Loves
Reads
The Sheriff of Babylon by Tom King and Mitch Gerads
The boy says I’m having a weird literary affair with Tom King. He may be right. I enjoy his writing and this is an incredibly compelling story set during the so-called War on Terror. A hard read, but a good (and important) one.
A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman
I needed something light after a series of emotionally heavy reads (see above) and this sweet romance about second chances fit the bill. Rather than the classic Duke meets lady (or other bold female) trope, the novel reminds me of Persuasion–or Persuasion if Wentworth married Anne before misunderstandings ensued. There is a heavy dose of mystery and plenty of flashbacks, which set this apart from the typical Duke romance.
(This review is based on a ARC from NetGalley)
A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn
Long on my TBR list, I was inspired to check out the first in the series after listening to an excellent interview with Deanna Raybourn on the Smart Bitches Trashy Books podcast. I read it in a day. That should tell you something of my enjoyment. Mystery, banter, and serious, slow-burn tension.
Beauty
- After my 3+ year old elf flawless face brush came apart mid-sweep, I decided it was time for an upgrade and picked up the IT Cosmetics airbrush buffing foundation brush. While not strictly a cream foundation brush, I like the flat top and it’s soft and fluffy. All good things.
- Spring has reignited my love Red Apple Lipstick’s Hollypeno. Sadly, they just recently discontinued this shade.
- In “project use it up” news, I hit pan on my glossier stretch concealer (I use the medium shade).
Latest
Podcast
We just recorded Episode 8, but you can still catch up with Episode 7.5, where we wrap up our thoughts on Howl, share more recommendations, and hatch our evil plot to make Bee watch Star Wars for the First Time(!) via a carefully orchestrated comparison to Spaceballs.
You can find the episode on Podomatic, Apple Podcasts, or Google Play.
marginalia and such 
I’ve tried to read A Curious Beginning twice in the last two years, on audio and print, and both times it just hasn’t been the right time for it. I have a feeling this is one that I’ll come back to one day and just devour, but it must wait for the right time.
It is definitely one of those books. Had I not been in the right place, I probably would have set it aside after a few chapters. It’s a slow start and I didn’t love it right away, but once the story picked up, I couldn’t put it down.