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Missing Travel? 4 Books To Soothe Your Wanderlust
I love to travel because I think you learn as much about yourself as you do the place you visit. I’m longing to travel but not quite ready to venture too far with the ‘rona lurking. Instead of packing my bags, I’ve been pouring myself a glass of wine and settling into a comfy chair in a shaded part of my patio, living vicariously through characters in books. Today I’m sharing four books where the main characters venture abroad, and in the process, push themselves out of their comfort zones! The Little Bookshop on the Seine, Paris Is Always A Good Idea, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and Eighty Days to…
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Book Review: Grown-Up Pose by Sonya Lalli
I really enjoyed Sonya Lalli’s first book, The Matchmaker’s List, and so I have been looking forward to reading Grown-Up Pose. I think I enjoyed Grown-Up Pose even more! This is a story of one woman’s journey of self-discovery. Let’s get this out of the way: the blurb for Grown-Up Pose is a little misleading. From the blurb, you might think this is about a woman who owns a yoga studio, but the studio itself doesn’t much come into play until the last bit of the plot. It’s everything that happens with Anu before and after the studio purchase that really makes the story. So Anu is a woman who…
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Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
I absolutely fell in love with Heather Webber’s recent novel Midnight at the Blackbird Café. It’s magical, layered, whimsical, and moving, with fabulous characters and a well-imagined setting. Read on to find out WHY this book has captured my heart. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book; all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I might earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you. My Thoughts on Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe Midnight at the Blackbird Café is a magical book (and not just…
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On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe
Mary Alice Monroe returns to the shores of South Carolina, Primrose Cottage, and the Rutledge family in On Ocean Boulevard, the newest edition to her long-running The Beach House Series. I received an advance copy of the book from Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. The Book My Take I have been a Mary Alice Monroe fan for a long time. Any new book in her Beach House series with the Rutledge family is like catching up with an old friend. (That said, you don’t need to have read the earlier books to jump into…
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Book Review: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
Real Men Knit is the first book I’ve read by Kwana Jackson, who also writes romances under the name of K.M Jackson. I definitely need to get my hands on her Sugar Lake series, as it sounds like it is right up my alley as well. If you’re a fan of contemporary romance, this slow burn romance set in a knitting shop in Harlem may be just the book you need for a quick escape or beach read. Disclosure: I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.…
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Books to Help Understand Anti-Racism and Race
Wanting to be a better white ally means learning about systemic racism. To do that, we need to dig a little deeper into U.S. history, because we’re simply not taught it fully in school, at least in a way that we understand the nuances and all that shaped how we ended up where we all are today. As the fantastic graphic above by illustrator Jane Mount shows, there is no shortage of books that talk about race and racism. Non-fiction offers a direct (and often blunt) path to understanding. Fiction provides an excellent means to see and feel things from a different perspective. Putting both together marries the factual aspects…
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Book Review: Not Like The Movies by Kerry Winfrey
If you are looking for a book to escape into, Kerry Winfrey’s fun, frustrating, and delightful novel Not Like The Movies is exactly what you need right now. I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. The Book My Take I absolutely love rom-com movies, and Not Like The Movies totally feeds my need, only in book form! It’s funny, quirky, has moments that are both heartwarming and delightfully cringeworthy. Chloe is the perfect protagonist – sunny, colorful, constantly positive, drowns her emotions in baking pies. She…
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Book Review: The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
I adored Lian Dolan’s first two books. They were smart, funny, light, and warm – and the kind you want to reread. When I saw that she had a new book out, I jumped on the chance to read it. The Sweeney Sisters was everything I’d hoped for, with the strong character development I appreciate from Lian Dolan. I received an advance copy of the book from William Morrow Books via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own. The Book My Take The Sweeney Sisters did not disappoint. Compared to her other stories, I felt this story dug deeper and was more complex when it…
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The Engineer’s Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood
Today’s book recommendation is perfect for fans of historical fiction based on real-life history or characters. Tracey Enerson Wood’s The Engineer’s Wife was a wonderfully engaging, well-researched story of the wife of the engineer who designed and started the build the Brooklyn Bridge until he falls ill and she must take over the construction. NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own! Review of The Engineer’s Wife The Engineer’s Wife follows the trials the both Captain Washington ‘Wash’ Roebling and his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, face. Professionally, Wash suffers decompression sickness from his work on the bridge and as Emily steps…
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Book Review: The Wish List by Ruby Hummingbird
I generally have a knee jerk reaction any time a book publisher provides a description that reads “A charming page-turner” or “the feel-good book of the year”. It tends to set up some pretty high expectations that quite often aren’t met. However, in the case of The Wish List (or as my cover reads: The Wish List of Albie Young), “charming page-turner” is an accurate description, and I was not disappointed. Read on to learn more about this sweet, poignant tale. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book. This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy…
