A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW Book Review

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...

THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF MAGIC Book Review

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...

HONEYMOON STAGE Book Review

Calling all Elder Millennials! Remember the early days of reality TV -- and the crash-and-burn lovefest that was Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's Newlyweds? In case you've forgotten, Honeymoon Stage is here to remind you of the highs, the lows, and all the craziness we just loved to hate.   What’s Honeymoon Stage about? Cassidy Baum is about to get married on the set of a reality TV show. Even though she doesn’t really like reality TV....

THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART Book Review

The universe works in funny ways. The morning before I started reading The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, I was typing up my notes for a Dark Side of the Word episode. And I wrote down, with much regret, that “nothing really scares me anymore” because I’ve read so many horror novels. That night, I was awake until 2am reading this new supernatural suspense novel from Christina Henry. And I was totally afraid to get out of bed and...

THE FROZEN RIVER Book Review

I waited a long time to read The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. At least, it feels like I did. This historical fiction novel published in December 2023, and I started seeing its beautiful book cover appear on Instagram not long after. Everyone who recommended it to me told me it was a great “winter read.” I love me a good seasonal read, so even though my library had the book in stock somewhere around June 2024, I held off. I wanted to read...

THE EX-BOYFRIEND’S FAVORITE RECIPE FUNERAL COMMITTEE (DNF Book Review)

I really wanted to like The Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee. Yes, despite its unnecessarily long title. (Anyone else getting The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society flashbacks???) This Japanese novel by Saki Kawashiro (translated by Yuka Maeno) has food, it has healing, and it has community. The description of the book even reminded me my women’s fiction novel, Desserted, that I still hope to find a home for:...

HAUNTED EVER AFTER Book Review

The perfect Halloween rom-com exists in the form of Haunted Ever After. Get ready, Tartlets, for the sweetest ghostly beach read out there.   What’s Haunted Ever After about? We meet main character Cassie in Haunted Ever After just after she’s moved to her dream beach cottage in Boneyard Key, Florida. She got the house for a steal and plans to renovate it – but, of course, there’s a reason why. Um, it’s haunted. Just like the rest of...

SOUL DANCING Book Review

First of all, many thanks to author Gail Priest for reaching out to me about her novel Soul Dancing. Gail’s a loyal Tartlet, and she offered to send me a review copy of her book since she knows I love women’s fiction and supernatural stories. Well, Gail, let’s remove all the suspense – I loved Soul Dancing. I’m so glad you sent it my way!   What’s Soul Dancing about? We meet elderly main character Shirlene at the very beginning of...

BEES IN JUNE Book Review

I loved absolutely everything about Bees in June. It’s a magical, uplifting, endearing, and charming story. Think Waitress meets Midnight at the Blackbird Café. With bees.    What’s Bees in June about? Bees in June is about Rennie, a young woman stuck in an unhappy and increasingly abusive marriage. Rennie needs to find meaning in her life after her newborn son passes away and her husband withdraws from their relationship. When she...

JAMES (Pulitzer Prize Winner) Book Review

Given that James was recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize, I figured it might be a good time to post my book review of this reimagined masterpiece by Percival Everett.  This one is worth the hype, Tartlets.    What’s James about? James is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of the enslaved man Jim (James), who accompanies Tom and Huck along their adventures in the original Twain story. We...