Category: Book Critic

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth

It’s been a hot minute since I read anything by Kate Forsyth. Generally she writes more fantasy and fairytale retellings but this book is firmly in the historical fiction genre. So needless to say when it came up for review, I was intrigued because it was different than what Forsyth typically writes and she is such a wonderful writer that I knew this one would be on par with her other books!

Obviously it was an easy ‘yes’ to review but beyond just the author and genre of the book I didn’t know too much going in. I mean of course I get an officially summary of the books I review but sometimes I just say yes based on the author or cover before I really read the summary. When I sat down to start reading this one I was more or less blind. I knew it was a historical fiction piece and based on the cover I was guessing WWII (which I was correct) but beyond that I didn’t know much else.

But instantly I knew this was going to be different than the traditional WWII novel. The setting really distinguishes itself from traditional WWII books set in London, Paris, or even Germany. This book is set on the isle of Crete which instantly made me want to know more. I can’t recall a single historical fiction novel set on this small isle and it really made the novel for me!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

I love beach reads season! I love the carefree, relaxed, fluffy appraoch to beach reading every year and as the summer approaches I usually have a list of books that I can’t wait to read on vacation over the summer. This book was right up there for me. It sounded like a blend of The Parent Trap and an HGTV show that I could absolutely get behind. Plus a friend of mine recently went to Destin, Florida and the photos looked amazing so I could completely visualize what this beach house might look like!

But as I got into this one I found that it was NOT in fact a fluffy easy read that I had been expecting. This one had some teeth and substance with some heavier content that I wasn’t exactly expecting. That’s not to say that it wasn’t good because it absolutely was! But I felt like the cover was a little misleading in some ways. The summary clearly promised some family drama and sibling/friendship stuggles but it also promised creative rennovations and romance so when I picked it up I thought it would be a little heavier on those topics but it was actually more focused on the sisters and their relationship.

This was a book that grew on me and took my by surprise. When I realized that it was more emotionally intense that I was expecting, I almost just wanted to pass on it because I was in the mood for easy fluff, but then this one just took hold of me in a surprising way and I was reluctant to put it down and I am glad that I didn’t because it was absolutely wonderful! If you are looking for a beach read that has some teeth this is the book for you, plus it really is a little Parent Trap mixed with an HGTV show but with so much more to recommend itself in the process!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair by June Gervais

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair by June Gervais

This book appealed to me for one big reason—the main character wanted to be a tattoo artist! I loved that plot point and I was eager to read it simply for that! I have two full tattoo sleeves and tattoo culture has changed SO MUCH since I got my first tattoo. When I was 18 (1999 ish) I was sure no one would hire me with a visible tattoo so I got a tiny one on my shoulder, flash forward 20 years and here I am with a professional job and full sleeve tattoos and PLENTY of other visible ones too.

I love tattoos and the tattoo culture and I thought it would be so exciting to have a book written about a character who wants to be a tattoo artist—especially a female tattoo artist! Plus the book is set in the 1980s which would no doubt be a difficult time for a female tattoo artist to enter the field. I was so excited to see how the story would unfold and what fun bits of counter culture would be included in it!

I also loved that this book featured an LGBTQ plot. I know this isn’t for everyone but I thought it would be fun to read an LGBTQ book for Pride month even if I am straight etc I love broadening my horizons and reading tastes and trying something new and modern! I personally felt like this book was more coming of age story than LGBTQ romance centered but it did have a bit of both but I felt the coming of age part was the solid focus of the story over all. If you love coming of age stories and want something a little different I think this would be a wonderful reading option for you!

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Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

This book has me written all over it! The cover, the title, the summary! I couldn’t wait to check this one out and start reading it! I loved that it was set in post WWI England, though to be honest I missed in the summery that it was set in 1923 when I read it. I spent the first 10-20 pages of the book trying to figure out of it was the Victorian era or post WWI!

At any rate, the setting was great and it had a very ‘adventurer,. explorer, intellectual’ vibe from the very first page and I was eager to see how the story panned out. If you enjoy books with a fiesta female sleuth then you will find a lot to love in Saffron Everleigh! Saffron was fun, relatable, and intelligent and I really liked getting to know her throughout the book.

This is author Kate Khavari’s second book and even though I haven’t read the anything else by her, I would be happy to read another historical fiction by her as this was enjoyable and generally good. If you enjoy a ‘whodunnit’ with intelligent characters and a lovely setting then you don’t want to miss this one! Plus look at that cover y’all! It’s so pretty!

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Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

I had this book sitting on my TBR shelf forever. While I was on vacation I knew I wanted to read a fast paced thriller/murder mystery but I didn’t really have any idea what I wanted to read or what might fit the bill. But this one kept coming up on my recommended lists in Goodreads and on Audible. Finally I gave in and picked it up on the plane ride down to Salt Lake City.

This book was an absolute perfect fit for me. It was fast paced with short chapters that advanced the plot nicely. I loved the characters and the mystery so overall it was a solid read and a good choice for a vacation read for those that prefer murder over beach reads while on vacation. Author Alex Finlay is a seasoned writer with quite a few well received thrillers under his belt and while this is my first book by him, it will NOT be my last!

I think the biggest thing that appealed to me about this book was the nostalgia factor (the original murders are set in 1999 in a video store) mixed with the now modern day copy cat murder. I knew this would be a book that I could get into quick but also set down if I needed to for something and come back to without feeling lost and that’s exactly what I got. A well written thriller that held my attention but that I could get through quickly.

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