

Review of Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop by Jeannine A. Cook
Bookseller, activist, and one-of-a-kind personality Jeannine A. Cook's voice shines through in this memoir of conversations with and deep inspiration around deceased authors; nerve-racking, enormous leaps of faith; living relationships with ancestors who have passed on; and shaping the future through empowering young people. Jeannine A. Cook was raised by a blind librarian mother, and books have always been an important part of her life. She always imagined that she'd write a
2 hours ago


Three Books I'm Reading Now, 3/23/26 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to Valerie Bertinelli's memoir Getting Naked ; I'm reading Ian McGuire's newest, unrelenting, suspenseful novel White River Crossing ; and I'm reading Saara El-Arifi's novel Cleopatra , an empowering, fascinating story told from Cleopatra's point of view and aimed at setting the record straight. What are you reading, bookworms? 01 Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect by Valerie Bertinelli Is my intrigue with th
1 day ago


Six Bossy Favorite Historical Fiction Reads from the Past Year
Six Bossy Favorite Historical Fiction Reads from Last Year Historical fiction is one of my favorite reading genres, and this is the first of three historical-fiction favorite lists I'll have for you as I revisit my reading for the Bossy best of the best from the past year. You can explore the twelve titles on My Very Favorite Bossy 2025 Reads to find out about my overall favorite reads from last year, or you can click to read about past Bossy historical favorites . If you've
4 days ago


Review of Alchemised by SenLinYu
This 1000-page fantasy novel is intense, brutal (significant trigger warnings are warranted), extremely dark, and not at all a universal recommendation. I struggled with and was also fascinated by the fact that in its original form, the story was Harry Potter fan fiction about Hermione and Draco. The structure and timeline is intriguing and illuminating. This beast of a fantasy novel (it's 1040 pages) tracks a healer and alchemist suffering from significant memory gaps throug
5 days ago


Review of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
Ridzén's beautiful, poignant novel centers around Bo, an elderly Swedish man living out his last days in his woodland cabin as the past becomes more vivid to him than his present. This is lovely, heartbreaking, and practical while offering hope. Bo is an elderly Swedish man living in the woodland cabin where he grew up. He exists in somewhat of a haze between naps, frequent carer visits, calls and check-ins from his son Hans, short walks with his beloved elkhound Sixten, and
6 days ago


Review of Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
In Wood's slim book, a practical young man is scratching out a life in a small seaside English town when an energetic young American filmmaker bursts into town. Thrills and inspiration follow--along with danger and and uncertain implications for the future in this atmospheric, eerie, beautifully written novel. Young adult Thomas Flett lives a quiet life as a shanker scraping the shore for shrimp with a horse and cart in a small seaside northern English town. He lives with his
Mar 17
