The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry by Amy Azzarito.

October 20, 2026

My lovelies, have you read The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry, the new jewelry book by Amy Azzarito? Because I just did, and I could not be more impressed. Let’s discuss.

The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry by Amy Azzarito.

This book is: short, illustrated chapters that explain the significance of motifs popular in Victorian era jewelry.
Other elements: symbolism, Victoriana.
Read it: if you want to understand Victorian era symbolism and how it influences jewelry from antiquity to today.
Buy it here: Bookshop.org or Amazon.

I like most of the jewelry books that I read…but I absolutely, wholeheartedly, loved this one. The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry by Amy Azzarito is the perfect combination of coffee table and reference book: a small volume with short, informative, beautifully illustrated chapters arranged in a way that is logical, pleasant to read, and easy to understand.

Proceeding in alphabetical order, The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry lists each about 60 of the most frequently used motifs and gemstones in Victorian jewelry. Each chapter starts by listing the motif’s name – for example, a lion – and then briefly summaries its meaning and protective power before diving into its traditional associations, major symbolism, major historical moments, and relevant famous jewels for each one.

The chapters are illustrated not only with examples of Victorian jewelry showing the relevant motif, but also with jewels from before and after the Victorian era that use the same symbolism. Instead of being arranged sterilely on a white background, the images are overlapping on the page, collage style, with annotations. The effect is friendly and engaging, making you feel like you’re having a conversation with a friend, not reading a book.

Each chapter also begins with a charming black-and-white illustration of the motif under discussion, hand-drawn by artist Brain Reedy. Such a delightful touch, and I absolutely love that we know it’s real human art and not AI.

I had a great time comparing my own jewelry to the motifs mentioned in the book, if you couldn’t tell from the photographs in the slideshow above.

When I say this is a small volume, I’m being quite literal: this hardcover book is 8″ by 8″, making it much more petite than most jewelry books in this category. That makes it significantly more affordable than many of its peers, as well as allowing it to fit on a standard bookshelf.

The size also makes this book comfortable to read for someone like me who has chronic pain that affects her hands. I realize this isn’t relevant to everyone, but I really struggle with large hardcovers sometimes and it was so refreshing to have an exquisite book like this not be too large and heavy for me to easily enjoy.

A delightful book in every way and a fantastic option if you’re looking for a non-jewelry gift for the jewelry lover in your life.

Want more? Click here for my for mini reviews and links on my Jewelry Books page or click through to the shoppable list on my ShopMy page here.

I received a free review copy of The Secret Language of Victorian Jewelry by Amy Azzarito from Clarkson Potter of Penguin Random House but my opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links.

What I’m Reading: Vol. 134.

September 15, 2026

What I'm reading. A beautiful library, photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash

Hello my darlings,

Happy September to us all! I’m so relived that it’s finally a bit cooler and less mosquito-ey outside. We’ve had some absolutely prefect weather in Maryland lately, and Mr. DitL and I have been taking advantage of it by going for lots of walks, visiting the Farmer’s Market (the apples are so fantastic right now) and listening to the incredibly fantastic Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks together in our hammock.

Yes, I did just finish reading those books before starting the audiobooks. And yes, the audio version of Dungeon Crawler Carl is as good as you’ve heard it is. Click here for my full thoughts on this series.

Isn’t it funny how September can still feel like a new beginning even when you’re many years too old to be heading back to school? Something about the hint of fresh crispness in the air makes me feel like I should go buy a new notebook and some fresh pens.

Perhaps I will.

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic: (Bookshop.org | Amazon)

The story follows Lovett Tamerlane, who was born a Silkwitch: a women whose hair holds magical power. Silkwitches are guarded like jewels until they can be married off to Weaver husbands, men who have the gift necessary to wield their hair’s power.

Lovett decides to hide the fact that she’s a Silkwitch so that she can live free, using the little gift of magic that all Silkwitches possess until they are married to make a living as a specialized thief.

When she’s caught stealing from a Weaver man, Lovett makes a deal that hinges on her agreeing to the most dangerous con of her life so far: she’ll reveal her coveted hair and take on a fake identity to try to win the hand of a nobleman in a high stakes competition…but her goal isn’t marriage. Her aim is to gain access to the castle where a fellow Silkwitch recently died under mysterious circumstances to try to solve the woman’s murder.

This clever first book in a new YA Fantasy/mostly closed-door Romantasy series surprised me several times, but there was one specific plot twist where this book mentally jumped from 3 or 4 stars to a full 5 in an instant. I don’t want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed this one.

Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy Book 1) by Mimi Matthews: (Bookshop.org | Amazon)

This series follows the graduates of The Crinoline Academy, a very unusual charity finishing school in Victorian London that teaches its orphaned pupils things like lockpicking and the concealment of weapons in beneath one’s fashionable, voluminous skirts. Each capable lady must venture forth into greater London to try to solve a mystery or pursue a goal on behalf of the Crinoline Academy’s mysterious proprietress…but things never go as planned.

Major themes of found family, feminism, empowering women, and finding your true self while falling in love and solving a mystery. I’d call this series Historical Fiction with a love story in the center, rather than Romance. Spicy scenes are closed door.

Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti: (Bookshop.org | Amazon)

I enjoyed parts of this lengthy Fantasy series, but I don’t recommend it as a whole.

The plot: two beautiful teenage orphan twins are living together in poverty when a devastatingly handsome stranger appears to tell them they’re actually long lost Fae princesses from another realm. The twins arrive at their new magical boarding school to discover they already have enemies: four sexy teenage boys called “The Heirs” who were intended to lead the kingdom in the princesses’ absence. Will the twins defeat The Heirs & their supporters and reclaim their thrones? Who will fall in love along the way?

SPOILERS AHEAD (and TW for discussion of sexual assault & harassment)

The entire world is excessively sexualized – which is often the case in this genre – but it’s so blatant and icky here. Sexy teachers in revealing clothing force students to wear revealing uniforms and openly ogle and comment on students’ bodies. The female characters all have tiny waists, beautiful faces, and huge, heaving breasts…except for one teenager who takes “Faeroids” and is described as horrendously disgusting due to her large body and visible facial hair. The male characters all have defined muscles, handsome faces, and large genitals.

These Fae have the ability to force obedience from weaker individuals through a magical power called “Coercion” and the main characters are too inexperienced to defend against this for the first 2-3 books. The teenage Princesses are repeatedly Coerced to to do dangerous, humiliating, borderline sexual things by their fellow students. They’re forced to publicly strip, are nearly drowned, forced to injure themselves, forced to embarrass themselves…it goes on and on and on, and the incidents are recorded on video and shared.

It is very clear that this Coercion power can be used for sexual assault. Neither of the main characters is forced into sex – although threats are made, and it’s revealed later in the series that one character frequently uses their power that way – but the constant implied threat of sexual assault against teenage characters is deeply discomfiting.

There were clever and endearing parts of the story that I enjoyed, especially in the later books of the series, but overall the gender essentialism, relentless focus on attractiveness, oversexualization of all characters, and casual treatment of sexual assault ruined it for me.

Zodiac Academy reminds me of overly long fanfictions that I used to read online as a teenager, but spread over 7,100 published pages. No shade if you’re someone who loves these books – we all have our problematic faves – but they weren’t for me.

Want to see more fiction I’m loving? Click here.

Internets

How Antique Diamonds Became a Modern Bridal Obsession, in JCK.

High Levels of Cadmium Found in Jewelry Sold on Amazon and TikTok – big yikes to this one. I have nothing against demi-fine jewelry and I think it’s vitally important for the market to have cool jewelry at all price points, but that’s no excuse for making things so cheap that they’re actually dangerous.

Cindy Chao’s latest Black Label Masterpiece Captures Nature’s Resilient Rhythms.

Could a DNA Test Become the Future of Jewellery Provenance? A new PCR ‘swab test’ can identify the journey of gemstones and diamonds, even after they have been set into finished Jewellery.

The colour purple in the Georgian era at All Things Georgian.

The return of jewelled hairpieces. Dior, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels – along with independent jewellers like Jessica McCormack – are turning diamonds into dazzling hair ornaments.

5 Trends to Watch From Paris High Jewelry Week – from JCK.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

What I’m Reading: Vol. 133.

June 23, 2026

What I'm reading. Photo of bookshelfes by Susan Yin on Unsplash

Hello darlings,

I can’t believe it’s June, can you? This year is flyyying by.

I’m excited to have a break from travel for a few months. As much as I enjoyed my recent adventures in Mexico, Paris, and NYC, I’m an introvert at heart and I’m excited to have some downtime in my cozy house to catch my breath for a while.

Mr. DitL and I have been working on a corner of our house that’s intended specifically for reading time and we’re both very excited to finally have our reading chairs in place. Mine is this petite recliner from West Elm that I find spectacularly comfortable. I’ve been visiting it in the store for literal years to make sure it’s really a good fit for me (a perfectly comfortable chair is no small achievement when you’re 5′ 2″ and have chronic pain) but now that it’s here I couldn’t be happier with it.

Are you gearing up for summer travel, my lovelies, or will you you be relaxing at home or perhaps at your neighborhood pool like me?

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman: (Bookshop.org | Amazon).

These books are extraordinary. They’re my first ever experience with the LitRPG genre, which sort of feels like reading a video game. They’re irreverent, outlandish, and cartoonishly violent. There’s a talking cat that wears a tiara, an Uzi-toting Jesus, and a t-rex who dreams of being a ballerina.

They’re also the most astute commentary on the nature of humanity, the importance of community care, and what’s necessary to survive under the leadership of an oppressive regime that I’ve read in a long time. I finished the most recent book in this series last week and Mr. DitL and I started listening to the audiobooks together two days later. (The audiobooks are truly excellent: the narrator is incredible.)

Here’s a mini summary of the setup: a man in his late 20’s is trying to get his ex-girlfriend’s spoiled cat down from a tree when aliens abruptly take over Earth. The survivors are invited to enter something called a “World Dungeon” where they will have the opportunity to compete for the right to a future life while being broadcast to the galaxy on an alien reality tv show. But what is the true cost of survival, and what are the forces running this vicious game, anyway? One man and one cat are trying to find out.

The Saint of Steel Series by T. Kingfisher: (Bookshop.org | Amazon).

I’ve been on a mission to read everything T. Kingfisher has ever written since Swordheart made my Best Books of 2025 list and I have continued to love every single one of the author’s books.

The Saint of Steel series follows the final paladins of The Saint of Steel, a war god who mysteriously died, sending most of his highly trained sacred warriors into violent rages. Only a few survived, and the ragtag group of deeply broken ex-worshippers are now scrambling to figure out a new purpose in life now that their god has left them.

We follow the surviving brothers (and sisters) of the Saint of Steel as they find their new places in the world, each one encountering a mystery that brings them new purpose and discovering love one by one. If you love the trope of “this big dangerous warrior is actually a teddy bear but it only comes out around one specific person” this series is for you.

Not quiiiiite enough romance to feel like Romantasy, I’d call this fantasy with a love story in the center instead. Absolutely delightful. It’s set in the same world as Swordheart and there is a little bit of character overlap, but you do not need to read one to understand the other.

Want more? Visit my Books page here, or go straight to my ShopMy list of fiction I love here.