A little backstory before I get into my review for Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory: I actually read this book back in December. After moving three critically acclaimed and wildly anticipated novels into my DNF pile, I was desperate for a good read. So, I decided to go with the wild card and chose the book with "crematory" in the title. In December. At Christmas. After all those bestselling novels had failed me, I...
The Unhoneymooners is your next perfect beach read. I originally toyed with giving it a brief mention in my recent Quick Look Books post on Vacation Destination reads. However, in the end, I had to write a full review -- and, of course, give the book its own book-inspired recipe! This newest novel from writing duo Christina Lauren is your quintessential rom-com: two characters who loath one another somehow find themselves on a vacation in...
Well, we made it to summer, everyone! If you’re like me, you're dreaming about what vacations you want to take. Warm weather always makes me think about jet-setting somewhere exotic -- or, really, to anywhere that’s different from what I see 24/7 in my daily routine. The past few years have yielded a lot more daycations than vacations for me, though, so I’ve been getting my vicarious vacation fix through books. Which brings me to this...
Mom, don’t read this post. I’m serious. Stop reading. I know you’re a loyal Tartlet, but it’s okay for you to skip this particular book review. In fact, for the love of God, please skip this one. Are you gone? Last chance…. …… Okay! For everyone else who is NOT my mom: *blasts Salt n’ Peppa music and dances around the room* Let’s talk about sex, baby. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang is a fantastic book. I’m giving this...
Well. I'm never visiting a health resort. EVER. I'm just going to start this review by saying that Nine Perfect Strangers did not go at all where I thought it would. A lot of people said they had a hard time getting through this entire book, and I didn't quite understand what they meant until about halfway through -- which is about halfway through the titular "nine perfect strangers'" experience at a luxury spa and health resort called...
Oh, man. This book is heavy. The Things She's Seen was a hard one to read, but it's oh-so worth it. I received an ARC of this YA title by Australian brother-sister writing duo Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, and I was thoroughly hooked from the first page. This story is a poignant blend of mystery, fantasy, and brutal reality that will leave you eagerly turning the pages for more. There's a lot of action and issues packed into this slim...
Well, An Unwanted Guest was a nice little murder mystery. What's An Unwanted Guest about? When I first started reading this third novel by Shari Lapena, I immediately was reminded of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun – or, of the movie version since I’ve never actually read the book. An interesting cast of characters have all ended up at the same place – but instead of at a lux resort in the Adriatic, it’s at a cozy inn in the...
Are you a blogger? Then you should absolutely, positively, 100% read How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul). My husband is wonderfully supportive of my blogging lifestyle, and he bought me this book for Christmas to encourage my dreams of becoming a full-time writer and blogger. After launching the Tart, I quickly learned that there is SO much to learn about the blogging world. Luckily, there are a lot of articles online to help you...
Goodreads and some other book bloggers tell me I’m in the minority on this one – but I just don’t care. The Last Romantics was a DNF for me. I requested the ARC of author Tara Conklin’s newest novel in a moment of optimism. I hadn’t been able to finish her debut novel, The House Girl; the premise had interested me, but the writing fell flat and refused to suck me into its story. Still, I had hoped that my encounter with The Last...
Welcome back to Ballybucklebo! *dances, throws four-leaf clovers in the air, and speaks with a laughably awful Irish accent* I mean, that’s pretty much what I do whenever Patrick Taylor releases a new book in the Irish Country Doctor series. I’ve been reading this series since day one, and, as you'll recall, several previous installments have made it into my Quick Look Books recommendations. The latest novel, An Irish Country Cottage, is set...
