Review: Lost in Time

Lost in Time
Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun and interesting read. A dad trying go save his wrongly accused daughter who then tries to save his dad 🙂

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Review: Iron Flame

Iron Flame
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m sorry to say that even though I read this one almost as fast as the first one, I didn’t love it nearly as much. It was okay but just not as magical as the first one.

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Review: The Last Murder at the End of the World

The Last Murder at the End of the World
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved every moment I spent with this book. The premise was already interesting: there is a black fog that kills most of humanity. The 110some people are left on an island and one is murdered. Our main character is trying to solve the mystery of what happened before the rest of them die from the incoming fog.

From the beginning this story was a bit dystopian. It smelled like “The Giver” where what you’re reading has something off about it and you’re waiting to see what unravels. But the story that comes together keeps surprising the reader more and more every minute. All the way to the very end, I totally didn’t see any of the onion layers as they peeled.

I loved all of it. I loved the characters. I loved the writing. I loved the ending. I loved this story.

with gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Lost to Dune Road

Lost to Dune Road
Lost to Dune Road by Kara Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an excellent mystery where a besmirched journalist who has since become a PI is hired by a mother whose daughter seemingly attempted suicide and is in a coma. The PI has a hunch that the girl’s case is somehow linked to another girl who was murdered years ago and she tries to solve both of the girls’ stories.

I thought this was well paced, interesting and it kept me reading the whole time. I liked the characters and I liked how the story was more convoluted than I kept imagining. I usually see the twists and there were several here I didn’t see coming.

with gratitude to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: A Short Walk Through a Wide World

A Short Walk Through a Wide World
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought so much of this book was really really beautiful. The main character has a mysterious disease that surfaces when she’s 9. This disease requires her to travel and she can never go back and revisit a location she’s been two more than once. So she always has to move after 2-3 nights. The book chronicles her journey through the world. The people who touched her and the people whose lives she touched.

The whole time, I was wondering what happened to her and why she has this disease and with books like these, the endings are hard because there’s so much build up to understand. In my opinion while the ending was beautiful, it didn’t live up to what i needed to live up to. For me.

I still loved all the imagery. The sadness of never having roots. Never getting to really know someone. Losing your kid in this way. One and on. There was so much beauty and so much visual imagery in this book. I loved it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: I Feel Awful, Thanks

I Feel Awful, Thanks
I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the beautiful art of this book. It’s really really beautifully drawn. I also really enjoyed the story and I liked how even if you have someone who loves you and really good friends, life can still feel like a lot. I loved the way therapy is conveyed in this book. I loved so much of this book. I did think things magically resolved themselves a little too conveniently but otherwise i enjoyed this beautiful story and the magical illustrations.

with gratitude to netgalley and Oni Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Trail of Lost Hearts

The Trail of Lost Hearts
The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a romance novel but it covers grief in a beautiful and profound way. There’s also a lot of fun geocaching in it. As someone who’s done geocaching before, I thought that adventure part was really fun. I liked both of the characters and I loved the slow burn of how they found their way to each other.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: One Moment

One Moment
One Moment by Becky Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been reading a bunch of romance lately and I loved that this book was first and foremost about a friendship. I also loved the portrayal of the chronic illness in all the small and big ways. I think the dramatic side gets covered often but not the small, daily difficulty of how it might feel to live with one.

If you’re looking for something light that will make you cry and laugh and something romantic but also a little different, this is the book for you.

with gratitude to netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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The Joy of Art – November 24, 2023 at 08:24AM


Like the sea….

#art #kolbieblume #thiswritingdesk #primrosiajournal #practicinglettering #practicingwatercolor #learningtowatercolor #learningtoletter #loveyourimperfectletters #watercolors #watercolorjournal #watercolorsunset #watercolorseascape

The Joy of Art – November 23, 2023 at 11:32AM


By those who could not hear the music….

#art #kolbieblume #thiswritingdesk #primrosiajournal #practicingwatercolor #practicinglettering #loveyourimperfectletters #learningtowatercolor #learningtopaint #landscapes #seascapes #watercolorseascape #watercolors #watercolor #watercolorjournal #artjournal #artjournaling

The Joy of Art – November 22, 2023 at 10:23AM


Quality of your thoughts.

#art #watercolorjournal #kolbieblume #thiswritingdesk #primrosiajournal #loveyourimperfectletters #watercolors #watercolor #watercolorseascape #practicinglettering #practicingart #practicingwatercolor #learningtowatercolor #learningtopaint

The Joy of Art – November 20, 2023 at 11:11AM

 

You don’t have a life, you are life.

#art #kolbieblume #thiswritingdesk #primrosiajournal #practicinglettering #practicingart #watercolorjournal #watercolors #watercolorseascape #watercolor #learningtowatercolor #learningtoletter