Category: Reading

Books, Reading

Special Feature: You Grow, Gurl: A Lush Guide to Plant Parenthood by Christopher Griffin

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: You Grow, Gurl: A Lush Guide to Plant Parenthood by Christopher Griffin

Growing up, my parents owned a feed and seed store along with a nursery. Both of my parents and grandparents loved yard work and gardening. As a result, naturally I grew up hating gardening. I love how pretty flowers are and in the last few years I have grown a veggie garden from seed with my son. I have grown to enjoy gardening to some degree or another but I have yet to master the art of house plants.

I literally murder every single house plant I have ever owned including cactus! However I am envious of those that are successful at house plants. In recent years there have been three new house plant speciality boutiques open here in my hometown! And my hometown is NOT a mecca like LA or NYC. But houseplants seem to be a pretty big deal right now. I have also seen a few articles about how house plants are big for people with anxiety or just looking for self care. There has never been a time when self care has become so important as during this pandemic. So when I saw this book come up for review I was intrigued.

Not only does the author tick all the boxes for me when it comes to fun and memorable, but the book itself sounds so interesting and user friendly. This is normally not the sort of book I would review or feature since I read mostly fiction books like murder and romance. I don’t normally feature a lot of non-fiction books but this one just stood out above all the others. If you are looking to up your houseplant game and are looking for a fresh voice who will get you excited and eager to grab some houseplants for yourself, then look no further than Christopher Griffin the PLANT KWEEN!

Continue reading “Special Feature: You Grow, Gurl: A Lush Guide to Plant Parenthood by Christopher Griffin” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Under Lock and Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1) by Gigi Pandian

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Under Lock and Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1) by Gigi Pandian

I am usually up for a new cozy mystery series. I always find cozy mysteries relaxing and satisfying, they typically have charming main characters and mysteries that aren’t overly complicated or too dark so they make for nice relaxing reading for me. When I saw this one come across my desk for review I was super excited because it was a new book in a mystery series, and it had a bit of a Gothic twist.

Not to mention it boasted a classic locked room mystery—-so think Murder on the Orient Express or And Then There Were None. Mysteries that on the surface appear simple and at the same time impossible but then quickly start to become more complicated as the story goes on. I love classic mysteries like this. They feel familiar and comforting so I was eager to get my hands on this one.

The thing that stood out when this one came across my desk beyond the classic style mystery was that the author was taking a classic and making it her own by adding an Indian culture element and making secret bookcase hideaways for adults—-can I just say I need one of these—and a little bit of magic. This one was a surprise and even if it was a bit repetitive it was a great start to a new series and I really enjoyed reading it!

Continue reading “Review: Under Lock and Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1) by Gigi Pandian” →
Books, Reading

Special Feature/Excerpt: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature/Excerpt: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

The second I saw this blue green water, I knew I needed this book in my beach bag! It’s that time of year when it’s cold and rainy still in the Pac NW and I find myself longing for some where warm and sunny with white sandy beaches. My husband and I traveled to Aruba during spring break a few years ago when it was pouring rain here in Oregon and we spent a week in paradise. When we came back I had never been so depressed! After that I decided to stick with reading about warm sunny places during the long cold wet months of February and March in stead of traveling there!

Every spring I start getting excited for all the beach reads. I love to vacation to these places from my armchair and dream about the warm days ahead. Susan Mallery’s books has been a longstanding staple in my beach bag. She has a wronger story telling style and always seems to craft interesting reads with fun main characters and romances. This book takes us to sunny California and we are treated to some romance and a story with heart. I am reading this one now and I cannot wait to share it with you guys soon! It’s a great read so far and if you love contempo romances with realistic characters this is the book for you!

Today though I have an excerpt for you guys and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and that it entices you to check the whole book out! If you love Susan Mallery, then not doubt this will be on your radar. If you are new to her books, this is a great place to start. She is one of the big queens of beach reads and such a prolific writer. You will not be disappointed in any choice of books by her! Be watching for my review here soon!

Continue reading “Special Feature/Excerpt: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

It’s that time of year when we have had the ‘false spring’ week in Oregon and have then settled into 6 more weeks of winter. We had this absolutely beautiful week where it was sunny and 60-65 degrees—spring was in the air—until it wasn’t. Suddenly we were back to 40 degree temps with constant rain (like torrential down pour) and like many Oregonians we are all left longing for sunshine and warmer temps! So what is a surefire way to cure the longing in our hearts? A book set in a sunny location that offers a little bit of escapism and a whole lot of sunshine!

Enter this lovely new release from Susan Mallery! I love early spring releases. It’s when I am DYING to read them the absolute most because of the long rainy season here. I literally load up my iPad and TBR list with all the great new summer, beach-y reads in early February that carries me through to the end of April until spring actually arrives here!

Susan Mallery has been a favorite author of mine as she has written numerous series and books over the years and has a massive fan base! I have read a couple of her holiday themed books and have enjoyed them quite a bit so when this one came up for review, I couldn’t help but move it to the top of my beach reading TBR list for early spring!

Continue reading “Review: The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery” →
Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Lady Tempts an Heir (The Gilded Age Heiresses #3) by Harper St George

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Lady Tempts an Heir (The Gilded Age Heiresses #3) by Harper St George

I fell in love with Harper St George’s series the second I opened the first book! Not only are the covers stunning with gorgeous dresses but the stories are sensual, romantic, and all around great reads. I actually kind of thought that the series would end after the second book since it’s the Gilded Age Heiresses series and there were only two sisters, but I was thrilled to see this book was coming out even if this book featured the brother of the two previous heiresses.

I instantly jumped at the chance to review this one—in fact I had in on pre order for months as soon as I saw it coming out! Since St George is such a great writer I couldn’t pass it up! If you love Bridgerton and other historical romances, you cannot miss this series. It’s full of all the things that are beloved in historical romances, swoon worthy heroes, steamy romantic scenes, the glitz and glamour of the period—-I just love it! Just add it to your TBR already!

While this latest book is the third in a series, I don’t think you need to read the other books first to enjoy this one. I felt the same with the second book, I could easily have jumped in to that one without having read the first one and not been lost at all. But I will ask you this—why would you want to miss out on all the fun romance of the entire series? The answer is you don’t so not only read this book but read the series too!

Continue reading “Review: The Lady Tempts an Heir (The Gilded Age Heiresses #3) by Harper St George” →