It's not often I yell out "Holy Crap!" while reading historical fiction. But that's exactly what I did smack in the middle of The Exiles. Let's just say the story took a very unexpected turn. Bravo, Christina Baker Kline, for such a bold move. What's The Exiles about? The Exiles follows three resourceful young women. There’s Evangeline and Hazel, the English prisoners, and Mathinna, a native inhabitant of Australia. Each...
I'm just going to jump right into it: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center is one of the best books I've read all year. What's Things You Save in a Fire about? Things You Save in a Fire follows main character Cassie to a new fire station when she moves to take care of her ailing, estranged mother. There's a lot of firehouse banter, jokes, camaraderie, and training, which was all thoroughly entertaining, especially...
I'm starting off this book review with a shout-out to to my blogger friend An Historian About Town, who recommended The Finishing Touches in one of her wonderful blog posts. The Historian and I share an affinity for British chick lit (which, I agree, is usually slightly superior to American chick lit), and this charming, sweet, and funny novel by Hester Browne did not disappoint! So, Historian, thanks for the rec! Consider us even for when I...
Let's get right to it, shall we? I never wanted Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key to end. I was reading full speed ahead for two days straight, and then I did what I usually do when I absolutely love a book – I refused to read the last 40 or so pages because I didn’t want the experience to be over. In fact, I actually got into a lil’ depressed funk when I knew I couldn’t put it off anymore and had to finish reading the story. If...
This hardly ever happens to me, but... I have no idea what to write as a book review for Lock Every Door. As I read a book, I'm usually furiously scribbling notes in my little journal; I know I won't remember bookish thoughts later on that come to me in the moment, so I make sure to jot them down as reference points for when I write my reviews. But, I didn't make any notes for Lock Every Door. Not a single one. I was too busy reading. ...
If I'd known that drinking tea in American Royals is considered unpatriotic, I might have avoided reading this book. Out of protest for my favorite beverage, of course. Naw, jk! American Royals is awesome. I'm so glad I didn't know about the tea thing beforehand. What's American Royals about? America Royals is a completely charming novel that re-imagines the United States of America as a monarchy, complete with a royal family...
I want to tell you what reading An American Marriage by Tayari Jones did to me: it blew the doors of my understanding of white privilege wide open. Those doors will never be shut again. I read An American Marriage in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. With a few exceptions, most of my reads are written by white women. This isn’t a purposeful decision, but it’s a trend I’ve noticed over the past few years, so I’ve decided to diversify...
Who else pounces on a new Mary Kay Andrews book the minute it comes out? My copy of Hello, Summer arrived a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, and it made me so excited to kick off the summer season. I'd devoured another beach read last MDW, and I figured a book titled "Hello, Summer" would be a shoo-in to invoke the easy, beachy, summertime vibes. Um, no. Hello, Summer combines two things that I couldn't give two hoots about: politics and...
Michael Arceneaux, author of I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé, may be my spirit animal. I can't even tell you how many times I emphatically nodded and shouted "Hell, yeah!" as I read his candid and moving memoir. It's rare that I stumble across a writer whose wry sense of humor so closely matches my own -- or, at least, my own if I had the chutzpah to speak or write about things as...
The Sun Down Motel gave me mixed feelings. I'd been eagerly anticipating this one for months, especially after seeing SO much love for it from readers and other book bloggers. I was so excited when it came in from my local library just before they closed down because of COVID-19. I was quarantined, but I figured, Hey, I got THE book I was waiting for, so NBD. Ehhh, not quite. The Sun Down Motel is a good book; the story it delivers is solid...
