I love the original title of this book: Nutmeg. Nutmeg was originally published in the UK in 2013, and it was re-christened From the Kitchen of Half Truth when it made its way to the U.S. I personally feel that the U.S. title better captures the essence of the novel, but I’ll be honest – I might not have picked up this book if that had been the title I saw first. Nutmeg really drew me in. It’s one of my favorite spices, as you know from my...
I’ve been trying to write my review of Two Steps Forward since June. Yup, June. That’s how long ago I read this book. I usually read and prep my reviews a few weeks in advance, but six months is really stretching it. It's hard to see a story for what it actually is and not the hopes you were pinning on it. I first fell in love with author Graeme Simsion's writing with The Rosie Project, which took the world by storm and, if you remember,...
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo wins the award for the best last sentence of a book, ever. No, don’t go look at it! Do not flip to the back of the book to read it, or search for it on Google books, or anything like that. You have to read the entire book in order to fully appreciate – and understand – that last line. Just know that it made me cackle happily, close the book with a great big grin on my face, and say, “Oh, Evelyn.”...
Oh, Wendy Webb. Will you ever write a book that I don't enjoy? Probably not. I don't think you're capable of it. I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Review Copy of Daughters of the Lake, and I was totally psyched when it arrived in the mail. I've read all of Webb's previous novels and have been eagerly anticipating her newest -- so, receiving an advance copy to read and review for the blog had me...
I have a friend who, without fail, asks me “So, what have you been reading lately?” every time I see him. Despite the fact that I’m a book blogger, I usually draw a blank when someone asks me for literary recommendations out of the blue. I’m always reading something, but I can’t always recall the title of my current read off the top of my head. (Meanwhile, I remember the name of my best friend's sophomore year math teacher quite...
Hey, everyone! I'm excited to announce a NEW feature on the Tart. Each month, I'll be posting a list of book recommendations entitled Quick Look Books. Each list will be themed and will give some info about books I've read but not previously reviewed on the blog. While reading in-depth reviews is fun, I know sometimes you just want an at-a-glance list of books in a certain genre, and Quick Look Books will provide just that! And, it'll allow me...
You don’t even know the level of excitement I had when I received the email from my library that this book had come in. A heat wave had just hit, and The High Tide Club seemed like the perfect beach read for a hot summer’s day. And, while I don’t plan on going near any beaches this year, you can bet your bottom sand dollar that I plunked myself down under my pergola to read this, pretending that the grass surrounding me was sand and the...
I won’t lie – I mainly picked this title because of the author’s name (shout out to the CJ’s!) and the fact that there is an adorable orange cat on the front cover that looks very much like MY adorable orange cat. I figured with the stars aligning like that, I HAD to read this book. Honestly, the book description didn’t intrigue me that much (mainly because it didn’t offer much plot reveal—more on that in a bit), but I usually...
I love me a good "renovate your house, renovate your life" story. After reading a particularly terrifying but excellent novel, I decided I needed something a bit lighter as my next read. Cue The Hideaway, by Lauren K. Denton. This was an impulse grab at the library. I generally stop by my town library once or twice a week to pick up books that have come in for me (love the InterLibraryLoan system...or whatever it's called these days!), and I...
