The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

I started this before a very hectic week and did not really read have time to read most of it. Once I got into it, I gobbled it up. I knew I would like it from the start. I ended up loving it because it hit my particular wheelhouses of found family, immigrant story, and lonely daughter. All things which resonated deeply with me. It’s very similar to Legends & Lattes with the found family crew, adventuring, and baking.

June 29-July 8, 2025. Read a bit on Kobo Libra 2.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu with Phillipa Soo (Narrator)

Continuing on with the romance on audiobooks. This was a Canadian romance novel set in Toronto and featured a half-Chinese protagonist. The writing in it is not bad per se. Gracie was likeable and relatable. The way it dealt with caretaking for a parent with dementia, anxiety, and depression seemed good. The sexual harassment storyline was a bit over the top and the end of it was predictable. I did not like that it had a misunderstanding trope in the last third which results in the usual third act breakup. Boring romance tropes. There was another soap opera element as well which I was fine with but not the bad romance tropes. The best thing was listening to Phillipa Son’s narration. I would have been bored without it and she made the characters. I am almost tempted to listen to more books by this author since Soo is the narrator, but I doubt I will find the writing better. Most of these modern contemporary romance novels are not for me.

1.75-2.5x. July 6-8, 2025.

Sheets by Brenna Thummler

This is a popular graphic novel which I have been meaning to read for years. Maybe it was my fatigue or recent stress, but I only thought this was okay. The mood was more somber than I imagined. The teenage protagonist Marjorie was grieving from the sudden death of her mother, dealing with her depressed father, being bullied at school, and working their family business while being harassed by a charlatan. While there is a lighthearted tone with Wendell and the ghosts, the human dynamics were a bit depressing until the very end. It gets wrapped up too neatly and quickly. The art was nice. I do not think I will pick up the rest in the series.

July 10, 2025.

Mirror Lake by Juneau Black, Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

Revisiting this cozy fantasy mystery series during this busy summer. The mysteries are really easy to solve including their twists and the vibe is cozy. It’s easy going. Vera was still too risky but not stupid. Narrator did a good job as before.

1.5x. July 9-12, 2025.