Adult, book review

Mad Honey by Katie Welch (Review)

When Beck Wise vanished, his girlfriend Melissa Makepeace poured herself into caring for the family farm, silently absorbing the fact that another man had disappeared from her life. But when Beck reappears three months later, thin and pale, he has no idea what day it is and is filled with memories of being part of a bee colony. A series of layered mysteries begin to unravel: What happened to Beck? Where did Melissa’s father go? How can she keep the farm together? With gorgeous descriptions, deft characterizations, and a page-turning plot, Mad Honey immerses the reader in a search for truth bounded by the everyday magic of beekeeping, of family, and of finding peace, all while asking how much we really understand the natural world
Read More Mad Honey by Katie Welch (Review)

Adult, book review

Taobao: Stories by Dan K. Woo (Review)

In twelve spare, fable-like short stories Dan K. Woo introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters from different regions of China. From rural villages to bustling cities, Woo deftly charts the paths of young people searching for love, meaning and happiness in a country that is often misunderstood in North America. Whether they are participating in a marriage market to appease their mother, working as a delivery boy in Beijing or dealing with trauma in a hospital in Shanghai, we see these young people push against both tradition and the lightning-fast economy to try and make their way in often difficult situations. Woo brings remarkable empathy to these dreamlike stories and their twists and turns, which will linger long in readers’ minds. Through it all, the spectre of Taobao – China’s online retail giant – hovers, providing everything the characters might need or want, while also acting as a thread that ties together a captivating and complex collection of stories set in a captivating and complex country… Read More Taobao: Stories by Dan K. Woo (Review)

Adult, ARC review, book review

Goddess by Deborah Hemming (ARC Review)

On a flight to New York at the end of her first book tour, up-and-coming writer Agnes Oliver meets Jack Verity, the handsome filmmaker and ex-husband of Geia Stone, a famous actress turned wellness guru, whose popular lifestyle brand Goddess promotes controversial therapies and expensive beauty tools in the name of self-care and inner nourishment. Jack invites Agnes to a party in the Hamptons, where she meets Geia and finds herself welcomed into the guru’s inner circle.

That summer, Geia arranges for Agnes to attend the Goddess summit, an exclusive wellness retreat held on a remote Greek island. There, Agnes observes many strange happenings she can’t explain, as one by one the other guests seem to fall under the spell of their enchanting host. When Agnes begins to discover who Geia really is, she realizes it’s up to her to protect the other women at the summit from an unexpected and unwelcome fate. A propulsive and captivating story about beauty and influence, self-doubt and seduction, Goddess is the electrifying new novel from a talented writer to watch… Read More Goddess by Deborah Hemming (ARC Review)

calendar girls

Calendar Girls (April 2020): National Library Week: Favorite Book You Discovered At The Library

Welcome to my April 2020 Calendar Girls Books post! And for those of you who missed it, there have been some updates made to this blog event. You can read all about the updates here. Additionally, Adrienne @ Darque Dreamer Reads has resumed co-hosting Calendar Girls Books alongside myself and Dani @ Mousai Books! The… Read More Calendar Girls (April 2020): National Library Week: Favorite Book You Discovered At The Library

calendar girls

Calendar Girls (March 2020): St. Patrick’s Day: Book with My Favourite Mythical Creature

Welcome to my March 2020 Calendar Girls Books post! And for those of you who missed it, there have been some updates made to this blog event. You can read all about the updates here. The theme for this month (as chosen by voters on Twitter) is St. Patrick’s Day: Book with My Favourite Mythical… Read More Calendar Girls (March 2020): St. Patrick’s Day: Book with My Favourite Mythical Creature

calendar girls

Calendar Girls (January 2020): New Beginnings: Favourite First Book in a New Series

Welcome to my first Calendar Girls Books post of 2020! And for those of you who missed it, there have been some updates made to this blog event. You can read all about the updates here. The theme for this month (as chosen by voters on Twitter) is New Beginnings: Favourite First Book in a… Read More Calendar Girls (January 2020): New Beginnings: Favourite First Book in a New Series