Author: Trish

Into reading, decluttering, budgeting, and doing jigsaw puzzles!
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Library Haul and Puzzle Swaps

I read most of my books on my phone these days, but occasionally I have to make a trip to the library for some physical books that I can’t find in Libby or Hoopla. I picked up these two on my last trip and have already started Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop. It’s lovely so far.

The two puzzles I found in the community collection section of the library. I’m not sure why items are placed there instead of in regular circulation, but there were a few puzzles mixed in with the books and audiobooks. I had a nice chat with the librarian about it and found out they want you to let them know when you are taking items and how many and then return them like you would regular library items. That way they can see how much use the collection is getting.

I asked about donations, and they accept up to a box a day per person and it can include puzzles. There is no guarantee the donations would end up in the community collection, though. They could be included in the next library book sale if that’s what they decide. So I’m debating whether to donate puzzles to them or just hold onto them for the next time there is a puzzle swap near me.

Speaking of swaps, I exchanged messages recently with someone from one of the Facebook groups I belong to who wanted to swap some puzzles. I accidentally agreed to exchange a puzzle I really didn’t want to part with because I didn’t read what she had written very carefully, and I was not sure what to do about it, but then she had to delay the swap due to some health issues and asked if I wanted to wait or cancel, so I was able to cancel without impunity. It was such a relief!

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Loveless

Loveless by Alice Oseman is a young adult novel about Georgia, who is struggling to understand and define her sexuality. She is headed to college and still hasn’t had any sexual or romantic feelings for anyone, not even a crush. Has she not met the right guy yet? Does she actually like girls? Should she just try kissing someone to see what happens? What is wrong with her?

During the course of her freshman year, Georgia learns about the A in LGBTQIA+ and discovers that there is nothing wrong with her–she is simply asexual/aromantic. Coming to understand this brings a lot of changes in how she sees herself and how she moves through a world that is so focused on coupling up.

I loved this book. It was so engaging, and I was totally invested in Georgia’s journey. I also appreciated the strong friendships and enjoyed the university setting. It’s not perfect, but it does a great job of showing one possible experience of being aro/ace. Well worth the read!

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Fall Festival

Fall Festival is a 1000-piece puzzle from Pieces & Peace, and the artist is Abby Jacobs. This is a French brand I tried for the first time earlier this year and loved, so I was happy to be able to get some more from them.

I originally had this on my shelf to do sometime this fall, but then someone else posted it on Instagram and I realized it actually had Halloween elements in it. So I pulled it out to do at the end of October. I finished it Halloween night, which I was happy about.

I love the fall vibes with the colorful trees and cozy market stalls. But my favorite part is the kids in their Halloween costumes all lined up for the costume contest.

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The Bookstore

The Bookstore is a 300-piece puzzle from Buffalo Games, and the artist is Charles Wysocki. There was one piece missing, which is unfortunate. I got this at a puzzle swap, but it is possible that I lost the piece myself – I need to double check under the couch to see if I can find it.

I enjoyed this image. It went very fast due to the smaller piece count, but it was still a lot of fun.

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Woodworking

Woodworking by Emily St. James

I had to wait a long time for my hold of Woodworking to come up, but it was well worth the wait. This is the story of Erica Skyberg, a trans woman who hasn’t told anyone yet. Erica is a recently divorced high school English teacher, and she befriends Abigail, who is one of her students and a trans girl.

There is a lot to like about this book. It is very well written with interesting characters and good pacing. I also learned a lot about the trans experience from characters at different points of their transition. It was a pleasure to read, and I look forward to more from this new author.

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The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers is a 1000-piece puzzle from Reverie, and the artist is Winona Kieslich. This was my first puzzle from Reverie. It is an Australian brand and all of their puzzles have something to do with books.

They are a bit pricey and sometimes hard to get here in the US. I got this one several months ago when I had a free shipping code, which made the cost a bit more palatable. Now the US tariffs have driven the prices up even more, so I will not be buying them for the moment.

Now to the puzzle itself: I absolutely loved it! It was a fabulous experience and the image is just so charming! Everything from the packaging to the piece shapes to the level of detail in the image was perfect.

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Bear Country

Bear Country is a 1000-piece puzzle from Final Piece Puzzles, which has just launched its debut collection of 10 puzzles. This one was sent to me to try out.

I was very pleased with this puzzle. It came in a sturdy box with a good size reference poster, and the pieces were a nice size and thickness for the piece count. A few pieces were still connected but only by one corner so they were easy to separate. There was also very little puzzle dust, which was nice.

I did the border first and then the inside. In both cases, I started with the lighter pieces and worked my way to the darker ones. The pieces fit together well and had a lot of interesting textures. The only drawback was when I got to the darkest teal pieces, as they were very dark and it was quite a task to get through them. Once I was done, though, the finished puzzle was beautiful.

I am very glad I got the chance to try out this brand and am looking forward to doing more of them. The pic below shows all three of the puzzles they sent me. I am looking forward to the top one, Santorini, but am nervous about the bottom one, Eiffel Glow, because of all the really dark areas.

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What I’m Reading – November 2025

What I’m Reading Now

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods – I’m still in the early chapters of this novel, but it weaves together the past and the present with a touch of magical realism. I’m enjoying it so far.

What I Recently Finished

  • Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand – Paradise #3
  • Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout – Amgash #5
  • Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
  • A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
  • This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
  • Modern Persuasion by Sara Marks – 21st Century Austen #1
  • Woodworking by Emily St. James
  • Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare – The Infernal Devices #2
  • Loveless by Alice Oseman

What I Added to my TBR

  • The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams
  • In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams – When in Rome #4
  • A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
  • Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
  • Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
  • I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
  • A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont
  • The Night Bus by Tessa Bickers
  • The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
  • The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev
  • How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev
  • Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
  • Nantucket Second Chances by Pamela Kelley
  • Vanyel and Vixen by Mercedes Lackey
  • Love and War in Woodhouse Hall by Sara Marks – 21st Century Austen #3
  • Love From Northanger Parks, Katie by Sara Marks – 21st Century Austen #4
  • Unraveling Carrie Woodhouse by Sara Marks – 21 Century Austen #5
  • Sweeten Up Ginny Darcy by Sara Marks – 21st Century Austen #6
  • Sheepfarmer’s Daughter by Elizabeth Moon – The Deed of Paksenarrion #1
  • Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
  • Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay
  • The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
  • A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
  • The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
  • The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

TBR Stats/Updates

  • I currently have 179 books on my TBR. Of those, 9 are nonfiction and 170 are fiction.
  • At the end of June, I created a focused reading list of 25 books I would like to read by the end of the year. So far, I have read 21 of those books.
  • I have read 105 books this year (my goal was 75).
  • My nonfiction goal is 1 per month, which I have met so far with a total of 10.
  • Here are some more stats from StoryGraph:
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Found Alphabet

Found Alphabet is a 1000-piece puzzle from Cobble Hill, and the artist is Shelley Davies.

This was such a fun puzzle! I had been putting it off because it is a random cut puzzle and those are not my favorite, but this one was such a joy to do that I hardly even noticed the piece cut.

There are so many interesting textures, and I love the fact that it’s a grid puzzle. Highly recommend!

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Modern Persuasion

Modern Persuasion by Sara Marks (21st Century Austen #1)

📚Summary

Emma Shaw is a modern woman with a classic problem. Eight years ago, Emma put her career and family above her own needs. She’s cut out the man she loves, is exhausted from carrying the emotional load for her family, and her dream career as an editor is on the brink of disaster. 

Now she has to face the man she gave up eight years ago in order to keep her career. When her ex’s book launch is in crisis, her bosses coerce Emma to step in to save it even if that’s no longer her job. Forced to spend a month on the road, Emma has too much time to think about her regrets but also discover new opportunities to make the life she thought she would have, including a second chance with Fredrick. If she can run her life as well as she runs this book tour, she can save her career, be with the man she loves, and maybe tell her family where to stick it.

✍️My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I had read another book in this series last year but only recently realized the author had done more Austen retellings. I especially loved how this version was set in the publishing world with the FMC being an editor. I did find it ironic that a book set in that industry would have several grammatical errors in it, but I was able to ignore them because of how much I was enjoying the story.

I do wish she hadn’t changed the FMC’s name from Anne to Emma, especially when she kept the MMC’s name as Fredrick. I like the name Anne and found it confusing given that there is already an Emma in Austen’s work. I also thought the writing Fredrick shares with Emma at the end was way too long and detailed. I did like the Louisa character and appreciated how her story was handled, and I loved that Mrs. Smith was included in the book.

All in all, this was a very fun story, and I plan to read more from the series.