Welcome to book review thirty of fifty-three for this year’s virtual coffee shares. I’ve picked books that are related to the theme here at Brewing Coffee, Twisting Words & Breaking Pencils—coffee, books, and puzzles.

The Pumpkin Spice Café
Author Laurie Gilmore
Published in August 2023
Publisher is One More Chapter
Available in eBook, Audiobook, and Paperback (384 pages)
Clean and Wholesome Romance (Books) | Feel-Good Fiction | Small Town & Rural Fiction

The Pumpkin Spice Café has great fall vibes for reading in October. Romance isn’t the typical genre I read, but I enjoyed this book and will read others from the series. The first sentence of my Goodreads review states, The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore is a cozy romance novel that challenges the boundary between spicy and erotic.”

You can find my full review on Goodreads, The Pumpkin Spice Café.

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If we were having coffee, I would share a book story with you. Back when I was in public school (I can’t remember the grade, although the reading level is grade three to seven), my teacher split the class into three groups. She had three books and was assigning one to each group. The group I wanted to be in was assigned The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. I wasn’t in that group. I can’t remember now what book the teacher assigned my group. It might have been Afternoon of the Elves or Christina’s Ghost—both books are good to read, and I have copies on my bookshelf. Anyway, I tried to find the book a few times over the years, but wasn’t successful. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that there was a 35th anniversary edition available. I am happy to share that I am reading it now.

Do you have a book that you wanted to read for a long time, and maybe still haven’t, or finally did?

If we were having coffee, I would share that we traded Friday night movies for Friday night campfires. It’s been a fun way to spend Friday nights. For a couple of the fires, I read out loud from Haunted Canada 3.

If we were having coffee, I would share that I have been doing some furniture refinishing projects. So far, I have completed two dressers and an old wooden laundry hamper. I am working on my third dresser, and I have an old writing desk, a rocking chair, and a small table that houses a record player waiting for me.

If we were having coffee, I would share that I have been working on my manuscript since the end of June. Just a small writing break, not scheduled but needed. The weather has been gorgeous, and I have been outdoors most of the day. In August, I’m going to jump back in by reading the chapters I already wrote.

Let me pass you the coffee bean grinder so you can share the details of your week.

By Shari Marshall – 2025