It’s about time to catch up on some book reviews! I guess they are not really reviews per se, but more my thoughts and feelings on the book. Anyway, I have a few that I would like to talk about today!

I loved this book. It is definitely one of my top favorite books that I have read this year. Can I just say, Valancy is such a kick butt heroine? I love her character’s growth, although it wasn’t a slow steady growth, just a one day out of the blue, I’m done with this crap growth. The scene with her family at the table had me cracking up. She just didn’t give a darn at that point and let them know! And she wasn’t just purely rebellious to be rebellious. She had a mission, and a good one. When she heard that a friend of hers, that she admittedly hadn’t seen or spoken with in a very long time, was ill and that no one was “doing for her” she took matters into her own hands, and moved right in, not giving one hoot about any damage to her reputation. Because what kind of Christian folk would allow someone to lay dying without any help? Like I said, she was awesome. She decided to live life and was going for it. I mean, she did have a bit of a reason to throw all caution to the wind, but I don’t want to reveal it, or reveal anything that happens afterward.

So much of the description was otherworldly, whimsical, ethereal, making me want to see these forests and hollows and swamps and just everything there is to see.

“Frogs, little green wizards of swamp and pool, singing everywhere in the long twilights and long into the nights; islands fairy-like in a green haze; the evanescent beauty of wild young trees in early leaf; frost-like loveliness of the new foliage of juniper trees…”

Doesn’t it just sound so magical?

You guys, this was so adorable! Vera Wong is full of mischief and shenanigans, pokes her nose into things that are not her business, makes food that can change the mind of the strongest holdout, and has really good instincts. This book is full of new and budding friendships that bloom into a found family, that just filled me with goodness and warmth and happy feelings, almost like Vera had prepared one of her specialty teas just for me. She is a bit of a miracle worker, Vera is, and I can’t wait for the next book.

This book had a completely different feel. It was a slow read, introspective, thoughtful. In Korea the genre of this book is “healing fiction” and is meant to be read slowly, and usually centers around one main gathering place – such as the bookshop in this book. Every character we meet in this story is undergoing some sort of change, a moment in their lives that involves them making decisions to improve their lives. It was a book that made me think, and I took my time with it. Also, it talks a lot about coffee, so be prepared to be craving a nice warm cup of your favorite blend while reading!

This was a crazy, twisty, dark and creepy read – and I loved it!! It had some big folk horror vibes, which is one of my favorite subgenres, and had so much intrigue and so many twists and turns that I almost never knew what was coming next. There were so many secrets, so many things to hide. I read way past my bedtime with this one. It is the perfect time of year to read this too, as the book takes place at the end of the summer at a posh resort that had once been a private residence made of stone that towered over the rest of the village. If you have been thinking of reading this, I highly recommend grabbing a copy now!

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