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”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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”
AN EASY DEATH – Charlaine Harris
Recently, I (accidentally) purchased book 3 in the Gunnie Rose series. Instead of returning it, I just checked out the first two from the library. I’ve already read a few very heavy books in 2022 and I needed some candy, so I went ahead and read the first two. I’m going to review them separately,Continue reading “AN EASY DEATH – Charlaine Harris”
THE FORTUNE MEN – Nadifa Mohamed
Despite my best intentions, reading the Booker longlist during the calendar year just wasn’t realistic due to US release times. I did, however, finally get my hands on Nadifa Mohamed’s The Fortune Men (Alfred A. Knopf, 2021), which is the last of the shortlist for me. (There are two longlisted books that are still outstanding.) Continue reading “THE FORTUNE MEN – Nadifa Mohamed”
A Girl Named Tommi 