pickThis is one of the most beautiful writing I've encountered, ever. Hilje manages to deliver a story filled with longing and lost love between partners, in life and country.
Possibly my favorite book this year!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#arc
so-soI was on such a good streak reconnecting with Allende‘s writing in recent years, but this story was not a favorite. I felt it dragged on, I didn‘t feel a connection with any of the characters, and just found the overall story underwhelming.
I did not DNF‘d this out of loyalty to Allende, but it did take me almost 3 months to finish it. Overall, I‘m glad I read it, and hoping I have a better experience with her next book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc
so-soFor Lara‘s gap year, she decides to get a job aboard a luxury train. The trip across Europe is supposed to give her a clean slate. Instead, there‘s a confrontation w/ an old friend & train cars full of mysterious plants.
Gotta love some plant horror! The creepy factor was really well done, the characters were interesting, & the ending made me gasp out loud. But the flashbacks really killed the momentum, & the romance felt unnecessary. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
panI‘m not the right person for this book that takes place in a small Italian town, but I can see others loving it. A teacher goes into the forest after a student commits suicide. I expected a quiet, introspective novel that drew on human connection, emotions, &relationships. While it‘s certainly quiet &a little introspective, there are so many characters (in under 300 pgs), that I feel we didn‘t get the depth, emotion or connection we could have.
panI love reading historical fiction, so I was excited to get to read Etiquette for Lovers and Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy. Alas, I was disappointed. I was so happy when I finally finished the book. It was very slow to me. It flipped between Billie McCadie's love life and her trying to solve a murder. It's set in 1964, and I found one thing that didn't match 1964 (could have possibly been more), Healy talked about a characters mustache ⬇️
pickNo idea what I was expecting from this but it's quite fun. From the dude that wrote Holes.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
Pub date is 8/5/25
#ARC #Netgalley
Time to start this one…Been putting it off for way too long and I‘m challenging myself to finish reading it by Tuesday (pub date!).
And isn‘t this a gorgeous cover?
#arc
There was a time on my reading journey where I was obsessed with Grisham‘s books. He couldn‘t write them fast enough 😅
My taste has evolved and I haven‘t been keeping up with his books in a while. But receiving and ARC of his latest book just felt like a full circle moment to me ❤️
#arc
pickThe ethereal look of this cover is what initially drew me in to want to try this book. A lot of the details are left intentionally ambiguous and the art does a lot of the storytelling, allowing for reader interpretation.
This is a book that will make you want to start again as soon as you finish to see what you might have missed the first time around. This would be a great book to prompt discussions and the artwork is chillingly beautiful. #ARC
Pub date: Sept. 23, 2025.
Oh yay! I was approved for an ARC of this book. The series is based Frances Glessner Lee, the real-life mother of forensic science.
WWII widow Maple Bishop's dollhouse business is thriving. She's used her miniatures to help the sheriff solve an earlier murder. Now he's asking for her help again when a body is found in a burned cabin.
#NetGally #ARC #NetGalleyARC #NetGalleyReviewer
