4 Stars. What a cute little book! I read it in about an hour but I enjoyed myself immensely. Nathaniel is a fairly complex character. He’s a timid little thing but Aunt Phil pushes him to face his fears. He has a kind heart that leads him to befriend creatures that Aunt Phil dismisses as pests. Most living things will respond […]
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata: Book Review
4 Stars. I wasn’t quite sure to what to expect when I downloaded this book from the library but I liked it. It’s quirky and funny but there’s a lot of substance lurking beneath the exterior. won’t hazard a guess as to what might be “wrong” with Keiko but she really doesn’t think like most other people. But is that bad? She […]
Spirals in Time by Helen Scales: Book Review
4 Stars. I downloaded this book on a whim from the library, thinking that it would work for the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge “hobby” category since I can’t resist picking up seashells when I’m at the beach. As I read, I decided it would work better for the “oceanography” category but either way, I found the book captivating [….]
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba: Book Review
4 Stars. What an inspirational story! William and his family have almost nothing by Western standards but they do have each other and William has dreams and the willingness to teach himself and try. That takes him farther than he could even dream of. The part describing the famine was extremely difficult to read. People starve […]
Fathoms by Rebecca Giggs: Book Review
When I first finished this book back in January, I rated it 3 stars. I roughly translate that to “good enough but forgettable.” Yet here I am in April, going for walks on the beach every morning, mesh bag over my shoulder, picking up every tiny piece of litter I see along the water line. I don’t want whales to accidentally eat […]
Into the Planet by Jill Heinerth: Book Review
4 Stars. I don’t even remember why I added this to my library wishlist but I’m so glad I did! I’m not a very good swimmer, much less a diver, but I still found Heinerth’s experiences fascinating. She writes beautifully about what keeps her going back in the water, even after many of her friends have passed away on dives. She […]
Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer: Book Review
4 Stars. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of The Lunar Chronicles (especially on audio), so when I stumbled on these books at the library, I had to bring them home. Iko has always been sort of the comic relief of the series for me. Even if she isn’t truly being funny, she still generally provides lighter moments when the story […]
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick: Book Review
4 Stars. I read and loved Ms. Patrick’s first book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, during my blogging break. I was excited to listen to another one of her books. I really enjoyed The Library of Lost and Found as well, and for a lot of the same reasons. Martha Storm is so lonely but she’s so kind and has so much to give […]
End of Watch by Stephen King: Book Review
4 Stars. I haven’t reviewed the earlier books in this trilogy so this will act as more of a series review. I’ve done my best to avoid any spoilers but there may be some small ones. I wouldn’t classify these books as horror simply because that implies a level of the supernatural and/or gore that this series doesn’t achieve. But […]
Goldie Vance Volumes 3 & 4 by Hope Larson: Book Review
4 Stars. I love this series so much! Goldie can be annoyingly cocky sometimes but her friends keep her grounded. The mysteries are fun and somehow remind me of cartoons I would watch as kid. The diverse cast of characters is a delight. There were some new illustrators added into the mix in these two volumes. There are some […]
Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams: Book Review
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 […]