#author: alice hoffman

[enchantedliving]

Step into a realm of enchantment and magic as we extend a heartfelt thank you to all our new followers of Enchanted Living Magazine.

This bewitching summer issue beckons you to dance around roaring bonfires with friends and sisters, while fireflies sprinkle their luminescent glow upon you. Picture yourself adorned in flower crowns and straw witch hats, sipping on wild berry elixirs and delving into solstice charms that reveal the secrets of true love. With each turn of the page, you’ll be transported to moonlit Titania-esque bowers, where badass female artistes cast spells and celebrate in style. Close your eyes and imagine the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle permeating the air, as we join hands in an enchanted wood beneath the silver moonlight.

From the depths of our hearts, we express our gratitude and invite you to immerse yourself in the pages that capture the essence of a summer witch.

DOWNLOAD THE SUMMER WITCH ISSUE FOR FREE HERE!

[roseunspindle]

Most Read Author of 2024

[mygrowingcollection]

Alice Hoffman

[clickityquacks]

Alignment chart of dark academia books, emphasis on the academia. I have read them all and this is my take on it all.

Is the novel a dark academia because it takes place in a school and there are a lot of "dark" themes or is it a dark academia because the atmosphere is grim and the characters are pursuing knowledge.

Also book recommendations, I think people would like the books that fall in the same quadrant.

Books under the read more.

Top Left: My favourite corner where I just want the author to flex their niche knowledge.

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

If We Were Villains - M. L. Rio

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies - Heather Fawcett

Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo

The Raven Boys - Maggie Steifvater

The Secret History - Donna Tarte

Babel - R. F. Kuang

Bottom right: The intersection between lots of deaths and some niche knowledge. This one is a bit more hand wavey so here are some explanations.

Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang: Often compared to Babel but has way less niche knowledge and more transactional deaths.

Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir: This one is a sequel but the convoluted plot lives in my head rent free and it’s Dark (Goth) Academia.

Bunny - Mona Awad: Lots of allusion to literature and mythology. Also lots of dark, bunnies and swans.

Bottom Left: Takes place in a school that people are trying to survive.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

Vicious - V. E. Schwab

Legendborn - Tracy Deonn

Ace of Spades - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Atlas Six - Olivie Blake

Deadly Education - Naomi Naovik

Top Left: Happens in a school and pretty light on death but has “dark” themes.

The River King - Alice Hoffman

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson

The Initial Insult - Mindy McGinnis

A Study in Drowning - Ava Reid

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath - Moniquill Blackgoose

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

You Feel It Just Below the Ribs - Janina Matthewson and Jeffrey Cranor

[thousandfireworks]

Authors whose books you have to avoid because they are problematic.

Abigail Hing Wen.

Alex Aster.

Alice Hoffman.

Alice Oseman.

Alison Win Scotch. ‘Terrorism is never acceptable. Not in Israel.’

Allie Sarah.

Amber Kelly.

Amy Harmon.

Annabelle Monaghan.

Anna Akana.

Aurora Parker.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Brandon Sanderson. Islamophobic.

Carissa Broadbent. Said that hamas is doing violence against innocence.

Chloe Walsh. Siding with Israel in the name of humanity.

Christina Lauren. Believe that Israel is the victim. A racist, also Islamophobic.

Colleen Hoover.

Cora Reilly. Travel to Israel despite criticism.

Danielle Bernstein. Islamophobic.

Danielle Lori.

Deke Moulton. Said hamas is terrorist.

Dian Purnomo.

Eliza Chan.

Elle Kennedy.

Elyssa Friedland.

Emily Henry.

Emily Mclntire.

Emily St. J. Mandel. Admiring Israel.

Gabrielle Zevin. Wrote a book about anti-Palestine. Mentioned Israel multiple times without context on his book.

Gregory Carlos. Israeli author. A zionist.

Hannah Whitten.

Hazel Hayes. Reposted a post about October 7th.

Heidi Shertok.

Jamie McGuire.

Jay Shetty. ‘Violence is happening in Israel.’

Jean Meltzer.

Jeffery Archer. Wrote a book with a mc Israel operative (mossad) in a positive and anti terrorist light.

Jennifer Hartman. Liked a post about pro-Israel.

Jen Calonita.

Jessa Hastings.

Jill Santopolo. Said that Israel has right to exist and fight back.

John Green.

Jojo Moyes.

J. Elle.

J. K. Rowling. Support genocide. Racist. Islamophobic.

Kate Canterbery.

Kate Stewart.

Katherine Howe.

Katherine Locke.

Kristin Hannah. Support Israel. Shared a donation link.

Laini Taylor.

Laura Thalassa. Islamophobic.

Lauren Wise. Cussed that Palestinian supporters would be raped in front of children.

Lea Geller. Thanked people who supports Israel.

Leigh Dragoon. Islamaphobic and anti Asian racist rants on Twitter and threads

Leigh Stein.

Lilian Harris. A racist. Blocking people who educates about colonialism in Palestine and call them disgusting.

Lisa Barr. A daughter of Holocaust survivor. Support Israel.

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery.

Lisa Steinke.

Liz Fenton.

Lynn Painter. Afraid of getting cancelled as a pro-Palestine and posted a template afterwards.

L. J. Shen. Her husband joins idf (Israel army).

Mariana Zapata.

Marie Lu.

Marissa Meyer.

Melissa de la Cruz.

Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

Michelle Hodkin. Spread false rumors about arab-hamas. Islamophobic.

Mitch Albom. ‘We shouldn't blame Israel for surviving attacks or defending against them.’

Monica Murphy. Siding with Israel.

Naomi Klein.

Navah Wolfe.

Neil Gaiman. Suggested Palestinians unite with Israel and become citizens.

Nicholas Sparks.

Nic Stone. Talked nonsense that children in Palestinian refugee camp are training to be martyrs for Allah because they felt it was their call in life.

Nyla K.

Olivia Wildenstein. Blocking people who disagree with Israel wrongdoing.

Pamela Becker.

Penelope Douglas.

Pierce Brown.

Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Rebecca G. Martinez.

Rebecca Yarros. ‘I despise violence’ her opinion about what's happening in Gaza. Blocking people who calls her a zionist.

Rena Rossner.

Renee Ahdieh.

Rick Riordan.

Rina Kent.

Rivka (noctem.novelle).

Rochelle Weinstein.

Romina Garber. ‘These terrorist attacks do nothing to improve the lives of Palestinians people.’

Roshani Chokshi. Encourage people to donate to Israel.

Samantha Greene Woodruff.

Sarah J. Mass. Her book contained ideology of zionism.

Stephanie Garber. Promoting books by zionist author (Sarah J. Mass)

Skye Warren.

Sonali Dev.

Talia Carner.

Tarryn Fisher. Said ‘there was terrorist attack in Israel.’

Taylor Jenkins Reid. Posted a video about genocide.

Tere Liye. Rumoured to have ghoswriters to write his books and never give credit to them.

Tillie Cole.

Tracy Deon.

Trinity Traveler (Ade Perucha Hutagaol). Rumour to wrote book about handsome Israelis.

T. J. Klune.

Uri Kurlianchik.

Veronica Roth.

Victoria Aveyard. ‘Israel has the right to exist.’ quote from her about the issue.

V. E. Schwab. Shared a donation link and video about Israel.

Yuval Noah. ‘Israel has the right to do anything to defend themselves.’

Zibby Owens.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

I'm watching a youtube tea video about the discourse on illustrated book covers, specifically in regards to adult romance. Because they end up looking too adolescent for adult fiction and kids are reading them whatever, so it all loops in with kids reading age-appropriate books and such.

Example:

Now, I have not read this (and I might, bc even though it's plainly hetero, there is ALSO a figure skater on the front, so), nor have I read anything from this author, so this is not a commentary on the book itself.

Personally, I just don't like it. Probably because it just falls a little flat (as in, no visual depth), and maybe too pastel? But that's a totally personal take. Just not my preferred vibe.

But to say that it's ruining the children of today by tricking them into reading adult smut?

Idk. I think I'm too entrenched in the fanfic community, because I literally think that if they can read at that reading level and enjoy it, they're old enough to read it?? Sure, parents are absolutely allowed to govern what their children read, but I just remember being an advanced reader and wanting to read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and being insulted when my mom told me "no it has sex". Like, there's more to it than sex? (At least according the film.) But also, who cares? Not me.

Not looking to start any wars here, I'm just trying to contextualize it to myself in the greater world of the resurgence of literary puritanism and book banning. The line of what's "age-appropriate" is so twisted these days that I think it should fall to the reader to decide what they want to read. And if parents have any concerns regarding a trend they're seeing in their child reader, then it could be an opening for a bigger conversation.

It sure as hell isn't an answer of "stop doing illustrated covers!", like-- they're not AI, they're discreet, and they're cutesy. Personally, I like the old bodice ripper covers myself, but that's just me being a hipster of smut I guess.

And again, fanfiction-- if children want to lie about their age online to read an 18+ fic, they're gonna do it. It should be no different with print media. If they wanna read it, and they enjoy it-- let them read it!

[bookclub4m]

Episode 204 - Cozy Fantasy

It’s episode 204 and time for us to talk about the genre of Cozy Fantasy! We discuss what makes something cozy, romantasy, breakneck cozy fantasies, how much fantasy people need in their fantasy, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray 🦇 | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

Comparison between US and UK covers

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree 

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Sorcery and Small Magics and Maiga Doocy

The Baker & the Bard by Fern Haught

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianne Wynn Jones

Howl's Moving Castle (film)

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

Other Media We Mentioned

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Matthew meant “solarpunk” as the genre that this is often described as

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Episode 202 - A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Canadian residential school system

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

LoadingReadyRun

The House Witch by Delemhach

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

Moonstruck, vol. 1: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill

The Tea Dragon Society Card Game

Balatro

Links, Articles, and Things

What Counts as Cozy Fantasy?

In Defense of Low-Stakes Fiction

Iyashikei

“portraying characters living out peaceful lives in calming environments, and is intended to have a healing effect on the audience”

11 Cozy Fantasy by BIPOC Authors:

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline 

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The Fae’s Bride by R.L. Medina

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group or Discord Server, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, December 17th it’s time for our “best books of the year” episode!

Then, on Tuesday, January 7th we’ll be discussing the genre of Cultural Studies!

[lionofchaeronea]

The Shuttle by Frances Hodgson Burnett - I quite like it, it kinda goes into the (poor) english aristocracy marrying wealthy american girls and the differences in expectation of treatment and such.

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - a manga series, don't know if your into that, but carefully researched, beautiful art (especially the textiles) of the time period and place, in areas around the silk road/russian steppes - Kazakhstan is one place I know the author visited.

The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo

Black Water Sister - Cho Zen

The Midwife's Apprentice - Karen Cushman

The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George

Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

Geisha of Gion - Mineko Iwasaki - one of the main people Arthur Golden interviewed for his book. She wrote this to counteract his "white guyification" of what she told him.

Literary Studies for Rhetoric Classes - Bernard L. Jefferson - found this one at a thrift store I just really enjoyed a lot of the pieces in it.

The Story of My Life - Helen Keller

Sirena - Donna Jo Napoli

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

What Happened to Lani Garver - Carol Plum-Ucci

The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 - Diana Preston

Trudy's Promise - Marcia Preston - a very close look at one mother separated from her son when the Berlin Wall goes up.

Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - a very sad novel as it was written in response to when Anne Rice lost her child. A good close look at grief and loss and apathy.

Lovecraft Country - Matt Ruff - the show missed the point... the author wrote this inspired by when he and a black friend had been talking and he realized that because of skin color that while they occupied the same space, they lived in "different countries"

The Marvels - Brian Selznick

Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepeteys

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet - Kashmira Sheth

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky (or anything by him really)

The Ramsay Scallop - Frances Temple

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis - time-traveler finds herself back during the start of one of the sweeps of the black plague - it's pretty sad

Fifth Chinese Daughter - Jade Snow Wong

*some of these are middlegrade but I feel middlegrade is sometimes not appreciated enough as literature. ^_^'

*also sorry for the very long list....

No apologies needed. I really appreciate the recommendations.

[peacehopeandrats]

4, 5, and 17!

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Gosh, I've read a bunch of new authors... I loved The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck. I also loved When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman. I don't read books specifically because of the author, though, so I haven't read any more of them right now to find out if I like the authors themselves or just the books.

5. What genre did you read the most of?

That's easy. I'm reading my way through every Newbery Award and Newbery Honor book right now. So most of that is young adult.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

No, but a couple surprised me with how I didn't like them. I listen to a podcast called Writers on Writing and there were a few authors on there that I heard talk and thought their work would be astounding. Then I read the books they wrote and realized that some people just like to talk about themselves.

Thanks for asking!

[tkwrites]

D, R, and X for the fanfic asks!

- @comphy-and-cozy

D: What’s the most personal fanfic you’ve written?

Love, Even in the Hard Parts. I was basically writing out a desire for connection, and it still feels quite raw to me.

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

There are so many. Lyssa Kay Adams, Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman come to mind right away. Alice Hoffman has some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read.

In terms of fanfic authors, @leafsbabe has some incredible stories and word smithing. This is my favorite of hers.

X: How would you categorize your fanfic reading?  Are you a voracious reader?  Do you carefully pick and choose?  Something in between?

I mostly pick and choose. I don't really like name calling or any kind of degradation, so I click out of a lot of fics once those come up. I'm also a bit of a writing snob, so if I'm not hooked or not impressed with the writing, I tend to leave.

[dutifullylazybread]

I just read deeply and immovably so and I am BLOWN AWAY by your writing! the details you put into your stories are beautiful 💕 what inspires your writing? are there any authors you look up to? sending love from europe! 💘 (ps: i can’t wait to read chapter 13! the WIP you put out got me so excited!)

Ahhh! Thank you so much! 😭I am so glad you are enjoying the story!! I'm going to put my answer under the cut, because it got a little lengthy!

For fanfiction, I find that I get inspired when I read up on the lore and world building behind a series. I have so many ideas for Baldur's Gate 3 fics from just reading articles on the Forgotten Realms wiki. I'll ask, "Wait... what would happen if ___?" And then I build stories out from there (and I jump down research rabbit holes while I go).

I also will fixate on small details and game mechanics. Deeply and Immovably So was inspired by a glitch in my game and by Cal telling my Tav that she would always have a room in the tower. I have a Stardew Valley horror fanfic that I want to write, because I can't help but wonder how a farmer on year ten would respond to no one in Pelican Town aging.

I also get very inspired by reading stories that employ different magic systems (the Abhorsen series and Naomi Novik's Uprooted are the first two stories that spring to mind). Fairy tales and myths always inspire me to think about the sorts of legends that would go into world building for my original stories. Lore-heavy video games like Mass Effect and Skyrim give me absolute life too, because it feels that much easier to create a character who can seamlessly occupy a place in such an elaborate world (and I have so much information to work with!).

I really look up to writers like Alice Hoffman (her Practical Magic series, especially Magic Lessons was so, so good). I adore Madeleine Miller (Circe is one of my favorite books). Everything R.F. Kuang has written is fantastic--each book in her Poppy War trilogy destroyed me, and I was totally okay with it. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has me in a chokehold (Mexican Gothic was SO GOOD). Ava Reid's descriptions in Juniper & Thorn really encouraged me to think about the imagery and the emotions I use in my own writing.

I also love reading poetry. Rupi Kaur and Natalie Diaz are two contemporary writers that I love reading, but Keats, Wilde, T.S. Eliot, and Christina Rossetti (to name a few) are also big favorites. I love reading poetry, because then I get to see how poets use imagery, and then it gets me thinking about how I can get creative with my own descriptions.

Thank you so much for your ask! I hope that I answered your question--I most definitely began to ramble, so thank you for bearing with me!!

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 8.14

Beer Birthdays

Eugene L. Husting (1848)

Brandon Hernández (1976)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Halle Berry; actor (1968)

Mila Kunis; Ukrainian-American actor (1983)

Gary Larson; cartoonist (1950)

Steve Martin; comedian, actor, writer, banjo player (1945)

Bruce Thomas; English bass player (1948)

Famous Birthdays

Russell Baker; essayist (1925)

Emmanuelle Béart; French actress (1963)

Catherine Bell; actor (1968)

Herman Branson; African-American physicist, chemist (1914)

Sarah Brightman; English singer-songwriter (1960)

John Brodie; San Francisco 49ers QB (1935)

Lodewijk Bruckman; Dutch painter (1903)

Sharon Bryant; R&B singer (1956)

Kevin Cadogan; rock singer-songwriter, guitarist (1970)

Méric Casaubon; Swiss-English author (1599)

Yannoulis Chalepas; Greek sculptor (1851)

Darrell "Dash" Crofts; singer-songwriter and musician (1940)

David Crosby; rock singer (1941)

Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin; Belgian mathematician (1866)

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky; Russian-Lithuanian-American artist (1875)

Slim Dunlap; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1951)

Tracy Caldwell Dyson; chemist and astronaut (!969)

Richard R. Ernst; Swiss chemist (1933)

Erica Flapan; mathematician (1956)

Francis Ford; actor and director (1881)

John Galsworthy; English writer (1867)

Alice Ghostley; actor (1926)

Larry Graham; soul/funk bass player and singer-songwriter (1946)

Buddy Greco; singer, pianist (1926)

Marcia Gay Harden; actor (1959)

Jackée Harry; actress (1956)

Robert Hayman; English-Canadian poet (1575)

Lee Hoffman; author (1932)

Leopold Hofmann; Austrian composer (1738)

Doc Holliday; dentist, wild west gambler (1851)

James Horner; composer (1953)

Ernest Everett Just; African-American biologist (1883)

Jan Koetsier; Dutch composer (1911)

Margaret Lindsay Huggins; Anglo-Irish astronomer (1848)

William Hutchinson; founder of Rhode Island (1586)

Magic Johnson; Los Angeles Lakers (1959)

Stanley A. McChrystal; American general (1954)

John McCutcheon; folksinger (1952)

Paddy McGuinness; English comedian (1973)

Lionel Morton; English singer-songwriter, guitarist (1942)

Bruce Nash; film director (1947)

Frank Oppenheimer; particle physicist (1912)

Hans Christian Ørsted; Danish physicist and chemist (1777)

Susan Saint James; actor (1946)

Paolo Sarpi; Italian writer (1552)

Ben Sidran; jazz and rock keyboardist (1943)

Stuff Smith; violinist (1909)

Danielle Steel; writer (1947)

Jiro Taniguchi; Japanese author and illustrator (1947)

Bruno Tesch; German chemist (1890)

Ernest Thayer; "Casey at the Bat" writer (1863)

Pieter Coecke van Aelst; Flemish painter (1502)

Carle Vernet; French painter and lithographer (1758)

Claude Joseph Vernet; French painter (1714)

Earl Weaver; Baltimore Orioles manager (1930)

Wim Wenders; German film director (1945)

Lina Wertmüller; Italian film director (1926)

[displayheartcode]

Mhmmm reading THE BAD ONES, and Melissa Albert feels like the only author next to Holly Black and Alice Hoffman who has a writing style that feels so incredibly textured

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023

Nobody tagged me (I think :D )

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year.

Without a single second thought it has to be The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel. i desribed it as soul-crushing and it really was. But also brillantly thought through, written and paced. Also very heavy in regards so physical and mental trauma, so I absolutely recommend it but steel yourself.

2.  Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

I have read a bunch of sequels, and while chronologically story-wise The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman was a prequel, it was published long after the first book in the series, so I am going to count it.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

Again, I have a bunch, so randomly let´s say The Bleeding Tree by Hollie Starling, Atalanta by Jennifer Saint and Gwen and Art are not in Love by lex Croucher.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Most of my anticipated 2023 books are already out and since the bookdepository shut down I have trouble keeping up with new releases that are not on every Youtubers lists, but I am looking forward to The Winter Spirits: Twelve Ghostly Tales for Festive Nights.

5. Biggest disappointment

There were several books which I rated low, but in terms of me having really high hopes for and being let down, the winner is Stone Blind. I love and adore natalie Haynes previous greek myth retellings, but this one was just all over the place and none of those places were good.

6. Biggest surprise

For some reason I thought I would be bored by Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Ried simply because nothing about the setting enticed me. And yet here we are throwing 5 stars at a book.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Mary Doria Russel. Yeah. the Sparrow is really..... something. And then I read one more of her books and also thought it really good.

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character

I am going to say Francie Nolan because I really want to show my love for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

9. Book that made you cry

T-H-E-S-P-A-R-R-O-W . 

Honourable shoutout to The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead which made me teary-eyed.

10. Book that made you happy

Looking at my reading I apparently decided to be mostly miserable while reading this year. So let´s, once more, mention the beauty of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I felt happy when I was reading that one.

[veganpeachpie]

Library haul from March 2

I like to have options so I always get more books than I know I can read when I go to the library, but I did get through a decent chunk of these!

Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie— What can I say other than it’s Agatha Christie? A beautifully engaging whodunnit as always. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood— If you know anything about a) physics or b) romcoms, this book is not for you. The depiction of the science world is completely inaccurate, and there was barely a teaspoon of chemistry between the leads. (I loved The Love Hypothesis by her, so I’d recommend reading that one if you’re looking for a romance in the STEM world. Love on the Brain was unfortunately disappointing.)⭐️

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah— Another disappointing read by a beloved author. I had high hopes after the masterpiece that is The Nightingale, but the characters felt very dry, and the plot rather forced. DNF around 70% ⭐️⭐️

Graceling by Kristin Cashore— I thought the premise of this one was really fascinating: a girl with the gift of killing discovers secrets about the world she thought she knew and the person she thought she was. Unfortunately, the main character, Katsa, treated her love interest like garbage, and the narration presented this as a positive “girlboss” moment rather than something she needed to work on about herself. DNF at 50%. ⭐️⭐️

I did not get to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, or The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex Harrow, but I’m hoping to check them out another time!