Month: December 2024
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Book Review: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
I have been a diehard Alice Feeney fan since Rock Paper Scissors. Every book of hers I’ve read has been an easy five-star read. I’m so devastated that this one missed the mark for me…
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Book Review: Wilderness Within by Sr. Josephine Garrett
Part meditation and part journal, Wilderness Within is a thorough guide for the Lenten season written by a Sister and mental health counselor. With several included companion pieces, this guide offers not only spiritual reading but also exercises often drawing from the field of psychology…
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Book Review: Carry the Cross with Padre Pio by Susan B. Bartoli
In this Lenten guide, we get a mini-biography about Padre Pio’s life as well as prayers and reflections inspired by his writings. Padre Pio is a perfect saint to call upon during the season of Lent…
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Book Review: A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner
Blacklisted from Hollywood in the Cold War climate and suspected of consorting with Communists, Melanie has little company anymore aside from her neighbor, Elwood. Given Elwood is agoraphobic and doesn’t leave the house, Melanie finds cause for concern when she suddenly can’t find him…
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Book Review: The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed
Though single herself, Nura Khan has been a successful matchmaker and is running the family business. That is until one dissatisfied customer starts seeking revenge. Nura’s life is in danger as well as her family’s and friends’…
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Book Review: The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn
Theresienstadt, a ghetto in Czechoslovakia, is the stage the Nazis set to show ‘proof’ that Jewish people aren’t being harmed at the hands of the Third Reich. The reality, of course, is a living hell for the prisoners sent there…
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Book Review: All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
Set in a dystopian future where severe climate change has all but destroyed civilization, Nonnie, her family, and what few remain in what’s left of New York City. They’ve taken shelter in the Museum of Natural History, balancing what they need to do to survive and trying to preserve what they can of what’s left…
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Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The cover of this book has been jumping out at me since it was published and I’ve heard a number of different people reviewing it and speaking about it, but for some reason, I wasn’t super interested in picking it up (the idea of a narrating octopus, perhaps?) until a friend of mine gave a…
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Book Review: Pinball by Jon Chad
I saw this book on display at the library and it caught my eye. I’ve been a super casual pinball player and haven’t touched a machine for years outside of digital games. I figured this would be a nostalgic read. I had no idea I’d end up learning so much about the history and mechanics…
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Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
This book was initially recommended to me by a friend because of the historical and academic tone, but I’d put it off being intimidated by the faerie storyline. When it ended up being selected for a group read, I decided not to put it off any longer. Definitely different for me, but a nice different!…