By Golly, Ollie!

Good Reads

  • House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

    House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

    When I downloaded House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo, I had the wrong impression of it.  I thought it was just a horror story.  I hate horror movies, but I love horror novels.  I thought I’d give it a go since I haven’t read one in ages.  But, I was wrong about House of Dark… Read more

  • Greyhound by Steffan Piper

    Greyhound by Steffan Piper

    This is one of those novels which I’m unsure how to categorize. It takes place during the 1980s, so I initially considered it “historical fiction”. Yet, the goal of the novel is not to define a decade or even just a specific period in the 1980s. I also considered it a coming-of-age story. Yet our… Read more

  • So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane

    So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane

    I just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series, and my thirst for fantasy, wizardry, and magic had not been quenched; so, I picked up So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane. I knew nothing about it, and I have to admit, I did have trouble getting into the book. The pacing at… Read more

  • Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

    Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

    Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry was an interesting twist on zombie lore. It wasn’t the typical hack and slash story I expected. Instead, Maberry humanized the zombies and penned downright deplorable characters, which highlighted the man vs. monster dilemma. I never thought it was possible to feel sympathetic toward a creature that hungers only for… Read more

  • The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno

    The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno

    I’ve never met a book by Joe Meno that I didn’t like, and The Great Perhaps is no different. The novel, with it’s lyrical and darkly funny prose, rotates between members of the Casper family– each chapter digging into their quirks and revealing a family on the verge of a breakdown. This is what I… Read more

About BGO

Hello, my name is Jackie. I’m a thirty-something mother of a rambunctious toddler from a small town in Michigan. When I’m not toddler-wrangling, I’m often seeking refuge from life’s most chaotic moments in a cup of hot tea. I also love getting lost in stories—both in books and virtually. I enjoy speculative fiction the most, and I am especially eager to read fantasy novels and horror novels. When I’m feeling especially indulgent (usually after everyone in the house has gone to sleep), I like to dive into video games and explore the sprawling worlds in Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect.

Five Star Reads

Lately on IG

Sipping the Rohini First Flush Darjeeling from @mastersteas (gifted). It’s as gorgeous as the springtime sunshine 😌 #tea #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teagram #teapet #gaiwan #gongfucha #totoro #adagioteas #darjeelingtea May was mostly for coffee, but occasionally tea. Like today’s River Red from West China Tea, which reminds me of the way my mom’s purse smelled when I was a kid— like leather and tobacco.⁣ Here is the latest stack of library loot. (Paired with some rather old long jing). Aside from Monsters by Claire Dederer, I’m not ~*excited*~ about anything I picked out 😅. I went in totally unprepared, not thinking my kiddo could keep himself entertained long enough for me to peruse the book stacks. I found myself almost overwhelmed by choices. I think what I want (but didn’t not pick out) is something Summery but NOT something that is romance or a heartfelt contemporary. Or literary fiction because I don’t want to think too hard 😆. I don’t know what that leaves me with though. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them! #tea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #booksandtea #gaiwan #greentea #bookstagram #library #librarybooks #bookcommunity Jazzing up some matcha that’s been sitting in my fridge since mid-2020 with some white chocolate raspberry coffee creamer. *chef’s kiss* #tea #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #matcha #matchalatte And We Rise⁣ I’ve had the pleasure to taste the Rohini First Flush Darjeeling the past few years, and once more, @mastersteas so graciously sent a free sample my way. It’s always a lovely treat to mark the changing of the seasons.⁣ #currentlyreading | This weekend, I’ve mostly been bouncing back and forth between the House in the Cerulean Sea and the Geography of Nowhere (non-fiction critique of the American suburbs). Also, currently sipping River Red from West China tea, which tastes a bit like the burnt topping on crème brûlée. #teastagram #teasofinstagram #bookstagram #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #librarybooks It’s blue skies for days! Actually, it’s blue skies just for today followed by six days of rain, but I’m okay with that. We are finally seeing signs of Spring in the village like clusters of tulips in flower beds and pink blossoms on trees. I’ve started to shift away from cozy spiced chai or malty Assam teas and toward anything that begs to be cold brewed— Darjeeling black teas especially. Like this Risheehat Summer Black tea, which is crisp and refreshing and tastes like it’s dripping with honey and fruit 🍯 #tea #instatea #teasofinstagram #darjeelingtea 80 degrees and clear skies beg for jade snail and messy gaiwan pours on the back porch because I suck at brewing up green teas today, and the drama makes it taste better 🙃 #tea #teatime #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teagram #gongfucha #teaoutdoors #greentea

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