Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was cute. While TJR’s writing and characters don’t always knock my socks off, I really appreciated how she weaved characters and plots in a slightly different way. Her endings have not been sickly sweet even if they are happy. While there wasn’t a love triangle per se, the two love interests in this book are believable and equally good. I really appreciated that.

3.75/5 stars. Dec 10-11, 2023. Kindle.

Dubliners by James Joyce

Like all short story collections, there were some stories better than the others. First off, Joyce was a really good writer. Joyce had a way of describing people and feelings very well. He was a wordsmith. This was more of a language book. I didn’t like most of the characters. A lot of them are feckless alcoholics or creeps. Some of the female characters were fine but they were sad due to the theme of stagnation that Joyce carried through most of the stories. I found it slow to read. I do think the last novella story ended on a good note and pushed my rating back up. I think I will read Ulysses one day, but not Finnegan’s Wake ever. I am not in a rush to read Joyce again soon.

3.5/5 stars. Dec 11-13, 2023. Kindle.

Shady Hollow by Juneau Clay

I needed to go back to something cozier and more whimsical after the Dubliners. This was a sweet low stakes cozy fantasy mystery novel where all the cast are woodland creatues. It was like a gentle balm and I look forward to reading more from the series.

3.75/5 stars. Dec 13-15, 2023. Kindle.