Sandcastle Beach by Jenny Holiday
Accidentally picked up the second in a series before reading the first, but it works fine as a standalone too. Plot: Maya loves her small town so much that when she finished her theatre degree, rather than stay in Toronto and access the biggest opportunities as an actor in Canada, she went home, … [Read more]
Better at Weddings Than You by Mina V Esguerra
My first book by Esguerra and now I have a new backlist to enjoy! Plot: Daphne is THE wedding planner for the rich and famous. She's also closer to 40 than 30 and has come to accept that while she is killing it professionally, she needed to give up on the dream of finding a good partner because … [Read more]
We are all Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Karen Joy Fowler’s book starts in the middle with a bang, with her main character, Rosemary Cooke, away at college and undergoing some youthful rebellion. Rosemary tells us of what seems like her idyllic early life back in the mid-west: she has two loving parents, an older brother, Lowell, and a … [Read more]
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the first novel in the eponymous long-running series (22 books over 20+ years) by Alexander McCall Smith. It introduces us to Mma Precious Ramotswe, a canny and capable Botswanan woman who takes her inheritance from her father to start a detective agency in Botswana’s capital city of … [Read more]
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Back in April 2012, I went to see The Avengers at my local theater. It was one of the most fun movie-going experiences I've ever had. I went by myself but I was definitely not alone - it was a packed house, even during a matinee, on a weekend, in my small town. In later years, I would see most MCU … [Read more]
The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology, #1) by N.E. Davenport
This is most definitely adult fantasy. It is very, very adult, and not in the sexy way (though there is a pretty good sexy scene in here). Nope, it's adult more like in the gory, stomach-turning way (though these scenes are spread out). So be prepared for that. But this was a very promising debut! … [Read more]
