A plot is brewing between the adventure and romance aisles.

When visiting Twig’s Traveling Tomes, customers will get the exact book they need, even if it isn’t the one they want. As for the proprietor and renowned Book Witch, Louella Twig lives her life sequestered with her stories, just as she likes it.

When devilishly handsome rogue Everett Sharp stumbles in looking to remove some handcuffs—closely followed by Louella’s former tutor, whose prized grimoire has been stolen—her literary sanctuary is fully upended. Only Louella’s magic can locate the grimoire, and teaming up with Everett is her best chance at retrieving it . . . but how can she trust that the man behind the wolfish grin isn’t interested in stealing the book for himself?

With a host of friends old and new, Louella sets off on an adventure she never thought she’d take—and starts to realize that, just like her books, what matters most has always been what’s under the surface.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Heartwarming, playful cozy fantasy romance

A heartwarming, charming, and playful cozy fantasy romance, and a love letter to books, booksellers, and the power of opening your heart. I loved it!

Twig’s Traveling Tomes is a quest fantasy, a cozy fantasy, and a romance all rolled into one, although the quest plot is the dominant arc by a smidge.) The romance arc is woven in quite well, and the main characters, while certainly based on tropes, are absolutely delightful, as are most of the secondary characters. (Side note: kudos to the author for an unusual twist on the McGuffin [the object of the party’s search.])

Louella has an unusual magical talent: She knows (because her books tell her) exactly which book someone truly needs, even if she has just met them. It’s a talent that comes in handy with her customers, but it can also pose problems. Sometimes, the perfect book is one that won’t make the customer happy, as when she hands a book on “how to tell if he’s cheating” to a married customer. (Minor spoiler: he is.) Unfortunately, ignoring the books’ suggestions is just about impossible; it makes Louella itch and sneeze. Also unfortunately, hers is not an accepted magical ability, which means that Louella, despite considerable power and skill, has never earned her broom. As a result, she has largely withdrawn from her peers; she has no real friends and doesn’t date. Her solo life as a traveling bookseller (complete with teleporting bookshop!) suits her, but… well, she’s both lonely and grumpy, with a bit of a chip on her shoulder about not having a broom.

And then a thief and her old magical tutor show up on the same day, turning her safe, quiet, predictable life upside-down. The thief, Everett Sharp, is on the run. He is far too attractive for Louella’s comfort, and he flirts with her outrageously, keeping her constantly off-balance. (Think Flynn Rider from Tangled.) Their relationship falls very firmly in the grumpy-sunshine trope, and it’s so much fun to watch it play out. Meanwhile, Louella’s erstwhile tutor, Feralorn Rags, needs her to find his missing grimoire, which has been stolen; he hopes Louella’s affinity for books will help her locate it. He’s quite a character, too: messy and disheveled, with his sleeves full of mice and a comical propensity for mangling words. Before long, they are joined in their search by several more would-be adventurers and encounter a variety of hazards in their quest to recover Feralorn’s book. This is a cozy fantasy, however, so although there are plenty of exciting moments, the stakes remain more personal than world-threatening in scope; I was never too anxious about the characters’ survival and eventual triumph.

In addition to the characters and their adventures, I particularly enjoyed all the Easter eggs. The book is chock full of thinly-veiled tributes to characters, scenes, tropes, and whole books or series from both the fantasy and romance genres (as well as several movies, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and probably other games I’m less familiar with.) I had a blast identifying the ones I recognized, but I’m sure I missed some through not having read or seen the original! I’d love to go back through the book and make a list of everything I spotted.

If you’re looking for a light, funny, thoroughly entertaining cozy fantasy romance , I highly recommend Twig’s Traveling Tomes. As for me, I’ll be over here rereading it, pen in hand. And I’ll be on the lookout for whatever Gryffin Murphy writes in the future.

One minor quibble (probably moot): The advance copy contained several awkward turns of phrase and at least one misused word. I didn’t take those into account in my rating, because it was an ARC, and I very much hope they were caught in the final proofread. (I’m publishing this review on the book’s release date, so I haven’t had time to check my preordered copy to be sure.)

And a final note: Twig’s Traveling Tomes is the second book published by Meg Hood’s “Cozy Quill” imprint under Bindery Books. If you’re a cozy fantasy fan and you’re not familiar with Meg’s Tea Room, her Instagram account, check it out. Her magical tea room videos are warm, whimsical, and charming.

Challenges: COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again; NetGalley & Edelweiss Challenge 2026

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again
• Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2026

A cantankerously funny view of books and the people who love them. It does take all kinds and through the misanthropic eyes of a very grumpy bookseller, we see them all--from the "Person Who Doesn't Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)" to the "Parents Secretly After Free Childcare."

From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There's the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman).

Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lycra Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer--all add up to one of the funniest book about books you'll ever find.

Shaun Bythell (author of Confessions of a Bookseller) and his mordantly unique observational eye make this perfect for anyone who loves books and bookshops.

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

A short, entertaining taxonomy of… well, as the title says, the “kinds of people you find in [secondhand and antiquarian] bookshops.” This short, often funny book is not as informative about the trade itself as Oliver Darkshire’s memoir of the antiquarian book trade, but it is nonetheless an amusing and affectionately misanthropic look at various types of customers, non-buying loiterers, hopeful sellers, and (in a bonus section at the end) staff.* I am well acquainted with secondhand bookshops, having haunted them since my teens; I also worked in a new bookstore for 5 years. Thus, I recognized more than a few of the archetypes Mr. Bythell describes. To my amusement and slight discomfiture, I saw aspects of myself in a few of them—fortunately, those were among the types that Mr. Bythell appreciates, rather than those he finds annoying!

Audiobook review: At 2 hours long, the audiobook flies by—even without increasing the speed of the narration (which I did not.) Peter Kenny does a good job with the author’s narrative voice as well as that of the occasional customer. As an East Coast American, I can say that he doesn’t quite nail a mid-Atlantic accent, but that’s a single sentence out of the entire book. Kenny’s narration is clear and pleasant to listen to, and suits both the topic and the author’s style very well.

*I swear I came up with the “misanthropic” descriptor myself, before I ever read the publisher description!

Challenges: Audiobook Challenge 2026; COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again; Library Love Challenge 2026

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Audiobook Challenge 2026
• COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again
• Library Love Challenge 2026

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!

Sometimes I also participate in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading (#IMWAYR) hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

The Past Week

In real life: We flew back home last Sunday, and on Monday, Mr. Bookwyrm left on a business trip. I spent the week unpacking from the trip to Utah, doing laundry and catching up on the most urgent housecleaning, and trying to sort and pack stuff for storage. I catalogued our Great Courses library: about 40 courses on DVD or CD; I’ll pack them up tomorrow. Mr. Bookwyrm got home Friday evening, and I was very glad to see him after 5 days apart.

Recent Posts

• Sunday Post – 8/30/2026
• Monthly Wrap-Up — August 2026
• Ten Books on My TBR with Nationalities in the Title – Top 10 Tuesday
• Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel — a new Miss Marple mystery by Lucy Foley – review
• Sunday Post – 9/06/2026 – this post

Looking Ahead

• My Favorite Indie Authors – Top 10 Tuesday (tentative)
• Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
• Sunday Post – 9/13/2026

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I finished rereading Guild Boss, Sweetwater and the Witch, People in Glass Houses, It Takes a Psychic, books #14–#17 in the Harmony series by Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz.) I’m currently finishing Enter the Nightmare, the latest in the series (and an overdue ARC, which I’m rereading so I can write a review… if I can find the time.)

Listening to: I finished Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell (review scheduled), and then listened to the first two books in Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet: Alanna: The First Adventure and In the Hand of the Goddess. I have read the Pierce books before, but never in audio format. The Bythell book was new to me, and quite fun; it’s also very short.

Playing: In tiny bits of time between other activities, I’ve squeezed in a smidgeon of Pokémon GO, Wingspan (phone app), and Tiny Bookshop (Steam, though I have the phone app also.) Also my usuals: Wordle, Connections, Strands, Spelling Bee, and Sudoku.

Added to the Hoard

(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

For Review or Consideration

Many thanks to Storm Publishing for The Little Shop of Gentle Magics, and for auto-approving me for future books!

Purchased or Free

Kindle: SALE: Season of the Witch; An Ancient Witch’s Guide to Modern Dating; The Shop on Hidden Lane; The Tapestry of Fate; The Isle in the Silver Sea. FULL PRICE: Spirited; Guarded

Audiobooks: The History of the English Language, 2nd Ed. (to replace a set on cassette tape.)

Ten Years Ago I Was Reading

I saw this idea on Lisa Loves Literature, who got it from Musings of a Bookish Kitty (whom I also follow.) I published these reviews 10 years ago this week, between August 31 and September 6, 2016.

• Always a Cowboy (Linda Lael Miller)
• A Story to Kill (Lynn Cahoon)

Stay kind, hopeful, and steadfast… and may your books bring you joy this week!

High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Fans of Agatha Christie will delight in this addition to the Miss Marple mysteries!

I just finished reading Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, and I am both surprised and impressed. Agatha Christie fans are in for a treat!

I’m often disappointed when a new author attempts to continue a well-loved author’s series. It’s hard to truly capture the original author’s voice and style—all the things that made them both unique and beloved. Let me tell you, Lucy Foley really pulls it off in her new Miss Marple mystery. She channels Agatha Christie’s style so well, I almost thought I was reading a long-lost Christie mystery. Foley employs Christie’s characteristic twists and subtle misdirection with skill, and includes nods to a number of books in the Christie canon.

Miss Marple joins her friend Dolly Bantry and Dolly’s paid companion for a luxury stay at the Grand Alpine Hotel (and spa) in the French Alps. As they arrive, they discover that Anthony Narrancott, a prominent politician, and his upper-crust wife Catherine have also chosen the hotel for a getaway. So, apparently, has Bruno Crane, purportedly old school friend of Narrancott’s, although neither he nor Catherine expected the other’s presence. Other arrivals include a Hollywood bombshell and her giant mastiff, a nervous young man desperate to talk to Narrancott, and a group of nuns.

Told from multiple first-person points of view (none of them Miss Marple herself), the book has a number of elements of a classic Christie novel: an isolated, somewhat exotic setting; several victims and several suspects with possible motives and opportunities for murder; characters who may not be who or what they appear to be; unreliable narrators; and a mystery with its roots in the past. Foley’s early descriptions of the Alpine beauty and luxurious accommodations of the fictional “Grand Alpine Hotel” contrast well with the characters’ growing sense of unease and isolation from the village below; I could scent the clear, snow-crisp mountain air and feel the contrast of the sun’s warmth against the frigid temperatures. I’m not an expert skier, and I’ve never been down an alpine sled run (think luge or skeleton), but Foley’s descriptions of these sports, through the voices of her characters, ring true. She’s equally good at characterization, pacing, and plot.

I was expecting misdirection and was on constantly on the lookout for it. Foley, like Christie before her, plays fair; every clue Miss Marple picks up on is there on the page for you, although (in true Christie style) they are rarely telegraphed or even noticeable. I did manage to pick up on several of the clues. Even so, Foley managed to surprise me a number of times, including the final twist, despite my having considered almost everyone a potential suspect at some point—except, of course, Miss Marple herself! I even had a moment or two of suspecting poor Dolly Bantry, although not for long. (Mrs. Bantry appears in several of the Miss Marple mysteries; she would make a most unlikely murderer. But then, the least likely suspect is often the murderer in a Christie novel.) If you are someone who has read and reread nearly all of Christie’s mysteries, as I have, you might figure out the entire plot…but don’t count on it.

If I had any quibble at all, it’s with that twist ending. It works brilliantly, and it’s a solution worthy of Christie herself. But it left me just a touch uncomfortable because it flirts with a trope I had hoped was on the way out. Nonetheless, I believe that long-time fans of Agatha Christie will delight in this addition to the Miss Marple mysteries, whether or not they choose to consider it canon.

Challenges: COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again; NetGalley & Edelweiss Challenge 2026

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again
• Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2026

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. The meme was originally the brainchild of The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Books with Nationalities in the Title.

Here are ten books from my TBR list with nationalities in the title. I was pretty strict with this; it had to be the nationality (Scottish, Scots, Scot) rather than the country (Scotland.) And it had to be a nationality or, in the case of historical groups, an cultural-ethnic group that (like a nation) shared a language, a geographic region, and a culture. So “Californian” or “Texan” wouldn’t have counted, but “Cornish” would have, assuming any of my books had had “Cornish” in the title. (There were a few with “Cornish” in the series title, but not in any of the book titles, alas.)

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Anglophile, so Great Britain and Ireland really dominate this list.

Oh, and I lied. There are eleven books here. What can I say? I’ve never been good at sticking to the “ten books” rule.

Ten Eleven Books with Nationalities in the Title

• Miss Percy’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (Quenby Olson)
• Miss Percy’s Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons (Quenby Olson)
• An American in Scotland (Lucy Connelly)
• Death at a Scottish Wedding (Lucy Connelly)
• Under an English Heaven (Alice K. Boatwright)
• The Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myth and Legend (Marie Heaney; illus. by P.J. Lynch)
• The Picts & the Martyrs (Arthur Ransom)
• Owl and the Japanese Circus (Kristi Charish)
• The Book Of English Magic (Phillip Carr-Gomm and Richard Heygate)
• The Scotch-Irish: A Social History (James Graham Leyburn)
• The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (Meik Wiking)

Books Read – August 2026

Books

1. The Faraway Inn (Sarah Beth Durst) – ★★★★★ (reviewed 8/13/2026)
2. Brave Truth (Celia Lake) – ★★★★
3. A New Landscape (Celia Lake) – extra scenes for Brave Truth ★★★★
4. Canyons of Night (Jayne Castle) – reread; ★★★★
5. The Lost Night – reread; ★★★⯪
6. Murder in Threadneedle Street (Andrea Penrose) – ARC ★★★★
7. A Many-Splintered Thing (ed. by Mercedes Lackey) – ARC ★★★★
8. Automatic Noodle (Annalee Newitz) – ★★★★⯪
9. Siren’s Call (Jayne Castle) – reread; ★★★★ (reviewed 11/20/2015)
10. Illusion Town (Jayne Castle) – reread; ★★★★
11. Guild Boss (Jayne Castle) – reread; ★★★★
12. Sweetwater and the Witch (Jayne Castle) – reread; ★★★★

Audiobooks

1. Obsidian Prey (Jayne Castle) – Hoopla; reread; ★★★★
2. Midnight Crystal (Jayne Castle) – own; reread; ★★★★
3. Quicksilver (Amanda Quick) – own; reread; ★★★★
4. ADHD for Smart-Ass Women (Tracey Otsuka) – Hoopla ★★★★ (reviewed 8/19/2026)
5. The Inheritance (Ilona Andrews) – own ★★★★⯪
6. Deception Cove (Jayne Castle) – Hoopla; reread; ★★★⯪ (4 for the book, 2.5 for the audio narration) (book reviewed 12/02/2013)
7. The Hot Zone (Jayne Castle) – own; reread ★★★⯪ (book reviewed 10/02/2014)
8. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops (Shaun Bythell) – Libby ★★★★ (review scheduled for Sept.)

Note that in the case of the Jayne Castle books, I did read a few chapters of Deception Cove and The Hot Zone on my Kindle when I was awake during the night, but since I consumed most of each book via audio, I’m counting them as audiobooks.

Summary: I read or listened to 20 books in August, including 9 first-time reads and 11 rereads. I posted 2 reviews, both for books I read this month (The Faraway Inn and ADHD for Smart-Ass Women.)

Of the books I reread in August, 3 were books I had already reviewed on the blog in previous years.

Challenges

Here’s the breakdown of my reading challenges this year so far:

• Goodreads Challenge: 89/125. I am 6 books ahead of schedule.
• Audiobook challenge: Listened to 38/15; reviewed 4/15, with one more review scheduled.
• COYER Out to Lunch Again challenge: Read 73/20; reviewed 12/20, with two more reviews scheduled. (My personal challenge includes actually writing the review.)
• Library Love Challenge: Read 24/12; reviewed 2/12, with one more review scheduled.
• NetGalley & Edelweiss Challenge: Read 18/10; reviewed 5/10, with one additional review scheduled.
• Robin’s Recs: Read 1/6; reviewed 0/6.

Click here to see a detailed (but not entirely up-to-date) list of my challenge reading.

Other Goals and Resolutions

Prune and pack my book collection: At this point, most of the pruning is done, and I’m focusing on cataloging and protecting dust jackets (see below.)

Catalog my books: We have been focused on other areas of the house this month. I hope to return to cataloging and adding dust jacket covers in September, but the priority now is packing them up for storage and moving. I will probably prune a few more books as I go. Physical books catalogued so far (since I started over again in 2025): 1065.

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!

Sometimes I also participate in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading (#IMWAYR) hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

The Past Week

In real life: Last weekend, on Saturday, we got a call that my dad was either too deeply asleep to be awakened, or he was semiconscious. The hospice nurse felt that I should come, and my stepmom was very anxious. So we flew to Utah on Sunday. When we got to their house, we were delighted to discover that Dad was doing better: he was awake and more alert than he had in a couple of weeks, though that did not last more than a couple of days. He has dementia and his physical health, balance, and strength continue to decline. There’s no telling how much time he has left, so I’m so glad we got this week with them both. I had some good conversations with Dad in his more lucid moments. I was also able to deal with some financial things on his behalf. And we were able to take both of them to the 90th birthday party of a long-time friend and fellow church member, who is known and loved by my dad’s extended family. Several of my cousins were there, so that was an unexpected bonus.

On another note, the news this week was depressing. I was horrified by the disaster in Nepal, and saddened by several deaths of prominent people, in particular Dolly Parton. She was an amazing woman: funny, smart, and wildly talented as both a singer and songwriter, but also a kind, compassionate, and generous person who made a huge difference in millions of children’s lives through her free book program. I admired her as a person and I loved her music. We’ve lost an icon.

Recent Posts

• Sunday Post – 8/23/2026
• Sunday Post – 8/30/2026 – this post

Looking Ahead

• Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel — a new Miss Marple mystery by Lucy Foley – review
• Sunday Post – 9/06/2026

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I finished A Many-Splintered Thing (ARC) and read Automatic Noodle (Annalee Newitz) on the plane last Sunday. Then I reread Siren’s Call and Illusion Town, books #12 and #13 in the Harmony series by Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz.) I’m currently rereading Guild Boss, the 14th book in the series, and reading The Haunted Librarian (ARC) by Auralee Wallace.

Listening to: I finished The Hot Zone (Jayne Castle) last Sunday. I didn’t listen to any audiobooks this week; I wanted to be present for my dad and stepmom.

Watching: Several Dolly Parton tributes on various stations, plus bits of local (Utah) news, Antiques Roadshow, Jeopardy, and way too many Rockies baseball games.

Added to the Hoard

(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

Purchased or Free

Kindle: The Library of Botanical Witchcraft; and Nobody’s Baby (reviewed previously.)

Ten Years Ago I Was Reading… (two-week version)

I saw this idea on Lisa Loves Literature, who got it from Musings of a Bookish Kitty (whom I also follow.) I published this review 10 years ago this week, between August 17 and August 30, 2016.

• Great World Religions: Christianity (Timothy Johnson)
• Sharp Edges (Jayne Ann Krentz)
• The Night Voyage (a coloring book by Daria Song)

Stay kind, hopeful, and steadfast… and may your books bring you comfort this week!

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!

Sometimes I also participate in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading (#IMWAYR) hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

The Past Week

In real life: I’m keeping this post short. Dad has taken a turn for the worse, and Mr. Bookwyrm and I are on our way to Utah.

Recent Posts

• Sunday Post – 8/16/2026
• ADHD for Smart Ass Women, by Tracy Otsuka – review
• Sunday Post – 8/23/2026 – this post

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I finished The Lost Night by Jayne Castle, reading on Kindle because I could not find an available audio copy. Then I finished up Murder on Threadneedle Street (ARC), the newest book in Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series, which I really enjoyed. I started two new ARCs, The Haunted Librarian (Auralee Wallace) and A Many-Splintered Thing (an anthology of Valdemar short stories edited by Mercedes Lackey.)

Listening to: I finished The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews; it was really good, but now I want the sequel! I borrowed the next audiobook in the Rainshadow/Harmony series, Deception Cove. That was my last Hoopla book for the month, so I bought and started the next title in the series, The Hot Zone.

Added to the Hoard

(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

For Review

Many thanks to DAW for A Many-Splintered Thing and to Bloomsbury for Holidays at the Castle!

Library Haul

Library: Deception Cove

Purchased or Free

Kindle: SALE: Automatic Noodle; Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things; This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Audiobooks: The Hot Zone

Stay kind, and hug the people you love.

An unprecedented guide for any woman with ADHD looking to celebrate her unique brilliance and to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Read by author Tracy Otsuka.

ADHD is one of the most common neurological disor­ders in the United States—yet a staggering 75 percent of girls and women remain undiagnosed. Due to the gen­der gap in medical research, which does not account for symptoms manifesting differently in women—leading to increased problems with anxiety, depression, work­ing memory, sleep, energy, and concentration—many ADHD women are left to navigate a society that fails to understand their struggles and gifts. But what if every woman had the resources and support to uncover the hidden wonders of her neurodivergent brain?

Enter certified ADHD coach and podcast host Tracy Otsuka. Armed with her experience coaching thou­sands of women, cutting-edge medical research, and personal insights from her own diagnosis, she presents a revelatory guide tailored specifically for girls and women with ADHD. In it, Otsuka offers an entirely new set of tools, systems, and strategies to access a world of boundless productivity, focus, and confidence.

With her signature wit and levity—in entertaining chapters designed for ADHD readers—Otsuka explores the unique challenges that ADHD women face and illuminates the extraordinary qualities that set them apart: overflowing creativity, laser-focused attention, deep empathy, and fearless entrepreneurial spirit. Even without an official diagnosis, readers will be equipped with the tools to conquer any to-do list and to tap into their true purpose, personally or professionally.

By dismantling the long-standing stereotypes and misinformation surrounding women with ADHD, Otsuka offers a beacon of hope for any woman looking to transform her symptoms into strengths. Comprehensive, lively, and long overdue, ADHD for Smart Ass Women is the key to unlocking unparalleled potential and to understanding your truly magnifi­cent and brilliant brain.

Are you ready to discover your superpower?

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain?

The title of Tracy Otsuka’s book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain, grabbed me from the start. I’m a reasonably intelligent woman who has struggled with ADHD symptoms much of my life, with all the attendant shame and guilt. My symptoms became much worse with late perimenopause and then menopause, which is common because estrogen mitigates the symptoms; today, I struggle even more. So I was excited to see what could be positive about having ADHD.

There is some very good information in the book, and several actionable suggestions. I definitely want to reread those sections with my eyes instead of my ears, take notes, and try some of them out. But I did struggle to relate at times. Otsuka’s experience as a successful woman with ADHD is very different than my own experience as someone who never really “succeeded” professionally (at least financially), and that made it harder for me to see myself in the book. Although I was reasonably good at the various jobs and hobbies I did throughout my life, I never made much money, and my focus was mainly on my husband and daughter rather than my career.

More than that, Otsuka’s frequent references to women with ADHD struggling in school and getting in trouble were completely foreign to me. I excelled all the way through high school (the only exception being the single course I took independently, which I failed for lack of deadlines and accountability.) And I was never a risk-taker or rule-breaker. It wasn’t until college that I ran into academic difficulties. Although my grades in college weren’t as good as in primary and secondary schoool, I managed to get by, mainly because I was smart, had a good educational foundation, and figured out ways to study that worked for me.

Additionally, as an introvert who falls more on the dreamy, “inattentive” side of ADHD, I had such a hard time relating to enough of Otsuka’s descriptions of ADHD in (hyperactive, extroverted) women like herself that at times I found myself wondering despondently if I really do have it. Fortunately, I have done enough reading in the field to feel pretty confident that the answer is yes.

Despite those quibbles, I do plan to revisit the book with a highlighter, notebook, and journal in hand, to get the most I can out of Otsuka’s positive suggestions. But I’m not going to take her book as my sole source of information and inspiration, and I don’t recommend anyone else do so, either—especially if you fall more in the inattentive type than the hyperactive side. I did appreciate that Otsuka points out over and over that many ADHD traits can be viewed positively, rather than negatively, and that people with ADHD usually have a number of strengths. I look forward to figuring out my own strengths, but I also need to find ways to compensate for or work around my challenges. Otsuka offers a few ideas on that, too, including treatment approaches that don’t involve medication. (I hasten to add that she has nothing against medication, and neither do I. However, there are reasons why medication may not be right for me.)

Is this book right for you? I think if you are looking for a book to inspire you to view your ADHD through a positive lens, this is a great place to start. However, if you think you might have ADHD, but you’re not sure, I feel that Otsuka doesn’t spend enough time on the wide variety of ADHD symptoms in women, especially introverted women with the inattentive type. Instead of starting here, read up from a variety of sources on how ADHD manifests in girls and women, and see if those symptoms resonate with your experience. If they do, consider seeking a diagnosis (as Otsuka herself suggests several times.) Then read the book for encouragement, ideas, and a positive spin on how to “fall in love with your neurodivergent brain.”

Challenges: Audiobook Challenge 2026; COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again; Library Love Challenge 2026

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Audiobook Challenge 2026
• COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again
• Library Love Challenge 2026

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!

Sometimes I also participate in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz, Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading (#IMWAYR) hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

The Past Week

In real life: Mr. Bookwyrm and I celebrated our anniversary with dinner out at the same restaurant we went to decades ago, the year Robin was born. I don’t know why we haven’t gone back since then, because the food was delicious! We talked about places we would like to travel once this year-and-a-bit of upheaval is behind us and we’re settled in our new town (whenever that is.) Britain, Europe, several parts of Canada, Alaska, New Zealand… basically, locations that feature beautiful scenery, hills and mountains, and are well away from the tropics and sunbaked beaches. There are also a number of national parks and other US destinations we’d like to visit, though we’ll save the more southerly ones for the cooler months. I don’t fancy exploring the Grand Canyon in the heat of summer!

5 Good Things:

1. Celebrating over three and half decades of marriage to my wonderful husband!
2. My Holter monitor test results were negative for any serious arrhythmias.
3. Our nephew was in a car accident (a tire came off his car at speed—yikes!), but thankfully he is fine and was able to avoid hitting anyone. Amazingly, his car was still drivable once the wheel was reattached.
4. We donated another box of books to the library and took my wedding dress and three filing cabinets to Goodwill.
5. We’re starting to see a little more open space in the basement as we get things cleared out. And there’s still a good amount of room in the storage units, so hopefully we’re on track to fit everything in one U-Haul whenever we move.

Recent Posts

• Sunday Post – 8/09/2026
• The Faraway Inn, by Sarah Beth Durst – review
• News & Notes – 8/15/2026
• Sunday Post – 8/16/2026 – this post

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I finished Brave Truth by Celia Lake, and followed it up with a collection of extra scenes, A New Landscape. Then I reread Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz), and started the next book in the Rainshadow/Harmony series, The Lost Night. Because I’m fickle, I also started The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley. At some point, I want to get back to Murder on Threadneedle Street (ARC), the newest book in Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series.

Listening to: I listened to Quicksilver by Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) and to ADHD for Smart Ass Women, by Tracy Otsuka. The first was a reread but my first time listening to the audiobook. The second was interesting and had some good information, but I didn’t relate to some of her descriptions of what ADHD is like—mostly in terms of struggling in school, which I didn’t until college. After I finished that book, I listened to a couple of podcast episodes (99% Invisible) before beginning The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews.

Watching: We watched the final two episodes of Once Upon a Time in Space (a 4-part documentary series on PBS). The series is really good; if you’re into space and the history of space exploration, you should check it out. We also watched two episodes of Aerial Britain on Paramount+.

Added to the Hoard

(Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

For Review or Consideration

Many thanks to Ace (Berkley) for The Haunted Librarian!

Purchased or Free

Kindle SALE: Definitely Maybe Not a Detective

Ten Years Ago I Was Reading…

I saw this idea on Lisa Loves Literature, who got it from Musings of a Bookish Kitty (whom I also follow.) I published this review 10 years ago this week, between August 3 and August 9, 2016. UPDATE

• Family Tree (Susan Wiggs)

Stay kind, hopeful, and steadfast… and may your books bring you joy this week!