My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere by Susan Orlean, Susan Orlean (Narrator), Karen White (Narrator)

This audiobook included essays narrated by the author and Karen White. At least three of the essays were ones I had already listened to in a previous Orlean anthology (the animal one). On the whole, I liked this collection better than The Orchid Thief but less the animal one and the Library Book. I still like Orlean’s writing and wanted to listen to this before reading her latest Joyride.

March 14-20, 2026.

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

As a big fan of the Emily Wilde series, I was looking forward to the author’s newest novel. This fantasy set in an alternate 1920s Montreal did have some cozy vibes. There were cats, magic, and baked goods. This novel felt heavily inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle (so was Wendell in Emily Wilde). I liked the world building as I like Montreal. It was cozy. I felt indifferent to the romance. I did not find myself interested in Havelock as a male lead. Read it more for the vibes.

March 15-20, 2026.

Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

What do I feel like I read Real Person Fiction (RPF)? Overall, this was fun with some caveats. It had some good moments mainly the premise, the time travelling characters (Graham, Maggie, Arthur), and funny dialogue. I think the book was held back by the intrigue plot in the last third and the narrator. Graham was a bit too perfect like Jamie from Outlander but this was silly RPF so why not. On the other hand, the nameless narrator was a too passive and even a tad dull in that I did not really feel I knew them. It was made worse by the fact that she was not named. This was gimmicky and made me even less interested in her. This made the romance unsatisfactory and unearned. I liked little bits and did not even mind the twist so no regrets really.

March 21-22, 2026.

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton by Gabrielle Hamilton (Narrator)

DNF. This was recommended on Goodreads as a food memoir. I have been missing some good food writing and thought this 2001 memoir would fill the void. I listened to 25% which covered the author’s upbringing and family. There was not enough food and I found the pace rather slow so I gave up.

March 21-23, 2026.