5 Stars. What a lovely book! It’s a realistic story but the illustrator captured the girl’s excitement in touches of whimsy throughout. The soft focus of the artwork gives the book the feel of a dream, even while the girl/woman is working hard to do real things. One spread near the end gives me goosebumps. I especially love [...] The post Hello, Star by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

4 Stars. There’s not really much I can say about this without giving anything way. The tension relentlessly builds all the way through to an amazing ending that left me flipping back through the pages [...] The post The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

4 Stars. I read quite a few books by Rosamunde Pilcher when I was in my late teens and twenties but I haven't read much of her work since then. But somehow I stumbled on this title when I was looking for Christmas-y books that weren't too sentimental. That's just not my taste. But Rosamunde Pilcher seemed like a safe bet. And [...] The post Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

3 Stars. I am a surprisingly big fan of Ms. Willig's Pink Carnation series for someone who doesn't consider herself a fan of romances. But the witty banter, intrigue, and Napoleonic settings sucked me right in. I inhaled that entire 12-book series and wished for more. The author's newer books look more serious to me so I've [...] The post The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

4 Stars. I don’t read a lot of contemporary young adult fiction because I don’t have a lot of patience for the drama. Lila starts off with plenty of drama. She came across to me as pretty self-absorbed. But she grows. She starts to see that yes, she’s had a spring of heartbreak by anyone’s standards. But it could be worse. She [...] The post A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

3 Stars. So, I have a problem with these “Girl” or “Woman” books that have been everywhere the past several years. Do we have a genre name for them yet? You know the ones. Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and on and on and on. I just can’t get into them. I loathe the characters. That’s exactly the point, but when I don’t like [...] The post The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

5 Stars. In my zeal to read a new book by Sarah Addison Allen, I found that I had inhaled this book in two sittings. Oops. No savoring the prose here. But a friend had sent me an ARC so I feel the need to write a more reasoned review and I wanted another chance to take my time with the book anyway. So I’ve read this twice within [...] The post Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

4 Stars. I usually like to read "fluffy" books when the weather is warm but somehow I've been reading some pretty heavy titles lately. I asked for recommendations and Shelleyrae at Book'd Out suggested Book Lovers. It was just what I needed. I'm not a huge romance reader, but I do enjoy the occasional romantic comedy and this [...] The post Book Lovers by Emily Henry: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more

5 Stars. Holy cow. Can I give this book all the stars? Because five doesn't seem like enough. Written by a Black author and a White author, All American Boys covers all the nuances of a scene that's shamefully familiar to the American public--a policeman beating and/or killing a Black man. Rashad shows signs of PTSD. His older [...] The post All American Boys by Jason Reynolds: Book Review is copyright © 2021 by Jen G at Introverted Reader ..read more