Friday Finds | September 25, 2026
"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."
- Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Welcome to this week's Friday Finds-a little gathering of stories, cozy comforts, and bookish discoveries to carry into the weekend.
Today, I'm featuring the myth-rich historical worlds of Jennifer Ivy Walker, sharing a simple French cinnamon yogurt cake, and rounding things out with a few warm touches for your reading nook. Settle in and see what speaks to you.
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🪑 From My Reading Chair
Recent reads and bookish features worth sharing from my corner of the reading world.
🌿 On the Blog This Week
Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. West
Charming, absurd, cozy, warmhearted, and funny
What do you get when a weary dark lord abandons his throne in favor of a quiet life with goats and homemade jam? In S.B. West's Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed, you get a charmingly ridiculous adventure in which the former villain accidentally joins the rebellion determined to overthrow him.
Also This Week
Behind the Book: When One Story Becomes Four by Patricia Furstenberg
Opening Another Door Through Research
Go Behind the Book with Patricia Furstenberg to discover how research for When Secrets Bloom grew into four stories inspired by medieval Transylvania.
💌 Community Corner
One of the lovely things about this community is getting to share good news from authors whose work has found a place on my shelves.
📚 Bookish News: Free eBook Today
Today only, Jessica D. Adams's sweet children's picture book
The Underground Toy Society Helps Ellie Elephant is free to download as an eBook.
When Ellie is accidentally left behind after a family camping trip, she turns to the Underground Toy Society for help finding her way home. It is a gentle, imaginative story for young readers and families to enjoy together.
🎉 Goodreads Giveaway: What Ever Happened to Cathy Martin
Mim Eichmann is giving away copies of What Ever Happened to Cathy Martin through Goodreads-but only through October 5.
This thoughtful, character-driven novel explores the lingering questions surrounding a woman who disappeared long ago and the lives still shaped by her absence.
Enter the Goodreads Giveaway →
🌟 Featured Author Spotlight
💭 My Reflections
Jennifer's books are a favorite escape for me-romantic, atmospheric, and steeped in the legends and landscapes that make history feel alive. Whether she is writing of Celtic magic, Viking adventure, or medieval France, she always brings both heart and a strong sense of place.
If you enjoy historical settings enriched by myth, magic, and sweeping romance, Jennifer's backlist offers several wonderful places to begin.
📚 Start Here: My Featured Reviews
- The Witch of the Breton Woods → Review
A WWII romance set in occupied France, where a young woman joins the Resistance and shelters an injured American paratrooper. - Dragon of Denmark → Review
A sweeping Viking romance blending tenth-century Normandy, Norse mythology, Celtic legend, and magic. - The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven → Review
A dark fairy-tale retelling of the Tristan and Issylte legend, filled with Arthurian myth, Druidic magic, and adventure.
See all my Jennifer Ivy Walker features →
Amazon • Goodreads • Website • Author Hub
✨ Featured Author Spotlight introduces readers to authors whose work has been featured on the blog, along with my personal reflections and a few recommended places to begin.
🍰 Sip & Savor: French Cinnamon Yogurt Cake
This cozy gâteau au yaourt is a simple French yogurt cake with an autumn-ready cinnamon-sugar topping.
It is tender, lightly sweet, and just right with a cup of coffee or tea-a small nod to Jennifer Ivy Walker's
love of French language, history, and culture.
French Cinnamon Yogurt Cake
Makes: 1 nine-inch cake | Prep: 15 minutes | Bake: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment, if desired.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir just until no dry streaks remain-do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.
- Stir together the topping sugar and cinnamon. Brush the warm cake lightly with melted butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee, tea, or a quiet reading hour.
Cozy tip: A little orange zest in the batter would be lovely here, too.
🕯️ Featured Find
12-Piece Amber Jar Candle Gift Set
A good book deserves a little atmosphere. This lovely set includes twelve amber jar candles in a mix of fruit, floral, wood, and holiday-inspired scents-so you can choose the mood that suits your current read.
I'm especially drawn to the cozy options like tobacco and teak, figs and fir, vanilla cake, and cedarwood balsam fir. It would make a thoughtful gift for a fellow reader-or an easy way to build your own reading-nook scent library.
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💬 Reader Question
This week's finds are all about making a little space for comfort-whether that means a favorite story, something warm from the oven, or a candle glowing nearby.
What is one thing that makes your reading time feel especially cozy?
Is it a soft blanket, a favorite mug, a sweet treat, a candle, a perfectly quiet room, or something else entirely? Tell me in the comments-I'm always curious about the small rituals that make reading time feel like a true escape.
📜 More Friday Finds
Missed a week? Browse previous editions of Friday Finds for more book reviews, author spotlights, reader favorites, recipes, and discoveries.
Browse the Friday Finds Archive →
Thank you for spending part of your week with me. I hope you have a peaceful, joy-filled weekend filled with good books and little moments to savor.
Until next week's Friday Finds,
Gina
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Something that make my reading time cozy is sitting in bed up against 2 pillows under all my covers with some of my stuffed animal [my choice of course LOL]