Category: Uncategorized

February 2025–Part One

February 17, 2025

Book #9:

The Hop by Diana Clarke (Length: 526 pages).  This unique novel is a fun take set first in New Zealand and then in Nevada and features sex workers as the protagonists. Kate Burns leaves New Zealand and becomes Lady Lane at the Bunny Hop Ranch. Her tale is told via a series of interviews of various people in Kate’s life, a la Daisy Jones and the Six. The writing style here is so engaging and vivid; I felt like I was there with Kate, and I found this novel so difficult to put down. The subject matter here is difficult but I think it’s an important perspective and should be read. 4.5 stars from me.

Book #10:

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker by Derick Lugo (Length: 320 pages). Continuing with my obsession with the Appalachian Trail and reading all of the accounts of hiking this trail, I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this particular account. (It’s not available at my local library or my local bookstores; I had to order a used copy via Thriftbooks). Derick Lugo is a black man living in New York City and he decided to hike the entire AT in one go, with zero training and only an upbeat, positive attitude. I LOVED this book! The author’s joy in being on the trails is evident on every page. He describes some of the racism he experienced (ie, black hikers are evidently a rare sight on the AT) and I learned so much from him. I adored his encounters with all of the people he met who became instant trail friends. Derick, or “Mr Fabulous” (his trail name), is a gem and I now count this as one of my favorite accounts of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Book #11:

Act Like It by Lucy Parker (Length: 284 pages).  This romance has been on my TBR for a while as I see it mentioned by people whose tastes trend in a more literary direction, but they love this novel. British stage actors face off in a few tropes here: enemies to lovers and fake dating, but both are well-executed here. The writing quality IS more literary in this pick (the first in a series of 5) but the chemistry is believable, and I wanted to keep reading to the predictable happy ending. I will say it’s a bit slow to start, but it does pick up so hang in there. 4 stars from me.

January 2025–Part Two

February 2, 2025

Book #5:

The North Line by Matt Riordan (Length: 294 pages).  This off the radar book is a very tense, fast-paced fictional account of a few months on a fishing boat in Alaska. Perfect for fans of adventure novels, this shorter book features the protagonist, Adam, who loses his scholarship to a private college just before his senior year and joins the crew of a fishing boat having zero experience, in a last-dash effort to make $26K. This almost reads as narrative non-fiction as it’s very descriptive (and stressful!) and the details are so interesting. The author spent his 20s on fishing boats and you can tell here. The ending is wild!! 4 stars.

Book #6

Scorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (Length: 457 pages). This standalone YA fantasy novel is set in the Great Libraries of a magical world. Featuring a fierce heroine (with perfect tone in her depiction), this almost-perfect novel has excellent world-building (that’s not too complex), decent character development and a propulsive plot. There is a bit of closed-door romance but the focus of the plot is books (or here, grimoires) and magical creatures. I adore this book and I think it’s in my top 3 of fantasy novels for sure! 5 solid stars.

Book #7:

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage (Length: 356 pages).  This is a cowboy romance set in a huge family ranch in Wyoming. The first in a series (of 4), here, barrel racing champion Emmy Ryder abruptly leaves the racing circuit, breaks up with her boyfriend and returns home to Rebel Blue Ranch after years away. Sparks fly when she runs into Luke Brooks, the town Lothario who also happens to be the best friend of Emmy’s protective big brother. This is cheesy but overall, it’s decently written. (There are a few typos and grammatical errors which are super annoying but more common in these types of books I’m noticing.) I enjoyed the details of the ranch and barrel racing and also, meeting the secondary characters who are featured in the remaining books of this series. Also, this is very open door so keep that in mind if those books aren’t for you. 3.5 stars from me.

Book #8:

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (Length: 338 pages).  I listened to this uber-popular mystery as I’ve heard that’s the way to go, and I agree–this is PHENOMENAL on audio. The chapters here alternate between the episodes of a popular true crime podcast and the perspective of the protagonist, Lucy, who (suspected of killing her BFF Savvy 5 years earlier) returns to the small Texas town where the murder occurred. This mystery is perfectly paced, very well-written and features some strong side characters (such as Lucy’s grandmother–my favorite). I enjoyed the resolution of the mystery here as well. A full 5 stars from me!

January 2025–Part One

January 14, 2025

Book #1:

Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Length: 236 pages).  As a new member of the sandwich generation, I was very interested in picking up this slim novel. The plot is very simple: a tale of an extended family’s week at the beach in Cape Cod, written from the perspective of the mother, Rocky. The novel switches between Rocky reminiscing about her children (both alive and dead) as well as experiencing the current state of her marriage, the lives and goings-on of her adult children and her aging parents. All of this to say, nothing much happens here, but I’m a fan of Catherine Newman’s writing (and her writing style) so I thoroughly enjoyed this slice of life as portrayed by the offer. This is a slow, quiet read but it’s very insightful and I’m glad I picked it up. 4 stars from me.

Book #2

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (Length: 303 pages). This was the “it” book of the holiday season, so I was excited to see it on a daily Kindle deal. Labelled a “cozy mystery” this is part closed door mystery (with a side of closed-door romance) and the mystery at its heart is a lot of fun. The premise here is two “enemy” best-selling mystery authors receive a last-minute invite to THE Grande dame of mystery author’s huge estate outside of London, over the Christmas holiday. There is a missing person, an attempted murder and the hunt is on for the killer. My one quibble with this is the secondary characters are given short shrift (for example, there is a third best-selling mystery author who isn’t described with much depth here). Overall, however, this is very well-written, the plot is fast paced, the chemistry between the two leads is believable and I had a great time reading this. 5 stars.

Book #3:

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend (Length: 513 pages).  This is a middle-grade fantasy book (the first of a series of 4) that is in the top 3 of many book bloggers’ top fantasy reads so I’ve been wanting to pick it up. For a book that is targeted for 8 years old and up, I found it a surprisingly great read for adults. I absolutely loved this reading experience! Morrigan Crow is a “cursed child” who lives in Nevermoor with a family who doesn’t like her (a la Harry Potter) and Morrigan is slated to die on her 11th birthday, as are all cursed children. However, the day of her birthday, she is whisked away and invited to join the trials for a magic spell society. The kicker is, if she loses, she’ll still die. This fun book has fantastic writing, snarky dialogue (which is what makes it so entertaining for adults I think) and a fast-moving plot. I enjoyed all of the ancillary characters, and I will definitely be reading further into the series. Although the word on the street is the follow up books aren’t as fun. 5 solid stars.

Book #4:

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Length: 344 pages).  This is such an odd book that is enjoyable overall, even with a protagonist I truly did not like. Lauren lives in London and one night she discovers she is married to a man she has never met. And when this man heads up to their attic to change a lightbulb, he disappears, and a new husband appears. Rinse and repeat through the entire novel as Lauren finds something she dislikes about each husband/iteration. The plot becomes tiresome and frustrating. I did enjoy the “Twilight Zone” nature of this, and the plot is absolutely memorable, and, unlike other readers, I liked the resolution of this novel. But Lauren, zero stars from me! I’ll give this 3.5 stars because the writing is solid, and the plot is singular.

December 2024–Part Two

January 1, 2025

Book #108:

The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore by Laurie Gilmore (Length: 385 pages). This is the second book in the viral BookTok series. I (reviewed) and enjoyed the first book more than I thought I would, but this one was a bit slower and induced several eyerolls, which isn’t a great sign. In this novel, a bookstore employee and the town flirt, a charter fisherman, enjoy some scavenger hunt clues placed in romance novels, which have been secreted there to encourage the bookstore employee Hazel to be less hesitant, and more adventurous in her life. Overall, I’m giving this 3 stars because it’s too slow, the chemistry isn’t as believable as the first book in the series, but I did still enjoy Dream Harbor and its quirky inhabitants.

Book #109:

From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Length: 622 pages). This is the first installment in a very popular series (of 6 books), and I LOVED it! This is heavier on the romance than I particularly enjoy for a romantasy series, but the world building and characters are top notch. The writing quality is decent, and the plot had me thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it, and I wanted to keep picking it up and reading (even at 600 plus pages!). I enjoyed the warring kingdoms (the Ascended vs the Atlantians vs the Mortals) and there is a plot twist that of course has me wanting to read the second book, already placed in my TBR stack. 5 solid stars.

Book #110:

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan (Length: 443 pages).  So, this sprawling saga set mostly in a seaside town in Maine is a total mess, but I sort of enjoyed it a lot. The main character is Jane, an alcoholic who works as a researcher in a Harvard library. She’s not likable, nor are many of the characters here, but the plot is absolutely fascinating in parts . . . there are historical accounts of the Shakers and a few Indian tribes who lived in the area, and these accounts are interspersed with Jane trying to get her life back together in the town she grew up in. I enjoyed the historical chapters the most and they’re why I’m giving this popular novel 3.5 stars.

Book #111:

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Length: 380 pages).  This is the perfect book for me to end my reading year! I hugged it (or my Kindle) when I was done because I enjoyed the reading experience here so much. This is considered to be “cottage core” and I have to say I’m a fan. It’s a light fantasy with magical (and real) characters. The protagonist is Kiela, a blue-skinned librarian who rescues/steals several crates of spellbooks from the Great Library which is burned by revolutionaries who are angry with the Empire. Kiela and her spider plant assistant/BFF Caz escape via boat with the rescued books back to Caltrey, Kiela’s childhood island home. She and Caz then go about restoring her dilapidated family cottage, hide the spellbooks from the islanders (who aren’t aware of the revolution, find food, make friends and start a business. There’s some minor conflict and drama, and a love interest, along with some merhorses and some magical spells, all of which round out this delightful read. 5 stars from me.

December 2024–Part One

December 16, 2024

Book #103:

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Length: 304 pages). This psychological thriller is very well-plotted and executed and it’s smart! I didn’t see the big twist coming here, but of course, looking back all of the signs were there. The premise is a couple who has been married for coming up on ten years wins a stay at a very remote B&B in Scotland during the winter, and things get very creepy, very quickly. I had a mounting sense of dread almost the entire way through and couldn’t stop reading. I love when that happens! Because of the nature of the twist here, I’d recommend the written version of this novel over the audio. I give this a solid 4 stars!  

Book #104:

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis (Length: 413 pages). Ashlyn Greer is a young woman who owns a used bookstore and also restores old books. She happens to have a gift for psychometry and can sense the emotions of readers/owners of old books, so when she comes across a beautiful pair of books with no author’s name but with intense emotions attached, she starts to investigate the provenance of these books. This is a beautiful love story: well-written and not manipulative, which I appreciate. The storyline here is very memorable and while this was slow to start for me, I am so glad I picked this one up. 4.5 stars from me!

Book #105:

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver (Length: 372 pages).  I’ve had this book for the entire past year, having selected it from the Book of the Month club. I waited until this month to read it because I wanted to enjoy its promised seasonal vibe, and it absolutely delivered! I LOVE this book. It’s set in New York City, obviously, and the premise here is Iris, a young British chef escapes a problematic romantic relationship and comes to New York to start over. She visits a gelato shop she recognizes from her mom’s old photos, and it turns out her mom has the only existing copy of the family vanilla gelato recipe which, thanks to a somewhat unbelievable series of events, is very necessary or the business will go under. It doesn’t hurt that the shop owner’s son Gio is a total hottie! This does have more depth than most rom-coms, I adored all of the characters here and the winter in NYC setting is magical! 5 solid stars from me.

Book #106:

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton (Length: 224 pages).  This is the second book in the Queen of the Village Mystery Series featuring Agatha Raisin. I listened to this on audio (and it was delightful–so easy and fun to listen to!). I am growing to like Agatha a bit more but I’ve read one doesn’t truly get to like (and understand her) until further on in the series. This installment features a handsome new vet who tries his luck at opening his business in the village, but doesn’t seem to like animals at all. He does, however, seem to be drawn to all of the single ladies who have larger pocketbooks. Agatha solves the mystery here with the helpful of her reluctant (single and handsome) neighbor and they get into all sorts of good trouble. I enjoyed this one! The setting is just as charming, the mystery is more at the forefront in this second novel and it’s an easy read/listen. 4 stars from me.

Book #107:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Length:355 pages). This magical book is in the top 3 books I’ve read this year! Set in a fancy hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, which has been rented out for a $1 million wedding, Phoebe Stone (the sole guest who isn’t involved with this wedding), has arrived with the sole intention of enjoying her $800/night penthouse suite for one single night, before killing herself. Instead, Phoebe gets strong-armed into being the willful bride’s confidante and is sucked into participating in all of the drama of the week-long wedding. Spending a week with the various members of the party affects her in unexpected ways. The writing here is truly lovely, the main characters are all multi-dimensional and fantastic and the supporting characters are funny and charming. There are some laugh-out-loud lines of dialogue and while trigger warnings do abound (suicide, obviously, along with infidelity), nothing here is gratuitous in my opinion. A solid 5 stars from me!