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

Am I the only one who found February‘s BOTM picks to be extra dark and sad this month??? And it‘s my BFF Bday month 😩 I am SO fatigued by the state of the world and life in general, that I‘m wondering, could we not find anything a little brighter and happier!?

‼️‼️still looking for book recs from my last post ‼️‼️ help! 😁😁😁

‼️‼️BOOK RECS NEEDED!!! ‼️‼️I need recs for my father as a Christmas gift. Stories along the lines of Stand By Me and The Wonder Years, coming of age and growing up in the 1950‘s-1960‘s. My disabled father has been writing a fiction book that is loosely based on his childhood and male characters are probably best but not dealbreaker! Novels, short stories, essays!! So please, please reach out if anything good comes to mind!!! 🎁🎁🎁

⭐️⭐️ Typical YA Fantasy. The world building was decent, the supporting characters were expected, but entertaining, there was an actual plot. My issue with this book falls on the main protagonist Emberly. Her inner monologues are what destroyed this character. It was impossible to take her seriously when she‘s in the middle of dramatic action, but her inner thoughts are flashing to her “strange hair” It made the book amateur. For a younger crowd...

⭐️...So, this is my own fault. I binged all the Twilight movies, & realized I missed my YA Fantastical Romance‘s (I took a break a few years ago) I‘ve owned book 1 of The Selection for years, & ended up diving in. Fast forward to a few days later, & I‘ve finished the trilogy...& it was...really bad. This series would have been decent had it been ONE book. Written at the hype of the “trilogy” age, & stretched to death, it was unbearable by the end.

After binging all 5 Twilight movies, it really left me in the mood for a good Paranormal Romance along the same lines. I haven‘t read the genre in years, and am not seeing anything new on the shelves for me to try. Suggestions!!!???? PLEASSSSEEEE!!??? Is this genre dead???

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Last Flight is a quick read with a pace that moves steadily. The ending was def anti-climatic for me, but the book was very enjoyable otherwise. I would not consider this a “thriller” but it is an interesting story of two women who are running from different things and how their world collides. Kind of a lame review! Sorry... #botm ps but I did enjoy it

Lazy Saturday

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Mexican Gothic is very atmospheric. It‘s definitely a book with a slow burn, but the intrigue keeps the plot moving. There‘s an uncomfortable feeling throughout the entire story, and the creep factor is pretty high. It‘s immediately clear that something is very wrong with the inhabitants of High Point, and when you finally discover what it is, it‘s quite the surprise. Very clever and unique. #botm

⭐️⭐️ Underwhelming is the best word to describe this book. Although, I am a fan of the ladies other two books, this one just didn‘t do it for me. It was boring, fell flat, the twists weren‘t twists, but just tie-ins to a mish-mash of characters that were too difficult to follow. I can‘t think of one good chapter that I read, and the only thing not making this a one star is the fact that it was at least well-written 👎

Halfway through this book and I am 😴😴😴😴 Normally a fan of their books, but this one is not doing it for me. I won‘t quit Bc they are known for their twists, and I hope it picks up at part 2! Anyone else feel the same?

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 This is a quick mystery, written in a way that makes it impossible not to turn the pages. A little predictable, but with enough surprises that nothing was spoiled. The story follows the POV of 5 characters at a wedding, and one of them is a murderer. Although, it may fall quickly to the back of my mind, I will recommend it while I still remember.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Another page turner by Riley Sager. If you are already a fan, you won‘t be disappointed! If this is your first time, you won‘t be disappointed! The story alternates between Maggie‘s return to the haunted house that marred her childhood, and pages from the book her now deceased father wrote about it. What‘s fact and what‘s fiction? A question you will be asking yourself with each turn of the page!

I will never not choose Riley Sager! It‘s Sager Time!!!!!!!!

Why not!? Thoughts???? I‘m a far cry from my 23 year old self reading Twilight!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is dark and disturbing, but so incredibly well-written. Shame it‘s being dropped from book clubs due to controversy that I don‘t feel it deserves as a story of fiction. I highly recommend, but be prepared for disturbing content! Fast read! Couldn‘t put it down! #mydarkvanessa PS. Please, don‘t ever skip a book Bc of someone else‘s opinions or feelings. Always always always find your own truths! 🙌

More rocks to share with my fellow littens!!! Really enjoying this surge of reading and art that the new super moon is bringing me #rockpainting