Shelf Quest

Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude by Stephanie Rosenbloom 4/5 StarsI really liked this book and the exploration of solo traveling, or alone time, was interesting to me. I value alone time a considerable amount and have always wanted to travel to a familiar place by myself (mostly, Paris). Stephanie’s exploration of her own travels as well as the studies, quotes, and other accounts of solo travels presented came together beautifully here. There were sights…

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Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts 100/5 StarsAs a general rule I am morally opposed to excessively long books. It is almost 1,000 pages long and the audiobook is just over 43 hours. I believe it is the longest book I’ve ever read and it is absolutely beautiful. It took me a long time to listen to the audiobook (the narrator is fantastic), not only because of the many hours but because I wanted to savor the story and the magic…

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The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec 5/5 StarsThis book is heartbreakingly beautiful. I love a good story about gods or ancient figures I know little about and the drama that only they can bring. I also really enjoyed the mindful, seasonal aspect, and Angrboda’s relationship with her children. I would have liked to see a little more about her past but it’s a small grievance. Highly recommended. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 4/5 StarsI like a lot about…

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A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan 5/5 StarsI don’t know how I missed a book about a line of French witches for four years but here we are. I loved this book. It’s a perfect witch/magic theme and is very connected to nature. It follows five generations and feels very much like five closely connected short stories. They’re each fascinating and heartbreaking in their own way but have many common themes throughout. Some of my favorites are discovering…

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For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten 5/5 StarsThis book was exactly perfect for me to read at the time that I did. In between fall and winter when all I want to do is cozy up with a warm meal and a good book. My favorite kind of fantasy book too; definitely fully fantasy but doesn’t take too long to get set up in the world. This is a delightful mix of tales (little red, sleeping beauty, beauty and the…

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I have so many good things to say about this book. It is engaging, interesting, unique, and enjoyably funny (not laugh-out-loud funny IMO, but makes heavy situations light). The premise is original; our psychic has a newly-opened travel agency and ends up helping a detective on a case after keeping him from getting on a plane that crashed. She also moonlights as the Klairvoyent Karaoke star at a friend’s bar. All of these aspects come together nicely to keep the…

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I really enjoyed the audiobook for A Spindle Splintered. I love a fairy tale re-telling and even though Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite, it was refreshing to read one about Sleeping Beauty. Zinnia pricks her finger on her twenty-first birthday and is transported to another world: Sleeping Beauty’s. Zinnia battles trying to save Sleeping Beauty while trying to manage her own health issues and get help from her best friend back home before her phone dies. Yes,…

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Magical realism is my absolute favorite genre to read and it was a perfect background to Jeanie’s story. Jeanie inherited the family trait of being able to speak to the dead for a limited time after they die. I love that the book isn’t centered around this though; it’s really about Jeanie figuring out what she wants her life to look like, despite seeming to have it all. She has a husband who loves her and is set to have…

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