Book #90:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Length: 496 pages). This is an intense fantasy novel about 8 of the main secret societies at Yale. There is lots of black magic and violence, some necromancy and very little character development, but it’s a wild and fun ride. I think it’s well-written, the plot is interesting (a bit slow to start but once it gets going it’s hard to put down) and the action is a bit stress-inducing. You do have to read the sequel I think (which I have, and plan to review in the future) to get a solid resolution. I’ll give this one a solid 4 stars.

Book #91:

Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (Length: 240 pages). I listened to this memoir on audio and it’s really good! The ghost writer is Lara Love Hardin, the author of The Many Lives of Mama Love (which I really enjoyed) so this memoir is very well-written. This memoir was recommended by a book podcaster who equated it with Jessica Simpson’s equally good memoir, and I’d say that comparison is very apt. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I started it. Crystal doesn’t sugarcoat her own mistakes and failings or her bad decisions, and I found her candor to be refreshing. I was fascinated to learn even more about Hugh Hefner and his narcissism (horrible man!) and I enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of the Playboy Mansion. This is absolutely worth a listen!

Book #92:

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Length: 336 pages). Despite the dumbest cover ever, I really enjoyed this mystery! It’s a fun, fast read and is about Simon and Nina, a young couple who have been together for most of their high school years and are now in college. Nina has disappeared, per the title, and this mystery of her disappearance is told from the viewpoints of the parents of both Nina and Simon as well as the detective assigned to investigate what happened. This is not a whodunit as the killer is revealed early on, but it’s still a wild and pulse-pounding read, with a few surprising twists I enjoyed. 4 stars from me!