Bess
@strawberrygarden.bsky.social
Too complicated to fit in this little box. This is my main account. If you're interested in more than books, this is my alt account: https://bsky.app/profile/besstalkspolitics.bsky.social she/her
Read another review of this book yesterday and it looks so, so good. I'm thinking about reading it. Kingsolver is usually a bit much/violent these days for me, but I'm thinking this one looks too good to pass up
'Partita wrestles with the questions that have fuelled her whole career – namely, who is art for, what makes it good, and what can it actually accomplish?'
ICYMI, Barbara Kingsolver was profiled by The New Yorker last month ahead of the publication of Partita.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
ICYMI, Barbara Kingsolver was profiled by The New Yorker last month ahead of the publication of Partita.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
What Barbara Kingsolver Believes the Novel Can Do
One of the country’s most popular novelists writes what she calls socially engaged fiction. In Barbara Kingsolver’s new book, she considers the role of art—and who it’s for.
www.newyorker.com
October 6, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Read another review of this book yesterday and it looks so, so good. I'm thinking about reading it. Kingsolver is usually a bit much/violent these days for me, but I'm thinking this one looks too good to pass up
Finished Snow This Is Love, a collection of 5 novellas from Disney-Hyperion. Release date October 2026. These were sweet, and made me smile. Guaranteed happy endings! #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
October 3, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Finished Snow This Is Love, a collection of 5 novellas from Disney-Hyperion. Release date October 2026. These were sweet, and made me smile. Guaranteed happy endings! #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished The Stars Look Like Home by TJ Klune. Release date January 2027. I cried for almost this whole book, but it is so, so, so good. Burke is such a good boy! Almost anything else I would say about it would be a spoiler. Read this book!!! #booksky #readersky #microreview #queerbooksky #dogs
October 1, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Finished The Stars Look Like Home by TJ Klune. Release date January 2027. I cried for almost this whole book, but it is so, so, so good. Burke is such a good boy! Almost anything else I would say about it would be a spoiler. Read this book!!! #booksky #readersky #microreview #queerbooksky #dogs
Reread (and finished) Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian. Just as good on the 2nd time through as the 1st! I love Simon and Charlie, and every time I think about what Charlie's perspective must be like (not seen in the book), I melt a little. Love this book! #booksky #AmReading #readersky #microreview 🌈
September 24, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Reread (and finished) Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian. Just as good on the 2nd time through as the 1st! I love Simon and Charlie, and every time I think about what Charlie's perspective must be like (not seen in the book), I melt a little. Love this book! #booksky #AmReading #readersky #microreview 🌈
Finished Back for Seconds by Betty Corrello early this morning. Release date October 6, 2026. Cute book about June and Joey finding love again with each other after being dumped by their not-so-great exes. Also a Christmas story. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #cosmoreads
September 20, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Finished Back for Seconds by Betty Corrello early this morning. Release date October 6, 2026. Cute book about June and Joey finding love again with each other after being dumped by their not-so-great exes. Also a Christmas story. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #cosmoreads
Finished Once in a Timeline by Iman Hariri-Kia. Release date Oct 13, 2026. Wow. I wasn't sure where this was going at first, but I like where it ended up. Laia is stuck inside her last 'Perfect Day' vlog and Noah wants to help her out. #cosmoreads #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
September 16, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Finished Once in a Timeline by Iman Hariri-Kia. Release date Oct 13, 2026. Wow. I wasn't sure where this was going at first, but I like where it ended up. Laia is stuck inside her last 'Perfect Day' vlog and Noah wants to help her out. #cosmoreads #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle. Another one I've been looking for that ties up a lot of loose threads on Harmony, esp on Rainshadow Island. Sedona Snow (familiar last name, anyone?) has a problem and Cyrus Jones (same) wants to solve it for her #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
September 13, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Finished The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle. Another one I've been looking for that ties up a lot of loose threads on Harmony, esp on Rainshadow Island. Sedona Snow (familiar last name, anyone?) has a problem and Cyrus Jones (same) wants to solve it for her #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot by Alexis Hall. Oh wow. Hall has definitely upped his writing game with this book. Reading it was like thinking you're watching a second-rate magician and it turns out you're actually watching Houdini. #queerbooksky #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
September 11, 2026 at 5:34 AM
Finished Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot by Alexis Hall. Oh wow. Hall has definitely upped his writing game with this book. Reading it was like thinking you're watching a second-rate magician and it turns out you're actually watching Houdini. #queerbooksky #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall. First book in the Winner Bakes All series (I'm reading them out of order). Book is great but I liked the 2nd one better. This one has more plot twists than a (small) marble run. Impatient for book 3 #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading 🌈
September 10, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Finished Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall. First book in the Winner Bakes All series (I'm reading them out of order). Book is great but I liked the 2nd one better. This one has more plot twists than a (small) marble run. Impatient for book 3 #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading 🌈
Finished Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer yesterday. Definitely should have read the 1st book in the series first. Oh well. It was sweet and fun especially for such a violent book. Not sure I want to read the others, but enjoyed this one. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
September 9, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Finished Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer yesterday. Definitely should have read the 1st book in the series first. Oh well. It was sweet and fun especially for such a violent book. Not sure I want to read the others, but enjoyed this one. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Paris Daillencourt is about to Crumble by Alexis Hall. Paris is on a British baking show and his anxiety is through the roof. Fabulous Tariq keeps flirting with him but does Paris even notice through the anxiety that fills his brain? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky
September 7, 2026 at 6:31 AM
Finished Paris Daillencourt is about to Crumble by Alexis Hall. Paris is on a British baking show and his anxiety is through the roof. Fabulous Tariq keeps flirting with him but does Paris even notice through the anxiety that fills his brain? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky
Finished Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R Alban Not bad for a first novel, and definitely picks up in the 2nd half. Beth & Gwen are in love, but can't marry so they scheme to get their parents together. Will their mad plan succeed? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky
September 4, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Finished Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R Alban Not bad for a first novel, and definitely picks up in the 2nd half. Beth & Gwen are in love, but can't marry so they scheme to get their parents together. Will their mad plan succeed? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky
Finished Alchemy and a Cup of Tea by Rebecca Thorne. It was good, and very suspenseful at times, and definitely answers the questions we had about magic. A satisfying ending to the series and Reyna and Kianthe live happily every after #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky 🌈
August 31, 2026 at 1:28 AM
Finished Alchemy and a Cup of Tea by Rebecca Thorne. It was good, and very suspenseful at times, and definitely answers the questions we had about magic. A satisfying ending to the series and Reyna and Kianthe live happily every after #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading #queerbooksky 🌈
Finished The Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward. It was sweet, but I hate secondhand embarrassment from my books, so it was a slow read for me. #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
August 28, 2026 at 3:16 AM
Finished The Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward. It was sweet, but I hate secondhand embarrassment from my books, so it was a slow read for me. #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
Finished The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick. Caleb Jones and Lucinda Bromley must find the thief who stole her prized fern, while not falling victim to the psychic killers. Many connections here to the early days of Jones & Jones plus Arcane matchmaking #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
August 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Finished The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick. Caleb Jones and Lucinda Bromley must find the thief who stole her prized fern, while not falling victim to the psychic killers. Many connections here to the early days of Jones & Jones plus Arcane matchmaking #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
Finished Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle (Krentz). Another one I've been looking for a long time. This is the end of the Dreamlight Trilogy that stretched across space and time. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
August 25, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Finished Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle (Krentz). Another one I've been looking for a long time. This is the end of the Dreamlight Trilogy that stretched across space and time. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Zinnia by Jayne Castle (Krentz). I've been looking for this one for ages, read Amaryllis & Orchid but couldn't find it. It does not disappoint! Nick Chastain and Zinnia Spring are a talent & a prism on the alien world of St Helens where everyone is psychic #booksky #microreview #AmReading
August 23, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Finished Zinnia by Jayne Castle (Krentz). I've been looking for this one for ages, read Amaryllis & Orchid but couldn't find it. It does not disappoint! Nick Chastain and Zinnia Spring are a talent & a prism on the alien world of St Helens where everyone is psychic #booksky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe. Lovely, cozy romantasy with a good dose of growing up and learning to set boundaries with your mom. Cursed princess can't leave the bookshop, and the 7 princes of the realm must come to her to give her a kiss. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
August 22, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Finished Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe. Lovely, cozy romantasy with a good dose of growing up and learning to set boundaries with your mom. Cursed princess can't leave the bookshop, and the 7 princes of the realm must come to her to give her a kiss. #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished Autumn at the Cat Café by Kathleen Fuller last night. It was sweet & good with a caveat. #Spoiler: I didn't actually read all of it. The MCs have a major fight & break up right before the end. I skipped that part and picked up w their happy ending #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
August 21, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Finished Autumn at the Cat Café by Kathleen Fuller last night. It was sweet & good with a caveat. #Spoiler: I didn't actually read all of it. The MCs have a major fight & break up right before the end. I skipped that part and picked up w their happy ending #booksky #readersky #AmReading #microreview
Two hundred followers!!! Thank you everyone! ❤️❤️❤️
August 15, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Two hundred followers!!! Thank you everyone! ❤️❤️❤️
Read and finished tonight What Happened at Midnight by Franklin W. Dixon. Mr Hardy has been called to California but Frank & Joe run afoul of the gang of dangerous smugglers anyway. Notable for the role Aunt Gertrude plays in accidentally discovering several clues #microreview #AmReading #readersky
August 10, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Read and finished tonight What Happened at Midnight by Franklin W. Dixon. Mr Hardy has been called to California but Frank & Joe run afoul of the gang of dangerous smugglers anyway. Notable for the role Aunt Gertrude plays in accidentally discovering several clues #microreview #AmReading #readersky
Finished Tea You At The Altar by Rebecca Thorne, 3rd in Tea & Treason series. Oh my god I need the next book now! I have to wait until Mon morning when my favorite bookstore opens again. Ends on a total cliff-hanger. Loved it! What else has she written? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading 🌈
August 9, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Finished Tea You At The Altar by Rebecca Thorne, 3rd in Tea & Treason series. Oh my god I need the next book now! I have to wait until Mon morning when my favorite bookstore opens again. Ends on a total cliff-hanger. Loved it! What else has she written? #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading 🌈
Not finishing Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd. An older romance I found at a used book sale, it seemed outdated but acceptable but I forgot that I don't like how consent is usually handled in older romances. Oh well. It would play much better as a sapphic novel. #booksky #readersky #microreview
August 6, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Not finishing Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd. An older romance I found at a used book sale, it seemed outdated but acceptable but I forgot that I don't like how consent is usually handled in older romances. Oh well. It would play much better as a sapphic novel. #booksky #readersky #microreview
Read & finished The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson yesterday (well technically I finished very early this morning) Release date Oct 2026. Made me cry. The library is weeks away from demolition when Librarian Claire finds a hidden room of memories #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
August 5, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Read & finished The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson yesterday (well technically I finished very early this morning) Release date Oct 2026. Made me cry. The library is weeks away from demolition when Librarian Claire finds a hidden room of memories #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
Finished The Witching Moon Manor by Stacy Sibinski, 2nd in the Crescent Moon Teashop series. Lovely little book -- intense at times but always a cozy. Anne, Beatrix, and Violet have been drawn back together again & new challenges await as they move forward #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading
August 5, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Finished The Witching Moon Manor by Stacy Sibinski, 2nd in the Crescent Moon Teashop series. Lovely little book -- intense at times but always a cozy. Anne, Beatrix, and Violet have been drawn back together again & new challenges await as they move forward #booksky #readersky #microreview #AmReading