Tag: book reviews

Top Ten Tuesday: Destination Titles

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized31 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt:  Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!) (this was a topic Rachel @ Sunny Side came up with for a freebie week last year and has let me steal it!)

I had fun with this one, looking back at books that I have read and enjoyed with destinations in the title. I am a big settings reader, and will often pick up a book just because of where the book is set.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives || Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop || The Easy Life in Kamusari

I have been very into Japanese/Asian fiction this year, and these three were a few that I really enjoyed.

The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines || Miracles on Maple Hill || Greenglass House

It wouldn’t be one of my lists without some kids fiction. I read The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines because the main character uses a wheelchair and I like to look for books for Wyatt that have this representation. He deserves to see himself in literature, and not just as a character who is there to explain to others what it is like to use a wheelchair. Not all disabled characters need to be there to teach others about their experiences – they can have actual other roles in the book, and even be the main character who has their own adventures.

Miracles on Maple Hill was a wonderful, old fashioned read. I holed up this past winter with these type of wholesome books to make it through to spring and Miracles on Maple Hill was one of my favorites of the whole bunch that I read.

Greenglass House – I just love this world! I love this book, and I plan on reading the next in the series in December.

Shady Hollow || The House on Prytania || The Cloisters

It also wouldn’t be a list of mine without some anthropomorphic animals. Shady Hollow is my pick for this week! I still haven’t read the second book – maybe I should do that this month. It feels like a good time to read it.

The House on Prytania is set in New Orleans, one of my very favorite cities in the United States. There was a time in my life that I deliberately set out to read every book that took place there. And my first trip there was due to all of my reading and needing to finally walk the streets that I had read so much about.

So, The Cloisters. I actually did not like this book, but I loved the setting. I have always always always wanted to go there.

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

A friend bought me this book this year, and it is easily one of my favorite reads of the whole year. I love that The Blue Castle is not only a fictional destination for this week’s topic, but also an imaginary one in the book as well. If you all need a pick me up book for whatever reason, I highly suggest this book.

And that my friends is my list for this week! I can’t wait to visit your posts and see what you have chosen!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Assigned to Read in School

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized45 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s prompt is: Books I Was Assigned to Read in School

This is a fun look back at high school and college!

The Jungle and Animal Farm were both assigned in high school and they both were pretty mind-blowing to my 16 year old self. The Jungle actually turned me into a vegetarian, from like 18 until recently. So it is safe to say it made a huge impact on me!

Frankenstein was a college read, and probably one of my favorites. I absolutely loved it, and found it so very sad as well, the loneliness of the monster.

The Great Gatsby took me to wild parties, the glitz and glam of the roaring twenties, dancing, and what looks like freedom and happiness. But the reader begins to see through this to the classism and lack of compassion and caring. It is still a favorite classic of mine. I am going to stop saying this because I feel like I will just keep repeating myself.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is an amazing book where we watch the main character learn to find herself and her voice. And the book that made me terrified of rabies. Plus there is a character named Tea Cake which I loved when I first read it in college. His character was not the greatest but his name was.

Beloved is a story that haunts you, and I am not trying to make a joke. I think this book and story is one that stays with you, the trauma and fear of the characters in a world of slavery that drives people to do things they would not do under normal circumstances.

Annie on My Mind is a book I read way back when in college, in my children’s lit class. It stands out as the very first LGTBQ book I have ever read, and also because it introduced the Cloisters to me.

The Metamorphosis by Kafka is one I feel like I read in high school and in college, and I liked it both times. It was so crazy but it is possibly the only existential book I really understood in school.

In high school I was introduced to The Canterbury Tales, and I just loved them. I loved discovering all the characters stories. Another one I should go back and reread.

I had to take sooo many Shakespeare classes in school, and of all the plays that I read, Hamlet was my favorite.

And that wraps it up for me today! What were you assigned in school that stood out to you?

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! It’s been slow around here, which was fine by me. I hope though that everyone who had to face down Helene has minimal damage. She was fierce looking.

Read Last Week:

Last week I read The Girl in White which was actually a little spooky for a kids book! This one was spookier than the other I have read by Currie, What Lives in the Woods. It was a good read for the season (without actually being too scary).

I also started Twilight Garden on Friday morning. I had forgotten I wanted to read this until I saw it on Rebecca’s TBR! Darn it. My TBR is just too crazy. Like everyone’s is, I am sure. Lol.

Reading This Week:

I will finish up The Twilight Garden, and then start another from my list. Right now I am not sure which direction I will pivot, but I feel I am leaning towards light and easy. Perhaps Berries and Bones, it look so deliciously fall. I also plan on starting The Whisperwicks, which is my book club book for the Patreon group I am part of for Alexandra Roselyn.

We are going away this weekend and so I hope to have some good reading time. It’s like that old saying though, “No one is more optimistic than a mother who takes books on the family vacation”.

I am also listening to an audiobook while I embroider. Right now I am listening to The Pumpkin Spice Cafe to see what all the hype is about. It has been compared to Stars Hollow and the Gilmore Girls which I love and have watched a million times over – and unpopular opinion coming, but I am not too excited about this book so far. It is too much like Gilmore Girls. I haven’t listened to much but it seems more like it is really just Lorelai Gilmore all over but this time she runs a cafe. The character talks a lot and talks fast, she drinks a lot of coffee – I don’t know. I guess I wanted the feel and or even a reimagining, but this is too on the nose. Does that make sense?

Posted Last Week:

A Few Whimsical Halloween Picks

Comfy Cozy Cinema: Ladies in Lavender

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

We are busily watching our Comfy Cozy Cinema movies; last week was Ladies in Lavender, and tonight’s feature is Kiki’s Delivery Service. Comfy Cozy Cinema is something Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I started together and every year is so much fun! You are all invited to watch and post along with us.

Billy and I are also watching What We Do in the Shadows, as well as The Great Pottery Throwdown.

Also – I wanted to add that Lisa and I will be posting about our Comfy Cozy Care Package giveaway on Wednesday! We have lots of goodies we will be sending to someone to get all cozy with this fall!

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

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?

A Few Quick Book Reviews

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review16 Comments

It’s been a minute since I have posted a review, but I have read some great books so far this year that I wanted to share my thoughts on, especially the Cozy Minimalist Home! That book feels like a game changer!

This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Cozy Minimalist Home: I loved this book! I found it so inspiring. We live in a small house – like 900 sq feet. I love this house, it was my grandparent’s, my mom grew up here, but it is small. And it always worked for Billy and I. Then we added a child to our family, and not only does he have all the toys and books and everything that most kids do, he also has a lot of equipment, like walkers and wheelchairs. I had to get creative with space, and also get rid of some of my stuff just to save on time, since I didn’t want to spend my days just cleaning them away. I began rethinking our spaces and getting rid of things, but it didn’t feel… cozy. I loved the new open feeling, the lightness, but I still needed some warmth. And this book really showed me how to add that touch of cozy. Instead of having a bunch of stuff that maybe is not as important, you choose what you want in your room thoughtfully. Add in those cozy touches without overdoing – a warm, comfy blanket, pillows, a great rug.. books. For me, bits of natural elements are really important too. There is a little bit more to it than that, but Smith has clear, simple, easy steps you should take in order when thinking about your space that make so much sense! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to pare down yet still keep that cozy warm feeling! We are slowly redoing our house, room by room, and what I have learned is definitely going to come in handy. (and I just wanted to add, this applies to any size home!)

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw: This cover is gorgeous, isn’t it? I had just read The Wicked Deep when this book came out, and it sounded so perfect for me. A woods, secrets, winter, magic… I love all of these things! I actually started reading it on the first night of a full moon, which is purely coincidence but it was funny because this book begins on a full moon in winter, just like when I began reading it. It sort of set the mood. And I loved this book. I think the woods have always been a foreboding setting throughout history and literature – warnings to not go into the woods alone, or at night, bad news lurks within. And there is an otherworldy feeling to standing in a quiet wood in the dark. I think this book captures that perfectly, that feeling of almost unease. Nora Walker, like the women in her family before her, can communicate with her woods, and right now, it is telling her something is amiss. I really enjoyed this atmospheric read!

The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel: Lewis-Stempel is one of my favorite authors to read. He has such a way of describing his surroundings and the natural world that just invites you in, and makes you want to know more. This short little book about owls is no different. I love owls, and this book was a great journey through folklore and poetry and facts about owls. If you love owls, I wouldn’t miss this one. It’s not overly scientific and includes mythology and other fun bits about hoo-hoos as Wyatt likes to say.