective skills save the present day danger?

I am currently reading this novel right now and it’s one of those books that you have to make yourself put down in order to get your regular daily business tended to. Chapman has quite the flair for engaging characters and whimsical, screwball comedy mixed with true tension.

This is meant to be the first in a new cozy mystery series and I certainly hope it won’t be too long before this version of Mrs. Christie visits us:

My next find was R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis, which is about a literal journey into hell.

When grad student Alice realizes that the untimely demise of her mentor Professor Grimes will severely affect the status of her academic career, she undertakes a road trip through the netherworld to bring him back.

Forming a reluctant partnership with her rival Peter, Alice finds that many of the texts she’s studied regarding this realm are both more accurate than expected and yet not at all what they were said to be. Is this proverbial highway to hell worth the risk or are Alice and Peter just getting a jumpstart on their eventual damnation?

From I’ve heard about this novel, it should be quite the wild ride and some page turning perdition ought to be interesting indeed:

My last pick of that day was A Drop of Corruption , the follow up to Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup which introduces us to a fantasy world take on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Here, our amazing detective is Ana Dolabra, whose senses are so keen, she has to wear a blindfold in order not to get too overwhelmed by every day activity. Her assistant Dinios Kol is rather capable in her investigations but not without a few surprising tricks up his sleeves as well.

As their recent assignment changes from a disappearance to a murder and then into a plot to take down the very empire that rules over them all. Ana and Din find themselves up against a nemesis that might be their own personal Moriarty , a challenge that could prove to be beyond their own formidable abilities to defeat.

Having found the first book in this series at the library, it is fitting that I was able to find the second entry there as well. While I’m not a major fan of Holmes & Watson, my familiarity with these particular pop culture templates makes this blend of mystery and fantasy very alluring, especially with a big league villain in play:

This spur of the moment library trip was a great success, as it kept me from brooding about a sad piece of news that I had heard that morning.

The recent passing of actor Nicholas Brendon, best known as one of the key cast members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was quite sorrowful to many of us in the fandom as it also followed the demise of another major cast member , Michelle Trachtenburg, last year.

In addition, the abrupt cancellation of the reboot of the Buffy series with Sarah Michelle Geller reprising her role as a mentor to a new generation of slayers was a bit of insult to injury there.

I know that most folks will be rolling their eyes and be quick to point out that there are far more important things going on these days to even be expending any emotional energy on this but you know what? There’s nothing wrong in mourning such losses.

As a fan of the original show(as well as it’s spinoff Angel), this wasn’t just about wallowing into nostalgia for some escape from reality; Buffy gave a lot of us a true sense of community back in those early internet days and many friendships were forged both online and off due to our shared love of supernatural metaphors and high school angst. A couple of friends that I made through this fandom are sadly no longer with us as well and they would be just as heartbroken about these recent events.

It’s a series that never got the respect it deserved for taking creative chances and even heading down some dark places as the characters matured. Sure, it didn’t always hit the mark in certain seasons and the behind the scenes horrors that happened to many of the actors, such as Charisma Carpenter ,took too long to come to light.

However, despite all of that, Buffy was a meaningful part of our lives and while it would have been great to have many of the bad things reversed, there is still some good remaining that is still helping old fans and new get through these tough times.

Going to the library in this case was very appropriate as Buffy’s Watcher Giles briefly made being a school librarian be seen as incredibly cool(probably inspired a few people to enter that profession, I dare say).

Regardless, both BTVS and the library do have one thing in common; they give us something to sing about during our darkest times. As a wise woman once said, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it.

That burden is lessened by good books and great art, which can give us a showstopper of heartfelt hope when we least expect it and truly need it all at once:

There’s something about Mary Bennet these days…

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:56:00 +0000

With the premiere of the BritBox series, The Other Bennet Sister, this month, much more interest in Miss Mary Bennet has been expressed by Jane Austen fans of late.

It greatly helps that, unlike most of the Bennet family members in Pride & Prejudice, Mary’s part in that iconic tale has minimal to say the least. This allows writers to dream up all sorts of engaging plot lines for her(such as Janice Hadlow’s book which is the basis of the new series) that either enhance her character or send her off in a bold new direction.

As it turns out, there are quite a few books featuring Mary Bennet out there and today, I’m here to recommend one that I truly like and two others that sound rather promising to check out:

The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet:

Melinda Taub’s second novel regarding the Bennet sisters has Mary deciding to take the matter of her unmarried status in her own hands.

If she can’t find a suitable husband, then perhaps her knowledge of the scientific arts can allow her to make one for herself. In setting up this task, she receives assistance from a most unexpected ally; Georgiana Darcy, her sister in law whose troubles in the romance department are somewhat similar to Mary’s.

When their creation goes awry, Mary and Georgiana must work together to solve this problem before a rather deadly turn is taken. Yet, can their mutual passion for science also lead to a more pleasant solution to both of their situations or are they doomed to be authors of their mutual demise?

I have read Taub’s previous novel about another Bennet sister (The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch) and that book became a best of the year read for me. Seeing this writer give Mary a Frankenstein flip sounds like an awful lot of fun indeed:

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet:

Pamela Mingle keeps Mary in the spotlight as the awkward middle daughter tries to be more than just an afterthought amongst her family.

When her wayward sister Lydia flounces back home, flush with a new scandal, Mary and her sister Kitty are sent off to stay with their married sister Jane Bingley in order to avoid being caught up in such a messy situation.

While there, Mary meets Henry Walsh, a friend of her brother in law, who finds her to be quite charming. This opportunity for true acceptance and love is most unexpected but when other circumstances arise, can she find her own way to happiness or must she be set aside for the selfish whims of others?

I’ve read this book twice( and will probably do so this spring as well) and it’s a endearing look at a woman who wants to be more than what her relatives have already decided she should be. Granted, Mary has a few stumbles along the way (including reprising her skills at the piano) but her emotional journey is well worth the trip:

Being Mary Bennet:

This modern day YA take by J.C. Peterson has senior class overachiever Marnie realizing that her roommate’s declaration that she’s that particular P&P character is definitely not a compliment.

As a struggling middle child trying to gain status among her own boisterous siblings, Marnie hopes that her big project to create a program that gives kids the opportunity to read aloud to shelter dogs , will give her a shot at the Hunt Prize, a rare honor given to only one member of the senior class at her prestigious school.

However, her goals now also include being less of a Mary Bennet and with the help of said roommate and a rather handsome new acquaintance(plus a very cute dog), Marnie might be more successful than she had previously imagined. But, should she settle for not just being a Mary Bennet or any other fictional character than just being her real self?

This does sound like a good creative way to reimagine Austen for a new generation, much in the style of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and if I came across it, it certainly would be something to enjoy for sure:

While I haven’t seen The Other Bennet Sister(don’t have BritBox sadly) or read the book, I do think it’s great that a fresh take on Jane Austen’s work is being celebrated like this.

Plenty of people are already complaining about the upcoming Pride & Prejudice movie in the works from Netflix and granted, I was not thrilled with their version of Persuasion (they totally rewrote Anne’s character and not in a good way!), let’s give them a chance at getting this one right.

At the very least, that production might lead to more Austen themed projects such as Dear Miss Austen that thankfully went to PBS and will have a second season entitled Miss Austen Returns.

Given the chaotic state of the world these days, having a little bit of Jane Austen adaptation goodness to look forward to is a small treasure of hope to cherish indeed:

BOTM book haul bliss and so much more!

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:10:00 +0000

Well, despite the troubling news of the day(which is pretty much every day at this point!), the best way to keep your spirits up is with some good books on hand, if you ask me.

Fortunately, Book of the Month Club had plenty to offer this month, starting with their Book of the Year prize going to Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore that was my free selection-congrats to the author and happy to have this chance to see what climate fiction is like!

For my main selection, Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser was an instant must-have for me. This take on the Cinderella story has the “wicked” stepmother being more of a practical person as the death of her second husband leaves their family in genteel poverty.

When her standoff-ish stepdaughter Elin wins the hand of the local prince, Tremaine is suspicious about the sudden rush to marriage and begins to uncover a deep secret that may expose this fairy tale kingdom to a rather grim reality. More importantly, perhaps a secret worth keeping for the right price…

I do like fairy tale reimaginings and this element of court politics into the mix has a rather appealing flair. Also, it’s a debut novel that promises to be the belle of the bookish ball this season worth adding to my dance card:

Among the add-ons, I was thrilled to find B.K. Borison’s And Now, Back to You , her latest romance set in the same world as First Time Caller (a BOTY contender, btw!).

Here, we meet Deliah, an upbeat TV reporter whose charms are lost on Jackson, who covers traffic and weather with a very opposite attitude.

When a major snowstorm is set to hit the area, Deliah and Jackson are paired up by their bosses to cover the impact at a mountain retreat several miles away. Stuck together during the storm seems to bring out the best in both of them but a sudden kiss changes everything.

While that snowed in situation brought them closer together, once they get back home, discovering if those romantic sparks were simply seasonal or the start of am emotionally roaring fire proves to be challenging indeed.

Having already enjoyed FTC and more recently, Good Spirits (the latter is also getting a follow up that I hope is a future BOTM selection), I know that this will be a good time with some twists and turns that can make for an unpredictable storytelling storm of delight:

To make this a solid quartet of reading, my last add-on was Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett.

The title owner of this feline haven lives in Montreal during the 1920s and for the most part, has no real interest in the growing rivalry between various wizards and magicians within the city.

However, when damage has been done to her current cat dwelling due to a spell slinging bout, Agnes scrambles to relocate before the worst of winter is upon them. The only acceptable available space for Agnes and her beloved kitties is under the control of Havelock, a powerful sorcerer who happens to run a magical speakeasy of sorts in the building’s basement.

Willing to overlook the illegal spell trade going on around her, Agnes and her sister Elise are happy to be back in the cat adoption business yet things are not as pleasant as they seem.

For one, Agnes is torn between mourning the loss of her husband two years ago and yet finding herself interested romantically in Havelock(and the police detective going after him as well). For another, the safety of her kitty clientele may be in jeopardy with more and more of the rival magicians flocking to her new location. Can Agnes find balance in her personal life and professional calling or must one give way to the other?

I did read the first of Fawcett’s acclaimed Emily Wilde series and it was vastly entertaining. While I didn’t continue with those books, this new series feels more up my alley, especially as an unapologetic cat lady who feeds both indoor and outdoor kitties locally!

This book is being compared to the modern classic anime film Howl’s Moving Castle and while I haven’t seen that movie, the vibes are strongly appealing here. Perhaps this novel will inspire a viewing of that enchanting tale as well:

My book buying didn’t end there; I also went to Better World Books and picked up a nice copy of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Bewitching.

Grad student Minerva is thrilled to be researching her favorite writer Beatrice Tremblay while attending the very same college that Tremblay has attended and possibly found inspiration for her best known work.

When Beatrice was a student in 1934, her roommate Virginia went missing amidst claims of being pursued by otherworldly creatures. As Minerva looks into that portion of Tremblay’s life, it appears that some of the studies being held by students and faculty alike may have opened a door to a realm that was too dangerous for mere mortals to venture into.

Recalling the many tales about witches that her grandmother Alba told her as a child, Minerva decides to seek the truth about what happened to Virginia before that strange fate falls upon her as well.

This novel received great critical praise along with wonderful word of mouth but when I looked into this book’s origins, it was interesting to learn that Moreno-Garcia sites Shirley Jackson as a major influence for this work.

Granted, I am mostly familiar with the film adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, plus her famous short story The Lottery and her novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle yet Jackson’s eerily subtle approach to horror feels more modern as time goes by. Moreno-Garcia’s spin on that style should be amazing to behold here:

So, I’m doing my best to spread pop culture joy even in the midst of our collective daily horror show these days and while there’s much to be done, helping each other out in whatever ways we can(and that are available to us) is a small yet powerful thing. It may not seem like much but a touch of decency in a corrupt world has a ripple effect that ultimately reveals itself for the better.

Meanwhile, I intend to replenish my mental energies this weekend with the Oscars, which hopefully will give us a few excellent surprises in many categories this year.

My deepest hopes are for Sinners to make a strong showing (with a record setting number of nominations, my expectations are sky high) and having also seen One Battle After Another, will be fine with some of those wins as well (Sean Penn Does NOT need another Oscar but I think pitting him against his co-star Benecio Del Toro may divide the voting in that particular category).

While I haven’t seen Frankenstein, it should probably pick up a few technical awards (Best Hair and Makeup for sure) and it certainly seems like Jesse Buckley has a lockdown on Best Actress for Hamnet(didn’t see that one either).

My big rooting interest is in the Best Supporting Actress section as I have seen three out of the five performances nominated and will be happy for any one of those ladies to take the award home(if Amy Madigan wins, may she do the signature run to the stage from Weapons that she did on a previous awards show-that would be awesome).

Also looking forward to the performance of “I Lied to You “ from Sinners that promises to echo that pivotal scene from the movie with an incredible ensemble of musical talent scheduled to appear on stage.

Nothing against the K-Pop Demon Hunters song but Sinners deserves to get the win here! I do agree that all of the Best Song nominees should be included in the performances that night(Diane Warren is the Susan Lucci of this category for whatever reason but her song deserves it’s moment in the spotlight too!).

Despite who wins, loses or just makes a memorable moment, at the very least, we will be gathering together for a positive experience to celebrate the cinematic arts, which are a reflection on us as a culture and unlike a certain arrogant nominee’s opinion, are rooted in such live experiences such as opera, ballet and the theater that they wouldn’t have existed without them, both then and now.

All in all, this year’s Academy Awards should give us the emotional uplift that we need to keep going during these wild times.

The arts, in print or performance, have offered us these comforts before and will continue to do so, despite the efforts of a disconcerted few. Pass the popcorn and let’s be united in celebrating true joy:

A double dose of magical romance wraps up my Winter’s Respite of reading

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:49:00 +0000

As we are now facing the lions of March, it’s time to recap my reading for Seasons of Reading’s Winter’s Respite challenge.

I began with B.K. Borison’s Good Spirits in which a Ghost of Christmas Past winds up falling in love with one of his assignments.

Harriet is far from the usual sort of person being visited by holiday ghosts in order to mend her ways; she’s a charming soul who runs her late aunt’s antique shop and adores this time of year( even keeps a candy cane or two in her pocket at all times!).

Nonetheless, Nolan is determined to do his ethereal duty by taking Harriet into her past so she’s on the road to redemption by Christmas Eve. Yet, those trips back in time are more pleasant than sad and when one of those journeys takes them both into a moment from Nolan’s mortal life, it’s quite clear that perhaps Harriet isn’t the one in need of saving.

Can Harriet help Nolan get what he needs to move on from his haunting position or will they face some less than Christmas cherry consequences?

Since I have read Borison’s earlier novel,First Time Caller(which was a Book of the Year nominee at Book of the Month Club), this book was a must-have that I was happy to catch up on during the after holiday season.

It’s just as engaging as that Nora Ephron inspired work, only this particular story put me in mind of a different movie and writer altogether.

If I had to pitch this book Hollywood style, I would have to say “It’s a Christmas Carol meets Defending Your Life”-the Albert Brooks 1991 comedy about a man in the afterlife facing his fears and falling in love with a perfectly wonderful woman to boot. See the movie and read this book, trust me-a match made in storytelling heaven there:

After that, I picked up Witch You Would by Lia Amador, set in a modern day Miami where magic is commonplace and spell casting can either be a celebrated art form or just commercially viable.

Penelope wants to do more with her spells than work at a thankless mystical retail outlet and becoming a contestant on the competition show Cast Judgement could truly be her magic ticket to success.

However, this season of Cast Judgement has contenders teaming up with celebrity partners and Penelope is matched with Leandro Presto, an internet sensation best known for his spells going hilariously wrong.

She is less than thrilled with this, wanting to be taken seriously and hoping to make a future business connection as well. As it turns out, Leandro is a bit taken aback as well, due to the fact that his real name is Gil, who created the Presto persona in order to raise funds for his grandfather’s magic school charity.

Gil also has a blog where he helps others fix their spells and through one of those requests, became Penelope’s online pen pal. A chance encounter before the show has Gil recognize her but telling Penelope his secret identity might be tricky in more ways than one.

With the two of them growing closer during the course of the show (and being encouraged to “fake flirting “ by the obnoxious producer), things may unravel quickly for their futures both personally and professionally. Can Gil and Penelope make true magic together or are they cursed to disaster?

This novel is a solidly enchanting read that gives an everyday quality to the magical elements of the story that blend beautifully with the blossoming romance on page.

The character work is nicely done and I look forward to revisiting these two, along with a few new friends, in the author’s next book, which is being highlighted on the side of this blog here! Amador does know how cast a great literary spell on her readers and I look forward to more of her bookish magic:

Alas, I was unable to get to my Ali Hazelwood book but I l’ll just save that one for the summer. In the meantime, much thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for starting us off on another year of great reads.

I’m sure that I don’t have to tell any of you out there just how incredibly awful things are right now and as of this writing, how much worse they may get.

What I would like to say is that sticking together and giving each other the emotional support needed to get through these extremely challenging times is more vital than ever. Despair is completely understandable but let’s not fall into that trap if we can.

Do give yourself breaks from ongoing coverage, if you can, as a means to revive your spirits. I’m rereading a very good romance novel at the moment (Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly) and it’s really helping me de-stress here.

Whatever hobby or pop culture delight that you have in your life, don’t feel guilty about engaging with it during this time. Your mental health is just as important to maintain as your physical one, especially these days now and yet to come.

Speaking of tension, the next Seasons of Reading readathon will be in April with Spring Into Horror and yes, I already have a trio of books set aside for that! Hopefully, I will finish all three and my chances are good here as a) they’re much shorter in page count than these winter books are and b) scary stories are great for channeling anxiety , particularly those abounding in society of the moment.

Yeah, something tells me this is going to be quite the year for horror, both onscreen and on page(not to mention headlines yet to come) but with any luck. our collective fears will compel us to mightily move forward rather than linger back in timid terror:

Paging through some bookish TV

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:43:00 +0000

If you’re like me at the moment, staying safe as can be inside with a seriously snowy blizzard wailing outside, then making plans to check out some upcoming book based TV sounds ideal indeed.

PBS is the perfect place to start here and set to debut on March 22 is The Forsytes , a new adaptation of the John Galsworthy award winning saga of novels and stories covering more than one generation of a wealthy Victorian family in life, love and loss.

The cast includes such notables as Francesca Annis, Stephen Moyer and Elinor Tomlinson and unlike prior versions, this series seems to be planning to cover all of the source material as a second season has already been announced.

If you’re a fan of The Gilded Age, this drama should quench that thirst rather nicely, I should think(maybe not in the HBO style but still simmering with romantic intrigue nonetheless):

Starting even sooner than that is a new take on Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale of revenge, The Count of Monte Cristo, beginning on March 1.

Sam Clafin stars as Edmond Dante’s, unjustly imprisoned on a remote island institution for years yet with the aid of a clerical fellow prisoner (Jeremy Irons) is able to escape and claim a hidden fortune.

Now, in his new identity, Edmond seeks vengeance on those who wronged him but can he truly reclaim what was lost from his former life?

This is an eight part series , so plenty of emotional depth and detail from the original novel should be rather abundant here, not to mention the quest to avenge some grievous wrongs feels very much in the spirit of the times we’re living in these days:

Now, I don’t have BritBox but it might be worthwhile to check it out later this year because a new Jane Austen themed series is on their schedule for 2026.

Based on Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel, The Other Bennet Sister does more than revisit Pride & Prejudice; it places Mary Bennet(Ella Bruccoleri) at the center of this story as she tries to figure out her own place in the world, not to mention the family line-up.

I know Mary isn’t the most favored Bennet sister amongst the fans but she does deserve a little bit of the spotlight and hopefully this ten part series gives her some moments to shine. Plus, having Richard E. Grant as Mr. Bennet is a true bonus, if you ask me(yes. he’s my favorite Austen parent and I will not be persuaded otherwise!):

In the meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy PBS programming and I do heartily recommend signing on to PBS Passport as it’s very reasonably priced as well as contributing to such a good cause like quality television in such times as these.

Most recently, my sibling and I watched the season six finale of All Creatures Great and Small, the kind of show that she would usually refer to as a “British coma” yet this heartfelt series set in a time and place far from our own has become one of our favorite shared experiences of late.

Public TV may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it does come in handy when looking for a relief from our everyday troubles and/or some insights into the wider world. Hopefully with all the strife going on all around us, one of the better things that gets us through and remains relatively intact is PBS with viewers old and new to keep tuning in:

Considering my BOTY bonus read

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:23:00 +0000

One of the benefits that I’ve enjoyed from Book of the Month Club is their Book of the Year(BOTY) prize which gives both authors and readers a nice little treat during this time of year.

BOTM members vote from a list of twenty titles from the past year from which five are chosen as the main contenders. The winner is announced by the end of February, which gives that particular writer a cash prize (the runners-up get one as well) as well as an extra bit of publicity.

For BOTM members, we get to choose a free special edition of either the winner or the other contenders for our March box.

In my case, I have three of the nominees from Book of the Month but have only finished one. Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is stuck on one of my in progress reading piles ( got to unpause that book!) and Bury My Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab was a holiday gift so too soon for that book!

The book that I finished (and voted for) was First Time Caller by B.K. Borison, an enchanting novel inspired by the classic romcom Sleepless in Seattle. Single mom Lucie gets more than she bargained for when her daughter makes a call to a local radio show, asking for help in setting her mother up with a Mr. Right.

Since the radio show in question is in dire need of a ratings boost, DJ Aiden reluctantly agrees to make the search for Lucie’s perfect partner an ongoing series.

As time goes by, however, both Lucie and Aiden find themselves tuning into each other’s hearts rather than seeking out a new love. Can this on-air romance become a n off the charts hit or be banished to the emotional ratings basement there?

It’s a delightful read, even if Sleepless in Seattle is not your favorite Nora Ephron movie(more of a You’ve Got Mail gal myself). Nonetheless, First Time Caller would make an excellent film about life, love and awkward moments between friends and lovers yet for now, it plays well in the mental matinee of your heart:

That being said, this leaves me with a choice of two books here; the first being Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.

Set on a remote island used to house a seed bank(storage for seeds needed for replanting in case of food emergencies), Dominic Salt and his trio of children are now the only residents left due to the dangers of rising sea levels.

When a mysterious woman named Rowan washes up on shore, her arrival stirs up fear and tension. Even as the family helps their new guest to recover, a number of secrets and lies are battened down for their mutual protection.

As it turns out, Rowan has a few secrets of her own to look after as well. With the threat from the ocean putting them all in peril, can Rowan and Dominic work together to save what they all hold dear?

This does sound intriguing and I did hear plenty of critical praise from readers and reviewers alike about this book. Also, this story is from a newer genre called climate fiction (I think you can guess what that’s all about) and I would like to give that a try.

Plus, the island setting is actually based on a real research protected island (Macquarie Island, home to penguins also) which adds a realistic cherry on top of this saltwater story sundae:

The choice is Florence Knapp’s debut novel, The Names. The story is divided into three separate time lines as the newborn son of British couple Cora and Gordon experiences life with one of the three names available for choosing on his birth certificate.

If his mother had given him Julian, he would have been raised in Ireland with his maternal grandmother yet if given his father’s name, would be living in his paternal home under rather harsh circumstances.

His older sister Maia wanted to name him Bear, which might’ve been the best choice of all but which name really does lead him and his loved ones down a future path that is best for all?

Debut novels are a weakness of mine and this one has a very creative premise indeed. The themes of family dysfunction combined with the notion that one’s name can make or break you is not an easy balancing act for any writer but from what I hear, Knapp achieves this with a rather deft touch.

Both of these books are quite literary in terms of style and happen to be celebrity book club picks(WDS is a Reese’s Book Club, The Names was a Read with Jenna selection). Choosing between them is tricky yet either one should provide some serious food for thought and a quality meal at that:

The choice between two well written books to get for free is a luxury these days to be sure yet I simply don’t want to grab at something because it’s readily available.

Choosing a book is an investment in your time and headspace( not to mention a shelf spot) and while I do read for fun , I also want to spend my mental coin wisely. No doubt either title will be well worth it. However, I will probably wait and see which of the five BOTY nominees win before making my final decision.

In the meanwhile, this does give me something to look forward to at the end of this short month and while I’m rooting for First Time Caller, my congratulations are for all of the books up for this award this time around.

The saying about so many books, so little time is totally true especially for folks with subscription boxes. When it comes to those monthly selections however, creativity is not just found between the pages-it can make bookish storage quite the art form worth admiring:

Falling in love with my library haul

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:46:00 +0000

While Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, my big plans for this year’s celebration are all about reading.

Specifically, diving into my most recent library haul that included a nice surprise at my local Little Free Library (more on that in a moment). During this incredibly arctic winter, books have become more of a warm comfort than ever before, plus my best romances in life have always been page turners!

The excitement that I felt last week when finding Kelly Bishop’s delightful memoir The Third Gilmore Girl on the shelf was truly passionate in a pop culture sense there.

Being a fan of the now iconic TV series (which celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary last year), Emily Gilmore as critical mother and loving grandmother to Lorelai and Rory was a key component to the success of the show and one of my favorites.

Bishop, who had a thriving career on stage and screen beforehand, gives her personal take on the GG experience as well as her own life and times. While I am interested in seeing how she got along with co-stars such as Lauren Graham and the late great Edward Herrmann, learning more about this grand lady herself should be an adventure worth exploring indeed:

Another pulse pounding moment for me that day was finding a copy of Long Bright River by Liz Moore as well.

This Philadelphia set story follows a pair of sisters, one a police officer, the other an addict on the streets. Mickey hates running into her sister Kacey while patrolling but can’t stop looking out for her.

When Kacey goes missing for longer than usual, it is up to Mickey to try and find her, only to be caught up in a gruesome string of local murders that may or may not be connected to her sister’s situation.

While I haven’t seen the limited series adaptation of the book, I did get a brief start in Moore’s big bestseller The God of the Woods and wound up putting it on pause. I’m hoping that LBR might revive my interest in TGOTW before that book gets an adaptation onscreen:

Before I mention the last library book of this bunch, I do want to talk about the LFL find that I had there.

As I dropped off a Maeve Binchy title (Chestnut Street, which is fine but not a must have for me), my sheer amazement in seeing Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop tucked in there was palatable to say the least. This translated novel by Hwang Bo-Reum was all the literary rage a couple of years ago but I just never got a chance to read it for myself until now, that is!

This charming tale of Yeongju, who flees the corporate world to open up the small bookstore of the title, and the friends she makes along the way was well appreciated during it’s initial release yet with the way things are going these days, I have a feeling that the gentle sentiments of this story are more needed right now.

Plus, it sounds like the kind of low key engaging drama that folks would enjoy tuning into, with it’s takes on life, love and literature as a welcome relief from the hectic pace of reality in all forms:

Back to my haul, the last book that I added to the pile was the final entry in Nora Roberts’ Lost Bride trilogy, The Seven Rings.

Yes, I now have all three volumes on loan and this set combines two of my personal reading challenges for the year(finishing my library reads/Return to Roberts).

However , that’s not the only reason for choosing this particular trilogy here; some of it has to do with the upcoming release of the new Wuthering Heights movie. I know that as of this writing, there’s a big debate over the merits of this film for better or worse (especially the latter) and I have two things to say on this subject:

1) I am not a big Brontë fan (read Jane Eyre several times as a kid and liked it) but do like some Gothic flair from time to time in my stories. The Lost Bride trilogy has a haunted mansion with ghost brides and a new owner dealing with the ancient curse that set this whole thing off and that is really more my jam at the moment.

2) I read WH once as an adult and honestly, found it rather dreary. Yes, it’s a classic worth reading but Cathy and Heathcliff are just too miserable both together and apart for me to want to revisit them either on or off the page.

I have seen a couple of film versions of the book before (did like the one with Ralph Finnes and Juliette Binoche)so I suspect that I’m not missing out on much with what sounds like a very overheated and overdone production at best.

If you’re looking forward to this new Wuthering Heights for your holiday weekend entertainment, I wish you well. Hope you find the fun that you seek from it and plenty of popcorn on hand. As for me, my library finds are the best Valentine and the best version of WH is the Kate Bush song:

Back in the BOTM groove

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:55:00 +0000

Since it has been decreed that six more weeks of winter are our weatherly lot, it’s a good thing that I started my Book of the Month Club subscription right back up this February!

Having a pile of good books on hand does make the colder seasons fly by indeed and while I was eager to get my BOTM groove back on, this month’s main selections weren’t really speaking to me.

Fortunately, they also offer Member Favorites (books from prior months) to choose from instead, so I went with The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark. The title character is Olivia Dumont, who is requested by her late father Vincent Taylor to complete his final book.

Vincent, in addition to being a popular horror writer, also has a past terror of his own dating back to the summer of 1975. His two siblings died tragically, with rumors insisting that Vincent was the one responsible for their mutual demise. No proof was ever found to make that notion true or false.

Olivia kept the fact of her connection to Vincent secret for personal and professional reasons but with this big assignment that could really help her out financially, she’s about to get way more than she bargained for here.

I’ve heard great word of mouth regarding this book and glad to have a chance to enjoy this chilling thrill ride for myself:

As for the add-ons, my first pick was How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson.

Jamie Prescott is a film student focusing more on her horror movie thesis than any form of social life when her roommate Lauren asks her to join in on a speed dating session.

Figuring it might be good to blow off some study steam, Jamie decided to go but soon enough regrets her choice of wardrobe and footwear. When a slasher strikes the dating event, she’s willing to use her scary movie knowledge to survive but a dress with pockets and comfortable shoes would certainly make this situation a little easier!

I like the notion of a horror romcom and with Valentine’s Day coming up, this dark comedy sounds ideal. After all, what’s more scary than speed dating, am I right?:

For something much more sentimental, my last choice was Libby Page’s This Book Made Me Think of You.

A few months after the death of her beloved husband Joe, Tilly Nightingale gets a phone call from her local bookstore that there’s a birthday present waiting for her.

The owner, Alf, explains that Joe had set aside twelve books for Tilly, each one with a handwritten letter included . Since she had stopped reading due to Joe’s illness, going back to books for pleasure seemed pointless. However, since this was his last gift to her, Tilly decides to try again.

Between the books and a new found friendship with Alf, Tilly starts to appreciate both books and life once more yet she wants to do more. By setting out on a couple of book based adventures, can she connect more to the wider world or should Tilly know when to put a bookmark in her page turning progress there?

This just feels like a charmingly bittersweet read and with the author noting that one of her inspirations for this novel is You’ve Got Mail, how could I resist?:

Between the bitter cold and the bitterness in our daily headlines, this is a hard winter for sure. It does good to have something positive to look forward to as well as keep your mind from getting too bogged down by stress.

For example, this year happens to be the 100 year anniversary of BOTM and they’re doing certain things to celebrate such as release special Centennial Editions of past picks- the first one out this month is All Quiet on the Western Front-and free bookmarks that highlight past favorites to boot.

The bookmark that I received this month was for a 1981 novel called Heading West by Doris Betts. It tells the tale of a small town librarian being swept up into a journey with a mysterious stranger and a hitchhiker that changes all of their lives in one way or another.

I don’t know if this particular book will be reissued by BOTM or not but I am curious about it and might see if my local library has a copy available. At any rate, it’s good to have a new interest on the horizon as we head towards warmer (and hopefully better) days to come:

Some page turning Oscar nominees

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:58:00 +0000

With everything going on right now, finding joy is far from easy yet this year’s Academy Award nominations offered up some wonderful surprises that couldn’t help but to lift my spirits.

I will get into some of my thoughts about the Oscar race by the end here (especially a certain history making 16 nominations for one of my favorites from last year!)but for the purposes of this blog, we’re going to highlight the Best Adapted Screenplay category and the books they’re based on.

I say books because one of the nominees is a remake of an international film (Bugonia) and the other is rather loosely inspired by the works of Thomas Pynchon (One Battle After Another). Therefore, there are just three out of the five available in traditional literary form.

Let’s start with Frankenstein , adapted by writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, based on Mary Shelley’s iconic tale of a monster and his maker. Therefore film received nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Makeup and Hair Styling (love how that category has expanded!) and Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi as the Creature.

While I haven’t seen the film (don’t have Netflix right now), I did reread the book recently and have no doubt that Del Toro did well here. I know some folks claim that a female director would’ve been a better choice but this was a passion project for Del Toro, who has loved Shelley’s book along with prior movie incarnations, and his sensibility for cinematic storytelling has never been in serious question.

Based on his nuanced approach with similar material with movies such as The Shape of Water and Cronos, his heartfelt take on what both monsters and the meaning of love truly are is what movie making legends are made of:

Next up is Hamnet, based upon Maggie O’Farrell’s award winning novel which the writer adapted in partnership with director Chloe Zhao.

The film tells the story of what might have inspired William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) to write Hamlet, mainly the emotional aftermath from the death of his young son.

This intense grief is shared by his wife Agnes(Jessie Buckley, who is up for Best Actress) and by turning their personal tragedy into an epic play , may have paid the ultimate price for his art.

The film is up for eight nominations, with not only Buckley contending for Actress but Zhao as Best Director and placing in the new Oscar category Best Casting to boot. I have heard great praise for both book and film and have no doubt that this will make a fine showing on Oscar night indeed:

For our final nominee. we have Train Dreams which is based on a novella by Denis Johnson. The screenplay was co-written by Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley. the latter being the movie’s director.

The bare bones of the plot has Robert Grainer(Joel Edgerton) leading a simple yet at times sad life, with more than his fair share of tragedies to deal with as time goes on.

The film received four nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Song. I’m sure that this is an award worthy film but just sounds too bleak for my taste. Nonetheless, the story does feel to be poignantly relatable so it has a decent chance at winning something here:

While I know all too well that celebrating the arts at the moment seems to be a concern best put aside, the truth is that art in all of it’s forms is one of our best sources of inspiration and hope in terrible times such as these.

The everyday struggles that we’ve been dealing with(particularly what happened just a few days ago) can be made bearable not only by uniting our voices together in demands for change and support for those being directly affected here but by appreciating the good that is still out there worth fighting for. The arts can give relief from the stress of it all as well as provide us a goal to aim for as we make our way towards a better tomorrow.

That being said, seeing Sinners get that ground breaking number of Oscar nominations was wonderful beyond belief! Long have I waited for Michael B. Jordan to receive a Best Actor nod, along with writer/director Ryan Coogler up for Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture!!!!

Sinners was the movie I saw for my birthday last spring and it’s definitely the gift that keeps on giving.

This blend of historical fiction with vampire lore felt like a full fledged novel come to vivid life on screen and while I know that the Academy rarely likes to acknowledge anything horror genre related, it’s not entirely impossible for this film to garner some major wins on Oscar night.

Yes, folks are cautioning Sinners fans to not get their hopes up too high(it wouldn’t be the first time that a multiple movie nominee got disappointed on the big night) but this time, it may be truly movie magic on display that rewards one of it’s actual best that evening.

We shall see. As for me, I do hope that Miles Canton is available to perform “I Lied to You “ on stage in the Best Original Song category there. That scene alone is an amazing movie memorable moment that will inspire future creators on and off screen for decades to come:

The upcoming Winter’s Respite of reading is my ticket to paradise

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:14:00 +0000

With everything that’s going on everywhere seemingly all at once these days, any sort of vacation is a welcome relief indeed.

Fortunately for us readers, Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading will start our new year off right with the Winter’s Respite readathon next month. All of February will be reserved for either catching up on books old and new or just revisiting some comfort classics-your choice!

You can get more details here about it and sign up to join in the fun. As for me, I have a trio of books set aside for this event and yes, one of them happens to be a Christmas romance that I didn’t get to sooner! In the meanwhile, let’s start off a somewhat summery selection:

Problematic Summer Romance:

This Ali Hazelwood novel takes us to a destination wedding in Sicily where 23 year old Maya has more on her mind than her brother’s impending nuptials.

For some time now, she’s been interested in Conor, the best friend of her brother , who feels that he’s much too old for Maya(he’s 38). When the two of them wind up sharing a villa together. Maya hopes to change his mind and he hopes to change hers but both of them might be surprised at what they learn about each other.

While this book is connected to an earlier Hazelwood novel(Not in Love), I believe it can be read as a standalone and I can always backtrack that one later. The age gap trope is tricky but when handled correctly, can be a very reasonable issue for any potential couple to work out and I’m willing to give Hazelwood some leeway here.

Hey, if Jane Austen makes it work for Emma Woodhouse(and her modern day equivalent Cher Horowitz), maybe this could be in that romantic vicinity there:

Witch You Would:

Set in a magic-is-real Miami, Lia Amador’s romcom has a meet cute on a reality show for spell casters that could be the best or worst experience of their lives.

Penelope hopes to change her life for the better by winning Cast Judgement but being paired with celebrity partner Leandro Presto, best known for his viral video prowess, has her in doubt of victory.

Leandro, on the other hand, is thrilled since his real name is Gil Contreras and has been Penelope’s secret pen pal for some time now. They’ve been planning to save his grandfather‘s charity but in order to do that, Gil is keeping up his Presto persona for the show and not telling Penelope who he really is becomes part of that game.

Can the two of the them win the contest and each other’s heart or must one be sacrificed for the ultimate win?

I do like a little witchcraft mixed into my romance and this seems as satisfyingly sweet as a certain peanut butter cup indeed:

Good Spirits:

And we get to the Christmas book and while I did mean to read this in December, my TBR grew unexpectedly during that month(wound up reading four holiday themed titles) and I figured, “Why not save it for February? After all, it is a romance and Valentine’s Day should be suitable enough for this.”

So I am planning to read Good Spirits by B. K. Borison first, just to start things off with a good catching up. Our couple here is Harriet, who has recently inherited an antique shop and Nolan, a Ghost of Christmas Past who is assigned to help her out.

As they get to know each other better, it becomes clear that Harriet is not the one who needs to make peace with her past-rather, it’s Nolan whose emotional rescue is long overdue. Will they be able to make their season bright with love or be lost in a winter wonderland of the heart for good?

I did enjoy Borison’s First Time Caller last year(and hope that BOTM gets her new book, Back to You, soon!), plus a good hearted ghostly love story seems fitting for any time of year. Christmas does give it an extra boost of coziness though:

The Winter’s Respite readathon begins on February 1 and I do hope that if you’re looking for an opportunity to de-stress from the bone chilling weather, not to mention the equally bone chilling headlines, that you take this bookish retreat opportunity up.

As much as I am crossing my fingers that things will get better sooner rather than later, it’s truly hard to tell which way it is going to go. Let’s keep a good lookout for our friends, neighbors and loved ones and do what we can to help each other.

Part of that calls for giving ourselves a time out every now and then to revive our spirits before heading back into the fray. Curling up with a few good books is great for just that as we head into quite the hazy shade of winter going forward:

Working on my reading resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:40:00 +0000

With the growing chaos in our world right now, it’s all too easy to feel completely out of control of things right now.

However, giving yourself an emotional breathing space is important and for me, setting up some reading goals for myself is a good way to do just that.

One of those goals is to continue doing my morning reading duets(read a pair of books that have a direct connection on and off a little bit each day). While I do plan to reread David Copperfield along side Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, I think that I will start off with a reread of The Wizard of Oz with Wicked, since I finally got to watch the movie over the holidays!

Granted, I only saw part one(hopefully it won’t take me as long to see Wicked:For Good) but still, going down both of these versions of the Yellow Brick Road seems to be the best way to begin here:

Another bookish thing that I want to do is Return to Roberts-that I know that I like Nora Roberts’ work, I have fallen behind in reading her books.

Part of my plan to get back onboard is by reading the first two entries in her Lost Bride trilogy, Inheritance and The Mirror , which I picked up during my last library haul of 2025.

The first book has Sonya MacTavish discovering that her father had a twin brother that he didn’t know existed, that newly found uncle has died and left her a rather mysterious mansion in the bargain.

The house, as warned by estate attorney Trey, appears to be haunted by several spirits, many of whom were meant to be brides of the family in question. One of those brides was Astrid Poole, who was murdered on her wedding night and vowed to stay with her husband Collin despite the “death do they part” clause in their wedding contract.

Sonya becomes more convinced each day that the ghost stories are true and in the second installment, finds the title object that reveals what happened to Astrid all those years ago. Can this magical insight break the curse upon the family or will it draw Sonya in too far to escape its centuries old clutches?

I am still new to Nora, so finding my favored footing with her books is tricky. The Gothic vibes of this trilogy do sound eerily enticing and perhaps engaging enough for me to seek out book three(The Seven Rings) as well as more riveting Roberts fare:

Speaking of library loans, a major resolution that I have this year is to finish all of my library books.

Hate to admit but sometimes, I borrow books that I either don’t finish reading or don’t get to at all.

I do make sure to return them on time (occasionally stretching the renewal limits) but it is frustrating when I have new authors and stories that I want to try and for one reason or another, just don’t get beyond the first chapters or open up altogether.

Well, I am already making amends in that front by tackling Renee Rosen’s Let’s Call Her Barbie, a novel about the folks who brought the iconic doll to life and how that affected their lives. It’s a solid read that I should be able to finish in reasonable time.

Right after that, my next library read will be Voyage of the Damned by Frances White. Set in the kingdom of Concordia, a special boating trip for the heirs of the Twelve Provinces that make up the realm is being taken as a celebration of a thousand years of peace among them.

When one of the heirs dies under suspicious circumstances, it falls to the least likely of them to find the killer. Ganymede Piscaro is the only heir to not possess a magical ability( called a Blessing) which lead him to develop a snarky sense of humor.

That sharp wit is no protection from the menace onboard that is targeting the royal heirs one by one, which Ganymede realizes that the only way to not be next is to outsmart their mutual enemy. Can he trust any one of his fellow passengers or will those Blessings be counted sooner than he thinks?

This does sound fun and since this book is being touted as Agatha Christie style mystery with fantasy flair, I am ready to dive in:

I have a couple of other reading projects in the works (really to catch up with last year’s books!) but this basic three point plan ought to get my bookish motor running there.

While I know that focusing on fiction might seem trivial right now, it’s interesting at how relevant certain works turn out to be.

Last night, I watched the season six premiere of All Creatures Great and Small, which was set in 1945 England. By the end of the episode, WWII had been declared over(known as VE Day, I believe) and even in that small village, joy and relief were abounding.

Two of the characters, the Farnon brothers, were standing in the town square, watching the local celebration and remembering the past. One brother remarked how he had stood in that same spot with a friend when the war had started and that friend had told him that “we should be grateful for what we do have.”

The other nodded in agreement and said “Yes but we have to fight for it. It’s not enough to be grateful, we had to fight.”

Strangely resilient, that bit of dialogue, to what we’ve been going through at the moment. Being grateful for what we have is a strong motivation to fight for our freedom and whether or not those lines come from the original source material, such a sentiment still rings true even tucked into a literary adaptation.

Anyway, I do also want to shop more from Better World Books and one of my recent finds there is the first book in a Jane Austen themed mystery series.

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly has it’s lead detective in the form of Emma Knightley (formerly Woodhouse) being stunned to find the obnoxious wife of Mr. Elton deceased in her husband’s church and while asked not to interfere with the investigation, feels duty bound when one of the least likely residents of Highbury is targeted as a possible suspect!

The book is a charming tale so far and while Emma is not a favorite Austen heroine of mine, her talents for uncovering social secrets is rather fitting with her original literary incarnation. Having Emma as a Regency Nancy Drew is delightfully fine reading that I resolve to enjoy more often:

Counting my bookish blessings

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:21:00 +0000

It has been quite the rough start to the year, to say the least, but the one thing that helps to lift my spirits is having good books to read and talk about.

Just getting access to new reads is a true blessing; by the end of last year, I had won two titles in giveaways and discovered a possible gem in a Little Free Library. So, in interest of sharing my good fortune, let’s take a look at this trio of bookish prizes here:

I, Medusa: This retelling of the classic myth from Ayana Gray has our leading lady destined to be a villain shown in a different light.

As the daughter of minor deities, Meddy is thrilled to be noticed by the great goddess Athena and granted a place amongst her high priestesses at her temple in Athens. Quickly becoming a favorite, she also gains the attention of another god but with more dire consequences than expected.

Forced into a punishment for a crime that she’s innocent of, Medusa decides to use her monstrous status as a means of striking back against those who inflict their malice carelessly upon others.

Thanks to The First Look Book Club, I was given not only the chance to read this intriguing book but to get such an excellent edition (sprayed edges and all) as well:

Thanks to an author giveaway, I was sent a copy of Ava Morgyn’s most recent novel, The Bane Witch, along with a signed bookplate and a couple of postcards connected to the world of the story!

That story begins with Piers Corbin, a woman fleeing from a terrible marriage who finds refuge with her great aunt in a small mountain town. While rebuilding her life, Piers learns that she is the latest in a long line of “bane witches “-women who can tap into poison magic in order to take down evil men.

As she settles into her new community, a dangerous threat in the form of a serial killer makes their presence known. Soon enough, Piers realizes that her special set of sorcery skills are needed to halt this predator in his tracks but can she do so without revealing who she really is?

This premise sounds awesome and I do like the Poison Ivy vibes that this tale is giving off. I may save it for a future readathon this spring but in the meantime, this poisonous page turner is a welcome addition to my literary garden:

During my last library haul of 2025(that post will be available soon!), I stopped by a Little Free Library nearby and found a book that I have heard nothing but praise for, an extra treat that day.

Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library starts at the Boston Public Library, as a group of strangers using the Reading Room are instant suspects in a murder that took place in that very building at the same time they were all there.

It’s more than your average mystery, however, as this story is being created by Hannah, an Australian writer who is getting the insights on Boston from Leo, a fan of her work who is happy to help via correspondence. His advice is very useful but are his suggestions merely artistic input or something a bit more sinister than that?

To be honest, the books left at this particular LFL can be very hit or miss for the most part( not a complaint, just an observation)so finding this book was very much in the golden ticket category here. Also, I do enjoy the whole book within a book setting along the lines of The Magpie Murders and their sequels, which makes this find all the more of a delight:

So, as I said earlier, this new year has gotten off to a terrible start and the events of yesterday have certainly made things incredibly worse. I share my condolences with the wider world to those directly impacted by such horror and wish them better days to come.

Someone online today wondered aloud why anyone would bother with book content at a time like this and that perspective is totally understandable. Yes, it can feel trivial to focus on art related topics during an ongoing crisis like this and if you want to opt out, I get it.

However, I feel that it’s important to remind ourselves of the better nature of humanity out there in times like these. While it is extremely difficult to do that, it is a necessity to surviving and thriving under such stress.

Art, whether in book, film, television or otherwise, is a reflection of that humanity and while it’s not always pretty, it’s also a powerful incentive for us as a people to do better for not just ourselves but future generations who may face (hopefully not) even worse circumstances than ours in their lives.

Granted , not all art is intended to do that but inspiration can come from the most unlikely sources and supporting such outbursts of imagination is the first in many steps towards the evolution of a more promising world to come.

So, look forward to a better tomorrow but in the meantime, it is okay to look forward to a new book from your favorite author, that upcoming summer blockbuster or the next great PBS miniseries. Entertainment is a healthy part of a balanced emotional diet, if you ask me:

My Happy Holiday haul of books for the new year!

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:23:00 +0000

Happy new year, folks and hope your holiday season was a good one there. As for me, I decided to make gift gifting easier on my family by using both Book of the Month and Aardvark for their one stop shopping for me.

I must confess that I did get a couple of books early, due to adding Christmas themed titles (one of which I will talk more about later) but the other ones I received fit very nicely under my tree indeed:

Aardvark: The Once and Future Queen

Since I already started reading this one from Aardvark, it makes sense to begin with this debut novel by Paula Lafferty. Our leading lady is Vera, a modern day young woman who tends to feel out of place in the world and can’t quite figure out why.

As it turns out, she’s not truly meant to be here as a visit from the legendary wizard Merlin reveals. Vera is actually Queen Guinevere , sent to this future time as an infant due to a deadly spell that could only restore her by this unusual rebirth.

Now, she has to return to Camelot to help Arthur save their realm but those past memories are locked away, leaving her confused about what needs to be done. Having Lancelot as a ready ally seems to be more hinderance than help yet can his connection with her past self be the key to saving all of their futures?

So far, this is a rather lively and engaging read, intended to be the first in a trilogy. I certainly hope Aardvark keeps up with this twist on the classic tale as it certainly makes for an enchanting story indeed:

My other Aardvark pick was Local Heavens by K.M. Fajardo. Set in the year 2075, cyberspace diver Nick takes on a corporate espionage job that brings him in the middle of a twisted love triangle among the idle rich that involves body modification, a failing pharmaceutical fortune and class warfare.

Yes, this is a cyberpunk take on The Great Gatsby, a book that I haven’t read in a long time (and will be rereading now) and for a sharp look at the future of corporate greed upon our society, Gatsby is an excellent template for a fresh look at the subject. I am intrigued to check this out, particularly in the special ombré edition that Aardvark had in stock(I think I got the last copy!):

Book of the Month: Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil

V.E. Schwab is a writer that I’ve heard much about but never read before and yet, her latest work has gotten such praise from critics and readers alike that I just had to add this book to my gift pile.

This multi generational journey of three women, from Maria in 16th century Spain to Charlotte in London during the 1900s and then to Alice in 2019 Boston , takes us down the Gothic garden path of love, despair and literal blood lust. Is there a way to find true happiness in this eternal turmoil or is that the price of immortality?

I do like lady vampires and hopefully, this is a good introduction to Schwab’s writing for me. At the very least, I can use this book as an excuse to rewatch The Hunger:

On the lighter side, Violet Thistlewaite is not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz is a cozy fantasy featuring a bench woman seeking redemption and perhaps a bit of romance.

With her former employer having been dispatched, Violet has settled down in a small town as a flower shop owner, hoping to put her times as a wicked botanical witch behind her. Keeping her past(as well as a certain murderous house plant) in check should be easy enough.

Yet, when a new danger threatens her new home as well as her new friendship with local alchemist Nicholas, Violet finds that she may have no other choice but to open up that nasty bag of tricks again to save the day. However, even if she wins, what will she lose?

This does sound like charming fun and I do enjoy seeing a villainess trying to make a comeback in the better sense of the term:

By the way, one of the early holiday books that I got happened to be the last book that I finished in 2025!

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman is a beautifully bittersweet delight that follows the pair of widowed people of the title into an unexpected friendship aided by watching a number of holiday themed films (and yes, Die Hard is definitely a Christmas movie!).

The story blends heartbreak and humor so skillfully that it’s destined to be a seasonal classic in this genre, if you ask me. As for the other early gift, I will be saving that for a future readathon-watch this space!

Anyway, once again, hope you all had a good start to this new year and I look forward to reading more good books and talking about them . Stay warm, folks and with any luck, this time next year, all of us will be in no doubt of better days ahead:

Some of my favorite BOTM steps down the Reader’s Road this year

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:53:00 +0000

I’ve seen a good number of “read what you own/read down your TBR” type of challenges talked about online over the past couple of years and this year, I felt it was high time that I did one of my own.

So, my take on this turned out to be Book of the Month club centric with a tip of the hat to Agatha All Along; Down the Reader’s Road(with each chosen title showcased on the side panel of this blog) has been pretty successful for me as my current total of completed books adds up to a baker’s dozen so far.

I did consider doing full on reviews for each one but as time went on, a year end look at my Top Three reads seemed to be the best bet:

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel takes a character from the Ramayana and tells her side of the story, transforming her from wicked stepmother to mystical warrior queen.

Kaikeyi begins life as a princess who discovers that she has magical abilities but is forced to suppress them due to the patriarchal nature of society. When she becomes the third wife of a prominent king, finding her way to use her gifts to help other women (as well as connect with the other queens) is rewarding in more ways than one.

However, when one of her stepsons starts to show godlike powers that he can barely control, hard choices have to be made that cost Kaikeyi dearly.

Not being familiar with the source material, I was completely drawn into this vividly described world and rooting for the leading lady all the way, despite some of the decisions that tested her spirit. As a debut novel, this book was definitely a royal triumph that will lead me to seek out the author’s other stories as soon as can be:

The Mayor of Maxwell Street, another debut novel, from Avery Cunningham is set in 1920s Chicago where an ambitious young debutante seeks out the title character as part of her journalistic ambitions.

Nelly Sawyer is meant to be marrying a suitable man in order to solidify her family’s horse breeding empire yet when tasked to find the secretive go-between for the underworld gangs of Chicago by a newspaper editor, she can’t resist the challenge.

With the help of new acquaintance Jay, Nelly takes quite a walk on the wild side with consequences that are more life changing than she could have imagined.

It’s a steady paced , absorbing read that focuses on character development along with some action. Think of this as a well made miniseries, one that might give you an idea of what Chicago was like for the twin brothers Smoke and Stack before they headed home to face Sinners:

Jennifer Close’s Marrying the Ketchups is a more modern day story, following a fractured family as each of them tries to cope with a changing world once the male mainstay, Bud Sullivan, passes away.

With eager to please Teddy running the family restaurant that desperately needs an upgrade, the return of wayward sister Gretchen is quite the shake up and even the supposedly perfect suburban wife and mother Jane realizes that her reality is not what she thought it would be. Figuring out what to do next is something they all have to decide on their own but still need a little support along the way.

I know that the plot may sound sobering but there are brilliant moments of humor and relatable character development that make the pages turn briskly here. I have read one of Close’s earlier works(The Hopefuls) so I had some familiarity with her writing but clearly this particular book was truly next level for her:

I do plan to continue this challenge in the new year and with any luck, make some serious progress. It’s nice to discover that your reading choices can turn out to be better than you expected and taking a chance on new literary horizons can be fun and formative to boot.

This is my last post of 2025 and it has to end on a couple of sad notes(par for the course this year, I’m afraid). Recently, the news of Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeline Wickham) departure from this life , due to cancer, has given her worldwide readers much to mourn. My sincere sympathies are sent to her loved ones.

Best known for her entertaining Shopaholic series featuring the well meaning but prone to impulsive purchases Becky Bloomwood, Kinsella wrote 30 books with titles aimed at teens and children as well as her adult audience. Her stand alone stories dealt with romance but also other subjects such as coping with trauma, found family and emotional development.

Kinsella outlasted the “chick lit” era of publishing and created a solid niche of stories that brought more than one generation together to embrace the touching and relatable struggles of her characters quite nicely.

At the moment, I am doing a reread of Christmas Shopaholic (not the book to start this series, btw, Confessions of a Shopaholic is the place for new readers to begin) in her memory and I have no doubt that many others are doing the same. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten:

The other sad note is the tragic passing of writer/actor/director Rob Reiner and his beloved wife Michele, a prominent photographer and producer. In such a miserable year as this, the news of this terrible event is especially difficult, although much more for their circle of family and friends and all of my deepest condolences goes out to them.

The less said about a certain disrespect to their memories the better, although as one Jane Austen character might say , their sorrowful situation should secure your compassion not your ridicule! Then again, one can not offer the fruits of a crop that they never grew in the first place.

If one good notion can come out of this horrible moment, it is that it shows the importance of living a good life. Not necessarily a wealthy or public one, just being a kind and caring person that people are all too happy to think well of when they are no longer with us is enough.

Part of Rob Reiner’s legacy as an entertainer was showing the many ways that love can make the world better.

Take for example, When Harry met Sally, which is a romantic story but at the core of it is the tale of two people with completely opposite outlooks on life who discover that the best way to deal with an ever changing world is with each other, facing it together.

Love doesn’t have to be romantic or set in the expected social formats to connect people but when you give it a honest chance, great things can happen. It takes time and patience but always worth a try.

Rob Reiner came back to that theme quite often in his work, whether it was about friends, family or fellow travelers on the stage we call life. Perhaps by this time next year, we can prove him right:

A Jane Austen birthday celebration in song!

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 20:41:00 +0000

With the 250th birthday of our dear Jane Austen fast approaching this month(December 16, to be precise), choosing the best way to honor such an auspicious occasion was difficult indeed.

However, as I put my mind to the task of selecting just the proper approach for such a literary icon, the answer came as loud and clear as a bell; a musical soirée. After all, Jane was fond of music in her day and that has been reflected in many of her characters for better (Marianne Dashwood) and for worse(poor Mary Bennet!).

So, presented here for your entertainment is a gathering of Austen folk using quite a bit of creative license in the manner of Julia Quinn’s charming Bridgerton series to perform some very rollicking music pieces:

We begin with Miss Anne Eliot, lately of Kellylynch Hall, on the pianoforte to play in honor of a renewed acquaintance that promises to be a more congenial connection as time goes on, Double’s “The Captain of her Heart”:

Next, we have a duet from the newly married Mr and Mrs. Darcy ,who have chosen to recreate the first proposal of marriage between them that did not directly lead to their presently contented union.

As Mr. Darcy’s new father-in-law is wont to say”What do we live , but to make sport for our neighbors and be laughed at them in return?”, in that spirit, this rendition of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” is performed:

From our visitors from Mansfield Park, here’s another duet with Miss Mary Crawford on harp and Miss Fanny Price in song(accompanied on piano by her cousin Maria) with the assistance of Mr. Edmund Bertram, a rather playful number that might remind one of a sadly cancelled amateur theatre production of Lovers Vows.

For which young lady to be considered either the Brandy or the Monica of this particular version of “The Boy is Mine”, I allow the audience to discern for themselves:

For our finale, Miss Jane Fairfax is, as her aunt Bates repeatedly assures us, is most happy to delight us on the piano that was just sent to her.

Perhaps the musical gift came from her benefactor Col. Campbell or may perhaps someone else eager to gain her attentions before she went visiting to Highbury, as suggested to Miss Emma Woodhouse the other day.

Regardless, the sender was kind enough to include some Irish melodies with this gift, such as the late Sinead O’Connor’s beautifully composed “Nothing Compares to You”:

As our ensemble takes their bows, we here at LRG do wish the memory of Jane Austen and her brief yet spectacular body of work our very best, with fond hopes of this pleasure being repeated for another two hundred and fifty years or more.

As for our assembly of devoted readers, may we all take a delightful moment of celebration for all of the joy that Miss Austen’s books have given us, perhaps a bid of posh dancing might be in order indeed:

Making merry with the Yuletide Spirit reading challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:23:00 +0000

Well, the winter holiday season is definitely upon us and as a break from the seasonal frenzy all around me, I decided to join in on Seasons of Reading’s Yuletide Spirit reading challenge, held by Michelle Miller(who also has a separate series dedicated to the Christmas season).

For the challenge, you just need to select a level of holiday themed reading to go for; mine is Mistletoe which is between two to four books and I have three in this TBR at the moment. One is on order , the other arrived a couple of days ago and currently, I am in the midst of…

The Christmas Tree Farm:

In this third entry of Laurie Gilmore’s Dream Harbor series, we met Kira, a new arrival to town, who is surprised to learn that the quaint piece of property that she brought is a tree farm that everyone expects her to reopen in time for the holidays.

Due to spending more than she intended on the land, Kira finds that she has no other choice but to restart the business and finds unexpected help in the form of Bennet, a temporary visitor (his sister runs the local cafe) who has been recruited by the town to revive the farm as well as keep an eye out for a possible buried treasure on the grounds.

Since Kira is more fond of Bennet’s dogs(one of them is named Odie as in the Garfield comics!) than she is of him, this relationship is not off to a promising start to say the least. However, they do begin to slowly warm up to each other and by the time a major snow storm hits the area, those few sparks are ready to set off a roaring fire indeed!

I have read the first two books in this series (and there are more to follow after this one) and enjoyed them quite a bit. The “Gilmore Girls with a sexier edge”vibe of these stories works for me and that each book has a musical playlist attached to it especially helps for setting the right holiday romance mood here:

After that, my next pick is The Mistletoe Mystery, a novella from the Molly the Maid series by Nita Prose.

Molly hasn’t had a good Christmas since her beloved grandmother died yet this year promises to be different. With her circumstances becoming much better than before and having Juan Michael to share this season with, Molly hopes to not have any mysterious events to look into.

However, a bizarre exchange during the Regency Grand Hotel’s Secret Santa party brings up a lot of questions about who she can trust, particularly when it comes to Juan Michael. Is Molly able to solve this mystery without having her heart broken into the bargain?

Since this book is still on its way to me via Better World Books, I hope to find out before Christmas Eve. Molly is a delight to know on page and if anyone fictional deserves a romantic happy ending, she’s the one:

Fortunately, the last book in this TBR is already awaiting to be opened, thanks to Book of the Month Club.

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison is best described as “A Christmas Carol meets The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” with our leading lady Harriet being haunted by a spirit of Christmas Past named Nolan.

With Harriet being a rather sweet natured soul, Nolan wonders why he was sent to haunt her in the first place. She is curious about that as well and the more they get to know each other, the distinct possibility that he’s the one in need of saving begins to cross their minds. Can this the case and if so, do they want to risk the love connection forged between them to earn a redemption by Christmas Eve?

This does sound charming and since I did read one of Borison’s other works this year(First Time Caller), this ought to the perfect holiday read for me. An added bonus is the ghost angle as one of my favorite sitcoms has similar themes in abundance:

If you’re interested in signing up for either the readathon or the challenge, there is a link in the second paragraph of this post that will steer you towards the correct website. As always, much thanks to Michelle Miller for getting us band of eager readers on the proper path this and every other year.

Look, I know good and well how chaotic this year alone has become, with more difficult challenges perhaps in the year to come. However, one thing to keep in mind as the end of the year approaches is that renewing your energy for what lies ahead is the best way to start off on the new adventures before us.

Also, appreciating the good that we do have in our lives such as family, friends or loved ones of all sorts are treasures that no one can truly rob us of, despite their dubious best efforts. While it’s hard to reimagine our lives from what they once were in the past, we can use our present moment in time to give ourselves a better future for all to share in.

So, let’s keep our spirits bright with some good books and of course, a classic song in our hearts:

Taking some Turkey Time off

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:24:00 +0000

As it turns out, next week is going to be busier than I expected so LRG is going to have to take a Thanksgiving break. However, I did want to leave some festive bookish goodies out for all of you to snack on:

First, if you’re in the mood for a good cozy mystery with seasonal flair, Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone series is a sure bet for savory fun.

Her small town leading lady of the title covers the holiday and special occasion front (Wedding Day Murder and Bake Sale Murder are just two examples)quite well and in the later books, she often adds a sprinkle of social justice issues to boot.

The two titles that are well suited here are Turkey Day Murder and Turkey Trot Murder, the latter involving a 5K race and obnoxious rich people (take that as you will). What I do enjoy about this series is the sitcom vibes of the setting that offsets the murders rather nicely, strange but true! If you’re looking for some light hearted reading in between recipe planning and TV specials, these turkey tales are certainly worth a taste:

If you happen to be more interested in what’s coming up in next year’s book adaptation at the movies, these new teaser trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping has just been released.

This second prequel for The Hunger Games series follows the gruesome Quarter Quell that future mentor to Katniss Everdeen Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zara) had to endure. The casting includes such notables as Maya Hawke, Lili Taylor, Ralph Fiennes, Billy Porter and Glenn Close, with a release for November of 2026.

While I didn’t read the first prequel or see that movie(both of which had mixed reviews), the praise for Sunrise on the Reaping has been strongly solid from day one, making me a little intrigued to check this out, plus Glenn Close’s entrance is cinematic diva gold, if you ask me!:

Also, this upcoming January has an adaptation of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation due to arrive on Netflix with a trailer already out and about.

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth star as Poppy and Alex, who having been taking vacations together as friends for a number of years. After a serious falling out that divided them for two years, Poppy manages to convince Alex to take one last trip together to see if they can make things right.

This is the first of Emily Henry’s rather popular novels to get the major movie treatment so expectations are quite high to say the least.

While I haven’t read this particular book yet, I did read the novel written by Yulin Kuang(How to End a Love Story)who adapted this screenplay and that book was heartbreakingly good which bodes well for this movie indeed:

With that, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and look forward to wrapping up the rest of this bizarrely memorable year in December.

Look, I know that it’s hard to relax and just get into the holiday groove these days but we can take a break to recharge and reassess before New Year’s Eve strikes that final chime into a fresh set of twelve months into the unknown.

Yet, we did have a few good things happen along the way and if we give each other the proper emotional support to get us through another round of this, that number of good things might rapidly increase by this time next year. Worth trying for at the very least.

So, do take that well deserved time off and find some fun with a good book, movie or song. Speaking of song, I leave you with this excellent take on a truly trippy classic perfect for a hotel stay on the wild side-enjoy!:

My GR Choice Awards TBR(long list edition)!

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:20:00 +0000

It’s that time of year when book lovers both cheer and lament over the Goodreads Choice Awards, which opened up the voting last week for the long list of categories such as Best Fiction, Best Romance and Best Romantasy(looks like that one here to stay).

The final round of voting, which cuts down the number of contenders, begins on November 25 and the winners to b announced on December 4. While the GR awards are mostly the literary version of the People’s Choice Awards (if you know, you know), they still are useful as a way to go over your current reading for the year.

To that end, I decided to set up a TBR based on the long list of books I need to catch up on by the end of 2025 into the early part of 2026.

Two of these books are Book of the Month club and the other two are Aardvark selections. These are not the only GRCA nominees I have in the unread category but if those others make it to the finals, I might add them in(even one of my Cozy November reads is on the long list!)later. For now, this should be a good starting point:

Aardvark

In the Debut Nivel category, I was thrilled to see Venessa Vida Kelley’s When the Tides Held the Moon and yes, I voted for it right away!

It will be read, I promise. This gorgeously illustrated novel tells the tale of Benny, who used his blacksmith skills in the 1910s to create a unique cage for the sideshow in Luna Park that holds Rio, a merman captured in the East River.

While Benny finds friendship among his new coworkers, his feelings for Rio grow much stronger, leading him to choose between freeing his beloved or becoming another cynical human doing what he can to survive a harsh world.

This book is such a gem to behold in and of itself yet ultimately a book is made to be opened and appreciated for its words as well. Perhaps saving the best for last isn’t such a bad idea after all:

In the Fantasy section, The Devils by Joe Abercrombie was still among the unread on my shelf so I clearly needed to add it here.

I’ve heard nothing but praise about Abercrombie’s offbeat take on the genre and this book certainly sounds like fun. Set in an alternate medieval universe, Brother Diaz is tasked by the female Pope to claim an ancient crown with the help of a motley crew of mystical misfits before her political rivals can get to it first. Adventures, bloody action and a touch of romance follows along the perilous pages.

I don’t know if this is the best book to start reading of this author’s but since this does have The Suicide Squad(James Gunn.version) vibes, it sounds like the ideal one to me:

Book of the Month Club

In Historical Fiction, the latest by Fiona Davis, The Stolen Queen, was to be found and I wonder if being chosen by the Calvi Book Club earlier this season didn’t give this one an extra boost of reader attention.

Set in New York of 1978, museum curator Charlotte Cross must enlist the aid of Anne Jenkins when an Egyptian artifact is discovered missing during the iconic Met Gala, which Anne was organizing.

Charlotte is very familiar with the stolen item as she was on the archaeological team that found it in 1936, with dire consequences that came along with it. Having no other choice, the pair must go to Egypt to reclaim what was once owned by a female Pharaoh whose curse may doom them both.

I’ve enjoyed Davis’ work before, with her solid New York centric settings and well crafted characters. This book might benefit from the recent buzz around the Lourve heist but I prefer the focus on untold feminine rulers all the more:

The Horror section was pretty strong this time around and among the ones that I haven’t gotten to yet, The Posession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas stood out strongly to me.

Fleeing from a plague in 1865, Alba and her family take refuge at the home of her fiancé near a remote mine. This proximity to such a haunted place causes a slow yet steady series of changes in Alba that only her future cousin in law Elias seems to notice.

With a demonic force taking over, Alba finds that Elias is her strongest ally in fighting off this particular evil and perhaps their true chance at some form of salvation.

Having read Canas before, it’s great to see her get more recognition for her increasingly good and sinister storytelling that ought to make her the next big thing in this field indeed:

Having a reading plan in motion for this time of yearly transition is good, especially since I will need room for the books I’m hoping to get this Christmas! Also, this gives me a nice focus for my page turning future.

While the Goodreads Choice Awards are far from perfect (having one author with multiple books in one category is way too much) and does need to showcase better diversity in books and authors, it can be a boon to highlighting many titles that could benefit from an extra spotlight here.

At the very least, it’s a worthwhile distraction from the real world chaos we’re dealing with right now and that’s not an excuse for the awards being less than fully representative of their entire audience. All I am saying is that for now, this can be both a rallying cry for change and a welcome relief from our collective anxiety. The two goals are not mutually exclusive.

Think of the Goodreads Choice Awards as akin to the Dundies given out on various seasons of The Office; somewhat well meaning yet awkwardly presented and at the best of times, enduringly amusing. Just don’t get too overwrought about it, find that Pam Beasley balance if you can!:

The LRG Best Books of 2025

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:27:00 +0000

It may be November but those end of the year round-ups are already starting and with book award season in full swing, what better time to share my LRG Best Books List for this rather tumultuous year of 2025?

This is a basic top five(with some honorable mentions coming up) of books that I read to completion this year and throughly enjoyed. My picks are all fiction (didn’t want to get into too much nonfiction as the daily headlines give me enough to deal with) and for the most part, published this year.

There’s a TBR reading challenge that I’ve been doing this year that will get a separate post of top reads later this month( none of those titles are listed here for that reason), Okay, time to present my literary winners in a somewhat chronological order of when I read them:

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert: This debut novel from Drag Race superstar Bob the Drag Queen gives us a what if scenario; what if legendary figures from the past just suddenly showed up and decided to use modern day means to talk about their experiences with the rest of us?

As the title suggests, our narrator Darnell is recruited by Harriet and a small number of her historical traveling companions to produce their rap album as well as set up their tour. During this process, Darnell not only gets to work on the project of a lifetime, he also comes away with learning a few truths that could help him get over one of the worst moments of his personal and professional life.

The book is a short ride but filled to the brim with history, humor and heart, plus a couple of songs (added to the audio book edition) that make for a meaningful emotional soundtrack indeed:

Storybook Ending: Moira Macdonald’s charming ode to romcoms is set in a bookstore, of course, with an offbeat love triangle to say the least.

For one thing, two women are trying to romance the same man without each other knowing it along the guy in question!

It starts with April, who leaves a note in a book for handsome store clerk Westley, only he doesn’t read it. Instead, the note is found by Laura, who thinks that Westley wrote it for her.

As for Westley, he’s more interested in the big league indie movie being filmed at the store than anything else and the camera really seems to love him as he takes a small part in the production. A charming sort of chaos soon follows.

This is the kind of novel that makes you wish that Nora Ephron was still with us in order to bring this engaging romantic comedy of errors to vivid cinematic life. For a debut novel, Macdonald shows the steady hand of a seasoned pro when it comes to this type of prose:

The Will of the Many: If I had to sum up this epic book in one Hollywood style pitch, I’d have to say “Hunger Games meets I,Claudius”yet it’s much more than that.

This first entry in James Islington’s

fantasy series introduces us to Vis, once a prince but now alone and orphaned by the empire known as The Hierarchy, which gains its powers by draining people of their actual will power.

Living a rough and tumble existence, Vis is recruited by Ulciscor Telimus, a high ranking official, to infiltrate Catenan Academy, a training ground for young future leaders, to discover the truth behind the mysterious death of Ulciscor’s brother . Having a hidden agenda of his own, Vis takes the offer yet finds that there’s much more that he bargained for here.

I won’t say more than that but I can say that now I understand the immense praise this story has been getting from readers and critics alike.

Granted, I had a rushed reading time with it(had to return it to the library sooner than I expected) but this intense blend of political drama, fantasy and coming of age saga was quite the page turning intoxicating bookish delight that I haven’t had the pleasure of in such a long time.

The second book, The Strength of the Few, was released earlier this month and I don’t know when it will be in my hands but I do know for a certainty that it will be worth the wait and then some:

Love is a War Song: On that same library trip that brought me to Will of the Many, I considered myself blessed by the bookish gods upon finding Danica Nava’s second novel on the shelves as well.

Our leading lady is Avery Fox, a rising pop star whose career has taken a major stumble due to a controversial magazine cover.

To ride out the backlash in private, Avery’s mom/manager sends to Oklahoma to stay at the horse ranch of her grandmother Lottie, whom she’s never met due to unresolved emotional issues. While there, Avery begins to learn more about her heritage and family history as well as clash with Lucas , Lottie’s right hand man who finds her shallow upon first sight.

Having read Nava’s first novel, The Truth According to Ember, not long before taking up this book, it was a treat to see the quick leaps and bounds in storytelling skills that the author has made so far. No doubt about it, Nava is on her way to being a literary chart topper with this riveting romcom that shows love is a battlefield yet worth winning nonetheless:

Lucky Day:

This wild new ride by Chuck Tingle has a number of interesting themes in it, such as the depths of corruption, recovery from trauma and bi erasure, yet the overwhelming universal theme that I found within these pages is facing the utter chaos of life itself.

The novel follows Vera, who lost her mother during a bizarrely tragic occurrence called the Low Probability Event, in which the most unlikely events happened all at once. This LPE lead to massive deaths and emotional aftershocks that even four years later, Vera hasn’t been able to start to recover from.

Having been a devoted statistician, Vera’s faith in stability has been shattered severely but when a government agent asks her to join in an investigation on a suspiciously lucky casino that may hold the answers to what happened that terrible day, she takes him up on that offer and her true journey begins.

To say that the story that unfolds here is unimaginable is an understatement and a compliment all at once. Tingle has an amazing talent in mixing horror, humor and finely tuned emotional depth that is breathtaking to behold. It’s a strong cup of tea to be sure yet worth taking a taste of true literary magic worthy of being seriously savored:

Lucky Day, as it happens, is a nominee in the Horror category of the Goodreads Choice Awards, which started their opening voting rounds today, Yes, I voted for Lucky Day and a few others ( which I plan to post about soon) and hopefully, it will make the finals. Keeping my fingers crossed for sure on that one!

In the meanwhile, here are my honorable mentions, books that are great reads that I highly recommend:

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

A couple of those book are also Goodreads nominees but regardless of that , they are definitely awesome books on their own merits. I just didn’t want to overwhelm my post with such massive praise for them!

Here’s to looking forward to more wonderful books in our collective future, despite how fraught our timeline looks at the moment. Yes, it’s hard to deal with these times that we’re going through yet it does help to take a break for simple moments of joy.

This morning, I saw the first snow of the season( snow flurries but still..) and while running my usual errands, discovered to my delight that it was cold enough for my breath to fog up. It happened briefly but that once was plenty enough for a small surprise of fun.

Not much of a thrill, I know, but being able to do that was always a mini magical bit that I have been charmed by since childhood and it’s nice to get that little jolt of bliss from such a mundane thing after all these years.

It may not be much but those tiny things that give you a sense of pure happiness are treasures worth protecting. Whether it’s the weather, a favorite cookie or a good book, those are gifts that no one can take away, no matter how much they try. Happy reading, folks , this and every year to come:

Going through my FrightFall bag of bookish treats

noreply@blogger.com (lady t) — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:19:00 +0000

Happy post-Halloween, folks and I hope your seasonal reading was a real treat as was mine for the FrightFall readathon hosted by Michelle Miller over at Seasons of Reading!

Before we begin here, yes, I swapped out a book from my already established TBR for this event(my mood had changed as I shall explain) and yes, the final book was finished on All Saints Day but it was completed before the end of the weekend, which sort of counts, I hope?

Anyway, the first book that I did finish here was Play Nice by Rachel Harrison. Clio, a snarky social influencer, is the youngest of three sisters whose mother Alex gained dubious fame by claiming the house that she and her daughters moved into was demonically possessed.

Clio barely remembered that bizarre period in their lives so when the news of Alex’s death reached her, she had no major qualms about reclaiming the house for a makeover project she could vlog about. This whole move angers her remaining family yet Clio is determined to do this.

Upon cleaning out the place, she discovers a copy of the book her mom wrote about the haunting, a book that she and her sisters swore to their father that they would never read. Driven by curiosity and some of the strange vibes in the house itself, Clio finds herself in a situation where either she’s reliving Alex’s nightmare or making a new one for herself.

This is my first time reading Harrison and I have to say that I really liked it and want to read more from her. The story is supernaturally based but it’s also a smart and savvy look at dysfunctional family dynamics as well as the deadly allure of attention seeking in both private and public life.

Plus, some engaging moments of humor mixed with the emotional tension all make for a storytelling tune you can hum along with in fearsome harmony:

After that, I dove into Sophie Jordan’s Marked by Moonlight , a reissue of the first book in her Moon Chasers series.

Meek and mild schoolteacher Claire has her life turned upside down after an encounter with a large “dog” marks her for death in more ways than one.

According to the new man in her life, Gideon, Claire was bitten by a werewolf and meant to become one herself by the time of the new moon. The secret lycan hunter society that he belongs to has a set protocol for such cases as hers; instant death before that happens.

However, Gideon finds himself moved to try and save Claire from that fate, a difficult task since she doesn’t believe him at first and then later on. finds some enticing advantages to being a were. Heightened strength, speed and a new found confidence are pretty good benefits yet she doesn’t want to lose her soul in the bargain.

While the focus of the book is on the romance between Claire and Gideon, I was much more intrigued by the werewolf cultural norms that cropped up towards the latter half of the story. While it’s a rather alpha male setup, there is an introduction to a werewolf who refuses to be part of a pack and has sworn off attacking humans during his changing times. A good concept that reminds me of Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer(only Oz was way more chill).

No doubt more of that is explored in the other books in this series (plus a couple of characters such as Gideon’s younger sister who wants to a lycan hunter yet is shut out due to being a woman) I might want to check a couple of those entries out as well. For now, this was a fun romp into popcorn page turning moonlit delight:

And finally, I decided to take up T. Kingfisher’s Hemlock & Silver as my last read here. I was still in the mood for supernatural scares and this fairy tale inspired novel has quite a bit of that and then some.

Anja is a poison expert who has been fascinated by the search for an antidote for numerous deadly concoctions almost all her life.

Her talents bring the newly bereaved king to her door, seeking her help in discovering what ails his daughter Snow. Her mother the queen and little sister Rose died under tragic circumstances yet Snow’s wasting away is more than just grief over that loss.

At first, Anja is frustrated at not being able to find not only the possibility of poisoning but any sort of cause for her new patient’s condition. Then one day, the discovery of a strange apple linked to the multitude of mirrors at the remote royal estate that they’re staying at reveals much and yet conceals some terrifying secrets that could doom all involved.

Without getting into more details, this story is a take on the classic Snow White tale yet Kingfisher has an amazing ability to create fresh new fiction from such well known material, embroidering rich character development along side fantastical swatches of creatures both human and otherwise that make up a gorgeous tapestry of fantasy at it’s best.

Yes, there were plenty of scary moments to include this book into this challenge but it’s the heartfelt affection given to these characters that truly is the spine of the story. This reimagining of Snow White and the wicked queen is steady enough to stand on its own and also makes for a welcome addition to that iconic pantheon:

So, this was definitely a good gruesome time and my thanks to Michelle Miller for giving us all the perfect treat basket to put such devious delights in.

In the meanwhile, the holiday season ahead is going to be rough going, given the daily headlines that seem to get worse as we go on. Nonetheless, the best way forward is to help each other out as much as possible and to keep a good thought or two in our hearts.

Hard to do, I know, but finding what comfort you can to revive your spirits is important to your emotional health. For me, one of those things that I take comfort in is a reread of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which I plan on doing this month.

While Alcott disliked having this book being her crowning achievement in literature (she would’ve rather preferred one of her gothic novels claiming that honor instead), her use of family lore in bringing the March sisters to vivid life was a special kind of magic that couldn’t be ignored by anyone.

It’s also inspired many a reader to have such a loving family to look to in bad as well as good times and no matter how that family has come together, the love, laughter and support is what makes any version of such a story worth revisiting.

A true classic shows both the best and worst of what we have to offer the world and in the case of Little Women, hopefully our best will be good enough for those readers yet to turn that first page: