It’s time for another week off from the blog! I always enjoy my blogging breaks, but I’m definitely going to enjoy this one even more. I’m exhausted and in desperate need of a break. Distance learning with a 6 year old is…well, distance learning with a 6 year old. The mornings are tough because I have to divide my attention between making sure he stays on task and keeping my toddler entertained and quiet. I’m worn out by noon, and blogging honestly doesn’t feel nearly as interesting as just curling up with a book. Speaking of books, I finally organized my reading and review schedule properly so I have time…
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The Difference Between DNF and Abandoned
I’ve written before about the difference between DNF’ing (Did Not Finish) and abandoning a book, but I’ve recently realized there’s a bit more to that and how I categorize books as being for the DNF pile or completely abandoned. Personally, I prefer to not do either, especially now that I’ve been accepting books to review and requesting them from publishers. Even if I struggle with it, the fact that I agreed and wanted to read it makes me feel like I should put in as much effort as I can humanly muster. Which is also why I don’t actually request or accept too many books, because some end up being a…
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How I…Am Working My Way Out of a Reading Slump (revisited)
Wow, I’ve been a book reviewer for more than 2 years now! It started with the split second decision to join Netgalley, and then it turned into creating a review request page, and now I’ve received more books than I care to count through Netgalley, from publicists, and from authors. I have so many I don’t even have time to read other books I’ve had on my shelves for a while. Guess I should schedule those in one day. Originally posted September 7, 2018 At the beginning of the year, I had a lofty goal of reading a book a week. I was doing quite well until mid-February when an…
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Cover Reveal: Murder at Mile Marker 18 by Denise Jaden
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to do it’s first ever cover reveal! When the author asked, I couldn’t resist, especially not for a cozy culinary mystery that comes with a grouchy cat (really, it’s everything I could ever ask for in a cozy mystery!). So, without further ado, I’m so honored to present the cover for Murder at Mile Marker 18 by Denise Jaden, out on October 21, 2020! About Murder at Mile Marker 18: Perfect for fans of Molly Fitz and Christy Barritt… An unlucky amateur sleuth, an adorable cop, and a cat with a hunch… If anyone had told Mallory Beck she would become Honeysuckle Grove’s next unschooled detective, she…
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Bookish Bakes: Ginger Cakes
The Angel of Bishopsgate by Eloise Reuben made it easy for me. Tessie, one of the main characters in this historical mystery, bakes ginger cakes as her way of earning money. Life is tough for her and her husband in 1840s London, but she loves baking and selling her ginger cakes. I was delighted that the book actually told me what goes into making them and a lot on how Tessie makes them. It was kind of fun to follow the process! First, though, I had a problem. I live in the States where I have never ever seen treacle. The cakes use treacle, butter, milk, and flour, which is…
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Bookish Bakes: Creme Brulee
Yesterday my review for the book that inspired my Bookish Bakes posts posted, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant. I love reading about food because it gives me so many ideas. In this book, chef Sophie has traveled from NYC where her dreams went up in flames back to her family’s chateau in France, which her grandmere Odette has transformed into two restaurants and a hotel. There, she rediscovers her love of food and finds a new purpose, all while making Odette’s favorite dessert, creme brulee. So, of course, I had to make creme brulee for this Bookish Bakes post. Never mind I’ve never eaten one, much…
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Just a Whole Lot of Self-Published Fantasy
So, I’ve been reading a lot about something called Self-Published Fantasy Month, which occurs in September. It’s all about reading self-published fantasy books during the month of September. I remember reading about it last year, but was too busy to fit it in. Since I love supporting self-published authors, I made a mental note to remember for this year. Of course, I forgot. Mental notes don’t work for me anymore, but I’m unwilling to give up the fact that my memory is pristine (it kind of resembled Swiss cheese right now, but I won’t admit it). Anyways, I have a set reading list based on when I have book review…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #12
Wow, the summer really flew by, didn’t it? In my last Digest, I mentioned my son had graduated from Kindergarten in June. Now he’s started First Grade. From home, because our school district is smart and decided for an online only start. But it leaves me with less time for my blog since school runs from 9-2:15 and I still have a toddler to take care of. And potty train. Yay. I often wonder these days how students will come out of this, especially as they get older. I wonder at how independent and resilient they might be, how creative and confident in their own abilities. With students on their…
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Book Blog Tour – Excerpt: When I Was You by Amber Garza
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to participate in the book blog tour for When I Was You by Amber Garza, a thriller about two different women who share a name. Title: When I Was You Author: Amber Garza Publisher: MIRA Books Publication date: August 24, 2020 Genre: Mystery and Thriller YOU meets FATAL ATTRACTION in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester’s growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name. It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s pediatrician to confirm her upcoming “well-baby” appointment. It’s a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so…
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Book Review: How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It by K. J. Parker
Title: How to Rule and Empire and Get Away With It Author: K. J. Parker Publisher: Orbit Publication date: August 18, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Notker is an actor, impressionist, and playwright. And a liar. This is his story of how he came to rule an empire and get away with it. With his nearly uncanny resemblance to the most popular guy in the besieged city, he finds himself playing the role of a lifetime, and somehow finding himself leading the entire city, almost all of whom don’t even know who, exactly, he is. All while things are falling out of the sky. And…I did it again. This is the sequel to a book that…
