Book #108:
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore by Laurie Gilmore (Length: 385 pages). This is the second book in the viral BookTok series. I (reviewed) and enjoyed the first book more than I thought I would, but this one was a bit slower and induced several eyerolls, which isn’t a great sign. In this novel, a bookstore employee and the town flirt, a charter fisherman, enjoy some scavenger hunt clues placed in romance novels, which have been secreted there to encourage the bookstore employee Hazel to be less hesitant, and more adventurous in her life. Overall, I’m giving this 3 stars because it’s too slow, the chemistry isn’t as believable as the first book in the series, but I did still enjoy Dream Harbor and its quirky inhabitants.
Book #109:
From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Length: 622 pages). This is the first installment in a very popular series (of 6 books), and I LOVED it! This is heavier on the romance than I particularly enjoy for a romantasy series, but the world building and characters are top notch. The writing quality is decent, and the plot had me thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it, and I wanted to keep picking it up and reading (even at 600 plus pages!). I enjoyed the warring kingdoms (the Ascended vs the Atlantians vs the Mortals) and there is a plot twist that of course has me wanting to read the second book, already placed in my TBR stack. 5 solid stars.
Book #110:
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan (Length: 443 pages). So, this sprawling saga set mostly in a seaside town in Maine is a total mess, but I sort of enjoyed it a lot. The main character is Jane, an alcoholic who works as a researcher in a Harvard library. She’s not likable, nor are many of the characters here, but the plot is absolutely fascinating in parts . . . there are historical accounts of the Shakers and a few Indian tribes who lived in the area, and these accounts are interspersed with Jane trying to get her life back together in the town she grew up in. I enjoyed the historical chapters the most and they’re why I’m giving this popular novel 3.5 stars.
Book #111:
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Length: 380 pages). This is the perfect book for me to end my reading year! I hugged it (or my Kindle) when I was done because I enjoyed the reading experience here so much. This is considered to be “cottage core” and I have to say I’m a fan. It’s a light fantasy with magical (and real) characters. The protagonist is Kiela, a blue-skinned librarian who rescues/steals several crates of spellbooks from the Great Library which is burned by revolutionaries who are angry with the Empire. Kiela and her spider plant assistant/BFF Caz escape via boat with the rescued books back to Caltrey, Kiela’s childhood island home. She and Caz then go about restoring her dilapidated family cottage, hide the spellbooks from the islanders (who aren’t aware of the revolution, find food, make friends and start a business. There’s some minor conflict and drama, and a love interest, along with some merhorses and some magical spells, all of which round out this delightful read. 5 stars from me.
Lora Terrill 