With Mother's Day 2024 coming up in a few days, we thought this review would be rather fitting.  Summary: What's Wittier Than a Dad Joke, Snarkier Than a Kids' Joke, and Always Has the Perfect Comeback? Mom Jokes celebrates facing life's stressors with sarcasm, mockery, and another glass of wine.  Women of all walks of life will laugh along with one-liners, retorts, tweets, and other jokes that critique childrearing, housecleaning, relationships snafus...and the burden of being the funniest and smartest member of the household.  (Summary from back of book - Image from si ..read more

Summary: From Christmas-Rainbow Poke Cake to Snickers Surprise Cookies, 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix will make you the talk of the neighborhood get together!    Recipes include: ?#15 Heavenly Brownies ?#17 Pumpkin Pie Bars ?#35 Banana Split Cake ?#73 Caramel-Pecan Chocolate Cake ?#92 Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches ?...and 96 more! (Summary from back of book - Image from gibbs-smith.com - This book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review) My Review: I don't love to cook. I do it because I like to eat yummy things, but it's not something I enjoy doing for kick ..read more

Summary: The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara s one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death -- transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts, creatures the Federation then sends to attack Mara. The legendary Strikers, Mara's elite fighting force, are trained to stop them. But as the number of Ghosts grows and Karensa closes in, defeat seems inevitable. Still, one Striker refuses to give up hope. Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Th ..read more

Summary: When we talk about migrations, we should study plants to understand that these phenomena are unstoppable. In the many different ways plants move, we can see the incessant action and drive to spread life that has led plants to colonize every possible environment on earth. The history of this relentless expansion is unknown to most people, but we can begin our exploration with these surprising tales, engagingly told by Stefano Mancuso. Generation after generation, using spores, seeds, or any other means available, plants move in the world to conquer new spaces. They release huge quanti ..read more

Summary:  What are you looking for?  So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.  A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother tries to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant years to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose. In Komachi's unique book recommendations they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams.&nbs ..read more

Summary: In this beautifully illustrated book, real-life Boss Beauties -- spanning professional athletes, actors, designers, CEOs, and more -- share their wisdom, savvy, grit, inspiration, and pluck for finding motivation, facing challenges, embracing change, and making dreams come true. The colorful and stylish portraits celebrate diverse women with defining attributes like self-love, courage, clarity, grace, kindness, and passion.  Draw on this collection of advice and artwork for inspiration to find your own superpowers, create your personal path, and be your own Boss Beauty: fierce ..read more

Summary: Seven strangers. One mission. Infinite Horror. A man awakens on a boat at sea with no memory of who or where he is. He's not alone -- there are six others, each with a unique set of skills. None of them can remember their names. Each of them possesses a gun. When a message appears on the onboard computer -- "Proceeding to Point A" -- the group agrees to work together to survive whatever is coming.  But as the boat moves through the mist-shrouded waters, divisions begin to form. Who is directing them and to what purpose? Why can't they remember anything? And what are the scre ..read more

Summary: During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale. January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense ..read more

shine your icy crown is the second volume of poetry in the you are your own fairytale series. our review of the first book break your glass slippers can be read here. our review of lovelace's 'women are some kind of magic' poetry trilogy can be read here. summary: “make them rue the day they underestimated you.” amanda lovelace, the bestselling & award-winning author of the “women are some kind of magic” poetry series, presents shine your icy crown, the second installment in her new feminist poetry series, “you are your own fairy tale.” this is a story about not letting ..read more

The Hemlock Queen is the second book in the Nightshade Crown series by Hannah Whitten.  Our review of the first book, The Foxglove King, can be read here. Summary: The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right-hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the royal court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kirythean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince ..read more