I just picked up a new book last week, The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, and I flew through it. Set in Vermont, it describes a boarding school for unwanted girls called Idlewild Hall. But it may be haunted, and more than one girl meets a terrible fate there. It's a dual timeline novel,... Continue Reading →
Pachinko
One year ago, Min Jin Lee released her sweeping novel, Pachinko, which quickly became a bestseller and earned accolades. It captured my interest, and I finally picked up the book a few weeks ago. After finishing the final chapters today, I can say it fully lived up to the hype. Pachinko is a beautiful epic,... Continue Reading →
The Astonishing Thing
If youโve spent as much time with cats as I have, you may often wonder how cats see the world. How much of our human world do they understand? How do they perceive big changes, like moving or gaining a new family member? Sandi Ward offers some charming insight into a catโs mind in her... Continue Reading →
The Idiot
I love a provocative title, so when I first saw The Idiot by Elif Batuman in the bookstore, I was intrigued. Its summary - multicultural, set against a backdrop of coming of age during college and traveling on your own for the first time - sealed the deal. I bought it, went home, and started... Continue Reading →
Under a Sardinian Sky
Full review to come! โ โ โ โ
The Apartment
I love horror films. Horror may be my favorite genre, especially when it's psychological and involves ghosts and a haunted atmosphere. Perhaps surprisingly, though, I've never read any horror books. So when I stumbled across The Apartment by S. L. Grey, I was intrigued. It's published by Blumhouse Books, an offshoot of the film production... Continue Reading →
Love, in Spanish
Earlier this month I read Love, in English by Karina Halle and loved it. So I immediately had to read the sequel, Love, in Spanish. After all that Vera and Mateo went through, they still have a long journey to be together. Vera is back in Madrid, and Mateo is now divorced and still a... Continue Reading →
Love, in English
I lived in Spain for over a year, where I met the man who is now my husband. Since I've gotten back into reading lately, I've been looking for books set in Spain, which led me to Love, in English by Karina Halle. In this novel, Vera is a 23-year-old astronomy student from Canada who... Continue Reading →
Rome in Love
Iโm always drawn to books set in Europe, and when I saw Rome in Love by Anita Hughes, it instantly piqued my interest. It follows an actress named Amelia, who is in Rome to film a remake of Roman Holidayโฆ and sheโs playing Audrey Hebburnโs part! I havenโt seen Roman Holiday, but I loved Audrey... Continue Reading →
The Guest Cat
At the store recently I came across The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, translated from Japanese. I love cats and am going to adopt one soon, so I was excited to read this book about a cat who comes into the lives of a couple in Tokyo.ย This married couple has no cat of their... Continue Reading →

