Vroman's Bookstore Sells Building, Oprah's Pick is A Guardian and a Thief, Reminders of Him Movie, The Enchanted Bookshop Opens in Snohomish, The Frizgerald's of St Paul on Stage,Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie,Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey, and The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley

It's almost November, and while the weather is chilling, I'm enjoying the latest Autumn books and some hot tea on the regular, while I cozy up under a warm blanket. This is my last post of October, so enjoy my latest reviews and these few tidbits, gleaned from the booksellers emails and from other internet sources.

 

I'm sorry to hear that Vroman's, which is a legendary bookstore in California, has had to sell their building and store. Hopefully the new owners will keep this haven for readers open for a long time to come.

 

Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif., Sells Its Building

Vroman's Bookstore has sold its building for $15.5 million to GD Realty Group, an owner and operator of office and retail properties in Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reported, adding that the deal for the 55,854-square-foot site was brokered by Kidder Mathews "amid uncertainty for the future of the business."

Vroman's owner Joel Sheldon put the store up for sale in January 2024, and

closed his Hastings Ranch location in May of that year. When he announced that the 130-year-old Pasadena store was for sale, Sheldon said that as he was approaching his 80th birthday, "it was time to begin the process of retiring and finding new ownership outside the Sheldon family. Vroman's deserves new ownership with the vision, energy, and commitment necessary to take it successfully into the future.... This was not an easy decision for me, but it is in best interest of Vroman's, our employees, our customers, my family, and our community."

The bookstore is expected to remain open, the Times noted.

This sounds like a fascinating novel, one that I will be on the look out for...hopefully I can find a used copy that is affordable.

 

Oprah's Book Club Pick: A Guardian and a Thief

Oprah Winfrey chose Megha Majumdar's National Book Award fiction

finalist A Guardian and a Thief as the October Oprah's Book Club Pick,

Oprah Daily reported, noting: "Megha Majumdar is one of those

exquisitely skilled authors that takes us into the story of characters

and cultural conflicts and leaves us spellbound until the last word and

beyond."

"My heart is beating so fast," Majumdar told Oprah over the phone when

she got the surprise call. "Right now, every word feels too modest and

too rigid, and too inflexible to capture this expansion that you've just

brought into my day and into my life."

This also sounds interesting, as I've watched the other films based on Hoover's novels. I'm a big fan of Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls, so I hope that she plays a prominent role in the movie.

 

Movies: Reminders of Him

Universal released the trailer for Reminders of Him,

based on the bestselling book by Colleen Hoover. Deadline reported that

the film, which hits theaters March 13, 2026, will be the third to adapt

one of Hoover's novels, following It Ends with Us and Regretting You.

The film's cast includes Maika Monroe, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham,

Bradley Whitford, Tyriq Withers, Lainey Wilson, Jennifer Robertson, Zoe

Kosovic, Hilary Jardine, Nicholas Duvernay, and Monika Myers.

Leading an all-female filmmaking team, Vanessa Caswill (Love at First

Sight, Little Women miniseries) directs from a screenplay by Hoover and

Lauren Levine. The film is produced by Hoover, Lauren Levine, and Gina

Matthews; Robin Mulcahy Fisichella executive produces.

There can never be too many bookstores, especially ones that focus on young people, the next generation of readers waiting to be inspired by the printed word.I'm hoping that my son can take me to this new store so I can get a look around and see if they have a solid YA selection.

 

The Enchanted Forest Bookshop Opens in Snohomish, Wash.

The Enchanted Forest Bookshop will host a grand opening celebration

for its new store on October 25, at 2809 Bickford Ave, Suite C,

in the Snohomish Station shopping center, Snohomish, Wash. The

festivities will include a special promotion, giveaways, activities, and

a drawing.

Launched in 2024 as a small online/pop-up bookshop, the Enchanted Forest

sells new children's books geared toward ages 12 and under, along with a

curated selection of puzzles, games, and other gift items. The store

"aims to be a bookish community space for young people that sparks joy

and discovery, complete with a campfire-themed storytime area and

custom-designed mural by local illustrator and author Katherine

Castano." The shop also holds storytimes every other Thursday and has

plans to host author events.

Owner Erin Jergenson said they are "thrilled to now have a permanent

home that allows us to offer far more books and events for the young

people in our community. As a mom of an elementary school age child, I

think it's so important for children to have as much access as possible

to books that will foster their love of reading, and we hope to be part

of the community fabric that enables that access and supports readers

and soon-to-be readers on their journey."

I've been a fan of F Scott Fitzgerald's since reading A Diamond As Big as the Ritz, and Tender is the Night. Though everyone focuses on his famed Great Gatsby, I feel that the breadth of his work is much more indicative of his talent as a wordsmith. I would LOVE to see this musical on stage off-broadway, especially if it comes to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN.

 

On Stage: The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul

A "first listen" recording has been released of Julie Benko singing

"I'll Be Here," a song from the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald biomusical, The

Fitzgeralds of St. Paul. Playbill reported that the production, which features a book, music, and lyrics by Christie Baugher, "centers on the marriage of the Great Gatsby author and his wife, Zelda, as they struggle with addiction, mental illness, and jealousy. The musical is a two-actor chamber work."

"I'm so excited to share Julie Benko's gorgeous rendition of 'I'll Be

Here' with the world," said Baugher. "This song--one of the very first I

wrote for The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul--is both the opening and closing

number and is such a perfect introduction to the sonic and emotional

world of the show. My hope is that audiences lose themselves in the

lush, delicate contours of memory as Zelda does in the show, and that

the brilliant 12-piece orchestrations and Julie's beautiful and

heartbreaking performance transport listeners to a place that leaves

them wanting more."

Playbill added that Brainstorm Live Entertainment will hold an industry

presentation of the work in spring 2026, with hopes to give the show an

Off-Broadway premiere in the fall.

 

Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie is a "dark" academia fantasy with romance woven throughout. Dark Academia, in this case, means a lot of misogyny and torture porn, unfortunately, which, because I'm not a fan of the horror genre, leaves me cold, longing for characters who don't fall into tired tropes. Here's the blurb: Six students compete to change their fate at a darkly enchanted boarding school in purgatory where graduation is the only escape—and love can cross the boundaries between life and death.

This stunning hardcover edition will feature gorgeous, flower-patterned sprayed edges, colored endpapers, and an exclusive foil-stamped case!

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located on the fringes of the afterlife. Once a pupil enters the academy’s arched gates, there is no way out…except the Decennial, a cut-throat magical competition with only one victor.

This year, six of the Academy’s top students have been chosen to face the Decennial’s tests. Two academic archrivals, whose strange connection blurs the lines between obsession and hate. One girl driven solely by ambition, and another plagued by memories of the love she lost. And a charming playboy who never cared for anyone—until he met the academy’s newest student. But what none of them know? They aren’t the only ones playing Blackwood’s game.

Who will win, and who will fall? Only one thing is for certain: in this game, some fates are worse than death. 

Though the book is beautifully created, with flowery edges and foiled front illustration, the insides are unsatisfying. The female characters are all trying to be "good" and compassionate, which means that they end up being tricked and manipulated by the "evil" characters, including one of the female students who is evil because she is ambitious and vying for power with the male characters, which is always seen as a sin for women, but an obligation for men. This "Hunger Games" style plot is unsurprising and predictable, as is the pedestrian prose. It seems to me that they gussied up a bland story in order to sell it to women who like pretty books for their bookshelves. I wouldn't waste money on this book, just for the sake of its beautiful cover. I'd give it a C, and only recommend it to those who like horror/romance YA fiction.

 

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is a contemporary romance novel with fluffy, overblown prose and a measured plot, all inside a pretty cover and sprayed hot pink edges. Here's the blurb: 

A  stunning deluxe edition features beautiful lush pink edges, custom endpapers and a unique foiled case stamp. Perfect for any bookshelf!
Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship―and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

 This romance between two strange and introverted book lovers is somewhat of a cliche, in that its assumed that shy or autistic readers are the only kind of people who either haunt or own bookstores and libraries. No one seems to believe that extroverts can be bibliophiles who also struggle to find their place in life. Only the painfully shy, but of course, pretty and/or handsome male or female protagonists are taking their time to find love, and often settling for a jerk who abuses them. And heaven forbid these characters have the backbone to actually talk about their feelings with the character that they're pining for. Of course not, the yearning goes on in secret for years, until something happens, in this instance an engagement by the sibling of the female protagonist, for the main character to agree to a "hall pass" month with her long-term boyfriend, (of 9 years!) whom she's been with since she was a teenager, for them to see if they can date and bed others and find out if they're missing anything before committing to marriage. When it becomes apparent that they need more than a month, and the "experiment" goes on for two more months, it becomes obvious to readers that Cory and Ingrid were not really "meant" for each other, and that Macon, who has been pining for Ingrid for years, is her true soul mate (he should have had the stones to tell her how he feels about her, but he waits for her to make the first move, which makes him a wimpy coward, IMO). Anyway, I'd give this obvious romance between timid introverts a B-, and recommend it only for those who are wallflower wimps when it comes to romance.

 

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is a whimsical romantasy that is cozy and filled with delicious prose and a lovely second chances plot. This is the perfect fall novel that I couldn't put down! Here's the blurb: Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a faraway island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and hidden away.

This should have been the end of her story… but one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To Terlu’s surprise, he offers her a warm refuge―until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu doesn’t want to leave, and as she grows closer with the unwittingly charming gardener, Yarrow, she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing. Terlu knows she must help, even if that means breaking the law again. This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by Yarrow and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer to save the island―and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances―to others and to yourself. 

 

A gorgeous feast of a tale, this story will engage readers from the first paragraph onward. The food descriptions will have you drooling, the slow burn romance is scintillating, and the magic talking plants and flying winged cat help keep the narrative fascinating and fun. It also left me longing for a lonely island with a grumpy gardener who cooks great vegan food, is handsome and most of all, kind. Terlu and Yarrow are quite a match, and their delightful romance and love of all the plants and animals in their care is delightful. Cozy fantasy is the opposite of "dark" fantasy, which usually includes a lot of death and destruction and gore, while the cozy fantasy focuses on character growth and kindness and love, all of which are in short supply these days. If I wanted to cry and have nightmares about horrific things, all I would have to do is watch the TV news or read a newspaper, most of which are full of false propaganda these days, instead of real news about the people in this country struggling to get by in this oligarchy, run by the fascist in the White House. I'd give this hopeful novel an A, and recommend it to those who tire of pain and suffering in their romantic fantasy.

 

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey is a saucy/spicy rom-com that's fluffy but still engaging and relatable. The prose is smart and the plot is airy and light. It's an easy beach read, or a fine distraction for waiting in line or sitting at the doctor's office. Here's the blurb: From Tessa Bailey comes a spicy small town rom-com about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn.

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly.

One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past.

Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

The male protagonist spends way too much time obsessing over the female protagonist's (who has all the hallmarks of a manic pixie dream girl) breasts, which, along with her child-like virginal vagina, are apparently the ultimate turn on for an adult male, who can't stop himself from getting an erection when her body is anywhere in the same vicinity. Though this has creepy pedophile vibes, we're supposed to believe that Hallie, who, like a child, is a disorganized, clumsy , perpetually late mess, yearns for Julian's OCD-level of scheduling and bringing order and control to every single minute of his life. Of course he needs Hallie the manic pixie to loosen him up with lots of orgasmic sex and wine, just like she needs him to control her life into a semblance of adulthood. (insert eye roll here). There's plenty of wine snobbery in this book, along with the inevitable disapproving parent (mother, in this case) to blame for their mental problems, but in the end both young people realize that their parents need them to take over the business with their young idealistic minds and muscles not atrophied by age and rigid mindsets. So if you don't mind the misogyny or ageism, this is the book for you. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to anyone who likes their romances in the same line as romances have been for the past 50 years.

 

The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley is a historical romantic mystery fiction that has elements of Downton Abbey and Rebecca, while also providing readers with insights into the later years of WWII. It reminded me of All the Light We Cannot See. Here's the blurb: An aristocratic French family, a legendary château, and buried secrets with the power to destroy two generations torn between duty and desire.

La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinières, the last of her gilded line, inherits her childhood home, a magnificent château and vineyard. With the property comes a mountain of debt—and almost as many questions.

Paris, 1944: A bright, young British office clerk, Constance Carruthers, is sent undercover to Paris to be part of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive during the climax of the Nazi occupation. Separated from her contacts in the Resistance, she soon stumbles into the heart of a prominent family who regularly entertain elite members of the German military even as they plot to liberate France. But in a city rife with collaborators and rebels, Constance’s most difficult decision may be determining whom to trust with her heart.

As Emilie discovers what really happened to her family during the war and finds a connection to Constance much closer than she suspects, the château itself may provide the clues that unlock the mysteries of her past, present, and future. Here is a dazzling novel of intrigue and passion from one of the world’s most beloved storytellers.

 

 While I loved the insights into the French resistance during the second world war, I found the mystery of whose child was actually whose, and all the family tree intrigue rather boring and overly detailed, which slowed down the plot considerably. The prose, though stalwart, was overwritten and needed a good editor to scrap the puffy paragraphs. The beautiful chateaus and the horrendous cost of renovating and upkeep in these mansions was a bit overstated, but still interesting, as most of us will never get the chance to even tour such fine properties, let alone own one. I felt that Emilie was way too naive and blinded by the first man who gives her attention, when most would find it obvious that he was out for her money as a grifter. I also found his brother Alex's protection of him, when he knows that he's a narcissistic grifter and abuser, to be a bit much. Still, this was an engaging story that deserves a B, and a recommendation to all those interested in historic war-time romances.