Tag: book review

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized16 Comments

Hello everyone!! Last week when I wrote this post I didn’t have any coffee – only instant packs that Billy had taken camping! Now thankfully we have a full pot brewing in the kitchen, and I have a steaming cup next to me.

It’s been hot and muggy out there this week. Disgustingly humid. Wyatt and I have been hanging out at home most of the time, but we have ventured out a few times.

Saturday we hung out with my brother and his family for a small fire, which was nice. It was before the really gross weather moved in and it was a nice preview of fall and fires. I can’t wait. The kiddos were all just doing their thing, and my littlest niece Wild Child was having fun playing with the portable fan I had bought Wyatt. (Thanks for the suggestion Captain, we take it everywhere!) It was just a nice relaxing evening, hanging out.

Sunday we spent in our shady spot at the park, under the trees. Wyatt absolutely loves this so we try to do it whenever we can. On the way there though we passed a local rotary club having a little to-do at the fire station. They had demonstrations shooting off the fire hose, and also had some free ice cream from the Good Humor woman. We spent a nice time at the park afterwards, full of ice cream, just drawing, enjoying the breeze under the trees, the singing of birds, and reading. (me lol)

Later that evening, we had game night, which is Wyatt’s favorite. This time we played a game we had checked out from the library called What’s Next. It was really fun! It is sort of a choose your own adventure/rpg type game. There are three stories you can choose from, and each card has either an event or a choice you need to make or do. There are little side challenges as well, and a tower of peril! It really was a lot of fun, and we are definitely adding it to the wish list!

The rest of the week we have been home, with one journey to the library to check out more books, and to collect Wyatt’s summer reading National Parks Card and cryptid card that he earned. Next week he gets to shop the library “shop” with the book bucks he earned with all the reading we have been doing.

I have been working on getting our school plans together for next year. I absolutely love doing it honestly, putting together the plans and then finding fun tie-ins. Fall looks like it is going to be a lot of fun, with reading adventures like Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, Indigenous history of Michigan, dinosaurs, and artists like Charley Harper! I am just starting to construct my Charley Harper art study for Wyatt, and I am having to taper things down because there is just so much we can do – too many ideas and not enough time. I think Harper will be a really fun artist to start off the year!

And just some randoms from the camera roll!

Have a great week everyone, and stay safe!

A Few Mini Book Reviews

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review13 Comments

Hello everyone! Welcome to my little post about a few books that I have read lately! I am not the greatest book reviewer in the world; mine are sort of haphazard and probably don’t include much depth or insight, but … I just like to share my thoughts and what I liked about the book and how it made me feel.

When I first started reading this one, I was a little unsure if I was going to like it. The main character Yuki was so whiny and immature, and that was reflected in the voice of his character, who is the narrator of this book. It is written as a journal type book, but without journal entries, from Yuki’s perspective so we see everything through his eyes and filter. When the book begins, he suddenly finds himself transported from the city life he is used to, the mountain woodlands of Kaumsari. His family has arranged an apprenticeship and he is very unhappy about this. But as he gets more used to life in Kamusari, the people, their ways, his job, he grows in all ways. It is a real coming of age story and I ended up absolutely loving it. I am hoping to read the sequel this fall.

In the spring I went to a huge used book sale at a local library, and they had grab bags of cozy mysteries for a dollar! I bought a few of the bags, and each bag had like five or ten books in them. As soon as I opened the bag when I got home and saw this one, I knew it would be the first one I would read. I LOVE a lodge setting in the mountains, and a white fluffy kitty? I am so there. I did enjoy this first book in the series, but I did feel at times there was not enough investigating by the main character, if that makes sense. I feel like she got most of her info from the actual police department, as the deputy would just spill all the beans to her. It was interesting though and I am going to definitely read the next in the series as well.

I absolutely loved this book! I don’t usually read romances but this one got my attention because that main character is a snail scientist, and I love snails. Sometimes that is all it takes. Anyway, I absolutely adored it. I loved the journey that Christa’s character went through, and it was handled very well. For those who like a clean romance, this was not a closed door book and there was some swearing for those who dislike that as well. There are some trigger warnings though, for SA. It is brief and not graphic but still upsetting.

I was absolutely glued to this book! Like, I can’t read Riley Sager all the time because everything in my life gets neglected so that I can read. (well not the living people or animals but don’t look at the laundry or dishes while I have one of his books in my clutches) This one was insane. I loved the crumbling house being set against the unraveling of the mystery.. it was just very well done, that idea that everything, the house and secrets were just falling down around the characters in the story. I loved it so much that I immediately ordered a copy for my mom to read. I have to say, I am pretty good at figuring books out and this one, I didn’t see that ending coming!!

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized27 Comments

Hello everyone!! We had a pretty busy week last week with just life stuff and it being summer. I have been working super hard on Wyatt’s big room update and I have finally made it to the last stage – the decorating. Hanging the artwork, the final touches, etc. It should be done pretty darn soon! It’s been so difficult getting rid of some of his picture books though. We just have so many it is insane – I have collected so many over the years from book sales, garage sales, from book stores and holidays, plus I worked in an elementary school library for years before Wyatt was born and bought books from the Scholastic Book Fair and from the used book fair, making a small library before Wyatt was even a thought. We have been giving them away to people though, and putting them in little free libraries whenever we see them though so that makes me feel better about getting rid of them. They are getting a new life now.

Read Last Week:

Getaway with Murder was a pretty fun and light cozy. I loved the setting of the mountains and the lodge. I also enjoyed the little one or two paragraph chapters from Yeti the cat’s point of view. As for The Only One Left, holy cow what a ride!! It was amazing. I could not stop reading it!!

Reading this Week:

I need a bit of cozy this week after The Only One Left, so I am reading Verse and Vengeance from one of my favorite series, the Magical Bookshop series by Amanda Flower. I really can’t wait to relax with this one later.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Feel Like Fall

10 on the 10th – July 2024

I meant to blog more last week, and to go commenting on everyone’s posts but things got away from me! I hope to be more present here this week.

Watching:

We are still watching The Great British Sewing Bee. It is just as wholesome as you think it is. More so even. The judges on this show are more like teachers and you can sense the connection between them and the contestants. We are loving it and it is the ultimate relax show after a long day.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized28 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone! I hope that you had a good week! Last Sunday we were waiting for Billy to get home from his camping trip, and he got home later in the evening that Sunday. We were very happy to see him! The rest of the week was spent working, all of us, in our own ways. Billy at his job and then around the house, Wyatt in therapy (he kicked butt on Wednesday!!), and I have been working on Wyatt’s room. He needed a huge upgrade, as he is now 9, which I can’t believe yet here we are. So I have been going through all of his stuff (sometimes with his help, sometimes not…iykyk) to donate or pitch or keep. It’s been a weird week but a good one.

Read Last Week:

The Easy Life in Kamusari

Oh, I just loved this book. At first, I wasn’t sure about it. The main character was a bit of a whiner and the language/tone/voice was so juvenile – then I realized, duh of course it is, because the character himself is young. Yuki is young adult, who after graduation finds himself as a forestry trainee sent off to a rural village in the mountains, far from his home in the city. This story is a coming of age story, and it was really very beautiful and thoughtful. I am looking forward to reading the second book, Kamusari Tales Told at Night.

Reading This Week:

After The Easy Life I needed something just light, so I grabbed Getaway with Murder off of my cozy mystery TBR shelf. I wanted something I could just relax into before I start this Riley Sager book.

Posted Last Week:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With My Favorite Color on the Cover – Green!

Watching:

We are back to watching the Great British Sewing Bee. By the time we are ready to relax and watch tv these days we are whipped and kind of collapse. We need something easy to watch! Tonight we are going to watch a movie although which one has yet to be determined! So not too much on this front.

Listening:

While what we are watching has tapered off for the summer, we are listening to things much more. We both love to listen to books and podcasts while we do work around the house. I also listen to something when Wyatt takes his morning after meds nap while I stitch on my embroidery that is more just me stitching than real embroidery but I have fun.

Billy is listening to the audiobook Words of Radiance, in the Stormlight series by Brandon Sanderson.

I am listening to a few different things. Sometimes I listen to the cozy mystery To Fetch a Felon, which is a cozy mystery in the Chatty Corgi series. Sometimes I listen to Silent Came the Monster about the 1916 shark attacks along the Jersey shore. And then sometimes I listen to The Night Owl True Ghost Stories Podcast. (for those of you in Texas, he is a Texan covering stories in and around Austin)

And that is it from around here today! I hope you all are doing well!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized26 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hello everyone!! I feel like I am draggin’ wagon today. I blame this weather, all overcast this morning. I have to get ready for church soon but I am procrastinating big time. I’ll have another cup of coffee and finish this post then I will get ready.

We had a pretty good week last week. Not anything exciting or noteworthy, just everyday life things. We did set up a fish tank for my kiddo who has wanted a fish, so that was our big event of the week. Wyatt is loving his fish Moon and his snail Sunny.

Read Last Week:

I had started listening to Tress last summer but then stopped because after listening I realized it was a book that I wanted to read, not listen to. And I am glad that I made that choice, because I loved Tress! Brandon Sanderson was inspired to write it after he and his family watched The Princess Bride (one of my all time favorite movies) during lockdown. His wife brought up a question about Buttercup and he started thinking about what it would be like if Buttercup went in search of Wesley rather than accepting that he was dead. And Tress was born. I absolutely loved it although I did find some parts a bit slow moving.

I started reading You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight as part of the Camp Spooky Readathon hosted by the Midnight Book Club on Instagram, and it was such a fast read that I finished it the same day I started. And it was a very busy day too! It was just one of those books that you could not put down and also was a quick read too. It was so good! Kaylnn Bayron said that she was a fan of those 80s slasher movies as a kid (just like me) and wanted to write her own homage to them. So she did! Very good read, not super gory.

Both of my books were inspired by movies! I just realized that.

Reading This Week:

Version 1.0.0

In keeping with my trend of reading vintage or older middle age books, I picked up Dandelion Cottage from the library the other day. I am excited to read it! The author grew up in Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior, and the Dandelion Cottage is apparently a real cottage that is still there. I think I am also going to start At the Pond this week as well.

Posted Last Week:

My Summer TBR

Coffee Catch Up: Our Life Aquatic

Hello June!

Watching:

Billy and I have been watching a few different things. My favorite that we have been watching is the newest season of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I just love that series so much. We are also watching When Calls the Heart and Palm Royale. I love the way Palm Royale looks and the cast is fire, but ooh it is hard for me to watch sometimes because of secondhand embarrassment and cringe. But the set and the costumes and the colors are just beautiful so that makes it worth it so far. This article is about the costumes if you want to read more.

We also watched The Fall Guy! I had been waiting for this movie to go to streaming and I was so excited. Now, I know this movie was panned but I loved it, and so did Billy. We both loved the tv show with Lee Majors as kids, and there were so many references and throwbacks to the 80s. We were so excited every time we caught one. We also think that the character Tom Ryder based his characters mannerisms and speech pattern after Matthew McConaughey, who I love. We both thought it was a lot of fun. I think people wanted nonstop action and this movie had a bit of a plot and a love story to boot.

And that is it from me today! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Books and Tom Petty Songs

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Tom Petty songs and characters from classic literature may not seem to go together… and maybe they don’t. Lol. But I was inspired to write this post the other day when Marsha from Marsha in the Middle visited my blog on Top Ten Tuesday expecting to see a post about Tom Petty (and it wasn’t). And I thought, hmm. Could I make a bookish Tom Petty post? Well, I was going to try! These may not be perfect but this was definitely a lot of fun. My cousin Brian and Billy both helped me with this, and they also thought it was fun! I hope that you do as well.

This post does contain some Amazon Affiliate links.

First up, my favorite character from my favorite classic book. (Well, other than Anne Shirley and Anne of Green Gables..)

Jane Eyre and Learning to Fly

And now Anne….

Anne Shirley and Wildflowers

And of course we can’t forget the famous Jane Austen heroine, Elizabeth Bennett…

Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice and I Won’t Back Down

Now, Billy thinks we need to add some male characters to this lineup. This next one is his suggestion and song choice! For this “album cover” I have used an image from an audiobook, since Billy is a huge audiobook listener.

John Willoughby from Sense and Sensibility and Free Falling

And now one we all know and love, Jo March.

Jo March from Little Women and American Girl

We need another guy up on stage – let’s call Atticus Finch on up! His character is such a favorite of mine that Atticus is actually Wyatt’s middle name! (one of them – he has two..)

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and The Last DJ

And, you know what, let’s add Mr. Darcy too but let’s give him his own album cover at least.

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and You Don’t Know How It Feels

I would love to hear any suggestions or your comments or any character and song pairings that you can think of! And actually, I am going to make a public Spotify playlist and I will add all songs that are suggested here for a character to it! Don’t worry about a classic book character pairing – I will accept any and all character and song/artist suggestions! I am excited now to see what you all say!

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review8 Comments

Book Description:

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

My Thoughts:

I adored this book!! I have always loved anything faerie, my whole life, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. It also has an academic theme which is another of my favorites to read about.

Emily is a bit of a … hmm. Emily is all academia, all about her studies, very logical, very smart and sharp, driven, committed. However, she is a bit prickly as a person. She is perfectly happy with her books and her dog Shadow and her research, and as far as other people go, she needs them for research purposes but does not want to hang out with them or be like, friends. She sort of gets off on the wrong foot when she arrives in the village of Hrafnsvik, which is not great since that is where she plans to stay for an extended amount of time for research purposes. Despite having made contact with a brownie, her time is not going all that smoothly.

Enter Wendell Bambleby, a fellow academic full of the charm and joy that Emily lacks. He is Emily’s total opposite, and she doesn’t regard his work ethic in the highest esteem. However, he soon has the townsfolk wrapped around his finger, which does make the work and research easier. And Emily and Wendell do seem to have a little something sizzling between them, just under the surface.

Emily and Wendell soon learn about the the Tall Ones, a group of fae that prey upon the townsfolk, and Emily is resolved to learn more about these mysterious, dangerous fae. She also starts to put a few things together about Wendell too, while some delightful romantic tension builds between them.

My only complaint is the ending! I needed more story and now I have to wait for the next installment and I hate that! I am not good at waiting and I want to know more about Emily and Wendell and this world of faery.

I loved this book completely and if you like adventure, academia, or faery stories, then I highly encourage you to read this one.

Book Review: Outfoxed by Melinda Metz

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review4 Comments

Publishers Summary:

Visit the charming community of Fox Crossing, Maine in this witty, feel-good story about small town life, the power of belief, the importance of community, and one very special fox whose appearance heralds second chances, luck – or best of all, love. Animal lovers, fans of Hallmark happy endings, and those who enjoy smart, uplifting, heartwarming stories with a twist will be delighted by the latest tale from internationally bestselling author Melinda Metz.

The town of Fox Crossing, Maine, has something special—a legendary fox with a knack for bringing fortune, love, and happiness to anyone lucky enough to see it…
 
THESE TOWNSFOLK MAY THINK THEY’RE PRETTY SMART
 
Victoria Michaud has lived in Fox Crossing her entire life without encountering the fabled fox. And then, on the day of her thirtieth birthday, she spots a beautiful, golden-eyed vixen . . . right before she also recognizes Bowen Gower, the guy who made her high school years hell. So much for good luck. Victoria already has enough to deal with, between running her Junk & Disorderly antique store and refereeing her divorced, still-bickering parents.
 
BUT IT TAKES A SLY FOX TO SHOW THEM THE WAY
 
There are a lot of things Bowen doesn’t remember about growing up in this town on the Appalachian trail, and some he’s chosen to forget. Back to settle his grandfather’s estate, Bowen soon realizes it won’t be easy to make amends to those he wronged. But he’s eager to convince Victoria to give him another chance.
 It’ll take some doing—and perhaps more luck than one fox sighting can provide. Then again, sometimes one look is all you need . . .

My Thoughts:

To me, these are January books. I have read the first two books in January, and I loved them both. Then I tried to read this one, the third one in the series, before it’s NetGalley archive date in October. And I did, I read it, but I didn’t really give it a fair shake because I wasn’t in the mood for it at that time. So, this month I thought I would revisit this story at a time that felt better. I am such a mood reader! And I am so glad I did this because this time around I loved it!

This story deals with two sets of of siblings, Bowen and Tegan, and Victoria and Henry. Bowen and Tegan grew up in the town of Fox Crossing, as the grandchildren of the mayor but only recently returned upon his death. Victoria runs an eclectic antique store, while Henry has also been living out of town. He comes back to help his sister celebrate her birthday, and with all the central players now in town, the rest of the story can begin.

Romance is in the air in this little town, yet there is just so much baggage they all seem to be carrying around that needs to be dealt with before any of them can fully trust. And to me, in my opinion, that is what this book is really about. Letting go of the past, fresh new starts, second chances. Self-awareness, self-love. Bullying. The undercurrents of this book simply swirl with trauma and emotions that have not been addressed and it all seems to be coming home to roost (I feel like there is a pun in here).

The characters in this one are particularly interesting, with their flaws and eccentricities. I especially like Victoria and her crazy fashions – she just sounds like so much fun! And Tegan and her found art sculptures and statues, Henry..well he is sort of just typical I guess. Bowen is eccentric in that all work and no play way, but he is able to read people very well, so despite seeming like he shouldn’t be a people person, he kind of is.

And of course, there is the fox.

Overall this was a wonderful return to Fox Crossing, Maine, and I am so glad that I gave this book a second chance. Thank you to NetGalley for the original ebook in exchange for an honest review, although I did end up purchasing this book on Amazon this month.

Book Review: Wildwood Whispers by Willa Reece

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

Goodreads Summary:

At the age of eleven, Mel Smith’s life found its purpose when she met Sarah Ross. Ten years later, Sarah’s sudden death threatens to break her. To fulfill a final promise to her best friend, Mel travels to an idyllic small town nestled in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains. Yet Morgan’s Gap is more than a land of morning mists and deep forest shadows.

There are secrets that call to Mel, in the gaze of the gnarled and knowing woman everyone calls Granny, in a salvaged remedy book filled with the magic of simple mountain traditions, and in the connection, she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it.

With every taste of sweet honey and tart blackberries, the wildwood twines further into Mel’s broken heart. But a threat lingers in the woods—one that may have something to do with Sarah’s untimely death and that has now set its sight on Mel.

My thoughts:

I loved every single thing about this book. Can I please move to Morgan’s Gap? There are a few things that will automatically draw me to a book (besides the cover). Magical realism (my favorite genre), witches, folklore, small towns, nature, mystery…this book has it all. I could not put it down, and dreamed my nights away in dreams of misty mountains, blackberries, homemade bread and jam.

Mel is a tough nut to crack. Hardened and honed by multiple foster homes where she was unloved and mistreated, she keeps her defenses high and her trust low. The only person she has let into her heart is her foster sister Sarah, whose death shatters that heart that is so hard to wiggle into. She makes a pilgrimage to Sarah’s hometown, where Sarah is from, where her roots were firmly entrenched before the tragedy that wrenched her away.

Here Mel slowly lowers her defenses, starting her life over in the place that Sarah had so deeply loved. She starts to make new connections, to the people who remembered Sarah and her family, to the land, to the community. And when forces start to threaten this new life of hers, Mel relies on all she has learned to keep hold of this new start, this place where she has found a home and friends.

Reece has an amazing way with words. I could feel the lushness of the wildwood, the beauty of the land and the mountains, taste the sweetness of the honey. I just about cried at one scene in the book, when Mel goes to visit the local apiarist. And phew, one scene that should be so simple is so .. er.. hot. This book is full of strong emotions, love and grief, hope and evil. This book was beautiful and wonderful and wild.

I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait until the next one in the series, Wildwood Magic, is released! Unfortunately that is all the way in November – but right before my birthday, so…there is that!

So go. Go now and lose yourself in the magic of the wildwood! (well, if that is your sort of thing, that is..)

Book Review: The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review5 Comments

Goodreads Summary:

Connie Goodwin is an expert on America’s fractured past with witchcraft. A young, tenure-track professor in Boston, she’s earned career success by studying the history of magic in colonial America—especially women’s home recipes and medicines—and by exposing society’s threats against women fluent in those skills. But beyond her studies, Connie harbors a secret: She is the direct descendant of a woman tried as a witch in Salem, an ancestor whose abilities were far more magical than the historical record shows.

When a hint from her mother and clues from her research lead Connie to the shocking realization that her partner’s life is in danger, she must race to solve the mystery behind a hundreds’-years-long deadly curse.

Flashing back through American history to the lives of certain supernaturally gifted women, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs affectingly reveals not only the special bond that unites one particular matriarchal line, but also explores the many challenges to women’s survival across the decades—and the risks some women are forced to take to protect what they love most. 

My Thoughts:

I loved The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and I was so excited when I saw that Katherine Howe had written a new book as a sequel to Constance’s story. I read this one eagerly and quickly, and really loved it.

The story picks up ten years after the first, and Constance is a professor working on tenure. She is still with Sam and while they are having some ups and downs in their relationship, they are still solid. However, her family has a secret, one that she must find the cure for before time is up.

I loved how this book flashed back through the decades to Constance’s ancestry, all the way back to Deliverance herself. We see glimpses of what the women of her bloodline have lived through, and how their family history has affected them. I loved seeing these small hints of the past, and it reminded me somewhat of Anne Rice’s Witching Hour, and reading the Talmasca history of the Mayfair Witches. (one of my favorite books ever, btw)

In between these introductions to Connie’s past, we are caught up with Connie and her race to find the answers she needs. Zazi, the student that she mentors, is a great addition to this story and I loved her presence and interests. Her character widens the range from the New England Puritan witchcraze to the south and voodoo and other forms and studies of witchcraft. I really hope that we get a book about her!

My only complaint really about this book is that it lacked a certain sense of urgency. I know we were supposed to feel that the situation was urgent and dire, but it didn’t really feel that way, until all of a sudden it was, if that makes sense. I could have used a little more build up besides the exposition of being told that it was urgent. Otherwise, I loved this book. I love books about academia and witches so this one was right up my alley, and well done. A great book to start the spooky season, as it was not really spooky but definitely supernatural!