Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere gave me a reverance for outer space. Like, I looked up observation conservatories near me. Because, now, I want to visit them.
When I told my husband this -- a man who's tried to get me interested in all things "space" for years -- he summed up Atmosphere's effect the best: "That’s some damn good writing."
But are we surprised? TJR continually puts out novels like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and...
I’ll be the first to admit that Buried Seeds: A Yolanda Ávila Mystery isn’t a typical read for me. It covers WWII-adjacent topics. It’s part of a mystery series (which I’m very selective about reading). And, it navigates a lot of current social and political issues that I tend to shy away from.
But when author Verónica Gutiérrez reached out to me about her book, I was really intrigued by her novel’s premise. (And the fact that she...
The Last Lady B is trying to be "Jane Austen meets The White Lotus." Julia Quinn of Bridgerton fame blurbed the book, and it promised a witty historical romance with a Gothic twist.
Brace yourself, Tartlets: these are all rather lofty comparisons.
This book isn’t nearly as exciting as The White Lotus. And, it’s not nearly as “I burn for you” as season one of Bridgerton.
And, nothing about The Last Lady B is similar to Jane Austen except...
I was really hoping to like A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories. I’ve been having pretty good luck with short story collections, and this new collection by Nancy J. Allen seemed pretty intriguing. The description on the back of the book had me eager to dive into each story.
Unfortunately, I ended up DNF’ing A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes about halfway through the book.
What’s A Method of Reaching Extreme...
I almost said "no" to reading and reviewing 16 Forever by Lance Rubin. This YA novel is a mix of speculative fiction and romance, with a lot of 50 First Dates meets Groundhog Day vibes.
And I'm really glad I said YES to reading this one.
What’s 16 Forever about?
In 16 Forever, Carter Cohen wakes up on the morning of what should be his 17th birthday—only to find that he’s regressed overnight and thinks it’s now his 16th birthday. He...
You know you’ve got a good book when you’re too busy reading to jot down notes.
That’s exactly what happened as I sped through Little Miss Petty by Sally Kilpatrick.
What’s Little Miss Petty about? Stella Stark comes home one night to a cliché scene: her long-time partner is in bed with another woman. Soon after, she finds herself without a place to live and a job and moves into an apartment complex. Her new friends encourage her to...
It was an exciting day when author, speaker, and performer Devrie Brynn Donalson slid into my DMs and asked if I wanted to review her book, The Art of Burning Heather, on my blog.
There was some definite fangirling that morning. An excited gasp, a barely concealed squeal, and some hurried texting to my friend who “introduced” me to Devrie a few years ago.
Me and Devrie go way back (though she doesn't really know it)
To be clear: I...
I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself is a delightful love letter to Paris, to freedom of expression, and to oneself.
Long-time Tartlets may remember author Glynnis MacNicol from when I reviewed her memoir No One Tells You This back in 2019. MacNicol’s musings on being a single and childless woman in her 40s struck a huge chord with me. No One Tells You This remains one of my favorite reads to this day.
Now, seven years (omg!!! how?!?!) later,...
I’m late to the party in reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. I put off reading this acclaimed novel by Gabrielle Zevin for far too long. And, of course, I ended up loving it.
This one is definitely worth all the fuss, Tartlets.
What’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow about? Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is about Sam and Sadie. While they knew each other as kids, they become friends during college, and then they...
Get ready for a touch of magic, family drama, and a compelling story about love and grief spanning three generations of women in The Unwritten Rules of Magic.
What’s The Unwritten Rules of Magic about? The Unwritten Rules of Magic is about Emerson Clarke, who steals a typewriter from her dad’s office after his funeral. Her dad was a famous author, and through a series of journal entries, the reader learns that the typewriter was...
