Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

What an odd book. The beginning and some of the writing of this debut had promise. I went in open minded that it would be a satire and that I would not like any of the characters. I’ve read enough litfic. Even though the book was propulsive and a relatively quick read, the execution of the story and characters were lacking. It dragged at times. Natalie’s unlikeability and unreliability as a narrator were excessive. The reader does not like the character but the author disliked the character even more. While it started as a satire, the novel’s twist and second half devolved into a bizarre portrayal of a woman with psychological problems. I had a lot of questions about the plausibility of the twist. Caleb was a stereotype / archetype at first but became a plot tool for the author to push the narrative along. I was underwhelmed.

June 2-4, 2026. Partially on Kobo Clara BW.

L’amour fleurit ici by Amy Adele

French picture book which was really basic and very much meant for toddlers. Still cute artwork.

July 5, 2026.