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Book Review: The Best Advice by Amy Dressler--Out Today July 8, 2025!

  The Best Advice by Amy Dressler (Shakespeare Project, Book 2) Publication Date: July 8, 2025 After reading a second book of hers , I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm a fan of Amy Dressler and I look forward to reading more of her books, particularly this Shakespeare retelling series! Her first book, How to Align the Stars,  retells my favorite Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing , and The Best Advice  follows up with a retelling of my second favorite Shakespeare comedy, As You Like It.  In both books, Dressler deftly transplants the scenarios and characters of the respective plays to the contemporary Pacific Northwest. However, unlike the most creatively imagined setting for a performance of the original script, Dressler makes the bones her own, sculpting and weaving them into lived-in and relevant characters and settings in a novel for a modern audience, with playful references to the original text (e.g., Phoebe Shepherd-Shepherd) and (mostly) ironing ...
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My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

 I missed this topic last week, so this freebie post is my chance to make it up! A lot of mine would probably be the same as Jana's , but I'll try to throw a few different ones in there. It is definitely shaping up to be an outstanding year for the fun, cozy books I'm most drawn to these days! (And I'm clearly not the only one.) I discussed a lot of these in my last post , so I've only added quick descriptors for the ones I didn't. My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025 Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders, Publication Date: August 19, 2025 All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert, Publication Date: September 9, 2025 The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez, Publication Date: September 9, 2025--"A gorgeous, atmospheric debut fantasy that reimagines the Jewish myth of golem in a tale rooted in history, folklore, and sapphic romance"--Say less! The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah...

Books On My Summer 2025 To-Read List

Unfortunately, I missed posting yesterday, but I still wanted to get this out. I'm really excited for summer reading this year! I've been on a reading roll lately, and I'm excited about a lot of books that are coming out this summer or summer-related books that are already out. It's also finally time where I can spend a lot of time sitting and reading outside, which I enjoy every summer.  Books On My Summer 2025 To-Read List The Best Advice by Amy Dressler, Publication Date: July 8, 2025--Last year, I reviewed Dressler's Align the Stars , a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, which I enjoyed, and I'm excited to review the eARC for this one ahead of the publication date. I already love its spin on As You Like It. Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders, Publication Date: August 19, 2025--Already preordered this sure to be amazing and poignant book from one of my favorite authors. Might even get an ARC if the stars align. All the Way to the Ri...

Books That Make Me Think of Summer

For this Top Ten Tuesday' s "Summer Freebie," I'm doing books that make me think of summer, based on cover, title, description, setting, or anything else. Some of these are books I've read and others are on my TBR.  Books That Make Me Think of Summer  Summer Sisters by Judy Blume Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan Camp by L.C. Rosen Well Met by Jen DeLuca The Villa by Rachel Hawkins The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland One Last Summer by Kate Spencer Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Until Next Summer by Ali Brady

Books Read in May 2025

I feel like I did a lot of reading this month. Even though I only finished a few books, I started and continued reading many more. I've been a vociferous and random reader lately--so here's some variety. Books Read in May 2025  Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli--Random library browse find, about a woman who was raised as a social media star, the impact it's had on her, and her quest to save her little sister from the same fate. Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World by Niall Harbison--I've followed Harbison on social media for a while, and I love his stories about his rescue dogs in Thailand, so I was happy to buy the book to support. It's a more long-form version of his online stories, and I really enjoyed the stories about Tina and the other dogs. Funny Story by Emily Henry--Another impulse library grab, because I knew I would enjoy another literary romance from Emily Henry. This one is a really absurd situation--living with the ex-boyfriend of the woman...

Book Review: A Thorn in Every Heart by Kate King

A Thorn In Every Heart by Kate King (Enchanted Legacies #1)  Release Date: April 1, 2025 Full Disclosure: I applied and was accepted to receive an eARC for this book, but there was a mix-up and I never got it/never received a response. Recently, I found it on Kindle Unlimited, so that's how I read it. First of all, if you're looking for a heart-pumping, spicy romantasy, this is definitely a great book for you. Second of all, the same thing that got me to pick up the book is probably the main reason I'm not giving it 5 stars: Beauty and the Beast meets Anastasia! I was EXCITED. One of my favorite fairytales and one of my favorite historical mysteries! Yeah...no.  Don't get me wrong. The book is clearly heavily influenced by both Disney films, but as someone who, yes, has seen the Disney films, but also has read other versions of both stories...no. I don't really see a lot of the Anastasia story at all, again, unless, you count select elements of the Disney movie, and...

Books Read in April 2025

It was a solid although not spectacular reading month. I fell in love with J. Penner's cozy fantasy series, reading all three that are out now. I also read a couple books that have been on my TBR for years, including one by a woman in translation. I even read a more traditional classic, which I don't do a lot these days! Books Read in April 2025 Well Met by Jen DeLuca--A less famous Maryland renaissance faire gets off to a slow start but loins will burn. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa--An aging math professor's memory lasts only 80 minutes, but he makes a lasting impression on his housekeeper and her son. I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman (Book club read)--A mom and daughter take a curated East Coast college tour. Honestly, skippable. A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner (Adenashire #1)--Fantasy British Bake Off. Have I said enough? A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner (Adenashire #2)--Baked goods, tea, and an adorabl...

Authors Who Live(d) In My State

 What a great Top Ten Tuesday topic! I'm proud to be a Marylander, and we have some excellent authors, past and present. Here's a collection of mostly living authors from my state, including some I actually know! Authors Who Live(d) in Maryland Anne Tyler--The author of The Accidental Tourist  and other quintessential Baltimore novels is one of the first authors I think of. I loved The Accidental Tourist; some of her other books less so, but she's definitely an institution. Edgar Allen Poe--He's so associated with Baltimore that the football team is named after his most famous poem. Probably our most famous local legend. Adrienne Rich--Not as famous as Poe, but definitely well known and one of my favorite poets; I think it's so cool that she's also from Maryland. Ta-Nehisi Coates--I didn't realize he was from Maryland, but he shows up high on a lot of lists; I haven't read him yet, but he's pretty famous. Frederick Douglass--Shamefully, he was ensla...