A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Spruce Soda (Recipe Inspired by THE JANE AUSTEN DIET)

Move over, Cherry Coke, because Spruce Soda is my new favorite soft drink. You heard me. Spruce Soda. I admit, it doesn’t sound like a very Jane-ish book-inspired recipe for The Jane Austen Diet. But, it’s adapted from the recipe for Spruce...

Book Review of THE JANE AUSTEN DIET

Confession time: My newest celebrity crush is the author of The Jane Austen Diet. Bryan Kozlowski, you have the dubious honor of being on the list of “Men I Would Date In An Instant, Were I Not Happily Married.” (Also on this list are Enrique...

Book Review of RELATIVE STRANGERS

I seem to be on a Jane Austen retelling kick lately: first Once Persuaded, Twice Shy, and now Relative Strangers, which is a modern reimagining of Sense and Sensibility.   What’s Relative Strangers about? Amelia Bae-Wood ((ahem, Marianne...

Book Review of ONCE PERSUADED, TWICE SHY

I actually let out a cheer while reading Once Persuaded, Twice Shy. I mean, it was a quiet cheer. Because it was 4am and my husband was asleep next to me. But, at a crucial moment in the book, a fist pump and a hissed "yes!" went up in honor of...

Sally Lunn Buns (Recipe Inspired by THE OTHER BENNET SISTER)

It’s hard to believe that these Sally Lunn Buns came out of my kitchen. But, they did, and they're freaking perfect. In case you don't remember, I suck making yeasted bread. Like, really suck at it. I mean, I've done it, with mixed results. There...

Book Review of THE OTHER BENNET SISTER

Calling all Janeites! I’m here to tell you that not only is The Other Bennet Sister worth your time, but that it’s one of the best Jane Austen-inspired novels I've ever read. And I’ve read a lot of them. Let’s start with the writing in The...

Book Review of THE PRINTED LETTER BOOKSHOP

I picked up The Printed Letter Bookshop after tossing aside four #DNFs in a row. Mercifully, this charming story by Katherine Reay was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump. This novel follows three women -- Madeline, Janet, and...

Quick Look Books: Christmas Books (December 2018)

I know it's a little soon after the last QLB to be posting another one, but I'm bringing you December's Quick Look Books a little early so you can get your jolly on. Even though I'm mostly reading Christmas books this month, I don't want to only...

Quick Look Books: Powerhouse Books (September 2018)

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....