Category: books
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Book Review: The Gardener‘s Plot: A Mystery by Deborah J. Benoit
First of all, when I read the author’s bio for this book, I was 100% IN and immediately requested an ARC of this new mystery from Macmillan Publishers via NetGalley. This is Deborah Benoit’s debut novel and The Gardener’s Plot won the First Crime Novel Competition sponsored by Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America. Prior to…
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Book Review: House Swap by Olivia Beirne
After reading two heavy hitters, Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything and Ann Napolitano’s Within Arms Reach, both of which I absolutely loved, I needed something lighthearted and fun. This book had popped up recently on my Amazon Kindle Daily Deals, so I added it to my bulging TBR list on my Kindle. I zipped through…
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Book Review: Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano
In January this year Madison Dettlinger at Penguin Random House offered me an ARC of the reissued first novel of Ann Napolitano, Within Arm’s Reach. I was teaching and mentoring a new teacher at the time, and subsequently, my reading life was derailed. With apologies for the lateness of this review, thank you to Madison…
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Book Review: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Cozy murder mysteries are my favorite genre, yet somehow I missed the buzz on Finlay Donovan is Killing It when it came out in 2021. So, late to the party, I finally checked out the ebook from Libby. Well! I flew through this book in four days–even though I didn’t read for two days in-between…
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Book Review(s?): The Rom-Commers and Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center
A colleague of mine recommended a book to me at the start of this school year, Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center. She said it was one of her favorites and that I should read it. So, in December, I did. And I liked it. It was about something I didn’t know anything about, face blindness,…
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Book Review: Elinor’s Glad-To-Be-Together Family by Susan Layne with illustrations by Diana Ting Delosh
In this melting pot of a country that we call the United States, many of us live far away from family, with some of us having family in a different country as well. Susan Layne, a 4th generation Texan living far away from her children and grandchildren, captured perfectly the feeling when families are finally…
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Book Review: The Guncle by Steven Rowley
I did not expect to love this book. I had heard good things about it, but I didn’t think this would bowl me over and make me laugh out loud and cry at different moments, especially on a crowded airplane. I had previously read Rowley’s The Editor and enjoyed it (you had me at Kennedy).…
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Book(s) Review: The Abbott Agency Series by Veronica Heley
If you know me at all, you know that mystery is my favorite genre, and to be honest, cozy mysteries at that. I don’t mind murder, but I prefer it to be off the page, and if there is any sort of abuse or torture (mental or physical), count me OUT. After I read The…
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo 