Wilde Blog Posts
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Most Recent Posts
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Color Purple | Alice Walker’s Historical Fiction Review
The Color Purple, Alice Walker’s classic, stands out as an emotional, unforgettable work of historical fiction. Centered on one woman’s life amid pain, resilience, and racial tension, it became a landmark novel that still resonates today. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | A Southern Gothic True Crime Masterpiece by John Berendt
A rare standout among my usual “safe bet” reads, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt is a Southern Gothic true crime masterpiece filled with unforgettable characters and eerie Savannah charm. This gripping nonfiction story is one I’ll recommend forever. Click here to read my full review!
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Holy Thursday Challenge – 13 Churches and Chapels in 24 Hours
I’d heard about the tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday, and that sounded awesome – but it also sounded like something nearly impossible to accomplish with severe POTS. So I started thinking: how can I adjust this to be more POTS-friendly?
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Maddie’s Reviews: Because of Winn-Dixie | A Heartwarming Classic by Kate DiCamillo
Revisiting Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo during Holy Week felt like the perfect return to a childhood favorite. This beloved middle grade novel explores friendship, loneliness, and grace through Opal and her unforgettable stray dog. A timeless, heartwarming story that still resonates. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Professor and the Madman | Simon Winchester’s true crime dictionary history masterpiece
In The Professor and the Madman, Simon Winchester uncovers the astonishing true story behind the Oxford English Dictionary and the disturbed genius who helped build it. If you love literary history, true crime, and bizarre forgotten history, this nonfiction book is unforgettable. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Drowning in Paper Flowers | A Twisty Psychological Thriller by E.L. Westbury
In this five-star psychological thriller by E.L. Westbury, secrets, trauma, and family dysfunction collide in a dark domestic suspense story full of shocking twists. Drowning in Paper Flowers delivers emotional damage, unreliable characters, and gripping tension from start to finish. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Pretty Girls | Karin Slaughter’s Dark Psychological Thriller
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter is a deeply disturbing psychological thriller that pushes far beyond the usual suspense novel. Dark, twisted, and genuinely unsettling, this thriller is perfect for readers who want shocking crime fiction, family trauma, and brutal secrets that refuse to stay buried. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Save Me an Orange | Hayley Grace Poetry Review
In my Save Me an Orange review, I share why Hayley Grace’s debut poetry collection feels so personal, tender, and easy to connect with. Full of emotional, Instagram-style verses, this trending poetry book explores pain, healing, and self-acceptance in a way that lingers. Click here to read my full review!
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Boredom Baking Experiments – Rustic Raspberry Cheesecake
This week, I’ve somehow managed to get so ahead of schedule with my book reviews that I found myself with plenty of extra time (even after getting through all the typical housewife chores for the day – like making the bed and prepping dinner in my trusty crockpot). So naturally, I turned to another beloved habit of mine: baking.
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Maddie’s Reviews: Ruined | A Haunting YA Ghost Story by Paula Morris
A nostalgic return to a Scholastic Book Fair favorite, Ruined by Paula Morris delivers a chilling young adult ghost story set in atmospheric New Orleans. Blending mystery, history, and the supernatural, this haunting read lingers long after the final page. A perfect pick for YA paranormal fans—click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Peril in the Pool House | Judy L. Murray Chesapeake Bay Mystery Review
Judy L. Murray’s Peril in the Pool House is a twisty Chesapeake Bay mystery perfect for fans of cozy crime, haunted B&B settings, and small-town suspense. This Maryland-set amateur sleuth story pulled me in fast and made flare-week reading much more fun. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Homecraft Book | Vintage 1940s Housekeeping Guide by Ann Hathaway
History lovers will enjoy exploring The Homecraft Book by Ann Hathaway, a fascinating glimpse into 1940s domestic life. This vintage housekeeping guide reveals the expectations placed on post-WWII housewives—sometimes practical, sometimes hilariously outdated—making it both educational and entertaining for anyone interested in social history. Click here to read my full review!
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A Lenten Reflection on Gratitude, Healing, and Living in the Moment
Winter is over, spring is here (even if unofficially), and we’re well into the liturgical season of Lent – my favorite time of the year in the Church. There are so many things to reflect on, and I’ve been trying to be mindful of all of them.
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Maddie’s Reviews: Story of a Soul | St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s Catholic Spiritual Classic
In Story of a Soul, St. Thérèse of Lisieux shares her deeply personal journey of faith and her famous “Little Way” of trusting God through small acts of love. This Catholic spiritual classic remains one of the most beloved saint memoirs, offering timeless guidance for anyone seeking deeper faith. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Union Street Bakery | A Heartwarming Arlington Mystery by Mary Ellen Taylor
Set in Arlington, Virginia, The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor blends family secrets, fiction, and heartfelt mystery into a richly layered story. With a charming bakery backdrop and emotional depth, this novel offers something for every reader. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Doll in the Garden | A Classic Children’s Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
In The Doll in the Garden, Mary Downing Hahn delivers a timeless middle grade ghost story filled with friendship, mystery, and quiet chills. Revisiting this childhood favorite felt like the perfect self-care read—short, nostalgic, and gently haunting. A classic children’s supernatural novel worth rediscovering. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: Unspeakable Things | A Gripping Psychological Thriller by Jess Lourey
Jess Lourey’s Unspeakable Things is a chilling psychological thriller set in 1980s Minnesota. With small-town secrets, childhood innocence shattered, and a suspenseful coming-of-age mystery, this crime novel lingers long after the final page. One of my all-time favorite thrillers. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | A Timeless Coming-of-Age Classic by Betty Smith
Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a timeless historical coming-of-age novel set in early 1900s New York. Through Francie Nolan’s resilience, imagination, and love of education, this literary classic captures the hardships and beauty of growing up. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: The Didache | Early Christian Teaching & Apostolic Tradition
As Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, I’m diving into The Didache, a first-century Christian handbook on discipleship, morality, fasting, and the Eucharist. This early Church document reveals how the earliest Christians lived and worshipped—long before formal councils and schisms. A powerful Lenten read. Click here to read my full review!
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Maddie’s Reviews: You Killed Me First | Psychological Thriller by John Marrs
In this fast-paced psychological thriller, John Marrs delivers shocking plot twists, unreliable narrators, and suburban secrets that spiral into chaos. You Killed Me First explores friendship, betrayal, and long-buried trauma in a tangled web of suspense. This is domestic noir at its most addictive. Click here to read my full review!