⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was great. It moved, kept me guessing. I made a huge declaration at the start, claiming to have solved the mystery by page 50, but then the book starts adding suspects with each chapter, and it could have gone a dozen ways so I eventually just sat back and enjoyed. Quick read! Botm pick! #botm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ very sweet and fun read. Low stakes, whimsical and fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn‘t get to finish my last read of 2022. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will be traveling into 2023. Thanks for the bookshelf support! I have 3 boxes that still need their home, but I was able clean out the packed closet & get a good chunk on here! I know there are bookshelf design debates, and double stacking is probably 😱, but Idc! I‘m gonna stack my books like I stack my 💵 and ❤️ in 2023 😂 Abundance 🫶 Happy NYE🪩

When I was 23, my husband and I bought a trailer. It was a 5 year plan at the time to save for a new home. 1 recession later and a lot of serious life changes turned those 5 years to 15. This November we finally got the home and land that we‘ve craved. At 38 years old, this is my first “real” bookshelf. It‘s such a small thing probably to most. But I am so proud of us and the team that we are! Decorating this shelf seems almost symbolic!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved this magical story! This could be a movie! So atmospheric, the island mysteries kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed both Emery and August‘s characters. Was very nervous my heart would be broken. But I closed the book a happy girl!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was tempted to give this 3 stars. I loved the 1st, but felt the second started…off? It was a libby read, and as the return date loomed, I started to panic. Once I hit the last quarter of the story I was once again hooked! Ended on a terrible, dramatic cliffy!!! (cliffhanger. what? I‘m trying it out) so I will be waiting impatiently for the 3rd. I know some are put off by Garber‘s magical trill to her writing, but I love it. #fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I didn‘t realize this would be the perfect read for me at this time in the year. Like a lot of people, autumn brings with it the smell of falling leaves, life leaving plants, & a blanket of grief that kind of just hugs your shoulders. I can‘t explain it, but if you know what I‘m saying, then you know. This book in the end was about letting go & being happy. Moving on. In this life & in the next. #otherbirds #botm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. This was a super fast read for a 400 page book. It starts in a quick-paced desperate way that kept me swiping (kindle book read!) I‘m a Garber fan and can‘t help but become intertwined with her magical way of writing. I‘ve been struggling with YA Fantasy, what used to be my favorite genre has become predictable and eye rolling. This book was fun! And I could easily overlook Evangeline‘s stupid choices!

⭐️⭐️not for me. This will probably be my last Feeney book. I can see why she has a huge fan base, but her books always leave me feeling sick, sad, disturbed, never good. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this story. I personally need a happier ending. I also think this is better suited for a Halloween read. #daisydarker #botm

Currently reading #DaisyDarker. Not sure how I feel, as you‘ll see in previous posts, I don‘t trust Feeney. She‘s thrown some messed up curveballs at me in the past. 🫣. Just did a review dump. After struggling to get through the discovery of witches trilogy 😞(why can‘t I do it?? Whyyyy??? Damn youuuuuu!! Why??)I had to put the second book down and dive into newer territory to get over the slump!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A difficult book to rate. As a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley, when I read the setting & the word cult I was in! But this book does not match the description. It‘s ICKY! Pretty Girls/Butterfly Garden level. To sum it up the cult is an underground violent BDSM sex club for wealthy men who abuse broken women. Lucky you! You got a heads up! But it‘s well written, intense, & the plot moves! I did enjoy it, I just wish I was prepared.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I LOVED this book! A refreshing take on middle-age and fantasy. A serial killer on Long Island is no match for 3 brilliant women with magic powers. The plot moves, the character‘s individuality really shines through in each chapter. It was fun and at times a little spooky. Very cool and different from anything I‘ve read in a long time. Highly recommend! #thechange #botm

⭐️⭐️.5 This was not as enjoyable as the authors previous books. I found it slow and I found Shay to be lacking in character development. The paranormal edge just wasn‘t working for me. I found myself in a rush to finish and was left kinda meh… I am still a fan of the author, but this one just wasn‘t my cup of tea. #botm #bookofcoldcases

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a different spin on fantasy and really fun. I would say it‘s high on the comedy scale, and the banter between these middle-aged retired characters is smooth and entertaining. I love the way the mercenary bands were treated on a rockstar level, giving the word “band” an entire different meaning in fantasy! Highly recommend! It was adventurous and a quick read. #kingsofthewyld #fantasy

#BOTM TIME!!! Soooooo….I skipped picking Riley Sager for the first time since Final Girls. Which I LOVED, then I loved his next one a little less, and then the next less than before, and the next less than before, and then I‘m trying to convince myself that I‘m still a fan. Couldn‘t get into his last book…still unread. From the Goodreads reviews, I don‘t seem to be alone. But pumped for Blake Crouch! His books are always a wild trip!

🆘 It has been YEARS since I let myself re-read the Riyria Revelations. This is HANDS DOWN one of the most fun and satisfying fantasy series you will EVER read! YES! CAPS!EVER! I‘ve just finished and am left with the familiar ache and emptiness left behind. I need recs similar to these books (a task that is impossible I‘ve found) ASAP! I want fun, fantasy, adventure, amazing characters and a well rounded story!!!! 🆘🆘🆘🆘 😫😫😫 I need rogues!!

Ever have a series that you can read over and over like watching reruns of your favorite TV show? This is one of mine. Like an old friend, a favorite movie. I‘m in the middle of a new thriller and the All Souls Trilogy, one‘s quick, one‘s dense, but neither was what I needed right now. I needed comfort, familiarity, and a story I know I already love. Which books do you read over and over again? #theftofswords #riyria #comfortbooks #reread

This has been the best book while learning to make cold process soap. Clear and thorough, with easy to follow directions and wonderful advice and recipes. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to dip their toes into this amazing craft! This is my 6th and most successful batch yet! Attractive and skin healthy Chaga soap! #allnatural #diy #soap #herbalism

I misspoke in my review! Release day is NOT December first! It‘s today!!! #supportindieauthors

And just like that, 9 months have flown by. I was so busy making my own herbal apothecary beginning in March of this year, that I actually have not read this March BOTM pick that I have tagged throughout the process. The next time you see this book tagged, there WILL be a review with it 😜

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kate Sparkes deserves more attention as an author. I found her way back when I was heavy into indie authors & she is beyond consistent with her storytelling. I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review. I would never actively search for a Jack & the Beanstalk retelling, but do not skip this on Dec 1st! It‘s a fresh & creative take on a largely unexplored fairytale. Super fun, action oriented & great MC‘s.➕ Magic beans🙌!

Home Apothecary Update: WOW! What an Incredible season & journey it‘s been. We have medicinal tinctures from St Johns Wort to Ghostpipe, oils & salves, mint, rose, plantain, comfrey, you name it. Yarrow & lavender. Flower essence for ❤️ healing. Dried herbs for tea 🫖 foraged with love & cured with patience. A few tinctures & oils still in the making but wow! I am beyond proud to have received this wonderful gift! Can‘t wait to plan next season!

🎃🎃🎃🎃/5 Super cute #botm pick for spooky season! The Ex Hex is the perfect read if you want something that is light, easy, fun and quick. Humorous and sexy with tolerable main characters that you root for.

Who has ridiculous book rules made for themselves 🙋🏻‍♀️ I read Discovery of Witches 5 years ago, & did not continue due to their girth, BUT I want to read the trilogy, so I set myself up for a book 1 re-read & another 1500 pages of book 1 & 2 for the spooky season. But then…The Ex Hex came in the mail. Under 300 pages & letters the size of my head…do I A: stick to my plan and have a long book affair with the trilogy! OR B: Divert to a quickie?

DNF- this book starts great, but quickly dies plot-wise and character-wise . At 50% I am struggling to even want to pick it back up. Life is short. I quit.

Whenever Reese Witherspoon decides she loves a book, I see that book everrrryyyywhere. There is no escaping a Reese Book Club pick! There are MANY things I cannot be brainwashed by, but books, nope. Show me the same book over and over and eventually….I‘m reading it lol so Reese (and big tech who constantly promote it) I‘m reading this one for you. #botm

Lord help me, an Alice Feeney book! Her books always disgust me and she always takes her plots just sliiiightly too far. And after I‘m done, I‘m always left wondering wtf did I just read and whyyyy??? And here I am choosing her next book for my BOTM 😂 proof I can‘t be trusted 😉 #botm

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable book from BOTM. I can honestly say that each character appeared to be guilty so I truly had no idea “who dunnit”, but tbh the ending fell extremely flat for me and I was disappointed and left pretty Womp Womp. Extremely quick read tho!

Rosemary Gladstar has been a go-to reference while learning about the magic of medicinal herbs and how to incorporate them into your daily life! Highly recommend for anyone whose interested in learning this valuable information. #herbalism #foraging

Please don‘t unfollow me due to non-book related content 😂 I can‘t help it, I am just so proud!!! Flower essences completed! Milkweed for self-reliance and strong healthy ego, Chicory for selfless love and redirecting energy to solar plexus and Red Clover for anxiety, emergency situations and grounding! Reiki and Crystal charged! #myapothecary

Apothecary update! After 14 weeks, my first two medicines are complete! (Went a little wild for first one, hence the abundance) we have a tincture for Cleavers, which is great for allergies, the lymphatic system and a diuretic, and Purple Dead Nettle, which is also edible and amazing for seasonal allergies. Allergies are a staple here in the Hudson Valley! Really crazy to think we should ALL already have this knowlege! #greenwitch #ancientmeds

It‘s not officially summer without a Sager book! #botm 🌞🔪

I‘m too ashamed to actually stack my unread #BOTM books, but I‘m sure it‘s as tall as my shortest friend at this point. Determined to lighten this load. LOVE this cover and it seems super short, so diving in! I‘m pretty sure this one previously got the “1 page and ditch” during one of my more moody book selection moments. Anyone read it?? #outlawed

Update on my home apothecary! Looking pretty full as we enter the summer months. I feel so blessed to be learning such an important form of healthcare. We are literally surrounded by the medicines that Mother Nature has gifted us! Learning that tinctures take time! The herbalism game may be slow, but it‘s super gratifying 💫🍀🌱🌿🍃

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Positives: def a FAST read. I tore through it in one day. The characters are twisted and interesting, perfect amount of dysfunction to keep the plot moving. Negatives: Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. Omg she was almost TOO unlikable of a main character. Dumber than a box of rocks, a complete follower, pathetic. She deserved everything that happened to her 😂 play stupid games, win stupid prizes. But seriously, it was a decent read. #botm

Trying to read, but 75 pounds of furry love is making it hard. My fave moments ever in life...until he poked a hole thru the pages 😑 #botm #thehuntingwives

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Light and enjoyable read. This was a sweet story, sprinkled with magical words of wisdom and love. I adored watching Emilia come out of her shell and become the true wild woman that all of us ladies have inside! Poppy‘s love story is beautiful! I could have read a book that featured her story alone. I recommend! Great read for summer! #botm

Pat, it hasn‘t been 84 years, but it‘s been 1.5 decades since the release of the first book. This trilogy has slowly leaked from my brain overtime. Someone asked if I had read it & for my thoughts, & I realized, why? I can‘t recall. I know I had ❤️‘d it, I know I had been excited. I know that I lost hope of a conclusion about 5 years ago. I wish litsy had polls, Bc I want to know! Whose holding out hope? Whose given up? & Who doesn‘t care anymore?

Hearing wonderful things about Legendborn!!! Liking it so far! In desperate need of a YA that‘s readable... #legendborn #botm

⭐️ 😕 Ooooh... Crave, I have A LOT of opinions on this one. I wanted a “Twilight” read, & expected the amateur vibe that usually comes with that, but I wasn‘t expecting to feel incredibly OLD (37) while reading it. The MC is constantly “fml” this & “omg” that, everything is crazy “AF” To me this dates your work. Just spell it out! It‘s not an iPhone. Or a text. It‘s a book. I refuse to believe I‘m too old for YA, esp fantasy. Now, get off my lawn.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 This book was light, fun and omg did it make me hungry. I‘m hoping for a series Bc it was a quick and easy read, and I would def love to revisit these characters. I could nitpick at a few flaws, but honestly, I don‘t want to, Bc again, it was just a super fun book! #botm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I cannot recommend a book more. The relationship between human and nature is so severely severed. It runs generations deep. There is such magic in this beautiful land, when is the last time you stopped to appreciate it? Paused in your day to marvel in gratitude & offer love? When was the last time you said thank you? If ever. This land has proven countless time it will provide for us, but we must respect that generosity in return.

Sorry, not book related!!!! But I am too proud of my FIRST ever homemade herbalism remedy on my apothecary shelf!!! Identified by me, foraged by me, the tree was properly thanked for its gifts, and then this witch hazel astringent was created with my own two hands in my own home! This is a miracle plant! Can be used both externally and internally and the list of health benefits is a long one! 🌿🌱☘️🌳

⭐️⭐️.5/5 .....Eh. That about sums up this YA dystopian romance. The writing is super annoying at times with metaphor overload, some (most) don‘t make sense. Will I read the second? Probably lol I enjoyed the novella Destroy Me that‘s written from the villains POV more. This book is 10 years old and it shows. The author felt it necessary more than once to keep the protagonist scantily clothed and ogled by multiple men, which is so not 2021.

Next up in the spiritual text book club is Braiding Sweetgrass. That intro got me immediately❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was the right time in my life to read The Alchemist. I am in the midst of my own spiritual journey and the simplicity of this story really hit home at times. Short and quick, but riddled with quotes that linger long after reading them, I can see why many consider this little gem to be essential reading for anyone on their journey to discover their truths. 💫

First time reading The Alchemist for a new book club. Amazing how such a simple book can resonate in the most profound ways💫 #thealchemist

😍 this cover!!! Who else picked this gem? #BOTM

Me while watching Netflix: “Why do I feel like I‘ve seen this before?” Me while digging through the library that is slowly beginning to infest an entire spare room: “oh...that‘s why” I really need to do inventory 😂#mypersonallibrary What‘s your home “library” look like?

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5) Quick read, engaging enough to hold my interest. Unlikable characters, which is fine for a book of this nature. I wouldn‘t recommend to my “seasoned” reading buddies, but would recommend to my “I read 1-3 books a year, but prefer Netflix” friends. #BOTM