Family sagas are one of my most favorite genres. They tend to be epic, chunky novels that hit that sweet spot for me. When I saw Melissa Fu’s Peach Blossom Spring (Little, Brown and Company 2022), I knew I had to have it. It boasts a stunning cover, and it follows a time in ChinaContinue reading “PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING – Melissa Fu”
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HONOR – Thrity Umrigar
Thrity Umrigar’s Honor (Algonquin 2022) was very nearly a rare five-star read, but the generic and forced ending quickly yanked that top rating. I cannot talk about this book, particularly what I disliked that brought the rating down, without spoilers. If you don’t want it spoiled, stop reading now. Last warning. Honor is extremely well-writtenContinue reading “HONOR – Thrity Umrigar”
THE BOOK CHARMER – Karen Hawkins
Practical Magic meets Hart of Dixie but set in North Carolina? Don’t mind if I do. Karen Hawkins’s The Book Charmer (Gallery Books 2019) is a charmer of a candy read. It’s a sweet, slow burn set in a magical, lazy southern town in NC. The first of the Dove Pond series, The Book CharmerContinue reading “THE BOOK CHARMER – Karen Hawkins”
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY – Matt Haig
I finally got around to reading Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library (Viking 2020). Y’all didn’t tell me it was A Christmas Carol on repeat – just heavy on the suicide and not so much on the Christmas. If Hallmark movies allowed references to suicide, Lacey Chabert would be playing Nora; she already has experience withContinue reading “THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY – Matt Haig”
NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life – Brianna Madia
I’ve been following Brianna Madia since just before the Dagwood incident. (If you know Madia, you know what I’m referring to.) Part of what drew me to her are her abilities as a storyteller. Full disclosure – I have been openly critical of how she feeds the social media beast, the dangerous devil-may-care attitude sheContinue reading “NOWHERE FOR VERY LONG: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life – Brianna Madia”
THE TOBACCO WIVES – Adele Myers
Adele Myers’s The Tobacco Wives (HarperCollins 2022) hit several of my boxes: debut author, NC setting, and the author is a fellow UNC alumna. It’s one of the few new releases I’ve prioritized in my TBR, and while there are some notable issues, I don’t regret it. Quick & dirty summary: After 15-year-old Maddie’s fatherContinue reading “THE TOBACCO WIVES – Adele Myers”
LACUNA – Fiona Synckers
J.M. Coetzee published Disgrace in 1999, receiving his second Booker Award for the novel set in post-apartheid South Africa. The already-celebrated author received even more kudos for this harsh and violent take on the role whites had in South Africa and what was the price to be paid for apartheid. In Disgrace, the price isContinue reading “LACUNA – Fiona Synckers”
BLACK GIRLS MUST BE MAGIC – Jayne Allen
I finally got my hands on Jayne Allen’s Black Girls Must Be Magic (HarperCollins 2022 – originally published as Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: And Baby Makes Two in 2019 by Quality Black Books). The follow-up to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted continues Allen’s love letter to Black women, and all women. The second installmentContinue reading “BLACK GIRLS MUST BE MAGIC – Jayne Allen”
THE HIGH HOUSE – Jessie Greengrass
It’s fitting that the sky is pouring buckets as I write this review/reaction to Jessie Greengrass’s The High House (Scribner 2021), a climate fiction (cli fi) novel in which weather becomes unpredictable and the sea takes back the earth. Much like the other environmental dystopian reads of late, the novel focuses on family dynamics. (eg.Continue reading “THE HIGH HOUSE – Jessie Greengrass”
A LONGER FALL – Charlaine Harris
I’m going to review the second book in Charlaine Harris’s Gunnie Rose series right on the heels of the review/reaction for the first book because I devoured them back-to-back – I’d suggest reading that review first if you’re looking for more of an intro. Just like An Easy Death, the second installment is delicious candy. Continue reading “A LONGER FALL – Charlaine Harris”
A Girl Named Tommi 