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REVIEW | A Treacherous Tale

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Storygraph | Goodreads
Title: A Treacherous Tale
Series: The Cambridge Bookshop Series #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Fiction
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Format: E-book
Pages: 288
Source: NetGalley

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she’s reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children’s tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona’s tumbles off her roof to his death.

Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

Review

A dark fairy-tale of a cozy mystery. And an absolute pleasure to read.

This is the second book in The Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney and I was so excited to read it, especially after enjoying Book 1 – Chapter and Curse. They both have their charm and Book 2 was an absolute delight to read. I loved learning about the mysteries that cat lover and bookshop part-owner Molly Kimball gets pulled into along the way.

This time, Molly is meeting with Iona York, co-author of The Strawberry Girls to discuss her latest book, The Strawberry Girls. While visiting, a family acquittance of Iona’s, Robin, has tumbled off her roof to his demise. Additionally, Iona’s daughter suddenly goes missing and is nowhere to be found. Was Robin’s death an accident? Or could there be a link between the two events, and perhaps to a crime committed in the past that still leaves questions to this day? Molly, yet again, is left to uncover the truth.

This book will have you hooked and wanting to know more after the very first chapter. In fact, every chapter leaves on a bit of a cliff-hanger, encouraging you to keep reading which I absolutely love. Molly is a character that truly seeks to support her friends and family and is fiercely loyal to them, and I think that acts a powerful driving factor as to why she is so invested in helping to investigate these cases, despite not being a formal investigator herself.

I loved the mysteries in this book, which had a scavenger hunt feel to them at times, but I truly loved one element which is the incorporation of a story-within-a-story. The Strawberry Girls was co-written by Iona’s former, Nate, who also had a similar suspicious death to that of Robin. Passages of the book are incorporated into the novel, and I absolutely loved that! It really helped set the stage and evoked mystery and intrigue in the story, while also making you feel as if the real-life characters of the book were in their own dark fairy tale.

Cats Puck and Clarence are always a joy to read, and we hope to see much more of them in future instalments!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced eGalley of this book. All opinions are my own.

Themes

  • Murder Mystery
  • Missing Person
  • Uncovering secrets
  • Family
  • Loyalty
  • Fairy Tales

Feelings

  • Light-hearted with dark elements
  • Mysterious
  • Enchanting
  • Adventurous

Rating

Numerical rating: 4.25 stars

QOTD: do you enjoy cozy mysteries?
Let us know!

The Sunday Post #8

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Hello, everyone! Today we are linking up with

The briefest post today!

Olivia Update 🐾

Olivia’s had a great week. She was eagerly awaiting and preparing for the arrival of one of our close friends who she hasn’t seen in about a year or so! He used to cat-sit for my partner and I and so they are good friends.

We have also given Olivia a bib-trim. Her mane was getting a little bit too long and was starting to cause a bit of trouble while eating and drinking. Now that she’s had the trim, it’s a bit easier for her. And I’m sure it may help with cooling her down during the hot summer.

Life Update

I am recovering right now from a back injury so today’s update will be short.

In better news, we’ve started a TikTok! Let me know your thoughts – I may try to do mini reviews and share them here when I upload my ARC reviews. I like this challenge because it gives me an opportunity to enhance my verbal review skills.

@sarasreadingnook

Only 20 pages left! #currentlyreading #booktok #currentread #bookclub

♬ Funkytown – Lipps Inc.

Reading Update

Linking you to my Friday Reads post for the books Olivia and I have read this week. We finished reading 8 books. With my back injury, it’s been nice to cuddle with her and get some reading in.

We’re still working through Lore and The Nine: Origins. Unfortunately, there have been a few issues with The Nine: Origins I’ve encountered – perhaps it would have benefitted from more feedback from others with different experiences. Of course, I’ll share my honest opinions when I’ve finished but may review this as part of my August wrap up instead of a full feature post.

We are in a bit of a sticky situation right now – from our Libby app, we’ve signed out The Family Remains – one of our most anticipated reads of the year! But we have SO many books to read, so perhaps we’ll read this next month. But gosh, we’re so excited to read it.

This Week on the Blog

Next Week on the Blog

  • TTT
  • Review | The Kindest Lie
  • Review | Radium Girls (ARC)
  • Review | A Treacherous Tale (ARC)
  • The Sunday Post

QOTD: Do you have a Kindle?
We’ve been thinking about getting one!

Friday Reads

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Hi everyone! Here are all of the books I’ve read this past week! (Please note that my Youtube Video extends beyond this past week. And I forgot to add a children’s book!). This one will be very brief – currently resting from a lower back injury, but recovering well. Enjoy!

Recently Read

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Lucky Cat by AsianBossGirl and illustrated by Eunice Chen. (NG)

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson.

The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. MacFarlane. (NG)

A Nico-Colored Canvas by Nao Shikita. (NG)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Stacy King (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), Daria Rhodes (Lettering), and Kuma Chan (Illustrator). (NG)

Baker and Taylor and the Mystery of the Library Cats by Candy Rodo illustrated by Weaverbird Interactive. (NG)

Underneath the Earth’s Crust by Mack Van Gageldonk. (NG)

Currently Reading

Lore by Alexandra Bracken.

The Nine: Origins by Kes Trester. (NG)

Next Reads

Ghostcloud by Michael Mann. (NG)

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe. (NG)

The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher.(NG)

The Gravity of Existence by Christina Sng. (NG)

Note: NetGalley copies are designated as NG. These are provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

QOTD: What are you reading?
Let us know!

Books I Love That Were Written Over Ten Years Ago

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Hello, everyone!

We are excited to link up with Top Ten Tuesdays, hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

We have so many books that we love written at least a decade ago that we wanted to focus on a few books that we’ve enjoyed and categorize them by mood. There are more than 10 books. Enjoy!

Adventurous

  1. Sailor Moon Manga by Naoko Takeuchi. Amazing.
  2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Get a tissue box ready.

Challenging/Informative

  1. From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women Volume 1. Origins by Marilyn French. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned from this book, and I’m happily continuing the series. I think this could be updated and even more inclusive now, but it’s a good place to start.
  2. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Everything Baldwin writes belongs in the must-read section.
  3. A Stranger at Home by Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Christy Jordan-Fenton, and Liz Amini-Holmes. A must-read.

Dark

  1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. This book really impacted my world view.
  2. Deathnote by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Disturbing, but you can’t stop once you’ve started it.

Emotional

  1. Night by Elie Wiesel. Deceptively short read; however, its impact lasts forever.
  2. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin. Literally finished a box of tissues with this book.

Reflective

  1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. My all-time favourite book. The theme of adjusting one’s expectations really helped me a lot with some very difficult decisions.
  2. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. Again, read this with a box of tissues.

QOTD: Have you read any of these titles?
Let us know!

The Sunday post #7

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Hello, everyone! Today we are linking up with

Brief post today!

Olivia Update 🐾

Olivia has been doing very well – such a big appetite and lots of books to read! And we did read two cat books which she and I absolutely loved (more below).

Last night, however, Olivia became quite concerned – somehow, a moth flew into our apartment! Olivia was not impressed. Whatsoever. In fact, it made her so anxious that she was yelling at this moth for quite some time. In an attempt to assist her, we were about to evacuate said moth; however, by the time we went to the lamp where it was situated, the moth had already flown away, nowhere to be found. Because Olivia is terrified of insects (as am I), we snuggled for quite some time afterwards, consoling both her and I. The location of the moth is still unknown, but we’d like to think it happily flew away sometime last evening or this morning. Now our Olivia is all settled – with a little bit of extra catnip to pep her step.

Life Update

A few highlights:

  • My partner and I went for a long walk a few days ago and found a really cool area in the city nearby that we had not visited before! There were lots of stores and even a new bistro that we will visit in the future.
  • We finished Netflix: Keep Breathing. Although I did enjoy some episodes, overall I would rate it around a 6/10. I enjoyed: the survival aspect, the main character, and how the story was revealed. Being from Northern British Columbia, I liked that this was filmed BC and gave an insight into the beauty we are fortunate to be surrounded by in Canada. I did not enjoy: the constant flashbacks, some plot and emotional mechanics used, the romantic element, and some of the overall plot points. I would recommend giving the first 2-3 episodes a shot, and if you like them, it gives a pretty clear indication if you may enjoy the rest of the show. I will say I thought that Yellowjackets was my favourite survival-type show watched this year (also filmed in BC).

Keep Breathing Trailer:

Yellowjackets Trailer:

Reading Update

We are doing the ARCathon, hosted by Marti and Britt! And we are reading our TBR game picks, which overlap. Our NetGalley feedback ratio is something we have been working on and we are happy to say it is currently at 94%.

In general, we’re very conservative with requests, opting to read and review many “read now” titles that we simply don’t want to wait for and get to reading them immediately! We have found so many amazing books this way. Although sometimes the request bug does bite, too!

We currently have two requests pending. A book we’ve requested is A Cat Cafe Christmas – if we receive an eGalley, Olivia and I will be so happy! But we will also happily request from the library if it doesn’t come our way – it looks absolutely purrfect! And I’d love to give our insight from a feline and cat lover purr-spective.

The second book we’ve requested is Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying. It is a YA graphic novel, and it just looks and sounds stunning. It discusses difficult topics, such as disordered eating and mental health. Again, I will need to read this book, regardless of my pending request – very much looking forward to reading and reviewing this one.

Recently Finished

We’ve finished several books this week from NetGalley (see below, thank you to NetGalley for providing review copies). I will discuss these more in future reviews and/or wrap ups; however I do want to say that the manga for Anne of Green Gables, Baker And Tale and the Mystery Cats, A Treacherous Tale, and The Ghosts of Rose Hill were just great! You can see reviews for Anne of Green Gables and The Ghosts of Rose Hill below.

Currently Reading:

We are enjoying and finishing The Kindest Lie tonight and continuing Lore forward!

This Week on the Blog

Next Week on the Blog

  • Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love That Were Written Over Ten Years Ago
  • Reviews for The Kindest Lie
  • Review for Lore
  • Stacking the Shelves/Sunday Post/Sunday Salon

QOTD: Did you have a good weekend? Let us know!

REVIEW | Anne of Green Gables, Manga classics

Book cover of Anne of Green Gables Manga Classics. Text: Book Review, Anne of Green Gables, Graphic Novel, www.sarasreadignook.ca
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Storygraph | Goodreads
Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: Stacy King (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), Daria Rhodes (Lettering), Kuma Chan (Illustrator), L.M. Montgomery (Original Author)
Genre: Manga, Classics, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Ya/Middle Grade
Publisher: Manga Classics Inc., Manga Classics
Format: E-book & Hardcover Physical Copy
Pages: 319
Source: NetGalley and Local Library

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert were planning to adopt an orphaned boy to help out around their farm, Green Gables – instead, they got Anne Shirley. A plucky redheaded girl with a vibrant imagination, Anne turns first Green Gables and then the rest of Prince Edward Island on its ear. 

Manga Classics® is proud to be the only authorized manga adaption of Anne of Green Gables by the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery. This volume presents a faithful recreation of this classic kids novel, from the Lake of Shining Waters to the Dryad’s Bubble!

Foreword by Kate McDonald Butler – granddaughter of the original author! 

Review

The setting of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables is stunning. There is the beauty of the nearby ocean, with beaches filled with reddened sand. And the smell of the lush greenery and delicate flowers that are abundant during the warm months. This is quite a famous classic and I was so thrilled to see that there was a manga copy available since this provides a new arena for this story to be told, in an addition to all other adaptations (e.g., film, audio theatre, graphic novels, etc.)

Prince Edward Island. Source

Now, let’s discuss the manga itself. The manga is quite true to the book, which is the first of many books about Anne Shirley. The original book itself was written in 1908 and covers Anne’s life from the age of 11-16 in which you see a lot of personal growth and development of her character with time. The manga does a great job of illustrating Anne, her adoptive family, and other characters, as well as the home in which Anne lives. I was very impressed with the care that was taken to ensure the setting and scenery appeared accurate. Some characters have differences in appearance and I think those distinctions were translated quite well using manga artwork!

Anne has a very distinctive voice and doesn’t quite talk or act like anyone I’ve read about in any other book – and I think this was very well captured by the manga, which appears to be quite similarly and well adapted from the original dialogue. In fact, all of the characters – their dialogue and actions feel quite authentic!

I also appreciate the ancillary information at the end of the book which includes Crystal C. Chan’s thoughts and process on adapting the book: setting the focus, processing the details, Easter eggs, notes on incorporating feminism into the manga, and the ways in which manga is a strong medium for presenting the book.

In my opinion, this is the most entertaining, fun, and creative adaptation I have read of Anne of Green Gables that also manages to stay quite true to the original book. It was a total joy to read and I’m so happy it is in illustrated form since I think it has the potential to create an impact on young readers and fans of manga, alike!

Feelings

  • Hopeful
  • Humorous
  • Hopeful

Themes

  • Friendship
  • Home
  • Coming of Age
  • Imagination vs. Expectation

Rating

Numerical rating: 4.75 stars

QOTD: have you read the
original Anne of Green Gables? Let us know!

REVIEW | A Lot Like Adiós

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Storygraph | Goodreads

Title: A Lot Like Adiós
Series: Primas of Power, #2
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Format: Physical Copy
Pages: 387
Source: Indigo, Chapters

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time. Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?

Review

Second chance romance, friends to lovers, and so much fun!

Two main characters I love: Gabe (gym owner; Peurto Rican/Mexican heritage) and Michelle (freelancer and web designer; Peurto Rico/Italian heritage). Gabe is set to start a new gym in NYC and his business partner unknowingly reaches out to Michelle who has a very complicated past with Gabe.

What I really enjoyed most about this book was just how much fun it was to read and how witty it was! I feel like I just flew through it. I adored both characters, who had backstory’s that had depth to them and truly showed how influential their past has been for both of them, separately and together.

It’s well written, it’s funny, it’s intense – a little too much for me at times haha but it was fun to read, overall!

Content Warnings

Feelings

  • Fun
  • Passionate
  • Emotional
  • Lighthearted
  • Funny

Themes

  • Romance: friends to lovers, second chance romance
  • Family
  • Pursuing one’s passion
  • Confronting the past

Rating

QOTD: do you enjoy
books set in NYC? Let us know!

REVIEW | The Ghosts of Rose Hill

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Storygraph | Goodreads
Title: The Ghosts of Rose Hill
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Magical Realism, Poetry
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Format: E-book and Audiobook
Pages: 452
Source: NetGalley and Audible

Synopsis:
Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez—a biracial Jewish girl—finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents’ desire for her to pursue a more stable career.

When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt’s cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin’s grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth

But Benjamin isn’t the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him—forever.

With spellbinding verse prose, R.M. Romero channels the spirit of myth into a brilliantly original tale, inspired by her experiences restoring Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe.

Review:

Haunting, entrancing, and so poetic.

Absolutely beautiful story of a biracial Jewish girl who is sent away to stay with her aunt in Prague. I was soon hooked after reading the first chapter and read this book late at night finding it difficult to put down.

Ilana is torn between pursuing her parent’s wishes of having a stable career, for example in the sciences or medicine, and becoming a violinist. While she’s in Prague, she learns about a forgotten Jewish ancestry, encounters a ghost name Benjamin and also a man with no shadow, Rudolf Wassermann and is compelled to know their stories.

The book stresses the importance of remembering our history. Quick and impactful read – I recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetic storytelling and is intrigued by the synopsis. Beautiful.

Feelings

  • Haunting
  • Enchanting

Themes

  • Heritage
  • Fairy tales
  • History

Rating

QOTD: do you enjoy
listening to the violin? Let us know!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Sunday Post #6 & More!

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Hello, everyone! Today we are linking up with:

Today’s post will be very brief! Busy day today.

Olivia Update 🐾

Olivia had a wonderful week! One evening, I decided to give her a little treat. So I created a little triangle out of her cat food and called it a “cat food pizza.” There is no pizza – it’s just her soft food that I shape into a triangle. But she really likes it! Somehow, perhaps this makes it more exciting for her.

Life Update

It’s been super busy this week. But here are a few highlights:

  • Went out to eat with my partner last night. It’s a 20 minute walk away, so we decided to get some exercise by walking to and from dinner. I think the walking was super useful!
  • The weather has been cooling. We’ve had some rain, which I adore.
  • Watching a show on Netflix called “Keep Breathing.” Enjoying it so far – have you seen it?

Reading Update

Check out my Friday Reads blog post for a reading update! We are doing the ARCathon, hosted by Marti and Britt! 

In our August TBR game, you can see which ARCs we are reading this month.

New to our shelf: We were approved this week for an ARC we are looking forward to! It is a YA thriller. Thank you to author Robin Roe, NetGalley, and HarperTeen/HarperCollins Children’s Books.

This Week on the Blog

Next Week on the Blog

  • Weekly memes (hopefully) for TTT and Stacking the Shelves/Sunday Post/Sunday Salon
  • Review | The Ghosts of Rose Hill
  • Review | A Lot Like Adiós
  • ARC/other Reviews

QOTD: Did you have a good weekend? Let us know!