Hello everyone!! I decided that this year I am going to be doing book reviews in groups of three, and just little short mini reviews. And it is finally time for me to do three more, plus a sad little DNF.
First up is Of Salt and Shore!
Of Salt and Shore however, was amazing. It is a middle grade but wow, it was fantastic. It is translated from Dutch (the OG title is Lampje) At first, I didn’t know if I was going to like it. It has some darkness swirling around in it, but the story that evolved was a beautiful tale of friendship and found family and loyalty. I just loved this one, and so far it is one of the best books I have read all year.
It was much more emotional for me than I had anticipated from a middle grade. It touches on child abuse, neglect, alcoholism, otherism, prejudice, and there were moments that made me feel the pain of these characters so profoundly. But little Lampie marches through in her practical way, setting things right, shaking things up, helping to heal the people around her just by being her own steadfast self, a little girl who won’t be swayed from her purpose and goals. She stares headlong into challenges and despite any fear, keeps going. The daughter of a lighthouse keeper, she herself is like a beacon and a lighthouse for those around her.
It has vibes of The Secret Garden, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. There is found family and friendship, and I highly recommend this book to everyone.
I just want to say that this book made me smile and laugh and just get all feet kicky over some parts. I love a good adventure theme, I guess, and this one is even set in my very own home state of Michigan! This book was just campy goodness, with inept but earnest characters, a total cinnamon roll of a MMC, crazy situations, danger, shipwrecks, a missing diamond… It was just absolutely perfect. It did also have some more serious moments, that explored grief, that were so very true and touching. We have all lost people we love, and know what it is like to be hit out of the blue with a memory that just reminds you of how much you miss that person to your core.
The romance is a slow burn which I also enjoyed, and the spice level was probably like, 2 jalapenos if that? Open door, but not like super detailed or graphic. LOL. I never know how to describe this for people!
This book is just charming and adorable and touching and hilarious, and I absolutely loved it.
Little Pieces of Hope began when WHO declared COVID a pandemic, and the author Todd Doughty realized that in order to keep going through such an unprecedented, scary time, he needed to do something. And what he did was create lists, something I can totally understand, of things that made him happy. Anything and everything. Feelings and moments and sounds and smells and memories. It is not really a book to read straight through, but one to pick up here and there, when you might need a reminder of good things in life. It inspired me to start my own list of happy making things as well, those glimmers that just tickle our souls and make us smile.
And now my DNF. I am so bummed about this one! I was pretty excited about it – this cover is gorgeous, and the premise sounded interesting, a LGBTQ+ version of The Holiday. And there were parts of it I did enjoy! However, I felt like Goldilocks reading this book that had dual relationships happening, and one moved way way too fast for me, while the other was way too slow. However, the writing itself was wonderful.
And that is it my friends! I hope today you do or read or see something that makes you smile!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
The Jewel of the Isle is definitely going to make my best of 2025 list! I’ve loved all her books. I totally agree that this felt campy but like, in the best way? Like, I could picture the whole thing in my head like a movie, and it was the perfect mix of humor and heart.
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I totally agree!! I absolutely loved it. And yes, it was campy but the perfect kind of camp – I actually love things that are like that. I loved this book. And I am glad to hear you liked all of her books, because I was thinking about reading the zoo one!
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Jewel of the Isle sounds sooooo fun! And that sounds like the perfect spice level too – I know exactly what you mean (I’m pretty sure, haha) 🙂
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Lolol I am such a dork! I know some people like to know (I always like to know) and never know how to describe it.
It really was a very fun book!!
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Some good reads there! Iris Murdoch, literary novelist and philosopher, put these words into the mouth of a characer in her novel The Sea, The Sea, “One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better.” and the third book made me think of that!
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Oh I love that. Beautiful! This is definitely what the author was doing, finding the moments in life that keep you going. While big moments are good, its the day to day small things that keep us all going. 🙂
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These sound nice but especially Little Pieces of Hope — a great bathroom/waiting room book!
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Yes! It is similar sounding to the book that you read in May, with the essays. I thought that book sounded really good too.
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All of these sound really good, especially Little Pieces of Hope. I think there are times when we all need those. Thanks for the recommendations. I love your spice level. I honestly just skip those parts if I possibly can. I mean, honestly, once you’ve read one, you’ve just about read them all, right?
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Yes, we all have those moments don’t we, where “the world is too much with us”, and need to reminders of the joyful things.
Lol! I am such a dork sometimes. I will skip them when they are like watching a Rebecca de Mornay movie from the 90s. Lol. (My brother and I used to tease our mom for always watching “steamy” Rebecca de Mornay movies) Especially the ones where those scenes are an entire chapter.
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I just ordered Little Pieces of Hope. I can’t wait to read it!!!!
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It was a fun book to just pick and read sporadically! In waiting rooms, a page or two before bed or in the morning, just here and there, little reminders of good things! I hope that you like it as well!
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The Jewel of the Isle is on my TBR. The first book looks like one I need to make sure the middle school librarians in my district know about. The Little Pieces of Hope reminds me of the gratitude journal I write in every night where I list 3 good things from the day, and somethings those might be very little things, but it helps to do it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/06/04/bookish-travel-2-may-2025/
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I loved Jewel of the Isle! It just made me smile. Lol. And Of Salt and Shore was excellent. I highly recommend it. I have always wanted to do that, write down three good things every night. I should do that!
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