Books/Reading
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February was a good reading month, thanks to some vacation days/travel days. Here are my mini reviews for the titles I read. Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine: This is a duology by one of my favorite authors, T. Kingfisher. Classic epic adventure tale with a band of misfits done with Kingfisher’s signature down-to-earth and slightly snarky/ironic…
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I finished 4 books in January. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. A chonk of a book but my favorite book of January. A deep dive into Franklin’s amazing life, filled with tons of primary source information, and building an in-depth portrait of this complex man. Franklin was truly a member of the…
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I was intrigued by the bingo board Nic of Dragon Rambles put together for 2026 and I’ve decided to join in for that in 2026. Here’s my board for reference. I made a few changes to this from the original that was posted, but kept most of them pretty close (with a few personal challenges…
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Although I have had many enjoyable good reads this year, I haven’t had many 5-star ones, so when I was plotting out my nonfiction November titles, I grabbed The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane to add to my TBR, and it did not disappoint. MacFarlane has an amazing knack for writing accessible but lyrical prose,…
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Thank you to MacMillan Publishers and NetGalley for my advance reader’s copy. All opinions contained herein are my own. In 1780, the triangle/slave trade between the coast of Africa, the US and Caribbean, and England was well-established. Britain maintained a number of forts or at least fortified locations along the western African coast where their…
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Trying to keep myself accountable to my Year of Projects 2025-2026 list and my HRCYED 2.0 reading list, here’s what I worked on, finished or read this quarter (July-September 2025). You can see my Year of Projects plans overview here. Knitting/Crocheting: I have completed the Asterie Sweater and the Sailing School Socks off the original…
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“They say that when I was born, all the wild geese flew down from the sky, and the fish sank beneath the waves, having forgotten how to swim. Even the lotus flowers in out gardens quivered and turned their heads away, so ashamed they were of their own diminished allure in my presence.” I thoroughly…
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The stories that are familiar will always be our favorites. This was another HRCYED challenge pick for me as it was a 2025 Booktube award winner (top 3). I will be honest and say I probably would not have picked this title up without the nudge of the challenge but I’m so glad I did!…
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From the founding director of the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum comes an unforgettable narrative of medicine, courage, and innovation that speaks to both history enthusiasts and medical professionals. This definitive account shows how the medical crisis at Gettysburg continues to influence how we treat mass casualties and train combat medics today. This book, which focuses…
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A home is never finished, it’s only saved from decay. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who live with shame, and those who die from it. It’s 1915 and Adelaide Henry has decided to leave her parents’ farm in southern California and head north, to claim a homestead of 100 acres,…
The Emporium of Forgotten Threads 