A License to Quill

Author ~ Reviewer ~ Editor ~ Foodie ~ Earthmomma ~ Cat Lady

  • About
    • About Lori
    • Contact Lori
    • Privacy Policy
  • Book Reviews
    • Book Review Policy
  • Editing Services
    • The Little Red Pen
    • Services and Rates
    • Second Life Editing
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  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Lori
    • Contact Lori
    • Privacy Policy
  • Book Reviews
    • Book Review Policy
  • Editing Services
    • The Little Red Pen
    • Services and Rates
    • Second Life Editing
    • About My Logo
  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Lori
    • Contact Lori
    • Privacy Policy
  • Book Reviews
    • Book Review Policy
  • Editing Services
    • The Little Red Pen
    • Services and Rates
    • Second Life Editing
    • About My Logo
  • CowTown Cooking
  • HodgePodge
    • Living Simply
    • Seattle Stories
    • The Aether Salon Archives
    • Aether Chrononauts Calendar
    • Edmund Dulac Portal Index
  • This Writer’s Life
    • About My Books
    • Writer’s Resources
    • Why Should I Pre-Order A Book?
    • Fun Lorem Ipsum Generators
  • Blog
  • Book Reviews,  Memoir,  Non-Fiction,  Poetry

    Book Review: To Say Goodbye Again

    Lori Alden Holuta / February 1, 2026 / 0 Comments

    To Say Goodbye Again by Jac Winters My rating: 5 of 5 stars I always read acknowledgements pages for the little glimpses I can get into the mindset of the author. In this…

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  Humor

    Book Review: Melania: Devourer of Men

    Lori Alden Holuta / February 1, 2026 / 0 Comments

    Remember, your review and star rating can make the dream come true!

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  • Recipe Box

    Ham and Cheese Stale Bread Breakfast Casserole

    Lori Alden Holuta / February 1, 2026 / 0 Comments

    We build up stale bread heels and slices fast around here. I’m maxxed out on toasted bread crumbs and croutons, so I needed something else to stay ahead of the breadvalanche. This dish…

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  • Biographies and Autobiographies,  Book Reviews,  Memoir,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Silent Battle: Breaking Cycles. Reclaiming Peace. Becoming Whole.

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 30, 2026 / 0 Comments

    They say that writing one's memoir can be cathartic, healing. It can lighten emotional burdens by shining a bright light on them. If this is true, I certainly hope that author Olivia Paisley…

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  • Book Reviews,  Cozy,  Detective and Mystery,  Fantasy,  Humor

    Book Review: Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 25, 2026 / 0 Comments

    A brilliant inspector and their clever sidekick is a commonly used trope. And that's fine, it's used often because it works - and I love that. But it's also fun to turn the…

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  • This Writer's Life

    Scam Alert: The Book Marketing Grifters Have Crossed A Line

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 25, 2026 / 0 Comments

    If you're a writer with published books, you've likely heard of the book marketing grifters that are flooding email, setting up social media accounts to pitch their scams in private messages, and no…

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  • Art,  Book Reviews,  Classics,  Magical Realm

    Book Review: Aladdin & The Wonderful Lamp- Fully Illustrated: A Tale From the Arabian Nights

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 19, 2026 / 0 Comments

    If you could only own one book about Aladdin and his lamp, this is that book. Not only would you have a fine introduction to Aladdin's adventures-part of the 1001 Arabian Nights stories-you'd…

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  • Book Reviews,  Humor,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: What If? 10th Anniversary Edition: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 16, 2026 / 0 Comments

    I told myself I'd read one question/answer a night, to let my brain have time to absorb what I knew would be fascinating yet very complex answers. But each question/answer was a deliciously…

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  • Book Reviews,  Coming of Age,  Magical Realm,  Realist Fiction,  Short Stories,  Speculative Fiction

    Book Review: The Misconception: A Spirit Guide, A Ghost Tiger, and One Scary Mother!

    Lori Alden Holuta / January 9, 2026 / 0 Comments

    While this short story is about a twelve-year-old girl, I would hesitate to share it with a reader of the same age.

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  • Book Reviews,  Detective and Mystery,  Horror,  Humor,  Magical Realm

    Book Review: Inspector Hobbes and the Curse

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 31, 2025 / 0 Comments

    So, you love Sherlock Holmes and John Watson's adventures, but you think there's not enough, oh, you know, otherworldly monster-ish qualities about Holmes, and you wish Watson could be more of a bumbling…

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  • Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  Magical Realm,  Romance

    Book Review: Hotel Fen

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 31, 2025 / 0 Comments

    If you're looking for a richly moody book that will take you away to a mysterious, intriguing setting, pack your bags and go spend some time in Hotel Fen.

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  • Book Reviews,  DIY,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: The Little Book of Living Small

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 30, 2025 / 0 Comments

    What sets this book apart is that, first of all and most important to me, the main focus is on apartment life.

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  • Action and Adventure,  Book Reviews,  Fantasy,  Humor,  Magical Realm,  Short Stories

    Book Review: B.R.A.N.E. Inc.

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 30, 2025 / 0 Comments

    If you've ever worked in an office, you've no doubt developed a relationship with the copy machine. You've probably also spent time fantasizing that your life was more exciting.

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  • Biographies and Autobiographies,  Book Reviews,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 30, 2025 / 0 Comments

    This deep dive into Terry Pratchett's life was written by a friend, who's also a realist and knows that life isn't always shiny.

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  • Book Reviews,  History,  Non-Fiction,  Travel

    Book Review: Gastro Obscura

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Cecily Wong My rating: 5 of 5 stars This gigantic, heavy book is perfect for any wander lusting foodie, like me! I can’t travel as much…

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  • Art,  Book Reviews,  History,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: The Mack

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

    I've spent many months reading The Mack. I had no intention of hurrying through it; I did want to finish it before the new year though, so I'm content!

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  • Book Reviews,  Science Fiction,  Short Stories,  Speculative Fiction

    Book Review: 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

    If explaining was an Olympic event, Scalzi would take the gold.

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  • Book Reviews,  Other Authors,  What I'm Reading Now

    A Very Bookish Christmas

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 26, 2025 / 0 Comments

    My little Christmas book haul. Read more about each of them below! The Open Door Gourmet is a tribute to Mark Edward Webb, who is credited as being the author. Mark actually passed away…

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  • Art,  Book Reviews,  Cookbooks,  History,  Humor

    Book Review: The Gallery of Regrettable Food

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 24, 2025 / 0 Comments

    In spite of the book's synopsis, which warns that this is not a cookbook, there are recipes and instructions scattered about. They aren't any sort of competition for the witty, snarky writing, though.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cozy,  Literary Fiction,  Realist Fiction,  Romance

    Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 24, 2025 / 0 Comments

    This book came highly recommend to me by more than one person. It's no secret that I love and admire octopus, so I know now why those recommendations came to me.

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  • Art,  Book Reviews,  Classics,  Fantasy

    Book Review: The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 21, 2025 / 0 Comments

    You can imagine my delight as I held my copy of Albert Seligman's latest publication, as he continues his Arabian Nights series of illustrated books with the collected tales of Sindbad (and yes,…

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  • Black Authors,  Book Reviews,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Black Culture Word Search

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 18, 2025 / 0 Comments

    This collection of 100 word search puzzles goes above and beyond. It's not merely a collection of puzzles to pass the time.

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  • Book Reviews,  Children's Picture Books,  Middle Grade

    Book Review: The Feelings Parade: A story about friendship and feelings for little hearts 

    Lori Alden Holuta / December 11, 2025 / 0 Comments

    The Feelings Parade is a sweet book filled with happy, vibrant illustrations of animals helping each other.

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  • My Books,  Other Authors,  This Writer's Life

    Author Friends… Need Reviews?

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 30, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Attention authors! Who needs book reviews? We ALL do.

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  • Book Reviews,  Cozy,  LGBTQ+,  Realist Fiction,  Romance

    Book Review: Down the River (River City Book 2)

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Down the River: River City Book 2 by J. Scott Coatsworth My rating: 5 of 5 stars Down the River is the sequel to The River City Chronicles, which introduced many of the…

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  • Book Reviews,  Coming of Age,  Fantasy,  Historical Fiction,  Middle Grade,  New Adult,  Speculative Fiction,  Young Adult

    Book Review: LoveVortex and the Drakor’s Curse

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 29, 2025 / 0 Comments

    How would you live your life if you knew exactly the day you would die?

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  • Book Reviews,  Memoir,  Non-Fiction,  Womens Literature

    Book Review: Lost My Mind Here Someplace

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 19, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Arūnė Savage may be a first-time author, but she absolutely blew me away with her vibrant, professional writing style. She expresses herself so well that it's impossible not to become immersed in the…

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  • Book Reviews,  Cozy,  Realist Fiction

    Book Review: Alfie the Doorstep Cat

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 19, 2025 / 0 Comments

    As a lifelong Cat Person, and more recently a "community cat" caretaker, I'm sympathetic to stories about homeless cats.

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  • Book Reviews,  Essays,  History,  Non-Fiction

    Book Review: Entangled: A Cabinet of Botanical Wonders

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 12, 2025 / 1 Comment

    Entangled: A Cabinet of Botanical Wonders by A.R. Wells My rating: 5 of 5 stars Entangled’s foreword quickly sets the tone of what’s to come, reminding us of history’s obsessed explorers, risking their…

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  • Action and Adventure,  Book Reviews,  Graphic Novels,  Humor,  Speculative Fiction

    Book Review: He Lost His Keys in Space

    Lori Alden Holuta / November 10, 2025 / 0 Comments

    After twelve years of diplomatic service to planets all over the galaxy, Vega Ulysses - a man who looks like a bespectacled lumberjack in modified stormtrooper gear - is ready to go home.

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