Monday, June 2, 2025

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

A friend recommended this book when I said the most “fantasy” I really read was parallel universes and time travel. This book was perfect for me!

I loved the magical apartment and how it pulled Clementine and Iwan together. I love that the threads of how they encountered each other were clear right from the beginning because it really helped up the tension of what would happen between them in the end.

The writing was so descriptive that it totally pulled me from reality - one of my favorite things about reading fiction, but not every author can pull it off. I also really loved how Poston wrote about the foods Iwan prepared and what they meant to him and Clementine. I think she really nailed the friendships you develop with coworkers, too.

Soft spoiler potential ahead...

The only thing... just to be nitpicky... is that I wish there was some hint of what Clementine was going to do next. Not everyone is defined by their career but it was so important to her throughout the book that I wish she'd even thought of an option or two isntead of making it seem like she was just going to be with Iwan and travel. Although, maybe there will be a sequel and I'll get my answer.

I read Geekerella years ago and will definitely be reading more Poston soon!

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Library Haul

 


This is what happens when I go to the library to return books, but don't have any holds to pick up. Because I can't leave empty-handed!

I love libraries, but mostly I place holds for books and go pick them up when a stack is ready. That's because I often need books for my writing projects and don't want to drive all over the city to find what I need. (We have 18 branches of the library here in Memphis!) Plus, I know and love the librarians at my local branch and like to give them the stats they need to stay open and serve the neighborhood. But that means that I often don't browse...

I compare it to doing a grocery pickup. (Except I hate grocery shopping almost more than anything else and I love libraries completely.) But I'd rather someone else do the work while I get to reap the benefits. Food for my body, food for my brain... very similar. And clearly after seeing what happens when I brose at the library and accumulate a stack like this... again, I'm reminded of how many random things jump into my cart at the grocery store.

The biggest difference? These books are FREE! Take that, groceries! Libraries win yet again.

Have you read any of the books in this stack? Based on these titles, is there anything you'd recommend me to read next?