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Gardens, Greenhouses, Getaways
Feb. 19th, 2026 04:04 pmThe Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng was supposed to be my reread for February, but I gave up on it after about 35 pages, because I decided I didn't want to read a story that combined war atrocities with characters experiencing mental decline...
Beautifully written but just not what I want in my life right now.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is the follow-up to The Spellshop, which I loved. It's set in the same world, and touches on the story of the first book tangentially, tracking the character who created the sentient spider plant, Kaz, who is a main character in The Spellshop.
I listened to the audiobook, which may have been a mistake, since the narrator was extremely perky, exacerbated by my previous audiobook have a very flat narrator. A lot of the characters were given over-the-top voices, as well, which made them seem like caricatures rather than real characters. In contrast, the love interest was very quiet and almost dour, which made it harder for me to like him.
It was a fun story about found family banding together to protect something beautiful - which is exactly what I was looking for, but it didn't really land for me and the central romance didn't feel earned.
I liked the ultimate conclusion and enjoyed it overall but it was just okay.
Our Holiday by Louise Candlish kept me gripped over the course of a weekend involving several long train journeys. It's about locals in a touristy village getting annoyed by holiday homeowners leaving their summer homes empty most of the year when there's a housing crisis for year-round residents. There are viewpoint characters from both sides of the conflict but none of them are remotely likeable. So the book did a good job of keeping my interest, hinting at various secrets to be revealed throughout and providing enough twists and turns and misdirections to keep me guessing. Not one that will stay with me but an entertaining read.
Beautifully written but just not what I want in my life right now.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is the follow-up to The Spellshop, which I loved. It's set in the same world, and touches on the story of the first book tangentially, tracking the character who created the sentient spider plant, Kaz, who is a main character in The Spellshop.
I listened to the audiobook, which may have been a mistake, since the narrator was extremely perky, exacerbated by my previous audiobook have a very flat narrator. A lot of the characters were given over-the-top voices, as well, which made them seem like caricatures rather than real characters. In contrast, the love interest was very quiet and almost dour, which made it harder for me to like him.
It was a fun story about found family banding together to protect something beautiful - which is exactly what I was looking for, but it didn't really land for me and the central romance didn't feel earned.
I liked the ultimate conclusion and enjoyed it overall but it was just okay.
Our Holiday by Louise Candlish kept me gripped over the course of a weekend involving several long train journeys. It's about locals in a touristy village getting annoyed by holiday homeowners leaving their summer homes empty most of the year when there's a housing crisis for year-round residents. There are viewpoint characters from both sides of the conflict but none of them are remotely likeable. So the book did a good job of keeping my interest, hinting at various secrets to be revealed throughout and providing enough twists and turns and misdirections to keep me guessing. Not one that will stay with me but an entertaining read.
