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Reading adventures, Pt. 10: Lemons + learning on the Amalfi Coast
After bidding goodbye to the City of Flowers, we met some friends for a lovely week on the Amalfi Coast – known for lemons, linens, and beautiful ceramic tiles. The sheer cliffs and clear blue waters were a welcome respite from the inland heat. And I was looking forward to a week of lazing around…
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Reading (mini)-adventure: Revolutionary History by the Sausalito shore
We interrupt your regularly scheduled travel/reading posts to bring you a staycation-themed travel post. Despite just returning from two weeks in Italy, we decided to up our Independence Day ante by visiting Sausalito’s celebration. Hoping for actually visible fireworks and a small-town atmosphere, we trekked across the Golden Gate for a two-day getaway by the…
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Reading adventures, Pt. 8: Architectural awe in the City of Flowers
From Rome, we took a quick train ride to Firenze / Florence. Fresh off the Roman nonfiction success, I was excited to repeat the approach and see how I felt. And for Florence, that meant reading about the Renaissance. As I would soon discover, the city center preserves that era, eschewing the more layered approach…
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Reading adventures, Pt. 7: Murder and marvels in Ancient Rome
It is once again time for this blog to move from strictly reading-focused to a combination of travelogue with literary musings sprinkled in. Last year, we explored Spain and Nice; this year, I’ve gone further east to Italy. Specifically, I’ve spent the last two weeks roaming Rome / Lazio, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast. There’s…
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Fantasy politics with a mystery twist in A Drop of Corruption
Robert Jackson Bennett is back! And he’s advancing the stories of Ana and Din, an imperial investigator and her assistant. Regular readers know how much I adore RBJ, and I’ve been extremely excited for this next release. A Drop of Corruption rejoins Ana and Din months after the events of The Tainted Cup. They’ve been…
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March 2025 Roundup: a packed month ahead of a promising April
The sun finally came back out to play this month in the Bay. Of course, this meant lots of lovely reading picnics or afternoons with the Kindle on our sunny rooftop. Spring has sprung – and so, apparently, has my reading pace. 52 Book Club: A series of beneficial binges I managed to read 13…
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The Ragpicker King: Layering tropes to create tension
I was an avid reader of YA fantasy back in the late aughts. Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, everything Tamora Piece penned – you name it, and I’d at least skimmed the first chapter. And yet, I could somehow never get into Cassandra Clare. I was firmly in the high fantasy camp, and her more…
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Warm, healing, rebellious, comforting: The flavors and facets of fantasy tea
Perhaps the most consistent part of my reading experiences over the years has been my beverage of choice. Whether I’m reading mystery, fantasy, or epistolary, I’m always accompanied by a steaming hot mug of tea. (In summer – or in the Bay Area “summer”, aka late September, you may catch me with an iced version.)…
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February 2025 roundup: a mystery here, some history there
Somehow, February is already over. I’m not sure how we got through two months of the year so quickly! This month has been a busy one, both at home and at work. But, I still got some reading in, most of it accretive to my 52 Book Club goals. Plus, I finally caved and got…
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Funny, thoughtful fantasy in Tress of the Emerald Sea
Sometimes, you read a book you love so much it takes you a couple of weeks to process it. I’ll confess – I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up Brandon Sanderson’s Tress of the Emerald Sea. I know Sanderson has a big fan following, and some of my closest friends love his work. But…