June’s Result – The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn There seems to be a niche of middle grade books that really isn’t for me. These books involve a speculative fiction journey by the protagonist, the journey being an allegory or avenue for resolving some challenge in their ‘real’ life. The speculative elements often feel to me extremely contrived and limited in imagination, there only to serve a particular […]
![Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen [Mystery Review]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/lavender-house-banner.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
Lavender Houseby Lev AC RosenSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Oct. 2022Imprint: Forge BooksPublisher: MacmillanLength: 274 pages Series: Andy Mills #1Genre: Historical mysteryTarget Age: Suitable for +15Representation: Gay protagonist, multiple queer supporting characters Summary 💬 Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique […]
Welcome to my 2023 mid-year check in! In this post, I check my progress on my reading and blogging goals. I also review my ratings of every book I’ve read so far in 2023. Personal Goals Ratings Recap Since 2015, I’ve taken a look at my Goodreads ratings of the books I read in the first half of the year, which I compare to the first half of the previous […]
I mentioned Bit About Books’ Summer Reading Challenge in my “I Can’t Believe…” post earlier this month. Kathie and Laurie have created twelve reading trails exploring different themes/genres of middle grade books. Check out their original post for details and books suggestions for each trail. They have suggested various ways one might hike through titles: I’ve decided to aim for “scout the trails”, but no one will be surprised if […]
![Joyful by Indrid Lee Fetell [Non-fiction Review]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/joyful-ingrid-banner.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
Joyful: The Surpring Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happinessby Ingrid Fetell LeeSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Sept. 2018Publisher: Little, Brown Spark (Hachette) Length: 359 pagesGenre: Non-fiction (design psychology)Target Age: Adult (suitable for +14) Summary 💬 Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people–regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity–are mesmerized […]