A star is born when Jane Quinn sings a cover of famous folk singer Jesse Reid's top hit at the local Massachusetts music festival.
Blog Posts
Review: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare
Buy the book here Page Count: 800 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Historical Fantasy My most anticipated book of 2023 is here! Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles have been a long-time resident of my bookshelves. I was first introduced to this series in middle school (shoutout to public libraries for making books accessible!) and it is one… Continue reading Review: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare
Review: The Catch by Alison Fairbrother
The Catch by Alison Fairbrother ★★★★★ Buy the book here Page Count: 288 Genre: Literary Fiction Alison Fairbrother's The Catch follows a young woman through the early days of grieving the sudden loss of her father. When a young DC journalist's father suddenly passes, she returns to his home for the funeral and will reading… Continue reading Review: The Catch by Alison Fairbrother
Buying Used Books at Baldwin’s Book Barn
Situated in the Philadelphia suburbs is the historic and unique Baldwin's Book Barn. This bookstore sells used, rare, and antique books in a variety of genres. Baldwin's Book Barn is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The barn itself is just over 200 years old, and it has been transformed into a dream bookstore for readers… Continue reading Buying Used Books at Baldwin’s Book Barn
To All the Books that Stayed in My Suitcase
Reflections on a week vacation in Aruba A quick glance at this blog might lead one to believe that I'm an experienced traveler, but the truth is that before 2022 I hadn't been to that many places far away from where I live. My family vacation to Aruba felt like a hazy dream in the… Continue reading To All the Books that Stayed in My Suitcase
Review: Milk Blood Head by Dantiel W. Moniz
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz is a short story collection that dives into the minds and lives of Floridians of all ages.
My 2022 Year in Books
Happy New Year, readers! Thank you to everyone who has stuck along with my blog these past few years. I'm looking forward to telling you all about new books and book adventures in 2023! 2022 was a wild year from me. I spent the first half of the year living in London and exploring Europe,… Continue reading My 2022 Year in Books
Exploring the Friends of the Library Book Sale
One of my favorite events in Ithaca, New York, is the Friends of the Library Book Sale. This event takes place over three weekends every fall and spring. Members of the local community and beyond line the block for a turn to wander through the shelves of used books, records, DVDs, and more. The book… Continue reading Exploring the Friends of the Library Book Sale
Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is a masterclass in riveting imagery, suspenseful scenes, and fascinatingly unreliable characters. I'm happy to add another book to my list of five star reads.
Review: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Emma seems to have the perfect life. She marries her high school sweetheart Jesse, travels the world with him, and settles far away from her hometown. But Emma's world is turned upside down when, on their first wedding anniversary, Jesse's helicopter goes missing over the pacific.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Bee Königswasser is a badass neuroscientist with a secret viral Twitter account that gives advice to women in STEM fields. Bee encounters her greatest professional and personal challenge yet when she is offered the job to co-lead the project of a lifetime.
Review: Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
College student Matt Pine is informed that nearly his entire family died from a gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. While the death was ruled accidental by Mexican officials, not everybody in the FBI is so sure of this. And to make make matters worse, the bodies of Matt's family will not be released unless Matt himself makes a trip to Mexico to retrieve his late family.
Review: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
Laurie's life is turned upside down when her long term boyfriend ends their relationship. Jamie needs to be in a stable relationship to show the partners of the firm that he's mature enough for a big promotion.
Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry
January Andrews is a romance writer who has always believed in love. But after the death of her father, everything changes when she is given the key to his secret beach house that he shared with another woman during his marriage. A grieving January heads to this "lovenest"for the summer with hopes of using the time to pen her next novel and clear out the house.
Review: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
In this world, having access to magic means a young death. The only chance for magical kids to survive is to attend school at the Scholomance.
Review: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Hidden up in the mountains of Vermont is Ellingham Academy, an elite private school for unique minds, including artists, inventors, and writers. Founded by 1920s millionaire Albert Ellingham, the school was designed to make learning a game, and it only accepts 50 students each year on free tuition to attend.
Top 10 Books I Read in London
From January to May 2022, I spent my semester living in London and traveling around Europe. This meant lots of reading time on planes, trains, buses, and the London Underground. Of course I picked up some great books along the way! Here’s ten of my favorite reads from this semester. In London and looking for… Continue reading Top 10 Books I Read in London
Four Sequels That Are Better Than the First Book (And Four That Are Not)
Whether it's upped stakes, the introduction of a new character, or a plot twist, the second book can really make or break a series. Here's four sequels that, in my opinion, turned out better than their predecessor, and four that did not live up to expectations. If you've got a sequel that you love or… Continue reading Four Sequels That Are Better Than the First Book (And Four That Are Not)
Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney
I know that I am late to the game with Normal People. It is one of those books that I refused to buy because I knew somebody in my life could lend me a copy. On family vacation I finally had the chance to read it. The story really flew by.
Review: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & the Six tells the story of 1970s rock band The Six and their breakup after their wildly popular album Aurora. The Six was on the rise, led by singer Billy Dunne, when the band crossed paths with Daisy Jones. Daisy came of age in LA, going out on the Sunset Strip and surrounded by a world of sex and drugs. But rock 'n' roll was where Daisy's heart and talents lived. When given the opportunity to collaborate with The Six for a song, Daisy seized the chance.
Review: Crier’s War by Nina Varela
In Rabu, Automae rule the land. But it wasn't always that way. In the War of Kinds, these Made beings took power from their human overlords and made human beings the subservient ones.
Review: All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue
Magic and mystery—some of what readers can expect in this coming of age story from author Caroline O'Donoghue. When Maeve discovers a pack of tarot cards in the basement of St. Bernadette's Catholic School, her popularity skyrockets. Every girl in the school is clamoring to receive one of Maeve's eerily accurate readings. Everyone except Lily, Maeve's ex-best friend. When Lily finally receives a reading, she draws a card that Maeve has never seen before. And the next day, Lily disappears without a trace.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan LeFanu is Vampire Goodness
I’m always looking for texts with a proximity to Twilight that aren’t Twilight. It is why I have a long standing obsession with Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy and rushed to the theater to gush over Kristen Stewart’s performance in Spencer (newsflash, she has always been talented, including in her Bella Swan days).
Review: Six Wicked Reasons by Jo Spain
Ten years ago, Adam Lattimer went missing and was presumed dead. A year later, his mother, Kathleen, died of a heart attack. The Lattimer family has always been fodder for gossip in the Irish town of Spanish Cove. No doubt the wealthiest family in town, all eyes have always been on the six Lattimer siblings as they grew up under the watch of their sweet mother Kathleen and cruel father Frazier. One missing, one an entertainment big-shot, one a Dublin hotel owner, one off to New York, one off to Europe, and one staying at home.
Blind Date with a Book Review!
As a newly serious romantic comedy fan, I recently made a trip to The Notting Hill Bookshop to find my next read. The small pile of paper wrapped titles labeled "Blind Date with a book" was absolutely irresistible. Here's the one I settled on...
Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I was searching for a book that would surprise me. I've been reading a lot of romance lately, and a lot of those books tend to hit the same notes. And then The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was sitting on the front table of my local bookstore and I thought, why not? I knew nothing about this book except that it is popular on #BookTok. I love old Hollywood stories, so I gave it a shot.
Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Lily Bloom is aware of the humor of wanting to open a flower shop whilst being named Lily Bloom. Still, she's come a long way to get to this point. Her life hasn't exactly been easy up until this point, and opening the flower shop is her dream. Around the same time, Lily meets the charming and attracting neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. Lily and Ryle hit it off immediately, and although Ryle says he doesn't do relationships, the chemistry is too real for either of them to deny.
Review: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Who wants to meet the family on the first (fake) date? Image: Julia Dath The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas ★★★★★ Buy the book herePage count: 480Genre: Romance, comedy, contemporary, fiction The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas gives everything you might want in a romance novel: a lovable protagonist, classic tropes, and a… Continue reading Review: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
The TikTok viral book delivers on troupe filled twists and turns. (Image: The Love Hypothesis) The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood ★★★★ Buy the book herePage count: 384Genre: Romance, comedy, contemporary, fictionContent warning: Discussions of workplace harassment and assault Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis has earned the title of being a "BookTok book" through being… Continue reading Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Review: Atonement by Ian McEwan
How far can the consequences of a stubborn lie reach? (Image: Julia Dath) When I decide something's not for me, it's pretty hard to change my mind. I hate cooked onions. Worms creep see out. My biggest stance for a long time was that I found all museums to be boring. Take, for example, my… Continue reading Review: Atonement by Ian McEwan
Summer Reads
Summer! For a bit there it felt like the weather would never turn warm again. Summer is time for packing bags full of books and heading to the beach. I love buying books throughout the year and mentally adding them to my summer TBR list. As a college student, I'm pretty much always reading something,… Continue reading Summer Reads
Review: The Last Jedi (Star Wars Novelization) by Jason Fry
May the 4th Be With You — A TLJ Novelization Discussion Happy Star Wars day! In the midst of final exam season, I always look forward to this day to remind me of one of the pieces of media that encouraged me to pursue storytelling in the first place. The Star Wars films are some… Continue reading Review: The Last Jedi (Star Wars Novelization) by Jason Fry
Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora is an ambitious woman. She's a literary agent that makes dreams come true for authors, but that doesn't come without professional ruthlessness. Romance has never worked out for her, and she knows she'll never be the small town girl from so many stories.
Review: Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen
In the summer of 1994, Maeve Murray dreams of starting a new life beyond the Northern Irish town where she has grown up amidst the Troubles.
Julia's Bookshelves 