Received this as a gift from my parents who came across it at a place they stayed during a vacation of theirs. While it is Christian oriented, I was pReceived this as a gift from my parents who came across it at a place they stayed during a vacation of theirs. While it is Christian oriented, I was pleased to see that each section was gentle with their scripture references; as someone who considers herself more spiritual than religious, I was able to enjoy this still with how they approached each topic. The photographs are absolutely stunning and match well with their respective chapters. Overall, if you are looking for something to help re-center yourself, whether you are religious or spiritual, this is a great book to turn to. I plan on checking out the other versions in this series as well....more
Reading this book made me think of how much I loved growing up watching science-based shows discussing about space and the universe, whether it was abReading this book made me think of how much I loved growing up watching science-based shows discussing about space and the universe, whether it was about factual discoveries and theories or fictional worlds like Star Trek. Tyson does a great job of presenting the various components of astrophysics in a fun, approachable manner. However, this book should not be intended to be an introduction to astrophysics for those with no prior knowledge. While Tyson does present concepts in a simple, understandable manner, some familiarity is still needed to understand all of the lingo and how everything connects. Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read and perfect for dipping back into the curious world of the universe to get the imagination sparking....more
What an adorable Christmas themed story! I listened to the free audiobook on Spotify. While the main characters are from a series, I appreciated you dWhat an adorable Christmas themed story! I listened to the free audiobook on Spotify. While the main characters are from a series, I appreciated you didn't need any prior knowledge of it to enjoy this story. The world - both the series' original Victorian setting and later the holiday-themed locations - were well written and fascinating to explore as the story progressed. I enjoyed the Nightmare Before Christmas and Alice In Wonderland vibes it gave as well as the Gingerbread spin on Romeo and Juliet. If you're looking for a fun magical Christmas story, this is definitely one to check out....more
Listened to the free audiobook on Spotify. While I had enjoyed the other two novellas by Lovering, this one was a bit disappointing. I found myself coListened to the free audiobook on Spotify. While I had enjoyed the other two novellas by Lovering, this one was a bit disappointing. I found myself constantly becoming confused on what was happening aside from the Christmas play. It seemed like there was supposed to be a romance developing between Lydia and Jake, but her constant coldness towards any male and the occasional portrayal of male interest as coming off as creepy made it hard to figure out and enjoy. Such a shame as I had hoped to find another enjoyable quick holiday themed story....more
What a charming and captivating story! While Mattie is trying to decode her late great aunt Millie's final wish, she's also rediscovering herself afteWhat a charming and captivating story! While Mattie is trying to decode her late great aunt Millie's final wish, she's also rediscovering herself after escaping from an abusive relationship and discovering new love in an unexpected but familiar place. For a short story, the author did a fantastic job of bringing all of these aspects together without them being rushed, poorly executed, or coming off as too much for the format. All of the characters were enjoyable to experience and I loved the developing relationship. Overall, this was a great story. Perfect selection for a Christmas read, story about someone coming out of an abusive/controlling relationship, or needing some quaint seaside village vibes....more
I listened to the audiobook version on Spotify. This novella is quite charming and an enjoyable listen for the holiday season. I loved how the comic bI listened to the audiobook version on Spotify. This novella is quite charming and an enjoyable listen for the holiday season. I loved how the comic book collection of the main character's late husband not only helped her with her grieving process but discovered love in an unexpected place and a touching secret her husband had. If you are looking for something quick to enjoy for the holiday season, whether it's audiobook or the print version, this would be a good choice to go with....more
I listened to the free audiobook of this book on Spotify; the narrator (Gary Tredwell) was enjoyable to listen to and kept my attention throughout theI listened to the free audiobook of this book on Spotify; the narrator (Gary Tredwell) was enjoyable to listen to and kept my attention throughout the book with his pacing. As for the story itself, it was just "okay" for me. The concept of marriage of convenience is a fairly new trope I've started to read more books of, so I was intrigued to see how a story set in modern times would be like. Unfortunately, the set up seemed a little too... organized and "Mary Sue" perfect; both his adoptive father and her grandfather want them to be married upon/before their passing and he just happens to have an Aunt who is a matchmaker and knows both families to help set up the "meet cute." While I understand this is meant to be a clean romance, I felt like it was clean of all romance aside from butterfly flutters and comments of finding the other attractive. Everything seemed to unfold so quickly that there didn't seem to be any buildup of any actual romance; it was literally just two individuals brought together agreeing to marry to achieve their wishes (his to get the family farm, hers to fulfill her grandfather's wish). Furthermore, despite having Christmas in the title, it seemed to have gotten lost along the way aside from a few mentions towards religious viewpoints and hoping a "Christmas miracle" will happen to make it so they can achieve their goals. Overall, the idea was intriguing, but the execution fell short....more
I discovered this book through the free audiobook on Spotify; the narrator Jennifer Jill Araya was enjoyable to listen to and did well with providing I discovered this book through the free audiobook on Spotify; the narrator Jennifer Jill Araya was enjoyable to listen to and did well with providing different voices and personalities for each of the characters that made it easy to identify who was talking. While the premise of the story originally intrigued me, after completing this book, I found myself disappointed. The rivalry between the twin sisters Chancery and Judica was expected but after dealing with their constant bickering for the first third of the book, I just got annoyed with it and didn't care about either of them. The concept of the Evians being descendants of Eve resonated briefly of The Mortal Instruments vibes for me but I didn't think it was executed as well; I found the whole "We're perfect and so much better than humans" exhausting. When Chancery briefly lived in the human world, I didn't really feel like she was living a different life because it seemed like every other person was some sister/cousin/child/etc. of an Evian, especially of the royal family; it seemed to defeat the purpose of her going into "hiding." Plus, it was confusing how she seemed so lost on how to live in the human world when she seemed to be so fascinated with the human world via media. I think what also made it hard for me to relate to any of the main characters is that they were high class through and through (disregarding the fantastical royalty aspect) - fancy clothes, friends with private jets, and the ability to name drop that they've met numerous political leaders around the world. In terms of the romance with the two love interests, it was fairly tame and honestly, I quickly forgot what romantic events took place because of everything else going on. In the end, because of how unimpressed I was with this book, I don't think I will bother continuing with the series....more
The first volume of the sequel series to The Belgariad brings us back into the lives of our colorful cast of characters, years after the previous battThe first volume of the sequel series to The Belgariad brings us back into the lives of our colorful cast of characters, years after the previous battle between good and evil. It starts off a bit slow as we get acquainted with what has happened with everyone - some cheerful, some not so much. While the concept around Errand (later Eriand) feels very familiar, as it resonates with Garion's own beginnings, Eddings did a good job of making feel new and provided explanations in-store on why it felt similar. Once Garion and his prophesy-selected companions (both old and new) start their travels to rescue his kidnapped son, the pacing of the story picked up. I was a bit confused by Durnik's sudden obsession with water and fishing, and no one finding it unusual. There were a few times that the author repeated themselves in a span of a few pages; I get it - there were cobwebs and leaves blown into the hallways of the ruins. Overall, I'm still enjoying this story and the world Eddings has created, and look forward to the concluding volume of this series....more
A charming story of discovering love has been there by your side the entire time. The friendship between Ellie and the Duke of Ashten was entertainingA charming story of discovering love has been there by your side the entire time. The friendship between Ellie and the Duke of Ashten was entertaining to listen to (as I listened to the free audiobook on Spotify), and the transition into the romantic realm felt natural. The audiobook narrator did a great job with creating different voices for each character, making it easy to identify who was speaking without being told who it was after their initial introduction; however, the narrator's voice for Ellie did tend to come off as a bit too naive and innocent at times, which made come off as comical and ruined more serious moments (especially the romantic bits). Overall, an enjoyable book and captured my interest enough to check out the other books in the series....more
I experienced this via the audiobook narrated by Ralph Cosham on Spotify; briefly read the written portion just for the parts regarding Blackbeard. DeI experienced this via the audiobook narrated by Ralph Cosham on Spotify; briefly read the written portion just for the parts regarding Blackbeard. Despite being about a topic I absolutely love, I found myself extremely bored by this book. I'm not sure if it was due to the dry, semi-monotone of the narrator or if it was due to the lack of interest in the pirate stories addressed (aside from those about Blackbeard as my attention was instantly captured by them). The book started off with a chapter of historical summary about pirates before transitioning into a series of fictional stories; while there were many well-known pirates mentioned in the historical section, the fictional stories weren't - not entirely certain whether they were real pirates or creations of the author as I wasn't familiar with their names. The historical facts presented were familiar and didn't present anything new from what I knew from other pirate history books I've read. Honestly, I considered rating this 2 stars but it got bumped up simply because of Blackbeard. Otherwise, if you are looking for a book about pirates, whether from a historical or fictional standpoint, there are better books out there to spend your time with....more
I discovered this book as a free audiobook (in album format) on Spotify. The narrator is relaxing to listen to and tone is welcoming; pacing is easy tI discovered this book as a free audiobook (in album format) on Spotify. The narrator is relaxing to listen to and tone is welcoming; pacing is easy to follow with and makes the context fun to listen to. I enjoyed the variety of topics discussed throughout the book and found myself relating on so many levels, both personal and professional. I could easily see that I was indeed a "Unicorn" and learned new approaches to the more challenging aspects of my life. Highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a quick read/listen pick-me-up, assurance they are on the right path for their desires (and that it's okay to go against what other's want you to be), and/or needing some guidance on what to do next in their life after getting lost....more
I discovered this book as a free audiobook on Spotify. The narrator is enjoyable to listen to and does well giving separate voices to the variety of cI discovered this book as a free audiobook on Spotify. The narrator is enjoyable to listen to and does well giving separate voices to the variety of characters; however, I did find myself occasionally getting distracted and occasionally missing bits of the story. Despite this, the story was still captivating to keep my interest as it progressed. The main female character Brea was relatable, despite the occasional stereotypical human-in-fantasy-world tropes (i.e. clumsiness, calls herself a plain girl, nobody-becomes-prophesized-bigtime-somebody, etc.). Griffin and Lochlan were intriguing to learn about, and the author did well with writing both of them to easily root for being the romantic interest of the moment. The world is stunningly built, both portraying a world you wish you could experience in person but also realize how deadly the fae world can be under the surface. While the story wasn't a life-changing one, it is still captivating enough for me to continue with the rest of the series. Unfortunately, the other audiobooks are not free, so I will have to try finding physical copies of the books; it will be interesting to see if my attention is captured better with the physical version than the audiobook version....more
A charming story about finding one's purpose after the original dream falls apart and discovering what the heart truly desires. While the concept of sA charming story about finding one's purpose after the original dream falls apart and discovering what the heart truly desires. While the concept of successful woman returns to small hometown is a common trope, the author did a great job of presenting their version; it felt very realistic and easy to identify with. The two sisters' storylines melded well together and didn't make the novel feel overloaded. Romance was well presented and the developments felt natural and captivating. I was delighted to see the recipe for the Lavender-White Chocolate Scones (and other treats) were included at the end because I couldn't stop thinking about them when they were first introduced in the story. Also, I appreciated all of the familiar locations being mentioned throughout the story or what inspired the fictional town of Icicle Falls. Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing book to pass the time, whether to help get through your own dream reassessment process or an entertaining family-guy-next-door-vs-pirate-bad-boy-with-heart-of-gold romance, this is a perfect pick....more
The Belgriad series continues and concludes with this volume. Unlike its predecessor, I felt like the pacing of this volume was a lot slower; at timesThe Belgriad series continues and concludes with this volume. Unlike its predecessor, I felt like the pacing of this volume was a lot slower; at times I felt like I was sluggishly going through the context, prone to easy distraction. I think my interest peaked again when Garion, Belgarath, and Silk took off on their own journey and later when our main characters reunited for the final battle. After so many pages of being told that the final showdown would be some epic revelation of which prophecy will be the true one, I felt a bit underwhelmed by what actually happened. Aside from its faults, I still enjoyed reading this volume and will continue onwards to the next series in the universe....more
Hilarie Burton Morgan comes back strong as ever with another autobiographical book addressing the process of discovering oneself while going through tHilarie Burton Morgan comes back strong as ever with another autobiographical book addressing the process of discovering oneself while going through the various adventures of life (including the pandemic lockdown) and processing grief. The warm, welcoming tone I fell in love with in The Rural Diaries is found again in this one; it feels like having a deep heartfelt conversation with a sister and best friend all at once. I enjoyed the little prompts of how to create your own grimoire, in whatever form you wish to have it take, and the various shared recipes. Also, appreciated the concept of creating your own ancestral connections when you have little to no information to go off of, as I've done the same myself for my father's side of the family (who apparently aren't as into genealogy as my mother's family is). Just like The Rural Diaries, I can easily see myself re-reading this book multiple times. I also enjoyed discovering Hilarie Burton Morgan created a Spotify playlist, featured on HarperOne's profile, featuring songs that relate to the various chapters; I could easily pick up on her personality through it as I listened to the playlist while reading. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking to rediscover your magic through these hard times....more
A fascinating look of how practices used in customer service (such as at hotels, food services, Disney parks) can be adapted to health facilities. I fA fascinating look of how practices used in customer service (such as at hotels, food services, Disney parks) can be adapted to health facilities. I found myself constantly relating to both types of management systems presented - those that promoted happy work environments and teamwork and those that resulted in competitive environments that resulted in disgruntled employees; it made me thankful for the great work environment I have today. Considering Disney is mentioned in the title and suggested to be a main focus on how to run a healthcare establishment, I was surprised by how little we actually heard about the author's experiences at Disney; I suppose it wouldn't be good to give away too many of the "Disney secrets" and ruin the magic. Overall, this was a great read and one of the better leadership books I've come across....more
I'm on the edge on how I feel about "The Invitation." I enjoyed the concept of Jackie being rescued by a handsome man and her later discovering it's sI'm on the edge on how I feel about "The Invitation." I enjoyed the concept of Jackie being rescued by a handsome man and her later discovering it's someone from her past. While I appreciated the approach of substandards regarding age difference between partners and gender of the oldest, I felt weirded out by how the author kept having others address William ("Billy") as a kid (especially when he's a full-grown adult, not some teenager who could still get mistaken as such) and later the mention of the townsfolk considering the "unnatural closeness" between Jackie and William as kids. At times, I felt like readers were being made to dislike the two getting together rather than root for them. The romance was tame and I felt disappointed by how much we were being told on how magical their sexual encounters were rather than being shown. Overall, this story was a nice read but with how the relationship was presented, I couldn't fully enjoy it as I wanted to.
Considering the first story was the only one mentioned on the back cover's summary in details (aside from addressing it by title in the last sentence), it feels a bit weird having two novellas attached.
"Matchmakers" was hard for me to get into at first because the characters' actions seemed so cartoonish and drastic. This especially became a problem of taking anything seriously as the romance aspect was introduced. The change of POV from third person to first person was disorienting and I couldn't figure out why the author did it, especially when later on Cale ended having both perspectives used for her, not just first person POV. In the end, I wasn't too impressed with this story and felt it lacked the chemistry I expected to get to warrant the conclusion we received.
"A Perfect Arrangement" is my favorite of the bunch. I love the combined premise of pretending to be romantically involved and lady and rough guy end up together. Despite the novella length, I felt the story was fully flushed out. The main characters were enjoyable to read about and root for things to work out for the two of them, and the reasonings for their actions were realistic....more
An intriguing novel following two different characters as they explore the meaning of family and what is important. I liked the concept of tracking doAn intriguing novel following two different characters as they explore the meaning of family and what is important. I liked the concept of tracking down a lost family heirloom of sorts and the desire to re-embrace family traditions, and discovering what's more important. However, I was a bit disappointed by how the cradle in question was so quickly disregarded by the end of the novel after everything that had been done to track it down. Another aspect of the novel I would have liked to have been done differently was the reveal on how the two main perspectives were connected; it felt so last minute for the big reveal. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I felt a bit disappointed and unsatisfied by the conclusion....more
Upon starting this book with "In All Seasons," I was instantly surprised by encountering a historical romance, rather than a modern romance as what I Upon starting this book with "In All Seasons," I was instantly surprised by encountering a historical romance, rather than a modern romance as what I expected from the cover. The story was quite captivating between relationship dynamics being changed drastically because of miscommunication and the meddling acts of scorned love. At times, I felt like the flow of the story stuttered either due to repetitive information or not being able to fully flush the concept out due to the short story format. Otherwise, I was satisfied with how everything got sorted out between the two main characters and the story's conclusion.
While "The Scent of Snow" is a bit weak with the general storyline, it makes it up with a well-written romance. The progression of former acquaintances to lovers flowed easily and realistically, and I was quite pleased with the intimate scenes.
"That Other Katherine" is probably my favorite piece of the entire collection. I enjoyed the unique means of time travel of our main character; it gave me Outlander vibes with our main character finding her true love in a former era. The only fault I found with this story is that it was in a short story format. I would have loved to see it expanded more into a novel length.
Probably the weakest of the stories would be "Store-Bought Woman." The storyline was pretty standard - woman expects to be married to one man but ends up with the brother. I didn't feel like I connected with the characters as well as did with the ones in the other stories, which may have played a part in not being impressed with this story. Also, I felt like side bits were added in just for the sake of creating the scenery atmosphere but didn't add any genuine depth to the plot (i.e. interactions with Indians and the neighbor couple).
The final story "Switch" wasn't exactly a new concept - identical sisters who live different lives switch places; however, the stolen art piece plot aspect was a different twist to the whole concept. It was easy to sympathize with Jamie as she tries to fill in her sister Sara's shoes, after being inadequately prepared for the world she was thrusted into. I did briefly have a hard time excepting the sudden romance between Rowan and Jamie, but was pleased with the conclusion. My favorite character was Lazarus the cat.
Overall, this was a nice collection of short stories. It was neat to see that all of the stories except the first one mostly took place in the Seattle area. Finally, this is an occasion of you shouldn't judge a book by the cover; none of the stories matched up with it, time period or aesthetic wise....more
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