One of my absolute favorite things about visiting Japan was eating many varieties of wagashi in enormous quantities. Wagashi are traditional japanese sweets, originating as accompaniments to the bitter flavors of green tea used in traditional tea ceremony. Making wagashi can be an incredible art form, yielding small confections that look like miniature sculptures. They are beautiful and delicious. So as you can imagine I one-clicked so hard when I discovered Something’s Wrong With Us, … Continue reading Soggy Bottoms: Murder, Mayhem, and Manju Edition →
Happy Wednesday! We’re in April! Whoa! Will I celebrate another pandemic birthday? Who knows! But I will be fully vaccinated by then and I will walk my happy ass to the grocery store and buy a bakery sheet cake with ALL THE BUTTERCREAM. I also had my first eyebrow wax and haircut in over a year and I nearly cried. We’re almost there, friends! … Loved this profile on the Wikipedia editors who are dedicating … Continue reading Links: Biscuits, History, & More →
Too Much by Rachel Vorona Cote is $2.99! This nonfiction book was featured on both Hide Your Wallet & Cover Awe. This one is definitely in our house of wheels. Did you pick it up after seeing it mentioned here?
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I seem to be on a bit of a roll reading romances between noble dukes and heroines who are impoverished commoners. The Duke Undone took this trope to some clever (and unexpectedly gothic) places. I enjoyed it quite a bit until the last quarter of the book, when the tone shifted substantially. Lucy Coover is a talented and aspiring artist, but as a woman, she is forbidden access to life drawing classes. So when she … Continue reading The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell →
RECOMMENDED: The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John is $2.99! Elyse wrote a Lightning Review for this one and gave it an A. Definitely check out her review for a list of triggers to be aware of.
This book is really two mysteries in one, and when they collide it’s a wonderful “ah-ha” moment. I wish I could say more than that, but I don’t want to ruin a single thing for another reader.
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Help A Bitch Out - SOLVED!
This HaBO is from Rachel, who is looking for a historical romance: I need help finding a book! I read it in the early 2000s, but it was probably published in the 1990s as it was a freebie I got from the local library. It is a historical romance that takes place mostly on an island off the coast of England. The heroine (her name is Miracle) keeps watch at a lighthouse on the island … Continue reading HaBO: Her Name is Miracle →
It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday is 99c! I don’t think we’ve featured this one on sale before. It’s the second book in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, and I know we’ve had book one and three on sale. Well now you can complete the trilogy with this one! For those who have read all three, do you have a fave?
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I’ve said this on the site before, but during the pandemic, I’ve gotten more into contemporary romance, mostly because people getting to do things like attend in-person gatherings, see movies and plays, and eat at restaurants seems sexy and novel. My latest contemporary read was The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, a companion novel to The Roommate. I have a lot to say on this one! Prepare yourself for a long review. (As a note, … Continue reading The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan →
Pretty pictures time! Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs Elyse: I love how simple yet striking this cover is. Amanda: The art deco (is that art deco) elements are definitely selling this to me. Shana: I need all the cheekbones, all the time. And the font feels like it would be at home in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. CarrieS: Right away I want to know what silent sin he is thinking about. Sarah: Those … Continue reading Cover Awe: Choose Your Fighter →
RECOMMENDED: The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite is $1.99! Carrie and Tara wrote a joint review and gave this one a B+:
This book does a lot of things right. The character work is deep and brilliant, the historical context is plentiful and guides readers along even if they know nothing, and the writing is so beautifully done. Like I mentioned above, the overall pace of the story didn’t bother me, just the pace of the romance. If that would have been sped up, this would be a near perfect book for me. I still recommend it, but you need to go into this expecting the slowest of slow burns.
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If you’re looking for a new show to savor or binge (or both!) may I suggest Midnight Diner on Netflix(US)? I learned about this show in a Reddit thread (though I wish I could remember which one) likening the peacefulness and relaxing nature of it to Great British Bake Off. I’m not entirely sure that’s accurate. There’s food, and people caring for one another, and more food, but the tone is different from GBBO. That said, … Continue reading Netflix Rec: Midnight Diner →
RECOMMENDED: Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti is $1.99! Elyse reviewed this thriller last year and and gave it a B+ and mentioned there was a twist she didn’t see coming:
Girls of Brackenhill is spooky and thrilling and contains all the Gothic elements I love. It’s a fun read for your dark winter nights.
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