Category: book review

Mini Book Reviews: Goats Just Wanna Have Fun, Pattern of Betrayal, Sunflower Season

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review9 Comments

Hello everyone! I have a few mini reviews today! Two cozy mysteries and a romance!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. I would receive a small commission if you were to click and purchase something, at no extra cost to you.

Goats Just Wanna Have Fun by Janna Rollins: I love this cozy mystery series so much, and this one felt so perfect for the end of summer. Things are being harvested, farms are bursting with everything, jams have been made. Maybe I am just associating it with my own summer memories, and trips to the county fair every August, but this book really made me feel so nostalgic for those years.

Main character Callie runs a goat yoga studio out of her great aunt and uncle’s farm, and the relationship between the three of them is just so wholesome and loving. They seem so typical in some ways of older people, but also do some things that you might not expect. And there is always talk of all the good food that her great aunt makes.

And since this is a cozy mystery, you know there is going to be a murder. Callie, besides being a yogi, has become a bit of an amateur sleuth as well. So when a man turns out to be murdered, Callie finds herself roped into an investigation with her best friend and cousin Tristan, and local ice cream proprietor Pete. You will have to read the book to find out more! This is the second in the series and I love it. I plan on reading book three when the weather here turns to fall…

Pattern of Betrayal: So this book was not my favorite. It wasn’t bad, it just was sort of boring. Maybe it was just the mood I was in though. The writing was good, the characters, the setting – it had all the ingredients for a cozy read but it just lacked something.

Sunflower Season by Danica Nava: I love sunflowers. I love overalls. That is why I wanted to read this book. Lol. However, beyond that, I am happy to report that besides the great cover and the sunflowers and overalls, there is a great story as well. It is so wholesome, the reviving of a farm that has served a community for years, bringing back something that was a cornerstone of their town. It is a story of second chance romance and finding yourself, and found family. And goats. And sunflowers. This book does have some drama to it, and some trigger warnings as well, including the death of a parent.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, it was perfect for late summer and literally, sunflower season here in Michigan. Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to read this one!

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do today that you do something that makes you smile.

Mini-Book Reviews: A Cozy Mystery Series, The Haunting of Ashburn House, and Sad Cypress

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading5 Comments

It’s been a very long time since I did a review post and I need to catch up!

Let us start with the first three books in the Berry Basket series by Sharon Farrow.

Dying for Strawberries kicks this series off, and the town of Oriole Point is in the midst of a big celebration revolving around the strawberry. These books take place on the west side of Michigan, or the fruit belt as it were, so all of these books are berry based which was pretty fun, even though it made me crave berries and I can’t eat them right now due to the whole you know what going on. Anyway, the town is a typical Michigan tourist town, making the most of what its got during the summer, and Marlee Jacobs is at the center of the mix, as she runs The Berry Basket. The Berry Basket sells basically everything berry based, kind of like the Cherry Republic is cherry focused, if you have ever been there. She has a fiancee who is from a family of fruit growers, one of the biggest in the state, and his devotion to his family is…extreme. However Marlee seems to deal with it.

There is of course, a murder, and Marlee becomes an amateur sleuth to clear her name. I enjoyed this introduction to the series, as you can see by the fact that I have read two more!

Blackberry Burial, the second book, finds Marlee yet again in a celebration centered around berries. This one was my favorite celebration (all three of these books have some sort of berry party theme) as it was a reunion for students of the Blackberry Art School there or something like that. (I can’t quite remember the name) It is based off the old art school that used to be in Saugatuck, which began in 1908 as a summer retreat for artists. I love this idea so much, I can’t even tell you. The fictional school in the book has a summer camp, and sounds very elite and the students become very close to the other students in their group. They even give each other berry nicknames. Anyway, right before the kick-off, which coincides with a road rally thrown by the town, Marlee yet again stumbles onto something mysterious, a skeleton in the woods. This time her baker Theo, who is very shy, is the one being blamed and Marlee steps in to find the real killer in this old cold case.

Finally, Killed on Blueberry Hill, the third (but not final) book in the series. This one was my favorite because it was had very messy, sloppy relationship plotlines and I was there for it. And that is all I will say on that aspect! It was also maybe the most complex murder mystery of the three so far, and just another enjoyable summer read, with summer festival and carnival feels.

There are two more in this series, but they are fall and winter themed so I am saving them.

Moving on!

Sad Cypress was a very fast, quick little mystery. Elinor Carlisle, who is known for being very reserved, is accused of murdering both her aunt and a young woman named Mary Gerrard, and it looks like a pretty open and shut case. Until Poirot is called in, that is.

I don’t want to say too much about this one. It was a good quick summer read, a proper mystery. I thought some things seemed hinky as I was reading but I didn’t quite put it all together.

I was feeling like I needed something scary, and I had been meaning to give Coates another try. I have read some of her books are hit or miss, and The Haunting of Ashburn House was a hit. It gave me the creeps big time! It was sort of a slow read, and I thought Adrienne was kind of weird honestly, but she was redeemed by the fact that she really loved her cat, Wolfgang. This is more of a jump scare sort of creepy, and the tragic event that occurred in the house was gross, but it also invited questions that made me keep reading to find out the truth of that night.

Spoiler Alert:

Wolfgang is ok. No trigger warnings there.

And that wraps up a big chunk of my reading in July! I have one more book that I could review but I am saving it for the next round.

Mini Book Reviews: The Late-Night Witches, Falling Like Leaves, Uncharmed

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading13 Comments

Hello everyone! I am having such a great time reading my fall picks. All the witches and ghosts and fall ambiance a girl could ask for!

I am loving Auralee Wallace’s books this fall. This is the second book that I have read of hers, and I know I want to read more of hers in the future.

” ‘There. You’re perfect. So pretty.’ She smiled. ‘But you might want to wash your hair later.’ “

I loved this book! It reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but with a suburban mom of three as the chosen one. It cracked me up, and it was not too scary or gory either, in my opinion. Sort of Buffy-like/Charmed even there, I guess! The main character Cassie is a witch from a family of witches for generations – although she didn’t know it until the big baddie vampire woke up from his quarter century of slumber. This book is about family and duty and also being true to yourself and believing in yourself. It was such a great spooky-not-spooky read, with fun characters and lots of shenanigans.

Taking a step away from the paranormal for a minute, to just enjoy a small-town fall, that could be a Hallmark movie (YA).

“Come for the apple picking and pumpkin carving, stay for the coziness.”

This book is the epitome of fall cozy, with its small town feel and endless autumn activities during it’s Falling Leaves Festival, that includes things like pumpkin proms and bonfire nights, cafes filled with cats, and delicious baked goods and coffee. If I could transport myself to Bramble Falla for their autumn fest I absolutely would.

I also appreciated this book for the just plain high school experiences that made up a large part of the plot. Ellis is not good at being a normal teenager and when her mom moves her to Bramble Falls against her will, she sees her future disappear in front of her. Or so she thinks. This is a clean YA romance that just made me smile throughout the book. 

And now, a little Mary Poppins-like witch. Wait, was Mary Poppins a witch?

“Everybody knows that any kind of productivity is at least seventy-five percent reliant on the appropriate notebook and pen selection.”

I LOVED this book, although I have to say I was uncomfortable about how closely I could relate to some of Annie’s quirks! I mean, I 100% believe in having the appropriate notebook and pen, and then of course that hesitation over even using it because “what if make a mess on the first page, ruin the whole thing with ugly handwriting, or bad spelling?” I just might be a little Type A about some things.

Annie is a witch who believes in always going the extra mile, never having a hair out of place, the perfect outfit, the perfect thing to say, perfect perfect perfect. However, her perfect life gets upended when she meets Maeve, an orphaned teenager with big big magic, and agrees to be her guardian and mentor until she gets her magic under control. This might be a task that Annie can’t keep perfectly controlled.

This whole book is a wonderful cozy journey, full of realizations and delicious sounding coffee, baked goods that inspired me to bake apple cinnamon scones, love, and finding that perfection is maybe not all that great after all.

Have you read any of these? Do you think Mary Poppins is a witch? And are you Team Pumpkin Spice or Team Apple Cider? I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Summer Reading Challenge Update

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading26 Comments

10, 15, 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge is hosted by Emma at Words and Peace and Annabel @ AnnaBookBel. I have not linked up as I should have doing, but I hope to remember to do that at least this month!

I had opted for the easiest challenge – 10 books. Let’s see how I have done so far!

June:

July:

August – so far:

And… survey says.. ten books! I actually didn’t know that until just now, so go me! I was pretty right on in my guess of how many I would actually be able to read this summer. It’s hard to pin down which exactly has been my favorite read of the summer so far – it is definitely between The God of the Woods and Chlorine, although I have enjoyed all of the books I read. I don’t finish books I am not enjoying though, so there is that.

With only a few weeks left of summer, I am not sure how many more I will read. I won’t make it to 15 I don’t think. Maybe 12. But, we will see! Wyatt is still recovering and taking two naps a day, so maybe I can make it to 13.

So, now the questionnaire!

Which book surprised you the most this month?

Chlorine! I had no idea it would affect me so much. I still want to make a video talking about it. It was intense and visceral and had themes of coming of age, obsession, bodily autonomy. It was so much packed into a small little book.

If your July reading experience was a weather forecast, what would it be and why?

It started off with easy gentle breezes, then ended in a hurricane.

Name a setting from your July books where you’d love (or hate) to take a summer vacation.

Seacrow Island, hands down! I even said that in my review.

If you could turn one book into a summer festival, what would the main event be?

I will have to go with the Campers and Criminals series. It would be a pretty cool festival honestly, all outdoorsy and camping themed. Plus, the campground itself, Happy Trails, has a themed dinner and party every month! I love their idea of a progressive dinner that the campground has, where everyone cooks something and campers and visitors visit each others fire and site and share food. So maybe a riff on that, like a food truck rally combined with outdoor activities, like axe throwing, etc.

Choose your own adventure—recap July in the style of your choice:

We had my son’s surgery at the beginning of July – the rest of the month was spent at home, while he recovered, which was very challenging for all of us for a few weeks, but especially for him.

And that’s it for me today! I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Mini Book Reviews – Chlorine and Seacrow Island

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading15 Comments

I have two book reviews up for today, one middle grade translated fiction, the other horror/weird fiction.

Let’s start with Seacrow Island.

Seacrow Island was written by Astrid Lindgren, who is best known for her character Pippi Longstocking. Confession time: I never liked Pippi. She was too unpredictable for me and I didn’t care for that. So I never read any of Lindgren’s other books, assuming I wouldn’t like them either. And honestly, the next one I tried was last year for language arts with Wyatt, and – we didn’t like it. We tried reading Ronia, and we were so bored, so I put that one down and we read something different. However, I saw this book online and I was like, ok one more shot Astrid. And I am glad that I took the chance and read it because I loved it. It was cozy and delightful, filled with quirky characters and animals.

This is the perfect little summer read! I was transported to this small island, filled with family and friends and wonderful animals. I absolutely adore the loyal Bosun, Pelle and his love for all creatures great and small, from wasps to seals and dogs and everything else under the sun. I did have a little cry but overall this book is just perfect for reading and daydreaming. It reminded me of The Penderwicks and the dad reminded me of the father from The Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink, a little helpless and haphazard. It’s just a wonderful story of children being children and idyllic childhoods, and like I said in my post the other day, now I want to find a small island in the Baltic to summer on with my family.

Chlorine by Jade Song is a a debut book, but it’s a powerhouse. It is a short read, but not a fast one. It is intense, complex, visceral. That was the word that kept coming to me while reading it and describing it to people around me, visceral. Raw. Sort of gross and fluid filled. You forget actually, that you are reading a horror novel, and not some modern classic coming of age, although it is that too. The horror is a slow unraveling; the is a book about ascending and transcending and descending. I didn’t want to put it down while reading, and the times that I did have to come up for air, I was thinking about the book, because there is a lot to think about. I could never do it justice in a review.

Ren’s mother gifts her a mermaid book as a small toddler, still in daycare. She is a very gifted child and even though the book is far too advanced for her age, she can read it. Her pre-school teacher refuses to believe it though, and tests her on reading the book at different times during the day, trying to trip her up. Which is totally despicable to do to a child, but it sets the tone for Ren’s life. Always under pressure, always being tested, always needing to live up to different expectations. Not from her parents; her parents were not like that. They had expectations for Ren, but they were not “tiger parents”. They just wanted the best for her, but mostly stayed out of her way, especially her dad who lived in China. Her mom wanted to make Ren happy, that was obvious. She loved her daughter.

On the surface, this book is about a young girl and her obsession with swimming, with mermaids, with perfection. Once you dive deeper though, there are other themes that stand out. Pain. Isolation. The betrayal of her body, of men. And then the shocking climax to it all, and then the murky ending – Ren exerting bodily autonomy, searching for freedom.

Ren’s love of mermaids leads to a desire to join the swim team, which then turns into a journey to perfection, staying a star swimmer, pleasing her coach, who is not only mercurial in temper but also inappropriate and lecherous. He has exacting expectations for their diets, for their performance, but particularly for his top swimmers, for Ren. The pair make for a good team in terms of swimming and winning, but it is also very destructive for Ren, so much so that when she gets a concussion she goes to practice too soon, before she is healed.

I have a lot to say about this book, and just like when I read The God of the Woods, I am not comfortable typing it out because of spoilers. If you want to listen to me ramble about this, I am posting a video, but beware that I will be giving away spoilers in talking about it fully. I will probably post tomorrow, and make a new blog post with the link.

This book is amazing. It is also gross, repellent in some places, and requires many trigger warnings. In fact they are listed in the author’s note at the start of the book. They are listed as racism, misogyny, self-harm, eating disorders, homophobia, depression, and sexual violence. It was not an easy read at all, but it was a read that I absolutely ended up being glad that I read. It is not feel good. It is not cozy. It probes your brain and makes you think and is horrifying and sad. It is well written though, and I can see this becoming a book that is studied and dissected in university classrooms. It is powerful and alarming and weighty, for a book about needing to stay afloat.

Chlorine is a five star read for me.

Mini Book Reviews: A Death in Door County, Under Loch and Key, The Healing Season of Pottery

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading16 Comments

It’s time for another round up of mini-reviews!

Let’s start with A Death in Door County.

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan: A Death in Door County is about a whole different lake and set of waters than I usually see here on my side of Michigan, this one on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan, and Morgan, a cryptozoologist has been hired to find out if there is something lurking beneath the waters after a few tourists end up dead. It was an interesting read, full of fun trivia about folklore, a bookstore with some other interesting items for sale, and some eccentric characters – and of course, good dog Newt. For the first in a series it was pretty interesting, and I enjoyed it.

This book has:

🌲 Small towns
🌲 Independent heroines
🌲 Loch Ness vibes
🌲 Good dogs

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson: So, I figured I might as well just jump right in to another Loch Ness book. I do enjoy cryptid lore and tales and the Loch Ness is one of my favorites – thank you Scooby Doo for forming a lifelong interest. (does anyone else remember that episode?) Anyone, back to this book. This story is very cute in itself. Key travels to Scotland to connect with her grandparents, whom she has never met, after her father passes away. She meets the annoying, handsome Lachlan, who works for her grandparents. He is a grump, and not only that, but a grump with some pretty big secrets. So, like I said, that whole storyline is interesting and their interactions are funny. Key is a plain speaker, and I like that. She is open and just says what she is thinking and feeling rather than being sulky or playing games. I like her burgeoning relationship with her grandparents, especially her grandfather. I also liked the whole back story, mystery, magic, and family stuff.

Now, let us discuss the spice. I don’t read many romances, and this is definitely an open door book. I would put this at level way high spice, with graphic language as well. I ended up skipping those scenes as I read through the book. However, a YouTuber I watch, the Plant Based Bride, revealed that there is a scene (that she also skipped) that also has a bit of monster transformation spice situation too, so be aware that is in there as well. No judgement here, I guess just know it in case you like it or you don’t like it. I just wanted to put that in here.

This book has:

🌲 Open door
🌲 Family Mysteries and Secrets
🌲 Loch Ness vibes
🌲 Paranormal romance

The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin: “The reason our coffee tastes good, even when we make it with mediocre beans, is because of the cups.” I believe this, that using a piece that has been handmade with love and care lends a different feeling to what you are eating or drinking or enjoying. That feeling carries through each sip of coffee, each bite of cake eaten from a beautiful plate, echoes in a bowl filled with homemade soup. I may love pottery, btw. And I absolutely loved this book.

Jungmin has been in a cave of her own desire and making since quitting her broadcast writing job, barely setting foot outside for months. One day, dressed completely wrong for the weather, showing just how off balance Jungmin is, how out of season of her life, she stumbles into a pottery studio, thinking it is a cafe. This mistake changes her life. She finds herself enchanted by the pottery, the women who are there, and begins to take lessons. Slowly, slowly, carefully, Jungmin builds a new community for herself, friendships, literally rebuilds herself as she builds objects from clay. Clay has to be tested by fire in order to survive and become something beautiful or practical or useful, and Jungmin learns everyone has a story and fires that they have faced. This was a wonderful book full of found family and the rebuilding of a life.

Have you read any of these?

New Book Release: Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree by Lisa R. Howeler

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading5 Comments

Today is launch day for Lisa’s newest book in the Gladwynn Grant series, Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree!

I will be honest – Lisa is my good friend. However, I would not promote her books the way I do if I did not honestly enjoy them and think they were good. But they are. They really are. (and she had better listen to my not so subtle comments about who Gladwynn should be romantically involved with…not really, but yeah)

Description:

Working as a small-town newspaper reporter and trying to keep up with her grandmother, Lucinda, has kept Gladwynn Grant busy, but, otherwise, life has been quiet.

Everything changes, though, when her older, aloof sister, Sheena, shows up unannounced at the front door.

As if that isn’t enough to deal with, she finds one of her interview subjects dead.

Once again, she’ll have to deal with State Police Detective Tanner Kinney and his stiff-upper-lip-attitude while doing her best to avoid Pastor Luke Callahan who she accused of murder the year before.

When it looks like Sheena is somehow mixed up with a suspect in the murder, Gladwynn’s stress levels rise to an all time high.

Will Gladwynn be able to help solve the murder and find out why her sister has shown up after not visiting for the last six years? And who wrote a stack of love letters stashed in a storage area under her grandmother’s stairs?

Join Gladwynn, Lucinda, Tanner, and Luke Callahan for another modern mystery with a vintage feel.

I absolutely can’t wait to read this one! I think that it is really cool that Lisa is involving a bit of family history in this one, because I think we are all a little curious about what is hidden in the branches of our family trees. I know that my family has little quirks and secrets. I have my family bible, and in it, my great-grandfather wrote, “No more drink for me. June 8 1937” I never met him, but I have heard stories about him, a tiny little Scotsman from Galway, who did have a bit of a penchant for drink. I bet there is a big story behind this, but everyone who could fill in those blanks is gone. And now, I also want to know who wrote that stack of love letters that were stashed under Gladwynn’s grandma’s stairs, gosh darn it!

I have been a faithful reader of this series since it first came out. I love Gladwynn and I love her vintage style. If I had the courage, I would totally dress 1940s all the time. But like, 1940s English land girl. Or like Helen Alderson from All Creatures Great and Small. And sometimes, I do my best honestly, to recreate that. So I love that Gladwynn has so much fun with her fashion, in addition to being a good granddaughter, a curious journalist who needs to get to the bottom of every mystery and every story, and is just the tiniest little pain in the butt to law enforcement. I also really like Gladwynn’s coffee barista homeschool mom friend, and her eccentric grandmother!

This is a fun series, and is a perfect read to cozy up with.

And if you don’t want to believe me, then check out this early reader review from Bettie G.

Captivating cozy mystery!

I thoroughly enjoyed this third book in Lisa’s cozy mystery series about Gladwynn Grant. This time around Gladwynn is up to her usual shenanigans even tho she expressed midway through the story that she wondered “When was she going to learn to be a little less Nancy Drew and a little more Elizabeth Bennet?”

Personally, I preferred this insight into her character offered by one of Gladynnn’s friends: “maybe it is because God knows how deeply you care for people. By you being there when their bodies are found, God knows you will seek out the justice they deserve.”

Even in the midst of a fun cozy mystery series, I appreciate the way that Lisa drops nuggets of wisdom that make us pause and examine ourselves. Her stories keep our attention, and her characters touch our hearts. I highly recommend this new book in the Gladwynn Grant series. -Bettie G

You can find this book on Amazon in ebook and paperback!

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW1VCWDD

You can find Lisa and the first in the series, Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing here: https://lisahoweler.com/gladwynn-grant-mysteries/

What Wyatt’s Been Reading – Winter Edition

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading13 Comments

Hello everyone! I thought it would be fun to share some of the books Wyatt and I have been reading over here together!

Let me start with books we are reading in school!

Sign of the Beaver || The End of the Beginning

We are reading The Sign of the Beaver for history as we are doing Early America right now. I feel like Wyatt really gets a much better picture of life during this time through books.

For our language arts, we are reading The End of the Beginning by Avi. I love Avi, so unfortunately for Wyatt, that means he gets a lot of Avi books when I go off curriculum. I knew he would like this one about a snail who loves to read though!

The Littlest Voyageur || The Courage of Sarah Noble || My Side of the Mountain

These three are books we just finished in school. We both absolutely loved The Littlest Voyageur. It was just so well done and gave such a clear picture of the fur trade – from a furry little squirrel’s point of view, which was a much more gentle way to approach this topic. We then moved on to The Courage of Sarah Noble, which was a super fast read, and brought us forward a bit in history. Then in language arts we read My Side of the Mountain. This one was… interesting. I found it wonderfully written, with some adorable little woodland creature supporting characters like Frightful and the The Baron Weasel, but I also found it a little strange. From the perspective of a mother of a young child in 2025, it was hard to imagine just allowing my child to live in the woods alone. Wyatt on the other hand thought some things were cool – living in a tree, a falcon for a pet – but was not enthused about eating acorn pancakes or living without electricity and wifi. It was however a great book to read together, one that promoted quite a few discussions!

Wyatt has his own little TBR shelf of books! I of course love it. And lately he has wanted me to take photos of his books or of him and his books – much like I do my books…. lol. You will notice some of them follow a particular theme…

Old Wolf by Avi || Lone Wolf || The Wolves of Greycoat Hall

What can I say, my kid loves wolves! I really need to do a post just on the wolf book collection our house has. For now, I will just focus on these. These three are all on his TBR shelf. I think they all look pretty good! When we get to Lone Wolf though, that one is going to hit me hard I think, since Lone Wolf has a twisted paw, and is left by his mother to die in the woods – there can be no weakness in the pack. However, he survives. And that is where the story begins I guess. I am going to be teary, I am sure.

The Treehouse Library || Between Flowers and Bones || The Royal Rabbits of London

The Royal Rabbits of London is the current read. We read together, because he still needs some help but he is getting there! The motivation is for sure huge right now, and we are making up for a lost two years but he is chugging along, making good progress! Anyway, The Royal Rabbits is adorable so far in my opinion, although for Wyatt it is more about the intrigue. And the occasional potty humor.

The other two are on his TBR. After the Royal Rabbits, the next up is The Wolves of Greycoat Hall.

However, before bed we usually snuggle up with a quicker read. Right now we are both addicted to Cynthia Rylant’s higher level beginner readers, specifically Mr. Putter and Tabby.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish|| Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book || Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup

We are both in love with this duo. These books are just so cozy and sweet and they are perfect for that right before bedtime read. We are making our way through all twenty-five. I will be sad when we are done!

We have been switching them off with another series by Rylant, Henry and Mudge, although neither of us like them as much. That surprised me a bit, I thought Wyatt would like Henry and Mudge better, but he likes his little elderly man and cat books. My sweet little soul of a child.

Have your children read any of these, or have you?

Three Mini-Reviews: The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, Dead Voices, and Dead of Winter

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review6 Comments

Hello everyone! I am not great at review posting, and I am hoping to do a little better this year. I am going to try to post a mini-reviews post for every three books I read, and see how that works!

This book was my first book of the year, and it was absolutely perfect to begin with. It was mystical, magical, and full of mystery. The characters were so richly written, with so much insight and love, that they felt so real to me.

Carrie is a Morgan woman, and the Morgan women have always been able to harness the mountain and make it do their bidding. But for a price. Always a price. She left her small town in the mountains ten years before this story begins, and is returning, under the suspicious eyes of townsfolk. She has left people who loved her behind: Jess, her best friend; Cora, her great-aunt, and she has to face them as well as the town. She also meets the mysterious Matthieu.

This book feels so fey and atmospheric, with an edge of sadness and darkness. It is about love and sadness and friendship and sacrifice, and I felt so many things reading it.

One thing: One thing bothered me almost the entire book – I could not figure out where it was set! As an American reading it, it felt so Appalachian mountains region to me, but I knew that could not be right because the terminology was British, with takeaways and biscuits. Near the end I found something that pointed to it being set definitively in England and my brain settled down.

My first read, and my first five star of the year!

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden. I really enjoyed this one too! I am all about the snowed in trope, and this one that involved a haunted ski lodge/inn sounded right up my alley. This book is part of the Small Spaces series, and while it did have multiple points of view, the main character in this book was Coco. It was neat to see things from her perspective more this time, as the least brave of her trio of friends, comprised of herself, Ollie, and Brian.

This book was the perfect wintry read for January. I love a good ghost story, and this one had a few cool twists. Katherine Arden is a genius at creating an atmosphere and her middle grade is no exception. I could feel the cold creeping in at night, the darkness that comes all too quickly.

Great story that was a fun read on a chillingly cold day!

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates was my least favorite of the these three. It was not a bad book, but not quite the perfect thriller for me.

Let’s start with the good, because it did have a lot of good stuff. I felt like the characters were very interesting and well written, with fantastic back stories that all pulled in the way they were supposed to with the overall plot. The setup was really good too – a group of travelers on their way to a vacation, away from it all in the mountains, gets snowed in at a remote cabin – and then people start dying.

The not-so-good: Ok, skip this if you don’t want spoilers because it might be spoilery.

I figured out who the killer was almost immediately. Like within 50 pages. Then it felt like I was just following the clues through the book to confirm it, and to me the clues felt kind of obvious. I don’t say this like I am some great mystery solver either – I am no Miss Marple over here. The other thing was that the book sort of dragged out and became repetitive. It is pretty bad when gruesome murder feels repetitive but it did.

However, this book was not a terrible read. I really enjoyed the arc of the main character, as she navigates through what is happening. It just lacked a little subtlety, in my opinion.

I would give this one 3 out of five stars.

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

A Few Short Book Reviews

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review, books and reading11 Comments

Hello all! I am so far behind on book reviews, and now that the weather is turning cool and we are not running around as much, it feels like a good time to get caught up. Not all in one post though, that would be crazy.

Let’s see… let’s start with the most recent book that I read.

Clueless at the Coffee Station is a book that I won in a giveaway on Instagram and I am so happy that I did! I have been in a bit of a reading slump for a few weeks, and I was finally able to settle into a book with this one. It was the perfect book to read right now, as the weather in Michigan begins to change to cooler days and chilly nights. The book is set in Michigan as well, which was a fun little bonus for me as I read.

The book is about barista Betti, a woman who enjoys her simple life serving coffee, even though her sister thinks she should be doing something different with her career. When a theft occurs during Open Mic night while Betti is behind the counter, she finds her job and lifestyle at risk and puts on the best sleuth outfit she can find at the thrift shop and begins to investigate…

I found Betti to be earnest, entertaining, and just as awkward as I am. I did enjoy the little bits and pieces of zen she found in her day, the little glimmer moments, such as the coffee shop before it opens and she has Main Street to herself, and a pot percolating behind her. Or a text from a potential love interest that reads “If you are up for cinnamon tea and midnight donuts, I know a place.” That would be a huge green flag for me. Overall I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait for the next one!

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden: Ooo this was such a good one! It is a middle grade by the author of The Bear and the Nightingale and I was so excited to see how she writes for kids – and let me tell you, it is just as good as her adult writing! (although of course, at a children’s reading level and interest) I absolutely loved the main character’s father, who is very quirky , artistic, creative, and loves to bake. However, her mother has passed away and Ollie is still dealing with this emotionally, as one would expect. Her mother also sounds like she was a very interesting person, with an adventurous spirit, and Ollie is reeling from her loss.

However, the book takes a very spooky turn soon after Ollie encounters a strange woman at the pond. It actually had parts that made me want to look over my shoulder for creepy smiling faces…

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and I plan on reading the second in the series sometime over the winter.

A Dark and Secret Magic is one of my favorite reads this year. It was the perfect fall read, and had so many cozy elements to it. A small cottage in the woods with a fire, a cat, delicious meals that sounded so good yet so simple, magic, romance, ghosts, pumpkin patches and fall festivals.. I could go on and on but I won’t because there is a lot to this book that I don’t want to give away. I will just say that if you like autumn and witchy reads, then you need to read this book. And when you do, make sure you have set some serious reading time aside because you will not want to put it down!

And that is where I will wrap it up today! I hope you are all reading something good today!