Topic

2025

A collection of 12 issues

Additional Review D - A Not-Terrible Romance?

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne This was fairly readable and I actually liked both protagonists. They didn't just magically get together at the end and there was real chemistry. Oh my, the elevator scene, which I just so happened to get to while watching my daughter'

Audiobook - The Cherry Tree Café - Heidi Swain

Heidi Swain cannot write male characters. And even her narrator's best efforts to give them different voices didn't make Jake, Ben, Tom and Giles any less interchangeable. Our poor protagonist had a tough choice with that sea of meh. I was half hoping for a surprise

Audiobook - The House on the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune

Another fantastic fantasy book. I expected a book with the word cerulean in the title to either be amazing or amazingly pretentious. I am happy to report it is the first. The kids on the island were fantastical and adorable, and the audiobook narrator did a brilliant job with all

'25 March - theme: Memoir March (Alex suggests - a bubble wrap celebrity)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling This appeared in our book box a few weeks ago and looked like the perfect candidate for a "bubble wrap celebrity". I approached with caution and was pleasantly surprised to find this book really, really funny.

Additional Review C - Our Greatest Living Mystery Writer?

The Searcher by Tana French The book jacket does indeed call Tana French our greatest living mystery writer. It seems a bold claim to make. The book is good, but not that good and not actually that much of a straight forward mystery. I would probably pick someone like Lisa

Audiobook - How Not to Fall in Love, Actually - Catherine Bennetto

Yeah, this was fine. Nothing problematic, pleasant enough characters, writing was ok. If you want a cozy romance in your ears while you go about your day this fits the bill. And for fans of 'Love, Actually' theres some hints about that movie too. Well written, cosy romance

Audiobook - A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab

This was great. After my last brush with fantasy and SJM this was a breath of fresh air. A fantastically described and fascinating world. Non-problematic main characters. Beautiful writing that I never gave me an urge to get out my green correcting pen (we don't use red these

Additional Review B - Should I trust BookTok recommendations?

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas I've been vaguely aware of they hype surrounding these books from BookTok and in other social media, so when I visited England last summer and saw my Sister-in-law had the whole set I asked her about them. She

Additional Review A - British Quiz-show host and comedian becomes a novelist?

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman After having so much fun completing my monthly reading challenge last year, I embarked on some other challenges this year. Namely to visit every library my Wake County Library Card gives me access to. This challenge saw me driving to the other side of

'25 February - theme: Black History Month

Will's Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes I was sent this book for free as an Arc from goodreads. It was called Will and contained no illustrations so I don't know if they are any good! It was a great read for black history month,