The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

July 22, 2025

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

After using an illegal spell to create a sentient spider plant, librarian Terlu Pena was punished by being turned into a wooden statue, on display in the magical library as a warning to the rest of the staff not to dabble in the spells that they curated. But she hadn't meant any harm - she was just lonely. Nevertheless, the magic court decided to make an example of her. She stood on a pedestal in the library, frozen in place until one day, she wakes up to find herself in a winter forest on an island with no idea how she got there. Not only that, there is an enchanted greenhouse that is slowly dying, and a handsome gardener who expects Terlu to fix the greenhouse.

Charming cozy fantasy, not exactly a sequel to The Spellshop, more like a companion piece that provides the backstory of the librarian who made Caz the sentient spider plant. Terlu was the only character in the first book whose story was not resolved, so I'm glad the author decided to focus on her in this book. The greenhouses are marvelous creations, as are the green winged cat and the tiny dragons that act as pollinators. Themes are loneliness, forgiveness, and healing. The author has planned two or three more books set in this world. Another beautiful cover, too.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A magical greenhouse

Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis

July 12, 2025

Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis

Suffering from a rare autoimmune disease that will kill him within two years, Abe Jacobs returns to his family home on the reservation where he grew up. Abe dreamed of becoming a poet, but after his work was rejected by a number of publishers, he quit writing. He hasn't lived on the reservation since he left for college 25 years earlier, but now, desperate for a cure or at least something that will send the disease into remission, Abe agrees to allow his great uncle Budge to try to heal him, who teaches him that healing is not possible without hope and knowing yourself. 

There is a lot to unpack here. It's not a light read or a happy book, although many of the characters handle their situations through humor. Themes include family, cultural identity, tradition, mortality, various kinds of loss, and survival. Food plays a large role, in the ceremony of preparation, as an offering or tribute, and the act of gathering for meals. Lovely language and writing. In addition to telling a story, the author also describes trauma inflicted on indigenous peoples: forced sterilization, relocation and segregation, loss of culture, sexual violence. There are graphic descriptions of violence and sex, so more sensitive readers should be warned.

You should be aware of an organization called Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women that publicizes the violence committed against Native American women and girls, and tracks their cases. In North America, about 16% of all missing or murdered women and girls are Native American, while they make up only 4% of the population.

A Native American healing ceremony

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

March 30, 2023

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

After four years of incarceration on a drug conviction, Ranita is about to be released. She longs to return to her two children, but release means leaving her partner Maxine behind. Once back in Boston, Ranita finds it increasingly difficult to avoid old habits and old companions. Ranita remembers her father giving her a pomegranate once. A pomegranate has chambers like a heart that are filled with beautiful jewel-like seed, full of juice that is sweet and tart at the same time, much like life.

Really slow moving story. I liked Ranita's visits with Drew but would have like to know more about why Geneva was the way she was, also about Maxine other than she is a militant black woman. I found the characters to be largely stereotypes. The characters and setting have been done before - nothing new here. Depressing.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

March 21, 2023

Ginny, aka Big, lives with her daughter Liza and Liza's daughter Mosey. Big was 15 when Liza was born, and Liza was 15 when Mosey was born, and Big is hoping that Mosey will break the family pattern now that she is about to turn 15. Liza had a stroke the year before, and Big is responsible for her care as well as working to support the family. When an infant's skeletal remains are found buried in their backyard, Mosey and her BFF Roger decide to investigate.

I love family secrets. My parents and grandparents worked very hard to be beige, boring and middle-classed. Their biggest goal was keeping up with the Joneses (or in their case, the Asches). And this book has lots of family secrets, and also a lot of family love and loyalty. I have read previous books by Jackson and enjoy her tangled family stories with a little mystery thrown in. Fans of Diane Chamberlain and Kate Morton will enjoy Jackson's novels.