Happy Quick Lit Day! We have so much to get into today! I had a really successful reading month, with several books I enjoyed and a couple that I genuinely loved. As I mentioned in last week’s Lately post, there were quite a few common themes in my Fiction reading; see if you can spot them in my reviews. Let’s get to ’em!
FICTION
The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden—Jules Costa grew up spending her summers on her family’s Italian olive farm, where she loved cooking alongside her beloved Nonna Bruna whose heirloom cookbook always held the perfect recipe for any situation. Jules hasn’t returned to Italy since her father’s tragic death, retreating instead to Seattle where she’s made a name for herself as a YouTube star known for recreating vintage recipes on her popular cooking show. But when Jules’ dreams of landing a TV deal begin to unravel, she has no other choice but to move forward with Plan B: complete her cookbook by the end of the summer with the hope that she can salvage her career.
In a surprising turn of events, Jules finds herself seeking culinary inspiration back in Italy, where she is amazed to discover the magical powers of her grandmother’s cookbook. . . if only Jules can figure out how to unlock its secrets. Meanwhile, Jules must do what she can to rescue her family’s floundering farm while also repairing her relationship with her estranged half-sister, discerning the reason for her grandmother’s sudden evasiveness, and attempting to ignore her reemerging feelings for the “boy next door” who was once her first love and also her first heartbreak.
There was a lot about this book that didn’t work for me: the backstory is complicated and meandering; there are MANY gaping plot-holes and timeline inconsistencies that drove me a little batty; the story drags in the middle; Jules—though not unlikable—is not a particularly inspiring or easy-to-root-for protagonist; and many of the surrounding characters are poorly drawn caricatures (the most baffling being Jules’ older sister Aurora who is an unapologetic depiction of Ballerina Farms).
Setting these issues aside, I actually did enjoy this one for its captivating sense of place (the Italian countryside will get me every time), tantalizing food descriptions, hopeful tone, and strong themes of family, courage, resilience, sacrifice, and second chances. I didn’t mind the cheesiness or predicability that are in full force here, and I loved the wholesome romance and touches of mystery, drama, and magical realism. While I think this one could have used a heavy edit, there’s no denying that Rachel Linden has mastered the recipe for a cozy story that is sprinkled with intrigue and brimming with heart. I’ll be adding her other books to my list of go-to reads when I’m in the need of a breezy story to sink into.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded to 4 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Kindle
This Book Made Me Think of You, by Libby Page—Besides her husband Joe, there is nothing that Matilda (“Tilly”) Nightingale loves more than books. But Tilly lost her taste for reading when Joe received his cancer diagnosis, and she hasn’t picked up a book since his death several months ago. That changes when she gets a phone call from Alife, a local bookseller, who lets Tilly know that she has a birthday gift waiting for her at his shop. When Tilly goes to pick up the present, Alife explains that the gift is from Joe, who thoughtfully selected twelve books—each accompanied by a handwritten letter—that Tilly will receive, one per month, over the next year.
Joe’s gift is just what Tilly needs to help get back on her feet and revive her love of reading, and over the next twelve months, the books become a template for how to move on. With Joe’s gentle, book-led guidance, Tilly learns to cook and gets back into running, visits bookshops in Paris and learns to make pasta in Italy, embarks on a wild camping adventure, and reevaluates her career. And her monthly visits to the bookshop pave the way for a budding relationship with Alife, a kindred spirit who offers the comfort and encouragement she craves as she continues to sort through her grief and learn how to move on.
I will cosign Patti Callahan Henry’s description of this heartfelt story: “A love letter to bookstores, to second chances, and to the way reading stitches us whole again.” The premise is charming and clever, and I enjoyed the episodic format, with booklists at the start of each monthly section that tie into the book Tilly will be receiving from Joe. I liked the light romance (even if some instances of failure-to-communicate drove me a little crazy), and while the exploration of grief felt a tad surface-y, I appreciated the chance to watch Tilly’s transformation over the course of the year and was intrigued by the ways that Joe’s book choices and letters helped her to heal as she navigated life as a widow.
This one has me brainstorming ways that I could spin this monthly book-gift idea for my own loved ones (though hopefully not from the grave!).
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
Dolly All the Time, by Annabel Monaghan—Dolly Brick has been taking care of other people her whole life, or at least since her mom ditched their family when Dolly was twelve, leaving Dolly to help her dad coparent her younger siblings while keeping his struggling fish shop afloat. Now, at 39, Dolly still knows she’s the best woman for every job and has proven herself infinitely capable of juggling her full-time work as a Kindergarten teacher plus multiple side hustles, along with her most important job of solo-parenting her 13-year-old son, Gus.
When Dolly’s childhood home nearly burns down, she and Gus move back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, to help her dad save the family home, care for her disabled brother, and put in hours at the fish shop. While making a seafood delivery to the Whitfield mansion, Dolly comes across Stewart Whitfield—dashing heir to the Whitfield legacy—with a flat tire. For his part, Stewart is suffering from a huge hit to both his ego and image after a very public breakup, and what begins with Dolly’s simple gesture of kindness leads to a proposition from Stewart: he will pay Dolly several thousand dollars (more than enough to replace her dad’s crumbling roof) if she will help him do some social damage control by posing as his girlfriend for the summer. It isn’t long before Dolly catches feelings, and what started with a handshake quickly evolves into something more.
This seems to be THE Romance of the summer, and I have to agree with all the Dolly enthusiasts: this is a good one! It’s a Cinderella story, with a pleasant mix of down-to-earth working class characters and swoon-worthy glimpses into the socialite life. Dolly is exactly the type of heroine I love to root for—strong, competent, heart of gold—and Stewart is the perfect leading man: a little bit prickly, but good-hearted and just the right amount of flawed. I enjoyed watching their character growth and the evolution of their relationship that somehow felt believable despite the preposterous setup. And as much as I loved Dolly and Stewart together, it’s Dolly’s relationships with her son, best friend, dad, and brother that truly stole my heart.
Monaghan’s writing is soothing in a way that I haven’t really found in other romance novels, with setups that are engaging without a lot of unnecessary drama or relational clichés. Even though I knew exactly where the story was headed, I had such a lovely time watching it all unfold, like sinking into a cozy bed that’s comfortable and relaxing and perfectly worn-in. The summery seaside setting was the love-worn quilt wrapped around this comfort-reading experience.
As a cautious romance reader, I’m always interested in spice level: there is lots of chemistry in this one, and a little more steam than I prefer, but the door to the bedroom scenes is cracked and not wide open, and I appreciated that the book focuses more on the emotional than the physical aspects Dolly and Stewart’s relationship. I am a completist of Monaghan’s adult novels, and while Summer Romance is still my favorite, this is a close second.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 4 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Kindle
The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, by Jennifer Moorman—Josephine Reynolds has spent the last fifteen years giving everything she had to her husband and his career. Now, at 35, she is widowed and mourning the loss of her husband along with every ounce of purpose or direction in her life. She wishes that she could disappear entirely, but on the advice from her sister Katherine, she purchases their ancestral home in the heart of Nashville and throws herself into restoring the house to its former glory—beginning by replacing the original door that was recovered from a salvage yard.
When Josephine steps through the newly installed door, she finds herself transported to 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother Alma, the owner of the home who is running an illegal speakeasy from the mansion’s basement. But it soon becomes apparent that Josephine’s time-traveling has somehow altered history: her own existence is vanishing, and she is suddenly in a race against the clock to save Alma’s life as well as her own.
I first heard about this from Meredith on Currently Reading, and the amazing premise had me racing to place my library hold—and thrilled when it finally came through. This one definitely delivers on vibes, and I loved the 1920s setting that led to a few fascinating Google deep-dives into fashion, cuisine, and lingo from the period. I was also drawn to Josephine’s sweet relationships with her sister and with Alma.
Unfortunately, I had quibbles with many aspects of the plot (uneven pacing, along with character decisions that made no sense to me) and the writing (the dialogue is painful to read at times, the character development is lacking, the romance feels contrived, and the historical portions were not as well researched as they might have been). And then there’s the time traveling: I am pretty obsessed with this trope, and am usually fine with the suspended disbelief required of the genre, but with this book there were too many discrepancies and caveats with the magical mechanisms that distracted from the story and kept me from truly buying into the fantasy elements.
Despite my many issues with the book, I can’t say that I regret reading it: while I doubt I’ll read more from this author, in The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, Moorman has delivered a quick and enjoyable read with plenty of fun themes and an ending that made me smile. This reads a lot like a Hallmark movie, and I think it would be great on screen.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded to 3 stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Kindle
Heather, by Caitlin Mullen— In 1994, in the woods of a small New Jersey town, Annabelle and Sabrina are identical twins left to navigate their teen years alone after being abandoned by their parents. The two have always clung to the safety of their relationship, but now Sabrina (the “rogue” twin) is caught up in a torrential affair with an older man, leaving Amanda (the conscientious sister) to wonder if their bond can ever be repaired.
Thirty years later, newly instated Police Chief Callie Hauser has recently returned to her home in the same haunted New Jersy town to care for her best friend, Jane, who was left paralyzed in a tragic accident. The transition has been a difficult one, both personally and professionally, and those two worlds collide when Callie is forced to bring her own mother in to the station for a DUI. The arrest unexpectedly resurrects a decades-old mystery involving the corpse of an unidentified baby, two missing girls, and layers of corruption and scandal.
This is a slow burn, and while the initial pages had me on the edge of my seat, it took a little time to adjust to the unusual narration and numerous characters; after a few chapters, though, I was totally captured and stayed that way until the final, BRILLIANT line. Heather is masterfully crafted with intricate layers of mystery, shocking revelations, complicated characters, a creative narrative structure, chilling setting, and poignant observations about legacy, knotty family ties, and the falsehoods—some intentional, others unwitting—we use to protect ourselves and others from the truth. Loaded with metaphor and artistry, Heather invites thoughtful reflection as it poses challenging questions about truth and justice, self-protection and vulnerability, and whether or not we can ever truly know the ones we claim to love. The tone is dark, almost oppressively so at times, but there are small glimmers of hope and redemption that keep the story from derailing into tragedy.
This has been compared to The God of the Woods, and it’s a fitting comp. I also got strong All the Colors of the Dark vibes: the stories are different, but the themes, tone, structure, and heavy atmosphere are an undeniable match. Like both of those read-alikes, Heather is gritty and heartbreaking but totally mesmerizing and, for this reader, utterly unforgettable. Expect to see this one on my end-of-year list of favorites.
My Rating: 5 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
NONFICTION
The Hidden Art of Homemaking, by Edith Schaeffer—I learned about this gem of a backlist title on the From the Front Porch podcast, when Annie named it as a personal favorite and one she would “recommend” to Meg March. The book immediately landed a spot on my TBR and I was tickled to find the audiobook on Hoopla. The book, written by the wife of evangelist Francis Schaeffer, is described as “a timeless guide to creating a beautiful home that inspires the imagination and nourishes the soul.” And while homemaking is featured in the title, this is much less about tending home than about finding creative fulfillment and cultivating goodness and beauty in everyday life.
Schaeffer begins with a reflection on the artistic nature of our Creator, the first artist, and goes on to explain the creativity within us, His image bearers. She shows how artistic expression is not reserved for vocational artists, examining the “hidden” creative forms that can be found in ordinary life. Subsequent chapters address many areas of life that welcome creative expression—music, interior decoration, cooking, writing, fashion, creative recreation, etc.—with ideas for infusing every facet of home life with artistry. Reading aloud becomes a form of dramatic expression; notes to children are an opportunity to practice creative writing; setting a table is a time for bringing beauty into the home (or the hotel room, thanks to Schaeffer’s suggestions for traveling with a linen tablecloth and candlesticks!). Home life is anything but dreary when we make the most of each opportunity to create and embrace artistry.
This book was such a delightful surprise. It echoes many of the themes I’ve explored through other books lately on creativity and home life and Biblical womanhood, bringing them together in ways that would never have occurred to me but that feel totally doable in my current life stage as a full-time mom and homemaker. The book was published in 1971, and some of the terms and suggestions are dated: I cringed at the section about providing food to the neighborhood “tramps”, chuckled at Schaeffer’s chagrin over declining home life and modern prevalence of packaged foods [if she only knew what was to come. . . ], and was a little baffled by her emphasis on the importance of writing letters to your children when they are away at boarding school (was boarding school mainstream in her time?). But the older reference points brought a vintage feel that I appreciated in my ongoing quest to incorporate time-tested values and homemaking arts into my home.
I love Schaeffer’s ideas for bringing elegance into the home, but even more than the specifics themselves, I love her premise that creativity and beauty matter, even when our efforts are only ever appreciated by our immediate family members—something I need to be reminded of in this era when we share so much of our lives online. The creativity described within these pages is not performative and is done out of genuine desire to honor the Lord and exercise the gifts He has given us.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is seeking deeper purpose and fulfillment in the midst of life’s ordinary moments. It is great for homemakers like myself, but this really is a book for anyone seeking timeless guidance for embracing their inner creativity.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Audiobook
Mothering Boys: 8 Things Your Son Needs from You before He Turns 10, by Molly DeFrank—Mothering boys has probably never been easy, but today’s moms face added challenges as we have been tasked with mothering boys who are surrounded by cultural messages that their gender is toxic, their biological makeup is innately harmful, and that the future is female. As moms, we want to see our boys thrive, but knowing how to raise Godly young men does not come easily. Enter Mothering Boys. In this helpful guide, Moly DeFrank (a mom to six children including three boys) teaches moms how we can be mission-minded in our parenthood by helping our boys achieve their eight critical needs of growing up that—due to cultural changes—most boys aren’t getting: Belonging, Relationship, Authority, Fun, Bravery, Tenderness, Creativity, and Emotional Durability. DeFrank explains the importance of each need, sheds insight on why today’s boys are particularly lacking in these areas, and offers practical and Biblical suggestions for building up our boys.
I found this book insightful, entertaining, and highly actionable: I love that the suggestions are simple twists on things most moms are already doing, bringing intentionality to our current practices rather than piling lots of effortful tasks onto our already-full parenting plates. We are given plenty of discussion starters and helpful reframes, and each section includes funny and relatable anecdotes and stories that remind us of the humor and fulfillment that come with raising young men of God. I appreciate the mix of personal stories, Biblical and historical examples, and science-backed research.
I will definitely be incorporating these ideas and mindsets into my days with my three boys! Particularly helpful were the sections on noticing and building on boys’ unique strengths; the chapter on increasing opportunities for eye contact with our boys (something I hadn’t really thought about!); the tips for helping boys develop confidence while maintaining humility; and the ideas for preserving a strong sense of authority. And more than the specific strategies, I was grateful for the reminders that my mothering voice matters for my boys and that my parenting can help to counteract some of the damaging messages that culture is sending my boys’ way.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook (I wouldn’t recommend the audio; I wish I had this in print so I could better take in the information, and the narrator [not the author] was overly formal and not easy to listen to.)
The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness, by Arthur C. Brooks—Social Scientist Arthur C. Brooks is an expert on happiness, and his current research shows that society is undergoing an unhappiness explosion. Since happiness is defined as Enjoyment + Satisfaction + Meaning—and there is zero evidence indicating that enjoyment and satisfaction have declined at all—Brooks has diagnosed the problem as a collapse in meaning. That’s not surprising: with the rapid cultural, economic, and technological changes that are occurring today, many people are finding it harder than ever to identify and pursue their life’s purpose. And this lack of meaning isn’t just making people unhappy, it’s also leading to declines in active engagement with life and reduced abilities to cope with suffering. But, Brooks promises, even if your life does not currently have meaning, you CAN find it.
In this book, Brooks invites readers to explore the parts of our brains and our lives that have been ignored. He helps us to understand what we are seeking, provides an easy way of understanding whether or not we are really looking (which serves as a jumpstart to our journey), shows how the simulation of life that many are living via our screens is jeopardizing our quest, and then discusses specific fixes that involve finding love, cutting screen addiction, identifying a calling, pursuing beauty, and more. Each section includes scientific studies, personal stories, historical anecdotes, and thoughtful insights that compassionately guide hurt and searching readers to the answers they desparately desire.
I picked up this audiobook because I’m a fan of Arthur Brooks and have enjoyed his previous work. Shortly into this one I realized I was not the target audience: I am NOT in search of meaning for my life, because my faith in God offers a true sense of identity and purpose. I see my life as a gift from God, and the purpose of this life is to serve and glorify Him. I continued listening because I could appreciate the book’s scientific explanations and social commentary, and I see how Brooks’ meaning-seeking suggestions could be genuinely life-changing for some readers. I would argue, though, that unless these readers come to a true faith in Jesus Christ, this quest will ultimately be futile. Brooks, too, is a Christian, and I wish that his faith figured more prominently in the guidance he provides in this book.
Even though this was not necessarily a book that I needed based on the premise, the brain science and philosophy tapped into my own fascination with these big-picture sorts of ideas. And there were some helpful strategies (like increasing my tolerance for boredom, investing in purposeful leisure time, learning from failure, and focusing on how I can be of benefit to others) for enhancing my sense of meaning and thinking more cohesively and intentionally about how to live my God-given purposes more fully.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
A Year with the New Testament, Volume 1, by Dr. Dave Dorst—After several years of reading through the whole Bible in twelve months, I’m focusing on just the New Testament this year, with this devotional as a guide. This first volume (for months January through June) covers the Gospels, Acts, and the book of Romans. Each daily devotional begins with a themed prayer and verse-by-verse observations on that day’s reading passage, followed by application points, a suggested verse to memorize, and ideas for how the day’s reading fits with the ACTS model of prayer.
This has been a really great guide for my daily Bible readings. Dorst draws from a number of commentaries and perspectives while also providing his own insights, offering plenty of commentary while still allowing the Biblical text to take center stage. I’ve enjoyed the format and especially the structuring of the Gospel devotionals (with Gospel passages that cover the same stories grouped together), and I have had many valuable takeaways in my understanding of God’s Word.
Dorst is a Presbytarian pastor, and the Calvinist viewpoint is pretty heavy-handed (something that I’ve struggled with as someone who holds more of an Armenian perspective), but the positives outweigh the downsides with this devotional, and I have happily jumped into Volume 2 for the second half of this calendar year.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Kindle
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What’s been on your bookshelf lately?
