Hello, dear readers! This week's prompt from Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl is ten books I read outside my comfort zone. This was a tough one because I normally don't read books that make me uncomfortable, and not because I have anything against them. I just tend to stick with genres and topics that I know I'll enjoy. The very short list of books below weren't outside my comfort zone, but they are from genres I don't usually read, like mystery, suspense, fantasy, and anything about sharks because I'm terrified of the ocean. LOL. Hopefully it will suffice for this week's topic. Happy Tuesday! 

NARRATOR: Fiona Hardingham

REVIEW: As a librarian, C.S. Lewis is a name I hear quite often, and I've checked out his books countless times to patrons young and old alike. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a favorite for them all. I've never read the book, but after listening to Once Upon a Wardrobe, I have added the Narnia series to my growing to-be-read list. In all honesty, the main reason I chose to listen to this book is because it's read by one of my favorite narrators, Fiona Hardingham. She has the most beautiful voice, and I intentionally seek out her audiobooks, no matter what the genre might be. This was my first time reading Patti Callahan's work, and I truly enjoyed it. Although the premise is sad, I loved learning more about C.S. Lewis through the main sibling characters, George and Megs. Having two younger brothers myself, I felt Megs pain watching George's health decline, and I understood her urgency wanting to get answers for him about Lewis' book before it was too late. Overall, I would recommend Once Upon a Wardrobe to everyone, and I look forward to reading more of Patti Callahan's work in the near future. 

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

Hello, dear readers! Today’s prompt from Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl is The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf, but I decided to go with something different since I don’t own any books (not counting cookbooks). I know that probably sounds crazy for a librarian not to have books, but I always get my books from the library or borrow them from apps like Libby and Cloud Library. If, on the rare occasion I buy a physical book, I always donate it to the library after I read it or I put it in my little free library. So, with that being said, this week I decided to do a prompt I missed a few weeks ago and that’s my favorite book series. I couldn’t come up with ten, but here are four I absolutely love. Happy Tuesday! 

The weather is finally cooperating here and we've had some cooler temps recently. I LOVE IT! And there's nothing better for cool weather than a good chili recipe, so here you go! 

DIRECTIONS: Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to the skillet and sauté until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper). Cook 30 more seconds, stirring  then transfer to a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients into the crockpot: rinsed and drained black and red beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, Rotel with juices and a can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Adjust seasoning to taste, as desired. Ladle it into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh chopped cilantro, scallions or red onion, if desired.

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1⅓ cups, Calories: 329.5kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 47.5mg, Sodium: 1171mg, Fiber: 10.5g, Sugar: 9g, WW Points: 0 

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

AUTHOR: Sadeqa Johnson

RATING: ★★★

RELEASE DATE: February 10th, 2026 

REVIEW: I've been a fan of Sadeqa Johnson ever since I read her amazing novel Yellow Wife, so I knew going into her new book, Keeper of Lost Children, that it would be full of emotion, and I wasn't wrong. I've read a ton of historical books centered around World War II, with numerous different plots, but this subject matter was brand new to me. I've read countless stories about the Jewish children who were sent to live elsewhere during the war for their own safety, but this book details the struggles of the mixed race children during that time period, and this topic was a first for me. Sadeqa explains the real historical facts that inspired this book, and (as always) she did such a beautiful job with Ozzie, Sophia, and Ethel, the book characters whose lives were intertwined by such events. I have to say that Sophia was my favorite character because of her tenacity and strength, but I greatly admired Ethel too. I finished this book in just a couple of days because I didn't want to put it down, and I highly recommend it to everyone. 

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan

NARRATOR: Eilidh Beaton

RATING: ★★★

REVIEW: I can only speak for myself, but being a former freelance writer I've discovered there are certain pitfalls when it comes to reading. At the very top of the list is when the editing side of my brain kicks in, and that was the case with this book. Now, I’m no editor by any stretch of the imagination, but the repetitive words and phrases and "head jumping" were painstakingly obvious. (The story is told by the main character, Mirren, but there are instances where the author suddenly jumps to a secondary character's point of view - aka "head jumping" - which can be confusing). Is this being nitpicky of me? Yes, I'm sure it is, but unfortunately I can't turn that part of my brain off while I'm reading. The story as a whole is okay, and it would be good Hallmark channel material if it weren't for the cursing and sex. (This doesn't bother me, but I'm just throwing it out there in case it isn't someone else's cup of tea). Also, the pretty cover and title are misleading because the story has nothing to do with a secret Christmas library. The highlight of this audiobook for me was the narrator, Eilidh Beaton. It was my first time listening to her, and she did a fantastic job with the different characters and their accents. I probably would have stopped reading halfway through if I'd chosen the digital version, but Eilidh was so entertaining I kept listening to the very end. 

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own).

RATING: ★★★

RELEASE DATE: January 6th, 2026

REVIEW: I read a review on NetGalley where the reviewer remarked that The Charmed Library reminded them of the movie Night in the Museum, and I thought how that was a perfect way to describe this book. There is a magical element to the plot, which I’m normally not interested in, but this was a cute story. (Note: I started with the audiobook version, but the narrator had a childlike voice that kept distracting me, so about 1/4 of the way through I switched to reading the digital book). I believe every devoted reader has wished to meet a fictional book character at least once or twice in their lifetime, but I don’t think most of us consider the repercussions that may come from it when you bring a character from their fictional world into this chaotic real world we live in. The main character, Stella, found out what happens when you take the risk, and it makes for an interesting story. There were a few instances that seemed a little too far-fetched, and the ending felt rushed and too easy (if that makes sense), but that wouldn’t keep me from recommending it. If you enjoy reading stories with magical elements, then you’ll probably love it.