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Book Review: The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine. Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires—except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation he strikes a…
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That Thin Line Between Balance and Burnout
How are we holding up my friends? Okay, I hope! I started working on a review for The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap, but my brain has decided to strike. It’s been a long week already and so I’m focusing the rest of my energy on walking that thin line between balance and burnout. Last year I took a step back and learned a lot about myself. I learned good coping mechanisms and how to spot when I’m about to descend into a burnout period so that I can reverse it before it starts. Little did I know that I’d…
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (2/3/25)
Happy Monday my reader friends! I hope that you’re all doing okay. I know the last two weeks have been…. rough. I’ve been reading as much as I can, when I feel like it, but it has slowed down. On a happy note though, I’ve still yet to read a book that I didn’t enjoy. So that’s always a good thing! I’m going to keep DNFing as much it takes to avoid reading a book that doesn’t make me happy. Let’s take a look at where things are this week, shall we? Read Last Week: Last week I finished All…
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Book Review: The Edge of the Silver Sea by Alex Mullarky
An island all alone at the edge of the silver sea. In a place like this, anything could happen... Forced to move to the remote island of Roscoe, Blair Zielinski is determined to get back to her old life. Then one of the island's darkly magical fey folk offers her an irresistible deal. As she unravels the island's secrets and makes new friends, both human and otherworldly, Blair discovers that a promise to the fey cannot be broken. Can Blair save the wild isle that she's come to call home?
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Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024
Hello friends, and happy Tuesday! Here's hoping that the week so far is treating you kindly, and that you have some good reads on deck to escape from reality when necessary. It finally rained here in LA and, thankfully, that means the fires here are under control. Now it's a matter of watching for mudslides and ash run-off. If you have some funds to give, LA firefighters and displaced families can still use your help! It's going to take a while to get everything back to even semi-normal. Don't forget about them, okay?
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Sunday Post #1: A Long Week
This week felt so long, and exhausting, despite the fact that Monday was a holiday from work. I mean I know exactly why it did. Still I was emotionally drained and so very happy when it was finally Friday again. I’ve spent my weekend doing my best to unwind and recharge. Don’t forget to take care of yourselves, friends. Rest is productive. A quiet week, yes. No brain power was had. And, if we’re being honest, probably a rambling post as well. I try to keep this blog a mix of posts that are book related and just a place…
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Book Review: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit—soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively—about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit. As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he…
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Just Another Random Wednesday Update
Hi there, it’s me again! Rambling at you, because my brain is full of notes for book reviews and yet work is so busy that I don’t have time to sit down and actually write them. Some day I’ll show you the random notes I scribble, hurriedly jotting my feelings down as I read and try to figure out how to aptly explain how a certain part of a book makes me feel. It’s a lot of fun to get so caught up in a book that I forget, but then it also makes it harder for me to write…
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Book Review: Thanks for Listening by Molly Horan
Perfect for fans of Loveless and You Should See Me in a Crown, this wry and insightful novel from the author of Epically Earnest features a sweet ace romance and a secret social media advice account that goes wonderfully, terribly astray. Mia knows what she’s talking about. Class schedules, significant others, existential life crises—you name it, she’s talked someone through it. The problem? No one actually takes her advice. So when her latest round of (very sensible!) guidance is ignored, resulting in a class flyer stapled to her best friend’s arm and her brother going steady with a girl he…
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Book Review: The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find he’s too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive. They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Tables, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she…
