The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty

The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty Book Cover

3 Stars. This book was an obvious labor of love for Mr. Twitty and his passions shine through the pages. Unfortunately, I don’t particularly enjoy cooking or genealogy so the book fell a bit flat for me. I glanced through quite a few reviews on GoodReads before I decided to check this out and saw others frequently complaining […]

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A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinney: Book Review

A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinney Book Cover

3.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this concept and these characters, but I wish the storyline had been tightened up a bit. Alice’s whole first mission (Or maybe two? I’ve waited a bit too long on my review) ultimately felt like filler. There’s some setup for the main conflict and the worldbuilding element but that part really could […]

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Unbeaten Tracks in Japan by Isabella Bird: Book Review

Unbeaten Track in Japan by Isabella Bird Book Cover

3 Stars. I read one of Ms. Birds earlier books, Adventures in the Rocky Mountains, during my blogging break and quite enjoyed it. I could only admire a woman who, in Victorian times, not only traveled alone, but managed to summit Longs Peak in a dress. When I needed a travel book as part of the 20201 Nonfiction Challenge, Ms. […]

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A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi: Book Review

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi Book Cover

4.5 Stars. Shirin is so relatable, despite our obvious differences. Who wouldn’t be angry and withdrawn after all she’s experienced, especially when she was born in the US and speaks better English and gets better grades than most of the people who give her a hard time? “I’m tired as hell, Mr. Jordan. I’ve been trying to educate […]

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Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams: Book Review

Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams Book Cover

4 Stars. Reading Our Time is Now in the wake of the 2020 election felt a bit like a victory dance. Anyone who isn’t outraged by voter suppression doesn’t have a good concept of what “government by the people” means. As a white woman, I’ve never experienced anything like what Ms. Abrams details in these pages. This review keeps […]

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A Promised Land by Barack Obama: Book Review

A Promised Land by Barack Obama Book Cover

4 Stars. I miss Obama in the White House, I really do. Reading his thoughts and decision-making processes, his deliberations, his efforts to reflect many voices from many backgrounds in his policies–I just miss that stability and thoughtfulness. That said, I’ll start with my one complaint. At 703 pages (751 with the index), the […]

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Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Book Review

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Morena-Garcia Book Cover

Full disclosure: I requested Mexican Gothic from the library back in September or October, which is practically the only time of year that I seek out horror and/or Gothic reads. When my turn finally came up in November, I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for this kind of book but I decided to read it anyway and see what all the […]

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True or False by Cindy L. Otis: Book Review

True or False by Cindy L. Otis Book Cover

4 Stars. In this information age, we find ourselves bombarded with facts or “facts,” as the case may be. A fringe group believing a kooky conspiracy theory may seem fairly harmless but when large swathes of the population believe anything they read that reinforces their own beliefs, we have a huge problem. Consider these sobering statistics […]

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A Deadly Education by Noami Novik: Book Review

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Book Cover

3 Stars. I’m going against popular opinion a bit in my review of this book. Don’t get me wrong; every review I’ve seen is glowing and I don’t exactly disagree. But I don’t fully agree either. First off, I do love this world. It’s interesting and full of magic and enclaves of magicians (Wizards? I’ve already forgotten what they […]

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Hiking Oregon’s History by William L. Sullivan: Book Review

Hiking Oregon's History by William L. Sullivan Book Cover

4 stars. I know this book probably won’t have much appeal to a broad audience but it was so engaging, I felt that I needed to review it. When my husband and I first arrived in Oregon in April of 2020 for his work assignment at a hospital outside Portland, my aunt put me in touch with one of her friends who owns a summer home on […]

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Out of the Silence by Eduardo Strauch: Book Review

Out of the Silence by Eduardo Strauch Urioste Book Cover

3 Stars. I didn’t know much about this event other than the bare minimum prior to reading this book: a plane crashed in South America in the ’70s; the passengers survived by cannibalism; and the movie Alive, which I haven’t seen, is based on it. So I expected to get more of a straightforward recounting of the facts. What I got […]

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