seema commented on a feature request
I was wondering if it would be possible on the main feed to toggle on/off posts about books you’re reading that are past the percentage you have tracked as completed. I don’t know if this would be helpful to anyone else but sometimes even when things aren’t direct spoilers, I’ve definitely seen plot points obliquely referenced that told me about the direction my book was going!
seema commented on a post
This book is giving me some slight Beauty and the Beast vibes, and I am so here for it!
seema commented on a post
seema commented on ChaosReader's update
seema commented on seema's update
seema commented on a post
i like it so far! i like who the mc is, building more backstory into the world created for the spellshop. it's going to be hard to weave a story with just 2.75 characters tho, so we'll see how it ends up.
seema commented on a post
God I really relate to Terlu's experience of actively knowing she's talking too much and asking too many questions and yet being completely incapable of shutting up 😭
Post from the The Enchanted Greenhouse forum
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seema commented on astral.projection's update
astral.projection is interested in reading...

The Honey Witch
Sydney J. Shields
seema commented on Avalon's update
Avalon started reading...

I Who Have Never Known Men
Jacqueline Harpman
Post from the The Enchanted Greenhouse forum
God I really relate to Terlu's experience of actively knowing she's talking too much and asking too many questions and yet being completely incapable of shutting up 😭
seema commented on one_crazy_eliott's update
one_crazy_eliott started reading...

The Cybernetic Tea Shop
Meredith Katz
seema commented on bookbunny96's review of A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
I’m pretty sure I would have loved A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking a lot more if I’d picked it up when I was younger, because it really does feel geared toward a younger audience. I still had fun with it as an adult, but I could clearly picture my 13–14-year-old self being completely obsessed with this book.
It’s a shorter, slow paced read with a very quirky, charming premise: baking magic, a magical sourdough starter, and a gingerbread man who refuses to stay still. The tone is light and playful for most of the book, and I appreciated that it never tried to be something it wasn’t. It knows it’s a fun, magical adventure and leans into that.
One of the strongest parts for me was Mona herself. She actually feels like a 14-year-old. T. Kingfisher doesn’t try to write her as a mini-adult with perfect logic and endless bravery. She’s scared, overwhelmed, confused at times, and very much figuring things out on the go. That made her really relatable, especially for younger readers who might see themselves in her. I loved that the book doesn’t pretend kids suddenly become wise, stoic heroes just because the plot needs them to.
Bob the sourdough starter and the gingerbread man were definite highlights. They add a lot of humour and whimsy to the story, and the way baking magic is used in practical (and sometimes ridiculous) ways was really creative. Those little floury, food-magic details are where the book truly shines.
The reason this is a 3.5 star read for me rather than a higher rating is mostly down to my own reading taste now. At times, the plot and emotional beats felt a bit on the simpler side, and I found myself wishing for just a bit more depth and complexity in certain moments. The stakes are there, but they didn’t always land as hard for me, even though I can see how impactful they would be for the intended age group.
Overall, this was a fun, clever, and charming story with a genuinely age-appropriate heroine, lots of heart, and some very memorable baked goods. I didn’t fall head over heels for it, but I’m really glad I read it and I’d happily recommend it to younger readers, or to anyone in the mood for a light, quirky fantasy where magic smells faintly of warm bread.
Post from the The Enchanted Greenhouse forum
seema commented on lucyPagebound's update
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Readalong Completionist 2025
Earned the sparkly Readalong badge all four seasons!