This series is adorable and I really enjoy the narrator as well, I think she is the perfect voice for the main character.
Teams are sought, bonds are formed, and Wumble must decide if he wants to push himself past where Wanda is or wait for Wanda to grow.
5/5 I can‘t wait for the next book in the series and I will buy them all in multiple formats. My only complaint is that they are too short!

The female main character is selfish and horrible, but unlike in many other books, gets called out on it and grows!
Two high school almost sweet hearts reconnect through books while living in London trying to decide what to do with their lives.
4/5 read for a story that deals with a lot of- difficult family, grief, professional pressure, and personal growth are just some of what the characters address.
I tried to get the pretty edges 😆

The narration was excellent, but the way it was written was confusing for me as someone new to the study of 17th century England. I didn‘t understand why some aspects were heavily covered and some were barely touched on.
3/5 Read for a brief history of the British Civil War, a long history of the religious turmoil that led to it, & a smattering of history of thought, including an in depth but limited in scope discussion of The Blazing World

This book was predictable in a bad way, had really random “puzzles” and ignored the most interesting aspects of the story.
Two humans are stuck in a game played by immortals, but will they be able to end the game? (Sounds fun right? It would be if the book was actually focused on this 😤)
0/5 stars read for lots of heavy handed romance, meh sex scenes, and very little about the plot or the characters besides the horny humans

This was an intense and short read, hopeful and at times gentle in the discovery of different kinds of love.
Takako needs a reset in life and finds it at her family bookshop, run by her uncle. She meets new people, develops a love for reading, and learns a lot of family history.
3/5 read for a story about the importance of communication

Well written but the author had a lot of white privilege that was not acknowledged or addressed, but that tracks with the time period it was written.
After her divorce the author decides to travel, mostly to developing nations, where she joins in the local communities, gathers inspiration for her writing, and builds a global network of friends.
2/5 read for a well written travel story, but also know the age of the author and the time period

Another excellent book in a good series.
Mycroft receives a diagnosis that makes it hard to justify his hopes for a family, and he tries to help Sherlock develop empathy by tasking him with teaching the boys at Douglas‘s school which leads to Sherlock developing his sleuthing skills as one of the boys mysteriously dies.
4.5/5 read for a fun and historic story with background for Sherlock Holmes and his brother.

This is a lovely book, and brings some much needed attention to some very important social issues.
Vera can‘t help but try to solve people‘s problems and when someone needs help that intersects with a case her (hopefully soon to be) daughter in law has, Vera is on a new case.
5/5 read for an intergenerational found family mystery

I adore this Manga and as soon as I finished it, I ordered the next two in the series. I hope they all get transplanted to English!
A strong teacher and her shy and sweet Rottie slowly make friends with a firefighter and his bossy Pom.
4.5/5 read for loving dog owners and a story that explores expectations vs reality of size and strength

I was extremely disappointed in this book - I learned more on the topic from the author‘s interviews than I did reading. I appreciate that the author wanted to work through her trauma but I didn‘t want to read the trauma dump and not understand the WHY of this timely and impotent topic.
0/5 listen to the interviews about this book and you‘ll learn more about the rising danger of the manosphere and the deadly consequences of misogyny

This was really good, the only real weakness was how the female characters were written.
Mycroft journeys with his friend Douglas to Trinidad, trying to figure out the mystery of where his fiancé went and how to help Douglas protect his family and friends in Trinidad.
4/5 read for a different understanding of the Holmes brothers and to learn a lot of interesting historical information about Trinidad

This was a bit of a strange read, the writing wasn‘t bad just different and while I appreciated the immersion I think it went a bit too far and took away from the story.
Two sisters must find a place to live where their social rule breaking won‘t be held against them in dark aged England and where they can find the support and love they need.
2/5 read for a very atmospheric story of two sisters who live in a dark age that is well described

I enjoyed this book, I learned a lot about the history of Hawaii and it makes me more interested in returning to the islands.
This book focused on the missionary take over and interspersed modern and historical facts. The different voice actors were a nice touch as well. I do wish there had been more discussion about the modern Hawaii independence movement.
3/5 read for a history of Hawaii and listen to this for good voice actors.

Pretty edges! This book was SO long but well written enough that I was able to get through it and I do plan to finish the series.
5 people with different background and different reasons must try to kill the emperor.
4/5 read for complex a complex story with each chapter written from a different characters point of view

I didn‘t think I would like a YA romance, but I did. Good writing and I even didn‘t mind the fake dating troupe.
When a drama 🎭 obsessed teen is forced to work in her fathers gaming store as part of her punishment, she learns that D&D and games can be fun and fit in with her need to sing and be noticed. Fake dating, confused feelings, and development of father daughter relationship round out this book.
3/5 read for good relationship development

A fun and social/political commentary packed book. Also, the author is from the town next to mine, which is very cool.
Charles is more than surprised when his wealthy Uncle names him as heir, but a talking cat and dolphins looking to unionize are just the beginning of his adventures in villainy - aka the development of disruptive technologies for world order.
5/5 read for a fun look at the probably true nature of the rich and powerful

Another excellent book! Continues the tale with alchemist training and the introduction of some fascinating new characters. Highly recommend but wish these were longer.
4/5

I really liked the narrator, but the MC was awful and the story wasn‘t that good.
An aging actress inherits a bookshop from her aunt who inspired the MC‘d acting and broadway career with her own. From the moment MC returns to her small town, she‘s gets involved with arson and a murder and foolishly thinks she can solve them.
1/5 read for a self aggrandizing MC who makes foolish and short sighted decisions. The narrator is excellent

Different than I thought it would be, this book starts with knitting and ends with some surprising politics and micro economics. It cured me of wanting to escape to Scotland to raise sheep.
A knitter decides to raise sheep after learning that this rare wool might be lost without people passionate about the breed and becomes a strong advocate for her sheep and farm.
3/6 read for lots of sheep history and facts and government farm program critiques

Adorable, very short, mostly cozy fantasy novel about a girl with a dog who wants to make the world a better place.
When her dog finds and eats a mysterious ball, Wanda has no idea that her bond with her stubby legged companion will be super powered. Wanda dreams of becoming an alchemist to help people as she was helped and with her dear Wumble at her side, she is determined to gain admission to the guild.
4/5 read if you like dogs and magic

This is a fun and surprising book, and I enjoyed the narrator as well.
What starts as a cozy library murder mystery quickly becomes a tale of demons, justice, and rude cats.
I love how the author made her story so many different levels, and the characters were very interesting.
4/5 read if you like cozy mysteries, Buffy, and/or books that take literary troupe in a whole different way than expected.

I wanted to like this book, but it was way too much teen romance angst and not enough cool magic. It was interesting to read about the gaikokujin experience in Japan, but I will not continue the series.
Katie moves to Japan and gets involved with boys who have the magic to control ink and make ink drawings real. The romance and foreigner in Japan are the majority concepts of this book.
1.5/5 stars read for the beautiful illustrations

I love the beautiful edges on this book, and the book was also excellent! A gender swapped gothic novel set in a fantasy world with lots of room for world development.
When the fountain pen collecting Duke escapes his abusive father in law for the witch queen, a case of mistaken identity leads him to be the new Librarian for the dark queen.
5/5 read for slow-ish light spice romance in an interesting fantasy world

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but the writing was confusing. The mystery part was OK, but some of the character actions didn‘t make a lot of sense.
On their honeymoon, a talented engineer and a retired detective must rush to solve multiple murders before the murders are pinned on them.
2/5 read for a fun space close door mystery but expect a lot of gender politics and confusing writing.

The narrator of this edition has a very nice voice - relaxing but not sleep inducing. I don‘t want to hold this book to modern expectations- it‘s two hundred years old. I appreciated learning more about important female figures such as Xenobia, even if the writing was condescending. I think the author had the empire last longer in his history than it actually did.
2/5 stars listen rather than read this for a classic historical work

I wanted a book that described the various animals that were supposed to be highlighted, instead it‘s a lot of philosophical stuff and I‘m not into that. I love random facts, but not belly gazing.

The mystery was well done but the main character is SUCH a wet blanket.
A scholarship student faced racism and classism at a fancy elite boarding school and when someone starts killing people she and the other scholarship student have to solve it so they can keep their scholarships and for reasons.
1/5 I don‘t recommend it, I think there are better versions of this kind of story

Combines a lot of regency tropes with some interesting American focused issues and ideas and builds on the magical world Lackey originally set around WW1 England.
Amelia and her cousin come to England to help expand the family business and learn about Regency England customs while meeting eligible magicians.
4.5/5 read for a regency magical romance that‘s more focused on social issues than romance. Lackey packs a lots into this book, expertly.

A retired detective and his daughter run a successful food recreation restaurant and the new customers bring forward stories of loss, love, misunderstandings and valuing the gifts you have along with painfully good descriptions of food.
5/5 stars, read for a collection of short stories that will remind you of the power of food to shape one‘s life. I also really enjoy the traditional food ware described, it‘s fun to look each piece up for images.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but there were too many plot holes and the main character was extremely irritating.
Jayne is recruited by the CIA‘s magic book division when her magic is activated during her work as a librarian. She‘s rushed to Ireland in hopes that she‘ll bound with an ancient book that holds an a powerful magician and prevent a terrorist organization from getting it first.
1/5 read for a poorly executed good idea.

This was a fun read, I was surprised by it in a good way.
Roger was killed and the list of suspects is long, but a H. Poirot is requested and delivers his unique brand of mystery solving in a timely and detailed manner with a pop at the end.
4/5 stars. Well written, good characters and a good story. I didn‘t get the twist until it popped in the book.
I am not a huge Disney fan; but this Lego villains set was super fun and 90s kid nostalgia won

This was good, but lacked some character development - expected with a more YA style of writing.
Mina must navigate being a stepmother to a girl whose father wants a copy of the dead wife he loves and Lynette must learn to be who she is while both must battle other‘s expectations and dark magic.
3/5 Read for a tale of family trauma and family you build with light amounts of magic

An interesting take on fairy tales and the power of the belief and magic. Interesting writing and ideas, not too dark but definitely a fairy tale.
The woodcutter must try to solve the mystery of where the magic is going and restore balance to the world.
3/5 read if you want a more abstract tale of the magic of belief and the power that secrets can hold.

I finished for a buddy read and I have to say I really didn‘t care for it. Anything that starts with a spoiled rich person who is bored with their life is going to be hard for me for to like and this is one of those books.
Spoiled lady with a rough family uncovers what may or may not be many secrets and plots with some ties to ecoterrorism and the end of the world-ish.
0/5 Read if you like spoiled rich people who are nihilistic.

This book was way too caught up on the will they, won‘t they, they can‘t and it really derailed the story and made it difficult to remember what the characters are trying to accomplish.
Sage decides to step into the role of Apprentice, discovers family she thought was lost, and her feelings for the Villain deepen.
2.75/5 Some good side character development, but not enough movement in the plot. Will still read the next book in the series

I wanted to like this book, but I felt that the characters were two dimensional and the story wasn‘t very interesting. I did appreciate that the author didn‘t follow the typical 3rd act upset for the plot.
A baker and a bookstore owner are forced to share a workspace which leads to them realizing their feelings for each other.
1/5 read for a cute concept and if you want boring characters

Probably the best YA book I‘ve read-good writing and digs DEEP into current issues facing humanity and I was shook about how good this book is.
In a perfect world created by a benevolent AI, humans must still die, and humans are the ones who choose who and how other humans die-The Scythes are the only human controlled organization left. Two teens chosen by an old guard Scythe must contend with the rising corruption.
5/5 read this book

Another excellent book but I will be so mad if this is truly the last book in the series. This book doesn‘t finish all the plots and I really want that!
Charolette will pull together a lot of diverse threads to bring about the reunion of people that are loved by her clients, friends, and family and to avoid going to prison for murder.
4/5 I need to reread the series in order for this book and I really really don‘t want the series to end this way

I liked this better, but if‘s not as good as the first book. The MC is more realistic and pragmatic than some of the other MCs in the series which I appreciate.
Catriona is confronted with a man who wants to repatriate historical artifacts that her father helped to review. She must decide how much to give to the Cause and if she can find a man to lobe who will accept her as she is.
3/5 stars read for historical accuracy and interesting characters

This is a very sweet book about a librarian who flees the city where she worked protecting spell books with a crate of books back home to a remote island. There is a lot of growth for the introverted MC and the argument about freedom of information is a bit heavy handed, but it‘s still nice to read.
4.5/5 well written and full of positive things while still having a good story.

This book is incredibly well written, super believable character, including a librarian with actual research skills, and a lovely story of the damage families can do and how people can learn to heal. Beautiful and I‘m buying a ton of the authors other books.
Hired to work as an authors assistant and bookstore employee, Emily is starting a new life with a new perspective and meets her love and family on three way.
5/5 read for emotions

A high fantasy romance novel that is a little too romance for this to be a great book for me, but it was a good read and a very interesting world.
A cursed prince falls for a cursed stepdaughter of a vassal king. They must try to break their curses while avoiding the plots of demons and empresses.
4/5 read for a high fantasy romance that is more realistic about the skills needed to be an assassin than most female assassin books.

This book force feeds academic theories with little evidence beyond the authors‘ opinions. I wanted a close look at the Matsutake mushroom, instead I got many long theory papers without proper citations.
Read for a biased look at the social & cultural world of Matsutake & for even more bias around the science. Some basic mushroom biology is included
1/5 Skim this book if you want to learn about Matsutake mushrooms; read for academic theory

This was a fascinating world, obviously written by yet another person scarred by Academia. The format of letters and emails about letters written by other characters was hard to read and while I appreciate Neuro-diverse representation those parts made the letters very boring and too long.
Two siblings decide to create an archive to try to understand why their two siblings are gone.
2/5 read for a fascinating world, with scifi & steampunk vibes

This starts slow but gets very good. The author makes very interesting worlds while also developing the characters.
Else is a child of a written world, and when her mother is captured and taken to Earth, she flees to one of the only people she trusts, who takes her to a home for children with abilities & makes friends slowly and develops a plan to save her mom.
4/5 stars, read for a unique book based story with smart characters.

This was an interesting read, I appreciated the translation of old English and the call numbers of the books cited.
The book provides a lot of information about manuscripts and the people who requested, paid for, made, and saved them.
4/5 stars, read for a mix of medieval history, history of the book, and an exploration of the British Manuscripts currently available

Another good book, but you have to read the book before this to pick up on the plot threads. I didn‘t care for the time jumping, but it was only in short interludes so I guess that OK.
Mercy‘s brother shows up under a curse and she and Adam go to try to convince the power that cursed him to release him, which leads to a major Norse Myth inspired snowed-in mystery-ish.
4/5 dense but good-great characters, good plot, good world building.

I just can‘t with this book. If you are Sansei and from CA how do you NOT know about Internment? The author totally skipped over concentration camp experience and ensuing generational trauma and I am NOT ok with that. If the MC was Shin-Sansei, that would make sense, but she‘s not. Also, the MC is maybe 18 and dating someone who is at least 23. Not cool.
1/5 I wouldn‘t recommend reading this. Comments continued below.

This book packed a whole lot into a single book and the ending was not very satisfying, but overall a good read.
El learns the very dark secret of how the enclaves that protect wizards from monsters are made and meets the woman who is the dark sorceress she‘s tried her whole life to NOT become leading to unexpected and painful revelations.
4/5 a good finish except for the kind of lame ending.

This book suffered from middle book problems but was still interesting and well written, just not as much as the first.
El wants to save all the students at the school and decides to work with unexpected allies to make the world safer.
3.5/5 read for more world building, LOTS of character growth, but not much movement plot wise compared to the 1st and 2nd book. Warning : Cliffhanger ending get the 3rd book at the same time