A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

THE ECHO WIFE Book Review

The Echo Wife is very different from the type of books I usually read. The premise sounded a bit domestic suspense-y, so I grabbed it since I love reading thrillers in the winter months. It wasn’t until I glanced at the side of my library copy and saw a little “science fiction” sticker on the spine that I was like, “Wait, what?” What I got from author Sarah Gailey’s novel was so much more. This domestic thriller/science fiction...

THE TRUTH PROJECT Book Review

I waited a long time -- too long! -- to read The Truth Project. Author Dante Medema (whether she knows this or not) was one of the very first people to start following the Tart’s Instagram account. Of course, I followed her right back, and not long after that, she announced her upcoming debut publication. I've been waiting to read The Truth Project since the day it was published back in 2020.  Correction: I've been waiting to read it since...

THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP Book Review

Grady Hendrix is so fucking brilliant. The Final Girl Support Group blew me away with its originality, its wit, and its non-stop, heart-pounding, guess-again action.   What’s a “final girl”? “Final Girl” is the term coined for the last girl left standing in a horror story. You know, there’s a close-knit group of a few teens, and the killer picks them off one by one until, finally, there’s only one person – usually a girl –...

THE FURY Book Review

The Fury isn’t the first book I’ve read by Alex Michaelides – and, unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite.   What’s The Fury about? This thriller is about a supposedly close-knit group of friends on a lavish vacation together on a private Greek island – and one up them ends up dead. The story is told through the eyes of one of the friends, Elliot Chase, who narrates the The Fury. And, who is super annoying. There’s basically two...

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE Book Review

Many thanks to those of you (there were many!) who told me to read The Bear and the Nightingale. Extra special thanks goes to those who pointed out that I should do so during wintertime. You were spot on about this.   What’s The Bear and the Nightingale about? The Bear and the Nightingale beautifully weaves together historical fiction and fantasy, truth and fable, new religion and old world magic. There are princes and peasants, house elves...

HAPPY JOBS: DOING WHAT YOU LOVE FOR A LIVING Book Review

Happy 2024, Tartlets! I’m kicking off the new year with a book review I think many people could use: Happy Jobs: Doing What You Love for a Living. Truth time: Who here doesn’t like their day job? (Hiiiiiii.) Who here wishes they could do something else for a living, but you don’t know what that “something else” is? Who here does know what that “something else” is – but is afraid to venture down a new path since the one you’re...

Book Review of DECODING THE STARS: A Modern Astrology Guide to Discover Your Life’s Purpose

I don't usually read books like Decoding the Stars: A Modern Astrology Guide to Discover Your Life's Purpose. But, I’m so glad I broke out of my comfort zone with this one. As we bring 2023 to a close, I’m bringing you a dose of “woo woo” that'll knock your socks off.   How I discovered Decoding the Stars I actually met author Allison Scott before I'd even heard of Decoding the Stars. We hit it off and soon started talking about ghosts...

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Book Review

Home for Christmas by Holly Chamberlin wasn't my favorite Christmas book ever. But, it definitely wasn’t the worst.  You know how some holiday stories can get overly saccharine? Home for Christmas is like that. Just a little. The two daughters are just a little too perfect. The main relationships in the book are just a little too on the nose. And, everything gets tied up a little too neatly in the end. But, hey. It’s Christmas, right? WE...

HAMNET Book Review

I hated Hamlet, the famous play by William Shakespeare. But, I adored HamNet, the novel by Maggie O’Farrell. This work of historical fiction has been on my TBR list for a little while, but because of the title, I was reluctant to dive in. Luckily, a friend reassured me that the novel Hamnet has very little to do with Hamlet, and then told me I should read it because it’s wonderful. My friend was right.   What’s Hamnet about? Hamnet’s...

THE HACIENDA Book Review

The Hacienda is one of those books that’s received a lot of buzz – and I’m happy to report that it lived up to the hype. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers/reviews comparing The Hacienda to Mexican Gothic, which was a DNF for me. So, it took me awhile to gather the courage to attempt The Hacienda. I’m not sure why people keep comparing these two novels. Maybe -- disappointingly -- it’s because they’re both set in Mexico?? Sigh. It's a...