From The Seattle Times May 20, 2025 Bethany Jean Clement, Seattle Times food writer Partway through the first page of Moira Macdonald’s debut novel “Storybook Ending,” I started crying. Not with sorrow — the novel starts with the most intriguing two sentences, then takes us directly into the luminous, cinematic mind of one of the …
Antiquarian bookseller and author of the nonfiction book Once Upon a Tome, Oliver Darkshire (if that’s not his real name, props to him for coming up with the best pseudonym of all time for an antiquarian bookseller and fantasy author) has written a cozy fantasy about a bored housewife who comes across a book of magic …
Gabe, Sal, Heath, and Reese have been inseparable gay best friends for years, but this summer they’re all flying solo on their own trips of self-discovery in academics, careers, and relationships. Driven, clever, and sweet, these perfectly imperfect golden boys were such a joy to journey with, and I’m already eagerly awaiting to see what’s …
This love story is an endearing mix of a daydream and a fever dream. Written in the 1970s, it takes place in New York and centers around two best friends (and third cousins!) and the two incredible women they fall in love with. It’s smart, funny, satisfying, and often completely silly. One of our most …
Emily Henry book hangover? Look no further for the balm to soothe you. Meet Chani, a young journalist getting the chance to interview Hollywood heartthrob, Gabe Parker. Flashing back 10 years to the steamy night of the “interview,” to the now, a trip to his apartment in Montana. This one is full of witty banter, …
In these days of trying times, political unrest, uncertainty on many fronts, it’s good to just take a step back and find some joy somewhere, anywhere. Reading Abbi Waxman’s novel is a good start. From the first page to the last, this is a book that will keep the reader giggling, chuckling, and even laughing …
What a treat to have not just one fun book, but a whole trilogy to dive into this summer! I am so happy that I finally got around to reading the first of this sassy, compulsive series set in modern Singapore. The “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” elements combine with skewering social commentary and …
This is a quirky story in which two people with no apparent connection are offered a huge sum of money by an unknown benefactor to spend two hours together each week for a year. The characters are interesting and the slow revelation of the identity of their benefactor and why they were chosen keeps the …
This is a refreshingly charming story of the steadfast, predictable journalist Vatanen who has a run-in with a hare—bunny, that is. After his car veers off the road, Vatanen goes into the surrounding woods in search of the culprit. He finds the hare, picks it up gently, and puts it into his jacket pocket. He …
This can be a dangerous book to read with someone else in the room because you will be laughing out loud so often that the other person will think that you’re crazy. Told entirely through referral letters, it is good-heartedly funny but never cruel. It points out absurdities of academia, bemoaning changes in technology and …
