The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – October 10, 2025 At Home Between appointments and school-related things, this was a really busy week. But that's also been mostly true for the past few months. Most days, I feel like I'm barely keeping up, and have certainly let things slide. The PTA president at…

Book Review: Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai Title: Menu of Happiness (The Kamogawa Food Detectives #3) Author: Hisashi Kashiwai Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Publication date: October 14, 2025 Genre: Fiction Menu of Happiness is the third in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series, which is…

Book Highlight: The Third to Die by Allison Brennan Title: The Third to Die (A Quinn & Costa Thriller 1) Author: Allison Brennan Publisher: MIRA Publication Date: February 4, 2020 Genre: Thriller The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Washington and Vancouver A notorious serial killer is back An…

Book Review: Higher Magic by Courtney Floyd Title: Higher Magic Author: Courtney Floyd Publisher: MIRA Publication date: October 7, 2025 Genre: Fantasy An intriguing blend of academia, classic literature, and magic, Higher Magic takes a deep dive into the barriers students face as they pursue…

Book Highlight: Quaking Soul by Jennifer M. Zeiger Title: Quaking Soul (Hidden Mythics #1) Author: Jennifer M. Zeiger Publisher: Zeiger Adventure Publishing Publication Date: February 15, 2021 Genre: YA/Adult, Fantasy The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Washington and Vancouver As the next in…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – October 3, 2025 At Home I missed last week. Physically, I was going through a lot, including recovering from a really bad cold because, no matter what I do, I'm always sick for 2 weeks. I don't think tilling half the backyard and scattering wildflower seeds while…

Book Review: Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell Title: Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World Author: Mark Waddell Publisher: Ace Publication date: October 7, 2025 Genre: Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ Ignoring, for the moment, that Colin works for an actually Hell-like corporation…

The Curated Bookshelf – October 2025: Washington and Vancouver I'm feeling an itch to travel, and decided to explore Washington and Vancouver this month in honor of the very first trip I ever took. Check back periodically for links to each book's Highlight post! While most of this is not set in…

The Curated Bookshelf: October 2025’s Theme Welcome to this month's Curated Bookshelf! While it was fun exploring my city of Los Angeles through books last month, I'm ready to move on. I considered more books set in California, but then I remembered my first trip was to Washington and Vancouver,…

Book Review: The Sovereign by C.L. Clark Title: The Sovereign (Magic of the Lost #3) Author: C.L. Clark Publisher: Orbit Publication date: September 30, 2025 Genre: Fantasy The Sovereign is the conclusion to the Magic of the Lost trilogy, an epic fantasy series that speaks to the effects of…

Book Highlight: Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner Title: Fan Fiction Author: Brent Spiner Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication Date: October 12, 2021 Genre: Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Set in 1991, just as Star Trek: The Next Generation has rocketed the cast to…

Book Review: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden Title: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake Author: Rachel Linden Publisher: Berkley Publication date: September 30, 2025 Genre: Women's Fiction, Magical Realism There’s something about women’s fiction and magical realism with a sprinkle…

Book Highlight: The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. Maclean Title: The Phoenix Keeper Author: S.A. Maclean Publisher: Orbit Publication Date: August 13, 2024 Genre: Fantasy, Romance The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Aila has spent her entire life dreaming of saving phoenixes. She…

Repost: The Ladies of the Secret Circus vs. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Originally posted April 2, 2021 Sooo...maybe something a little odd, but I had an interesting conversation with myself while reading The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers and, since this is my space to talk…

Book Highlight: Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Title: Been There, Married That Author: Gigi Levangie Publisher: St. Martin's Press Publication Date: February 11, 2020 Genre: Women's Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Agnes Murphy Nash is in big trouble.…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – September 19, 2025 At Home I'm going to keep this short. Since I've been sick all week, I haven't accomplished much, other than somehow not go through an entire box of tissues. Last week, one of my kids had a sore throat for a couple of days and the other had a…

Book Highlight: Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen Title: Lunar Love Author: Lauren Kung Jessen Publisher: Forever Publication Date: January 10, 2023 Genre: Romance The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Always a matchmaker, never a match...Olivia Huang Christenson is…

Repost: Author Reading: Jennifer M. Zeiger, author of Quaking Soul (Updated) The Lily Cafe is thrilled to welcome you to our very first author reading! Today I'm honored to host the author of the YA fantasy series Hidden Mythics, Jennifer M. Zeiger. I've been a long-time follower of Jennifer's,…

Book Highlight: Dreambound by Dan Frey Title: Dreambound Author: Dan Frey Publisher: Del Rey Publication Date: September 12, 2023 Genre: Contemporary Fantasy The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – September 12, 2025 At Home What a long week, or maybe it felt that way because the past 2 weeks were short ones for my kids. I don't even remember what we did last weekend, but this one is going to be a very social one for us. Saturday, the kids and my husband…

Book Review: The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell Title: The Austen Affair Author: Madeline Bell Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Publication date: September 16, 2025 Genre: Romance I love Jane Austen’s novels, so was intrigued by The Austen Affair, where two actors are sent back in time to Jane’s…

Book Highlight: Love & Saffron by Kim Fay Title: Love & Saffron Author: Kim Fay Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Publication Date: February 8, 2022 Genre: Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a…

Book Highlight: The Book of Revelations by Idelle Kursman Title: The Book of Revelations Author: Idelle Kursman Publisher: MBK Publishing Publication Date: May 9, 2020 Genre: Women's Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Christine's life is in turmoil again. Not like it…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – September 5, 2025 At Home Last weekend was a 4 day weekend for my kids as the school district doesn't just observe Labor Day, but California Admission Day as well. Thus, I have been thoroughly confused about what day it is all week. Fortunately, the heat wave that…

Book Highlight: Revolution by David Dorrough Title: Revolution Author: David Dorrough Publisher: Self-published Publication Date: March 22, 2022 Genre: Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: Welcome to My L.A. Half satire, half farce, and half slice-of-life, REVOLUTION dives into the world…

The Curated Bookshelf – September 2025: Welcome to My L.A. I'm feeling an itch to travel, but want to spotlight my home city first. So here are some books that have really made me feel like I'm in Los Angeles. Check back periodically for links to each book's Highlight post! A slice of life story,…

The Curated Bookshelf: September 2025’s Theme Welcome to this month's Curated Bookshelf! I've been hit with a bit of wanderlust, but don't actually have the ability to travel right now, so I thought it might be fun to turn to books to help me out. But, first, I want to show some love to my city,…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – August 29, 2025 At Home Things have been mostly calm and quiet, though this house still likes to surprise us. Allergy season also seems to be hitting me and my son. It's probably not helped by the trees I stand under when I go to pick him up. Fortunately, it's not…

Book Highlight: Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman Title: Last Call at the Nightingale (The Nightingale Mysteries #1) Author: Katharine Schellman Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: June 7, 2022 Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love…

Book Highlight: The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale Title: The Mad Girls of New York (Nellie Bly #1) Author: Maya Rodale Publisher: Berkley Publication Date: April 26, 2022 Genre: Historical Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop A gripping and…

Book Highlight: Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson Title: Booked for Murder (Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery #1) Author: P.J. Nelson Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: December 10, 2024 Genre: Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop Madeline Brimley…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – August 22, 2025 At Home I missed last week because it was the end of summer break and the start of the school year and, instead of spending the first day of school collapsed, I spent 2 hours sorting out forms for one of my kids because the district sometimes wants…

Book Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols Title: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective Author: Jo Nichols Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication date: August 19, 2025 Genre: Cozy Mystery Marketed as being perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building, but with a…

Book Highlight: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack Title: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (The Vacation Mysteries #1) Author: Catherine Mack Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: April 30, 2024 Genre: Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The…

Book Highlight: Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow Title: Ill-Fated Fortune (A Magical Fortune Cookie #1) Author: Jennifer J. Chow Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: February 20, 2024 Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop…

Book Highlight: Miranda Writes by Gail Ward Olmsted Title: Miranda Writes (A Miranda Quinn Legal Twist #1) Author: Gail Ward Olmsted Publisher: Black Rose Writing Publication Date: September 8, 2022 Genre: Women's Fiction/Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a…

Book Highlight: In My Attic by Lina Hansen Title: In My Attic (A Magical Misfits Mystery #1) Author: Lina Hansen Publisher: Literary Wanderlust Publication Date: July 1, 2020 Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop Sometimes all it takes…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – August 8, 2025 At Home It's been a long week, one in which I haven't quite known the day or date. We had a bit of fun, though, trying to figure out what the temperature in our living room actually is. Between 6 different things that tell the temperature, no more…

Book Highlight: The Crime Brûlée Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly Title: The Crime Brûlée Bake Off (Claire Walker #1) Author: Rebecca Connolly Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publication Date: February 4, 2025 Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a…

Book Highlight: Kiss of Salt by Smita Bhattacharya Title: Kiss of Salt (Darya Nandkarni's Misadventures #1) Author: Smita Bhattacharya Publisher: Rumour Books India Publication Date: July 30, 2019 Genre: Mystery The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop Families are…

The Curated Bookshelf – August 2025: The Love Interest is NOT a Cop I adore cozy mysteries and, for awhile, was completely fine with the love interest being on the police force. But then I started reading mysteries that didn't feature a uniformed love interest, and now I think it's fantastic and…

The Curated Bookshelf: August 2025’s Theme Welcome to this month's Curated Bookshelf! I've recently discovered August is Read a Romance month, but I don't really read a lot of romances. I can't stand being mired in all that romantic angst, but I do love when it's a subplot. Most of the time. I've…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – August 1, 2025 At Home The countdown to the start of the new school year has begun, and I hereby give up until then. My kids will officially be going to different schools for at least the next 6 years in less than two weeks from today. Summer has zipped by, and I…

Book Highlight: The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchakiovsky Title: The Doors of Eden Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky Publisher: Orbit Publication Date: August 18, 2020 Genre: Science Fiction and Fantasy The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: What If They thought we were safe. They were wrong.Four years…

Book Highlight: Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale Title: Cassandra in Reverse Author: Holly Smale Publisher: MIRA Publication Date: June 6, 2023 Genre: Women's Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: What If If you had the power to change the past…where would you start?Cassandra Penelope…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – July 25, 2025 At Home Last week was really busy, and this week proved to be almost as busy. Between my husband having to go out of town for a few days last week and losing most of Monday due to having a radon mitigation system put in, I just completely lost track…

Book Review: Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku Title: Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes (Savvy Summers Mysteries #1) Author: Sandra Jackson-Opoku Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication date: July 29, 2025 Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery I love cozy mysteries…

Book Highlight: All This & More by Peng Shepherd Title: All This & More Author: Peng Shepherd Publisher: William Morrow Publication Date: July 9, 2024 Genre: Women's Fiction The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: What If One woman. Endless options. Every choice has consequences. Meek, play-it-safe…

Book Highlight: If Only by Melanie Murphy Title: If Only Author: Melanie Murphy Publisher: Hatchette Books Ireland Publication Date: June 6, 2019 Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance The Curated Bookshelf's Monthly Theme: What If Erin wants a fresh start. With her thirtieth birthday coming up, she's…

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – July 18, 2025 At Home This was an insanely busy week. As such, I seriously thought today was Thursday, so I'm going to keep this week's highlights short and will chat about this past week and next week next Friday. I really don't know where this week went, but…